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Two weeks ago, the United States Supreme Court struck down affirmative action, declaring that the race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unlawful. Today, three people whose lives were changed by affirmative action discuss the complicated feelings they have about the policy.

Organizations: United States Supreme, Harvard, University of North Locations: University of North Carolina

FRANKFURT/LONDON July 13 (Reuters) - Energy majors BP (BP.L) and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) have won a 7 gigawatt (GW) offshore wind site auction in Germany worth a record 12.6 billion euros ($14.1 billion), allowing them entry to the central European market without a partnership. The awards for capacity due to come online in 2030 also excluded leading offshore wind developers, such as RWE (RWEG.DE) and Orsted (ORSTED.CO). AUCTION DESIGNThe 7 GW electronic auction officially opened in January and bidders had until June 1 to submit offers. In previous German lease auctions, companies have made low or negative bids with the expectation of subsidies from the state. Industry groups have said the high costs of the leases could drive up the cost of offshore wind projects.

Persons: Bundesnetzagentur, Bernstein, WindEurope, Orsted, Norway's, TotalEnergies, Vera Eckert, Susanna Twidale, Christoph Steitz, Ron Bousso, Nora Buli, Nina Chestney, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Energy, BP, Industry, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Macquarie, England, Danish

☆ Global heat in ‘uncharted territory’ as scientists warn 2023 could be the hottest year on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It works like this: As the world burns fossil fuels and pumps out planet-heating pollution, global temperatures are steadily warming. David J. Phillip/APWhile the record temperatures may have been expected, the magnitude by which some have been broken has surprised some scientists. Historically, global heat records tend to topple in El Niño years, and the current record-holder, 2016, coincided with a strong El Niño. The world gets hung up on blockbuster records but “these heat records are not exciting numbers,” she told CNN. CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty ImagesUnheeded warningsFor climate scientists, this is the “I told you so” moment they never wanted.

Persons: –, Jennifer Francis, ” Carlo Buontempo, Copernicus, “, we’ve, ” Francis, El, ”, Friederike Otto, Andres Matamoros, David J, Phillip, Peter Stott, There’s, Robert Rohde, ” Otto, Prashanth Vishwanathan, Niño, El Niños, ” Stott, Otto said, “ Organizations: CNN, Climate Research, World Meteorological Organization, Grantham Institute, Climate, UK’s Met, ”, Bloomberg, Getty, Publishing Locations: Europe, Antarctica, Pacific, El, Houston, Berkeley, Patna, Bihar, India, Texas, Mexico, China, Beijing, Northern, Zhonghua, Handan, North China's Hebei

☆ Heat Records Fall Around the Globe as Earth Warms, Fast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Brad Plumer | More About Brad Plumer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Tuesday, global average temperatures rose to a new high of 62.9 degrees Fahrenheit. But, he added, there may be other factors layered on top of human-caused warming that have helped drive temperatures up so dramatically in recent months. For instance, a cyclical phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation causes year-to-year fluctuations by shifting heat in and out of deeper ocean layers. Global surface temperatures tend to be somewhat cooler during La Niña years and somewhat hotter during El Niño years. “A big reason we’re seeing so many records shattered is that we’re transitioning out of an unusually long three-year La Niña, which suppressed temperatures a bit, and into a strong El Niño,” Dr. Hausfather said.

Persons: Zeke Hausfather, El, “, Hausfather Organizations: Service, Berkeley, Southern

☆ A healthtech startup is using AI to treat obesity. See the 10-slide presentation Alfie Health used to get funding from Y Combinator.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Alfie Health built an algorithm to create personalized treatment plans for obesity. Alfie Health is jumping in the ring with perhaps the only selling point in healthcare right now that's hotter than weight-loss medications — artificial intelligence. Alfie Health runs as a virtual obesity-care clinic to provide video visits with doctors and health coaches, with individual treatment plans developed using ObesityRx. In June, Alfie Health raised $2.1 million in pre-seed funding led by Y Combinator and Nina Capital. Here's the presentation Alfie Health used to raise $2.1 million.

