Thursday, December 16, 2021

Alabama judge surprises civil rights pioneer after clearing her arrest record

David Begnaud 


Judge Calvin Williams of Montgomery, Alabama, wasn't born yet when 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus. But he says he benefited from the civil rights pioneer. And it's not lost on him that he is now the one – 66 years later – who was able to expunge the record of that incident and clear her name. 


"I want to thank you for your courage. Your courageous act. I want to, on behalf of myself and all of the judges in Montgomery, offer my apology for an injustice that was perpetrated upon you," Williams said sitting next to Colvin in an exclusive interview with "CBS Mornings."

"What Miss Colvin did has such great significance. And that's because it holds such great symbolism," he continued.

"When she did this in 1955, there were no African American judges in Montgomery. And now, I'm one of several African American judges in Montgomery. And so, the remarkable thing is that I sit in a position to look and do something judicious in a judicious way to correct an injustice that was perpetrated against her so long ago that never should have happened. That's the uniqueness of this whole circumstance. That she stood up for right, and now I'm the beneficiary and byproduct of that and I can correct the wrong that was done to her. That's the significance of it."

© Provided by CBS News Judge Calvin Williams meets Claudette Colvin after he had her arrest record expunged. / Credit: CBS News

Colvin knew of the ruling that her name had been cleared. But she didn't know Judge Williams — and had never seen him.

"I'm so glad I'm sitting next to the judge. And he's colored," said Colvin. "No, it doesn't matter what color you are. Righteous is righteous."

Asked if she didn't know the judge was African American, Colvin replied, "No, I thought he was Caucasian."

She told Williams that she wants to ensure that Black children aren't treated unfairly because of their race.

Williams responded: "Thanks to you they won't. They will be treated fairly."

Williams told Colvin, "You are a hero. To all of us."
Judge stays prosecution of man accused of trying to spy for China

OTTAWA — A judge has stayed criminal proceedings against a man accused of breaching Canada's secrets law because of an unreasonable delay in bringing the matter to trial.

 

Ontario Superior Court Justice Michael Dambrot delivered the ruling in a brief hearing Wednesday, ending Qing Quentin Huang's long-running case unless the Crown decides to appeal.

It has been eight years since Huang was arrested in Burlington, Ont., following an RCMP-led investigation called Project Seascape.

Huang, an employee of Lloyd’s Register, a subcontractor to Irving Shipbuilding Inc., was charged under the Security of Information Act with attempting to communicate secrets to China.

Police said the information related to elements of the federal shipbuilding strategy.

The engineer's trial in Ontario court was delayed by disputes over disclosure of information in the case that played out in Federal Court, the venue for deciding how much sensitive material can be kept under wraps.

"Eight years is too long to bring a person to trial. We repeatedly asked the government to speed up the case. We could not get the government to treat the case with urgency," said Samara Secter, a lawyer for Huang.

"The only one who was in a hurry to have his trial here was Mr. Huang."

Through Secter and her colleague Frank Addario, Huang said Wednesday it was "a big relief for me that the case is over."

"I felt very alone during the case, no one was on my side except my lawyers."

The Public Prosecution Service of Canada said it was awaiting Dambrot's written reasons for the decision and would review them once they are released.

In Federal Court, Huang had pressed for release of additional portions of a heavily redacted affidavit and warrant that authorized the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to intercept telecommunications at the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa.

Huang was not a target of the warrant and had never been under CSIS investigation.

However, the spy service advised the RCMP of phone calls Huang allegedly made to the embassy and claimed he "offered to provide Canadian military secrets" to the Chinese government. That prompted the police investigation resulting in Huang’s arrest.

Huang contended the warrant opened the door to a breach of his charter guarantee against unreasonable search and seizure.

In September 2020, the Crown dropped part of the case against Huang by staying two of four counts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2021.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
Hay West [program saves 17,000 cattle, but herds still being culled due to drought

CALGARY — A program that helps farmers in Eastern Canada ship hay to drought-affected farmers on the Prairies has saved 17,000 head of cattle, but a national farm organization said even its best efforts won't be enough to mitigate all the losses from last summer's extreme weather.

Mary Robinson, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), said on Wednesday that 5.6 million pounds of livestock feed so far have been shipped from the Maritimes, Ontario and Quebec (where growing conditions were good this year) to struggling Western ranchers and farmers.

A total of 75 farms have received the donated or supplied-at-cost feed, through what is called the Hay West program.

However, Robinson said last summer's drought — the worst in 60 years on the Prairies — shriveled crops and dried up pastures so extensively that estimates place the total shortfall of hay for livestock in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba at four million tonnes.

"The deficit of hay in the West is huge," she said. "The shortage well exceeds our capacity. We're never going to be able to move enough hay to save every animal in Western Canada."

