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☆ Italy earmarks 2.9 million euros to tackle blue crab invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows blue crabs that hit the shores of Porto Tolle, Italy, in this recent undated handout image received by Reuters. Fishermen's Cooperative Of Polesine/Handout via REUTERS/File photoROME, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Italy's government has earmarked 2.9 million euros ($3.2 million) to tackle the spread of a particularly aggressive crab species that is threatening the country's role as one of the world's top producers of clams. The "blue crab", originating from the western Atlantic, has spread across several lagoon-like locations in Italy, preying on local shellfish, fish roe and other aquatic life, to despair of the clams aquafarm industry. According to a draft seen by Reuters, the 2.9 million euros will be given to fishing cooperatives and aquafarmers who are trying to curb blue crab numbers with a large-scale fishing campaign. It is also home to "spaghetti alle vongole" (spaghetti with clams), a classic of Italian cuisine.

Persons: Francesco Lollobrigida, Emanuele Rossetti, Alvise Armellini, Angelo Amante, Conor Humphries Organizations: Reuters . Fishermen's, REUTERS, Agriculture, Sunday, Reuters, Fishermen's Cooperative, Agriculture Organization, Thomson Locations: Porto Tolle, Italy, Handout, ROME, China, South Korea, Food

JAKARTA/HONG KONG, July 27 (Reuters) - TikTok said it has no plans to roll out a cross-border business in Indonesia as a government minister on Thursday expressed concerns over how reported plans for a new e-commerce push by the firm could flood the country with Chinese products. "We have no intent to create our own e-commerce product or become a retailer/wholesaler in Indonesia to compete with Indonesian sellers." The current localised TikTok Shop model "empowers and benefits" local sellers, and TikTok will continue with this approach, she added. The company said that its app has 325 million Southeast Asian users that are active every month while 125 million are in Indonesia. The company has said that there are 2 million small businesses on TikTok Shop in Indonesia.

Persons: TikTok, China's ByteDance, Masduki, Fiki, Temu, Anggini Setiawan, Shou Zi Chew, Stanley Widianto, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh, Conor Humphries Organizations: Reuters, Indonesia's, Cooperatives, Enterprises, PDD Holdings, U.S, of Communications, TikTok, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, HONG KONG, Indonesia, United States, Indonesian, Europe, TikTok Indonesia, Asia, Jakarta, Hong Kong

☆ Power shutoffs: Sweltering Americans have fewer protections this summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Despite the growing concern of heat-related illnesses and climate change, people have far fewer protections from power shutoffs during the summer than they do in the winter. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, has about $6 billion in funds for fiscal 2023, which runs through September. The association is calling on Congress to provide an additional $3 billion for cooling assistance this summer, which would help about 6 million households. And it is asking utilities to voluntarily suspend shutoffs this summer for those behind on their bills. Florida Power & Light, for instance, has a longstanding policy that it won’t disconnect customers if it’s 95 degrees or higher.

Persons: David Konisky, ”, Konisky, Mark Wolfe, That’s, Wolfe, it’s, Bianca Soriano, Soriano Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Weather Service, Center for Energy, National Energy Assistance, Association, Energy, Indiana University, Centers for Disease Control, Income, Energy Assistance, Lawmakers, US Energy Information Administration, Louisiana —, Florida, Customers Locations: New York, United States, Washington, DC, Delaware, Nevada, Colorado , Missouri, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Florida

☆ Exclusive: South Korea asks banks to prepare $4 bln to support credit union - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Seunggyu Lim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An official at the Financial Services Commission confirmed that banks had been asked to prepare liquidity through repurchase-agreement facilities to aid MG Community Credit Cooperatives, but did not comment on the amount. Depositors were lining up last week to withdraw funds from a branch of MG Community Credit Cooperatives after local media reported a rise in non-performing loans tied to real estate projects. Woori Bank, Hana Bank, Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and NongHyup Bank had been asked to make financing available to MG Community Credit, although the actual amount extended to the credit union would depend on deposit withdrawals, the sources said. The sources added that each of the banks was asked to prepare 1 trillion won of financing, or 5 trillion won in total ($3.84 billion), as potential support. MG Community and the five banks did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Kim Jin, 1,302.7800, Seunggyu Lim, Jihoon Lee, Ed Davies, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Financial Services Commission, Community Credit Cooperatives, MG Community Credit Cooperatives, Woori Bank, Hana Bank, Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank, NongHyup Bank, MG Community Credit, MG Community, Community, Interior Ministry, Bank of, Ministry of Finance, Citi, Jungdo, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Namyangju, Seoul, Bank of Korea, Gangwon