Persons: Alfie Health, Combinator, Alfie Health's, Alexander Singh, Y Combinator, Nina Capital, Alfie, Singh, Wegovy Organizations: Nina, Goodwater, Phoenix Investment Club Locations: GLP

☆ El Niño is here and the world must prepare for more extreme heat, UN weather agency warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The WMO said there was a 90% probability of El Niño continuing during the second half of 2023 at moderate strength. Along with increased ocean warming, El Niño events are usually associated with increased rainfall in parts of southern South America, the southern United States, the Horn of Africa and central Asia. In India, a major rice producing nation, El Niño can weaken the monsoon that brings the rainfall the country relies on to fill aquifers and grow crops. El Niño this year could also dent US economic growth, potentially impacting everything from food prices to winter clothing sales, a recent study found. The study attributed $5.7 trillion in global income losses to the 1997-98 El Niño and $4.1 trillion in losses to the 1982-83 El Niño.

Persons: El Niño, El, ”, Petteri Taalas, Niño, Chris Hewitt, “ Organizations: CNN, World Meteorological Organization, WMO, United Nations, El Locations: El, South America, United States, of Africa, Asia, Australia, Indonesia, Central America, Pacific, India, Paris, Europe, Americas

☆ Extreme weather in Latin America unlocks vicious cycle that further fuels climate dangers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, July 5 (Reuters) - Extreme weather is wreaking havoc across Latin America, racking up billions worth of damage and unleashing a vicious cycle that leads to higher demand for fossil fuels and more climate change, the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday. Temperatures have warmed an average 0.2 degree Celsius per decade over the past 30 years – the highest rate on record, according to the State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2022 report. As temperatures rise, extreme weather events become more common, with often unexpected consequences that stoke climate change, the report said. “Many of the extreme events were influenced by the long-running La Nina but also bore the hallmark of human-induced climate change," said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. "We are facing increasingly strong impacts from climate change, but the decisions adopted in climate negotiations for the implementation of the Paris Agreement do not advance at the same rate," she said.

Persons: Petteri Taalas, Daniel Becerril, Elba Rosa Perez, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Marguerita Choy Organizations: World Meteorological Organization, stoke, Nina, REUTERS, El Nino, for Research, Meteorological Institute, Environment, Development, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, America, Latin America, Caribbean, South America, Monterrey, Mexico, El, Havana, China, Cuba, Paris

☆ El Niño + climate change = heat records
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Climate change combined with this year’s El Niño set a new world record for worldwide heat on Tuesday – 62.92 degrees Fahrenheit or 17.18 degrees Celsius. The WMO declared the onset of an El Niño Tuesday and warned governments to prepare for more extreme weather events as a result. This will be the first El Niño in seven years. The last very strong El Niño year – 2016 – also saw the previous record for worldwide heat that August. “It is El Niño on top of decades of human emissions of greenhouse gases.”There is no turning back, he said, but humans can likely slow the change.

Persons: Niño, –, It’s, Bill Weir, we’re, ”, ” Weir, John Abraham, Thomas, Weir, ” Abraham, Abraham, “ Organizations: CNN, National Centers, Environmental, World Meteorological Organization, United Nations, WMO, El, CNN International, University of St, Reuters Locations: Switzerland, Americas, Africa, Quebec, Miami, Minnesota, El, ”

☆ A 92-year-old woman who works at a Wendy's in Ohio says she does it for her own therapy. 'I'm going to stay as long as I can'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A 92-year-old worker at a Wendy's restaurant in Ohio says she won't quit anytime soon. "I'm going to stay as long as I can," she told The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. Workers aged 65 and over make up just 3.1% of the restaurant industry, per federal data. "I'm going to stay as long as I can," Susie Kelly told The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. As of 2020, 16.8% of the total population, or around 55.8 million people, were aged 65 or over, per Census Bureau data.

Persons: —, Susie Kelly, Kelly, Jason Blair, Nina Male Organizations: Parkersburg, Sentinel, Workers, Service, News, US, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Ohio, Marietta, West Virginia

☆ Breakingviews: El Nino will brew up potent new economic storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

It looks likely that the El Nino weather phenomenon has returned, according to both the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Reuters GraphicsBy one reckoning, a single El Nino event might seem manageable. The direct impact of El Nino- and La Nina-affected weather on sowing, growing and harvesting is not the only economic consideration. On June 8 the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center issued an advisory that El Nino conditions “are present and are expected to gradually strengthen into the Northern Hemisphere winter”. The highest temperature reached in any past El Nino was 2.6 degrees Celsius above average in 2016.

