Month: January 2024

Categories
Health

CVS to shut ‘choose’ pharmacies in Goal shops within the coming months

CVS to close ‘select’ pharmacies in Target stores in the coming months

CVS Health plans to close select pharmacies inside Target stores early this year, a company spokesperson said Thursday, as retail pharmacy chains in the U.S. struggle to boost profits. 

The closures will begin in February and finish by the end of April, the spokesperson said in a statement. She added that employees affected by the closures will be offered comparable roles within CVS, and prescriptions will be transferred to a nearby CVS pharmacy before a location closes.

The spokesperson did not disclose how many stores would be shuttered, but a report from The Wall Street Journal on Thursday said CVS would close “dozens” of locations.

CVS operates 9,000 pharmacy locations nationwide. The company has a pharmacy in about 1,800 of Target’s 1,956 stores in the U.S., according to a Target spokesperson. 

The Target spokesperson declined to comment on the closures or share plans for the closed CVS locations. 

The decision to shutter the stores is part of CVS’ effort to reduce its retail footprint “based on our evaluation of changes in population, consumer buying patterns and future health needs,” the CVS spokesperson said.

In 2021, CVS said it would close about 900 stores, which is about 10% of its U.S. locations, between 2022 and 2024, as the company pushes to transform itself from a major drugstore chain into a large health-care company.

CVS has deepened that push over the past year with its nearly $8 billion acquisition of health-care provider Signify Health and $10.6 billion deal to buy Oak Street Health, which operates primary care clinics for seniors.

But the company also launched a cost-cutting program last year as part of that expensive push into health care, with plans to lay off 5,000 employees.

The closures also come after pharmacy staff from CVS and other drugstore chains walked out in the fall to protest what they call harsh working conditions that put both employees and patients at risk. CVS has told CNBC that the company is engaging with staff to directly address any concerns they might have.

— CNBC’s Melissa Repko contributed to this report.

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Categories
Entertainment

Marisa Abela Dramatically Transforms Into Amy Winehouse in Biopic

Marisa Abela Dramatically Transforms Into Amy Winehouse in Biopic

Amy Winehouse‘s life story will soon light up the silver screen.

The first teaser for Back to Black, the upcoming biopic of the famed singer, has been released, giving the first official glimpse of Marisa Abela donning the classic beehive ‘do and thick eyeliner. 

The film follows the late Grammy winner’s rise to fame and turbulent personal life, including her struggles with addiction and relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil (played by Jack O’Connell)—which ultimately inspired her award-winning album Back to Black.

“I don’t write songs to be famous,” Marisa, as Amy, says in a radio interview during the trailer Jan. 11. “I write songs because I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t.”

The teaser showcases moments of Amy’s early on-stage performances and how the singer came to find her personal style, including her iconic hair and tattoos. 

The film will highlight difficult moments in the singer’s life, including death in her family, her breakups with Blake and the incessant swarms of paparazzi that followed her every move amid her public battle with drugs and alcohol.

Categories
Science

Hubble Exhibits {That a} Quick Radio Burst Got here From a Big Group of Galaxies

Hubble Shows That a Fast Radio Burst Came From a Giant Group of Galaxies

Way back when the cosmos was only five billion years old, a powerful explosion happened in a group of young galaxies halfway across the Universe. It sent out a blast of radiation from one member of that distant galaxy group.

On June 10, 2022, the Square Kilometer Array pathfinder telescope in Australia picked up a fast radio burst (FRB) emanating from the site. The Very Large Telescope in Chile confirmed its distance. Now, Hubble Space Telescope provides a look at the specific galaxy where the FRB originated. It’s kinda weird.

Hubble’s view suggests that the event, called FRB 20220610A, happened in a galaxy-rich part of the Universe. That’s pretty unexpected since most FRBs happen in isolated galaxies, not necessarily in clusters. That alone makes this event a “weirdo” outlier in the annals of fast radio burst detections.

“It required Hubble’s keen sharpness and sensitivity to pinpoint exactly where the FRB came from,” said astronomer Alexa Gordon of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. “Without Hubble’s imaging, it would still remain a mystery as to whether this was originating from one monolithic galaxy or some type of interacting system. It’s these types of environments – these weird ones – that are driving us toward better understanding the mystery of FRBs.”

Fast Radio Bursts Pose a Puzzling Mystery

A fast radio burst is just what it sounds like: a huge blast of radio waves, accompanied by a visible-light component. FRBs can outshine a galaxy for a very short time, which catches astronomers’ attention. They’ve been observed for decades and the first one was discovered in 2007. Astronomers still aren’t sure exactly what sets them off. “We are ultimately trying to answer the questions: What causes them? What are their progenitors and what are their origins? The Hubble observations provide a spectacular view of the surprising types of environments that give rise to these mysterious events,” said co-investigator Wen-fai Fong, also of Northwestern University.

Of course, there are a lot of theories about the origins of these events. Black holes or neutron stars may play a role in creating these outbursts. An FRB may get stirred up in an intense neutron star called a magnetar. These objects exist in various “flavors”, so their FRBs might also have different aspects.

An artist’s impression of the ultra-long period magnetar—a rare type of star with extremely strong magnetic fields that can produce powerful bursts of energy. Credit: ICRAR

Magnetars have incredibly strong, twisted magnetic fields (hence the name magnetar). Sometimes those magnetic fields get so twisted that they break and reconnect. This happens on other stars and on the Sun, although not at the same intensity as a magnetar. The whole process, from snap to reconnection releases a tremendous amount of energy. On a magnetar, the “snap” could be what generates the flash of light and release of radio waves that characterize a FRB. The heat released would vaporize any nearby material, such as gas and dust.

Solving the Mystery of FRB Origins

If a magnetar isn’t involved in every FRB, maybe black collisions play a role. Or, it’s possible that some interaction between a black hole and a massive object orbiting around it could cause one of these explosions. The merger of neutron stars could do it, too. At least, those are two other theories to explain these blasts. Some astronomers also suggest that very energetic and huge supernova explosions might be enough to create an FRB. And, there are a variety of other ideas, involving black holes, pulsars, and dark matter.

To get to the root cause of FRBs, astronomers need to observe more of them at high resolution. As it is now, when the signals from one hit Earth, radio telescopes gather the first data. Then, once astronomers figure out the location, they send information to various ground-based and orbiting telescopes. Those observatories can then focus on the other wavelengths of light coming from the explosion. Hubble Space Telescope plays a crucial role in delivering the sharpest possible images of the distant regions of space where FRBs occur. “We just need to keep finding more of these FRBs, both nearby and far away, and in all these different types of environments,” said Gordon.

In addition, astronomers want to know what are most likely environments for FRBs. Are most of them confined to individual, isolated galaxies? Or, can they occur in the galaxy cluster neighborhood? Also, since these events seem to occur at great distances, that means they happened early in cosmic history. The most distant one so far sent its light across 8 billion light-years to reach us. What happened in their galaxies in those early epochs to spur on the incredible blasts of energy released? These and other questions await further observations of FRBs.

For More Information

Hubble Finds Weird Home of Farthest Fast Radio Burst
A Fast Radio Burst in a Compact Galaxy Group at z~1

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Categories
Sport

If not now, when for Dak Prescott and a Cowboys Tremendous Bowl?

If not now, when for Dak Prescott and a Cowboys Super Bowl?

  • Todd Archer, ESPN Staff WriterJan 10, 2024, 06:00 AM ET

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      Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.

FRISCO, Texas — The words are there for all the Dallas Cowboys to see every day: Carpe Omnia.

Coach Mike McCarthy chose the Latin phrase “seize everything” as the Cowboys’ motto for 2023. It’s surrounded by a collage of images in the main hallway outside their locker room.

In the upper-left corner is a huddle full of Cowboys and the Vince Lombardi Trophy hanging over the group. In the middle are photos of the Cowboys’ five Super Bowl champion teams. A blank spot is left in the middle for the 2023 Cowboys.

“Credit Mike for making that the theme of this season, and it’s been something that we’ve pointed to at different parts of the year — and right now it’s bigger than ever,” quarterback Dak Prescott said.

These Cowboys have to seize everything as they start their postseason journey against the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox).

If not now, when?

This is their best chance in years to recapture that Super Bowl magic, in part because there isn’t an Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady or Drew Brees to go through. But when considering the Cowboys’ salary cap, impending free agent decisions, the draft, front office and coaching futures, this is an all-in postseason for Dallas.

That doesn’t mean the Cowboys will fall apart in 2024 and beyond, but windows of opportunity last only so long.

“This is why you play the game,” said cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who is back in the postseason for the first time since 2019 after winning a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2018. “It’s do or die now.”

Todd Archer / ESPN

THE COWBOYS ARE back in the playoffs for the third straight season. They have not done that since the 1990s dynasty teams that delivered three of the franchise’s five Super Bowl wins with Hall of Fame talents such as Troy Aikman, Charles Haley, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith.

But what are the 2023 Cowboys?

In defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, guard Zack Martin and tackle Tyron Smith, they have a core of veteran players who have experienced five playoff heartbreaks. Prescott has been around for four.

They traded for two players with Super Bowl experience — receiver Brandin Cooks and Gilmore — in hopes of getting over the massive hump that seems to be the divisional round of the playoffs.

