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☆ What is Wagner Group doing? Operations in Africa and rest of world explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Several hundred Wagner fighters were killed by U.S. forces during a confrontation in Syria in 2018. U.N. sanctions monitors reported in 2020 that Wagner had deployed up to 1,200 people in Libya and the U.S. military Africa Command said Russian military aircraft were supplying Wagner fighters there. As well as bringing in Syrian fighters as mercenaries, Wagner worked alongside foreign fighters from Sudan, Chad and elsewhere. Russian mercenaries including from Wagner intervened in 2018 on the side of the government to quell a civil war that has raged since 2012. Wagner fighters have been accused of involvement in an incident last year in Moura, in central Mali, where local troops and suspected Russian fighters allegedly killed hundreds of civilians.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Wagner, UKRAINE Wagner, BELARUS Wagner, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Bashar al, Assad, LIBYA Wagner, Khalifa Haftar's, Haftar, U.N, Omar al, Bashir, Angus McDowall, Alison Williams Organizations: Defence Ministry, Evro Polis, United States Department of Defense, United Arab Emirates, U.S ., Africa Command, CENTRAL, Central African, Reuters, Russian, Rapid Support Forces, Reuters newsrooms, Thomson Locations: Europe, East, Africa, UKRAINE, Ukraine, Bakhmut, BELARUS, Belarus, Asipovichi, Minsk, SYRIA Russia, Syria, U.S, Syrian, Libya, Hmeimim, Russia, LIBYA, Tripoli, Egypt, UAE, Russian, Sudan, Chad, Republic, Central African Republic, States, MALI, Mali, Moura, SUDAN, Moscow, Middle East

☆ World's first vaccine against deadly swine fever nears approval in Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Francesco Guarascio | Thomson Reuters | Francesco Leads A Team Of Reporters In Vietnam That Covers Top Financial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

African swine fever has for years disrupted the $250 billion global pork market. The next step will be nationwide authorisation, the first ever for an African swine fever vaccine, and possible sales overseas. "There will be a specific interest obviously," Vilsack said in an interview with Reuters in April, speaking about possible purchases of the Vietnamese vaccines. Use of unlicensed live-virus vaccines in China in past years raised concerns they caused the emergence of new strains of swine fever. Only limited data are available from China's trials on a live-virus vaccine against swine fever.

Persons: Gregorio Torres, Torres, Thomas Vilsack, Vilsack, WOAH, Francesco Guarascio, Phuong Nguyen, Khanh, Dominique Patton, Sonali Paul Organizations: Organisation for Animal Health, Reuters, Rabobank, United States Department of Agriculture, Thomson Locations: Vietnam, Hanoi, world's, HANOI, China, U.S, United States, Khanh Vu, Beijing

☆ Swine fever: World's first vaccine against deadly animal disease nears approval in Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

African swine fever has for years disrupted the $250 billion global pork market. The next step will be nationwide authorization, the first ever for an African swine fever vaccine, and possible sales overseas. Use of unlicensed live-virus vaccines in China in past years raised concerns they caused the emergence of new strains of swine fever. Only limited data are available from China’s trials on a live-virus vaccine against swine fever. NAVETCO, AVAC and Vietnam’s agriculture ministry, which is responsible for approval of veterinary vaccines, did not respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Gregorio Torres, “, ” Torres, ”, Thomas Vilsack, ” Vilsack, WOAH Organizations: World Organization for Animal Health, Reuters, Rabobank, United States Department of Agriculture Locations: Vietnam, China, United States

☆ A pristine region of the Pacific Ocean targeted for deep-sea mining contains 5,000 new marine species, say scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists have discovered thousands of new species in an area of the Pacific Ocean. They found 5,578 species in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a 1.7 million square mile region. Of the 5,578 new species discovered, around 88% to 92% were "new to science," the report says. An array of crustaceans found in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. A discovery in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.

Persons: —, Adrian Glover, Muriel Rabone, Glover Organizations: Service, Privacy, United States Department of, Natural Environment Research Council, Guardian, International, Authority Locations: Hawaii, Mexico, Clarion, Zone

☆ Got milk? Not chocolate, as USDA considers banning flavored milk options in school cafeterias
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Flavored milk, like chocolate milk, could be limited to high schoolers under the new guidelines. A second proposed rule change would allow allow flavored milk for all grade levels, but the added-sugar levels would be limited. "I feel very strongly that flavored milk should continue to be offered in all grades k-12. Chocolate milk has been banned in San Francisco for elementary and middle schoolers since 2017. Correction: May 16, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated which organization published a study regarding added sugar.

