OPEC to boost oil output as economies recover, prices rise
The OPEC oil cartel and allied producing countries have confirmed plans to return 2.1 million barrels per day of oil output, balancing fears that COVID-19 outbreaks in some countries will sap demand against surging demand from recovering economies around the globe.
Mexico beats US 1-0 in men's Olympic soccer qualifying
Now comes the winner-take-all semifinal Sunday night against Honduras or Canada for a trip to the menโs Olympic soccer tournament. Mexico, the 2012 Olympic champion, won its 14th straight Olympic qualifier dating to 2008 and finished first in Group A at 3-0. AdโWe wanted to win the game to be at the top of our group,โ American defender Mauricio Pineda said. In the first game of the doubleheader, Costa Rica routed the Dominican Republic 5-0 in a matchup of eliminated teams. Randall Leal of Major League Soccerโs Nashville scored twice, and Manfred Ugalde, Bernald Alfaro and Aaron Salazar had one goal each.
Spain arrests 80 in 3 nights of riots over rapper's jailing
A demonstrator throws a stone against police during clashes following a protest condemning the arrest of rap singer Pablo Hasl in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021. Protests over the imprisonment of a rapper convicted for insulting the Spanish monarchy and praising terrorist violence have morphed for the third night in a row into rioting. Pablo Hasl began this week to serve a 9-month sentence in a northeastern prison. AdLike the two previous nights, the protests began Thursday with large gatherings in several cities that were, at first, mostly peaceful. In Catalonia's regional capital, Barcelona, hundreds sang songs, rapped and shouted โPablo Hasรฉl, freedom!"
How do we balance unity with accountability?
DETROIT โ While the impeachment process plays out, President-elect Joe Biden said the theme of his inauguration will be โAmerica United.โMany people are asking how do you move toward unity without accountability? Many believe it will be a difficult process until politics are removed out of accountability and criminality. In 1960, the Gurri family left their home in Cuba to escape a brutal dictator named Fidel Castro. Dr. Margharita Gurri said she is deeply pained by the insurrection at the nationโs capital last week. She said she believes there must be accountability.
Spain tries to reverse economic slump as unemployment rises
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez has declared a second nationwide state of emergency in hopes of stemming a resurgence in coronavirus infections. The country is grappling with a resurgence of the virus that has claimed at least 35,000 lives. The 2021 spending plan includes the first 27 billion euro from the EUโs fund expected to arrive in Spain. The proposal is based on the expectation that Spainโs economy will grow 7.2% next year. The International Monetary Fund expects GDP to sink more than 12.8% this year, more than any other developed economy.
California wavers on theme park opening rules amid pressure
SACRAMENTO, Calif. โ Facing mounting pressure to let theme parks such as Disneyland reopen amid the pandemic, California Gov. But reopening rules still don't include theme parks, frustrating the theme park sector while other indoor businesses get going again. Disneyland referred questions about the guidance from Newsom about theme park reopening rules to the industry association. The theme park in Orange County has been closed since March 14 because of the pandemic. โTaxin reported from Orange County, California.
American, United to furlough 32,000 as time runs out on aid
American Airlines and United Airlines say they will begin to furlough 32,000 employees after lawmakers and the White House failed to agree on a broad pandemic relief package that includes more federal aid for airlines. She said a bailout that keeps airline workers employed would be cheaper for the government than putting them on the unemployment line during a pandemic. Beyond American and United, smaller airlines have sent layoff warnings to several thousand employees. Late Tuesday, the Treasury Department said it completed loans to seven major airlines: American, United, Alaska, JetBlue, Frontier, Hawaiian and SkyWest. American now expects to borrow $5.5 billion from the Treasury, and United can get $5.17 billion.
