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☆ F.T.C. Clears Exxon Mobil’s Acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Clifford Krauss | More About Clifford Krauss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday approved Exxon Mobil’s acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources as long as Exxon excludes Pioneer’s chief executive from its board. Exxon’s purchase of Pioneer is one of several large mergers and acquisitions in the oil and gas industry in recent years. accused Pioneer’s chief executive, Scott Sheffield, of colluding with officers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies to control global oil production and prices. Sheffield’s past conduct makes it crystal clear that he should be nowhere near Exxon’s boardroom,” Kyle Mach, deputy director of the commission’s Bureau of Competition, said in a statement. “American consumers shouldn’t pay unfair prices at the pump simply to pad a corporate executive’s pocketbook.”

Persons: Pioneer’s, Scott Sheffield, Mr, Kyle Mach, ” Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Exxon, Natural Resources, Pioneer’s, Organization of Petroleum, Competition Locations: Texas, New Mexico, commission’s

☆ China’s Chang’e-6 moon probe stands by for launch as space race with US heats up
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Marc Stewart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

China’s planned 53-day mission would see the Chang’e-6 lander touch down in a gaping crater on the moon’s far side, which never faces Earth. China became the first and only country to land on the moon’s far side during its 2019 Chang’e-4 mission. Ambitious missionThe Chang’e-6 probe will be a key test for China’s space capabilities in its effort to realize leader Xi Jinping’s “eternal dream” of building the country into a space power. This time, to communicate with Earth from the moon’s far side, Chang’e-6 must rely on the Queqiao-2 satellite, launched into lunar orbit in March. This time, China has said the Chang’e-6 mission will carry scientific instruments or payloads from France, Italy, Pakistan and the European Space Agency.

Persons: China’s, “, Ge Ping, Xi Jinping’s, James Head, Luo Yunfei, Bill Nelson, –, ” Nelson Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China, Space Administration’s, of Lunar Exploration, Space Engineering, Brown University, China News Service, Luna, NASA, European Space Agency Locations: China, Hong Kong, Hainan, United States, Russia, Chang’e, India, Japan, Texas, France, Italy, Pakistan

☆ Mexico ICJ hearing: Ecuador showdown over embassy raid begins Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A showdown between Mexico and Ecuador begins on Tuesday at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the culmination of weeks of recrimination over an incident that saw Ecuadorian forces raid Mexico’s embassy in Quito in April, to arrest a former vice president who had been seeking asylum. Mexico is suing Ecuador at the world court over the armed raid, saying it violated the Vienna Convention, a United Nations treaty on diplomatic relations. The incident drew widespread international condemnation, but Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa remains unrepentant, telling CNN affiliate SBS news that he does not regret how Glas was arrested. Meanwhile, Ecuador filed a lawsuit of its own at the ICJ against Mexico over its decision to grant asylum to Glas. The diplomatic spat has seen a host of Latin American leaders across the political spectrum rally around Mexico, and several nations sever ties with Ecuador.

Persons: Jorge Glas, Ecuador’s, Daniel Noboa, Glas, Mexico’s, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Julian Assange, Alicia Barcena, Noboa, –, El, Bukele, Rafael Correa, Correa, CNN’s Abel Alvarado Organizations: CNN, International Court of Justice, Vienna Convention, United, UN, SBS, ICJ, Mexico, Ecuadorian Embassy, Mexican, SBS News, National Assembly Locations: Mexico, Ecuador, Quito, Vienna, United Nations, Mexican, Glas, Ecuador’s, London, Latin America

☆ Apple’s iPad will be subject to tough EU competition rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Apple’s iPad will face heightened regulation in the European Union after officials labeled its operating system Monday as a key gatekeeper technology under EU competition law. The stricter regulations require, for example, that the iPad not restrict third-party companies from accessing Apple services. And they prohibit Apple from giving its own services preferential treatment on the iPad compared to those offered by competitors. Apple is already subject to European gatekeeper obligations on iOS and in its app store and browser. “We will continue to constructively engage with the European Commission to comply with the DMA, across all designated services,” Apple said in a statement.

