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☆ The World Bank is betting on this company to 'green' the $1.6 trillion steel industry — take a look inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Boston Metal CEO, Tadeu Carneiro Photo courtesy Boston MetalThe Boston Metal offices in Woburn, Mass. A diagram of the process Boston Metal is using to make green steel. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards This is where the electricity is converted from AC to DC in the Boston Metal location. (A portion of the photo has been altered to protect the intellectual property of Boston Metal.) Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards The Boston Metal electrolysis process releases oxygen as a byproduct.

Persons: Tadeu Carneiro, Cat Clifford, Adam Rauwerdink, It's, Carniero, Sonneborn, Rauwerdink, Boston Metal's, " Carneiro, doesn't Organizations: Boston Metal, CNBC, Boston, Boston Steel, DC, MIT, IFC, BHP, World Bank Locations: Woburn , Mass, Boston, Woburn, Asia, Burkina Faso, India, Brazil, South Asia

June 2 (Reuters) - 3M Co (MMM.N) has struck a tentative settlement of at least $10 billion with a host of U.S. cities and towns to resolve water pollution claims tied to "forever chemicals," Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. 3M was scheduled to face trial on Monday against the City of Stuart, Florida. The city has said it is seeking more than $100 million from 3M to pay for water filtration and soil remediation. Litigation over them threatens companies like 3M, DuPont and others with billions of dollars in liabilities. The city claims firefighting foams containing PFAS were regularly sprayed at a local fire station, leading the chemicals to seep into the groundwater.

Persons: DuPont de Nemours Inc DD.N, CTVA.N, Stuart, Priyamvada, Clark Mindock, Brendan Pierson, Devika Syamnath, Alexia Garamfalvi, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Bloomberg, Reuters, DuPont de Nemours Inc, City, 3M, DuPont, Thomson Locations: U.S, DuPont, Stuart , Florida, South Carolina, West Palm Beach , Florida, Bengaluru, New York

☆ 3M reaches tentative pollution settlement of at least $10 bln - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 2 (Reuters) - 3M Co (MMM.N) has struck a tentative settlement of at least $10 billion with a host of U.S. cities and towns to resolve water pollution claims tied to "forever chemicals", Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares of 3M were up about 9% in afternoon trade. Last month, the Dutch government said it would hold 3M liable for polluting the Western Scheldt river with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - dubbed "forever chemicals" because they can last thousands of years in nature without degrading. 3M did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report. Reporting by Priyamvada C in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Priyamvada, Devika Organizations: Bloomberg, Chemours, DuPont de Nemours Inc, Corteva Inc, Thomson Locations: U.S, perfluoroalkyl, Bengaluru

A fountain at Hermon High School in Maine is taped shut after the water tested over the state's safety limit for PFAS chemicals. The school's water recently tested above the state's safety limit for PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often referred to as "forever chemicals." According to the Environmental Protection Agency, even tiny exposure to PFAS in drinking water could pose a serious health risk. Hermon High School is just one example of PFAS contamination currently affecting the community, according to Maine's attorney general, Aaron Frey. The company also expressed a commitment to remediate PFAS contamination, invest in water treatment and collaborate with communities.

Persons: Stephen King —, Micah Grant, Grant, Aaron Frey, Frey, Farmer Adam Nordell, " Frey, Wisconsin —, they've, they're, Scott Gottlieb, Gottlieb, —, du Pont, du Pont de Nemours, Corteva Agriscience, Corteva, Chemours, Deane Dray, Dray, Ben Brewer, It's, 3M's, Eric Rucker, Biden, Gianna Kinsman, Kinsman, PFAS Organizations: Hermon High School, CNBC, Hermon School, Environmental Protection Agency, CNBC Maine, DuPont, 3M, Centers for Disease Control, FDA, Manufacturers, du Pont de, Chemours, Dow, State, RBC Capital Markets, 3M Global, Bloomberg, Getty, RBC Capital, Law, Capstone, Republican, Biden Locations: Bangor , Maine, Maine, Maryland, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Alaska , California , Colorado , Delaware, Florida , Illinois , Michigan, Minnesota , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York, North Carolina , Ohio, Vermont, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Delaware, Stuart , Florida, Stuart, Maplewood , Minnesota

Three major chemical companies on Friday said they would pay more than $1 billion to settle the first in a wave of claims that they and other companies contaminated drinking water across the country with so-called forever chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other illnesses. The companies — Chemours, DuPont and Corteva — said they had reached an agreement in principle to set up a $1.19 billion fund to help remove toxic perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from public drinking water systems. Bloomberg News also reported on Friday that 3M had reached a tentative deal worth “at least $10 billion” with U.S. cities and towns to resolve related PFAS claims. Sean Lynch, a spokesman for 3M, declined to comment on the report, which cited people familiar with the deal without naming them. They have sought billions of dollars in damages to deal with the health impacts and the cost of cleaning up and monitoring polluted sites.

