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☆ Public pools are disappearing across America
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Yet just as public pools become more important than ever, they’re disappearing from sight. Today, the city has five public pools for a population of around 640,000, ranking 89 out of the largest 100 cities in swimming pools per person, according to Trust for Public Land, an advocacy organization for public parks and land. Private pools, like these in Southern California, have replaced public pools in recent decades. When America built poolsWhile public pools are a rarer sight today, governments built enormous pools during the twentieth century. Hannah Beier/ReutersBut the loss of public pools cannot be picked up fully by private pools or non-profit groups.

Persons: Gerome Sutton, ”, Sutton, ” Sutton, Matt Stone, won’t, Tammy Hawkins, We’ve, Andrew Kahrl, “ We’ve, ” Kahrl, Mario Tama, Jeff Wiltse, Robert Moses, ” Wiltse, Victoria Wolcott, Louis, Walcott, Whites, Martin Luther King Jr, ’, Funtown, suburbanites, John Cornell, Wolcott, Kahrl, Kevin Roth, It’s, Hannah Beier, LaShandra Logan, “, ” Logan Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Weather Service, YMCA, Public, Courier, USA, Aqua, Louisville, University of Virginia, National Recreation and Park Association, University of Montana, ”, Hulton, York, federal, Project Administration, San, University at Buffalo, ” Police, D.C, Kerner Commission, The Old, The Old Westbury Country Club, Newsday, Getty, Whites, Recreation and Park Association, Reuters Locations: New York, Louisville , Kentucky, Algonquin, Louisville, West Louisville, Cypress St, America, Southern California, America —, “, New York City, San Francisco, St, Louis, Baltimore, Washington, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Augustine , Florida, White suburbs, The, The Old Westbury, Mississippi, Cleveland, California, Parks

"I am worried because we are in a deep real estate crisis. And the real estate crisis needs clear, structured and downright radical steps to fix it," Mattner said. For years, Germany's property market has been seen as a safe haven, becoming a major draw for foreign investors. Recent data shows the stress the property sector is facing as the European Central Bank hikes interest rates, with little respite in sight. The fall is "catastrophic," said Andreas Beulich, head of the Federal Association of Independent Real Estate and Housing Companies.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Andreas Mattner, Mattner, Tim, Oliver Mueller, Mueller, Scholz, Danyal, Andreas Beulich, Mathias Duesterdick, ”, Andreas Naujoks, Simone Zapke, Emma, Victoria Farr, Matthias Inverardi, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, German Property Federation, German Construction Industry Federation, Reuters Graphics, European Central Bank, Federal Association of Independent, Housing Companies, Centrum Group, ECB, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Germany's, Europe's, Kai Pfaffenbach FRANKFURT, Baden, United States, Sweden

☆ Biden Administration Moves to Raise the Cost of Drilling on Federal Lands
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Coral Davenport | More About Coral Davenport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration on Thursday proposed a rule that would raise the royalties that fossil fuel companies pay to pull oil, gas and coal from public lands for the first time since 1920, while increasing more than tenfold the cost of the bonds that companies must pay before they start drilling. The Interior Department estimated that the new rule, which would also raise various other rates and fees for drilling on public lands, would increase costs for fossil fuel companies by about $1.8 billion between now and 2031. After that, rates could increase again. About half of that money would go to states while a third would be used to fund water projects in the West. Officials at the Interior Department characterize the changes as part of a broader shift as it seeks to address climate change by expanding renewable energy on public land and in federal waters while making it more expensive for private companies to drill there.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Interior Department, West

☆ 5 National Park Destinations That Aren’t Parks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Lauren Sloss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Many of the 63 national parks across the United States have seen an explosion of visitor numbers both during and after the pandemic, which often has led to booked campsites, clogged trails and timed entry requirements in an attempt to limit crowds. The big-name national parks however are just one category of public lands under the purview of the National Park Service. And the designation does not necessarily imply a superiority of scenery and activities — many of the lesser-known national historic sites, monuments, recreation areas and seashores also provide excellent spots to explore the varied natural beauty and attractions of the United States, but without the big ticket crowds. “Regardless of formal designation, each of the 424 sites in the National Park System offer visitors a variety of opportunities for inspiration, relaxation, recreation and education,” said Kathy Kupper, a public affairs specialist with the N.P.S. Here are five suggestions for less crowded alternatives to national parks in this busy summer season.

