DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ The Neighbors Are All Older, Too. Is That What You Want?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Paula Span | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But the prospect of life in an age-restricted development makes Robyn Ringler shudder. She meets people while biking through her neighborhood or walking her goldendoodle; she knows trick-or-treaters by name. Though surveys repeatedly show that most older people prefer to remain in their own homes as they age, about 800,000 were in assisted living last year, according to LeadingAge, which represents nonprofit aging services providers. An additional 745,000 lived in continuing care communities and three million in federally supported affordable senior housing. The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care estimates that 540 active adult communities with 82,000 units offer market-rate rental properties for seniors.

Persons: Robyn Ringler shudder, “, ”, Ringler Organizations: National Investment Center, Seniors Housing Locations: New York, Albany

☆ Fake Guns and 500-Pound Boars: The Strangest Things Home Sellers Have Left Behind
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Robyn A. Friedman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Q: What’s the strangest thing a seller has ever left behind after closing? In 2014, I was working with some buyers who wanted to live on a working farmoff the grid. The sellers had 16 horses, 25 chickens, threegoats, a huge potbellied pig and a Russian boar named Kevin. Aswe got closer to closing, the sellers were panicking because Kevin had escapedhis pen and was running loose on the property. We didn’t learn it wasn’t real until I called the sellers to tell them they left something behind.

Persons: Mary Aronoff, Douglas, Kevin, —, Abby Nelson, Realty, ‘, ’ Organizations: Cleveland National Locations: San Diego, Calif, Descanso, Russian, Fla, Florida

☆ Explore the Chick-fil-A corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia surrounded by 73 wooded acres
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Chick-fil-A's headquarters is known as the Chick-fil-A Support Center. The company's headquarters, or Chick-fil-A Support Center, is located at 5200 Buffington Road in Atlanta, Georgia. The corporate campus, established in 1984, has an on-site cafeteria, training center, test kitchen, wellness center, nature trails, and is surrounded by 73 wooded acres, according to the chain's website. With the $10 Classic tour, visitors learn the history of the company and its founder S. Truett Cathy. Chick-fil-AThe company also mentors high school students at its support center through a program called Beyond School Walls.

Persons: —, Cathy, Andrew Cathy, Truett Cathy, Dan Cathy, Andrew, Chick Organizations: Service, Car Museum Locations: Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta , Georgia

☆ As Groundwater Dwindles, Powerful Players Block Change
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Christopher Flavelle | Mira Rojanasakul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

They serve on the board of Groundwater Management District 3, which since 1996 has overseen the pumping of 16.2 trillion gallons of groundwater — enough to fill Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir, twice over. From Maryland to Hawaii groundwater levels are falling, often the result of overpumping and underregulation, made worse by climate change. Groundwater Levels at Goldstrike Mine Observation wells at Goldstrike show a pattern of immense groundwater withdrawals. “And money talks.”Kansas City Groundwater Management District 3 KANSAS Wichita KANSAS Groundwater Management District 3 Kansas City Groundwater Management District 3 KANSAS WichitaGrowing corn in the Kansas drylandsIn Kansas, the power of the men who run Groundwater Management District 3 is enormous. Groups like Groundwater Management District 3 have until 2026 to come up with plans to sustain groundwater.

