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☆ Another Norfolk Southern train derails in Ohio
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAnother Norfolk Southern train derails in OhioAnother Norfolk Southern freight train has derailed in Ohio. This marks the fourth Norfolk Southern derailment the past five months. The train was hauling hazardous chemicals, including liquid propane and ethanol, but officials say none of the 28 cars involved were carrying toxic materials.

☆ 'Truth serum' drugs do exist. Here's how medicines like sodium pentothal and scopolamine can manipulate the brain.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Numerous accounts and scientific reports suggest that you're more prone to tell the truth under the effects of truth serum drugs, but the drugs have other side effects. Furthermore, not only are truth serum drugs not all that useful, they are illegal under certain circumstances, including interrogation. A truth serum experimentTo find out if truth serum works, TV journalist Michael Mosley experienced it for himself in 2013. To investigate sodium thiopental, one of the more popular truth serum drugs, Mosley took two different doses of it. The future of truth-telling drugsThere may be a more powerful truth serum drug out there that researchers have yet to discover.

The approved rulemaking is not expected to take effect until summer of 2024, the sources said. The rule would be a win for the ethanol industry, which has sought for years to expand sales of so-called E15, which contains 15% ethanol, and for the farm industry, as ethanol is made from corn. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to seek a public comment period on the rule, sources said. President Joe Biden lifted the ban last summer in an attempt to lower historically-high gasoline prices. Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly; Editing by Tom Hogue and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ron DeSantis' past views could come back to bite him in Iowa, a critical state for any GOP challenger to Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ron DeSantis' potential bid to dethrone former President Donald Trump could hit a critical snag in Iowa, home to the first-in-the-nation caucuses. "If you come to Iowa, you're going to talk about agriculture," Monte Shaw, the executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, told Insider. DeSantis won't be alone in facing questionsTrump's own administration was hammered over its handling of the renewable fuel standard. Like Iowa's senators, he was also deeply frustrated by how Trump's EPA enforced the renewable fuel standard. Chris Carlson/APTexas Sen. Ted Cruz was hammered for months on the campaign trail for wanting to phase out the Renewable Fuel Standard.

☆ Brazil govt to resume fuel taxes -ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government is set to resume the collection of federal taxes on fuels this week, the Finance Ministry said on Monday. According to the ministry, the tax revenues from fuels will be 100% recovered with the end of the waiver. The measure to exempt federal taxes levied on fuel was launched by former President Jair Bolsonaro last year as he sought to boost his popularity by lowering prices ahead of a re-election bid. With the return of the taxes on gasoline and ethanol, Haddad's team will have a reinforcement of approximately 29 billion reais ($5.59 billion) in federal revenues this year. The end of the waiver is seen positively by the ethanol industry, since without taxes the biofuel loses competitiveness against gasoline.

☆ Debate grows among Lula's team over Brazil fuel tax policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Former far-right Jair Bolsonaro unveiled the fuel tax cut last year as he sought to ease inflation and win over voters ahead of the election which he eventually lost to Lula. Since Lula's victory, debate has raged within his Workers Party (PT) over what to do with the costly and popular measure. Tensions are now mounting over whether to extend further the gasoline and ethanol tax waiver. In a series of Twitter posts, Congresswoman Gleisi Hoffmann, president of Lula's Workers Party (PT), said fuel taxes should only resume once state-run oil giant Petrobras (PETR4.SA) defines a new pricing policy. Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin said on Friday the government had not yet made a decision on fuel taxes.

☆ 'The Last of Us' is based on real science: A fungus pandemic is unlikely, but not impossible
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

"The Last of Us" on HBO Max depicts a zombie apocalypse caused by a fungus pandemic. Here's the science fact and fiction behind the show, and the possibility of a fungal pandemic. The new scenario, first realized in the video game that the show is based on, is making viewers wonder whether a fungus pandemic can happen in real life. "A fungal pandemic is definitely possible," Norman Van Rhijn, a mycologist researching fungal infections at the University of Manchester, told Insider in an email. Still, fungal infections are on the rise worldwide, and researchers are concerned that more and more people are at risk.

