‘Fatwa’ Issued Against Bitcoin As Crypto gets Declared Haram in Indonesia


Aaryamann Shrivastava
Thu, January 20, 2022, 8:47 AM·2 min read

The most recent announcement from the country has brought a lot of questions to mind pertaining to the acceptance of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. If not legally can this become a method of obstruction now?

Indonesia Against Bitcoin?

Tajdid Central Leadership (PP) Muhammadiyah along with the Tarjih Assembly today issued a fatwa against cryptocurrencies. According to the fatwa, the use of Bitcoin and other such coins for investment and payment is considered haram.

The Muhammadiyah Tarjih Assembly stated that “The Tarjih Fatwa stipulates that the legal cryptocurrency is haram both as an investment tool and as a medium of exchange”

The reasons revealed behind the fatwa fall back to the same reasons why regulations on cryptocurrencies are being considered. Albeit these reasons are more religiously motivated than legally.

As per the Islamic Sharia cryptocurrencies’ speculative nature is a huge shortcoming. The volatility of currencies such as Bitcoin and such makes it haram.

Secondly using such volatile assets is obscure according to the fatwa. Since cryptocurrencies are not backed by any physical asset, it becomes gharar.

Majelis Tarjih and Tajdid PP Muhammadiyah further added that,

“This speculative and gharar nature is forbidden by sharia as the Word of Allah and the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and does not meet the values and benchmarks of Business Ethics according to Muhammadiyah, especially these two points, namely: there should be no gharar (HR). Muslim) and there should be no maisir (QS. Al Maidah: 90)”

This is the first time that the objections are arising out of religious stipulations. And although this isn’t an established pattern, many Islam-dominated countries such as Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Nepal, Qatar, and Tunisia previously absolutely banned cryptocurrency.

In fact, most recently, Pakistan’s central bank too proposed a ban on all forms of cryptocurrency citing risks surrounding volatility.

As it is, regulations are already becoming a huge roadblock when it comes to crypto adoption. And the use of crypto might further reduce if such objections come from religious provenance as people are more obedient to religious laws.
Bitcoin’s ‘Volatile’ Nature

Ironically, over the past 2 weeks, Bitcoin hasn’t been volatile at all. The king coin has kept its movement sideways bound and continues to head in that direction. Although at the time of this report it is maintaining a strong green presence having risen by 3.72%, it might remain consolidated for a while.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

Weird chemistry is making the Earth's interior cool faster than thought


Phil Plait
Thu, January 20, 2022,


Long ago — 4.5 billion years ago, right after the Earth formed — our planet was hot. It formed by essentially getting slammed billions of times by asteroids, and all that energy of impact was enough to keep the Earth broiling.

Eventually heavy elements like iron and nickel sank to the core, and lighter ones rose to the surface. This differentiation created the Earth we see today: An inner, solid nickel/iron core that's nearly as hot as the surface of the Sun; an outer, liquid iron core; the solid, rocky mantle; and the thin crust topping it off.

Over billions of years the Earth has cooled. Though some heat is generated through various processes like radioactivity, that heat in the core leaks out. It warms up the bottom of the mantle, which then transports that energy extremely slowly up to the Earth's surface where it radiates away into space.

Phil Plait Bad Astronomy Garlick Young Earth Moon Press


Artwork showing the last stages of the Earth and Moon’s formation, called the Late Heavy Bombardment. Photo: Getty Images/ Mark Garlick Science Photo Library

That heat transport drives the tectonic activity we see on the surface today: continental drift, seismic activity, volcanoes, and more.

So how rapidly that heat is transported is important. A team of Earth scientists just investigated a key property of that transport, and was shocked to discover that it's far more efficient than previously thought. If they are correct (link to paper), that means that heat is working its way out of the core more rapidly than thought, which in turn means the Earth is cooling significantly faster than previously thought.

Don't panic! This doesn't mean we're about to be living on the shell of a frozen planet. But if true it does mean that models of how the Earth works will need to be rethought.

The key here is the boundary between the outer core and the lower mantle. This region is about 2,900 kilometers down beneath Earth's surface — or about 3,500 kilometers up from the planet's center. Below this boundary the core is incredibly hot, over 4,200° C (about 7,600°F), but just above it the temperature drops rapidly, by over 400C. This is the largest thermal boundary in the planet, and the steepest change in temperature with distance from center (what's called the thermal gradient).