Persons: Margrethe Vestager, iPadOS didn’t, “, Vestager, ” Apple, ” Organizations: CNN, European Union, Google, Microsoft, Apple, European Commission Locations: European

☆ Julian Assange’s mission was to change the world - but at what cost?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Claudia Rebaza | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Julian Assange leaves a Melbourne court after facing charges of computer hacking in 1995. WikiLeaks/ReutersUnder a global spotlightAs WikiLeaks continued its disclosures, Assange found himself the latest cause célèbre – his every movement intensely scrutinized. … He liked the fuss that (the disclosures) caused but he was oddly incurious actually about the documents.”Others offer alternative explanations for Assange’s eccentricities. There were mounting calls for Assange to leave WikiLeaks and, when he didn’t, many cut ties with it. Outside the confines of his diplomatic shelter, the world questioned whether Assange was trying to circumvent justice.

Persons: London CNN — Julian Assange, ”, He’s, Chelsea Manning, Joe Biden, Assange’s, Anthony Albanese, Assange, “, ” –, Julian Assange, Ian Kenins, Sarah Palin’s, Atika Shubert, Shubert, ” Shubert, célèbre, Fidel Narvaez, “ Assange, ” Narvaez, James Ball, Joe Raedle, ” Ball, Ball, …, Narvaez, Hans Crescent, Lenin Moreno, Moreno, Abu Hamza al, Masri, Stella Assange, Daniel Leal, Stella, “ I’m, Nick Vamos, It’s, Alice Jill Edwards, Agnès Callamard, El País, Der Spiegel, Jameel Jaffer, Xiaofei Xu, Alex Stambaugh Organizations: London CNN, WikiLeaks, Court, Ecuadorian, Army, Australian, Pentagon, NASA, University of Melbourne, Fairfax Media, of Scientology, Republican, CNN, Chelsea, Apache, Reuters, Guardian, Ellingham, Hans, London’s Metropolitan Police, US Justice Department, of Justice, Britain's, Getty, Peters & Peters, Prosecution Service, Human Rights, UN, Amnesty, The New York Times, Columbia University Locations: United States, Australian, London’s, Australia, Townsville, Queensland, cybercrime, Melbourne, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Iraq, London, Afghanistan, ”, Sweden, Ecuador, UK’s, Belmarsh

☆ EU raids offices of Chinese security equipment maker in subsidy probe
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —European Union officials have raided the offices of a Chinese company as part of a probe into subsidies, exposing rising tensions between the bloc and one of its biggest trading partners. The European Commission said Tuesday that it carried out “unannounced inspections” at the premises of a company making and selling security equipment in Europe, which it suspects may have benefited unduly from state subsidies. “The commission has indications that the inspected company may have received foreign subsidies that could distort the (EU’s) internal market,” the EU’s executive body said in a statement on its website. The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU said Wednesday that it had been informed that a Chinese company was the target of the investigation. The Foreign Subsidies Regulation, which came into force last July, is aimed at addressing market distortions caused by subsidies from foreign governments and ensuring that EU companies are competing on a level playing field.

Persons: “, ”, ” Ursula von der Leyen, Janet Yellen Organizations: London CNN — European Union, European Commission, China Chamber of Commerce, EU, CNN Locations: Europe, Poland, Netherlands, Romania, China, Puglia, Italy, United States, Beijing

☆ F.T.C. Issues Ban on Worker Noncompete Clauses
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( J. Edward Moreno | More About J. Edward Moreno | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday banned employers from limiting their workers’ abilities to work for rivals, a sweeping change that the agency says could help raise wages and increase competition among businesses. The move bars contracts known as noncompetes, which prevent workers from leaving for a competitor for a certain amount of time, in most circumstances. The agency has said the proposal would raise wages by forcing companies to compete harder for talent. The proposal was approved by the agency in a 3-to-2 vote. She estimated the decision would lead to 8,500 new start-ups created in a year.