Persons: Lake Mead, —, Catherine Hospital —, we’re, ”, Lindsay Vaughn, David Robert Elliott, Joe Newland, Nevada Adam Sullivan, Christina Erling, Erling, Adam Sullivan, Emily Najera, Kim Raff, Julie Pazina, ” Barrick, Michael McCarthy, Barrick, ” Mr, McCarthy, Michael H, Taylor, Patrick Donnelly, don’t, Helena Billings, it’s, Galt, Wylie Galt, Bill Galt, Dutton, Wylie, Errol Galt, Galt’s, Matthew Hamon, The New York Times Eugene Graf, Montana homebuilders, The New York Times Montana, Brad Dundas, Dundas, Mr, John Tubbs, Tubbs, The New York Times Errol Galt, Eugene Graf, Graf, Guy Alsentzer, “, Lucas Bessire, Vaughn, Newland, Mark Rude, Kan, The New York Times Mark Rude, Ms, Lall, Ali Zaidi, Biden, Jared Huffman, Huffman Organizations: Groundwater Management, Walmart, State, The New York Times, Kansas Farm Bureau, New York Times, NEVADA Carson City Las, Barrick, Carson City Las, NEVADA Carson City, North, Barrick Gold Corporation, Nevada Gold Mines, Nevada, of Water, University of Nevada, Center for Biological Diversity, Republican, Representatives, The Times, Galt, state’s Department of Natural Resources, The New York, Montana Fish, Montana Building Industry Association, KANSAS, KANSAS Wichita KANSAS Groundwater Management, KANSAS Wichita, Kansas drylands, Management, Kansas City Topeka, Kansas City, Topeka Wichita, Survey, University of Oklahoma, Groundwater, Kansas, Columbia Water Center, Columbia University, Natural Resources Defense Council, Marin Municipal Water District, Fisheries Locations: United States, Garden City, Kan, America, Lake, Kansas, Maryland, Hawaii, Barrick, NEVADA Carson, Carson, Nevada, Canada, Goldstrike, North America, Barrick’s, ” MONTANA, Helena, Bozeman MONTANA, Helena Billings Bozeman, Montana, Galt, ”, Broadwater County, Elk, Confederate, Sulphur Springs, Mont, Upper Missouri, Townsend, ” Kansas, Groundwater Management District, KANSAS Wichita KANSAS, KANSAS Wichita KANSAS Groundwater Management District, KANSAS, Kansas drylands In Kansas, District, Wichita, Kansas City Topeka, Management District, Topeka, Kansas City, Arkansas, Washington, California, Marin

☆ How an L.A. Rams Training Complex Could Help Transform Urban Sprawl
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Arielle Paul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The San Fernando Valley, once an endless ramble of orange groves in Southern California that evolved into the porn capital of the world in the 1970s and later gave way to big-box retailers and strip malls, will now become the home of the 2021 season’s Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams. In a $650 million land deal by the team’s owner, Stan Kroenke, Rams executives laid out their vision last week for revitalizing nearly 100 acres in the valley’s Woodland Hills neighborhood into a sports-centric, live-work-play development, including a practice facility and team headquarters. The deal includes two properties owned by Westfield, a shopping center developer that is pulling out of the U.S. market, as well as an abandoned 13-story building and parking lot that Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield owned. After the coronavirus pandemic hastened the embrace of online retail and remote work, blighted malls and office buildings have closed their doors. The vacant properties and their adjoining parking lots now offer a chance to redevelop valuable square footage in neighborhoods like Woodland Hills.

Persons: Stan Kroenke Organizations: Bowl, Los Angeles Rams, Rams, Westfield Locations: San Fernando Valley, Southern California, Woodland, U.S

☆ A Biden Thanksgiving: Sweeping Views of Nantucket Harbor, Calls About Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Lisa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Biden and Jill Biden, the first lady, arrived on the exclusive island off the coast of Massachusetts late Tuesday for their traditional Thanksgiving week visit. The home of Mr. Rubenstein, a co-founder of the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm, is on 13 acres of beachfront property with sweeping views of Nantucket Harbor. Many locals also pointed out that Mr. Biden has been coming to the island for some 40 years, and that this is his third visit as president. OK, cool,’” said Suzanne Bennett, who manages Nantucket Bookworks, a local bookshop where Mr. Biden has popped in on previous walks in town. Ms. Bennett said she hadn’t done much of anything to prepare for this year’s likely Biden family visit, and described the morning routine as business as usual.

