Today in History: March 29


1951: Rosenbergs convicted of espionage
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of espionage for their role in passing atomic secrets to the Soviets during and after World War II. The husband and wife were later sentenced to death and were executed in 1953.

Execution of the Rosenbergs

"Enemies of Democracy"

Published onSat 20 Jun 1953 16.01 BST

Only a few minutes before, President Eisenhower had rejected a last desperate plea written in her cell by Ethel Rosenberg. Mr Emanuel Bloch, the couple's lawyer, personally took the note to the White House where guards turned him away.

Neither of the two said anything before they died. The news of their execution was announced at 1.43 a.m. (British time).

President's statement

New York, June 19

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in the electric chair at Sing Sing Prison tonight. Neither husband nor wife spoke before they died.

Julius Rosenberg, aged 35, was the first to die. They were executed just before the setting sun heralded the Jewish Sabbath. Prison officials had advanced the execution time to spare religious feelings.

Mrs Rosenberg turned just before she was placed in the electric chair, drew Mrs Evans, the prison matron towards her, and they kissed. The matron was visibly affected. She quickly turned and left the chamber. In the corridor outside Rabbi Irving Koslowe could be heard intoning the 23rd Psalm.

The couple were the first civilians in American history to be executed for espionage. They were sentenced to death on April 5, 1951, for passing on atomic secrets to Russia during the Second World War.

Eisenhower's statement

The last hope of reprieve for the Rosenbergs vanished early this afternoon when President Eisenhower rejected a final appeal for clemency shortly after the Supreme Court had set aside the stay of execution granted by Justice Douglas, one of its own members on Monday. The President's decision was announced in the following statement from the White House:

"Since the original review of proceedings in the Rosenberg case by the Supreme Court of the United States, the courts have considered numerous further proceedings challenging the Rosenbergs conviction and the sentencing involved. Within the last two days, the Supreme Court convened in a special session and reviewed a further point which one of the justices felt the Rosenbergs should have an opportunity to present. This morning the Supreme Court ruled that there was no substance to this point.

I am convinced that the only conclusion to be drawn from the history of this case is that the Rosenbergs have received the benefits of every safeguard which American justice can provide. There is no question in my mind that their original trial and the long series of appeals constitute the fullest measure of justice and due process of law. Throughout the innumerable complications and technicalities of this case no Judge has ever expressed any doubt that they committed most serious acts of espionage.

Accordingly, only most extraordinary circumstances would warrant Executive intervention in the case. I am not unmindful of the fact that this case has aroused grave concern both here and abroad in the minds of serious people aside from the considerations of law. In this connection I can only say that, by immeasurably increasing the chances of atomic war, the Rosenbergs may have condemned to death tens of millions of innocent people all over the world. The execution of two human beings is a grave matter. But even graver is the thought of millions of dead, whose death may be directly attributable to what these spies have done.

When democracy's enemies have been judged guilty of a crime as horrible as that of which the Rosenbergs were convicted: when the legal processes of democracy have been marshalled to their maximum strength to protect the lives of convicted spies: when in their most solemn judgement the tribunals of the United States has adjudged them guilty and the sentence just. I will not intervene in this matter. "

"So much doubt"

President Eisenhower's decision came about half an hour after Mr Emanuel Bloch, the Rosenberg's chief lawyer, had addressed an impassioned appeal to him, declaring that the world would be shocked if the execution was carried out with, he said, so much doubt in the case. He demanded that the President should find himself time "to consider this serious matter" and argued that rejection of the clemency appeal would jeopardise the United State's relation with its allies. "Tens of millions throughout the world condemn the death sentence" he added. "For the sake of American tradition, prestige and influence I urge redress for the Rosenbergs."

Less than four hours before the execution, Mr Bloch announced the failure of yet another attempt to gain a stay - a separate plea to Justice Burton, one of nine members of the Supreme Court - to Reuter and British United Press.

Prime Minister asked to intercede

A deputation from a "Save the Rosenbergs" protest meeting held at Marble Arch, London last night, called at No.10 Downing Street where it was told the Prime Minister was at Chartwell. Members of the deputation, which was led by the Rev. Stanley Evans, then motored to Chartwell.

