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☆ Norfolk Southern Investors Reject Plan to Oust Its Management
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Peter Eavis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Shareholders of Norfolk Southern, the beleaguered freight railroad, on Thursday voted down an attempt by an activist investment firm to remove the company’s chief executive and take control of its board. But the activist, Ancora, a Cleveland firm, managed to secure a foothold at the company, after shareholders voted to place three of its directors onto Norfolk Southern’s 13-member board. Ancora had hoped to take control of the company’s leadership with an aim to cut costs and increase Norfolk Southern’s profits and stock price. The result is a partial victory for Norfolk Southern’s executives, who had to defend themselves against criticisms of the company’s safety record and its lackluster financial performance. The results of the shareholder vote, which are preliminary, were announced Thursday morning at a virtual company annual meeting.

Persons: Ancora Organizations: Norfolk Locations: Norfolk Southern, Cleveland, East Palestine , Ohio

☆ NYT: RFK Jr. says worm ‘got into my brain and ate a portion of it’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Michelle Shen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In 2010, Kennedy, now 70, experienced severe memory loss and mental fog, he said in a deposition two years later. Robert Kennedy said at the time that his earning power had been negatively affected by the cognitive issues, the Times reported. Kennedy told the paper he has recovered from the memory loss and brain fogginess and that the parasite did not require treatment. The worms get nutrients from the body, but they are not eating the brain tissue, he said. It’s more common to find the worm after it has died and left behind a calcified cyst in the brain, Hotez said.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Sen, Ted Kennedy, ” Kennedy, Mary Richardson Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Stefanie Spear, “, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Peter Hotez, Dean, Hotez, Trump, Kevin O’Connor, CNN’s Brenda Goodman Organizations: CNN, Independent, The New York Times, Times, National, Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Biden, White, O’Connor, Children’s Health Defense Locations: York, Africa, South America, Asia, Houston

☆ ‘World’s largest’ plant to suck carbon out of the air and turn it into stone opens in Iceland
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Direct air capture, or DAC, is a technology designed to suck in air and strip out the carbon using chemicals. Climeworks plans to transport the carbon underground where it will be naturally transformed into stone, locking up the carbon permanently. ClimeworksClimeworks' Mammoth plant will eventually be able to capture 36,000 tons of carbon from the air. It will increase the size of equipment to capture carbon pollution. It’s this kind of process that makes some critics concerned carbon removal technologies could be used to prolong production of fossil fuels.

Persons: ”, Lili Fuhr, Haukur, Climeworks Climeworks, Stuart Haszeldine, it’s, Jan Wurzbacher Organizations: CNN, Climeworks, Center for International Environmental Law, Mammoth, University of Edinburgh, International Energy Agency, Stratos, Occidental Locations: Iceland, Swiss, Texas, Occidental, Kenya, United States

☆ What the proxy fight at Norfolk Southern means for railroad safety
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The fight has split the railroad’s unions, who disagree which management team – the current Norfolk Southern leadership or one proposed by activist investor Ancora Holdings – would be best for safety and the railroad’s employees. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw, third from left, listens to testimony during a hearing held by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on March 22, 2023 in Washington, DC. The committee heard testimony on "Improving Rail Safety in response to the East Palestine Derailment." BLET said that Orr’s appointment shows that Norfolk Southern is committed to additional use of PSR, no matter which side wins the the proxy fight. On February 3rd, a Norfolk Southern Railways train carrying toxic chemicals derailed causing an environmental disaster.