Persons: El, Nina, Gabrielle, It’s, there’s, Peter Thal Larsen, Katrina Hamlin, Thomas Shum Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, El, U.S . National Oceanographic, Atmospheric Administration, Australian, of Meteorology, International Monetary Fund, University of Dartmouth, El Nino, Nina, Rabobank, Barclays, World Meteorological Organisation, Center, Thomson Locations: India, Thailand, Vietnam, El Nino, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Europe, China, Southeast Asia, United States, Oceania, Australia, Western Australia, Delhi, Ukraine

☆ El Nino will brew up potent new economic storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

☆ Third quarter is a key time for extreme weather events. Here's what to expect for exposed stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The third quarter is a key time for extreme weather events. An El Niño weather pattern is widely expected for 2023. "Following three years of La Niña, climate scientists expect 2023 to have El Niño conditions with near-100% certainty given current signals," Karp said in a note to clients last month. Insurers are also among the stocks to typically move in relation to extreme weather events. This year should be a fairly typical one for hurricanes, as El Niño is typically linked to a less severe season.

Persons: Nature, —, Sophie Karp, La, Karp, El, bode, Morgan Stanley, Andrei Stadnik, Stadnik, Matthew Carletti doesn't, hasn't, Jefferies, Yaron Kinar, Brown, Arthur J, Gallagher, Aon, Niño, Generac, Aaron Jagdfeld, Bob Huang, bullish, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Energy, DTE Energy, WEC Energy, CNBC Pro's, WEC, Xcel Energy, Portland General Electric, Edison International, CenterPoint, Southern Company, Duke Energy, Nextera Energy, El, Insurance Australia Group, Suncorp, Arch Capital, Everest Re, Bloomberg, Arch Locations: El, Canada, U.S, Gulf, Pacific Northwest, California, Michigan, Avista, Portland, American, Mexico, CenterPoint Energy, Bermuda, Texas

☆ Australia's Suncorp forecasts rise in FY24 natural hazard costs amid La Niña
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

It now sees the natural hazard allowance for fiscal 2024 to increase to A$1.36 billion ($907.4 million), as compared with A$1.16 billion set aside for fiscal 2023, Suncorp said. read moreGroup natural hazard experience for fiscal 2023 is expected between A$1.25 billion and A$1.28 billion, the company added. Suncorp intends to maintain its underlying insurance margin within a 10% to 12% range, as it continues to reflect increased input costs, the company said in a statement. "We continue to see a significant reassessment of risk... which reflects elevated natural hazard activity in recent years... ($1 = 1.4993 Australian dollars)Reporting by Roushni Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Steve Johnston, Roushni Nair, Shailesh Organizations: Suncorp, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: Australia, New, Bengaluru

CNN —Wall Street bankers, investors and economists have for months waffled over whether a US recession is coming. But for some Americans, the unforgiving economic pain typical during recession has already set in. Consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of economic output, so if more Americans are forced to cut back because they were laid off, that might throw the US economy into a recession. Bank of America Chief Executive Brian Moynihan told CNN last week that he expects a mild recession early next year, rather than the late 2022 recession many have predicted. That means that laid-off Americans were often able to find a new job quickly due to a hot job market.

Persons: Al Brown, Brown, it’s, ” Brown, That’s, Allison Joyce, haven’t, Nina McCollum, hasn’t, She’s, ” McCollum, ”, Thomas Simons, ” Simons, Eva Marie Uzcategui, —, Timothy A, Clary, Brian Moynihan, frustrates McCollum, Regina Walton, Walton, she’s, “ It’s, I’ve, ” Walton, “, I’m, Richard Murray, Murray, he’s, you’re Organizations: CNN, Wall, Flyers, New, New Hanover NCWorks, Workforce, Bloomberg, Getty, Investors, Jefferies, National Bureau of Economic Research, Traders, New York Stock Exchange, Bank of America, San Francisco Bay Area, Companies, Consolidated Omnibus Budget, Cascade Locations: Concord , North Carolina, America, New Hanover, Wilmington , North Carolina, Cleveland , Ohio, Miami , Florida, AFP, San Francisco Bay, “, Boston

