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☆ Kevin McCarthy Signals Openness to House Speaker Comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Katy Stech Ferek | Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/politics/kevin-mccarthy-signals-openness-to-house-speaker-comeback-af1e81dc

Persons: Dow Jones, kevin, mccarthy

☆ House Republicans Meet Ahead of GOP Speaker Vote This Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Katy Stech Ferek | Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Dow Jones, kevin, mccarthy

DUBAI, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates is refashioning state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the image of an international oil major by stepping up its global expansion and finding new revenue streams to maximise earnings for the Gulf state. The state-owned company also told Reuters it was investing in energy trading, without giving further details. ADNOC has two trading arms, both set up in 2020: ADNOC Trading, which is focused on crude oil, and ADNOC Global Trading, a joint venture with Italy's Eni (ENI.MI) and OMV which is more focused on refined products. Other recent hires include Bart Cornelissen, who left Deloitte to become ADNOC's senior vice president for group strategy and portfolio last month, according to LinkedIn. Recent senior hires for ADNOC's trading arms include alumni of Gunvor, Litasco, Shell and TotalEnergies, the employment network showed.

Persons: ADNOC, Galp, Austria's, Mohammed bin Zayed, headcount, Michele Fiorentino, Baker Hughes, Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Al Kaabi, Bart Cornelissen, Michael Hafner, Hafner, Morgan Stanley, Neil Quilliam, Sultan al, Jaber, John Kerry, Abu, Maha El Dahan, Yousef Saba, Ron Bousso, David Clarke Organizations: United, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Reuters, BP, NewMed Energy, Italy's Eni, UAE, IOC, Aramco, LinkedIn, Mubadala Energy, Deloitte, Greenhill &, Deutsche Bank, UBS, HSBC, Shell, Eni, Gunvor, The, Chatham House, United Nations, Masdar, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Africa, Mozambique, ADNOC, Geneva, London, The UAE, Europe, Sultan, Dubai

☆ Aboriginal elders suspend Rio Tinto site survey over heritage concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Melanie Burton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A combination image shows the Nammuldi rock shelter before (L) and after a mine blast by Rio Tinto in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, August 6, 2023. "Assessments found no structural damage to the rock shelter itself, and no damage to cultural materials," Cecile Thaxter, a Rio Tinto vice president, said in a webcast on Monday. A Rio Tinto spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The dispute comes as investors and automakers are increasingly scrutinising human rights and heritage protection in their assessments of Australian mines. However, Western Australia is set to overturn its 2021 Aboriginal cultural heritage protection laws, introduced on July 1, due to opposition from landowners.

Persons: Cecile Thaxter, Muntulgura, Dawn Hughes, Rio, Hughes, Melanie Burton, Sonali Paul Organizations: Rio Tinto, REUTERS, Rights, Aboriginal Corporation, Reuters, Tinto, Thomson Locations: Rio, Pilbara, Western Australia, Rio Tinto

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — Communities dependent on the Amazon rainforest's waterways are stranded without supply of fuel, food or filtered water. These are just the first grim visions of extreme drought sweeping across Brazil’s Amazon. Raimundo Silva do Carmo, 67, makes his living as a fisherman, but these days has been struggling to simply find water. Like most rural residents in Brazil's Amazon, do Carmo typically retrieves water untreated from the biome's abundant waterways. The drought has affected most of the main rivers in the Amazon, the world’s largest basin, which accounts for 20% of the planet’s fresh water.