The temperature is high, but so is the pressure. All that rock above pushes down on the boundary layer with a pressure of over a million times air pressure at sea level. This changes the way elements bind together, so the chemistry down there is weird. One of the most common minerals on Earth's surface is olivine, which is magnesium and iron bound up with silicon tetroxide — (Mg,Fe)SiO4. But under Earth's surface where it gets hot and heavy, the structure of olivine changes, and it becomes minerals like ringwoodite, wadsleyite, and bridgmanite.

The Earth’s major layers consist of the thin rocky crust, the mantle (very hot but solid rock), the outer core (liquid iron), and the inner core (solid iron). Credit: Getty Images / anuwat meereewee

The Earth’s major layers consist of the thin rocky crust, the mantle (very hot but solid rock), the outer core (liquid iron), and the inner core (solid iron). Credit: Getty Images / anuwat meereewee

That last one, bridgmanite, is so pervasive in the deep mantle that it's actually the most common mineral in the planet. And it's one of two minerals, the other being ferropericlase, that dominates the Earth's mantle at the core/mantle boundary. This means that how rapidly the core can cool depends on how efficiently those minerals can transport the heat away.

These minerals can be created in the lab, but it's very difficult, and it's even harder to heat them and subject them to the pressure necessary to measure their ability to transport heat away from the core.

Assumptions for bridgmanite based on lab work have been used in models of the Earth's interior, but until now the actual thermal conductivity — how well heat moves through it — has never been measured at core/mantle conditions.

And that's what the Earth scientist team did. They created bridgmanite in their lab, then squeezed it with a tiny diamond anvil to an incredible 800,000 times atmospheric pressure at sea level, about the pressure at the core/mantle boundary, and then zapped it with a powerful laser to heat it to over 2,300°C, close to the temperature at the boundary as well. This allowed them to measure how well heat flowed through it, and then extrapolate that to the higher temperature at the core/mantle boundary more accurately than has ever been done before.

This was then added to other heat transport methods already known to see how well the core cooled. Comparing the new numbers to previous ones used in models of the Earth's interior, they found the core is cooling 1.5 times faster than previously thought.

Yikes.

Mind you, this doesn't mean the Earth is actually cooling faster than it was before — and yes, this still means global warming is still a thing — but it's more that older models underestimated that rate. That's important.

The Earth’s magnetic field acts like a shield, protecting us from subatomic particles from the Sun. Credit: ESA

It means, for example, the mantle is convecting more vigorously than thought. It's a misconception that the mantle is a liquid; it's actually solid, but it can flow, in a way. Heat from below forces material to fill in cracks and voids in the crystal structure of the minerals above — this is called dislocation creep, a term I love — so in essence hotter material rises and cooler material sinks: convection. This flow is incredibly slow, taking a year on average just to move two centimeters, less than the length of the tip of a finger!

That rate depends on how well heat flows from the core, and now we see heat flows faster, which means convection in the mantle is faster than thought as well. The mantle flow is what drives movement in Earth crust, including plate tectonics, earthquakes and volcanoes, which shape the planet's surface.

All of this depends on the heat balance of the planet: How hot the core is, how much heat is still being generated, how well that heat leaks out, and how well it radiates away into space from the surface. These new measurements mean the old models have to be adjusted — perhaps radioactivity is providing more heat than thought, to accommodate the higher transfer out of the core — and then the equations worked out again to see what this means for the mantle deep beneath our feet.

But the effects are very much felt where we stand. From seismic action to the generation of Earth's magnetic field, it all depends on what's going on deep below. So, deep, in fact, that we can't hope at the moment to test things in situ. Our understanding has to come from models based on the physics, and the numbers have to come from the lab. When a number gets changed, so do the values of the equations.

Humans may never visit this region of the planet nearly halfway down to the center except in science-fiction movies, but we can still get an understanding of what's occurring down there. Experiments like this one will help us get there, at least in our physics.

Trump Solicited Hedge Funds, Family Offices for $1 Billion PIPE



Gillian Tan, Layan Odeh and Hema Parmar
Thu, January 20, 2022

(Bloomberg) -- When former President Donald Trump said in December that his nascent media company was raising $1 billion from a diverse group of institutional investors, the announcement was highly unusual in that it omitted the participants’ names.

A month later, no firm has announced it made the investment, but people familiar with the fundraising say it came from hedge funds, Canadian money managers and family offices that manage fortunes for ultra-wealthy clans.

