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☆ I was financially dependent on my ex-husband. Post-divorce, I taught myself about money and built a 6-figure business.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Perri Ormont Blumberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Beth Keeton, a 34-year-old publicist in Fort Worth, Texas. After the crumbling of my marriage, a divorce, and landing back on my feet, I started my own business. AdvertisementIf there's one lesson I've learned, it's that when your gut tells you something feels off, you need to listen. Now, I listen to what my gut tells me, which has protected my business in many ways.

Persons: —, Beth Keeton, It's, I'm, didn't, Dave Ramsey, I've, would've Organizations: Service, Elephant House, Business, Peace University Locations: Fort Worth , Texas

☆ This is a healthy brain on psilocybin
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It wasn’t until his brain morphed into a computer, however, that he knew for sure he was on a psychedelic trip. “We found that psilocybin desynchronizes the brain,” said co-senior author Ginger Nichols of the study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. “When psilocybin is on board, the brain is disconnecting from its typical pathways and reconnecting to different parts of the brain,” said Nichols, an associate professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Science doesn’t fully understand the brain yet, but I felt as if I suddenly knew exactly how the brain works. Sara Moser/Washington University School of MedicineA window for changeScans showed that in the days after the psilocybin trip, most brain networks returned to normal.

Persons: Dr, Nico Dosenbach wasn’t, he’d, it’s, ”, Dosenbach, St . Louis, “, ” Dosenbach, Ginger Nichols, Nichols, ” Nichols, psychotherapists, Petros Petridis, ” Petridis, Sara Moser Organizations: CNN, Washington University School of Medicine, US Food and Drug Administration, NYU Langone Center, Psychedelic Medicine, Washington University School of Locations: “, St ., Oregon, New York City, reconnection

☆ Extreme heat is making residential power cutoffs by utilities a matter of life and death, and new political target
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Kevin Williams | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

That's when Virginia joins the small but growing ranks of states protecting disconnects during extreme heat. "We have to account for extreme heat outside the normal months of the year that are increasingly hotter now," Aird said. I predict we will see more places experiencing heat crises and heat emergencies. Nearly three million people have their electricity shut off annually because they cannot afford to pay monthly bills, according to the Energy Justice Lab. A majority of states (40) have statutory-based utility disconnection protections that cover specific times of year and vulnerable populations, according to the Energy Justice Lab.

Persons: Virginia sweltering, Lashrecse Aird, Aird, David Konisky, Konisky Organizations: Indiana University, Energy Justice Lab, Energy Justice, Energy, Washington D.C Locations: Virginia, That's, Petersburg

☆ Where is Miranda Wilking, the dancer accused of being in a TikTok cult?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

TikTok and social media star Miranda Derrick (née Wilking) is at the center of the story. She and her younger sister, Melanie Wilking, are both dancers who previously branded themselves together as The Wilking Sisters. However, Miranda became involved with 7M via her boyfriend, James Derrick — and her family says in the series, distanced herself from her. Here's where Miranda Derrick is today. "Miranda Derrick is a successful businesswoman and a loving wife and daughter who cares very much about her family.

Persons: —, Robert Shinn, Miranda Derrick, née, Melanie Wilking, Miranda, James Derrick —, Here's, Melanie, Dean, Kelly, James, BDash, Derrick, videographer Isaiah Shinn, Robert Shinn's, Aubrey Fisher, Robert, Miranda didn't, Miranda's, Instagram, I've, we've, Isaiah Shinn, Robert's, Jake Gyllenhaal Organizations: Service, Netflix, Shekinah, Business, 7M, Instagram, YouTube, UFC Locations: Los Angeles, Detroit

☆ Elon Musk predicts smarter-than-humans AI in 2 years. The CEO of China's Baidu says it's 10 years away
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Chesnot | Getty ImagesPARIS — Robin Li, CEO of one of China's biggest tech firms Baidu , said artificial intelligence that is smarter than humans is more than 10 years away, even as industry staple Elon Musk predicts it will emerge very soon. Artificial general intelligence, or AGI, broadly relates to AI that is as smart or smarter than humans. Li, whose company Baidu is one of China's leading AI players, signals this isn't realistic. I think [it] is more than 10 years away," Li said during a talk on Wednesday at the VivaTech conference in Paris. "[My] fear is that is that AI technology is not improving fast enough.