They have players with four or fewer years of experience who are among the best in the NFL at their positions: receiver CeeDee Lamb, linebacker Micah Parsons and guard Tyler Smith.

But while this roster might be ready to compete for a Super Bowl, maintaining this level of talent for the long term won’t be simple.

THE COWBOYS HAVE serious salary cap issues to solve. According to Roster Management System, they have roughly $258 million committed to 48 players against the 2024 cap. While the 2024 salary cap is not set and typically rises from the year before, 2023’s cap is $224.8 million.

2023 NFL Playoffs

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Prescott carries a $59.4 million cap figure. An extension of his contract would solve almost all of the potential issues. But if the Cowboys don’t make a Super Bowl run this season, should they commit to what could be the richest contract in NFL history for a quarterback who has not gotten to a Super Bowl in his first eight years as the starter?

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones, as well as executive vice president Stephen Jones, have consistently said they want Prescott to be the quarterback well into the future. Prescott, who turned 30 in July, had his best season — an NFL-leading 36 touchdown passes and nine interceptions after tying for the league lead in interceptions with 15 in 2022 despite missing five games — but will this be the year he puts together a postseason as good as his regular season?

Jerry Jones is not worried about the cost.

“That really has not crossed my mind. Just as when we were wanting him to have more success, or to exhibit more success, [that] I thought about it driving down the price,” Jones said. “[Worrying about paying Prescott] doesn’t cross my mind.

“I’m here like everybody else, wanting him to be the Most Valuable Player in the NFL. That would go against everything we’re about. We’re trying to win the Super Bowl, and obviously we’ve got a better chance to win it if we have him as the quarterback playing at that level.”

Beyond Prescott, the Cowboys would like to sign Lamb and Parsons to contract extensions that would make them the highest paid — or at least close — at their positions. Lamb is signed through 2024 after his fifth-year option was picked up last offseason. The Cowboys will pick up Parsons’ fifth-year option for 2025 this spring.

With players like TE Jake Ferguson (87), QB Dak Prescott (4) and WR CeeDee Lamb (88), the Dallas Cowboys have a roster talented enough to win it all this season. Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

AMONG THE KEY roster decisions the Cowboys will have to figure out during the offseason is what to do with Tyron Smith. The left tackle was drafted in the first round in 2011 and is the longest-tenured Cowboy. He is also one of 17 players set to become unrestricted free agents during the offseason.

While that number might not be much larger than recent years, they have more starting or key contributors on that list, such as running back Tony Pollard, center Tyler Biadasz, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, Gilmore, safety Jayron Kearse and cornerback Jourdan Lewis, as well as defensive ends Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr., and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore.

Other questions linger.

What do they do with Pollard, their leading rusher? They don’t have a left tackle ready to take over for Tyron Smith, especially if their desire is to keep Tyler Smith at left guard. They don’t have a center ready to take over for Biadasz, who has started every game he has played the past three seasons.

Gilmore, 33, has been solid, but what kind of contract will he command as he enters his 13th season, and how much would the Cowboys pay, knowing cornerback Trevon Diggs is coming back from a torn ACL in his left knee?

WHEN IT COMES to the 2024 NFL draft, Dallas has a pick in each of the first three rounds and two in the seventh round. They could get two compensatory picks as well, but they don’t have their own picks in the fourth (Trey Lance trade with San Francisco), fifth (Eric Scott Jr. trade with Kansas City) and sixth round (Cooks trade with Houston).

They also will face a more difficult schedule next season with eight games against 2023 playoff teams and a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, who will have quarterback Joe Burrow back from injury. And if the NFC East’s two-decade streak without a repeat champion holds, the 2023 champion Cowboys’ path to the Super Bowl will presumably be harder in 2024.

The Cowboys did not get much regular-season production from their top three rookie picks, defensive tackle Mazi Smith, tight end Luke Schoonmaker and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who suffered a torn ACL in the preseason. Fourth-round pick Viliami Fehoko Jr. was not active for a game but spent time on injured reserve.

Will they be ready for the second-year jump McCarthy talks about?

play

2:39

Stephen A. on Mike McCarthy: You have to finish the job at some point

Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe say that although Mike McCarthy has led the Cowboys to multiple winning seasons, the time has come for him to deliver a Super Bowl.

THE COWBOYS WILL have decisions to make about their coaching staff and front office too.

Will defensive coordinator Dan Quinn leave for a head-coaching spot? Could vice president of player personnel Will McClay go somewhere else to become a general manager?

The Carolina Panthers have requested an interview with Quinn, who has been up for jobs each of the past two years. Jerry Jones adjusted Quinn’s contract, per sources, but Quinn wants to be a head coach again. If the right opportunity presents itself, Jones might be hard-pressed to convince Quinn to stay.

