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☆ A Hawaii delivery driver who pulled in $114,000 on DoorDash last year says the tips are 'awesome' and it's like 'delivering in paradise'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ronald Coleman, 45, brought in $114,000 in revenue last year driving for DoorDash in Honolulu, Hawaii. In the summer of 2020, he tried DoorDash, found some success, and eventually decided to pursue it full-time. For these drivers, Coleman said he has some advice. Coleman said he's tried delivering with Instacart, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, but that he's found considerably more success with DoorDash. Fourth: Even if it won't always result in a great tip, Coleman said providing great customer service is important for getting and keeping a high rating.

Persons: Ronald Coleman, Coleman, he's, Instacart, Uber, Doordash Organizations: DoorDash, Service, Aloha State Locations: Honolulu , Hawaii, Wall, Silicon, Michigan, Hawaii, Honolulu, United States, Aloha

Mr. Blinken canceled a trip to China during that episode, then publicly accused China a few weeks later of considering sending military aid to Russia for use in Ukraine. One senior State Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive incident said the hack did not initially appear to be directly related to the trip. Other officials cautioned that the investigation into what material, if any, was stolen by the hackers was still in the early stages. In a statement on Wednesday, the State Department said that after detecting “anomalous activity” the government took steps to secure the systems and “will continue to closely monitor and quickly respond to any further activity.”After the State Department reported the hack to Microsoft, the company found that the hackers had also targeted some 25 organizations, including government agencies. Microsoft, which described the attack as hackers going after specific accounts rather than carrying out a broad-brush intrusion, did not say how many accounts it believes might have been compromised by the Chinese hackers.

Persons: Janet L, Yellen, John Kerry, Biden, Xi, Blinken Organizations: Washington, Pentagon, Mr, State Department, Microsoft Locations: Beijing, China, Bali , Indonesia, United States, Russia, Ukraine

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea has fired what appears to be a long-range ballistic missile from the Pyongyang area to waters off its east coast, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Wednesday, marking a potential new round of confrontation with Seoul and Washington. The flight time, if confirmed, would be similar to those of North Korean missiles tested in March and April of this year. Kim Yo Jong, a senior North Korean official and sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accused a US spy plane of entering the North’s exclusive economic zone at least eight times on Monday, according to a statement Tuesday from North Korea’s state news agency KCNA. But North Korea has shown no signs that it is willing to engage in negotiations with Washington or Seoul. Meanwhile, South Korea, the US and Japan have been holding joint and trilateral military exercises aimed at deterring any North Korean military threat.

Persons: Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un, ” Kim, “ Kim Yo, ”, Leif, Eric Easley, Rodong Sinmun Chun, ” Chun Organizations: South Korea CNN, South Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, Japan’s Coast Guard, Ministry of Defense, Korean, North Korean, CNN, NATO, United Nations, Ewha Womans University, South Korean Army Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, Pyongyang, South, Washington, Japan, United States, East, North Korea’s, Lithuania, North Korea, Republic of Korea, “ Pyongyang, North

☆ The America That Americans Forget
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Sarah A. Topol | Glenna Gordon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Each base is under the control of a different commander, who sets different regulations on who can come inside and how. During my time on the island, I visited all of the large bases run by different branches or subservices — Andersen Air Force Base, Naval Base Guam and Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz. Leevin T. Camacho, Guam’s outgoing attorney general, took me through Andersen Air Force Base to visit his family’s land. Naval Base Guam was significantly easier to get onto, paradoxically because unescorted visitors were not allowed at all. “I’m not ashamed to say I think of it once in a while,” Roy had told me.