Already, some farmers have been forced to cull their herds due to fears they won't be able to feed them through the winter. Robinson declined to comment on how many animals across Canada may have been culled so far due to drought, but said there will be long-term ramifications.

"As herds take years to build up, this culling has the very likely potential to have long-term effects on Canada’s food production," she said.

The CFA, which administers the Hay West program, has up to 100 million tonnes of hay on offer from Eastern farmers that is available to be shipped. But Robinson said the organization hasn't shipped any hay at all in the last month, due to a lack of funding to cover the freight costs. She said the organization is actively seeking more corporate and private donations to the program in order to speed up shipments.

Robinson — whose voice shook as she described stories she's heard of "bony animals at auction marts" across the Prairies — said the CFA is prioritizing farms that have valuable breeding stock as well as "farms that have water" when it decides where to ship the hay.

Last month, Canadian Cattlemen's Association president Bob Lowe said having feed is of no benefit if farmers don't have water for their animals. A recent report from the government of Saskatchewan warned that dugout, slough and well levels are low" across that province and that "there are concerns about livestock water supplies."

“It gets pretty emotional. It’s difficult for people to talk about," Robinson said

On Wednesday, the federal government announced it is pledging an additional $3 million to Hay West, after committing $1 million earlier this fall. The CFA had previously requested up to $6 million in federal funding for the program.

At a news conference in Ottawa, federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said she visited farms and ranches this year where crops had withered where they stood and fields were infested with grasshoppers.

“It is heartbreaking to hear the stories of grave loss and hardship experienced by these farmers," Bibeau said, adding the federal government "will not rest until our farmers are back on their feet."

Hay West is also exploring the possibility of shipping hay to B.C., where recent rainfall and flooding have impacted producers there. Bibeau said the federal government expects to have an agricultural disaster relief program available for farmers in that province within weeks.

The report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2021.

Amanda Stephenson, The Canadian Press




UNESCO puts Haitian soup on cultural heritage list


PARIS (AP) — The United Nations cultural agency on Thursday placed a traditional Haitian soup widely seen as a symbol of the nation's independence on its prized intangible cultural heritage list.

Joumou soup is “so much more than just a dish,” said Audrey Azoulay, the director-general of UNESCO. “It tells the story of the heroes and heroines of Haitian independence, their struggle for human rights and their hard-won freedom.”

The squash-based soup became a symbol of things long forbidden to slaves under French domination until Haiti gained independence on Jan.1, 1804, as the first nation created by insurgent Black slaves.

They celebrated their freedom by finally consuming the soup and Haitians traditionally serve it on New Year’s Day to commemorate the anniversary of liberation from slavery.

UNSECO said its Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee awarded Joumou soup protected status at its meeting on Thursday.

The intangible heritage list aims to improve the visibility of traditions and know-how of communities around the world, ranging from Arabic calligraphy to Italian truffle hunting.

Other Caribbean traditions honored include Jamaica's reggae music, recognized in 2018 because it represents “a vehicle of social commentary.”

The Associated Press

https://stonesoup.com/.../history-of-the-stone-soup-story-from-1720-to-now

The Stone Soup story revolves around a clever man with a charismatic personality who can get people to help him when their first instinct is not to. This is the aspect of the story that folklorists have focused on. Folklorists place the Stone Soup story within the “clever man” category of the Aarne-Thompson-Uther folklore classification system that they use to organize the entire folkloric tradition.

Ancient Egypt: History, dynasties, religion and writing

Owen Jarus 


Ancient Egypt in North Africa was one of the most powerful and influential civilizations in the region for over 3,000 years, from around 3100 B.C to 30 B.C. It left behind numerous monuments, documents and works of art that continue to be studied by scholars today.

 
© Provided by Live Science null

However Egyptian civilization existed long before this period, and it has survived and flourished since. While the civilization's rulers, language, writing, climate, religion and borders have changed many times over the millennia, Egypt still exists as a modern-day country.

Ancient Egypt was closely connected with other parts of the world, bringing in and exporting goods, religions, food, people and ideas. At times ancient Egypt ruled territory outside the modern-day country's border, controlling territory in what is now Sudan, Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Palestine.

The country was also occupied by other powers in ancient times — the Persians, Nubians, Greeks and Romans all conquered Egypt at different points.

A number of names were used for Egypt. A popular ancient name for Egypt was "Kemet," which means the "black land." Scholars generally believe that this name derived from the fertile soil that was left over when the Nile flood receded in August.

The Nile flooded between June and August each year, and the fertile soil it created was vital to ancient Egypt's survival, with fertility playing an important role in Egyptian religion. The burial of Tutankhamun — in which his penis was mummified — is but one example of how important fertility was in the rituals and beliefs of the ancient Egyptians.

The country's ancient rulers are referred to today as "pharaohs," although in ancient times they each used a series of names as part of a royal titular, wrote Ronald Leprohon, an Egyptology professor at the University of Toronto, in his book "The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary" (Society of Biblical Literature, 2013). The word pharaoh originates from the Egyptian term "per-aa," which means "the Great House," Leprohon wrote. The term was first incorporated into a royal title during the rule of Thutmose III (reign circa. 1479 to 1425 B.C.), Leprohon wrote.
Prehistory

When exactly early hominids first arrived in Egypt is unclear. The earliest migration of hominids out of Africa took place almost 2 million years ago, with modern humans dispersing out of Africa about 100,000 years ago. Egypt may have been used to reach Asia in some of these migrations.

Villages dependent on agriculture began to appear in Egypt about 7,000 years ago. The civilization's earliest written inscriptions date back about 5,200 years and reveal information about the early rulers of Egypt, Live Science previously reported. These early rulers include Iry-Hor, who, according to the inscriptions, founded Memphis, a city that served as Egypt's capital for much of its history. The inscriptions also document a queen named Neith-Hotep, who ruled as a regent for a young pharaoh named Djer. sometime In the late predynastic period.

How and when ancient Egypt was united into one kingdom is a matter of debate among archaeologists and historians. One possibility is that a number of smaller states coalesced into two kingdoms — Upper and Lower Egypt — and then these two kingdoms united. After Egypt was united pharaohs were often depicted wearing two crowns — one for Lower Egypt and another for Upper Egypt.

Egypt's climate was much wetter in prehistoric times than it is today, and some areas that are now barren desert were once fertile. One famous archaeological site where this can be seen is at the "cave of swimmers," as it is called today, on the Gilf Kebir plateau in southwest Egypt. The cave is now surrounded by miles of barren desert; however, it has rock art showing what some scholars interpret as people swimming. The exact date of the rock art is unclear, although scholars think that it was created in prehistoric times.
Egypt's 30 dynasties

Ancient Egypt's history has traditionally been divided into 30 (or sometimes 31) dynasties. This tradition started with the Egyptian priest Manetho, who lived during the third century B.C. His accounts of ancient Egyptian history were preserved by ancient Greek writers and, until hieroglyphic writing was deciphered in the 19th century, were among the few historical accounts that scholars could read.

Modern-day scholars often group these dynasties into several periods. Dynasties one and two date back around 5,000 years and are often called the "Early Dynastic" or "Archaic" period. The first pharaoh of the first dynasty was a ruler named Menes (or Narmer, as he is called in Greek). He lived over 5,000 years ago, and while ancient writers sometimes credited him as being the first pharaoh of a united Egypt, however archaeological research suggests that this is not true. Recently found inscriptions tell of rulers — such as Djer and Iry-Hor — who appear to have ruled earlier and other finds have been made which suggest that there were pharaohs before Menes who ruled a united Egypt, Live Science previously reported. Scholars sometimes refer to these pre-Menes rulers as being part of a "dynasty zero."

Dynasties three to six date from roughly 2650 to 2150 B.C. and are often grouped together into a time period called the "Old Kingdom" by modern-day scholars. During this time pyramid-building techniques were developed and the pyramids of Giza were built. Papyri that are still being deciphered suggest that groups of professional workers — sometimes translated as "work gangs" — played a major role in the construction of the pyramids, as well as other structures.

From 2150 to 2030 B.C. (a time period that encompassed dynasties seven to 10 and part of 11) the central government in Egypt was weak and the country was often controlled by different regional leaders. Why the Old Kingdom collapsed is a matter of debate among scholars, with research indicating that drought and climate change played a significant role. During this time, cities and civilizations in the Middle East also collapsed, with evidence at archaeological sites indicating that a period of drought and arid climate hit sites across the region.

The 12th, 13th and part of the 11th dynasties are often called the "Middle Kingdom" by scholars and lasted from around 2030 to1640 B.C. At the start of this dynasty, a ruler named Mentuhotep II (who reigned until about 2000 B.C.) regained control of the whole country. Pyramid building resumed in Egypt, and a sizable number of texts of literature and science were created. Among the surviving texts is a document now known as the Edwin Smith surgical papyrus, which records a variety of medical treatments that modern-day medical doctors have hailed as being advanced for their time.

Dynasties 14 to 17 are often grouped together as the "Second Intermediate Period" by modern-day scholars. During this time, the central government again collapsed in Egypt, and a group called the "Hyksos" rose to power, controlling much of northern Egypt. While the Hyksos may have originally been from the Levant (an area that encompasses modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria), research indicates that they were already in Egypt at the time the government collapsed. One gruesome find from this time period is a series of severed hands, which were found at a palace at the city of Avaris, the capital of Hyksos-controlled Egypt. The severed hands may have been presented by soldiers to a ruler in exchange for gold.