Persons: ”, Kathy Kupper Organizations: National Park Service Locations: United States

☆ New Mexico trail clash echoes culture war across US West
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Andrew Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Andrew HayTALPA, N.M., July 7 (Reuters) - Physiotherapist Spencer Bushnell lives less than a mile from farmer Carlos Arguello in Taos, New Mexico. But they are worlds apart on proposals to lace the foothills they love with up to 71 miles of mountain bike and hiking trails. That put the neighbors on the frontline of a culture war raging across the West as multi-generational families, conservationists and sometimes conservatives fight trail systems sought by incomers and recreationist locals. Two bike trail projects have been nixed in as many months on public land in Oregon and Colorado. Across the United States, Americans are moving to places with trees and trails, many working remotely.

Persons: Spencer Bushnell, Andrew Hay TALPA, Carlos Arguello, Arguello, Bushnell, Carl Colonius, Darryl Maestas, Hispanos, Emily Matheu, Michael Lujan, Andrew Hay, Donna Bryson, Alistair Bell Organizations: . Forest Service, REUTERS, Division, U.S ., USFS, mamas, Thomson Locations: Taos , New Mexico, U.S, Oregon, Colorado, The Taos, Taos, Bend , Oregon, United States, South Korea, Afghanistan, Oakland , California, California

CNN —Authorities in India’s central Madhya Pradesh state have demolished a man’s home after a video that appeared to show him urinating on a member of a tribal community went viral on social media this week. While the incident captured in the video allegedly occurred a year ago, the man, identified by police as Pravesh Shukla, was arrested and charged Tuesday for the obscene act. A political flashpointIn a Twitter post Friday, the Madhya Pradesh government said the victim would receive 500,000 rupees ($6,000) in compensation and 150,000 rupees ($1,800) to help him build a house. The announcement came a day after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited the victim to apologize for what happened to him. “Ever since I saw the video of [this] incident, my heart is deeply disturbed and filled with pain,” Chouhan tweeted Thursday.

Persons: Pravesh Shukla, “, ”, Priya Singh, Narendra Modi’s, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, ” Chouhan, Chouhan, Shukla, Rahul Gandhi, Kamal Nath, ” Nath Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Police, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, “ Locations: India’s, Madhya Pradesh, Sidhi District, Uttar Pradesh, India, Sidhi district, ”

☆ James G. Watt, Interior Secretary Under Reagan, Dies at 85
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Robert D. Mcfadden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

James G. Watt, who as President Ronald Reagan’s first Interior secretary tilted environmental policies sharply toward commercial exploitation, touching off a national debate over the development or preservation of America’s public lands and resources, died on May 27 in Arizona. His son, Eric Watt, confirmed his death in a text message but declined to cite a cause. After taking office in 1981, Mr. Watt was asked at a hearing of the House Interior Committee if he favored preserving wilderness areas for future generations. “I do not know how many future generations we can count on before the Lord returns,” he said. Mr. Watt, a born-again Christian and a lifelong Republican, saw himself as a servant of God and prayed with colleagues at work.

Persons: James G, Watt, Ronald Reagan’s, Eric Watt, Reagan, Critics, Lord, ”, God Organizations: Republican Locations: Arizona, Denver, “

☆ Swimply, the rental company of home pools, adds pickleball courts to its offerings
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Swimply is expanding its marketplace to offer pickleball court rentals. Pickleball courts are even starting to fill the vacant space left behind by retailers in malls. In Stamford, Connecticut, for example, Pickleball America plans to turn 80,000 square feet of a former Saks Off 5th space into 28 pickleball courts. The company has been rapidly building courts — as well as converting courts from tennis to pickleball — and now has more than 400 pickleball courts at its more than 200 golf and country clubs across the country. Swimply court rentals range from $25-$100 per hour.