Persons: Robin Li, Porte de Versailles, Musk, AGI, Sam Altman, Li, it's, Everyone's Organizations: Baidu, Viva Technology, Parc, Getty, PARIS, Elon Locations: Paris, France, Europe

☆ Buckle up for likely earthquake aftershocks, geologists say. Here's how the East Coast should prepare.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Geologists say the East Coast could be in for more earthquakes in the weeks ahead. To prepare, you should create an emergency plan, secure household items, and assemble a bugout bag. AdvertisementAftershocks could hit the East Coast following Friday's 4.8 magnitude earthquake, and millions of people in the region should prepare in the unlikely event the earthquake is bigger next time, the US Geological Survey said. "As a reminder, damaging earthquakes can occur in the future," Jessica Jobe, a research geologist with the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, said on Friday. Related storiesOne of the most important things you can do to prepare, Earle said, is to create an emergency plan.

Persons: There's, —, Paul Earle, Earle, that's, Jessica Jobe, hadn't Organizations: Service, Geological Survey, Earthquake Information, Business Locations: East, New Jersey, Newark, Boston, Philadelphia, Maine

☆ If you're in a life rut, you may need a friendship reshuffle. Here's how to do it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A psychologist shared why a friendship reshuffle can be better than breaking up or quiet quitting. A reshuffle keeps a friend in your life while allowing you to branch out and focus on new people. Luckily, there's another, less permanent option for needing some space: a friendship reshuffle. Kirmayer shared how to reinvigorate your social life with a reshuffle — and leave room for later reconnection. Stay in touch in smaller waysAs you encounter various life changes, you may need a reshuffle to avoid becoming overwhelmed.

Persons: —, there's, Miriam Kirmayer, Kirmayer, Rebalance, you've, You've Organizations: Service

☆ 'Holes' in Earth's magnetic field could cause extra northern lights this month. Here's how to spot them.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

March 2024 may be the best month in the best year to see the Northern Lights, aka aurora borealis. Here's everything you need to know to spot the northern lights. AdvertisementThis could be the best month, of the best year for two decades, to see the Northern Lights, in part, thanks to openings in Earth's magnetic field. The northern lights dance in the skies above Riverton, Wyoming. If you're lucky and you plan right, you might be able to see the Northern Lights this month.

Persons: —, Matt Owens, SANKA VIDANAGAMA, Rune Stoltz Bertinussen, we've, It's Organizations: Service, NASA, International Space Station, University of Reading, Getty, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Reuters, Weather, NWS, Royal Photographic Society Locations: Riverton , Wyoming, Riverton, Arizona, Florida, Australia, New Zealand, Phoenix , Arizona, Christchurch , New Zealand, AFP, Alaska, Norway, Tromso, Gaylor , Missouri

☆ I grew up in the West Bank under military occupation. Now I pay homage to my homeland through my fashion designs.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Yoonji Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThis is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Rami Kashou, a Palestinian American fashion designer. I grew up during the second intifada under the Israeli military occupation. Courtesy of Rami KashouMaking clothes as a kid living in the West BankEven when I was younger, I was fascinated with fashion. AdvertisementIn the West Bank, making your own clothes was a way to be fashionable because we don't have much access to the rest of the world. Draping comes from a culture where women drape themselves in fabric, whether it's a shawl, a veil, or a long dress.

Persons: —, Rami Kashou, I'd, Elsa Klensch, sister's Barbies, Paris Hilton, Penelope Cruz, Kim Kardashian, I've Organizations: Service, Business, West Bank, US Locations: Palestinian American, Jerusalem, Ramallah, America, —, Hollywood, Palestine

☆ I'm a Gen Z climate activist and artist, and there are 5 reasons I think art can help stop the climate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Elijah Mckenzie-Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

As an artist and climate activist, I've seen firsthand how art is used to slow the climate crisis. His work, titled "The Weather Project," which debuted at the Tate Modern in London in 2003, depicts the dynamic, all-absorbing nature of the weather. Elijah McKenzie-JacksonArt plays a crucial role in making climate action accessible to all by pushing past language barriers and triggering emotions. Through captivating visuals and innovative messaging, companies and nonprofit organizations can generate awareness of the need for climate action and motivate people to take action on various social-justice issues across media platforms. As an artist, I believe in the transformative potential of art to curb our climate catastrophe.

Persons: I've, McKenzie, Elijah Mckenzie, Jackson, Olafur Eliasson, Elijah McKenzie Organizations: Service, Jackson Humanity, Tate, Jackson Art, of Radical Contemporary Arts Locations: microalgae, London, Russian

☆ Israeli opposition leader says time has come to replace Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

He made his comments as Israel pressed on with its military offensive in Gaza following Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 rampage through southern Israel. "The time has come - we need to establish a national reconstruction government. Lapid refused to join Netanyahu's war cabinet at the start of the war, though other centrist lawmakers agreed to do so and help manage the conflict. What we need now is a government that will deal with nothing other than security and the economy," Lapid wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "We can't afford another election cycle in the coming year in which we continue to fight and explain why the other side is a disaster."

Persons: Yair Lapid, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu's, Lapid, Israel, Netanyahu, Ari Rabinovitch, Timothy Organizations: Likud, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Jerusalem, JERUSALEM, Gaza, Israel

☆ Singtel-owned Optus says massive Australia outage was after software upgrade
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Australian telecoms provider Optus said on Monday that a massive outage which effectively cut off 40% of the country's population and triggered a political firestorm was caused by "changes to routing information" after a "routine software upgrade". Optus said in a statement that an initial investigation found the company's network was affected by "changes to routing information from an international peering network" early that morning, "following a routine software upgrade". "These routing information changes propagated through multiple layers in our network and exceeded preset safety levels on key routers which could not handle these," the company said. "This resulted in those routers disconnecting from the Optus IP Core network to protect themselves." The company added that it had "made changes to the network to address this issue so that it cannot occur again".

Persons: telco, Byron Kaye, Christopher Cushing Organizations: SYDNEY, Optus, Singapore Telecommunications, Thomson Locations: Australian, Australia

☆ An Epic Pilgrimage Across Three Great Religions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Aatish Taseer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +111 min

Before there was tourism, there was pilgrimage: a trip of endurance, hardship and ecstasy in celebration of one’s faith. On an epic pilgrimage of his own, one writer ventures into the heart of three great religions in Bolivia, Mongolia and Iraq. The Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala the day after Ashura. “They’re poor, but they come thousands of kilometers for the love of Imam Hussein.” PILGRIMAGE WAS A great equalizer. “Labaik ya Hussein,” came the solemn chorus of surrounding voices.