Scholars often refer to dynasties 18 to 20 as encompassing the "New Kingdom," a period that lasted around 1550 to 1070 B.C. This period took place after the Hyksos had been defeated by a series of Egyptian rulers and the country reunited. Perhaps the most famous archaeological site from the New Kingdom is the Valley of the Kings, which holds the burial sites of many Egyptian rulers from this period, including Tutankhamun (reign circa 1336 to 1327 B.C.), whose rich tomb was found intact in1922. The pharaohs stopped building pyramids during the New Kingdom for a variety of reasons — one of which was to provide better security against tomb robbers.

The 21st to 24th dynasties (a period from around 1070 to 713 B.C.) are often called the "Third Intermediate Period" by modern-day scholars. The central government was sometimes weak during this time period, and the country was not always united. During this time cities and civilizations across the Middle East had been destroyed by people from the Aegean, whom modern-day scholars sometimes call the "Sea Peoples." While Egyptian rulers claimed to have defeated the Sea Peoples in battle, it didn't prevent Egyptian civilization from collapsing. The loss of trade routes and revenue may have played a role in the weakening of Egypt's central government.

Dynasties 25 to 31 (from around 712 to 332 B.C.) are often referred to as the "Late Period" by scholars. Egypt was sometimes under the control of foreign powers during this time. The rulers of the 25th dynasty were from Nubia, an area located in modern-day southern Egypt and northern Sudan. The Persians and Assyrians also controlled Egypt at different times during the Late Period.

In 332 B.C. Alexander the Great drove the Persians out of Egypt and incorporated the country into the Macedonian Empire. After Alexander the Great's death, a line of rulers descended from Ptolemy Soter, one of Alexander's generals, came to power. The last of these "Ptolemaic" rulers (as scholars often call them) was Cleopatra VII, who died by suicide in 30 B.C after the defeat of her forces by Octavian, who would later be named the Roman emperor Augustus, at the Battle of Actium. After her death, Egypt was incorporated into the Roman Empire.

Although the Roman emperors were based in Rome, the Egyptians treated them as pharaohs. One excavated carving shows the emperor Claudius (reign A.D. 41 to 54) dressed as a pharaoh, Live Science reported. The carving has hieroglyphic inscriptions saying that Claudius is the "Son of Ra, Lord of the Crowns," and "King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Lord of the Two Lands."

Neither the Ptolemaic or Roman rulers are considered to be part of a numbered dynasty.
Religion

Throughout much of Egypt's ancient history its people followed a polytheistic religion in which a vast number of gods and goddesses were venerated. One of the most important was Osiris, god of the underworld. Abydos was an important cult center for him, and numerous temples and shrines were constructed at the site in his honor.

Amun-Ra — a god associated with the sun — became particularly important during the New Kingdom and was associated with the city of Luxor (ancient Thebes). The Karnak Temple complex was built near Luxor in honor of this god.

Navigating the underworld was vital to the ancient Egyptians, who believed that the dead could reach a paradise of sorts, where they could live forever. Egyptian dead were sometimes mummified, preserving the body, and were sometimes buried with spells to aid them in navigating the underworld. These spells included excerpts from what are sometimes called the "Book of the Dead" — a 13 foot-long (4 meters) copy of which was recently found in an ancient burial shaft, Live Science reported.

In ancient Egyptian mythology, one of the first steps in navigating the underworld was to weigh a person's deeds against the feather of Maat, who was a god associated with truth, justice and order. If the person had committed a great deal of wrong, the person's heart would be heavier than the feather and the person's soul would be obliterated. On the other hand, if their deeds were generally good, they passed forward and had the opportunity to successfully navigate the underworld.

Figurines called shabti were often buried with the deceased. Their purpose was to do the deceased's work in the afterlife for them.

Egyptian religion did not remain static but changed over time. One major change occurred during the reign of the pharaoh Akhenaten (circa 1353 to 1335 B.C.), a ruler who unleashed a religious revolution that saw Egyptian religion become focused around the worship of "Aten" the sun disk. Akhenaten built an entirely new capital in the desert at Amarna and ordered the names of some of Egypt's deities to be defaced. After Akhenaten's death his son, Tutankhamun, denounced him and returned ancient Egypt to its previous polytheistic religion.

When Egypt came under Greek and Roman rule, the new rulers' gods and goddesses were incorporated into Egyptian religion. Another major change occurred after the first century A.D. when Christianity spread throughout Egypt. At this time Gnosticism, a religion that incorporated some Christian beliefs, also spread throughout Egypt, and a large corpus of Gnostic texts were discovered in 1945 in southern Egypt near the city of Nag Hammadi.

Islam spread throughout the country after A.D. 641, when the country was captured by a Muslim army. Today, Islam is practiced by the majority of Egypt's inhabitants, while a minority are Christian, many being part of the Coptic Church.
Egyptian writing

The earliest inscriptions date back about 5,200 years and were written in a hieroglyphic script.