Persons: Laskin, there's, There's, Linda Hwang, TPL, St . Louis, —, David Pillsbury, Pillsbury Organizations: CNBC, New, Day, Labor, Trust, Public, People Lab, Saks Locations: New York City, New York, Los Angeles, Bay Area, Houston, Austin , Texas, U.S, Sarasota , Florida, ., Stamford , Connecticut, America, St .

☆ Replanting the Amazon could slow global warming. Here’s why it’s hard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +24 min

Milton da Costa Junior nosed his pickup through a remote stretch of the western Brazilian Amazon to check on his babies. Local authorities said the September 2021 incident, which Da Costa outlined in a police report that was reviewed by Reuters, is being investigated. Out of dozens of reforestation initiatives in the country, Rioterra and The Black Jaguar Foundation, a Brazilian-European group, are among the largest. Illegal invaders destroy in hours what it takes Rioterra or Black Jaguar a year to plant. In all, Black Jaguar has signed contracts with 26 farms and planted 326 hectares (806 acres) to date.

Persons: Milton da Costa, Da Costa, Carlos Nobre, Alexis Bastos, Rioterra, ”, Nobre, “, Bastos, Jamari, Dejesus Aparecido Ramos, it’s, ” Bastos, Jair Bolsonaro, Germany –, Bolsonaro, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Black, Ben Valks, Valks, Leandro Silveira, Silveira, São, ” Valks, aren’t, Cristina Banks, Leite, Marcos Mariani, Araguaia, Mariani, Tânia Irres, ” Irres, Regina Molke, I’ll, Clovis, Black Jaguar, Aquaverde, Renato Franklin, “ Ben, ” Franklin, L’Oreal, da Costa, ” Da Costa, da, Spring, Clare Trainor, Catherine Tai, Lais Morais, Ilan Rubens, Lucy Ha, John Emerson, Marla Dickerson Organizations: Milton da Costa Junior, Toyota, Reuters, Black Jaguar Foundation, National Institute for Space Research, Rioterra, Cultural, Environmental Studies, Petrobras, “, Amazon Fund, Environment Ministry, United, United Arab Emirates, São Paulo, Global, Farmers, Brazil’s Central Bank, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, Imperial College London, Santana, Bolsonaro, United Nations, Space Agency, Copernicus, Sentinel Locations: Machadinho, Rondônia, Brazil, Germany, Brazilian, European, Manhattan, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Bastos, Porto Velho, droves, Rio, Black, Itapuã, Oeste, Norway, United Arab, Pará, Caixa, “, Costa, Syria, Paris, Santana, Araguaia’s, Clovis, Regina, United States, South, Geneva, Rio Preto, da Costa

☆ I dropped out of college to live out of my car. My lifestyle has taught me more than college ever could.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Robert French | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Since then, I've built far more skills and become far more independent than I could've in college. So I dropped out and decided to live out of my car instead. It became clear to me that college was not preparing me to be an independent adultFor me, college was basically summer camp. There are national grasslands, national forests, and huge tracts of unused scrubland managed by various federal agencies. I've gained a lot from being voluntarily homelessDon't get me wrong; it's lousy to live out of your car for many reasons.

Persons: I've, —, irresponsibly, Mount Elbert —, Lady Hercules, It's Organizations: Service, AmeriCorps, Rockies Locations: Steamboat Springs , Colorado, Rocky, Vail, Mount, Midwest, buttes, Nebraska, Wyoming, Pennsylvania

☆ Biden Interior advances renewable energy transmission projects in Nevada
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management this week said it has advanced two transmission projects proposed by public utility NV Energy that would facilitate more renewable energy development and delivery in Nevada. Once completed, the projects will connect eight gigawatts of clean energy to the Western power grid. The plans would bolster the Biden administration's goal to deploy 25 gigawatts of renewable energy on public lands and waters by 2025 and achieve a carbon-free power sector by 2035. The announcement comes as Congress debates federal energy permitting overhauls, with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., introducing a measure earlier this month to speed permitting of both fossil fuel and renewable energy projects. Transmission projects involve expanding high-voltage lines that transport renewable energy to populated areas and will play a critical role in accelerating the clean energy transition while meeting growing power demand.

