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☆ Berkshire Hathaway’s utility company is about to hit a major renewable energy milestone
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

With annual meeting season coming soon, Warren Buffett's climate record is back in the news – and activists are still not happy. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate faces three different shareholder resolutions heading into its annual "Woodstock for capitalism" on May 6. Buffett's climate metrics getting betterBerkshire is a climate paradox: Many of its climate metrics are improving rapidly, if not as fast as some competitors. Any discussion of Berkshire and climate necessarily begin with its utility business, since electricity production accounts for a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Berkshire Energy spokesman Brandon Zero said the company would have no comment.

☆ GOP Presidential Hopefuls Aim to Gain on Trump by Wooing Evangelicals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( John Mccormick | Eliza Collins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa—Sen. Tim Scott ’s language was heavy with spiritual references during a recent speech here in the state that will start the Republican presidential nomination balloting early next year. Moving amid tables of GOP activists assembled in a country club ballroom, like a minister who had stepped down from the pulpit, the South Carolina senator thanked “God almighty,” talked of “false prophets,” spoke of “redemption” and “blessings” and thanked “God almighty” again.

☆ The Fight Over a Drug That Is Great for Horses but Horrific for Humans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Jan Hoffman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, where the Philadelphia neighborhood of Kensington is ground zero for tranq dope, announced that his administration was doing so. Since then, it has been used for procedures on sheep, deer, elk and even cats and dogs, as well as on horses and cattle. Earlier trials in humans had been shut down because the drug led to respiratory depression, so manufacturers never sought approval for human use. And unlike the protocols for opioids, those for reversing tranq dope withdrawal or managing rehabilitation have not been standardized. Schedule III includes buprenorphine and the anticonvulsant drug gabapentin.

Crop Watch follows 11 corn and 11 soybean fields across nine U.S. states, including two each in Iowa and Illinois. As of Tuesday, four Crop Watch fields had been planted and a fifth, the Indiana soybeans, was in progress. Since 1980, U.S. corn planting progress has matched or exceeded 10% by April 16 only five times, most recently in 2016. Some notable corn planting progress by state as of Sunday include Illinois at 10%, Iowa 7%, Kansas 17% and Missouri 30%. The five-year average corn planting is 11% for April 23 and 26% for April 30.

Wall Street on Tuesday upgraded two underperforming Club stocks — Emerson Electric (EMR) and Danaher (DHR) — to the equivalent of buy ratings. Historically, the iPhone's expensive price tag has hindered its ability to gain meaningful market share in the Indian smartphone market. We're confident Apple is gaining traction with Indian consumers , one reason why we continue to see Apple is a long-term investment. The company's two-pronged strategy of growing both its manufacturing- and consumer market share in India should prove fruitful in the coming years. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Florida to allow death penalty with 8-4 jury vote instead of unanimously
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

If the Republican governor signs the bill into law, Florida prosecutors trying capital felony cases would need to convince only two-thirds of the 12-member jury that someone who is convicted deserves the death penalty, rather than a unanimous decision by a jury. It would have no effect on the requirement for a jury's unanimous vote to convict a defendant. Three jurors voted to spare Cruz, and by default his sentence was life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. If the bill becomes law, Florida would join Alabama as the only states where a unanimous jury decision is not required, the center noted. In 2017, Florida passed a law that required death penalties to be imposed only after a unanimous recommendation by a jury.

☆ How a pro skateboarder went from making $800 a month to being a financially independent real-estate mogul with a portfolio worth millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Mikey Taylor started his career as a professional skateboarder making barely enough money to get by. He now runs a real-estate fund and educates investors on how to create a road to financial freedom. "There was a part of skateboarding that really changed the way I looked at the world," Taylor told Insider. "One hundred grand as a professional skateboarder doesn't feel like one hundred grand in a more conventional career because our careers are so short," Taylor told Insider. Setting the groundwork for his life after skateboarding, Taylor started investing in the stock market and bonds at age 20.

☆ A Florida GOP lawmaker apologized after calling transgender people 'demons and imps' and comparing them to X-Men mutants
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A GOP member of the Florida House of Representatives called trans people "demons and imps" on Monday. I'm a proud Christian conservative Republican, I'm not on the fence." The Florida lawmaker, who has previously said opening prayers for former President Donald Trump's rallies, then went even further. "That's right, I called you demons and imps, who come and parade before and pretend that you are part of this world.' "I referred to trans people as demons," Barnaby said, per Politico.

☆ Cedar Rapids Wants to Take These Homes—Before the Floods Do
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Shannon Najmabadi | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa—Officials in this city in eastern Iowa have long sought to build a system of levees and walls to prevent the Cedar River from flooding its banks and soaking homes and businesses. But to construct the more than $550 million flood-control system, Cedar Rapids officials say they must seize the land of some 20 homeowners who live in a low-income area along the riverfront.

