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☆ Macquarie picks up majority stake in Coastal Waste & Recycling
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Chibuike Oguh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Australia's biggest investment bank Macquarie Group Ltd adorns a desk in the reception area of its Sydney office headquarters in Australia, Oct. 28, 2016. REUTERS/David Gray/File PhotoNEW YORK (Reuters) - The asset management arm of Australian bank Macquarie Group Limited has bought a majority stake in waste management firm Coastal Waste & Recycling, the bank said on Tuesday. The transaction values Coastal Waste & Recycling at about $900 million, according to people familiar with the matter. Coastal Waste & Recycling serves more than 450,000 customers mostly in Florida and Georgia, making it one of the largest waste management firms in southeastern U.S. It has invested more than $5 billion in waste management businesses in the Americas since 2007.

Persons: David Gray, Brendon Pantano, Pantano, Macquarie Organizations: Macquarie Group Ltd, REUTERS, Macquarie Group, Recycling, Boca, Capital, Equity Partners, Macquarie Asset Management Locations: Sydney, Australia, Florida, Georgia, U.S, Boca Raton , Florida, Americas, Europe, Asia

Rey Steve Mabiala and his wife, Liz Gouari, taking refuge at the Roberval emergency center after being ordered to evacuate Chibougamau, Quebec, as a fire approached. Of the more than 400 fires now burning in Canada, more than one-third are in Quebec, which has already registered its worst wildfire season on record. Credit... Carlos Osorio/Reuters“We are facing some unprecedented events, including droughts, accelerated fires and heat waves, and there will be more over time, especially forest fires,” Ms. Mohsin said. But perhaps most surprised were newcomers to Chibougamau, like Mr. Mabiala, from the Republic of Congo, who came to work in logging. “They were asking, “Oh, is there such a thing in Canada?’ ’’ Ms. Cabrera said.

Persons: Rey Steve Mabiala, Liz Gouari, Gouari, Mabiala, Prince Edward Island, ” Mr, “ It’s, ”, Josée Poitras, Tanzina Mohsin, Carlos Osorio, Ms, Mohsin, Poitras, “ I’ve, I’ve, Francis Côté, “, Chibougamau, Renaud Philippe, Côté, Guy Boisvert, Winters, Boisvert, Shirley, Jonathan Mattson, Mr, Mattson, Ruth Cabrera, Anna Huerte, —, Cabrera, Huerte Organizations: Wildfire, University of Toronto, ., Reuters, The New York Times, “, Credit Locations: Chibougamau, Quebec, Africa, Canada, North America, Republic of Congo, Prince, Nunavut, Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Toronto, Val, Montreal, Roberval, East Coast, United States, Philippines

☆ Canada wildfire smoke again slows flights in the Eastern U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

People take photos of the sun in Central Park as smoke from wildfires in Canada causes hazy conditions in New York City, June 7, 2023. Smoke from Canada wildfires could disrupt flights in the Eastern U.S. again Thursday after hundreds were delayed a day earlier due to decreased visibility, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Hundreds of flights to and from LaGuardia Airport in New York and nearby Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed Wednesday due to the heavy smoke. By late morning Thursday, more than 1,300 flights to, from and within the the U.S. were delayed, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Fifty-six Newark departures, or 8% of the outbound schedule, and a similar number of arrivals to the New Jersey airport were delayed.

Organizations: Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Philadelphia International, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia Locations: Central Park, Canada, New York City, Eastern U.S, Washington, Philadelphia, Charlotte, North Carolina, New York, LaGuardia, Newark, New Jersey

He said the United States has had "real concerns" about China’s relationship with Cuba and was closely monitoring it. Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, a U.S. Defense Department spokesperson, said: "We are not aware of China and Cuba developing a new type of spy station." If such a facility is built, the Chinese will use Cuba "as a beachhead for collection against the United States," said Daniel Hoffman, a former senior CIA undercover officer. Cuba, an old Cold War foe of the United States, has long been a hotbed of espionage and spy games. It backed down and removed the missiles, but it is widely regarded as the moment when the United States and the Soviet Union came closest to a nuclear confrontation.

