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☆ United States win gold in team parallel at world championships
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Alpine Skiing - FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Team Parallel - Meribel, France - February 14, 2023 Gold medallist team United States celebrate on the podium after winning the Team Parallel final REUTERS/Denis BalibouseMERIBEL, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The United States beat Norway to claim gold in the team parallel event at the Alpine skiing world championships on Tuesday. "It was really special," said Radamus, who was part of the U.S. team that finished fourth in the event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. "I love these team events because it's something we don't get to do all the time; compete as a team. American Mikaela Shiffrin, who took her 12th career world championship medal with silver in the super-G last week, did not compete in the event. Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge and Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A husband-wife duo turned the $1,700 Snoo into the holy grail of parenting, but some say they run their company like a dysfunctional 'surveillance state'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Kate Taylor | Jake Swearingen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

Karp and Montée Karp built the hype into a parenting-media empire that put out three books and two instructional films in 10 years. Karp and Montée Karp met at a Hollywood party in the early '90s. Karp and Montée Karp promised her independence and flexibility to accommodate her two young children's day-care schedules and a 90-minute commute. Karp and Montée Karp insisted on being involved in minutiae that most top executives hand off. Karp and Montée Karp turned the Snoo into an award-winning holy grail of parenthood in just a few years.

☆ Nina Montée Karp and Dr. Harvey Karp turned the $1,700 Snoo into the holy grail of parenting. But some say they overhyped the crib's abilities and created a nightmarish corporate culture.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Kate Taylor | Jake Swearingen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

☆ South Africa declares national state of disaster over floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 13 (Reuters) - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a national state of disaster to enable an intensive response to widespread flooding that has affected seven of the country's nine provinces. Invoking the national disaster act gives the government additional powers, including in the procurement and delivery of goods and services and the ability to bypass restrictions under current law. The national police and defence force may be called on to help respond to the flooding, the statement said. Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster last week over South Africa's power crisis, as daily rolling power cuts are paralyzing businesses. The national disaster act was also invoked in March 2020 to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, and last April to respond to floods in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal.

☆ The return of El Nino could make the world even hotter — endangering a critical climate threshold
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The El Nino Southern Oscillation system is composed of El Nino and La Nina — two opposite states of fluctuation in the Earth's climate system, which can have significant consequences on weather, wildfires, ecosystems and economies across the world. An El Nino event is declared when sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise 0.5 degrees Celsius above the long-term average. The warmest year ever recorded, 2016, started off with a powerful El Nino that helped to boost global temperatures. This lagged effect is why forecasters believe 2024 could be the first year that humanity surpasses 1.5 degrees Celsius. Weather conditions are likely to be drier than average in Indonesia during an El Nino event as rainfall moves out to the Pacific Ocean.

☆ Carbon-Credit Raters Aim to Assess a Notoriously Opaque Market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Shane Shifflett | Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Carbon-credit-rating firms aim to give buyers confidence in assessing the unregulated market for carbon offsets, voluntary credits that can help companies fulfill their decarbonization promises. Traders, online marketplaces and corporate sustainability departments are typical customers for carbon-credit ratings, but companies increasingly encounter the scores through intermediaries selling the offsets. Sylvera Ltd., one of the carbon-credit raters, said that less than a third of projects aimed at preventing deforestation are high quality. The market for voluntary carbon credits topped $2 billion in 2022, according to publisher and researcher Ecosystem Marketplace. BeZero has fully rated around 280 projects, Calyx around 260, Sylvera around 115 and Renoster has fully reviewed nine.

☆ Fact Check-Eight cooler years cannot be extrapolated to draw conclusions on long-term global warming
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

SHORT TERM FLUCTUATIONSGlobal surface temperatures are heavily influenced by annual Pacific Ocean patterns known as El Nino and La Nina, and collectively as ENSO (El Niño–Southern Oscillation). A large El Nino event followed by a La Nina can “lead to a temporary ‘pause’ in global temperatures over timescales of a decade or so”, Hausfather said. This is “what we are now seeing after the 2015/2016 super El Nino event”. Whenever there is a trend with variability like global temperatures, “you can isolate cherry-picked intervals and claim that something has paused or accelerated, but this is not appropriate”, Colose said. Temperature data for the past eight years do not reflect long-term trends, experts say, and longer-term data clearly show a continuing rise in overall global temperatures.

☆ Drought threatens U.S. wheat production despite acreage bump
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Julie Ingwersen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Mark Nelson, a scout on the Wheat Quality Council's Kansas wheat tour, checks a winter wheat field north of Minneapolis, Kansas, U.S., May 17, 2022. 3 winter wheat producer last year. Winter wheat typically represents about two-thirds of U.S. production, with the remainder planted in the spring, and the U.S. has lost market share to other wheat exporters, including Russia, in recent years. U.S. soft red wheat acres rose by 20% year-on-year and planting jumped by 45% in Illinois, the No. 8 U.S. winter wheat state by acreage.

☆ New Zealand announces NZ$700,000 in additional flood support as cleanup begins
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - New Zealand's government on Thursday announced NZ$700,000 ($450,000) in additional funding to help rebuild flood-ravaged Auckland and other areas in the upper north island as residents of the country's second-largest city start cleaning up. Auckland and much of New Zealand’s upper North Island have been hit by record rainfall in the last week, which authorities say has been exacerbated at least in part by climate change. Four people died in flooding and landslides that left roads closed, cut off communities, and damaged homes, farms and businesses. “The main thing that we have to do right now is to support people through this immediate period,” New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Thursday. Summers in New Zealand usually bring some rain, but the region is experiencing the La Nina weather system, which can bring much heavier rain to the upper North Island.

☆ Before Sending a Child on a Flight Alone, Read the Fine Print
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Dawn Gilbertson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nina Simon’s 9-year-old daughter spent five extra days with her grandparents in Washington state. Annalee Hickman Pierson’s 7-year-old daughter missed her first Christmas with her baby sister in Utah, where matching pajamas and velvet dresses awaited. The children were flying solo as part of Southwest Airlines Co.’s service for unaccompanied minors. They were among the youngest travelers caught in the carrier’s holiday meltdown.

☆ The worst of the rain to hit New Zealand's Auckland may have passed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Lucy Caymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Four people were killed in flash floods and landslides that hit Auckland beginning on Friday as rainfall, that authorities say has been exacerbated at least in part by climate change, drenched the city. A state of emergency remains in place in Auckland but has been lifted in the Northland region to the north of the city. A house collapsed down a cliff injuring three people in a beach settlement near Auckland on Wednesday. The national meteorological service said the heaviest rains had passed Auckland although downpours were hitting to the southeast, in the regions of Coromandel and Bay of Plenty. Summers in New Zealand usually bring some rain but the region is experiencing the La Nina weather system, which can bring much heavier rain to the upper North Island.

A long-duration ice storm will impact a large swath of the South through Wednesday, with the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area at the center of the threat. The slow-moving storm system is expected to bring freezing rain and accumulating ice to parts of the country extending from Texas to West Virginia. A heavier round of freezing rain is expected to develop Tuesday over central Texas and up through Arkansas into Tennessee. As parts of the South struggle with the winter storm, several cities in the Northeast will continue to wait for snow. Some other notable snowless statsPhiladelphia is quickly approaching its latest first snow on record, which is Feb. 3.

☆ Patients got used to emailing their doctors with health questions during the pandemic. Now hospitals are charging them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hospitals are charging patients for their emails and other correspondence with doctors. Some hospital officials say the strategy increases healthcare access, but advocates worry charges could deter patients who need care. Hospitals nationwide have begun to charge for emails and other correspondence with their doctors, the Associated Press reported. After Covid led patients to avoid crowded hospitals and waiting rooms, and condense what used to be in-person visits to emails and video calls, hospitals say doctors spent more time responding to health question emails and messages, the Associated Press reported. But advocates worry the strategy will lead patients to avoid seeking care when they need it, for fear of being charged.