☆ Fukushima wastewater: South Korean shoppers hoard salt, seafood ahead of Japan's release of treated radioactive water
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Jessie Yeung Yoonjung Seo Paula Hancocks | Jessie Yeung | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The government has said the wastewater release will begin this summer, though it has not specified a date. The shortages were so acute that the government was forced to release sea salt from its official reserves to stabilize salt prices, which have soared more than 40% since April, according to the country’s salt manufacturing association. After a thorough safety review, it concluded in a report last week that the wastewater release would have “negligible” impact on people or the environment. The South Korean government said last week it would respect the IAEA’s findings. Photos show protesters holding banners that lambasted the IAEA and the Japanese government and condemned the wastewater release.

Persons: There’s, Chung Sung, Jung Yeon, ”, Lee Gi, I’m, ” Lee, Rafael Grossi, “, Lee, I’ve, … I’ve Organizations: Seoul CNN —, United Nations, CNN, Shoppers, Ministry of, Fisheries, Reuters, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, Gallup, Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale, Getty, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, South Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Fukushima, Japan, United States, China, Gallup Korea

☆ Feds pave the way for cities and nonprofits to get climate-bill tax credits
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"For the first time, tax-exempt entities will be able to receive a payment equal to the full value of the tax credit for building qualifying clean energy projects," Podesta said. "That's a game-changer for our ability to spread the benefits of clean energy to every community in America." "The Inflation Reduction Act's biggest tools are tax credits, which provide an unprecedent 10 years of policy certainty for the clean energy sector," Podesta said. Conventionally, states, territories, tribes, local governments and nonprofits have not been not eligible for tax credits, because they do not derive profits from which to deduct the value of a tax credit. Taken together, the two bits of guidance stand to grease the flywheel of climate tech investment already being spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act.

Persons: Podesta, John Podesta, Joe Biden, what's, Wally Adeyemo, Adeyemo, Michelle Moore, Moore Organizations: US Department of Energy, U.S . Department of, Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Biden, Washington DC, White, IRS, of, Washington , D.C Locations: Medicine Bow , Wyoming, America, Washington, USA, Washington ,, U.S, Baltimore, of Refuge, , Maryland , Illinois, Georgia, New York

☆ Three die, farmland and trees damaged as storms sweep across China
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, June 11 (Reuters) - Three people died in eastern China after strong winds toppled a shipyard crane, authorities said on Sunday, as storms caused damage across the country, including large swaths of farmland. In Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province in eastern China, large trees were felled on Saturday, crushing vehicles and blocking roads, local media reported. The measures include 275 million yuan for prizes to family farms and cooperatives to encourage high yield, CCTV reported. On Friday, heavy rain hit parts of southwest China, including Guangxi, engulfing roads and partially submerging buildings. ($1 = 7.1273 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Ellen Zhang and Martin Quin Pollard; William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hailstorms, Ellen Zhang, Martin Quin Pollard, William Mallard Organizations: Twitter, CCTV, Liaoning Meteorological Service Centre, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Wuhu, Nanjing, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Wafangdian, Henan, Guangxi, rainstorms, Guangdong, Hainan, Hubei, Guangzhou

More than 85% of the South Korean public oppose Japan’s plan, according to a survey last month by local pollster Research View. Seven in 10 people said they would consume less seafood if the wastewater release goes ahead. "We are getting more customers than usual lately and many of them seem worried about the planned wastewater release," he said. Social media posts talking about buying salt in large amounts and urging people to do the same have also gone viral. Order volumes and inquiries about buying salt have increased as of late, according to the local branches of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation known as Nonghyup in Sinan County, a region famous for producing sea salt.