Persons: Fort Bragg, John Kirby, General Patrick Ryder, Jose Cabanas, Washington, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Washington's, House's Kirby, Bob Menendez, ”, Daniel Hoffman, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Matt Spetalnick, Jonathan Landay, Doina Chiacu, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Patricia Zengerle, Dave Sherwood, Michael Martina, Kanishka Singh, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Nick Zieminski, Alistair Bell, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Wall Street, White House, Pentagon, U.S, U.S . Central Command, Tampa . Fort Liberty, Fort, White House National Security Council, Reuters, U.S . Defense Department, Embassy, Senate Foreign Relations, CIA, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, Cuban, Moscow, Soviet Union, Thomson Locations: China, Cuba, Florida, Beijing, U.S, Tampa . Fort, North Carolina, United States, Washington, Cuban, America's, Coast, South, Taiwan, South China, Havana, Soviet, Lourdes, Russian

☆ Air quality in NYC could gradually improve Friday as U.S. chips in to fight Canada wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - JUNE 7: People wear facial masks on June 7, 2023 because of bad air quality brought in by smoke of Canadian wildfires. Authorities urge people to wear masks, all outdoor activities for school children were canceled as well as regular baseball game at Yankee stadium between Yankees and White Sox. New York City continues to have the worst air pollution in the world as of Thursday afternoon. However, smoke models do not currently indicate another large plume over the city and better air quality is expected Friday, according to Mayor Eric Adams. The Washington and Baltimore regions have also been hit with the worst air quality in years.

Persons: Lev Radin, Eric Adams Organizations: UNITED STATES, Yankee, White Sox, Anadolu Agency, Getty, D.C, Major League Baseball, National Weather Service, New Locations: Anadolu, Canada, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, New York City, Northeast, Midwest, Ohio, The Washington, Baltimore

☆ New York City tops world's worst air pollution list from Canada wildfire smoke
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires blankets New York City affecting air quality on June 7th, 2023. A man sits at the bus stop with a mask on his face in New York City, June 6, 2023. Selcuk Acar | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesMillions of people in the Midwest are experiencing dangerous air quality conditions, with air quality advisories in effect in southeastern Minnesota, parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and areas in Wisconsin. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of global wildfires and air pollution from wildfire smoke is also growing worse. Last year, Stanford researchers found millions of Americans are routinely exposed to wildfire smoke pollution at levels rarely seen only a decade ago.

Persons: Leslie Josephs, Kathy Hochul, Hochul, Eric Adams, Adams, Gary Hershorn, Selcuk Organizations: Federal Aviation Administration, New York's, Newark Liberty International, CNBC New York Gov, Wednesday, Health, CIRA, NOAA, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Quality Health, Corbis, Getty, Canada, Anadolu Agency, of, National Weather Service, Stanford Locations: New York City, Northeastern U.S, Kist, York, Canada, York City, Quebec, New York, Herald Square, Manhattan , New York, Minnesota, of Michigan, Wisconsin, Air, New England

☆ Thick smoke pouring from Canadian wildfires snarls air travel in and out of NYC
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Jake Swearingen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Wildfire smoke has prompted ground stops and delays at Newark and LaGuardia airports in New York. "The FAA has taken steps to manage the flow of traffic into the New York City area due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke," FAA spokesperson told Insider. The smoke was from huge wildfires encompassing more than 420 fires across Canada, including massive blazes in northern Quebec. Weather conditions carried the smoke hundreds of miles into the U.S., blanketing cities across the northeast from New York to Maryland in a thick haze. According to the National Weather Service, visibility was reduced to 5 miles Queens and a little as 4 miles in Newark.

Persons: John F, CTtVi76QXh — Daniel Susser Organizations: National Weather Service, Morning, FAA, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International, New, Newark, LaGuardia, Kennedy International Locations: Newark, LaGuardia, New York, Queens, Canada, U.S, New York City, Quebec, Maryland

☆ 'Don't go outside unless you really have to': Everything you need to know and how to stay safe during the Canada wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

There were more than 400 wildfires burning in Canada on Tuesday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, causing unhealthy smoke conditions from New York to Michigan. As of Wednesday June 7, New York City was the city with the worst air quality on Earth, according to IQAir. For New York residents, an air quality advisory was shared in multiple regions. It indicates that fine particles in the air have reached an unhealthy level, especially for sensitive groups. I wish I knew that for sure, but it all depends on what happens in Canada so people should pay attention to that."

Persons: Colin McCarthy, It's, Adrian Pristas Organizations: Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Twitter, New, Hackensack Meridian, Hackensack Meridian Bayshore Medical Center Locations: U.S, Canada, New York, Michigan, New York City, NYC, Hackensack Meridian Bayshore

☆ Watch: Canadian Wildfire Smoke Spreads Across Eastern U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

What Makes Apple’s AR Headset Stand Out From CompetitorsApple unveiled its first major new product in a decade, an augmented-reality headset. The device launches Apple into a new market but it’s taking some familiar steps, like getting developers on board to build apps for the headset’s ecosystem. WSJ personal tech news editor Shara Tibken joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss. Image: Apple

Persons: Shara Tibken, Zoe Thomas Organizations: Apple

But Fed officials on Monday said the jury is very much out. Bostic said businesses in his southeastern U.S. Fed district "are telling me we think you're close to overdoing it ... Investors have consistently bet that the central bank, due to some combination of recession or a faster-than-expected drop in inflation, will be cutting rates by later this year. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said the central bank probably has "more work to do on our end, to try to bring inflation back down." In addition, he says the full impact of Fed rate hikes has yet to be felt.

