Do What's Right.
WSJ »
Prigozhin, a one-time confidant of President Vladimir Putin, called for retaliation after claiming that the Russian military killed “an enormous amount” of his troops in Friday’s strikes on Wagner camps. The military denied these strikes had occurred, and there was no independent evidence to back up his claim.
The Guardian | France 24 | BBC | VoA | UPI | Politico | NY Times | WaPo
Wired »
Reuters »
Quality of new vehicles sold in the United States is declining as factors such as growing use of technology and lower build quality of certain parts are making the models more “problematic”, according to automotive consultant J.D. Power.
Build quality of certain parts such as audio systems and cup-holders have resulted in quality issues, the report said, which collected data from 93,380 purchasers and lessees of 2023 model-year vehicles.
DW News »
The enormous loan — by far the biggest government backing for a US automaker since the bailouts in the 2009 financial crisis — marks a watershed moment for President Joe Biden’s aggressive industrial policy meant to help American manufacturers catch up to China in green technologies.
The new factories that will eventually supply Ford’s expansion into electric vehicles are already under construction in Kentucky and Tennessee through a joint venture called BlueOval SK, owned by the Michigan automaker and South Korean battery giant SK On Co. Ford plans to make as many as 2 million EVs by 2026, a huge increase from the roughly 132,000 it produced last year.
Studies have linked PFAS to adverse health effects, including high blood pressure, decreased fertility in women, liver damage, cancer, low birthweight and an increased risk of asthma and thyroid disease. The use of some of the more common PFAS was gradually phased out in the United States between 2000 and 2015. However, other variations of the chemicals have taken their place. The newer PFAS tend to have shorter chains of the carbon-fluorine bond, and are thus more rapidly eliminated from the body. But the FDA says they continue to present a concern for human health.
Research suggests that people who regularly consume microwave popcorn have markedly higher levels of PFAS in their bodies. A study published in 2019 analyzed a decade of data about the eating habits of 10,000 people, which was collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2003 and 2014. Blood samples from the study participants were also collected. The researchers found that people who ate microwave popcorn every day over the course of a year had levels of PFAS that were up to 63% higher than average.
The term ultra-processed foods may bring to mind sugary drinks or snacks, but chances are it fits more of the stuff in your fridge than you think. In a conversation from May, Mark Kelley talks to physician Chris van Tulleken about the health impacts.
CBC » The Current with Matt Galloway
The shift in trade could reflect the effects of growing number of export controls discouraging the sale of semiconductors to China, and surging worldwide demand for Korean EVs.
Financial Times 🔒 »
The US is the only one of South Korea’s top 10 export partners to which exports have grown over the past five years. Led by battery makers LG Energy Solution, SK On and Samsung SDI, and solar company Hanwha Q-Cells, South Korean companies have also been among the largest foreign investors in the US semiconductor and clean tech sectors.
By contrast China is waning in importance. A study published this month by the Korea International Trade Association showed that since 2021, the share of Korean exports going to China has declined in sectors including petroleum products, petrochemicals, steel, auto parts and displays.
NY Times »
Outpacing cancer is currently within reach only for certain cancers and patients, but the lessons learned on these fronts are gradually being applied elsewhere. This is raising the possibility that at some point in the not-too-distant future, diagnoses of any kind of Stage IV cancer will dictate patients’ treatment, but not their fate. Or at least that’s the promise for those with access to the most cutting-edge science.
Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto ranked in the top 10 according to a long-running Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) latest survey, the Global Liveability Index 2023 ranking of 173 metropolises.
For 2023, the world’s 10 most livable cities according to the EIU are:
Least liveable of the cities ranked include Douala, Cameroon; Kyiv, Ukraine; Harare, Zimbabwe; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Karachi, Pakistan; Lagos, Nigeria; Algiers, Algeria; Tripoli, Libya; Damascus, Syria.
Read the report » Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Liveability Index 2023
Sensitive, a little. Maybe?
Canada’s parliament on Thursday passed Bill C-18, the Online News Act. The new law compels the social media companies – such as Facebook – to negotiate commercial deals with news outlets and pay for news content. So why does this behemoth not want to pay?
Meta is worth US$720 Billion.
ABC News (Australia) | Press Gazette (UK) | NY Times | France 24 | The Verge | BBC | Al Jazeera | Reuters
Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, is making good on its threat to block news sharing on both platforms across Canada in response to Ottawa’s online news bill, which became law late Thursday.
“Today, we are confirming that news availability will be ended on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada prior to the Online News Act (Bill C-18) taking effect,” a blog post from the web giant notes.
News organizations and journalists are essential to our democracy. They play a vital role in providing accurate, fact-based, non-partisan reporting on current events happening in our communities, across the country and around the world, allowing all of us to make informed decisions on important issues such as health, public safety and education.
Bill C-18, the Online News Act will require the largest digital platforms to bargain fairly with Canadian news businesses for the use of their news content on their services.
The Online News Act levels the playing field between news businesses and large digital platforms to create greater fairness to ensure sustainability of the news industry. Through a market-based approach, it encourages voluntary commercial agreements between platforms and news businesses with minimal government intervention, as well as crucial safeguards to preserve the independence of the press.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will be responsible for overseeing the Online News Act. It will oversee the bargaining, negotiation and external final-offer arbitration processes between platforms and news businesses. It will also create a code of conduct to support fairness and transparency in bargaining.
Media Release | NY Times | AP |
Facebook’s Reaction » Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta says it will end access to news on its platforms in Canada
CBC »
A US federal judge ruled that Calgary-based Enbridge, a natural gas utility, must pay a Wisconsin-based Indigenous group some $5.1 million and move part of an oil pipeline by 2026 that impinges on the group’s land.
CBC »
© 2024 Downshift
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑
