abcnews--2019-11-25--Charles Schwab buys TD Ameritrade in brokerage blockbuster

Charles Schwab is buying rival TD Ameritrade in a $26 billion stock swap, a blockbuster agreement accelerated by massive disruption in the online brokerage industry.  Competitive pressure has already forced brokerages to make it free for customers to trade U.S. stocks online, and Schwab’s buyout combines two of the biggest players in the industry.  The tie-up creates a company so big, however, that it may draw sharp scrutiny from antitrust regulators. The combined company would have more than $5 trillion in client assets under management.  “With this transaction, we will capitalize on the unique opportunity to build a firm with the soul of a challenger and the resources of a large financial services institution that will be uniquely positioned to serve the investment, trading and wealth management needs of investors across every phase of their financial journeys,” Schwab CEO Walt Bettinger said in a prepared statement.  TD Ameritrade stockholders would receive 1.0837 Schwab shares for each TD Ameritrade share they own.  The transaction gives Schwab about 12 million client accounts, $1.3 trillion in client assets and approximately $5 billion in annual revenue. The combined company is expected to control 24 million client accounts.  By itself, Schwab may control close to half the market for acting as a custodian for money managed by registered investment advisers, for example, while TD Ameritrade may control about 15% to 20%, according to Kyle Voigt, an analyst with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.  The rewards for passing regulatory muster would be lucrative: A combined company “makes strong strategic sense,” would be able to cut costs and could bump up Schwab’s earnings per share by more than 25% over the long term, Voigt said.  The deal could also herald more mergers across the industry.  Schwab sent shockwaves through the industry less than two months ago when it said it would do away with commissions for online trading of U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds, fees that have long fueled the industry.  All major brokerages have followed suit, but fees had been falling for years.  Beyond players like Schwab, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity and E-Trade Financial, apps like robinhood.com out of Palo Alto, California, have also entered the fray to help customers get invested in the market.  That has increased the pressure on San Francisco’s Schwab Corp. and TD Ameritrade Holding Corp., of Omaha, Nebraska, the biggest publicly traded brokerages. Schwab had $3.85 trillion in total client assets at the start of the month, while TD Ameritrade had $1.3 trillion at the end of September.  The deal is expected to close in the second half of next year. It’s anticipated to take 18 to 36 months to integrate the two businesses once the transaction is complete. The corporate headquarters of the combined company will eventually relocate to Schwab’s new campus in Westlake, Texas.  The Toronto-Dominion Bank, which currently holds approximately 43% of TD Ameritrade’s stock, will have an ownership position of approximately 13% in the combined company, with other TD Ameritrade stockholders and existing Schwab stockholders holding approximately 18% and 69%, respectively.  TD Ameritrade suspended its search for a CEO, naming Chief Financial Officer Stephen Boyle as interim CEO. The current CEO, Tim Hockey, announced in July that he would be stepping down early next year.  Trading in shares of both companies was muted before the opening bell after wild swings last week when CNBC first reported that the companies were pursuing a deal.


abcnews--2019-11-25--Charles Schwab will buy TD Ameritrade for $26 billion in drastically altered stock brokerage sector

Charles Schwab will buy TD Ameritrade for $26 billion in drastically altered stock brokerage sector Charles Schwab will buy TD Ameritrade for $26 billion in drastically altered stock brokerage sector


abcnews--2019-11-30--Fiat Chrysler, auto union reach tentative deal on contract

The United Auto Workers and Fiat Chrysler reached a tentative agreement Saturday on a new four-year contract, which includes a total of $9 billion in investments but still needs final approval from workers.  Both sides declined to offer details on the deal, but it includes a $9,000 bonus for workers when the agreement is ratified, a promise not to close any factories where vehicles are assembled for the next four years, and a commitment to keep making vehicles at a plant in Belvidere, Illinois, according to a person briefed on the matter. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are confidential.  The UAW-FCA national council will meet Dec. 4 to go over the details of the tentative deal. If adopted, it would go to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ 47,000 union workers, and a vote by hourly and salary workers could begin on Dec. 6.  Fiat Chrysler is the last company to settle on a new contract with the union. GM settled Oct. 31 after a bitter 40-day strike that paralyzed the company’s U.S. factories, but Ford reached a deal quickly and settled in mid-November.  Talks have focused on Fiat Chrysler for almost two weeks, and both sides negotiated into the early morning hours earlier this week before taking a break for the Thanksgiving holiday.  The Illinois factory west of Chicago now makes the Jeep Cherokee small SUV and employs about 3,700 union workers on two shifts.  Of the $9 billion in total investments included in the deal, half were newly announced Saturday, and the other $4.5 billion are investments announced earlier this year.  The $9,000 ratification bonus isn’t as much as the $11,000 that GM workers got, but it’s equal to the money paid to Ford workers. Both companies gave workers a mix of pay raises and lump-sum payments, ratification bonuses, an end to a two-tier pay scale for full-time workers and a clear path for temporary workers to go full-time.  The union also got commitments for new vehicles to be built at several GM and Ford factories.  Even if union leaders approve the deal, ratification isn’t guaranteed. In 2015, workers voted down the first deal reached with Fiat Chrysler but approved a second one.  Fiat Chrysler apparently is agreeing to the “pattern” agreement reached with GM and Ford even though the company’s CEO said earlier this month that all of the companies are in different labor circumstances. Following the same deal would cost Fiat Chrysler more because the makeup of its workforce is different. FCA has more temporary workers than either GM or Ford, and it also has more so-called “second tier” workers hired after 2007 who now make less than longtime workers.  The deal with Ford and GM gives pay raises to workers hired after 2007, so they reach top UAW production wages of more than $32 per hour within four years. It also gives temporary workers a path to full-time jobs within three years.  Ford has about 18,500 workers hired after 2007 who will get big pay raises with the new contract, compared with GM's 17,000. Fiat Chrysler has over 20,000 union employees hired after 2007.  In addition, about 11% of Fiat Chrysler’s UAW workforce is temporary, while Ford has a cap at 8% and GM is around 7%.  Fiat Chrysler in past years has enjoyed a labor-cost advantage compared with Ford and GM. FCA’s labor costs, including wages and benefits, amounted to $55 per hour going into the contract talks, while they were $61 at Ford and $63 at GM, according to the Center for Automotive Research, an industry think tank. That compares with an average of $50 per hour at U.S. plants owned by foreign-based automakers.  General Motors last week filed a federal racketeering lawsuit against FCA, alleging that the company bribed UAW officials to get more favorable contract terms than GM. Fiat Chrysler has called the lawsuit “meritless.”  General Motors alleges that the move, which it contends cost it billions of dollars, was aimed at forcing a merger with Fiat Chrysler that was desperately sought by FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne, who died in 2018. Last month, Fiat Chrysler announced plans to merge with France’s PSA, which will create the world’s fourth-largest auto company worth $50 billion.  The Fiat Chrysler talks could be complicated by an ongoing federal bribery and embezzlement investigation into some of the UAW’s leadership, which started at Fiat Chrysler. Many workers at the company have been suspicious of the union’s leadership since the scandal became public in 2017.  Union President Gary Jones, whose home was raided by federal agents and is implicated in the scandal, resigned from the union last week. He has not been charged but has been linked to a plot to embezzle union conference funds to buy expensive cigars, wines, rounds of golf and stays at exclusive villas. Jones lawyer J. Bruce Maffeo says all the expenses were reported in detail and never questioned by the union’s accounting department or executive board.  Vice President Rory Gamble, who negotiated the contract with Ford, is now acting president.  This story has been updated to correct that the deal includes a promise not to close any assembly factories for the next four years, rather than not to close any factories at all for the next four years.


abcnews--2019-11-30--The Latest: Fiat Chrysler, auto union agree tentative deal

The Latest on contract talks between the United Auto Workers union and Fiat Chrysler (all times local):  The United Auto Workers union says it has reached a tentative deal with Fiat Chrysler.  The agreement reached Saturday still needs to get approval from workers.  A person briefed on the matter says the deal includes a $9,000 ratification bonus, a promise not to close any assembly factories for the next four years and a commitment to keep making vehicles at a plant in Belvidere, Illinois. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are private.  Top union leaders still have to approve the deal, as do factory-level officials who are likely to gather next week to vote on it. Then it must be ratified by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ 47,000 union workers.  Fiat Chrysler is the last company to settle on a new contract with the union. GM settled Oct. 31, which Ford settled in mid-November.  This item has been updated to correct that the deal includes a promise not to close any assembly factories for the next four years, rather than not to close any factories at all for the next four years.  A person briefed on the matter says the United Auto Workers and Fiat Chrysler are close to reaching a tentative contract agreement.  The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are private, says the deal could be finalized Saturday.  The person says it includes a $9,000 ratification bonus, a promise not to close any assembly factories for the next four years and a commitment to keep making vehicles at a plant in Belvidere, Illinois.  If the deal becomes final, top union leaders and factory-level officials likely will gather next week to vote on it. Then it must be ratified by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ 47,000 union workers.  Fiat Chrysler is the last company to settle on a new contract with the union. GM settled in October and Ford reached a deal earlier this month.  This item has been updated to correct that the deal includes a promise not to close any assembly factories for the next four years, rather than not to close any factories at all for the next four years.


abcnews--2019-12-03--Company to pay $1M for selling Army subpar grenade launchers

