In the Amazon, communities next to the world's most voluminous river are queuing for water

CAREIRO DA VARZEA, Brazil (AP) — As the Amazon drought rages on, public authorities in Brazil are scrambling to deliver food and water to thousands of isolated communities throughout a vast and roadless territory, where boats are the only means of transportation.

Across Amazonas state, which has a territory the size of three Californias, 59 out of its 62 municipalities are under state of emergency, impacting 633,000 people. In the capital Manaus, Negro River — a major tributary of the Amazon — has reached its lowest level since official measurements began 121 years ago.

One of the most impacted cities is Careiro da Varzea, near Manaus by the Amazon River. On Tuesday, the municipality distributed emergency kits using an improvised barge originally designed to transport cattle.

The Associated Press accompanied the delivery to two communities. It docked miles away from them, requiring residents, most of them small farmers and fishermen, to walk long distances through former riverbeds turned into endless sand banks and mud.

Each family received a basic food package and 20 liters (5.3 gallons) of water, enough for just a few days but a heavy burden to carry under the scorching heat.

“I will have to carry the food package on my back for half an hour,” Moisés Batista de Souza, a small farmer from Sao Lazaro community, told the AP. He said the biggest problem is getting drinkable water. To reach the closest source demands a long walk from his house.

Related video: Strange 2,000-Year-Old Stone Faces Uncovered During Amazon River Drought | Amazon River (Zee News)   Duration 1:42  View on Watch

“Everybody in Careiro da Varzea has been affected by the drought,” said Jean Costa de Souza, chief of Civil Defense of Careiro da Varzea, a municipality of 19,600 people, most living in rural areas. “Unfortunately, people don’t have water. Some lost their crops, while others couldn’t transport their output.”

Costa de Souza said the municipality will finish next week the first round of deliveries to all rural communities. Other two rounds are under planning, pending on receiving aid from state and federal governments.

Dry spells are part of the Amazon’s cyclical weather pattern, with lighter rainfall from May to October for most of the rainforest. The season is being further stretched this year by two climate phenomena: the warming of northern tropical Atlantic Ocean waters and El Niño — the warming of surface waters in the Equatorial Pacific region — which will peak between December and January.
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AP reporter Fabiano Maisonnave contributed from Brasilia.

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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Edmar Barros, The Associated Press

'The Art of War' and Amy Schumer's memoir are among many books banned in US prisons. Here's why

NEW YORK (AP) — Tens of thousands of books are being banned or restricted by U.S. prisons, according to a new report from PEN America. The list includes everything from self-help books to an Elmore Leonard novel.

“The common concept underpinning the censorship we're seeing is that certain ideas and information are a threat,” says the report's lead author, Moira Marquis, senior manager in the prison and justice writing department at PEN, the literary and free expression organization

Timed to the start Wednesday of Prison Banned Books Week, “Reading Between the Bars” draws upon public record requests, calls from PEN to prison mailrooms, dozens of accounts from inmates and PEN's struggles to distribute its guide for prison writing, “The Sentences That Create Us: Crafting A Writer’s Life in Prison," which came out last year.

Marquis said that the most common official reasons for bans are security and sexual content, terms that can apply to a very wide range of titles. Michigan's “restricted” list includes Leonard's thriller “Cuba Libre,” set right before the 1898 Spanish-American War, and Frederick Forsyth's “The Day of the Jackal,” about a professional assassin's attempt to murder French President Charles de Gaulle in the 1960s. Both novels were cited as a “threat to the order/security of institution.”

“One of the books ('Day of the Jackal') deals with the planned assassination of a political leader/methods for engaging in such activities and the second ('Cuba Libre') deals with an individual engaged in various criminal enterprises,” a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Corrections told The Associated Press in an email. “As part of the updated restricted publication process, a new Literary Review Committee has been formed to review items that were previously placed on the restricted publication list, to determine if they should remain or be removed.”

Amy Schumer’s memoir “The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo” was flagged by Florida officials for graphic sexual content and for being “a threat to the security, order, or rehabilitative objectives of the correctional system or the safety of any person.”

Other books to appear on banned lists: Sun Tzu's “The Art of War,” the compilation “Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars,” Barrington Barber's “Anyone Can Draw: Create Sensational Artwork in Easy Steps" and Robert Greene's self-help best-seller “48 Laws of Power.”

