Energy crisis

CLEVELAND — Three retail pharmacy chains recklessly distributed massive amounts of pain pills in two Ohio counties, a federal jury said Tuesday in a verdict that could set the tone for U.S. city and county governments that want to hold pharmacies accountable for their roles in the opioid crisis. The counties blamed pharmacies operated by CVS, Walgreens and Walmart for not stopping the flood of pills that caused hundreds of overdose deaths and cost each of the two counties about $1 billion, their attorney said. This was the first time pharmacy companies had completed a trial to defend themselves in a drug crisis that has killed a half-million Americans over the past two decades. How much the pharmacies must pay in damages will be decided in the spring by federal judge. CDC data shows overdose deaths hit record high in 2020 July 14, 2021 01:44 Lake and Trumbull counties were able to convince the jury that the pharmacies played an … [Read more...] about CVS, Walmart and Walgreens are responsible for roles in opioid crisis, jury finds

Lake Mead is at risk of "catastrophic collapse" if nothing is done to reduce water use at the manmade reservoir that straddles the Arizona/Nevada border, U.S. government officials have warned. Water levels are forecast to drop further before the end of August and measures have been unveiled to minimize damage to the ecosystem and the strain on local communities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Lake Mead's water is 1,042.38 feet above sea level, as of August 16. The USBR predicts the water level will drop to 1,042.35 feet before September. Longer-term USBR forecasts suggest the water level will decline to 1,019 feet by August 2023 and 1,013 feet in July 2024. The USBR is asking people to use as little water as possible and has announced that the reservoir—the largest in the U.S.—will operate under its first Level 2a Shortage Condition in 2023. This means downstream releases from the Hoover Dam will be reduced in 2023 to Arizona, Nevada and Mexico. California's … [Read more...] about Lake Mead water use reductions essential to stop “catastrophic collapse”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heads to Ukraine Thursday as the most likely peacemaker in a war that has pitted NATO and the European Union firmly against Russia. Erdogan and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the western city of Lviv, with the nascent UN-Turkish-facilitated Black Sea grain export deal likely top of the agenda. The Turkish president may also be carrying a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin , who he met in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi earlier this month. Erdogan—now needed by both Ukraine and Russia—may yet play a key role in any eventual ceasefire, though for now an end to the fighting looks unlikely. In the meantime Erdogan—ambitious, opportunistic, and pragmatic—will deal with both sides, seeking to stabilize its region, its beleaguered economy, and grow its international influence. "Turkey is trying to find a middle road," said Fatih Ceylan, … [Read more...] about Turkey’s Erdogan jostles to be Putin’s partner, Ukraine peacemaker

Wednesday, FNC host Tucker Carlson opened his broadcast with a scathing critique of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act. According to Carlson, the moniker “inflation reduction” was misinformation, which has been something the Biden administration has proclaimed to be a priority in combatting. Transcript as follows: CARLSON: People say the federal government seems big, maybe bigger than ever. Well, it actually is the largest employer in the world — the Federal government. Nothing else comes close — not Google, not Amazon, not the Communist Party of China — nothing. How many people work for the United States government? Let’s put it this way. There are more than a hundred countries around the world whose total populations (that is, every man, woman and child) are smaller than our Federal workforce — entire countries, many of them. The US government, in other words, is astoundingly large, world historically big, scale without precedent, truly gargantuan. So, what do all … [Read more...] about FNC’s Carlson: ‘Inflation Reduction Act May Be a Classic Example of Misinformation’

As tensions between Ukraine and Russia grow over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday that the facility could be shut down if Ukrainian forces continue targeting it and named three countries in danger from radioactive fallout in the event of an incident at the plant. The Zaporizhzhia plant—the largest in Europe—has been under occupation since March, when it was captured by Russian troops, though it is still run by Ukrainian technicians. There has been concern over the fate of the power plant stuck in the middle of a brutal conflict and the risks it could pose to the entire European continent. The Zaporizhzhia plant has been the target of several military strikes since the end of July and both Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other's forces of shelling the facility. During Thursday's briefing, the head of Russia's radiation, chemical and biological defense forces Igor Kirillov said Zaporizhzhia's back-up support systems had been damaged … [Read more...] about Russia names three countries in nuclear danger over shelling of plant