Following Thursday's trade, Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust will own 800 shares of EMR, increasing its weighting in the portfolio to 2.52% from 2.37%. We think this recent dip is a buying opportunity on Thursday, ahead of a potentially transformative moment for the company. Emerson in January launched a hostile takeover bid for National Instruments (NATI), valued at $53 per share. The one wrinkle to this story, of course, would be if Emerson ends up overpaying for National Instruments. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ American, Delta, and United have collectively dropped 74 US airports since the pandemic — see the full list
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Taylor Rains | Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines have exited 74 airports since 2020. Some of the airports are in the Essential Air Service program and are now served by a new airline. In September 2022, the company's research revealed American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines had exited 59 airports. In total, American has left 19 airports, Delta has exited 17, and United has departed 38. American, Delta, and United have all cut routes in recent years, citing poor performance and the pilot shortage as contributing factors.

☆ Trump may be on trial in New York just weeks before the 2024 Iowa caucuses
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump could be on trial just weeks before the closely watched Iowa caucuses. By December, the 2024 GOP presidential race will be nearing its peak in the final stretch before the Iowa caucuses. A final date has not yet been selected, but it's expected the 2024 caucuses will be in early February. Iowa will also be the first time that Trump has been on a ballot since losing the 2020 presidential election. Despite his popularity in Iowa, Trump also narrowly lost the 2016 caucuses to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

☆ Pro-Ron DeSantis super PAC says it raised $30 million in recent weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A super PAC urging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president in 2024 has raised $30 million since its launch less than a month ago, an official with the group told CNBC on Monday. None of that money was transferred to the super PAC from another fundraising entity, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss the group's internal numbers. A pro-Trump super PAC has also accused DeSantis of waging an illegal "shadow presidential campaign" by acting like a candidate without launching a bid. The Trump campaign said it raised more than $5 million since the former president was indicted, NBC News reported.

☆ Nordex to decide on bringing back long-dormant US wind turbine plant this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Christoph Steitz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FRANKFURT, March 31 (Reuters) - German wind turbine maker Nordex (NDXG.DE) will decide this year whether to bring back online its mothballed production site in West Branch, Iowa, hoping for a pickup in U.S. demand following the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act. "It's a very good ... plant that, with minimum capital expenditure, can be brought to life again," Nordex CEO Jose Luis Blanco told Reuters. Blanco said he wanted to see "real demand signals" before the plant - which was mothballed a decade ago and passed to Nordex with its 2016 acquisition of Acciona Wind Power - would be restarted. Demand for wind and solar power in the United States, the world's second-largest renewables market, is expected to increase due to more favourable clean tech legislation in the form of the Inflation Reduction Act. "We will try to compensate a little bit for this high inflation, producing slightly more in other geographies that are not suffering from that inflation."

☆ Looming spring storm to spawn blizzards, ice, tornadoes across central U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Other cities potentially in harm's way but at lower risk for tornadoes included Chicago, Nashville, Tennessee, St. Louis, Missouri, Madison, Wisconsin and Des Moines, Iowa. "There's a potential for some very strong tornadoes and some tornadoes that could be on the ground for quite some time, especially in northern Arkansas and western Tennessee," said John Feerick, senior meteorologist at private forecasting service AccuWeather. Feerick said the storm system would intensify through Friday as the sprawling low-pressure system at its core moves farther eastward, drawing up greater moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Dust storm warnings were in effect for portions of the Southern Plains. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The state's 21-year age minimum, enacted as part of a 2003 gun control law, had been challenged in a 2021 lawsuit by three gun rights groups - Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, Firearms Policy Coalition and Second Amendment Foundation - and three individuals. The plaintiffs argued in their lawsuit that the age minimum violated the Second Amendment because 18- to 20-year-olds were permitted to possess guns at the time of the United States' founding. Menendez wrote that she had "reservations" about the historical analysis demanded by the Supreme Court, noting that "judges are not historians." Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a 21-year age minimum for handgun purchases in Florida, based on 19th-century laws, but said those laws only concerned gun sales, not the right to carry guns. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ These top grocery stores are dominating the Midwest from Hy-Vee to Cub Foods
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Hy-VeeAP/Nati HarnikWhere it had the highest share of visits: Iowa (65%), Nebraska (41%), South Dakota (58%)Headquarters: West Des Moines, IowaNumber of stores: 285Started as a single general store in 1930, Hy-Vee's stores today boast beauty sections and 24-hour Chinese takeout. They also have in-store restaurants, including Wahlburgers, Starbucks, and Caribou Coffee, and have partnered with Orangetheory to offer classes. The chain came out on top by store visits in three states, according to Placer.ai's data. It also came in second in three other states: Kansas, Minnesota, and Missouri. Hy-Vee's expansion plans are set to make it more than a regional favorite: The grocer is building stores in the Southern states of Alabama and Tennessee.