“It’s a form of control. It’s the ultimate form of power of manipulation," Greene said in a statement issued through PEN.

In its report, PEN found parallels between the frequency of prison bans and book bannings in schools and libraries. In Florida, PEN has estimated that more than 40% of all library bans took place in Florida in 2022. Meanwhile, the organization found that more than 22,000 books are banned from Florida prisons — the highest of any state — as of early this year, with some entries dating back to the 1990s. Texas, another frequent site of library bannings, had more than 10,000 prison book bans, second only to Florida.

Incidents of banning are likely much higher than what PEN has compiled, according to “Reading Between the Bars,” because record keeping by many prisons is erratic or non-existent. Kentucky and New Mexico are among more than 20 states that do not keep centralized records.

"Prison book programs have mostly tried to raise awareness locally when prisons implement new censorship restrictions for communities they serve," the report reads. “But these programs are largely run by volunteers and struggle to keep up with the demand for books even absent censorship. The upshot is that there have been few nationwide efforts to analyze trends in carceral censorship.”

Marquis says that PEN places bans into two categories: content-specific, in which books are banned because of what they say or allegedly say, and content-neutral, in which books are restricted because they are not sent through accepted channels. In Maine, Michigan and other states, prisoners may only receive books through a select number of vendors, whether Amazon.com, a local bookstore or an approved publisher. In Idaho, Amazon and Barnes & Noble are not among the nine approved sellers, which include Books a Million and the Women's Prison Book Project.

Content-neutral restrictions may also apply to the packaging (some federal facilities only permit white wrapping, Marquis says), and against free or used literature “because the intended recipient did not receive permission from a warden — or similar administrator — for each specific title mailed to them before the literature arrived,” according to Marquis.

A spokesman for the Idaho Department of Correction told the AP in an email that restrictions on packaging had become necessary because of “an increase in the amount of drug-soaked mail being sent to our residents.” He added that inmates can receive books and periodicals free of charge from authorized vendors and publishers.

“We believe our guidelines area a reasonable response to a growing problem that puts the health and safety of the people who live and work in Idaho’s correctional facilities at risk,” he said.

“Reading Between the Bars” follows a report released late in 2022 by the non-profit newsroom the Marshall Project, which found some 50,000 banned prison titles, based on lists made available by 19 states. In 2019, a PEN report explored different levels of prison bans — from individuals not permitted to receive a given book to state-wide restrictions — and determined that restrictions were both widespread and arbitrary.

“With over two million Americans incarcerated, the book-restriction regulations within the United States carceral system represent the largest book ban policy in the United States,” the 2019 study reads in part. “The reality of book banning in American prisons is systematic and comprehensive. State and federal prison authorities censor content with little oversight or public scrutiny. Often the ultimate decision-maker about a person’s right to read is housed in the prison mailroom.”

Hillel Italie, The Associated Press

'Last' Beatles song set for release next week

Story by AFP • 

The Beatles -- Lennon, McCartney, Starr and Harrison -- split in 1970, each going on to solo careers© PAUL ELLIS

Amuch-anticipated "new" Beatles record, created with the help of artificial intelligence, will be released next week on November 2, former band members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr revealed Thursday.

"Now And Then", first written and sung by ex-Beatle John Lennon and developed by the rest of the band, has now been finally finished by McCartney and Starr -- and AI -- decades after its original recording.

McCartney, 81, announced its imminent release in June, in what has been dubbed in a promotional trailer "the last Beatles song".

The track will be unveiled at 1300 GMT on November 2 by Apple Corps, Capitol and Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), with a music video debuting the following day.

A 12-minute documentary written and directed by Oliver Murray -- best known for a 2022 biopic mini-series on The Rolling Stones -- will premiere on YouTube the evening, before featuring commentary from McCartney and Starr.

"Now And Then" was recorded by Lennon in the late 1970s at his home in New York's Dakota Building, and also features piano music.

Working with Peter Jackson, the film director behind the 2021 documentary series "The Beatles: Get Back", AI was used to separate Lennon's voice from the piano chords.

- 'Emotional' -

"There it was, John's voice, crystal clear," McCartney said, in comments published alongside the announcement of the release date.

"It's quite emotional and we all play on it, it's a genuine Beatles recording," he added.

"In 2023, to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven't heard, I think it's an exciting thing."