Persons: Biden, Mr, Jill Biden, David Rubenstein, Rubenstein, They’re, ”, Suzanne Bennett, Bennett Organizations: Carlyle Group, Secret Service, White House Locations: blustery, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Nantucket Harbor

☆ Nearly Seven Weeks of War in Gaza Between Israel and Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

The following is a timeline of the war between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement which controls the Gaza Strip. Oct. 7: Hamas gunmen launch a surprise attack on southern Israel, crossing over from Gaza and rampaging through towns. Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif announces on Hamas media that the attack has started and urges Palestinians everywhere to fight. The two women were kidnapped from Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel with their husbands, who are still held by Hamas. Israel says the hospital sits atop tunnels housing a headquarters for Hamas fighters using patients as shields, which Hamas denies.

Persons: Mohammad Deif, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Joe Biden, Biden, Judith Tai Raanan, Natalie, Nurit Cooper, Yocheved, Nir, shalom, Netanyahu, General Antonio Guterres, Al Shifa, Al, Alexandra Hudson, James Mackenzie, Timothy Heritage Organizations: Reuters, Hamas, Arabi Baptist, Gaza, Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza's Hamas Locations: Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Gaza City, al, Ahli, Arabi, Palestinian, Jordan, Nahal, Rafah, Gaza's

☆ I visited an indoor farm in Compton that's growing leafy greens for Walmart and Whole Foods using robots — and it gave me a peek at the future of farming
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The urban farm supplies Walmart and Whole Foods with leafy greens. The urban farm run by the Bay Area agricultural-tech startup Plenty is designed to grow up to 4.5 million pounds of leafy greens annually. Plenty launched the large-scale indoor farm in May, producing leafy greens that can go from harvest to store in 24 hours. Over my two-decade career as a food journalist, I've visited farms and processing plants that supply leafy greens for top fast-food chains such as McDonald's. Plenty, on the other hand, grows, harvests, and packages four types of leafy greens in a single facility.

Persons: —, I've Organizations: Walmart, Service, Foods, Bristol Farms Locations: Compton , California, Bay, California, Plenty, America

☆ Llechwedd slate mine is home to the world’s deepest underground mini-golf course
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Fasten your mining helmet and plunge 152 meters (498 feet) below ground into a disused cavern at Llechwedd slate mine, home of the world’s deepest underground mini-golf course. Run by outdoor adventure activity company Zip World, the quarry has transformed into a thrill-seeker’s paradise. Opened in July 2022, it’s not the world’s only below-ground golf experience, but it is comfortably the deepest. Diving closer to Llechwedd’s record is the Turda Salt Mine in Romania, which stages a six-hole mini-golf venue 120 meters (394 feet) into the Transylvanian soil. Zip WorldBounce BelowBut the Llechwedd mines offer more than just mini-golf.

Persons: it’s, Trampolining, tightropes Organizations: CNN, Welsh, Caernarfon Creameries Locations: North Wales, Illinois, Romania, St Paul’s Cathedral

☆ Wimbledon suffers expansion plan blow after council refuses permission
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Naturally, we are disappointed by the London Borough of Wandsworth's decision," Sally Bolton, Chief Executive of the All England Club, said in a statement. A post from the London Borough of Wandsworth on X, formerly Twitter, confirmed the decision: "Wandsworth's planning committee votes to refuse Wimbledon tennis expansion plans." In 2018 the AELTC's 65 million pounds ($81 million) bid for Wimbledon Park Golf Club was accepted by members. The tennis club argues that its expansion plans would actually return private land back to the public. Lawmaker Stephen Hammond, who represents the Wimbledon constituency, said he was pleased Wandsworth had refused the plans.