Persons: —, Blaz, T, Camacho, Andersen, muttered, Roy, “ I’m, ” Roy, “, ” Organizations: — Andersen Air Force Base, Naval Base, Marine Corps Base, Army, Air Force, Guam National Armed Guard, Andersen Air Force Base, Naval Base Guam Locations: Guam, Naval Base Guam, United States, Korean

☆ Biden Says Xi Was Not Informed About Spy Balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The president’s comments came just a day after Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Mr. Xi in Beijing to smooth over the rift from the spy balloon incident. “The very important point is he’s in a situation now where he wants to have a relationship again,” Mr. Biden said of Mr. Xi. Chinese officials have never disclosed the origins of the balloon flight and offered no immediate reaction to Mr. Biden. “That wasn’t supposed to be going where it was,” Mr. Biden said of the balloon at the California fund-raiser. “It was blown off course up through Alaska and then down through the United States, and he didn’t know about it,” he added, referring to Mr. Xi.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Xi, Biden, ” Mr, Mr, “ Tony Blinken, ” Organizations: Sidewinder Locations: Beijing, China, California, Alaska, United States, Montana, Kansas City, South Carolina . U.S, Guam, Hawaii

☆ In China, Blinken Holds ‘Candid’ Talks to Restart High-Level Diplomacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Edward Wong | David Pierson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The talks on a rainy morning in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse were a prelude to an expected meeting between Mr. Blinken and Xi Jinping, China’s leader, in the afternoon. Mr. Blinken is the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Beijing since 2018. Mr. Blinken canceled a scheduled visit to Beijing on the morning after the Pentagon announced its discovery of the balloon. That infuriated Chinese officials, who said the entire episode spoiled progress made four months earlier in Bali, Indonesia, when President Biden and Mr. Xi agreed to try to stabilize ties. Chinese officials have continued to say the balloon had been launched for weather research and had floated off course.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Wang Yi, Xi, Blinken’s, Biden Organizations: Pentagon Locations: China, Beijing, Diaoyutai, United States, American, Bali , Indonesia

Over the same period, however, working gas inventories increased by 454 billion cubic feet compared with a prior 10-year average increase of 401 billion cubic feet. No progress was made eliminating excess inventories during the spring quarter. Freeport LNG's re-opened export terminal did not make a significant difference in depleting the excess inventories accumulated during the winter of 2022/23. Unless the summer is unusually hot, boosting gas consumption by electricity generators, excess inventories look set to persist for several more months. As a result, hedge funds and other money managers have been cautious about turning bullish on gas prices.

Persons: John Kemp, Paul Simao Organizations: Climate Prediction Center, CPC, Freeport LNG's, Thomson, Reuters Locations: United States, U.S, Ukraine

☆ Why North Korea’s Latest Nuclear Claims Are Raising Alarms
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Pablo Robles | Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

North Korea has a track record of showing mockups of weapons still under development for the sake of propaganda. So far, North Korea has released photos of three nuclear devices, and the latest one — dubbed Hwasan-31, or “Volcano-31” — is by far the smallest. CHINA NORTH KOREA Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA NORTH KOREA YELLOW SEA Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from vehicles NORTH KOREA Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA Launched from vehicles NORTH KOREA YELLOW SEA Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from vehicles NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from vehicles NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from train cars NORTH KOREA Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA Launched from train cars NORTH KOREA YELLOW SEA Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from train cars NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from train cars NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Underwater launch NORTH KOREA Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA Underwater launch NORTH KOREA YELLOW SEA Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Underwater launch NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Underwater launch NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Possible underground launch Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA NORTH KOREA Possible underground launch Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Possible underground launch Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Possible underground launch Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREASince 2019, North Korea has launched missiles from locations scattered across the country. Satellites can help North Korea collect data from such long-range missile tests to improve its ICBM technology. If North Korea conducts another nuclear test, its seventh, it may be to show that its new and smaller Hwasan-31 nuclear warhead works.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, Kim’s, Donald J, Trump, Hwasan, James Martin, Dr, Markus Schiller, Lee Jong, ” Mr, Lee Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, Agence France, Presse Korean Central News Agency, Presse, North Korean, Washington, European Pressphoto Agency, Associated Press, European Pressphoto Agency Korean Central News Agency, Associated Press Korean Central News Agency, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, Institute for Science, International Security, Japan Ministry of Defense, Seoul SOUTH KOREA, U.S, SOUTH KOREA JAPAN Major U.S, Seoul SOUTH KOREA JAPAN Major U.S, CHINA RUSSIA NORTH, US Department of Defense, ST Analytics, South Korean Defense Ministry, CHINA NORTH, Seoul CHINA NORTH, Pyongyang, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA, Seoul, KOREA, NORTH, KOREA CHINA NORTH, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH, Seoul SOUTH, Reuters, North, South Korean, ”, South Locations: North, North Korea, Korea, Japan, Washington, Seoul, United States, Northeast Asia, U.S, South Korea, RUSSIA CHINA, Seoul SOUTH KOREA JAPAN, CHINA RUSSIA, CHINA RUSSIA NORTH KOREA, Kaesong, Presse, CHINA, CHINA NORTH KOREA Pyongyang, Seoul CHINA, Seoul CHINA NORTH KOREA, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA, KOREA Pyongyang, KOREA CHINA, Pyongyang, NORTH KOREA Pyongyang, KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA, Seoul SOUTH KOREA, Presse North Korea, North Korean