And that leads to the question of McCarthy’s future, should the Cowboys not put it all together in the next four weeks: Would Jones move away from McCarthy if the Cowboys falter Sunday against the Packers or not make it to a conference championship game?

McCarthy has produced three-straight 12-win seasons, three straight playoff appearances, and Prescott just had his best season.

“What he’s done, the fact that we put ourselves in this position over the last three years, I think that does speak for itself,” Jerry Jones said after the regular-season finale win at Washington. “We’ve got a lot of football left, and in no small part, thanks to Mike, thanks to his staff and thanks to some really outstanding players around here. So we’ll see how each game goes.”

Read into all of that and the salary cap, roster and draft decisions what you want, but all of it suggests the 2024 Cowboys could look different than the 2023 Cowboys.

HAVING EXPERIENCED CHANGE and missed opportunities, players are leaning into the Cowboys’ Carpe Omnia motto.

“[This season] means more. I came in my rookie year [2021], I was like, ‘I just can’t wait to get it next year,'” Parsons said. “Obviously, seeing a team disassemble the way it did this offseason, losing some great players and friends, you tend to appreciate the teams more, value the guys around you. And know what it means for everyone and their families.”

As a rookie in 2016, Prescott listened to veterans such as tight end Jason Witten and linebacker Sean Lee talk about the opportunity ahead of those 13-3 Cowboys and how they had to take advantage of it. They lost 34-31 in the divisional round to the Green Bay Packers — then coached by McCarthy — but at 23-years old, the veterans’ message did not really sink in.

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Now in his eighth season, Prescott is the veteran telling the younger players to seize the opportunity.

“There’s three guys that have been here longer than me in DeMarcus [Lawrence], Zack [Martin] and Tyron [Smith], Prescott said. “One, just the turnover. And then two, after my rookie year, the way that wild phantom of a year was, thinking, ‘Ah, hell, this is easy. This is what the rest is going to be like.’

“To be sitting here now in Year 8, understanding that you don’t have these teams, you don’t have these opportunities as often as you would think,” Prescott said. “Overall confidence, belief in ourselves, we’ve got a special group right now. Things are laying up for us in the right way.”

Prescott uttered those words before the Philadelphia Eagles’ loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17 opened up a path for the Cowboys to win the NFC East and earn the No. 2 seed in the conference.

As the No. 2 seed, the Cowboys could play at least two postseason games at AT&T Stadium, where they were 8-0 this season and have won 16 straight.

The only thing that matters now is winning.

Gilmore spent his first five seasons with the Buffalo Bills and never made the playoffs. In 2017, he signed with the Patriots and made the Super Bowl his first two seasons, losing to the Eagles in Super Bowl LII and beating the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII. He has been back to the playoffs once since.

He and Prescott talked about the sacrifices needed this time of year to succeed. More time looking at film. More time in meetings. More time thinking about football.

“You’ve always got to have a sense of urgency no matter what,” Gilmore said. “You’ve just got to take advantage of your opportunities because you don’t want to say, ‘I could’ve done this. Should have done this,’ and lose out on your opportunity.”

Categories
Technology

Boris comes over to co-host; Slack’s Cal Henderson talks European tech

Tomas Hrozensky (ESPI) on policy in space

Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry.

In today’s episode, Andrii is joined by Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, co-founder, member of the board, and former CEO of TNW. The topics discussed include the jobs created by Dutch startups, giant state funding for energy projects, translations of the word ‘computer’, and a bunch of other things in between.

In the interview section, we’re featuring a conversation with Cal Henderson, co-founder and CTO at Slack and an investor in firstminute’s third fund.

The <3 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

Here are the stories and things mentioned in the episode:

Music and sound engineering for this podcast is by Sound Pulse.

Feel free to email us with any questions, suggestions, and opinions at [email protected].

Categories
Health

YouTube launches First Support Data Cabinets to assist in emergencies

YouTube launches First Aid Information Shelves to help in emergencies

People walk past a billboard advertisement for YouTube in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 27, 2019.

Sean Gallup | Getty Images

YouTube is taking steps to fight against medical misinformation, especially when it comes to finding immediate tips on how to handle an emergency.

The company on Wednesday introduced a feature called First Aid Information Shelves, a library of step-by-step videos that show people what to do if they’re witnessing a drug overdose, heart attack or other life-threatening event. 

Videos from accredited health organizations such as Mass General Brigham will appear pinned to the top of relevant search results so they’re easy to discover. YouTube users in the U.S. can find videos on 12 topics, including CPR, seizures, choking, bleeding and psychosis. Most are a minute or two long.