USDA’s views of Argentina’s corn and soybean crops landed below trade guesses by more than 1 million tonnes each. Applying those losses to 2023 would yield 34 million tonnes, still much below the current forecast. Rosario also reduced its corn crop outlook to 42.5 million tonnes from 45 million, and USDA made a 10% cut to 47 million from 52 million. Ukraine’s corn exports also increased 2 million tonnes to 22.5 million, well above the grim sub-10 million ideas from mid-last year. USDA took Argentina’s corn exports down with the smaller crop, but it does not ship corn to China.

Bulk exports including corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton and sorghum totaled 146 million tonnes, down 6% from 2021. The average exported cost of U.S. corn, soybeans and wheat all hit new records in 2022 as a result. CHINAU.S. agricultural and related exports to China in 2022 reached a record $40.85 billion, up 14% from the prior high set last year. U.S. corn exports to China last year were down 14% by volume from 2021’s high, and forward bookings are relatively very light. U.S. beef exports to China hit a record 244,000 tonnes in 2022, up 28% on the year and worth $2.16 billion, surpassing pork’s $1.36 billion.

Between 30 and 40 employees that oversee the power co-generation plant at the central Illinois site are on strike and the company has brought in replacement workers, the union said. There are nearly 5,000 employees at the sprawling Decatur facility that processes corn and soybeans into food, animal feed and biofuels, according to ADM. "ADM is refusing to offer these workers wages and benefits on par with what union members receive at other union facilities," J.P. Fyans, Local 916 president, said in a media statement. ADM has offered the members "an extremely competitive proposal" and continues to negotiate with the union in good faith, said company spokesperson Jackie Anderson. The Decatur site, ADM's global headquarters until a move to Chicago a decade ago, houses a soybean crushing plant and one of the largest corn wet mills in the world.

☆ United Airlines announces JV to develop sustainable fuel using ethanol
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A United Airlines passenger jet takes off with New York City as a backdrop, at Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, U.S. December 6, 2019. REUTERS/Chris Helgren//File PhotoJan 31 (Reuters) - United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL.O) on Tuesday announced a new joint venture to develop and commercialize a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology that will use ethanol as a feedstock. Blue Blade Energy, the JV formed by United Airlines, energy infrastructure company Tallgrass and biorefiner Green Plains Inc (GPRE.O), will see an investment of up to $50 million. The JV will provide up to 135 million gallons of ethanol-based SAF annually, and up to 2.7 billion gallons in total under an offtake agreement, United Airlines said. The JV expects to proceed with the construction of a pilot plant in 2024, followed by a full-scale facility that could begin commercial operations by 2028, United Airlines said.

No matter how much Kevin McCarthy swears that won’t involve cuts to Social Security or Medicare, it’s almost impossible to imagine they aren’t on the table. If Congress cuts spending to balance the budget as some Republicans have suggested, it could mean big cuts to very popular programs like Social Security and Medicare. Bret: Other than trying to find ways to slow the rate of spending growth, I can’t imagine there would be cuts to either program. They’re popular with Republican voters, too, after all. For some reason, Social Security payroll taxation stops at about $160,000.

☆ A fungus pandemic is unlikely, but not impossible. There's real science behind the mushroom zombies in HBO's new series 'The Last of Us.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The new HBO Max series "The Last of Us" depicts a zombie apocalypse caused by a fungus pandemic. Here's the science fact and fiction behind the show, and the possibility of a fungal pandemic. The new scenario, first realized in the video game that the show is based on, is making viewers wonder whether a fungus pandemic can happen in real life. "A fungal pandemic is definitely possible," Norman Van Rhijn, a mycologist researching fungal infections at the University of Manchester, told Insider in an email. Still, fungal infections are on the rise worldwide, and researchers are concerned that more and more people are at risk.