"Ancient Egyptian was a living oral language, and most hieroglyphs represent the sounds of consonants and certain emphatically expressed vowels," wrote Barry Kemp, a professor of Egyptology at the University of Cambridge, England, in his book "100 Hieroglyphs: Think Like an Egyptian" (Granta Books, 2005). Kemp noted that the ancient Egyptians also developed "an abbreviated 'long hand' form of writing which we call 'hieratic.'" During the first millennium A.D. this abbreviated hieratic script was supplanted by a new form of short-form writing called "Demotic."

Egyptian language changed over the millennia, with scholars often subdividing the surviving writings into categories such as "Old Egyptian," "Middle Egyptian" and "Late Egyptian."

The Greek language became widely used in the time after Egypt was conquered by Alexander the Great. In the late 19th century, archaeologists excavated half a million papyri fragments, most of which were written in Greek, at the ancient Egyptian town of Oxyrhynchus in southern Egypt, dating to the early centuries A.D.

Coptic, an Egyptian language that uses the Greek alphabet, was widely used after Christianity spread throughout Egypt. As Greek and Coptic grew in popularity, the use of the hieroglyphic writing style declined and became extinct during the fifth century A.D. After A.D. 641 the Arabic language spread in Egypt and is widely used in the country today.
Additional resources
In this History Channel documentary, you'll learn how the ancient Egyptians harnessed the power of engineering to build an empire. The video is about 1.5 hours long.
The Australian Museum put together a timeline of historic and other events in ancient Egypt, including a breakdown of each dynasty and the significant dates within that dynasty.
This DK book "Ancient Egypt: The Definitive Visual History" could be a fun way to teach kids about the marvels of ancient Egypt.
Coffee production hurts the planet. Scientists think they may have another way

Charmaine Jacob 


Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world — but the surge in demand is threatening the environment.

In the last 30 years, growing demand for coffee has led to a 60% increase in production, and has posed a myriad of threats to the environment, according to the International Coffee Organization.

Scientists in Finland are trying to come up with a sustainable, lab-grown alternative for the next cup of coffee — but the technology for producing it is still very costly.

© Provided by CNBC A worker separates coffee cherries during a harvest on a farm in Guaxupe, located in the southwest of the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil, on Wednesday, June 2, 2021.

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world — but the surge in demand is threatening the planet, prompting environmentalists and scientists to look for sustainable ways to produce coffee.

"Most coffee goes through a wet-milling process that uses significant amounts of freshwater to de-pulp and wash the coffee. Then the coffee is dried, roasted, shipped and brewed — each of which uses energy," said Bambi Semroc, senior vice president of the Center for Sustainable Lands and Waters at Conservation International.

In the last 30 years, growing demand for coffee has led to a 60% increase in production, according to the International Coffee Organization.

From deforestation to a high usage of water and energy resources, research shows that increased coffee production is destroying the planet.

New Lung Cleaning Device Is Going ViralSEE MORESponsored by SMART LIFESTYLE TRENDS

Brazil, the world's largest coffee producer, saw deforestation of its Amazon rainforest reach a 15-year high, according to a report published by Brazil's National Institute for Space Research.

An estimated 13,235 square kilometers — equivalent to 2,429 football fields — was lost between August 2020 and July 2021, representing a 22% increase from the previous year.

Coffee production also leaves a large water and energy footprint, with 140 liters of water needed to produce just 125 millimeters of coffee, according to the Water Footprint Network.

But at the same time, the coffee industry is also vulnerable to climate change.

Just this year, Brazil experienced waves of frost and drought in June, which pushed Arabica coffee prices to hit a seven-year high.

Commodity experts predict that prices will continue to rise "given the current instability of global markets as well as uncertainties around next year's outputs of dominant coffee producers — Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia," said Semroc, from the Center for Sustainable Lands and Waters at Conservation International.
Lab-grown coffee, anyone?

Scientists in Finland are trying to come up with a sustainable, lab-grown alternative for the next cup of coffee — but the technology for producing it is still very costly.

The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland successfully produced coffee cells in a bioreactor through cellular agriculture, in a bid to make coffee production more environmentally friendly.

The research center's lab-grown coffee eliminates the need for deforestation and the process has a much lower water footprint as scientists are able to use recycled water to generate their bioreactors.

Another advantage is that coffee can be produced at all times under controlled temperature, light and oxygen conditions, removing the supply volatility in the industry.

"We're not a coffee producer but would want to collaborate and work with parties that have the expertise and vision to bring something like this to the market," said Heiko Rischer, head of plant biotechnology at the research institute.

"It also requires significant investment because the whole approval process... doesn't only need time, but it's of course also a costly exercise," he added.

The innovation also removes the long transportation process of coffee from the country of origin to the consumer country, and "has an impact on traceability and transparency of the process... this is often also a big problem in the coffee supply chain," Rischer said.
© Provided by CNBC Coffee cell cultures (right) and roasted coffee produced by VTT's cellular agriculture method.