“The whole idea is timing and conciseness and trying to share that information as easily as possible,” Garth Graham, global head of health care and public health at YouTube, told CNBC in an interview. Graham said people should always call first responders right away in the case of an emergency. 

The videos will not contain ads, which means Google-owned YouTube won’t make money from them, Graham said.

YouTube was not involved with the content creation, which Graham said was left to experts. In addition to Mass General Brigham, health organizations such as the Mexican Red Cross and the American Heart Association have partnered with YouTube to help make the videos. 

Content moderation has long been a challenge for YouTube, which removes videos if they’re found to be in violation of the company’s guidelines. The process is often slow and costly. Medical misinformation became a bigger problem during the Covid-19 pandemic due to the constant spreading of inaccurate messaging related to the effectiveness of vaccines and masks.

In July 2021, more than a year after the onset of the pandemic, YouTube announced plans to label videos and promote credible sources after facing criticism for its role in spreading misinformation. The company banned several high-profile anti-vaxxer accounts and said in September of that year that it had removed more than 130,000 videos for violating its Covid policies. 

Even as the pandemic has subsided, medical misinformation continues to proliferate. Researchers recently found that popular videos on YouTube about insomnia and sleep contain both “misinformation and commercial bias,” according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.  

YouTube announced a new framework for combating medical misinformation in August, outlining how the site will remove content that contradicts established guidance from health officials on subjects including cancer, Covid and reproductive health. 

Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwards

An example of what First Aid Information Shelves will look like on YouTube.

‘First videos that you see’

Mass General Brigham, the largest health-care system in Massachusetts, started officially partnering with YouTube in 2021 “to offer patients easier access to credible medical information,” according to a press release at the time.

The organization has a dedicated content team with an expertise in medical education that determines the topics and substance of the videos, said Dr. Merranda Logan, the health system’s associate chief academic officer.

For YouTube’s First Aid Information Shelves, Mass General Brigham’s team produced 11 videos across topics such as heart attacks, strokes and seizures.

Logan said there’s a lot of medical information and misinformation online and distinguishing between the two can be a challenge. She said people should be able to turn to trusted experts in an emergency when “every minute, every second counts.”

“We wanted to make sure that these videos are the first videos that you see when you’re on YouTube and you search for any of those topics,” Logan said in an interview. “These videos really are not meant to replace calling 911, but to provide clear and concise information that can help during an emergency.”

When searching for videos on CPR, users will find content from the AHA, which writes the guidelines on the procedure and, since the late 1900s, has worked to educate people about how to handle those emergency situations.

“We have a really strong interest in partnering with our search engines that we know where people are going for content to make sure that they’re getting scientifically accurate content,” said Dr. Comilla Sasson, the AHA’s vice president for health-care business solutions for emergency cardiovascular care.

Videos will initially be available in English and Spanish, thanks to the help of the Mexican Red Cross, Graham said. Mass General Brigham is also using one of YouTube’s artificial intelligence-powered translation tools to present content in Spanish.

YouTube plans to add more topics, countries and languages in the future. 

Graham said YouTube will regularly work with its partners to ensure the videos remain as accurate and up to date as possible. The shelves are part of an “ongoing evolution of information quality” at YouTube, he said. 

“It’s important for us all to be prepared to respond to a series of common medical conditions that could happen to us, family, loved ones, people who are passing by,” Graham said. “We should be up to speed on that.”

WATCH: YouTube is worth $350 billion to $400 billion, says Needham’s Laura Martin

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Categories
Science

Make China Nice Once more • Watts Up With That?

The Green Energy Future Is Arriving Faster Than You Think — Or Not • Watts Up With That?

Guest “You can’t fix stupid” by David Middleton

Did Biden really think cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline would force Canada to leave the oil in the ground?

20 January 2021

Biden kills Keystone XL permit, again

President-elect Joe Biden formally announced on Wednesday he was revoking a key permit for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, the second time a Democratic administration has scuttled the $8 billion project in less than a decade.

[…]

Politico

24 January 2021

Canada’s Trans Mountain pipeline sees fortunes shine after KXL’s demise

WINNIPEG/OTTAWA (Reuters) – The expansion of Canada’s government-owned Trans Mountain pipeline assumes greater importance for the oil sector after the cancellation of rival Keystone XL reduced future options to carry crude, potential buyers say.

Trans Mountain Corp, a government corporation, is spending C$12.6 billion ($9.9 billion) to nearly triple capacity to 890,000 barrels per day (bpd), a 14% increase from current total Canadian capacity.