Persons: Paul Childs, Sally Bolton, Bolton, Stephen Hammond, Wandsworth, Martyn Herman, Toby Davis Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, REUTERS, Wimbledon, England Tennis Club, London Borough, All England, Twitter, Hall, England, Project, Daily Mail, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, London Borough, Wandsworth, Wimbledon, Merton, Wandsworth's

☆ From black gold to green power: Texas, weirdly, is leading America's clean energy future
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

John DavisDeals like Davis' have made Texas — America's oil capital for more than a century — the top producer of renewable energy in the US. The state has long generated the most wind power and is second only to California as a solar-energy producer. The high-stakes battle for Texas' energy future is a microcosm of how tricky America's green transition is shaping up to be, especially when politics are involved. Slowing down renewable energy could cost Texas in the long term, both economically and socially. The coalition seems to be growing stronger, even as Texas politicians shift further to the right on issues beyond renewable energy.

Persons: John Davis, Davis, Greg Abbott, Critics aren't, there's, George W, Bush, Rick Perry, Abbott, Winter Storm Uri, hasn't, it's, It's, Judd Messer, Madeline Gould Laughlin, Michael Looney, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce Brent Bennett, Bennett, Messer, That's, Enel's Laughlin, Enel, Sandhya Ganapathy, Catherine Boudreau Organizations: Menard, RES, Texas, Republican, Texans, Power Alliance, John Davis Texans, University of Texas, Winter Storm, ERCOT, Bloomberg, Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texas Energy Fund, Advance Power Alliance, San, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce, ExxonMobil, Chevron, West Texas Chamber of Commerce, Lone Star, EV Locations: North Dakota, Texas, America, Nowhere, Menard , Texas, Concho County , Texas, California, Menard, Austin, San Angelo, Midland , Texas

PINNACLE, N.C. (AP) — Heavy rain and lower temperatures helped slow down some wildfires in North Carolina on Tuesday, including blazes that had prompted evacuations of homes and campgrounds, forestry officials said. “Unless we get some more continuous rain, we will probably be back to being active again in a few days,” he said. On Saturday, a fire broke out in North Carolina's Sauratown Mountains and grew to more than 750 acres (303 hectares) by Tuesday, according to Jimmy Holt, a ranger with the North Carolina Forest Service. “For right now, things will slow down,” said Adrianne Rubiaco, a U.S. Forest Service fire spokesperson in North Carolina. Fire officials in Townsend, Tennessee, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Knoxville, announced an emergency evacuation as crews battled a blaze.

Persons: Shardul Raval, ”, Jimmy Holt, Holt, Adrianne Rubiaco Organizations: U.S, North Carolina Forest Service, Forest, U.S . Forest Service, Tennessee -, Fire Locations: North Carolina, U.S . Forest, North Carolina's, North, Pisgah, Tennessee, U.S, Tennessee - North Carolina, Townsend , Tennessee, Knoxville

Here is a closer look at Israel’s raid on the Shifa Hospital. Israel has long claimed that Hamas uses hospitals, schools, mosques and residential neighborhoods as human shields. In particular, it says Hamas has hidden command centers and bunkers underneath the sprawling grounds of Shifa. The Israeli military has released videos showing AK47s, ammunition and other military equipment it said was found in the hospital’s MRI unit. Israel has not said where the Shifa tunnel leads to or given specifics on what it was used for.

Persons: Israel, –, ”, Daniel Hagari, Osama Hamdan, Hamdan, “ It’s, Richard Hecht Organizations: JERUSALEM, Hamas, Shifa, ISRAEL, Toyota Locations: Israel, Shifa, Gaza, Thailand, Nepal, Beirut, ISRAEL

☆ San Francisco Bay's only private island is on sale for $25 million — but there's a catch
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

San Francisco Bay's only private island is on the market for $25 millionRed Rock Island lacks basic infrastructure like power and running water. AdvertisementSan Francisco Bay's only private island is on the market for $25 million — but there's no electricity or running water, reported The Wall Street Journal. The island has been put up for sale several times in recent years for between $5 million and $22 million, Durning told WSJ. In September, a private island in Solano County, California was put on the market for $75 million. And in August, a private island in Maine with a cottage and lighthouse was listed for $400,000.