Persons: Melissa Holyoak, Andrew N, Ferguson, ’, Lina M, Khan Organizations: Federal Trade Commission

☆ Germany should legalize abortion up to 12 weeks, a government commission recommends
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Berlin CNN —Germany should overturn its 150-year old ban on abortions and make terminations legal within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, a government-appointed panel of experts said on Monday. The procedure is de-criminalized up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, but anyone seeking a termination must attend a compulsory counselling session followed by a mandatory three-day waiting period. After 12 weeks, abortions are only allowed in exceptional circumstances, such as if the pregnancy or birth poses a risk to the mother’s physical or mental health. “(The commission’s) recommendations provide a good basis for the open and fact-based conversation that is now necessary,” German Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus said in a statement on Monday. The proposals from Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s party would legalize abortion up to 12 weeks, a move more in line with some Western European countries.

Persons: Liane Woerner, “, Lisa Paus, Karl Lauterbach, ”, Donald Tusk’s, Andrzej Duda, Roe, Wade Organizations: Berlin CNN —, Reproductive, Social Democratic Party, SPD, Greens, Free Democrats, University of Constance, German Federal Statistical Office, Christian Democratic Union, Central Committee, Bishops ’ Conference, Family, German, Law, Justice Locations: Berlin CNN — Germany, Germany, France

☆ Coral bleaching: Ocean heat is driving a mass bleaching event, and it could be the worst on record
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Rebecca Wright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Coral reefs around the world are experiencing a mass bleaching event as the climate crisis drives record-breaking ocean heat, two scientific bodies announced Monday — with some experts warning this could become the worst bleaching period in recorded history. If ocean temperatures don’t return to normal, bleaching can lead to mass coral death, threatening the species and food chains that rely on them with collapse. Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a climate scientist specializing in coral reefs based at the University of Queensland in Australia, predicted this mass bleaching event months ago. In February, scientists at the Coral Reef Watch program at NOAA added three new alert levels to the coral bleaching alert maps, to enable scientists to assess the new scale of underwater warming. Bex Wright/CNNIn mid-February, CNN witnessed extensive coral bleaching on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest coral reef system – on five different reefs spanning the northern and southern areas.

Persons: ” Derek Manzello, Ove Hoegh, “, Guldberg, ”, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Niña, El, Manzello, ” Manzello, Lady Elliot, Bex Wright, Selina Stead, ” Stead, David Ritter Organizations: CNN, Atlantic, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Reef, Reef Watch, Pacific, University of Queensland, NOAA, Getty, Niña, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Park Authority, AIMS, UN, Greenpeace Locations: Pacific, Florida, Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Persian Gulf, Indonesia, Africa, Seychelles, Raja Ampat, Indonesia's West Papua, AFP, El, Lady, Greenpeace Australia

☆ News organizations post open letter urging Biden and Trump to debate ahead of 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A dozen of the nation’s biggest news organizations posted an open letter Sunday, urging President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to participate in televised debates ahead of the 2024 election. C-SPAN joins other major news organizations to urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participate in general election debates prior to November's election. Biden has not publicly committed to debating Trump, although he has not ruled it out. The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three presidential debates for September and October in Texas, Virginia and Utah. Biden responded to Trump’s calls for earlier debates in February, telling reporters: “If I were him, I’d want him to debate me, too.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ”, Biden, Trump, ” Biden, ” Trump, Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, I’d, He’s, Trump’s Organizations: CNN, ABC News, Associated Press, CBS News, SPAN, Fox News, NBC, Univision, NPR, PBS, USA, Republican National, Republican Party, Trump Locations: Texas , Virginia, Utah

☆ How the Columbia disaster changed the future of spaceflight
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The CNN Original Series “Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight” uncovers the events that ultimately led to disaster. The tragedy killed seven astronauts as the Columbia shuttle disintegrated upon its return to Earth on February 1, 2003, due to damage the vehicle sustained during launch. Changes at NASA were necessary, according to a formal investigation about the Columbia disaster published six months after the accident. Cultural changes: ‘Safety days,’ review boards and round tablesColumbia marked the second deadly mishap for the shuttle program after the space shuttle Challenger exploded during launch in January 1986. Following the Columbia disaster, NASA grounded its remaining fleet of three shuttles as the space agency sought to parse what went wrong.

