The strike could not legally begin until midnight on Thursday evening, September 15, but it’s time for panic across the United States as possible railroad paralysis looms. Amtrak, the public transportation company, canceled its long-distance routes like Seattle-Los Angeles starting Thursday, fearing its customers would be stuck in the countryside.

Some shipments of chemicals like ammonia and fertilizers to farmers are being suspended so they don’t have to leave these hazardous materials unattended. Those of oil from Canada or the Dakota plains are also under threat.

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Ten out of 12 unions representing 49,000 workers signed an agreement with the employers, but the rank and file of one of them rejected it. Above all, two drivers’ unions, which are supposed to carry the voice of 60,000 people, have not found a compromise after three years of negotiations. Failure to reach a full agreement before Thursday night could throw the entire sector into a strike.

“A National Disaster”

A conflict of this magnitude would be unprecedented since 1992 and a disappointment for the Joe Biden administration as midterm elections loom on November 8th. The paralysis of the railroads would stall the economy again while bottlenecks, particularly at ports, are beginning to be alleviated – that of Los Angeles has just a dozen container ships on standby, down from a hundred in January.

A strike would cost $2 billion a day, or 3 percent of gross domestic product, according to the American Railroad Association

Rail, which plays a minor role in passenger transport, plays a major role in the American economy: it is an essential link in the intermodal transport (sea, rail, truck) of containers as well as agricultural, petroleum and chemical products. Around 7,000 long-distance convoys, some with more than a hundred wagons and four locomotives, make their way across the country, connecting Los Angeles with Chicago or Savannah (Georgia) with Nashville (Tennessee). Traffic is handled by seven major private companies including CSX, Union Pacific and BNSF, 22 regional and nearly 600 local.

A strike would cost $2 billion a day, or 3% of gross domestic product, according to the Association of American Railways. The American Chamber of Commerce is anticipating “a national disaster,” while the Petroleum Producers’ Association fears “catastrophic” disruption.

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In a new phase of the war with Russia, Ukraine wants to expand the counter-offensive to the Donbass. Ukrainian officials say the Kyiv army is trying to advance in the region after a string of positive results in a recent counter-offensive in the north-east of the country, where it has been able to retake parts of the occupied territory in recent days. force Russian troops to withdraw.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces are increasing their hold over 8,000 square kilometers of recaptured territory in the Kharkiv region. Russia still controls about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, but fighting is taking place on the border with the cities of Donbass, Andrey Marochko, military commander of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, one of the two provinces, told Russian state media. part of Donbass.

For his part, Serhiy Hayday, governor of Luhansk, said that Ukrainian forces were engaged in clashes with Russian troops on the outskirts of Lyman: “There are fierce fighting in Lyman now, which I think will last a few more days,” he wrote on Telegram . .

Zelenskyi reiterated his confidence in the return of Crimea and other occupied territories in Ukraine. “We must send a message to the people of the occupied territories in Crimea. It is our people and the occupation more than eight years ago is a tragedy. War is not only waged with weapons. Russia attacks other media with television and with information warfare”.

“My message is that we will return – Zelensky added – it doesn’t matter what people have been hearing on propaganda TV for eight years. We know the truth is on our side. I don’t know when it will happen. Nobody knows. We will return because this is our land and our people”.

Meanwhile, Russian soldiers stationed in southern Ukraine are reportedly withdrawing towards Crimea. “We see the occupiers trying to flee to Crimea, where they are regrouping. It will be easier for us: accumulations of military equipment are a big target,” Natalia Humeniuk, spokeswoman for Ukraine’s Southern Command, said in a briefing. .

First change: 09/14/2022 – 10:38 am Last change: 09/14/2022 – 10:36 am

BANGKOK (AFP) – Energy bar, cookie or sausage: Insects, particularly crickets, are found in many dishes in Thailand, a sign of growing interest in this eco-friendly protein source.

The market for edible insects has attracted attention as an alternative to meat and the market is set to grow into a multi-billion dollar industry in the years to come.

Bounce Burger restaurant in Thailand appeared with a menu of hamburgers and cricket sausages, croquettes, energy bars and even cricket crackers.

“Crickets don’t just have to be served at street stalls with soy sauce,” said Poopipat Thiapairat, co-owner of Bounce Burger.

“It can be hamburgers, pastries, cookies, or even the paprika used in french fries. All of that is possible,” he added.

makeover

Crickets are a great source of protein and contain numerous vitamins.

Still, Poopipat admitted that arthropods need an overhaul because “they’re not really consumer-friendly.”

“If we open a restaurant and serve cricket-based food that doesn’t look like crickets, the consumer might be willing to try it,” he said.

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“The problem with crickets is that they get stuck in the throat,” he explained, noting that the restaurant removes the “hard” parts of the insect like wings and legs, leaving only the fleshy body.

“It’s the same concept as beef or pork because we don’t eat the bones.”

It’s normal for Thai people to eat insects as a snack, but Pawan Thedthong acknowledged that while eating an insect at a fry stand in Bangkok, that’s not the case for others.

“You see the foreigners coming by and they don’t dare try the insects,” said the 24-year-old.

“If you process them to look more attractive, maybe people will eat them more.”

less meat

One of the appeals of cricket production is that its environmental impact is much lower than raising cows or pigs.

A 2017 study found that chicken production in Thailand is responsible for 89% more CO2 emissions than the insect industry.

Thailand has thousands of insect farms while other parts of the world are just discovering their benefits.

#photo2

Many of these farms produce animal feed, but some are now focusing on human consumption, such as the Bricket R&D Cricket Farm, which opened in 2019.

The farm on the outskirts of Bangkok supplies Bounce’s kitchen with 160 kilos of crickets every month.

The process is carefully controlled, with the insects being chilled to sleep, washed and then prepared for eating, explains managing director Thanaphum Muang-Ieam.

On burgers, the crickets are put on top, but for products like energy bars and cookies, bounce cooks use a powder made from ground bugs, which they add to the mix that goes in the oven.

#photo3

And for customers?

“It tastes good, the sauce mixes with the smell of the crickets,” says Anut Sottthibandhu, a customer eating a burger.

“I don’t feel like there are bugs in my burger,” he adds with a smile.

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According to US intelligence services, Russia has secretly supported political parties and candidates abroad with hundreds of millions of euros. According to an intelligence report published yesterday, at least $300 million has been transferred from Moscow to more than two dozen countries since 2014 to influence national policy there.

The sum mentioned is probably just “the tip of the iceberg”, said a senior US government official. Russia likely “secretly transferred more money that was not discovered,” the government official said.

countries will be informed

The report does not contain any information about which countries Russia’s donations would have gone to. Among other things, the Russian ambassador is said to have made several million dollars available to a presidential candidate in an unspecified Asian country. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ecuador were mentioned in previous US intelligence reports of Russian interference.

US President Joe Biden’s administration had requested the report on Russian influence on other countries’ policies after Russia began invading Ukraine on February 24. A US government official said the event was part of Biden’s “democracy summit”, which he launched shortly after his election victory over his predecessor, Donald Trump.

The report does not address the situation in the US. US intelligence services had previously accused Moscow of intervening in the 2016 presidential election in favor of Trump, who later won the election.