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☆ China’s Economy Gets a Boost From Beijing, but Housing Woes Persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Keith Bradsher | More About Keith Bradsher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

China’s economy grew more than expected over the summer, though the real estate market continued to weaken, as the government and the banks it controls poured money into infrastructure and new factories. Data released on Wednesday showed that economic output increased from July through September compared with the prior three months. Over the past year and a half, China’s economy, the world’s second largest, has struggled. In the third quarter — from July through September — the gross domestic product grew 1.3 percent when compared with the three previous months, China’s National Bureau of Statistics said. For the second quarter, however, economic growth was revised down to 0.5 percent.

Organizations: Housing, China’s National Bureau of Statistics

☆ Sika shares slide after EU raids companies over price-fixing suspicions
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Swiss chemical group Sika is seen at the company's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland October 7, 2021. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Sika AG FollowZURICH, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Shares in Swiss construction chemicals maker Sika (SIKA.S) fell as much as 7.4% on Tuesday after the European Commission announced antitrust raids at unnamed construction chemicals companies. Sika later confirmed that investigations had taken place in connection with a suspicion of price fixing. The European Commission said it was carrying out unannounced antitrust inspections in the construction chemicals sector in several member states, as it suspected companies of anti-competitive behaviour. Sika shares closed down 5.45% in Zurich, while the broader SMI index (.SSMI) fell 0.69%.

Persons: Arnd, Sika, Danilo Masoni, Oliver Hirt, Dhara Ranasinghe, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, European Commission, European Union, Turkish, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Milan

[1/5] Palestinians walk past piles of garbage that threaten to spark an environmental catastrophe, amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Two residents in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, volunteered to fill plastic containers with water to distribute among displaced families. Hamas said on Monday that Israel had not resumed water supplies to Gaza despite pledging to do so. "Now, we're filling in salt water, I'm ready to drink from the salt water - what else can we do?" Even before the latest conflict erupted and Israel cut electricity and fresh water supplies to Gaza, 90 percent of the water was undrinkable, according to the Palestinian Water Authority.

Persons: Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, Philippe Lazzarini, Israel, Israel Katz, Mohammad Saqr, Saqr, Mohammad Hadhoud, Michael Georgy, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, UNRWA, Israeli Energy, Palestinian Water Authority, Thomson Locations: Gaza, GAZA, Israeli, Khan, Israel, kibbutzes, Egypt, Palestinian

☆ Big Tobacco turns to rooibos tea to counter upcoming ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Emma Rumney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Tobacco companies have yet to publish any research showing the health implications of rooibos or other zero-tobacco sticks, Simonavicius added. PMI (PM.N) CEO Jacek Olczak told shareholders that its zero-tobacco sticks could avoid the regulatory scrutiny that tobacco products face. BAT's zero-tobacco sticks are not subject to current EU tobacco rules, the company told Reuters. That means it can sell rooibos sticks in flavours like peppermint and tropical fruit even after a ban on flavoured heated tobacco products is implemented across the bloc later this month. Across the European Union, heated tobacco products must be taxed at a minimum of 20% of the retail price, though national governments can go higher.

Persons: Erikas Simonavicius, Simonavicius, Philip Morris, Jacek Olczak, Jefferies, Owen Bennett, Bennett, Phil Gorham, Gorham, Fabienne, Morningstar's Gorham, Shabab, Emma Rumney, Matt Scuffham, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Big Tobacco, British American Tobacco, Union, Tobacco, BAT, Reuters, King's College, King's College London . Tobacco, Philip Morris International, PMI, Rivals Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco International, Morningstar, EU, Dunhill, Lucky, European Union, University College London . Tobacco, Thomson Locations: Cape, Germany, Greece, King's College London

☆ What you need to know about Europe’s bedbug panic
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Blane Bachelor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“Since I am a dermatologist and I post a lot on my clinic account, I thought it would be nice to post a reel on bed bugs,” she told CNN Travel. “I was like, ‘I find that very hard to believe’,” Starkey told CNN Travel. Yet in Belgium, doctors in Antwerp are “sounding the alarm” about the spread of bedbugs from Paris, according to The Brussels Times. Colleen Oakley, a bestselling novelist in Atlanta, told CNN Travel she would “absolutely not travel” to Paris right now based on her “awful” experience with the creepy crawlies in 2006. It sounds silly to have panic attacks over bugs, but they are really invasive critters.

Persons: Zeina Nehme, bedbugs, Nehme, “, ” Cynthia Starkey, Starkey, texted Starkey, she’d, ” Starkey, Mikayla, I’m, ’ ” Starkey, ” Zach DeVries, ” DeVries, Stella McCartney, Marc Piasecki, Emmanuel Macron’s, Paris Emmanuel Grégoire, Aurélien Rousseau, bedbugs ”, hasn’t, Sadiq Khan, ”, Joe Rominiecki, I’ve, Richard Pollack, Pollack, Paris –, Apple bedbugs, “ Bedbugs, –, Naomi Campbell, “ bedbugs, Colleen Oakley, Oakley Organizations: CNN, City, CNN Travel, Paris, University of Kentucky’s, bedbugs, Fashion, French, Monde, Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance Party, French Health, France Inter, Eurostar, French Agency for Food, Occupational Health, Safety, Entomological Society of America, Harvard Campus Services, Apple, NL Times, Brussels Times, Air, World Health Organization, telltale, American Academy of Dermatology Association, Travelers, Orkin Locations: Paris, London, City of, Beirut, Lebanon, Phoenix, Europe, France, New York, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Antwerp, bedbugs, Air France, Orkin Canada, Atlanta, New, West Village

They're “the most potent greenhouse gases known to modern science,” as one research paper put it and they're growing fast. With the Environmental Protection Agency required to phase out one family of the chemicals 85% by 2036, the push is on to develop and spread cleaner alternatives. With more than 200 million gasoline cars in the U.S. alone, Groll said that amounts to approximately 100 million pounds of refrigerant leaking out into the atmosphere each year. The need to minimize refrigerant leaks has spurred a reuse and reclamation industry. ___Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations.

Persons: Jennifer Byrne, Byrne, ” Byrne, Eckhard Groll, Groll, Danielle Wright, “, let’s, ” Wright, Mike Armstrong, ”, Anthony Nash, ” Armstrong, Christopher Cappa, Davis, ” Cappa, Wright, Jarad Mason, Mason Organizations: PHILADELPHIA, Environmental Protection Agency, Purdue University, Supermarkets, Gas, University of California, Trane Technologies, Harvard University, AP Locations: West Philadelphia, U.S, Dallas , Texas, Toledo , Ohio, Punta Gorda , Florida, Americas, refrigerants

☆ Why the hydrogen tax credit has become a lightning rod for controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

The proposed tax credit, 45V, is meant to turbocharge the production of low-emissions hydrogen. "The IRA's section 45V production tax credit is the most generous clean hydrogen subsidy in the world," Jesse Jenkins, professor of macro-scale energy systems at Princeton University, told CNBC. John Macdougall | Afp | Getty ImagesThe adjudication of the hydrogen tax credit has become about more than just the hydrogen tax credit, too. The amount of the hydrogen tax credit, which is available for 10 years, depends on the emissions generated in making hydrogen. If hydrogen is produced without releasing any carbon emissions, the tax credit is maxed out at $3 per kilogram of hydrogen.