Persons: ”, “, ” Wayne Hale, Rick D, Evelyn Husband, Bill Readdy, Bruce Weaver, Hale, ” Hale, Garrett Reisman, ” Reisman, Ilan Ramon, Reisman, —, NASA didn’t, SpaceX’s, Kevin Dietsch Organizations: CNN, Shuttle Columbia, Sunday, Columbia, SpaceX, NASA, Space Shuttle Columbia, Kennedy Space Center, Getty, Endeavour, Atlantis, International Space, Elon, Boeing, Columbia —, Challenger, International Space Station, Vigilance, ” Locations: Russia, AFP, California, Israel, Columbia

☆ Ecuador’s raid on Mexico’s embassy shocked Latin America. Here’s why it may still pay off for Daniel Noboa
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa during his inauguration at the National Assembly in Quito on November 23, 2023. A close ideological ally of Correa, Lopez Obrador had since December allowed Glas to live at the Mexican embassy—territory that is technically off limits for local authorities. Lopez Obrador last week seemed to criticize the election that brought Noboa to power, suggesting the climate of fear created by Villavicencio’s murder had favored Noboa. President of Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks during a briefing at Palacio Nacional on March 12 in Mexico City. Hector Vivas/Getty ImagesWhile Lopez Obrador is at the sunset of his political career, Noboa is just getting started and seeks a strong platform to run for re-election next year.

Persons: “, ”, Jorge Glas, Ecuador’s, Daniel Noboa, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Noboa, Guillermo Lasso, Fernando Villavicencio, Alfredo ‘ Fito ’ Macias, RODRIGO BUENDIA, Glas, Rafael Correa, Lopez Obrador, Evo Morales, Peru’s Pedro Castillo, Correa, Villavicencio’s, Santiago Orbe, ” Orbe, Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Hector Vivas, Emilio Lezama, Bukele, Latinobarometro, It’s, it’s Organizations: Bogota CNN —, Colombian, National, Getty, Ecuadorian, CNN, Palacio Nacional, International Court of Justice Locations: Bogota, America, Guyana, Quito, Mexican, Mexico, Latin America, AFP, Ecuador, Glas, Vienna, Ukraine, Mexico City, El, El Salvador

☆ TV networks prepare letter to Biden and Trump campaigns urging them to commit to 2024 election debates
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Five of the major US television networks have banded together to draft a letter urging President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to commit to participating in televised debates ahead of the 2024 election. Frank Fahrenkopf, co-chair for the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, told CNN he has not yet seen the letter. Biden has not publicly committed to debating Trump, although he has not ruled it out. Trump has posted on social media that he will debate “anytime, anywhere anyplace” despite the Republican National Committee voting unanimously in 2022 to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates. “If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high,” the TV networks stated in the letter.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, “, Frank Fahrenkopf, Biden, Trump, ” Biden, Trump’s, ” Organizations: CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox News, The New York Times, Republican National, Republican Party, Trump

☆ Opinion: Conservatives game the system to drag Supreme Court further into culture war
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Steve Vladeck | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

He is the author of the “One First” Supreme Court newsletter. Both cases were filed in federal district courts in which the plaintiffs could literally hand-pick the specific federal judge who would be assigned to hear the dispute. Indeed, the Supreme Court granted emergency relief in both the social media and mifepristone cases. But the Supreme Court is another matter. For once, the Supreme Court is the victim of right-wing litigation behavior, not the culprit.

Persons: Steve Vladeck, Stephen I, Biden, they’ve, Terry Doughty, Donald Trump, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Trump, —, Neil Gorsuch, Gorsuch Organizations: CNN, University of Texas School of Law, Monroe Division, Court, Western, Western District of, Amarillo Division, Northern, Northern District of, Appeals, Fifth, Fifth Circuit, Democratic, Ninth Circuit, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Securities, Exchange, Conference, United, Northern District of Texas, Judicial, Federal, FDA Locations: Murthy v . Missouri, Monroe, Western District, Western District of Louisiana, Amarillo, Northern District, Northern District of Texas, Orleans, Texas, Austin, West Coast, United States

☆ Saudi Arabia, Lagging on Women’s Rights, Is to Lead U.N. Women’s Forum
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Saudi Arabia won an uncontested bid to lead a United Nations body dedicated to women’s rights for the 2025 session, bringing condemnation from human rights groups that argued that the kingdom had an “abysmal” record on women’s empowerment. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.N., Abdulaziz Alwasil, was elected chairman of the Commission on the Status of Women, a U.N. body whose aim is to protect and promote women’s rights around the world. The Saudi state news agency wrote that the country’s new chairmanship “confirmed its interest in cooperating with the international community to strengthen women’s rights and empowerment” and highlighted strides the country had made toward greater social and economic freedom for women. But the decision drew scathing criticism from human rights groups. Amnesty International’s deputy director for advocacy, Sherine Tadros, said in a statement that Saudi Arabia had an “abysmal record when it comes to protecting and promoting the rights of women.” She argued that there was a “vast gulf” between the U.N. commission’s aspirations and the “lived reality for women and girls in Saudi Arabia.”

Persons: Abdulaziz Alwasil, “, Sherine Tadros, ” Organizations: United, Saudi, Amnesty Locations: Saudi Arabia, United Nations, Saudi

☆ Opinion: The male drivers who just can’t let go of their stick shift
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Opinion Paul Hockenos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Berlin CNN —For old-school connoisseurs of the automobile — usually men — driving means operating a beloved vehicle by touch, with three pedals underfoot and a shift stick at hand. Paul Hockenos Hayyan Al-YousoufIn Europe, this clientele is responsible for a good deal of the moaning about manual transmission’s demise. Well, Zen or not, the day of manual transmissions is speeding to an end — and this layman is shedding no tears. For one, the oft-repeated benefits of a stick shift over an automatic have been redundant now for years. The explanation: automatics select the right gear for the vehicle, usually the highest gear possible.

Persons: Paul Hockenos, ”, Paul Hockenos Hayyan, Mercedes Benz, upshift, ’ ”, Sigmund Freud, it’s, Robert M, It’s, —, “, Cristine Organizations: CNN, Berlin CNN, Porsche, BMW, Volkswagen, Swiss, Neue Zürcher, Art, Environmental Protection Agency, International Energy Agency, Toyota Locations: Berlin, Europe, New Berlin, Yousouf, Germany, New York, San Francisco, Oslo, Norway

BOSTON (AP) — Financially embattled hospital operator Steward Health Care has struck a deal to sell its nationwide physician network to Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, as it works to stabilize its finances. Maura Healey has said state monitors are keeping eye on the nine health care facilities operated by Steward Health Care in Massachusetts, including hospitals in some of the state’s poorer communities. Emails to Steward Health Care and Optum seeking comment were not immediately returned. Democratic U.S. Sen. Edward Markey said for-profit companies that participate in the health care system must understand that their decisions have direct impacts on patients and communities. “After years of gross profiteering and mismanagement, Steward’s latest plan raises more serious questions about the future of the Massachusetts health care system," Warren said in a written statement.

