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# India's opposition lawmakers protest their suspension from Parliament by the government By ASHOK SHARMA December 21, 2023. 2:42 AM EST --- NEW DELHI (AP) - Dozens of opposition lawmakers suspended from Parliament by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government for obstructing proceedings held a street protest on Thursday accusing the government of throttling democracy in the country. They briefly marched outside the Parliament building in New Delhi behind a huge "Save Democracy" banner and carried placards reading "Democracy is in danger." The suspensions came as legislators were due to debate a contentious criminal reform bill. More than 140 opposition lawmakers were suspended from the two houses of Parliament over the past week for demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah about a Dec. 13 security breach when two intruders stormed the chamber by jumping from the visitors' gallery and releasing yellow smoke canisters. They created panic among lawmakers and disrupted parliamentary proceedings. One of the intruders jumped from seat to seat before he was overpowered by some lawmakers and security staff and was later arrested. The police have also arrested several of their accomplices outside Parliament. The intruders claimed that they wanted to highlight the government's attention to rising unemployment in the country. The opposition lawmakers demanded a discussion in Parliament about the breach of security, but were accused of creating disorder. Sharad Pawar, a top opposition leader, said the government's action marked the highest-ever suspensions of lawmakers in a session of Parliament. Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress party president, said "If the prime minister and the home minister won't speak in the parliament, then where will they speak?" Government leaders asked the opposition members to wait for the findings of an inquiry set up to investigate the security breach. The opposition blocked the proceedings of Parliament for several days by raising anti-government slogans and carrying placards into the chamber. The suspended members are now barred from entering Parliament's chamber. The suspension will last until Friday when the current winter session of parliament ends. The governing Hindu nationalist party government pushed on with legislative business despite the lawmakers' suspensions, including passing three bills seeking to overhaul criminal laws.
# Coal mine cart runs off the tracks in northeastern China, killing 12 workers December 21, 2023. 2:14 AM EST --- BEIJING (AP) - An accident in a coal mine in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province left 12 people dead and 13 injured, state broadcaster CCTV reported Thursday. The coal workers were in a mining cart underground that ran off the tracks, according to state media reports. The accident occurred Wednesday afternoon in Jixi city in Heilongjiang province at the Kunyuan mine and was reported by Chinese media on Thursday. China has been working to improve mine safety to combat accidents, which happen with some frequency. Last Thursday, three people died in an accident in China's coal-producing province Shanxi. A coal mine explosion killed 11 people in Shanxi in August, and a coal mine fire in southern China's Guizhou province killed 16 people in September. Last month, a major fire at a coal mining company building in Shanxi killed 26 people and injured dozens of others, but the blaze was not in the mine itself.
# South Korean court orders Japanese firms to compensate more wartime Korean workers for forced labor By HYUNG-JIN KIM December 21, 2023. 7:08 AM EST --- SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea's top court ordered two Japanese companies to financially compensate more of their wartime Korean workers for forced labor, as it sided Thursday with its contentious 2018 verdicts on the firms that caused a huge setback in relations between the Asian neighbors. But observers said that Thursday's ruling won't likely hurt bilateral ties much since Seoul and Tokyo, now governed by different leaders, are pushing hard to bolster their partnerships in the face of shared challenges like North Korea's evolving nuclear threats and China's increasing assertiveness. The Supreme Court ruled that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries must provide between 100 million and 150 million won ($76,700 and $115,000) in compensation to each of four plaintiffs - all bereaved families of its former employees who were forced to work for the company during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. The court also said Nippon Steel Corp. must give 100 million won (about $76,700) to each of seven Korean plaintiffs, also all bereaved relatives, for similar colonial-era forced labor. "I felt so sad when I heard the name of (my father) being stated as the deceased at today's trial, but I was still really glad that we won - though it's a bit late," said Joo Soon-ja, daughter of the late Joo Seok-bong, a forced laborer, as she held her father's large framed photo. In two separate verdicts in 2018, the top South Korean court ordered Mitsubishi and Nippon Steel to compensate a total of 15 other Korean employees for forced labor. That irked Japan, which has insisted all compensation issues were already settled by a 1965 bilateral treaty that normalized their diplomatic relations. But the 2018 South Korean court rulings said that the treaty can't prevent individuals from seeking compensation for forced labor, because Japanese companies' use of such laborers were "acts of illegality against humanity" that were linked to Tokyo's illegal colonial occupation and its war of aggression. In Thursday's ruling, the South Korean Supreme Court cited that argument in one of the 2018 verdicts, saying it paved the way for "a judicial remedy for forced labor victims within Republic of Korea." Japan's chief Cabinet secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, called the ruling "absolutely unacceptable," saying it clearly violated the 1965 treaty. The wrangling touched off by the 2018 rulings led to the two countries downgrading each other's trade status, and Seoul's previous liberal government threatening to spike a military intelligence-sharing pact. Their strained ties complicated efforts by the United States to build a stronger trilateral Washington-Seoul-Tokyo cooperation to counter challenges posed by North Korea and China. The Seoul-Tokyo relations, however, began thawing after South Korea's current conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, announced in March that his country would use a local corporate fund to compensate forced labor victims without demanding Japanese contributions. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida later expressed sympathy for the suffering of Korean forced laborers during a Seoul visit. The two countries revived high-level talks and withdrew economic retaliatory steps against each other. On Thursday, the two countries held their first high-level economic talks in Seoul in about eight years and agreed to work together to realize substantial cooperation on economic sectors based on improving ties, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry. Eleven of the 15 former forced laborers or their families involved in the 2018 rulings had accepted compensation under Seoul's third-party reimbursement plan, but the remaining four still refuse to accept it, according to Lee Kook Un, a leader of their support group. He said that about 70 other suits seeking damages from more than 10 Japanese companies are still pending in South Korean courts. Lim Soosuk, spokesperson of South Korea's Foreign Ministry, told reporters Thursday that the government would try to provide compensation to the Korean plaintiffs related to Thursday's ruling through the third-party reimbursement system as well. He said that the South Korean government would also continue necessary communication with Japan. Choi Eunmi, a Japan expert at the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said that Thursday's ruling "won't likely cause big troubles in Korea-Japan relationships," because South Korea has already determined how to handle such verdicts with the establishment of the domestic compensation fund. Choi said that because some forced labor victims refuse to accept compensation under the third-party reimbursement system, the South Korean fund hasn't completely resolved the issue. But she said an attempt by a future South Korean government to spike the system would undermine South Korea's credibility in Japan and deteriorate bilateral ties severely. Yoon's push to improve ties with Japan drew strong backlash from some of the forced labor victims and liberal opposition politicians, who have demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies. But Yoon defended his move, saying it's essential to boosting ties with Japan to jointly cope with North Korea's advancing nuclear arsenal, the intensifying U.S.-China rivalry and global supply chain challenges.
# 5 more boats packed with refugees approach Indonesia's shores, air force says By YAYAN ZAMZAMI and NINIEK KARMINI December 21, 2023. 4:25 AM EST --- BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) - Indonesian authorities detected at least five boats packed tight with refugees approaching shores of Aceh province, officials said Thursday. The boats are the latest in a surge of vessels that have arrived in Aceh, most carrying Rohingya refugees from southern Bangladesh, where the persecuted Muslim minority fled in 2017 following attacks by the military in their homeland of Myanmar. Indonesia intensified patrols of its waters after a sharp rise in Rohingya refugees arriving since November, said Aceh's Air Force Base Commander Col. Yoyon Kuscahyono. He said air patrols detected at least five boats Wednesday entering Indonesian waters, likely carrying Rohingya refugees. They were spotted entering the regencies of Lhokseumawe, East Aceh, Pidie, Aceh Besar and Sabang in north Aceh province. Indonesia appealed to the international community for help on Dec. 12, after more than 1,500 Rohingya refugees arrived on its shores since November. Muslims comprise nearly 90% of Indonesia's 277 million people, and Indonesia once tolerated such landings while Thailand and Malaysia pushed them away. But there has been a surge of anti-Rohingya sentiment in 2023, especially in Aceh, on the northern part of the island of Sumatra, where most end up landing. Residents accuse the Rohingya of poor behavior and creating a burden, and in some cases have pushed their boats away. With pressure growing on President Joko Widodo's government to take action, he said Indonesia will still help the refugees temporarily on a humanitarian basis. Indonesia, like Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the United Nations' 1951 Refugee Convention outlining their legal protections, so is not obligated to accept them. However, they have so far all provided at least temporary shelter to refugees in distress. Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lalu Muhamad Iqbal told reporters Wednesday that the government is willing to provide temporary shelters for Rohingya refugees "to give time for international organizations that have a mandate to handle this matter, especially UNHCR, to able to carry out their obligations." About 740,000 Rohingya were resettled in Bangladesh after fleeing their homes in neighboring Myanmar to escape a brutal counterinsurgency campaign carried out in 2017 by security forces. Accusations of mass rape, murder and the burning of entire villages are well documented, and international courts are considering whether Myanmar authorities committed genocide and other grave human rights abuses. The Muslim Rohingya are largely denied citizenship rights in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and face widespread social discrimination. Efforts to repatriate them have failed because of doubts their safety can be assured. Most of the refugees leaving by sea attempt to reach Muslim-majority Malaysia, east of Aceh across the Malacca Strait, in search of work.
# Australia to send military personnel to help protect Red Sea shipping but no warship By ROD McGUIRK December 21, 2023. 5:10 AM EST --- CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australia will send 11 military personnel to support a U.S.-led mission to protect cargo shipping in the Red Sea, but it won't send a warship or plane, the defense minister said Thursday. Defense Minister Richard Marles said that Australia's military needs to keep focused on the Pacific region. The United States announced this week that several nations are creating a force to protect commercial shipping from attacks by drones and ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Marles said that 11 military personnel would be sent in January to Operation Prosperity Guardian's headquarters in Bahrain, where five Australians are already posted. "We won't be sending a ship or a plane," he told Sky News television. "That said, we will be almost tripling our contribution to the combined maritime force." "We need to be really clear around our strategic focus, and our strategic focus is our region: the northeast Indian Ocean, the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Pacific," Marles added. The U.S. and its allies are concerned by China's growing assertiveness in the region. Australia is one of the United States' closest military allies. Last week, the U.S. Congress passed legislation allowing the sale of Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines to Australia under a security pact that includes Britain. Marles rejected opposition lawmakers' criticism that a failure to send a warship as the United States had requested made Australia a less reliable partner and ally. "That's patently ridiculous," Marles said. The U.S. is aware of the scale of the Australian defense force and the need to maintain its focus on the Asia-Pacific region, he said. "It is to state the obvious that to take a major asset and put it in the Middle East is to take a major asset away from what we're doing in the immediate region," Marles said. Opposition defense spokesman Andrew Hastie called on Australia to send a warship. "It's in our national interest to contribute. If we want others to help us in a time of need, we need to step up and reciprocate now," Hastie said. Several cargo ships in the Red Sea have been damaged by the attacks. Multiple shipping companies have ordered their ships not to enter the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until security is improved.
# Thailand sends 3 orangutans rescued from illicit wildlife trade back to Indonesia By JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI December 20, 2023. 11:32 PM EST --- BANGKOK (AP) - Three trafficked Sumatran orangutans were sent back from Thailand to Indonesia on Thursday as part of a joint effort between the countries to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. Nobita and Shizuka, both 7 years old, and Brian, 5 years old, had been living at a wildlife sanctuary in the western Thai province of Ratchaburi. After the repatriation, there are no more trafficked orangutans currently under the care of Thai authorities, officials said. Rachmat Budiman, Indonesia's Ambassador to Thailand, thanked the authorities in both countries for the repatriation and said he has "mixed feelings" about it: happy the orangutans will be back in their natural habitat but sad for the Thai caretakers who had bonded with the animals over several years. The orangutans were transported from the sanctuary to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport before being put on a plane to Jakarta. Thai officials said Indonesia covers the cost for transportation and the animals' health examinations. They will be sent to a rehabilitation center in Sumatra before being released into their natural habitat, Rachtmat said. The repatriation is "important" because it shows the two countries' commitment to collaborate in the fight against the illicit wildlife trade, said Athapol Charoenchansa, Thailand's director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. He said he hoped it would raise awareness about wildlife conservation in the region. Thai and Indonesian officials fed the animals bananas and dragon fruit while they were being displayed inside their crates at the Bangkok airport before they were taken onto the plane. In 2016, Nobita and Shizuka were just months old when they were found during a sting operation in Bangkok by wildlife officials, who had agreed to buy the pair online for $20,000. The then-baby orangutans, named after characters from the popular Japanese cartoon Doraemon, were put into a basket in the back of a taxi, and photos of them hugging each other tightly in the basket went viral at the time. Brian, another male orangutan, was rescued from traffickers and sent to Thai wildlife officials in 2019. Thailand has sent 74 orangutans back to Indonesia since 2006 in six batches, including the three on Thursday. In 2020, two orangutans named Ung-Ing and Natalie were repatriated. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species - CITES - prohibits international trade in orangutans. They are found only in the forests of Sumatra and Borneo but their habitat is shrinking due to the growth of agricultural land use, making them more vulnerable to poaching. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, the global authority on the status of the natural world, lists orangutans as critically endangered. Orangutans are often sold into the pet trade and for display in zoos and other attractions.
# UN is seeking to verify that Afghanistan's Taliban are letting girls study at religious schools By EDITH M. LEDERER December 20, 2023. 8:05 PM EST --- UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United Nations is seeking to verify reports that Afghanistan's Taliban rulers are allowing girls of all ages to study at Islamic religious schools that are traditionally boys-only, the U.N.'s top official in the country said Wednesday. U.N. special envoy Roza Otunbayeva told the U.N. Security Council and elaborated to reporters afterward that the United Nations is receiving "more and more anecdotal evidence" that girls can study at the schools, known as madrassas. "It is not entirely clear, however, what constitutes a madrassa, if there is a standardized curriculum that allows modern education subjects, and how many girls are able to study in madrassas," she said. The Taliban have been globally condemned for banning girls and women from secondary school and university, and allowing girls to study only through the sixth grade. Taliban education authorities "continue to tell us that they are working on creating conditions to allow girls to return to school. But time is passing while a generation of girls is falling behind," Otunbayeva said. She said that the Taliban Ministry of Education is reportedly undertaking an assessment of madrassas as well as a review of public school curriculum and warned that the quality of education in Afghanistan "is a growing concern." "The international community has rightly focused on the need to reverse the ban on girls' education," Otunbayeva said, "but the deteriorating quality of education and access to it is affecting boys as well." "A failure to provide a sufficiently modern curriculum with equality of access for both girls and boys will make it impossible to implement the de facto authorities' own agenda of economic self-sufficiency," she added. A Human Rights Watch report earlier this month said the Taliban's "abusive" educational policies are harming boys as well as girls. The departure of qualified teachers, including women, regressive curriculum changes and an increase in corporal punishment have led to greater fear of going to school and falling attendance, the report said. Because the Taliban have dismissed all female teachers from boys' schools, many boys are taught by unqualified people or sit in classrooms with no teachers at all, it said. Turning to human rights, Otunbayeva said that the key features in Afghanistan "are a record of systemic discrimination against women and girls, repression of political dissent and free speech, a lack of meaningful representation of minorities, and ongoing instances of extrajudicial killing, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and ill-treatment." The lack of progress in resolving human rights issues is a key factor behind the current impasse between the Taliban and the international community, she said. Otunbayeva said Afghanistan also faces a growing humanitarian crisis. With Afghans confronting winter weather, more people will depend on humanitarian aid, but with a drop in funding many of the needy will be more vulnerable than they were a year ago, she said. U.N. humanitarian coordinator Ramesh Rajasingham said that "humanitarian needs continue to push record levels, with more than 29 million people requiring humanitarian assistance - one million more than in January, and a 340% increase in the last five years." Between January and October, he said, the U.N. and its partners provided assistance to 26.5 million people, including 14.2 million women and girls. But as the year ends, the U.N. appeal is still seeking to close a $1.8 billion funding gap. Rajasingham said the humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by three earthquakes in eight days in October in the western province of Herat that affected 275,000 people and damaged 40,000 homes. A further problem is the return of more than 450,000 Afghans after Pakistan on Nov. 1 ordered "illegal foreigners" without documentation to leave, he said. More than 85% of the returnees are women and children, he said, and many have been stripped of their belongings, arrive in poor medical condition and require immediate assistance at the border as well and longer-term support.
# Separatist leader in Pakistan appears before cameras and says he has surrendered with 70 followers By ABDUL SATTAR December 20, 2023. 12:50 PM EST --- QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) - The leader of the main insurgent group in southwestern Pakistan appeared before cameras on Wednesday to say he has surrendered to authorities with some 70 of his followers and is giving up his yearslong fight for independence. Sarfraz Bungulzai, who was previously known by his nom de guerre as Mureed Baluch, told reporters in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, that he feels remorse for the deadly attacks he and his Baluch National Army carried out against Pakistani security forces. The group, also known by its acronym as BNA, has been banned by the government in Islamabad. The development is a significant boost for Pakistan's government, which has battled militants and insurgents of various groups across the country. Earlier this year, Pakistan top intelligence agency arrested another prominent BNA member - Gulzar Imam, also known by the name Shambay, the group's founder. Speaking at a government-organized news conference, Bungulzai declared that he deeply regrets his role in abducting civilians for ransom and the killings of unarmed people. It was not clear if he spoke under duress, if he had been taken into custody or if he would face any charges. The insurgent leader also said he decided to lay down his arms after talks with authorities - but he stopped short of saying whether he and those who surrendered with him had been promised amnesty. Bungulzai further said he became motivated to give up the fight after learning that his group, the Baluch National Army, was foreign funded and had the backing of neighboring India. He did not offer any evidence to his claims or provide details. There was no immediate comment from New Delhi. Pakistan often blames India for fomenting dissent within Pakistan, including the rebellion in Baluchistan, where small separatist groups have for years waged a low-scale insurgency against the state, demanding a greater share of resources or full independence from Islamabad. Baluch separatist groups have also targeted gas pipelines across the province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan and is rich in oil and gas. Bungalzai's BNA has been behind the killing of hundreds of people there and has claimed responsibility for bombings and attacks in other parts of Pakistan as well. During the televised news conference, Bungulzai also urged other separatists to lay down their arms and fight peacefully, through mainstream politics, for their rights. "The state is not our enemy, and we were misguided by foreign intelligence," he said. There was no immediate response from the BNA to the reported surrender of its leader and scores of its members. Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar welcomed Bungulzai's surrender in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. Baluchistan has been the scene of an insurgency by Baluch nationalists for more than two decades.
# Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina kicks off election campaign amid an opposition boycott By JULHAS ALAM December 20, 2023. 10:08 AM EST --- DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) - Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally kicked off her ruling Awami League party's campaign Wednesday amid an election boycott by the country's main opposition party. Addressing a massive rally in the northeastern city of Sylhet, Hasina strongly criticized the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for refusing to participate in the Jan. 7 general election. She also blamed the party, which is led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and its allies for recent acts of violence. Hundreds of thousands of Awami League supporters cheered and raised their hands when Hasina asked if they would cast their ballots for the ruling party's candidates, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported. The prime minister denounced the party of her archrival Zia after the country's railway minister alleged that arson and sabotage caused a fire on a passenger train that killed four people Tuesday. Hasina joined the minister Wednesday in accusing the Bangladesh Nationalist Party of being behind it. "They thought that with some incidents of arson the government will fall. It's not that easy," United News of Bangladesh quoted her as saying. "Where do they get such courage? A black sheep sitting in London gives orders and some people are here to play with fire. ... Their hands will be burned in that fire," Hasina said in an apparent reference to Zia's son, Tarique Rahman, who has been in self-exile in the United Kingdom since 2008. Rahman was convicted of various criminal violence charges, including a 2004 grenade attack on an opposition rally when his mother was prime minister and Hasina was opposition leader. He is the acting chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the absence of the ailing Zia, who was convicted of corruption and sentenced to 17 years in prison. On Wednesday, the party urged Bangladeshis to join a non-cooperation movement against the government by refusing to pay taxes. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a senior joint secretary-general of the party, also urged citizens and government workers not to cooperate with Hasina's administration in running the country and holding the election next month in which is the prime minister is seeking a fourth consecutive term. Zia's party has intermittently calling for transportation blockades and general strikes while demanding Hasina's resignation. The party says more than 20,000 opposition supporters have been arrested since Oct. 28, when a massive anti-government rally turned violent. Authorities blamed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for an attack on the official residence of the country's chief justice and the death of a police officer on the day of the rally. Hasina's critics say her administration has used the police and other agencies to silence them. Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy with a history of violence, especially before and during elections. Campaigning for next month's vote began across the country on Monday with about 1,900 candidates, including many independents, running for parliament seats in 300 constituencies. Zia's party's call to boycott the polls came after its demands for a caretaker government to conduct the election were not met. The party accused Hasina of rigging the 2018 vote and said it did not have any faith the coming election would be fair. The boycott means voters have little choice but to reelect Hasina. The government has denied accusations of targeting the opposition but warned that any "acts of sabotage" or "attempts to create chaos" in the country would not be tolerated. The United Nations, the United States and the European Union earlier urged all sides to refrain from violence and work together to create conditions for a free, fair and peaceful election. A call for political dialogue got no response from the two major parties.
# Party of Pakistan's popular ex-premier Imran Khan says he'll contest upcoming elections from prison By MUNIR AHMED December 20, 2023. 8:54 AM EST --- ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan's former premier Imran Khan will run in upcoming parliamentary elections from prison, his party said Wednesday, which legal experts said is possible while his appeal of his conviction in a corruption case is being considered. "Imran Khan has decided to contest elections for three seats in the National Assembly," or the lower house of parliament, said Gohar Khan, head of the former premier's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI. In Pakistan, politicians usually run for a seat from more than one constituency to expand their chances of winning. The 71-year-old former prime minister, the country's most well-known opposition figure, is serving at a high-security prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. He was removed as prime minister in April 2022 following a vote of no confidence in Parliament by his political opponents. Khan was disqualified from holding public office months ago. But he has challenged the ruling by the country's election commission. Kanwar Dilshad, a former commission official, said Khan's political rivals may object to his filing of nomination papers. "Imran Khan will have to fight a long legal battle to contest the elections, as technically he is eligible to run for the parliament, but practically there are multiple cases against him," Dilshad said. This week, Khan for the first time used artificial intelligence to deliver a speech to supporters. The surprise development could help his party to win the upcoming elections in February, according to analysts. His spokesman, Zulfiqar Bukhari, said Khan will contest the vote in the cities of Lahore, Mianwali and Islamabad. Khan has had almost no contact with the outside world since he was imprisoned in August on a corruption charge. He faces a slew of other legal cases that could make it difficult for him to contest the election. Khan came to power in 2018. Since his ouster in 2022, he has alleged without providing evidence that his government was toppled by former premier Shehbaz Sharif as part of a U.S. plot - claims that both the premier and Washington have denied. Sharif and his elder brother Nawaz Sharif, who has served three times as premier, have also announced their candidacies for parliament. Their Pakistan Muslim League enjoys an edge over Khan and his party.
# Christian group and family raise outcry over detention of another 'house church' elder in China By HUIZHONG WU December 20, 2023. 11:00 PM EST --- BANGKOK (AP) - Ding Zhongfu was awakened by loud pounding on his door. Five policemen greeted Ding, an elder in a Chinese church. The officers pinned him to the wall that Thursday morning in November and interrogated him while searching the apartment he shared with his wife, Ge Yunxia, and their 6-year old daughter. Ding's family now pleads for his release after he was taken from his home in China's central Anhui province on suspicion of fraud. In their first public comments on the case, the family denies that Ding committed any fraud. Instead, they told The Associated Press in an interview, it is part of a wider crackdown on religious freedoms in China. Four others were detained, all senior members of the Ganquan church, a name that means "Sweet Spring," according to the family. All were taken on suspicion of fraud, according to a bulletin from a Christian prayer group. "Under the fabricated charge of 'fraud,' many Christians faced harsh persecution," said Bob Fu, the founder of a U.S.-based Christian rights group, ChinaAid, who is advocating for Ding's release. Police have started using fraud charges in recent years against leaders of what are known as house churches, or informal churches not registered with the government in China. While China allows the practice of Christianity, it can only legally be done at churches registered with the state. Many who choose to worship in house churches say that joining a state church means worshiping the supremacy of the government and Communist Party over God, which they reject. Beijing in the past several years has increased the pressure on house churches. In 2018, Chinese leader Xi Jinping issued a five-year plan to "Sinicize" all the nation's officially allowed religions, from Islam to Christianity to Buddhism, by infusing them with "Chinese characteristics" such as loyalty to the Communist Party. Heeding the call, local governments started shutting down house churches through evictions, police interrogations and arrests. In 2022, pastor Hao Zhiwei in central Hubei province was sentenced to eight years in prison after being charged with fraud, according to Fu. That same year, preachers Han Xiaodong and Li Jie and church worker Wang Qiang were also arrested on suspicion of committing fraud. On Dec. 1 police called Ding Zhongfu's wife into the station saying that her husband was being criminally detained on suspicion of fraud. They declined to give her a copy of any paperwork they had her sign that acknowledged they were investigating him. A police officer at the Shushan branch's criminal division who answered the phone Tuesday declined to answer questions, saying he could not verify the identity of The Associated Press journalist calling. The family had been preparing to move to the United States in December to join Ding's daughter from a previous marriage. "I wasn't necessarily a proponent of him moving to the U.S.," said the daughter, Wanlin Ding, because it would be such a drastic uprooting. "It wasn't until this event that I realized how serious it was." She had wanted him to be part of her wedding in the spring. Ding's Ganquan house church had been forced to move multiple times in the past decade, Ge said. The congregation pooled money to buy property so they could use it as a place of worship. Because the churches aren't recognized by the government, the deeds were put in the names of Ding and two other church members. Still, police forbid them from using the property to worship, showing up ahead of services to bar people from entering. In recent years, Ding's wife said, the church had been meeting at more random locations to avoid police. The church has about 400-500 worshipers from all levels of society. Ding, in addition to managing the church's finances, served as an elder in the community, someone people could come to with their problems. One friend called Ding a "gentle" person in a handwritten testimony for the pastor's case as part of the public plea for his release: "He was always proactively helping those in society who needed to be helped."
# A Japan court orders Okinawa to approve a modified plan to build runways for US Marine Corps By MARI YAMAGUCHI December 20, 2023. 9:50 AM EST --- TOKYO (AP) - A Japanese court on Wednesday ordered the governor of Okinawa to approve the central government's modified plan for landfill work at the planned relocation site of a key U.S. military base on the southern island despite persistent opposition and protests by residents. The decision will move forward the suspended construction at a time Okinawa's strategic importance is becoming key for the Japan-U.S. military alliance in the face of growing tensions with China. Japan also rapidly seeks to buildup its military in the southwestern region. The ruling by the Fukuoka High Court Naha branch allows the Land and Transport Ministry to order the modification work designed to reinforce extremely soft ground at the designated relocation site for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, overriding Gov. Denny Tamaki's disapproval. The ruling ordered Tamaki to issue the approval within three working days. Tamaki said it was unjust that the will of the residents is crushed by the central government. Tamaki, noting the spirit of local government autonomy and democracy, said in a statement that the ruling that allows the government's forcible execution of its planned construction of a new military base is "absolutely unacceptable." If completed, the new site will serve a key Marine Corps facility for the region and will be also home to MV-22 Ospreys that are currently deployed at Futenma. Tamaki can still appeal to the Supreme Court, but the local government at this point has no power to stop the work unless the top court overturns the decision. Okinawa and the central government have long tussled over the relocation of the Futenma base. The Japanese and U.S. governments initially agreed in 1996 to close the Futenma air station a year after the rape of a schoolgirl by three U.S. military personnel led to a massive anti-base movement. But persistent protests and lawsuits between Okinawa and Tokyo have held up the plan for nearly 30 years. Japan's central government began the reclamation work off Henoko Bay on the eastern coast of Okinawa in 2018 to pave the way for the relocation of the Futenma base from its crowded neighborhood on the island. The central government later found out that large areas of the designated reclamation site are on soft ground, which some experts described "as soft as mayonnaise," and submitted a revision to the original plan with additional land improvement. But Okinawa's prefectural government rejected the revision plan and suspended the reclamation work. The ground improvement plan requires tens of thousands of pillars and massive amounts of soil, which opponents say would damage the environment. It is expected to cost 930 billion yen ($6.5 billion), 2.5 times the initial estimate, and take 12 years to finish, according to the Defense Ministry. The Supreme Court in September turned down Okinawa's appeal in another lawsuit that ordered the prefecture to withdraw its rejection of the modified landfill plan. Tamaki has called for a significant reduction of the U.S. militar y on the island, which is home to more than half of 50,000 American troops based in Japan under the bilateral security pact. Tamaki also has demanded the immediate closure of Futenma base and the scrapping of the base construction at Henoko. Okinawa accounts for just 0.6% of Japanese land. Tokyo and Washington say the relocation within Okinawa, instead of moving it elsewhere as demanded by many Okinawans, is the only solution. "We believe that action should be taken promptly in line with this ruling," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said. He pledged that the government will continue to make effort for the return of the Futenma air station as soon as possible to reduce the burden from the base.
# 9 people have died in wild weather in Australian states of Queensland and Victoria, officials say December 26, 2023. 11:18 PM EST --- BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - At least nine people have died in wild weather in the Australian eastern states of Queensland and Victoria, officials said on Wednesday. Three men were killed after a boat with 11 people aboard capsized in rough weather in Moreton Bay off the south Queensland coast on Tuesday, police said. Ambulances took the eight survivors to hospital in stable conditions. A 59-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree at the Queensland city of Gold Coast on Monday night. The body of a 9-year-old girl was found on Tuesday in the neighboring city of Brisbane hours after she disappeared in a flooded stormwater drain. The bodies of a 40-year-old woman and a 46-year-old woman were found in the Mary River in the Queensland town of Gympie. They were among three women swept into the flooded river through a stormwayter drain on Tuesday. Another 46-year-old woman managed to save herself. Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll blamed "extraordinarily difficult weather" for the tragedies. "It has been a very tragic 24 hours due to the weather," Carroll told reporters. Severe weather has lashed parts of southeast Australia since Monday including Queensland and Victoria. A woman, who is yet to be identified, was found dead late Tuesday after flash flooding receded at a camp ground at Buchan in regional Victoria. Earlier on Tuesday, a 44-year-old man was killed by a falling branch at his rural property at Caringal in eastern Victoria. Thunderstorms and strong winds have brought down more than 1,000 power lines in parts of Queensland and left 85,000 people without electricity.
# Contrary to politicians' claims, offshore wind farms don't kill whales. Here's what to know. By CHRISTINA LARSON, JENNIFER McDERMOTT, PATRICK WHITTLE, and WAYNE PARRY December 23, 2023. 3:01 PM EST --- PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Unfounded claims about offshore wind threatening whales have surfaced as a flashpoint in the fight over the future of renewable energy. In recent months, conservatives including former President Donald Trump have claimed construction of offshore wind turbines is killing the giant animals. Scientists say there is no credible evidence linking offshore wind farms to whale deaths. But that hasn't stopped conservative groups and ad hoc "not in my back yard"-style anti-development groups from making the connection. The Associated Press sorts fact from fiction when it comes to whales and wind power as the rare North Atlantic right whale's migration season gets underway: ## WHERE ARE U.S. OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS? To date, two commercial offshore wind farms are under construction in the United States. Danish wind energy developer Ørsted and the utility Eversource are building South Fork Wind, located 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Montauk Point, New York. Ørsted announced Dec. 7 that the first of its 12 turbines there is now sending electricity onto the grid. Vineyard Wind is building a 62-turbine wind farm 15 miles (24 kilometers) off Massachusetts. Both plan to open by early next year, and other large offshore wind projects are obtaining permits. There are also two pilot projects - five turbines off Rhode Island and two off Virginia. The Biden administration aims to power 10 million homes with offshore wind by 2030 - a key piece of its climate goals. Lawsuits from community groups delayed Ørsted's two large offshore wind projects in New Jersey and the company recently announced it's cancelling those projects. That decision was based on their economic viability and had nothing to do with offshore wind opposition in New Jersey, said David Hardy, group executive vice president and CEO Americas at Ørsted. ## ARE U.S. WIND FARMS CAUSING WHALE DEATHS? Experts say there's no evidence that limited wind farm construction on the Atlantic Coast has directly resulted in any whale deaths, despite politically motivated statements suggesting a link. Rumors began to swirl after 2016, when an unusual number of whales started to be found dead or stranded on New England beaches -- a trend that predates major offshore wind farm construction that began this year. "With whale strandings along the Northeast earlier this year in places like New Jersey, the reality is that it's not from offshore wind," said Aaron Rice, a marine biologist at Cornell University. In answering questions about whale strandings earlier this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that around 40% of recovered whale carcasses showed evidence of death from fishing gear entanglement or vessel strikes. The others could not be linked to a specific cause. In Europe, where offshore wind has been developed for more than three decades, national agencies also have not found causal links between wind farms and whale deaths. Meanwhile, U.S. scientists are collecting data near offshore wind farms to monitor any possible impacts short of fatality, such as altered behavior or changes to migration routes. This research is still in preliminary stages, said Doug Nowacek, a marine biologist at Duke University who helped put trackers on whales this summer off Massachusetts as part of a 5-year federally-funded study. ## WHAT REAL DANGERS DO WHALES FACE? While the exact causes of recent whale strandings along the East Coast mostly are not known, whales do face dangers from human activities. The biggest threats are shipping collisions and entanglement in fishing gear, according to scientists and federal authorities. Underwater noise pollution is another concern, they say. Some advocates for protecting whales have characterized the push against offshore wind power as a distraction from real issues. "It seems that this is being used in an opportunistic way by anti-wind interests," said Gib Brogan, fisheries campaign director at the environmental group Oceana. Since 2016, humpback whales have been dying at an advanced rate - one the federal government terms an "unusual mortality event." The much rarer North Atlantic right whale with fewer than 360 on Earth is also experiencing an unusual mortality event. NOAA reports 83 whales have died off the East Coast since Dec. 1, 2022. Roughly half were humpbacks between Massachusetts and North Carolina, and two were critically-endangered right whales in North Carolina and Virginia. ## WHAT'S BEING DONE TO PROTECT WHALES NEAR WIND FARMS? Federal law sets limits on human-generated sound underwate r for continuous noise and short sudden bursts. Marine construction projects can reduce possible impact on marine mammals, including by pausing construction during migration seasons, using "bubble curtains" to contain sound from pile-driving and stationing trained observers with binoculars on ships to look for marine mammals. Offshore wind developers are taking steps required by regulators, but also are voluntarily adopting measures to ensure marine mammals are not harmed. Ørsted won't drive piles between Dec. 1 and April 30, when whales are on the move. It uses additional lookout vehicles, encircles monopiles for turbines with bubble curtains and does underwater acoustic monitoring. Equinor plans to use acoustic monitoring and infrared cameras to detect whales when it starts developing two lease areas off Long Island with its partner bp. The company says it will limit pile driving to months when right whales are least likely to be present. ## WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE ALLEGING WIND FARMS CAUSE WHALE DEATHS? One vocal opponent of offshore wind is the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, director of the foundation's center for energy, climate and environment, wrote in November that Ørsted's scrapped New Jersey wind project was "unsightly" and a threat to wildlife. "Whales and birds ... stand to gain if offshore wind abandons the Garden State," Furchtgott-Roth wrote. Ørsted's Hardy said claims about wind farms killing whales are "not scientific" but "very much politically-driven misinformation." The Heartland Institute, another conservative public policy group, has also pushed back at offshore wind projects. H. Sterling Burnett, director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy at the institute, said the wind projects are subject to unfairly lax regulatory restrictions compared to fossil fuel projects. "We think it should be held to the same standard that any oil and gas project would be," Burnett said. Smaller anti-wind groups have also organized in coastal communities to oppose projects they feel jeopardize water views, coastal industries and recreation. ## WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF MISINFORMATION? Offshore wind opponents are using unsupported claims about harm to whales to try to stop projects, with some of the loudest opposition centered in New Jersey. Misinformation can cause angst in coastal communities where developers need to build shoreside infrastructure to operate a wind farm. Republican politicians have taken opposition from shore towns and community groups seriously. GOP congressmen from New Jersey, Maryland and Arizona got the U.S. Government Accountability Office to open an investigation into the offshore wind industry's impacts on commercial fishing and marine life and want a moratorium on projects. New Jersey's Democrat-controlled Legislature remains steadfastly behind the industry. ## ARE WHALES IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE? One reason whale advocates push for renewable energy is that they say climate change is harming the animals - and less reliance on fossil fuels would help solve that problem. Scientists say global warming has caused the right whale's preferred food - tiny crustaceans - to move as waters have warmed. That means the whales have strayed from protected areas of ocean in search of food, leaving them vulnerable to ship strikes and entanglements. Large whales play a vitally important role in the ecosystem by storing carbon, so some scientists say they are also part of the solution to climate change.
