“The United States will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement,” said Trump this week. Trump said he wants to negotiate for better terms, and that other countries are given an economic edge by the current accord. The U.S., he said, suffers lost jobs, lower wages, closed factories, and diminished economic production because of the agreement. … Read more
In a city in Alabama called Gardendale, youths who go out to mow lawns this year have been threatened by officials and landscaping companies that they have to get a business licence before starting, which brings in $110 for the city for each licence. Adults who also cut lawns over the summer have made complaints … Read more
China protested when the investors service lowered its credit rating 1 notch because of China’s rising debt load (which could be difficult to service) and slowing growth. It is the first time in the 30 years since the end of the devastation caused by Mao and the Cultural Revolution that China’s credit rating has been … Read more
The company was granted a patent for technology that scans items users have stored on the cloud when they are shared. Microsoft envisions using software based on the patent for services like Google Drive, Dropbox and other storage services, social networks, and pirate sites. A summary of how the patent is understood: “When objects are … Read more
China, the world’s biggest solar power market, added 21.4b kilowatt-hours in the three months before March 31, compared with a year earlier, according to the NEA. It’s total installed capacity is now 85gw. Their increase is despite an unused capacity (congested transmission infrastructure) worth 2.3b kilowatt-hours in the first quarter. Read more
A piece of the world’s second-largest diamond, found 2 years ago by Vancouver’s Lucara Diamond company, just sold for $17.5m. The big rock in question is the 1,109-carat “Lesedi La Rona.” They wanted $70m for it at the auction, but no one bid higher than $60m so they still have it. The $17.5m diamond is … Read more
6 Major companies reported weaker showing than 2016 at this time. Read more
Nuclear shelters and radiation-blocking and chemical gas air filters have seen higher sales in recent weeks as North Korea continues its nuclear program, including nuclear and missile tests, and America and China take a tougher stance on the nation’s military activities. Some stores have sold out. Three North Korean missiles landed in Japan’s waters, 300-350 … Read more
After phone calls with Trudeau and Nieto, the White House said that Trump “Agreed not to terminate NAFTA at this time and the leaders agreed to proceed swiftly, according to their required internal procedures, to enable the renegotiation of the NAFTA deal to the benefit of all three countries.” Trump also wrote in a statement, … Read more
So these tiny satellites being sent up into space in bundles … The buzz company is called Planet, and they started in 2010 with a team of ex-NASA scientists. They recently launched 88 new little imaging satellites in one go from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India. Their satellites are called Doves, and … Read more
140,000 Americans are now employed by 3,200 Chinese companies operating in the U.S., according to Chinese state media organization Xinhua. The 140k is 9 times the 2009 number. And the dollar figure for investment, $46b, is three times what it was a year earlier. Read more
Fruit may join the large number of U.S. crops that are harvested by machines. Robotics companies like FFRobotics and Abundant Robotics are working on building machines to harvest delicate fruits. FFRobotics is developing a 4- to 12-armed machine that has three-fingered grips to grab fruit and twist or clip it from a branch — at … Read more