Persons: —, Maura Healey, Optum, David Seltz, ”, ” Seltz, Ronald Mariano, Democratic U.S . Sen, Edward Markey, ” Markey, “, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Steward’s, Warren, Steward Organizations: BOSTON, Health Care, UnitedHealth, Steward Health Care, Department of Public Health, Steward, Democratic Massachusetts, Democratic U.S ., Health, Education, Labor, Primary Health Locations: Massachusetts, The Dallas, Boston, U.S

Here is what the commission found in a report released Friday, and some of the reactions:GUNS NOT SEIZEDLaw enforcement should have seized Card’s guns and put him in protective custody weeks before he committed the deadliest mass shooting in state history, the commission concluded. “I’m in agreement with the committee’s findings as far as they go, and I do think it’s a legitimate point that the Sagadahoc Sheriff’s Office could have done more to intervene,” he said. Janet Mills, who helped assemble the panel, said its work is of “paramount importance for the people of Maine.” She said she would “carefully review” the report. Maine State Police and the sheriff’s office did not respond to calls seeking comment. The commission, led by a former chief justice of Maine’s highest court, plans to schedule more meetings and issue a final report in the summer.

Persons: MEREDITH, Robert Card, Aaron Skolfield, Leroy Walker, Joseph, ”, Walker, Ben Gideon, “, ” Gideon, Elizabeth Seal, Joshua, Janet Mills, Daniel Wathen, isn’t, ” Wathen Organizations: Army, Saco Armory, Auburn City Council, ” Democratic, Maine State Police Locations: N.H, Lewiston , Maine, Saco, Sagadahoc, Maine

☆ Europe investigates Big Tech’s use of generative AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Regulators at the European Commission say they’re particularly concerned about how generative AI could sow chaos in the run-up to this summer’s EU parliamentary elections. Online platforms will have until April 5 to respond to questions about steps they’ve taken to prevent AI tools from spreading election misinformation. The companies’ responses could be incorporated into a series of election security guidelines for tech platforms the European Commission plans to finalize by March 27, another commission official said. The AI investigation also covers a broader set of topics including how platforms are addressing generative AI’s impact on user privacy, intellectual property, civil rights and children’s safety and mental health. “One of the grievances we have is the ability to manipulate the service through automated means and this can include generative AI, so yes, there’s a link to the ongoing investigation,” one of the commission officials said.

Persons: “, ”, Linda Yaccarino, Thierry Breton Organizations: CNN, European Union, Meta, Microsoft, Commission, Digital Services, Elon Locations: Israel, EU

☆ About 63,000 Infant Swings Are Recalled Over Suffocation Hazard
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Johnny Diaz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jool Baby, a brand of children’s products, has recalled about 63,000 infant swings that were sold at Walmart stores and online because they posed a suffocation risk, federal safety regulators said. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday that the Jool Baby Nova Baby Infant Swing that was marketed, intended or designed for infant sleep posed a suffocation risk because it had an incline angle greater than 10 degrees. The product was in violation of the commission’s Infant Sleep Products Regulation and the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, the agency said. A study cited in the federal regulation of infant sleep products found that infants who slept in products with a 20-degree incline were exposed to increased demand on the abdominal muscles, which could lead to fatigue and suffocation. The same study determined that an incline of 10 degrees or below does not significantly affect infant motion or muscle activity.

Organizations: Walmart, U.S . Consumer Product Safety

☆ Are we in the Anthropocene Epoch? Not so fast, geologists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Scientists have voted against a proposal to declare a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene to reflect how profoundly human activity has altered the planet. The vote followed a 15-year process to select a geological site that best captures humanity’s impact on the planet. Some experts argued that the start of the Anthropocene could be better defined in other ways, such as the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. “This is the commission’s expert group for this interval of geological time and we are bound by its decision. Regardless of whether the term is officially classified as a geological epoch, Anthropocene is already widely in use, Cohen noted.

Persons: Kim Cohen, ”, Cohen, Phil Gibbard, eon, Colin Waters, Waters, …, David Harper, ” Harper, hadn’t, “ Organizations: CNN —, International Union of Geological Sciences, CNN Tuesday, geosciences, Utrecht University, Scott Polar Research, University of Cambridge, Geologists, University of Leicester, Durham University, International, of Locations: Ontario, Netherlands, United Kingdom

The staff member, Kyle Parker, is the senior Senate adviser for the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, known as the Helsinki Commission. The commission is led by members of Congress and staffed by congressional aides. It is influential on matters of democracy and security and has been vocal in supporting Ukraine. A confidential report by the commission’s director and general counsel, which The New York Times reviewed, said that the equipment transfer could make Mr. Parker an unregistered foreign agent. It said that Mr. Parker had traveled Ukraine’s front lines wearing camouflage and Ukrainian military insignia and had hired a Ukrainian official for a U.S. government fellowship over the objections of congressional ethics and security officials.