When they arrived in the lane outside Sir Winston's home, Mr Evans and Professor Bernal found about twenty supporters of the National Rosenberg Defence Committee. They had scribbled a note addressed "Dear P.M.," and asking the Prime Minister to appeal direct "to President Eisenhower over the Transatlantic telephone immediately." In reply they received a typewritten note saying: "It is not within my duty or my power to intervene in this matter. (Signed) Winston Churchill."

This reply was handed to the deputation at midnight, and the gates of Chartwell were closed for the night.

In London, fifty demonstrators who had earlier stated they intended to keep an all-night vigil at No.10 Downing Street found police had cordoned off both entrances by the time they arrived at 12.50 a.m.

At one o'clock this morning in Manchester a crowd of two hundred stood quietly outside the offices of the "Manchester Guardian" waiting for news of the Rosenberg executions.

The crowd stood in silence until the executions were announced at 1.45 a.m. The news was received in silence, and members of the crowd, most of them men, maintained a two minutes' silence for the Rosenbergs. Afterwards they moved off to the steps of the Royal Exchange in Cross Street where the meeting pledged itself to continue the fight to clear the name of the Rosenbergs and "to pin the blame where it rightly belongs."

A telegram sent earlier to the Queen had asked her to use her influence towards securing a reprieve.

the Rosenbergs - PBS

https://www.pbs.org › wgbh › nova › venona › inte_19440921

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg leave federal court following their indictment on espionage charges, August 23, 1950. Ruth Greenglass told Julius Rosenberg about ...

Why the Rosenbergs' Sons Eventually Admitted Their Father ...

https://www.history.com › news › rosenberg-sons-admit-father-julius-guilty

Jun 19, 2018 - His parents were none other than Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and they were accused of being Russian spies who passed on secret ...

TELEVISION; Capturing the Rosenbergs - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com › 2004/06/13 › movies › television-capturing-the-r...

Jun 13, 2004 - ... Heir to an Execution: A Granddaughter's Story, HBO documentary film by Ivy Meeropol about her grandparents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, ...

Watch Heir To An Execution: A Granddaughter's Story | Prime ...

https://www.amazon.com › Heir-Execution-Granddaughters-Ivy-Meeropol

 Rating: 3.7 - ‎128 reviews

Ivy Meeropol's grandparents were Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. This film is an ... I knew very little about the Rosenbergs before I saw this documentary. There are ...

The Rosenbergs

www.columbia.edu › ~lnp3 › mydocs › american_left › Rosenbergs

Two nights ago, HBO showed a documentary on the Rosenberg case. ... HEIR TO AN EXECUTION captures the personal story of the Rosenbergs, deftly setting ...

the Rosenbergs - PBS

https://www.pbs.org › wgbh › nova › venona › inte_19440921

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg leave federal court following their indictment on espionage charges, August 23, 1950. Ruth Greenglass told Julius Rosenberg about ...

Today in History: March 29

ANGLO ZULU WAR SOUTH AFRICA

 

1879: The Battle Of Kambula

The Anglo-Zulu War Battle of Kambula took place which involved the British Number 4 Column, led by Colonel Evelyn Wood VC and the Zulu Army, led by Ntshingwayo kaMahole. The Zulu's had a large numerical advantage over the British, with 2,000 British troops and native levies fighting against some 20,000 Zulus. The British however were successful in defeating the Zulus, with Wood’s force suffering 83 casualties and the Zulus losing approximately 3,000 men.

Today in History: March 29
CANADA BECOMES A NATION (DOMINION)1867

1867: Queen signs BNA Act and the beginning of Canada
The British North America (BNA) Act was passed by Britain’s Parliament and singed by Queen Victoria, creating the Dominion of Canada, which came into being the following July.

SEE MY REVISIONIST HISTORIES OF CANADA 
https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=HISTORY+OF+CANADIAN+WEALTH

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2007/07/whose-canada.html

'Do More—Fast. Don't Wait.'

"SOCIALIST" DENMARK (A SOCIAL DEMOCRACY) CONTROLS COVID-19

Denmark, which is basically freezing its economy, has a message for America.

© Oliver Smalley /Ollie Smalley Photography/Getty Images There's a reason the country is frequently recognized for being the happiest on Earth. One look at its beautiful waterfront, a taste of its delicious pastries and an evening spent watching the fireworks in Tivoli, and you'll want to call Denmark home, too.

Derek Thompson 3/25/2020

Around the world, countries are seeking to lock down their populations to halt the spread of the coronavirus, “freeze” their economies in place, and help people survive the ice age by any means necessary.

