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☆ Saturn's icy moon Enceladus harbors essential elements for life
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The discovery was based on data collected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, the first to orbit Saturn, during its 13-year landmark exploration of the gaseous giant planet, its rings and its moons from 2004 to 2017. The same team previously confirmed that Enceladus' ice grains contain a rich assortment of minerals and complex organic compounds, including the ingredients for amino acids, associated with life as scientists know it. Another is Jupiter's larger moon Europa, which also is believed to harbor a global ocean of liquid water beneath its icy surface. "This key ingredient could be abundant enough to potentially support life in Enceladus' ocean," said co-investigator Christopher Glein, a planetary scientist at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. "Whether life could have originated in Enceladus' ocean remains an open question," Glein said.

Persons: NASA's Cassini, Read, Frank Postberg, Cassini, Christopher Glein, Glein, Steve Gorman, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: NASA's, Nature, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, Free University, Southwest Research Institute, Thomson Locations: German, Los Angeles, Berlin, Europe, Japan, San Antonio , Texas

☆ Donald Trump, the Presidential Records Act and ‘Clinton's sock drawer’ defense
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Alison Frankel | Thomson Reuters | Alison Frankel Has Covered High-Stakes Commercial Litigation As A Columnist For Reuters Since A Dartmouth College Graduate | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

“The [Presidential Records Act] does not confer any mandatory or even discretional authority on the archivist,” wrote U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in that 2012 ruling. “These are not presidential records,” he added. The Presidential Records Act, Trump’s brief said, gave Trump the sole authority to decide how to categorize his records. Fitton told me he explained his Presidential Records Act theory to the Washington, D.C., grand jury in the Trump document case last winter. Fitton, for instance, accused the Justice Department of flipping its position on presidential discretion under the Presidential Record Act to go after Trump.

Persons: Donald Trump, Bill Clinton’s, Clinton, Taylor Branch, Clinton “ squirreled, ”, Amy Berman Jackson, Trump, Jason Baron, Bradley Moss, Mark S, Zaid, Moss, Baron, “, Todd Blanche, Tom Fitton, ” Fitton, Fitton, Jack Smith, Margaret Kwoka of Organizations: Reuters, Watch, GQ, Branch, National Archives, Records Administration, Presidential, Judicial, Archives, “, Justice Department, Mar, University of Maryland, Trump, Trump –, Presidential Records, Circuit, Records, D.C, Margaret Kwoka of Ohio State University, Thomson Locations: Mar, United States, U.S, Washington

☆ Real-estate tycoon Jeff Greene made $800 million shorting the last housing bubble. He explains how John Paulson inspired the contrarian bet, and how he's protecting his wealth today.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jeff Greene told the story of his lucrative wager against the mid-2000s housing bubble to Insider. John Paulson told Greene about his iconic trade, which "Big Short" investor Michael Burry also made. Jeff Greene, one of the few investors to successfully short the mid-2000s housing bubble, expects the US economy to slump and home prices to drop. Warren Buffett, during Congressional testimony in 2010, underscored how contrarian it was to bet against the housing market at that time. "The Cassandras were there, but who's going to listen to John Paulson in 2005 or 2006, or Michael Burry?"

Persons: Jeff Greene, John Paulson, Greene, Michael Burry, Paulson, Paulson's, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Organizations: Federal, Forbes, Berkshire Locations: West Palm Beach , Florida

☆ Webb telescope spies giant plume on Saturn’s moon Enceladus
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A record-breaking water plume erupted from Saturn’s moon Enceladus, and the James Webb Space Telescope was watching when it occurred. The geyser-like plumes release water vapor, organic chemicals and ice particles into space. But the plume witnessed by the Webb telescope spanned more than 6,000 miles (9,656 kilometers), which is nearly the distance between Los Angeles and Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to a NASA release. The James Webb Space Telescope captured a a water vapor plume jetting from the south pole of Enceladus. The inset image, taken by the Cassini orbiter, shows how small Enceladus appears compared with the water plume.

