Home Blog Page 2

U.S. economy faces uncertainty ahead of 2024 election

Steve Weichel
-
0
U.S. economy faces uncertainty ahead of 2024 election

President Joe Biden has received some positive economic news, raising hopes that the US economy can avoid a recession in the lead-up to the 2024 election. Despite most US adults having negative feelings about Biden’s economic leadership, some economists and the April jobs report have challenged economic orthodoxy that efforts to beat back inflation by the Federal Reserve would result in unemployment rising and the country sinking into recession.

The April jobs report showed a 3.4% unemployment rate and 253,000 jobs gained, after a Wednesday Fed meeting that suggested the US central bank might pause on its rate hikes, the primary tool for cutting inflation from its still-high 5% to something closer to 2%. Talks are also starting over the need to raise the debt limit, with Biden inviting congressional leaders to the White House for a Tuesday meeting in hopes of ultimately getting a commitment to avoid a default.

For a president seeking a second term, Biden struck a confident tone Friday when meeting with aides, even as he pushed GOP lawmakers for a clean increase on the debt cap. “We’re trending in the right direction, and I think we’re making real progress,” he said about the overall economy, telling Republican lawmakers to not “undo all this progress” with the debt limit standoff.

While the economy could still stumble due to the wild cards of the war in Ukraine, global tensions, and the debt limit fight, the steady job gains have suggested to some policymakers and economists that it’s possible to curb inflation without layoffs. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters Wednesday that the current trends are going against history. “It wasn’t supposed to be possible for job openings to decline by as much as they’ve declined without unemployment going up,” Powell said. “Well, that’s what we’ve seen. There’s no promises in this, but it just seems that to me that it’s possible that we will continue to have a cooling in the labor market without having the big increases in unemployment.”

Heidi Shierholz, president of the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal think tank, said there are currently no signs of a recession, and if one erupts, it will be due to Fed overreach. “We are in the middle of a soft landing right now. We have shown we can bring down wage growth, bring down inflation,” she said.

However, voters are not pleased with the economy, as inflation remains a persistent irritant, and GOP lawmakers have used high prices in the wake of the pandemic as a political cudgel, insisting on spending cuts as part of a debt limit deal in order to reduce inflation. The debt limit deals with spending obligations that the United States has already incurred, not future spending.

Just as Biden trumpets the solid job market, Fed officials could interpret the hiring as evidence that they need to raise rates higher, causing more pain for the economy and the Democratic administration. “The starting point is the fact that inflation remains stubbornly high and politically troublesome,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the Congressional Budget Office and president of the center-right American Action Forum. “The Fed would like to get it down. The data don’t just seem to behave. The Fed could very well hike again in June — and that would cause the financial markets to lose their collective mind.”

There is also the possibility that lawmakers fail to avert a default. Or, there could be so much drama over getting to a debt limit deal that the economy gets weaker this summer. The Treasury Department has forecast that its accounting maneuvers to keep the government running could be exhausted by early June, at which point an agreement would need to be in place.

The White House released estimates showing that brinkmanship over the debt limit, even if a deal comes together, could still cost the economy 200,000 jobs. Nor are all economists convinced the U.S. economy has escaped the gravitational pull of a recession. Many believe it could occur later this year, possibly shaping the 2024 campaign. While the jobs report might be a temporary reassurance for President Biden, rather than a lasting win, the historical pattern could reassert itself right as the campaign season begins to intensify. Despite the optimism surrounding the recent jobs report and the possibility of a soft landing, there are still many challenges and uncertainties facing the U.S. economy, including the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and the ongoing battle over the debt limit. Only time will tell whether the economy can continue its current trajectory and avoid a recession in the coming years.

