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If the shutdown isn’t averted, Head Start programs serving more than 10,000 children would immediately lose federal funding, including Ferguson's program. That's what worries Lori Milam, executive director of the West Virginia Head Start. This is a particular concern with nearly 20% of Head Start staff positions vacant nationwide, according to the National Head Start Association. Another pot of COVID-19 relief funds that helped Head Start ran out in the spring. Laketia Washington, a mother of eight whose 3- and 5-year-olds attend Head Start programs in Tallahassee, Florida, lamented the turmoil as she rang up customers at a discount store.

Persons: Monette Ferguson, “, ”, Ferguson, Tommy Sheridan, Sheridan, Bobby Kogan, Lori Milam, she's, Philip Shelly, Nikki Budzinski, Maureen Coffey, “ It’s, Lynn Karoly, John, Laura Arnold, what’s Organizations: KANSAS CITY, Alliance for Community Empowerment, Start Association, Sunday, Center for American Progress, West Virginia, Democratic U.S ., Start, Rand Corp, Tim Center, Capital Area Community Action Agency Locations: KANSAS, Mo, Connecticut, Florida , Alabama , Connecticut, Georgia , Massachusetts, South Carolina, Illinois, Minnesota , New York, Maine, Houston, Florida, Laketia Washington, Tallahassee , Florida

☆ Medicare's drug-price negotiations will save the government billions in healthcare spending — but patients may not feel the benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Natalie Rahhal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Patients with private health insurance aren't likely to see a drop in costs from the negotiations. Longo said the price-setting provisions will drive research and investment away from treatment options for Medicare patients. If drug companies won't come to the negotiating table to lower drug prices paid by private insurers, those insurers could take the companies' drugs off their lists of covered medications. Or, if private insurance companies don't negotiate drug prices down for their patients, patients in some cases could seek out different insurance. "These are not full solutions, but they are the beginning of cracks in the facade" of drug companies' constant price hikes, Feldman said.

Persons: Biden, Juliette Cubanski, Jeffrey Davis, Davis, Richard Frank, —, Nicole Longo, Longo, it's, — aren't, Robin Feldman, Feldman, Cuban's Organizations: Medicare, Healthcare, Morning, Centers, Services, Congressional, McDermott, Consulting, Brookings Schaeffer Initiative, Health, Pharmaceutical Research, Manufacturers of America, PhRMA, University of California Law School, Costco, Pharmaceutical Locations: Lower

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s education chief said he’s open to using “whatever levers” are available — including federal money — to discourage colleges from giving admissions preference to the children of alumni and donors. He made the remark when asked about using federal money as a carrot or rod on legacy admissions. By banning affirmative action but allowing legacy preferences, critics say the court left admissions even more lopsided against students of color. Political Cartoons View All 1173 ImagesThe agency recently opened an investigation at Harvard University after a federal complaint alleged that legacy admissions amount to racial discrimination. Without action, Cardona warned that the nation could face the same setbacks seen in California after it ended affirmative action in 1996.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, he’s, —, Miguel Cardona, Cardona, “, ” Cardona, there’s, ”, James Murphy, they’ve, — Cardona, Ron DeSantis, can’t, ” — Cardona Organizations: WASHINGTON, Associated Press, Education, The, Department, Harvard University, Central Connecticut State University, Democratic, China, Education Department, Reform, Republican Gov, ” Conservatives, Carnegie Corporation of New, AP Locations: California, Black, Florida, Carnegie Corporation of New York

☆ British retail sales grow in August after washout in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - British retail sales partially recovered in August after a rainy July washout, official figures showed on Friday, adding to signs that the country's consumers were mostly coping with the cost-of-living squeeze. Sales volumes rose by 0.4% on a month-on-month basis after a sharp 1.1% fall in July, the Office for National Statistics said. "These were partially offset by internet sales, which dropped slightly as some people returned to shopping in person following a very wet July. However, August's data represented the sixth time so far in 2023 that sales volumes rose on a month-to-month basis, suggesting resilience in consumer demand. Retail sales volumes were 1.4% lower than a year earlier, the ONS said, compared with economists' forecasts for a 1.2% decline.