Persons: —, Corteva —, “, Sean Lynch Organizations: DuPont, Bloomberg News, 3M

☆ Chemical makers settle PFAS-related claims for $1.19 bln
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The companies, which deny the allegations, said that they expect to finalize a formal agreement by the second quarter of 2023. Chemours said it would contribute half the agreed amount, while the remainder would be provided by DuPont and Corteva. A first trial testing those claims against 3M Co. is scheduled to begin next week. Chemours, DuPont and Corteva were originally included as defendants in that trial, but Gergel removed them from the proceedings last month. The companies also face claims in other courts raised by individuals and by state attorneys general in California, Maryland, Washington and elsewhere.

Persons: Chemours, Richard Gergel, Gergel, Sourasis Bose, Clark Mindock, Shounak Dasgupta, Vinay Dwivedi, Alexia Garamfalvi, Sharon Singleton Organizations: DuPont de Nemours Inc, Corteva Inc, DuPont, Corteva, 3M, U.S, District, Thomson Locations: U.S, South, California , Maryland, Washington, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Inside SETI’s E.T. transmission test
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Deblina Chakraborty | Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, shown here, played a key role in SETI's test by sending a message to Earth on May 24. The Allen Telescope Array in Northern California is one of three observatories that picked up the transmission. But the event also correctly simulates the fact that it wouldn’t be SETI’s role to decipher the message, just to point out its reception. However, neither SETI nor any other organization on Earth has yet picked up any intelligent signal from the stars. He composed an interstellar radio message that was sent in 1974.

Persons: It’s, ”, Daniela de Paulis, “, Seth Shostak, ” de Paulis, Wael Farah, “ It’s, Jodie Foster, ” Farrah, Frank Drake, —, Neil Hall, Drake, , Neill Sanders, they’ve Organizations: CNN, SETI, Green Bank, Medicina, Orbiter, ESA, Allen, NASA, SETI Institute, Reuters, Arecibo Locations: Northern California, West Virginia, Bologna, Italy, American, Puerto Rico, Arecibo, British

Sixteen months after his infection, Mr. Muñoz’s lungs have recovered somewhat, but not completely. Tap to enableA 3-D visualization comparing a healthy set of lungs with Ms. Rodríguez’s lungs 14 months after her infection. Tilt your device to rotate lungs Slide to rotate lungs Slide to rotate lungsHealthy lungs are filled with millions of tiny air sacs called alveoli. Lung tissue with chronic damage shows scarred, thickened areas and collapsed sections with reduced airflow. Ms. Rodríguez has come closer to recovering, most likely helped by her youth and previous good health.

Persons: Andy Muñoz, Covid, ”, Howard Huang, It’s, Dr, Huang, Tom Kennedy, Kennedy, “, Marlene Rodríguez, Rodríguez, David Sayah, Sayah, “ She’s, ” Meridith Kohut, “ Covid, Mr, Muñoz, Meridith Kohut, ” Dr, Kennedy’s, Muñoz’s, Rodríguez’s, Melissa Raymundo, Ms, Raymundo, Gayle, Rodríguez didn’t, Vianney, José, it’s, “ We’re Organizations: New York Times, Houston Methodist Hospital, Covid, Medical Center, ”, The New York Times, USA Locations: La Porte , Texas, Houston, Atwater, Calif

CNN —A mysterious patch of fluorescent green water that appeared in Venice’s famed Grand Canal Sunday was caused by a chemical commonly used in underwater construction to help identify leaks, environmental authorities say. Gondolas navigate by the Rialto Bridge on Venice's historical Grand Canal as a patch of phosphorescent green liquid spreads in it, on Sunday, May 28, 2023. Luigii Costantini/APPeople observe Venice's historical Grand Canal as a patch of phosphorescent green liquid spreads in it,. This is not the first time Venice’s Grand Canal has changed color. In 1968 Argentine artist Nicolás García Uriburu dyed the waters of the canal green with a fluorescent dye called Fluorescein, during the annual Venice Biennale.

☆ The ruthless Sinaloa Cartel has flooded the US with fentanyl — and business is booming. A shocking DoJ indictment reveals how they do it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Sinaloa Cartel is the driving force behind the US's deadliest-ever drug threat — fentanyl. A recent DoJ indictment shed light on how the cartel has successfully flooded the US with the drug. This is largely due to the ruthless Sinaloa Cartel crime empire, one of the world's most powerful drug trafficking organizations. He was quickly released the same day after a violent confrontation between cartel members and security forces. As the Sinaloa Cartel's operations have expanded, it has also established secret fentanyl laboratories around Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state.