Persons: Alan Shaw, Amit Bose, Win McNamee, Bose, ”, “, Jeremy Ferguson, Shaw, “ Shaw, Jerry Sturdivant, John Orr, BLET, Michael Swensen, Jim Barber, Glass Lewis, Ancora Organizations: New, New York CNN, Norfolk, Norfolk Southern, Ancora Holdings, PSR, Federal Railroad Administration, Senate Commerce, Science, Transportation, Shaw, SMART, of Locomotive Engineers, Trainmen, NS, Canadian Pacific, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Way Employees, Norfolk Southern Railways, Teamsters, UPS, CSX, Union Pacific Locations: New York, Norfolk Southern, Atlanta, East Palestine , Ohio, Norfolk, East Palestine, Washington ,, Canadian Pacific Kansas, Palestine, ”, NS

☆ Activist Investor Seeks to Force Out Norfolk Southern’s Management
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Peter Eavis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After one of Norfolk Southern’s freight trains derailed last year, spilling hazardous chemicals in an Ohio town, the company’s leaders were assailed by lawmakers, regulators and angry residents, an onslaught the executives managed to survive. But Norfolk Southern’s management faces a fresh challenge this week from an investment firm that is asking shareholders to vote to replace the company’s chief executive, Alan Shaw, and appoint new directors to its board. The campaign by Ancora, a Cleveland investment firm, invokes the accident in East Palestine, the Ohio town, but its main aim is to overhaul Norfolk Southern’s business strategy to bolster its profits. The company’s leaders are vulnerable because Norfolk Southern’s stock price and profit margins lag those of its peers. Ancora’s plan in large part rests on cutting costs and making the company’s 19,100-mile rail network run more efficiently.

Persons: Alan Shaw, Ancora’s Organizations: Norfolk Locations: Norfolk, Ohio, Cleveland, East Palestine

☆ Biden brags about his environmental record to win young voters, but most have no idea what he's done to fight climate change
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. President Joe Biden has sought to use his pro-environment policies to boost his support among young voters, but most of them have little to no knowledge of his administration's actions to tackle climate change, according to a recent survey. And many of the administration's climate policies are seemingly popular with the American public. The most polarizing Biden policy in the survey was the allowance of tax credits for electric vehicles, but even it had a plurality of support (43 percent) among respondents. Meanwhile, 35 percent of respondents opposed such credits, and 21 percent of respondents indicated they hadn't heard about it.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump's Organizations: Service, CBS, Business Locations: White House, Paris, United States

☆ How Shruti Gandhi, a solo venture capitalist with 15 exits in 5 years, went from underestimated to unstoppable
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Shruti Gandhi has a simple rule for meeting founders: She only takes the meeting if she wants to invest. Being the solo general partner of her firm, the early-stage outfit Array Ventures, also means she can get deals done quickly. Over the past five years, she's returned most of her maiden $7 million fund to limited partners at a net multiple of almost four. For founders, by foundersThe founders Gandhi has backed like working with her because of her technical chops and hands-on approach. We will back you if you raise a fund,'" Gandhi said.

Persons: Shruti Gandhi, Gandhi, Nikhil Teja Kolli, Kolli, she's, wasn't, Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Champ Bennett, Zimperium's Zuk Avraham, Mehul Nariyawala, Google —, Doktor Gurson, Gurson Organizations: Ventures, Business, PayPal, IBM, Columbia University, True Ventures, Samsung, Google, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Rad Locations: India, Poughkeepsie , New York, She's

☆ Hundreds of thousands of fish died in a single reservoir in Vietnam, another sign of how climate change is strangling the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A prolonged drought in southeast Asia contributed to massive fish deaths in southern Vietnam. The climate crisis and human development threaten the Mekong Delta, a key global agricultural center. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . In Vietnam, the maze of wetlands that comprise the Mekong Delta is called the country's "rice bowl" because of the vast agriculture it supports. Related storiesMeanwhile, in southern Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of fish died in a reservoir last month as temperatures peaked over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and no rain fell for weeks, the AFP reported.

Persons: —, El Niño, they're, Ksor Phung, VnExpress Organizations: Service, Mekong Delta, country's Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, World Bank, AFP, Residents, Business, Getty, Commission Locations: Asia, Vietnam, Delta, El, Mekong

☆ Generative AI will be designing new drugs all on its own in the near future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

An analogy for understanding the development of AI drugs can be found in the mechanisms of ChatGPT. As a result, it's a drug discovery process that has a 90% failure rate. Some of the noted flaws of generative AI, its propensity to "hallucinate" for example, could prove to be powerful in drug discovery. AI is learning to distinguish drugs from non-drugs, and to create new drugs, in the same way that ChatGPT can create sentences, Ellington said. Now, AI models are helping narrow down the possibilities, so scientists more quickly know the optimal modifications to try.

Persons: ChatGPT, Kimberly Powell, Google's, —, AlphaFold, Powell, Rau, Lilly, Eli Lilly, Diogo Rau, It's, Amgen, Andy Ellington, Ellington, Daniel Diaz, Diaz, We've Organizations: Nvidia, CNBC Technology, Summit, University of Texas, Austin, NVIDIA, biosciences, UT's Institute, Foundations of Machine, Cadence Locations: Nature

☆ The global synthetic drugs crisis has hit West Africa, where people are digging up human bones to make a drug called 'kush'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Cemeteries are bolstering their security measures because gravediggers are stealing human bones to make powerful synthetic drugs, local journalists told Business Insider. AdvertisementA vendor sells daily necessities at a market in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Feb. 21, 2024. Formaldehyde also has euphoric properties, says the National Library of Medicine, which explains why kush users could be raiding Freetown's cemeteries. JOHN WESSELS | Getty ImagesJalloh noted that the use of synthetic drugs was not unique to Sierra Leone. ReutersIn 2015, BI's Erin Brodwin covered the rise of these synthetic drugs, marketed as "spice," "K2," "black mamba," or "crazy clown."

Persons: —, Sierra, Julius Maada, Michael Cole, Sally Hayden, JOHN WESSELS, Cole, Mabinty Magdalene Kamar, Abdul Jalloh, HUGH KINSELLA CUNNINGHAM, Thomas Dixon, Jalloh, Salifu Kamara, kush, BI's Erin Brodwin, Brodwin, tranq Organizations: Service, Business, Xinhua News Agency, Getty, Anglia Ruskin University, The Irish Times, National Library of Medicine, Politico, Sierra, Sierra Leone Psychiatric Teaching Hospital, Police, Getty Images Local, Salone Times, BBC, Freetown Police Force, National Drug Agency, NPR, Guardian, Disease Control, Prevention, Reuters, Financial Times Locations: Freetown, African, Sierra Leone, West Africa, Mabinty, Waterloo , Sierra Leone, kush, New York City, New York, Kensington, North Philadelphia

Provoked Violence, Unchecked for Hours The New York Times used videos filmed by journalists, witnesses and protesters to analyze hours of clashes — and a delayed police response — at a pro-Palestinian encampment on Tuesday. On Tuesday night, violence erupted at an encampment that pro-Palestinian protesters had set up on April 25. The videos showed counterprotesters attacking students in the pro-Palestinian encampment for several hours, including beating them with sticks, using chemical sprays and launching fireworks as weapons. The melee began when a group of counterprotesters started tearing away metal barriers that had been in place to cordon off pro-Palestinian protesters. 12:26 a.m.Sean Beckner-Carmitchel via ReutersAt times, counterprotesters swarmed individuals — sometimes a group descended on a single person.