Denmark’s version of ice-age economics goes like this: To discourage mass layoffs, the government will pay employers up to 90 percent of the salaries of workers who go home and don’t work. The plan could require the government to spend as much as 13 percent of its GDP in three months—roughly the equivalent of a $2.5 trillion stimulus in the United States spread out over just 13 weeks.

Related: Denmark’s idea could help the world avoid a Great Depression

In the 48 hours since I first wrote about this plan, I have heard from politicians and policy makers around the world, including in Spain, the UK, and Australia. To go deeper on this radical idea, I spoke on Monday with Peter Hummelgaard, the employment minister of Denmark. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Derek Thompson: You’re the employment minister for a country adopting one of the most radical economic plans in the world. Before we get to the specifics of what you’re doing, give me your outlook on this crisis.

Peter Hummelgaard: What we’re trying to do is to freeze the economy. This is very different from 12 years ago when, as you might say in American terms, we bailed out Wall Street and forgot about Main Street. This time around, it’s about preserving Main Street as much as we can.

After the lockdown, we knew that people would get fired in vast numbers. We wanted to avoid most firings, entirely. The best idea we came up with was for governments to pay businesses to keep employees.

It’s a radical plan. But radical times need radical responses. You could say it puts the old Ronald Reagan quote on its head: We are the government, and we are here to help.

Thompson: Tell me exactly how this plan works, because it’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard. Let’s say I’m a restaurant owner in Copenhagen who has to shut down my business for the next few months. I have 10 employees and, without income, I might have to lay off all of them in a week. I ask you for help. What happens now?

Hummelgaard: First, all of your employees would be eligible to receive income compensation as long as you keep them on contract. That means they are sent home, and the government pays you, the restaurant owner, up to 90 percent of their salaries—up to about $4,000 a month—which you would pay to the workers you still have on contract.

Second, the government would compensate you for fixed costs, like rent. For example, the government will pay a portion of your rent depending how much your revenue declines.

Third, if any of your employees get sick from the coronavirus, the government will pay their sick leave from day one. Generally, in Denmark, the employers are responsible for the first 30 days of paid sick leave.

Finally, we decided to postpone the deadlines of taxes like the value-added tax, and we’ve encouraged banks to extend credit to companies like yours.

Thompson: This is such a generous program. Couldn’t I just defraud you? Couldn’t I pretend to send my workers home but secretly ask them to come into the restaurant and help with a secret delivery business? How do you prevent rampant, massive fraud?

Hummelgaard: We’re not naive. Of course there will be companies that try to take unfair advantage of this. But in Danish society, there has been broad support for these initiatives, and these programs have been rolled out with a large degree of trust.

While at first there won’t be thorough control mechanisms, since these programs are being implemented very fast, we have a few ways to find fraud. Employers have to have an authorized accountant sign for their compensation applications. Also Denmark is a thoroughly digitized country. The government can see—via tax records and mobile-payment applications—if some businesses are still operating as normal. And if we do find cases of fraud, we are going to ask for the money back with a fee on top, or even charge employers with a crime.

Thompson: Am I right to say that this is like a big unemployment benefit program—except the benefits are paid through employers, to ensure that workers keep their jobs?

Hummelgaard: The traditional thing in a recession would be to expand unemployment programs, so that the people being laid off would have a strong safety net—which, in Denmark, they already do. This is the first time, at least in Danish history, that the government has paid private businesses to not fire their employees, even when their employees can’t work. It is an extraordinary scheme. But this is an extraordinary health crisis.

Thompson: In the United States, the two parties in Congress have struggled to agree on a relief package. In Denmark, you reached a tripartite agreement between three different groups—unions, employers, and the government—and within government, you have as many as 10 parties. How did Denmark move so quickly, with so many factions, to pass something so big?

Related: The coronavirus will be a catastrophe for the poor

Hummelgaard: In Denmark, we have a long tradition of strong unions that aren’t as ideological or as radicalized as they can be in other countries. They are used to direct negotiations with employers associations.

Over the past four decades, we have built on that tradition by having government help to solve big challenges. A couple of days after we announced the lockdown, we had an agreement by late Saturday night. And we made it public on Sunday morning. It sent a signal of trust through society — workers standing alongside businesses and government saying we would do whatever it takes, whatever is possible, to ensure a soft landing for the economy. I’m not sure you could copy this everywhere, either because unions are too weak, or because trust between unions and employers is nonexistent.