Sweden Expels 5 Russian Diplomats Over Suspected Espionage

Howard Johnson
-
0
Sweden Expels 5 Russian Diplomats Over Suspected Espionage
Sweden Expels 5 Russian Diplomats

Sweden has expelled five employees of the Russian Embassy in Stockholm over suspected espionage activities. The Swedish Security Service (SAPO) recently received a list of names of suspected Russian intelligence officers, leading to the expulsion of the employees. SAPO claims that “every third Russian diplomat in Sweden is an intelligence officer”. This expulsion follows the expulsion of three Russian Embassy staff members in Sweden and 15 in Norway over recent years.

Public broadcasting companies in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden recently reported that Russia is suspected of using civilian fishing trawlers, cargo ships, and yachts to spy in the waters of the Baltic Sea and North Sea. These reports indicate that espionage activities by Russian intelligence officers have been ongoing in the region, and the actions taken by Sweden and Norway demonstrate that Western nations are taking a tougher stance against Russia and its perceived aggression.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2021. Finland joined the military alliance on April 4, but objections from NATO members Turkey and Hungary have delayed Sweden’s entry into the alliance. Sweden has avoided military alliances for over 200 years, but the recent events have led the country to seek protection under NATO’s security umbrella.

The expulsions of Russian diplomats and suspected espionage activities come amid increasing tensions between Russia and the West. Russia has denied all allegations of espionage and accused Western nations of attempting to isolate and weaken the country. The Swedish Foreign Minister stated that the activities of the expelled Russian employees were “incompatible” with their diplomatic status, indicating that they were not acting within the scope of their diplomatic duties.

The joint report by public broadcasting companies in the Nordic countries highlights the widespread concern over Russian espionage activities in the region. The report claims that Russia is using civilian fishing trawlers, cargo ships, and yachts to gather intelligence, potentially demonstrating the country’s willingness to take unconventional measures to achieve its goals. This joint report adds to the growing sense of insecurity among nations that share borders with Russia.

The actions taken by Sweden and Norway indicate that Western nations are taking a tougher stance against Russia’s perceived aggression, particularly in light of the ongoing tensions between Russia and the West. Sweden’s and Finland’s application to join NATO demonstrates their desire for greater security and protection under the alliance’s security umbrella. However, objections from NATO members Turkey and Hungary demonstrate that the issue of Russia’s aggression is not universally agreed upon within the alliance.

The recent expulsions of Russian diplomats in Sweden and Norway, along with the joint report by public broadcasting companies in the Nordic countries, highlight the ongoing concerns over Russian espionage activities in the region. The actions taken by Western nations indicate a growing willingness to take a tougher stance against Russia and its perceived aggression, but disagreements within NATO demonstrate that not all members are in agreement on the issue. The situation is likely to remain tense as tensions between Russia and the West continue to rise.

Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 Nuclear Plant Begins Regular Output

Steve Weichel
-
0
Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 Nuclear Plant Begins Regular Output
Olkiluoto 3 Nuclear Plant Begins Regular Output

Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) nuclear reactor, Europe’s largest, has begun regular output, according to its operator, Teollisuuden Voima (TVO). The project, which began construction in 2005 and was originally due to finish in 2009, has been plagued by technical issues and breakdowns that have caused repeated delays. The new reactor is expected to meet around 14% of Finland’s electricity demand, reducing the need for imports from Sweden and Norway. TVO has also stated that the reactor will produce for at least 60 years and help to stabilise electricity prices in Finland.

While nuclear power remains a controversial topic in Europe due to safety concerns, the OL3 reactor will play an important role in helping Finland achieve its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2035. The Finnish government recently approved plans to build another reactor, Hanhikivi 1, at the same site, which is due to begin production in 2028 and will be operated by Russia’s Rosatom. This has raised concerns about security, and opposition parties have called for the project to be abandoned. However, the Finnish government argues that the new plant is necessary to replace the country’s ageing reactors and to ensure energy security.