Some of these investors include Chicago-based Pentwater Capital Management and MMCAP, a fund advised by MM Asset Management and overseen by Toronto-based Spartan Fund Management, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

They were among 36 investors that committed to the so-called private investment in public equity, or PIPE, that Digital World Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, raised as part of its merger with Trump Media & Technology Group.

Representatives for TMTG, Digital World, the SPAC’s underwriter, EF Hutton, as well as Pentwater, Spartan and MMCAP didn’t reply to requests for comment.

Wall Street has largely sought to distance itself from Trump after he incited an insurrection in the U.S. Capitol and was banished from social media platforms.

Those approached to invest in the PIPE who declined to participate, include Millennium Management, Balyasny Asset Management, Apollo Global Management Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Highbridge Capital Management, the New York Times reported earlier Thursday.

When Digital World, led by Chief Executive Officer Patrick Orlando, revealed in October it was investing in Trump Media, several hedge funds that backed the SPAC, such as Lighthouse Investment Partners, Saba Capital Management and D.E. Shaw, sold their shares, even as the stock was soaring on the news.

“Many investors are grappling with hard questions about how to incorporate their values into their work,” Saba’s Boaz Weinstein said at the time. “For us, this was not a close call.”

A PIPE is an important part of a SPAC transaction and relies on institutional investors who can help it go through if early backers redeem their shares. The firms involved typically want to disclose the names of the investors because it gives the deal more credibility.

That didn’t happen with the Trump PIPE, though the terms are likely to be lucrative, with minimal risk.

While Digital World shares traded for $84.06 at noon Thursday in New York, the initial conversion price for the PIPE investors is $33.60, meaning those participating are poised to more than double their money if the merger is completed and the stock continues trading at that level.

The deal isn’t without controversy. The Securities and Exchange Commission has sought records tied to meetings involving Digital World’s board, procedures related to trading and the identities of certain investors.

If the transaction goes ahead, the PIPE will provide Trump’s media company with significant funds to build out operations. It has already added former U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, a fervent Trump supporter, as CEO and plans to start a rival platform called Truth Social.

“As our balance sheet expands, TMTG will be in a stronger position to fight back against the tyranny of Big Tech,” Trump said in a statement last month.

California's battle to cut emissions with biofuels burns in new truck engines




California's battle to cut emissions with biofuels burns in new truck enginesFILE PHOTO: Pump at an alternative fueling station that provides fuel other than gasoline is shown in San Diego, California

Laura Sanicola
Thu, January 20, 2022

(This January 20 story corrects to reflect changes to LCFS would align with carbon neutrality goals; adds line regarding statistical significance of NOx increase in study)

(Reuters) - Renewable diesel is touted as a cleaner-burning fuel, but a recent study has shown the fuel falls short on one measure of reducing pollution from new truck engines - giving pause to California regulators who support increased production.

The state, the largest vehicle market in the country, has aggressively moved to curtail fossil fuel emissions from all vehicles while also encouraging production of renewable diesel - seen as key for reducing emissions in hard-to-electrify sources like trucking.

The efforts are part of California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), a rule designed to decrease the carbon intensity of the state's transportation fuel.

Renewable diesel lowers greenhouse gas emissions compared with petroleum-based diesel. The fuel has also been promoted as a way to cut emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), a harmful pollutant that contributes to ozone deterioration and causes respiratory problems.

However, engines made more recently emit more NOx when running on renewable diesel when blended with 35% biodiesel or more, compared with conventional diesel, according to a study released by California Air Resources Board (CARB) in November.

CARB found in these new technology diesel engines, or NTDEs, running on 100% renewable diesel, NOx emissions increases were not statistically significant compared with CARB diesel,

That could affect the way regulators revise the LCFS, which spurred investment in renewable diesel, made from fats and vegetable oils.

State regulators are considering changes to the LCFS that align with a 2022 update on how to bring the state to carbon neutrality by 2045. The study means regulators could have to consider whether renewable diesel increases emissions in areas with worse air quality.

CARB said it has "identified several questions about the study results" that require further evaluation, and will be accepting public comment on the study until the end of January.

Regulators did not respond to a request for comment.

Heavy-duty vehicles are one of the largest contributors to NOx emissions - a precursor of ozone and particulate matter formation. Improved emissions control technology has helped NOx emissions fall by 60% between 1990 and 2019 nationwide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Companies and regulators had previously purported that renewable diesel reduced NOx emissions by 10%, citing the results of earlier studies that examined the fuel's performance in older engines.