Thompson: I want to know how you’d respond to three possible critiques of this plan. First, the price tag. Denmark is prepared to spend almost 13 percent in the next three months. Are you concerned about inflation or public debt?

Hummelgaard: If this current predicament becomes a structural problem, with mass unemployment and reduced aggregate demand, the cost to our economy and to our deficit will be much more expensive that investing in these programs upfront. That is our pure logic. That’s the economic side of it. It is more expensive to do less. Then there’s a social side of it: Unemployment creates a host of problems not only for society, but also for individuals.

Thompson: Here’s another criticism some might have: By paying people to not work—and compensating them exclusively if they avoid working—are you making it harder for workers to transition to parts of the economy that need more people, like medical-device manufacturing, or groceries, or online delivery?

Hummelgaard: No. Because we’re still seeing layoffs. This program is merely preventing more layoffs, mass layoffs. You have to remember that these compensation schemes are temporary. They are due to end in June.

Thompson: In fact, that’s the biggest concern about your plan: It’s set to end in June. If you succeed in slowing the spread of the virus, there may still be lots of infections in the early summer. How will the economy transition to normal if there are still people carrying the virus in early summer?

Hummelgaard: The important thing to remember is that our health system must be able to treat those who need treatment. If the virus spreads in Denmark as fast as it has in some regions in Italy and Spain, our health system will have no capacity. But by [slowing] the spread of the virus, our health system will have the capacity to treat those with the disease. That’s the health strategy. It’s not on my table, but it’s part of the overall strategy of government.

If we need to the lockdown for a longer period of time, we may rethink our plan and come up with new initiatives. But it’s important to say that we will do more.

Thompson: Last question: In the U.S., we still don’t have an emergency relief deal. What’s your message to American lawmakers?

Hummelgaard: Do more—fast. Don’t wait. The main focus should be to bridge partisan divides and to make sure that the rescue package for the economy is a rescue for Main Street, not just for Wall Street. Preserve the income and jobs for ordinary working people, and also preserve small businesses. The jury is still out on our initiatives, but I’m confident in our approach.

---30---

The coronavirus just indefinitely postponed truck drivers' most hated 72 hours of the year

 ROAD SAFETY REGULATORY INSPECTIONS DELAYED BY A YEAR

Rachel Premack 3/27/2020

The most dreaded event of the year for many truck drivers has been put on hold for the first time ever, thanks to increasing demand for them as the coronavirus pushes shoppers to panic buy and hospitals to load up on more supplies.

The International Roadcheck, typically scheduled for early summer, has been postponed "to later in the year," the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance announced Wednesday. The CVSA is an intergovernmental agency with local, state, and federal commercial-driver safety officials from Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

Each year, the CVSA conducts a 72-hour "blitz" in which 13,000-plus inspectors pull over truck drivers and assess them for following key points of safety laws for commercial drivers. In the U.S. and Canada, the CVSA said the 2019 blitz saw 67,072 inspections uncovering 12,019 critical vehicle problems and 2,784 driver violations.

Those drivers and trucks were put out of service until the problems were resolved. An out-of-service order pushes a truck company's federal safety score lower, and it means a short-term loss of income.

The time spent during the inspection -- and the downsides from potentially being placed out of service -- encourages many truck drivers to just not work during International Roadcheck, industry publication FreightWaves reported last year. Some take vacations, while others make necessary repairs to their trucks.

© David Goldman/AP

FreightWaves data revealed that, in the week of International Roadcheck, truck drivers rejected 20% of loads going into Los Angeles in 2018, where state-level trucking safety laws are the most strenuous in the country. After the inspection blitz, rejection rates fell to 13%.

The conclusion: Truck drivers "would rather avoid inspection than haul freight."

Truck drivers are getting slammed with new work
In recent weeks, truck drivers have hustled to fulfill orders for retail goods and medical equipment, forcing the federal government to lift an 82-year-old trucking safety law earlier this month. That law requires truck drivers to drive no more than 11 hours in a 14-hour period -- and the unprecedented lifting of that for certain loads was hailed as a win by drivers, many of whom detest the law.

As stores rush to restock shelves impacted by panic buying, freight-analytics company Project44 said loads to grocery and discount stores popped by more than 50% last week from the same week last year. Trucking jobs posted on freight marketplace DAT last week are up 66% from the beginning of the month.