Germany recently switched off its last three nuclear reactors, while other European countries such as Sweden, France, and Britain are planning new developments. OL3 is Finland’s first new nuclear plant in over four decades, and Europe’s first in 16 years. The start of regular output is expected to reduce Finland’s reliance on Russia for power, which ended last May when Russian utility Inter RAO stopped exporting energy to Finland due to unpaid bills resulting from tensions between Moscow and Europe over the war in Ukraine. Russian state export monopoly Gazprom also ended natural gas shipments to the Nordic nation.

TVO’s CEO Jarmo Tanhua said that OL3’s regular output “plays an important role in the Finnish green transition,” emphasising the reactor’s contribution to reducing Finland’s reliance on fossil fuels. The reactor’s successful start-up is a significant milestone for the project, which has experienced multiple delays and technical issues since construction began in 2005. The fact that the reactor is expected to produce for at least 60 years highlights the importance of nuclear power in Finland’s energy strategy, as the country seeks to reduce its carbon footprint and ensure energy security in the face of geopolitical tensions.

The Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) nuclear reactor in Finland has finally started regular output, boosting energy security in a region that has seen cuts to gas and power supplies from Russia. The operator of the much-delayed project, Teollisuuden Voima (TVO), announced that the reactor will meet around 14% of Finland’s electricity demand, reducing the need for imports from Sweden and Norway. The new reactor is also expected to produce for at least 60 years, according to TVO’s statement.

The OL3 project has been under construction since 2005 and was originally due to be completed in 2009. However, technical issues and breakdowns led to repeated delays. Despite these setbacks, TVO remains positive about the new reactor’s role in the Finnish green transition, and the CEO of the company, Jarmo Tanhua, has stated that the production of Olkiluoto 3 will help stabilise the price of electricity in the country.

Nuclear power has remained a controversial topic in Europe, with safety concerns being a primary issue. While Germany recently switched off its last three reactors, other countries such as Sweden, France, and Britain have plans for new developments. The OL3 project is Finland’s first new nuclear plant in over four decades and Europe’s first in 16 years.

Last May, Russia stopped exporting power to Finland after Russian utility Inter RAO claimed it had not been paid for the energy it sold. This move came as a result of growing tensions between Moscow and Europe over the war in Ukraine, and shortly after, Russian state export monopoly Gazprom also ended shipments of natural gas to the Nordic nation.

However, the Finnish government is determined to achieve its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2035, and the OL3 reactor will play a vital role in this objective. To that end, the government approved plans last month to build another reactor at the same site. The proposed Hanhikivi 1 plant is set to begin production in 2028 and will be operated by Russia’s Rosatom, raising security concerns in some quarters. While opposition parties have called for the project to be abandoned, the Finnish government has argued that the new plant is necessary to replace the country’s ageing reactors and ensure energy security.

Fort Lauderdale Airport Reopens After Severe Flooding

Steve Weichel
-
0
Fort Lauderdale Airport Reopens After Severe Flooding
Fort Lauderdale Airport Reopens

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has reopened after being shut down for almost two days due to severe flooding caused by a storm that dumped over two feet of rain in the area. On Friday morning, airport operations began returning to normal, but the closure still affected some passengers.

Passengers, including Baptist minister Michael Clement and his wife, Ariel, were left stranded when the airport closed. They were on their way to visit their son, a missionary in Brazil. The connecting flight they will catch in Brazil to Sao Gabriel is only scheduled twice a week, and the tickets cannot be exchanged. Other passengers were also affected, such as those planning to attend the three-day Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, leaving many ticket holders out of luck once the airport closed.

The closure led to the cancellation of over 650 flights at Fort Lauderdale airport on Thursday, according to FlightAware.com. Broward County Public Schools also canceled classes on Thursday and Friday due to water inundating halls and classrooms in some schools.

Shawn Bhatti, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami, said the region received “an unprecedented amount” of rain, with some gauges showing up to 25 inches of rainfall. He added that, “For context, within a six-hour period, the amount that fell is about a 1 in 1,000 chance of happening within a given year, so it’s a very historical type of event.”