[…]

Reuters

2024 January 8

Canada’s Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion reportedly 95% complete

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI), Giving Data Meaning (GDM), and the Government of Canada: Natural Resources Canada

Work on Canada’s Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project is reportedly over 95% complete. When it comes onstream, the expansion will nearly triple the pipeline’s current 300,000 barrels per day (b/d) capacity to move crude oil from oil sands in landlocked Alberta to Canada’s Pacific Coast for export to new customers in Asia or along the U.S. West Coast. Although initially expected to come online early this year, the project could be delayed as much as two years by a recent ruling, according to the project’s owner.

The existing Trans Mountain Pipeline currently offers one avenue for waterborne crude oil exports out of Canada by moving crude oil from Edmonton in Alberta to Burnaby, a port near Vancouver on the coast of British Columbia. The expansion project aims to increase the pipeline’s current capacity by 590,000 b/d, bringing the pipeline to a capacity of 890,000 b/d.

The Canadian government acquired the pipeline from Kinder Morgan for CA $4.5 billion in 2018 and formed the Trans Mountain Corporation (TMC) to oversee and manage the pipeline and the expansion project. The pipeline expansion, which consists of added pipeline capacity that generally runs along a similar route to the current pipeline, has faced several legal challenges from environmental activists and Canadian First Nations groups.

Data source: Canada Energy Regulator, Canada’s Energy Future

Canada’s crude oil production increased steadily for most of the last 13 years. Canada’s average annual production of crude oil and condensate rose nearly 2.0 million b/d between 2009 to 2019. In 2020, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic decreased crude oil production as crude oil prices declined significantly. Canada’s production has since resumed its growth trend. Canada’s production exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2022 when crude oil and condensate production averaged 4.9 million b/d, according to data from the Canada Energy Regulator (CER).

Most new growth in Canada’s crude oil production is concentrated in the landlocked province of Alberta. In 2022, Alberta’s crude oil production accounted for 82.7% of total crude oil production in Canada, up from 76.1% in 2012.

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Petroleum Supply Monthly

Currently, more crude oil flows from Canada to the United States than to any other country by a wide margin; U.S. imports from Canada have averaged about 3.7 million b/d since 2020, according to our Petroleum Supply Monthly. U.S. crude oil imports from Canada accounted for about 79% of Canada’s total crude oil production during that time. Canada is also the largest source of crude oil imports to the United States, and these imports primarily flow to refineries in the Midwest and the U.S. Gulf Coast.

CER’s refusal on December 5 to grant a variance request to Trans Mountain may delay the project start date. After the decision was issued, Trans Mountain indicated the delay could last as long as two years.

Principal contributor: Kevin Hack

Tags: pipelines, liquid fuels, oil/petroleum, crude oil, production/supply, exports/imports, map, Canada, international

US EIA

Killing Keystone: Almost as dumb as draining the SPR

Biden may actually have done Canada a favor.

Markets

Canada produces more oil and natural gas than we need to meet energy demand within our country, so the remainder is exported. Currently, almost all of Canada’s oil and natural gas exports go to one customer: the United States.

Diversifying markets for Canada’s oil and natural gas production is vital to ensure Canada receives full value for its natural resources, and to ensure the industry continues to support Canadian jobs, government revenues and contributions to Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP). Energy exports can also establish Canada as a global supplier of responsibly produced energy, providing energy security for nations in need while potentially displacing oil and natural gas supplied by authoritarian regimes. 

[…]

NEW MARKETS

World Energy Needs

World demand for crude oil is expected to grow in the coming decades. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) report World Energy Outlook 2022, global oil demand will increase from 94.5 million b/d in 2021 to 102.4 million b/d by 2023, that’s an 8% increase. The combined demand growth from China and India alone is forecast to be 3.1 million b/d. 

[…]

Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers

As a consequence of Biden’s malfeasance, Canadian oil producers will benefit from market diversification. On the other hand, US refiners will be harmed by government-imposed market disruptions.

Making China Great Again

Reuters, 2023 September 19

Canada’s Trans Mountain pipe expansion to disrupt oil flow to US, boost prices

By Nia Williams and Stephanie Kelly

September 19, 2023

CALGARY, Sept 19 (Reuters) – Canada’s Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion (TMX), which will nearly triple the flow of crude from Alberta to Canada’s Pacific Coast beginning early next year, will shake up North America’s supply by diverting barrels now mainly delivered to refiners and exporters in the U.S. Midwest and Gulf Coast.

Its startup could add as much as $2 per barrel to prices paid by U.S. Midwest oil refineries that sit along Canada’s existing main oil-export route. Plants that benefited from discounted oil include those operated by BP (BP.L), Citgo Petroleum, Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and Koch Industries’ Flint Hills Resources, analysts said.

[…]

Reuters

Some of the Trans Mountain pipeline oil will be delivered to refiners on the US west coast, however refining capacity (PADD 5, green curve) has been declining since 2010.