☆ It’s Summer. Are You Suddenly Allergic to Your Jewelry?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Kathleen Beckett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“There is no scientific definition of the term ‘hypoallergenic.’ It is a marketing term,” Dr. Barbaud said. “We can hope that ‘hypoallergenic’ jewelry complies with European regulations that limit the release of nickel from objects in close contact with the skin. However, for someone who is already sensitized to metals, particularly nickel, even hypoallergenic jewelry may still cause a reaction.”High-end gold jewelry can present problems, too, because 24-karat, or pure, gold is soft and usually is mixed with some other metals for strength. And the 9-karat or 12-karat gold used in inexpensive jewelry could contain a high percentage of alloy. regulation applies to all jewelry, but the rules are different depending if it is for piercing or for regular jewelry,” said Nina Andersson, chief executive of Blomdahl, a jewelry company founded in 1985 in Halmstad, Sweden, that focuses on jewelry allergies.

Persons: Barbaud, ”, Nina Andersson, Ms, Andersson Organizations: European Union Locations: United States, Halmstad, Sweden

In a San Francisco courtroom, federal regulators are fighting to block one of the biggest deals in the history of Silicon Valley. David McCabe, who covers technology policy for The New York Times, talks about Lina Khan, the F.T.C. chair who is the architect of the lawsuit, and the growing campaign to finally rein in big tech.

Persons: David McCabe, Lina Khan Organizations: The New York Times Locations: San Francisco, Silicon Valley

☆ European wind developers play down Siemens Gamesa turbine troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UBS analysts said that in a worst-case scenario charges for Siemens Energy could exceed 5 billion euros. Denmark's Orsted said it operates one onshore wind farm with Siemens Energy turbines and that Orsted's portfolio of turbines has "high availability rates, reflecting that wind power has very little down-time." Siemens Gamesa has already told Iberdrola that it would proceed with a retrofit design, the source said, adding no technical issues for the remaining fleet of Siemens Gamesa turbines had been observed. Siemens Energy shares were up 5.7% at 1428 GMT, recovering some losses after analysts said Friday's sell-off was overblown. Siemens Gamesa first disclosed problems around its 5X model in July 2021, flagging higher than expected ramp-up costs.

Persons: Siemens Gamesa, Germany's, Denmark's Orsted, Eolus Vind, Iberdrola, Friday's, Andres Gonzalez, Forrest Crellin, Christoph Steitz, Marek Strzelecki, Nikolaj Skydsgaard, Nora Buli, Pietro Lombardi, Nina Chestney, Mark Potter, Alexander Smith Organizations: Siemens, Siemens Energy, UBS, EDF, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Siemens Gamesa, Poland's PGE, Thomson Locations: Spanish, Copenhagen, Baltica, Baltic, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Warsaw, Oslo, Madrid

☆ National Geographic magazine has laid off the last of its staff writers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —National Geographic, the iconic yellow framed magazine that has chronicled the natural world for more than 100 years, laid off its last remaining staff writers this week, multiple departing staffers said. “Any insinuation that the recent changes will negatively impact the magazine, or the quality of our storytelling, is simply incorrect.”News of the layoffs was reported on Twitter Tuesday when departing magazine staff writers began to circulate the news. “Today is my last day at National Geographic,” Michael Greshko, a former science writer at the magazine, tweeted. But on Wednesday, more staff writers for the magazine took to Twitter to share the news of their departure. “My colleagues and I were unbelievably lucky to be the last-ever class of staff writers.”

Persons: ” Michael Greshko, ”, “, Craig Welch, ” “ It’s, Nina Strochlic Organizations: CNN, Geographic, Walt Disney Co, Twitter

Having sex in a car is usually a last resort, born from the trappings of youth. But, without a private place to go to, they found themselves having sex in the back seat of the teamster’s car. Today, Susan shares how car sex turned into something deeper. Want more from Modern Love? We also have swag at the NYT Store and two books, “Modern Love: True Stories of Love, Loss, and Redemption” and “Tiny Love Stories: True Tales of Love in 100 Words or Less.”