# International astronaut will be invited on future NASA moon landing By MARCIA DUNN December 20, 2023. 4:35 PM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - An international astronaut will join U.S. astronauts on the moon by decade's end under an agreement announced Wednesday by NASA and the White House. The news came as Vice President Kamala Harris convened a meeting in Washington of the National Space Council, the third such gathering under the Biden administration. There was no mention of who the international moonwalker might be or even what country would be represented. A NASA spokeswoman later said that crews would be assigned closer to the lunar-landing missions, and that no commitments had yet been made to another country. NASA has included international astronauts on trips to space for decades. Canadian Jeremy Hansen will fly around the moon a year or so from now with three U.S. astronauts. Another crew would actually land; it would be the first lunar touchdown by astronauts in more than a half-century. That's not likely to occur before 2027, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. All 12 moonwalkers during NASA's Apollo program of the 1960s and 1970s were U.S. citizens. The space agency's new moon exploration program is named Artemis after Apollo's mythological twin sister. Including international partners "is not only sincerely appreciated, but it is urgently needed in the world today," Hansen told the council. NASA has long stressed the need for global cooperation in space, establishing the Artemis Accords along with the U.S. State Department in 2020 to promote responsible behavior not just at the moon but everywhere in space. Representatives from all 33 countries that have signed the accords so far were expected at the space council's meeting in Washington. "We know from experience that collaboration on space delivers," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken, citing the Webb Space Telescope, a U.S., European and Canadian effort. Notably missing from the Artemis Accords: Russia and China, the only countries besides the U.S. to launch their own citizens into orbit. Russia is a partner with NASA in the International Space Station, along with Europe, Japan and Canada. Even earlier in the 1990s, the Russian and U.S. space agencies teamed up during the shuttle program to launch each other's astronauts to Russia's former orbiting Mir station. During Wednesday's meeting, Harris also announced new policies to ensure the safe use of space as more and more private companies and countries aim skyward. Among the issues that the U.S. is looking to resolve: the climate crisis and the growing amount of space junk around Earth. A 2021 anti-satellite missile test by Russia added more than 1,500 pieces of potentially dangerous orbiting debris, and Blinken joined others at the meeting in calling for all nations to end such destructive testing.
# Orange tabby cat named Taters steals the show in first video sent by laser from deep space By MARCIA DUNN December 19, 2023. 6:30 PM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - An orange tabby cat named Taters stars in the first video transmitted by laser from deep space, stealing the show as he chases a red laser light. The 15-second video was beamed to Earth from NASA's Psyche spacecraft, 19 million miles (30 million kilometers) away. It took less than two minutes for the ultra high-definition video to reach Caltech's Palomar Observatory, sent at the test system's maximum rate of 267 megabits per second. The video was loaded into Psyche's laser communication experiment before the spacecraft blasted off to a rare metal asteroid in October. The mission team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, decided to feature an employee's 3-year-old playful kitty. The video was streamed to Earth on Dec. 11 and released by NASA this week. Despite the vast distance, the test relayed the video faster than most broadband internet connections here on Earth, said the project's Ryan Rogalin. NASA wants to improve communications from deep space, especially as astronauts gear up to return to the moon with an eye toward Mars. The laser demo is meant to transmit data at rates up to 100 times greater than the radio systems currently used by spacecraft far from Earth. More test transmissions are planned as Psyche heads toward the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. But Taters won't be making anymore appearances, according to JPL. Joby Harris, an art director in JPL's DesignLab, couldn't be prouder, but doesn't want his cat's newfound celebrity to go to his head. "I'm celebrating his spotlight with him, but making sure he keeps his paws on the carpet," Harris said in an email Tuesday.
# Jeff Bezos' rocket company launches experiments in first flight since 2022 crash By MARCIA DUNN December 19, 2023. 1:18 PM EST --- Jeff Bezos' space company successfully launched a rocket carrying experiments on Tuesday, its first flight since engine trouble caused a crash more than a year ago. The New Shepard rocket soared from West Texas, lifting a capsule full of tests, many of which were aboard the failed Blue Origin launch in September 2022. No one was aboard that flight or this latest one. This time, the capsule made it to the fringes of space, exposing the experiments from NASA and others to a few minutes of weightlessness, before parachuting back down to the desert. The rocket landed first, after releasing the capsule. It reached an altitude of 66 miles (107 kilometers) during the 10-minute flight. During last year's failed launch, the rocket started to veer off course shortly after liftoff, prompting the escape system to kick in and catapult the capsule off the top. The capsule landed safely, but the rocket came crashing down. The problem was traced to an overheated rocket engine nozzle that broke apart. Design changes were made to the nozzles and combustion chambers. Blue Origin has been launching from this remote area, southeast of El Paso, for almost 20 years. The company launched its first experiments for NASA in 2019 and its first passengers in 2021 that included Bezos and his brother. The second crew, a few months later, included "Star Trek" actor William Shatner. Altogether, Blue Origin has launched six times with 31 passengers, interspersing the 10-minute flights with research hops. "Following a thorough review of today's mission, we look forward to flying our next crewed flight soon," said launch commentator Erika Wagner. Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, designed to reach orbit, has yet to fly. The company is aiming for a debut sometime next year from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It's named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit the world. New Shepard is named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space.
# Oregon appeals court finds the rules for the state's climate program are invalid December 20, 2023. 8:55 PM EST --- PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A state appeals court in Oregon decided late Wednesday that the rules for a program designed to limit and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel companies are invalid. The program, started in 2022, is one of the strongest climate programs in the nation. State environmental officials said the court's decision hinges on an administrative error and doesn't touch on whether the state Department of Environmental Quality has the authority to implement the program. The Climate Protection Program targets a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels and natural gas by 2050. Wednesday's decision by the Oregon Court of Appeals comes in a case brought by fossil fuel companies that alleged the state Environmental Quality Commission erred in its rulemaking for the program. The commission acts as the Department of Environmental Quality's policy and rulemaking board. The court in its decision said it concluded the rules for the program were invalid. The department said the decision was limited to an administrative error and not effective immediately, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. "The court did not make a decision about whether the Environmental Quality Commission has authority to adopt the Climate Protection Program," Lauren Wirtis, a department spokesperson, said in a statement. The department is confident it has the authority to adopt and enforce the program and is evaluating next steps with the state Department of Justice, Wirtis said. NW Natural, one of the litigants, said it was pleased with the court's decision and that it is committed to moving toward a low-carbon energy future. A group of environmental, climate and social justice groups agreed with the state position that the decision focused on a procedural technicality and did not undermine the Department of Environmental Quality's authority to set greenhouse gas emissions limits on the oil and gas industry.
# A six-planet solar system in perfect synchrony has been found in the Milky Way By MARCIA DUNN November 29, 2023. 11:02 AM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Astronomers have discovered a rare in-sync solar system with six planets moving like a grand cosmic orchestra, untouched by outside forces since their birth billions of years ago. The find, announced Wednesday, can help explain how solar systems across the Milky Way galaxy came to be. This one is 100 light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles. A pair of planet-hunting satellites - NASA's Tess and the European Space Agency's Cheops - teamed up for the observations. None of the planets in perfect synchrony are within the star's so-called habitable zone, which means little if any likelihood of life, at least as we know it. "Here we have a golden target" for comparison, said Adrien Leleu of the University of Geneva, who was part of an international team that published the results in the journal Nature. This star, known as HD 110067, may have even more planets. The six found so far are roughly two to three times the size of Earth, but with densities closer to the gas giants in our own solar system. Their orbits range from nine to 54 days, putting them closer to their star than Venus is to the sun and making them exceedingly hot. As gas planets, they're believed to have solid cores made of rock, metal or ice, enveloped by thick layers of hydrogen, according to the scientists. More observations are needed to determine what's in their atmospheres. This solar system is unique because all six planets move similar to a perfectly synchronized symphony, scientists said. In technical terms, it's known as resonance that's "precise, very orderly," said co-author Enric Palle of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands. The innermost planet completes three orbits for every two by its closest neighbor. It's the same for the second- and third-closest planets, and the third- and fourth-closest planets. The two outermost planets complete an orbit in 41 and 54.7 days, resulting in four orbits for every three. The innermost planet, meanwhile, completes six orbits in exactly the time the outermost completes one. All solar systems, including our own, are thought to have started out like this one, according to the scientists. But it's estimated only 1-in-100 systems have retained that synchrony, and ours isn't one of them. Giant planets can throw things off-kilter. So can meteor bombardments, close encounters with neighboring stars and other disturbances. While astronomers know of 40 to 50 in-sync solar systems, none have as many planets in such perfect step or as bright a star as this one, Palle said. The University of Bern's Hugh Osborn, who was part of the team, was "shocked and delighted" when the orbital periods of this star system's planets came close to what scientists predicted. "My jaw was on the floor," he said. "That was a really nice moment."
# Oldest black hole discovered dating back to 470 million years after the Big Bang By MARCIA DUNN November 6, 2023. 1:56 PM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Scientists have discovered the oldest black hole yet, a cosmic beast formed a mere 470 million years after the Big Bang. The findings, published Monday, confirm what until now were theories that supermassive black holes existed at the dawn of the universe. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-Ray Observatory teamed up over the past year to make the observations. Given the universe is 13.7 billion years old, that puts the age of this black hole at 13.2 billion years. Even more astounding to scientists, this black hole is a whopper - 10 times bigger than the black hole in our own Milky Way. It's believed to weigh anywhere from 10% to 100% the mass of all the stars in its galaxy, said lead author Akos Bogdan of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. That is nowhere near the miniscule ratio of the black holes in our Milky Way and other nearby galaxies - an estimated 0.1%, he noted. "It's just really early on in the universe to be such a behemoth," said Yale University's Priyamvada Natarajan, who took part in the study published in the journal Nature Astronomy. A companion article appeared in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. "It's astounding how this thing actually is sitting in place already with its galaxy so early on in the universe." The researchers believe the black hole formed from colossal clouds of gas that collapsed in a galaxy next door to one with stars. The two galaxies merged, and the black hole took over. The fact that Chandra detected it via X-ray confirms "without a doubt that it is a black hole," according to Natarajan. With X-rays "you're actually capturing the gas that is being gravitationally pulled into the black hole, sped up and it starts glowing in the X-rays," she said. This one is considered a quasar since it's actively growing and the gas is blindingly bright, she added. The Webb telescope alone may have spotted a black hole that is 29 million years older, according to scientists, but it's yet to be observed in X-rays and verified. Natarajan expects more early black holes will be found - perhaps not as far out, but still quite distant. "We are expecting a new window to open in the universe, and I think this is the first crack," she said. The two space telescopes - Webb and Chandra - used a technique called gravitational lensing to magnify the region of space where this galaxy, UHZ1, and its black hole are located. The telescopes used the light from a much closer cluster of galaxies, a mere 3.2 billion light-years from Earth, to magnify UHZ1 and its black hole much farther in the background. "It's a pretty faint object, and thanks to like luck, nature has magnified it for us," Natarajan said Launched in 2021 to a point 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away, Webb is the biggest and most powerful astronomical observatory ever sent into space; it sees the universe in the infrared. The much older Chandra has X-ray vision; it rocketed into orbit in 1999. "I absolutely find it amazing that Chandra can do such amazing discoveries 24 years after its launch," Bogdan said.
# NASA spacecraft discovers tiny moon around asteroid during close flyby By MARCIA DUNN November 3, 2023. 11:09 AM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - The little asteroid visited by NASA's Lucy spacecraft this week had a big surprise for scientists. It turns out that the asteroid Dinkinesh has a dinky sidekick - a mini moon. The discovery was made during Wednesday's flyby of Dinkinesh, 300 million miles (480 million kilometers) away in the main asteroid belt beyond Mars. The spacecraft snapped a picture of the pair when it was about 270 miles out (435 kilometers). In data and images beamed back to Earth, the spacecraft confirmed that Dinkinesh is barely a half-mile (790 meters) across. Its closely circling moon is a mere one-tenth-of-a-mile (220 meters) in size. NASA sent Lucy past Dinkinesh as a rehearsal for the bigger, more mysterious asteroids out near Jupiter. Launched in 2021, the spacecraft will reach the first of these so-called Trojan asteroids in 2027 and explore them for at least six years. The original target list of seven asteroids now stands at 11. Dinkinesh means "you are marvelous" in the Amharic language of Ethiopia. It's also the Amharic name for Lucy, the 3.2 million-year-old remains of a human ancestor found in Ethiopia in the 1970s, for which the spacecraft is named. "Dinkinesh really did live up to its name; this is marvelous," Southwest Research Institute's Hal Levison, the lead scientist, said in a statement.
# NASA's Lucy spacecraft swoops past first of 10 asteroids on long journey to Jupiter By MARCIA DUNN November 1, 2023. 4:11 PM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA's Lucy spacecraft on Wednesday encountered the first of 10 asteroids on its long journey to Jupiter. The spacecraft on Wednesday swooped past the pint-sized Dinkinesh, about 300 million miles (480 million kilometers) away in the main asteroid belt beyond Mars. It was "a quick hello," according to NASA, with the spacecraft zooming by at 10,000 mph (16,000 kph). Lucy came within 270 miles (435 kilometers) of Dinkinesh, testing its instruments in a dry run for the bigger and more alluring asteroids ahead. Dinkinesh is just a half-mile (1 kilometer) across, quite possibly the smallest of the space rocks on Lucy's tour. Lucy's main targets are the so-called Trojans, swarms of unexplored asteroids out near Jupiter that are considered to be time capsules from the dawn of the solar system. The spacecraft will swing past eight Trojans believed to be up to 10 to 100 times bigger than Dinkinesh. It's due to zip past the final two asteroids in 2033. NASA launched Lucy on its nearly $1 billion mission two years ago. The spacecraft is named after the 3.2 million-year-old skeletal remains of a human ancestor found in Ethiopia in the 1970s. Lucy will next swing past an asteroid named after one of the fossil Lucy's discoverers: Donald Johanson. One of two solar wings on the spacecraft remains loose. Flight controllers gave up trying to latch it down, but it is believed to be stable enough for the entire mission. Wednesday's flyby caps what NASA is calling Asteroid Autumn. NASA returned its first samples of rubble from an asteroid in September. Then in October, it launched a spacecraft to a rare, metal-rich asteroid named Psyche. Unlike those missions, Lucy will not stop at any asteroids or collect any samples. It will take at least a week for the spacecraft to send back all its pictures and data from the flyby. Until now, Dinkinesh's only been "an unresolved smudge in the best telescopes," Southwest Research Institute's Hal Levison, the lead scientist, said in a statement.
# 'Ring of fire' eclipse brings cheers and shouts of joy as it moves across the Americas By MARÍA VERZA and IVÁN VALENCIA October 14, 2023. 10:58 PM EST --- CANCÚN, México (AP) - First came the darkening skies, then the crescent-shaped shadows on the ground, and finally an eruption of cheers by crowds that gathered Saturday along the narrow path of a rare "ring of fire" eclipse of the sun. It was a spectacular show for millions of people across the Americas as the moon moved into place and blocked out all but a brilliant circle of the sun's outer edge. Hundreds of people filed into the planetarium in the Caribbean resort city of Cancún to watch the eclipse. Some peered through box projectors, while others looked through telescopes and special glasses. Excited children whistled, as some adults raised their arms toward the sky as if to welcome the eclipse. Vendors selling plants outside observed the dance between the moon and the sun in a more natural way - with the help of trees as the shifting sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting unique shadows on the sidewalk. "There was silence and like a mist, as if it was dusk, but only a few minutes later the birds were singing again," said Carmen Jardines, 56, one of the vendors. Artemia Carreto, was telling passersby about her experience as a child in southern Mexico, when they were told to look instead at the river where it reflected beautifully on the sand beneath the water. While she wasn't near a river this time, Carreto said she was carried away by the sensations induced by changing temperatures and a feeling of heaviness that she pegged to the rotation of the Earth. For Pilar Cáceres, there was a sense of energy. "It is something that nature brings us and that we must watch," said the 77-year-old retired elementary school teacher who watched the eclipse by following its shadow through a piece of cardboard. Ancient Maya astronomers who tracked the movements of the sun and moon with precision referred to eclipses as "broken sun." They may have used dark volcanic glass to protect their eyes, said archeologist Arturo Montero of Tepeyac University in Mexico City. Unlike a total solar eclipse, the moon doesn't completely cover the sun during a ring of fire eclipse. When the moon lines up between Earth and the sun, it leaves a bright, blazing border. The entire eclipse - from the moment the moon starts to obscure the sun until it's back to normal - lasted 2 1/2 to three hours at any given spot. The ring of fire portion was from three to five minutes, depending on the location. Saturday's U.S. path: Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas in the U.S., with a sliver of California, Arizona and Colorado. Then: Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Brazil. Much of the rest of the Western Hemisphere got a partial eclipse. NASA and other groups livestreamed the event. In the U.S., some eclipse watchers traveled to remote corners of the country to try to get the best view possible while those in Albuquerque got a double treat as the eclipse coincided with an international balloon fiesta that typically draws tens of thousands of spectators and hundreds of hot air balloon pilots from around the world. There were hoots, hollers and yelps from the balloon launch field as the moon began to cover the sun. Some pilots used their propane burners to shoot flames upward in unison as the spectacle unfolded. "It's very exciting to be here and have the convergence of our love of flying with something very natural like an eclipse," said Allan Hahn, a balloon pilot from Aurora, Colorado. At Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, enthusiasts hit the trails before sunrise to stake out their preferred spots among the red rock hoodoos. With the ring of fire in full form, cheers echoed through the canyons of the park. "I just think it's one of those things that unites us all," said John Edwards, a cancer drug developer who traveled alone across the country to watch the eclipse from Bryce Canyon. Kirby James and Caroline McGuire from Toronto didn't realize they would be in a prime spot when they planned their trip to southern Utah. "Nothing that you can read could prepare you for how it feels," said Kirby James, 63, a co-founder of a software company. "It's the moment, especially when the ring of fire came on, you realized you were having a lifetime experience." For the small towns and cities along the path, there was a mix of excitement, worries about the weather and concerns they'd be overwhelmed by visitors flocking to see the annular solar eclipse. In Eugene, Oregon, oohs and ahs combined with groans of disappointment as the eclipse was intermittently visible, the sun's light poking through the cloud cover only at times. In southern Colombia, the Tatacoa desert played host to astronomers helping a group of visually impaired people experience the perfect golden ring created by the moon and sun through raised maps and temperature changes. Colombia Science Minister Yesenia Olaya said moments like this should inspire people to promote science among children, so they see it as "a life project." Juan Pablo Esguerra, 13, waited months to make the trip to the desert with his father to witness the eclipse. "I like the astronomy because it's a spectacular experience," he said. "This is the best that I've seen in my life." In Mexico City, some children came dressed as astronauts as thousands of people gathered at the main esplanade of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the country's main public college. People shared special glasses, and the university set up telescopes. Saturday's eclipse marked the first for Brazil since 1994. The country's national observatory broadcast the event online while thousands flocked to parks and beaches in the north and northeastern regions to soak in the phenomenon. Next April, a total solar eclipse will crisscross the U.S. in the opposite direction. That one will begin in Mexico and go from Texas to New England before ending in Canada. The next ring of fire eclipse is in October next year at the southernmost tip of South America. Antarctica gets one in 2026. It will be 2039 before another ring of fire is visible in the U.S., and Alaska will be the only state in its direct path.
# NASA spacecraft launched to mysterious and rare metal asteroid in first mission of its kind By MARCIA DUNN October 13, 2023. 1:04 PM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA's Psyche spacecraft rocketed away Friday on a six-year journey to a rare metal-covered asteroid. Most asteroids tend to be rocky or icy, and this is the first exploration of a metal world. Scientists believe it may be the battered remains of an early planet's core, and could shed light on the inaccessible centers of Earth and other rocky planets. SpaceX launched the spacecraft into an overcast midmorning sky from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Named for the asteroid it's chasing, Psyche should reach the huge, potato-shaped object in 2029. "It's so thrilling," said Laurie Leshin, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Added Arizona State University's Jim Bell, part of the Psyche team: "What a great ride so far." An hour later, the spacecraft separated successfully from the rocket's upper stage and floated away, drawing applause from ground controllers. After decades of visiting faraway worlds of rock, ice and gas, NASA is psyched to pursue one coated in metal. Of the nine or so metal-rich asteroids discovered so far, Psyche is the biggest, orbiting the sun in the outer portion of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter alongside millions of other space rocks. It was discovered in 1852 and named after Greek mythology's captivating goddess of the soul. "It's long been humans' dream to go to the metal core of our Earth. I mean, ask Jules Verne," lead scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University said ahead of the launch. "The pressure is too high. The temperature is too high. The technology is impossible," she said. "But there's one way in our solar system that we can look at a metal core and that is by going to this asteroid." Astronomers know from radar and other observations that the asteroid is big - about 144 miles (232 kilometers) across at its widest and 173 miles (280 kilometers) long. They believe it's brimming with iron, nickel and other metals, and quite possibly silicates, with a dull, predominantly gray surface likely covered with fine metal grains from cosmic impacts. Otherwise, it's a speck of light in the night sky, full of mystery until the spacecraft reaches it after traveling more than 2 billion miles (3.6 billion kilometers). Scientists envision spiky metal craters, huge metal cliffs and metal-encrusted eroded lava flows greenish-yellow from sulfur - "almost certain to be completely wrong," according to Elkins-Tanton. It's also possible that trace amounts of gold, silver, platinum or iridium - iron-loving elements - could be dissolved in the asteroid's iron and nickel, she said. "There's a very good chance that it's going to be outside of our imaginings, and that is my fondest hope," she said. Believed to be a planetary building block from the solar system's formation 4.5 billion years ago, the asteroid can help answer such fundamental questions as how did life arise on Earth and what makes our planet habitable, according to Elkins-Tanton. On Earth, the planet's iron core is responsible for the magnetic field that shields our atmosphere and enables life. Led by Arizona State University on NASA's behalf, the $1.2 billion mission will use a roundabout route to get to the asteroid. The van-size spacecraft with solar panels big enough to fill a tennis court will swoop past Mars for a gravity boost in 2026. Three years later, it will reach the asteroid and attempt to go into orbit around it, circling as high as 440 miles (700 kilometers) and as close as 47 miles (75 kilometers) until at least 2031. The spacecraft relies on solar electric propulsion, using xenon gas-fed thrusters and their gentle blue-glowing pulses. An experimental communication system is also along for the ride, using lasers instead of radio waves in an attempt to expand the flow of data from deep space to Earth. NASA expects the test to yield more than 10 times the amount of data, enough to transmit videos from the moon or Mars one day. The spacecraft should have soared a year ago, but was held up by delays in flight software testing attributed to poor management and other issues. The revised schedule added extra travel time. So instead of arriving at the asteroid in 2026 as originally planned, the spacecraft won't get there until 2029. That's the same year that another NASA spacecraft - the one that just returned asteroid samples to the Utah desert - will arrive at a different space rock as it buzzes Earth.
# In many Indigenous cultures, a solar eclipse is more than a spectacle. It's for honoring tradition By TERRY TANG October 12, 2023. 2:26 PM EST --- PHOENIX (AP) - For a few hours, Krystal Curley and her Indigenous women's work group took over a college auditorium to share traditional Navajo practices regarding this weekend's highly anticipated solar eclipse. More than 50 people - young and old - showed up for the chance to either connect with or remember cultural protocol going back hundreds of years. They laid out books on Navajo astronomy and corn pollen used for blessings. A medicine man fielded questions from the majority Navajo, or Diné, audience on what to do when the moon partially shrouds the sun. Don't: Look at the eclipse, eat, drink, sleep or engage in physical activity. Do: Sit at home and reflect or pray during what's considered an intimate, celestial moment. "There's so many things we're not supposed to do as Diné people compared to other tribes, where it's OK for them to look at the eclipse or be out or do things," said Curley, executive director of nonprofit Indigenous Life Ways. The belief is pronounced on the Navajo Nation but not shared among all Indigenous cultures North, Central and South America that will be in the primary viewing path for the "ring of fire" eclipse Saturday. Navajo, which has the largest reservation in the U.S., is closing well-known tourist destinations like Monument Valley and the Four Corners Monument to allow residents to be at home with curtains drawn in silence. Navajo-led tour companies also will cease operations during the phenomenon. Some Indigenous groups elsewhere are using the occasion to pass down cultural teachings, share stories and ensure members, especially younger generations, learn sacred traditions. In Navajo culture, an eclipse is about solemnity - not spectacle. It marks the end of a cycle and the power of when the moon and sun are in alignment. When the sun is blocked, it is undergoing a rebirth. It also is seen as the moon and the sun embracing each other. Paul Begay, a Navajo cultural adviser for guided hikes with Taadidiin Tours in Antelope Canyon, plans to quietly sit at home in Page, Arizona. Begay said he was taught from a young age that deities are responsible for creation starting with the first man and first woman, who traveled through four worlds. Begay described an eclipse as a disturbance, or death of the sun, which is considered a father figure in Navajo. Out of respect, he said, all activity stops. "It's just a show of reverency, a show of being the way the holy people would want you to be," Begay said. "Of course, the eclipse will subside in due time and activities go back to normalcy." Shiyé Bidzííl, who is Navajo and Lakota, plans to view it with his 12-year-old twin sons and 11-year-old daughter outside their home in Chinle, Arizona. He even bought special viewing glasses last week. Bidzííl, who says Lakota believe they descend from "Star People," grew up finding stargazing compelling and wants to educate his children on the significance of the celestial alignment. "My sons, they're all into stars and space and planets and moons, things like that," Bidzííl said. In southern Oregon, GeorGene Nelson, director of the Klamath Tribes' language department, says no tribal tradition dictates that she hunker down. She will be part of an educational panel at Running Y Resort in Klamath Falls. She wants to share eclipse-related stories from the Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin-Paiute people. The story she learned is that a grizzly bear is trying to eat the moon. Meanwhile, a frog jumps on the moon and the moon decides to keep the frog as his wife so she can chase away the bear. The frog ends up married to the sun, too. "Our people used to gather when these eclipses started happening ... calling for the frog to come," Nelson said. "When the eclipse is over with, then that's the frog being successful in chasing the grizzly bear." Klamath Tribes officials won't be able to avoid the eclipse-driven fanfare. EclipseFest23, a festival in Klamath County roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Crater Lake National Park, started Tuesday. The five-day celebration features food trucks, a beer garden and rock band Smash Mouth, performing Saturday. The county's 60,000-plus population could double by Saturday with all the extra foot traffic, said Tim Sexton, Klamath Tribes fire program manager. "Just the sheer number of people over here at one time looking for places to stay overnight or even places to have a nice view of the eclipse could unwittingly (do) damage," Sexton said. "A lot of these areas are remote. With this number of people, there's a tendency for folks to not want to stay in a big crowd and they'll go to areas they haven't seen visitors for a while." In Oklahoma off the premiere path of the eclipse, other tribes are recounting origin stories of eclipses, said Chris Hill, a cultural specialist for Native American programming in Tulsa Public Schools. In his own Muscogee (Creek) Nation tribe, the 66 tribal towns each have a unique story surrounding eclipses, he said. The story he grew up with was that a rabbit being chased by a little boy transformed into a "little person" and offered the boy three wishes. After food and friends, the boy asked for shade. So, the little person lobbed cornmeal at the sun, covering it, and proclaimed the moon and sun have been brought together. The little person then teaches the boy a "friendship dance." The eclipse symbolizes that friendship. "During that time of the eclipse, we all pay homage, we all get silent. We all basically don't do anything during that time. But we also prepare medicines for that time, too," Hill said. Still, there are a lot of people who are "colonized" and don't follow tradition, he added. Curley, of Indigenous Life Ways, wants to do more workshops to educate Natives about celestial events - even giving them corn pollen, or tádídíín, for the post-eclipse offering. "We know people are hungry for traditional knowledge," she said. "I'm really thankful our young people are really interested in preserving our ways."
# NASA shows off its first asteroid samples delivered by a spacecraft By MARCIA DUNN October 11, 2023. 9:59 PM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA on Wednesday showed off its first asteroid samples delivered last month by a spacecraft - a jumble of black dust and rubble that's the most ever returned to Earth. Scientists anticipated getting a cupful but are still unsure how much was grabbed from the carbon-rich asteroid named Bennu, almost 60 million miles (97 million kilometers) away. That's because the main sample chamber has yet to be opened, officials said during an event at Johnson Space Center in Houston. "It's been going slow and meticulous, but the science is already starting," said the mission's lead scientist, Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona. NASA's Osiris-Rex spacecraft collected the samples three years ago from the surface of Bennu and then dropped them off sealed in a capsule during a flyby of Earth last month. The expected cupful was far more than the teaspoon or so that Japan brought back from a pair of missions. Black dust and particles were scattered around the outside edge of the internal sample chamber, according to Lauretta. He said there's still "a whole treasure chest of extraterrestrial material" to be studied. The samples are priceless, the preserved building blocks from the dawn of the solar system. No one at Wednesday's celebration at Johnson got to see any of the samples firsthand - just photos and video. The asteroid pieces were behind locked doors in a new lab at the space center, accessible only to scientists in protective gear. Besides carbon, the asteroid rubble holds water in the form of water-bearing clay minerals, Lauretta and others pointed out. "That is how we think water got to the Earth," he said. "Minerals like we're seeing from Bennu landed on Earth 4 billion years ago to 4.5 billion years ago, making our world habitable." That was one of the primary reasons for the $1 billion, seven-year mission: to help learn how the solar system - and Earth in particular - formed. "You can't get more exciting than that," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. Back in 2020, Lauretta and his team lost some of their haul when the lid on the sample container jammed a few days after the spacecraft collected the material. It vacuumed up so many pieces from Bennu that small rocks got lodged under the lid and prevented it from closing, sending pieces floating off into space. That's why scientists did not have a precise measurement of what was coming back; they estimated 250 grams, or about a cupful, ahead of the Sept. 24 landing in the Utah desert. They won't have a good count until the container is opened, within two weeks or so. Much of the material shown Wednesday was overflow from when the lid was stuck open, before everything could be sealed inside the return capsule. The larger visible rocks were under an inch (2.5 centimeters) in size. "We have a bounty of sample on our hands already and we're not even inside" the main sample container, said NASA astromaterials curator Francis McCubbin. Once the samples are archived, the team will dole out particles to researchers around the world, while saving a fair amount for future analysis when better technology should be available. NASA has another asteroid-chasing spacecraft on a Florida launch pad, ready to blast off later this week. The destination will be a rare asteroid made of metal named Psyche. No samples will be coming back.