☆ 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.

☆ Umbrellas and Lounge Chairs Cover Italy’s Beaches. To Some, They’re a Plague.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Eric Sylvers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

About half of Italy’s coastline with sandy beaches is privately managed. Photo: Fabrizio Villa/Getty ImagesWhen Roberta Milani goes to the beach with her husband and three children, she doesn’t want to see hundreds of matching umbrellas and reclining chairs in neat rows hogging the sand and blocking her view of the sea. That can be a challenge in many parts of Italy. By law, Italian beaches are public land, but that doesn’t necessarily mean people can freely access them. The government has long given over the management of much of its 5,000-mile coastline to businesses that plant umbrellas and chairs in the sand almost up to the water and charge beachgoers to use them.

☆ More than 24,000 people evacuated in Western Canada as 103 wildfires burn
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Mirna Alsharif | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Over 24,000 residents throughout Western Canada have been ordered to evacuate their homes to escape active wildfires in the province of Alberta. Smith activated the Emergency Management Cabinet Committee in response to the wildfires, which has been meeting daily since Friday. All options are on the table, including declaring a provincial state of emergency, Smith added. Fourteen counties and communities have declared states of local emergency, including Brazeau, Grande Prairie, Parkland and Lac Ste. Anne counties, as well as the Beaver Lake Cree Nation.

☆ Youth climate activists plan to protest the biggest social event for Washington's political-media class
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

On Saturday, the group plans to blockade the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, DC. So the White House Correspondents' Association dinner is an appropriate target, Salamon said. The White House did not return requests for comment. Haught acknowledged she had little political choice because GOP candidates have shown paltry interest in prioritizing climate action. "If you're putting your body on the line and risking a record of arrest, that shows you're serious," Haught said.

☆ Google's 80-acre San Jose mega-campus is on hold as company reckons with economic slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The city of San Jose may now be paying the price. CNBC has learned that, as part of Google's downsizing that went into effect early this year, the company has gutted its development team for the San Jose campus. By then, the company had already completed much of its multi-year land grab of downtown San Jose for the future campus. Google spent several years planning for the San Jose complex and invested significant resources in winning over the local community. "We all originally knew that it's going to be a long-term plan," San Jose councilmember Omar Torres, who represents the downtown area, told San Jose Spotlight in February.

☆ Montana Republicans are appealing to anti-California sentiment to pass a slew of bipartisan pro-housing policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Montana Republicans are aligned behind zoning reform and other pro-housing policies. And everybody in Montana is asking this question of, you know, how can we keep Montana feeling like Montana?" Preventing a 'California-style housing crisis'Montana's ultra-conservative GOP governor, Greg Gianforte, recently called the housing crisis "probably the number one issue faced by working Montanans." Conservative supporters of pro-housing policies in the state have successfully tied anti-California sentiment to anti-sprawl and pro-housing policies. "The fear is that in 25 years, we're going to have a California-style housing crisis," Cotton said.

☆ US gives final nod to huge power line from Wyoming to Nevada
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 11 (Reuters) - U.S. officials on Tuesday gave final approval for a company owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz to begin building a massive transmission line that will deliver wind energy from blustery Wyoming to power-hungry California. The "notice to proceed" from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management allows TransWest Express LLC to break ground on its $3 billion line after more than 15 years of development. A separate Anschutz firm owns the 600-turbine Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind farm in Wyoming, which is being built, that will send power through TransWest Express. TransWest Express construction will start later this year and the first stage will be completed in 2027, the company said. The line will run from south central Wyoming, through Colorado, Utah and Nevada to a substation outside of Las Vegas.

☆ Biden Interior proposes leasing public lands for conservation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden administration this week proposed a new rule that would allow the Interior Department to lease public lands for conservation, a process similar to how the agency delivers leases for oil and gas development and mining projects. The Interior on Thursday said establishing conservation leases would help states and companies offset the environmental impact of their development plans. Issuing conservation leases would generate revenue and make landscapes more resilient to climate change, Interior officials said. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in a statement said the country's public lands are under mounting pressure amid unprecedented climate-related disasters like wildfires and drought. "We appreciate the meaningful conservation measures in this new rule that have the promise to advance biodiversity, climate resilience and equity on our public lands," O'Shea said.