Persons: Raimundo Silva, Carmo, ” Joaquim Mendes da Silva, ”, Edvaldo de Lira, Ana Paula Cunha, Marcus Suassuna Santos, Brazil’s, Ane Alencar, Alencar, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s, Geraldo Alckmin, Ayan Fleischmann, Fleischmann, Flávia Costa, Fabiano Maisonnave, Eléonore Hughes, Diane Jeantet Organizations: Associated Press, Geological Survey, Amazon Environmental Research Institute, Bolsa, Sustainable Development Institute, National Institute for Space Research, National Institute of, AP Locations: MANAUS, Brazil, Brazil's, Puraquequara, Amazonas state's, Manaus, “, CEMADEN, Amazonas, Parana, Lake Puraquequara, Equatorial, Rio Grande do Sul, Madeira, Bolivia, Porto Velho, Santo Antonio, Negro, Bolsa Familia, Solimoes, Madeira —, Lake Tefe, rocketed, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro

☆ Could Steve Scalise Quell the House GOP Revolt to Become Speaker?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—As the No. 2 Republican in the House, Steve Scalise is in pole position to be the new speaker. But his seniority and the prospect of an orderly transition might be liabilities in the eyes of the forces that doomed former speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Persons: Steve Scalise, Kevin McCarthy Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republican

Stores are starting their busiest time of year as customers look for help with colds and the flu. Some drugstores have addressed their challenges by adding employees at busy hours. Chris Adkins said he left his job as a pharmacist with a major drugstore chain a couple years ago because of the stress. Labor strife and staffing shortages in health care are not isolated to drugstores, as the recent Kaiser Permanente strike shows. All told, CVS touts in a pharmacy counter brochure that the company can offer more than 15 vaccines to customers.

Persons: haven’t, Chris Adkins, Adkins, ”, “, drugstores, Richard Dang, Dang, John Staed, Rosalind Brewer, Brewer, Jonathan Marquess, Marquess, Jen Cocohoba, ” Cocohoba, Josh Funk Organizations: University of Southern, California Pharmacists Association, Customers, CVS, Walgreens, Labor, Permanente, National Community Pharmacists Association, University of California San, AP, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group Locations: University of Southern California, Pelham , Alabama, Georgia, University of California San Francisco

Oil rigs are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. U.S. job growth rose by 336,000 in September according to Labor Department statistics, far exceeding economists' forecasts of a 170,000 rise. The sentiment of the statistics is mixed for oil prices. A strong U.S. dollar is typically negative for oil demand, making the commodity relatively more expensive for holders of other currencies. "Fear for the health of the global economy and thus oil demand going forward is at the heart of the sell-off," SEB analyst Bjarne Schieldrop said.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Baker Hughes, Brent, WTI, SEB, Bjarne Schieldrop, Stephanie Kelly, Robert Harvey, Sudarshan, William Maclean, Sharon Singleton, Louise Heavens, David Gregorio, Rod Nickel Organizations: REUTERS, YORK, . West Texas, Labor Department statistics, ING, Companies, Day, Xinhua, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Russia, gasoil, U.S, New York, London, Singapore

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A jury on Friday convicted a Portland, Oregon, man of murder in the shooting deaths of three of his neighbors. Brett Pruett, 61, was found guilty of first-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, burglary and assault, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. Police found three people dead at a residence in northeast Portland on July 17, 2020. Pruett lived in a house next to the home where Cobb, Hughes and Murphy lived, Senior Deputy District Attorney Nathan Vasquez told the Multnomah County jury. He shot Hughes, Cobb and Murphy after days without sleep during a methamphetamine binge, Vasquez told the jury.

Persons: —, Brett Pruett, Pruett, Tashia Cobb, Elmer Hughes, Lawrence Murphy, Cobb, Hughes, Murphy, Nathan Vasquez, Betty Boyles, Boyles, Vasquez Organizations: Attorney’s, Police, Oregonian, Senior, Pruett Locations: PORTLAND, Portland , Oregon, Multnomah County, Portland

☆ Oil prices rise, but post biggest weekly fall since March
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices rose on Friday but remained posted their steepest weekly losses since March, after another partial lifting of Russia's fuel export ban compounded demand fears due to macroeconomic headwinds. On Friday, Brent futures settled up 51 cents at $84.58 per barrel. The sentiment of the statistics is mixed for oil prices. A strong U.S. dollar is typically negative for oil demand, making the commodity relatively more expensive for holders of other currencies. "Fear for the health of the global economy and thus oil demand going forward is at the heart of the sell-off," SEB analyst Bjarne Schieldrop said.