Operable Refining Capacity PADD 2, PADD 3 and PADD 5 (US EIA)

Heavy oil that would have been delivered to PADD 2 and PADD 3 refineries will now go to Asia and PADD 5 refineries.

Refilling the SPR

During his first two years of aimlessly wandering around the White House, Biden drained 40% of the SPR in a futile effort to boost his poll numbers.

US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (thousands of barrels). EIA

How’s that refilling process going?

Once Again: It’s America Last

“I did that!”

Addendum

Supplying energy to the U.S. ChiComs

Trudeau noted that while his government is concerned with climate change, the oilsands would continue to be developed.

“No country would find 173 billion barrels of oil and just leave it in the ground,” he said. “The resource will be developed. Our job is to ensure this is done responsibly, safely and sustainably.”

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Entertainment

See Kevin Hart React To Torrei Hart Touring With Katt Williams

See Kevin Hart React To Torrei Hart Touring With Katt Williams

Torrei Hart is going on tour with Katt Williams, and Kevin Hart doesn’t seem to mind! Torrei announced her three-day opening act on Tuesday. By then, Kevin had already responded to Katt’s viral “industry plant” insult in the Shannon Sharpe interview.

RELATED: Oop! Kevin Hart Responds To Katt Williams Calling Him An Industry Plant

TMZ interviewed Kevin while he was on the go in NYC on Tuesday. Before the reporter finished asking about the tour, Kev wished Torrei and Katt well. No name-drop, though!

“I want everybody to win, I hope the tour is great,” he responded, then got fully inside his black van.

Watch his brief reaction below.

Torrei Hart Says Yes To Katt Williams Tour Despite Kevin Hart Comments

As mentioned, Torrei delivered the tour news via her Instagram feed. It’s unclear if Kevin knew the opening act was happening before his ex-wife announced it.

Meawhile, Katt Williams’ interview comments are still trending a week after the interview dropped. Kevin was one of several comedians Katt mentioned. Within 24 hours of its release, several people had clapped back at Katt. Kevin first suggested Katt needed to get the “anger” out of him.

Days later, he roasted Williams while appearing on ‘NBA Unplugged,’ calling the interview a “circus.”

Speaking to TMZ on Tuesday, Kevin seemingly shot back at Williams’ industry plant comment. After the reporter asked him about his success, Kevin responded, “My success is my success. I want everybody to win, I love everybody.”

Torrei hasn’t said anything about Kev wishing her and Katt well. In her announcement, she had included a clip from the Shannon Sharpe interview.

“I only put on comedians that are funnier than me. Anybody that ever told you differently is a fat Faizon liar,” Katt said.

Katt’s words will be tested when Torrei Hart joins him in Charlotte, Orlando, and Tampa throughout the next few weeks.

RELATED: On Point! THIS Comedian Goes Viral For Impression Of Steve Harvey Responding To Katt Williams (Video)
Categories
Sport

Unranked Nebraska, Iowa State prime No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 Houston

Unranked Nebraska, Iowa State top No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 Houston

  • Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff WriterJan 9, 2024, 11:59 PM ET

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    • Basketball recruiting insider.
    • Joined ESPN in 2014.
    • Graduate of University of Delaware.

With the college football season ending Monday, college basketball took center stage Tuesday — and immediately saw its top two teams suffer upsets at the hands of unranked opponents.

No. 1 Purdue fell at Nebraska 88-72, while No. 2 Houston lost its first game of the season at Iowa State 57-53.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, it was the first time since Feb. 6, 2016, that the top two teams in the AP men’s college basketball poll lost to unranked opponents on the same day, and only the eighth time in the poll’s history.

The Boilermakers entered Tuesday on a seven-game winning streak, including victories over Arizona, Illinois and Alabama. But Nebraska matched them shot for shot in the first half and finished the opening period on a 13-0 run to lead by 11 at halftime.

Purdue cut Nebraska’s lead to one within the first six minutes of the second half, but the Cornhuskers immediately responded with a 14-2 run to take their biggest lead of the game with 11:53 remaining. Purdue wouldn’t get closer than six points the rest of the game, and Nebraska finished on an 11-2 run.

“That was the difference in the game,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said of the Nebraska’s halftime lead. “We had a couple good fights there in the second half to where pulled within single digits and one time we got it to two, then they pushed it right back to double digits.”

The Cornhuskers shot 14-for-23 from 3-point range as a team, with seven players making a shot from behind the arc. Keisei Tominaga led the way with 19 points, while Rienk Mast had 18.

It was Nebraska’s first win over an AP No. 1 team since Feb. 6, 1982, and its fourth such win in program history. The first came March 3, 1958, under coach Jerry Bush, grandfather of current coach Fred Hoiberg.