"We are not working with coffee beans as a starting material, but instead with a freeze dried powder that we produce in the lab," he told CNBC.

Once the powder is roasted, it can be brewed the same way as a conventional cup of coffee.

Although Heiko forecasted it could take a minimum of four years before VTT's lab-grown coffee receives regulatory approval, there has already been a strong interest surrounding the product in Finland, the world's largest coffee consumer.

"In the past, we used to see a big resistance against genetically modified food, so we were positively surprised when people showed an interest to buy and taste the product... Coffee is a luxury product and people want to be able to purchase it with a good conscience," Heiko said.
Lack of investments

Programs such as those by World Coffee Research and Conservation International also aim to help meet growing global demand for coffee by increasing production of small-scale farmers and improving increasing investments on existing farms.

"Coffee research is a distant priority when you have more pressing humanitarian priorities ... Many low-income countries are responsible for delivering coffee to the world but haven't been able to invest in ways that would enable their farmers to reduce risks," said Jennifer Long, CEO of World Coffee Research.

More than 100 world leaders at Cop26, the United Nations global climate summit, pledged in November to collectively end deforestation by 2030. They are also seeking to redesign agricultural policies to incentivize sustainable farming.

However, a lack of investment in agricultural research and development could lead to more volatile prices ahead, experts warned.

Coffee production makes up a large share of export revenues for many developing countries — if investments in research and innovation are not made, "the consequence of the volatility in the coffee market can be very pronounced for farmers," she added.

Of the 12.5 million smallholder coffee farmers, at least 5.5 million people live below the international poverty line of $3.20 a day, according to Enveritas, a non-profit that helps small-scale coffee farmers find sustainable solutions.

"Investments in agricultural development, with a focused dedication to agricultural research and technology, are the most important singular investments you can make," said Long, pointing out that agricultural-specific challenges often leave small-scale farmers vulnerable.

Agricultural investments are important to ensure food security goals can be achieved despite global challenges impeding production today, Long said.

"Trees are a wonderful place to start because they absorb and hold so much carbon," she added, implying that agricultural production systems need to be modified to integrate more trees through agroforestry.
CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M 
Ex-McKinsey partner pleads guilty to insider trading in Goldman Sachs fintech deal


A former McKinsey partner has plead guilty to securities fraud for bets he made ahead of Goldman Sachs' $2.2 billion acquisition of fintech lender GreenSky.

Puneet Dikshit, 40, plead guilty to one count of securities fraud, which brings a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. He is set to be sentenced on March 30.

© Provided by CNBC Puneet Dikshit


Hugh Son

A former McKinsey partner has plead guilty to securities fraud for bets he made ahead of Goldman Sachs' $2.2 billion acquisition of fintech lender GreenSky.

Puneet Dikshit, 40, had been charged with insider trading last month. He was accused of using information gained in his role advising Goldman on the deal to place out-of-the money call option bets two days before the acquisition was announced, netting more than $450,000 in gains.

"Barely a month after he was charged, Puneet Dikshit admitted in court today that he used his access to material nonpublic information about a pending acquisition of GreenSky, Inc., to trade in GreenSky call options," Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Wednesday in a statement.

Dikshit plead guilty to one count of securities fraud, which brings a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. He is set to be sentenced on March 30.

The case was handled by the Justice Department's securities and commodities fraud task force with help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In September, CNBC was the first to report that suspicious trades were made in GreenSky options ahead of the deal.
HEY KENNEY YOU LIKE UK STUDIES
Omicron 'probably the most significant threat' since start of the pandemic, British health chief says


Jenny Harries, CEO of the U.K. Health Security Agency, has given a stark warning of the threat that the new heavily mutated omicron variant poses to the country.

Harries said the new strain is "probably the most significant threat" since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The U.K. reported a record number of new daily Covid cases on Wednesday, with 78,610 in the last 24 hours.

© Provided by CNBC A sign warning people to stay apart due to Covid-19 is seen on July 29, 2021 in Mevagissey, United Kingdom.

Matt Clinch 

LONDON — Jenny Harries, CEO of the U.K. Health Security Agency, has given a stark warning of the threat that the new heavily mutated Covid-19 omicron variant poses to the country.

Harries said the new strain is "probably the most significant threat" since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

"I'm sure for example the numbers that we see on data over the next few days will be quite staggering compared to the rate of growth that we've seen in cases for previous variants," she told a committee of British lawmakers on Wednesday.

"The real potential risk here — and I would underline that because we are still learning a lot about the variant — is in relation to its severity, clinical severity, and therefore whether those cases turn into severe disease, hospitalizations and deaths. We're still at too early stage for that. In fact, the world probably is still at too early stage to be clear," she added.

Her comments came just before the U.K. reported a record number of new daily Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, with 78,610 in the last 24 hours.