Persons: Brent, WTI, SEB, Bjarne Schieldrop, Baker Hughes Organizations: . West Texas, Labor Department statistics, ING, Companies, Day, Xinhua Locations: Red, Ras Behar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Russia, gasoil, U.S

Griffin was at 14-under 130, two shots ahead of Harrison Endycott (65), Luke List (66), Carl Yuan (66) and Henrik Norlander (67). The Sanderson Farms Championship is part of the FedEx Cup Fall, when players are trying to finish among the top 125 in the FedEx Cup to keep full PGA Tour cards for 2024. The FedEx Cup Fall still has five tournaments left after this week, one of those a limited field in Japan. Still, his 63 was one better than rounds he shot at the Wyndham Championship, the Bermuda Open and The American Express. His card is set for 2024, but he wants to finish in the top 125 to get other perks, such as The Players Championship.

Persons: JACKSON, — Ben Griffin, Griffin, Harrison Endycott, Luke List, Carl Yuan, Henrik Norlander, “, ”, Hadley, Erik van Rooyen, Mackenzie Hughes, Hughes, Ludvig Aberg, Aberg, ___ Organizations: Sanderson, Country Club of Jackson, FedEx, Wyndham Championship, Bermuda, American Express, Ryder, PGA Tour University, Texas Tech Locations: Miss, Riviera, Japan, Bermuda, Bay, South Africa, Canada, Sweden, Rome

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Amazon launched the first test satellites for its planned internet service on Friday as a rival to SpaceX’s broadband network. United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket blasted off with the pair of test satellites, kicking off a program that aims to improve global internet coverage with an eventual 3,236 satellites around Earth. SpaceX flew its first test Starlink satellites in 2018 and the first operational satellites in 2019. Political Cartoons View All 1202 ImagesEurope’s Eutelsat OneWeb also is launching internet satellites, with around 600 in orbit. Amazon originally agreed to put the satellites on the debut launch of ULA’s Vulcan rocket.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, Jeff Bezos, OneWeb, Arianespace Organizations: Amazon, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Origin, SpaceX, Federal Communications Commission, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla, Florida, California, ULA

The estimated age of the footprints was first reported in Science in 2021, but some researchers raised concerns about the dates. It uses two entirely different materials found at the site, ancient conifer pollen and quartz grains. The new study isolated about 75,000 grains of pure pollen from the same sedimentary layer that contained the footprints. “Dating pollen is arduous and nail-biting,” said Kathleen Springer, a research geologist at the United States Geological Survey and a co-author of the new paper. Ancient footprints of any kind — left by humans or megafauna like big cats and dire wolves — can provide archaeologists with a snapshot of a moment in time, recording how people or animals walked or limped along and whether they crossed paths.

Persons: ”, Thomas Urban, Thomas Stafford, “, Kathleen Springer, Jennifer Raff Organizations: White Sands National, Cornell University, United States Geological Survey, University of Kansas, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: New Mexico, Americas, White Sands, Science, Russia, Alaska, Albuquerque , New Mexico, Brazil

☆ Russia wields ‘silent weapon’ of grain exports to weaken Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Clare Sebastian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

This will amount to 22.5% of global wheat exports, a market-leading share. In the same period, Ukraine’s share of global wheat exports has shrunk from 9% to an expected level of a little over 6% for this season. “Ukraine’s [grain] exports are vital to its economy and to feed the world,” Bridget A. S&P Global expects its wheat exports to fall by 3.7 million tons to 13.4 million in 2023-24, the lowest in nine years. And a significant reduction in the global wheat supply could yet lift prices, suggests Welsh.

Persons: Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, ” Caitlin Welsh, Bridget A, Putin, Andrey Sizov, Stringer, ” Welsh, Sizov, Vladimir Nikolayev, Paul Hughes, ”, Olesya, Svitlana Vlasova Organizations: London CNN —, Russia’s Security, Global, CNN, Initiative, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Moscow, Twitter, Getty, Union, European Commission, EU, US Department of Agriculture, Reuters, Romania, P Global, “ Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Nedvigovka, AFP, Ukraine’s, Poland, mudslinging, Egypt, Siberian Novosibirsk, “ Ukraine

☆ Kevin McCarthy’s Many Promises Set Stage for Dramatic Ouster
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/kevin-mccarthy-house-speaker-ousting-e0321662

Persons: Dow Jones, kevin, mccarthy, e0321662

A new global assessment has found that 41% of amphibian species that scientists have studied are threatened with extinction, meaning they are either vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. “Amphibians are the world's most threatened animals,” said Duke University's Junjie Yao, a frog researcher who was not involved in the study. But a growing percentage of amphibian species are now also pushed to the brink by novel diseases and climate change, the study found. The study identified the greatest concentrations of threatened amphibian species in several biodiversity hotspots, including the Caribbean islands, the tropical Andes, Madagascar and Sri Lanka. Other locations with large numbers of threatened amphibians include Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, southern China and the southeastern United States.

Persons: ”, Duke University's Junjie Yao, Michael Ryan, Patricia Burrowes, Juan Manuel Guayasamin, Guayasamin Organizations: University of Texas, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Northern, University San Francisco, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Madrid, Quito, Ecuador, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Forest, China, United States

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/politics/house-democrats-could-decide-kevin-mccarthys-fate-74de00ad

Persons: Dow Jones

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/politics/house-democrats-could-decide-kevin-mccarthys-fate-74de00ad

Persons: Dow Jones

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Tuesday authorized another option for fall COVID-19 vaccination, updated shots made by Novavax. Updated vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna began rolling out last month, intended for adults and children as young as age 6 months. Now the Food and Drug Administration has added another choice –- reformulated Novavax shots open to anyone age 12 and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already has urged most Americans to get a fall COVID-19 vaccination, shots tweaked to protect against a newer coronavirus strain. Novavax said shots will be available “in the coming days.”Protection against COVID-19, whether from vaccination or from an earlier infection, wanes over time.

Persons: Novavax, There’s Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Novavax, Pfizer, Moderna, and Drug Administration, Disease Control, COVID, CDC, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: — U.S

☆ Rice, beer, and urine mixed into ancient structures could help explain how they're still standing after millennia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementIs ancient Roman concrete better than today's? Her research has found that the key could be in the specific volcanic materials used by the Romans. According to Selvaraj's research, in humid areas of India, builders used local herbs that help structures deal with moisture. Even though Roman concrete lasted a long time, it couldn't hold up heavy loads: "You couldn't build a modern skyscraper with Roman concrete," Oleson said. Instead, researchers are trying to take some of the ancient material's specialties and add them into modern mixes.

Persons: —, they've, Carlos Rodriguez, Navarro, John Oleson, Domenico Stinellis, Vitruvius, Admir, Rome —, Marie Jackson, Jackson, Rodriguez, Moises Castillo, Cecilia Pesce, They'd, Pesce, Mark Schiefelbein, Thirumalini Selvaraj, Selvaraj, Oleson, Masic Organizations: Service, Spain's University of Granada, University of Victoria, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Utah, AP, University of Sheffield, Vellore Institute of Technology, Army Corps of Engineers, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science, Educational Media Group Locations: Canada, Portland, Rome, Copan, Honduras, England, India

Is ancient Roman concrete better than today's? Most modern concrete starts with Portland cement, a powder made by heating limestone and clay to super-high temperatures and grinding them up. The ancient builders mixed materials like burnt limestone and volcanic sand with water and gravel, creating chemical reactions to bind everything together. Now, scientists think they’ve found a key reason why some Roman concrete has held up structures for thousands of years: The ancient material has an unusual power to repair itself. Even though Roman concrete lasted a long time, it couldn't hold up heavy loads: “You couldn’t build a modern skyscraper with Roman concrete,” Oleson said.

