“Britain on Thursday lifted England’s moratorium on controversial gas fracking to boost energy security, despite breaking the ruling Conservative party’s manifesto pledge. Prime Minister Liz Truss had flagged the move two weeks ago, shortly after taking office, in a vast package tackling turmoil in energy markets after key gas supplier Russia invaded Ukraine. The UK had in 2019 called a halt to fracking — or hydraulic fracturing which is used to release hydrocarbons locked deep underground — due to fears it could trigger earthquakes. The moratorium was imposed under Truss'[s] predecessor Boris Johnson following a series of earth tremors, but the government has switched tack after Russia cut off gas supplies to most of Europe, sending prices soaring.” (09/22/22)
“A Florida highway was blocked on Wednesday by thousands of beer cans after a crash with five semi-trailers. All lanes were closed after the semi-trailer carrying the beer crashed into trucks parked on the side of the road. Photos taken at the scene by the Florida Highway Patrol show so many spilled beer boxes and cans, the road can barely be seen. The highway was eventually reopened some hours later. Only minor injuries were reported.” [editor’s note: FAKE NEWS. No real beer involved, just Coors Light – TLK] (09/22/22)
Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation [Canadian state media]
“The U.S. Justice Department can resume reviewing classified records seized by the FBI from former president Donald Trump’s Florida home pending appeal …. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request by federal prosecutors to block U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s stay barring them from using the classified documents in their probe until an independent arbiter, called a special master, vets the materials to weed out any that could be deemed privileged and withheld from investigators. The appeals court also said it would agree to reverse a portion of the lower court’s order that required the government to hand over records with classification markings for the special master’s review. … Trump’s lawyers could potentially ask the U.S. Supreme Court, whose 6-3 conservative majority includes three justices appointed by him, to intervene in the matter.” (09/21/22)
“U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday said he has not been able to get a single Senate Republican to support his resolution expressing support for Brazilian democracy and opposition to a military coup, a fact that the Vermont senator lamented as indicative of ‘the state of democracy in the United States.’ ‘This resolution is very simple and straightforward,’ Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a floor speech outlining the details of a measure he introduced alongside Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and a handful of other Senate Democrats on Brazil’s Independence Day earlier this month. ‘It’s important for the people of Brazil to know we’re on their side, on the side of democracy. It does not take sides in Brazil’s election, obviously — and that would be unacceptable,’ Sanders said Wednesday.” (09/22/22)
“Switzerland’s central bank carried out the biggest hike ever to its key interest rate Thursday, following the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks around the world in aggressive moves to clamp down on inflation. The Swiss National Bank could not rule out that further increases beyond the rise of three-quarters of a percentage point ‘will be necessary to ensure price stability over the medium term,’ said Thomas Jordan, chairman of SNB governing board. … The Swiss rate increased from minus 0.25% to 0.5%, ending several years of negative interest rates — a testament to the stable growth, low-inflation environment, coupled with Switzerland’s appeal as a safe haven for assets. In essence, that negative interest rate environment meant that people who parked assets in Switzerland paid for the privilege, a counterintuitive idea for many investors who might expect a return on their savings.” (09/22/22)
“South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol went viral for his hot mic reaction to President Biden’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. Yoon, who took office in May, reacted to Biden’s pledge to increase the U.S. contribution to the U.N. Global Fund, which would require congressional approval. ‘How could Biden not lose damn face if these f—ers do not pass it in Congress?’ Yoon asked his aides on a hot mic Wednesday, according to the South China Morning Post. Biden has repeated the talking point that America has been respected again on the world stage since his election in 2020. Yoon’s comments raised concern in his home country; strong U.S.-Korean relations are pivotal for mutual defense in the East Asian region.” (09/22/22)
“The U.S. government on Thursday imposed sanctions on Iran’s morality police and leaders of other government agencies after the death of a woman who’d been detained over an accusation she violated the country’s dress code by wearing her Islamic headgear too loosely. The sanctions come after at least nine protesters have been killed in clashes with Iranian security forces since violence erupted over the weekend because of the young woman’s death. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also designated the leaders of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, the Army’s Ground Forces, the Basij Resistance Forces and other law enforcement agencies for the sanctions, which deny them access of their properties and bank accounts held in the U.S.” (09/22/22)
“The international court convened in Cambodia to judge the Khmer Rouge for its brutal 1970s rule ended its work Thursday after spending $337 million and 16 years to convict just three men of crimes after the regime caused the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million people. In its final session, the U.N.-assisted tribunal rejected an appeal by Khieu Samphan, the last surviving leader of the Khmer Rouge government that ruled Cambodia from 1975-79. It reaffirmed the life sentence he received after being convicted in 2018 of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. … With its active work done, the tribunal, formally called the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, now enters a three-year ‘residual’ period, focusing on getting its archives in order and disseminating information about its work for educational purposes.” (09/22/22)
“North Korea says it has never sold weapons to Russia and has no plans to do so, following US reports that Moscow was turning to Pyongyang to replenish stockpiles. US officials had said Russia was in the process of purchasing rockets and artillery shells from North Korea. They said such moves, along with alleged purchases of Iranian weapons, showed Western sanctions were impeding Russia’s efforts in the Ukraine war. Moscow denied the reports at the time. Any arms movement between the two countries would be in violation of United Nations sanctions. On Thursday, in a statement carried by North Korean state media KCNA, an unnamed official at North Korea’s defence ministry said: ‘We have never exported weapons or ammunition to Russia before and we will not plan to export them.'” (09/22/22)
“When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis set out on his stunt to highlight liberal hypocrisy last week, he contracted with Vertol Systems, Inc., to pull it off. For $615,000, the aviation firm founded in Oregon agreed to fly 48 Venezuelan migrants from the San Antonio, Texas, area to the chic Massachusetts vacation destination of Martha’s Vineyard, where they were left to fend for themselves. It was a political win-win for DeSantis: In Florida, Vertol and its president have contributed exclusively to Republican causes, including to the Florida legislature’s appropriations chief, his DeSantis transportation-appointee father, and the state Republican party, according to campaign finance records reviewed by The Intercept. … Florida records show that the state Department of Transportation paid Vertol an additional $950,000 for two more projects related to the ‘relocation program of authorized aliens’ bringing their total under the program to $1,565,000.” (09/21/22)