Persons: James Webb, Cassini, —, Webb, . Villanueva, ”, Geronimo Villanueva, ” Villanueva, “, NASA’s, Stefanie Milam, we’ve Organizations: CNN, NASA, James Webb Space, Cassini, ESA, CSA, Goddard Space Flight, Saturn, Clipper, NASA Goddard Space Flight Locations: Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Greenbelt , Maryland

☆ China has an inflation problem. It’s way too low
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That’s raising the specter of a tailspin of falling prices and wages from which the economy may struggle to recover. “Our core view is that China’s economy is deflationary,” wrote Raymond Yeung, chief economist for Greater China at ANZ Research, last week, soon after China released its first-quarter GDP growth figures. Instead of spending money, people are hoarding cash at a record rate. “Even with a conservative estimate, 500 billion yuan in consumption vouchers will drive one trillion yuan in overall consumption, ” Li said in a video posted on his Weibo social media account on Tuesday. In return, the government could receive at least 300 billion yuan through taxes generated by the increase in spending, he said“So it only takes 200 billion yuan in spending for the central government to drive one trillion yuan in consumption,” he said.

☆ 'That's a lie' accusation obscures bipartisan Social Security reform talks -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

When Yellen responded that Biden "stands ready to work" with lawmakers, Cassidy shot back, "That's a lie because when a bipartisan group of senators has repeatedly requested to meet with him about Social (Security) ... we have not heard anything on our requests." For several months now, Cassidy and independent Senator Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, have tried to address Social Security underfunding as approximately 10,000 baby boomers retire every day. The last week of bank failures and worries of a wider-ranging crisis, however, could give lawmakers second thoughts about investing Social Security funds in stocks. The senators' effort is not the only Social Security rescue plan being devised. "That's really just a way to have (benefit) cuts without leaving your fingerprints on it," said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works and head of a coalition of labor unions and other liberal-leaning groups.

☆ 'That's a lie' accusation obscures bipartisan Social Security reform talks, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

For several months now, Cassidy and independent Senator Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, have tried to address Social Security underfunding as approximately 10,000 baby boomers retire every day. The last week of bank failures and worries of a wider-ranging crisis, however, could give lawmakers second thoughts about investing Social Security funds in stocks. The senators' effort is not the only Social Security rescue plan being devised. I tend to be conservative and say this worked once, let's try that again," Republican Representative Tom Cole told Reuters. "That's really just a way to have (benefit) cuts without leaving your fingerprints on it," said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works and head of a coalition of labor unions and other liberal-leaning groups.

☆ As Social Security reform talks heat up, changes to the retirement age, payroll tax may be on the table
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A recent Congressional Budget Office report projected Social Security's combined funds may run out in 2033, two years sooner than the Social Security actuaries estimated last year. Raising retirement age may be a 20% benefit cutThe Social Security full retirement age is gradually changing to 67, based on changes enacted in 1983. Lawmakers are considering raising the full retirement age again to age 70. Current beneficiaries and near retirees would likely be spared from any retirement age changes. Warren and Sanders are calling for reapplying the Social Security payroll tax to income over $250,000, while also taxing certain business and investment income at 12.4%.

Feb 10 (Reuters) - U.S. diesel prices have dropped this month and could go lower, analysts said, an unexpected swoon that coincided with the start of a British and European Union ban on Russian fuel imports. Lower prices could ease inflation worries that have occupied investors. A relatively warm winter across the United States and Europe and lower commercial trucking activity lowered demand. “This week was supposed to be when diesel prices blew out to the moon, but that’s not close to what happened,” said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho. Diesel demand by truckers fell off at the end of this year as high inflation impacted U.S. demand for goods.