NATO has touted exercises in Europe that it says show the military strength and unity of the alliance amid concerns in the bloc that Russia could widen its invasion of Ukraine beyond its borders. In a series of tweets, the U.S. mission to NATO shared images and video of recent drills in Poland , the Mediterranean and the Adriatic Seas , as Moscow continues to portray its invasion of Ukraine as a wider battle with the alliance. "Check out this live-fire exercise with troops, which took place in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, where America's forward-deployed corps in Europe train with our Allies and partners," one of the tweets said, with four images of military hardware being tested. Another tweet described how ships from the reaction force, NATO Maritime Group Two, had finished exercises in the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas and how alliance members "work every day to ensure strong maritime capabilities to deter aggression" as well as "preserve safety and security of the … [Read more...] about Photos show U.S., NATO military drills for “combat-readiness” in Europe

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday that the relationship between India and China is going through an “extremely difficult phase” after what Beijing has done at the border and emphasised that the Asian Century will not happen if the two neighbours could not join hands. Jaishankar made the remarks while responding to a series of questions after delivering a lecture on ‘India’s Vision of the Indo-Pacific’ at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University here. Responding to a question, Jaishankar said that the Asian Century will happen when China and India come together but the Asian Century will be difficult to happen if India and China could not come together. “At the moment (the India-China) relationship is going through an extremely difficult phase after what China did at the border,” he said. Chinese and Indian troops are engaged in a prolonged standoff in Eastern Ladakh. The two sides have so far held 16 rounds of Corps Commander Level talks to resolve the … [Read more...] about India-China Relationship Going Through ‘Extremely Difficult Phase’: EAM Jaishankar

A blast that ripped through a mosque packed with worshippers in the Afghan capital killed at least 21 people and wounded more than two dozen others, police said Thursday. The number of bombings across Afghanistan has declined since the Taliban returned to power last year, but several attacks — some targeting minority communities — have rocked the country in recent months, including those claimed by the jihadist Islamic State (IS) group. No group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday evening’s blast at Kabul’s Sediqia Mosque, which has an adjoining madrasa. “He was my cousin, may God forgive him,” said one local resident who gave his name as Masiullah, referring to a relative who died in the explosion. “One year had passed from his marriage, he was 27 years old… he was a good person.” Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said 21 people were killed and 33 others wounded. Italian non-governmental organisation Emergency, which operates a hospital in Kabul, said it had … [Read more...] about Death Toll in Kabul Mosque Blast Rises to 21: Police

As many as 13 states could soon be left fumbling in the dark after being barred from buying and selling on power exchange platforms till they clear their dues to power plants. Among them are Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Jharkhand, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh. Power System Operation Corporation Ltd (POSOCO) has asked three power exchanges — Indian Energy Exchange (IEX), Power Exchange of India (PXIL), and Hindustan Power Exchange (HPX) — to restrict electricity trading by 27 distribution companies (discoms) to these states having outstanding dues towards gencos, sources said. The move could make power outages more common in the affected states. The total pending dues of state discoms to gencos are Rs 5,085 crore. POSOCO, a public sector enterprise under the Union power ministry, manages the integrated operation of the Indian power system. This is the first time over a dozen states … [Read more...] about Dark Times Ahead for 13 States after Being Barred from Power Exchanges for Failing to Clear Dues

Researchers at the European Commission warned on Monday that nearly half of the EU’s territory is currently at risk of drought, as southwest Europe wilted under a punishing heatwave. In a report for July, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre said 46 per cent of the EU’s territory was exposed to warning-level drought, with 11 per cent at an alert level, with crops already suffering from the lack of water. Italy was the hardest hit, with the Po River basin in the north of the country facing the highest level possible of drought severity, the EU said. In Spain, water reservoir volumes are currently 31 per cent lower than the 10-year average, the report said, while in Portugal, water to produce hydroelectric energy is at half the average of the previous seven years. The EU researchers also warned that the lack of water and strong heat are driving crop yields lower in France, Romania, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Weather forecasts predict more of the same, the report … [Read more...] about Heatwave in Southwest Europe: Nearly Half of EU Territory ‘At Risk’ of Drought, Say Researchers