Persons: KAPLAN, COUNTERPROTESTERS, ROYCE HALL POWELL LIBRARY KAPLAN, counterprotesters, Mel Buer, Harbu, ”, Sean Beckner, Sergio Olmos, Calmatters, “, Counterprotesters, Mary Osako, ’, U.C, Michael Drake, L.A.P.D, Mark Abramson, Gene Block, Gavin Newsom, enforcement’s, Hussam Ayloush, U.C.L.A Organizations: The New York Times, . University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Los Angeles ROYCE HALL, POWELL LIBRARY KAPLAN, ROYCE HALL POWELL, HAINES, ROYCE HALL, POWELL, COUNTERPROTESTERS KAPLAN, HAINES HALL POWELL LIBRARY, ROYCE HALL POWELL LIBRARY, UCLA, Powell Library, Royce Hall, Palestinian, Arrows, Police, New York, University of California, Times, Security, Real News, Israel Defense Forces ’, The Times, Reuters, Associated Press, Los Angeles Police Department, Patrol, Riot, California, Daily Bruin, California Gov, Los Angeles Jewish, Los, Los Angeles Area, Islamic, Jewish Federation Los Locations: U.C.L.A, Los, Los Angeles, Israel, Gaza, Carmitchel, StringersHub, California, Palestine

☆ If you have these 3 habits, you're more resilient than most people, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The more mentally resilient you are, the more quickly you can recover from challenges or persist in the face of them, according to Wharton psychologist Adam Grant. Here are three habits that can help you become highly resilient, experts say:Tend and befriendIf your typical response to stress is to get away from it or shut down, you're not alone. But resilience is all about finding ways through life's stressors and learning from them, and creating social connections can help. "We all know about fight-or-flight — the stress response that can occur when we encounter a perceived threat," executive coach and author Jason Shen wrote for CNBC Make It in March. "But social scientists have uncovered a different and equally important stress response called 'tend-and-befriend,'" which involves seeking contact with others when you're facing a tough situation.

Persons: Adam Grant, Wharton, Jason Shen, Shen, Justin McDaniel —, McDaniel Organizations: Massachusetts Conference, Boston Convention Center, American Psychological Association, CNBC, Facebook, University, Pennsylvania Locations: Boston , Massachusetts

☆ Live Updates: Police Clear U.C.L.A. Encampment and Arrest Protesters
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Jonathan Wolfe | Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

But by Wednesday morning, the peace at the University of California, Los Angeles, had been shattered. Many critics were incredulous that even after officers with the Los Angeles Police Department arrived, there were no arrests or suspensions. Campus officials ordered protesters on Wednesday evening to leave the encampment or face arrest. Image A group of counterprotesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles, on Tuesday night. seemed to wait too long to call in the Los Angeles police, whose officers did not arrive until after midnight.

Persons: fistfights, “, ”, Marie Salem, Mark Abramson, ANGELES Royce Hall Dickson, Ms, Salem, Aidan Woodruff, Mr, Woodruff, counterprotesters, Philip Cheung, Gene Block, Block, Israel counterprotesters, Karen Bass’s, Counterprotesters, Michael Nasir, Mary Osako, Katy Yaroslavsky, streetlight, Hussam Ayloush, Rob Bonta, Ayloush, Benjamin Kersten, Bella Brannon, Brannon, Jill Cowan, Shawn Hubler, Livia Albeck, Claire Fahy, John Yoon, Yan Zhuang Organizations: University of California, Student, The New York, The New York Times, Los Angeles Police Department, OF, ANGELES Royce Hall Dickson, ANGELES Royce Hall, ANGELES Royce Hall Dickson Court, ., Israel, Royce Hall, Los Angeles police, Police Department, Patrol, California, Credit, . Palestinian Solidarity, Jewish, Fairfax District, Jewish Federation Los, Los, Los Angeles Area, Islamic Relations, Jewish Voice, Peace Locations: Los Angeles, U.C.L.A, Israel, California, . Palestinian, counterprotesters, ”, Westside, Beverly Hills, Iranian, Gaza, Palestine

☆ ISS says unions and pension funds should back Norfolk Southern activist investor
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Norfolk Southern Chief Executive Alan Shaw testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing titled "Improving Rail Safety in Response to the East Palestine Derailment" in Washington, U.S., March 22, 2023. Norfolk Southern -invested unions and pension funds should back activist Ancora's full seven-director slate at the railroad's shareholder meeting later this month, two different Institutional Shareholder Services proxy advisory services said. Neuberger Berman said earlier that it would support Ancora's case for change at Norfolk Southern, while Canadian asset manager EdgePoint also reaffirmed on Thursday that it would be voting its shares with the activist. (EdgePoint was initially partnered with Ancora's campaign at Norfolk Southern but dissolved that arrangement months earlier.) Top institutional shareholders include Vanguard, BlackRock, State Street and Dodge & Cox, as well as California's pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS, and Colorado's public pension fund.