☆ It’s Been a Warm 2023 for the Eastern U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Talal Ansari | Suryatapa Bhattacharya | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

It was ice cream weather in Washington, D.C., in February. Photo: Anna Rose Layden/Bloomberg NewsThe eastern U.S. had a record warm start to the year, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia all had their warmest January to April on record, data from NOAA’s U.S. climate report show. Other Eastern states—Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina and West Virginia—posted their second-warmest period. NOAA and its predecessors have been recording weather data since the 1800s.

☆ FAA launches faster, high-altitude flight routes to avoid congestion along the East Coast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Aviation Administration has launched nearly 170 new flight routes that are shorter and faster, aiming to cut down on congestion in the eastern U.S. It's part of a seven-year effort from the FAA and airlines to redraw high-altitude route maps for planes, the agency said Monday. The FAA launched the 169 new routes last week, and is abandoning older ones, which were longer and zigzagged more. Those longer routes were designed for planes relying on ground-based radar and not the GPS that modern aircraft use. The FAA estimated that the new routes would reduce about 6,000 minutes of travel time a year.

☆ How Unusual Was This Winter’s Snowfall Across the U.S.?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Zach Levitt | Elena Shao | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

Boston New York City 120 inches 120 80 80 Previous years since 2003 40 40 This year Oct. Dec. Feb. Apr. Oct. Dec. Feb. Apr. Philadelphia Washington, D.C. 120 120 80 80 40 40 Oct. Dec. Feb. Apr. Oct. Dec. Feb. Apr. Boston 100 inches Previous years since 2003 80 60 40 20 This year Oct. Dec. Feb. Apr.

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☆ Dominion Energy, National Grid pursuing pipeline sales - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 6 (Reuters) - Utility firms Dominion Energy (D.N) and National Grid Plc (NG.L) are separately considering a potential sale of parts of their natural gas pipeline networks, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. National Grid on the other hand is exploring a possible sale of part of its pipeline network serving the Northeastern U.S. Eliminating natural gas appliances would mean transitioning to electric equipment such as heat pumps. Dominion and National Grid's shares on the New York Stock Exchange were trading 0.4% and 1% higher, respectively. Dominion and National Grid declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

☆ Fact Check-NOAA graphic does not show public threat from ‘deadly plume’ after Ohio train derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Weeks after the crash, a tweet sharing the NOAA graphic said: “This is how far the deadly plume from East Palestine, OH had traveled by Feb. 8. The image shows the “vertical distribution of air movement” away from the train derailment incident, Alison Gillespie, a NOAA spokesperson, told Reuters via email. “The concentration of pollution decreases dramatically as you go downwind,” which she said is not seen in the graphic shared online. The Feb. 24 NOAA post acknowledged that the graphic was removed from the original article, then restored unchanged, without explaining the removal. A NOAA graphic shared on social media shows a simulation of generic particle dispersion vertically into the atmosphere following an Ohio train derailment and fire but does not indicate air pollution levels or the risk they posed.

Trumzz | Istock | Getty ImagesOver the past two years, millions of low-income U.S. households have received broadband internet at a discount through two consecutive government programs. "Millions could be left in the dark without broadband service for the very same reasons they didn't have it in the first place." The Emergency Broadband Benefit, or EBB, which was approved by then-President Donald Trump in late 2020 and launched in February 2021, provided a $50 subsidy. That's considered an accomplishment, said Ken Garnett, chief strategy officer at Cal.net, a small internet service provider that serves rural inland areas of California. As of January, about $6.1 billion of the funds had been claimed by broadband service providers as reimbursement for discounting their services and products.

☆ Fact Check-HBAL617 balloon tracked online is from U.S. company Aerostar, not China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Despite claims on social media, the balloon that flew over Memphis in fact belongs to U.S. company Aerostar. HBAL617 was the third most-tracked flight on Flightradar24 on Feb. 3, with over 3,400 users tracking the balloon (here). However, HBAL617 in fact belongs to Aerostar, an aerospace company based in South Dakota, according to Anastasia Quanbeck, Aerostar’s Culture and Communications Manager. Flightradar24 also confirmed the HBAL617 balloon tracked on its site does not belong to China. HBAL617 belongs to U.S. company Aerostar.

☆ Fed directs big banks to disclose how they are preparing for climate change risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The Fed has narrow, but important, responsibilities regarding climate-related financial risks – to ensure that banks understand and manage their material risks, including the financial risks from climate change," Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michael S. Barr said. "The exercise we are launching today will advance the ability of supervisors and banks to analyze and manage emerging climate-related financial risks." A financial stability report in late 2020 first discussed the possibility of the Fed examining how prepared the institutions it oversees are for economic impacts from climate change. In addition, banks are being asked to "consider the impact of additional physical risk shocks for their real estate portfolios in another region of the country." The final report will focus on aggregate information provided by the banks about how they are incorporating climate risks into their financial plans.