Persons: Susan Silas, Susan, —, Anna Martin, Julia Botero, Christina Djossa, Elyssa Dudley, Hans Buetow, Sara Sarasohn, Jen Poyant, Sophia Lanman, Maddy Masiello, Rowan Niemisto, Pat McCusker, Dan Powell, Daniel Jones, Miya Lee, Mahima Chablani, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Nina Lassam, Julia Simon, Anna Diamond, ”

The Global Wind Energy Council said earlier this year that a record 680 gigawatts (GW) of wind energy capacity is expected to be installed by 2027. But the expected revenues of those planning to build wind turbines have not risen in tandem. Many governments index the prices paid for wind energy, usually through auctions, which are often too low, analysts at Wood Mackenzie said. COMPONENTSAmong the issues which arise from operating wind turbines, wear and tear on turbine blades over time can lead to erosion. Its shares fell more than 6% on Friday, while shares in Siemens Energy, the second biggest wind turbine maker, sank 37%.

Persons: Wood Mackenzie, WindEurope, Nina Chestney, Christoph Steitz, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Siemens Energy, LONDON, Siemens, World Energy, Wind Energy Council, International Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: China, Ukraine, Frankfurt

☆ Khrushchev's great-granddaughter on Wagner Group's short-lived revolt in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | 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 EmailKhrushchev's great-granddaughter on Wagner Group's short-lived revolt in RussiaNina Khrushcheva, great-granddaughter of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and New School professor, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss Wagner Group's short-lived revolt in Russia, Vladimir Putin's grip on power, and more.

Persons: Wagner, Russia Nina Khrushcheva, Nikita Khrushchev, Wagner Group's, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: New School Locations: Russia

☆ Overlooked No More: Dolores Alexander, Feminist Journalist and Activist
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Nina Siegal | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This article is part of Overlooked, a series of obituaries about remarkable people whose deaths, beginning in 1851, went unreported in The Times. Dolores Alexander had a few distinct careers throughout her life. She was executive director of the National Organization for Women, working alongside its president and co-founder, Betty Friedan. And she was a founder of the organization Women Against Pornography. This was a women’s club.

Persons: Dolores Alexander, Betty Friedan, Mother Courage, Jill Ward, ” Lucy Komisar, ” Organizations: The New York Times, Newsday, National Organization for Women Locations: Times, United States, Manhattan’s meatpacking

☆ How Far Would You Go for Midcentury Furniture?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Chantel Tattoli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The credenza in the back of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van groaned as Lars Balderskilde drove through the woodlands near Vejle, a city on a fjord about two and a half hours from Copenhagen. It was late January, and after passing a lake filled with swans, Mr. Balderskilde stopped at a house where he picked up an old bar cabinet that he paid for in cash. Then came stops at other homes to collect nesting tables and a mirror. “It’s always emotional, but you have to let go,” Ms. Toft said to Mr. Balderskilde, who had come to look at various pieces in the house. Ms. Kock showed him a tiny clay bird that she had made as a girl.

Persons: van groaned, Lars Balderskilde, Balderskilde, Nina Toft, Grethe Kock, “ It’s, ” Ms, Toft, Kock, “, ” Organizations: Mercedes, Benz, van Locations: Vejle, Copenhagen

The company has provided more than 132 gigawatts (GW) of wind turbines as of the end of April this year to all global regions: 108 GW of onshore wind and 22 GW of offshore wind. The discovery of faulty components at Siemens Gamesa's onshore wind turbines had already caused a charge of nearly half a billion euros in January. Siemens Gamesa has provided wind turbines to some of the biggest power companies and oil and gas majors worldwide. Shares in European wind turbine producers Nordex (NDXG.DE) and Vestas (VWS.CO) also fell as confidence in the industry was shaken. Many wind power developers have already seen delays in projects due to the availability of components and rising costs.

Persons: Siemens Gamesa, Spain's, Denmark's, Nina Chestney, Christoph Steitz, Susan Fenton Organizations: Siemens Energy, Siemens, SIEMENS, WHO, Scottish Power Renewables, East Anglia, Poland's PGE, Siemens AG, Thomson Locations: Spain, Europe, Americas, Britain, North, Baltica, Baltic

☆ This Little Amsterdam Improv Club Launched Big American Careers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Nina Siegal | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Seth Meyers had no idea what to expect when he got a job in 1997 performing at a fledgling comedy club in Amsterdam called Boom Chicago. He was in his early 20s, and had never traveled outside of the United States. He had to apply for a passport. “I knew not one thing about the Netherlands,” he said in a recent interview. “My first thought was to get some good hiking shoes, I guess because I thought I was going to Switzerland.

Persons: Seth Meyers, “, ”, ” Meyers didn’t Locations: Amsterdam, Boom Chicago, United States, Netherlands, Switzerland

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