Persons: Eduardo Quintela Gonzáles, ” Quintela, JAN, “, ”, Quintela, Victor, Edith Turner, Chaucer, ferne, sondry londes, Vaishno Devi, Lyra Skinner, Lyra, Victoria Preston’s, —, Prophet Muhammad, Virgin Mary, Bath, Naipaul, Augustus, Ryan, garret, Virgin, Monica Machicao, Nicholas Casey, ” Monica, Casey, Evo Morales, sloughing, Columbus, Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Monica, glitzy cholets, Peru —, Viracocha, it’s, Pablo Quisbert, Leandro Chitarroni, Eichmann, Father Chitarroni, Father Chitarroni’s, Conquistadores ”, Fernando Cervantes, Bernabé Cobo, Quisbert, Edgar Quispe, Tatiana Huayhua, Francisco Tito Yupanqui, Mary, Yupanqui’s, su, Yupanqui, Chitarroni, she’s, Friar Abelino Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori, Friar Yeguaori’s, Irene, Juana, hajji, Waka, Aracely Alcón, Santiago, Alcón, ‘, don’t, ” Alcón, Tito Yupanqui, Uma Marka, Pachamama, haggard, Amaru Fiorilo Barrios, he’d, ” Fiorilo, Fiorilo, who’d, Valeria Alcón, Laureano Jose Quisbert, Elena Ticona Flores, Eduardo Quintela’s, Ensamble, pang, padre, consolations, Sincrético, El, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, Axel, amauta, strode, La, Aatish Taseer, Saint Helena —, Constantine I, La Paz, Orgilbaatar Tsolmon, Orgil, Genghis Khan, Edward Gibbon, ” Orgil, Araniko’s, Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s, Kubla Khan, Coleridge, Kublai, Stalin, sybarite, Khamar, Dalai Lama, Lama, Christopher Kaplonski, ger, I’d, banshtai tsai, Prim, Egi, Munkhdul, Gandantegchinlen, Haidav, herder, “ Um sain, boltugai, Danzanravjaa, Zanabazar’s, Erdene, Mandakhtsog Monkhbaatar, Monkhbaatar’s, Dalai Lamas, prostrated, He’d, Zuu, she’d, Santiago de, L.K, Advani, Emperor Babur, Ram, kar sevaks, Ayodhya, Narendra Modi, Munkhbaatar Batchuluun, Henry Wallace, Franklin D, Potemkin, Munkhbaatar, Gerelmaa, Giimaa, She’d, Eduardo Quintela, Aracely, Santiago’s, Joseph Brodsky’s, Muhammad’s, Hussein, William Keo, ” Khuder, pillion, Labaik, Hussein ”, O Hussein, hearkened, Prophet, Ali —, Ali, Yazid, Imam, crackling, chickpeas, Imam Ali, Imam Hussein, Saddam Hussein, Tusi, Qasim, Imam Hussein’s, Khuder, “ Will, Najaf, prestes, — I, Yasir Yaseen, Ashura, Ali Akbar, Abbas, Ali Asghar, “ We’re, Francisco Goya’s, Hussein’s, Groom, Joseph, ” Wissam, Turfi, Saddam —, Arbaeen, Saddam, “ Imam Hussein, WE, Muhammad, Barnaby Rogerson, Prophet Muhammad ”, ” Ali, Muhammad — Muhammad, formlessness, Muqtada al, Abrams, chiding, Abu Musab Al, Zarqawi, Al Qaeda, William, “ They’re, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, flagellants, ruddy, stylishly, Hussein — shahid —, Farman Ahsan, Syed Salman Raza —, Saddam’s, ” Raza, William “, Ali Zayn al, Abidin, Labaik ya Hussein, thrall —, Lloyd, Susanne Rudolph — Organizations: CITY LA, LA, LA PAZ, Virgin, Crusaders, Dolorosa, Sun, The New York Times, Bolivian, Spain, La, Cordillera, Universidad Mayor de, Catholic, Good, La Paz, Dominican, Pakistan, Caesars, Nissan, Coke, Communists, Communism, ardor, Communist, Hyundai, flails, sacra, Apache, Mahdi Army, Al, ISIS, Karachi —, Princeton Locations: Bolivia, Mongolia, Iraq, Aatish Taseer Bolivia Mongolia Iraq, CITY LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, NAJAF, IRAQ, ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, LA PAZ, La Paz, Bolivian, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, New York, Christian, British, sondry, India, Delhi, Varanasi, Europe, American, Mecca, Arabia, Long, Vino Tinto, Chile, Peru, Monica, Plurinational State, Bolivia —, Americas, Spain, Columbian, Aztec Mexico, Inca Peru, Calvary Hill, Virgen del Cerro, South America, Puerto Rico, Huatajata, ”, Argentine, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Mexican, revelry, Spanish, “, morena, La, “ India, multilayered, Potosí, Argentina, Warisata, Scotch, Santiago de Compostela, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Nations, El Alto, Buenos Aires, Bombay, Tibet, Bolivia’s, Yamuna Rivers, United States, Buddhist Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolian, Istanbul, Asia, Islam, China, Beijing, Dadu, Erdene Zuu, Soviet, Gobi, Los Angeles, gers, Qing China, Karnataka, Töv Province, Karakorum, Khamar, Erdene, Ukraine, Korea, Golden, Bayankhongor, Lhasa, Dalai, Inner Mongolia, Mongol, Nalaikh, Santiago, Santiago de Compostela and Canterbury, Bulgan Province, Somnath, Gujarat, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, ger, East German, Uvs Province, Pakistani, Indian, Tennessee, Najaf, Baghdad, Khuder, —, abayas, KARBALA, Kufa, Medina, Saudi Arabia, Karbala, Imam Ali, Bab, Kuwaiti, Bohras, South Asia, Tajikistan, Zaydis, Yemen, Alawites, Anatolia, Syria, Iran, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Sadr, U.S, Jordanian, Al Qaeda, Mesopotamia, Al, Multan, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan’s, Islamabad, Lahore, Kuwait, Karachi, Doha, Qatar

☆ Lost your cool with your kid? Here’s what to do next
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Jessica Dulong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Ever lost your cool with your kid? When I yell at my kid, or say words I wish I hadn’t, they likely feel scared, overwhelmed and alone. Kennedy: I’ve had people say to me things like, “I feel like I basically yelled at my kid for 11 straight years. Here’s an example I hear all the time: “I ask my kid a million times, calmly, to put on their shoes. Can one parent repair on behalf of the other?