Persons: that's, It's, Jesse Jenkins, John Macdougall, Wilson Ricks, Jenkins, Ricks, Rachel Fakhry, electrolyzers, Andriy Onufriyenko, Eric Guter, Josef Kallo, H2FLY, Guter, Phil Musser, Shannon Angielski, Angielski, Shi, Fakhry Organizations: Istock, Treasury, Princeton University, CNBC, Daimler Truck Holding, Afp, Getty, Energy, Research, Princeton, Natural Resources Defense Council, Power, Singularity, Air Products, Bloomberg, Air, Products, Hydrogen Company, European, EU, NextEra Energy, Hydrogen Future Coalition, BP, Duke Energy, Exxon Mobile, General Electric, Siemens Energy, American, Shell, Hydrogen, Coalition Locations: Biden's, United States, U.S, Berlin, additionality, Maribor, Slovenia, Oxagon, Saudi Arabia, Wilbarger County , Texas

☆ Israeli billionaire blasts Harvard leadership and quits board in protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer and his wife Batia are quitting a Harvard executive board in protest of how university leaders have responded to Hamas’ terror attacks on Israel. Idan Ofer has amassed a fortune valued at nearly $20 billion, according to Bloomberg’s billionaire index, where the Israeli ranks No. Instead, the resignation was driven by how Harvard leaders responded to the attacks on Israel, the source said. Idan Ofer is a son of shipping billionaire Sammy Ofer, who was once Israel’s richest man and died in 2011, according to Forbes. President of Harvard University Claudine Gay Brian Snyder/ReutersHarvard did not comment on the resignation and criticism from the Ofers.

Persons: Idan Ofer, Batia, “, Israel, ”, David Rubenstein, Sammy Ofer, Harvard University Claudine Gay Brian Snyder, Claudine Gay, ” Gay, Gay, Harvard “, Bill Ackman, That’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Harvard, CNN, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Kennedy, Forbes, Israel Corp, Kenon Holdings, Harvard University, Reuters Harvard, University, “ Locations: New York, Israel, Harvard’s

WASHINGTON (AP) — Four months after U.S. regulators tried to block imports of Elf Bar, the top-selling Chinese disposable e-cigarette remains widely available thanks to a simple but effective tactic: a name change. In May, it directed customs officials to seize incoming shipments of Elf Bar and EBDesign, two of the company's U.S. brand names. Elf Bar generated U.S. sales of over $271 million in the past year, according to retail data tracker Nielsen. Public records show how quickly Elf Bar was able to rebrand itself when the FDA announced its import ban in May. “FDA has confiscated more heads of romaine lettuce than it has illegal e-cigarettes in the last five years,” said Jenson.

Persons: ”, Desmond Jenson, Brian King, ” King, Nielsen, EBCreate, Rob Handfield, Jenson, “, Matthew Perrone Organizations: WASHINGTON, Washington D.C, Drug Administration, FDA, Public Health Law Center, Associated Press, AP, U.S . Patent, iMiracle, iMiracle Shenzhen Technology, Nevera HK Limited, Shenzhen, U.S, North Carolina State University . “ Customs, Border Patrol, Department of Justice, Regulators, Twitter, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group Locations: Washington, Philadelphia , New York, U.S, Los Angeles, Houston, iMiracle Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Mexico, Shenzhen, romaine

Refrigerants used in fridges, freezers and cars change from a fluid to a gas to transport heat away from the place you want cooled. In refrigerators, the refrigerant starts as a liquid and expands into a gas, which forces it to cool down. The refrigerant then flows through condenser coils where it releases its heat out and cools back into a liquid. The cycle starts over when the refrigerant enters the expansion device, where the fluid spreads out, cools, and once again turns into a gas. Methane, the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide is 28, or 28 times worse.

Persons: hasn’t Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, AP Locations: fridges, Phoenix , Arizona, Dubai, Montreal, Kigali, United States

Those are just a few of the takeaways in a new book, “this is so awkward,” aptly lowercased and titled to break down all things puberty for today's parents. The book, out this week from Rodale, is written by pediatrician Cara Natterson, whose “Care & Keeping of You” series has sold more than 7 million copies, and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, a puberty educator and Natterson's co-host of “The Puberty Podcast." AP: One of the things that really struck me about the book is the often inconclusive state of science on puberty, leaving parents to suss out the truth for themselves. So issues of sleep, issues of self-esteem, issues of body image. This is a perfect opportunity for a do-over because controlling our kids' social media feels so big and it feels so hard.