Persons: Alan Shaw, Ancora's, Taft, Jim Barber, Glass Lewis, Barber, investor's, Ancora, Neuberger Berman, EdgePoint Organizations: Norfolk Southern, Commerce, Science, Institutional, Hartley Advisory Services, Social Advisory Services, CNBC, UPS, ISS, Norfolk Southern's, Norfolk, Vanguard, Dodge, Cox Locations: East Palestine, Washington , U.S, Norfolk, East Palestine , Ohio, BlackRock

☆ U.S. Accuses Russia of Using Chemical Weapons in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Constant Méheut | More About Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States has accused Russia of using chemical weapons, including poison gas, “as a method of warfare” against Ukrainian forces, in violation of a global ban on the use of such weapons. The State Department said in a statement on Wednesday that Russia had used chloropicrin, a “choking agent” widely used during World War I, as well as tear gas, against Ukrainian troops. The use of these gases in warfare is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, an arms control treaty ratified by more than 150 countries, including Russia. Russia this year has been slowly but steadily pushing through Ukrainian defenses in the east, capturing several towns and villages. The State Department also said that the United States would impose sanctions on three state entities linked to Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs and four companies that support them.

Organizations: Ukrainian, State Department, Chemical Weapons Convention Locations: States, Russia, United States

☆ U.S. accuses Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukraine, in breach of global ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine undergo training to storm enemy trenches using simulation equipment as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in Kharkiv Region, Ukraine on February 29, 2024. The U.S. has formally accused Russia of using chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops and announced late Wednesday that it is imposing more sanctions on Russian individuals and entities. The U.S. State Department released a statement late Wednesday in which it accused Russia of violating the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which bans the production and use of chemical weapons, by using the choking agent chloropicrin against Ukrainian forces. Chloropicrin was used as a poison gas in World War I but is now more commonly used in agriculture as an insecticide. "When inhaled, these agents cause alveoli, air sacs in the lungs, to secrete fluid, essentially drowning those affected," the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons states.

Persons: Chloropicrin Organizations: National Guard, Ukrainian, U.S . State Department, Chemical Weapons Convention, CWC, Russian, Chemical Weapons Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Kharkiv Region, U.S

☆ Stocks pop after Fed decision, oil plunges, earnings mixed — what to watch in the market
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Matthew J. Belvedere | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. Before last week's strong quarter, CNBC learned that Alphabet's Google had laid off hundreds of employees from so-called core teams. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Jerome Powell, Powell, It's, Morgan Stanley, DuPont, Jim, Laxman Narasimhan's, Estee Lauder, Stanley Black, Decker, Bernstein, Toni Sacconaghi, Apple, Sacconaghi, Jim Cramer's Organizations: CNBC, Federal Reserve, Dow, Nasdaq, Google, West Texas, Coterra, Cruise, Viking Holdings, Investment, Morgan, GE Healthcare, Nvidia, Big Tech, Linde, Bausch Health, Apple, Jim Cramer's Charitable Locations: India, Mexico, Gaza, WTI, Wall, China

☆ 2024’s safest sunscreens for summer and year-round
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The annual report provides a database of products by brand and type, while also breaking them down into the top recreational sunscreens, the best daily SPF (sun protection factor) and the safest sunscreens for babies and children. Many of the safest choices will be mineral-based instead of chemical-based sunscreens, said Emily Spilman, EWG’s healthy living science program manager. Mineral sunscreens work by physically deflecting and blocking the sun’s rays, as opposed to sunscreens with chemicals that absorb UV rays and release heat as they break down. In 2019, oxybenzone was an ingredient in 60% of all sunscreen products tested by EWG, dropping to 30% in 2022. By 2023 and again in 2024, the chemical was used in only 6% of tested products, which included sunscreens and daily moisturizers and lip balms with sunscreen protection.