Persons: Kyle Parker, Parker Organizations: Capitol Hill, U.S . Commission, Security, Cooperation, Helsinki Commission, New York Times Locations: Russia, Europe, Helsinki, Ukraine

☆ Opinion: Trump’s making America irrelevant to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( David A. Andelman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

He formerly was a foreign correspondent and bureau chief for The New York Times in Europe and Asia and for CBS News in Paris. CNN —Madeline Albright famously called America the “indispensable nation.” Is former President Donald Trump making America the irrelevant nation? The first steps toward a new direction for such a Europe — without America — are already being taken. Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu/Getty ImagesVon der Leyen has also said that upping European defense production would be a top priority for her second term — not to mention sorting through vastly divergent budgets of the various countries. Still, as a bloc, Europe at about 85 billion euros ($92 billion) has already passed the United States at 66.2 billion euros ($71.6 billion) in total commitments to Ukraine.

Persons: David A, Madeline Albright, Donald Trump, Alexey Navalny’s, Vladimir Putin, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Joe Biden, ” haven’t, Mette Frederiksen, ” Frederiksen, Ursula von der Leyen, Europe’s, Christine Wormuth, Peter, Paul, Kaja Kallas, Dursun, Leyen, Emmanuel Macron’s, Macron, David Lammy, unflinchingly, who’s, ” Kallas, Alar Karis, ” Karis, we’re, Der Spiegel, ” Organizations: CNN, French Legion of, The New York Times, CBS News, Trump, Republicans, NATO, Security, Danish, America, Africa Command, Getty, Germany’s Kiel Institute, US, Union, Munich Security Conference, British, Labour Party, Estonian, Politico Europe, Kremlin, “ Locations: Europe, Asia, Paris, America, Russia, Russian, Ukraine, “, United States, Munich, Berlin, Brussels, Poland, Estonian, Anadolu, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, France, Russia’s, Sweden, Britain, German

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Afghan women feel scared or unsafe leaving their home alone because of Taliban decrees and enforcement campaigns on clothing and male guardians, according to a report from the U.N. mission in Afghanistan. The U.N. mission’s report, published Friday, said the decrees are being enforced through arrest, harassment and intimidation. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesOver half of the women interviewed for the report felt unsafe leaving the house without a male guardian, or mahram. Some women said that male relatives were also afraid and reluctant to leave the home with female relatives, as this would expose them to Taliban harassment. It seemed to be a specific goal of the Taliban to frighten women and girls out of leaving their homes, Barr said.

Persons: Heather Barr, Barr Organizations: Qatari, Doha, Virtue Ministry, Human Rights, Associated Press Locations: ISLAMABAD, Afghanistan, Doha

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Northern California judge is under investigation by a state agency for allegedly making antisemitic remarks when addressing a deputy public defender, failing to recuse himself from cases involving attorneys and other people he socialized with, sexually harassing women, and other ethical violations. Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Gregory Kreis was notified last week he is charged with 19 ethical violations going back to 2015. It is among the allegations outlined by the Commission on Judicial Performance that are now under investigation. The commission noted Kreis allegedly lied to the court's presiding judge who was investigating rumors Kreis was having an affair with a court employee. “I can tell you that we had witnesses who will contradict the allegations the Commission on Judicial Performance set forth in the notice of formal proceedings,” he added.

Persons: Gregory Kreis, Jerry Brown, Kreis, James A, Murphy, Rory Kalin, ” Murphy, Kalin, “, ” Organizations: FRANCISCO, California’s Locations: Northern California, Humboldt County, ”

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