[1/2] The United States Department of the Treasury is seen in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 30, 2020. In her second letter to Congress in two weeks, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen confirmed that the agency will be unlikely to meet all U.S. government payment obligations by early June, triggering the first-ever U.S. default. The debt ceiling could become binding by June 1, she said. She said she will provide an additional update to Congress next week as more information becomes available. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office last week said the United States faces a "significant risk" of defaulting on payment obligations within the first two weeks of June without a debt ceiling hike, with payment operations uncertain throughout May.

April 27 (Reuters) - As wildfire season approaches, U.S. officials along the West Coast are working hard to mitigate risks with prescribed burns, while a widespread educational campaign is underway to create buffers around fire-prone homes. In Washington state, Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Hillary Franz is working on reversing negative perceptions surrounding prescribed fires. The test fires were lit ahead of a full prescribed burn. "It's a frustrating emotional roller coaster," said Stenbeck, standing on top of Bogg's Pit, the DNR-owned land that has been the focus of a prescribed burn since late last year. "It's important that people make sure there is space between their vegetated fuel and their homes ... once we have a wildfire, embers move quickly.

HOW DID THE CASE GET TO THE SUPREME COURT? The Biden administration and Danco immediately asked the Supreme Court to overrule the 5th Circuit and impose an emergency stay. WHAT DID THE SUPREME COURT DO? The injunction was not at issue before the Supreme Court, and remains in effect. Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

HOW DID IT REACH THE SUPREME COURT? Whether or not the Supreme Court decides to stay Kacsmaryk's order, it will not decide the merits of the case. The Biden administration said in its petition to the Supreme Court that the FDA cannot comply with both orders. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SUPREME COURT RULES? Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

☆ Explainer: U.S. Supreme Court presses pause on abortion pill case for 5 days, What happens next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Brendan Pierson | Thomson Reuters | Brendan Pierson Reports On Product Liability Litigation | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

HOW DID IT REACH THE SUPREME COURT? Circuit Court of Appeals for an emergency stay putting his injunction on hold. Whether or not the Supreme Court decides to stay Kacsmaryk's order, it will not decide the merits of the case. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SUPREME COURT RULES? Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

An appeals court put part of that decision on hold late Wednesday, preserving access to the pill for now, with significant restrictions the Justice Department will ask the Supreme Court to lift. Neither Kacsmaryk's order, known as a preliminary injunction, nor the 5th Circuit's emergency stay is a final ruling on the merits of the case. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinThe Biden administration said on Thursday it will appeal to the Supreme Court for an emergency stay of Kacsmaryk's order in full. If the FDA wins a stay from the Supreme Court blocking the injunction, mifepristone will remain available with no new restrictions. Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

☆ Ex-DOJ lawyer tells jury he met with Chinese to further illegal lobbying campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

George Higginbotham testified that he made money on the side while working at the Justice Department by offering legal advice to Michel, a long-time friend. But he did so anyway, telling the jury he let his friendship with Michel cloud his judgment. "This could get me in a lot of trouble," he told the jury he recalled thinking, adding that his actions were "definitely outside of official lines." Higginbotham, who pleaded guilty in 2018 for his role in the foreign influence campaign, testified that Justice Department investigators later found out about his meeting and questioned him. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] Flowers decorate the fence around the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs where 26 people were killed a week earlier on Nov. 5, 2017, as the church opens to the public as a memorial to those killed, in Sutherland Springs, Texas, U.S. November 12, 2017. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File PhotoCompanies The United States Department Of Justice FollowApril 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice reached a $144.5 million settlement with survivors and families of victims of the 2017 mass shooting at a Texas church that killed 26 people, for which a judge had found the Air Force primarily responsible. Wednesday's settlement with more than 75 plaintiffs requires approval by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez in San Antonio. It would end the government's appeal of Rodriguez's order that it pay approximately $230 million over the Nov. 5, 2017 massacre by former Air Force airman Devin Patrick Kelley at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. "No words or amount of money can diminish the immense tragedy of the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs," Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement.