But trucks with newer engines that ran renewable diesel did not meaningfully lower NOx emissions, according to the study. While these NTDEs are present in only 43% of the state’s commercial vehicle registrations, they account for more than 75% of the miles traveled among the state's heavy-duty fleet.

“CARB threw caution to the wind and opened the door to renewable diesel's unlimited use without having properly studied NOx emissions impact in NTDEs,” said Pat McDuff, chief executive officer at Glendale-based California Fueling, in a public comment submitted in January.

He urged California regulators to reverse regulatory changes that prohibit his company from selling fuel additives meant to decrease NOx emissions in biodiesel.

The state is trying to bring 19 regions into compliance with air quality standards enacted in 2015. In two regions - the south coast and the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin - CARB has targeted lowering NOx emissions as one way of improving air quality. In 2020 regulators adopted a new regulation to reduce NOx emissions 90% by 2027.

Renewable diesel generally cuts greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, said Tristan Brown, associate professor of energy resource economics at SUNY and advisor on New York's Climate Action Council.

Brown noted most biodiesel blending in the United States is 20% or less. "The real question is what amount of NOx is emitted by NTDE engines at volumes of 10% and 20% biodiesel blend levels, and that is not reported by the study," Brown said.

(Reporting by Laura Sanicola; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Daniel Wallis)

One chart shows how well 

vaccines and boosters protect 

against severe Omicron

compared to Delta

Aria Bendix

Fri, January 21, 2022

Jolanta Gawlik, left, gives Juliana Cepeda the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in New York.Mark Lennihan/AP Photo

• Booster shots appear to be at least 90% effective against hospitalization for Delta and Omicron.

• But Omicron poses a greater challenge to vaccine protection, according to three new CDC studies.

• Omicron increased the odds that vaccinated or boosted people would get infected relative to Delta.

COVID-19 booster shots were effective at preventing hospitalization and death before Omicron started spreading in the US. But protection from a third dose is essential now that Omicron cases are predominate, according to three new studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The first CDC study looked at severe cases of COVID-19 among adults in 10 states from August to mid-December 2021, when the Delta variant was dominant, and from mid-December 2021 to January 2022, when Omicron started to take over. During that time, the CDC's Vision Network recorded around 88,000 hospitalizations for COVID-19.

Adults who received an mRNA booster saw the highest protection during both the Delta and Omicron periods: Boosters reduced the risk of hospitalization by at least 90%. But two mRNA doses were far less effective at preventing severe Omicron cases than severe Delta ones, the study found.

The chart below shows how well vaccines protected against hospitalization during the Omicron and Delta periods.

During the Delta period, the effectiveness of a second dose waned slightly after about 26 weeks — from 90% to 81%. A third dose brought that protection back up to 94%.

But protection significantly declined during the Omicron period: A second dose was 81% effective against hospitalization after 2-26 weeks, but just 57% effective after 26 weeks. Booster shots increased that protection to 90%.

Separately, the study also examined nearly 223,000 COVID-19-related visits to emergency departments or urgent care clinics from August 2021 to January 2022. Overall, booster shots reduced the risk of someone winding up in these settings, but protection was higher before mid-December.

During the Delta period, booster shots reduced the risk of a COVID-19-related visit to the emergency department or urgent care clinic by 94% two weeks after they were administered. During the Omicron period, boosters reduced the risk of those visits by 82%.

The findings nevertheless "underscore the importance of receiving a third dose" to prevent moderate and severe COVID-19, the researchers wrote.

Boosters protect against Omicron infections and symptoms, two more studies found

Dr. Carlos Ramirez conducts an examination on Juan Perez, 50, in Oakland, California on May 12, 2020.Jessica Christian/The San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images

New research also suggests that boosters protect against Omicron infections and symptoms.

A second CDC study found that vaccinated people who received an mRNA booster had more protection against a coronavirus infection in December 2021, when Omicron was spreading in the US, than people who had received two doses or none at all.

However, Omicron's arrival increased the odds that a vaccinated or boosted person would get infected relative to when Delta was dominant.

In October and November, unvaccinated people had around 14 times the risk of getting infected compared with people who had received booster doses. By the time Omicron emerged in December, unvaccinated people had just five times the risk of infection relative to people who had been boosted.