A Colorado weapons manufacturer has agreed to a $1 million settlement for allegedly shipping subpar grenade launchers to the U.S. Army, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.  Capco LLC supplied the Army with M320 grenade launchers between July 2016 and March 2018 even though company officials knew the launchers’ barrels did not meet specifications, U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn said. The company also knew that two shipments included launchers with firing pins made of the wrong type of steel but did not tell the Army after conducting an internal investigation, prosecutors said.  “We entrust our defense contractors to manufacture equipment of the highest quality for the men and women who serve our country in the U.S. Armed Forces,” Dunn said.  Capco did not admit any liability in the settlement and said in a statement Tuesday it has no reason to believe its products were unsafe or ineffective.  “As a company, this chapter has made us smarter and stronger,” Capco CEO Cordell Bennigson said. He added that the company has improved its quality and compliance systems.  The government was alerted to concerns about Capco’s production process by James Cole, who was a quality engineer at the company. He told the company’s vice president of operations and a manager about the faulty parts in April 2017 but was ignored, The Denver Post reported.  Cole said Capco retaliated by laying him off five months later, according to a lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act in November 2017. He will receive about $235,000 of the $1,025,429 settlement.  Capco’s statement did not mention Cole. Capco is based in the western Colorado city of Grand Junction.


aljazeera--2019-01-15--Flooding in northern Argentina expected to continue

It has been a wet year so far in the low Pampas of South America. Northeast Argentina and the adjacent parts of Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil have been hit with extensive flooding.  Since the beginning of the year, the area has received about five times the long-term expected average rainfall.  On January 8, the Argentine city of Resistencia recorded 224mm rainfall. This is a new 24-hour rainfall record, much higher than the previous highest of 206mm, recorded in January 1994.  Eastern Pampas has good farming land but the first soybean crop was a complete loss in some areas because of the rain. The ground is still water-logged. In the province of Corrientes, water is nearly two metres deep, displacing the herds of cattle.  In Paso de Los Libres, a border city in what is known as the Argentine Mesopotamia, January brought 483mm of rain so far. The average rainfall for January is 128mm.  The likely reason for this excessively wet spring and early summer is the state of the Pacific. The forecast from the end of southern hemisphere winter gave a 90 percent chance of El Nino conditions developing. Warm water did flood the eastern equatorial Pacific, but in the last month has drawn back a little.  There is now a 65 percent chance of a proper El Nino developing, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and it is El Nino conditions that tend to disrupt the normal rainfall pattern in this part of the world. The Atacama Desert in Chile benefits from El Nino rains, but the Peruvian fishing industry suffers.  Even though the Pacific waters are not much warmer than usual at the moment, it may be the driving force behind the current weather conditions. The forecast for the next week suggests another 250mm of rain in the Argentine province of Corrientes and the northern parts of Uruguay.

disaster, accident and emergency incident


aljazeera--2019-01-17--Five die in California as storms bring flooding snow mudslides

Five die in California as storms bring flooding, snow, mudslides

At least five people have died in severe rain and snowstorms that blanketed parts of California with at least five feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains this week, and triggered flooding and mudslides, officials said.  The storms have also left thousands without power and forcing wildfire victims threatened by floods to flee their homes.  Forecasters expect the bitter weather to push eastwards into the Rockies and US Midwest through the weekend, while the California Highway Patrol said rain-slicked highways led to two fatal accidents that killed four people.  A family of three, including a one-year-old baby, died in El Dorado County on Tuesday, after their car spun across a rain-soaked freeway to hit another car, the San Francisco Chronicle said.  Another man died in a storm-related car wreck on Wednesday in Napa County, highway patrol dispatchers said, but no further details were immediately available.  A 42-year-old man in Oakland was killed after being struck by a tree, uprooted by the wind and rain, that fell on a homeless encampment, media said.  Southern California authorities concerned with rising streams and excessive runoff ordered evacuations in parts of Malibu and other areas scarred by wildfires. Malibu schools canceled classes.  In harder-hit Northern California, authorities warned of imminent floods and debris flows in the wildfire-ravished city of Paradise and the surrounding region denuded of protective trees and vegetation, telling residents to prepare to flee their homes on a moment's notice.  Tens of thousands of people were without electricity in Pacific Gas & Electric utility areas, including more than 15,000 in San Jose late on Wednesday night.  "Flash flooding is a dangerous and life-threating situation," the Butte County sheriff's department said.  "Due to the dynamic nature of debris flow and flash flood events, residents should not wait for an evacuation order to take action."  High winds could topple more trees as the soil gets wetter and more saturated, the National Weather Service warned.  In Southern California, fog on a mountain highway triggered a 19-vehicle crash. Thirty-five people were evaluated for injuries after the pileup on Interstate 15 in Cajon Pass, but most declined to be taken to hospitals, the San Bernardino County Fire Department said.  In areas recently scarred by wildfires, authorities feared small rivers and creeks would flood their banks and cause massive mudslides, further damaging communities struggling to recover from a historically bad fire season.  Police in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties ordered evacuations on Tuesday from areas damaged by last year's wildfires because of the risk that heavy rain could trigger mud and debris flows on charred hillsides.  The blazes stripped hillsides of trees and other vegetation that stabilise soil and prevent mudslides, putting at risk thousands of people living in foothill and canyon areas devastated by wildfires.  The hillsides were holding but people in burn areas were urged to remain alert.  The snow and rain were brought by a one-two punch of weather, after one Pacific storm hit California on Monday and a second, larger storm arrived on Wednesday, forecasters said.  Both are expected to sweep back-to-back through the Rockies and Midwest, gathering more strength from moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters said, before hitting the Ohio Valley and the Northeast early next week.  Significant road closures and travel delays remain likely in the Los Angeles area through to Friday as storm remnants linger, said Marc Chenard, a forecaster with the NWS' Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.  The risk of flash flooding and rockslides persist, he said.  "Some areas in the Sierras will get another five inches of rain after the three inches that already fell, with significant snow fall above 6,000 feet [1,828 metres]."  The weather is a boon for farmers and ski areas, however, as most of California is recovering from years of drought, the United States Drought Monitor said.


aljazeera--2019-01-22--Flooding in Mozambique as Tropical Cyclone Desmond makes landfall

Mozambique's fourth-largest city has been inundated by flooding after being hit by a tropical cyclone.  Tropical Cyclone Desmond formed in the Mozambique Channel on Sunday night and drifted slowly northwest towards the coast.  Fortunately, the winds in the upper atmosphere were much stronger than those near the surface, which hampered the storm's growth and prevented it from becoming too intense.  This ensured the winds were not too strong when the storm made landfall, but the rain was still extremely heavy and the seas very rough.  The storm hit the coast about 40km to the south of Chinde, 200km to the north of Beira, but the worst of the rain was to the west of the storm's centre. Biera, the fourth largest city in Mozambique, was badly hit.  Some 277 millimetres of rain was reported in Biera in the 24 hours until 06:00 GMT on Tuesday, more than the 250mm expected in the entire month of January. And the rain continues to fall.  Large waves smashed over the top of sea defences and the torrential rain transformed roads into rivers.  Cars were submerged up to their windows and dirty floodwater rushed into people's homes and businesses.  The remnants of Tropical Cyclone Desmond are expected to bring more flooding to central Mozambique and southern Malawi as it disintegrates above the region. Over the next 24 hours, some places could see as much as 200mm more rain, and it looks like Madagascar could be hit by even worse conditions.  Tropical Cyclone Desmond did not hit Madagascar, but it did enhance the rains in the northwest of the island and there is more severe weather on its way.  Another circulation in the Mozambique Channel is expected to develop over the coming days. This system is expected to track south, off the coast of Madagascar, and is likely to pull a trail of heavy downpours across the northwest of the island.  This would bring further torrential rain to a region that is already waterlogged, which could easily lead to flooding and landslides.


aljazeera--2019-03-20--Cyclone Idai Death tolls rises to 200 people in Mozambique

Cyclone Idai: Death tolls rises to 200 people in Mozambique

Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi has confirmed that more than 200 people died and close to 350,000 are “at risk” after Cyclone Idai.  The United Nations says Idai could be one of the worst weather disasters to hit the southern hemisphere.  Al Jazeera's Fahmida Miller reports from Beira, where she met victims struggling to cope with the storm's impact.


aljazeera--2019-03-20--Evacuations on Australian island ahead of Tropical Cyclone Trevor

Authorities in Australia have begun evacuations for the 1,600 residents of Groote Eylandt, an island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, as Tropical Cyclone Trevor approaches.  The severe storm spent most of Wednesday crossing Cape York, having made landfall on Tuesday evening near Lockhart River on the east coast.  It brought down trees, electricity poles and fences, registering wind gusts of up to 133 kilometres per hour and a rainfall collection of 333mm.  Trevor's wind strength was the equivalent of a Category-2 hurricane at first landfall. It left the Cape York Peninsula as a much-weakened storm, but near the town of Aurukun it met the warm feed waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria and started strengthening again.  Todd Smith, the BoM's Northern Territory manager, said the weather system would be severe and residents needed to be prepared.  Trevor is expected to make land again on Saturday, somewhere between Groote Eylandt and Borroloola.  The cyclone is expected to strengthen to a "catastrophic" Category 4 as it passes Groote Eylandt, registering winds of a steady 210km/h, with gusts to 260km/h.  Ross McDonald, an environmental officer at Anindilyakwa Land Council, said cyclones were not uncommon in the area but had never seen Groote Eylandt evacuated.  "I've been here for 15 years and ... we have a lot of cyclones ... but this is definitely the one we've had the most concern about," he said.  "And that being the case a lot of the properties aren't built for Category-4 cyclones."  Even as a young storm in the Coral Sea, Trevor generated four-metre waves. With three days winding up over the Gulf of Carpentaria, it could generate much larger waves and a significant storm surge - a general rising of the sea level in advance of the cyclone.


bbc--2019-03-21--Cyclone Idai 15000 people still need to be rescued

Cyclone Idai: '15,000 people still need to be rescued'