The severe weather and flooding also affected residents in the Edgewood neighborhood, where water levels receded about a foot from Thursday, but were still up to two feet deep in some spots as residents tried to clean up. The area saw record rainfall amounts in a matter of hours ranging from 15 inches to 26 inches.

Residents in the hardest hit neighborhoods, such as Edgewood, began the slow process of cleaning up the mess left behind. Newlywed Tatiana Rodriguez and her husband, Joseph, a hotel worker from Colombia and a restaurant kitchen assistant from New York, respectively, had water rise inside their one-room rental, up to a foot above the floor. Their bridal tiara from their marriage last month is still hanging on the headboard of their bed. When the water started gushing into their home on Wednesday night, they went outside and found foot-high cinder blocks that they used to prop the bed up.

The storm was an unexpected event, causing chaos in the area. The reopening of the airport brings relief to many travelers who were left stranded by the closure. However, the aftermath of the flooding will take some time to clean up, and residents in the hardest-hit neighborhoods will continue to face challenges in the coming days.

As residents in the hardest-hit neighborhoods began the slow process of cleaning up, the local authorities and emergency services worked around the clock to restore normalcy. On Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in the county, and on Friday, he announced that he would be visiting the area to assess the damage caused by the storm.

The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is a major hub for travelers heading to and from the Caribbean and South America. The airport serves over 36 million passengers a year and is a vital economic driver for the region. The two-day closure caused significant disruptions to the local economy, with estimates suggesting that the shutdown cost businesses in the area millions of dollars.

The flooding in Edgewood and other parts of Broward County is not an isolated incident. Climate scientists have long warned that South Florida is one of the regions most at risk from the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storms. The state has experienced a series of extreme weather events in recent years, including hurricanes, heatwaves, and flooding.

As the region braces for the impacts of climate change, local authorities and residents are taking steps to mitigate its effects. The Broward County Commission recently approved a $500 million bond to fund infrastructure projects aimed at protecting the region from the impacts of climate change. The funds will be used to improve drainage systems, upgrade seawalls, and build new water storage facilities.

The flooding in Fort Lauderdale is a stark reminder of the urgent need to address the impacts of climate change. The storm that caused the flooding was not an isolated event, but rather part of a pattern of extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent and intense due to human-caused climate change. As the world continues to warm, it is crucial that we take bold and decisive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy system.

In the meantime, residents in Fort Lauderdale and other vulnerable communities must continue to adapt and prepare for the impacts of climate change. The flooding may have receded, but the damage caused by the storm will be felt for months, if not years, to come.

Alexey Shor’s Music Wins Acclaim at InClassica 2023 in Dubai

Howard Johnson
-
0
Alexey Shor’s Music Wins Acclaim at InClassica 2023 in Dubai
Kristof Barati performing at Coca-Cola Arena at InClassica in Dubai 2023
(photo credit: InClassica Festival)

The InClassica International Music Festival returned to the UAE once again in February 2023, bringing with it dozens of artists and multiple celebrated orchestras for a series of live concerts at Dubai’s Coca Cola Arena and Dubai Opera.

As in previous years, the festival proved to be a huge success, with audiences from the UAE and beyond flocking to the concerts to experience performances of works by some of the biggest composers in global music history. However, perhaps the standout entry at this edition of the festival was not a historic composer, but rather a contemporary one, who is working and composing in our own day and age.

InClassica’s Composer-in-Residence, Alexey Shor, is no stranger to the limelight, with his works having been performed in such storied venues as New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, Vienna’s Wiener Musikverein among many others. The Ukrainian-born composer is notable for refusing to walk the expected line in contemporary music, choosing instead to prioritise the primacy of melody and lyricism in his pieces, while nevertheless maintaining modern attitudes and ideals.