Persons: Phil Noble, Heather Bovill, GfK, BoE, William Schomberg, James Davey, William James, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, National Statistics, Reuters, Office, Bank of England, British Foods, Thomson Locations: Altrincham, Britain

☆ There's 'absolutely still a chance' student-loan borrowers will get broad debt cancellation, AOC says — but 'you can thank a Republican' for payments restarting next month
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told borrowers that student-debt relief "is not a done deal." She said there's still a chance for relief under the Higher Education Act. On Monday night, Ocasio-Cortez took to her Instagram story to answer questions about the current state of affairs in Congress — particularly a government shutdown — and what's next for student-loan borrowers. AdvertisementAdvertisement"There is absolutely still a chance of cancellation," she said on her Instagram story on Monday. Regardless of the hurdles the broad relief could face, a group of Democratic lawmakers want borrowers to see a reduction to their balances as soon as possible.

Persons: Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, there's, —, what's, Joe Biden's, Biden, Bharat Ramamurti, Biden's Organizations: Higher, Service, Education Department, GOP, National Economic Council, Democratic Locations: Alexandria, Wall, Silicon

☆ Huawei's chip breakthrough poses new threat to Apple in China — and questions for Washington
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

There is no Chinese company that can do what TSMC does. Along with Huawei, SMIC is on a U.S. trade blacklist called the Entity List. The 7nm process is seen as highly-advanced in the world of semiconductors, even though it is not the latest technology. While SMIC is able to create 7nm chips, it's unclear how efficient, profitable and sustainable that is on a bigger scale. While the yield of SMIC's 7nm process for Huawei chips is not known, it is "probably low," Kotasthane said.

Persons: Aly Song, Donald Trump, shockwaves, SMIC, Dan Hutcheson, Kotasthane Organizations: Apple, Reuters Apple, Huawei, China's, Chinese Communist Party, U.S ., Samsung, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, SMIC, 5G, CNBC, Takshashila, The U.S . Department of Commerce, Street, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, U.S Locations: Shanghai, China, U.S, Washington, . U.S, The

☆ Former Thai PM Thaksin eligible for parole in February - official
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Panarat Thepgumpanat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is expected to be arrested upon his return as he ends almost two decades of self-imposed exile, waves at Don Mueang airport in Bangkok, Thailand August 22, 2023. While abroad, Thaksin was found guilty in absentia in three cases involving abuse of power, conflict of interest and malfeasance. There was speculation that Thaksin reached some deal with his old foes, after the pro-military parties gave the Pheu Thai candidate Srettha their backing to form a new government. On his first night in Thailand, Thaksin was transferred to a police hospital with chest pains and high blood pressure where is currently being treated. "After serving six months of his sentence, Thaksin will be eligible for parole for prisoners older than 70 or those who are ill," Corrections Department Deputy Director General Sitthi Sutivong, told Reuters.

Persons: Thaksin Shinawatra, Athit, Thaksin, Thailand's, Srettha Thavisin, Srettha, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Sitthi Sutivong, Panarat Thepgumpanat, Chayut Setboonsarng, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Thai, REUTERS, Rights, Corrections, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Don Mueang, Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, Thai

Fewer than half of rural hospitals now have maternity units, prompting government officials and families to scramble for answers. The closures have worsened so-called “maternity care deserts" — counties with no hospitals or birth centers that offer obstetric care and no OB providers. Ultimately, doctors and researchers say, having fewer hospital maternity units makes having babies less safe. “It feels like you’re held in a way.”Some states and communities are taking steps to create more freestanding birth centers. It was a novel and “innovative” idea to request federal nurses to boost staffing at a rural maternity unit, Wyden’s office said.