Persons: Brianna Starr, Alicia, ” Brianna, we’d, “, ”, Brianna, Rajesh Nair, ” Nair, Emily Spilman, ” Spilman, It’s, “ It’s, Bill Clinton, padimate, Homer Swei, EWG’s, ” Swei, oxybenzone, Len Lichtenfeld, Lichtenfeld, ” Lichtenfeld Organizations: CNN, Orlando Health Cancer, Orlando Health Cancer Institute, Twitter, FDA, US Food and Drug Administration, Care Products Council, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, oxybenzone, American Cancer Society Locations: Kansas, TikTok, Orlando , Florida, Japan, Europe, U.S, Australia

☆ US says Russia used choking agents against Ukrainian troops, breaching chemical weapons ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident, and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield,” it said. Russia has previously denied using chemical weapons. The US has previously warned Russia against chemical warfare in Ukraine; in March 2022, a month after the invasion began, President Joe Biden said that NATO would respond if Russia used chemical weapons in Ukraine. The use of chemical weapons is banned by international law. Russia has signed those treaties and claims it doesn’t have chemical weapons, but the country has already been linked to the use of nerve agents against critics in recent years.

Persons: Ukraine’s, Chloropicrin, Joe Biden, Mallory Stewart, Sergei Skripal, Alexey Navalny –, Vladimir Putin, Navalny Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Ukrainian, Chemical Weapons Convention, CWC, Russian Embassy, CDC, State Department, United, United Arab Emirates, US, NATO Locations: United States, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Netherlands, China, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey, United Arab, Moscow, Ukrainian, Siberia

☆ South Africa has one of the world’s largest manganese reserves. So why does it outsource for processing?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jackelyn Prager | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —On delivery day at the Manganese Metal Company’s industrial complex in Mbombela, South Africa, truckloads of manganese ore from the Kalahari Basin in the Northern Cape are ushered inside for processing. South Africa has the world’s largest manganese reserves; however, the International Manganese Institute estimates only 2% of the manganese ore produced within the country is locally processed. The Manganese Metal Company says it receives 80,000 tons of ore every year, with plans to build a $25 million commercial processing plant by the end of 2026. With an abundance of manganese reserves, South Africa has potential to become a leader in high purity manganese sulfate production, but d’Harambure says “issues with the electricity sector in South Africa” and “an increase in electricity prices” have made it difficult to produce manganese chemicals and alloys there. Green potentialThese obstacles are not stopping the Manganese Metal Company from trying to capitalize on the EV boom and expand its processing facilities.

Persons: Louis Nel, ” Nel, Aloys d’Harambure, Nel, ” d’Harambure, ”, d’Harambure, D’Harambure, It’s Organizations: CNN, International Manganese Institute, Metal, International Energy Agency, Metal Company, Employees, Manganese Locations: Mbombela, South Africa, Northern, EVs, China, Mexico, Australia, Europe, Africa

☆ This $119 houseplant is bioengineered to remove harmful air pollution in your home.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Biotech company Neoplants just released the first houseplant grown to reduce indoor air pollution. Neo P1 can remove 30 times more VOC's, harmful indoor pollutants, than a typical houseplant. This week, the France-based biotech company Neoplants released the first houseplant bioengineered to remove harmful chemicals from indoor air. AdvertisementUnpacking the Neo P1 systemThe Neo P1 system comes with a marble queen pothos potted in a specially designed "shell," and a six-month supply of power drops. AdvertisementStriving for sustainabilityEvery part of the Neo P1 air purifying system is manufactured in the US.