As they have done all around the world, Shor’s compositions proved highly popular to concert-goers in Dubai, with many praising the accessibility of his music, his beautifully mellifluous phrasing and rich orchestration, as well as his ability to evoke powerful imagery through his expressive works. Moreover, this admiration was not solely limited to members of the audience, but was also shared by the artists performing the works themselves, including Hungarian violinist Kristóf Baráti, for instance, Artistic Director of the Kaposvár International Chamber Music Festival, who performed Shor’s Violin concerto No. 4.

Alexey Shor, Composer-in-Residence for InClassica 2023 (Credit: InClassica Festival)

“It’s very enjoyable to play”, he remarked. “I have had the luck to have the chance to play it several times in different venues. This version with chamber orchestra, with strings orchestra is actually new for me, and it has slightly different colours I think, compared to the symphonic orchestra version, which has definitely more colours but this has also a little bit more intimacy. I really enjoy the dramatic aspect and touch of this concerto, especially in the first and the last movement, and I personally like very much the language of Maestro Alexey Shor. I think it combines a very melodic style with a lot of atmosphere in his music; there is a lot to enjoy with it and I really believe that it gives the soloist the chance to add your own feelings, to add your own connection to that music as a soloist. Because with some music you may imagine that you have to follow certain things, certain rules, and with this music I really feel that you have a lot of freedom. It’s also quite romantic, so it’s really a joy to play.”

Baráti’s fellow musician, the famed UK pianist and conductor Marios Papadopoulos MBE, Founder and Music Director of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, expressed similar sentiments, noting that “we enjoyed very much playing the music of Alexey Shor, we’ve done a lot of it. He is obviously somebody that believes very strongly in melody and in harmony. He is not a composer of the avant-garde school if you like, which is very refreshing, extremely refreshing. It is accessible to people, you know, and at the end of the day we are here making music so that the listener, with whom we are communicating, can be moved by it, as an experience for you, and I think certainly that his music is very accessible in this way”.

With such glowing reviews from audiences and musicians alike, it is undeniable that Shor has managed to carve out a unique place for himself within the contemporary music scene, reminding people that classical music has a future as well as a past. Ultimately, this may be his greatest achievement yet among all his many accomplishments, since, as is the case with all art forms, classical music needs to keep moving forward in order for it to maintain the exalted spot it holds in our hearts and our lives, and with artists like Shor, it is safe to say that it is doing just that.

US-Philippines Launch Largest Combat Drills in Decades

Howard Johnson
-
0
US-Philippines Launch Largest Combat Drills in Decades
US-Philippines Launch Largest Combat Drills

The United States and the Philippines have kicked off their largest military exercise in decades, Balikatan, with over 17,600 military personnel participating. The exercises, which will continue until April 28, will feature a live-fire rocket barrage in the disputed South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, where the U.S. has repeatedly warned China over its increasingly aggressive actions. The drills will involve U.S. warships, fighter jets, and anti-tank Javelins, as well as Patriot missiles and HIMARS rocket launchers.

In addition to U.S. forces, the drills will include 5,400 Filipino forces and 111 Australian counterparts. The allies will sink a target ship in Philippine territorial waters in a first-ever live-fire drill. Philippine military officials stated that the exercises aim to bolster the country’s coastal defense and disaster-response capabilities and are not aimed at any country.

The drills are part of the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen alliances in Asia to better counter China, including a possible confrontation over Taiwan. The Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has also been working to defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea by boosting joint military exercises with the U.S. and allowing rotating batches of American forces to stay in additional Philippine military camps under a 2014 defense pact.

The territorial disputes involving China, the Philippines, and four other governments and Beijing’s goal of annexing Taiwan have put Washington and Beijing on a collision course. China last week warned against the intensifying U.S. military deployment to the region, saying it “would only lead to more tensions and less peace and stability in the region.” The Balikatan exercises opened in the Philippines a day after China concluded three days of combat drills that simulated sealing off Taiwan, following Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California that infuriated Beijing.