☆ Mosquitoes are most attracted to a chemical compound present in butter, cheeses and yogurts. Their deterrents can be a chemical found in plants, including cannabis.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Researchers conducted a study to find out how different human body odors can attract mosquitoes. The research used a 20-meter by 20-meter screened cage that contained hundreds of African malaria mosquitoes, according to the study. Despite the name, the mosquitoes were not infected with malaria, according to CNN, which first reported on the study. These tents are connected to the cage in a way that the human body odor can be safely fed to the mosquitoes. Researchers found that mosquitoes gravitated to human body odor with "increased relative abundances of the volatile carboxylic acids," including butyric acid.

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Netflix, Planet Fitness, Bloom, Wendy's, Dell & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Goldman Sachs initiates SQM as sell Goldman said the Chilean chemical company is exposed to ongoing lithium price weakness. Cantor Fitzgerald initiates Intuitive Machines as buy Cantor said the space exploration company has a "first-mover" advantage. Credit Suisse upgrades TE Connectivity to outperform from neutral Credit Suisse said the consumer electronics company is an Inflation Reduction Act beneficiary. JPMorgan upgrades Bloom Energy to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said the selloff in the the energy company is "overdone." RBC initiates Planet Fitness as outperform RBC said it sees an attractive entry point for the gym stock.

WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against Amgen Inc (AMGN.O) in its bid to revive patents on its cholesterol-lowering drug Repatha over a legal challenge by French rival Sanofi SA (SASY.PA). Amgen sought to patent a group of antibodies that help reduce so-called "bad" cholesterol. In 2014, Amgen sued Sanofi and Regeneron for patent infringement over their rival drug Praluent, which works by a similar mechanism as Repatha. The justices said that Supreme Court precedent weighed against Amgen. President Joe Biden's administration, arguing in support of Sanofi, told the justices that Amgen had not disclosed the information needed to make to make its patents valid.

☆ A growing number of sports bras, shirts and leggings brands found with high levels of toxic chemical, watchdog warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The newly tested brands and their products include leggings from Athleta, Champion, Kohl’s, Nike and Patagonia, sports bras from Sweaty Betty, athletic shirts from Fabletics and shorts from Adidas, Champion and Nike. The group had also tested athletic shirts in October from brands that included The North Face, Brooks, Mizuno, Athleta, New Balance, and Reebok and found similar results. Athleta, Nike, Reebok, The North Face and Victoria’s Secret (which owns PINK) did not provide a comment to CNN at the time. BPA (Bisphenol A) is found in a large number of everyday products, from water bottles and canned foods to toys and flooring. Sports bras and athletic shirts are worn for hours at a time, and you are meant to sweat in them, so it is concerning to be finding such high levels of BPA in our clothing,” Allan Sugerman said.

Kidde-Fenwal filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court. Kidde-Fenwal sold AFFF foam products from 2007 to 2013, according to court documents. Kidde-Fenwal does not make AFFF products, but it previously sold AFFF products through a subsidiary called National Foam. 3M, a central defendant in the AFFF lawsuits, has said it would stop producing PFAS by 2025. The case is In re Kidde-Fenwal Inc, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, No.

☆ Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: Shake Shack, Charles Schwab, H&R Block, DuPont and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Charles Schwab -- Stock in the brokerage firm added 2.4% in premarket trading. SoFi Technologies -- The stock sank nearly 6% in the premarket following a downgrade by Wedbush to underperform from neutral. The Wall Street firm said SoFi's fee income may be reaching a tipping point and it may need to raise capital this year to support growth. Dupont De Nemours -- Shares added 2.7% in premarket trading after Deutsche Bank upgraded the chemical company to buy from hold. The Wall Street firm said the stock was trading at a 50% discount to its peers.

☆ Australia's Allkem, Livent to merge into $10.6 bln lithium giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Harish Sridharan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 10 (Reuters) - Lithium producer Allkem Ltd (AKE.AX) has agreed to merge with U.S.-based Livent Corp (LTHM.N) to create one of the world's most valuable producers of the key raw materials used in electric-vehicle batteries. The all-stock deal will create a $10.6 billion entity, the fifth-largest in the world after Albemarle Corp (ALB.N), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQMA.SN), Ganfeng Lithium Group (002460.SZ) and Tianqi Lithium Corp (002466.SZ). ASX-listed Allkem produces lithium carbonate from its Sal de Vida facility in Argentina, which is near Livent's Hombre Mureto lithium project. Livent, based in Philadelphia, supplies lithium products to multiple U.S. automakers, including General Motors Co (GM.N), Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and BMW (BMWG.DE). Under the deal, Allkem shareholders will get one share in the combined entity for each of their shares and the company will ultimately own 56% of the new firm.

☆ Six innovations that can help feed the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Mark Tutton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN asked three experts to outline the innovations that can help increase food production without harming the planet. Insect proteinSingapore-based Insectta uses black soldier fly larvae to convert organic food waste into fertilizer and animal feed. The maggots are fed food waste, such as the byproducts of soybean factories and breweries. Don Emmert/AFP/Getty ImagesMadramootoo says that a wholescapes approach can also be applied to food production in urban and peri-urban areas – the spaces immediately surrounding a city. “In congested peri-urban areas, we can use vertical farms in warehouses or abandoned buildings, for example, to produce food.

☆ Why Do American Diners Have Such a Limited Palate for Textures?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Ligaya Mishan | Esther Choi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

What of the worlds that lie between slime and velvet, collapse and refusal, succulence and desiccation? Not only does English lack a robust vocabulary for food textures but, whether as corollary or coincidence, English speakers also tend to value a narrower range of textures. In a survey by the American sensory scientist Jeannine F. Delwiche conducted at Ohio State University in 2002, respondents considered texture significantly less important than taste and scent in its impact on flavor. It is often defined as a confluence of taste, scent and memory, yet other senses intrude. Studies have shown that diners have difficulty identifying flavors when foods are dyed different colors, for example.

☆ Fire burns for third day at Shell Texas chemical plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HOUSTON, May 7 (Reuters) - A fire burned for a third day on Sunday at Shell Plc's (SHEL.L) chemical plant in the Houston suburb of Deer Park, Texas, a company spokesperson said. The fire initially ignited on Friday afternoon in an explosion in an olefins unit, used to make plastics and rubber. The fire was extinguished for a few hours on Saturday morning before it reignited around 3 p.m. CDT (2000 GMT), said Shell spokesperson Curtis Smith. Water runoff has exceeded the chemical plant's wastewater capacity and is being diverted into the Houston Ship Channel, Smith said. Olefins units are the central units in petrochemical complexes, producing ethylene, butadiene and propylene from hydrocarbon feedstocks.

☆ Chemical companies can help us figure out the economy, says Jim Cramer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChemical companies can help us figure out the economy, says Jim Cramer'Mad Money' host Jim Cramer talks the upcoming debt ceiling face off, the U.S. jobs report, and this weekend's Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting.

☆ Living and Breathing on the Front Line of a Toxic Chemical Zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Eric Lipton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Juan López had just returned home from his job supervising the cleaning of giant tanks that hold toxic chemicals produced along the Houston Ship Channel, one of the largest petrochemical complexes in the world. He was ready to sit down to dinner with his wife, Pamela López, and their four school-age children at their small house across the highway from the plants. “I make good money where I’m at,” he said. “But I always felt like it was only me that was getting exposed, because I am working in the tanks with the chemicals. When the smell comes, all we can really do is try to keep everyone inside.

☆ Tyson processing plants accounted for nearly 60% of ammonia-related injuries reported to the EPA between 2012 and 2021, investigation finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tyson plants reported ammonia leaks and injuries at higher rates than other companies between 2012 and 2021, CNN reported. Nearly 150 workers were injured in at least 47 different ammonia leaks reported to the EPA. The company told Insider it often reports incidents that don't meet the legal standard for a leak to be reported to the EPA. Nearly 150 workers were injured in at least 47 different ammonia leaks reported to the EPA over that time span, according to an investigation from CNN. Tyson reported about 57% of ammonia-related injuries in the meat industry between 2012 and 2021, while only accounting for about 25% of the ammonia across the industry, according to CNN.

☆ As lithium prices bounce, analysts love these stocks — giving one 155% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

After a tough few months, lithium — a battery metal crucial in electric vehicles — is back in the spotlight as prices start to rebound. By the end of last week, however, lithium prices had started to bounce back. "Lithium prices in China gained for the first time this year on signs demand growth may be finally gathering pace … [and] amid thinning inventories across the supply chain," the ANZ Research analysts added. Canadian miner Sigma Lithium stood out for getting the highest potential upside from analysts at 155%, and a buy rating from 75% of analysts. Stocks that received a 100% buy rating included American EV battery maker Microvast Holdings and Australian miner Piedmont Lithium .

☆ Astronomers spot a sneak peek of Earth's death — a star swallowing a planet whole — for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Astronomers discovered a distant star swallowing a planet for the first time ever. Swallowing the planet whole produced a burst of energy that expelled the star's outer layers, causing it to expand and brighten rapidly. Except for a veneer of dust, the star pretty much looked the same as it had before, one year after devouring its planet. The distant planet that just got absorbed by its star was about the size of Jupiter, which is more than 1,300 Earths. (It later turned out, this pre-eruption dust was material from the planet skimming the atmosphere of the star as it orbited closer and closer.)

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