☆ ICE to open London gas hub, creating route around EU price cap
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ICE hosts trading on the TTF gas hub in Amsterdam and had previously warned it could move the market outside of the EU because of the bloc's looming price cap on gas derivatives. ICE said it would continue to operate the TTF market on its Amsterdam exchange - the most liquid gas futures market in Europe, which sets the region's benchmark gas price - but alongside this, it was preparing to launch another market for TTF futures and options in London on Feb. 20. The London market would not be subject to the 27-country bloc's gas price cap, since Britain is no longer an EU member. EU countries agreed on the gas price cap last year, to attempt to avoid a repeat of the record-high price spikes experienced in 2022 as Russian gas deliveries to Europe dwindled. Analysts have said the EU cap now appears less likely to be triggered, but that price spikes cannot be ruled out.

☆ You Call That Snow?! See How This Winter Stacks Up.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Francesca Paris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

If so, you’re not alone: It has been a dreary winter for children hoping for snow days and grown-up snow enthusiasts alike on the East Coast. More than 50 years of snowfall in … Interactive line chart showing cumulative snowfall for each winter season over 50 years, as well as the median snowfall for all seasons. Line chart showing Philadelphia’s cumulative snowfall for each winter season over 50 years. Loading dataLine chart showing Boston’s cumulative snowfall for each winter season over 50 years. Milwaukee Pittsburgh Providence, R.I. Pueblo, Colo. Richmond, Va. Rockford, Ill. St. Louis Topeka, Kan. About normal snow Anchorage Boise, Idaho Colorado Springs Columbia, Mo.

☆ Judge blocks sale of machine gun converters after U.S. sues
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. District Judge Nina Morrison in Brooklyn on Wednesday issued a temporary restraining order against Rare Breed Triggers LLC and Rare Breed Firearms LLC, and their owners Lawrence DeMonico and Kevin Maxwell. The department said this meant the devices qualified as machine guns under federal law, and said the devices did not qualify for limited exceptions permitting their sale. Rare Breed operates in Fargo, North Dakota, and, according to court papers, Maxwell is also its general counsel. AR-15 style rifles have been used in many recent mass shootings. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department will do "everything in its power to protect the American people from gun violence and to hold accountable those that flood our communities with illegal guns."

☆ New museum in Mexico spotlights endangered axolotl salamander
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Alberto Fajardo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] An axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) swims in an aquarium at the new Axolotl Museum and Amphibians Conservation Centre, which is to promote the protection and study of this endangered species, at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City, Mexico, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Henry RomeroMEXICO CITY, Jan 26 (Reuters) - A new museum and conservation center dedicated to Mexico's critically endangered axolotl salamander is highlighting the amphibian's remarkable story that has captured the attention of scientists and the public alike. With an impressive ability to heal itself, the axolotl (pronounced ah-sho-LO-tul) salamanders were showcased in the exhibit, which opened on Saturday, at Mexico City's Chapultepec Zoo. For decades, researchers have marveled at how the axolotl can regenerate amputated limbs and damaged body tissue, even its heart and brain. While the axolotl native to Mexico City's southern Xochimilco district is especially well-known, Gual points to 16 other kinds of axolotls that also call Mexico home, each one "like a wetlands ambassador."

☆ 5 Inviting New Reasons Why Train Travel Beats Flying
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Nina Molina | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The chugging, rumbling romance of trains has always appealed to travelers who favor a leisurely pace. An enamored Emily Dickinson wrote of one, “I like to see it lap the Miles/And lick the Valleys up/And stop to feed itself at Tanks/And then-prodigious step/Around a Pile of Mountains....”Monisha Rajesh, a London-based travel writer, likes the chance encounters a train affords. “You don’t know who’s going to come into that compartment or who you’ll chat with,” said Ms. Rajesh, who clocked some 10,000 miles on trains in 2022. “People talk very willingly in a way they normally don’t. It’s great fun.”