Persons: Japan's, Hyun Yong, gil, Daewoung Kim, Jimin Jung, Hyunsu Yim Organizations: sil, South, South Korea's Ministry of, Fisheries, “, country’s, Of Fisheries Cooperatives, National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, NHK, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Fukushima, Seoul, Tokyo, Sinan County, South Korea, Insanaga, KS, Japan

☆ The Best CD Rates Are from Credit Unions Right Now. Here Are the Top Offers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

But with many credit unions struggling to attract deposits their CD terms are especially sweet right now, experts say. The upshot: Half of the top 12 CD rates on DepositAccounts.com, a site that aggregates banking rates, are offered by credit unions. Why credit unions have such high CD rates nowCredit unions frequently offer financial products with more attractive interest rates and lower fees than conventional banks. The best credit union CD ratesWith nearly 5,000 credit unions in the country, there are plenty of favorable CD and share certificate rates out there. The FDIC doesn’t cover credit unions, but a different agency, the National Credit Union Administration, or NCUA, provides a parallel level of protection.

Persons: Martha C, they’ve, They’re, you’re, ”, Dawit Kebede, Curt Long, branchless Organizations: Credit, Nonprofit, Credit Union National Association, National Association of, “, don’t, Workers Credit Union, of, Financial, Association, Workers, Bellco, Bellco Foundation, Dow Credit Union, Dow Credit, Bank, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, FDIC, National Credit Union Administration Locations: Silicon Valley, DepositAccounts.com, Central Massachusetts, Colorado

☆ Tingo hires law firm to conduct independent review after Hindenburg's claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 8 (Reuters) - Tingo Group said on Thursday it had hired law firm White & Case LLP to conduct an independent review after short-seller Hindenburg Research earlier this week alleged that the fintech firm had "fabricated" its financials. The company, which has refuted the allegations of misrepresentation and tax delinquency outlined in the report, said it will make no further comment until the review was complete. "Prior to today's appointment of White & Case LLP, the Company had commenced its own review to confirm, among other things, the number of farmers on Tingo Mobile and the Nwassa platform, the relationships with its contracted cooperatives, the relationship with the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, and the Company's cash balances," Tingo said. The company is Hindenburg's fourth target this year, after Indian conglomerate Adani Group, Jack Dorsey-led Block Inc (SQ.N) and Carl Icahn's flagship Icahn Enterprises (IEP.O). Reporting by Mehnaz Yasmin in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dozy Mmobuosi's, Tingo, Jack Dorsey, Carl Icahn's, Mehnaz Yasmin, Shinjini Organizations: Tingo, White, Hindenburg, Case, Company, Tingo Mobile, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Adani Group, Inc, Icahn Enterprises, Thomson Locations: The New Jersey, Africa, Southeast Asia, Nigeria, Bengaluru

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - Rural electric cooperatives, utilities, and other energy providers will soon be able to apply for nearly $11 billion in grants and loans for clean energy projects, funded by the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act signed into law last August, the Biden administration said on Tuesday. Expanding clean energy to rural communities is critical to meeting the administration's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, officials told reporters on a Monday press call. Rural electric cooperatives will be eligible to apply beginning July 31 for $9.7 billion in grants for deploying renewable energy, zero-emission, and carbon capture systems, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) said. Rural electric cooperatives serve 42 million people and draw about 22% of their energy from renewable sources, according to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). The new funds will help rural electric cooperatives reach parity with private utility companies who have already begun significant investment in clean energy, Vilsack told reporters.

☆ White House to invest nearly $11 billion for renewable energy in rural areas
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tom Vilsack, US agriculture secretary, speaks during the SelectUSA Investment Summit in National Harbor, Maryland, on Monday, June 27, 2022. The Biden administration on Tuesday announced nearly $11 billion in grants and loans to help rural energy and utility providers bring affordable clean energy to their communities across the U.S.Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during a media briefing the funding will provide rural areas with a more dependable power grid and help lower future energy costs. Rural electric cooperatives, renewable energy firms and electric utilities can apply for funding through two programs under President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in August. The Empowering Rural America program makes $9.7 billion available to eligible rural electric cooperatives to deploy renewable energy systems, zero-emission and carbon-capture systems. Rural electric cooperatives, which serve 42 million people across the country, will be eligible to apply for grants starting July 31, the USDA said.