☆ In New Mexico, an unlikely wildfire thinning alliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Andrew Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Near Taos in northern New Mexico, Vicente Fernandez, a mayordomo, or forest caretaker, cut saplings and seedlings crowding a mature fir tree. In an about-face, the Forest Service is now paying local woodcutters or leñeros $300 an acre to cut these trees for personal use or sale. Some environmentalists oppose Taos County's so called Mayordomo Program, and other thinning, saying it is a waste of time, harms forests and is often a guise for logging. "The Forest Service believes in helping communities to wisely use the forests," the agency said in a statement. "We cannot fireproof forests, we can fireproof communities," said Horning, who has lived in northern New Mexico for 30 years.

But 29% of U.S. corn areas and 21% of soybean areas are in a drought versus 21% and 12% a year ago, respectively. Some 48% of winter wheat areas are experiencing drought versus 68% a year ago, but 16% of it is currently under exceptional drought versus just 3% a year ago. That is despite decent conditions in soft red wheat states in the east. The Drought Monitor shows 64% of Kansas in extreme or worse drought this week, topped only by a stretch from July 2012 to March 2013 in records back to 2000. The latest Drought Monitor stats in the top corn state are almost identical to the same point in 2021, leading into Iowa’s record corn-yielding season.

☆ Janet Yellen says national security may come at a cost in US-China relationship
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington, DC CNN —The United States will safeguard its national security, even if it comes at an economic cost to its relationship with China, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday. The federal government will address any national security concerns through export controls, sanctions and by restricting foreign investments, Yellen said. In a speech at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Yellen outlined three objectives of the US relationship with China: prioritizing national security and defending human rights, promoting a healthy and fair economic relationship with China and cooperating with China to address global issues. Yellen’s remarks come at a time when tensions with China remain high, a few months after a Chinese spy balloon flew across the continental United States. “Even though these policies may have economic impacts, they are driven by straightforward national security considerations,” said Yellen, a former Federal Reserve Chair.

☆ Biden’s Hot Air About Spy Balloons
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Remember when a Chinese spy balloon flew across the entire continental United States? Press reports on Monday suggest that the Chinese spy balloon that entered U.S. air space near Alaska on Jan. 28 was able to collect intelligence on American military sites. The balloon was spotted flying in Montana, home to intercontinental ballistic-missile fields. U.S. officials told NBC News that the Beijing blimp could fly in figure-eight pirouettes, lingering over areas of interest. The balloon could pick up electronic signals and transmit information to Beijing in real-time, NBC reports.