☆ Truckers Expect an Inventory-Driven Rebound Later This Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Liz Young | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Trucking companies are pinning hopes for a rebound in freight demand on the second half of this year, saying their retailer customers expect to resume restocking after winding down inventories over recent months. Carrier executives say they are hearing from their shipping customers that they expect to return to a more normal ordering cycle this year and start moving bigger volumes closer to the fall shopping season following volatile retail spending and distribution in 2022 that left them overstocked. Inbound volumes at U.S. ports are also down, suggesting fewer goods from overseas are flowing into domestic freight networks. “Trucking is definitely down right now,” said Tom Nightingale, CEO of AFS Logistics, a Shreveport, La.-based logistics operator. She said on a Jan. 18 earnings conference call that the company “has good signals” from shipping customers that they plan to pick up their ordering in the second quarter.

The UK government has promised to overhaul the youth gender care system, after it was deemed inadequate by England’s regulator of health and social care. They described a deeply flawed system that is now hobbled by a toxic political climate around gender care. The letter said a decision would be made at some point from early 2022 on whether the child “is likely to meet the access criteria” for gender care. The family has received no NHS gender care or mental health support since the referral, she said. These recommended supporting “identity exploration” and mental health treatment as the first steps to ensure that any psychological issues are addressed.

☆ Freight Brokerage RXO Will Focus on Tech Investments, CFO Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Kristin Broughton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

RXO, which before the transaction accounted for roughly a third of XPO’s total revenue, matches freight loads with available trucks on the spot and contract markets. A priority for Mr. Harris, who was appointed to the CFO post in September ahead of the spinoff, is investing in digital capabilities for shippers and carriers. Approximately two-thirds of the company’s total capital budget will go toward technology, with the remainder focused on maintenance-related costs, Mr. Harris said. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | CFO Journal The Morning Ledger provides daily news and insights on corporate finance from the CFO Journal team. Among the advantages of being an independent company is RXO now has more control over its capital budget, Mr. Harris said.

☆ Webb telescope spies clouds beneath haze of Saturn moon Titan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The James Webb Space Telescope has spied clouds on one of the solar system’s most intriguing moons. Titan’s atmosphere is made of nitrogen and methane, which gives it a fuzzy, orange appearance. Astronomers compared Webb (left) and Keck images of Titan to see how clouds evolved. The data, which is still being analyzed, was able to see deeper into Titan’s atmosphere and surface than the Cassini spacecraft, which orbited Saturn and its moons for 13 years. The cloud observations were a long time coming.

☆ French food: 20 classic dishes everyone needs to try
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-30 | by ( Foren Clark | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

CNN —The roots of French cooking run deep. Adobe StockThis list of classic French dishes would be incomplete without the inclusion of something from the country’s extensive repertoire of patisserie. Adobe StockNot every French dish can be served all day, but then again, the crepe isn’t just any French dish. Blanquette de veauBlanquette de veau: Tender meat in a creamy, comforting sauce is a go-to dish for French home cooks. A large helping of pot-au-feu is thought to epitomize the spirit of French cooking – that sharing food, wine and conversation with a table full of loved ones is what makes life worth living.

☆ A Love Letter to Canned Food
▼ + stars: | 2019-09-20 | by ( Melissa Clark | More About Melissa Clark | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Like many ingredient-obsessed cooks, I hit the farmers’ market once or twice a week. I eat my brussels sprouts and squash in October, my asparagus and rhubarb in June, and not a whole lot beyond potatoes and onions in February. Yet when I start dreaming about the most delicious dishes I’ve ever eaten, Mrs. Ruby’s molten, cheesy artichoke dip, made with canned artichokes and topped with a spiky crown of French’s fried onions, is one of the first things that springs to mind. Mrs. Ruby was a family friend when I was growing up, and while she admitted she wasn’t a great cook, she could wield a can opener like a Jedi master. She served the dip over a can of Sterno, and by the end of the night the bottom was crusted and browned, like the prized tahdig on a pot of Persian rice.

Persons: Ruby Locations: brussels

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