Across the country, sales of hand sanitizer jumped by 228% during the four weeks ending March 7, compared withthe same period last year, according to the most recently available data set from retail sales tracker Nielsen.

During January and February, Adobe Analytics, which tracks 80 top online retailers in the U.S., said sales of cold, cough and flu products popped 198%, toilet paper grew 186%, canned foods jumped 69% and "virus protection" items like gloves and masks jumped 817%.

The increased demand for truck drivers is what drove the CVSA to postpone International Roadcheck. The agency said in a press release that "public health and safety" are its top concern as the U.S. death toll for the coronavirus hits 1,000.

Still, the CVSA will still regularly inspect trucks.

"As we urgently respond to this time-sensitive crisis, we must remain diligent and committed to ensuring that the commercial motor vehicles and drivers providing essential goods and services to our communities are following motor carrier safety regulations," said CVSA president Sgt. John Samis, a state trooper in Delaware. "Safety doesn't take a break. It is always our top priority."

© John Froschauer / AP

Bunker with a bowling alley: How the rich are running from coronavirus


By Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times 2/25/2020 






a living room filled with lots of furniture: Vivos' Indiana bunker boasts earthy tones and space for 80 people.1-4/8 SLIDES © Courtesy Vivos/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Vivos' Indiana bunker boasts earthy tones and space for 80 people.

Hand sanitizer? Sure. Face masks? Fine. But as the coronavirus spreads, the rich are investing in a much more extreme way to ward off the disease: bunkers.

Inquiries and sales are skyrocketing for bunkers and shelters across the country.

Most come equipped with special air-filtration systems, which buyers believe will come in handy to keep out a virus that can reportedly linger in the air for several hours. And for those fearing a broader societal collapse down the road, a secure safe room with a year’s worth of food can provide peace of mind.

Bunkers are nothing new; tens of thousands of Americans built private fallout shelters as Cold War tensions rose in the early ’60s. Tornado country provides a steady demand for wind-resistant shelters — above or below ground — that typically cost about $3,000 to $11,000, according to HomeAdvisor.com.

But in an age ruled by capitalism, manufacturers are pumping out safe spaces with amenities usually reserved for mega-mansions.

Gary Lynch, general manager of Texas-based Rising S Bunkers, said the phone has been ringing nonstop since last week.

“As unpopular as coronavirus is, it’s getting the publicity of a Backstreet Boys hit in the ’90s,” he said. “People have an infatuation with it.”

One of the first people to call in bought a bunker the same day. Soon after, a customer from Japan ordered 1,000 of the company’s custom-made NBC air-filtration systems. At $3,000 a pop, it was a $3-million sale.

Similar to the ones used in hospitals, their standard NBC systems (which stands for nuclear, biological and chemical) suck in air and remove harmful particles such as bacteria or nuclear fallout dust, providing clean air for up to 15 occupants.

Encased in steel, the bunkers come with a variety of add-ons such as escape tunnels, hidden doors, bullet-proof glass and pepper spray portals. For those with a bit more coin, Lynch and his team will make the bunker feel like a home.

“Movie theaters are common,” he said. “We built one in California that has a shooting range, swimming pool and bowling alley.”

Related video: Head of NYC Prepper's Network explains how to prepare for a self-quarantine (provided by Business Insider)

The company has 24 standard options, with the smallest being 8 by 12 feet. Complete with a bunk bed, air filtration system, kitchen counter and toilet, it costs $39,500.

Other models include a 2,400-square-foot bunker for $539,000 called the Eagle and a complex with 42 bunk beds, 15 private bedrooms, a gun room and panic room for $1.009 million called the Fortress.

The one with the most amenities is the Aristocrat. Priced at $8.35 million, it has a gym, sauna, swimming pool, hot tub, billiards room, greenhouse and garage.

Lynch said it takes six to eight workers one to two months to build a 10-foot by 50-foot unit. To keep up with orders, he’s hiring a second shift.

Buyer demographics change frequently. He’ll see a flurry of young conservatives one month and liberal, middle-aged women the next. The most common buyers, he said, are self-made business owners.

“In 2008, I talked to a guy for four-five months who was thinking about purchasing a shelter. I think he probably used the coronavirus to convince his wife, because he finally just bought one,” Lynch said. “That’s how most buyers are; they’re not in it for one single reason.”

Ron Hubbard, CEO of Atlas Survival Shelters, echoed the sentiment, saying the outbreak has helped buyers on the fence decide to order a shelter.

He’s promoting a model called the Safe Cellar, which is a secret space installed under a 28-inch concrete slab inside a house. It can be tucked under the kitchen, living room, closet or garage and boasts a safe room, wine cellar, gun room and tornado shelter.

Afraid of getting lonely during the apocalypse? Vivos has you covered. The company — which translates to “living” — sells exclusive spots in community shelters in secure locations around the globe.

Its underground shelter in Indiana has room for 80 people with 120 square feet each. For $35,000, it promises one year of autonomous survival with queen-sized bunk beds, a 30,000-gallon fuel tank and food for 12 months. Built during the Cold War, the once-gray shelter now boasts a 12-tone color palette of earthy shades that touch up spaces such as a lounge, dining area and kitchen.

“It’s cozy,” Vivos CEO Robert Vicino said. “We’re providing people a sense of comfort.”

Vivos inquiries and applications are up 1,000% year-over-year, and sales are up 400%. Over that same span, their average buyer has shifted from middle class to upper class.

These days, the accommodations are locked with no residents, Vicino said, but he and his staff have a daily conversation on when to activate the shelter.

“We don’t need the shelter for the quarantine. We’ll need the shelter for all the other bad things that are going to happen. We may open it tomorrow, I don’t know.”

In the Black Hills of South Dakota lies the company’s other U.S. bunker community, where people can take refuge in one of 575 military bunkers once used to store bombs. Secluded in soil, each dome spans 2,200 square feet and can fit 10 to 24 people.

The units cost $35,000 (plus a yearly lease of $1,000), and Vivos will comfortably outfit them for $25,000-$75,000.

Guests will need to fly to Germany to access the firm’s flagship bunker. Called Europa One, the 76-acre compound was carved from bedrock under a 400-foot mountain by the Soviets during the Cold War. Vicino calls it a modern-day Noah’s Ark.

In addition to pools, theaters, gyms and bars, it includes 228,000 square feet of secure living areas, 43,000 square feet of above-ground space and three miles of tunnels. Private apartments start at ?2 million euros, or nearly $2.2 million.

“Buyers want the same fit and finish as a private yacht. People have to not only survive, but psychologically survive,” Vicino said.

He said more than 1 million people have shown interest in the bunkers, and there are spaces available in all three.

“We don’t create fear. We resolve it. The true elite all have backdoor plans. They’re jumping on planes and flying to islands,” he said. “We give people the peace of mind that they have their own backdoor solution for when it’s time to take shelter.”

The company is currently developing its largest shelter yet — a 3-million-square-foot underground complex with 30-foot ceilings and room for between 5,000 to 10,000 people. Planned amenities include baseball, golf and a 400-foot underground lake.

“As long as time permits, we will continue to build bunkers. This world won’t be safer tomorrow.”

Jack Flemming covers luxury real estate for the Los Angeles Times. A Midwestern boy at heart, he was raised in St. Louis and studied journalism at the University of Missouri. Before joining The Times as an intern in 2017, he wrote for the Columbia Missourian and Politico Europe.

Light earthquake 4.4 mag, 80 km W of San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina

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Light earthquake 4.4 mag, 80 km W of San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina

March 28, 2020 — 0 Comments

 

EARTHQUAKE BREAKING NEWS, MODERATE WORLD EARTHQUAKES MAGNITUDE 5–5.9

Moderate earthquake 5.3 mag, 209 km NE of Palue, Indonesia

March 28, 2020 — 0 Comments

https://www.emsc.eu/#2

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How the coronavirus is impacting US farmers. 

Could the weather help?


By John Roach, AccuWeather staff writer Mar. 27, 2020 

Last year's flooding hit farmers hard. In this file photo, Jeff Jorgenson

 looks over a partially flooded field he farms near Shenandoah, Iowa. 

About a quarter of his land was lost last year to Missouri River flooding. 

(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

The 2020 U.S. crop season was lining up to be an excellent bounce-back year, which was welcome news for farmers eager to recover from 2019’s disaster. Then things changed in America very quickly in March because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The impact of the outbreak has affected both the overall U.S. and agriculture-specific economies, most notably in falling commodity prices, and a lower demand for corn-based ethanol because of plummeting oil prices.