Persons: Francisco Bay's, Brock Durning, hasn't, —, Chris Lim, Lim, Durning Organizations: Service, Street, Contra Costa, Christie's, Estate, Rafael Bridge, Google, San Francisco Chronicle Locations: Francisco, Richmond, Rafael, Marin, Alaska, Solano County , California, Maine

The Pantanal holds thousands of plant and animal species, including 159 mammals, and it abounds with jaguars, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In the dry season, wildlife enthusiasts flock to see the normally furtive jaguars lounging on riverbanks, along with macaws, caimans and capybaras. Political Cartoons View All 1256 ImagesMuch of the Encontro das Aguas (Meeting of the Waters) park, located at the border of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states — known for its large jaguar population — had turned from emerald green to dark brown. “This is so atypical,” said Renata Libonati, who coordinates the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro's alert system for fires in the Pantanal. The neighboring state of Mato Grosso said it had also strengthened its workforce, with about 200 federal and state firefighters on the ground.

Persons: —, they’ll, Leonisio da Silva, ”, Renata Libonati, ” Libonati, Angelo Rabelo, Mato Grosso, Enderson Barreto, “, ” Barreto, Barreto Organizations: — Firefighters, Facebook, Federal University of Rio, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, World Wildlife Fund, Mato Grosso, Associated Press, ” Jaguars, Firefighters, El, Environment, Federal Highway Police, Waters, ” Locations: POCONE, BRAZIL, Brazil's, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Waters, Mato Grosso, Mato, Sul, Brazil, Porto Jofre

‘A Beautiful Place That Has a Dragon’: Where Hurricane Risk Meets Booming GrowthThe hurricanes keep coming, and the people, too: The fastest-growing places along the Atlantic coast this century are also among the most hurricane-prone. And rising sea levels make storm surges more damaging and coastal flooding more frequent. And this booming coastal population is, by many accounts, a larger contributor to rising hurricane risks than climate change. When Gail Hart moved from Arizona to retire in Wilmington, N.C., in 2017, she hadn’t considered the hurricane risk. Still said, “where do you put 100,000 people?”The housing crunch is one of many tensions playing out between wealthy coastal communities and those who live nearby.

Persons: Matthew, Dorian, Isaias, Ian, “, ”, Kathie Dello, Gail Hart, hadn’t, ” Gail Hart, Del Webb, Hurricane Florence, Hart, “ There’s, Steven Still, Amanda Martin, North, Mr, Still, Jenny Brennan, David McIntire, McIntire, O’Leary, Ms, Water, O’Leary’s, Kevin Mishoe, Mishoe, Gina, Karen Willis Amspacher, Amspacher, “ It’s, It’s, she’s, Sharon Valentine, Hurricane Fran, Wilmington’s Del, Valentine, Leonard Bull Organizations: Hurricanes, Hurricane, First Street Foundation, Atlantic, National Flood Insurance, Southern Environmental Law Center, States, Brunswick, Myrtle, Association, Hurricane Florence, Down Locations: United States, Myrtle Beach, S.C, Wilmington, N.C, Carolinas, Florence, Carolina, Gulf, Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina’s, Kure Beach, Horry County, Brunswick County, Arizona, Tula, New Hanover County, U.S, It’s, North Carolina, Conway, Horry, Hurricane, Hurricane Florence, Bucksport, Carteret County, —, Banks, Stacy, Harkers, Fayetteville, Wilmington’s, Wilmington’s Del Webb

They used to take advantage of a grain elevator in Mayfield, Kentucky — a massive facility that bought and stored millions of bushels of grain from farmers. “The swings in the weather events that we have ... that’s kind of scary,” he said, especially for those with smaller farms. Human-caused climate change is only anticipated to amplify the number and intensity of those extreme events, from flash droughts to increased rainfall. Although he took some losses, he says that he and other farmers are used to dealing with uncooperative weather. On smaller farms, if farmers are forced to put everything in a low-lying area that floods, an entire crop can be affected, Schmitz said.