☆ Biden to designate two new national monuments, in Nevada and Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A wind and snow storm builds along the mountains of the Spirit Mountain Wilderness as viewed from Highway 163 on March 10, 2021 in Laughlin, Nevada. The Biden administration on Tuesday will establish two new national monuments in the Southwest, a decision that will protect the Spirit Mountain area in Nevada and Castner Range in Texas from development. The proclamations are part of the administration's commitment to protect one-third of the country's lands and waters by 2030. The Spirit Mountain area, also known as Avi Kwa Ame, would be the largest protected area under the administration so far and only the second monument designated to honor Indigenous tribes while conserving public land. Avi Kwa Ame is considered sacred by tribes including Mojave, Chemehuevi and Paiute.

☆ Biden creates two new national monuments in Nevada and Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden arrives at Harry Reid International Airport, for a visit to a reception for the Democratic National Committee in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., March 14, 2023. REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden created two new national monuments, in Nevada and Texas, on Tuesday and launched an effort to consider expanding protections for all waters around remote Pacific islands southwest of Hawaii. The other new national monument is Castner Range in El Paso, Texas. Biden directed Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to consider initiating a new marine sanctuary designation for all U.S. waters around the Pacific Remote Islands. The designation would expand on the existing Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument established by President George W. Bush in 2009 and expanded by President Barack Obama in 2014.

☆ Kamala Harris dodged a question about the Willow drilling project Biden just approved during an interview with Stephen Colbert
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kamala Harris dodged a question about if Biden broke a campaign promise with the Willow project. On Wednesday night's episode of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," Colbert first asked Harris what the major issues will be that define the upcoming 2024 election, in which Biden and Harris are expected to run for re-election. Colbert asked the Vice President. Colbert then asked about the blowback the Biden-Harris administration is now facing because of the Willow project approval. After pushing her three times, Harris still would not answer whether Biden broke a campaign promise, prompting Colbert to move on in the interview.

Companies Conocophillips FollowWASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - Six environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Tuesday over the Biden administration's approval of ConocoPhillips' (COP.N) Willow oil and gas project in Alaska, which they claimed could be a stepping stone to more development in an ecologically sensitive region. Trustees for Alaska, the Alaska Wilderness League, the Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society and other groups said the U.S. Interior Department approved Willow on public lands on the north coast of the state despite acknowledging and failing to mitigate "known harms" to Arctic communities, public health, wildlife and climate. The Interior Department on Monday approved three drill pads for Willow after saying last month it was concerned about the greenhouse gas emissions. The Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the suits.

Companies Conocophillips FollowWASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) - The oil industry on Monday cheered the U.S. government's greenlighting of ConocoPhillips' multibillion-dollar oil drilling project in Alaska's Arctic, but court challenges could mire the plans in further delays. President Joe Biden's administration approved a trimmed-down version of the $7 billion Willow project on federal lands in a pristine area on Alaska's north coast. Kristen Monsell, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, another group involved in the previous suits, said Monday's approval for the Willow project is "still inadequate in numerous respects." Senator Dan Sullivan, a Republican from Alaska, told reporters the state's lawmakers are prepared to defend the decision against "frivolous" legal challenges. Even if Interior could beat back the oil company's challenge, it would probably only mean another delay for Willow, he said.

☆ Biden Interior approves controversial Alaska oil drilling project
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Climate activists gather to protest with demanding President Biden stop the Willow Project by unfurling a banner on the Lafayette Square in front of the White House on January 10, 2023 in Washington D.C. The Biden administration approved a major and controversial oil drilling plan in Alaska, known as Willow, just one day after unveiling protections for more than 16 million acres of land and water in the region. Environmental groups have long condemned the plan, arguing it undermines the administration's pledge to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Prior to the president's decision, the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management released an environmental analysis last month that proposed lowering the number of drilling sites from five to three under the project. The Interior said it had "substantial concerns" about Willow, including its direct and indirect emissions and its impact on local wildlife.

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