“The slowdown in the economy … has presented a never-before-seen challenge to those in the grain and livestock business,” long-time Nebraska farmer Edwin C. Brummels told AccuWeather. “Patience and understanding are going to be required in marketing and by those having a financial stake in each grower’s operation for the foreseeable future.”

The good news for U.S. farmers: AccuWeather still foresees a record-setting corn crop, a significant year-over-year increase in soybean production and cotton production that could be the best in a decade. The forecasted warmer spring and summer weather also should be beneficial for wheat production.

AccuWeather is predicting U.S. corn production in 2020 will reach 15.486 billion bushels (393.344 million metric tons), based on 87 million acres harvested with 178 bushels per acre. The U.S. record for annual corn production is 15.15 billion bushels, set in 2016.


Bernie Rayno gives the latest update on the coronavirus. Chicago is restricting long runs and bike rides and an elderly woman in Italy made a full recovery.

U.S. corn production was 13.69 billion bushels in 2019, the lowest since 2015 (13.601 billion bushels). The 13.1 percent increase AccuWeather is predicting for this year would be the largest year-over-year increase since 2013 (28.5 percent increase from 2012).

AccuWeather also is predicting U.S. soybean production will see a strong comeback, with production estimated to be 4.258 billion bushels (115.886 million metric tons), based on 83.5 million acres harvested with 51 bushels per acre.

That would be a 19.6 percent increase from 2019’s total of 3.558 billion bushels, which was the lowest total since 2013 (3.357 billion bushels). Such an increase would be the largest year-over-year improvement since 2004 (27.3 percent increase from 2003).

“Any farmer who is living on the edge will at the very least consider the risk of growing a crop which may not be profitable,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Samuhel. “That could lead to more conservative acreage then what the market may have dictated before the virus hit.

“However, last year was a record number by far for prevented plant acreage – 18 million acres combined for corn, soybeans and wheat – so farmers are going to be eager to get back into action,” Samuhel added.

Thanks to good starting growing conditions, AccuWeather predicts cotton production will reach its highest output in a decade: 19.85 million (480 lb.) bales from 10.95 million acres yielding 870 pounds per acre. U.S. wheat production (winter and spring) in 2020 is predicted to reach 1.874 billion bushels, based on 38.1 million harvested acres with 49.2 bushels per acre (51.016 million metric tons).

The weather in spring and summer looks to be a boon for farmers. AccuWeather is forecasting higher-than-normal temperatures over the next three months throughout the United States. “There is almost no part of the country that we are predicting to be below normal in any of the three months, which is unusual,” said AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel N. Myers. “This may be a first.”

“The big thing is getting the sun out at this time of year,” said AccuWeather commodities consultant Jim Candor. “If you get that April sun, it’ll warm the topsoil pretty fast. Right now, it’s wet. But that’s why getting a dry week in the first half of April is pretty important.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) on April 9. Its estimates in March were: corn: 15.458 billion bushels; soybeans: 4.194 billion bushels; wheat: 1.836 billion bushels; and cotton: 19.5 million bales.

Farmers are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic as another reality that must be managed. “Obviously, we take extra precautions when needed,” said Nebraska farmer Justin Mensik. “I think the vast majority of us will be just fine. We see more cows than people in a day.” 

(DON'T COUNT ON IT 

CORONAVIRUS IS A ZOONOTIC DISEASE MEANING IT IS PASSABLE BETWEEN ANIMALS, AND ANIMALS AND HUMANS, KISSING CAMELS BY HUMANS LED TO THE MERS OUTBREAK)

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6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes Philippines Thursday night

Courtney Spamer
Around 11:30 p.m. local time on Thursday night (March 26), an earthquake was detected at the southern tip of the Philippines, off the shores of the island of Mindanao.

According to USGS, the earthquake was a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter Scale, located 8 km (5 miles) southwest of Baliton, in the Glan region of the southern Philippines. The epicenter was also approximately 53 km (33 miles) south of the General Santos City.

© Provided by AccuWeather
The above map shows the approximate epicenter of the earthquake that took place Thursday night, local time, off the coast from the city of Baliton (Photo/USGS).

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) issued a preliminary report that the organization expected damage from the earthquake and aftershocks to follow.

The southern island of Mindanao was likely to bear the brunt of the damage, given its proximity to the epicenter.