At least nine are dead and more deaths are expected after more than a dozen tornadoes tore through the Southeastern U.S. on Thursday, according to officials. Seven of the deaths were reported in Autauga County, Alabama, northwest of Montgomery, according to county Emergency Management Agency Director Ernie Baggett. Six of the deaths were reported the day the tornadoes made landfall in the state, and one was reported on Friday. The second fatality in Georgia was a Department of Transportation employee who was responding to storm damage, Governor Brian Kemp said in a news conference Friday. Governor Burt Jones took a helicopter tour of the damage Friday to also assess the damage resulting from tornadoes in the state.

☆ Omicron XBB.1.5 is rising in U.S. though revised CDC data shows slower increase than previously reported
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

XBB.1.5 made up 27.6% of sequenced Covid cases nationally for the week ending Jan. 7 compared with 18.3% for the week end Dec. 31. The CDC previously reported that XBB.1.5 made up about 41% of sequenced cases for the week ending Dec. 31, more than any other variant. Although the agency has revised its estimate downward, XBB.1.5 remains the only omicron subvariant showing significant growth in the U.S. right now. U.S. health officials should have more data soon on how much protection the omicron boosters provide against XBB.1.5., Jha said. Weekly Covid cases have increased by about 16% to 470,699 over the past week, according to CDC data.

☆ XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant is the most transmissible version of Covid yet, WHO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant that's currently dominating the U.S. is the most contagious version of Covid-19 yet, but it doesn't appear to make people sicker, according to the World Health Organization. "It is the most transmissible subvariant that has been detected yet," Van Kerkhove told reporters during a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday. It has been detected in 29 countries so far but it could be even more widespread, Van Kerkhove said. The WHO's advisory group that tracks Covid variants is conducting a risk assessment on XBB.1.5 that it will publish in the coming days, she said. "The more this virus circulates the more opportunities it will have to change," Van Kerkhove said.

☆ 46 killed as freezing temperatures and heavy snow wallop swaths of U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The full brunt of the storm was being felt in western parts of New York, which had become a “warzone,” New York Gov. A “band of heavy snow” in the Buffalo area was producing two to three inches of hourly snowfall, the National Weather Service said in a 3 a.m. bulletin, warning of rapidly deteriorating conditions. The deaths were recorded in 12 states: Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The National Weather service said “hazardous travel conditions” were expected to continue over the next few days and that they would slowly ease over the new year. “The life-threatening cold temperatures and in combination with dangerous wind chills will create a potentially life-threatening hazard for travelers that become stranded, individuals that work outside, livestock and domestic pets,” the National Weather Service said in an earlier bulletin.

[1/6] Hoak's restaurant is covered in ice from the spray of Lake Erie waves during a winter storm that hit the Buffalo region in Hamburg, New York, U.S. December 24, 2022. Twenty-eight people have died so far in weather-related incidents across the country, according to an NBC News tally. The Buffalo airport had recorded 43 inches (109 cm) of snow as of 7 a.m ET (1200 GMT) on Sunday, Otto said. "Another one to two feet in general before Monday morning in the Buffalo area is expected," Otto said. "I guess you can say in some ways, the worst of it is over but there's still some pretty significant snowfall that's ongoing around the Buffalo region today."

☆ Wild winter storm envelops U.S., snarling Christmas travel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Buffalo suburb and surrounding area are expecting wind gusts over 70 miles per hour battering homes and businesses through out the holiday weekend. A wild winter storm continued to envelop much of the United States on Saturday, bringing blinding blizzards, freezing rain, flooding and life-threatening cold that created mayhem for those traveling for the Christmas holiday. The storm that arrived earlier in the week downed power lines, littered highways with piles of cars in deadly accidents and led to mass flight cancellations. The storm was nearly unprecedented in its scope, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60% of the U.S. population faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning, and temperatures plummeted drastically below normal from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians, the National Weather Service said.

☆ Live updates: Over 200 million under advisories or warnings from 'historic winter storm'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Phil-Helsel-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Nbc News | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: 1 min

Over 200 million people or 60% of the population are under some form of weather warning or advisory from a “historic winter storm,” forecasters said Thursday. “Winter weather hazards will stretch from border to border across the central and eastern U.S. and from coast to coast from the east coast to the Pacific Northwest,” the National Weather Service said in a bulletin. Going into the holiday weekend, it added that the storm will have “increasingly widespread impacts to travel,” along with the “potential for power outages.”What to know Widespread record low maximum temperatures are possible Friday. The storm is expected to become a bomb cyclone early Friday. The severe weather is causing travel chaos across the U.S.

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