☆ The Outlook for Diesel: Supply Woes Aren’t Going Away Soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Denton Cinquegrana | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Throughout the U.S., diesel supplies remain tight; the East Coast in particular has been pressed to keep tanks fully stocked. Some of the supply issues go back to pre-Covid 19 events, including a June 2019 fire that took out a key East Coast refinery. Europe has been weaning itself off Russian crude oil and natural gas, but replacing Russian diesel may prove trickier. At that time, diesel prices at the retail level in the U.S. were in the $5.25-5.30 a gallon range. By the end of January, retail diesel prices should be approaching $4.75 a gallon.

The solid quarterly earnings highlighted how global crop merchants like ADM have weathered rising energy costs and supply chain disruptions such as lower Black Sea grain exports following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "As we look forward to 2023, we expect another very strong year," Chief Executive Juan Luciano said. "We still see tightness in supply and demand balances in key products and regions," he said, citing reduced Ukrainian grain supplies and smaller harvests in drought-hit Argentina. Adjusted operating profit in Ag Services and Oilseeds rose as strong South American crop exports and good margins offset reduced U.S. exports and as quarterly oilseed crushing profits more than doubled. ADM's adjusted net fourth-quarter earnings rose to $1.069 billion, or $1.93 per share, from $850 million, or $1.50 a share a year earlier, above the consensus estimate of $1.65 per share, based on Refinitiv data.

☆ Japan's Suzuki to invest $35 bln through 2030 in EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Satoshi Sugiyama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Suzuki's announcement comes after other Japanese automakers have rolled out similar goals to catch up with European and U.S. rivals in the fast-growing battery EV market. Suzuki said it would introduce its first battery EVs, including small sport-utility vehicles and micro "kei" cars, in Japan in fiscal 2023. Suzuki plans to introduce battery EVs in Europe and India, and its first battery electric motorcycles globally, the following year. Suzuki plans to learn from Toyota how to use EV technology to make small electric cars, Suzuki said during a visit to India this month. "We will put in vehicles for various price ranges, for various people, for various regions," Toshihiro Suzuki said.

India, the world's biggest sugar exporter after Brazil, exported a record 11 million tonnes in the previous season to Sept. 30, 2022. Lower sugar exports from India could raise global prices , and allow rivals Brazil and Thailand to increase their shipments. We can't allow even additional exports of 1 million tonnes," said another official, who declined to be named. The country's sugar production was initially projected to rise to a record 36.5 million tonnes, far above local demand of 27.5 million tonnes. India mainly exports sugar to Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sudan, Somalia and United Arab Emirates.

The ever-important U.S. corn crop may be most primed for a market miss due to an alarmingly low range of guesses. YIELDSAnalysts’ range on U.S. corn yield is a seven-year low and for soybeans it is at least a 13-year low. U.S. farmers did not have a banner corn crop primarily because of drought in western areas. The 2021 corn yield last January was unchanged from November, but otherwise the trade is looking for the smallest January move in corn yield in 14 years. Argentina’s corn crop is seen falling more than 5% to 52 million tonnes from 55 million in December.

NEW DELHI, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Suzuki Motor Corp's (7269.T) Indian unit showcased a concept electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) at India's biennial car show on Wednesday, with the Japanese car maker's president saying the car would be launched in 2025. "I'm delighted to unveil the eVX, a concept SUV of our first global strategic EV (electric vehicle). We plan to bring it to market by 2025," said Suzuki Motor President Toshihiro Suzuki, speaking at an auto show event on the outskirts of the capital city of New Delhi. India is pushing carmakers to build more electric cars by offering companies billions of dollars in incentives with a lofty target of a market share of 30% for electric cars by 2030. Currently, electric cars make up less than 1% of total car sales in India.

