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News reports from around the world.
Farmers in tractors block Brussels to protest EU policies
( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “and environmental rules.”
Dozens of tractors sealed off streets close to European Union headquarters where the 27 EU agriculture ministers were planning to address the crisis in the sector that has led to months of protests.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.
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VERBATIM: The farmers are protesting anything from what they see as excessive red tape to increased environmental measures, cheap imports and unfair trading practices. With protests taking place from Finland to Greece, Poland, and Ireland, the farmers have already won a slew of concessions from E-U and national authorities. They include a loosening of controls on farms to a weakening of pesticide and environmental rules.
Bird flu, weather and inflation conspire to keep egg prices high
( ) -q-19- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “to 2021 levels.”
Egg prices are at near-historic highs in many parts of the world.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. One major culprit is avian flu. In 2022 alone, more than 131 million poultry worldwide died or were culled on farms affected by the disease. Higher chicken feed costs due to weather and inflation have also impacted egg prices.
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VERBATIM: The high cost reflects a market scrambled by disease, high demand and growing costs for farmers. While global prices are lower than they were at this time last year, they remain elevated. A senior global specialist with a Dutch financial services firm doesn’t expect them to return to 2021 levels.
China to challenge Biden’s electric vehicle plans at the WTO
( ) -v-33- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “std.”
China says it has filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization over U.S. subsidies for electric vehicles. Correspondent Jeremy House reports.
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VERBATIM: The Chinese Commerce Ministry says it has turned to the WTO dispute settlement process to protest American requirements that vehicles use parts from specific regions to qualify for subsidies. A statement posted online says the U.S. formulated discriminatory subsidy policies for new energy vehicles under its Inflation Reduction Act in the name of responding to climate change. It says the U.S. move excluded Chinese products, distorted fair competition and disrupted the global supply chain for new energy vehicles…JH reporting.
Netanyahu Calls Off High-Level DC Visit Over Lack Of U.S. Support At UN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled a planned visit to the U.S. by a high-level delegation after today’s (Monday’s) U.N. Security Council vote demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. The resolution passed 14-0 on Monday after the U.S. decided not to use its veto power and instead abstained. Netanyahu accused the U.S. of “retreating” from what he said had been a “principled position” by allowing the vote to pass without conditioning the cease-fire on the release of hostages held by Hamas. The Israeli delegation was to present White House officials with plans for an expected ground invasion of the strategic Gaza town of Rafah,
Listen DownloadSenate Democrats Kill Amendment To Stop Illegal Alien Flights
Senate Democrats banded together last week to reject an amendment to stop President Biden from resettling unlimited numbers of illegal immigrants in all 50 states. United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), last week forced a vote on his amendment to the appropriations bill that would prohibit taxpayer funds from being used to secretly fly illegal aliens from other nations directly into states across the country. The flights allow the illegals to resettle in American communities, at U.S. taxpayer expense. Hagerty also notes the flights allow President Biden to artificially reduce the the record-breaking number of border crossings happening under his watch.
Listen DownloadChick-Fil-A changes its no-antibiotics-in-chicken pledge
( ) -q-24- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “of animal illness.”
The fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A has backtracked from its decade-old “no antibiotics ever” pledge.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Livestock producers have long used antibiotics to boost rapid weight gain in animals such as chickens, pigs, cows and sheep, although many nations, including the United States, have begun to restrict the practice.
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VERBATIM: The pledge was intended to help prevent human antibiotic resistance linked to the rampant use of the drugs in livestock production. Instead, the company says it will embrace a standard known as “no antibiotics important to human medicine.” The new pledge entails avoidance of such medicines commonly used to treat people and limits the use of animal antibiotics to cases of animal illness.
European regulators investigate Apple, Google and Meta
( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “breaking up businesses.”
European Union regulators have opened investigations into Apple, Google and Meta.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The rules have the broad but vague goal of making digital markets “fairer” and “more contestable.”
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VERBATIM: They’re the first cases under a sweeping new law designed to stop Big Tech companies from cornering digital markets that took effect earlier this month. The European Commission says it was investigating the companies for “non-compliance” with the Digital Markets Act. It’s a broad rulebook that targets Big Tech “gatekeeper” companies forcing them to comply with a set of do’s and don’ts, under threat of hefty financial penalties or even breaking up businesses.
Big brands could pivot easily if TikTok goes away
( ) -q-24- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “social media networks.”
A lot of “What ifs” still surround a bill the U.S. House passed last week that would mandate TikTok′s Beijing-based parent company to sell its stake in the platform or face a nationwide ban.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Industry analysts say it will be more difficult for smaller firms and solo entrepreneurs to rebound if TikTok goes away.
Listen Download285,000 Dodge, Chrysler sedans recalled for side air bag inflators
More than a quarter-million Dodge and Chrysler sedans are being recalled. Stellantis is recalling nearly 285-thousand Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300s from the 2018 through 2021 model years. The automaker says the side air bag inflators can explode with too much force during a crash and hurl metal fragments at drivers and passengers. Documents posted by U.S. safety regulators say Stellantis has seven warranty claims, but no reports of injuries.