On Monday, the U.S. 7th Fleet deployed guided-missile destroyer USS Milius within 12 nautical miles off Mischief Reef, a Manila-claimed coral outcrop which China seized in the mid-1990s and turned into one of seven missile-protected island bases in the South China Sea’s hotly contested Spratlys archipelago. The U.S. military has been undertaking such freedom of navigation operations for years to challenge China’s expansive territorial claims.

The Philippine foreign and defense secretaries will meet their American counterparts in Washington to discuss the American military presence and proposed joint naval patrols, highlighting the deepening defense cooperation between the two countries. The Balikatan exercises are just one example of how the U.S. and its allies are working together to maintain stability in the region amidst growing Chinese aggression.

The Balikatan exercises have been a regular feature of the U.S.-Philippines alliance for decades. However, this year’s drills have taken on added significance amid rising tensions between the United States and China. The exercises come as the Philippines and China continue to trade barbs over their territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Earlier this week, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. accused China of “blatantly intruding” into Philippine waters after a Chinese navy ship was spotted in the disputed waters. The Philippines has long been a vocal critic of China’s assertiveness in the region and has taken steps to bolster its own military capabilities in response.

The United States, for its part, has been working to build up its military presence in the region in recent years, in what it sees as a necessary response to China’s growing military power. The Biden administration has made clear that it intends to continue this policy of engagement, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating last month that the United States would “push back if necessary” against China’s aggressive actions.

The Balikatan exercises are just the latest example of this policy in action. They also demonstrate the growing importance of regional alliances in the United States’ strategy to counter China. As U.S. forces work alongside their Filipino and Australian counterparts in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, they are sending a clear message to Beijing that the United States is committed to defending its interests and those of its allies in the region.

The exercises also highlight the strategic importance of the Philippines to the United States. As the Philippines continues to grapple with territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the United States has become an increasingly important partner in the country’s efforts to defend its interests. The Balikatan exercises, which involve joint military training and disaster-response drills, are a key part of this partnership.

The exercises will continue until April 28, and are expected to involve a range of activities, including live-fire rocket barrages and anti-submarine warfare drills. The joint naval exercises will involve the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, as well as other U.S. warships and aircraft. The drills are expected to be closely watched by China, which has already warned against any “provocative actions” in the region.

Trump Claims Election Interference in Response to Criminal Charges

Howard Johnson
-
0
Trump Claims Election Interference in Response to Criminal Charges
Trump Claims Election Interference in Response to Criminal Charges

Former President Donald Trump is using the criminal charges against him as a way to claim that there is an attempt to interfere with the 2024 election, according to recent reports. Trump’s allegations have been made without evidence and have been criticized by many. However, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is directing his party’s committee chairs to investigate if federal funds are being used to interfere in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.

This is not the first time Trump has made such claims. He declared his latest bid for the White House shortly after the November midterms in 2018 as an effort to head off the various probes swirling around him. Trump repeated the claims in at least 20 social media posts since March 3. However, there is no credible evidence to back up Trump’s allegations, and critics warn that he is sowing suspicions of fraud that could damage democracy.

Trump is facing several investigations, with the Manhattan District Attorney’s case being the most prominent. In that case, prosecutors allege that Trump falsified business records at his company to pay off porn actress Stormy Daniels to keep a potentially damaging story quiet while he was campaigning. Trump is also facing legal jeopardy from other investigations, including two related to his attempts to interfere with the 2020 election.

The Fulton County, Georgia, prosecutors are investigating Trump’s January 2021 call to the state’s top elections officer, in which he asked him to “find” enough votes to declare him the winner there. The US Justice Department has also launched a federal special counsel probe into Trump’s attempts to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election. Additionally, Trump is enmeshed in a federal special counsel investigation of his handling of classified documents found at his Florida estate.