Some 15,000 people still need to be rescued from the devastation caused by Cyclone Idai, Mozambique officials say.  The cyclone victims there are stranded by catastrophic flooding and are clinging to roofs or stuck in trees, charities say.  In the port city of Beira, aid workers say there are only two to three days of clean water left.  Some 300 people are confirmed dead in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, but the toll is expected to rise.  The powerful cyclone swept in to Beira last Thursday, with winds of more than 177km/h (106 mph). It left a trail of devastation as it moved inland.  Oxfam has told the BBC that an area of about 3,000 sq km (1,864 sq miles) is now under water.  Medical agencies are warning that the shortage of food and clean drinking water is increasing the threat of disease.  "The first thing you see when you arrive is destruction and a lot of water," said Get Verdonck, an emergency co-ordinator with the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).  "People are using well water with no chlorination, and that water is unlikely to be clean... pneumonia and other respiratory diseases are going to be a problem," he told Reuters from Beira.  Aid groups said Mozambique had borne the brunt of flooding from rivers that flow downstream from neighbouring countries.  A total of 217 people are confirmed dead in the country, but many areas have still not been reached.  Caroline Haga, an official with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the worst-hit areas were close to the Buzi river west of Beira.  She said rescue teams were dropping high-energy biscuits, water purification tablets and other supplies to people surrounded by water and mud.  "We have thousands of people... in roofs and trees waiting for rescue," Ms Haga told AFP news agency.  "We are running out of time. People have been waiting for rescue for more than three days now. We can't pick up all the people so our priority is children, pregnant women, injured people."  Celso Correia, Mozambique's minister of land and environment, confirmed this, telling Reuters the number of people still needing to be rescued was thought to be about 15,000.  He added that 3,000 people had already been rescued so far.  Deborah Nguyen, of the World Food Programme (WFP), said the priorities were reaching people trapped in the flooded areas and then organising temporary shelter for those rescued.  "Relief operations are progressing, but there is still a lot of work," she told AFP.  Mozambique President Felipe Nyusi has said more than 100,000 people are at risk.  Wilker de Assis de Sousa Dias, a survivor in Beira, speaks to BBC Focus on Africa  The winds started on Wednesday, but only around 60km/h. On Thursday, at around 14:00 it started getting at worse, and at around 19:00, the show really started, if I can say that. The cyclone was already starting to cause damage, picking up everything in its path. It was just destroying everything.  In the parts of the city which are near the sea, there is almost nothing left. My house has two floors, and there's basically nothing there now. The roof has given way, and water is coming in from every corner. I was in my house during the storm. I actually didn't have any way of leaving, even if I'd wanted to. All of the roads near the sea, where my house is, were flooded. The wind was so strong it was picking up stones and hurling them around. I saw stones flying, zinc sheets flying, even pieces of cars. The debris smashed all of the windows in my house.  I was able to walk around some of the affected areas shortly after the storm. I would say that 75% of the city is totally destroyed. We're still waiting for help. We need food, certainly, and we urgently need construction materials.  In Zimbabwe, at least 98 people have died and 217 people are missing in the east and south, the government said.  In Malawi, the UN says more than 80,000 people have been displaced by the cyclone.  Amid the devastation, people in Zimbabwe are doing everything they can to help survivors.  Videos and pictures have emerged of people queuing - not to collect fuel or bread, but to donate food, clothes and other goods to the relief effort.  The BBC's Shingai Nyoka says the country is in the middle of an economic crisis but this has not stopped an unprecedented community aid effort.  Reporters from BBC Africa have visited a Presbyterian church in the capital Harare, where volunteers have been sorting through donations. One woman turned up having walked for about two hours to bring her donation.  Volunteer Natalie Detering told BBC News the donor said she could not afford her bus fare, but decided to walk from home because Jesus had told her to.  Among her donations was a pot, a blanket, some of her clothes and a towel.  The generosity shown by ordinary Zimbabweans has prompted President Emmerson Mnangagwa to tweet his appreciation.  Are you in the area? Tell us about your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk  Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:


bbc--2019-03-30--Afghanistan Deadly flash floods destroy homes and lives

Afghanistan: Deadly flash floods destroy homes and lives

Flash floods in western Afghanistan have killed at least 32 people.  Thousands of homes have been destroyed by heavy rains, as have makeshift shelters housing displaced families.  Seven provinces have been affected by the flooding, with Faryab, Bagdhis and Herat bearing the brunt of the damage.  The disaster has added to the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people who were forced out of their homes because of severe drought in the region last year.  Aid workers have been struggling to deliver assistance to the people who need it.  Poor infrastructure makes it hard for humanitarian workers to reach isolated areas.  Shir Ahmad, who lives in the Enjil district of Herat, told Reuters news agency: "My house and my farmland have been destroyed by the floods. If you go and see the destruction, it makes you want to cry."


bbc--2019-07-02--Russia Siberia At least 18 people killed by floods

Russia Siberia: At least 18 people killed by floods

At least 18 people have been killed by floods in Russia's Irkutsk region.  Thousands of homes have also been damaged, but authorities have been accused of failing to provide enough help for those affected.


bbc--2019-08-25--Floods kill more than 60 in Sudan

Floods kill more than 60 in Sudan

Torrential rain and floods have killed 62 people in Sudan, according to the official state news agency.  The country has been battered by heavy rains since early July, affecting almost 200,000 people across 15 states. White Nile state in the south of the country has been hit hardest.  The UN said that more than 37,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged while more flashfloods are expected.  The rainy season continues until the end of October.


bbc--2019-10-14--Typhoon Hagibis: Satellites show Japan rivers in flood

The biggest typhoon to hit Japan in decades has left a trail of destruction in its wake. More than 40 people died as a result of Typhoon Hagibis and hundreds have been rescued after being stranded by flooded rivers and landslides.  Satellite images show how the river Naka in Hinuma burst its banks, flooding nearby homes.  The typhoon battered eight prefectures across Japan, with wind speeds of up to 225km/h (140mph).  Akigase Park, on the Arakawa River flood plain near Saitama City, was submerged after the typhoon.  Industrial areas in Yoshinodai, near Kawagoe, were protected by flood defences as water levels rose along the Iruma River.  Thousands of police officers, fire fighters, coastguards and military personnel are taking part in search and rescue operations to find people trapped by flooding and landslides.


cnsnews--2019-08-14--Trumps Tough Trade Dealings with China Hinge on Venezuela

Trump’s Tough Trade Dealings with China Hinge on … Venezuela

It is certainly no secret how President Trump is playing very tough with China these days by enforcing a series of hard-hitting trade sanctions, all with a goal of establishing fairer trade between China and the U.S.  But the President might be eroding his own, hard fought progress with China if he allows the Chinese government direct control of the world’s largest oil reserves which are located in Venezuela. The president can prevent these vast oil supplies from falling under Chinese control if he allows American energy companies to continue operating in partnership with Venezuela, as they have done for decades.  The United States has been operating in Venezuela since the 1920’s, but China, Russia and other nations have slowly gained more influence and a foothold in the troubled socialist nation. Embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has virtually run his oil rich country into the ground, and the people of Venezuela are in despair.  Socialism has completely devastated Venezuela. Once a South American paradise, the country is now awash in drug cartel crime and violence from brutal Cuban gangs that make ANTIFA look tame; the economy has collapsed; their currency is virtually worthless. More than four million have fled as there are few jobs and unimaginable inflation.  China and Russia have been sending in tens of billions into Venezuela to help Maduro’s ruthless government maintain control. Why would Russia and China want to bankroll Maduro? The answer is simple – both countries want Venezuela’s oil fields estimated at between 300 and 500 billion barrels of recoverable oil and with a conservative market value of $25 trillion dollars.  It is vital that President Trump allow American energy companies permission to continue operations in Venezuela. Some within the Trump Administration believe that if we simply remove all American businesses from Venezuela, Maduro’s regime will collapse quickly. However, that thinking is myopic and would set up an embarrassing foreign policy mistake for the President. If American energy companies are forced to cease operations and forfeit billions in equipment and other assets, the Chinese and Russians will simply move in to take control – and bolster Maduro.  American energy companies are already in place and stand ready to help a new government with a democratic president. The U.S. has a decades-long presence in this poor nation and the U.S. can help Venezuela invigorate its energy industry and rebuild Venezuela’s infrastructure. Such activity would also allow the U.S. to provide much needed humanitarian relief. The oil fields in Venezuela, if properly developed, could exceed those of any other oil field in the world.  President Trump’s administration has rightly imposed economic sanctions on Venezuela in an effort to dislodge Maduro’s corrupt regime, and many believe it’s only a matter of time before former President Maduro is in exile. The Trump Administration recently granted several energy companies a temporary waiver which allows them to continue operations in country for a few more months. Such a waver should be extended for as long as necessary in order to protect American business assets and ensure the security of a vast, global energy resource.  The Trump Administration is making substantial headway with his Chinese trade negotiations, but allowing China access to the world’s largest oil supply will immediately undermine his own policies – his own efforts to establish fair trade with China. Gaining access to Venezuela’s oil and a multi-trillion-dollar payout would no doubt embolden the Chinese to take a harder stance against the U.S. regarding trade and give China the upper hand in negotiating power.  This simply can’t be allowed to occur.  It’s imperative the president protect American interests in Venezuela, and forfeiting trillions to the Chinese is surely no way to win a trade war. Pulling American energy companies out of Venezuela now is not only a strategic mistake, it would jeopardize American energy security and would leave Venezuela with no real hope for economic and social recovery.  Ken Blackwell, a domestic policy advisor to the Trump Transition Team, formerly served as United States Ambassador to United Nations Human Rights Commission.


globalresearch--2019-04-09--Even Saudi Arabia Threatens to Ditch Dollar for Oil Trade over US Bullying Policies

Saudi Arabia threatens to sell oil in currencies other than the dollar if Washington passes a bill exposing the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to U.S. antitrust lawsuits.  The No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act (NOPEC), which was introduced by Democrat Senator Herb Kohl in 2000 and received backing from Donald Trump in 2011, has never been approved and has little chance of being passed.  This legislative proposal aims to allow OPEC oil companies to be sued under the U.S. antitrust law for their attempts to set international prices by limiting oil supplies, a practice which has been regularly applied as a way of stabilizing the global market.  The Saudi Arabian threat makes visible a growing discontent over the way the U.S. treats OPEC countries. According to Reuters, senior Saudi energy officials have been analyzing the ditching-dollar-oil-trades possibility for several months and would have already mentioned reported it to U.S. officials.  In the unlikely event that Saudi Arabia were to adopt this new policy, it would undermine the dollar status as an international reserve currency, which could weaken in turn the U.S. ability to enforce economic sanctions on nation states.  Russia, China and some European countries have been calling for reducing the dollar’s influence in international trade. If this happens, the U.S. would lose a significant part of its ability to control both the world economy and its own growth.  Due to President Trump’s aggressive foreign policy, however, Russia, Venezuela and Iran, all of which are being placed under harsh U.s. economic sanctions have been selling their oil in Euros, Yuans or other traditional or virtual currencies.  Non-dollar oil contracts are concrete challenges to the U.S. hegemony at the oil market. If Saudi Arabia makes a move in that sense, it would also mean a heavy blow to the U.S. geopolitical strategies.  Saudi Arabia, which controls a 10th of global production, made oil deals for US$356 billion in 2018, which made it the world’s biggest oil exporter.  At a price of US$70 per barrel, the global oil output is estimated to be about US$2.5 trillion. At least 60 percent of this amount is now being traded in dollars.  In addition, oil futures and options trading reached a nominal value of US$5 trillion in 2018, as reported by Reuters.  Note to readers: please click the share buttons below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.


unian--2019-06-03--Reuters Oil prices extend drops as trade wars fan fears in financial markets

Reuters: Oil prices extend drops as trade wars fan fears in financial markets

In a typical move for financial markets during times of uncertainty, gold on Monday rose to its highest level in over two months.  Oil prices fell more than 1% on Monday, extending losses of over 3% from Friday, when crude markets slipped to their biggest monthly losses in six months amid stalling demand and as trade wars fanned fears of a global economic slowdown.  Front-month Brent crude futures were at $61.12 at 0444 GMT, Reuters said.  That was 87 cents, or 1.4%, below Friday's close.  Read alsoReuters: Oil set for biggest monthly fall since November as trade conflicts spread  U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $52.91 per barrel, down 59 cents, or 1.1% from its last settlement.  The drops followed price slumps of more than 3% on Friday, which made May the worst-performing month for crude futures since last November.  "Oil prices slid on fresh trade worries after U.S. President Donald Trump stoked global trade tensions by threatening tariffs on Mexico, which is one of the largest U.S. trade partners and a major supplier of crude oil," said Mithun Fernando, investment analyst at Australia's Rivkin Securities, in a note on Monday.  In a typical move for financial markets during times of uncertainty, gold on Monday rose to its highest level in over two months as investors pulled out of risky assets like oil and parked money in perceived safe havens like the precious metal.  Edward Moya, senior market analyst at futures brokerage OANDA in New York, warned "oil remains vulnerable" because of a weakening demand outlook for crude.  "The U.S.-China feud remains most critical to the global growth outlook, but the addition of trade tensions between the U.S. and Mexico raised the slower demand picture for the Americas," he said.  Barclays bank said in a note published last Friday that U.S. March oil consumption "declined significantly year-on-year for the first time since September 2017 ...(as) petroleum demand fell almost 370,000 barrels per day (bpd) year-on-year on weak consumption across the barrel."


unian--2019-08-05--Reuters Oil prices drop as US-China trade war fuels growth concerns

Reuters: Oil prices drop as U.S.-China trade war fuels growth concerns

Both crude benchmarks fell last week, with Brent dropping 2.5% and U.S. crude falling 1%.  Oil prices fell on Monday amid renewed global economic growth concerns after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to escalate the trade war with China with more tariffs, which would likely limit fuel demand in the world's two biggest crude consumers.  Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell 73 cents, or 1.2%, to $61.16 a barrel by 0458 GMT, Reuters said.  U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 dropped 62 cents, or 1.1%, to $55.04 a barrel.  Both crude benchmarks fell last week, with Brent dropping 2.5% and U.S. crude falling 1%.  Trump last week said he would impose a 10% tariff on $300 billion of Chinese imports starting on Sept. 1 and said he could raise duties further if China's President Xi Jinping failed to move more quickly towards a trade deal.  The announcement extends U.S. tariffs to nearly all imported Chinese products. China on Friday vowed to fight back against Trump's decision, a move that ended a month-long trade truce.  On Monday, China let the yuan tumble beyond the key 7-per-dollar level for the first time in more than a decade, in a sign Beijing may tolerate further currency weakness because of the trade dispute.  The 1.4% drop in the yuan came after the People's Bank of China (PBOC) set the daily mid-point of the currency's trading band at its weakest level since December 2018.  A lower yuan would raise the cost of China's dollar-denominated oil imports. It is the world's biggest crude oil importer.  Signs of rising oil exports from the United States also pressured prices on Monday. U.S. shipments surged by 260,000 barrels per day (bpd) in June to a monthly record of 3.16 million bpd, U.S. Census Bureau showed on Friday.


unian--2019-08-06--Reuters Oil climbs on short-covering US-China trade war caps gains

Reuters: Oil climbs on short-covering, U.S.-China trade war caps gains

Oil prices may find some support later this week with a preliminary Reuters poll showing U.S. crude oil inventories were expected to fall for an eighth consecutive week.  Oil prices rose more than 1% on Tuesday as traders betting on falling prices bought back contracts to lock in profits after declines over the last three sessions due to the escalating trade tensions between China and United States.  Brent prices plunged more than 8% in the three sessions from their close on July 31, with U.S. President Donald Trump vowing to impose new tariffs on Chinese imports, and China making further moves against U.S. agricultural imports, Reuters said.  The United States also responded to a decline in the Chinese yuan on Monday by branding the country a currency manipulator later in the day.  Brent fell more than 3% on Monday as traders worried the ongoing trade dispute between the world's two biggest oil buyers would dent demand, helping to prompt Tuesday's short-covering.  International benchmark Brent crude futures LCOc1 climbed 61 cents, or 1%, to $60.42 a barrel by 0544 GMT on Tuesday after earlier dipping to $59.07, the lowest since January 14.  West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 futures rose 56 cents, or 1%, to $55.25 per barrel.  The United States accused Beijing of manipulating its currency after China let the yuan drop to its lowest in more than a decade. The weaker yuan would support Chinese exports by making them cheaper, but it would also raise oil-import costs for the world's biggest importer.  The People's Bank of China's firmer-than-expected yuan fixing on Tuesday helped pull the currency away from the recent lows, as did an announced bond sale in the offshore market.  Concerns that the U.S.-China trade conflict has entered a phase of retaliatory action was weighing on sentiments in the oil market, which for the moment is taking less notice of tensions in the Middle East, analysts said.  Iran on Monday said it will no longer tolerate "maritime offences" in the Strait of Hormuz, a day after it seized a second oil tanker that it accused of smuggling fuel.  Oil prices may find some support later this week with a preliminary Reuters poll showing U.S. crude oil inventories were expected to fall for an eighth consecutive week.


unian--2019-08-07--Reuters Oil slumps 5 to seven-month low on trade tensions surprise US stock build

Reuters: Oil slumps 5% to seven-month low on trade tensions, surprise U.S. stock build

Prices have lost more than 20% since hitting their 2019 peak in April.  Oil prices tumbled up to 5% on Wednesday to a fresh seven-month low, extending recent heavy losses following an unexpected build in U.S. crude stockpiles and fears of lower crude demand due to deepening U.S.-China trade tensions.  Brent crude futures LCOc1 were down $2.38, or 4%, at $56.56 a barrel by 10:36 a.m. CDT (1536 GMT), setting a fresh seven-month low. Prices have lost more than 20% since hitting their 2019 peak in April, Reuters said.  U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were down $2.66, or 5%, at $50.97.  Oil extended losses after government data showed U.S. crude stockpiles rose last week by 2.4 million barrels. Analysts had expected a decrease of 2.8 million barrels. At 438.9 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 2% above the five-year average for this time of year.  Gasoline inventories rose by 4.4 million barrels, with U.S. Gulf Coast gasoline stocks hitting the highest on record for this time of year, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed.  Brent has plunged more than 12% after U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that he would slap a 10% tariff on a further $300 billion in Chinese imports from Sept. 1, sending global equity markets into a tailspin.


unian--2019-09-06--Reuters Oil rises set for weekly gain amid hopes for end to US-China trade war

Reuters: Oil rises, set for weekly gain amid hopes for end to U.S.-China trade war

Brent crude was up 17 cents, or 0.3%, at $61.12 a barrel by 0408 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 16 cents, or 0.3%, at $56.46 a barrel.  Oil prices edged higher on Friday, with crude benchmarks poised for multi-week gains amid a sharp drawdown in U.S. crude inventories, while trade tensions eased after Washington and Beijing agreed to hold high-level talks next month.  Brent crude was up 17 cents, or 0.3%, at $61.12 a barrel by 0408 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 16 cents, or 0.3%, at $56.46 a barrel, as reported by Reuters.  Brent is set to mark its fourth weekly gain, while U.S. crude is headed for a second weekly rise.  Read alsoReuters: Oil prices slip after surprise build in U.S. inventories  Beijing and Washington on Thursday agreed to hold high-level talks in early October in Washington, cheering investors hoping for an end to the trade war between the world's two biggest economies that has brought tit-for-tat tariff hikes, chipping away at economic growth.  The prolonged dispute had a dampening effect on oil prices, although they have risen over the year, helped by production cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, including Russia, to drain inventories.  "Upside potential for crude oil futures will remain limited, however, as strong U.S. production and demand-side concerns cap bullish gains for the current term," said Benjamin Lu, commodities analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore.  He also cited "subdued economic momentum, global trade uncertainties and rising market risks" for reasons to expect that U.S. crude would be range-bound between $55-$60 over the third quarter.  U.S. crude and product inventories fell last week, with crude drawing down for a third consecutive week despite a jump in imports, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said.  Crude stocks dropped 4.8 million barrels, nearly double analysts’ expectations, to 423 million barrels, their lowest since October 2018.  Oil prices on Thursday soared more than 2% after the EIA report, although they gradually trimmed gains as investors are not entirely convinced that the Sino-U.S. trade talks will yield results.


unian--2019-10-09--Reuters: Oil prices dip for third day as U.S.-China trade doubts grow

U.S. crude production is expected to rise by 1.27 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2019 to a record 12.26 million bpd, slightly above its previous forecast for a rise of 1.25 million bpd.  Oil prices slipped for a third consecutive session on Wednesday as tensions escalated between the United States and China prior to this week's trade talks, raising uncertainties for global economic growth and oil demand.  U.S. industry data showing a bigger-than-expected rise in stockpiles at the world's top oil producer also depressed prices. Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell 24 cents, or 0.4%, to $58.00 a barrel by 0442 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was at $52.39, down 24 cents or 0.5%, Reuters said.  Negotiators from the world's top two economies will meet in Washington on Thursday and Friday in the latest effort to hammer out a deal aimed at ending a long-running trade dispute that has slowed global economic growth.  But tensions between the pair rose this week after the United States imposed visa restrictions on Chinese officials for the detention or abuse of Muslim minorities, while a row escalated over comments by a leading U.S. National Basketball Association official in support of protests in Hong Kong.  The issues have set markets on a risk-aversion course, said Howie Lee, an economist with Singapore's OCBC bank, even though the global oil market remains in a supply deficit that should in theory support prices at above $60 a barrel.  The concerns have overshadowed the threat of OPEC-member Ecuador losing a third of its oil supply due to anti-government protests that have seriously affected oil output.  In the United States, meanwhile, crude stockpiles rose by 4.1 million barrels in the week ended October 4 to 422 million, data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute showed on Tuesday. Analysts had expected an increase of 1.4 million barrels, a Reuters poll showed.  The weekly U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report is due at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday.  The EIA said on Tuesday U.S. crude production is expected to rise by 1.27 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2019 to a record 12.26 million bpd, slightly above its previous forecast for a rise of 1.25 million bpd.  Output in 2020 is forecast to rise by 910,000 bpd to 13.17 million bpd, it said, below its previous estimate of a rise of 990,000 bpd to 13.23 million bpd.


westernjournal--2019-01-18--Global stocks rise on hopes for US trade progress

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.  BEIJING (AP) — Global stocks rose Friday after investors saw signs of possible progress toward a resolution of the U.S.-Chinese tariff war. Shares in China posted solid gains.  KEEPING SCORE: In early trading, London’s FTSE 100 gained 0.7 percent to 6,882.48 and Germany’s DAX advanced 0.3 percent to 10,931.24. France’s CAC 40 shed 0.3 percent to 4,839.03. On Thursday, the FTSE 100 slide 0.4 percent, the CAC 40 lost 0.3 percent and the DAX retreated 0.1 percent. On Wall Street, the future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3 percent and that for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index was up 0.2 percent.  ASIA’S DAY: The Shanghai Composite Index advanced 1.4 percent to 2,596.01 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.2 percent to 27,082.01. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.3 percent to 20,666.07 and Seoul’s Kospi added 0.8 percent to 2,124.28. Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 was 0.5 percent higher at 5,879.60 while India’s Sensex shed 0.1 percent to 36,319.31. Benchmarks in Taiwan, New Zealand and Southeast Asia also advanced.  US-CHINA TRADE: China announced its economy czar, Vice Premier Liu He, will visit Washington for talks on Jan. 30-31 aimed at ending the tariff war sparked by U.S. complaints about Beijing’s technology ambitions. Business groups and economists were looking for Liu and his American counterpart, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, to take part in talks as a sign lower-level negotiations earlier in Beijing made progress. The Wall Street Journal reported Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was willing to roll back U.S. tariff hikes on Chinese goods, though it said Lighthizer and other officials opposed that idea.  ANALYST’S COMMENT: Asian markets welcome “the latest indication of further interest from the U.S. to resolve the U.S.-China trade uncertainty,” said Jingyi Pan of IG in a report. “While skepticism may well persist, and worries build ahead of Chinese growth figures next week, the driving force for intraday market action belongs to trade.”  TRENDING: Dem Presidential Hopeful Gillibrand Flip-Flops to the Left a Day After Announcing 2020 Plans  JAPAN INFLATION: Inflation in December came in weaker than expected, putting the central bank farther from its target of 2 percent. Prices rose 0.3 percent, down from November’s 0.8 percent, as tumbling food costs offset a rise in energy prices.  ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude gained 43 cents to $52.50 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 24 cents on Thursday to close at $52.07. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 45 cents to $61.63 per barrel in London. It lost 14 cents the previous session to $61.18.  CURRENCY: The dollar advanced to 109.48 yen from Thursday’s 109.24 yen. The euro gained to $1.1391 from $1.1388.  The Associated Press contributed to this report.  We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


westernjournal--2019-03-01--Asian markets rise on China-US trade prospects

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.  SINGAPORE (AP) — World markets were lifted Friday by suggestions that the U.S. could endorse a trade deal with China in the coming weeks, after the country’s nuclear talks with North Korea ended abruptly with no agreement.  According to Bloomberg, U.S. officials are preparing a final trade deal ahead of a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which could take place as soon as mid-March. It cited unnamed sources close to the matter.  In Europe, France’s CAC 40 rose 0.6 percent to 5,273.05 and the DAX in Germany was 0.9 percent higher at 11,622.83. Britain’s FTSE 100 picked up 0.6 percent to 7,119.41. Wall Street was positioned for early gains, with futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.4 percent at 26,022.00. That for the broad S&P 500 index also advanced 0.4 percent to 2,796.70.  Traders hope that a tariffs battle waged by the world’s two largest economies would be called off if a deal is reached.  Trump and Xi agreed to a 90-day ceasefire in December after raising import taxes on billions of dollars of each other’s goods. The U.S. was set to hit China with a fresh wave of tariffs once the agreement expires on Saturday.  TRENDING: Cohen Admits To Speaking with Democratic Party Before Testifying Against Trump  While progress on issues like Washington’s unhappiness over Beijing’s technology policy has been slow, Trump said he will postpone the tariffs to give the countries more time to talk. He did not say for how long.  On Thursday, Trump’s talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended two hours early because they could not agree on terms for the lifting of U.S. sanctions.  “Sometimes you have to walk,” Trump said. Both sides have since promised further negotiations.  “In terms of implications for markets, this does not represent any immediate escalation either and would likely return us to a waiting game,” Jingyi Pan of IG said in a market commentary.  Buying in Asia was supported by an announcement by MSCI, a leading provider of indexes and analytics. MSCI said it will quadruple the weight of Chinese A shares in its global indexes by November. It will also add more Chinese stocks to its Emerging Markets Index, giving the country’s foreign inflows a much-needed boost.  A private survey also added to Chinese growth hopes. The Caixin manufacturing purchasing manager’s index, which measures growth in the sector, jumped to 49.9 in February, from 48.3 in the previous month. The index is on a 100-point scale, with 50 separating contraction from growth.  This comes after China’s official manufacturing PMI fell 0.3 points to 49.2 in February, a three-year low.  ASIA’S DAY: Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rebounded 1 percent to 21,602.69 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.6 percent to 28,812.17. The Shanghai Composite index jumped 1.8 percent to 2,994.01 and Australia’s S&P ASX/200 was up 0.4 percent at 6,192.70. Shares rose in Singapore and Indonesia but fell in Malaysia. South Korean and Taiwanese markets were closed for a holiday.  ENERGY: U.S. crude added 38 cents to $57.60 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It finished 28 cents higher at $57.22 a barrel overnight. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 37 cents to $66.68 a barrel. The contract gave up 27 cents to $66.31 in London.  CURRENCIES: The dollar strengthened to 111.91 yen from 111.39 yen on Thursday. The euro eased to $1.1363 from $1.1371.  The Associated Press contributed to this report.  We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


abcnews--2019-01-29--NOAA appears to dispute Trump tweet casting doubt on global warming

A tweet from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate account on Tuesday has raised questions about whether the government agency was taking aim at a statement by President Donald Trump that seemed to deny the existence of global warming.  The NOAA tweet appeared just hours after Trump tweeted his reaction to the series of winter weather systems slamming the Midwest with record-breaking cold.  "In the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded," Trump said. "In coming days, expected to get even colder. People can’t last outside even for minutes. What the hell is going on with Global Warming? Please come back fast, we need you!"  The NOAA Climate account tweeted a post Tuesday morning that featured a cartoon drawing and a link to a 2015 post debunking claims by climate change deniers who have pointed to winter storms as proof that global warming is a myth.  "Winter storms don't prove that global warming isn't happening," the tweet said.  Many Twitter users began to argue that the tweet amounted to a government agency 'subtweeting' its own chief executive.  In response to an inquiry from ABC News, however, NOAA’s Director of Public Affairs Monica Allen disputed that the tweet was intended to send a message to Trump.  “With the blast of severe winter weather affecting the U.S., we often get asked about the relationship between cold weather and climate change," Allen said. "We routinely put this story out at these times. Our scientists weren't responding to a tweet."  The White House did not immediately respond to ABC’s request for comment.  The president has repeatedly cast doubt on the existence of global warming in response to cold weather events dating back as far as 2013 and has described it as a "hoax" cooked up by the Chinese.  It wouldn't be the first time Trump's beliefs about global warming have contradicted data affirmed by his own government.  Last November, Trump said he didn't "believe" a report on climate change from the U.S. Global Change Research Program that showed dire predictions related to the potential long term economic impact of climate change on the U.S.


bbc--2019-01-31--Polar vortex Whatever happened to global warming

Polar vortex: Whatever happened to global warming?

As a third of the US grapples with brutally cold weather, scientists are assessing how much this might be down to long-term changes to our climate.  So whatever happened to global warming?  That's certainly what President Donald Trump wanted to know when he tweeted this a couple of days ago:  There is no question the Midwest is cold - very cold.  Just check the advice from the US National Weather Service. It has warned that the current low temperatures could easily "freeze the flesh off your bones".  Don't leave home if you can avoid it, the NWS in Iowa urged, and if you do have to go out, "avoid taking deep breaths; minimise talking".  Meanwhile the internet is heaving under images of snow and ice.  My favourites include the icy steam pouring off lake Lake Michigan and the thousands of people who have been doing the "hot water challenge".  But this wonderfully surreal image of a fork frozen in a cascade of noodles wins for me.  So, is this brutal cold snap evidence that global warming is faltering?  Sadly, the answer is no, as one of the president's own agencies quickly pointed out in an apparent response to his tweet.  "Winter storms don't prove that global warming isn't happening" tweeted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  The NOAA included a link to an article which suggests that severe snowstorms may even become more likely as the world warms.  You have probably already heard that the current brutal weather is thanks to something called the "polar vortex".  The polar vortex is a great gyre of air that forms each winter and circulates above the North Pole, way up in the stratosphere.  It is like a whirlpool which holds icy polar air within a wall of powerful circular winds.  There's a great graphic illustrating how it works at the New York Times.  Sometimes the vortex breaks down, splitting up and spilling cold air out from the polar regions.  That is reckoned to have happened on the 3 January this year.  The frigid air from the polar vortex warps the jet stream - another powerful air current, but much lower in the atmosphere - making it bulge down southwards.  It is this bulging of the jet stream that brought the merciless cold to the US this week, and the so-called Beast from the East to Europe last year.  There is much debate within the world of meteorology about whether or not this breakdown of the polar vortex is becoming more common.  Some studies suggest that it is, and some researchers say they suspect that this is down to climate change.  Jennifer Francis is a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Research Centre, which studies climate change impacts and solutions.  She argues that melting sea ice in the Arctic may be linked to changes in the polar vortex.  The dark, open ocean absorbs more heat than reflective ice, causing a hot spot, she told the New York Times.  She argues this hot spot, along with changes in the jet stream driven by climate change, could cause the polar vortex to break down.  But this is controversial stuff. Tim Woolings, a climate physicist at Oxford University, is not persuaded we are seeing a significant change.  The atmosphere is, he says, "a very noisy system" and "there is no convincing evidence that these events are happening more often".  The important thing is to look at long-term average temperatures.  The current bone-cracking cold in Chicago is "weather" not "climate".  The rule of thumb is that weather is what is happening outside your house now; climate is what happens over many years.  So, it can be very cold where you live but the world as a whole could still be getting warmer.  And be in no doubt, says Tim Woolings, the world is continuing to warm.  As Chicago freezes, wildfires are raging in Australia which is in the grip of yet another blistering summer.  The 20 warmest years on record have all been in the past 22 years, with 2015 to 2018 making up the top four, according to the World Meteorological Organization.  And if that does not persuade you, check out these seven charts.  This will be cold comfort for those of you shivering in the Midwest but, says Tim Woolings, the icy air that engulfed you this week would have been at least a degree colder had it not been for the warming that has already raised average winter temperatures in the arctic.


bbc--2019-03-15--Global warming Childrens climate strike spreads worldwide

Global warming: Children's climate strike spreads worldwide

Thousands of schoolchildren worldwide have abandoned classrooms for a day of protest against climate change.  India, South Korea, Australia and France are among the countries where teenagers are already on strike.  The day of action is expected to embrace about 100 countries. They are inspired by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, who protests weekly outside Sweden's parliament.  Scientists say tougher measures are needed to cut global warming.  The Paris climate agreement of 2017 committed nearly 200 countries to keeping global temperatures "well below" 2.0C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and to striving for a maximum of 1.5C.  The globally co-ordinated children's protests - promoted through posts on Twitter and other social media - have been going on for several months.  In January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the 16-year-old told top executives and politicians that "on climate change, we have to acknowledge that we have failed".  Ministers in some countries have voiced concern about children skipping classes.  Australia's Education Minister Dan Tehan said "students leaving school during school hours to protest is not something that we should encourage".  UK Education Secretary Damian Hinds echoed that concern, and the government said the disruption increased teachers' workloads and wasted lesson time.  But Environment Secretary Michael Gove backed the protesting children, saying in a video: "Dear school climate strikers, we agree."  "Collective action of the kind you're championing can make a difference, and a profound one," he said.  If you can't see the chatbot above tap on this link.  Is there a question about climate change you'd like us to answer? Tell us by using the form below.


bbc--2019-08-08--Diet shift can help fight global warming - UN

Diet shift 'can help fight global warming' - UN

Switching to a plant-based diet can help fight climate change, UN experts have said.  A major report on land use and climate change says the West's high consumption of meat and dairy produce is fuelling global warming.  But scientists and officials stopped short of explicitly calling on everyone to become vegan or vegetarian.  They said that more people could be fed using less land if individuals cut down on eating meat.  The document, prepared by 107 scientists for the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), says that if land is used more effectively, it can store more of the carbon emitted by humans.  It was finalised following discussions held here in Geneva, Switzerland.  Climate change: Where we are in seven charts  "We're not telling people to stop eating meat. In some places people have no other choice. But it's obvious that in the West we're eating far too much," said Prof Pete Smith, an environmental scientist from Aberdeen University, UK.  The report calls for vigorous action to halt soil damage and desertification - both of which contribute to climate change.  It also warns that plans by some governments to grow trees and burn them to generate electricity will compete with food production unless carried out on a limited scale.  The Earth's land surface, and the way it is used, forms the basis for human society and the global economy.  But we are re-shaping it in dramatic ways, including through the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. How the land responds to human-induced climate change is a vital concern for the future.  Climate change poses a threat to the security of our food supply. Rising temperatures, increased rain and more extreme weather events will all have an impact on crops and livestock.  But food production also contributes to global warming. Agriculture - together with forestry - accounts for about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock rearing contributes to global warming through the methane gas the animals produce, but also via deforestation to expand pastures, for example.  The environmental impact of meat production is important to many vegetarians and vegans. A UK-based group called #NoBeef lobbies caterers to take beef and lamb off student menus.  In the US, vegan burger patties are made from plant-based meat substitutes said to taste like the real thing thanks to an iron-rich compound called heme.  Peter Stevenson, from Compassion in World Farming, said: "A reduction in meat consumption is essential if we are to meet climate targets."  But in some parts of the world, such as China, beef consumption is growing. This is despite attempts by the Chinese central government to promote traditional diets.  The authors of the report encourage action to stop wasting food - either before or after its sale to consumers.  Waste food can sometimes be used as animal feed or, if suitable, redirected to charities to feed people in need.  One organisation here in Switzerland called Partage takes in unsold food discarded by shops and distributes it to local families.  It also collects stale bread and turns it into biscuits, dries fruit, and cans vegetables. All of this helps reduce the CO2 emissions involved in producing food.  Hungry nations add the least to global CO2  The extra carbon that humans have put into the atmosphere is nourishing the growth of forests - especially in the Northern Hemisphere.  This can help to mitigate climate change, but it all comes down to a balance of factors. Experts say this effect on forests will be negated if the Earth heats up too much.  In fact, the report says areas near the equator may already be losing vegetation through heat stress.  Dr Katrin Fleischer, from the Technical University of Munich, Germany, warned that in some places a shortage of phosphorus in soil - a key ingredient for plant growth - would also hinder tree growth.  She said: "This would mean that the rainforest has already reached its limit and would be unable to absorb any more carbon dioxide emissions.  "If this scenario turns out to be true, the Earth's climate would heat up significantly faster."  Soil is sometimes neglected as part of the climate system. But it's the second largest store of carbon after the oceans.  Plants absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and lock the carbon away in the soil. But deforestation and poor farming practices can damage its ability to do this. When soil is degraded, carbon is released back into the atmosphere as CO2, while further plant growth is compromised.  Climate change is expected to speed this process up. Higher temperatures can help break down the organic matter in soil, boosting greenhouse emissions.  The report says reducing and reversing soil damage provides immediate benefits to local communities. Better land management, including controlled grazing by animals and tree planting, can boost soil fertility, helping to reduce poverty and boost food security.  "It's really clear that the land's being degraded through over-exploitation - and that's making climate change worse," said Prof Smith.  "The land is part of the problem but if we wise up about the way we use it, it can part of the climate solution."  Changing the way humans use the land surface is a daunting challenge, especially as it will entail a major shift in farming methods.  Nevertheless, scientists say people need to:  But one practice touted as a climate change solution - bioenergy - has been treated with caution by IPCC experts.  To some countries, it appears to be an attractive option because CO2 emissions from the process can be captured.  Interactive tool: How much warmer is your city? Select from 1,000 major cities around the world  The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts bioenergy will outpace solar, wind and hydropower in the next five years.  But the authors of the IPCC report say converting land to bioenergy could deprive countries of soil to grow much-needed crops. They advise limits on the amount of land used for biofuels.


breitbart--2019-08-24--Nolte Marthas Vineyard Home Proves Obama Knows Global Warmings a Hoax

Nolte: Martha's Vineyard Home Proves Obama Knows Global Warming's a Hoax

Do you want to know the very last thing a true believer in Global Warming would ever do…?  Move to an island and invest $15 million in a home with a — no joke — ocean view. But…  According to various news reports, Barry and Michelle are doing exactly that, and I do mean exactly that…  Here’s a photo of the estate, all 7,000 square feet of the mansion and the surrounding property… You see all that blue stuff off to the right…? That’s the Atlantic Ocean, y’all…  Now, some might see an awful lot of hypocrisy in a Global Warming believer like Obama purchasing a massive estate that will create an equally massive carbon footprint.  But that only proves Barry’s a hypocrite, not that he’s a Global Warming Denier.  Investing some $15 million to live on an island home that sits right on the Atlantic Ocean…? You want to know what this is… That is not just the actions of a hypocrite; what we have here is a full-blown Global Warming Denier, a Climate Denier, someone who is so sure the sea levels will never rise, he’s backing up that certainty with $15 million.  Barry said that about ten years before he spent $15 million for a home on … the coastline.  Barry said that about ten years before he spent $15 million for a home on … the coastline.  Barry said that about seven years before he spent $15 million for a home on  … the ocean.  The Obamas are literally investing $15 million in the fact that Global Warming is a hoax.  What’s more, he is only 58 years old. He’s got at least another 25 to 30 years.  Regardless of his age, if Global Warming were real, this would be a terrible investment under any circumstance. As this dumb 12-year deadline counts down, it should be property along the coastlines that lose the most value, while inland property rates skyrocket due to overcrowding by leftists fleeing to safety… right?  But leftists are not leaving the coast, and the value of coastline property continues to rise.  If you want to know what people truly believe, don’t listen to what they say they believe… No, you have to watch what they actually do… And the very same people who are bullying us to give up our cars and beef and grills — because if we don’t, the oceans will rise and destroy the coasts!! —  are the very same people living on … the coast.  Maybe they would rather drown, rather lose everything than live among us deplorables, but there are plenty of blue cities in flyover country… Why don’t these bigots move there?  Because they know it’s all bullshit. And Obama knows it’s bullshit. And the media surely know it’s bullshit because the media are doing the exact same thing Obama’s doing…  While far-left CNN dehumanizes anyone who doesn’t believe in Global Warming, the fake news network is moving its primary base of operations from inland Atlanta to right on — again, no joke — the water in Manhattan, the very same Manhattan the media said would be underwater already.  If Barry and Michelle Obama don’t believe in Global Warming, why should I?  Why should anyone?  Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.


dailymail--2019-05-28--Trump moves to de-fang global warming science with climate review panel

Trump moves to de-fang global warming science with 'climate review panel'

President Donald Trump and his administration are planning an attack on the science upon which climate change policy rests, it was revealed on Tuesday.  Leading the charge will be the administration's new climate review panel led by a 79-year-old Princeton physicist who has become famous for defending the use of carbon dioxide - even comparing its demonization to the treatment of Jews under German dictator Adolf Hitler.  'The demonization of carbon dioxide is just like the demonization of the poor Jews under Hitler,' said William Happer, who serves on the National Security Council as the president's deputy assistant for emerging technologies, to The New York Times.  Happer is backed by National Security Adviser John Bolton, who brought him on board and supports the new climate panel.  The two men are also backed by Robert and Rebekah Mercer, the ultra-conservative billionaire and his daughter who have funded efforts to debunk climate science.  But some administration officials - such as economic adviser Larry Kudlow - have advised the president not to follow Happer's recommendations as it would be seen as an attack on science.  Former White House counselor Stephen Bannon, known for his far-right views, is even against it.  'The very idea will start a holy war on cable before 2020,' he told the newspaper. 'Better to win now and introduce the study in the second inaugural address.'  But Trump is reported to be unpersuaded by their comments.  Additional steps the administration is taking include cutting back on reporting about the future effects of the rapidly warming planet.  James Reilly, the White House-appointed director of the United States Geological Survey, has ordered that scientific assessments produced by his office use only computer-generated climate models that project the impact of climate change through 2040, rather than through the end of the century, as had been done previously, the Times reported.  Scientists argue that is misleading because the biggest effects of climate change will be felt after 2040.  'What we have here is a pretty blatant attempt to politicize the science - to push the science in a direction that's consistent with their politics,' said Philip Duffy, the president of the Woods Hole Research Center, to the Times.  'It reminds me of the Soviet Union,' he noted.  Trump has rolled back Obama-era climate regulations since he took office. He also withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Accord.  And he's personally show plenty of skepticism about global warming.  In January, as winter storms hit the Midwest, Trump tweeted: 'Wouldn't be bad to have a little of that good old fashioned Global Warming right now!'  And, a few days later, he tweeted: 'What the hell is going on with Global Waming? Please come back fast, we need you!'  In March he tweeted a comment from a climate skeptic, Patrick Moore, who was identified by Fox News as a co-founder of Green Peace - although the organization said that is incorrect.  'Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace: 'The whole climate crisis is not only Fake News, it's Fake Science. There is no climate crisis, there's weather and climate all around the world, and in fact carbon dioxide is the main building block of all life.' @foxandfriends Wow!,' Trump tweeted on March 12.  As Trump and his administration have pushed their climate views, reports from his government have been used to debunk some of those claims.  It was reported earlier this year that the National Climate Assessment - a report produced of 13 government agencies - found the U.S. economy could lose hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century because of climate change.  That 2018 report also showcased the dire effects of climate change and warned they could get worse.  The National Climate Assessment report is now under target from the Trump administration.  The next report, which is expected to come out in 2021 or 20222, will not have the worst-case scenario projections that were automatically included in previous editions.  Trump has expressed skepticism about the report, telling The Washington Post in a November 2018 interview: 'One of the problems that a lot of people like myself, we have very high levels of intelligence but we're not necessarily such believers.'  'As to whether or not it's man-made and whether or not the effects that you're talking about are there, I don't see it,' he added.  And White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told the Post of the report: 'We think that this is the most extreme version and it's not based on facts. It's not data-driven. We'd like to see something that is more data-driven. It's based on modeling, which is extremely hard to do when you're talking about the climate. Again, our focus is on making sure we have the safest, cleanest air and water.'  The climate policy changes from the Trump administration come among a heated Democratic presidential primary contest where voters name climate change one of their top issues.  A CNN poll in April found that 82 percent of registered voters who identified as Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents named climate change as a 'very important' priority in the primary contest.  Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has offered a detailed climate change proposal as has Beto O'Rourke. Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to announce his plan by the end of the month.  Climate change is caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is the result of the burning of fossil fuels, which trap the planet's heat.  Since the Industrial Revolution, the average temperature of Earth has increased by one degree Celsius.


drudgereport--2019-12-01--'Global Warming' 'Climate Change' to Get Rebranding?

Climate change alarmists are pushing for a change in vocabulary to scare people into taking global warming more seriously, starting with terms like “global meltdown” and “climate collapse.”  Writing for AdAge this week, Aaron Hall argues that in order to get people to “take action” against climate change, “rebranding” is crucial, since people have gotten too used to the idea that climate is changing and need to be shocked into the notion that the world as we know it is ending.  “Is there a better way to convey the urgency of the situation, while also encouraging folks to take action? Could the tools of branding and brand naming create a more resonant, powerful name?” Mr. Hall asks.  What he and his marketing team came up with was a series of much more frightening labels to stick on climate change in the hope of jolting people into meaningful engagement.  The terms “Global Meltdown” or “Global Melting,” for instance, deliver a more negative image than mere “Global Warming,” he contends. “The names signal that ice caps are melting, but also create a more visceral image in the mind — that real feeling of ‘melting’ when it’s too hot outside. A meltdown is a disastrous event that draws from the ultimate terror of a nuclear meltdown, an apt metaphor for global destruction.”  “Climate Collapse” and “Climate Chaos,” on the other hand, “instill a clear message or even a direct call to action,” Hall notes, adding that “there’s nothing neutral about collapse or chaos.”  To up the rhetoric even more, Hall proposes the weaponized term “Scorched Earth.”  “Sometimes a brand name needs to be hyperbolic to truly capture hearts and minds. If we don’t take massive action now, Earth will be uninhabitable — an irreversible barren wasteland,” he insists. “‘Scorched Earth’ paints the direst picture of what’s to come and what we must avoid and is likely the edgiest brand name from our exploration.”  “Whatever we call it, impending climate doom is upon us if we don’t act quickly,” Hall concludes. “Perhaps a new name will shift the needle, even if just a little.”  Mr. Hall’s contention that it does not matter if what is said is true as long as it elicits the necessary response is reminiscent of similar assertions by leaders of the Extinction Rebellion (XR) movement.  Spokespersons of the movement have acknowledged that their claims that billions of people are going to die from climate change have no basis whatsoever in scientific fact but are necessary to provoke the kind of response that is needed to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions.  Pressed last month on what the basis was for predictions of mass deaths, XR spokesperson Zion Lights acknowledged there is no real ground for these predictions, but contended that such incendiary language is necessary to motivate people, confessing that “alarmist language works.”  While it is clearly true that “alarmist language works” in some cases, it is also true that people tend to resent being lied to and manipulated.  Like Aesop’s fable of the Boy Who Cried Wolf, climate alarmists may wake up one fine day to find that nobody believes them anymore.  Such is the price of lying.


fortruss--2019-09-02--ARCTIC Effects of Global Warming in Russias North VIDEO

ARCTIC: Effects of Global Warming in Russia’s North (VIDEO)

Arctic, Russia – Today, Russia officially expanded its northern borders. New lands discovered in the Arctic were added to the Russian Federation. These are islands in the Kara Sea. There are five newly discovered islands in total. The largest of them is as big as two Red Squares. The smallest is just 900 square meters (9,600 sq feet). It’s about 1/10 of a football field. The process is more important than the size of the land discovered because the new territories were discovered three years ago from a satellite. However, on-site reconnaissance was conducted just now.  Still, Russia isn’t only gaining territories. Global warming is causing the glaciers to melt, thus contributing to the rise of sea level. This process is causing coastal areas to shrink very slowly, but gradually. The effects have been negative but in some cases even positive, as in some areas of Russia, the permafrost gave way to arable land.