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - Rural electric cooperatives, utilities, and other energy providers will soon be able to apply for nearly $11 billion in grants and loans for clean energy projects, funded by the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act signed into law last August, the Biden administration said on Tuesday. Expanding clean energy to rural communities is critical to meeting the administration's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, officials told reporters on a Monday press call. Rural electric cooperatives will be eligible to apply beginning July 31 for $9.7 billion in grants for deploying renewable energy, zero-emission, and carbon capture systems, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) said. The new funds will help rural electric cooperatives reach parity with private utility companies who have already begun significant investment in clean energy, Vilsack told reporters. Rural electric cooperatives serve 42 million people and draw about 22% of their energy from renewable sources, according to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

☆ How the U.S. Clean Air Act lets closed coal plants keep polluting for years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Tim Mclaughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Under the federal program, states distribute a certain number of allowances to power plants annually. Reuters found dozens of other examples of coal plants using credits from closed facilities to help comply with pollution rules over the past five years. During the 2021 ozone season, New Madrid’s pollution was five times higher than average among coal plants participating in the NOx-reduction program, EPA data show. RED-STATE PROTESTSUtilities and lawmakers in Republican-controlled states have pushed hard against curbs on coal pollution, including the EPA’s latest NOx-reduction regulations. But even at that price, NOx allowances will find buyers among coal plants, including those that operate at high pollution rates.

☆ How Timberland, Vans, VF Corp. are making sure their cotton isn't 'greenwashed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Kaitlin Balasaygun | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

In this article VFC Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTSmallholder Farmers Alliance purchase of organic cotton from farmer member. But the focus quickly moved to regenerative agriculture, a practice more activist shareholders are pressing with big consumer companies. "Regenerative agriculture is really important to Timberland and VF because it's about restoring the soil," said Atlanta McIlwraith, Timberland's director of social impact and activation. watch nowVF Corp's efforts with regenerative cotton in Haiti come at a time of growing pressure from consumers for companies to adopt more sustainable practices. So, we tackle the problem from its roots, which is environmental degradation in the country," said Timote Georges, executive director and co-founder of Smallholder Farmers Alliance.

☆ These organizations are trying to tackle plastic pollution and poverty at the same time
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Katie Brigham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

"All the plastic we've ever produced since the inception of the material is still here," said David Katz, CEO of Plastic Bank, a company that's trying to implement plastic recycling systems in developing nations. It's usually because it's not economically feasible to collect, clean and sort plastic waste — at least not in the U.S., where new plastic is cheaper. Asis Wijayanto and his wife Atmawati support themselves and their daughter by collecting plastic with Plastic Bank. Plastic creditsBut only about 20% of Plastic Bank's partners are actually buying recycled plastic for use in new products. The other 80% are buying plastic credits, meant to help offset their new plastic production by funding recycling efforts in the countries where Plastic Bank operates.

☆ Bigger utilities to benefit most from Biden's clean-energy funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden administration's $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act devotes billions of dollars for tax credits and direct payments for solar, wind, battery and other energy sources to move electric power supplies from fossil fuels. Regulated utilities including Duke Energy Corp (DUK.N) and Dominion Energy Inc (D.N) begin reporting fourth-quarter results this week and analysts expect them to lay out plans for capitalizing on the IRA. NextEra, the biggest U.S. generator of renewable energy, has a backlog of 16,500 megawatts of renewables projects. The parent of Florida Power and Light has added 25% to that backlog in the last year, executives have said. Solar projects in sunny states in the south and southwest and wind projects in the Midwest are among the best situated to collect IRA dollars, she said.