# 'Ring of fire' solar eclipse will slice across Americas on Saturday with millions along path By MARCIA DUNN October 10, 2023. 12:04 PM EST --- Tens of millions in the Americas will have front-row seats for Saturday's rare "ring of fire" eclipse of the sun. What's called an annular solar eclipse - better known as a ring of fire - will briefly dim the skies over parts of the western U.S. and Central and South America. As the moon lines up precisely between Earth and the sun, it will blot out all but the sun's outer rim. A bright, blazing border will appear around the moon for as much as five minutes, wowing skygazers along a narrow path stretching from Oregon to Brazil. The celestial showstopper will yield a partial eclipse across the rest of the Western Hemisphere. It's a prelude to the total solar eclipse that will sweep across Mexico, the eastern half of the U.S. and Canada, in six months. Unlike Saturday, when the moon is too far from Earth to completely cover the sun from our perspective, the moon will be at the perfect distance on April 8, 2024. Here's what you need to know about the ring of fire eclipse, where you can see it and how to protect your eyes: ## WHAT'S THE PATH OF THE RING OF FIRE ECLIPSE? The eclipse will carve out a swath about 130 miles (210 kilometers) wide, starting in the North Pacific and entering the U.S. over Oregon around 8 a.m. PDT Saturday. It will culminate in the ring of fire a little over an hour later. From Oregon, the eclipse will head downward across Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas, encompassing slivers of Idaho, California, Arizona and Colorado, before exiting into the Gulf of Mexico at Corpus Christi. It will take less than an hour for the flaming halo to traverse the U.S. From there, the ring of fire will cross Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and, finally, Brazil before its grand finale over the Atlantic. The entire eclipse - from the moment the moon starts to obscure the sun until it's back to normal - will last 2 1/2 to three hours at any given spot. The ring of fire portion lasts from three to five minutes, depending on location. ## WHERE CAN THE ECLIPSE BE SEEN? In the U.S. alone, more than 6.5 million people live along the so-called path of annularity, with another 68 million within 200 miles (322 kilometers), according to NASA's Alex Lockwood, a planetary scientist. "So a few hours' short drive and you can have over 70 million witness this incredible celestial alignment," she said. At the same time, a crescent-shaped partial eclipse will be visible in every U.S. state, although just barely in Hawaii, provided the skies are clear. Canada, Central America and most of South America, also will see a partial eclipse. The closer to the ring of fire path, the bigger the bite the moon will appear to take out of the sun. Can't see it? NASA and others will provide a livestream of the eclipse. ## HOW TO PROTECT YOUR EYES DURING THE ECLIPSE Be sure to use safe, certified solar eclipse glasses, Lockwood stressed. Sunglasses aren't enough to prevent eye damage. Proper protection is needed throughout the eclipse, from the initial partial phase to the ring of fire to the final partial phase. There are other options if you don't have eclipse glasses. You can look indirectly with a pinhole projector that you can make yourself, including one made with a cereal box. Cameras - including those on cellphones - binoculars, or telescopes need special solar filters mounted at the front end. ## SEEING DOUBLE One patch of Texas near San Antonio will be in the cross-hairs of Saturday's eclipse and next April's, with Kerrville near the center. It's one of the locations hosting NASA's livestream. "Is the city of Kerrville excited? Absolutely!!!" Mayor Judy Eychner said in an email. "And having NASA here is just icing on the cake!!!" With Saturday's eclipse coinciding with art, music and river festivals, Eychner expects Kerrville's population of 25,000 to double or even quadruple. ## WHERE'S THE TOTAL ECLIPSE IN APRIL? April's total solar eclipse will crisscross the U.S. in the opposite direction. It will begin in the Pacific and head up through Mexico into Texas, then pass over Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, the northern fringes of Pennsylvania and New York, and New England, before cutting across Canada into the North Atlantic at New Brunswick and Newfoundland. Almost all these places missed out during the United States' coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in 2017. It will be 2039 before another ring of fire is visible in the U.S., and Alaska will be the only state then in the path of totality. And it will be 2046 before another ring of fire crosses into the U.S. Lower 48. That doesn't mean they won't be happening elsewhere: The southernmost tip of South America will get one next October, and Antarctica in 2026. ## GOING AFTER THE SCIENCE NASA and others plan a slew of observations during both eclipses, with rockets and hundreds of balloons soaring. "It's going to be absolutely breathtaking for science," said NASA astrophysicist Madhulika Guhathakurta. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Aroh Barjatya will help launch three NASA-funded sounding rockets from New Mexico's White Sands Missile Range before, during and after Saturday's eclipse. The goal is to see how eclipses set off atmospheric waves in the ionosphere nearly 200 miles (320 kilometers) up that could disrupt communications. Barjatya will be just outside Saturday's ring of fire. And he'll miss April's full eclipse, while launching rockets from Virginia's Wallops Island. "But the bittersweet moment of not seeing annularity or totality will certainly be made up by the science return," he said.
# NASA's first asteroid samples land on Earth after release from spacecraft By MARCIA DUNN September 25, 2023. 12:42 AM EST --- NASA's first asteroid samples fetched from deep space parachuted into the Utah desert Sunday to cap a seven-year journey. In a flyby of Earth, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft released the sample capsule from 63,000 miles (100,000 kilometers) out. The small capsule landed four hours later on a remote expanse of military land, as the mothership set off after another asteroid. "We have touchdown!" Mission Recovery Operations announced, immediately repeating the news since the landing occurred three minutes early. Officials later said the orange striped parachute opened four times higher than anticipated - around 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) - basing it on the deceleration rate. To everyone's relief, the capsule was intact and not breached, keeping its 4.5 billion-year-old samples free of contamination. Within two hours of touchdown, the capsule was inside a temporary clean room at the Defense Department's Utah Test and Training Range, hoisted there by helicopter. The sealed sample canister will be flown on Monday to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where it will be opened in a new, specially designed lab. The building already houses the hundreds of pounds (kilograms) of moon rocks gathered by the Apollo astronauts. "We can't wait to crack into it. For me, the real science is just beginning," said the mission's lead scientist, Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona. He'll accompany the samples all the way to Texas. Lori Glaze, NASA's planetary science division director, added: "Those are going to be a treasure for scientific analysis for years and years and years to come." Scientists estimate the capsule holds at least a cup of rubble from the carbon-rich asteroid known as Bennu, but won't know for sure until the container is opened in a day or two. Some spilled and floated away when the spacecraft scooped up too much material, which jammed the container's lid during collection three years ago. Japan, the only other country to bring back samples, gathered about a teaspoon during a pair of asteroid missions. The pebbles and dust delivered Sunday represent the biggest haul from beyond the moon. Preserved building blocks from the dawn of our solar system, the samples will help scientists better understand how Earth and life formed, providing "an extraordinary glimpse" of 4.5 billion years ago, said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. Osiris-Rex, the mothership, rocketed away on the $1 billion mission in 2016. It reached Bennu two years later and, using a long stick vacuum, grabbed rubble from the small roundish space rock in 2020. By the time it returned, the spacecraft had logged 4 billion miles (6.2 billion kilometers). At a news conference several hours later, Lauretta said he broke into tears of joy upon hearing that the capsule's main parachute had opened. "I knew we had made it home," he said, so overwhelmed with emotion when he arrived at the scene that he wanted to hug the capsule, sooty but undamaged and not even bent. Flight controllers for spacecraft builder Lockheed Martin stood and applauded the touchdown from their base in Colorado. NASA camera views showed the charred capsule upside down on the sand with its parachute disconnected and strewn nearby, as the recovery team moved in via helicopters. "Boy, did we stick that landing," Lauretta said. "It didn't move, it didn't roll, it didn't bounce. It just made a tiny little divot in the Utah soil." British astronomer Daniel Brown, who was not involved in the mission, said he expects "great things" from NASA's largest sample return since the Apollo moon landings more than a half-century ago. With these asteroid samples, "we are edging closer to understanding its early chemical composition, the formation of water and the molecules life is based on," he added from Nottingham Trent University. One Osiris-Rex team member was stuck in England, rehearsing for a concert tour. "My heart's there with you as this precious sample is recovered," Queen's lead guitarist Brian May, who's also an astrophysicist, said in a prerecorded message. "Happy Sample Return Day." Engineers estimate the canister holds 250 grams (8.82 ounces) of material from Bennu, plus or minus 100 grams (3.53 ounces). Even at the low end, it will easily surpass the minimum requirement of the mission, Lauretta said. It will take a few weeks to get a precise measurement, said NASA's lead curator Nicole Lunning. NASA plans a public show-and-tell in October. Currently orbiting the sun 50 million miles (81 million kilometers) from Earth, Bennu is about one-third of a mile (one-half of a kilometer) across, roughly the size of the Empire State Building but shaped like a spinning top. It's believed to be the broken fragment of a much larger asteroid. During a two-year survey, Osiris-Rex found Bennu to be a chunky rubble pile full of boulders and craters. The surface was so loose that the spacecraft's vacuum arm sank a foot or two (0.5 meters) into the asteroid, sucking up more material than anticipated. These close-up observations may come in handy late next century. Bennu is expected to come dangerously close to Earth in 2182 - possibly close enough to hit. The data gleaned by Osiris-Rex will help with any asteroid-deflection effort, according to Lauretta. Osiris-Rex is already chasing after the asteroid Apophis, and will reach it in 2029. This was NASA's third sample return from a deep-space robotic mission. The Genesis spacecraft dropped off bits of solar wind in 2004, but the samples were compromised when the parachute failed and the capsule slammed into the ground. The Stardust spacecraft successfully delivered comet dust in 2006. NASA's plans to return samples from Mars are on hold after an independent review board criticized the cost and complexity. The Martian rover Perseverance has spent the past two years collecting core samples for eventual transport to Earth.
# The fall equinox is here. What does that mean? By MADDIE BURAKOFF September 22, 2023. 10:09 AM EST --- NEW YORK (AP) - Fall is in the air - officially. The equinox arrives on Saturday, marking the start of the fall season for the Northern Hemisphere. But what does that actually mean? Here's what to know about how we split up the year using the Earth's orbit. ## WHAT IS THE EQUINOX? As the Earth travels around the sun, it does so at an angle. For most of the year, the Earth's axis is tilted either toward or away from the sun. That means the sun's warmth and light fall unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet. During the equinox, the Earth's axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight. The word equinox comes from two Latin words meaning equal and night. That's because on the equinox, day and night last almost the same amount of time - though one may get a few extra minutes, depending on where you are on the planet. The Northern Hemisphere's spring - or vernal - equinox can land between March 19 and 21, depending on the year. Its fall - or autumnal - equinox can land between Sept. 21 and 24. ## WHAT IS THE SOLSTICE? The solstices mark the times during the year when the Earth is seeing its strongest tilt toward or away from the sun. This means the hemispheres are getting very different amounts of sunlight - and days and nights are at their most unequal. During the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice, the upper half of the earth is tilted in toward the sun, creating the longest day and shortest night of the year. This solstice falls between June 20 and 22. Meanwhile, at the winter solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is leaning away from the sun - leading to the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice falls between December 20 and 23. ## WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN METEOROLOGICAL AND ASTRONOMICAL SEASONS? These are just two different ways to carve up the year. Meteorological seasons are defined by the weather. They break down the year into three-month seasons based on annual temperature cycles. By that calendar, spring starts on March 1, summer on June 1, fall on Sept. 1 and winter on Dec. 1. Astronomical seasons depend on how the Earth moves around the sun. Equinoxes, when the sun lands equally on both hemispheres, mark the start of spring and autumn. Solstices, when the Earth sees its strongest tilt toward or away from the sun, kick off summer and winter.
# NASA spacecraft delivering biggest sample yet from an asteroid By MARCIA DUNN September 20, 2023. 12:48 PM EST --- Planet Earth is about to receive a special delivery - the biggest sample yet from an asteroid. A NASA spacecraft will fly by Earth on Sunday and drop off what is expected to be at least a cupful of rubble it grabbed from the asteroid Bennu, closing out a seven-year quest. The sample capsule will parachute into the Utah desert as its mothership, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft, zooms off for an encounter with another asteroid. Scientists anticipate getting about a half pound (250 grams) of pebbles and dust, much more than the teaspoon or so brought back by Japan from two other asteroids. No other country has fetched pieces of asteroids, preserved time capsules from the dawn of our solar system that can help explain how Earth - and life - came to be. Sunday's landing concludes a 4 billion-mile (6.2-billion-kilometer) journey highlighted by the rendezvous with the carbon-rich Bennu, a unique pogo stick-style touchdown and sample grab, a jammed lid that sent some of the stash spilling into space, and now the return of NASA's first asteroid samples. "I ask myself how many heart-pounding moments can you have in one lifetime because I feel like I might be hitting my limit," said the University of Arizona's Dante Lauretta, the mission's lead scientist. A brief look at the spacecraft and its cargo: ## THE LONG JOURNEY Asteroid chaser Osiris-Rex blasted off on the $1 billion mission in 2016. It arrived at Bennu in 2018 and spent the next two years flying around the small spinning space rock and scouting out the best place to grab samples. Three years ago, the spacecraft swooped in and reached out with its 11-foot (3-meter) stick vacuum, momentarily touching the asteroid's surface and sucking up dust and pebbles. The device pressed down with such force and grabbed so much that rocks became wedged around the rim of the lid. As samples drifted off into space, Lauretta and his team scrambled to get the remaining material into the capsule. The exact amount inside won't be known until the container is opened. ## ASTEROID BENNU Discovered in 1999, Bennu is believed to be a remnant of a much larger asteroid that collided with another space rock. It's barely one-third of a mile (half a kilometer) wide, roughly the height of the Empire State Building, and its black rugged surface is packed with boulders. Roundish in shape like a spinning top, Bennu orbits the sun every 14 months, while rotating every four hours. Scientists believe Bennu holds leftovers from the solar system's formation 4.5 billion years ago. It may come dangerously close and strike Earth on Sept. 24, 2182 - exactly 159 years after the asteroid's first pieces arrive. Osiris-Rex's up-close study can help humanity figure out how to deflect Bennu if needed, Lauretta said. ## GAME DAY Osiris-Rex will release the sample capsule from 63,000 miles (100,000 kilometers) out, four hours before it's due to touch down at the Defense Department's Utah Test and Training Range on Sunday morning. The release command will come from spacecraft builder Lockheed Martin's control center in Colorado. Soon afterward, the mothership will steer away and take off to explore another asteroid. The capsule - nearly 3 feet wide (81 centimeters) and 1.6 feet tall (50 centimeters) - will hit the atmosphere at 27,650 mph (44,500 kph) for the final 13 minutes of descent remaining. The main parachute will slow the last mile (1.6 kilometers), allowing for a mild 11 mph (18 kph) touchdown. Once everything is deemed safe, the capsule will be hustled by helicopter to a makeshift clean lab at the range. The next morning, a plane will carry the sealed container full of rubble to Houston, home to NASA's Johnson Space Center. NASA is livestreaming the touchdown, set for around 10:55 a.m. EDT. ## CLEANER THAN CLEAN A new lab at Johnson will be limited to the Bennu rubble to avoid cross-contamination with other collections, said NASA curator Kevin Righter. Building 31 already holds the moon rocks brought back by the Apollo astronauts from 1969 through 1972, as well as comet dust and specks of solar wind collected during two previous missions and Mars meteorites found in Antarctica. The asteroid samples will be handled inside nitrogen-purging gloveboxes by staff in head-to-toe clean room suits. NASA plans a splashy public reveal of Bennu's riches on Oct. 11. ## ASTEROID AUTUMN This fall is what NASA is calling Asteroid Autumn, with three asteroid missions marking major milestones. The Osiris-Rex touchdown will be followed by the launch of another asteroid hunter on Oct. 5. Both the NASA spacecraft and its target - a metal asteroid - are named Psyche. Then a month later, NASA's Lucy spacecraft will encounter its first asteroid since soaring from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 2021. Lucy will swoop past Dinkinesh in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter on Nov. 1. It's a warmup for Lucy's unprecedented tour of the so-called Trojans, swarms of asteroids that shadow Jupiter around the sun. Neither Psyche nor Lucy will collect souvenirs, nor will Osiris-Rex on its next assignment, to explore the asteroid Apophis in 2029. ## OTHER SAMPLE RETURNS This is NASA's third sample return from deep space, not counting the hundreds of pounds (kilograms) of moon rocks gathered by the Apollo astronauts. The agency's first robotic sample grab ended with a bang in 2004. The capsule bearing solar wind particles slammed into the Utah desert and shattered, compromising the samples. Two years later, a U.S. capsule with comet dust landed intact. Japan's first asteroid sample mission returned microscopic grains from asteroid Itokawa in 2010. It's second trip yielded about 5 grams - a teaspoon or so- from the asteroid Ryugu in 2020. The Soviet Union transported moon samples to Earth during the 1970s, and China returned lunar material in 2020.
# Across the Northern Hemisphere, now's the time to catch a new comet before it vanishes for 400 years By MARCIA DUNN September 6, 2023. 1:23 PM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - A newly discovered comet is swinging through our cosmic neighborhood for the first time in more than 400 years. Stargazers across the Northern Hemisphere should catch a glimpse as soon as possible - either this week or early next - because it will be another 400 years before the wandering ice ball returns. The comet, which is kilometer-sized (1/2-mile), will sweep safely past Earth on Sept. 12, passing within 78 million miles (125 million kilometers). Early risers should look toward the northeastern horizon about 1 1/2 hours before dawn - to be specific, less than 10 or so degrees above the horizon near the constellation Leo. The comet will brighten as it gets closer to the sun, but will drop lower in the sky, making it tricky to spot. Although visible to the naked eye, the comet is extremely faint. "So you really need a good pair of binoculars to pick it out and you also need to know where to look," said said Paul Chodas, manager of NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies. The comet will come closest to the sun - closer than Mercury is - on about Sept. 17 before departing the solar system. That's assuming it doesn't disintegrate when it buzzes the sun, though Chodas said "it's likely to survive its passage." Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, said in an email that the next week represents "the last, feasible chances" to see the comet from the Northern Hemisphere before it's lost in the sun's glare. "The comet looks amazing right now, with a long, highly structured tail, a joy to image with a telescope," he said. If it survives its brush with the sun, the comet should be visible in the Southern Hemisphere by the end of September, Masi said, sitting low on the horizon in the evening twilight. Stargazers have been tracking the rare green comet ever since its discovery by an amateur Japanese astronomer in mid-August. The Nishimura comet now bears his name. It's unusual for an amateur to discover a comet these days, given all the professional sky surveys by powerful ground telescopes, Chodas said, adding, "this is his third find, so good for him." The comet last visited about 430 years ago, Chodas said. That's about a decade or two before Galileo invented the telescope.
# Rare blue supermoon dazzles stargazers around the globe By MARCIA DUNN August 31, 2023. 9:07 AM EST --- A rare blue supermoon - the closest full moon of the year - dazzled stargazers Wednesday night. Saturn joined the celestial spectacle, visible alongside the moon, at least where skies were clear. It was the second full moon of August, thus the blue label. And it was unusually close to Earth, therefore a supermoon. The moon appeared to be bigger and brighter than usual, given its close proximity to Earth: just 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) or so. The Aug. 1 supermoon was more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) farther away. If you missed it, it will be a long wait: The next blue supermoon isn't until 2037. But another regular supermoon is on the horizon at the end of September, the last one of the year.
# Rare blue supermoon brightens the night sky this week in the closest full moon of the year By MARCIA DUNN August 29, 2023. 5:00 AM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Stargazers are in for a double treat this week: a rare blue supermoon with Saturn peeking from behind. The cosmic curtain rises Wednesday night with the second full moon of the month, the reason it's considered blue. It's dubbed a supermoon because it's closer to Earth than usual, appearing especially big and bright. This will be the closest full moon of the year, just 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) or so away. That's more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) closer than the Aug. 1 supermoon. As a bonus, Saturn will be visible as a bright point 5 degrees to the upper right of the moon at sunset in the east-southeastern sky, according to NASA. The ringed planet will appear to circle clockwise around the moon as the night wears on. If you missed the month's first spectacle, better catch this one. There won't be another blue supermoon until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project. Clouds spoiled Masi's attempt to livestream the supermoon rising earlier this month. He's hoping for clearer skies this time so he can capture the blue supermoon shining above St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Weather permitting, observers don't need binoculars or telescopes - "just their own eyes." said Masi. "I'm always excited to admire the beauty of the night sky," he said, especially when it features a blue supermoon. The first supermoon of 2023 was in July. The fourth and last will be in September.
# The Perseid meteor shower peaks this weekend and it's even better this year By MADDIE BURAKOFF August 9, 2023. 12:46 PM EST --- NEW YORK (AP) - The annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak this weekend, sending bright trails of light streaking across the night sky. With only a sliver of moon in the sky, conditions this year will be ideal for seeing lots of meteors. "If you've got nice clear weather and a good dark sky, you go out just before dawn and you'll see a Perseid per minute or so," said NASA meteor scientist Bill Cooke. "That's a pretty good show." Here's how to watch the meteor shower: ## WHAT ARE THE PERSEIDS? The Perseids - one of the biggest meteor showers we can see - occur every year in the late summer. Meteor showers happen when the Earth moves through fields of debris floating around in space. The Perseids come from comet Swift-Tuttle, a big ball of ice and rock that sheds pieces of dusty debris as it orbits around the sun. When the Earth passes by, those bits get caught in our atmosphere and burn up, creating the streaking lights. The Perseids get their name from the constellation Perseus, because the meteors' paths appear to start out from this point in the sky. ## WHEN IS THE SHOWER? This year's shower is already active, but the main event will be this weekend, when the shower reaches its peak from Saturday night into Sunday morning. Starting around 11 p.m. local time Saturday, a few meteors will start to show up - maybe one every 15 minutes, Cooke estimated. They'll keep picking up the pace until before dawn on Sunday, when "you'll see meteors appear all over the place," he said. ## HOW CAN I SEE THEM? During this weekend's peak, the moon will be a waning crescent - just a small slice in the sky. That's good news because a bright moon can make it harder to spot the meteors. Last year, the moon was full during the peak. Anyone in the Northern Hemisphere will have a good view this year, as long as the sky is clear of light pollution and clouds. You don't need any equipment to see them, but you will need to give your eyes around half an hour to adjust to the dark. Avoid looking at your cellphone since that can ruin your night vision. The Perseids can appear anywhere in the sky. So just "lie on your back, look away from the moon and take in as much sky as you can," Cooke said.
# NASA hears signal from Voyager 2 spacecraft after mistakenly cutting contact By MARCIA DUNN August 1, 2023. 9:25 AM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - After days of silence, NASA has heard from Voyager 2 in interstellar space billions of miles away. Flight controllers accidentally sent a wrong command nearly two weeks ago that tilted the spacecraft's antenna away from Earth and severed contact. NASA's Deep Space Network, giant radio antennas across the globe, picked up a "heartbeat signal," meaning the 46-year-old craft is alive and operating, project manager Suzanne Dodd said in an email Tuesday. The news "buoyed our spirits," Dodd said. Flight controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California will now try to turn Voyager 2's antenna back toward Earth. If the command doesn't work - and controllers doubt it will - they'll have to wait until October for an automatic spacecraft reset. The antenna is only 2% off-kilter. "That is a long time to wait, so we'll try sending up commands several times" before then, Dodd said. Voyager 2 rocketed into space in 1977, along with its identical twin Voyager 1, on a quest to explore the outer planets. Still communicating and working fine, Voyager 1 is now 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth, making it the most distant spacecraft. Voyager 2 trails its twin in interstellar space at more than 12 billion miles (19 billion kilometers) from Earth. At that distance, it takes more than 18 hours for a signal to travel one way.
# Two supermoons in August mean double the stargazing fun By MARCIA DUNN July 29, 2023. 5:46 PM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - The cosmos is offering up a double feature in August: a pair of supermoons culminating in a rare blue moon. Catch the first show Tuesday evening as the full moon rises in the southeast, appearing slightly brighter and bigger than normal. That's because it will be closer than usual, just 222,159 miles (357,530 kilometers) away, thus the supermoon label. The moon will be even closer the night of Aug. 30 - a scant 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) distant. Because it's the second full moon in the same month, it will be what's called a blue moon. "Warm summer nights are the ideal time to watch the full moon rise in the eastern sky within minutes of sunset. And it happens twice in August," said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, dubbed Mr. Eclipse for his eclipse-chasing expertise. The last time two full supermoons graced the sky in the same month was in 2018. It won't happen again until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project. Masi will provide a live webcast of Tuesday evening's supermoon, as it rises over the Coliseum in Rome. "My plans are to capture the beauty of this ... hopefully bringing the emotion of the show to our viewers," Masi said in an email. "The supermoon offers us a great opportunity to look up and discover the sky," he added. This year's first supermoon was in July. The fourth and last will be in September. The two in August will be closer than either of those. Provided clear skies, binoculars or backyard telescopes can enhance the experience, Espenak said, revealing such features as lunar maria - the dark plains formed by ancient volcanic lava flows - and rays emanating from lunar craters. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the August full moon is traditionally known as the sturgeon moon. That's because of the abundance of that fish in the Great Lakes in August, hundreds of years ago.
# Two planets sharing same orbit around their star? Astronomers find strongest evidence yet By MARCIA DUNN July 19, 2023. 1:13 PM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Astronomers reported Wednesday the discovery of what could be two planets sharing the same orbit around their star. They said it's the strongest evidence yet of this bizarre cosmic pairing, long suspected but never proven. Using a telescope in Chile, the Spanish-led team spotted a cloud of debris in the same orbit as an already confirmed planet circling this star, 370 light-years away in the constellation Centaurus. They suspect it's either a planet in formation or remnants of a planet that once was. Asteroids are known to accompany planets around their star - for example, Jupiter and its so-called Trojan asteroids. But planets in the same orbit "have so far been like unicorns," noted study co-author Jorge Lillo-Box of Madrid's Center for Astrobiology. "They are allowed to exist by theory, but no one has ever detected them," he said in a statement. The scientists said they will need to wait until 2026 in order to properly track the two objects around the star known as PDS 70. The confirmed planet with the suspected tagalong takes 119 years to complete a lap. A gas giant, it's three times the size of Jupiter. Another gas giant is known to circle this star, albeit from a much greater distance. Lead author Olga Balsalobre-Ruza of the Center for Astrobiology in Madrid, said the findings, published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, are "the first evidence" that such double worlds might exist. "We can imagine that a planet can share its orbit with thousands of asteroids as in the case of Jupiter, but it is mind-blowing to me that planets could share the same orbit," she said in a statement.
# Northern lights might be visible this week, but most of the US won't see them By MADDIE BURAKOFF July 12, 2023. 7:33 PM EST --- NEW YORK (AP) - The northern lights could put on a show this week - though the audience will be much smaller than some early forecasts had suggested. The sky spectacle will be fairly typical: Stretches of Canada have a chance to spot the shimmering curtain of the aurora borealis, while a few in the U.S. could see a faint reddish glow on the horizon. Here's what to know about the updated predictions. ## WHO CAN SEE THE LIGHTS THIS WEEK? An early forecast by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, suggested that the northern lights could be visible much farther south than usual this week. But that forecast was based on long-term predictions about the solar activity responsible for the display. Forecasts using more current data from NOAA predict nothing special for the U.S. "For the same reasons that it's hard to predict weather on Earth, it's hard to predict weather in space," said Northeastern University physicist Jonathan Blazek. In North America, the predictions show a broad stretch of Canada and Alaska could see the northern lights overhead Wednesday and Thursday. Those in small slices of the contiguous U.S. - including parts of Wisconsin, Michigan and Montana - could also get a peek. But for them the aurora will probably be a "faint glow on the horizon," rather than a shimmering green curtain, said Lt. Bryan Brasher, a project manager for NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. For those in range, seeking out clear, dark skies between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. will give the best chance to see the aurora's colorful glow. ## WHAT CAUSES THE NORTHERN LIGHTS? The northern lights happen when particles from the sun make their way toward Earth and collide with our planet's atmosphere. The sun is constantly sending material our way in a stream known as the solar wind. These particles carry an electric charge, and when they bump into gases such as oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere, they transfer some of their energy - "like two billiard balls hitting each other," Brasher said. This puts the atoms and molecules in an excited state. They shake off some of that energy in the form of light, creating the colorful displays of greens, blues, pinks and reds. This solar wind is always flowing, but its levels can vary. "There are solar storms where you get more particles than usual. It's windier than usual," Blazek said. "There's also periods when it's fairly quiet." It's during those periods of stronger solar wind activity when we tend to see more auroras, Blazek explained. More solar particles can make the northern lights brighter and also push them down toward the equator - giving people farther south a view. Sometimes, the sun also shoots out huge amounts of plasma in what's known as a coronal mass ejection, Brasher said. If one of these outbursts hits Earth, even in a "glancing blow," it can disturb our planet's magnetic field and also cause shimmering auroras. ## HOW IS IT PREDICTED? Scientists are constantly monitoring the sun using telescopes on Earth and in space in part because space weather can impact radio communications, satellites, power grids and more, Brasher said. The sun spins on its axis once every 27 days. So, if scientists notice a spot with high activity, they might get a hint that it could come back around in a few weeks, he said. But conditions can change by the time the sun makes a full rotation. Even then, there are so many factors at play that it can be hard to be sure about what's to come. Generally, the sun's activity is "on the up-and-up" as we're heading toward a solar maximum in the next couple of years, Brasher said. So we may be seeing more solar storms soon - which will mean more northern lights. "Everyone should stay tuned, because we probably have a lot more coming," Brasher said.
# Webb Space Telescope reveals moment of stellar birth, dramatic close-up of 50 baby stars By MARCIA DUNN July 12, 2023. 6:55 AM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - The Webb Space Telescope is marking one year of cosmic photographs with one of its best yet: the dramatic close-up of dozens of stars at the moment of birth. NASA unveiled the latest snapshot Wednesday, revealing 50 baby stars in a cloud complex 390 light-years away. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles (9.7 trillion kilometers). The region is relatively small and quiet yet full of illuminated gases, jets of hydrogen and even dense cocoons of dust with the delicate beginnings of even more stars. All of the young stars appear to be no bigger than our sun. Scientists said the breathtaking shot provides the best clarity yet of this brief phase of a star's life. "It's like a glimpse of what our own system would have looked like billions of years ago when it was forming," NASA program scientist Eric Smith told The Associated Press. Smith pointed out that the starlight visible in the image actually left there 390 years ago. On Earth in 1633, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei went on trial in Rome for saying that the Earth revolved around the sun. The Vatican in 1992 acknowledged Galileo was wronged. This cloud complex, known as Rho Ophiuchi, is the closest star-forming region to Earth and is found in the sky near the border of the constellations Ophiuchus and Scorpius, the serpent-bearer and scorpion. With no stars in the foreground of the photo, NASA noted, the details stand out all the more. Some of the stars display shadows indicating possible planets in the making, according to NASA. It "presents star birth as an impressionistic masterpiece," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a tweet. Webb - the largest and most powerful astronomical observatory ever launched into space - has been churning out cosmic beauty shots for the past year. The first pictures from the $10 billion infrared telescope were unveiled last July, six months after its liftoff from French Guiana. It's considered the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, orbiting Earth for 33 years. A joint NASA-European Space Agency effort, Webb scans the universe from a more distant perch, 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away. Still ahead for Webb: Astronomers hope to behold the earliest stars and galaxies of the universe while scouring the cosmos for any hints of life on planets outside our solar system. "We haven't found one of them yet," Smith said. "But we're still only one year into the mission."
# NASA capsule flies over Apollo landing sites, heads home By MARCIA DUNN December 5, 2022. 2:33 PM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA's Orion capsule and its test dummies swooped one last time around the moon Monday, flying over a couple Apollo landing sites before heading home. Orion will aim for a Pacific splashdown Sunday off San Diego, setting the stage for astronauts on the next flight in a couple years. The capsule passed within 80 miles (130 kilometers) of the far side of the moon, using the lunar gravity as a slingshot for the 237,000-mile (380,000-kilometer) ride back to Earth. It spent a week in a wide, sweeping lunar orbit. Once emerging from behind the moon and regaining communication with flight controllers in Houston, Orion beamed back photos of a close-up moon and a crescent Earth - Earthrise - in the distance. "Orion now has its sights set on home," said Mission Control commentator Sandra Jones. The capsule also passed over the landing sites of Apollo 12 and 14. But at 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) up, it was too high to make out the descent stages of the lunar landers or anything else left behind by astronauts more than a half-century ago. During a similar flyover two weeks ago, it was too dark for pictures. This time, it was daylight. Deputy chief flight director Zebulon Scoville said nearby craters and other geologic features would be visible in any pictures, but little else. "It will be more of a tip of the hat and a historical nod to the past," Scoville told reporters last week. The three-week test flight has exceeded expectations so far, according to officials. But the biggest challenge still lies ahead: hitting the atmosphere at more than 30 times the speed of sound and surviving the fiery reentry. Orion blasted off Nov. 16 on the debut flight of NASA's most powerful rocket ever, the Space Launch System or SLS. The next flight - as early as 2024 - will attempt to carry four astronauts around the moon. The third mission, targeted for 2025, will feature the first lunar landing by astronauts since the Apollo moon program ended 50 years ago this month. Apollo 17 rocketed away Dec. 7, 1972, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, carrying Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt and Ron Evans. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface, the longest stay of the Apollo era, while Evans orbited the moon. Only Schmitt is still alive.
# 3 Chinese astronauts return to Earth after 6-month mission December 4, 2022. 8:56 AM EST --- BEIJING (AP) - Three Chinese astronauts landed in a northern desert on Sunday after six months working to complete construction of the Tiangong station, a symbol of the country's ambitious space program, state TV reported. A capsule carrying commander Chen Dong and astronauts Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe touched down at a landing site in the Gobi Desert in northern China at approximately 8:10 p.m. (1210 GMT), China Central Television reported. Prior to departure, they overlapped for almost five days with three colleagues who arrived Wednesday on the Shenzhou-15 mission for their own six-month stay, marking the first time China had six astronauts in space at the same time. The station's third and final module docked with the station this month. The astronauts were carried out of the capsule by medical workers about 40 minutes after touchdown. They were all smiles, and appeared to be in good condition, waving happily at workers at the landing site. "I am very fortunate to have witnessed the completion of the basic structure of the Chinese space station after six busy and fulfilling months in space," said Chen, who was the first to exit the capsule. "Like meteors, we returned to the embrace of the motherland." Liu, another of the astronauts, said that she was moved to see relatives and her fellow compatriots. The three astronauts were part of the Shenzhou-14 mission, which launched in June. After their arrival at Tiangong, Chen, Liu and Cai oversaw five rendezvous and dockings with various spacecraft including one carrying the third of the station's three modules. They also performed three spacewalks, beamed down a live science lecture from the station, and conducted a range of experiments. The Tiangong is part of official Chinese plans for a permanent human presence in orbit. China built its own station after it was excluded from the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. objections over the Chinese space programs' close ties to the People's Liberation Army, the military wing of the ruling Communist Party. With the arrival of the Shenzhou-15 mission, the station expanded to its maximum weight of 100 tons. Without attached spacecraft, the Chinese station weighs about 66 tons - a fraction of the International Space Station, which launched its first module in 1998 and weighs around 465 tons. With a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, Tiangong could one day be the only space station still up and running if the International Space Station retires by around the end of the decade as expected. China in 2003 became the third government to send an astronaut into orbit on its own after the former Soviet Union and the United States. China has also chalked up uncrewed mission successes: Its Yutu 2 rover was the first to explore the little-known far side of the moon. Its Chang'e 5 probe also returned lunar rocks to Earth in December 2020 for the first time since the 1970s, and another Chinese rover is searching for evidence of life on Mars. Officials are reported to be considering an eventual crewed mission to the moon, although no timeline has been offered.