Persons: Cara Natterson, Vanessa Kroll Bennett, Natterson's, Natterson, Kroll Bennett, KROLL BENNETT, That’s, hookup, don’t, they’ve, It's, We're, Vanessa, Let’s, You’re, It’s Organizations: Rodale, Technology

☆ US proposes $270,000 fine for joint venture GM battery plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The new GM logo is seen on the facade of the General Motors headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - U.S. investigators on Thursday proposed $270,000 in fines for a General Motors (GM.N) and LG Energy Solution (373220.KS) joint venture battery plant in Ohio for safety and health violations. "The company’s focus on the future must include an emphasis on workplace safety to ensure the well-being of its employees," OSHA Area Director Howard Eberts in Cleveland said. OSHA said Ultium needs to install required machine guarding, train workers in hazardous energy control and emergency response procedures and make other changes. Since the Warren, Ohio, facility began battery cell production in August 2022, OSHA has cited the plant 11 times, the agency said.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Howard Eberts, Warren, David Shepardson, Bill Berkrot Organizations: General Motors, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, LG Energy, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, OSHA, Ultium Cells, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S, Ohio, Cleveland, Warren , Ohio

☆ Tesla whistleblowers filed a complaint to the SEC in 2021, but the agency never interviewed them. Here's what the complaint said
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +22 min

With a "goodwill" repair, Tesla essentially foots the bill for labor, parts or accessories given to keep a customer happy. "Were Tesla to accurately categorize its 'goodwill' repairs as warranty repairs, it would likely need to restate earnings for every quarter since at least 2017," the tipsters wrote in their submission. In one example, the tipsters said screenshots showed other Tesla employees changed the status of material used in manufacturing from "scrap" to "work in progress." In another example, the complaint said screenshots showed Tesla employees had manually changed the status of "used" cars to "new" in a program that tracked vehicle deliveries data. In correspondence to the agency expanding on their complaint, the whistleblowers alleged this raises questions about the firm's independence and objectivity in judging Tesla's financials.

Persons: Brandon Bell, Elon, Tesla's, Tesla, Musk, Ann Lipton, Lipton, Karen Nelson, Nelson, Nicholas Parks, it's, Oxley, restate financials Organizations: Getty, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, PricewaterhouseCoopers, CNBC . Agency staff, CNBC, Twitter, Tulane Law School, University of Chicago Law School, Securities, Sarbanes, Oxley, Texas Christian University, Public Company, Tesla, Parks, Nelson, Business, Exchange, Board, SpaceX, The Boring, California Alternative Energy, Transportation Financing Authority Locations: Austin , Texas, Tesla, California, U.S, Delaware

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear arguments in a case challenging the Food and Drug Administration's authority to reject approvals of flavored electronic cigarettes. The FDA issues marketing denial orders to reject product applications. A spokesperson for the FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Supreme Court's decision. In 2016, the FDA determined that e-cigarettes were subject to its regulation, like traditional tobacco products. The agency gave companies until September 2020 to submit applications for approval of each of their vape products, even if they were already on the market.

Persons: Eric Heyer Organizations: Food, 4th Circuit U.S, Appeals, FDA, CNBC

☆ Fenway Farms: On the roof of an iconic sports venue, this urban farm in Boston can grow 6,000 pounds of produce a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Samantha Bresnahan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Boston, Massachusetts CNN —Though home to the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park is known for being green. Spanning a section of what was once an empty black rubber roof, a farm is making Fenway green in a completely different way. “We can produce anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 pounds of fresh produce a year, depending on what we’re growing,” Grallert says. A little replica of Fenway Farms also opened at the Boston Children’s Museum last year. Green City estimates roughly 500,000 children and adults encounter Fenway Farms every year.