Like other vaccine doses, boosters didn't offer the same protection for every age group: The shots were more effective at preventing infections and deaths among people ages 50 and up than younger adults, the researchers found.

A third CDC study, released Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, also found that three mRNA shots were better than two doses at protecting against symptomatic Omicron — though boosters did a better job of warding off Delta symptoms.

HOISTED BY ONES OWN PETARD

Pigs Here, Feed There: Truck Cargoes Stuck on U.S.-Canada Border


Jen Skerritt and Michael Hirtzer
Thu, January 20, 2022

(Bloomberg) -- Pigs bound for slaughter in the U.S. are getting stuck in Canada while their feed is stranded in the U.S. as new trucker vaccine rules exacerbate a shortage of drivers.

A significant number of hog producers are unable to ship their weanlings to Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas as trucks have been canceled this week due to a lack of drivers, said Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork. 

Compounding the problem, some truck shipments of soybean meal from the U.S. to Manitoba are also being scrapped at a time when producers are relying on the imports to feed their animals after drought withered Prairie supplies, he said. 

“If cancelations continue I’m not sure exactly where there’s going to be a home for all the weanlings,” Dahl said Thursday by phone. New rules that came into effect Jan. 15 require that American truck drivers crossing into Canada be fully vaccinated, though only about half of U.S. drivers have gotten their shots. 

The U.S. is poised to introduce its own mandate on foreign travelers on Jan. 22, which will apply to truckers. The health orders are adding to the North American supply-chain turmoil that was already strained from labor shortages and pandemic-related disruptions. 

Canadian produce importers have said that in less than a week, the new rules have boosted the cost of freight and added to difficulties stocking shelves with fruit and vegetables.

Pork packers in the U.S. already were paying higher prices for hogs after farmers reduced herds, in part because feed prices have soared. Fewer animals moving through the system should keep meat prices high, contributing to further food inflation.

Hog futures in Chicago climbed as much as 2.5% on Thursday to the highest since July.

The hog industry relies on “just in time” manufacturing, and Manitoba doesn’t have the capacity to feed and process a surge of hogs domestically, Dahl said.

 Last year, Manitoba shipped about 3 million weanlings to the U.S. to be finished, according to Manitoba Pork.

“Up until this point, we’ve recognized the need to keep product moving across our borders going both ways,” Dahl said. “We’ve recognized the need to move essential goods and we need to find a way to keep that happening.”

Hungry, Cold Cows in Canada Fuel Rare Buying-Spree of U.S. Corn


Jen Skerritt and Michael Hirtzer
Thu, January 20, 2022, 

(Bloomberg) -- Canada is now one of the top buyers of U.S. corn as cattle ranchers scour for grain to feed their animals.

Dry conditions zapped as much as 40% of western Canada’s grain output last year, sending prices for barley and other crops to all-time highs and leaving a dearth of feed for the nation’s cattle industry. 

The squeeze has prompted Canada to make a rare commitment to bring in about 3.2 million metric of tons of corn from its southern neighbor, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

That’s the most in roughly two decades and compares to only 457,000 tons a year ago. Canada’s now one of the biggest purchasers alongside China, Mexico and Japan, and its buying binge is reducing already tight stockpiles of feed grains.

“If you can’t get a car tire, that’s an inconvenience. If a cow can’t get something to eat, that’s a major problem,’’ said Bob Lowe, president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.

Chicago corn futures climbed as much as 0.6% to $6.1425 a bushel Thursday, the highest level for this time of year since 2013.

Lowe is using about 40 tons of American corn a day to feed his 5,000 cattle in Nanton, Alberta. The recent cold snap prompted him to buy about 15% more corn than he usually needs to sustain his animals this winter. Widespread drought means there are no local alternatives available, and omicron-related disruptions at Alberta’s biggest beef processing plants have left some producers feeding animals for longer, he said.

“Keeping cattle alive becomes the number one criteria and economics becomes a distant second,’’ Lowe said.

Earlier this week, Canada also made a rare purchase of European barley as there are limited supplies available in the Prairies, and European malt barley is cheaper and better quality than what is available. The northern nation hasn’t imported significant volumes from the European Union since the 2015-16 season, trade data show.

The extra corn exports are bolstering prices for U.S. farmers, but the demand could slow if Canadian farmers recover from last year's drought and boost yields this year.

