Written by Econintersect
Early Bird Headlines 21 May 2015
Econintersect: Here are some of the headlines we found to help you start your day. For more headlines see our afternoon feature for GEI members, What We Read Today, which has many more headlines and a number of article discussions to keep you abreast of what we have found interesting.
Global
Southern hemisphere joins north in breaching carbon dioxide milestone (The Conversation) As predicted last year, the background atmospheric carbon dioxide levels measured at Cape Grim on Tasmania’s northwest coast have officially passed the 400 parts per million (ppm) mark. The milestone was reached on May 10. In the past few days, the 400 ppm level has also been breached in Antarctica, where CSIRO’s (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization – Australia) measurements at Casey Station show the 400 ppm level was exceeded on May 14. Together, these measurements show that the atmospheric CO₂ concentration of the entire southern hemisphere is now at or above 400 ppm. It is unlikely to dip back below this level for many decades to come.
U.S.
Nation’s largest reservoir drops to lowest level in history (CNBC) The largest reservoir in the United States is breaking dire records. Lake Mead, located in Nevada along the Colorado River, has declined to its lowest level since it was first filled during the 1930s, according to The Desert Sun. The publication noted that the reservoir’s flows declined over the last 16 years because of persistent drought.
Election model predicts Clinton over Trump (The Hill) Moody’s latest model shows for the third straight month that the Democratic nominee would take 332 electoral votes compared with 206 for the Republican nominee. The model has predicted every election correctly since it was created in 1980. Only two possible factors might change before the election that could improve the GOP chances: (1) a decline in President Obama’s approval ratings; and (2) a significant rise in gasoline prices.
At NRA, Trump slams Clinton for ‘heartless’ gun restrictions (Associated Press) Donald Trump on Friday slammed Hillary Clinton as “heartless” for backing restrictions on gun ownership that he said would leave Americans in high-crime areas unable to protect themselves. He also challenged Clinton to follow his lead and release a list of potential Supreme Court nominees. Trump’s remarks came at the National Rifle Association convention in Louisville, Kentucky. The gun rights organization endorsed the presumptive Republican nominee ahead of his remarks, despite Trump’s previous support for measures like an assault weapons ban that the NRA vigorously opposes.
Okla. governor vetoes bill to make performing abortions a felony (The Hill) Strongly anti-abortion Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin on Friday vetoed a bill that would ban virtually all abortions in her state, in a surprising move. The governor announced Friday afternoon that she would reject the bill because it was “vague and would not withstand a criminal constitutional legal challenge“. Fallin said:
“The bill is so ambiguous and so vague that doctors cannot be certain what medical circumstances would be considered ‘necessary to preserve the life of the mother’.”
Capitol Hill Buzz: Gowdy remarks stir partisan Benghazi feud (Associated Press) It’s a question congressional investigators have long been seeking to answer: Could the military have reached the besieged diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, in time to prevent the killings of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, the night of Sept. 11, 2012? The chairman of the House Benghazi committee – echoing comments by his top lawyer – now says no. Democrats seized on the comment, saying Gowdy was dismissing a central element of the two-year investigation into the attacks. The sole purpose of the probe, they argue, is to undercut the presidential bid of Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time.
Greece
Migrant crisis: Greek judges tell Syrian refugee Turkey is unsafe (BBC News) Greek judges have ruled that a Syrian asylum seeker should not be sent back to Turkey because it is not safe. Amnesty International campaigners say the decision throws the EU-Turkey migrant deal into doubt. They say migrants in Turkey do not have basic human rights and many are at risk of being taken to Syria. A source at the Greek migration ministry said the judges were only deciding whether the individual’s case could be heard in Greece or not.
Egypt
EgyptAir flight data show smoke alerts before crash: Source (CNN) New clues emerged Friday about EgyptAir Flight 804, but there were no answers as to what caused the plane to go down in the Mediterranean Sea. There were smoke alerts near the airliner cockpit early Thursday in the minutes before it crashed, according to flight data CNN obtained Friday from an Egyptian source.
Data Points to Rapid Loss of Control Aboard EgyptAir Jet (The New York Times, MSN News) Data that was transmitted from the aircraft to operators on the ground, published Friday by a respected aviation journal, revealed a rapid loss of control, with alarms and computer-system failures in the seconds before the plane was lost from radar.
Russia
Putin Pushes Nuclear Power To Southeast Asia (Forbes) Hat tip to Rob Carter. Russian president Vladimir Putin did some lobbying for state owned Rosatom in Sochi on Friday, telling southeast Asian countries there that it was time to go nuclear. None of the 10 ASEAN nations are currently hooked up to nuclear power. Nor are any of the 63 ongoing nuclear reactor sites being built worldwide going up in ASEAN states. Rosatom is the world’s third largest developer of nuclear reactors. Its subsidiary TVEL producers fuel assembly rods, the technology that holds the uranium used to power the reactor and generate electricity. It competes with Westinghouse Electric Company, AREVA Inc. and now Chinese companies are starting to get in on the action, primarily in China but also in Eastern Europe, an historic strong hold for Russian utilities.
India
Three Indians in Islamic State recruitment video (The Hindu) Two former Indian Mujahideen members from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh and one man from Kalyan in Maharashtra feature in a new propaganda video posted by the Islamic State (IS) to recruit Indians to fight in Homs in Syria.
Costa Rica
Volcano ash covers Costa Rica towns (BBC News) A volcano has erupted in central Costa Rica, belching smoke and ash up to 3,000m (10,000ft) into the air. Hundreds of people have gone to hospital, complaining of breathing difficulties and skin problems. Some schools were shut and some flights into the country cancelled or diverted. People in the capital San Jose, about 45km (30 miles) west of the Turrialba volcano, said layers of ash had coated buildings and cars and there was a fierce smell of sulphur.
