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Trudy Rubin: Putin is playing a game of food blackmail. The West can’t let him win

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

ODESA, Ukraine — One year ago, just as I arrived in this historic port city, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to stop blockading Ukraine’s grain exports and fueling a famine in Africa and the Middle East.The day after signing the U.N.-brokered deal, Russians shelled Odesa’s port facilities, as if to warn: “Don’t think this deal protects you.”Exactly one year later, I returned to Odesa just as Russia pulled out of the deal, once again threatening global food supplies. Putin is playing a game of food blackmail, trying to get Western countries to loosen sanctions on certain Russian banks if they want the Ukrainian grain to start flowing again. Canada rightly called the renewed blockade “the weaponization of hunger by the Russian Federation.”As I wrote back then, and reemphasize now, if any Western leaders still nurse fantasies about talks with Putin to end his war on Ukraine, his disdain for the grain deal proves they are fools.And...

Real World Economics: Climate change meets Econ 101

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

Edward LottermanIn their first chapters, many introductory econ texts list “challenges every economy must face.”“How does the economy adapt to change?” usually is on the list.That question confronts us now as we face extreme weather events and climate change.Policies and institutions matter. When faced with challenges, different countries and cultures have different outcomes.A colleague born in Japan described how his family dug a cave into a railroad embankment after their house was lost to U.S. firebombing. “We lived there the next two years” he said. Ironically, I had just read a parallel account by a Russian woman whose family lost their house in the battle of Stalingrad. They dug into a hillside “and we lived there for the next 17 years.”Japan, Germany, Poland, the Soviet Union and other countries suffered enormous destruction during World War II, but they had different economic systems and their recovery varied greatly. The market-based ones were much more successful than the ...

U.S. Attorney opposes NXIVM leader's 3rd motion for new trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York is asking the court to shut down former NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere's third motion for a new trial, calling it "untimely and meritless." Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Raniere, who was sentenced to 120 years in prison in 2020, claims federal prosecutors tampered with evidence, which prosecutors have denied. The former Capital Region-based, disgraced "self-improvement" guru claims that he is entitled to a new trial because “newly discoveredevidence” demonstrates that “the government manufactured child pornography and planted iton a computer hard drive to tie it to him,” according to documents filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Hajjar. Raniere lawyer trying for new judge, trial Federal prosecutors have struck down Raniere's claims, stating Raniere has failed to identify any "newly discovered evidence." They point to evidence presented at...

Mohonasen HS grad's speech goes viral online

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A local teenager has gone viral on TikTok for the inspirational words he shared at his Mohonasen High School graduation ceremony. Nick Giardono’s speech has received millions of views and over 150,000 likes on the platform. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The 18-year-old shared a message of "doing your best" and having faith in what the future holds. He emphasized that while he was not the class valedictorian or class president, he had ideas worth sharing, and the proof is in the reception online. His sports-related analogies resonated with people all across the internet.Giardono joined NEWS10's Giuliana Bruno to discuss how it feels to be a role model for other students like him, and share his plans for the future. You can watch parts of his speech, and the full interview, in the video player above.

Twitter will drop the bird logo, Musk says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk said Sunday that he plans to change the logo of Twitter to an “X” from the bird, marking what would be the latest big change since he bought the social media platform for $44 billion last year. In a series of posts on his Twitter account starting just after 12 a.m. ET, Twitter's owner said that he's looking to make the change worldwide as soon as Monday. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! “And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds,” Musk wrote on his account.Earlier this month, the billionaire Tesla CEO put new curfews on his digital town square, a move that met with sharp criticism that it could drive away more advertisers and undermine its cultural influence as a trendsetter. Mohonasen HS grad’s speech goes viral online The higher tweet-viewing threshold is part of an $8-per-month subscription service that Musk rolled out earlier this year in an att...