“This will probably be a one-off,'' Angie Setzer, cofounder and partner of farm advisory ConsusROI, said by phone.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant plans for 30 nuke waste shipments from Los Alamos 

lab in 2022



Adrian Hedden, Carlsbad Current-Argus
Thu, January 20, 2022, 9:54 AM·3 min read

Officials at the U.S. Department of Energy said they hope to dispose of 30 shipments of nuclear waste this year from Los Alamos National Laboratory in northern New Mexico at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad.

The goal was part of the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) list of 2022 priorities released Tuesday which included multiple plans to continue work at the WIPP site where transuranic (TRU) waste is disposed of about 2,000 feet underground.

TRU waste consists of clothing items, equipment and other materials irradiated during nuclear activities across the U.S.

More: State of New Mexico demands feds investigate WIPP, federal nuclear programs

It is buried at WIPP in an underground salt deposit where the salt gradually collapses to permanently sequester the waste.

To further this mission of cleaning up the DOE’s TRU waste from New Mexico labs and its sites throughout the nation, EM also planed to complete half of the needed mining for a western access drift, per the released priorities, that would provide access to a utility shaft being constructed at the site.

The new shaft, WIPP’s fifth, would act as an air intake to increase airflow in the underground to allow mining and waste emplacement to occur simultaneously, intended to allow better planning so that disposal panels are mined and ready when needed as others fill up.

More: Waste Isolation Pilot Plant criticized for accepting out-of-state nuclear waste

Airflow in the underground was restricted in 2014 after an accidental radiological release contaminated parts of the facility.

The DOE also planned this year to begin installing equipment at Los Alamos to help process TRU waste being sent to WIPP from the Waste Control Specialists facility in Andrews, Texas near the New Mexico state line.

Other priorities at WIPP included awarding contracts for transportation of the waste to WIPP and for management and operations of the site.

“Our many accomplishments in 2021 positioned EM to achieve an equally challenging slate of priorities in 2022,” said EM Senior Advisor William White.

“Our 2022 priorities underscore our goals to accomplish cleanup that is safe and protective of our workforce, the public and the environment, and in a manner that is transparent to the communities that host and support our sites.”

More: Ready for the future: WIPP projects in 2021 advance nuclear waste disposal mission

WIPP Laboratories achieves certification

As activities continue at the WIPP site, a laboratory known as WIPP Labs provides technical and scientific advising and environmental monitoring.

The lab’s recent sample data was found by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to meet criteria allowing it to operate with accreditation under the DOE’s Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP).

The accreditation is reviewed by the DOE every three years, with the next opportunity to maintain the accreditation in spring 2022.

More: How the federal military spending bill will impact WIPP and nuclear projects in New Mexico

WIPP Labs maintained is accreditation since 2000.

This allowed WIPP Labs to continue analyzing water, air, soil and vegetation samples near the WIPP site for isotopes known to be present in TRU waste sent to WIPP.

The recent study that achieved the lab’s certification identified accurately all the known isotopes: plutonium, americium, uranium, cesium, cobalt and strontium along with their activity levels.

More: Waste Isolation Pilot Plant struggles to control costs, per annual performance evaluation

“One of the requirements for DOELAP is that the WIPP laboratories must demonstrate annually their ability to analyze blind bioassay samples under a rigid set of criteria to maintain NIST compliance,” said Ginny Jones, manager of the WIPP laboratories.

“Having the ability to analyze various isotopes at extremely low levels of activity helps WIPP demonstrate that our radiation protection protocols are working.”

Adrian Hedden can be reached at  achedden@currentargus.com 

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: WIPP plans for 30 nuclear waste shipments from Los Alamos lab in 2022

1. 

   Carlsbad Caverns National Park

   www.nps.gov

   727 Carlsbad Cavern Hwy, Carlsbad, NM 88220

   +1 (575) 785-2232

   
   
   

   
   

   • 
     

Germany wants to attract 400,000 skilled workers from abroad each year

Thu, January 20, 2022, 

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's new coalition government wants to attract 400,000 qualified workers from abroad each year to tackle both a demographic imbalance and labour shortages in key sectors that risk undermining the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. 

  "The shortage of skilled workers has become so serious by now that it is dramatically slowing down our economy," Christian Duerr, parliamentary leader of the co-governing Free Democrats (FDP), told business magazine WirtschaftsWoche. 

  "We can only get the problem of an ageing workforce under control with a modern immigration policy... We have to reach the mark of 400,000 skilled workers from abroad as quickly as possible," Duerr added. 

  Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, Duerr's libertarian FDP and the environmentalist Greens agreed in their coalition deal on measures like a points system for specialists from countries outside the European Union and lifting the national minimum wage to 12 euros ($13.60) per hour to make working in Germany more attractive. 

  The employer-friendly German Economic Institute estimates that the labour force will shrink by more than 300,000 people this year as there are more older workers retiring than younger ones entering the labour market. 

  This gap is expected to widen to more than 650,000 in 2029, leaving an accumulated shortage of people of working age in 2030 of roughly 5 million. The number of Germans in employment grew to nearly 45 million last year despite the coronavirus pandemic. 

  After decades of low birth rates and uneven migration, a shrinking labour force also poses a demographic time bomb for Germany's public pension system, in which fewer employees are burdened with the task of financing the pensions of a growing mass of retirees who are enjoying longer life expectancy. 

SOCIALISM IS ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY

Who is Publix owned by?

Publix Super Markets, Inc., commonly known as Publix, is an employee-owned American supermarket chain headquartered in Lakeland, Florida. Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, Publix is a private corporation that is wholly owned by present and past employees and members of the Jenkins family.

Then Does Kroger own Publix?

Kroger operates their stores as Foods Co in northern and central California, because they do not have the rights to the Food 4 Less name in those areas. Other states, such as Nevada, formerly contained Kroger-owned Food 4 Less stores.

…

Food 4 Less.
Type Subsidiary
Industry Retail
Founded 1977
Headquarters Compton, California

Besides, Why are Publix employees so happy?

 Per Publix, the company offers employee benefits like healthcare, tuition reimbursement programs, retirement savings plans, and employee discounts. But perhaps the most enticing benefit, and the one that inspires such positive performance in its employees, is Publix’s status as an employee-owned company.

1 Is Publix a union company?
2 Why is Publix so successful?
3 Do Publix employees get free food?
4 What is Publix starting pay?
5 How much is Publix Christmas bonus?
6 How much does Publix pay hourly?
7 Do Publix employees get a discount?
8 Is Publix good quality?
9 What percent of Publix is owned by employees?
10 Does Publix have their own brand?
11 How long is a shift at Publix?
12 Does Publix pay more on Sundays?
13 How much do Publix stockers make?
14 What is the highest paying job at Publix?
15 How much does a cashier at Publix make?
16 How much do you get paid at Walmart?
17 How much money do Publix managers make?
18 What happens to your Publix stock when you quit?
19 How much do Publix stockers make?
20 Is working in Publix deli a good job?
Is Publix a union company?

For six years in a row, Publix was named among the top 100 best places in the country to work by Fortune magazine. … But a contentious battle has been brewing for nearly a decade between Publix and the UFCW, the largest union of retail and grocery workers.
Why is Publix so successful?

The Publix Super Market is the largest employee-owned grocery chain in the United States. Today, the business thrives because of the enduring philosophy of treating people with dignity and giving them a stake in the company’s success.

Do Publix employees get free food?

Nope, they never give any kind of discounts to their employees. They have actually reduced the perks and benefits over the last few years because Corporate is giving themselves raises.
What is Publix starting pay?

Publix in Florida Salaries
Job TitleLocationSalary
Deli Clerk salaries – 133 salaries reported Florida
$13/hr

Part Time Cashier salaries – 119 salaries reported Florida $11/hr
Sales Associate/Cashier salaries – 118 salaries reported Florida $12/hr
Publix Customer Service Staff salaries – 117 salaries reported Florida $13/hr

How much is Publix Christmas bonus?

5 answers. Yes, they get $1 per hour worked. Full time get 8 hrs additional pay or can bank the time for additional vacation day. So…if you are a part time emploee at Publix you will not receive time and a half when required to work holidays.
How much does Publix pay hourly?

Publix in Florida Salaries

Job TitleLocationSalary
Customer Service Representative salaries – 107 salaries reported Florida
$12/hr

Customer Service Staff salaries – 105 salaries reported Florida $14/hr
Cashier/Bagger salaries – 105 salaries reported Florida $10/hr
Customer Service salaries – 98 salaries reported Florida $12/hr

Do Publix employees get a discount?

There is no discount at Publix for associates. The average profit margin for grocery stores is only roughly 2.2%. Publix does provide several of the best benefits in the Country, by an employer.
Is Publix good quality?