Persons: — Justin Ralph, he's, They're, you’ve, Ralph, Keith Lowry, Lowry, What’s, ”, Miranda Rudolph, Hans Schmitz, Jed Clark, Schmitz, Adam Kough, Murray, Kough, Joshua Bickel, ___ Read, Melina Walling Organizations: ” Farmers, University of, Farmers, Associated Press, AP Locations: MAYFIELD, Ky, Mayfield , Kentucky, Southern, Mayfield, Graves County, Kentucky, Indiana, ___

☆ This corn was down to its last two cobs. Now it could help farmers grow food in the climate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Jeremy Harlan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

What he saved he delivered to his only Jimmy Red customer two hours down the road in Charleston. “Not only was I counting on it, but High Wire Distilling was absolutely counting on it,” explained Coxe. A local moonshiner – and the last known grower of Jimmy Red corn – had just died, and the family no longer wanted to grow corn for whiskey distilling. Campbell Coxe harvests 50 acres of Jimmy Red corn on his Darlington, South Carolina, farm in September. This year, the distiller used 1.1 million pounds of Jimmy Red corn in its bourbon whiskey production.

Persons: Campbell, Coxe, ”, Red, moonshiners, Jimmy Red, “, sobered, ‘, Jimmy Red’s, Florence, Ted Chewning, Chewning, Campbell Coxe, Peter Frank Edwards, Brian Ward, it’s, Ward, ” Ward, Carolina Gold Rice, Ann Marshall, Scott Blackwell, Marshall, It’s, We’re Organizations: CNN, Hurricane, High, Clemson University, Carolina, Jimmy Locations: Hurricane Florence, Darlington County , South Carolina, Charleston, Florence, Colleton, Darlington, South Carolina, Island , South Carolina, Mississippi, Gulf of Mexico, Charleston , South Carolina

☆ Vietnam ramps up South China Sea island expansion, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Vietnamese naval soldier stands quard at Thuyen Chai island in the Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea on January 17, 2013. China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all claim territory in the sea, which covers important shipping routes and is thought to hold untapped oil and gas reserves. China claims sovereignty over vast swathes of the South China Sea, including the areas where Vietnam has been building up islands. China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have lodged competing claims for some or all of the Spratly Islands. In August, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam rejected a map released by China that denotes its claims to sovereignty including in the South China Sea.

Persons: Thuyen, Khanh Vu, Robert Birsel Organizations: Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CSIS's, Transparency, Thomson Locations: Thuyen Chai, Spratly, South, China, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, HANOI, South China, U.S, Spratly Islands, CSIS's Asia

☆ Vatican fleet is going all-electric with VW supplying the cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The first two vehicles, both VW ID.3 compact electric cars, have already been delivered to the Vatican, VW said. In a separate announcement, the Holy See also pledged to build a charging network within Vatican City and in other areas it controls. The Vatican referred to VW as its first strategic partner in the process to make its fleet carbon neutral. The electrification of its fleet is among a number of projects Vatican City is undertaking to reduce its overall carbon emissions. Contained within the Italian city of Rome, it gained its independence in 1929 through a treaty signed with the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

Persons: VW, Pope, Benito Mussolini Organizations: CNN, Vatican, VW, Volkswagen, Catholic Church Locations: Vatican City, Vatican, Italian, Rome

☆ SpaceX Starship: World’s most powerful rocket ready for takeoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —After months of rebuilding and clearing red tape following the April explosion of the Starship system’s first test flight, SpaceX is set for its next attempt. The Starship spacecraft stacked atop the Super Heavy booster is intended to play a key role in the NASA Artemis III moon mission, currently slated for 2025. After its fuel is spent, the Super Heavy will detach from the Starship spacecraft and fall back toward the ocean. “These delays may seem small in the big scheme of things but … delays in each and every test flight adds up. One group of activists sued the FAA in May, alleging regulators had failed to comply with federal environmental law when they greenlit Starship’s April test flight.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, they’re, NASA Artemis, ”, Musk’s, SpaceX’s, NASA’s —, Jim Free, “, ” Musk, William Gerstenmaier —, we’re, ” Gerstenmaier, Jared Margolis Organizations: CNN, SpaceX, Super, NASA, International Astronautical, “, NASA’s, Systems, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Center for Biological Locations: Riding, Boca Chica , Texas, South Texas, Texas, Padre, of Mexico, Hawaii, Baku, Azerbaijian, China