☆ Trump holds first election rally in Waco overshadowed by legal threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on education as he holds a campaign rally with supporters, in Davenport, Iowa, U.S. March 13, 2023. In an email, a Trump campaign spokesperson said Waco was chosen because it is situated between several major population centers and has the infrastructure to host a large event. Trump has sought to paint the Manhattan case as politically motivated, raised money off it and used it to rally supporters to his side. The city of Waco said it was expecting 15,000 people to attend the rally. In an editorial, the Houston Chronicle said the decision to host the event in Waco during the anniversary of the Waco siege represented far more than a dog-whistle message to far-right and conspiratorial Trump supporters.

☆ Trump loyalists flock to Waco for election rally overshadowed by legal threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WACO, Texas (Reuters) -Die-hard fans of Donald Trump flocked to the ex-president’s election rally in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, brimming with defiance as their favored candidate faced overlapping threats of criminal indictment. FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on education as he holds a campaign rally with supporters, in Davenport, Iowa, U.S. March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File PhotoSeveral thousand Trump supporters lined up outside the Waco Regional Airport waiting to go through security and enter the event, with the first speaker scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT (1900 GMT). Fifty-seven-year-old Laurie Hansen said Trump was “the best president ever.”“He’s the only one who can bring our country back,” she said. In an editorial, the Houston Chronicle said the decision to host the event in Waco during the anniversary of the Waco siege represented more than a dog-whistle message to far-right and conspiratorial Trump supporters.

☆ Ex-Trump lawyer appears before grand jury as U.S. probes swirl
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Corcoran and his attorney Michael Levy entered the federal courthouse in Washington and went to the third floor, where the grand jury typically meets. Attorneys for Trump did not respond to a request for comment on the court order compelling Meadows and other former aides to testify. At that June meeting, the lawyers handed over a single envelope containing 38 documents with classified markings. Corcoran is one of multiple Trump attorneys who have been summoned to appear before the grand jury. Tim Parlatore, another attorney, voluntarily testified before the same grand jury in December to explain the steps Trump's legal team took to comply with the May 2022 subpoena.

☆ Attorney for former President Trump appears before grand jury
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on education as he holds a campaign rally with supporters, in Davenport, Iowa, U.S. March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's attorney Evan Corcoran appeared on Friday before a federal grand jury investigating the former U.S. president's retention of classified documents after he left the White House in January 2021. Corcoran and his attorney Michael Levy entered the federal courthouse in Washington and went to the third floor where the grand jury typically meets. In May 2022, Trump received a grand jury subpoena ordering him to turn over any records with classified markings, and officials from the Justice Department and FBI met with Trump's attorneys in June to enforce the subpoena. That claim later proved to be false, after the FBI discovered about 100 additional classified records among some 13,000 government documents in its Aug. 8 search.

A Manhattan grand jury did not meet as had been expected on Wednesday, a law enforcement source said, although it was unclear why that was or how much longer the grand jury would take to conclude its work. The Insider news outlet first reported the news that the grand jury would not convene on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office declined to comment on the grand jury. Security officials are bracing for possible unrest, but so far few of Trump's supporters have heeded his call for protests. Several media outlets reported that his lawyer, Evan Corcoran, would testify on Friday before a federal grand jury in Washington investigating whether Trump mishandled sensitive federal documents.

But members of the grand jury were told to stay home on Wednesday, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss secret grand jury proceedings. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Security was high around the courthouse where the grand jury has been meeting, with court officers out early and barricades up around the building. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

☆ Trump grand jury live updates: Panel scheduled to resume work on porn star payoff probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Former US President Donald Trump during an "America First Education Policy" event in Davenport, Iowa, US, on Monday, March 13, 2023. The grand jury that will weigh a possible indictment of former President Donald Trump is set to renew its work in a New York City courthouse on Wednesday. Cohen previously pleaded guilty to other related federal crimes, including breaking campaign finance laws in facilitating the Daniels payment. Trump said last week that he expected to be arrested Tuesday, but the day came and went without incident as the grand jury was off. He has long complained that the probe, and other criminal investigations he faces, are politically motivated.

☆ Gen Z Investing in Real Estate, Buying Homes Early, Learning From Millennials' Mistakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Unlike millennials before them, Gen Zers have grown up during a boom in home prices. In a 2020 survey by Gen Z Planet, a research and advisory firm, 87% of Gen Z respondents said they wanted to own a home in the future, while just 63% of millennial respondents said the same. The survey suggested that 68% of Gen Zers viewed homeownership as a way to build wealth, compared with 60% of millennials. But the ranks of Gen Z homeowners will almost certainly grow in the coming years as they scale corporate ladders and amass savings. All this new technology and information is fueling the real-estate-mogul dreams of ambitious Gen Z investors.

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