Persons: they’ve, ”, Carlos Rodriguez, Navarro, John Oleson, Vitruvius, Admir, Rome —, Marie Jackson, Jackson, ” Jackson, Rodriguez, Cecilia Pesce, They’d, ” Pesce, Thirumalini Selvaraj, Selvaraj, Oleson, Masic Organizations: —, Spain’s University of Granada, University of Victoria, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Utah, University of Sheffield, Vellore Institute of Technology, Army Corps of Engineers, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Canada, Portland, Rome, Copan, Honduras, England, India

Oil rigs are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. Brent December crude futures rose $1.04 to $93.24 a barrel by 1124 GMT after falling 90 cents on Friday. Both benchmarks rallied nearly 30% in the third quarter on forecasts of a wide crude supply deficit in the fourth quarter after Saudi Arabia and Russia extended additional supply cuts to the end of the year. A Reuters survey on Monday showed OPEC oil output rose for a second straight month in September, led by increases in Nigeria and Iran despite cuts by Saudi Arabia. Despite the brighter China news, European manufacturing data showed the euro zone, Germany and Britain all remained mired in a downturn in September - bad news for oil demand.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Baker Hughes, Brent, Hiroyuki Kikukawa, Haitham Al Ghais, Paul Carsten, Yuka Obayashi, Emily Chow, Kim Coghill, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, . West Texas, of, Petroleum, Reuters, NS, ING, PMI, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC, Nigeria, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, China, Germany, Britain, London, Tokyo

Oil rigs are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. Brent December crude futures rose 17 cents, or 0.18%, to $92.37 a barrel by 0802 GMT after falling 90 cents on Friday. Brent November futures settled 7 cents lower at $95.31 a barrel at the contract's expiry on Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 26 cents, or 0.29%, to $91.05 a barrel, after losing 92 cents on Friday. Both benchmarks rallied nearly 30% in the third quarter on forecasts of a wide crude supply deficit in the fourth quarter after Saudi Arabia and Russia extended additional supply cuts to the end of the year.

Oil rigs are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. Brent December crude futures rose 49 cents, or 0.5%, to $92.69 a barrel by 0645 GMT after falling 90 cents on Friday. Brent November futures settled down 7 cents at $95.31 a barrel at the contract's expiry on Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 55 cents, or 0.6%, to $91.34 a barrel, after losing 92 cents on Friday. However, a private-sector survey on Sunday was less encouraging, showing the country's factory activity expanded at a slower pace in September.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Baker Hughes, recouping, Brent, Hiroyuki Kikukawa, Kevin McCarthy, Yuka Obayashi, Emily Chow, Jamie Freed, Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, . West Texas, of, Petroleum, NS, Nissan Securities, ING, PMI, Republican, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, TOKYO, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC, Tokyo

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials plan to endorse a common antibiotic as a morning-after pill that gay and bisexual men can use to try to avoid some increasingly common sexually transmitted diseases. The proposed CDC guideline was released Monday, and officials will move to finalize it after a 45-day public comment period. Doxycycline, a cheap antibiotic that has been available for more than 40 years, is a treatment for health problems including acne, chlamydia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. That kind of antibiotic resistance hasn't materialized in San Francisco, but it will be important to watch for, Cohen said. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group.

Persons: ”, Jonathan Mermin, Mermin, Stephanie Cohen, —, Taimur Khan, Khan, Cohen Organizations: —, Centers for Disease Control, CDC, New, of Medicine, Fenway Health, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: — U.S, “, Boston, San Francisco

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