The trend worries some U.S. lawmakers who fear corporate interest will make agricultural land unaffordable for the next generation of farmers. Investment firm acquisitions are also outpacing farmland purchases by foreign entities, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Lawmakers debated this year whether to curtail foreign farmland ownership, concerned that adversaries might buy land to exert political influence. "If the next generation isn’t enticed to come back to the farm," he said, "then who’s going to own that land?" About 60% of U.S. farmland is farmer-owned and -operated, with the rest owned by non-farmer operators including individuals, trusts, and corporations, according to USDA.

Persons: Nuveen, Paul Schadegg, Tim Gibbons, isn’t, It’s, David Gladstone, Gladstone, Cory Booker, Bruce Sherrick, Leah Douglas, Richard Valdmanis, Anna Driver Organizations: Investment, Reuters, Manulife Investment Management, National Council of Real Estate Investment, United Nations, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Lawmakers, Senate, National Defense, Farmers National Company, Missouri Rural Crisis Center, USDA, Gladstone, Agriculture Committee, TIAA, Research, University of Illinois, Thomson Locations: U.S, United, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Missouri

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Repairs to an elevated Los Angeles freeway closed because of an arson fire are moving faster than expected and all lanes are scheduled to reopen by next Tuesday, California Gov. “The bridge structure itself seems to be in better shape than we anticipated," Newsom said during an evening news conference. “This is a good day in Los Angeles,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. An estimated 300,000 vehicles use the stretch of freeway daily, which runs east-west across the heart of the metropolis and connects with other major highways. The city has been urging people to avoid the area, take buses and trains, or work from home.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Organizations: ANGELES, Los Angeles Mayor Locations: California, Los Angeles

San Francisco, the host city of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation — known as APEC, a group of 21 countries that surround the Pacific Ocean — would be too bottlenecked and too frenetic to host such a meeting. U.S. officials, given the mandate to plan a summit that would show Mr. Xi respect and keep him away from protesters, landed on the Filoli estate during their anxious planning process. It is set among the hills, one of the more isolated spots in a densely populated corner of California. The White House kept the location of the meeting secret until a day before, presumably to keep protesters from surrounding the venue. None were visible at the gates on Wednesday morning as Mr. Biden’s motorcade approached the locale, but some could be seen along the route from San Francisco.

Persons: Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden’s Organizations: Facebook, Economic Cooperation, APEC Locations: California, China, San Francisco, Asia

☆ Cocaine still Colombia drug gangs' top export despite fentanyl's ascendancy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rocketing consumption of synthetic drug fentanyl in the U.S. has led some - including Colombia's President Gustavo Petro - to forecast declines in cocaine production in the Andean country, the world's leading producer. Coca production is taking place in new areas and fresh trafficking routes are opening up, Zapata said. Ecuador's incoming president, Daniel Noboa, who takes office this month, has promised to confront rising crime in the country, where violence linked to drug trafficking has increased sharply. Colombia hopes to destroy 200 square kilometers of coca crops by the end of the year and seize a record 834 tons of cocaine. "Drug trafficking is changing.

Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Gustavo Petro, We're, Nicolas Zapata, Petro, Zapata, Daniel Noboa, we've, Luis Jaime Acosta, Oliver Griffin, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Colombian, United Nations Office, Drugs, Thomson Locations: Putumayo, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA, U.S, Europe, Ecuador

Search resuls for: "Acres"

25 mentions found