Persons: CNN —, Dr, Becky Kennedy, it’s, Kennedy, ” Kennedy, you’re, I’ve, Maya Angelou, they’ll, they’re, I’d, ”, they’ve, They’re, “, I’m, “ Becky, Jessica DuLong Organizations: CNN, TED, Inc, ” CNN Locations: Brooklyn , New York

☆ School spirit days are great for students — even if they stress parents out
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Ana Homayoun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementMany of us remember the school spirit days of simpler times: Pajama Day, Wacky Wednesday, Superhero Day, or Ugly Sweater Day. I see the benefits in kidsWhen I was in high school, I avoided anything but the most basic attempts at school spirit. AdvertisementAdvertisementAfter attending a university with unabashed school spirit and spending over two decades as an academic advisor to middle school, high school, and college students, I've seen the many ways school spirit days can have a positive impact on connection, collaboration, and creativity. At a time when so many students feel isolated among peers, school spirit days can facilitate community bonding by increasing interaction and engagement. For elementary school students, focusing on a few school spirit days with a simple theme that do not require last-minute costume shopping reduces adult overwhelm.

Persons: I, —, I've, Catherine Bagwell, Henry, togetherness Organizations: Service, Palo Alto High, Paly

☆ Russian Agricultural Bank could have SWIFT access within 30 days, UN tells Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsSept 8 (Reuters) - A Russian Agricultural Bank subsidiary in Luxembourg could immediately apply to SWIFT to "effectively enable access" for the bank to the international payments system within 30 days, the United Nations told Russia in a letter, seen by Reuters on Friday. A key Russian demand has been the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank, Rosselkhozbank, to the SWIFT international payments system. "SWIFT has already confirmed that an expedited application process could be possible, bringing the time for effective access within 30 days," Guterres wrote. Russian fertilizer companies would also have to apply to national authorities within the EU for exemptions and the U.N. would engage with the EU on those requests. "The United Nations can help clarify the authorization process for different EU ports and work with Russian counterparts on obtaining the authorizations/permits pre-departure, if required."

Persons: Dado Ruvic, SWIFT, Antonio Guterres, Sergei Lavrov, Guterres, Lavrov, Russia's, RAB, John Neal, Lloyd's, Michelle Nichols, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, Russian Agricultural Bank, United Nations, Reuters, RSHB Capital S.A, Russian, Black Sea Initiative, Russian Foreign Ministry, UN Secretariat, SWIFT, European Union, UN, RAB, Facility, Lloyd's, RIC, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Bosnia, Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Russia, United, Moscow, Turkey, Ukraine, London, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands

☆ Russia says JPMorgan stops processing its grain payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Turkish-flagged bulker TQ Samsun, carrying grain under UN's Black Sea Grain Initiative, is pictured in the Black Sea, north of Bosphorus Strait, off Istanbul, Turkey July 17, 2023. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik/File PhotoUNITED NATIONS, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday that U.S. bank JPMorgan (JPM.N) had this week stopped processing payments for the Russian Agricultural Bank as Moscow demanded action, not promises, from Washington to help Russian grain and fertilizer reach global markets. Under a related pact - also brokered in July 2022 - U.N. officials agreed to help facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports. As a workaround to that demand, JPMorgan had been processing some Russian grain export payments with reassurances from Washington. Russia may export at least 55 million tonnes of grain in the 2023/24 marketing season, slightly less than the estimated record-breaking 57 million tonnes in the 2022/23 season, Russia's Grain Union said last month.