FAA: Check engines on 737s that could shut down mid-flight
WASHINGTON Safety regulators issued an emergency order directing airlines to inspect and if necessary replace a critical engine part on popular Boeing 737 jets after four reports of engines shutting down during flights. The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that its order affected about 2,000 twin-engine passenger jets in the United States. Delta Air Lines said it would inspect 20 planes but did not say whether any of its planes suffered engine shutdowns. The directive does not apply to the newer Boeing 737 Max, which has been grounded worldwide since March 2019 after two crashes that killed 346 people. Passenger jets have two or more engines, and multiple engine failures of the type that FAA warned about in its order are rare.
'March Against Police Brutalityโ planned in Detroit today
DETROIT โ A march to protest police brutality is planned in Detroit on Friday afternoon following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this week. Event info: โHosted by Progressive Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party, Occupy Detroit, Detroit Anarchist Black Cross, March for Black Women Detroit, Michigan United, Abolish ICE Detroit and Metro-Detroit Political Action NetworkMPD Officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in cold blood, ShaโTeina and Dan Grady were assaulted and tased by Washtenaw County PD, LAPD drove their cars directly into protesters marching for George Floyd.โOrganizers are asking people who attend to continue to practice safe social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They are also encouraging people to wear masks and gloves. It will begin at 4 p.m. at 1301 Third Street in Detroit (Detroit Public Safety Headquarters). Find more on the event here on the Facebook page.
Socialists, left-wing party reach coalition deal in Spain
The leaders of Spain's Socialist party and the left-wing United We Can party say they have reached a preliminary agreement about forming a coalition government. But the deal announced Tuesday still won't provide enough votes in parliament for the Socialists, who won Sunday's election, to take office without the support of other parties. Incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Snchez's left-of-center Socialists captured 120 seats in Sunday's ballot but fell far short of a majority in the 350-seat chamber. In a joint appearance, Snchez and United We Can leader Pablo Iglesias say under the deal Snchez would be prime minister and Iglesias his deputy in a future government. They will also hold talks with other parties to get more support.
New report: Global warming and its impact on Earth's oceans and cryosphere
Earth's warming climate is having an impact on both the oceans and the cryosphere, writes Local 4's Paul Gross. These Arctic sea ice changes in the month of September are likely unprecedented for at least 1000 years. It is virtually certain that the global ocean has warmed unabated since 1970 and, since 1993, the rate of ocean warming has likely more than doubled. Of added importance is that the global oceans have taken up more than 90% of the excess heat in the climate system, and the scientists have high confidence about this. Increased mean and extreme sea level, alongside ocean warming and acidification, are projected to exacerbate risks for human communities in low-lying coastal areas (high confidence).
Flight attendant fired, allegedly drunk
(CNN) - A flight attendant was arrested after passengers aboard a flight from Chicago to South Bend, Indiana, expressed concern about her condition during the flight, court documents show. March was also fired by Air Wisconsin, which operates as a regional airline for United and United Express. "The Flight Attendant involved in this incident is no longer employed by Air Wisconsin," the company said in a written statement. "Please reach out to Air Wisconsin for their statement about their flight attendant. You may already know this was not a United flight attendant or crew," United said in a statement to CNN.
A 14-year-old US boy was headed to Sweden but ended up on a plane to Germany
(CNN) - A boarding gate mix-up almost landed a North Carolina teenager in Germany this week instead of Sweden. However, he boarded a flight by Eurowings, a German airline, which had a plane at the gate, United said in a statement. It is unclear why Anton was able to get on the Eurowings flight and whether he had a boarding pass. "When somebody says unaccompanied minor, wrong airplane, wrong country, everybody should've stepped up and done something," Brenda Berg told the Raleigh station. United said in a statement that it has refunded the $150 unaccompanied minor fee to the family.
Delta has good quarter, unlike other airlines
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - US airlines had a rocky quarter, but Delta was the notable exception. Unlike American Airlines, United and Southwest, Delta Air Lines was not forced to cancel flights in the quarter due to the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max because the airline doesn't own that plane. Delta said that its total revenue grew between 8% and 8.5% for the quarter that ended Saturday. Profits should also hit the top end of its guidance since profit margins should be about 1% better than expected. Shares of American, United and Southwest were also narrowly higher on Delta's signal of a strong fare environment.