Trump’s claims of election interference are being criticized by many, including Harvard political scientist Steven Levitsky, who said that Trump is behaving like a politician in the legal crosshairs. Several former presidents of other countries, when prosecuted, have claimed it was a plot to foil their future elections, according to Levitsky. Joanna Lydgate, CEO of States United Action, which tracks politicians who embrace Trump’s election lies, has warned that Trump’s actions are dangerous because of what happened on January 6th.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has responded to questions about the timing of the case, saying that he brings cases when they’re ready. Critics warn that Trump’s allegations of election interference could damage democracy and sow distrust among the American people.

West Coast King Salmon Fishing Season Officially Closed

Howard Johnson
-
0
West Coast King Salmon Fishing Season Officially Closed
West Coast King Salmon Fishing Season

The Pacific Fishery Management Council has announced the closure of the 2023 king salmon fishing season along most of the West Coast, affecting adult fall-run chinook, due to near-record low numbers of the fish that returned to California’s rivers last year. The closure covers the coast from Cape Falcon in northern Oregon to the California-Mexico border, which deals a significant blow to the Pacific Northwest’s salmon fishing industry.

The Council approved the closure of all commercial and most recreational chinook fishing, with limited recreational salmon fishing allowed off southern Oregon in the fall. Recreational fishing is expected to be allowed in Oregon only for coho salmon during the summer and for chinook after September 1st. However, salmon season is expected to open as usual north of Cape Falcon, including in the Columbia River and off Washington’s coast.

The decision follows biologists’ warnings that the chinook salmon population has decreased significantly after years of drought. Poor conditions in the freshwater environment that contributed to these low forecasted returns are unfortunately not something that the Council can control, according to biologists. Many in the fishing industry blame the Trump-era rules that allowed more water to be diverted from the Sacramento River Basin to agriculture for causing even more harm to the chinook salmon population.

Experts fear that native California salmon are spiraling towards extinction. California’s spring-run chinook is already listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, while winter-run chinook are endangered, along with the Central California Coast coho salmon. The Council is an advisory group to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, which makes the final decision, but it usually follows the council’s rulings. The secretary’s decision will be posted in the Federal Register within days.

Although the closure will affect tens of thousands of jobs, few are opposed to it. Many fishers say they want to take action now to guarantee healthy stocks in the future. They hope that the unusually wet winter in California, which has mostly freed the state of drought, will bring relief. An unprecedented series of powerful storms has replenished most of California’s reservoirs, dumping record amounts of rain and snow and busting a severe three-year drought. However, too much water running through the rivers could kill eggs and young hatchlings.

The closure of the king salmon fishing season is a significant setback for the Pacific Northwest’s fishing industry, with many worried about its long-term impact on both the industry and the environment. The Council’s decision highlights the need for sustainable fishing practices that can help conserve fish populations and ensure that they remain healthy for generations to come.

The closure of the king salmon fishing season along the West Coast has dealt a significant blow to the Pacific Northwest’s salmon fishing industry, affecting tens of thousands of jobs. However, few are opposed to the closure, as many fishers say they want to take action now to guarantee healthy stocks in the future.

Experts fear that native California salmon are in a spiral toward extinction. California’s spring-run chinook is already listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, while winter-run chinook are endangered along with the Central California Coast coho salmon.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council is an advisory group to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, which makes the final decision. Historically, the secretary has followed the council’s rulings, and the decision will be posted in the Federal Register within days.

Biologists say that the chinook salmon population has declined dramatically after years of drought, and poor conditions in the freshwater environment that contributed to these low forecasted returns are unfortunately not something that the Council can control. Many in the fishing industry blame Trump-era rules that allowed more water to be diverted from the Sacramento River Basin to agriculture for causing even more harm to the chinook salmon population.

After hatching in freshwater, salmon spend three years on average maturing in the Pacific, where many are caught by commercial fishermen, before migrating back to their spawning grounds, where conditions are more ideal to give birth. After laying eggs, they die. Much of the salmon caught off Oregon originates in California’s Klamath and Sacramento rivers.