# Molten lava on Hawaii's Big Island could block main highway By AUDREY McAVOY and HAVEN DALEY December 3, 2022. 2:34 AM EST --- HILO, Hawaii (AP) - Many people on the Big Island of Hawaii are bracing for major upheaval if lava from Mauna Loa volcano slides across a key highway and blocks the quickest route connecting two sides of the island. The molten rock could make the road impassable and force drivers to find alternate coastal routes in the north and south. That could add hours to commute times, doctor's visits and freight truck deliveries. "I am very nervous about it being cut off," said Frank Manley, a licensed practical nurse whose commute is already an hour and 45 minutes each way from his home in Hilo to a Kaiser Permanente clinic in Kailua-Kona. If the highway closes, he anticipates driving two-and-a-half to three hours in each direction. Manley fears he might lose pay if an accident or other traffic disruption along an alternate route delays his arrival. The lava is oozing slowly at a rate that might reach the road next week. But its path is unpredictable and could change course, or the flow could stop completely and spare the highway. The slow-moving flow was coursing about 2.7 miles (4.3 kilometers) from the road Friday, U.S. Geological Survey scientists reported. There are more affordable housing options on the island's east side, home to the county seat, Hilo. But many jobs at beach resorts, in construction and other industries are readily available on the west side, where Kailua-Kona is located. Saddle Road, also known as Route 200 or Daniel K. Inouye Highway, connects the two communities. The state Department of Transportation took steps Thursday to remove potential traffic obstacles on the northern coastal route by reopening a lane across Nanue Bridge that was closed for repairs. Hilo also is one of the island's major harbors, where a wide variety of goods arrive by ship before proceeding across the island by truck. Hawaii County Councilor Susan "Sue" L. K. Lee Loy, who represents Hilo and parts of Puna, said she's concerned about big rigs traveling across aging coastal bridges. "It's going to take a lot to rethink how we move about on Hawaii Island," she said. Manley said he would have to get up at 3 a.m. to reach work by 8 a.m. If he left at 5 p.m., he wouldn't get home until 8 p.m. "That drastically reduces my amount of time that I would be able to spend with my family," he said. Tanya Harrison of Hilo said she would need a full day off work to travel to her doctor in Kona. There are more than 200,000 Big Island residents. Amidst throngs of tourists, delivery trucks and commuters forced to reroute, Harrison said she couldn't imagine the congestion. "It might even be quicker just to fly to Honolulu," she said of the hour flight. "There's no line at the Hilo airport. Fly over, see the doctor, come back would actually be quicker than driving." Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa plans to provide rooms at a Kailua-Kona hotel so its dozen or so Hilo-based employees can avoid the long commute five days per week. A shutdown could also affect major astronomy research at the summit of Mauna Kea, a 13,803-foot (4,207-meter) peak next to Mauna Loa that is home to some of the world's most advanced telescopes. The road heading to Mauna Kea's summit is midway between Hilo and Kona. If lava crosses Saddle Road on either side of Mauna Kea Access Road, many telescope workers would be forced to take long, circuitous routes. Rich Matsuda, associate director for external relations at W.M. Keck Observatory, said telescopes may need to adjust staff schedules and house workers at a facility partway up the mountain for a while so they don't have to commute. There's also a chance the lava flow may head directly across the lower part of Mauna Kea Access Road, which could block workers from reaching the summit. Matsuda hopes they'll be able to use gravel or other bypass routes if that happens. The telescopes previously have shut down for multi-day or weeklong winter storms. "So we're prepared to do that if we have to," Matsuda said. Hilo resident Hayley Hina Barcia worries about the difficulty of reaching west-side surf spots and relatives in different parts of the island. "A lot of my family is on the Puna side and we have other family in Kona," Barcia said. "We use this road to see each other, especially with the holidays coming up, to spend time, so we're looking to have to go several hours longer to go the south way or taking the north road." Geologists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said if Mauna Loa follows historical patterns, they expect the eruption, which began Sunday night, to continue for one to two weeks. Since then, traffic has clogged the road as people try to glimpse the lava. A handful of resulting accidents included a two-vehicle crash that sent two people to the hospital with "not serious injuries," Hawaii Police Department spokesperson Denise Laitinen said. U.S. Rep. Ed Case and U.S. Rep. Kaiali'i Kahele sent a letter to President Joe Biden saying Hawaii County would need "immediate help" to keep island communities safe if lava flow blocks the highway. The two Hawaii Democrats noted that restricted access could hinder emergency services because one of the island's primary hospitals is on the east side.
# Chinese spaceship with 3 aboard docks with space station November 30, 2022. 12:35 AM EST --- BEIJING (AP) - Three Chinese astronauts docked early Wednesday with their country's space station, where they will overlap for several days with the three-member crew already onboard and expand the facility to its maximum size. Docking with the Tiangong station came at 5:42 a.m. Wednesday, about 6 1/2 hours after the Shenzhou-15 spaceship blasted off atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The six-month mission, commanded by Fei Junlong and crewed by Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, will be the last in the station's construction phase, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The station's third and final module docked earlier this month, one of the last steps in China's effort to maintain a constant crewed presence in orbit. The crew of the Shenzhou-15 will spend several days working with the existing three-member crew of the Tiangong station, who will return to Earth after their six-month mission. Fei, 57, is a veteran of the 2005 four-day Shenzhou-6 mission, the second time China sent a human into space. Deng and Zhang are making their first space flights. The station has now expanded to its maximum size, with three modules and three spacecraft attached for a total mass of nearly 100 tons. Tiangong can accommodate six astronauts at a time and the handover will take about a week. That marks the station's first in-orbit crew rotation. China has not yet said what further work is needed to complete the station. Next year, it plans to launch the Xuntian space telescope, which, while not part of Tiangong, will orbit in sequence with the station and can dock occasionally with it for maintenance. Without the attached spacecraft, the Chinese station weighs about 66 tons - a fraction of the International Space Station, which launched its first module in 1998 and weighs around 465 tons. With a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, Tiangong could one day be the only space station still up and running if the International Space Station retires in the coming years as planned. While China's crewed space program is officially three decades old this year, it truly got underway in 2003, when China became only the third country after the U.S. and Russia to put a human into space using its own resources. The program is run by the ruling Communist Party's military wing, the People's Liberation Army, and has proceeded almost entirely without outside support. The U.S. excluded China from the International Space Station because of its program's military ties, although China has engaged in limited cooperation with other nations' space agencies. China has also chalked up uncrewed mission successes: Its Yutu 2 rover was the first to explore the little-known far side of the moon. China's Chang'e 5 probe also returned lunar rocks to Earth in December 2020 for the first time since the 1970s, and another Chinese rover is searching for evidence of life on Mars. Officials are reporting considering an eventual crewed mission to the moon, although no timeline has been offered, even as NASA presses ahead with its Artemis lunar exploration program that aims to send four astronauts around the moon in 2024 and land humans there as early as 2025. While proceeding smoothly for the most part, China's space program has also drawn controversy. Beijing brushed off complaints that it has allowed rocket stages to fall to Earth uncontrolled after NASA accused it of "failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris." In that case, parts of a Chinese rocket landed in the Indian Ocean. China is also reportedly developing a highly secret space plane and its increasing space capabilities feature in the latest Pentagon defense strategy, which said the program was a component of China's "holistic approach to joint warfare."
# Biden, Macron ready to talk Ukraine, trade in state visit By Aamer Madhani and Sylvie Corbet November 29, 2022. 8:33 PM EST --- WASHINGTON (AP) - French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Washington on Tuesday for the first state visit of Joe Biden's presidency - a revival of diplomatic pageantry that had been put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Biden-Macron relationship had a choppy start. Macron briefly recalled France's ambassador to the United States last year after the White House announced a deal to sell nuclear submarines to Australia, undermining a contract for France to sell diesel-powered submarines. But the relationship has turned around with Macron emerging as one of Biden's most forward-facing European allies in the Western response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This week's visit - it will include Oval Office talks, a glitzy dinner, a news conference and more - comes at a critical moment for both leaders. The leaders have a long agenda for their Thursday meeting at the White House, including Iran's nuclear program, China's increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific and growing concerns about security and stability in Africa's Sahel region, according to U.S. and French officials. But front and center during their Oval Office meeting will be Russia's war in Ukraine, as both Biden and Macron work to maintain economic and military support for Kyiv as it tries to repel Russian forces. The visit also comes as both Washington and Paris are keeping an eye on China after protests broke out last weekend in several mainland cities and Hong Kong over Beijing's "zero COVID" strategy. At a red carpet arrival ceremony after landing in Washington on Tuesday evening, Macron ignored a shouted question from a reporter about whether he and Biden planned to discuss the China protests - the biggest show of public dissent in China in decades. In Washington, Republicans are set to take control of the House, where GOP leader Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday following a meeting with Biden and fellow congressional leaders again vowed that Republicans will not write a "blank check" for Ukraine. Across the Atlantic, Macron's efforts to keep Europe united will be tested by the mounting costs of supporting Ukraine in the nine-month war and as Europe battles rising energy prices that threaten to derail the post-pandemic economic recovery. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Monday described Macron as the "dynamic leader" of America's oldest ally while explaining Biden's decision to honor the French president with the first state visit of his presidency. The U.S. tradition of honoring foreign heads of state dates back to Ulysses S. Grant, who hosted King David Kalakaua of the Kingdom of Hawaii for a more than 20-course White House dinner, but the tradition has been on hold since 2019 because of COVID-19 concerns. "If you look at what's going on in Ukraine, look at what's going on in the Indo Pacific and the tensions with China, France is really at the center of all those things," Kirby said. "And so the president felt that this was exactly the right and the most appropriate country to start with for state visits." Macron was also Republican Donald Trump's pick as the first foreign leader to be honored with a state visit during his term. The 2018 state visit included a jaunt by the two leaders to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, America's founding president. French government spokesperson Olivier Veran said Tuesday that Macron's second state visit is "a strong symbol of the partnership between France and the United States." It shows "very strong ties" between the countries and comes at a moment where the world is faced with important international issues, including the war in Ukraine, food security, climate and energy, he said. Veran added that there is a need for "re-synchronizing" the agendas of the European Union and the United States to face crises, especially on energy and rising prices. Macron has a packed day of meetings and appearances in and around Washington on Wednesday - including a visit to NASA headquarters with Vice President Kamala Harris and talks with Biden administration officials on nuclear energy. On Thursday, Macron will have his private meeting with Biden followed by a joint news conference and visits to the State Department and Capitol Hill before Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, are feted at the state dinner. Grammy winner Jon Batiste is to provide the entertainment. The White House prepared for days for Macron's arrival, setting up a large tent for the festivities on the South Lawn and decorating light poles bordering the White House complex with French flags. Macron will head to New Orleans on Friday, where he is to announce plans to expand programming to support French language education in U.S. schools, according to French officials. For all of that, there are still areas of tension in the U.S.-French relationship. Biden has steered clear of embracing Macron's calls on Ukraine to resume peace talks with Russia, something Biden has repeatedly said is a decision solely in the hands of Ukraine's leadership. Perhaps more pressing are differences that French and other European Union leaders have raised about Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, sweeping legislation passed in August that includes historic spending on climate and energy initiatives. Macron and other leaders have been rankled by a provision in the bill that provides tax credits to consumers who buy electric vehicles manufactured in North America. The French president, in making his case against the subsidies, will underscore that it's crucial for "Europe, like the U.S., to come out stronger ... not weaker" as the world emerges from the tumult of the pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to a senior French government official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity to preview private talks. Macron earlier this month said the subsidies could upend the "level playing field" on trade with the EU and called aspects of the Biden legislation "unfriendly." The White House, meanwhile, plans to counter that the legislation goes a long way in helping the U.S. meet global efforts to curb climate change. The president and aides will also impress on the French that the legislation will also create new opportunities for French companies and others in Europe, according to a senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity to preview the talks. Macron's visit comes about 14 months after the relationship hit its nadir after the U.S. announced its deal to sell nuclear submarines to Australia. After the announcement of the deal, which had been negotiated in secret, France briefly recalled its ambassador to Washington. A few weeks later Macron met Biden in Rome ahead of the Group of 20 summit, where the U.S. president sought to patch things up by acknowledging his administration had been "clumsy" in how it handled the issue. Macron's visit with Harris to NASA headquarters on Wednesday will offer the two countries a chance to spotlight their cooperation on space. France in June signed the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space cooperation supporting NASA's plans to return humans to the moon by 2024 and to launch a historic human mission to Mars. The same month, the U.S. joined a French initiative to develop new tools for adapting to climate change, the Space for Climate Observatory.
# China rocket taking 3 to space station to blast off Tuesday November 28, 2022. 2:54 AM EST --- BEIJING (AP) - A rocket carrying three astronauts to finish building China's space station will blast off Tuesday amid intensifying competition with the U.S., the government said Monday, The crew includes a veteran of a 2005 space mission and two first-time astronauts, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The Shenzhou-15 mission will take off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert at 11:08 p.m. Tuesday night, the agency said. A Long March-2F carrier rocket, China's standard workhorse for crewed missions, will be used to sling it into space, it said. The six-month mission, commanded by Fei Junlong and crewed by Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, will be the last "in the construction phase of China's space station," agency official Ji Qiming told reporters Monday. Fei, 57, is a veteran of the 2005 four-day Shenzhou-6 mission, the second time China sent a human into space. Deng and Zhang are making their first space flights. The station's third and final module docked with the station earlier this month, one of the last steps in China's more than decade-long effort to maintain a constant crewed presence in orbit. The astronauts will overlap briefly onboard the station, named Tiangong, with the previous crew, who arrived in early June for a six-month stay. After the Shenzhou-15 spaceship makes an automated docking with the Tianhe core modules' front port, the station will be expanded to its maximum size, with three modules and three spaceships for a total mass of nearly 100 tons, Ji said. It will also be at maximum capacity for several days. Tiangong has room to accommodate six astronauts at a time and the handover will take about a week. Previous missions to the space station have taken about 13 hours from liftoff to docking. Next year, China plans to launch the Xuntian space telescope, which, while not part of Tiangong, will orbit in sequence with the station and can dock occasionally with it for maintenance. No other future additions to the space station have been publicly announced. The permanent Chinese station weighs about 66 tons - a fraction of the International Space Station, which launched its first module in 1998 and weighs around 465 tons. With a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, Tiangong could one day find itself the only space station still running if the International Space Station adheres to its 30-year operating plan. China's crewed space program is officially three decades old this year, but it truly got underway in 2003, when China became only the third country after the U.S. and Russia to put a human into space using its own resources. The program is run by the ruling Communist Party's military wing, the People's Liberation Army, and has proceeded methodically and almost entirely without outside support. The U.S. excluded China from the International Space Station because of its program's military ties. China has also chalked up successes with uncrewed missions, and its lunar exploration program generated media buzz last year when its Yutu 2 rover sent back pictures of what was described by some as a "mystery hut" but was most likely only a rock. The rover is the first to be placed on the little-explored far side of the moon. China's Chang'e 5 probe returned lunar rocks to Earth for the first time since the 1970s in December 2000 and another Chinese rover is searching for evidence of life on Mars. Officials are also considering a crewed mission to the moon. No timeline has been offered for a crewed lunar mission, even as NASA presses ahead with its Artemis lunar exploration program that aims to send four astronauts around the moon in 2024 and land humans there as early as 2025. China's space program has also drawn controversy. Beijing brushed off complaints that it has allowed rocket stages to fall to Earth uncontrolled after NASA accused it of "failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris" when parts of a Chinese rocket landed in the Indian Ocean. China's increasing space capabilities also feature in the latest Pentagon defense strategy. "In addition to expanding its conventional forces, the PLA is rapidly advancing and integrating its space, counterspace, cyber, electronic, and informational warfare capabilities to support its holistic approach to joint warfare," the strategy said. The U.S. and China are at odds on a range of issues, especially self-governing Taiwan, which Beijing threatens to annex with force.
# NASA's Orion capsule enters far-flung orbit around moon By MARCIA DUNN November 25, 2022. 6:12 PM EST --- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA's Orion capsule entered an orbit stretching tens of thousands of miles around the moon Friday, as it neared the halfway mark of its test flight. The capsule and its three test dummies entered lunar orbit more than a week after launching on the $4 billion demo that's meant to pave the way for astronauts. It will remain in this broad but stable orbit for nearly a week, completing just half a lap before heading home. As of Friday's engine firing, the capsule was 238,000 miles (380,000 kilometers) from Earth. It's expected to reach a maximum distance of almost 270,000 miles (432,000 kilometers) in a few days. That will set a new distance record for a capsule designed to carry people one day. "It is a statistic, but it's symbolic for what it represents," Jim Geffre, an Orion manager, said in a NASA interview earlier in the week. "It's about challenging ourselves to go farther, stay longer and push beyond the limits of what we've previously explored." NASA considers this a dress rehearsal for the next moon flyby in 2024, with astronauts. A lunar landing by astronauts could follow as soon as 2025. Astronauts last visited the moon 50 years ago during Apollo 17. Earlier in the week, Mission Control in Houston lost contact with the capsule for nearly an hour. At the time, controllers were adjusting the communication link between Orion and the Deep Space Network. Officials said the spacecraft remained healthy.
# Company: Leak at Pennsylvania gas storage well plugged By MICHAEL BIESECKER November 20, 2022. 5:16 PM EST --- The operator of a natural gas storage well in Western Pennsylvania says workers have successfully plugged a leak that had been spewing massive amounts of planet-warming methane into the atmosphere for two weeks. Equitrans Midstream said the well at its Rager Mountain storage facility, located in a rural area about 1.5 hours east of Pittsburgh, was sealed shut with concrete on Sunday. The well had been venting about 100 million cubic feet of natural gas per day since Nov. 6, according to initial estimates. If accurate, that would total more than 1.4 billion cubic feet in methane, equal to the greenhouse gas emissions from burning more than 7,200 tanker trucks of gasoline. Pennsylvania environmental regulators have issued the company notice of five potential violations of state law. A written statement provided Sunday by Equitrans says the company had verified a 0% gas reading at and around the well. More than 250 feet of cement was pumped into the wellbore above two plugs to ensure venting does not recur, the company said. The Rager facility is in Jackson Township, at the heart of the Marcellus Shale formation that has seen a boom in gas production since the introduction of hydraulic fracturing more than a decade ago. Residents living as four miles away from the leak told The Associated Press on Friday they could hear the roar of pressurized gas escaping from the well and smell the fumes. Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is colorless and odorless. But when the gas is processed for transport and sale, producers add a chemical called mercaptan to give it a distinctive "rotten egg" smell that helps make people aware of leaks. Methane's Earth-warming power is some 83 times stronger over 20 years than the carbon dioxide that comes from car tailpipes and power plant smokestacks. Oil and gas companies are the top industrial emitters of methane, which, once released into the atmosphere, will be disrupting the climate for decades, contributing to more heat waves, hurricanes, wildfires and floods. The leak came as the Environmental Protection Agency on Nov. 11 updated proposed new rules intended to cut methane and other harmful emissions from oil and gas operations. The citations issued against the company by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection include failures to properly maintain and operate the gas facility, creating a public nuisance and producing a "hazard to public health a safety." The company was also cited for failing to provide state inspectors "free and unrestricted access."
# Boebert switches congressional districts, avoiding a Democratic opponent who has far outraised her By JESSE BEDAYN and NICHOLAS RICCARDI December 27, 2023. 10:23 PM EST --- DENVER (AP) - Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert announced Wednesday she is switching congressional districts, avoiding a likely rematch against a Democrat who has far outraised her and following an embarrassing moment of groping and vaping that shook even loyal supporters. In a Facebook video Wednesday evening, Boebert announced she would enter the crowded Republican primary in retiring Rep. Ken Buck's seat in the eastern side of the state, leaving the more competitive 3rd District seat she barely won last year - and which she was in peril of losing next year as some in her party have soured on her controversial style. Boebert implied in the video that her departure from the district would help Republicans retain the seat, saying, "I will not allow dark money that is directed at destroying me personally to steal this seat. It's not fair to the 3rd District and the conservatives there who have fought so hard for our victories." "The Aspen donors, George Soros and Hollywood actors that are trying to buy this seat, well they can go pound sand," she said. Boebert called it "a fresh start," acknowledging the rough year following a divorce with her husband and video of her misbehaving with a date at a performance of the musical "Beetlejuice" in Denver. The scandal in September rocked some of her faithful supporters, who saw it as a transgression of conservative, Christian values and for which Boebert apologized at events throughout her district. She already faced a primary challenge in her district, as well as a general election face-off with Democrat Adam Frisch, a former Aspen city council member who came within a few hundred votes of beating her in 2022. A rematch was expected, with Frisch raising at least $7.7 million to Boebert's $2.4 million. Instead, if Boebert wins the primary to succeed Buck she will run in the state's most conservative district, which former President Donald Trump won by about 20 percentage points in 2020, in contrast to his margin of about 8 percentage points in her district. While it's not required that a representative live in the congressional district they represent, only the state the district is in, Boebert said she would be moving - a shift from Colorado's western Rocky Mountain peaks and high desert mesas to its eastern expanse of prairie grass and ranching enclaves. In 2022, Frisch's campaign found support in the conservative district from unaffiliated voters and Republicans who'd defected over Boebert's brash, Trumpian style. In this election, Frisch's campaign had revived the slogan "stop the circus" and framed Frisch as the "pro-normal" alternative to Boebert's more partisan politics. In a statement after Boebert's announcement, Frisch said he's prepared for whoever will be the Republican candidate. "From Day 1 of this race, I have been squarely focused on defending rural Colorado's way of life, and offering common sense solutions to the problems facing the families of Colorado's 3rd Congressional District." he said. "My focus will remain the same." The Republican primary candidate who has raised the second most behind Boebert in the 3rd District, Jeff Hurd, is a more traditional Republican candidate. Hurd has already garnered support from prominent Republicans in the district, first reported by VailDaily. Boebert rocked the political world by notching a surprise primary win against the incumbent Republican congressman in the 3rd District in 2020 when she ran a gun-themed restaurant in the town of Rifle, Colorado. She then tried to enter the U.S. Capitol carrying a pistol and began to feud with prominent liberal Democrats like Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
# US announces new weapons package for Ukraine, as funds dwindle and Congress is stalled on aid bill By LOLITA C. BALDOR December 27, 2023. 6:51 PM EST --- WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. on Wednesday announced what officials say could be the final package of military aid to Ukraine unless Congress approves supplemental funding legislation that is stalled on Capitol Hill. The weapons, worth up to $250 million, include an array of air munitions and other missiles, artillery, anti-armor systems, ammunition, demolition and medical equipment and parts. The aid, provided through the Presidential Drawdown Authority, will be pulled from Pentagon stockpiles. In a statement, Marine Lt. Col. Garron Garn, a Pentagon spokesman said there is no more funding to replace the weapons taken from department stocks. And the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which provides long-term funding for future weapons contracts, is also out of money. As a result, Garn said Wednesday, "Without the supplemental funding, there will be a shortfall in replenishing U.S. military stocks, affecting American military readiness." President Joe Biden is urging Congress to pass a $110 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs. It includes $61.4 billion for Ukraine, with about half to replenish Pentagon stocks. It also includes about $14 billion for Israel as it fights Hamas and $14 billion for U.S. border security. Other funds would go for security needs in the Asia-Pacific. Due to an accounting error that overvalued some of the weapons sent to Ukraine over the past year or more, there is still about $4.2 billion in restored drawdown authority. But since the Pentagon has no money to replenish inventory sent to Kyiv, the department will have to "rigorously assess" any future aid and its implications on the U.S. military's ability to protect America, Garn said. This is the 54th tranche of military aid taken from department shelves and sent to Ukraine, and it is similar in size and contents to many of the other recent packages. U.S. defense and government leaders have argued that the weapons are critical for Ukraine to maintain its defense and continue efforts to mount an offensive against Russian forces during the winter months. In a Pentagon briefing last week, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder noted the recent letter that the Defense Department comptroller sent to Congress warning that the U.S. will be using up the last of its replenishment funds by the end of the year. "Once those funds are obligated, we will have exhausted the funding available for us to provide security assistance to Ukraine," said Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary. "We would, again, continue to urge the passage of the supplemental that we've submitted. ... It is imperative that we have the funds needed to ensure that they get the most urgent battlefield capabilities that they require." The latest aid package comes as the war in Ukraine drags on into its 22nd month. Russia fired almost 50 Shahed drones at targets in Ukraine and shelled a train station in the southern city of Kherson where more than 100 civilians were gathered to catch a train to Kyiv. And a day earlier, Ukrainian warplanes damaged a Russian ship moored in the Black Sea off Crimea as soldiers on both sides are struggling to make much progress along the front lines.
# How the US keeps funding Ukraine's military - even as it says it's out of money By LOLITA C. BALDOR December 15, 2023. 1:31 PM EST --- WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House has been increasingly pressuring Congress to pass stalled legislation to support Ukraine's war against Russia, saying that funding has run out. On Tuesday, however, President Joe Biden touted a new military aid package worth $200 million for Ukraine. Money is dwindling. But the announcement of more weapons being sent to Kyiv just underscores the complexity of the funding. So has the money run out? Or are there still a few billion dollars floating around? It's complicated. ## STORE CREDIT ... In a Nov. 4 letter to Congress, White House budget director Shalanda Young said flatly: "We are out of money to support Ukraine in this fight. This isn't a next year problem. The time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now." Since then, the U.S. has announced three more aid packages totaling $475 million. That may seem contradictory, but it's due to the complex programs used to send aid to Ukraine. There are two pots of money for weapons and security assistance set up specifically for the war. One is the Presidential Drawdown Authority, or PDA, under which the U.S. provides weapons already in its stockpile. The other is the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which funds long-term weapons contracts. Money for USAI has all been spent. That pot is empty. And money for the PDA also appeared to be gone. But then the Pentagon determined that it had overstated the value of the weapons it had already sent Ukraine, overcharging the Ukraine weapons account by $6.2 billion. That effectively left Ukraine with a store credit that is slowly being whittled down. It now stands at around $4.4 billion. PDA packages continued to be announced every few weeks. But in recognition of the dwindling money, the latest packages have been smaller - about $200 million or less, compared with previous ones that often totaled $400 million to $500 million. ## ... BUT EMPTY SHELVES In theory, the Pentagon would have enough equipment to offer these smaller packages for months. But there's a caveat: While the credit exists, there may not be enough stock on the Pentagon shelves. So some weapons may be unavailable. Congressional funding to buy weapons to replace the ones the U.S. sends to Ukraine is now down to about $1 billion. That dwindling money means the military services are worried they won't be able to buy all the weapons they need to ensure the U.S. military is ready to defend the American homeland. For example, the 155 mm rounds commonly used by Howitzers are one of the most requested artillery munitions by Kyiv. The demand has been so high that the Army has pressed the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania, where the shell casings for the rounds are made, to increase production in order to meet war demands and have enough on hand for American military needs. On Thursday, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters the U.S. could provide the full $4.4 billion in weapons, but with only a quarter of that amount available for replenishment, it's a tough choice. "We have to start to make decisions about our own readiness," he said. ## THE POLITICAL WRANGLING The U.S. has already sent Ukraine $111 billion in weapons, equipment, humanitarian assistance and other aid since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion more than 21 months ago. But the latest package is stalled. Support for Ukraine funding has been waning as some lawmakers see the war taking funding from domestic needs. But the broader problem is a political battle over the southern U.S. border. President Joe Biden is urging Congress to pass a $110 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs. It includes $61.4 billion for Ukraine, with about half to replenish Pentagon stocks. It also includes about $14 billion for Israel as it fights Hamas and $14 billion for U.S. border security. Other funds would go for security needs in the Asia-Pacific. Prospects for compromise remain in doubt, even as Zelenskyy warned in a speech at the National Defense University in Washington on Monday that, "If there's anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it's just Putin and his sick clique." ## THE JOBS ARGUMENT Harkening back to the "all politics is local" idea, the Pentagon and the White House have rolled out maps and statistics to show members of Congress how their own districts and states are reaping benefits from the Ukraine funding. Charts detail $10 billion in industry contracts for weapons ranging from air defense systems and missiles to a wide array of drones, ammunition and other equipment. And they break out an additional nearly $16.8 billion in contracts to replenish Pentagon stocks. The maps show contracts benefitting industries and companies in more than 35 different states. And U.S. officials are hoping the local jobs argument will help build support for the funding. ## HOW BIG IS THE NEED? Winter has set in, so the fighting in Ukraine has leveled off a bit. And along stretches of the battlefront, fighting is somewhat stalemated. But Ukrainian forces have been taking ground back in some key locations, and Zelenskyy and other leaders have said they want to keep pushing forward. Ukraine does not want to give the Russians weeks or months this winter to reset and further solidify their fighting positions - as they did last winter. During his visit to Washington this week, Zelenskyy said his forces are making progress, and the White House pointed to newly declassified intelligence that shows Ukraine has inflicted heavy losses on Russia in recent fighting around the eastern city of Avdiivka - including 13,000 casualties and over 220 combat vehicles lost. The Ukrainian holdout in the country's partly occupied east has been the center of some of the fiercest fighting in recent weeks. Putin on Thursday, however, said his troops are making gains. "Almost all along the line of contact our armed forces, let's put it modestly, are improving their positions, almost all are in an active stage of action and there is an improvement in the position of our troops all along," he said.
# A Russian drone and artillery attack kills 6 in Ukraine and knocks out power in a major city By HANNA ARHIROVA December 27, 2023. 3:10 PM EST --- KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Russia fired almost 50 Shahed drones at targets in Ukraine and shelled a train station where more than 100 civilians were gathered to catch a train to Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday. The barrages killed at least five people and knocked out power in most of the southern city of Kherson. The aerial barrage came a day after Ukrainian warplanes damaged a Russian ship moored in the Black Sea off Crimea as both sides' soldiers struggle to make much progress along the front line of the 22-month war. Overnight, the Kremlin's forces launched an artillery and drone bombardment of the Kherson region just as some 140 civilians were waiting for a train at the region's capital city of the same name, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. The shelling killed one policeman and injured two other police officers, as well as two civilians. More than 100 people who were waiting for the train at the time of the attack arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday morning, national rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia said. The attack on the Kherson region and its capital hit residential areas and a mall as well as striking the power grid, leaving around 70% of households in Kherson city without electricity during the winter cold, regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said. It was not immediately possible to estimate when power might be restored, he said. Targeting energy infrastructure was also a Russian tactic last winter, when it tried to break Ukrainians' spirit by denying them heating and running water. In Odesa, another major city in southern Ukraine, the drone assault killed two people and wounded three, including a 17-year-old man, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said. Ukraine's air force said it intercepted 32 out of the 46 drones that Russia fired overnight. A Western military assessment, meanwhile, reckoned that Russia's capture this week of a city in eastern Ukraine would not provide it with a springboard for major battlefield gains. Ukrainian commander-in-chief Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi said Tuesday that his troops had retreated to the northern outskirts of the city of Marinka, which sits about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Donetsk, the largest city in Russian-held territory. Zaluzhnyi said his troops had held Marinka for almost two years but Russians "were destroying it street by street, house by house." The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank, said, "Russian forces are highly unlikely to make rapid operational advances from Marinka." But it noted that "localized Russian offensive operations are still placing pressure on Ukrainian forces in many places along the front in eastern Ukraine." Amid concerns that weapons supplies from abroad could diminish as allies become fatigued with the war, Ukraine's minister of strategic industries told a briefing on Wednesday that the defense sector aims to increase production significantly next year and that production was three times higher in 2023 than in the previous year. Oleksandr Kamyshin said Ukraine is now producing six Bohdana self-propelled artillery units per month. Bohdanas are a strategically important weapon for the Ukrainian defense industry as they are the only Ukrainian-produced self-propelled gun using NATO-standard 155mm rounds instead of the 152mm rounds used by artillery based on Soviet technology. Kamyshin also said the country next year aims to produce up to 1,000 long-range strike drones - which have a range of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) - an increase from only a few dozen a month currently. It is also targeting production of 10,000 middle-range and 1,000 long-range strike drones.
# Trump ballot ban appealed to US Supreme Court by Colorado Republican Party By NICHOLAS RICCARDI December 27, 2023. 9:24 PM EST --- DENVER (AP) - The Colorado Republican Party on Wednesday appealed that state's supreme court decision that found former President Donald Trump is ineligible for the presidency, the potential first step to a showdown at the nation's highest court over the meaning of a 155-year-old constitutional provision that bans from office those who "engaged in insurrection." The first impact of the appeal is to extend the stay of the 4-3 ruling from Colorado's highest court, which put its decision on pause until Jan. 4, the day before the state's primary ballots are due at the printer, or until an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is finished. Trump himself has said he still plans to appeal the ruling to the nation's highest court as well. The U.S. Supreme Court has never ruled on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which was added after the Civil War to prevent former Confederates from returning to government. It says that anyone who swore an oath to "support" the constitution and then "engaged in insurrection" against it cannot hold government office. The Colorado high court ruled that applies to Trump in the wake of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, intended to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. It was the first time in history that the provision was used to block a presidential contender's campaign. "The Colorado Supreme Court has removed the leading Republican candidate from the primary and general ballots, fundamentally changing the course of American democracy," the party's attorneys wrote. The filing was posted on the website of a group run by Jay Sekulow, a former attorney for Trump representing the Colorado Republican Party who announced he was filing the appeal Wednesday. Colorado Republican Party chairman Dave Williams also said the appeal was filed Wednesday. The attorneys added: "Unless the Colorado Supreme Court's decision is overturned, any voter will have the power to sue to disqualify any political candidate, in Colorado or in any other jurisdiction that follows its lead. This will not only distort the 2024 presidential election but will also mire courts henceforth in political controversies over nebulous accusations of insurrection." The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to take the case, either after the Colorado GOP's appeal or Trump's own appeal. If Trump ends up off the ballot in Colorado, it would have minimal effect on his campaign because he doesn't need the state, which he lost by 13 percentage points in 2020, to win the Electoral College in the presidential election. But it could open the door to courts or election officials striking him from the ballot in other must-win states. Sean Grimsley, an attorney for the plaintiffs seeking to disqualify Trump in Colorado, said on a legal podcast last week that he hopes the nation's highest court hurries once it accepts the case, as he expects it will. "We obviously are going to ask for an extremely accelerated timeline because of all the reasons I've stated, we have a primary coming up on Super Tuesday and we need to know the answer," Grimsley said. More than a dozen states, including Colorado, are scheduled to hold primaries March 5 - Super Tuesday. To date, no other court has sided with those who have filed dozens of lawsuits to disqualify Trump under Section 3, nor has any election official been willing to remove him from the ballot unilaterally without a court order. The Colorado case was considered the one with the greatest chance of success, however, because it was filed by a Washington D.C.-based liberal group with ample legal resources. All seven of the Colorado high court justices were appointed by Democrats. However, the unprecedented constitutional questions in the case haven't split on neatly partisan lines. Several prominent conservative legal theorists are among the most vocal advocates of disqualifying Trump under Section 3. They argue the plain meaning of the constitutional language bars him from running again, just as clearly as if he didn't meet the document's minimum age of 35 for the presidency. The half-dozen plaintiffs in the Colorado case are all Republican or unaffiliated voters. Trump has been scathing about the cases, calling them "election interference." He continued that on Wednesday as he cheered a ruling earlier that day by the Michigan Supreme Court leaving him on the ballot, at least for the primary, in that state. "The Colorado people have embarrassed our nation with what they did," Trump said on Sean Hannity's radio show.
# Pro-Palestinian protesters block airport access roads in New York, Los Angeles By JAKE OFFENHARTZ December 27, 2023. 7:14 PM EST --- NEW YORK (AP) - Pro-Palestinian protesters briefly blocked entrance roads to airports in New York and Los Angeles on Wednesday, snarling traffic as U.S. airlines contended with a rush of holiday travel. The demonstrations stopped cars on the outskirts of New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, where some travelers set off on foot to bypass the jammed roadway, as well as Los Angeles International Airport. A total of 62 people were arrested during the two protests, police said. In New York, activists locked arms and held banners demanding an end to the Israel-Hamas war and expanded rights for Palestinians, bringing traffic to a standstill on the Van Wyck Expressway leading up to the airport for about 20 minutes. Video posted to social media showed passengers, some carrying suitcases, leaving vehicles behind and stepping over barriers onto the highway median. Twenty-six people in the protest were arrested for disorderly conduct and impeding vehicular traffic, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey dispatched two buses to help travelers caught in the backup reach the airport, agency spokesperson Steve Burns said. Around the same time as the New York protest, a major thoroughfare leading to the Los Angeles airport was shut down by another group of pro-Palestinian protesters, who dragged traffic cones, trash bins, scooters and debris into the lanes, according to news helicopter footage. In a statement, the Los Angeles Police Department accused protesters of throwing a police officer to the ground and "attacking uninvolved passerbys in their vehicles," without providing further details about either incident. The group appeared to flee when police arrived, though the Los Angeles Police Department said traffic around the airport remained impacted roughly two hours after the demonstration was declared unlawful. A spokesperson for the LAPD said 35 people were arrested for rioting and one person was arrested for battery of a police officer. No officers were injured, according to the spokesperson. An estimated 215,000 passengers and 87,000 vehicles were expected to pass through the Los Angeles airport on Wednesday. Since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on Oct. 7, near nightly protests have broken out in cities across the United States. In New York, pro-Palestinian organizers have responded to the growing death toll in Gaza with escalating actions aimed at disrupting some of the city's best-known events, including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the annual tree-lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center. At a news conference Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams criticized some of the protest organizers' tactics and suggested police may need to ramp up their response. "I don't believe that people should be able to just take over our streets and march in our streets," he said. "I don't believe people should be able to take over our bridges. I just don't believe you can run a city this complex where people can just do whatever they want."
# Danny Masterson sent to state prison to serve sentence for rape convictions, mug shot released December 27, 2023. 7:04 PM EST --- DELANO, Calif. (AP) - "That '70s Show" actor Danny Masterson has been sent to a California state prison to serve his sentence for two rape convictions. Authorities said Wednesday that the 47-year-old Masterson has been admitted to North Kern State Prison, and they released his first prison mug shot. The photo shows him wearing orange prison attire, with long hair and a beard. In June, Masterson was convicted of raping two women in his Los Angeles home in 2003. In September, a judge sentenced him to 30 years to life in prison. His wife, actor Bijou Phillips, filed for divorce in the weeks that followed after a marriage of nearly 12 years. He had been held in Los Angeles County jail in the months since while post-sentencing hearings were held and issues resolved, including the turnover of all the guns Masterson owned, some of which had to be located. It will be more than 25 years before Masterson will be eligible for parole. Masterson's lawyers said they plan to appeal the conviction.
# Argument over Christmas gifts turns deadly as 14-year-old kills his older sister, deputies say December 27, 2023. 7:01 PM EST --- LARGO, Fla. (AP) - A Florida woman holding her 11-month-old son in a baby carrier was fatally shot by her 14-year-old brother while trying to defuse an argument over Christmas gifts he was having with a 15-year-old brother who also was armed, authorities said. The 15-year-old brother then shot his 14-year-old brother, though not fatally, for killing their sister on Sunday in Largo, Florida, which is located in the Tampa metro area, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. The argument over gifts started while the three siblings were Christmas shopping with their mother and the sister's two sons, ages 6 and 11 months. It continued when they went to their grandmother's house where the sister, 23, told the younger brother to stop arguing with his older brother since it was Christmas Eve. The younger brother then told his sister he was going to shoot her and her infant, and then he shot her in the chest, the sheriff's office said. The older brother then shot his younger brother outside the home because of what he had done to their sister and he fled the home, tossing his firearm in a nearby yard, authorities said. He was taken to a mental health facility after he was located since he had threatened to harm himself. Once he is released from the mental health facility, he will be taken to a juvenile detention center, the news release said. The 14-year-old brother was charged with first-degree murder, child abuse and for possessing a firearm as a delinquent. His 15-year-old brother was charged with attempted first-degree murder and tampering with evidence, the sheriff's office said. There was no court docket available online to indicate whether either of the teens had an attorney who could comment.
# A woman who burned Wyoming's only full-service abortion clinic is ordered to pay $298,000 By MEAD GRUVER December 27, 2023. 2:30 PM EST --- CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - A judge has ordered a woman who set fire to Wyoming's only full-service abortion clinic to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution, the full amount sought by prosecutors. Lorna Green is serving five years in prison for burning Wellspring Health Access weeks before the clinic was set to open in Casper in 2022. The fire gutted the building while it was being renovated for the new clinic and delayed its opening by almost a year. After opening this past April, Wellspring is now the only abortion clinic in Wyoming. A clinic in Jackson that provided pill abortions closed Dec. 15 due to rising costs. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Alan Johnson ordered Green, 22, to pay about $298,000 in restitution including $240,000 to Nationwide General Insurance Company, the clinic's insurer. Green must also pay $33,500 to the building's owner, Christine Lichtenfels, and $24,500 to Julie Burkhart, founder and president of Wellspring Health Access. Burkhart expressed satisfaction with the restitution. "Not only did we have the emotional struggle and that trauma from the arson but also it was quite challenging for us financially. So I'm glad this is the final piece and it has been put to rest," Burkhart said Wednesday. The restitution was identical to the amounts sought by prosecutors and unopposed by Green's attorney, Ryan Semerad, who in an emailed statement said Wednesday that Green "looks forward to a productive and peaceful life after her term of incarceration." Green has expressed remorse for the crime, which she said was driven by anxiety and nightmares about the planned clinic. The Casper College mechanical engineering student had shown no sign of anti-abortion views on social media but told investigators she opposed abortion. She admitted driving from Laramie to Casper, breaking into the clinic through a door and lighting gasoline she poured in trays and splashed on the floor. After months of little progress, investigators increased the reward to $15,000 and got tips leading to Green's arrest in March. Green pleaded guilty in June to arson and in September received the minimum prison sentence. She had faced up to 20 years in prison. The arson and eventual opening of the clinic happened as new laws in Wyoming seek to ban abortion in nearly all cases. The laws, including the nation's first explicit ban on abortion pills, have been put on hold by a judge amid a lawsuit filed by four women and two nonprofits including Wellspring Health Access. After hearing arguments in the lawsuit Dec. 14, Wyoming District Judge Melissa Owens is weighing whether to rule on the laws. Her decision would likely be appealed, putting Wyoming's abortion laws before the state Supreme Court.
# Students in Indonesia protest the growing numbers of Rohingya refugees in Aceh province By YAYAN ZAMZAMI December 27, 2023. 10:04 PM EST --- BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) - Students in Indonesia's Aceh province rallied on Wednesday, demanding the government drive away Rohingya refugees who have been arriving by sea in growing numbers. The protest came as police named more suspects in human trafficking of refugees. Over 1,500 Rohingya - who fled violent attacks in Myanmar to subsequently leave overcrowded refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh in search of a better life elsewhere - have arrived in Aceh, on the tip of the island of Sumatra, since November. They have faced some hostility from fellow Muslims in Aceh. About 200 students protested in front of the provincial parliament in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh, calling on lawmakers to turn away the Rohingyas, saying their presence would bring social and economic upheaval to the community. "Get out Rohingya," the protesters chanted. Many criticized the government and the U.N. refugee agency for failing to manage the refugee arrivals. Some protesters burned tires on the street. "We urged the parliament speaker to immediately take a firm action to remove all Rohingya refugees from Aceh," said Teuku Wariza, one of the protest organizers. The protesters marched to a local community hall in Banda Aceh, where about 137 Rohingya are taking shelter. The demonstrators threw out clothes and household items belonging to the refugees, forcing authorities to relocate them to another shelter. Footages obtained by The Associated Press shows a large group of refugees, mostly women and children, crying and screaming as a mob, wearing university green jackets, is seen breaking through a police cordon and forcibly putting the Rohingya on the back of two trucks. The incident drew an outcry from human rights group and the UNHCR, which said the attack left the refugees shocked and traumatized. "UNHCR reminds everyone that desperate refugee children, women and men seeking shelter in Indonesia are victims of persecution and conflict, and are survivors of deadly sea journeys," the agency said in a statement released late Wednesday. The statement called on local authorities to urgently act to protect the refugees and humanitarian workers. Indonesia had once tolerated the refugees while Thailand and Malaysia pushed them away. But the growing hostility of some Indonesians toward the Rohingya has put pressure on President Joko Widodo's government to take action. Widodo earlier this month said the government suspected a surge in human trafficking for the increase in Rohingya arrivals. Also Wednesday, police in Banda Aceh named two more suspected human smugglers from Bangladesh and Myanmar, following the Dec. 10 arrival of another boat with refugees. One of the suspects, the boat's captain, himself a refugee, was charged with trafficking. "This is not an easy issue, this is an issue with enormous challenges," Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters. About 740,000 Rohingya were resettled in Bangladesh after fleeing their homes in Myanmar to escape a brutal counterinsurgency campaign carried out in 2017 by security forces. Accusations of mass rape, murder and the burning of entire villages are well documented, and international courts are considering whether Myanmar authorities committed genocide and other grave human rights abuses. Efforts to repatriate the Rohingya have failed because of doubts their safety can be assured. The Rohingya are largely denied citizenship rights in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and face widespread social discrimination.
# Denver Broncos bench QB Russell Wilson and will turn to Jarrett Stidham By ARNIE MELENDREZ STAPLETON December 27, 2023. 7:08 PM EST --- ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - The Denver Broncos are benching quarterback Russell Wilson in a move that could have major ramifications for both his future and theirs. Although the move keeps open the team's options next year and could ultimately save the Broncos $37 million, coach Sean Payton on Wednesday called the switch to journeyman Jarrett Stidham more of a football decision than a financial one. "I understand all the speculation and everything that surrounds a move like that, and I can tell you we're desperately trying to win," Payton said. "Sure, in our game today there are economics and all those other things, but the No. 1 push behind this ... is to get a spark offensively." The Broncos (7-8) have a narrow path to the playoffs. They'd have to win out and Kansas City (9-5) would have to lose out for Denver to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season. Payton said the entire offensive operation, himself included, has been deficient and this move isn't meant as an indictment of Wilson alone. "I can't replace the entire offensive line, I can't bring in five new receivers," Payton said, "and if it continues over a period of time, then there'll be another guy here talking to you, as well." Payton and Wilson have always been a clash of styles and two weeks ago Payton berated his QB on the sideline while Wilson patiently listened without response. Going with a journeyman with two NFL starts in his five-year career over a Super Bowl champion who was the fastest QB in league history to 100 wins could backfire on Payton. "There's always risk but as a head coach you've got to make some tough decisions and they're not always going to be right," Payton said. "So, you trust your instincts and you go by what you feel and those have been good for me over the years." Stidham will start Sunday when the Broncos host the Los Angeles Chargers (5-10) and in all likelihood start at Las Vegas in the season finale, too. It's a remarkably similar situation to last year when Stidham started the Raiders' final two games after the team benched Derek Carr in a business decision and sent him home. This circumstance in Denver differs from the Raiders' situation a year ago because the Broncos will dress Wilson, who could theoretically get into the game Sunday. If Wilson doesn't play another down this season, however, the Broncos will have kept open their options in 2024 - although his five-year, $242.6 million contract extension that kicks in next season carries massive dead money chargers over the next two years if Denver decides to part ways with Wilson. Wilson's $39 million salary for next season is already guaranteed but if he's on the roster March 17, his 2025 salary of $37 million also becomes guaranteed. Because injured players cannot be cut, the Broncos would be on the hook for that 2025 salary if Wilson gets hurt and can't pass his spring physical. That's the reason the Raiders sent Carr home a year ago. Payton insisted no determination has been made about Wilson's future in Denver, although it will be hard to move on from him because of the salary cap hit the Broncos would absorb. If the Broncos release Wilson after June 1, they'd owe him his $39 million salary for next season and they'd owe $85 million in dead money spread over two years, which would seriously handicap their roster building and force Payton to find a bargain solution at quarterback, something that could be difficult with a middling group of free agent QBs in 2024. Trading Wilson before June 1 would leave the Broncos with $68 million in dead money next season unless the acquiring team would pay his $22 million option bonus. The Broncos, who have traded away three first- and three second-round picks to acquire Wilson and Payton, have just six selections in next April's draft and no second-rounders. They'll likely be picking in the teens, too, when the four QBs projected as first-rounders - USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye, LSU's Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy, should he leave Michigan - figure to be long gone by the time the Broncos are on the clock. Wilson made a brief appearance at his locker Wednesday, but the team said he won't address his benching until Friday. After the Broncos lost to the Patriots on Christmas Eve, Wilson was asked about his future in Denver and said, "I came here to win a championship for us and to find a way to do that. I obviously love being here with these guys, these teammates. I'm excited to keep playing ball and playing hard for us." Wilson has rebounded from an awful 2023 season when he threw a career-low 16 touchdown passes to go with 11 interceptions. This year, his 26 TD throws rank sixth in the league and he has eight interceptions. Wilson is just 11-19 as Denver's starter since the blockbuster trade brought him over from Seattle last year. The Seahawks are 17-16 since then and reached the NFC playoffs last season behind Wilson's former backup, Geno Smith. Payton called each QB into his office Wednesday to notify them of the switch. He said Wilson was disappointed but had responded like a true pro. Stidham, who signed a two-year, $10 million deal with Denver last offseason, worked with the starters Wednesday for the first time save for a handful of snaps he took at Detroit two weeks ago. "To get a true evaluation and see what he can do, I mean, he needs to play," Payton said. "But I'm hopeful he gives us a spark."
# Amazon Prime ads on movies and TV shows will begin in late January By Associated Press December 27, 2023. 4:52 PM EST --- If you are an Amazon Prime Video user, get ready to see ads on movies and TV shows starting next month. Prime will include ads beginning on Jan. 29, the company said in an email to U.S. members this week, setting a date for an announcement it made back in September. Prime members who want to keep their movies and TV shows ad-free will have to pay an additional $2.99. Amazon is also planning to include advertisements in its Prime service in the United Kingdom and other European countries, as well as Canada, Mexico and Australia next year. The tech giant follows other major streamers -- such as Netflix and Disney -- who have embraced a dual model that allows them to earn revenue from ads and also offer subscribers the option to opt out with a higher fee. Amazon said in its email that it will "aim to have meaningfully fewer ads" than traditional TV and other streaming providers. The ads, the company said, "will allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time."
# Kevin Durant has 18th career triple-double, Suns beat Rockets 129-113 to end losing streak December 27, 2023. 10:43 PM EST --- HOUSTON (AP) - Kevin Durant had 27 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 16 assists for his 18th career triple-double, helping the Phoenix Suns beat the Houston Rockets 129-113 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game losing streak. Durant was 9 of 16 from the field and also had two steals and a block in Phoenix's first road victory since Nov. 26. The Suns improved to 15-15. Eric Gordon matched Durant with 27 points in his first game back in Houston since being traded in February. He scored 17 points in the Suns' 43-point second quarter en route to a 73-55 halftime lead. Devin Booker added 20 points, and Grayson Allen had 16. Alperen Sengun led Houston with 24 points, and Jalen Green added 23 with a season-high six 3-pointers. The Rockets are 15-14. Phoenix shot 76% in the second quarter to push its lead to 20, and 12 was the closest the Rockets would get in the second half. Jabari Smith Jr scored nine points for Houston before leaving in the third quarter because of a sprained left ankle sprain. A night earlier, the Rockets lost Dillon Brooks to an oblique strain, which forced him to miss a game for the first time this season. ## UP NEXT Suns: Host Charlotte on Friday night. Rockets: Host Philadelphia on Friday night.
# Shaylee Gonzales makes six 3s, leads No. 5 Texas past Jackson State 97-52 By MARK ROSNER December 27, 2023. 10:31 PM EST --- AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Shaylee Gonzales matched a career high with six 3-pointers while scoring a season-best 21 points, and No. 5 Texas beat Jackson State 97-52 on Wednesday night while playing without star point guard Rori Harmon and leading scorer Taylor Jones. Harmon missed the game with an unspecified injury. She sat on the Longhorns' bench and walked with a limp. Freshman forward Madison Booker took over point guard duties, a role she usually performs as a backup, and finished with 16 points, a season-best nine assists and just one turnover in 32 minutes. Khadija Faye scored 14 points for Texas (13-0), and DeYona Gaston had 13 points and eight rebounds. Andriana Avent led Jackson State (5-6) with 11 points but was just 2 of 12 from the field. Angel Jackson had eight rebounds. Gonzales finished 6 of 9 from 3-point range. She also had five assists. Texas shot 57% from the field, including 9 of 16 on 3s. Jackson State, which has lost five straight, averages 18 offensive rebounds a game, third best in the country. The Tigers grabbed 24 against Texas, but converted them into only 11 points. They shot 24.2% for the game and committed 17 turnovers. ## HARMON'S IMPACT Harmon averages 14.1 points, 7.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds. She ranks second nationally in assists and first in assist-to-turnover ratio at 6.64. Coach Vic Schaefer has advocated repeatedly for Harmon as the top all-around point guard in the country. She provided validation with 27 points, 13 assists and strong defense against UConn star Paige Bueckers during a 80-68 victory against the then-No. 11 Huskies on Dec. 3. ## BIG PICTURE Jackson State: The Tigers' four defeats before facing Texas also were against Power Five schools: Kansas State, Oregon State, Mississippi State and Miami. Jackson State begins Southwestern Athletic Conference competition in January as the favorite to win the league for the fifth straight season as voted by the coaches and sports information directors. Texas: Jones, who leads the Longhorns in scoring (16.2 points per game) and rebounding (7.4) and ranks second nationally in field goal percentage (71.3%), missed her second straight game with a hip injury. Schaefer did not have a timetable for her return. The 6-foot-4 junior missed nine games last season with what the team said was a lower-body injury. Jones had shoulder surgery and missed the last 21 games of the 2021-22 season while playing at Oregon State. ## UP NEXT Jackson State: Hosts Alcorn State on Jan. 6 in its SWAC opener. Texas: Hosts No. 10 Baylor on Saturday in its Big 12 opener.
# Charlie Coyle scores twice as Bruins beat Sabres 4-1 to end 4-game skid By MARK LUDWICZAK December 27, 2023. 10:23 PM EST --- BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Charlie Coyle scored twice and Brad Marchand had two assists to lead the Boston Bruins to a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night. Mason Lohrei and Morgan Geekie also scored for the Bruins, who ended a four-game losing streak. Jeremy Swayman made 25 saves. Erik Johnson scored for the Sabres. Devon Levi made 21 saves. Special teams played a big role in the outcome as the Bruins scored on their first three power-play chances. Meanwhile, the Sabres went 0 for 6 with the man advantage. Lohrei opened the scoring 4:19 in, sending the rebound of a shot past Levi. Coyle stretched the lead to two goals, scoring on a power play with 6:18 left in the first period. Jake DeBrusk got the puck behind the Buffalo net and spotted a wide-open Coyle in front of the Buffalo crease. Coyle then buried a one-timer. Coyle scored his second power-play goal of the game 4:18 into the second, when his shot deflected off Johnson's skate into the net. Geekie made it 4-0 with 6:16 left in the second on another power-play goal for the Bruins. After Charlie McAvoy's shot bounced off the end boards, Geekie fired the puck toward the net and a sprawling Levi was unable to make the save. It was Geekie's fourth goal in seven games. Johnson got the Sabres on the board 5:11 into the third, scoring on a slap shot from the right circle. Tage Thompson, Buffalo's No. 1 center, missed the game due to personal reasons. ## UP NEXT Bruins: Host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. Sabres: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
# Guentzel, Malkin and Letang lead Penguins surge past Islanders, 7-0 By SCOTT CHARLES December 27, 2023. 10:26 PM EST --- NEW YORK (AP) - Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin each scored twice, Kris Letang had six assists including five in the second period alone, and the Pittsburgh Penguins toppled the New York Islanders 7-0 on Wednesday night. Tristan Jarry finished with 21 saves for his fourth shutout of the season. Rickard Rakell, Radim Zohorna and Valtteri Puustinen also scored for Pittsburgh and Marcus Pettersson picked up four assists. Letang became the first defenseman in NHL history to record five points in a period and the first player of any position in Penguins history to do so. Ilya Sorokin made 19 saves as the Islanders' nine-game point streak on home ice (6-0-3) came to an end. Semyon Varlamov replaced Sorokin to begin the third period and made six saves. Pittsburgh scored six times within a 10:27 stretch of the second period. Guentzel scored twice within 12 seconds to give the Penguins a 3-0 lead. He cleverly redirected Letang's shot that was headed wide of the net past Sorokin prior to converting a breakaway. Letang took advantage of a gap in the Islanders neutral zone coverage and hit Guentzel with a pass in stride behind New York's defense. Islanders coach Lane Lambert called timeout between Guentzel's goals in an effort to get control of the game, but the Penguins continued to convert on offense and capitalize on the Islanders poor defensive structure. Malkin extended the lead to four goals when Reilly Smith found him all alone in the slot at 12:48. Malkin struck again later on a pass from Letang, his fourth assist of the period. Zohorna capped off an explosive six-goal second period with his fourth of the season at 17:13. Pittsburgh scored six goals in a single period on the road for the first time since March 21, 2000 when they did it against the Islanders. Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson was on the ice for four goals while Pittsburgh outshot New York 20-7 in the middle period. Rakell buried a loose puck that squeaked past Sorokin at 6:44 of the second period to kick off the outburst. Puustinen converted a one-time feed from Letang midway through the third period for his first NHL goal. ## UP NEXT: Penguins: Host St. Louis Blues Saturday Islanders: Host Washington Capitals Friday.
# University of Wisconsin system fires chancellor for reputation-damaging behavior December 27, 2023. 10:17 PM EST --- MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents decided unanimously Wednesday to fire the chancellor of one of its campuses for unspecified behavior that could damage the school system's reputation. Joe Gow was fired from his position as chancellor of UW-La Crosse effective immediately, the university announced Wednesday night. "In recent days, we learned of specific conduct by Dr. Gow that has subjected the university to significant reputational harm. His actions were abhorrent," UW President Jay Rothman said. As a tenured faculty member, Gow will be placed on paid administrative leave as he transitions into his faculty role, Rothman said. However, Rothman said he filed a complaint Wednesday evening with interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan asking that Gow's status as a tenured faculty member be reviewed. An outside law firm has been hired "to undertake a fulsome investigation of the matter," Rothman said. An email seeking comment was sent to Gow. UW System Regent President Karen Walsh released a statement saying "Gow has shown a reckless disregard for the role he was entrusted with at UW-La Crosse to serve students, faculty and staff, and the campus community."
# Bus collides head-on with truck in central India, killing at least 13 December 27, 2023. 9:44 PM EST --- NEW DELHI (AP) - A bus caught fire after colliding head-on with a truck on a highway in central India, killing at least 13 people, police said on Thursday. Twelve bus passengers died in the blaze and the truck driver was killed by the impact of the accident in Guna district in Madhya Pradesh state on Wednesday night, said police officer Anoop Bhargava. Another 16 people suffered burns or bone fractures and were taken to a hospital, Bhargava said. The region is nearly 900 kilometers (565 miles) south of New Delhi. Deadly road accidents are common in India, often due to reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles. More than 110,000 people are killed every year in road accidents across India, according to police.
# Harbaugh, Michigan savor trip to Disneyland after wild journey to CFP Rose Bowl semifinal By JOE REEDY December 27, 2023. 9:39 PM EST --- ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - With a third straight trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals, Michigan can't be considered a Cinderella. However, as coach Jim Harbaugh and some of his players took in a day at Disneyland before resuming preparations for Monday's Rose Bowl against Alabama, many considered this year's journey a cross between "The Lion King" and a spin on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. The top-ranked and 13-0 Wolverines have shown that whatever obstacles are put in their way, it ends up galvanizing them. That included two suspensions to coach Jim Harbaugh that ended up being a total of six games. Running back Blake Corum already thought Michigan had a strong team mentally going into the season. But it ended getting even stronger with all of the tumult surrounding their coach. "We've built up a strong callus. Whatever anyone throws at us, we take it on the chin and keep on pushing," he said. The best example of Michigan using it to their advantage and then punishing its opponent came at Penn State on Nov. 11. One day after Harbaugh was suspended three games by the Big Ten for violating the conference's sportsmanship policy over alleged sign-stealing, the Wolverines ran it on 32 straight plays in a 24-15 victory. "The more stress you throw at us, it hypes us even more. It gives us purpose to do what we do," senior linebacker Kris Jenkins said. "We are ready to show the world and shock the world." Even though Harbaugh's suspensions have ended, questions about his future at his alma mater remain. When asked if he would entertain offers from the NFL during the offseason, including one from the Los Angeles Chargers after they fired Brandon Staley on Dec. 14, Harbaugh deflected both questions and said his singular focus is on the upcoming game. "Just a very one-track mind about this game. Right now having fun with the family, the team and the players. We're at the happiest place on Earth. We're going to enjoy ourselves and then get back to business," Harbaugh said. "We have some good meetings tonight and we'll wake up tomorrow and practice. This is straight out of the Jack Harbaugh playbook, one day at a time." Jenkins said there aren't any concerns about Harbaugh's future since the questions have come up every year. "We know at the end of the day Jim loves us to death. He preaches that all the time. At the end of the day if he does what's best for him, we absolutely love and support that," he said. One difference between the past two Michigan teams that made the CFP and this one is that the preparations leading up to the Rose Bowl have been better. The Wolverines lost to eventual national champion Georgia in the 2021 Orange Bowl and fell short in a shootout to TCU in last season's Fiesta Bowl. Harbaugh noted there was no jet lag from the cross-country trip and that the team looked good during a short session on Wednesday. "Guys have been sharp, very energized, locked in and focused," he said. "It's in a good place, just refining that. "This is the happiest place on earth. Disneyland. I mean, nailed it with that slogan, Especially as a kid, you know, then once you get to be about 17, 18, 19, or 59, 60, I mean, the happiest place on earth is a winning locker room. We're gonna be at the happiest place on earth today and we got a chance to be in the happiest place on Earth, which will be a winning locker room at the Rose Bowl, on Monday."
# Lakers guard Gabe Vincent has arthroscopic knee surgery, will be out for at least 2 months December 27, 2023. 9:36 PM EST --- EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) - Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent will be out for at least two more months after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The Lakers announced that Vincent had the surgery Wednesday. He will be re-evaluated by team doctors in eight weeks. Vincent has appeared in only five games since signing with the Lakers in the offseason to be their backup point guard. He played in the Lakers' first four games of the season in October, but then missed 23 straight with knee pain. He returned to play 14 minutes against Chicago on Dec. 20, but was quickly shut down again. Vincent spent his first four NBA seasons with the Miami Heat, scoring a career-high 9.4 points per game last season with 2.5 assists and 33.4% shooting on 3-pointers. The Lakers have struggled for a consistent rotation at guard due to Vincent's absence, D'Angelo Russell's inconsistency and Max Christie's unimpressive play. They've been forced to try several new rotations and to put the ball in LeBron James' hands as their primary playmaker more frequently. Los Angeles has lost six of eight since winning the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. The Lakers host Charlotte on Thursday night.
# 2 Australians killed in Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, says Australia's acting foreign minister By ROD McGUIRK December 27, 2023. 9:30 PM EST --- CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Two Australian citizens including an alleged Hezbollah fighter were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, Australia's acting foreign minister said on Thursday. Ibrahim Bazzi and his brother Ali Bazzi were killed in the airstrike on Tuesday in the town of Bint Jbel in southern Lebanon, Acting Foreign Minister Mark Dreyfus said. Ibrahim Bazzi had arrived in Lebanon recently from Sydney to accompany his Lebanese wife Shorouq Hammoud to Australia, news media reported. Hammoud, who had recently received an Australian visa, was also killed in the attack. Their three coffins were draped in the flag of Hezbollah, an ally of the Palestinian Islamist faction Hamas, which is at war with Israel. Dreyfus said Australia was investigating Hezbollah's claim that Ali Bazzi was one of its fighters. "Hezbollah is a listed terrorist organization under Australian law. It's an offense for any Australian to cooperate with, to support, let alone to fight with a listed terrorist organization like Hezbollah," Dreyfus told reporters. Dreyfus said his government had communicated with Israel about the airstrike but declined to disclose what was said. "In the context of the current conflict, Australia has consistently called for civilian lives to be protected and we have consistently raised our concerns about the risk of this conflict spreading," Dreyfus said. Dreyfus repeated a government warning for Australians not to travel to Lebanon. Australians already in the country should leave while commercial air services are still available. The Australian embassy in Beirut was ready to provide consular assistance to the Bazzi family if required, he said.
# Magnitude 3.8 earthquake shakes part of eastern Arkansas December 27, 2023. 8:34 PM EST --- ETOWAH, Ark. (AP) - A magnitude 3.8 earthquake rattled parts of northeastern Arkansas on Wednesday, according to geologists. The earthquake occurred shortly before noon near the town of Etowah, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The rural town, which has a population of about 250 people, is located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Memphis, Tennessee. The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management said there were no reports from county officials of damage or injuries. Etowah is near the New Madrid fault line, which has been responsible for numerous small and large earthquakes. Beginning in late 1811, a series of powerful earthquakes occurred along the fault line, including one with an estimated magnitude of 7.7. Jeremy Brown, who lives near Etowah, told The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he "thought an 18 wheeler struck the house for a second." Some people reported feeling the quake in western Tennessee. Shianna Wallace of Drummonds, Tennessee, told WREG that she was sitting on her reclining chair when she began to feel a swaying sensation. "It was just like movement. Maybe like a wave and you're on a raft and it was a wave. It was just kind of weird," she told the station.
# Colorado man sentenced in Nevada power plant fire initially described as terror attack By KEN RITTER December 27, 2023. 9:44 PM EST --- LAS VEGAS (AP) - A Colorado man was sentenced Wednesday to prison in Nevada following his arrest last January for setting his car afire at a remote facility in what authorities initially characterized as a terror attack on the electric system serving several Las Vegas Strip casinos. Mohammed Reza Mesmarian, 35, was sentenced to two to 10 years following his plea in November to guilty but mentally ill on charges of felony arson and property destruction in the incident at a remote desert solar array about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of downtown Las Vegas. "This was not so much an act of terrorism as a person going through personal issues during COVID, the loss of a marriage and his business," Mesmarian's attorney, Jeffrey Nicholson, told The Associated Press after sentencing. Nicholson said he sought probation, but he called Clark County District Court Judge Ronald Israel's sentence "a good and fair decision." Mesmarian received credit for nearly a year already served in custody and could be paroled in early 2024. Mesmarian, a dentist, is from Aurora, Colorado, where state records showed he faced Dental Board discipline and his license to practice was restricted in July 2022. Records also showed that Mesmarian filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in October 2022. Nicholson said Wednesday he didn't immediately know the status of his client's dental license. Mesmarian initially faced charges including terrorism, arson, destruction of property and escape. He spent months in custody during court proceedings that eventually determined he was competent to stand trial. Police reported that no one was injured in the Jan. 4 fire, which wasn't immediately detected. Mesmaian was found and arrested a day later at a campground at Lake Mead, the Colorado River reservoir behind Hoover Dam east of Las Vegas. Investigators said they learned that Mesmarian had rammed his car through a fence, crashed it against a transformer, set it ablaze and sat in a chair watching flames for about 15 minutes before walking away. The incident in Nevada came just days after two men were arrested and charged with vandalizing electrical substations in Washington state and a month after federal regulators ordered a review of security standards following shootings that damaged two electric substations in North Carolina. The Las Vegas-area facility, known as the Mega Solar Array, is operated by Chicago-based Invenergy. It serves several MGM Resorts International properties including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Aria and Park MGM. The resort operator said it switched to the statewide electric grid, and there was no effect at the casino resorts. Officials said the power facility returned to service within days.
# Prominent Republican Georgia lawmaker Barry Fleming appointed to judgeship December 27, 2023. 8:08 PM EST --- ATLANTA (AP) - A prominent Georgia state lawmaker was appointed Wednesday to a judgeship, and a special election for his House seat will be needed in coming months. Rep. Barry Fleming of Harlem will serve as a superior court judge in Columbia County, replacing Judge James Blanchard Jr., who retired, Gov. Brian Kemp said in a news release. Fleming will be sworn in on Jan. 10, said Kemp spokesperson Garrison Douglas. Kemp chooses judges from lists of candidates prepared by the Judicial Nominating Commission, whose members are appointed by the governor. Fleming lost a race for House speaker to Jon Burns in 2022. He's been most recognized in recent years for leading the committee that authored a new election law in 2021 which restricted voting by mail and gave the legislature greater control over how elections are run. But House Speaker David Ralston stripped Fleming of his chairmanship after Fleming unsuccessfully ran for whip later in 2021. He was seen as a more right-wing alternative to Burns and Ralston. His law practice, which has represented municipalities and counties around the city of Augusta, became a target of protests after the 2021 election law was enacted. Fleming had previously served as whip starting in 2004, when Republicans took control of the chamber for the first time in more than 100 years. Among his other achievements then were passing a law requiring voters to show photo identification. Fleming stepped down to run an unsuccessful congressional race in 2008, but won reelection to the state House in 2012 and has served since. Kemp must call a special election within 10 days of Fleming stepping down. That election must occur no sooner than 30 days and no later than 60 days after Kemp issues the call. That means the election could be timed to coincide with Georgia's March 12 presidential primary. Fleming's 125th House District includes parts of Columbia and McDuffie counties. Kemp on Wednesday also named Alison Sosebee as a superior court judge for Fannin, Gilmer and Pickens counties in north Georgia's Appalachian Judicial Circuit. Sosebee has been the district attorney in that circuit since 2013. She will replace Judge John Worcester, who died in August. The governor named Mark Hendrix, solicitor general in Liberty County, to a newly created judgeship in the coastal Atlantic Circuit. That circuit covers Bryan, Evans, Liberty, Long, McIntosh and Tattnall counties.