Persons: —, you'd, Glenn Morrison, Patrick Torbey, Lionel Mora weren't, Mora, Torbey, Morrison, Neoplants, Jennifer Brophy, " Mora, it's, we'll Organizations: Biotech, Neoplants, Service, American Lung Association, University of North, Business, Stanford University, MIT Tech Locations: France, University of North Carolina, Torbey, VOCs, Neoplants, Paris

☆ Karen Firestone: Tech dominates the S&P 500. It's time to ask whether it's the best benchmark for investors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Karen Firestone | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Answering that question assumes understanding why we use the S & P 500 in the first place. While the Dow heavily favors industrial businesses — steel, chemicals, autos, oil and gas — the S & P 500 offers a more diverse representation. Also, the S & P 500 index is weighted by market value, which makes sense to professional investors. While certainly not a proxy for the S & P 500, it provides more exposure to other industries and stocks. As shown below, the equal-weighted S & P 500 has slightly outperformed the S & P 500 over the past 20 years.

Persons: I've, Gamble, Karen Firestone Organizations: Dow Jones, Dow, Apple, Procter, Microsoft, Nasdaq, Bloomberg, Goldman, Commodities, Asset Management

☆ Glass Lewis endorses 6 of activist Ancora's nominees for Norfolk Southern board
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Activist investor Ancora received a powerful endorsement in its efforts to secure a board change and to oust Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw on Monday, when proxy advisor Glass Lewis recommended the railroad's shareholders vote for 6 of Ancora's board nominees. "We believe Ancora has presented a compelling case for supporting a substantial overhaul of the Company's current leadership," Glass Lewis said in its report. Furthermore, Glass Lewis said Barber, Ancora's pick for CEO, and Jamie Boychuk, the activist's pick for COO, "have compelling credentials and track records." Ancora also seeks to install former CSX executive Boychuk as Barber's chief operating officer. Their support, coupled with Glass Lewis' endorsement, gives the activist powerful ammunition as it seeks to convince shareholders.

Persons: Ancora, Alan Shaw, Glass Lewis, Betsy Akins, Jim Barber, William Clyburn, Sameh Fahmy, Gilbert Lamphere, Allison Landry, Shaw, Amy Miles, Barber, Ancora's, Jamie Boychuk, Boychuk, John Orr Organizations: Norfolk Southern, Teamster, UPS, CNBC, CSX, Canadian National, CN, NSC, Norfolk Locations: Norfolk Southern, East Palestine , Ohio, Norfolk

☆ Buy this 'dirt-cheap,' top-rated dividend stock with a 4% yield, Morningstar says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

There's one dividend stock that Morningstar says is "deeply undervalued" right now and which it's bullish on for the long term. "Yet we're bullish on this undervalued stock for the long term. Goldstein noted that FMC's products lean toward insecticides, which generate over half of its revenue. According to FactSet, FMC has an indicated annual dividend yield of 4% for 2024. "FMC stock looks deeply undervalued, trading at half of what we think it's worth," Goldstein added.

Persons: Morningstar, Seth Goldstein, Goldstein, Morningstar's, Dave Sekera Organizations: Morningstar, FMC Locations: FactSet

☆ Jim Cramer shares his thoughts on Caterpillar, Dow, Chipotle, Merck and ServiceNow
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares fell more than 7%. Dow Inc : Shares fell more than 1.5% despite the chemicals maker reporting better-than-expected results. I'd buy the stock," Cramer said. Chipotle : The burrito chain reported better-than-expected sales and earnings, with same-store sales growth of 7% easily surpassing Wall Street estimates. ServiceNow : Shares fell more than 6% despite the maker of workflow software's quarterly results beating on the top-and-bottom lines.

Persons: Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, I'd, Cramer, Bill McDermott Organizations: CNBC, Club, Caterpillar, Dow Inc, Wall, Merck Locations: Dover

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