Persons: Yoruk, Dmitry Peskov, Antony Blinken, Maria Zakharova, James O'Brien, O'Brien, Michelle Nichols, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, JPMorgan, Russian Agricultural Bank, SWIFT, European Union, United Nations, U.S . State Department, Russia's, Ministry, Thomson Locations: Samsun, Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey, Russia, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine

☆ 'Many may die' warns UN after end of Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Russia quit the Black Sea grain deal on Monday, saying that demands to improve its own food and fertilizer exports had not been met, and that not enough Ukrainian grain had reached the poorest countries. The Black Sea grain deal was brokered a year ago by the United Nations and Turkey to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia's invasion. The impact of the grain deal in terms of provisions of Ukrainian grain to global markets is "essentially not very significant," he said. Before Russia withdrew from the Black Sea deal on Monday, the U.N. had "brokered a concrete proposal" with the European Commission to connect a Rosselkhozbank subsidiary to SWIFT. "We remain open to explore solutions with the U.N. that would contribute to the resumption of the grain deal," EU envoy to the U.N. Olof Skoog told the council.

Persons: Martin Griffiths, Mikhail Khan, Sergei Vershinin, Rosemary DiCarlo, Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Thomas, Dmitry Polyanskiy, Olof Skoog, Michelle Nichols, Sybille de La, Doina Chiacu, Conor Humphries Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, Security, United, Security Council, U.S, Russia's Agricultural Bank, SWIFT, European Union, Russia, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Chicago, United Nations, Turkey, Afghanistan, Djibouti Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Moscow, Crimea, Russia's, Paris

The weather story lingered again on Wednesday, but harsher threats from Russia thrust the grain deal into the spotlight. Most-active CBOT wheat futures surged 8.5% on Wednesday, wheat’s largest single-day percentage rise since Feb. 28, 2022, just days after Russia invaded Ukraine. Money managers held a modest net short of 63,052 corn futures and options contracts by that date. Prior to that, grain deal uncertainty failed to spark bullish interest as Ukrainian export volumes far exceeded original expectations. Had the Jan. 3 high stood, it would have been November beans’ first annual high set in January since 1999.

Persons: reconnection, Karen Braun, Matthw Lewis Organizations: Funds, Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Ukraine, Chicago, Russia, India, U.S, Moscow, Western

☆ UN waits for Russian answer as Black Sea grain deal deadline looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Guterres wrote to Putin on Tuesday asking him to extend the Black Sea deal in return for connecting a subsidiary of Russia's Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) to the international payment system SWIFT, sources told Reuters. The last ship traveling under the Black Sea deal is loading its cargo at Ukraine's Odesa port. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday pushed for Russia to extend and expand the Black Sea deal, accusing Russia of using the agreement "as a weapon" by threatening to end it. To convince Russia to agree to the Black Sea deal, a three-year memorandum of understanding was struck in July 2022 under which U.N. officials agreed to help Russia get its food and fertilizer exports to foreign markets. The EU is considering connecting a Rosselkhozbank subsidiary to SWIFT to allow for grain and fertilizer transactions, sources familiar with discussions said on Wednesday.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, Guterres, Putin, SWIFT, We're, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Tayyip Erdogan, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Michelle Nichols, Will Dunham Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, Russia's Agricultural Bank, Reuters, Kremlin, TASS, U.S, Ukraine, EU, SWIFT, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Turkey, Jakarta, EU

☆ EU helping UN, Turkey in bid to extend Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A Kremlin spokesman later said that Russia had not taken a final decision on whether to exit the grain deal. The European Commission's priority is to ensure that Ukrainian grain can reach the world market and it calls on all parties to extend the Black Sea deal, a European Union spokesperson in Brussels said on Thursday. Russia has threatened to ditch the Black Sea grain deal because several demands to dispatch its own grain and fertilizer abroad have not been met. The last ship traveling under the Black Sea agreement is currently loading its cargo at the Ukrainian port of Odesa ahead of the Monday deadline. Britain has also "worked very closely with the City of London to enable a very complex payment system" for Russian grain, Britain's U.N. ambassador, Barbara Woodward, has said.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, SWIFT, Guterres, Putin, Ursula von der Leyen, Putin's, U.N, Barbara Woodward, Woodward, Michelle Nichols, Foo Yun Chee, Angus MacSwan, Leslie Adler Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, European Commission, United, Black, European Union, Russian Agricultural Bank, Reuters, United Nations, Kremlin, JPMorgan Chase &, reassurances, U.S ., The United Nations, African Export, Import Bank, City, Thomson Locations: United Nations, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, EU, U.N, Moscow, Brussels, Russian, Odesa, Africa, Britain, London