Persons: Boston , Massachusetts CNN —, Benjamin Moore, ”, Chris Grallert, ” Grallert, Bob Crowley, Grallert, Chef Ron Abell, Abell, he’s, lettuces, Danielle Morgan, Samantha Bresnahan, ” Abell, they’ve, Abell’s, Nature’s, we’ve, ” Read, Haley Bergeron, John Cumberland, “ Organizations: CNN, Boston , Massachusetts CNN, Boston Red Sox, Fenway, Green City Growers, Red Sox, Fenway Park, Green City, Major League, Sox, Coors, Oracle, Boston, Boston Children’s Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, Green, Fenway, Boston, reinvigorating, Massachusetts, Colorado, San Diego, San Francisco

☆ Fact Check: Fact Check: FDA is not replacing salt with 'mRNA’ salt substitutes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Now he is trying to replace organic salt with a mRNA chemical laced inorganic synthetic salt substitute actually produced by the man himself Bill gates. Other ingredients in Morton salt substitute include fumaric acid, monocalcium phosphate and silicon dioxide. MRNA NOT AN INGREDIENTThe claim that common salt is being replaced with a “mRNA chemical laced inorganic synthetic salt substitute” is misleading. “In terms of how chemists use the words ‘organic’ and ‘inorganic’, both table salt (sodium chloride) and potassium chloride would be inorganic compounds as they lack carbon atoms." The FDA is not replacing salt with “mRNA fake salt.”This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

Persons: Bill Gates, Bill, ”, Morton, Christopher Simmons, Davis, ” Simmons, Melinda Gates, Gates, Vinod Khosla’s, Morton Salt, Read Organizations: U.S, Food, Drug Administration, Microsoft, Twitter, People’s, FDA, Gates, Reuters, Food Science, Technology, University of California, Melinda Gates Foundation, Khosla Ventures, Thomson

CNN —In the wake of Hamas’ deadly attacks on Israel, former President Donald Trump is turning to a strategy he employed during the 2016 campaign of using terror abroad – and fears of future attacks on American soil – to push for hard-line immigration policies in the United States. The former president’s rhetoric harks back to his 2016 presidential campaign and his first term in office, when he used fears over terror attacks stateside to block immigrants and refugees from predominantly Muslim countries. “We have leadership who doesn’t know what they’re doing,” Trump said after those attacks. But a few candidates have joined Trump in drawing parallels between the attacks in Israel and safety in the US. Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has also sought to tie Israel’s war with Hamas to US-Mexico border policy.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, ”, Obama, Barack Obama, “, ” Trump, Joe Biden, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, ” Ramaswamy, Biden, Nikki Haley, Antony Blinken, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Janet Yellen, DeSantis Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Hamas, US, Republican, Central America, Trump, Florida Gov, Pocahontas , Iowa . Biotech, ” Former South Carolina Gov, South, Banking Locations: Israel, United States, Wolfeboro , New Hampshire, Gaza, San Bernardino , California, Paris, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Palestinian, Central, Pocahontas , Iowa, US, Mexico, Manchester , New Hampshire, “, South Carolina, Qatar

☆ Hedge funds sell energy stocks before Middle East conflict - Goldman
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2023. The surge in oil prices followed the largest military assault on Israel in decades, with hundreds dead and several abducted. Hedge funds had, as of Friday, ramped up selling to the fastest pace since early June in shares of U.S. companies that manufacture chemicals, building materials and paper products, said the note from Goldman Sachs' prime brokerage. U.S. energy stocks saw net sales in the week ending October 6 for the second straight week in a row and in the eight previous trading sessions, the bank said. The oil price was up by more than 3% on the day on Monday at $87.27 a barrel.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Goldman Sachs, Brent, WTI, Nell Mackenzie, Amanda Cooper Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Global, Saturday, Israel, White, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Washington, Riyadh, Saudi