☆ AUKUS needs to pool tech resources as US edge erodes -Australian intelligence chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Andrew Shearer, the director-general of the Office of National Intelligence, said the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region was starting to "shift away from the United States and its allies, undermining deterrence". "We are seeing our longstanding technological edge start to erode, and in some cases that edge is totally gone," he added. Schmidt, who has advised United States Department of Defense on artificial intelligence, said China is organised around drones, hypersonic and automation technology, and this should influence Australia's military spending decisions. Although it was likely there would be decoupling between China and Western allies in critical technology, China was not an enemy and the could work together in other areas, he added. He criticised the U.S. government for restricting Chinese researchers from moving to the United States to work on technologies like quantum computing.

☆ Shipbuilder Austal sinks on former U.S. executives' indictment for financial fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 3 (Reuters) - Australian shipbuilder Austal Ltd (ASB.AX) sank as much as 8.4% to its lowest level in more than four years on Monday after the United States Department of Justice indicted three of its former U.S. employees on manipulating financial information. Austal, which builds ships for the U.S. Navy and is working on parts of the Virginia class submarines, plunged to its lowest level since October 25, 2018, and marked its worst intraday drop since January 17. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also filed civil charges against the three individuals, Austal said. Austal is down 17% so far this year, as of last close, compared with a 2.1% increase in the ASX All Ordinaries index (.AORD). Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia CheemaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies United States Department of Agriculture FollowWASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - Rural small businesses and farmers will be eligible to apply for $1 billion in grants to invest in clean energy beginning Saturday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the White House announced on Friday. The money, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), will be distributed through the USDA's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and is meant to further the Biden administration's efforts to cut climate-harming emissions across the American economy. The grant money can be used to install renewable energy systems - like solar panels, wind turbines, or biomass projects like anaerobic digesters that process animal manure to generate renewable fuels like biogas - or to make energy-efficient improvements, the USDA said. The funded projects will create jobs, reduce emissions, and improve rural resiliency in the face of a changing climate, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the press call. The IRA provided more than $2 billion for REAP, which the administration anticipates will fund projects for 41,500 farms and small businesses, according to the USDA website.

☆ Premarket stocks: Silicon Valley Bank left a void that won't easily be filled
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

There’s no doubt that the failure of Silicon Valley Bank left a large void in tech. To find out, Before the Bell spoke with Ahmad Thomas, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. Before the Bell: What’s the feeling on the ground with tech and VC leadership in Silicon Valley? Ahmad Thomas: Silicon Valley Bank has been a key part of our fabric here for four decades. FDIC sells most of failed Signature Bank to FlagstarFrom CNN’s David GoldmanA week after Signature Bank failed, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said it has sold most of its deposits to Flagstar Bank, a subsidiary of New York Community Bank.

To help you get started, CNBC Select rounded up a list of the best mortgage lenders first-time homebuyers should consider. Types of loans offered: The most common kinds of mortgage loans include conventional loans, FHA loans and VA loans. The most common kinds of mortgage loans include conventional loans, FHA loans and VA loans. Fees: Common fees associated with mortgage applications include origination fees, application fees, underwriting fees, processing fees and administrative fees. Common fees associated with mortgage applications include origination fees, application fees, underwriting fees, processing fees and administrative fees.

☆ Ponzi schemers who raised $650 million on cattle, pot profit promises get 6 years in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stachniw, 71, of Galensburg, Illinois, and Throgmartin, a 59-year-old Buford, Georgia, resident, were convicted at trial in August of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit both wire fraud and money laundering in the scam. Two people whose Ponzi scheme raised a stunning $650 million from investors by falsely promising them profits from cattle and marijuana businesses were sentenced Friday to six years in prison. Prosecutors said that the defendants operated the Ponzi scheme from late 2017 through early 2019, along with a co-conspirator, Mark Ray of Denver. Ray pleaded guilty in February 2020 in Illinois federal court to wire fraud and bank fraud in connection with the scheme. In reality, the profits paid to investors came from money placed in the Ponzi scheme by other unwitting investors, authorities said.

☆ Meta's chief business officer will leave the company after 13 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Marne Levine, vice president of global partnerships and business development for Facebook Inc., speaks during the Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019. Meta 's Chief Business Officer Marne Levine is stepping down after 13 years with the company, Meta announced in a release Monday. Levine previously served as vice president of global public policy at Facebook, chief operating officer at Instagram and vice president of global partnerships, business and corporate development at Facebook. Levine was named Facebook's chief business officer in the summer of 2021, a few months before it changed its name to Meta to indicate its focus on the yet-to-be-developed metaverse. "I'm grateful for our partnership, her commitment to Meta, and the energy she brought to the company every day."

☆ Morning Bid: Winging it
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ahead of the match, one statistic that blew this Englishman's mind was the sheer volume of chicken wings that were set to be consumed over Super Bowl weekend. In a report released earlier this month, the National Chicken Council said Americans were expected to chow down on 1.45 billion chicken wings, an increase of 2% from last year, or the equivalent of 84 million wings. Well, if you're looking for deflation, chicken wings are the place to find it. The report is expected to show consumer prices rose at an annual pace of 6.2% in January, down from 6.5% in December and well below June's four-decade peak of 9.1%. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Abuses Proliferate in Police Squads Like Memphis's Scorpion Unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

Street Crime Unit. Jon Naso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesMemphis police chief Davis also has prior experience with special street crime units. Street crime squads are popular among politicians who say only aggressive policing will reduce violent crime. In the late 1990s, the Street Crime Unit tripled in size, amid a panic over a rising number of homicides. In a city grappling with violent crime, authorities touted the Street Crime Unit as a bright spot.

PDVSA has found reserves of 4.2 trillion cubic feet (TCF) in the Dragon field, on the Venezuelan side of its maritime border with Trinidad. Even with Washington's granting of Trinidad's request, it could take years of investment and development to bring Venezuelan gas to Trinidad and boost LNG to Europe, experts say. In addition, with no payments authorized to Venezuela, it could be difficult for Trinidad to craft a deal with Caracas. "At the request of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, the United States Department of the Treasury issued a specific license to enable Trinidad and Tobago to develop the Dragon gas field," the senior administration official said. The Chevron license is meant to reopen some oil flows that were shut by U.S. sanctions nearly four years ago.

☆ A Navy officer explains how she built a $1 million real estate portfolio with $14,000 — and shares 5 ways that anyone can start buying property with little or no money down
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Before purchasing her first property, Snider had been living in military-base housing and wanted her own space. However, she was able to use a VA Loan, backed by the Department of Veteran Affairs, for her first purchase, which required no money down. Her new monthly mortgage payment would amount to $1,600, plus utilities which were about $150 to $200 a month. "I realized, oh well, I got this asset for free and now somebody's paying my rent," Snider said. Altogether, the three properties Snider now owns add up to a total value of $1.1 million, according to Zestimate.

110 30% 50 70 90 150 200 300 400 Short-term view: Past month Long-term view: Past 3 years Redding Redding Sacramento Sacramento San Francisco San Francisco Fresno Fresno Los Angeles Los Angeles San Diego San Diego 110 30% 50 70 90 150 200 300 400 Short-term view: Past month Long-term view: Past 3 years Redding Redding Sacramento Sacramento San Francisco San Francisco Fresno Fresno Los Angeles Los Angeles San Diego San Diego 110 30% 50 70 90 150 200 300 400 Short-term view: Past month Long-term view: Past 3 years Redding Redding Sacramento Sacramento San Francisco San Francisco Fresno Fresno Los Angeles Los Angeles San Diego San Diego 110 30% 50 70 90 150 200 300 400 Short-term view: Past month Redding Sacramento San Francisco Fresno Los Angeles San Diego Long-term view: Past 3 years Redding Sacramento San Francisco Fresno Los Angeles San Diego 110 30% 50 70 90 150 200 300 400 Short-term view: Past month Redding Sacramento San Francisco Fresno Los Angeles San Diego Long-term view: Past 3 years Redding Sacramento San Francisco Fresno Los Angeles San Diego 110 30% 50 70 90 150 200 300 400 Short-term view: Past month Long-term view: Past 3 years Redding Redding Sacramento Sacramento San Francisco San Francisco Fresno Fresno Los Angeles Los Angeles San Diego San Diego Source: PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University Note: Data from the past six months is preliminary. California has built its water infrastructure — reservoirs, wells and irrigation systems — in part to account for the imbalanced timing in precipitation. California has a naturally variable climate: Periods of drought are punctuated by periods of wetter weather. A chart shows average snow water equivalent levels for each water year from 2003 through Jan. 17, 2023. Atmospheric rivers don’t always bring more snow; storms can actually shrink the snowpack if precipitation falls as rain instead of snow at high elevations.

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