# North Korea's Kim vows to bolster war readiness to repel 'unprecedented' US-led confrontations By HYUNG-JIN KIM December 27, 2023. 7:58 PM EST --- SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for bolstered war readiness to repel what he said were unprecedented U.S.-led confrontational moves in comments during a key political meeting tasked with setting state objectives for 2024, state media reported Thursday. Kim's comments indicated once again that North Korea will likely continue weapons tests to modernize its nuclear arsenal for the time being. But observers say Kim likely hopes to eventually use his boosted arsenal as leverage in diplomacy with Washington, possibly after the U.S. presidential election in November next year. During Wednesday's second-day session of the ruling party's plenary meeting, Kim set forth unspecified tasks for the military and the munitions industry to "further accelerate the war preparations" in the face of "(anti-North Korea) confrontation moves by the U.S. and its vassal forces unprecedented in history," the official Korean Central News Agency said. It said Kim also clarified the party's stance on expanding North Korea's strategic cooperation with anti-imperialist countries amid the world's rapidly changing geopolitical situation. KCNA said Kim spoke about the direction of the North's dealings with South Korea as well but didn't elaborate. The Workers' Party meeting is expected to last several days, and state media are expected to publicize details of its discussions after it ends, likely on Dec.31. Experts say North Korea is expected to come up with pledges and steps to strengthen its nuclear attack capability and expand cooperation with Russia and China, which are also locked in separate confrontations with the U.S. Topics to be dealt with at the meeting could include North Korea's push to operate more spy satellites following its launch of its first military reconnaissance satellite on Nov. 21. After the November launch, North Korea said it will submit to the plenary meeting a plan to launch more satellites to improve its spaced-based surveillance capabilities on its rivals. Since last year, North Korea has performed a barrage of missile tests in breach of U.N. bans, including last week's launch of the solid-fueled Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile - its most advanced weapon designed to attack the mainland U.S. The North has argued it has sovereign, legitimate rights to conduct such tests to deal with the expansion of U.S.-South Korean military exercises that it views as invasion rehearsals. Kim has refused to return to diplomacy with the U.S. since his high-stakes diplomacy with then-President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019. A main sticking point in the collapsed Kim-Trump diplomacy was how much sanctions relief North Korea would be given in return for a partial surrender of its nuclear program.
# Comedian Tom Smothers, one-half of the Smothers Brothers, dies at 86 By FRAZIER MOORE and ANDREW DALTON December 27, 2023. 6:34 PM EST --- Tom Smothers, half of the Smothers Brothers and the co-host of one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in the history of the medium, has died at 86. The National Comedy Center, on behalf of his family, said in a statement Wednesday that Smothers died Tuesday at home in Santa Rosa, California, following a cancer battle. "I'm just devastated," his brother and the duo's other half, Dick Smothers, told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday. "Every breath I've taken, my brother's been around." When "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" debuted on CBS in the fall of 1967 it was an immediate hit, to the surprise of many who had assumed the network's expectations were so low it positioned their show opposite the top-rated "Bonanza." But the Smothers Brothers would prove a turning point in television history, with its sharp eye for pop culture trends and young rock stars such as the Who and Buffalo Springfield, and its daring sketches - ridiculing the Establishment, railing against the Vietnam War and portraying members of the era's hippie counterculture as gentle, fun-loving spirits - found an immediate audience with young baby boomers. "We were moderate. We were never out there," Dick Smothers said. "But we were the first people through that door. It just sort of crept in as the '60s crept in. We were part of that generation." The show reached No. 16 in the ratings in its first season. It also drew the ire of network censors. After years of battling with the brothers over the show's creative content, the network abruptly canceled the program in 1970, accusing the siblings of failing to submit an episode in time for the censors to review. Nearly 40 years later, when Smothers was awarded an honorary Emmy for his work on the show, he jokingly thanked the writers he said had gotten him fired. He also showed that the years had not dulled his outspokenness. "It's hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war," Smothers said at the 2008 Emmy Awards as his brother sat in the audience, beaming. He dedicated his award to those "who feel compelled to speak out and are not afraid to speak to power and won't shut up." During the three years the show was on television, the brothers constantly battled with CBS censors and occasionally outraged viewers as well, particularly when Smothers joked that Easter "is when Jesus comes out of his tomb and if he sees his shadow, he goes back in and we get six more weeks of winter." At Christmas, when other hosts were sending best wishes to soldiers fighting overseas, Smothers offered his to draft dodgers who had moved to Canada. In still another episode, the brothers returned blacklisted folk singer Pete Seeger to television for the first time in years. He performed his song "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy," widely viewed as ridiculing President Lyndon Johnson. When CBS refused to air the segment, the brothers brought Seeger back for another episode and he sang it again. This time, it made the air. After the show was canceled, the brothers sued CBS for $31 million and were awarded $775,000. Their battles with the network were chronicled in the 2002 documentary "Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." "Tom Smothers was not only an extraordinary comedic talent, who, together with his brother Dick, became the most enduring comedy duo in history, entertaining the world for over six decades - but was a true champion for freedom of speech," National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement. Thomas Bolyn Smothers III was born Feb. 2, 1937, on Governors Island, New York, where his father, an Army major, was stationed. His brother was born two years later. In 1940 their father was transferred to the Philippines, and his wife, two sons and their sister, Sherry, accompanied him. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the family was sent home and Maj. Smothers remained. He was captured by the Japanese during the war and died in captivity. The family eventually moved to the Los Angeles suburb of Redondo Beach, where Smothers helped his mother take care of his brother and sister while she worked. "Tommy was the greatest older brother. He took care of me," Dick Smothers said. "His maturity was amazing. Sometimes you lose part of your childhood." The brothers had seemed unlikely to make television history. They had spent several years on the nightclub and college circuits and doing TV guest appearances, honing an offbeat comedy routine that mixed folk music with a healthy dose of sibling rivalry. They would come on stage, Tom with a guitar in hand and Dick toting an upright bass. They would quickly break into a traditional folk song - perhaps "John Henry" or "Pretoria." After playing several bars, Tom, positioned as the dumb one despite being older, would mess up, then quickly claim he had meant to do that. As Dick, the serious, short-tempered one, berated him for failing to acknowledge his error, he would scream in exasperation, "Mom always liked you best!" "It was the childlike enthusiasm through ignorance, and me, the teacher, correcting him - sometimes I'd correct him even if I was wrong," Dick Smothers said. "I was the perfect straight man for my brother. I was the only straight man for my brother." They continued that shtick on their show but also surrounded themselves with a talented cast of newcomers, both writers and performers. Future actor-filmmaker Rob Reiner was among those on the crack writing crew the brothers assembled. "Tommy was funny, smart, and a fighter," Reiner said on social media Wednesday. "He created a ground breaking show that celebrated all that was good about American Democracy." Other writers included musician Mason Williams and comedian Steve Martin, who presented Smothers with the lifetime Emmy. Regular musical guests included John Hartford, Glen Campbell and Jennifer Warnes. The brothers had begun their own act when Tom, then a student at San Jose State College, formed a music group called the Casual Quintet and encouraged his younger brother to learn the bass and join. The brothers continued on as a duo after the other musicians dropped out, but began interspersing comedy with their limited folk music repertoire. "We never wrote anything, we just made it up, and tried to remember what we made up," Dick Smothers said. "I just responded to Tom, if he said something that wasn't in the bit, I wouldn't stick to the script, I would listen." The brothers' big break came in 1959 when they appeared at San Francisco's Purple Onion, then a hot spot for new talent. Booked for two weeks, they stayed a record 36. They had a similar run at New York's Blue Angel. But to their disappointment, they couldn't get on "The Tonight Show," then hosted by Jack Paar. "Paar kept telling our agent he didn't like folk singers - except for Burl Ives," Smothers told the AP in 1964. "But one night he had a cancellation, and we went on. Everything worked right that night." Dick Smothers said Wednesday that "we weren't that good when we were on 'The Tonight Show.' We were just charmingly different." The brothers went on to appear on the TV shows of Ed Sullivan, Jack Benny and Judy Garland, among others. Their comedy albums were big sellers and they toured the country, especially colleges. Before their more vaunted show, the duo got a sitcom in 1965. "The Smothers Brothers Show" was about a businessman (Dick) haunted by his late brother (Tom), a fledgling guardian angel. It lasted just one season. Shortly after CBS canceled the "Comedy Hour," ABC picked it up as a summer replacement, but the network didn't bring it back in the fall. NBC gave them a show in 1975 but it failed to find an audience and lasted only a season. The brothers went their separate ways for a time. Among other endeavors, Smothers got into the wine business, launching Remick Ridge Vineyards in Northern California's wine country. "Originally the winery was called Smothers Brothers, but I changed the name to Remick Ridge because when people heard Smothers Brothers wine, they thought something like Milton Berle Fine Wine or Larry, Curly and Mo Vineyards," Smothers once said. They eventually reunited to star in the musical comedy "I Love My Wife," a hit that ran on Broadway for two years. After that they went back on the road, playing casinos, performing arts centers and corporate gatherings around the country, remaining popular for decades. "We just keep resurfacing," Smothers commented in 1997. "We're just not in everyone's face long enough to really get old." After a successful 20th anniversary "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" in 1988, CBS buried the hatchet and brought them back. The show was quickly canceled, though it stayed on the air long enough for Smothers to introduce the "Yo-Yo Man," a bit allowing him to demonstrate his considerable skills with a yo-yo while he and his brother kept up a steady patter of comedy. The bit remained in their act for years. "It was like a great marriage, you go through some rough spots, but you still don't lose that focus," Dick Smothers said. They retired in 2010, but returned for a series of shows in 2021 that would be their last before Tom Smothers' illness left him unable to continue. "The audience exploded," Dick Smothers said of those shows. "It was like a clap of thunder. They were young again." Smothers married three times and had three children. He is survived by his wife Marcy, children Bo and Riley Rose, and brother Dick, in addition to other relatives. He was predeceased by his son Tom and sister Sherry.
# Americans ramped up spending during the holidays despite some financial anxiety and higher costs By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO and HALELUYA HADERO December 26, 2023. 11:06 AM EST --- NEW YORK (AP) - Holiday sales rose this year and spending remained resilient during the shopping season even with Americans wrestling with higher prices in some areas and other financial worries, according to the latest measure. Holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.1%, a slower pace than the 7.6% increase from a year earlier, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year's sales are more in line with what is typical during the holiday season, however, after a surge in spending last year during the same period. "This holiday season, the consumer showed up, spending in a deliberate manner" said Michelle Meyer, Chief Economist, Mastercard Economics Institute. "The economic backdrop remains favorable with healthy job creation and easing inflation pressures, empowering consumers to seek the goods and experiences they value most." The number of people seeking unemployment benefits has remained very low by historical standards and employers are still having a hard time finding enough workers. Still, sales growth was a bit lower than the 3.7% increase Mastercard SpendingPulse had projected in September. The data released Tuesday excludes the automotive industry and is not adjusted for inflation. Clothing sales rose 2.4%, though jewelry sales fell 2% and electronics dipped roughly 0.4%. Online sales jumped 6.3 % from a year ago and in-person spending rose a modest 2.2%. Consumer spending accounts for nearly 70% of U.S. economic activity and economists carefully monitor how Americans spend, particularly during the holidays, to gauge how they're feeling financially. There had been rising concern leading up to the holiday about the willingness of Americans to spend because of elevated prices for daily necessities at a time that savings have fallen and credit card delinquencies have ticked higher. In response, retailers pushed discounts on holiday merchandise earlier in October compared with a year ago. They also took a cautious approach on how much inventory to order after getting stung with overstuffed warehouses last year. The latest report on the Federal Reserve's favored inflation gauge, issued Friday, shows prices are easing. But costs remain still higher at restaurants, car shops, or for things like rent. Americans, however, unexpectedly picked up their spending from October to November as the holiday season kicked off, underscoring their spending power in the face of higher costs. A broader picture of how Americans spent their money arrives next month when the National Retail Federation, the nation's largest retail trade group, releases its combined two-month statistics based on November-December sales figures from the Commerce Department. The trade group expects holiday expects U.S. holiday sales will rise 3% to 4%. That's lower than last year's 5.4% growth but again, more consistent with typical holiday spending, which rose 3.6% between 2010 and 2019 before the pandemic skewered numbers. Industry analysts will dissect the fourth-quarter financial performance from major retailers when they release that data in February. The big concern: whether shoppers will pull back sharply after they get their bills in January. Nikki Baird, vice president of Aptos, a retail technology firm, noted customers, already weighed down by still high inflation and high interest rates, might pull back more because of the resumption of student loan payments that kicked in Oct. 1. "I am worried about January," she said. "I can see a bit of a last hurrah."
# A Christmas rush to get passports to leave Zimbabwe is fed by economic gloom and a price hike By FARAI MUTSAKA December 24, 2023. 3:03 AM EST --- HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Atop many Christmas wish lists in economically troubled Zimbabwe is a travel document, and people are flooding the passport office this holiday season ahead of a price hike planned in the New Year. The desperation at the office in the capital city of Harare is palpable as some people fear the hike could push the cost of obtaining a passport out of reach and economic gloom feeds a surge in migration. Nolan Mukona said he woke up at dawn to get in line at the passport office but when he arrived at 5 a.m. there were already more than 100 people waiting. Some people had slept outside the office overnight. "The only thing that can make my Christmas a cheerful one is if I manage to get a passport," said the 49-year-old father of three. "I have been saving for it for the last three months and I have to make sure I get it before January." At $120, passports were already pricey for many in a country where the majority struggle to put food on the table. The finance minister's budget proposals for 2024 said passport fees would rise to $200 in January, sparking an outcry. The hike was then reduced to $150. Several million Zimbabweans are estimated to have left the southern African country over the past two decades when its economy began collapsing. The migration has taken renewed vigor in recent years as hopes of a better life following the 2017 ouster of longtime president Robert Mugabe fade. The late president was accused of running down the country. Many people, including professionals such as schoolteachers, are taking short nursing courses and seeking passports to leave for the United Kingdom to take up health care work. According to figures released by the U.K.'s immigration department in November, 21,130 Zimbabweans were issued visas to work in the health and care sector from September last year to September this year, up from 7,846 the previous year. Only India and Nigeria, countries with significantly larger populations than Zimbabwe, have more people issued such work visas. Many more Zimbabweans choose to settle in neighboring South Africa. According to South Africa's statistics agency, just over 1 million Zimbabweans are living in that country, up from more than 600,000 during its last census in 2011, although some believe the figure could be much higher as many cross the porous border illegally. The economic desperation has coupled with the expected increase in the price of travel documents to create an end-of-year rush. The passport office has increased working hours to operate at night to cater to the growing numbers. Enterprising touts sell spots for $5 for those who want to skip the line. "It's my gateway to a better life," said Mukona of the passport he hopes to get. He plans to leave his work as an English teacher at a private college to migrate to the United Kingdom as a carer. Once there, he hopes to have his family follow, a move that may be endangered by recent proposals by U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to change migration visa rules to limit the ability of migrant workers to bring their families to the U.K. Harare-based economist Prosper Chitambara said a lack of formal jobs and low prospects of economic recovery have turned the passport from a mere travel document into a life-changing document for many. "The challenging economic situation is not showing signs of remission so this is an incentive for Zimbabweans to migrate," said Chitambara. "The passport is now more than just a travel document. Being in possession of a passport means changed economic fortunes because it's a major step towards leaving." The economist predicted a tougher New Year for Zimbabweans, citing a raft of new or higher taxes proposed by the finance minister. Zimbabwe's government says the migration comes at a huge cost to the country because of a brain drain, particularly in the health sector. It has pleaded to the World Health Organization to intervene and stop richer countries from recruiting Zimbabwean nurses, doctors and other health professionals. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga earlier this year described the recruitment as "a crime against humanity" and proposed a law to stop health professionals from migrating. Life has not always turned out rosy for those leaving. The British press has reported the abuse of people settling in the United Kingdom as care workers, with some ending up living on the streets or barely earning enough to survive. A report by Unseen, a U.K charity, in October said "the care sector is susceptible to worker exploitation and modern slavery. Many people providing their labor in the sector receive low pay and the work is considered low-skilled." The group, which campaigns against modern slavery and exploitation, said Zimbabweans were among the top nationalities to be victimized in the care sector. Despite such reports, many in Zimbabwe are not deterred. "I will deal with those issues when I get there. Right now my priority is getting hold of a passport and leaving. Anything is better than being in Zimbabwe right now," said Mukona.
# Federal Reserve's favored inflation gauge tumbles in November as prices continue to ease By PAUL WISEMAN December 22, 2023. 11:19 AM EST --- WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Reserve's preferred measure of prices fell last month, another sign that inflation is easing and that Americans should benefit from reduced interest rates and get relief from painful price shocks in 2024. Friday's report from the Commerce Department showed that U.S. consumer prices slid 0.1% last month from October and rose 2.6% from November 2022. The month-over-month drop was the largest since April 2020 when the economy was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core inflation last month rose 0.1% from October and 3.2% from a year earlier. The numbers show somewhat more progress against inflation than economists had expected. Inflation is steadily moving down to the Fed's year-over-year target of 2% and appears to be clearing the way for Fed rate cuts in 2024. That, in turn, could translate into lower rates on everything from mortgages to credit cards. Rates on loans for cars, homes and other larger purchases tend to track the direction of Fed monetary policy, so when benchmark interest rates are cut in the U.S., consumer costs typically fall and free up more money for households to spend elsewhere. The rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is already dropping: This week it dipped to a six-month low 6.67%, down from 7.79% in October. Americans have already seen some relief from high prices. Consider the ingredients of a BLT sandwich: Prices are down almost 1% over the past year for bacon, more than 10% for lettuce and 4% for tomatoes. Car rental prices have tumbled 11%, air fares 12%, furniture 3%. After nearly two years of Fed rate hikes - 11 since March 2022 - inflation has come down from the four-decade highs it hit last year. The Labor Department's closely watched consumer price index was up 3.1% last month from November 2022, down from a 9.1% year-over-year increase in June 2022. Encouraged by the progress, the Fed has decided not to raise rates at each of its last three meetings and has signaled that it expects to cut rates three times next year. "A sustained easing in price pressures will support a shift in the (Fed's) policy stance next year, from holding rates steady to lowering them over time," said Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. "The exact timing will depend on how the labor market, inflation and growth will evolve next year. Based on our forecasts, we expect the Fed to start cutting rates by the middle of next year." Despite widespread predictions that higher rates would cause a recession, the U.S. economy and job market have remained strong. That has raised hopes the Fed can achieve a "soft landing" - bringing inflation to its 2% year-over-year target without sending the economy into recession. The U.S. inflation gauge the Commerce Department issued Friday is called the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index. It showed year-over-year inflation peaking at 7.1% in June 2022. The Fed prefers the PCE index over the Labor Department's CPI in part because it accounts for changes in how people shop when inflation jumps - when, for example, consumers shift away from pricey national brands in favor of cheaper store brands. Friday's report also showed that consumer spending rose 0.2% last month after rising 0.1% in October. Personal income rose 0.4% last month, a tick up from 0.3% in October.
# Stock market today: Wall Street ticks closer to record highs to cap its 8th straight winning week By STAN CHOE December 22, 2023. 4:57 PM EST --- NEW YORK (AP) - Wall Street capped its eighth straight winning week with a quiet finish Friday, following reports showing inflation on the way down and the economy potentially on the way up. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% to sit less than 1% below its record set nearly two years ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 18 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite edged 0.2% higher. Bristol Myers Squibb helped lift the market and rose 2% after it said it will buy Karuna Therapeutics in a cash deal valued at a total of $14 billion. That helped offset an 11.8% slump for Nike, which cut its revenue forecast for its fiscal year and dragged sharply on the Dow. The athletic giant cited weakness in China, the downsides of a stronger U.S. dollar for exporters and other challenges. But Wall Street's focus was squarely on a suite of economic reports released Friday, which led to some swings in Treasury yields. Falling yields have been a primary reason the stock market has charged roughly 15% higher since late October. Not only do they boost the economy by encouraging borrowing, they also relax the pressure on the financial system and goose prices for investments. They've been easing on hopes that inflation has cooled enough for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates through 2024. A report on Friday showed the measure of inflation the Federal Reserve prefers to use slowed by more than economists expected, down to 2.6% in November from 2.9% a month earlier. It echoed other inflation reports for November released earlier in the month. "Inflation has fallen very quickly this year, especially in the last three to five months," said Niladri "Neel" Mukherjee, chief investment officer of TIAA's Wealth Management team. Over the next few months, "I think inflation will fade away in terms of top-of-mind items" as risks for financial markets. Friday's data also showed spending by U.S. consumers unexpectedly rose during the month. While that's a good sign for growth for an economy driven mainly by consumer spending, it could also indicate underlying pressure remains on inflation. "People are tightening their belts, but they're not suffocating their spending," said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. The Federal Reserve is walking a tightrope, trying to slow the economy enough through high interest rates to cool inflation, but not so much that it tips into a recession. A stronger-than-expected economy could complicate the balancing act. Other reports on Friday showed orders for long-lasting manufactured goods strengthened more in November than expected, sales of new homes unexpectedly weakened and sentiment for U.S. consumers improved. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was at 3.89%, roughly its same level from late Thursday. But it swerved a couple of times following the release of the reports. The 10-year yield is still down comfortably from October, when it was above 5% and putting painful downward pressure on the stock market. Traders are largely betting the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate by at least 1.50 percentage points by the end of next year, according to data from CME Group. The federal funds rate is currently sitting within a range of 5.25% to 5.50% at its highest level in more than two decades. The Federal Reserve released projections last week showing its typical policymaker expects to cut the federal funds rate several times next year, but likely by only half as much as what Wall Street is expecting. Critics say Wall Street is too optimistic about how many rate cuts may come in 2024 and when they could begin. They warn the big run for stocks since late October on anticipation of such support may be overdone, or at the least pulling forward returns that would have happened in 2024. With its eight straight weekly gains, the S&P 500 is in the midst of its longest winning streak since 2017. Mukherjee of TIAA Wealth Management is relatively optimistic about the U.S. economy in coming years, particularly as artificial-intelligence technology helps reshape the world. But he sees the economy enduring at least a soft patch in the first half of 2024 as the effects of past rate hikes fully make their way through the system. Plus, he sees the Federal Reserve more hesitant to cut rates than Wall Street expects. "I think the market has run ahead of itself a little bit in pricing in six rate cuts," he said. "Inflation is coming down very quickly, but this is a Fed which has been scarred once when they took the view that inflation was transitory back in 2021, and they overstayed their welcome at zero interest rates for longer than anyone though they would. They want to make sure they're reasonably comfortable, quite comfortable with inflation somewhere in the vicinity of their target." All told, the S&P 500 rose 7.88 points to 4,754.63. The Dow slipped 18.38 to 37,385.97, and the Nasdaq gained 29.11 to 14,992.97. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe and Asia. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.7% after China released new regulations for online gaming. That sent stocks of Tencent, China's largest gaming company, and rival NetEase down sharply.
# Turkish central bank raises interest rate to 42.5% to combat high inflation December 21, 2023. 7:42 AM EST --- ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey's central bank hiked its key interest rate by 2.5 percentage points on Thursday as part of its efforts to combat high inflation that has left many households struggling to afford rent and essential items. The bank's Monetary Policy Committee raised its benchmark rate to 42.5%, delivering its seventh interest rate hike in a row to tame inflation, which rose to 61.98% last month. But the bank signaled that the rate hikes - which took borrowing costs from 8.5% to the current 42.5% - could soon end. "The committee anticipates to complete the tightening cycle as soon as possible," it said. "The monetary tightness will be maintained as long as needed to ensure sustained price stability." The series of rate hikes came after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - a longtime proponent of an unorthodox policy of cutting rates to fight inflation - reversed course and appointed a new economic team following his reelection in May. The team includes former Merrill Lynch banker Mehmet Simsek, who returned as finance minister, a post he held until 2018, and Hafize Gaye Erkan, a former U.S.-based bank executive, who took over as central bank governor in June. Prior to that, Erdogan had fired central bank governors who resisted his rate-slashing policies, which economists said ran counter to traditional economic thinking, sent prices soaring and triggered a currency crisis. In contrast, central banks around the world raised interest rates rapidly to target spikes in consumer prices tied to the rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic and then Russia's war in Ukraine. "There is much still to be done in taming inflation but the bond market is optimistic that Turkey is on the right track," said Cagri Kutman, Turkish market specialist at KNG Securities. "Turkish bonds have been amongst the strongest performing out of major economies over the past month." Bartosz Sawicki, market analyst at Conotoxia fintech, said that the central bank was likely to complete its rate hikes next month at 45%. "Consequently, the (central bank) is set to halt the tightening before the local elections in March," he wrote in an email.
# American consumers are feeling much more confident as holiday shopping season peaks By MATT OTT December 20, 2023. 5:53 PM EST --- American consumers are feeling more confident than they have since summer, good news for businesses with the all-important holiday shopping season peaking. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Wednesday that its consumer confidence index rose for the second straight month, to 110.7 in December from 101 in November. That's much better than analysts' forecasts of 104.5 and the highest reading since July. Americans' expectations of a recession in the next 12 months declined to the lowest level so far this year. The index measures both Americans' assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity, so economists pay close attention to consumer behavior as they take measure of the broader economy. The index measuring Americans short-term expectations for income, business and the job market shot up to 85.6 in December from 77.4 in October. It's the first time in four months that its been above 80. A reading below 80 for future expectations historically signals a recession within a year. The survey's write-in responses indicated that rising prices are still consumers' top concern, while worries over interest rates and geopolitical conflicts declined. Consumers' view of current conditions also jumped this month, to 148.5, from 136.5 in November. The survey also showed modest increases in consumers' intent to purchase homes, autos, appliances and spend on vacations. Americans unexpectedly picked up their spending at retailers from October to November as the unofficial holiday season kicked off, underscoring the power of shoppers despite elevated prices. Retail sales rose 0.3%, in November from October, when sales fell 0.2%, according to the Commerce Department.
# UK rate cut speculation swells as inflation falls by more than anticipated to 2-year low of 3.9% By PAN PYLAS December 20, 2023. 8:51 AM EST --- LONDON (AP) - Inflation in the U.K. as measured by the consumer prices index eased back to its lowest level in more than two years, official figures showed Wednesday, in a development that stoked speculation that the Bank of England may start cutting interest rates sooner than expected. The Office for National Statistics said that inflation dropped to 3.9% in the year to November, its lowest level since September 2021, from 4.6% the previous month. That decline was bigger than anticipated in financial markets. The agency said the biggest driver for the fall was a decrease in fuel prices after an increase at the same time last year. The decreasing rate in food price inflation also contributed to the decline. The sharp drop has fueled expectations that the Bank of England, which sets interest rates in order to hit a 2% target, may move to reduce borrowing rates possibly in the first half of 2024. The pound dropped 0.6% to $1.2650, a sign that traders think the central bank may look to cut rates soon, which would reduce relative returns for holders of the currency. "The Bank has been loath to put a timetable on rate cuts in 2024, but this clearly raises the prospect of the Bank being in a position to ease policy in the first half of the year, rather than later," said Neil Wilson, chief markets analyst at Finalto. "At least it will prompt the market to buy into this idea." That's a marked change from last week when the Bank of England left its main interest rate at a 15-year high of 5.25%, where it has stood since August following the end of nearly two years of hikes. Bank Gov. Andrew Bailey said that interest rate policy would likely have to remain "restrictive for an extended period of time." The Bank of England has managed to get inflation down from a four-decade high of more than 11%, but still has a way to go to get to its target of 2%. Higher interest rates targeted a surge in inflation, first stoked by supply chain issues during the coronavirus pandemic and then Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which pushed up food and energy costs. While the interest rate increases have helped in the battle against inflation, the squeeze on consumer spending, primarily through higher mortgage rates, has weighed on the growth of the British economy. There are growing worries that rates will stay high for too long, unnecessarily damaging the economy. However soon the Bank of England decides to cut rates, it's very likely that relatively high borrowing rates and low economic growth will be the backdrop for next year's general election. That's also a concern for the governing Conservative Party, which opinion polls say is way behind the main opposition Labour Party.
# From AI and inflation to Elon Musk and Taylor Swift, the business stories that dominated 2023 By PAUL WISEMAN and KEN SWEET December 20, 2023. 5:57 PM EST --- The tide turned against inflation. Artificial intelligence went mainstream - for good or ill. Labor unions capitalized on their growing might to win more generous pay and benefits. Elon Musk renamed and rebranded the social media platform Twitter, removed guardrails against phony or obscene posts and ranted profanely when advertisers fled in droves. The American housing market, straining under the weight of heavy mortgage rates, took a wallop. And Taylor Swift's concert tour scaled such stratospheric heights that she invigorated some regional economies and drew a mention in Federal Reserve proceedings. A look back at 10 top business stories in 2023: ## RAGING AGAINST INFLATION The Fed and most other major central banks spent most of the year deploying their interest-rate weapons against the worst bout of inflation in four decades. The trouble had erupted in 2021 and 2022 as the global economy roared out of the pandemic recession, triggering supply shortages and igniting prices. By the end of 2023, though, the Fed, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England had taken a breather. Their aggressive rate hikes had brought inflation way down from the peaks of 2022, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent energy and grain prices rocketing and intensified price spikes. In the United States, the Fed's policymakers delighted Wall Street investors by signaling in December that 2024 would likely be a year of rate cuts - three to be exact, in their expectations - and not rate hikes. The Bank of England and ECB sounded a more cautious note, suggesting that inflation, though trending down, remained above their target. "Should we lower our guard?" Christine Lagarde, the ECB president, told reporters. "We ask ourselves that question. No, we should absolutely not lower our guard." The Council on Foreign Relations, which tracks interest rates in 54 countries, found that central banks turned aggressive toward inflation in the spring of 2022. Policies remain tight, the council found, but the overall anti-inflation stance has eased. ## AI GOES MAINSTREAM Artificial intelligence thrust itself into public consciousness this year. But the technology, while dazzling for its ability to retrieve information or produce readable prose, has yet to match people's science fiction fantasies of human-like machines. Catalyzing a year of AI fanfare was ChatGPT. The chatbot gave the world a glimpse of advances in computer science, even if not everyone learned quite how it works or how to make the best use of it. Worries escalated as this new cohort of generative AI tools threatened the livelihoods of people who write, draw, strum or code for a living. AI's ability to produce original content helped fuel strikes by Hollywood writers and actors and legal challenges from bestselling authors. By year's end, the AI crises had shifted to ChatGPT's own maker, OpenAI, which was nearly destroyed by corporate turmoil over its CEO, and to a meeting room in Belgium, where European Union leaders emerged after days of talks with a deal for the world's first major AI legal safeguards. ## WORKERS SCORE GAINS The long-battered American labor movement flexed its muscle in 2023, taking advantage of widespread worker shortages to demand - and receive - significantly better pay and benefits. From Hollywood writers and actors to autoworkers to hotel workers, 510,000 laborers staged 393 strikes in the first 11 months of 2023, according to Cornell University's Labor Action Tracker. Under its pugnacious new president, Shawn Fain, the United Auto Workers struck the Big Three automakers - Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, the parent of Chrysler, Jeep and Ram - and won pay raises, improved benefits and numerous other concessions. Hollywood writers and actors, as a result of their walkouts, secured higher pay and protection from the unrestricted use of artificial intelligence, among other concessions. The unions' gains marked a resurgence for their workers after years following the Great Recession of 2007-2009 when union power further dwindled, wage gains languished and employers seemed to have their pick of job candidates. An explosive economic rebound from the COVID-19 recession of 2020 and a wave of retirements left companies scrambling to find workers and provided labor unions with renewed leverage Still, even now, unions remain a shadow of what they once were: As of last year, roughly 10% of U.S. employees belonged to labor unions, way down from 20% in 1983. And back in the 1970s, the United States experienced an average of 500 strikes a year, involving 2 million workers, said Johnnie Kallas, a labor expert at Cornell. ## MUSK'S X-RATED TRANSFORMATION A little more than a year ago, Elon Musk walked into Twitter's San Francisco headquarters, fired its CEO and other top executives and began transforming the social media platform into what's now known as X. Since then, the company has been bombarded by allegations of misinformation, endured significant advertising losses and suffered declines in usage. Disney, Comcast and other high-profile advertisers stopped spending on X after the liberal advocacy group Media Matters issued a report showing that their ads were appearing alongside material praising Nazis. (X has sued the group, claiming it "manufactured" the report to "drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp.") The problems culminated when Musk went on an expletive-ridden rant in an on-stage interview about companies that had halted spending on X. Musk asserted that advertisers that pulled out were engaging in "blackmail" and, using a profanity, essentially told them to get lost. "Don't advertise," X's billionaire owner said. ## HOUSING'S MISERABLE YEAR Remarkably, the U.S. economy and job market largely avoided pain in 2023 from the Fed's relentless campaign against inflation - 11 interest-rate hikes since March 2022. Not so the housing market. As the Fed jacked up borrowing rates, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate shot up from 4.16% in March 2022 to 7.79% in October 2023. Home sales crumbled. For the first 10 months of 2023, sales of previously occupied homes sank 20%. Yet at the same time and despite the sales slump, home prices kept rising. The combination of high mortgage rates and rising prices made homeownership - or the prospect of trading up to another house - unaffordable for many. Contributing to the squeeze was a severe shortage of homes for sale. That, too, was a consequence of higher rates. Homeowners who were sitting on super-low mortgage rates didn't want to sell their houses only to have to buy another and take on a new mortgage at a much higher rate. Mortgage giant Freddie Mac says 60% of outstanding mortgages still have rates below 4%; 90% are below 6%. ## CRYPTO CHAOS (CONTINUED) If 2022 was the year that the cryptocurrency industry collapsed, 2023 was the year of the spillover from that fall. The year's headlines from crypto were dominated by convictions and legal settlements as Washington regulators adopted a much more aggressive stance toward the industry. A jury convicted Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of the crypto exchange FTX, of wire fraud and six other charges. Weeks later, the founder of Binance, Chengpeng Zhao, agreed to plead guilty to money laundering charges as part of a settlement between U.S. authorities and the exchange. Among the other crypto heavyweights that met legal trouble were Coinbase, Gemini and Genesis. Yet speculation that crypto may gain more legitimacy among investors helped more than double the price of bitcoin. After years of delays, regulators are eventually expected to approve a bitcoin exchange-traded fund. Whether that would prove sufficient to sustain bitcoin's rally over the long run remains to be seen. ## BANKING JITTERS Historically, high interest rates benefit banks; they can charge more for their loans. But in 2023, higher rates ended up poisoning a handful of them. The industry endured a banking crisis on a scale not seen since 2008. Three midsized banks - Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank - collapsed. For years, banks had loaded up their balance sheets with high-quality mortgages and Treasurys. In an era of ultra-low rates, those mortgages and bonds paid out puny interest. Enter the specter of inflation and the Fed's aggressive rate hikes. As rates jumped, the banks' bonds tumbled in value because investors could now buy new bonds with much juicier yields. With pressure on the banks mounting, some anxious depositors withdrew their money. After one such bank run, Silicon Valley collapsed. Days later, Signature Bank failed. First Republic was seized and sold to JPMorgan Chase. Investors remain concerned about midsized institutions with similar business models. Trillions of dollars in commercial real estate loans that remain on these banks' books could become problematic in 2024. ## GLOBAL MARKETS RALLY From Austria to New Zealand, stock markets rallied through 2023. As inflation eased, stocks climbed despite sluggish global economic growth. A tumble in crude oil prices helped slow inflation. A barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, dropped 14% through mid-December on expectations that the world has more than enough oil to meet demand. An index that spans nearly 3,000 stocks from 47 countries returned 18% in U.S. dollar terms as of Dec. 11. Healthy gains for Apple, Nvidia and other U.S. Big Tech stocks powered much of the gains. So did the 45% return for the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which sells the Wegovy drug to treat obesity and the 33% return for the Dutch semiconductor company ASML. The bond market endured more turbulence. Bond prices tumbled for much of the year, and their yields rose, over uncertainty about how far central banks would go in raising rates to curb inflation. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury briefly topped 5% in October to reach its highest level since 2007. Yields have since eased on the expectation that the Fed is done raising rates. ## WORLD ECONOMY'S RESILIENCE Over the past three years, the global economy has absorbed one hit after another. A devastating pandemic. The disruption of energy and grain markets stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A resurgence of inflation. Punishing interest rates. And yet economic output kept growing in 2023, if only modestly. Optimism grew about a "soft landing" - a scenario in which high rates tame inflation without causing a recession. The head of the International Monetary Fund praised the global economy for its "remarkable resilience." The United States has led the way. Defying predictions that high rates would trigger a U.S. recession, the world's largest economy has continued to grow. And employers, fueled by solid consumer spending, have kept hiring at healthy rates. Still, the accumulated shocks are restraining growth. The IMF expects the global economy to expand just 2.9% in 2024 from an expected 3% this year. A major concern is a weakened China, the world's No. 2 economy. Its growth is hobbled by the collapse of an overbuilt real estate market, sagging consumer confidence and high rates of youth unemployment. ## THE U.S. ECONOMY (TAYLOR'S VERSION) Taylor Swift dominated popular culture, with her record-shattering $1 billion concert tour, her anointment as Time magazine's Person of the Year and her high-profile romance with Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs football star. The Swift phenomenon went further yet. It extended into the realm of the national economy. Her name came up at a July news conference by Fed Chair Jerome Powell, when Powell was asked whether Swift's blockbuster ticket sales revealed anything about the state of the economy. Though Powell avoided a direct reply, Swift's name came up that same month in a Fed review of regional economies: Her tour was credited with boosting hotel bookings in Philadelphia. Economist Sarah Wolfe of Morgan Stanley has calculated that Swifties spent an average of $1,500 on airfares, hotel rooms and concert tickets to her shows (though it's perhaps worth noting that Beyonce fans spent even more - an average $1,800).
# Houthi attacks on commercial ships have upended global trade in vital Red Sea corridor By COURTNEY BONNELL December 18, 2023. 2:34 PM EST --- LONDON (AP) - The attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi rebels have scared off some of the world's top shipping companies and oil giants, effectively rerouting global trade away from a crucial artery for consumer goods and energy supplies that is expected to trigger delays and rising prices. BP said Monday that it has "decided to temporarily pause all transits through the Red Sea," including shipments of oil, liquid natural gas and other energy supplies. Describing it as a "precautionary pause," the London-based oil and gas corporation said the decision faces ongoing review but crew safety was the priority. Both oil and European natural gas prices rose partly over market nerves about attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis, who confirmed two new attacks Monday. It is the latest targeting of container ships and oil tankers passing through a narrow waterway that separates Yemen from East Africa and leads north to the Red Sea and Suez Canal, through which an estimated 10% of the world's trade passes. Besides critical energy supplies reaching Europe and beyond on tankers, food products like palm oil and grain and most of the world's manufactured products move by container ships - many of them heading through the Suez Canal. "This is a problem for Europe. It's a problem for Asia," said John Stawpert, senior manager of environment and trade for the International Chamber of Shipping, which represents 80% of the world's commercial fleet. He noted that 40% of Asia-Europe trade normally goes through the waterway: "It has the potential to be a huge economic impact." Almost all goods that stores needed for Christmas will have already been delivered, but online orders could be delayed, analysts say, because four of the world's five largest container shipping companies have paused or rerouted movements through the Red Sea in the last several days. MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM Group and Hapag-Lloyd are leaders in alliances that move the bulk all consumer goods between Asia and Europe, so "virtually all services will have to make this rerouting," said Simon Heaney, senior manager of container research for Drewry, a maritime research consultancy. Ships will have to go around the Cape of Good Hope at the bottom of Africa instead, adding what some analysts have said could be a week to 10 days or even longer to voyages. Depending on what companies decide to do, they will have to add more ships to make up the extra time or burn more fuel for the longer journey and if they decide to go faster to meet their itineraries - both of which would release more climate-changing carbon dioxide, Heaney said. "The impact will be longer transit times, more fuel spent, more ships required, potential disruption and delays - at least in the first arrivals in Europe," he said, noting that ships could arrive to ports from their longer journeys "in clumps." That brings up the cost of shipping, but "I don't think it's going to go to the heights that it reached during the pandemic," Heaney said. Supply chain disruptions increased as people stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up orders for all sorts of products, driving up consumer prices around the world. Stawpert of the shipping chamber said he would expect to see some price increases for consumers in the short term but that it depends how long the security threat lasts. The Houthis have targeted Israeli-linked vessels during Israel's war with Hamas but escalated their attacks in recent days, hitting or just missing ships without clear ties. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, said Monday that they launched what he described as "naval aircraft" at the Cayman Islands-flagged Swan Atlantic, a chemical and oil products carrier, and Panama-flagged MSC CLARA cargo ship. He didn't offer further details. Denmark-based operator Uni-Tankers said the Swan Atlantic, which was carrying vegetable oils to France's Reunion Island off Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, was hit by an unknown object that ignited a small fire. Crew members put it out and all were reported to be safe, the company said. It received military aid and continued on its journey. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a news conference during a visit to Israel that he was convening a meeting of his counterparts in the Middle East and beyond on Tuesday to address the Houthi risk to shipping. "These attacks are reckless, dangerous, and they violate international law," Austin said. "We're taking action to build an international coalition to address this threat." U.S., French, U.K. and other coalition warships already patrol the area, keeping the waterway open. Stawpert said deployments by navies have increased and that should boost confidence in the shipping industry and ease the threat to some degree. "We would also hope for a surge in forces, given how important this is to the world economy and people around the world," he said. Disruptions expected from the Red Sea could have far-reaching effects because they would happen at the same time ships are being restricted through the Panama Canal, a major trade route between Asia and the United States. Some companies had planned to reroute to the Red Sea - which is a crucial thoroughfare for Asia-Europe shipments - to avoid delays at the Panama Canal caused by a lack of rainfall, analysts say. Now, some may be scared away from that alternative by the threat of Houthi attacks. That means those taking extra precautions to avoid risks and delays from both global trade arteries will have to take the longer journey around Africa. "It's unprecedented that the two have coincided," the analyst Heaney said, adding that neither the Suez nor Panama canals are closed, "it's just that they're becoming less viable for the short term." The cancellations also will mean problems for cash-strapped Egypt, he said, with millions in fees that shipping companies pay to clear the Suez Canal representing a big source of income for a country whose economy is struggling with high inflation and a weakening currency.
# Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed. Japan's central bank keeps its monetary policy unchanged By ELAINE KURTENBACH December 19, 2023. 12:25 AM EST --- BANGKOK (AP) - Asian shares were mixed Tuesday after a seven-week winning streak on Wall Street cooled. U.S. futures were flat and oil prices edged higher. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.9% to 33,063.00 after the Bank of Japan kept its ultra-lax monetary policy unchanged, as expected. The dollar rose against the yen, climbing to 143.38 yen from 142.79. The S&P/ASX 200 in Sydney added 0.8% to 7,486.90, while South Korea's Kospi was nearly unchanged, at 2,566.30. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index declined 0.6% to 16,527.75 and the Shanghai Composite index fell less than 1 point to 2,930.18. Bangkok's SET also was little changed, while Taiwan's Taiex fell 0.7%. On Monday, the S&P 500 rose 0.5% to 4,740.56 and the Nasdaq composite picked up 0.6% to 14,904.81. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished essentially flat after most of a 0.2% gain faded by late afternoon, closing at 37,306.02. Retailers and big technology companies were among the big gainers. Amazon.com rose 2.7% and Etsy climbed 4.7% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Chipmaker Nvidia rose 2.4%, while Meta added 2.9% and Netflix closed 3% higher. Energy companies also rallied as the price of crude oil jumped more than $1 amid growing concerns about attacks from Iranian-backed Houthis on shipping in the Red Sea. Oil and natural gas giant BP has joined the growing list of companies that have halted shipments in the major trade route. Valero Energy rose 2.6% and Marathon Petroleum added 2.3%. U.S. Steel soared 26.1% after agreeing to be acquired by Japan's Nippon Steel. The Pittsburgh steel maker played a key role in the nation's industrialization. The all-cash deal is valued at about $14.1 billion, or $14.9 billion with debt. That's nearly double what was offered just four months ago by rival Cleveland Cliffs. Investors had several other corporate buyout updates to review. Photoshop maker Adobe rose 2.5% following an announcement that it is terminating its planned $20 billion buyout of Figma. Door maker Masonite International fell 16% after saying it will by PGT Innovations in a deal worth about $13 billion. Treasury yields mostly rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 3.95% from 3.92% late Friday. The broader market surged last week and added to solid December gains after the Federal Reserve signaled that inflation may have cooled enough for the central bank to shift to cutting interest rates in 2024. The Dow closed out last week with a record, while the S&P 500 ended the week with its longest weekly winning streak in six years, while edging closer to its all-time high. The benchmark S&P 500 is now up more than 23% this year, while the Nasdaq is up more than 42%. Lower interest rates typically take pressure off of financial markets. The Fed's goal since 2022 has been to slow the economy and grind down prices for investments enough through high interest rates to get inflation under control. Economic growth has slowed, but has not dipped into recession, while inflation continues easing. Wall Street is betting that those conditions mean the Fed is done raising interest rates and could start cutting them in early 2024. Investors will get their last big inflation update of the year on Friday when the government releases its report on personal consumption expenditures. It's the Fed's preferred measure of inflation and has been easing since the middle of 2022. Analysts polled by FactSet expect the measure of inflation to soften to 2.8% in November from 3% in October. Investors will also have a few big earnings reports to review this week, which could give them a better sense of how companies and consumers are faring amid high interest rates and lingering inflation. Package delivery service FedEx will report its latest financial results on Tuesday and Cheerios maker General Mills will report its results on Wednesday. Athletic footwear giant Nike will report its latest results on Thursday. Early Tuesday, U.S. benchmark crude oil was down 1 cent at $72.81 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international standard, was up 11 cents at $78.08 per barrel. The euro rose to $1.0929 from $1.0925 late Monday.
# The Federal Reserve could do what was thought impossible: Defeat inflation without a steep recession By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER December 16, 2023. 7:29 AM EST --- WASHINGTON (AP) - It was the most painful inflation Americans had experienced since 1981, when "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "The Jeffersons" were topping the TV charts. Yet the Federal Reserve now seems on the verge of defeating it - and without the surge in unemployment and the deep recession that many economists had predicted would accompany it. Inflation has been falling more or less steadily since peaking in June of last year at 9.1%. And when the Fed's preferred inflation gauge for November is reported next week, it's likely to show that in the past six months, annual inflation actually dipped just below the Fed's target of 2%, economists at UBS estimate. The cost of goods - such as used cars, furniture and appliances - has fallen for six straight months. Compared with a year ago, goods prices are unchanged, held down by improved global supply chains. Housing and rental costs, a major driver of inflation, are growing more slowly. Wage growth has cooled, too, though it still tops inflation. Milder wage growth tends to ease pressure on restaurants, hotels and other employers to increase their prices to cover their labor costs. "I think it's really good to see the progress that we're making," Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference Wednesday after the Fed's latest policy meeting. "If you look at the ... six-month measures, you see very low numbers." On Friday, the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan agency, estimated that inflation will drop to 2.1% by the end of next year. There will likely be bumps on the road toward getting inflation fully under control, officials have said. Powell insisted that "no one is declaring victory." And he reiterated that the central bank wants to see further evidence of falling inflation before it would feel confident that it is sustainably headed back to the 2% target. Yet many economists, normally a cautious lot, are now willing to declare that inflation is nearly back under control after two-plus years in which it imposed hardships on millions of American households. "It appears that inflation has returned to 2%," said Tim Duy, chief economist at SGH Macroeconomics. "The Fed looks like it has won that battle." Prices spikes are also moderating overseas, with both the Bank of England and European Central Bank keeping their benchmark interest rates unchanged this week. Though inflation is still at 4.6% in the United Kingdom, it has fallen to 2.4% in the 20 countries that use the euro currency. With inflation cooling, Powell said the 19 officials on the Fed's policy setting committee had discussed the prospects for rate cuts at this week's meeting. The officials also projected that the Fed will cut its key interest rate three times next year. That stance marked a drastic shift from the rate-hiking campaign the Fed began in March 2022. Beginning then, the central bank raised its benchmark rate 11 times, from near zero to roughly 5.4%, its highest level in 22 years, to try to slow borrowing, spending and inflation. The result was much higher costs for mortgages, auto loans, business borrowing and other forms of credit. Powell's suddenly more optimistic words, and the Fed's rate-cut projections, sent stock market indexes soaring this week. Wall Street traders now foresee a roughly 80% likelihood that the first rate cut will occur when the Fed meets in March, and they are forecasting a total of six cuts in 2024. On Friday, John Williams, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a top lieutenant of Powell's, sought to pour some cold water on those expectations. Speaking on CNBC, Williams said it was "premature to be even thinking" about whether to cut rates in March. But he also mentioned that his forecast was for inflation to move down "sustainably" to 2%. The week's events represented a departure from just two weeks ago, when Powell had said it was "premature" to say whether the Fed had raised its key rate high enough to fully conquer high inflation. On Wednesday, he suggested that the Fed was almost certainly done with rate increases. Recent data appeared to have helped shift Powell's thinking. On Wednesday, a measure of wholesale prices came in lower than economists had expected. Some of those figures are used to compile the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, which, as a result, is expected to show much lower inflation numbers next week. Powell said some Fed officials had even updated their economic projections on Wednesday, not long before they were issued, in light of the lower-than-expected wholesale price report. "The speed at which inflation has fallen has been like an earthquake at the Fed," Duy wrote in a note to clients Wednesday. And yet in the meantime, the economy keeps growing, defying widespread fears from a year ago that 2023 would bring a recession, a consequence of the much higher borrowing rates the Fed engineered. A report on retail sales Thursday showed that consumers grew their spending last month, likely encouraged by increased discounting that will also lower inflation. Such trends are supporting the growing belief that the economy will achieve an elusive "soft landing," in which inflation is defeated without an accompanying recession. "We think the Fed cannot believe its luck: We are back to 'immaculate disinflation,' " Krishna Guha, an economic analyst at investment bank Evercore ISI, wrote in a client note. Economists credit the Fed's rapid rate hikes for contributing to inflation's decline. In addition, a recovery in global supply chains and a jump in the number of Americans - and recent immigrants - searching for jobs have helped cool the pace of wage growth. Jon Steinsson, an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said that by aggressively raising their key interest rate in about 15 months - the fastest such pace in four decades - Fed officials kept Americans' inflation expectations largely in check. Expectations can become self-fulfilling: If people expect higher inflation, they often take actions, such as demanding higher wages, that can send prices higher still. "They played a crucial role," Steinsson said. Still, a continued decline in inflation isn't guaranteed. One wild card is rental prices. Real-time measures of new apartment leases show those costs rising much more slowly than they did a year ago. It takes time for that data to flow into the government's figures. In fact, excluding what the government calls "shelter" costs - rents, the cost of homeownership and hotel prices - inflation rose just 1.4% last month from a year earlier. But Kathy Bostjancic, an economist at Nationwide, said she worries that a shortage of available homes could raise housing costs in the coming years, potentially keeping inflation elevated. The Fed's rate hikes, Bostjancic said, could actually prolong the shortage. Today's higher mortgage rates may limit home construction while also discouraging current homeowners from selling. Both trends would keep a lid on the supply of homes and keep prices elevated. Yet Fed officials appear confident in their forecasts that inflation is steadily slowing. In September, 14 of 19 Fed policymakers had said there were risks that inflation could rise faster than they expected. This month, only eight said so. "Their projections have mostly gone down, and they think the probability that there will be some flare-up of inflation is lower," said Preston Mui, senior economist at Employ America, an advocacy group.
# Congressional Budget Office projects lower inflation and higher unemployment into 2025 By FATIMA HUSSEIN December 15, 2023. 1:36 PM EST --- WASHINGTON (AP) - The Congressional Budget Office said Friday it expects inflation to nearly hit the Federal Reserve's 2% target rate in 2024, as overall growth is expected to slow and unemployment is expected to rise into 2025, according to updated economic projections for the next two years. The office's Current View of the Economy from 2023 to 2025 report estimates that the unemployment rate will hit 4.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024 and remain close to that level through 2025. Currently, the unemployment rate is 3.7%, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Meanwhile, gross domestic product, otherwise known as the overall health of the economy, is estimated to fall from 2.5% in 2023 to 1.5% in 2024 - then rebound to 2.2% in 2025, according to the CBO projections. Compared with its February 2023 projections, CBO's Friday report predicts weaker growth, lower unemployment, and higher interest rates in 2024 and 2025. But in a reminder that the U.S. economy has seldom behaved as anticipated through the pandemic and its aftermath, the employment forecast looks very different from the pace of hiring so far this year. The jobless rate has now remained below 4% for nearly two years, the longest such streak since the late 1960s. And on the inflation front, most economists expect growth to slow and inflation to continue to decline. This week, the Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged for a third straight time, and its officials signaled that they are edging closer to cutting rates as early as next summer. At a news conference, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that officials are likely done raising rates because of how steadily inflation has cooled. In keeping with the agency's mandate to provide objective, impartial analysis, the report makes no policy recommendations, CBO director Phillip Swagel said in the report.
# From New York to Tokyo, stock markets around the world have rallied in 2023 By STAN CHOE December 14, 2023. 10:38 AM EST --- NEW YORK (AP) - It's been a great year for stock markets around the world. Wall Street's rally has been front and center, with the U.S. stock market the world's largest and its clear leader in performance in recent years. The S&P 500 is on track to return more than 20% for the third time in the last five years, and its gangbusters performance has brought it back within 2% of its record set at the start of 2022. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a record high Wednesday. Even in Japan, which has been home to some of the world's most disappointing stocks for decades, the market marched upward to touch its highest level since shortly after its bubble burst in 1989. Across developed and emerging economies, stocks have powered ahead in 2023 as inflation has regressed, even with wars raging in hotspots around the world. Globally, inflation is likely to ease to 6.9% this year from 8.7% in 2022, according to the International Monetary Fund. The expectation is for inflation to cool even further next year. That has investors feeling better about the path of interest rates, which have shot higher around much of the world to get inflation under control. Such hopes have been more than enough to offset a slowdown in global economic growth, down to an estimated 3% this year from 3.5% last year, according to the IMF. This year's glaring exception for global stock markets has been China. The recovery for the world's second-largest economy has faltered, and worries are rising about cracks in its property market. Stocks in Hong Kong have taken a particularly hard hit. This year's big gains for global markets may carry a downside, though: Some possible future returns may have been pulled forward, limiting the upside from here. Europe's economy has been flirting with recession for a while, for example, and many economists expect it to remain under pressure in 2024 because of all the hikes to interest rates that have already been pushed through. And while central banks around the world may be set to cut interest rates later in 2024, which would relieve pressure on the economy and financial system, rates are unlikely to return to the lows that followed the 2008 financial crisis, according to researchers at investment giant Vanguard. That new normal for rates could also hem in returns for stocks and make markets more volatile. For the next decade, Vanguard says U.S. stocks could return an annualized 4.2% to 6.2%, well below their recent run. It's forecasting stronger potential returns from stocks abroad, both in the emerging and developed worlds.
# How Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea are affecting global trade By COURTNEY BONNELL December 21, 2023. 10:29 AM EST --- LONDON (AP) - The attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi rebels have rerouted a majority of global trade away from the crucial maritime artery for consumer goods and energy supplies, a shift expected to trigger delays and rising prices. Oil, natural gas, grain and everything from toys to electronics typically travel through the waterway separating Africa and the Arabian Peninsula en route to the Suez Canal, where 12% of the world's trade passes. Some of the world's largest container shipping companies and oil giant BP are sending vessels on longer journeys that bypass the Red Sea. In response to the growing impact to global trade, the U.S. and a host of other nations have created a new force to protect ships. Here are things to know about the recent attacks and the impact on global shipping: ## WHY ARE HOUTHIS ATTACKING SHIPS? The Houthis are Iranian-backed rebels who seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014, launching a grinding war against a Saudi-led coalition seeking to restore the government. The Houthis have sporadically targeted ships in the region, but the attacks have increased since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. They have used drones and anti-ship missiles to attack vessels and in one case used a helicopter to board and seize an Israeli-owned ship and its crew. They have threatened to attack any vessel they believe is either going to or coming from Israel. That's now escalated to apparently any vessel, with container ships and oil tankers flagged to countries like Norway and Liberia being attacked or drawing missile fire. The Houthis also have hailed vessels by radio to try to convince them to change course closer to the territory they control. ## WHY IS THE RED SEA IMPORTANT? The Red Sea has the Suez Canal at its northern end and the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end leading into the Gulf of Aden. It's a busy waterway with ships traversing the Suez Canal to bring goods between Asia and Europe and beyond. In fact, 40% of Asia-Europe trade normally goes through the area, including a huge amount of energy supplies like oil and diesel fuel for import-dependent Europe, said John Stawpert, senior manager of environment and trade for the International Chamber of Shipping, which represents 80% of the world's commercial fleet. So do food products like palm oil and grain and anything else brought over on container ships, which is most of the world's manufactured products. In all, about 30% of global container traffic and more than 1 million barrels of crude oil per day typically head through the Suez Canal, according to global freight booking platform Freightos Group. ## HOW ARE HOUTHI ATTACKS AFFECTING TRADE? Huge shipping container companies MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM Group and Hapag-Lloyd, among others, are avoiding the Red Sea and sending their ships around Africa and the Cape of Good Hope. That adds what analysts say could be a week to two weeks to voyages. Shippers amounting to 62% of global capacity are opting for the longer route, according to Freightos. That's lead the number of vessels moving through the Red Sea to drop by more than 40% in a week, said Project44, a tech company whose platform helps companies track shipments. London-based BP also that it has "decided to temporarily pause all transits through the Red Sea," including shipments of oil, liquid natural gas and other energy supplies. Depending on what companies decide to do, they will have to add more ships to make up the extra time or burn more fuel for the longer journey and if they decide to go faster to meet their itineraries - both of which would release more climate-changing carbon dioxide, said Simon Heaney, senior manager of container research for Drewry, a maritime research consultancy. "The impact will be longer transit times, more fuel spent, more ships required, potential disruption and delays - at least in the first arrivals in Europe," he said. That brings up the cost of shipping, but "I don't think it's going to go to the heights that it reached during the pandemic," Heaney said. Supply chain disruptions increased as people stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up orders for all sorts of products, driving up consumer prices worldwide. Stawpert of the shipping chamber said he would expect to see some price increases for consumers in the short term but that it depends how long the security threat lasts. Project44 foresees higher gasoline prices because if the conflict drags on, a "major disruption to oil is anticipated" and that would push up the cost of crude. Oil prices already have been rising. The company also expects products could be missing from store shelves after the busy holiday shopping season, with new shipments taking longer to arrive. However, "one saving grace may be the timing, as December and early January are typically slow, post-holiday season times for ocean freight," Judah Levine, head of research for Freightos, said in a blog post. ## HOW IS THE WORLD RESPONDING? U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a security initiative to protect ships in the Red Sea that includes United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain. Some of those countries will conduct joint patrols while others provide intelligence support in the southern Red Sea and the nearby Gulf of Aden, Austin said. The goal is to provide ships and other assets to help protect trade in the area. It builds on the existing presence of U.S. and other coalition warships that patrol to keep the waterway open. The Houthis have no formal naval warships to use to impose a cordon, relying on harassing fire and only one helicopter-borne assault so far. Meanwhile, ships are still moving through the Red Sea, though insurance costs have doubled, which can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to a journey for the most expensive ships, said David Osler, insurance editor for Lloyd's List Intelligence, which provides analysis for the global maritime industry. He expects those costs to keep rising.
# European Central Bank keeps its key interest rate at a record high. Now, when will it cut? By DAVID McHUGH December 14, 2023. 10:35 AM EST --- FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - The European Central Bank kept its key interest rate at a record high Thursday and said it will leave it there as long as needed to battle back inflation, signaling that cuts are not around the corner despite expectations it will act next year to support the shrinking economy. It follows similar decisions this week by the U.S. Federal Reserve, Bank of England and Swiss National Bank to leave rates unchanged. The Fed went further by signaling it could make three interest rate cuts next year. The ECB gave away little about its future moves after keeping its benchmark rate at 4%, reiterating that it will make decisions based on the latest information on how the economy is doing. "Should we lower our guard? We ask ourselves that question. No, we should absolutely not lower our guard," bank President Christine Lagarde said at a news conference, speaking hoarsely and coughing at times because she said she was recovering from COVID-19 but was no longer contagious. Policymakers "did not discuss rate cuts at all, no discussion, no debate on this issue," she said. Lagarde also stressed that future decisions will ensure that rates "will be set at sufficiently restrictive levels for as long as necessary." Central banks worldwide drastically raised rates to contain inflation that broke out in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They're now trying to balance keeping rates high for long enough to ensure inflation is contained against the risk that higher borrowing costs could throw their economies into recession. Inflation has fallen more than expected in the 20 European Union countries that use the euro currency, to 2.4% in November from a peak of 10.6% in October 2022. That's not too far from the ECB's goal of 2% considered best for the economy. That has led analysts to predict the ECB will cut rates next year, though the timing is not certain and forecasts range from March to September for the move. While inflation is down following a record pace of rate hikes, economic growth has lagged because the cost of borrowing has surged for things like home purchases and business investment in new offices and factory equipment. The eurozone saw economic output shrink 0.1% in the July-to-September quarter. Meanwhile, wages are still catching up to higher prices in shops, leaving European consumers less than euphoric even as European city centers deck themselves in Christmas lights. In Paris, travel agent Amel Zemani says Christmas shopping will have to wait for the post-holiday sales. "I can't go shopping this year, I can't afford Christmas gifts for the kids," she said. "What do they want? They want sneakers. I'm waiting for the sales to give them the gifts then. And they understand." Steven Ekerovich, an American photographer living in the French capital, said that while "Paris was lagging easily 50% behind the rest of the major cosmopolitan cities in pricing, it's catching up fast. Rents, food, clothing. So, you have got to be careful now." That lingering inflation being felt across the eurozone is what the ECB is trying to stamp out. The bank's messaging Thursday showed that "there's still a long way to go before the ECB starts cutting rates," said Carsten Brzeski, chief eurozone economist at ING bank. "It should also be clear that the end of a hiking cycle does not imminently lead to a cutting cycle." Brzeski said he sees the first rate cuts in June. On the other hand, inflation was likely to be "quite a lot lower" than the ECB expects, so the first cut of a quarter-percentage point could come in April, with four more such cuts more to follow, said Andrew Kenningham, chief Europe economist at Capital Economics. Higher interest rates combat inflation by increasing the cost of borrowing throughout the economy, from bank loans and lines of credit for businesses to mortgages and credit cards. That makes it more expensive to borrow to buy things or invest, lowering demand for goods and easing prices.
# Bank of England holds interest rates at a 15-year high despite worries about the economy By PAN PYLAS December 14, 2023. 10:14 AM EST --- LONDON (AP) - The Bank of England kept borrowing rates unchanged Thursday despite mounting worries over the state of the British economy, and it showed little sign that it is contemplating cutting them anytime soon - unlike the U.S. Federal Reserve. The central bank left its main interest rate at a 15-year high of 5.25%, where it has stood since August following the end of nearly two years of hikes. Six of the nine members of the Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep rates on hold while three wanted a quarter-point hike - a clear signal to the markets that rate cuts are not on the agenda yet. That was backed up by bank Gov. Andrew Bailey, who said in a statement that interest rate policy would likely have to remain "restrictive for an extended period of time." The Bank of England has managed to get inflation down from a four-decade high of over 11% - but there's still a ways to go for it to get back to the bank's 2% target. Inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, stood at 4.6% in the year to October, clearly still too high for comfort. "We've come a long way this year .... but there is still some way to go," Bailey said. The bank's decision to hold rates follows two years of hikes that targeted a surge in inflation, first stoked by supply chain issues during the coronavirus pandemic and then Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which pushed up food and energy costs. While the interest rate increases have helped in the battle against inflation, the squeeze on consumer spending, primarily through higher mortgage rates, has weighed on growth in the British economy. There are growing worries that rates will stay high for too long, unnecessarily damaging the economy. "With inflation trending downwards and the economy at risk of recession, the case for interest rate cuts is likely to grow over the coming months," said Suren Thiru, economics director at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. The U.S. Fed already has signaled that it expects to make three interest rate cuts next year after it kept rates on hold Wednesday. The European Central Bank, which sets policy for the 20 European Union countries using the euro currency, also left rates unchanged but indicated, like the Bank of England, that it would stay the course for a while. Those different stances were evident in the performance of the British pound as investors priced in the likelihood of more imminent cuts from the Fed, which would reduce relative returns for holders of the dollar. The pound was up by a full cent at $1.2750 and unchanged against the euro. However soon the Bank of England decides to cut rates, it's very likely that high borrowing rates and low economic growth will be the backdrop for next year's general election. That's hardly ideal for the governing Conservative Party, which opinion polls say is way behind the main opposition Labour Party.
# Text of the policy statement the Federal Reserve released Wednesday December 13, 2023. 2:21 PM EST --- WASHINGTON (AP) - Below is the statement the Fed released Wednesday after its policy meeting ended: Recent indicators suggest that growth of economic activity has slowed from its strong pace in the third quarter. Job gains have moderated since earlier in the year but remain strong, and the unemployment rate has remained low. Inflation has eased over the past year but remains elevated. The U.S. banking system is sound and resilient. Tighter financial and credit conditions for households and businesses are likely to weigh on economic activity, hiring, and inflation. The extent of these effects remains uncertain. The Committee remains highly attentive to inflation risks. The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. In support of these goals, the Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 5-1/4 to 5-1/2 percent. The Committee will continue to assess additional information and its implications for monetary policy. In determining the extent of any additional policy firming that may be appropriate to return inflation to 2 percent over time, the Committee will take into account the cumulative tightening of monetary policy, the lags with which monetary policy affects economic activity and inflation, and economic and financial developments. In addition, the Committee will continue reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities, as described in its previously announced plans. The Committee is strongly committed to returning inflation to its 2 percent objective. In assessing the appropriate stance of monetary policy, the Committee will continue to monitor the implications of incoming information for the economic outlook. The Committee would be prepared to adjust the stance of monetary policy as appropriate if risks emerge that could impede the attainment of the Committee's goals. The Committee's assessments will take into account a wide range of information, including readings on labor market conditions, inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and financial and international developments. Voting for the monetary policy action were Jerome H. Powell, Chair; John C. Williams, Vice Chair; Michael S. Barr; Michelle W. Bowman; Lisa D. Cook; Austan D. Goolsbee; Patrick Harker; Philip N. Jefferson; Neel Kashkari; Adriana D. Kugler; Lorie K. Logan; and Christopher J. Waller.
# Wholesale inflation in US slowed further last month, signaling that price pressures continue to ease By PAUL WISEMAN December 13, 2023. 9:02 AM EST --- Wholesale inflation in the United States was unchanged in November, suggesting that price increases in the economy's pipeline are continuing to gradually ease. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that its producer price index - which tracks inflation before it reaches consumers - was flat from October to November after having fallen 0.4% the month before. Measured year over year, producer prices rose just 0.9% from November 2022, the smallest such rise since June. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core wholesale prices were unchanged from October and were up just 2% from a year ago - the mildest year-over-year increase since January 2021. Among goods, prices were unchanged from October to November, held down by a 4.1% drop in gasoline prices. Services prices were also flat. Wednesday's report reinforced the belief that inflation pressures are cooling across the economy, including among wholesale producers. The figures , which reflect prices charged by manufacturers, farmers and wholesalers, can provide an early sign of how fast consumer inflation will rise in the coming months. Year-over-year producer price inflation has slowed more or less steadily since peaking at 11.7% in March 2022. That is the month when the Federal Reserve began raising its benchmark interest rate to try to slow accelerating prices. Since then, the Fed has raised the rate 11 times, from near zero to about 5.4%, the highest level in 22 years. The Fed is expected later Wednesday to announce, after its latest policy meeting, that it's leaving its benchmark rate unchanged for the third straight meeting. Most economists believe the Fed is done raising rates and expect the central bank to start reducing rates sometime next year. On Tuesday, the Labor Department reported that consumer prices rose just 0.1% last month from October and 3.1% from a year earlier. But core prices, which the Fed sees as a better indicator of future inflation, were stickier, rising 0.3% from October and 4% from November 2022. Year-over-year consumer price inflation is down sharply from a four-decade high of 9.1% in June 2022 but is still above the Fed's 2% target. "The data confirm the downtrend in inflation, although consumer prices are moving lower more gradually," said Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. "For the Fed, there is nothing in today's figures that changes our expectation that (its policymakers) will hold policy steady today, and rates are at a peak." Despite widespread predictions that the Fed rate hikes would cause a recession, the U.S. economy and job market have remained surprisingly strong. That has raised hopes the Fed can pull off a so-called soft landing - raising rates enough to tame inflation without sending the economy into recession.
# Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed ahead of the Fed's decision on interest rates By ELAINE KURTENBACH December 12, 2023. 11:25 PM EST --- BANGKOK (AP) - Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after Wall Street rose to its highest level since early 2022, slightly below its record high, following a report showing inflation in the United States is behaving pretty much as expected. Benchmarks declined in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul but rose in Tokyo and Sydney. U.S. futures edged higher while oil prices slipped. The Bank of Japan's quarterly "tankan" report measured business sentiment among major manufacturers at plus 12, up from plus 9 in October and plus 5 in June. The survey measures corporate sentiment by subtracting the number of companies saying business conditions are negative from those replying they are positive. "The continued improvement in the 'tankan' suggests that the drop in Q3 GDP was just a blip, but we still expect GDP growth to slow sharply next year," Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a commentary. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rose 0.4% to 32,985.19 and the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia was up 0.4% at 7,263.30. Shares in China declined on what analysts said was disappointment over a lack of major stimulus measures from a major economic planning conference that ended on Tuesday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.7% to 16,252.67 and the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.5% at 2,989.15. South Korea's Kospi lost 0.6% to 2,521.81. Taiwan's Taiex edged 0.1% higher and Bangkok's SET lost0.5%. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 climbed 0.5% to sit just 3.2% below its all-time high set at the start of 2022. It closed at 4,643.70. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.5% to 36,577.94 and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.7% to 14,533.40. Big Tech stocks helped lead the way following solid gains for Nvidia, Meta Platforms and some other of Wall Street's largest and most influential stocks. They overshadowed a 12.4% tumble for Oracle, whose revenue for the latest quarter fell short of analysts' forecasts. On Wall Street, Choice Hotels International fell 1.9% after it said it's taking its buyout offer for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts directly to its rival's shareholders. Choice already owns 1.5 million shares of Wyndham, whose board has cited concerns about value and regulatory approval while rebuffing Choice in the past. Toymaker Hasbro slipped 1.1% after it announced additional job cuts as part of its cost-cutting program. But Wall Street's spotlight was on the inflation report, which showed U.S. consumers paid prices for gasoline, food and other living costs last month that were 3.1% higher overall than a year earlier. That was a slight deceleration from October's 3.2% inflation and exactly in line with economists' expectations. The data likely changes nothing about what the Federal Reserve will do at its latest meeting on interest rates, which ends Wednesday. The widespread expectation is still for the Fed to keep its main interest rate steady. The Fed has already yanked its main interest rate from virtually zero early last year to more than 5.25%, its highest level since 2001. It's hoping to slow the economy and hurt investment prices by exactly the right amount: enough to stamp out high inflation but not so much that it causes a steep recession. On the winning side of Wall Street, Icosavax soared 49.5% after AstraZeneca said it would buy the biopharmaceutical company for at least $838 million in cash, with the price tag rising if certain milestones are met. Crude oil prices fell to take some more pressure off inflation. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude gave up 20 cents to $68.41 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Tuesday, it lost $2.71 to settle at $68.61. It had been above $93 in September but has been coming down amid worries about demand from the global economy failing to keep up with available supplies. Brent crude, the international standard, slipped 23 cents to $73.01 per barrel. It fell $2.79 on Tuesday to $73.24 per barrel. The U.S. dollar rose to 145.60 Japanese yen from 145.45 yen. The euro slipped to $1.0788 from $1.0793.
# How rising prices for restaurants, car repair and other services kept inflation up last month By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER December 12, 2023. 3:24 PM EST --- WASHINGTON (AP) - Held down by sinking gas prices, U.S. inflation was mostly unchanged last month. But underlying price pressures - from apartment rents, restaurant meals, auto insurance and many other services - remained stubbornly high. Last month's inflation data arrived just a day before the Federal Reserve will end a two-day policy meeting and announce its latest decisions on interest rates. The Fed is expected on Wednesday to keep its key rate unchanged for the third straight time. Most economists expect the rate of price increases to keep slowing in the coming months. Though the decline could follow a bumpy path, inflation should fall much closer to the Fed's 2% target by the end of 2024. Wages and rental prices, among other items, are now increasing more gradually. In November, much cheaper gas held down overall prices, which rose just 0.1% from October, the government said. Compared with a year ago, inflation dipped to 3.1%, down from a 3.2% year-over-year rise in October. Prices in the vast service sector, though, still surged uncomfortably fast. Core prices - which exclude volatile food and energy costs and are considered a better guide to the path of inflation - rose 0.3% from October to November, slightly faster than the 0.2% increase the previous month. Measured from a year ago, core prices were up 4%, the same as in October. ## WHERE IS INFLATION LIKELY GOING FROM HERE? America's consumers will probably continue to feel relief in the form of milder price increases in the coming months. And in some areas, notably the prices of physical goods, many items are actually becoming cheaper rather than just rising more slowly. Furniture and appliances both dropped in price last month. They're now cheaper, on average, than they were a year ago. Clothing prices, which fell from October to November, are up just 1.1% from a year earlier. And though used cars jumped 1.6% last month, they're down 3.8% from a year earlier. Housing costs, though, were again among the key factors lifting inflation. Rental prices rose 0.5% from October to November and are up 6.9% in the past year. Although those increases are down from recent peaks, they're still much sharper than they were pre-pandemic. At the same time, new apartment buildings are flooding the market, and real-time data providers like Zillow and ApartmentList show rent growth for new apartments tumbling. As those prices feed into the government's measure, they should help cool inflation. Wage growth, while still rising at a healthy clip, is also cooling. Though they rose 4% last month from a year earlier, according to the November jobs report, that's down from a peak of nearly 6% nearly two years ago. Slower wage growth should ease inflationary pressures because employers won't have to raise prices so much to cover their labor costs. "The main takeaway is we're on that path towards returning to the Fed's 2% target," said Alan Detmeister, an economist at UBS. "But we're getting there slowly." Prices are cooling - or even becoming cheaper - for some of the items that have been leaving the biggest marks on consumers' budgets. Gas prices, for example, sank 6% just from October to November. From a peak of $5 about a year and a half ago, the national average has dropped to $3.15 a gallon as of Monday, according to AAA. And grocery prices ticked up just 0.1% in November and are only 1.7% higher than they were a year ago. Bread, beef, chicken and pork prices all dropped. ## WHAT DO AMERICANS THINK? Surveys show that Americans are mostly gloomy about the economy, despite steady job growth, a low unemployment rate and falling inflation. Yet when it comes to consumer prices, their outlook has improved recently. For example, Americans now foresee inflation rising just 3.4% in the year ahead, according to a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That level of expected inflation is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels and is the lowest since the spring of 2021 - down from a peak of 6.8% in June 2022. (Inflation expectations typically exceed the actual inflation figures.) Lower inflation expectations are important because they are often self-fulfilling. If, for example, Americans expect inflation to rise more quickly, they then typically adjust their own behavior accordingly. Most significantly, they may demand - and receive - higher pay, which would then pressure their employers to raise prices further. Fed officials have often pointed to low inflation expectations as a reason why they may succeed in pulling off a rare "soft landing," in which inflation would fall back to 2%, without causing a sharp recession. ## WHAT WILL THE FED DO NEXT? The Fed is set to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged when its latest meeting ends Wednesday. Inflation still exceeds the Fed's 2% annual target, which is why its officials are set to keep rates high. But inflation is also cooling faster than policymakers expected, which means the Fed's policymakers likely see no reason to further raise rates. Though Fed Chair Jerome Powell has expressed optimism about slowing inflation, he said earlier this month that it was "premature" to assume that the Fed was done raising its benchmark rate or to speculate about rate cuts, which many on Wall Street expect as early as spring. The stickiness of inflation in the economy's service sector will likely keep Powell from signaling a clear end to rate hikes or acknowledging the prospect of future rate cuts. The Fed chair has been scrutinizing the costs of services as a guide to whether underlying inflationary trends are cooling. Michael Gapen, chief economist at Bank of America, said Tuesday's persistent inflation data "fits the 'wait and see and be careful' narrative that the Fed is constructing." "In terms of building confidence that you're in a disinflationary environment and opening the door to cuts," Gapen added, "I think you have to say, well, we need more time to assess where services inflation is is going." Still, if indeed the Fed leaves its key rate unchanged for the third straight time, it would suggest that it's probably done raising borrowing costs. The central bank has raised its key rate to about 5.4%, the highest level in 22 years, in a determined drive to conquer inflation. Its rate hikes have made mortgages, auto loans, business borrowing and other forms of credit much costlier, reflecting the Fed's goal of slowing borrowing and spending enough to tame inflation.
# Speculation about eventual rate cuts is rising, but Fed is set to leave interest rates unchanged By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER December 11, 2023. 11:37 AM EST --- WASHINGTON (AP) - With inflation edging closer to the Federal Reserve's 2% target, its policymakers are facing - and in some cases fueling - hopes that they will make a decisive shift in policy and cut interest rates next year, possibly as soon as spring. Such a move would reduce borrowing costs across the economy, making mortgages, auto loans and business borrowing less expensive. Stock prices could rise, too, though share prices have already risen in expectation of cuts, potentially limiting any further rise. Fed Chair Jerome Powell, though, has recently downplayed the idea that rate reductions are nearing. With the central bank poised to keep its key short-term rate unchanged when it meets this week, Powell hasn't yet signaled that the Fed is conclusively done with its hikes. Speaking recently at Spelman College in Atlanta, the Fed chair cautioned that "it would be premature to conclude with confidence" that the Fed has raised its benchmark rate high enough to fully defeat inflation. But the Fed's two-day meeting that ends Wednesday will mark the third straight time that its officials have kept their key rate unchanged, lending weight to the widespread assumption that rate hikes are over. The economy, after all, is headed in the direction the Fed wants: On Tuesday, when the government releases the November inflation report, it's expected to show that annual consumer price increases slowed to 3.1%, according to a survey of economists by FactSet, down sharply from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022. And job openings have declined, which means companies are less desperate to hire and feel less pressure to sharply raise wages, which can accelerate inflation. Consumers are still spending, though more modestly, and the economy is still expanding. Such trends suggest progress toward what economists call a "soft landing," in which inflation reaches the Fed's 2% target without causing a recession. Analysts are increasingly encouraged by what they say is an unusually smooth adjustment to lower inflation. That sunnier outlook represents a shift in thinking. Last year, many economists had insisted that defeating inflation would require a sharp recession and high unemployment. In fact, falling inflation, without an accompanying recession or job losses, is "historically unprecedented," economists at Goldman Sachs wrote in a recent note. Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, said in an interview with The Associated Press last month that the United States is on track this year for the fastest annual drop in inflation on record. If so, Goolsbee said, the result could be a "bigger soft landing than conventional wisdom believes has ever been possible." That said, a soft landing is hardly a sure thing. If, for example, the Fed miscalculated and kept interest rates too high for too long, it could eventually derail the economy and tip it into a recession. "There's more risk of a recession than a re-acceleration in inflation at these interest rates," said Julia Coronado, president of MarcoPolicy Perspectives, an economic research firm. "So ultimately, the next move is likely to be a cut because of that." The timing of any rate cuts will depend on the health of the economy. A recession - or the threat of one - would likely prompt more, and earlier, interest rate reductions by the Fed. Yet Friday's jobs report for November showed that businesses are still adding jobs at a healthy pace, and the unemployment rate dropped to a low 3.7% from 3.9%. Such figures suggested that the most-anticipated recession in decades is not imminent. Investors have since pushed back their expectations for the first Fed rate cut from March to May. The Fed could cut rates this year even if the economy plows ahead, as long as inflation kept falling. A steady slowdown in price increases would have the effect of raising inflation-adjusted interest rates, thereby making borrowing costs higher than the Fed intends. Reducing rates, in this scenario, would simply keep inflation-adjusted borrowing costs from rising. Yet economists say any rate cuts in response to lower inflation may take longer than Wall Street expects because the Fed will want to be sure inflation is in check before making such a move. Jim Bullard, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and now dean of Purdue University's business school, said that while he thinks the Fed is on track for a soft landing, the policymakers must be cautious about rate cuts. "I don't think you want to be too early on that, because if you start the process of cutting the policy rate and then inflation goes back up, I think that could cause a lot of problems," Bullard said. Such premature cuts have been blamed for the Fed's failure to quell inflation in the 1970s. And if job gains and economic growth remain healthy, then perhaps rate cuts aren't needed anytime soon, Bullard added. "Why lower the policy rate if the real economy is doing just fine?" he asked. "You might as well just sit back and enjoy the disinflation." Either way, when the Fed issues its quarterly economic projections Wednesday, they will include a forecast of where its policymakers think their key rate will be at the end of 2024. Coronado expects only two rate cuts to be penciled in - half the number that financial markets now expect. If the Fed does cut rates twice in 2024, the first one may not occur until as late as fall. Nancy Vanden Houten, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, says her firm doesn't expect the first rate cut until the third quarter of the year. "The Fed is going to want to see a bit more progress before contemplating rate cuts," she said. "Financial markets have gotten pretty ahead of themselves in our view. We think rate hikes are done, but it's going to be many months before the Fed starts cutting rates."
# Biden goes into 2024 with the economy getting stronger, but voters feel horrible about it By JOSH BOAK December 11, 2023. 10:39 AM EST --- WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden goes into next year's election with a vexing challenge: Just as the U.S. economy is getting stronger, people are still feeling horrible about it. Pollsters and economists say there has never been as wide a gap between the underlying health of the economy and public perception. The divergence could be a decisive factor in whether the Democrat secures a second term next year. Republicans are seizing on the dissatisfaction to skewer Biden, while the White House is finding less success as it tries to highlight economic progress. "Things are getting better and people think things are going to get worse - and that's the most dangerous piece of this," said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, who has worked with Biden. Lake said voters no longer want to just see inflation rates fall - rather, they want an outright decline in prices, something that last happened on a large scale during the Great Depression. "Honestly, I'm kind of mystified by it," she said. By many measures, the U.S. economy is rock solid. Friday's employment report showed that employers added 199,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate dropped to 3.7%. Inflation has plummeted in little over a year from a troubling 9.1% to 3.2% without causing a recession - a phenomenon that some once skeptical economists have dubbed "immaculate." Yet people remain dejected about the economy, according to the University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment. The preliminary December figures issued Friday showed a jump in sentiment as people seem to recognize that inflation is cooling. But the index is still slightly below its July level. In a possible warning sign for Biden, people surveyed for the index brought up the 2024 election. Sentiment rose dramatically more among Republicans than Democrats, potentially suggesting that GOP voters became more optimistic about winning back the White House. "Consumers have been feeling broadly uneasy about the economy since the pandemic, and they are still coming to grips with the notion that we are not returning to the pre-pandemic 'normal,'" Joanne Hsu, director and chief economist of the survey, said of the overall trend in recent months. Jared Bernstein, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, stressed that a strong underlying economy is "absolutely necessary" to eventually lifting consumer sentiment. His argument is that as the economy continues to improve, more people will recognize the benefits and sentiment will improve. "We've got to keep fighting to lower costs and build on the progress that we've made," Bernstein said. "We just need more time to get these gains to working Americans - that's our plan." The White House has made three major shifts in its messaging in hopes of building up confidence in Biden's economic leadership. The president this summer began to pepper his speeches with the term "Bidenomics" to describe his policies, only to have Republicans latch onto the word as a point of attack. White House officials have pointed out specific items for which prices have fallen outright. They noted lower prices for turkeys during Thanksgiving as well as for eggs. Biden repeatedly emphasizes that he lowered insulin costs for Medicare participants, while other officials discuss how gasoline prices have dropped from their peak. Second, Biden recently started to blame inflation on corporations that hiked prices when they saw an opportunity to improve their profits, bringing more prominence to an argument first used when gasoline prices spiked. The president's argument is suspicious to many economists, yet the intended message to voters is that Biden is fighting for them against those he blames for fueling inflation. "Let me be clear: Any corporation that is not passing these savings on to the consumers needs to stop their price gouging," Biden said recently in Pueblo, Colorado. "The American people are tired of being played for suckers." And Biden is now going after the track record of former President Donald Trump, the current GOP front-runner. Biden's campaign sent out a statement after Friday's employment report that said, " Despite his claims of being a jobs president, Donald Trump had the worst jobs record since the Great Depression, losing nearly three million jobs." The Republican counter to Biden has been to dismiss the positive economic data and focus on how voters are feeling. As the annual inflation rate has fallen, GOP messaging has focused instead on multi-year increases in consumer prices without necessarily factoring in wage gains. And Republican lawmakers have argued that people should trust their gut on the economy instead of the statistics cited by Biden. "Joe Biden's message to them is just this: He says don't believe your lying eyes," Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, said in a recent floor speech. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, put the blame solely on Biden for inflation and people feeling downtrodden. "The challenge is rising cost of living," said Youngkin, speaking at a Monday event in Washington hosted by Bloomberg News. "And it's just clear over the course of now the last three years of the Biden economy we have seen inflation really run away from a lot of folks and 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck." Biden's speeches over the past two years have done little to improve his anemic polling on the economy. Administration officials had once assumed that better economic numbers would overcome any doubts among voters, only to find that the negativity stayed even as the U.S. economy became likely to avoid a recession once forecasted by economists. Claudia Sahm, a former Federal Reserve economist, has been surprised by the anger generated online when she has noted the signs of a strong economy. A typical U.S. household is better off than it was in 2020. Inequality has lessened somewhat in recent years as wage growth has favored poorer workers. Yet people still seem rattled and disconnected by the shock of the pandemic, the arrival of government aid and the inflation that followed as hiring improved. "People have really been jerked around," Sahm said. "Things have been turned on and off. Everything has moved fast. It's been disruptive and confusing. We're just tired." There is no solitary cause for this gap between the major data and public feeling. But the experts trying to make sense of things have multiple theories about what's going on. Besides the pandemic's impact, it's possible that social media has distorted how people feel about the economy as they watch the posh lifestyles of influencers. Many people also judge the economy based on their own political beliefs, rather than the underlying numbers. It could simply be that people need time to adjust after a period of rising inflation. As a result, there's a lag before a slowing rate of inflation boosts how consumers feel, according to a recent analysis by economists Ryan Cummings and Neale Mahoney. "Sentiment is still being weighed down by the high inflation we had last year," Cummings said. "As that recedes further into the rearview mirror, its effects are likely to diminish." Another possibility is that the loss of pandemic aid from the government left people materially poorer. Millions of households got checks from the government and an expanded child tax credit deposited directly into their accounts. Republicans blamed this funding for feeding inflation, but the money also initially helped to shelter people from the pain of rising prices. Adjusting for government transfers and taxes, the average annual income for someone in the lower half of earners was $34,800 when Biden took office, according to an analysis provided by Gabriel Zucman, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley. That average fell to $26,100 by March 2023 in a sign that wage growth could not make up for the loss of government aid. Samuel Rines, an investment strategist at Corbu, found that companies including Pepsi, Kraft-Heinz, Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark latched onto the higher food and energy prices after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine to boost their own products' prices and increase profits. Earnings reports suggest that consumers started to tire of some companies' double-digit price increases this summer, prompting those companies to indicate that future prices increases will be closer to the historic average of 2%. Biden can reasonably argue that companies took advantage of the war in Ukraine and the pandemic to raise their prices, Rines said. But the increases happened 12 to 18 months ago and Biden's current argument doesn't apply to what businesses are doing now. Rines said of the president's message on price gouging: "It's pretty much 18 months too late."
# Stock market today: Asia markets rise ahead of US consumer prices update By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA December 11, 2023. 11:18 PM EST --- Asia markets opened higher following a positive close on Wall Street. Investors are eagerly awaiting a crucial U.S. inflation report later in the day, which will likely set the tone for the Federal Reserve's final meeting of the year on Wednesday. U.S. futures and oil prices advanced. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 added 0.5% to 32,959.50. Data released on Tuesday showed the wholesale prices in Japan rose by 0.3% from the previous year in November, which marked the slowest rate of increase in almost three years, suggesting a moderation in inflationary pressure in the economy. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.1% to 16,367.00, and the Shanghai Composite edged 0.1% higher, to 2,993.65. Chinese leaders are holding an annual economic conference expected to wrap up Tuesday with pledges to spur stable growth. In Seoul, the Kospi was up 0.4% at 2,534.15. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.5% to 7,233.90. India's Sensex gained 0.2%, while the SET in Bangkok lost 0.3%. On Monday, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% to 4,622.44, finishing at its highest level in 20 months. The Dow gained 0.4% to 36,404.93 and the Nasdaq added 0.2% to close at 14,432.49. The muted gains follow a six-week winning streak by the major stock indexes. The S&P 500 is up 20.4% for the year and the Nasdaq is up 37.9%. Cigna surged 16.7% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks after the health insurer announced a $10 billion stock buyback, and the Wall Street Journal reported that the company is no longer pursuing a merger with Humana. Macy's jumped 19.4% following reports that an investor group is launching a bid to take the storied retailer private for $5.8 billion. On Tuesday, the government will release its November report on consumer inflation. Analysts expect the report to show that inflation continued slowing to 3.1% from 3.2% in October. On Wednesday, the government will release its November report on inflation at the wholesale level, which is also expected to show that the rate of inflation is easing. Wall Street is overwhelmingly betting that the Fed will keep its benchmark interest rate at a range of 5.25% to 5.50% into early 2024 and could start cutting rates by the middle of that year. Analysts are also becoming more comfortable with the possibility that the central bank can pull off a "soft landing," which refers to inflation easing under high interest rates without the economy falling into a recession. "With inflation coming down faster than expected, it now appears likely that the Fed will refrain from additional rate hikes," Brian Rose, a senior U.S. economist at UBS, said in a note to investors. "At the same time, inflation is still too high and the labor market is still too tight for the Fed to consider cutting rates soon." Strong consumer spending and a solid jobs market have provided a bulwark to the broader economy, where growth has slowed but has so far avoided stalling. The government's jobs report on Friday showed that U.S. employers added more jobs last month than economists expected. Workers' wages also rose more than expected, and the unemployment rate unexpectedly improved. Several big companies will report their earnings this week and are among the few remaining to release their results. Software company Adobe will report on Wednesday and Olive Garden owner Darden Restaurants will release its results on Friday. Treasury yields were little changed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury held steady at 4.22%. In energy trading, U.S. benchmark crude oil added 25 cents to $71.57 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gained 0.1% Monday. Brent crude, the international standard, picked up 24 cents to $76.27 per barrel. The U.S. dollar fell to 145.60 Japanese yen from 146.16 yen. The euro rose to $1.0769 from $1.07613.
# Solid US hiring lowers unemployment rate in latest sign of a still-sturdy job market By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER December 8, 2023. 5:16 PM EST --- WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. employers added a healthy 199,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate fell, fresh signs that the economy could achieve an elusive "soft landing," in which inflation would return to the Federal Reserve's 2% target without causing a steep recession. Friday's report from the Labor Department showed that the unemployment rate dropped from 3.9% to 3.7%, not far above a five-decade low of 3.4% in April. The jobless rate has now remained below 4% for nearly two years, the longest such streak since the late 1960s. Last month's job gain was inflated by the return of about 40,000 formerly striking auto workers and actors, who were not at work in October but were back on the job in November. The latest jobs report and other recent data portray an economy and a labor market that, while still sturdy, are downshifting back to pre-pandemic norms. Businesses are hiring but are less desperate to fill huge numbers of jobs. More Americans have come off the sidelines to look for work, and immigration has jumped this year. As a result, employers are finding it easier to hire, with fewer complaints of worker shortages and less pressure to aggressively raise pay, which can fuel inflation. "What we wanted was a strong but moderating labor market, and that's what we saw in the November report," said Robert Frick, an economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union. A cooling job market is also just what the Fed was hoping to achieve as it sought to slow the economy and inflation with its rapid interest rate hikes in the past year and a half. Hiring has averaged just over 200,000 a month in the past three months, down from an average of about 320,000 in the same period last year. And most of last month's job gains were concentrated in just a few sectors. The health care industry - doctors' offices and hospitals - added 93,000 jobs in November. Hotels and restaurants added 40,000, and governments 49,000, accounting for nearly all the job growth. By contrast, retailers, shipping and warehousing companies, and temporary help agencies all cut jobs. Still, last month's hiring gain raised the proportion of Americans who are employed to 60.5%, the highest level since the pandemic struck, though it remains below the pre-COVID level of 61.1%. In the meantime, wages are growing at a slower but still-healthy pace. In November, average hourly pay rose 4% from a year earlier, matching the previous month's figure, which was the smallest since June 2021. Still, average pay is now growing faster than inflation, which should support consumer spending. And layoffs remain low, according to government data, despite job cuts at such companies as Panera Bread, a restaurant chain, and Spotify, the music streaming platform, which cited higher interest rates as a reason it had to cut about 1,500 jobs globally. Becky Frankiewicz, president of the staffing giant Manpower Group North America, said more employers are moving workers they may not need in one part of the company to another division rather than laying them off. Many companies still recall the difficulty they had finding workers during the pandemic and want to hold onto staff. "Everything we see continues to point to a slow glide into a cooler labor market," she said. Aaron Seyedian, owner of a small cleaning company based in Takoma Park, Maryland, says his business is still growing and hiring. He has enough demand to add five workers to his 30-person staff. Seyedian's company, "Well-Paid Maids," has just raised its starting pay from $23 to $24 an hour. He said he hasn't had any trouble finding people to hire. "From my perspective," Seyedian said, "the economy is still strong, and people still want to spend money." For the Fed, Friday's jobs report won't likely alter the near-certainty that it will keep interest rates unchanged for the third straight time when it meets next week. The central bank has raised its key rate 11 times since March 2022, from near zero to roughly 5.4%. The result has been much more expensive mortgages, auto loans, credit cards and business borrowing. Most economists and Wall Street traders think the Fed's next move will be to cut rates, though the strength in Friday's jobs report could lead the central bank to keep rates at a peak for a longer period. Before the jobs report, Wall Street traders foresaw a 55% likelihood that the Fed would cut rates at its March meeting, according to the CME FedWatch, tool. Now, they don't expect the first cut until May. Guy Berger, former principal economist at the career website LinkedIn, said the job market's resilience means the Fed can keep rates high to fight inflation without worrying so much about triggering a recession. "If we're not cooling, what's the rush?" to cut rates, Berger said. Many of the most recent economic figures have pointed toward a potential soft landing. Companies are advertising fewer job openings, and Americans are switching jobs less often than they did a year ago, trends that typically slow wage growth and inflation pressures. Most economists expect growth to slow and inflation will continue to decline. The economy is expected to expand at just a 1.5% annual rate in the final three months of this year, down from a scorching 5.2% pace in the July-September quarter. Cooler growth should help bring down inflation while still supporting a modest pace of hiring. Inflation has tumbled from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022 to just 3.2% last month. And according to a different inflation measure that the Fed prefers, prices rose at just a 2.5% annual rate in the past six months - not far above the central bank's 2% target. Christopher Waller, a key Fed official who typically favors higher rates, buoyed the markets' expectations last week for rate hikes when he suggested that if inflation kept falling, the Fed could cut rates as early as spring. Fed Chair Jerome Powell, though, pushed back against such speculation last Friday, when he said it was "premature to conclude" that the Fed has raised its benchmark rate high enough to quell inflation. And it was too soon, he added, to "speculate" about when the Fed might cut rates. But Powell also said interest rates are "well into" restrictive territory, meaning that they're clearly constraining growth. Many analysts took that remark as a signal that the Fed is done raising rates.
# Inflation eased in 2023. That's giving investors hope for a gentler Federal Reserve next year By DAMIAN J. TROISE December 7, 2023. 8:00 AM EST --- NEW YORK (AP) - Inflation gradually loosened its grip on Wall Street and the economy in 2023, raising hopes for a gentler Federal Reserve and solid gains for the market next year. Stocks rallied to their best month of the year in November as investors raised their bets that the Fed is done hiking interest rates to fight inflation. The economy has cooled under the weight of rising interest rates, as the central bank intended, but remains surprisingly resilient. Easing inflation and a solid economy heading into 2024 have increased the chance that the central bank could achieve a "soft landing" for the economy. That means inflation easing back to the central bank's target rate of 2% under high interest rates without the economy slipping into a recession. "Importantly, the soft-landing scenario is very much at play here, with market participants anticipating the 'good' rate cuts to take place: those that the Fed is able to, but not forced to make," said Katie Nixon, Chief Investment Officer for Northern Trust Wealth Management. A steep drop in gasoline prices helped slow inflation and broader energy prices have been falling throughout the year. U.S. crude oil prices are down about 10% in 2023. Consumer electronic prices have also eased, along with some groceries. Consumers have seemingly shifted their spending, which is still strong but has slowed overall. Inflation fell to 3% in November, according to a government report on personal spending that is the Fed's preferred measure. It peaked at 7.1% in 2022. Rates of inflation have fallen even more steeply elsewhere, slipping to 2.4% in Europe last month, the lowest in over two years. Much of that easing has been because of lower energy costs. Inflation peaked in Europe in 2022 at 10.6%. "Slowing growth, slowing inflation is our base case scenario for 2024, creating a favorable backdrop for stocks and bonds," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer and founding partner at Cresset. The S&P 500 hit its highest point of the year on Dec. 1, reaching 4,594.63 points. Analysts expect that the index will finally breach 4,600, a level that the market has struggled to surpass as it advanced in 2023. Inflation is expected to continue easing through 2024 and Wall Street is betting that the Fed will start cutting interest rates by mid-year. That could add more fuel to corporate earnings, which helps drive stock prices. Stock values are typically determined by how much profit a company generates and how much investors are willing to pay for each $1 of that. Investors typically look ahead, which means stocks have likely already factored in expectations for better earnings in 2024. The price-to-earnings value for the broader S&P 500 has remained steady in 2023 after recovering from lower values in 2022. The technology sector is much more expensive, hovering around its highest levels in two decades. "We anticipate global risk appetite increasing as 2024 begins, with markets experiencing some volatility as they start to discount a recovery later in the year," said investment management company Invesco in its 2024 outlook. Retailers and other consumer-focused companies could benefit from a resilient economy with easing inflation and lower borrowing costs. Expensive technology stocks also tend to look more attractive to investors when interest rates fall.
# US job openings fall to lowest level since March 2021 as labor market cools By PAUL WISEMAN December 5, 2023. 11:18 AM EST --- WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. employers posted 8.7 million job openings in October, the fewest since March 2021, in a sign that hiring is cooling in the face of higher interest rates yet remains at a still-healthy pace. The Labor Department's report said Tuesday that openings were down significantly from 9.4 million in September. Layoffs were up modestly in October. And the number of Americans who quit their jobs - which generally reflects confidence in their ability to find better pay or working conditions elsewhere - was down slightly. The drop in job openings last month was particularly steep in healthcare and social assistance, where they fell by 236,000; finance, which includes banking, insurance and real estate and which has been hit particularly hard by higher interest rates, down 217,000; and hotels, restaurants and bars, down 124,000. Still, despite the sharp drop in October, job openings remain at historically high levels. They have now exceeded 8 million for 32 straight months - a threshold they had never reached before 2021. U.S. hiring is slowing from the breakneck pace of the past two years. Still, employers have added a solid 239,000 jobs a month this year. And the unemployment rate has come in below 4% for 21 straight months, the longest such streak since the 1960s. The job market has shown surprising resilience even as the Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark interest rate 11 times since March 2022 to fight the worst bout of inflation in four decades. The resulting higher borrowing costs have helped ease inflationary pressures. Consumer prices were up 3.2% in October from a year earlier, down from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022. The Labor Department will issue the November jobs report on Friday. It is expected to show that employers added nearly 173,000 jobs last month. That would be up from 150,000 in October, in part because of the end of strikes by autoworkers and Hollywood writers and actors. The unemployment rate is expected to have remained at 3.9%, according to a survey of forecasters by the data firm FactSet. Though unemployment remains low, 1.93 million Americans were collecting unemployment benefits in the week that ended Nov. 18, the most in two years. That suggests that those who do lose their jobs need unemployment assistance longer because it is getting harder to find new employment. Overall, the combination of easing inflation and resilient hiring has raised hopes the Fed can manage a so-called soft landing - raising rates just enough to slow the economy and tame price increases without tipping the economy into recession. The cooling of the job market could mean a lessening of inflation pressures and less need for the Fed to keep interest rates high. The drop in openings "will be welcome news for policymakers" at the Fed, said Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. "Overall, the labor market remains strong, but it is cooling. And wages and inflation are decelerating. The data support our view that rates are at a peak and the Fed's next move will be a rate cut, likely in (the second quarter of) 2024."
# Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly up as weak jobs data back hopes for an end to rate hikes By ELAINE KURTENBACH December 5, 2023. 11:16 PM EST --- BANGKOK (AP) - Asian shares advanced on Wednesday after most stocks slipped on Wall Street following a mixed set of reports on the U.S. economy. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.5% to 16,413.96 while the Shanghai Composite edged 0.1% higher, to 2,968.75. The gains followed selloffs the day before amid worries about the health of China's economy, the world's second largest. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 added 1.7% to 33,339.26 and the Kospi in Seoul was up 0.6% at 2,509.04. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 climbed 1.5% to 7,166.10. India's Sensex gained 0.6% and the SET in Bangkok advanced 0.9%. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 edged 0.1% lower, to 4,567.18, for its first back-to-back loss since October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, to 36,124.56, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%, to 14,229.91. U.S. stocks and Treasury yields wavered after reports showed that employers advertised far fewer job openings at the end of October than expected, while growth for services businesses accelerated more last month than expected. That kept alive questions about whether the U.S. economy can pull off a perfect landing where it snuffs out high inflation but avoids a recession. On Wall Street, KeyCorp fell 3.7% and led a slump for bank stocks after it cut its forecast for income from fees and other non-interest income. But gains of more than 2% for Apple and Nvidia, two of the market's most influential stocks, helped to blunt the losses. With inflation down from its peak two summers ago, Wall Street is hopeful the Federal Reserve may finally be done with its market-shaking hikes to interest rates and could soon turn to cutting rates. That could help the economy avoid a recession and give a boost to all kinds of investment prices. Tuesday's report showed that employers advertised just 8.7 million jobs on the last day of October, down by 617,000 from a month earlier and the lowest level since 2021. A separate report said that activity for U.S. services industries expanded for the 41st time in the last 42 months, with growth reported by everything from agriculture to wholesale trade. Strength there has been offsetting weakness in manufacturing. In the bond market, Treasury yields continued to sag further from the heights they reached during late October. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.17% from 4.26% late Monday, offering more breathing space for stocks and other markets. It had been above 5% and at its highest level in more than a decade during October. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, went on a jagged run following the economic reports. It fell from 4.61% just before the reports' release to 4.57% and then yo-yoed before easing back to 4.55%. Traders widely expect the Federal Reserve to hold its key interest rate steady at its next meeting next week, before potentially cutting rates in March, according to data from CME Group. Fed officials have recently hinted that the federal funds rate may indeed already be at its peak. It's above 5.25%, up from nearly zero early last year. But Fed Chair Jerome Powell and others have also warned Wall Street about being overzealous in its predictions about how early a cut could happen. Lower yields have been one reason prices cryptocurrencies have been rising recently. Excitement about a possible exchange-traded fund tied to bitcoin, which would open it to new kinds of investors, has also helped send it above $43,000 recently. In other trading, U.S. benchmark crude oil added 7 cents to $72.39 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international standard, picked up 9 cents to $77.29 per barrel. The U.S. dollar rose to 147.31 Japanese yen from 147.17 yen. The euro slipped to $1.0800 from $1.0802.

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