Persons: Alisha Alderson, ”, Alderson, “, Eric Scott Palmer, It’s, —, Peiyin Hung, Saint Alphonsus, Odette Bolano, Dina Ellwanger, John Tucker, Tucker, we’ve, ’, Lacy Kee, she’ll, She’s, Kee, Henry, Pamela Evans, Evans, she’s, Katie O’Brien, Paris, Bennett —, O’Brien, Corina Fitch, Fitch, Betsy Baarspul, you’re, Ned Lamont, Alecia McGregor, ” McGregor, Tina Kotek, Sen, Ron Wyden, Shane Alderson, Alisha's, ” ___ Rush, Kuna , Idaho . Ungar, Robert Wood Johnson Organizations: OB, Henry County Medical Center, American Hospital Association, University of South, University of South Carolina’s Rural, Minority Health Research Center, Saint, Henry County Medical, Associated Press, Medicaid, Midwifery, Connecticut Gov, Harvard, of Public Health, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, AP, Oregon Gov, U.S . Public Health Service, Corps, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Locations: Oregon, Boise , Idaho, U.S, Tennessee, University of South Carolina’s, Baker City, Paris , Tennessee, Kentucky, Henry County, Summertown , Tennessee, Connecticut, Chan, “, Baker, Baker City , Oregon, Kuna , Idaho

☆ Hurricane Lee path: Now a post-tropical cyclone, storm brings rain to New England and Atlantic Canada
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Aya Elamroussi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Now a post-tropical cyclone, Lee continues to churn hurricane-strength winds early Saturday morning while delivering rainfall to parts of southeastern New England and Atlantic Canada, according to the National Hurricane Center. Weakening is forecast tonight and Sunday while Lee moves across Atlantic Canada,” the National Hurricane Center said Saturday in its 5 a.m. advisory, adding the storm has lost sufficient tropical characteristics to be considered a hurricane. ET Saturday, the hurricane center said. “These conditions are likely to lead to downed trees and potential power outages,” the hurricane center warned. A sustained wind of 43 mph and 59 mph gust were recently measured at Dennis, Massachusetts, the hurricane center said.

Persons: Lee, “ Lee, Maura Healey, Michael Brennan, Jamie Rhome, ” Rhome, Steve Heaslip, ”, Kyle Leavitt Organizations: CNN, National Hurricane Center ., Atlantic, National Hurricane Center, US, Massachusetts Gov, New, Organization Locations: New England, Atlantic Canada, Nova Scotia, Maine, Canadian, New Brunswick, Eastport , Maine, Halifax , Nova Scotia, US East Coast, Massachusetts, Lee’s, Dennis , Massachusetts, New Hampshire , Massachusetts, Rhode, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Canada, Florida, Toms River , New Jersey, Ortley, Nauset, East Orleans , Massachusetts

☆ A nuclear bomb is still missing after it was dropped off the Georgia coastline 65 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

In 1958, two Air Force jets collided over Georgia, and one was carrying a nuclear weapon. He headed for the ocean, dropped the nuclear bomb from about 7,200 feet, and landed the B-47 safely. A B-47 Stratojet similar to the one that dropped the nuclear weapon near Tybee Island, Georgia. Between 1960 and 1968, the US military kept jets armed with nuclear weapons at the ready in case of a surprise nuclear attack. A series of near misses and serious accidents with nuclear weapons caused the Air Force to end the program.

Persons: Stephen Schwartz, Howard Richardson, Clarence Stewart, Richardson, Stewart, he'd, irretrievably, Schwartz, Jack Howard's, Howard, it's, Derek Duke, Jack Kingston, Gerald Weaver, Duke, Shayela Hassan, Bettmann, Eric Schlosser, It's Organizations: Air Force, Service, Navy, US Nuclear, Getty, Savannah Morning, CBS News, Atlanta Constitution, Force, Department of Energy, Communications, National Nuclear Security Administration, US Government, DOE Locations: Georgia, Tybee, Wall, Silicon, Tybee Island, Savannah, Soviet Union, Island, Atlanta, Jack Kingston of Georgia, South Carolina