☆ Natural disasters caused $313 bln economic loss in 2022 - Aon
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 25 (Reuters) - Natural disasters, many driven by climate change, caused global economic losses of $313 billion in 2022, insurance broker Aon (AON.N) estimated on Wednesday, of which less than half was insured. Losses from natural catastrophes covered by the insurance sector amounted to $132 billion, 57% above the 21st-century average, it added, leaving a global 'protection gap' of 58%. Hurricane Ian is the second most expensive natural disaster the insurance sector has ever faced. Aon estimated about 31,300 people died due to natural catastrophe events in 2022, of which about two thirds were linked to severe heatwaves in Europe between June and July. Similarly, in Pakistan the monsoon season caused 175% above-average precipitation from July to September, said Aon citing the local Meteorological Department.

That mildly increases the chance of a bountiful U.S. corn crop, but a disaster cannot be ruled out. La Nina and its warm-phase cousin El Nino usually peak in strength during the U.S. winter. La Nina is on its third consecutive season, but its departure could be near. Although it varied greatly by state, U.S. farmers on average did not produce a stellar corn crop in 2022 due to drought in the west. Recent years where an early-year La Nina gave way to El Nino by year’s end include 2018, 2009 and 2006.

As with castmates Michelle Yeoh, nominated for best actress, and Ke Huy Quan, nominated for best supporting actor, Stephanie Hsu’s name drew particular applause during her category’s announcement. Notably, after Campion became just the third woman to ever win best director at last year’s ceremony, not a single female director was nominated this time around. Overall, the lesbian power-trip flick made a lesser showing than the Daniels’ queer kung-fu film. But its six nominations included spots in the evening’s biggest categories, including best picture, best cinematography, best original screenplay and, predictably, best actress. But an Oscar for best actor would be the ultimate prize in what has been a victorious comeback tour for the former heartthrob, following his decadelong, virtual exodus from Hollywood.

☆ Argentine government, farm exporters seek relief from historic drought
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Lack of rainfall almost halved wheat output this cycle and hampered production of the current soybean and corn crops, though local grains exchanges predict fresh rains could bring some relief in coming days. Argentina is the world's leading exporter of soybean oil and meal and the third largest exporter of corn, as well as a major wheat supplier. Its production is being closely watched after Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompted major disruptions and spiking prices in the grains market. Massa also highlighted that Argentina's agro-industrial sector had pushed its exports to record levels last year. Reporting by Walter Bianchi; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Amazon's drone delivery unit hit with layoffs just as 10-year-old project finally launches
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Two employees said Carbon, who replaced Prime Air co-founder Gur Kimchi, was hired to turn Prime Air into a real business with a sensible budget. Sources with knowledge of Prime Air said cuts in the drone delivery business were expected considering the division's many struggles. Monica Williams, a College Station resident, poses with a Prime Air drone at a community event in July. College Station residents also expressed concern about the prospect of drones harming the deer, foxes and birds that are native to the area. "As we continue to expand, we will update you when drone delivery is available for your household."

LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - European Union energy regulators published their first daily liquefied natural gas (LNG) price assessment on Thursday, a first step in the EU's plan to launch a new European LNG benchmark price by the end of March. WHY DOES THE EU WANT A NEW LNG PRICE? Unlike pipeline gas, LNG is not widely traded on exchanges, so there is less visibility on how much the fuel costs. HOW WILL ACER'S LNG PRICE BE DIFFERENT? ACER can only produce a price assessment if it receives at least five transactions in the assessed five-day period.

☆ These are the most important executives who joined Google Cloud in 2022 — and the ones who left
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Below is a list of the key executives who left Google Cloud in 2022 — and the most important new hires. At Google Cloud, Gearhart was responsible for the Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace channel business around the world, according to her LinkedIn profile. Exit: Frank BienBien, a Looker vice president, left Google Cloud in February, two years after Google acquired the data-analytics company for $2.4 billion. A nearly 20-year Microsoft veteran, Jester joined Google Cloud in 2019 as part of an executive hiring spree initiated by Kurian, who had recently taken the helm of Google Cloud. Hire: Kevin MandiaMandia, Mandiant's CEO and cofounder, joined Google Cloud in September after Google completed its $5.4 billion acquisition of his cybersecurity firm.

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