DUBAI, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates is refashioning state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the image of an international oil major by stepping up its global expansion and finding new revenue streams to maximise earnings for the Gulf state. The state-owned company also told Reuters it was investing in energy trading, without giving further details. ADNOC has two trading arms, both set up in 2020: ADNOC Trading, which is focused on crude oil, and ADNOC Global Trading, a joint venture with Italy's Eni (ENI.MI) and OMV which is more focused on refined products. Other recent hires include Bart Cornelissen, who left Deloitte to become ADNOC's senior vice president for group strategy and portfolio last month, according to LinkedIn. Recent senior hires for ADNOC's trading arms include alumni of Gunvor, Litasco, Shell and TotalEnergies, the employment network showed.

Persons: ADNOC, Galp, Austria's, Mohammed bin Zayed, headcount, Michele Fiorentino, Baker Hughes, Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Al Kaabi, Bart Cornelissen, Michael Hafner, Hafner, Morgan Stanley, Neil Quilliam, Sultan al, Jaber, John Kerry, Abu, Maha El Dahan, Yousef Saba, Ron Bousso, David Clarke Organizations: United, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Reuters, BP, NewMed Energy, Italy's Eni, UAE, IOC, Aramco, LinkedIn, Mubadala Energy, Deloitte, Greenhill &, Deutsche Bank, UBS, HSBC, Shell, Eni, Gunvor, The, Chatham House, United Nations, Masdar, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Africa, Mozambique, ADNOC, Geneva, London, The UAE, Europe, Sultan, Dubai

BEIJING (AP) — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Schumer criticized China on Monday and told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that he was very disappointed by China's statement on the recent Hamas attack because it didn't show any sympathy or support for Israel. Schumer is leading a delegation of six senators to China this week. “I urge you and the Chinese people to stand with the Israeli people and condemn these cowardly and vicious attacks,” said Schumer. In the ministry statement, China also said that establishing an independent state of Palestine is the fundamental way to resolve the issue. “I was very disappointed to be honest by the Foreign Ministry statement that showed no sympathy or support for Israel during these troubled times," Schumer said near the end of his remarks.

Persons: Schumer, Wang Yi, ”, Wang, Joe Biden, Xi, Bashar Assad, “, ” Wang Organizations: BEIJING, — U.S, Chinese, Israel, America, Foreign Ministry Locations: China, Israel, Palestine, San Francisco, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United States, Ukraine

☆ Tens of thousands protest against possible Catalan amnesty deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Graham Keeley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Unionist supporters protest against amnesty of separatist leaders and activists involved in the 2017 failed independence drive at Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona, Spain, October 8, 2023. Pedro Sanchez needs the support of Catalan separatist parties Junts and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, which want the unpopular amnesty in exchange for votes in parliament. An amnesty would put the government above democracy and the rule of law," said Javier Tapia, 55, a chemicals worker. The amnesty could potentially cover more than 1,400 people involved in the independence bid that came to a head in 2017, pro-separatist Catalan group Omnium estimates. Around 70% of respondents - 59% of them Socialist supporters – said they were against the idea of an amnesty in a poll in mid-September.

Persons: Passeig de Gracia, Albert Gea, Sanchez, Spain's, Pedro Sanchez, Junts, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Santiago Abascal, Javier Tapia, Isabel Martinez, Feijoo, Francisco Franco, –, Graham Keeley, Joan Faus, Horaci Garcia, Guillermo Martinez, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Passeig, REUTERS, Barcelona, BARCELONA, Spain's, Socialist, People's Party, Vox, Sale, AMNESTY, European Union, Thomson Locations: Barcelona, Spain, Catalan, Catalonia