The figure was an increase from 59,610 the day before, and it surpasses the previous high of 68,053 cases reported on Jan. 8.

It underlines the dramatic surge in infections that the country is seeing ahead of the holiday period with the omicron variant expected to quickly become the dominant strain.

Long queues have been seen outside vaccination centers in many U.K. cities and towns with the government putting its booster program on overdrive to try to get a third vaccine shot to as many people as possible.

While deaths remain low currently and initial reports suggest that the omicron variant might not be any more severe than other Covid strains, health experts have repeatedly warned that the sheer number of infections could lead to mounting fatalities and an overwhelmed health-care system.

Harries also said Wednesday: "We don't know what's going to happen. But at the moment the indications are it could be as big or even bigger than the previous wave this time last year. So we're preparing for that."

Germany looks to buy up spare Covid vaccines amid row over shortfall

Kate Connolly 

Germany’s new health minister, Karl Lauterbach, has warned that the country has insufficient vaccine doses to keep the population’s Covid defences up over the winter, especially with the predicted rise of the Omicron variant

Lauterbach said Germany was very low on stocks and was rationing its distribution of the German-developed BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine to vaccine centres and doctors’ practices across the country, to 1.2m doses next week, 800,000 the following week between Christmas and the new year, and another 1.2m the week after.

© Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images People receive Covid vaccine doses at a 16th-century church in Bad Wilsnack, Germany.

“But this is far less than the amounts which doctors are asking for every week,” he said, adding that Germany was scraping the barrel of its reserves and could do with more than twice the amount it currently had. “The campaign has to roll … but there is literally no more than this there.”

He rejected claims he was blaming his predecessors in the government of Angela Merkel for under-ordering supplies of the vaccine, and said the shortfall was due to the Covid situation suddenly worsening.

A record 1.5m doses were administered on Wednesday, bringing to 70% the proportion of people now at least double vaccinated, and to almost 28% the proportion who have received a booster jab.

The Delta variant makes up about 90% of German infections, but the more infectious Omicron has been detected in hundreds of cases and is expected to have spread widely by next month.

Lauterbach, an epidemiologist who as the health spokesperson for the Social Democrats was an active and much relied upon commentator on the pandemic before taking over as health minister this month, said he was seeking “as an emergency” to buy millions of unused vaccine stocks from eastern European countries, including Bulgaria, Romania and Poland.



His ministry has confirmed reports that it plans to spend €2.2bn on 80m BioNTech doses via official EU procurement channels, and to buy a further 12m doses directly, to ensure “that we can start the new year in a sensible manner”. In addition Moderna has agreed to deliver an extra 35m doses of its vaccine to Germany ahead of schedule.

Several eastern European countries have vaccine stocks that are in danger of becoming out of date if they are not used, owing to vaccine hesitancy.

The finance minister, Christian Lindner, said the funds to cover the costs had been released “so that the vaccine campaign can continue next year with higher intensity”.

Lauterbach repeatedly stressed he was not claiming, as some media and opposition politicians had claimed, that his predecessor, Jens Spahn, had under-ordered vaccines and had not kept a proper inventory of stocks. The CDU has accused Lauterbach of using false data and creating or exaggerating an apparent problem in order to benefit from the relief that is likely to be triggered if sufficient stocks are obtained.

Lauterbach instead praised Spahn’s efforts and saying the “massive increase in speed” of the Omicron variant together with efforts to dampen the Delta variant were behind his drive to “turbo boost” the vaccine campaign.

He faced fierce scrutiny over the issue during his first press conference with Lothar Wieler, the head of the government’s disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), on Thursday afternoon.

Press conferences with the health minister, previously Spahn, and Wieler, often held on a weekly basis, have been the main official source of communication on the pandemic since it began.

Lauterbach said speaking to Sajid Javid, his British counterpart, that morning had increased his sense of urgency, “as in Britain the spread of Omicron is worse”. He said he was “working feverishly” to increase stocks and was basing his decisions on his own first-hand experience as a doctor who had administered vaccines while an MP before becoming health minister, knowing that more stocks had to be ordered than would be needed.

Wieler urged Germans to limit their festive gatherings to a small circle so as not to make Christmas “a festival for the virus” and to help stop the “rollercoaster we’ve been on for two years”.


The RKI registered 56,677 new infections on Thursday morning, about 14,000 less than a week ago, and 522 deaths over the previous 24 hours. The seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 people remains high has fallen to 340, from 422 a week ago, an improvement put down to an increase in restrictions.

Many venues, non-essential shops and cultural events broadly speaking require visitors to show a digital vaccine certificate or proof that they have recovered from Covid-19, and proof of a negative lateral flow test. The measures have been tightened regionally according to how widespread the disease is in particular areas. The wearing of medical masks has been mandatory in public places since January.