EU must listen to Global South

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

Last week the EU parliament debated the Manipur issue in India. Honestly, 99% of EU parliament members will not know where on the map Manipur is. These preachings in condescending tones will not go down well with India. Manipur is an internal issue of India. It is clear India has not meddled in EU affairs but EU is still patronising and condescending to others with colonial and imperial prism of racism. This will hamper bilateral relationship and trade co-operation with a major rising superpower like India and to keep rising assertive China in check constantly. Indians feel the EU should stop bilateral mishaps of meddling in others affairs and these patronising tones, lectures will only make Global South Isolate EU.The EU must also understand India is not a western country. India has it’s own values and culture. India has always been an independent thinking power without being anyone’s ally. India will not choose anyone’s camp and will choose itself so targeting India with broken re...

1 dead, 2 wounded after fight leads to shooting in Long Beach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

A shooting at a party in Long Beach claimed the life of one person and sent two others to the hospital. According to the Long Beach Police Department, officers responded to a home in the 1900 block of Luray Street around 10:45 p.m. Saturday night on calls of shots being fired. Police confirmed that one person was killed and two others were hospitalized in stable condition. The victims have not been identified. Cell phone video taken during the gathering shows an altercation break out between several people and, when the large crowd quickly turned their attention to the fight, shots rang out. Cell phone video taken during the gathering shows an altercation break out between several people, and when the large crowd quickly turned their attention to the fight, that’s when shots were fired. Cell phone video taken during the gathering shows an altercation break out between several people, and when the large crowd quickly turned their attention to the fight, that’s when sho...

Elon Musk is about to change Twitter again

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

Elon Musk said Sunday that he plans to change the logo of Twitter to an “X” from the bird, marking what would be the latest big change since he bought the social media platform for $44 billion last year.In a series of posts on his Twitter account starting just after 12 a.m. ET, Twitter's owner said that he's looking to make the change worldwide as soon as Monday.Musk’s tweet announcing new branding for Twitter.“And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds,” Musk wrote on his account.Earlier this month, the billionaire Tesla CEO put new curfews on his digital town square, a move that met with sharp criticism that it could drive away more advertisers and undermine its cultural influence as a trendsetter.The higher tweet-viewing threshold is part of an $8-per-month subscription service that Musk rolled out earlier this year in an attempt to boost Twitter revenue. Revenue has dropped sharply since Musk took over the company and&...

Police in Baldwin Park searching for restaurant burglary suspects 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

Authorities are searching for suspects after they were caught on surveillance video smashing windows of three restaurants in Baldwin Park. According to the Baldwin Park Police Department, the robberies occurred in the “early morning hours” of July 15 in the 4100 block of Maine Avenue. The three establishments that were broken into include WaBa Grill, El Pollo Loco and La Cosecha Mexican Bistro. “Based on video surveillance footage, it appears the crimes were committed by the same suspects,” Baldwin Park police said on Facebook.  Garage full of cars catches fire in Woodland Hills The suspects were able to get away in a black SUV before officers arrived. They have not been identified. Police would not immediately reveal what, if anything, was stolen from the restaurants. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Thomas Ip at 626-960-1855 ext. 256. 

Humans to blame for about 90% of wildfire ignitions, report finds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:22 GMT

California is no stranger to wildfires. However, a new paper published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire found that the blazes have intensified and humans have played a significant role in igniting the flames.Researchers from 15 universities, including UCLA, looked at wildfire data from 1980 through 2020 and found that wildfires have become larger and more destructive due to various factors, including climate change, fuels left in the forests and ignition sources.“In the state of California, if you look at wildfires, well over 90% of the ignition source has been tracked back to humans,” Glen MacDonald, a geography professor at UCLA and the paper’s lead author, said. When will California experience another drought? Experts aren’t entirely sure “It could be from anything like someone throwing a cigarette out of a car or using machinery that causes a spark. Accidents also happen. People don't properly put out a campfire and with this dry vegetation and hot temperatures, ...