france24--2019-04-14--Seychelles President Danny Faure warns of rising sea levels due to global warming

There remain few unexplored frontiers left on planet earth but one is the depths of the Indian Ocean. This is the site of a scientific mission that's underway off the coast of the Seychelles. More than 200 metres underwater, the Nekton mission is going where no one has gone before, exploring an area that's already reeling from the effects of global warming. Seychelles President Danny Faure has visited Nekton's research vessel and called on all nations to take urgent action to protect our oceans.


freedombunker--2019-02-15--Al Gores Global Warming

Al Gore’s Global Warming

There is a serious question that no one wants to address. How did Al Gore create the global warming scare and earn hundreds of millions of dollars in the process? Before Al Gore, science was worried deeply about what we are experiencing today — global cooling. On April 28, 1975, Newsweek magazine published an article in which they sounded the alarm bell and proposed solutions to deliberately melt the ice caps:  “Climatologists are pessimistic that political leaders will take any positive action to compensate for the climatic change, or even to allay its effects. They concede that some of the more spectacular solutions proposed, such as melting thearcticc ice cap by covering it with black soot or diverting arctic rivers, might create problems far greater than those they solve. But the scientists see few signs that government leaders anywhere are even prepared to take the simple measures of stockpiling food or of introducing variables of climate uncertainty into economic projections of future food supplies.”  This sounds very similar to today’s proposed solution of putting particles in the atmosphere to deflect the sunlight to reduce global warming.  Indeed, TIME magazine’s January 31, 1977, cover featured the cover story, “The Big Freeze.” They reported that scientists were predicting that Earth’s average temperature could drop by 20 degrees fahrenheit. Their cited cause was, of course, that humans created global cooling. Then suddenly the climate cycles shifted and it began to warm up.  There was this core group of people who seemed to enjoy all the attention they were gathering by predicting the end of civilization caused by humans. As the temperatures began to warm, suddenly they had to switch the dire forecasts from global cooling caused by humans to global warming caused by humans.  Al Gore came to the rescue. Global cooling meant that government should stockpile food for everyone, but that would cost money. Switching to global warming would create a different agenda that they were familiar with. Like smoking, they could tax it to HELP people. Of course, when they did stop and tax revenues began to decline, they introduced taxes on e-cigarettes and didn’t try to deter people from smoking.  With global warming, they could tax everyone for things they did every day from driving a car to heating and cooling their homes. Suddenly, global warming was a lot more profitable for government than global cooling. The alarm bell stopped ringing that warned of a continued global cooling, seen between 1945 and 1968, that was creating a new Ice Age.  Al Gore took the position of Vice President under President Bill Clinton. In that capacity, with Bill Clinton chasing women, Hillary became the de facto President and Al Gore was given free rein. No other Vice President enjoyed that power until Dick Cheney under George Bush, Jr.  Gore set out to enact policies that would alter government and our future by placing humankind in harm’s way. Gore directed all funding to ensure that the climate change agenda became a top priority for the United States Government. Gore created the President’s Council on Sustainable Development. The Charter was revised on April 25, 1997, and the “Scope of Activities” was dramatically altered. Gore directed that the agenda was to be EXCLUSIVELY a global warming agenda to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He claimed there would be NO DEBATE regarding the science behind the new agenda. Gore deliberately silenced all opposition.  The President’s Council on Sustainable Development was to focus EXCLUSIVELY on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by adopting the U.S. economy to his agenda. The Council shifted from economic development to environmental development even though it would reduce economic development. Gore flipped the purpose of the Council to a global warming and then set about his agenda to create a crisis to increase government control and power. That can only happen when there is a crisis, which Gore then manufactured.  To pull off the new agenda, Gore’s strategy set out to purge the government of anyone who disagreed or opposed his agenda in any way. He instilled, not the fear of God, but the fear of Gore throughout the high-ranking government officials in the agencies that included the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, National Science Foundation, Department of Education, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Their funding would be cut unless they adopted Gore’s agenda.  When physicist Dr. William Happer, who was the Director of Energy Research at the Department of Energy, testified before Congress in 1993 in disagreement with Al Gore, he was instantly fired. Harper would later comment: “I had the privilege of being fired by Al Gore since I refused to go along with his alarmism. I did not need the job that badly.”  Al Gore’s propaganda machine has been amazing. From the position of vice president, he changed the entire world while Bill was preoccupied with the line of girls waiting for their turn in the White House. His net worth exploded from $2 million to an estimated $300 million. His movie, An Inconvenient Truth, even made him $24 million with its apocalyptic forecasts that are an embarrassment today. He went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, which is awarded not for peace, but whatever agenda they want to push at any given moment. He was awarded that prize jointly with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.”  What is really astonishing is that Al Gore is neither a scientist nor a climatologist. Yet, Gore is considered the leading expert despite the fact that Gore’s climate change agenda was nothing but a fraud and deliberately imposed to increase government power.  The post Al Gore’s Global Warming appeared first on LewRockwell.


bbcuk--2019-09-08--Thousands complain about solar panels

Thousands complain about solar panels

Thousands of people who bought solar panels have complained to a financial watchdog that they are not bringing them the returns they were promised.  Many people took out loans to pay for panels on the promise they would save thousands of pounds in electricity costs and make money generating power.  They say they have not had the expected savings, and the Financial Services Ombudsman has had 2,000 complaints.  Barclays Bank has put aside £38m to deal with potential claims.  Brian Thompson from Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, told BBC Inside Out he was contacted by a salesman for PV Solar UK but told him he did not want to take a loan on as he was preparing for retirement.  He said he was told the move would provide money towards his pension, which persuaded him, and he took out a loan with Barclays of more than £10,000 over 10 years.  Mr Thompson said the payments he was getting back from the power his solar panels sent to the National Grid did not correspond with what he was told.  "I had to dip into my savings which I was putting away for retirement to pay the loan off. To me it was lies," he said.  An independent survey of Mr Thompson's system showed even after 20 years the income from the panels would not cover the cost of the loan.  Barclays offered him some compensation but Mr Thompson said it was not enough.  PV Solar UK went into liquidation in 2017.  Robert Skillen, who was the director of the firm when Mr Thompson bought his system, said Mr Thompson's panels would make him money.  Mr Skillen is now in business claiming to help people who have been missold solar panels. He did not want to be interviewed.  Tony Walch, from Bolton, was told he would be better off by £30,000 over 20 years when he bought solar panels from MyPlanet.  He said: "They were very, very persuasive. Everything they said was plausible. It was a no-brainer."  He took out a loan of £15,000 but he said the panels did not generate the amount of electricity he was promised. They also overheated, damaging the equipment, and he believed they had cost him more than £500 a year.  MyPlanet went into liquidation in 2016.  Former director Mark Bonifacio said all calculations had been made using strict methodology, and the performance of the systems was impossible to predict because of different factors affecting performance.  He said MyPlanet installed more than 15,000 systems, and customers would be getting free electricity.  Debbie Enever, from the Financial Ombudsman Service, said: "We have got about 2,000 complaints about solar panels at the moment and more coming through every week."  Loans for solar panels were taken out through Barclays Bank, which said: "We always seek to ensure customers are satisfied with our financial products. Where customers have cause to complain we will review each case individually."  You can see more on this story on Inside Out North East & Cumbria on Monday 9 September at 19:30 BST.


breitbart--2019-08-21--Lawsuit Tesla Solar Panels Caused Fires on Walmart Roofs

Lawsuit: Tesla Solar Panels Caused Fires on Walmart Roofs

MarketWatch reports that retail giant Walmart Inc. is suing Elon Musk’s company over a number of roof fires at multiple Walmart stores which the firm alleges were caused by Elon Musk’s solar panels. Walmart is suing for breach of contract and is alleging “gross negligence” on Tesla’s part. Walmart is alleging that fires on the rooftops of stores in California, Maryland, and Ohio were the result of Tesla solar panels.  The complaint filed on Tuesday states: “To state the obvious, properly designed, installed, inspected, and maintained solar systems do not spontaneously combust, and the occurrence of multiple fires involving Tesla’s solar systems is but one unmistakable sign of negligence by Tesla.”  Tesla purchased SolarCity in 2016 for $2.6 billion. At the time of the acquisition, SolarCity was the largest installer of home-solar-panels in the United States. Tesla CEO Elon Musk was the chairman and largest shareholder of both companies at the time of purchase. SolarCity was founded by two of Musk’s cousins who have since left the firm. Tesla shareholders sued over the acquisition of SolarCity and that case is due to go to trial in March 2020.  In the complaint, Walmart’s lawyers criticized the acquisition stating: “On information and belief, when Tesla purchased SolarCity to bail out the flailing company (whose executives included two of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s first cousins), Tesla failed to correct SolarCity’s chaotic installation practices or to adopt adequate maintenance protocols, which would have been particularly important in light of the improper installation practices.”  The complaint states that the affected Walmart stores were among more than 240 Walmart businesses which had leased or licensed roof space to Tesla to install the solar panels. The complaint states that Tesla presented the panels a “safe, reliable” and an environmentally conscious way for Walmart to reduce energy costs. However, it was  “clear that Tesla had breached its contractual obligations,” and the firm was asked to disconnect the systems which Tesla did. However, another fire still took place at a Walmart store in Yuba City, California.  A total of seven Walmart stores have experienced fires due to faulty solar panels according to the complaint. Tesla shares dropped by 1.1 percent following the news, with the stock dropping by a total of 32 percent this year alone.  Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or email him at lnolan@breitbart.com