☆ Meet the Black students who were instrumental in developing the first Covid-19 shots
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Among about two dozen scientists in Graham’s lab were three young students: Olubukola Abiona, Geoffrey Hutchinson and Cynthia Ziwawo. What the world didn’t know at the time was that those three students — Abiona, Hutchinson and Ziwawo — were doing the foundational work for those vaccines to eventually save lives. Geoffrey Hutchinson served in the Peace Corps and taught chemistry to high school students in Mozambique. The fruits of Abiona, Hutchinson and Ziwawo’s labor were evident this week as the United States began to roll out updated versions of the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines. Abiona, Hutchinson and Ziwawo all confirmed Wednesday that although they haven’t made their appointments yet, they plan to get the updated shots.

Persons: Barney Graham’s, Olubukola Abiona, Geoffrey Hutchinson, Cynthia Ziwawo, “, Graham, ‘, ’ ”, Hutchinson, ”, ” Ziwawo, Anthony Fauci, — Abiona, Ziwawo —, Ziwawo, Kizzmekia Corbett, ” Corbett, David Satcher, he’s, Valerie Montgomery Rice, “ They’re, Abiona, Hannah Montana, Austin Steele, CNN Abiona, BioNTech, “ It’s, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, Vaccine Research, National Institutes of Health, University of Washington, “, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy, Diseases, Moderna, Morehouse School of Medicine, David Satcher Global Health Equity Institute, Association of American Medical Colleges, NIH, Disney, David Satcher Global Health Equity Summit, KPMG LLP, Indiana University School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Peace Corps, United States, Pfizer, CNN Health, FDA, Food and Drug Administration, US Centers for Disease Control Locations: China, Bethesda , Maryland, Ziwawo, United States, Atlanta, Graham’s, Nigeria, Mozambique, Abiona, United

☆ Seven Charged in Polish Visa Irregularity Probe - Prosecutor
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

WARSAW (Reuters) - Seven people have been charged over alleged irregularities in the granting of Polish work visas, a prosecutor said on Wednesday, amid a deepening scandal on the hot-button subject of migration ahead of Oct. 15 elections. On Wednesday opposition lawmakers said knowledge about the irregularities was widespread in government, stretching as far as Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau. The opposition has said the irregularities could concern hundreds of thousands of visa applications, but prosecutors have said that their investigation concerns several hundred. Deputy coordinator of special services Stanislaw Zaryn said that none of the visa applicants concerned by the investigation posed a security threat to Poland. According to Eurostat data cited by Rzeczpospolita daily on Wednesday, Poland issued almost 2 million work visas over the past three years, including 600,000 in 2020, more than a quarter of the EU total that year.

Persons: Daniel Lerman, Piotr Wawrzyk, Wawrzyk, Lerman, Zbigniew Rau, PiS, Rafal Bochenek, Stanislaw Zaryn, Alan Charlish, William Maclean Organizations: Law and Justice, Department for, National Prosecutor's, Corruption Bureau, Union, Rzeczpospolita, EU Locations: WARSAW, Poland

CNN —One person has died and eight people have been hospitalized after an outbreak of botulism in a restaurant in the French city of Bordeaux, according to a statement from France’s public health body on Wednesday. It is thought that the diners ate sardines in a home-made oil preserve, which was contaminated with botulism bacteria. They all dined at the Tchin Tchin wine bar from September 4 to September 10, Public Health France said. France’s public health agency has warned anyone who visited the restaurant and has shown any symptoms of botulism to immediately seek medical help. CNN has reached out to the Bordeaux prosecutor and Tchin Tchin wine bar for comment.

Persons: It’s, Clostridium, Thierry Touzet, ” Touzet, ” Organizations: CNN, Public Health, BFMTV Locations: French, Bordeaux, Public Health France, Gironde, France

☆ Serbian Police Step up Migration Patrols on Border With Hungary
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SUBOTICA, Serbia (Reuters) - Serbia has sent special forces to the border with Hungary as hundreds of migrants a day try to reach the European Union. On Tuesday, police said they detained 371 migrants along the border. Migrants in the area typically try to use ladders to clear the border or cut the fence. According to numbers from Serbian NGO the Centre for Asylum Seekers, some 1,500 migrants attempt to cross into Hungary every day - many handing over cash to people smugglers. "What our field workers see is that they all cross the border eventually and move on (to the EU).