Recreational fishing is expected to be allowed in Oregon only for coho salmon during the summer and for chinook after Sept. 1. Salmon season is expected to open as usual north of Cape Falcon, including in the Columbia River and off Washington’s coast.

The fishing industry in the Pacific Northwest is a significant contributor to the regional economy, and the closure of the king salmon fishing season will have a severe impact. The Pacific Fishery Management Council understands the economic implications of the closure and has taken action to ensure healthy stocks in the future.

Fishers hope that the unusually wet winter in California that has mostly freed the state of drought will bring relief. An unprecedented series of powerful storms has replenished most of California’s reservoirs, dumping record amounts of rain and snow and busting a severe three-year drought. However, too much water running through the rivers could kill eggs and young hatchlings.

The Council’s decision to close the king salmon fishing season is a difficult but necessary step to ensure the survival of the chinook salmon population. Many are optimistic that this action, combined with efforts to address the root causes of the decline, will lead to healthy stocks in the future.

In the meantime, the fishing industry in the Pacific Northwest will have to adapt to the closure of the king salmon fishing season. Many are likely to shift their focus to other types of seafood or alternative fisheries, but the closure will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the region’s economy.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s decision to close the 2023 king salmon fishing season along most of the West Coast is a necessary step to ensure the survival of the chinook salmon population. Although the closure will have a severe impact on the Pacific Northwest’s salmon fishing industry, many fishers understand the importance of taking action now to guarantee healthy stocks in the future. The Council’s decision, combined with efforts to address the root causes of the decline, will hopefully lead to the recovery of the chinook salmon population and the long-term sustainability of the fishing industry in the Pacific Northwest.

IMF Chief Warns of Economic Slowdown, Hunger and Poverty Risk

Howard Johnson
-
0
IMF Chief Warns of Economic Slowdown, Hunger and Poverty Risk
IMF Chief Warns of Economic Slowdown

The Chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, has warned that the world economy is expected to grow less than 3% this year, down from 3.4% in 2021, increasing the risk of hunger and poverty globally. She said slower growth would be a “severe blow,” making it even harder for low-income nations to catch up. Georgieva called it “our lowest medium-term growth forecast since 1990, and well below the average of 3.8% from the past two decades.”

Georgieva’s comments come ahead of next week’s spring meetings of the IMF and its sister lending agency, the World Bank, in Washington. At the annual gathering, policymakers will convene to discuss the global economy’s most pressing issues. However, the meeting will take place as central banks around the world continue to raise interest rates to tame persistent inflation, and as an ongoing debt crisis in emerging economies pushes debt burdens higher, preventing nations from growing.

Georgieva said persistently high interest rates, a series of bank failures in the U.S. and Europe, and deepening geopolitical divisions are threatening global financial stability. She added that countries have been “resilient climbers” out of the coronavirus pandemic, but advanced economies face the challenges of high inflation and poorer nations are burdened by debt, all as the United States, the European Union, and others are rethinking their trade relationships with China.

Georgieva also warned that the path ahead, and especially the path back to robust growth, is rough and foggy, and the ropes that hold us together may be weaker now than they were just a few years ago. “Now is not the time to be complacent,” she said. “We are in a more shock-prone world, and we have to be ready for it.”

Tensions with China accelerated after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with Chinese President Xi Jinping pledging a friendship without limits to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Georgieva’s comments come amid a trade war between the US and China that has disrupted global supply chains and sparked fears of a global recession.

The IMF Chief’s warning about the world economy’s growth underscores the need for governments to address the underlying structural issues that are preventing economies from growing. Policymakers need to prioritize policies that will promote sustainable economic growth and reduce the risks of poverty and hunger. With the ongoing debt crisis in emerging economies and geopolitical tensions on the rise, the IMF’s spring meetings are crucial for policymakers to discuss solutions to these pressing issues.

123...143Page 2 of 143
© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv