"European officials are debating whether they can stop buying natural gas imports from Russia. Many say it can't be done. But the biggest city in Switzerland – Zurich – is already taking ambitious steps to wean itself off gas. It's shutting down the flow of gas to whole parts of the city."
"Human-induced climate change fueled one of the most active North Atlantic hurricane seasons on record in 2020, according to a study published in the journal Nature… The study analyzed the 2020 season and the impact of human activity on climate change. It found that hourly hurricane rainfall totals were up to 10% higher when compared to hurricanes that took place in the pre-industrial era in 1850, according to a news release from Stony Brook University."
"But in recent years, NASA has been funding a second, much smaller-scale Moon program, at just 3 percent of the cost of Artemis. This is the "Commercial Lunar Payload Services" program, which seeks to use private companies to send small- and medium-size landers to the Moon's surface for primarily science-based missions. Its budget is about $250 million per year."
"No new cases of avian flu have been reported two days after a Lancaster County poultry farm destroyed nearly 1.5 million chickens to stop the spread… The Kreider Farms Donegal egg-laying facility remains under quarantine, along with farms in about a six-mile radius. Those farms are testing for bird flu."
"You might want to stop filling your bird feeders… Experts warn that an outbreak of the avian influenza (HPAI) strain H5N1 is spreading among wild birds… And they say bird feeders and baths that encourage birds to congregate in your backyard allow the virus to spread." Except for, you know, birds having become dependent on feeders as their own habit and food sources have shrunk.
"'We are relieved to see the U.S. mask mandate lift to facilitate global travel as COVID-19 has transitioned to an ordinary seasonal virus,' (Delta) said in the original version of its Monday statement… Passengers, medical experts and public health leaders promptly turned to social media to dispute the claim and call out the lack of scientific evidence behind it. Delta updated its statement at 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, with a spokesperson telling NPR over email that it had done so 'for clarity and accuracy' and declining to comment further." Just a reminder, it is still a pandemic.
"The administration argued that masks qualified as 'sanitation' under the law, but (Judge) Mizelle disagreed, opting for a much narrower definition of the term that would exclude measures like face coverings. Legal experts say her interpretation missed the mark." Gee, a judge that was rated as "unqualified" but affirmed anyway doesn't understand the legal definitions of basic words? Shocked I am…
"Housing activity slowed for a second straight month in March… Existing home sales fell 2.7% to a seasonally adjusted 5.77 million units in March from a month earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Home sales fell across all regions in the U.S. from February. The NAR also revised February existing home sales downward to 5.93 million from 6.02 million. The number of sales was down 4.5% from the same month a year ago."
"Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's order imposing safety inspections on trucks crossing the border from Mexico inflicted billions of dollars in U.S. trade losses — including $1 billion per week at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge alone, according to the latest tallies of the slowdown's economic fallout." Great job, Greg.
"Some of the nation's largest retailers have been using soaring inflation rates as an excuse to raise prices and rake in billions of dollars in additional profit, a corporate watchdog group charged on Friday… Companies such as CVS Health, Kroger and T.J. Maxx parent company TJX appear to have raised their prices unnecessarily in 2020 and 2021 at a time when Americans were dealing with the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, Accountable.US said in a new report. Instead of keeping prices stable for struggling families, corporations have overcharged Americans and prioritized profit, the group claims." (Grokked from Chuck Wendig, I think)
"Netflix has lost 200,000 U.S. subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, marking its first drop in customers in more than a decade, the company announced Tuesday… It attributed the losses to factors such as stronger competition, the Ukraine-Russia conflict and password sharing." Naughty naughty.
"Netflix plans to launch a lower-priced subscription tier with ads, CEO Reed Hastings said Tuesday in an interview to discuss first-quarter earnings. Netflix revenue growth is slowing amid a loss in subscribers, and the company's stock price was down about 37 percent Wednesday as of this writing."
"In the climax of France’s presidential campaign, centrist President Emmanuel Macron and far-right contender Marine Le Pen will meet Wednesday evening in a one-on-one television debate that could prove decisive before Sunday’s runoff vote."
"A Ukrainian marine commander in Mariupol has made what he described as his troops' "last address to the world" as they try to resist overwhelming Russian forces in the city… They were outnumbered and running out of supplies, Major Serhiy Volyna said… A Russian deadline for the surrender of Ukrainian forces has passed with no sign that the troops have complied."
"It is currently planting season in Ukraine, but many of the country's farmers aren't tending to their fields. Last month, the U.N. warned Ukraine may not be able to harvest crops, plant new ones or sustain livestock production, after an assessment of 19 of the country's 24 regions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged farmers who are still on their land to plant as many crops as possible in the spring."
"In a surprise move, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has expanded a special session of the legislature this week to target the state's premier attraction, Disney World… Lawmakers will consider a bill that would end all "independent special districts" in the state formed before 1968." Note this is probably less about Disney's criticism of the "Don't Say Gay" bill, but more about Disney halting political contributions.
"The fact that Geauga County Probate and Juvenile Court Judge Timothy Grendell employs an armed constable is something of a peculiarity." Some of the local politics that are especially a little seedy.
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