Persons: Dragan Vasiljevic, Vasiljevic, Djurovic, Branko Filipovic, Ivana Sekularac, Alison Williams Organizations: European Union, Serbian, Reuters, Migrants, Centre for Asylum Seekers Locations: SUBOTICA, Serbia, Hungary, Asia, Africa, Turkey, Belgrade, Subotica

☆ Serbian police step up migration patrols on border with Hungary
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Serbian gendarmerie officers stand by migrants who are to be searched, close to the Serbia-Hungary border, near the city of Subotica, Serbia September 12, 2023. REUTERS/Marko Djurica Acquire Licensing RightsSUBOTICA, Serbia, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Serbia has sent special forces to the border with Hungary as hundreds of migrants a day try to reach the European Union. On Tuesday, police said they detained 371 migrants along the border. Migrants in the area typically try to use ladders to clear the border or cut the fence. "What our field workers see is that they all cross the border eventually and move on (to the EU).

Persons: Marko Djurica, Dragan Vasiljevic, Vasiljevic, Djurovic, Branko Filipovic, Ivana Sekularac, Alison Williams Organizations: Serbian, REUTERS, Rights, European Union, Reuters, Migrants, Centre for Asylum Seekers, Thomson Locations: Serbia, Hungary, Subotica, Rights SUBOTICA, Asia, Africa, Turkey, Belgrade

☆ It's going to take a while for China to dig out of its trust deficit with other countries, says CSIS
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | 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 EmailIt's going to take a while for China to dig out of its trust deficit with other countries, says CSISErin Murphy, Deputy Director & Senior Fellow of the Economics Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, discusses the G20 Summit and President Biden's trip to Vietnam.

Persons: Erin Murphy, Biden's Organizations: Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: China, Vietnam

A banner reading: "Abortion Out of the Penal Code" hangs from a building during International Women's Day, at the Zocalo Square in Mexico City, Mexico March 8, 2023. The ruling set a significant legal precedent and paved the way for the federal health system to begin providing abortion services and broaden access dramatically. But Mexican abortion rights advocates say the ruling's promise of expanding abortion access will not become a reality overnight and could depend on the political and legislative will of the federal government. Aside from safeguarding abortion patients and providers from prosecution, the ruling will have limited impact on access until the federal public health system starts providing abortion services. Xochitl Galvez, the senator chosen to represent the main opposition coalition, has broken from her center-right party’s anti-abortion platform to support abortion rights.

Persons: Quetzalli, Maria Antonieta Alcalde, IPAS, Alcalde, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Claudia Sheinbaum, Xochitl Galvez, Veronica Cruz, Roe, Wade, Isabel Fulda, Gabriella Borter, Stephen Eisenhammer, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Mexico City, Regeneration, Mexico's, United States Supreme, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO, Coahuila, Latin America, Caribbean, America, United States, Guanajuato, U.S

☆ Activists spray red paint over billionaire Walmart heiress’s superyacht for a second time
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Spanish climate activists sprayed red paint across a superyacht owned by billionaire Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie in Barcelona on Friday, the second time the yacht has been the target of protests in the past two months. Two activists from the climate groups Scientist Rebellion and Extinction Rebellion accessed Marina Port Vell, a dock for superyachts, at 7 a.m. local time on Friday, according to a spokesperson for the organization. The Walmart heiress Nancy Walton's megayacht was spray painted this morning by climate activists in Marina Port Vell, Barcelona . Scientist RebellionA spokesperson for Marina Port Vell said that the boat had not been damaged in Friday’s action. The activists were detained by police at the marina for three hours before being released, according to a spokesperson for Scientist Rebellion.

Persons: Nancy Walton Laurie, Nancy Walton's megayacht, Port Vell, Samantha Burgess Organizations: CNN, Scientist Rebellion, Port Police Locations: Spanish, Barcelona, Marina Port Vell, superyachts, Ibiza

☆ Paqui removing One Chip Challenge product from shelves out of an abundance of caution
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sara Smart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Tortilla chip brand Paqui says it is voluntarily removing its ultra-spicy “One Chip Challenge” from shelves after a Massachusetts family claims their 14-year-old son may have died from complications from the challenge. Authorities have not confirmed or commented on whether consumption of the chips caused the teen’s death. Paqui did not respond to a request for comment from CNN. The “challenge” chip contains seasoning from a Carolina Reaper Pepper and a Naga Viper Pepper, according to Paqui’s website. The challenge includes eating a singular spicy chip, which is sold in coffin-shaped packaging and turns participants’ tongues blue.

Persons: Paqui, Pepper, Harris Wolobah, Lois Wolobah, Lois, Timothy McGuirk, Wolobah, ”, Attorney Joseph D, X, Maruf, Aaron Eggleston Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Worcester Police Department, WBZ, Massachusetts, of Public Safety, Worcester Public, Facebook, Doherty Memorial High School, WCVB, Attorney Locations: Massachusetts, Worcester County, Worcester

Afterward the summit, Biden and Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will meet in Hanoi and are expected to announce plans to tighten economic cooperation. The Chinese economy is weighed down by a property bubble, local government debt, high youth unemployment and a broader inability to rebound as expected from pandemic lockdowns. But so far this year, the U.S. economy has outperformed expectations as the Chinese economy has underperformed. Still, China’s economic challenges could create more geopolitical risk as economics can often inform national security strategies. At an August fundraiser in Utah, Biden called China's economy a “ticking time bomb.”“When bad folks have problems, they do bad things,” the president said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Nguyen Phu Trong, ”, Colleen Cottle, Gina Raimondo, Raimondo, ” Raimondo, ” Biden, Xi, Kamala Harris, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, Yun Sun, Narendra Modi, Modi, Tracy Brown Organizations: WASHINGTON, Group, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Biden, South China, White, Associated Press, U.S, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, White House, IMF, Stimson, Indian Locations: India, Vietnam, United States, China, White, New Delhi, Hanoi, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, South, Washington, U.S, Beijing, Jakarta, Indonesia, The U.S, Pakistan, Kenya, Zambia, Laos, Mongolia, Utah, Ukraine

☆ Climate change: The world has just experienced the hottest summer on record
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —As heat waves continue to bake parts of the world, scientists are reporting that this blistering, deadly summer was the hottest on record – and by a significant margin. The planet experienced its hottest June on record, followed by the hottest July – both breaking previous records by large margins. August was also the warmest such month on record, according to the new Copernicus data, and warmer than every other month this year except for July. The global average temperature for the month was 16.82 degrees Celsius – 0.31 degrees warmer than the previous record set in 2016. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesCountries in the Southern Hemisphere have also experienced startlingly warm winters, with well-above average temperatures recorded in Australia, several South American countries and Antarctica.

Persons: Copernicus, It’s, ”, António Guterres, Petteri Taalas, Richard A, Brooks, Patrick T, Fallon, El, Samantha Burgess, CNN Burgess Organizations: CNN, Northern, United Nations, “, World Meteorological Organization, Getty, Southern, North Atlantic Locations: United States, Europe, Japan, Tokyo, AFP, Phoenix , Arizona, Australia, Antarctica, Atlantic, Pacific, Florida

Last month was the hottest August on record, topping off the hottest summer on record, according to climate scientists. June through August was the warmest summer on record globally by a “large margin,” according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Well-above average temperatures also occurred in Australia, several South American countries and around much of Antarctica, according to the service. Climate change certainly left its mark on the summer, with one report finding that more than 80% of humanity – or 4 in 5 people – experienced a hotter July largely due to human-caused climate change. Cartoons on Climate Change View All 167 Images“The dog days of summer are not just barking, they are biting,” António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, said in a statement.