☆ Analysis: Democrats' downgrade of Iowa's role is a blow to Corn Belt, biofuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Iowa's political importance created a cottage industry out of educating and supporting candidates on issues that corn farmers and ethanol manufacturers care about. "Forward looking, to get Democratic candidates exposed to farm issues and get these issues in front of them is going to be extremely challenging. “It’s a blow to the industry, in terms of educating and informing the Democratic candidates,” Link said. Link noted that many of the Democratic candidates vying for the nomination were often already serving as elected leaders in Washington or would later become vice presidents or cabinet secretaries. The Iowa caucuses helped developed empathy for rural issues that could later be tapped for legislative success.

The sugar and ethanol (S&E) industry, as well as international sugar traders, were widely expecting the resumption of federal taxes on gasoline and ethanol, as indicated by Finance Minister Fernando Haddad last week. "In our perspective, this measure might have negative effects on the S&E sector, as it maintains the ethanol prices below the market's forecast, while the expectation was for an increase in ethanol prices in the beginning of 2023," said Citi Research. Sugar and ethanol industry group Unica said the new administration had become "an accomplice" to the attack on the environment begun under the former administration, adding that the measure contradicts Lula's speech at the COP 27 U.N. climate meeting in November. The group said that the tax exemption was unconstitutional, since the law requires the federal government to give a tax incentive to biofuels. Mauricio Muruci, an analyst with Safras & Mercado, said fuel distributors were actively buying ethanol late last year before the expected tax return.

☆ Brazil markets fall after Lula takes office vowing to end poverty
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Anthony Boadle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, his wife Rosangela "Janja" da Silva and Chief Raoni walk through the ramp of the Planalto Palace after Lula's swearing-in ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil, January 1, 2023. Lula narrowly defeated far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro in October, swinging South America's largest nation back on a left-wing track. Lula spent his first day in office meeting with more than a dozen heads of state who attended his inauguration. In his swearing-in speech to Congress, Lula said he was not seeking revenge, but any crimes committed under Bolsonaro would be held accountable with due legal process. ($1 = 5.3458 reais)Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Gabriel Araujo in Brasilia Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil markets tumble on Lula's first full day in office
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Anthony Boadle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Haddad, who is seeking to dispel market fears that he might not maintain fiscal discipline, took office on Monday, pledging to control spending. "The policies remind us of Dilma Rousseff's government rather than Lula's," Gracia said, referring to Lula's handpicked successor, who was impeached while in office. Allies said Lula's newfound social conscience was the result of his 580 days in prison, Reuters reported on Sunday. Lula kicks off his third presidential term after persuading Congress to pass a one-year, 170 billion-reais increased social spending package, in line with his campaign promises. Lula spent his first day in office meeting with more than a dozen heads of state who attended his inauguration.

☆ Lula decrees extension for tax exemption on fuels in Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Brazil's newly sworn-in President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a decree on Sunday extending for 60 days an exemption for fuels from federal taxes, a measure passed by his predecessor aimed at lowering their cost. The decree was among the first batch of decisions taken by Lula hours after his inauguration as president, succeeding far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, and officially establishing his cabinet of 37 ministers. Prates said the exemption could be resumed by the new government in a "much more comfortable" way. He has said that one option under study was an extension for six months or until the end of the year for tax exemptions on diesel and liquefied petroleum gas. The extension for gasoline was opposed by sectors of the economy, such as the ethanol industry, which loses ground in its tax advantage over gasoline.

☆ Biden’s Back Door Tesla Subsidy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tesla ’s stock market value has plunged by some $850 billion this year amid investor worries over Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover and slumping demand for its electric vehicles. But lo, the Biden Administration is coming to Mr. Musk’s aid with a new plan to use the renewable fuel program in a way that subsidizes Teslas and other already subsidized EVs. Congress’s ethanol mandate offers a case study in the political difficulty of weaning industries off government support—and how regulators can revamp programs to serve new political ends. Politicians of both parties rallied around the renewable fuel standard (RFS) in 2005 as a way to boost U.S. energy independence and reduce CO2 emissions. It has done the opposite.

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