☆ UN asks Putin to extend Black Sea grain deal in return for SWIFT access -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has threatened to ditch the grain deal, which expires on Monday, because several demands to dispatch its own grain and fertilizer abroad have not been met. The last two ships traveling under the Black Sea agreement are currently loading cargoes at the Ukrainian port of Odesa ahead of the deadline. A key demand by Moscow is the reconnection of the Russian agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT international payment network. Guterres has proposed to Putin that Russia allow the Black Sea grain deal to continue for several months, giving the EU time to connect a Rosselkhozbank subsidiary to SWIFT, two of those sources familiar with discussions told Reuters. The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Russia and Ukraine in July 2022 to help alleviate a global food crisis worsened by Moscow's invasion and blockade of Ukrainian ports.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, Guterres, Putin, SWIFT, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, JPM.N, Michelle Nichols, Kanishka Singh, Mark Heinrich, Diane Craft Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Reuters, European Union, European Commission, EU, Russian Agricultural Bank, Russian Federation, Kremlin, United, JPMorgan Chase, reassurances, U.S ., The United Nations, African Export, Import Bank, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Odesa, Moscow, EU, SWIFT, Rosselkhozbank, United Nations, Turkey, Ukrainian, Africa

☆ Russia's envoy: No grounds to maintain grain deal status quo
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 3 (Reuters) - Russia's envoy to the United Nations in Geneva said there were no grounds to maintain the "status quo" of the Black Sea grain deal that is set to expire on July 18, the Russian news outlet Izvestia reported on Monday. In a wide ranging interview, envoy Gennady Gatilov told the outlet that the implementation of Russia's conditions for the extensions of the agreement was "stalling." "However, what we are seeing now does not give us grounds to agree to maintaining the status quo." Last week, the United Nations said it was concerned no new ships had been registered under the Black Sea deal since June 26 - despite applications being made by 29 vessels. The New Start Treaty, signed in 2010 is due to expire in 2026.

Persons: Gennady Gatilov, Gatilov, Izvestia, Vladimir Putin, Lidia Kelly, Lincoln Organizations: United Nations, Russian Agricultural Bank, United, Washington, Thomson Locations: Geneva, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, United Nations, Turkey, United States, Moscow, Washington, Izvestia Russia, Kyiv, Melbourne

☆ First mission to ‘touch’ the sun catches the solar wind
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The slower solar wind, located in the same plane of the solar system as Earth, flows at a calmer 249 miles per second (400 kilometers per second). This flip causes the coronal holes to appear across the sun’s surface and release bursts of solar wind directly toward Earth. JHU Applied Physics Laboratory/NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterUnderstanding the source of the solar wind can help scientists better predict space weather and solar storms that can affect Earth. Fortunately, Parker Solar Probe and a separate mission, Solar Orbiter, are perfectly poised to observe the sun’s powerful, dynamic forces at play. “There was some consternation at the beginning of the solar probe mission that we’re going to launch this thing right into the quietest, most dull part of the solar cycle,” Bale said.

Persons: Eugene Parker, Parker, ”, James Drake, “ That’s, Stuart D, Bale, ” Parker, ” Bale Organizations: CNN, Parker, Probe, JHU, Physics Laboratory, Space, University of Maryland, College Park, University of California, Orbiter, Parker Solar Probe Locations: Berkeley

☆ Russia says it sees 'no prospects' for further grain deal renewal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 5 (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry said on Monday that it saw no prospects for extending the Black Sea grain export deal, which is set to expire in mid-July, Russian news agencies reported. TASS news agency quoted the ministry as saying that it was continuing consultations with the United Nations, and that ship inspections had resumed. To help convince Russia to back the deal, a three-year pact was also struck last July in which the U.N. agreed to help Moscow carry out its food and fertiliser shipments. Russia has repeatedly threatened to quit the deal, complaining that obstacles still remain to its own exports of food and fertiliser. The agreement last came up for renewal on May 18 and Russia agreed at that point to extend it for 60 more days, to July 17.

Persons: Mark Trevelyan, Kevin Liffey Organizations: TASS, United Nations, RIA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Geneva, Turkey, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian, Pivdennyi

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