Persons: Samantha Burgess, –, António Guterres, El, Burgess Organizations: United Nations Locations: U.S, Europe, Asia, Australia, Antarctica

☆ Mexico's Supreme Court upholds abortion rights nationwide, paving way for federal access
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Gabriella Borter | Thomson Reuters | Gabriella Borter Is A Reporter On The U.S. National Affairs Team | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wednesday's ruling will increase abortion access throughout Mexico, marking a major victory for abortion rights advocates in the predominantly Roman Catholic country. In the United States, meanwhile, the Supreme Court struck down the national right to an abortion in 2022 and nearly half of the 50 states have restricted access dramatically. The court sided with GIRE in a challenge to the federal penal code and declared that the section of the national law that criminalized abortion could no longer take effect. The ruling opens the door for the federal healthcare system to start providing abortions, which could become increasingly important as Mexico mulls centralizing healthcare services, abortion rights advocates say. Aguascalientes became the 12th Mexican state to decriminalize abortion last month when the Supreme Court sided with GIRE in a similar challenge to that state's penal code.

Persons: Henry Romero, Wednesday's, It's, Isabel Fulda, Gabriella Borter, Aurora Ellis, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Supreme, REUTERS, Catholic, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO, Mexico's, Coahuila, America, United States, Aguascalientes, Mexican

☆ How big banks won the banking crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Before the Bell: Now that the dust is hopefully settling on this year’s regional banking crisis, are there clear winners and losers in the banking sector? David Kotok: There’s no question the [global systemically important banks, G-SIB] won and the middle-sized banks — let’s call that banks with between $50 billion and $250 billion in assets — were the losers. So if you stand back from the immediate 2023 banking crisis, and you say, how many banks were there 20 years ago in the United States, how many banks are there today? The UK economy is bigger than we thoughtThe UK economy recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic much faster than previously thought, reports my colleague Hanna Ziady. For many office workers around the United States, it also means more return-to-office mandates.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, Bell, David Kotok, he’s, SIB, Jamie Dimon, J.P, Morgan, hasn’t, Hanna Ziady, John Springford, Andy Jassy, CNN’s Jeanne Sahadi, unaddressed, Merck Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Silicon Valley Bank, UBS, JPMorgan, Republic Bank, Cumberland Advisors, —, Credit Suisse, First, Federal Reserve, Office, National Statistics, ONS, Centre, European Reform, Labor, Amazon, Business Locations: New York, Silicon, First Republic, United States, Jekyll, America, Hanna Ziady ., Germany, Canada, Japan, Italy, France, Britain

☆ The UK economy is bigger than we thought. It still has ‘a growth problem’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London CNN —The UK economy recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic much faster than previously thought, according to major revisions of official statistics that have erased Britain’s laggard status overnight. The ONS had said as recently as last month that UK GDP had still not reached its pre-pandemic size by the second quarter of this year. “UK growth has still been very sluggish, even if it’s not at the bottom,” said Prof. Huw Dixon, who leads research in economic measurement at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. So while the size of the economy is bigger than we thought, Britain still has a growth problem.”Richer dataIn 2020, the UK economy suffered its biggest slump in more than three centuries, recovering sharply the following year off a low base. Annual GDP growth for 2021 was also revised up by 1.1 percentage points to 8.7%.

Persons: ” Ruth Gregory, “, ”, Huw Dixon, ” Dixon, ” John Springford, Richer, That’s, Frost, Darren Morgan, Henry Nicholls, Jeremy Hunt, Gregory, Nomura Organizations: London CNN, Office, National Statistics, ONS, Capital Economics, National Institute of Economic, Social Research, CNN, Centre, European Reform, Getty Images, Bank of England Locations: Germany, United States, Canada, Japan, Italy, France, Britain, Petticoat Lane, AFP, United Kingdom

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