While Publix is usually great with sales, you might end up spending extra if you’re buying certain pricier brands. Writers at Southern Living agree that Publix brand items are generally just as good as non-generic brands.
What percent of Publix is owned by employees?

Today, Publix Super Markets is the largest employee-owned company operating in America. 4 The family of Publix’s founder collectively own 20% of the company, while the remaining 80% is owned by past and present employees.
Does Publix have their own brand?

Our Publix Brand, Publix Premium, and GreenWise products are comparable to their national brand equivalents, but typically priced lower. Whether it’s spaghetti sauce or paper towels, when you see our Publix brand items on the shelf, you’ll know you’re getting true quality at a great price.
How long is a shift at Publix?

2 answers. Shifts are normally as long as 10 hours. if its over it would be because of call outs or the employee needs more hours and request more with the manager.
Does Publix pay more on Sundays?

NO! Not extra just regular pay.
How much do Publix stockers make?

The typical Publix Stocker salary is $12 per hour. Stocker salaries at Publix can range from $9 – $17 per hour.
What is the highest paying job at Publix?

Highest Paying Jobs At Publix
RankJob TitleAverage Salary
1
Pharmacist Manager
$126,932
2 Team Leader $88,550
3 Assistant Grocery Manager $41,804
4 Warehouse Selector $40,903

How much does a cashier at Publix make?

How much does a Cashier at Publix make? The typical Publix Cashier salary is $12 per hour. Cashier salaries at Publix can range from $8 – $18 per hour.
How much do you get paid at Walmart?

Walmart.com Jobs by Hourly Rate
Job TitleRangeAverage
Job Title:Cashier Range:

$10 – $14

Average:$12

Sales Associate Range:$10 – $15 Average:$12
Stocker Range:$10 – $15 Average:$12
Personal Shopper Range:$11 – $15 Average:$12


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19 oct. 2021
How much money do Publix managers make?

Average earnings range from more than $55,000 per year for entry-level managers to $137,000 per year for store managers.
What happens to your Publix stock when you quit?

Age 59½ Withdrawal

If you would like to take a cash withdrawal of your account balance invested in the Publix stock component of the Publix Stock Fund, that portion of the withdrawal is processed on the next Publix stock valuation effective date.
How much do Publix stockers make?

Average Publix Stocker hourly pay in the United States is approximately $12.33, which is 9% below the national average.
Is working in Publix deli a good job?

Overall good place

Publix is an overall decent place to work. Working in the deli consisted of coming in around 7, doing prep work, etc. and around 10 am we would get a small rush and at about 12-2 a major lunch rush. Very busy but manager is helpful.

NOT THE ASTEROID

A fireball lit up the sky above Wisconsin on Thursday morning. More than 100 sightings were reported across the Midwest

Jake Prinsen, Appleton Post-Crescent
Thu, January 20, 2022, 

GREEN BAY – If you saw a huge fireball light up the sky early Thursday morning, you’re not alone.

More than 100 people across the Midwest reported seeing a “fireball event” around 6:45 a.m., according to the International Meteor Organization. The sightings came from as far away as Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska.

Most Wisconsin residents who reported the flaming object were concentrated in the southeast and northeast regions of the state.


Witnesses reported the fireball lit up the sky ranging from one second to longer than seven seconds.

WATCH: Video of the meteoroid from UW-Madison's Space Science and Engineering Center



University of Wisconsin-Madison astronomy professor James Lattis said the southwest direction of the object means it was likely a meteoroid and not a piece of space junk, which generally travels east.

He said it's common to see meteors in the early morning hours in the Midwest because the region is facing forward in the earth's obit around the sun.

"It’s like looking out the windshield of your car," he said. "You get more bugs on your windshield because that’s the direction you’re moving."

This meteor received more attention because it traveled over densely populated areas like Chicago, Milwaukee and the Fox Cities. Because so many people saw the meteor, Lattis said scientists would likely be able to calculate its speed, altitude, direction and ultimately where it came from in the solar system.

"They’re almost always more related to the asteroid belt, these extremely bright ones," he said. "It clearly was bright enough to collect a lot of attention."

Lattis said half of meteors streak across the sky during the day and three quarters fly over the ocean, so anyone who saw Thursday's fireball should consider themselves lucky. And if you missed the light show, just keep looking at the stars.

"It’s just a matter of time. If you watch the sky long enough, you will see plenty of meteors and even some bright ones," Lattis said. "It’s a reminder that we should all keep an eye on the great things happening in the sky."