The assessment of China's military said China's fleet of six Jin-class ballistic missile submarines were operating "near-continuous" patrols from Hainan Island into the South China Sea. Equipped with a new, longer-range ballistic missile, they can hit the continental United States, analysts say. Communications are crucial and complex for ballistic missile subs, which must remain hidden as part of their mission. The Chinese military has emphasised that the Central Military Commission, headed by President Xi Jinping, is the only nuclear command authority. Russia is thought to keep most of its 11 ballistic missile submarines largely in bastions off its Arctic coasts, while U.S., French and British boats roam more widely, three analysts said.

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Chinese-American citizen Kai Li, jailed in China on spying charges he denies, received a rare in-person visit last week from the U.S. Burns met Li on March 16 in a Shanghai prison, Li's son Harrison said. Li, a businessman, has been held in China since 2016 and was handed a 10-year jail sentence in 2018 for espionage. Burns wanted to shake Li's hand but Chinese authorities did not allow that, Harrison Li said. Burns has accompanied consular officers on prison visits to U.S. citizens held in China, a State Department spokesperson said.

☆ U.S. senators to propose legislation to mandate balloon tracking
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Air Force/Department of Defense/Handout via ReutersWASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - Two senators are introducing legislation Wednesday to mandate tracking systems on high-altitude weather and research balloons to help the U.S. military differentiate between potential threats. Senators Mark Kelly, a Democrat, and Republican Ted Budd will introduce legislation seeking to ensure balloons operating in U.S. airspace can be identified, they said in a statement to Reuters. The issue drew new attention after U.S. fighter jets shot down a Chinese balloon and three other objects last month. The United States says the Chinese balloon was used for surveillance purposes. China said it was a civilian airship used for meteorological purposes, and that it was accidentally blown off course into U.S. airspace.

☆ Pictures of the month: February
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A U.S. Air Force U-2 pilot looks down at the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovers over the central continental United States on February 3, 2023 before later being shot down by the Air Force off the coast of South Carolina, in this...moreA U.S. Air Force U-2 pilot looks down at the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovers over the central continental United States on February 3, 2023 before later being shot down by the Air Force off the coast of South Carolina, in this photo released by the U.S. Air Force on February 22. U.S. Air Force/Department of DefenseClose

WASHINGTON/BEIJING, Feb 27 (Reuters) - China must be more honest about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. ambassador to China said on Monday, after reports that the U.S. Energy Department concluded the pandemic likely arose from a Chinese laboratory leak. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Sunday that the U.S. Energy Department had concluded the pandemic likely arose from a Chinese laboratory leak, an assessment Beijing denies. The department made its judgment with "low confidence" in a classified intelligence report recently provided to the White House and key members of Congress, the Journal said, citing people who had read the intelligence report. President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said on Sunday there were a "variety of views in the intelligence community" on the pandemic's origins. "Certain parties should stop rehashing the 'lab leak' narrative, stop smearing China and stop politicizing the origins-tracing issue," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

☆ Yellen says U.S. to resume discussions on economic issues with China at 'appropriate time'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Feb 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday the United States would resume discussions with China on economic issues "at an appropriate time" but is continuing to warn Beijing of the consequences of violating U.S. sanctions on Russia. At a news conference ahead of a G20 financial leaders meeting in Bengaluru, Yellen said communication between the United States and China was important for "the sake of the entire globe." Yellen said she did not have any details on timing of her visit focused on economic and financial issues, but said: "I believe we will resume at an appropriate time those discussions." Turning to U.S. sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine, Yellen reiterated Washington's warnings. Reporting by David Lawder; Writing by Shivam Patel; Editing by Alex Richardson and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ As G20 finance chiefs gather, Yellen calls for more economic aid to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Continued, robust support for Ukraine will be a major topic of discussion during my time here in India." Yellen said that previous U.S. military, economic and humanitarian aid totalling $46 billion has allowed Ukraine to preserve economic and financial stability under "extraordinary circumstances." In the coming months, we expect to provide around $10 billion in additional economic support for Ukraine." Yellen said that G20 countries, especially China, need to work to ease the debt overhang that is putting more than half of low-income countries in debt distress. The United States intends to put forward a candidate for the World Bank presidency "very quickly", she added.