About 14% of German adults remain unvaccinated, leading to calls for a vaccine mandate in the new year. However, health officials have said any mandate would have to be accompanied by having sufficient vaccine stocks. Lauterbach said: “If the vaccine mandate comes, Germany will have enough vaccine.”
Trucking companies offer luxury truck stops with masseurs and pet-bathing stations in the battle for workers

gkay@businessinsider.com (Grace Kay) 
© Provided by Business Insider Associated Press

Trucking companies are approaching drivers at gas stations, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Some companies are offering luxury truck stops to decrease their turnover rate.
The American Trucking Association has said the industry is facing a shortage of over 80,000 drivers.

The supply-chain crisis has made long-haul truckers an increasingly valuable commodity — pushing recruiters to get creative.

Jerrett Sellers, a transportation manager for regional trucking company Merchants Foodservice, told The Los Angeles Times that he's approaching individual truck drivers at gas stations, trucks stops, and convenience stores. His pitch includes a $2,000 sign-on bonus and an additional $125 a week on top of their regular wages for drivers who show up on time, as well as medical and dental insurance.

And he doesn't stop there. Sellers said he gets to know the drivers individually and told the publication that the pitching process for new drivers can take several weeks.

Sellers isn't the only recruiter on the prowl. In August, Insider's Dominick Reuter reported that trucking companies were offering sign-on bonuses as high as $15,000.

Earlier this year, the American Trucking Association reported that there is a shortage of over 80,000 truck drivers. But, Insider spoke with eight experts in November who said the notion of the shortage has been exaggerated, pointing to the long-haul trucking industry's over 90% turnover rate.

"The picture of the marketplace has not fundamentally changed," Stephen Burks, professor of economics and management at the University of Minnesota Morris, said, noting the pandemic failed to impact the turnover rate. "Long-haul truckers can spend weeks on end away from home. It's never been a very attractive job."

Insider spoke with five truck drivers who left the industry this year, despite high freight rates. The drivers said their decision came down to how they were treated on the road.

"What people sometimes fail to understand is it's not always about the pay," Josh Stephens, a former trucker who working in the industry for 23 years, told Insider. "It's about being treated like a human being."

Stephens and other truckers pointed to bathroom lines that could span hours, as well as a lack of truck stops that often forces drivers to take their chances parking on the side of the road.

Some trucking companies are looking to address the lack of amenities on the road, according to The LA Times. The publication reported that companies have begun advertising luxury truck terminals that include masseurs, entertainment rooms, and pet bathing stations. Meg Larcinese, national sales manager at the Trucker Media Group, told The Times some of the showers at the luxury locations are comparable to five-star hotel accommodations.

Prime Inc., one of the nation's largest trucking companies, has 12 truck terminal stops, three of which they advertise as "amenities buildings." The group's most recent building was built in Salt Lake City last year. The three buildings include anything from a modern gym and full-sized basketball court to a spa and movie theater. The locations also have a daycare center and doctors office, as well as in-house dining facilities, laundry services and sleeping accommodations, according to the company's website.

A Prime Inc. spokesperson, Clayton Brown, told The LA Times that the amenities appear to be paying off. The group's turnover rate is around 50% — significantly lower than the industry's 90% average turnover rate, according to the spokesperson.

A Prime trucker, Mark Dolson, told the publication he regularly spends $100 for a massage at the amenities buildings.

Read more about what trucking companies are doing to recruit drivers over at The Los Angeles Times.
Georgia man accidentally shot dead by toddler who found gun, police say 
GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE, PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE
Police say the fatal shooting of a Georgia man earlier this month was accidental after a toddler found a handgun and fired it.
THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS ONLY PREVENTABLE INCIDENTS

© Provided by NBC News

Dustin Walters, 25, was shot on Dec. 5 in Savannah, Georgia. The Savannah Police Department said officers responded to the incident at around 5:30 p.m. that day over reports of a shooting and found Walters injured.

He was transported to Memorial Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.

In a statement Tuesday, the Savannah Police Department said the shooting was accidental after it was determined that Walters was wounded when a toddler, under the age of 2, "found and fired the handgun," striking him.

Police did not specify the relationship between Walters and the child.

“As a parent, I cannot imagine what this family is going through or will continue to go through in the coming years," Savannah Police Chief Roy Minter said.

"What we want to make sure now is that parents are aware that although rare, these incidents can happen with tragic results," Minter said. "Please take this seriously and take the steps to ensure that you and your family members are safe.”

NOT THAT RARE

So far this year, there have been at least 330 unintentional shootings by children in the U.S., resulting in 135 deaths and 212 injuries, according to a count by Everytown for Gun Safety.

Officials asked the public to ensure that firearms in homes are securely stored and not accessible to children.

“If your child is old enough, have a conversation about the dangers of firearms and advise the child to never touch a firearm,” the Savannah Police Department said.

The police department offers free gun locks to the public that can be picked up from any precinct location.