McCartney and Starr finished the song last year, including fellow ex-Beatle George Harrison's electric and acoustic guitar recorded in 1995.

Recording at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, they also added Starr's drum part alongside bass, piano, a slide guitar solo by McCartney -- inspired by Harrison -- and more backing vocals.

Starr added the process "was the closest we'll ever come to having him (Lennon) back in the room so it was very emotional for all of us.

"It was like John was there, you know. It's far out."

The Beatles -- Lennon, McCartney, Starr and Harrison -- split in 1970, with each going on to have solo careers, but they never reunited.

Lennon was shot dead in New York in 1980 aged 40 while Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001, aged 58.

- 'Meant to be' -

"Now And Then" was one of several tracks on a cassette that Lennon had recorded for McCartney a year before his death. It was given to him by Lennon's widow Yoko Ono in 1994.

Two other songs, "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love", were cleaned up by the producer Jeff Lynne, and released in 1995 and 1996.

An attempt was made to do the same with "Now And Then" but the project was abandoned because of background noise on the demo.

AI has now made that possible, though its use in music is the subject of industry-wide debate, with some denouncing copyright abuses and others praising its prowess.

McCartney said earlier this year that the technology's use was "kind of scary but exciting because it's the future".

Sean Ono Lennon, the son of Lennon and Ono, said it was "incredibly touching" to hear the former Beatles working together again "after all the years that dad had been gone.


"It's the last song my dad, Paul, George and Ringo got to make together. It's like a time capsule and all feels very meant to be," he added.

"Now And Then" will be released as a double A-side, with the band's 1962 debut single "Love Me Do", and cover art by US artist Ed Ruscha.

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Household spending in Alta. dropped twice the national average in 2021, survey

From transportation to clothes to entertainment, Canadian households spent almost 3 per cent less on goods and services in 2021, according to Statistics Canada.

The biennial survey of household spending was released last week and found spending declined in 2021 for the first time since 2010. The average Canadian household spent $67,126 on goods and services. Shelter, food, and transportation continued to be the largest household costs, but the pandemic impacted how that money was used

More of the average total household budget went to shelter costs in 2021 than in 2019. The amount going to mortgages was up 7.8 per cent and renters paid on average 5.9 per cent more.

An overall drop in transportation spending of more than 20 per cent was chalked up to fewer vehicles being purchased, and a decline in the amount spent on fuel (despite higher gas prices).

While spending on recreation, entertainment, and clothing fell substantially, the demand for home renovations and a strong housing market led to an increase of 44 per cent on household furniture and equipment compared to 2019. Communications expenses also rose, driven by purchases of new phones and internet services.

B.C. had the highest average spending on goods and services with $75,028, and Alberta followed close behind with an average spending of $75,003 — the first time in nearly two decades the province was knocked from the top spot.

“The initial and legacy impacts of the oil and gas sector has created a bit of a wage premium in Alberta,” said Mike Holden, chief economist for the Business Council of Alberta.

“Combined with the fact that we have a relatively low tax burden, it just means that Albertans have more disposable income to spend, and it goes farther when they do spend it.”

“That's a major driver, I think, behind the fact that consumer activity in the province is stronger here than anyplace else.”

Though the average wage in Alberta is still above the national average, this advantage has started to slip in recent years as inflation has outpaced wage growth, Holden said.

Average household spending in Alberta was down 6 per cent in 2021 compared to 2019, roughly twice the national average.

“One of the challenges we've seen over the last little while is that our purchasing power has been falling because inflation has been chipping away at the amount that we have to spend,” Holden said.

“What we're seeing is individual consumers, both in Alberta and across the country, are starting to spend less on big-ticket items ­­— on cars, on home furnishings, on things you'd buy at a hardware store,” he said.

Since the Statistics Canada survey, there has been a bit of a change in consumer habits, Holden said. Now, more is being spent on food, clothing, sports, and recreational equipment, driven in part by rising costs.

Albertans are still spending less than in previous years, but the influx of newcomers is making up for it in consumer markets, Holden said.

“We're in this interesting situation where the Canadian population is surging, and the Alberta population is growing even faster. I think we're adding like 40,000 people per quarter to the province, which is a huge number. And so even as individual Albertans are starting to spend less, where their money isn't going as far, there's so many more of them that it's helping keep retail activity and consumer activity afloat.”