Listen DownloadMidwest, Northeast hit with winter weather advisories and snow
Winter isn’t over yet in parts of the country. The calendar says spring, but don’t tell that to folks in the Midwest and Northeast. Parts of Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin are under winter weather advisories. Minnesota could see a foot of snow over the weekend, and some New England states could also see 12 to 18 inches in the coming days.
Listen DownloadNew bipartisan bill would require online labeling of AI-generated videos, audio
( ) -q-31- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “users would know.”
New bipartisan legislation introduced in the House would require the identification and labeling of online content generated using artificial intelligence.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. If passed, the proposal would complement an executive order on AI signed by President Joe Biden last fall.
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VERBATIM: The proposal aims to protect users from the risks of so-called AI deepfakes. They are lifelike images, videos and audio created by artificial intelligence that can be hard or impossible to tell from the real thing. The bill introduced by Republican Neal Dunn of Florida and Anna Eshoo of California would require AI developers to identify their products using metadata visible to online platforms. The platforms would then be required to label AI content so users would know.
EU to impose tariffs on Russian grain
( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “27-nation bloc.”
The European Commission wants to prevent Russia from using agriculture products as a tool to wreak havoc on the E.U. market.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.
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VERBATIM: The commission will impose tariffs on grain imports from Russia and Belarus. Imports of cereals, oilseeds and derived products from Russia and its Belarus ally are just about 1% of the overall size of the EU market. But with angry farmers already worried by the increase of cheap Ukrainian imports, the EU fears Russia will be encouraged to take advantage of the tense situation to further destabilize the 27-nation bloc.
California lawmakers seek ways to combat retail theft while keeping progressive policy
( ) -q-25- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “for repeat offenders.”
California lawmakers are split on how to best address the retail theft cases that have proliferated in the state.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Proposition 47, an initiative approved by voters in 2014, reduced penalties for certain retail theft and drug offense charges.
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VERBATIM: Governor Gavin Newsom says the state has enough tools to go after professional crime rings. He urges lawmakers to work on legislation bolstering existing laws and cracking down on resellers of stolen goods. But Republican and moderate Democrat lawmakers say California needs to consider all options to end the crisis. They want to go back to voters to implement harsher jail sentences for repeat offenders.
With police departments facing a hiring crisis, some policies are being loosened
( ) -q-27- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “with 36-percent previously.”
The Philadelphia Police Department is seeing success in more recruits passing the entry physical fitness exam thanks to a new law that changed the standards.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.
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VERBATIM: It is part of a broader effort nationally to reevaluate policies that keep applicants out of the job pool amid a hiring crisis. To close the gap, police departments nationally are reconsidering policies on tattoos, previous drug use, physical fitness and college credits. Since the law took effect late last year in Philadelphia, 51% of people testing have passed the entry physical exam, compared with 36% previously.
Embattled Menendez Won’t Run As Democrat, Maybe As Independent
Defeating Iran Proxy Hamas Is In Best Interest Of U.S., Former Senator Says
Israel Unlikely To Accept U.S. Ceasefire Proposal, Former Ambassador Says
February home sales hit strongest pace in a year as more houses hit market
( ) -q-24- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “sales in January.”
Existing home sales increased to a one-year high in February as supply improved.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Housing inventory surged 5.9% to 1.07 million units last month. It was up 10.3% from one year ago.
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VERBATIM: National Association of Realtors says home sales jumped 9.5% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.38 million units, the highest level since February 2023. Economists had forecast home resales would fall to a rate of 3.94 million units. The rebound occurred despite a plunge in pending home sales in January.
Japan’s exports rise nearly 8% in February on strong car, machinery shipments
( ) -q-18- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “up almost 16-percent.”
Japan has reported its exports rose 7.8% in February from a year earlier on strong shipments of cars and electrical machinery.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The strength in exports come as good news, coming a day after the Bank of Japan raised a key interest rate for the first time in 17 years, no longer setting it below zero.
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VERBATIM: Government numbers show Japan’s trade deficit sank to $2.5 billion, falling by more than half from a year earlier. Imports of food, medical products and computers climbed. Exports to the United States rose 18% and exports to the EU were up almost 16%.
California wants to pay doctors more money to see Medicaid patients
( ) -q-23- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “a permanent fix.”
California wants to pay doctors more money to convince them to see more Medicaid patients.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Medicaid is the government-funded health insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities.
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VERBATIM: Democrats have greatly increased the number of people eligible for Medicaid in California. But the rates Medicaid pays doctors have not kept up. Last year, California increased a tax on managed care providers. California took the money from this tax and used it to get more money from the federal government. California plans to use this money to increase rates for doctors. But the tax is not a permanent fix.
One Tech Tip: How to spot AI-generated deepfake images
( ) -q-29- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “and people’s teeth.”
AI fakery is quickly becoming one of the biggest problems confronting Americans online.
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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Video and image generators like DALL-E, Midjourney and OpenAI’s Sora make it easy — just type a request and the system spits it out.
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VERBATIM: Deceptive pictures, videos and audio are proliferating thanks to the rise and misuse of generative artificial intelligence tools. With AI deepfakes cropping up almost every day, it’s getting harder to tell what’s real from what’s not. Fake images can be used for scams and identity theft or propaganda and election manipulation. To spot a deepfake, experts advise people to look for the consistency of shadows and lighting, the edges of faces and people’s teeth.