☆ The 'world's coolest dictator' rounded up 60,000 people in a supposed crackdown on MS-13. A shrimp farming community is fighting back.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Danielle Mackey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

SISIGUAYO, EL SALVADOR — On the morning that Walber Rodriguez was arrested last May, he was just two minutes from his home in Sisiguayo, El Salvador. Outside El Salvador, Bukele is best known for adopting Bitcoin as a national currency. All around them in Sisiguayo and the surrounding Bajo Lempa valley, people were arrested with no satisfactory explanation. Residents of the Bajo Lempa who'd been touched by the arrests had begun meeting weekly at a nearby retreat center. A meeting of the Bajo Lempa families on June 17, 2022.

☆ The 'world's coolest dictator' rounded up 60,000 people in a crackdown on MS-13. A shrimp farming community is fighting back.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Danielle Mackey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

☆ Stephen Miller led-group emerges as top legal foe of Biden initiatives
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Chandelis Duster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A conservative legal group led by former top Trump aide Stephen Miller has emerged as a frequent opponent to several Biden administration initiatives by mounting court challenges, succeeding in blocking policies they say are examples of reverse discrimination. Miller touts America First Legal as “the long-awaited answer to the (American Civil Liberties Union),” and his group has garnered several legal victories against the Biden administration in the past few weeks and months, most notably on issues of racial discrimination. The lawsuits led to an injunction that blocked the debt relief payments. Several Black farmers and social justice advocates have said Miller’s actions are harmful. “I want to set the record straight – no one is against White farmers in this country,” John Boyd Jr., 57, a fourth-generation farmer who is founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, told CNN.

☆ Best Balance-Transfer Credit Cards
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +16 min

We looked through cards from both large national banks and smaller credit unions to find the best 0% balance transfer offers that can help you pay down credit card debt. In addition to being the best balance transfer card, the Unlimited Cash Rewards card remains useful after you have paid off your credit card balance. While balance transfer credit cards can be a great tool for paying down debt, transferring your balance to a new credit card is not usually free. How We PickedTo pick Buy Side from WSJ’s Best Balance Transfer Credit Card, we looked for no-annual-fee credit cards offering balance transfers for new customers with 0% APR promotions. We preferred credit cards with longer balance transfer promotional periods and lower balance transfer initiation fees.

☆ Is Patagonia the end game for profits in a world of climate change?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

As far back as 1985, Patagonia deployed portions of its profits to the environment, via an "Earth tax." "The Patagonia model is a little more sophisticated." It often is very attractive from a corporate tax perspective, too, which has been noted of both the Ikea and Patagonia business models. One hundred percent of Patagonia profits are now committed to its new non-profit Holdfast Collective — which owns all of the company's non-voting stock (98% of the total stock). "What people fail to understand about Patagonia, both the past and the future, is that we are unapologetically a for-profit business, and we are extremely competitive," Ryan Gellert said.

☆ United States at risk of tight electric supplies this winter -NERC
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Those reliability concerns stem from higher peak demand projections, generator retirements, generator vulnerability to extreme weather and fuel supply and natural gas infrastructure limitations, the North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) said on a webcast of its 2022-2023 Winter Reliability Assessment. NERC said that the lack of interconnections with other regions limited Texas' ability to import power from other regions if problems arise. "Energy emergencies are likely in extreme conditions," NERC said about MISO, noting wind generator performance would be a key factory this winter. In New England, NERC warned that the amount of oil stored at power generators was just about 40% of capacity. "We encourage generators to fill up those tanks," Mark Olson, manager for reliability assessments at NERC, said on the webcast.

☆ Bolivia to temporarily suspend exports of food products amid protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LA PAZ, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Bolivia's government said on Wednesday it will temporarily suspend exports of food products including soy and beef amid protests in the key farming region of Santa Cruz. The move is aimed at safeguarding food security in Bolivia, said the minister of Productive Development and Plural Economy, Nestor Huanca, adding that the export suspension will include soybean grain, soybean flour, soybean meal, sugar, oil and beef. Leftist President Luis Arce has been facing protests across the country. Earlier on Wednesday, his government struck a deal with gold mining cooperatives to stop protests in the administrative capital La Paz. Reporting by Daniel Ramos, Editing by Isabel Woodford and Richard PullinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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