Many of the GOP presidential candidates say they would carry out potential acts of war against Mexico in response to the trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador repeatedly denies his country is producing the synthetic opioid despite enormous evidence to the contrary. Border agents seized nearly 13 tons (12,000 kilograms) of fentanyl at the U.S.-Mexico border between September 2022 and August, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "As commander in chief, I’m going to use the U.S. military to go after the Mexican drug cartels,” said DeSantis, the Florida governor. Lopez Obrador took office in December 2018 campaigning with a motto of “hugs, not bullets,” and for four years has shredded his predecessors’ prosecution of the drug war.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, ” Donald Trump, You’ve, you’ve, ”, Arturo Sarukhan, “, Andrea Thomas ’, Thomas, Joe Biden's, Andres Manuel López Obrador, I’m, DeSantis, James Mandryck, Lopez Obrador, Xóchitl Gálvez, James K, Polk, Woodrow Wilson, Pancho Villa, Trump, Tony Payan, Elliot Spagat, Mark Stevenson Organizations: MIAMI, Republican, GOP, U.S . Customs, U.S . Commission, Univision, Drug Enforcement Administration, Trump, Biden, U.S ., Center, Rice, Baker Institute for Public, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Mexico, United States, Washington, Junction , Colorado, Mexican, Florida, China, Sinaloa, Latin America, Texas, California , Nevada , Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma , Kansas, Wyoming, Veracruz, Columbus , New Mexico, San Diego, Mexico City

He also signed several into law, notably a sweeping mandate requiring large businesses to disclose a wide range of planet-warming emissions. Here's a look at some of the other bills Newsom signed into law on Saturday:FOOD INGREDIENTS BANCalifornia on Saturday became the first state to ban four chemicals used in well-known candies and other foods and drinks because of their link to certain health problems. 3 chemical used as food coloring for products like Peeps, the marshmallow treat most associated with Easter. The law also bans brominated vegetable oil, which is used in some store brand sodas, and potassium bromate and propylparaben, two chemicals used in baked goods. Newsom said in a signing statement that the additives addressed in the bill are already banned in various other countries.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Newsom, Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, ” Gabriel, Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, “, ” McKinnor Organizations: — Democratic, European Union, United, United States Food, Drug Administration, Inc Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, California, United States, Los Angeles, Inglewood

☆ On a former cotton plantation in Louisiana, a Black farmers' cooperative is reclaiming the land and money their ancestors lost
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Trisha Gopal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Between 1910 and 1997, Black farmers lost around 90% of their property in the US. In 1920, there were nearly 1 million Black farmers in the United States, accounting for 14% of all farmers. But between 1910 and 1997, Black farmers lost around 90% of their property, while white farmers only lost 2% during the same time period. She hopes to create a platform that addresses economic and racial equity for Black farmers, while also encouraging sustainable agriculture. In the 19th century, after the Southern Farmers' Alliance refused to admit Black farmers except in certain chapters, Black farmers started the Colored Farmers' National Alliance and Co-operative Union.

Persons: Konda Mason, Mason, I've, Mason's, collard, she's, Robert Bimba, Erica Styger, Elisabeth Keller, Keller's, Donna Isaacs, Caryl Levine, Levine, Justice Rice, Rice, Jim Crow, Linda Jones Organizations: Service, Jubilee Justice, Lotus Foods, Justice, US Department of Agriculture, USDA, Agriculture, Southern Farmers ' Alliance, Colored Farmers ' National Alliance and, Union Locations: Alabama, California, Louisiana, Inglewood, Alexandria, New York, Asia, Africa, United States, Mason, Ecuadorian

☆ US tackles climate-warming HFC industrial gases with new rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is seen at the headquarters of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. The EPA also issued a proposal that aims to improve how HFCs are managed and reused, setting requirements for repairing leaky equipment, rules for using reclaimed HFCs and leak detection rules for large refrigeration equipment. The two regulatory actions come after the EPA issued a final rule in July phasing down the use of HFCs by 40% below historic levels from 2024 to 2028. The Senate voted 69-27 in September last year to ratify the global Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol that calls for the phase-down of HFCs. Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Ali Zaidi, Valerie Volcovici, Alexander Smith Organizations: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Rights, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Manufacturing, White, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Kigali, Montreal, HFCs, U.S

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