Brett McKay, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, St. Albert Gazette

Health-care standards not met at Alberta correctional centre, report finds

The Canadian Press

EDMONTON — Two inmates at the Edmonton Remand Centre died and three others were hospitalized after receiving poor medical care at the institution, the province's public interest commissioner has found.

"These significant lapses in the standard of care demonstrated a substantial and significant danger to the life, health and safety of patients," said the investigation report from Kevin Brezinski.

"This was serious and significant wrongdoing."

Alberta Correctional Health Services said it has implemented reforms in light of the report, released Wednesday.

Brezinski said the investigation began after a whistleblower filed a complaint with his office in the summer of 2022. That person drew Brezinski's attention to the treatment of seven inmates.

Some events had occurred several years before the complaint and some were current. A nursing consultant hired by Brezinski's office investigated five cases.

Although the report doesn't attribute the deaths or hospitalizations specifically to treatment the inmates received, it finds a long list of problems.

The consultant found staff didn't assess symptoms of pain, shortness of breath, poor vital signs, high temperature or high blood pressure. Vital signs weren't documented and patients weren't examined

"In one specific incident, it took two days for medical staff to begin treatment after noting a patient's toe was black and swollen with fluid," the report says.

Brezinski said patients with addictions weren't afforded proper treatment.

"There didn't seem to be an appropriate protocol in place to manage drug withdrawal," he said.

"Addictions and people that are in custody sometimes go hand-in-hand and you would think that medical professionals would have adequate training to assess these issues. I would expect more."

Medical staff used what they called "pain protocols" that turned out not to exist. In one case, a patient was refused treatment for vomiting because staff didn't witness it, a violation of Alberta Health standards.

Although the consultant didn't investigate the remaining two cases, the report said Alberta Correctional Health Services acknowledged similar problems with their treatment.

In a statement, the health agency said it has already implemented many of Brezinski's recommendations.

They include requirements to monitor and record vital signs, new protocols to manage substance withdrawal, pain management and wound care. Twice-yearly audits are to ensure treatment quality.

A consultant has been hired to continue to ensure policies and practices remain current.

"It is imperative that all individuals in our corrections system are provided with the same consistent, high-quality care as every Albertan," said spokeswoman Kristi Bland.

Brezinski said those changes need to be made throughout the system, not just in Edmonton.

"I would assume at other correctional facilities similar behaviours would probably be taking place," he said.

The agency did not say if any staff may face disciplinary action, despite Brezinski's recommendation for Alberta Health Services to review the actions of individual staffers.

Otherwise, Brezinski praised the health agency's response. Protocols are now mandatory and audits are getting results.

"They are actually getting ahead of things," Brezinski said. "When they do do these audits and identify concerns, they're getting to it a lot quicker."

But he reserved his greatest praise for the whistleblower who raised the concerns.

"This is a great case where you have a whistleblower who is courageous enough to come forward."

The public interest commissioner is an independent officer of the Alberta legislature to whom public-sector employees can bring concerns about government officials. Brezinski also serves as Alberta Ombudsman, to whom the public can report concerns.

Brezinski said it was the first time his office has investigated complaints into Alberta's correctional system.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Oct. 25, 2023.

Bob Weber, The Canadian Press

Archeology service vital to industry, community

Story by The Canadian Press  • 

Thunder Bay, Ont. — Ten years after archeologists David Norris and Arlene Lahti began an archeological business in their basements, their Woodland Heritage Northwest service has become a critical component to many area industries, with mining being at the top of the list.

Norris, who is the company’s project archeologist, says archeological assessments for any type of new development that’s occurring on the land are required by the regulatory body of the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, which licenses them. 

“Sometimes (our work) involves doing assessments on stuff that’s already developed, for instance, the waterfront where there was an archeological assessment done when they put in the hotels there,” Norris said. “If it’s deep enough that they’re going to disturb it, an archeological assessment would be required. This generally involves the mines, power lines and infrastructure cycling through Northwestern Ontario.”

Woodland Heritage Northwest is a Metis-based company that provides assessments for individual landowners who need property severances. 

“We go in prior to any development to see if there are any artifacts or campsites that may be on the ground, we excavate them as per the regulations and help companies, proponents and Indigenous communities mitigate these types of circumstances,” Norris said. 

“We work quite closely with a lot of First Nation communities to ensure that their concerns are heard and that they’re addressed from the community level.”

The company works with Lakehead University’s archeology field students and employs seven people with two additional ones expected this summer. 

“We can’t hire people fast enough to get the work that we need to be done and that’s why we partnered with the university to help us train individuals,” Norris said. “We like to hire students.”

Yet, it’s working closely with Indigenous communities that prove to be some of the most rewarding work they do. 

“One of our bigger focuses now is to work with (Northern) communities and hire from within the community,” Lahti added. “We go in and do archeology in their areas and we love it when they want to participate with us. We’ve hired them for those projects or longer periods depending on the work and it’s really just trying to build those partnerships and relationships with people in the North here.” 

Norris called it a “win-win” and said they really “enjoy people who enjoy the North.” He says the North contends with its own challenges and logistics and both their company and the people that live there truly love being there. 

“It just really fits with our mission,” Lahti said. “Being an Indigenous company ourselves, working with Indigenous communities, building partnerships and finding that win-win for all the work that has to get done up here, why not have the people who live here, work here and profit from that?” 

Norris called archeology a “tool” which he says links land use to the history of the land. 

“Communities can use this as tangible evidence to create arguments that they’ve utilized that land and have been on that land for an exceptionally long period of time,” he said. 

“I think Indigenous voices are becoming louder within Northwestern Ontario and we like to be sort of a pedestal with which they can stand on to make their concerns heard.”

Norris described Woodland Heritage Northwest as a for-profit business, which he says is a consulting firm. They are always investing in its growth by putting money back into the company.

Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal

Toxic diets: Canadian orcas face high risks of pollution-related health effects

Story by Anaïs Remili, Postdoctoral fellow, Wildlife Ecotoxicology,

McGill University • 1d THE CONVERSATION

Killer whales, also called orcas, are known for their intelligence and striking presence. They are also enduring a silent but persistent threat beneath the surface of our oceans.

My research investigates killer whales and their diets in the North Atlantic. Previous studies have focused on killer whales in the Pacific Ocean. But until now, no data existed for our killer whales in the North Atlantic, including those in Eastern Canada and the Canadian Arctic.

With other international researchers, I recently published a study in Environmental Science & Technology that reveals a troubling reality: these apex predators are carrying high levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in their blubber. The accumulation of these synthetic contaminants is also creating health risks for the killer whales.

Forever chemicals

POPs are also known as “forever chemicals” due to their remarkable stability and long-lasting nature. This group includes well-known compounds like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated pesticides like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and brominated flame retardants.

In the last century, these chemicals were mass produced and used in a wide range of applications, such as industrial processes or agriculture. But research conducted in Sweden in the late 1960s revealed that these chemicals accumulate in living organisms and persist in the environment.

The chemicals bind to fats and increase in concentration as they move up the food web, impacting dolphins and whales the most. These animals, being top predators, accumulate the largest concentrations and struggle to eliminate these chemicals. This buildup of contaminants through their diets — known as biomagnification — is especially concerning for marine mammals, as they need ample fat for warmth and energy.

At high concentrations, these chemicals disrupt the mammals’ immune and hormonal systems but also affect their ability to reproduce, and can even lead to cancer.

A gradient of contamination

Our study, focusing on 160 killer whales, reveals a concerning pattern of PCB contamination accross the North Atlantic. The concentrations vary significantly across the North Atlantic, ranging from a staggering 100 mg/kg in the Western North Atlantic, to around 50 mg/kg in the mid-North Atlantic. Intriguingly, killer whales in the Eastern North Atlantic carry lower PCB levels at roughly 10 mg/kg in Norway.

For context, PCB-related immune effects start at 10mg/kg, while reproductive failure was observed at 41 mg/kg in marine mammals. Killer whales in Eastern Canada and the Canadian Arctic have PCB levels exceeding twice the threshold linked to reproductive problems in marine mammals.
You are what you eat

Diet plays a pivotal role in this pattern of contamination. Killer whales that primarily feed on fish tend to have lower contaminant levels. On the other hand, those with diets focused on marine mammals, particularly seals and toothed whales, show higher levels of contaminants.

Killer whales with mixed diets — containing both fish and marine mammals — tend to display elevated contaminant levels, particularly in Iceland.

Our research investigates the potential impact of diet preferences on killer whale health. Risk assessments suggest that killer whales in the Western North Atlantic, and specific areas of the Eastern North Atlantic where they have mixed diets, face higher risks, directly linked to what they eat.

Among the emerging contaminants, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), a flame retardant, is of particular concern. Concentrations of HBCDD in North Atlantic killer whales are among the highest measured in any marine mammals, surpassing levels found in their North Pacific counterparts.
Disappearing sea ice

This reveals the fascinating complexity of killer whale ecology and underscores how their dietary choices significantly impact their exposure to environmental pollutants.

It also raises some concern for “Arctic-invading” killer whales that progressively move north due to climate change. Killer whales’ large dorsal fin has traditionally prevented them from navigating dense sea ice. But the melting of sea ice has allowed killer whales to access a new habitat with new prey species.

There, researchers believe that they will hunt more and more marine mammals, like ringed seals, narwhals and belugas. These dietary shifts, influenced by our changing environment, may result in heightened health risks for apex predators.

Read more: Analyzing the fat of killer whales reveals what they eat
Maternal transfer means females are less contaminated

The study also spotlights a sex difference in contaminant concentrations. Male killer whales appear to be more contaminated than their female counterparts, thanks to the transfer of contaminants from adult females to their offspring during gestation and lactation.

Killer whale mothers use their own energy to produce fatty milk for their calves, helping them grow quickly and stay healthy. This nutritious milk comes from the mother’s blubber, where contaminants are stored. As she feeds her young ones, she may pass on as much as 70 per cent of these stored contaminants.
Urgent action

In response to these findings, urgent action is needed to protect North Atlantic killer whales and their ecosystems. The 2001 United Nations treaty’s objective to phase out and destroy PCBs by 2028 is slipping out of reach.

Substantial quantities of PCB-contaminated waste are stored in deteriorating warehouses, risking contaminants ending up in the environment, and further affecting our ecosystems. To compound the issue, as one chemical gets banned, another often emerges, with enough variations to avoid previous regulations, perpetuating a harmful cycle.

To effectively tackle the issue of contaminant accumulation in killer whales, the following actions are necessary:

Urgent steps are needed for the proper disposal of PCB-contaminated waste, with an emphasis on international collaboration to support nations lacking the infrastructure for waste management.

It is crucial to prevent the release of potentially more harmful contaminants into the environment by improving toxicity testing of chemicals before they enter the market.

Collaboration among ecotoxicologists, conservation biologists, policymakers and other stakeholders is essential. Effective strategies to mitigate pollution’s adverse effects can only be developed through collective efforts.

Targeted conservation efforts should be directed toward populations at higher risk, such as killer whales in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, and Eastern Canada.

Chemical pollution has been identified as one of the nine global threats to wildlife, as well as human health in modern times. It is time to give our planet — and killer whales — the relief they need by reducing existing contaminants through concrete actions.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

Read more:
For generations, killer whales and First Nations hunted whales together. Now we suspect the orca group has gone extinct

Canada takes first step to regulate toxic ‘forever chemicals.’ But is it enough?

Chinese firms to invest nearly $1 billion in northern Mexico -state officials

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -A Chinese supplier for Tesla and a Chinese technology company will invest nearly a billion dollars in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon where the automaker is planning a new factory, Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel Garcia said during a trip to Shanghai on Wednesday.

The planned investments include $700 million from Ningbo Tuopu Group and $260 million from Shenzhen H&T Intelligent Control Co., a Nuevo Leon representative said.

Tesla announced in March it would build a large plant in the state, where it already has suppliers, in what Mexican officials described as a more than $5 billion investment.Speaking in a video filmed at Tesla's Shanghai factory, Garcia said Ningbo Tuopu Group was looking to begin production by the end of the year in Nuevo Leon.

The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ningbo Tuopu Group develops shock absorption products and other auto parts.

Ningbo is expected to create some 10,000 jobs, Nuevo Leon officials said.

Tesla has not yet begun construction in Nuevo Leon, and its timeline for starting production is unclear. Its factory in Austin, Texas, is several hours away just north of the U.S.-Mexico border

Related video: Real estate downturn hits China's stocks (WION)
China stock market was subjected to an intervention including infusions
Duration 2:12   View on Watch

"We're very happy because everything seems to indicate that the Nuevo Leon site will be twice as big, at least, as the one in Austin," Garcia said, noting that Tesla already sources batteries, software, computers and other parts from Nuevo Leon.

(Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon, Raul Cortes and Kylie Madry; editing by Stephen Eisenhammer)

Australian hydrogen company outlines US expansion in New Mexico, touts research

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — An Australia-based company plans to build a campus in New Mexico to expand its research into hydrogen fuel as a heat source for industry, touting a proprietary chemical process without greenhouse gas emissions.

Hydrogen-technology research and developer Star Scientific Limited, which has around 20 employees, signed a letter of intent with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham while she was in Sydney attending a summit Thursday on hydrogen and the energy sector.

Andrew Horvath, global group chairman at Star Scientific, said the new facilities in Albuquerque would scale up research and development of its hydrogen technology for generating heat.

“Our system doesn’t burn gas, it reacts the gas,” said Horvath, describing the proprietary technology in general terms only. “It creates an instantaneous reaction whereby you end up with the heat from the excitation energy from those atoms.”

Horvath said the company is developing a chemical catalyst system for use in combining hydrogen and oxygen to produce heat directly, with water as a byproduct. The system is different from hydrogen fuel cells that provide electricity, he said.

Star Scientific is currently sponsoring two hydrogen-energy pilot projects in Australia with a food-production company and a plastics-packaging business. They aim to replace heat systems derived from natural gas, reducing emissions of climate-warming pollution in the process

The New Mexico governor's office said in a statement that the company is looking to acquire enough land to place up to 10 buildings for laboratory research, testing and eventual manufacturing, and possibly qualify for public incentives that underwrite infrastructure investments and job training.

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, has enthusiastically embraced support for hydrogen-energy ventures to create local jobs. But there's been concern and criticism from environmentalists who say hydrogen presents its own pollution and climate risks depending on production methods and precautions against leaks.

The Biden administration this month selected clean-energy projects from Pennsylvania to California for a $7 billion program to kickstart development and production of hydrogen fuel, a key component of the administration's agenda to slow climate change. Applications that were passed over include a collaborative pitch by New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.

Some consider hydrogen “clean” only if made through electrolysis — splitting water molecules using renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, which also is carbon free, as well as nuclear power. Hydrogen also can be produced from methane using heat, steam and pressure, but that brings challenges of storing the carbon dioxide that is generated.

Horvath said Star Scientific chose New Mexico for its expansion based on factors including public investments in education, business incentives and relatively inexpensive labor and land costs.

Morgan Lee, The Associated Press

US agri-food heavyweight Archer-Daniels Midland (ADM) has invested $33m to build a new pet-food production line in Guadalajara, Mexico.

ADM signage at Decatur plant

The ingredients supplier to human- and animal-food manufacturers said adding the line will increase the factory workforce by 65% and “optimise dry pet-food production flow”. Alongside its Ganador and Minino brands, ADM said the investment will also support the development of new product ranges.

The line will be equipped with new and automated technologies.

Chicago-based ADM, which has been present in Mexico for more than 65 years, said the investment will also expand its coverage to Central America and Colombia.

Jorge Martínez, president of ADM's pet-nutrition business, said: "Without a doubt Guadalajara is a strategic, economic location for ADM in Mexico. The integration of this new production line adds range and flexibility to our capabilities in Mexico and enables ADM to triple its capacity and give us wider international visibility within the pet-food market."

Jalisco, the region in which Guadalajara sits, has been identified as a key growth market in Mexico, based on increased economic activity and growing investment in the region.

ADM’s plant adheres to its CSR initiatives by reusing water from a new treatment plant.

In 2021, ADM bought a majority stake in US pet-food business P4 Companies - the owner of the PetDine, Pedigree Ovens, The Pound Bakery and NutraDine pet-food businesses.

It paid $450m for a 75% stake in the business with an option to buy the remaining 25%.

While better known as an ingredients business, in March ADM launched the direct-to-consumer plant-based health brand Knwble Grwn.

The Knwble Grwn line - distributed via Amazon.com and Walmart.com - includes flaxseed, hemp seed, flax oil, hemp oil and quinoa.

ADM said the launch was driven by consumer demand for “transparency and traceability” of their food.

The company said that while its “core business continues to be B2B”, it is “building more and more of a presence in D2C”.

Just Food has asked ADM for details of how its Ganador and Minino pet-food brands are distributed.

"ADM pumps $33m into pet-food production in Mexico" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand.

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