☆ PHOTO: A U-2 pilot took a selfie with the Chinese spy balloon the day before the Air Force shot it down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A US Air Force pilot took a selfie with the Chinese spy balloon before it was shot down. The pilot, flying a U-2 spy aircraft, took the image a day before the balloon was downed by an F-22. A US Air Force pilot looked down at the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovered over the Central Continental United States February 3, 2023. Photo courtesy of the Department of DefenseThe U-2's involvement in gathering intelligence on the spy balloon was first reported by The Drive on February 6. Just days later, US Air Force fighter jets downed three unidentified aerial objects flying in North American airspace in three separate engagements on February 10, 11, and 12.

☆ Blinken meets with senior Chinese diplomat in Munich amid tensions over suspected spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Andrea Mitchell | Christina Zhao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday met with a senior Chinese diplomat at a conference in Munich, a State Department spokesperson said. Diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and China have risen since the shooting down of the alleged Chinese spy balloon, which China has insisted was not intended for spying. Earlier Thursday, Biden delivered his first remarks about the Chinese balloon and three unidentified objects flying above North America that were downed by the U.S. military. One was shot down Feb. 10 over Alaska, another was shot down Feb. 11 over Canada, and a third was shot down over Lake Huron on Feb. 12. U.S. Northern Command said Friday it recommended an end to the search for debris from two objects shot down in United States airspace this month.

☆ Spy Balloons. U.F.O.s. What Else Is Up There?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Eleanor Lutz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

A graphic showing an illustration of the Chinese spy balloon, a party balloon, and a scientific research balloon. A graphic showing an illustration of the Chinese spy balloon, a party balloon, and a scientific research balloon. 40 feet Balloon Parachute Weather balloon Up to about 115,000 feet Every day, weather stations worldwide release balloons to observe the sky. U-2 spy plane Above 70,000 feet The U.S. military used U-2 spy planes to study the Chinese spy balloon and take high-resolution images of its equipment. About the size of three buses 60,000 feet (11 miles) U-2 spy plane Above 70,000 feet The U.S. military used U-2 spy planes to study the Chinese spy balloon and take high-resolution images of its equipment.

☆ Biden plans speech on balloon, unidentified objects -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the speech was expected to be on Thursday. Biden has been under pressure from lawmakers to speak more extensively about the spate of flyovers by unidentified objects, which have baffled many Americans. The United States has said the Chinese balloon was used for surveillance purposes, while Beijing called it a weather balloon. He said the United States still had no firm grasp on the origin of the three objects. Biden has asked national security adviser Jake Sullivan to preside over a task force of related agencies to come up with a set of guidelines on how to address unidentified objects going forward.

☆ Downed Chinese balloon aimed for Hawaii but was blown off course, U.S. official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Randall HillWASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - U.S. officials believe a Chinese balloon that was shot down after crossing the continental United States originally had a trajectory that would have taken it over Guam and Hawaii but was blown off course by prevailing winds, a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday. U.S. military and intelligence agencies tracked the balloon from when it lifted off from Hainan Island near China's south coast, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The U.S. military said on Monday it had recovered critical electronics from the balloon as well as large sections of the vessel itself. Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Writing by Eric Beech, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden plans speech on balloon, unidentified objects - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden plans on Thursday to make his most extensive remarks yet about a high-altitude Chinese balloon and three other objects that were shot down by U.S. fighter jets, two sources familiar with the discussions said on Wednesday. Biden has been under pressure from lawmakers to speak more extensively about the spate of flyovers by unidentified objects, which have baffled many Americans. The United States has said the Chinese balloon was used for surveillance purposes, while Beijing called it a weather balloon. He said the United States still had no firm grasp on the origin of the three objects. Biden has asked national security adviser Jake Sullivan to preside over a task force of related agencies to come up with guidelines on how to address unidentified objects in future.

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