“It doesn’t get much bigger than this one, the No. 1 team, the reigning national player of the year,” Mast said. “I just see that as a challenge and luckily, the shots were going in in the beginning and gave the team a little spark and everybody started believing.”

Tuesday marked the fourth time in the past two seasons that a No. 1-ranked Purdue team has lost to an unranked opponent. Last season, the Boilermakers fell to Rutgers and Northwestern. Earlier this season, they again lost at Northwestern.

Purdue becomes just the second team in AP poll history to lose multiple games as No. 1 to unranked opponents in consecutive seasons, the other being North Carolina in 1985-86 and 1986-87, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Earlier in the night, Houston became the last team in men’s college basketball to lose a game this season, falling at Iowa State in the Cougars’ first conference road game as a member of the Big 12.

Kelvin Sampson’s team was introduced quickly to “Hilton Magic” as the Cyclones jumped out to a 14-0 lead and forced 12 first-half turnovers.

“I don’t know if it was as much Iowa State. It was us,” Sampson said. “We were just, I don’t know what. I wish I did.”

Iowa State led the entire first half, but a 7-0 Houston run forced a 41-41 tie with 10:48 remaining. Neither team led by more than five points the rest of the way, with Houston taking its only lead of the game on a Jamal Shead jumper with 3:17 remaining.

With the game tied at 53 in the final minute, Iowa State freshman Milan Momcilovic caught the ball along the left baseline, turned and hit a contested fadeaway over two Houston defenders to give the Cyclones a two-point lead. Momcilovic would ice the game with two free throws with 10 seconds left.

“It was important that we came out and set the tone with the game,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said after the game. “We talked about we need to throw the first punch, we need to be the aggressor, we need to be the team that sets the tone. And I think we set the tone right away. Certainly, there was points in the game where it almost felt like we were hanging on, but I think our guys were able to dig deep. I think it was setting the tone and being the aggressor, and then it was just a group of guys who are really connected and had resolve.”

The losses by Purdue (14-2) and Houston (14-1) open the door for No. 3 Kansas (13-1) to return to No. 1, where the Jayhawks opened the season. Bill Self’s team, which received two first-place votes in this week’s AP Top 25 poll, plays at UCF on Wednesday night before hosting No. 9 Oklahoma on Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Categories
Technology

This startup makes use of AI to provide speech-impaired individuals their voices again

This startup uses AI to give speech-impaired people their voices back

There is big tech — and then there is smaller tech with big impact. Dutch AI startup Whispp is using assistive voice technology to convert speech diminished by ailments such as stuttering, throat cancer, vocal cord paralysis, and ALS, into the person’s original, natural voice.

The startup, based in Eindhoven, just secured a €750,000 seed funding round led by LUMO Labs to launch its assistive voice technology and its first paid and subscription-based calling app. Whispp will also use the funds raised to expand into European and US markets. Furthermore, the company is one of this year’s CES 2024 Innovation Award honourees. 

Voice distortions from stuttering or following afflictions such as throat cancer or ALS affect over 300 million people worldwide. Whispp’s proprietary technology uses recordings of a person’s “old” healthy voice to turn their real-time, affected speech into a clear voice. This is then modified with the intended intonation, modulation, and emotion.

Those who still have a natural voice but for instance stutter, can simply record their current speech with the app. 

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This audio-to-audio-based approach eliminates the typical latency of 2-3 seconds for text-to-speech technologies, which can create barriers and disrupt communication. The technology also builds on the fact that for several voice and speech disorders it is helpful to deliberately steer the voice towards whispering, due to neurological changes in the speech system.

“Our big bold dream is to have Whispp’s assistive voice technology available on every smartphone and laptop worldwide to create a more inclusive world,” said Whispp founder and CEO Joris Castermans, adding that LUMO Labs’ experience would help the company partner with network operators and tech companies to help achieve its goal. 

AI voice tech for good

Castermans, who himself stuttered as a child, founded Whispp together with Akash Raj, who is the company’s CTO, in 2019. The latest funding follows a 2022 pre-seed round led by Libertatis Ergo Holding B.V., an independent, wholly-owned subsidiary of Leiden University, which also participated in the seed round. 

Essentially, this is a perfect example of how tech isn’t good or bad in and of itself — its impact will depend on how we use it. As the world frets over deepfakes (and with good reason), we can also use AI voice technology to enhance human communication and connection. 

It could also significantly contribute to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

“The ability to speak heavily affects an individual’s wellbeing and sense of belonging. More than 1% of the global population however suffer some kind of progressive loss of speech and/or speech impediments,” LUMO Labs founding partner Andy Lürling stated. “Whispp allows these people to literally be heard and participate and contribute to society like anyone else.”