Podcasts about petroleum exporting countries

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has revised down its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2025 to 1.3 million barrels per day.

OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, has played a central role in the global oil market for over six decades. From the 1973 Oil Embargo to the rise of U.S. shale production, OPEC's influence has evolved as the energy landscape has changed. Despite challenges, the organization continues to be a key player in determining global oil prices today. In this second part of their two-part series on OPEC, Skip Montreux and Dez Morgan examine key moments in the history of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. They revisit the 1973 Oil Embargo, which drastically increased oil prices and led to a global recession, and the 1986 oil price crash caused by Saudi Arabia's decision to raise production. Skip and Dez also discuss the current state of OPEC's influence, with competition from U.S. shale production and the impact of China's economic slowdown putting pressure on the organization's ability to control oil prices. Listeners looking to enhance their business English, Skip and Dez's discussion offers valuable insights into both OPEC and business English. Key points include: The 1973 Oil Embargo and its effect on the global economy. The 1986 oil price crash, which resulted from overproduction by OPEC members. How alternative energy sources have reduced global reliance on OPEC oil. OPEC's current strategy of production limits to maintain higher oil prices. Do you like what you hear? Become a D2B Member today for to access to our -- NEW!!!-- interactive audio scripts, PDF Audio Script Library, Bonus Vocabulary episodes, and D2B Member-only episodes. Visit d2benglish.com/membership for more information. Follow Down to Business English on Apple podcasts, rate the show, and leave a comment. Contact Skip, Dez, and Samantha at downtobusinessenglish@gmail.com Follow Skip & Dez Skip Montreux on Linkedin Skip Montreux on Instagram Skip Montreux on Twitter Skip Montreux on Facebook Dez Morgan on Twitter RSS Feed

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎針對這一集留言你的想法： 留言連結 主題投稿/意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com 官方網站：www.15mins.today 加入Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- Topic: Russia's Villages, and Their Culture, Are 'Melting Away' With its winding dirt lanes framed by lilacs, quaint wooden houses and graceful onion-domed church, the tiny farming hamlet of Baruta was once a postcard of Russian bucolic bliss. 俄國西北部普斯科夫區域的巴魯塔小農村曾是俄國田園的幸福象徵，蜿蜒的土路旁盡是丁香、古雅的木屋和優美的洋蔥圓頂教堂。 No longer. More people lie in the tightly packed church cemetery than inhabit the village. Agriculture is slowly withering, too. 此景不再。在擁擠不堪的教堂墓地安息的人，比住在村裡的多。農業也逐步衰退。 With Russia's natural population growth entering an extended period of decline, villages like Baruta are disappearing from across the country's continental expanse. 由於俄國人口的自然增長進入長期衰退期，像巴魯塔這樣的村落正從廣袤的俄國大陸各地消失。 "We have not had a wedding or a baptism for quite some time — we mostly have funerals," said a resident, Alexander Fyodorov, 59, one of just 17 men left in what was a thriving collective of some 500 farmers. 59歲居民費奧多羅夫說：「我們好一段時間沒有婚禮或洗禮了——多半是喪禮。」他曾是一個約有500農民、蓬勃發展的集體農場的一分子，如今農場只剩下17個男人，他是其中之一。 President Vladimir Putin frequently cites hardy population growth as a pillar of restoring Russia's place atop the global order. There is a pronounced gap, however, between the positive terms in which Putin and his advisers habitually discuss demographic trends and the reality of the numbers. 俄國總統普亭常說，強勁的人口成長是讓俄國重居新全球之首的基礎。不過，普亭與顧問們討論人口趨勢時慣常使用的正面詞語，和真實人口數目差距甚大。 Russians are dying faster than they are being born, demographers said. Given the general hostility toward immigration, the question is to what degree the population of 146 million, including annexed Crimea, might shrink. 人口學者說，俄國人死亡的速度比出生快。在俄國人普遍對移民懷有敵意的情況下，俄國總數1億4600萬（包括兼併來的克里米亞）的人口勢將減少，問題只在減幅的大小。 The number of deaths exceeded the number of births in 2016 by a few thousand, and the prognosis for the years ahead is poor. From 2013-2015, extremely modest natural growth peaked in 2015 with just 32,038 more births than deaths. 去年俄國死亡人數超越出生人數幾千人，未來幾年前景也不樂觀。2013到2015年極微小的人口自然增長在2015年達到高峰，出生數只比死亡數多3萬2038人。 "The statistics and the propaganda are very different things," said Natalya V. Zubarevich, an expert in social and political geography at Moscow State University. 莫斯科國立大學社會與政治地理學專家祖巴列維奇說：「統計數字和宣傳大不相同。」 In terms of population loss, Pskov, which borders Latvia and parts of Estonia, is among the worst hit regions in Russia. The population peaked at around 1.8 million in the 1920s, said Andrei Manakov, a demographer at Pskov State University. It is down to 642,000, and projected to drop to about 513,000 by 2033. 普斯科夫與拉脫維亞和愛沙尼亞部分地區接壤，是俄國人口減少最嚴重的區域之一。普斯科夫國立大學人口學者馬納科夫說，1920年代這裡的人口達到高峰，約180萬。現在降到64萬2千人，料將在2033年前降到大約51萬3千人。 Researchers estimate that out of 8,300 area villages in 1910, 2,000 no longer have permanent residents. 研究人員估計，1910年這裡的8300個地區村落中，2000個不再有常住居民。 Under the most optimistic projections by demographers, Russia's population by 2050 will stay the same, about 146 million, if immigration from Central Asia — which has also been dropping — balances out low birthrates. Less optimistic figures put the population around 130 million by 2050, and the most pessimistic say fewer than 100 million. 人口學者最樂觀的預測是，如果來自中亞的移民（也正在逐漸減少）能彌補俄國的低出生率，2050年俄國人口會跟現在一樣，大約1億4600萬。較不樂觀的數據是2050年人口約為1億3000萬，最悲觀的是不到1億。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/318780/web/ Topic: Russia reaches out to OPEC as Riyadh opens oil taps The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in China and its rapid spread has taken its toll on the global economy, driving down demand for oil in the first weeks of 2020. 在中國爆發的武漢肺炎冠狀病毒迅速蔓延，讓全球經濟遭受巨大損失，對石油的需求在二〇二〇年開年數週便降低了。 In response, in the scheduled meeting on March 5-6 in Vienna, Saudi Arabia and other OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) states called for OPEC+ to a make drastic cut of 1.5 million barrels per day to reduce supply by a total of 3.6 million barells per day — insisting on a non-OPEC agreement. However, Russia rejected the plan. When the OPEC+ talks collapsed, the OPEC oil cartel scrapped all output limits. A dispute then broke out. 因應此情況，沙烏地阿拉伯與其他石油輸出國組織（OPEC）國家三月五日至六日在維也納所舉行的例行會議中，便要求OPEC+國家每日大幅減產一百五十萬桶，讓石油每日供應總量減少三百六十萬桶，並堅持非屬OPEC之產油國也須共同遵守此協議。但俄羅斯拒絕了此計畫，談判破裂，OPEC這石油壟斷利益集團便取消了所有產量限制，爭端於焉爆發。 Russian oil companies had opposed such cuts, fearing loss of market share and of competitiveness against US shale production. They had previously in December agreed on a milder production cut of 500,000 barrels in 2020, and Russia wanted this to continue. 俄羅斯的石油公司曾對這種減產措施加以反對，擔心會失去市佔率，也會失去對美國頁岩油的競爭力。他們去年十二月曾同意一項較溫和的減產計畫，將在二〇二〇年減產五十萬桶，俄羅斯希望維持此計畫。 Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude exporter, responded on March 8 by announcing unilateral price cuts with its biggest price cut in 20 years in a bid to win market share. This prompted the oil price to plummet and fueled huge drops on stock markets the following day. 三月八日星期日，世界最大的原油出口國沙烏地阿拉伯對此做出回應，單方面宣佈降低油品價格，以贏得市佔率，此為二十年來最大降幅。這使得油價暴跌，並引發了三月九日星期一的股市大跌。 By March 9, oil had fallen to as low as US$31 from about US$66 at the end of 2019 as Riyadh said it would lift production to record highs, their biggest one-day move since the 1991 Gulf War. On March 10, Saudi oil giant Aramco announced a plan to massively increase oil output despite falling demand during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. 利雅德表示將把產量提升至歷史新高，到了三月九日，油價便從二〇一九年底的六十六美元左右，應聲跌至三十一美元，這是自一九九一年波斯灣戰爭以來的最大單日跌幅。儘管武漢肺炎冠狀病毒爆發造成石油需求下降，沙烏地石油巨頭阿美公司仍在三月十日宣布，要大幅提高石油產量。 “At first glance, this looks like a battle between Russia and Saudi Arabia over oil policy,” said Chris Weafer of Macro Advisory consultancy. “But the context of the relentless rise in US oil production over the past 10 years is also an important factor.” 「乍看之下，這像是俄羅斯與沙烏地阿拉伯在石油政策上的鬥爭」，宏觀諮詢公司的克里斯‧威佛表示。「但是，過去十年來美國石油產量的持續增加，也是重要的背景因素」。 Both Russia and major OPEC producers have been “openly annoyed” with US producers' refusal to participate in past production cuts, he added. 他補充說，美國生產商一直都拒絕參與減產，俄羅斯和OPEC主要產油國都對此感到「公開地惱 火」。 On Monday and Thursday last week, the crash in oil prices and fears over the global economic impact of the virus outbreak prompted a meltdown on stock markets. 油價暴跌，以及擔憂疫情對全球經濟造成影響，導致上週一及週四的股市崩盤，觸動了熔斷機制。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/03/17/2003732810 Topic: About Russia: 'They just want to take a selfie'： how TV show changed Chernobyl tourism The hit TV series "Chernobyl" has attracted a new generation of tourists to the nuclear disaster zone but guides say that many are more interested in taking selfies than learning about the accident. 美國熱門電視影集《核爆家園》吸引一群新世代遊客造訪車諾比核災區，但當地導遊說，比起了解核災意外，很多人只想自拍。 Tourists now are often on the lookout for locations featured in the acclaimed HBO drama and can be surprised to discover that certain sites were fictional. 遊客現在大多是去探訪出現在這部備受讚譽的HBO影集中的地點，但他們可能會驚訝地發現，劇中有些場景是虛構的。 The abandoned site had already become a "dark tourism" destination, even before the eponymous TV show started broadcasting. 早在這個以車諾比為名的影集開播前，這個被遺棄的地方就已成為「黑暗旅遊」的目的地。 Some Ukrainian travel agencies have further adapted their tours to take in locations from the "Chernobyl" series and offer special trips, such as kayaking in rivers around the exclusion zone. 某些烏克蘭旅行社進一步改變行程，加入出現在《核爆家園》的地點，為旅客提供特別之旅，像是在禁制區附近的河流划皮艇。 In July, new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree that aims to develop the site further as a tourist attraction. In 2018, 72,000 people visited Chernobyl and it is expected to jump to 100,000 in 2019. 7月，新任烏克蘭總統佛拉迪米爾‧澤倫斯基簽署一項法令，進一步將車諾比地區打造成觀光景點。2018年，有7萬2000人造訪車諾比，2019年可望增至10萬人。 Next Article: Topic: Russia joins race to make quantum dreams a reality 俄羅斯加入量子戰局 Russia has launched an effort to build a working quantum computer, in a bid to catch up to other countries in the race for practical quantum technologies. 俄羅斯開始致力建造可投入應用的量子電腦，以期在實作量子技術的競爭中，趕上其他國家。 The government will inject around 50 billion roubles （US$790 million）over the next 5 years into basic and applied quantum research carried out at leading Russian laboratories, the country's deputy prime minister, Maxim Akimov, announced on 6 December at a technology forum in Sochi. 俄羅斯副總理馬克司米．阿基莫夫12月6日在索契的一場科技論壇宣布，未來5年政府將投入約500億盧布（7.9億美元），推動國家重點實驗室在量子科學的基礎研究及應用。 Quantum technology already receives massive governmental support in a number of countries. The European Union's €1-billion （US$1.1-billion） Quantum Flagship programme, first announced in 2016. Germany announced a €650-million national quantum initiative in August 2019. The Chinese and US governments are also spending billions on quantum science and technology programmes. 量子技術已獲得多國政府大力支持。歐盟2016年率先宣布一項10億歐元（11億美元）的量子旗艦計畫。德國2019年8月發表一項6.5億歐元的國家量子計畫。中國和美國政府同樣也在量子科學和技術項目投入數十億經費。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1342518; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1344790

All twenty-seven European Union (EU) member states vote in European Parliament elections with polls showing right-wing parties poised to gain more seats; the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrial democracies meet in Italy with a sizable agenda, including support for Ukraine and trade concerns with China; the United States prepares for an above-normal hurricane season; and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and partner exporters, known as OPEC+, extend oil output cuts.    Mentioned on the Podcast   Europe's Migration Dilemma, CFR.org   Caroline Kapp and Matthias Matthijs, “What's at Stake in the EU Elections?,” CFR.org   Nicholas Vinocur, “An American's Guide to the 2024 European Election,” Politico   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The World Next Week at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/european-parliament-elections-g7-leaders-50th-summit-powerful-hurricane-season-looming-and 

We explore how young people have made meaningful careers and lasting change working in the public interest with Sam Simon, editor of “Choosing the Public Interest: Essays From the First Public Interest Research Group” and Lisa Frank, Vice President and D.C. Director at The Public Interest Network and also Executive Director in the Washington Legislative Office at Environment America. Plus, the indomitable Chris Hedges stops by to report on his interviews with college students protesting the genocide in Gaza, which he chronicled in a Substack piece titled “The Nation's Conscience.”Sam Simon is an author, playwright, and attorney who co-founded the Public Interest Research Group with Ralph and the other Nader's Raiders in 1970. He compiled and edited the new book Choosing the Public Interest: Essays From the First Public Interest Research Group.This is something that every one of these themes have and that this movement has had—that the consumer, the user, the student, the pensioner have equal voice in our systems to help create the systems that are intended to benefit them, and not leave that power in the hands of corporate entities and profit-making enterprises. And that idea needs to continue to exist. And I'm glad that the Public Interest Network and PIRGS still thrive on many campuses.Sam SimonWhat I want to come out of this book is that average kids from average backgrounds ended up doing amazing things with their entire lives, because of the opportunity and the vision that they could do that.Sam SimonLisa Frank is Vice President and D.C. Director at The Public Interest Network. She is also Executive Director in the Washington Legislative Office at Environment America, where she directs strategy and staff for federal campaigns. Ms. Frank has won millions of dollars in investments in walking, biking and transit, and has helped develop strategic campaigns to protect America's oceans, forests and public lands from drilling, logging and road-building.The particular types of problems we're focused on at [PIRG] are ones that really have been created in a sense by our success as a country in growing. We're the wealthiest country the world has ever seen. We figured out how to grow more than enough food than we can eat, we produce more than enough clothing than we can wear, certainly more than enough plastic…And all of this abundance is leading to new types of problems…The problems that have either come about because of the progress we've made as a society and now we've got the ability to tackle them, or problems where—clean energy is an example—where there are problems that we newly have the ability to solve.Lisa FrankYou have Congress that passed these five laws that are being violated, with the result of huge death and destruction overseas— and not just in Gaza, but places like Iraq and Libya in the past. And they're talking about students trespassing at their own university, and nonviolent protests? The problem starts in Congress. They're the funders, the enablers, the surrenderers of their constitutional rights of oversight and war-making powers.Ralph NaderChris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He is the host of The Chris Hedges Report, and he is a prolific author— his latest book is The Greatest Evil Is War.[Students] understand the nature of settler colonial regimes. The expansion or inclusion of students from wider backgrounds than were traditionally there at places like Princeton…has really added a depth and expanded the understanding within the university. So they see what's happening in Gaza, and they draw—rightly— connections to what we did to Native Americans, what the British did in India, what the British did in Kenya, what the French did in Algeria, and of course, they are correct.Chris Hedges[Students] have defied, quite courageously, the administrations of their universities, who are—kind of like the political class—bought and paid for by the Israel lobby, and in particular wealthy donors and the Democratic Party. And that is why these universities have responded to these nonviolent protests the way they have, with such overwhelming and draconian use of force.Chris HedgesIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 5/15/241. The New Republic reports the Federal Trade Commission has filed suit against Scott Sheffield, former CEO of oil and gas giant Pioneer Resources alleging that “voluminous evidence” suggests Sheffield “collaborated with fellow U.S. producers and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in order to keep crude oil prices ‘artificially' high.” As Matt Stoller explains in his newsletter, “after a bitter price war from 2014-2016, [American oil producers] got tired of competing on price with…the OPEC oil cartel, and at some point from 2017-2021, decided to join the cartel and cut supply to the market. This action had the [e]ffect of raising oil prices, costing oil consumers something on the order of $200 billion a year.” Stoller claims that this price-fixing scheme between the OPEC cartel and the American oil oligopoly caused 27% of all inflation-related price increases in 2021. Progressive lawmakers such as Senator Bernie Sanders who tried to raise the alarm about what he dubbed “greedflation” were dismissed at the time, but like so many times before, have been vindicated by the simple fact that American corporate greed always exceeds expectations.2. Tal Mitnick and Sofia Orr, the two Israeli teenagers conscientiously objecting to being drafted into Israel's campaign of terror in Gaza, have sent a letter to President Biden excoriating him for his unconditional support of the Netanyahu regime, per the Intercept. The two heroic peaceniks write “Your unconditional support for [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's policy of destruction, since the war began, has brought our society to the normalization of carnage and to the trivialization of human lives…It is American diplomatic and material support that prolonged this war for so long. You are responsible for this, alongside our leaders. But while they're interested in prolonging the war for political reasons, you have the power to make it stop.” These kids wrote this letter before reporting for their latest round of prison sentences, which have reached unprecedented lengths. As the article notes, “The refuseniks are not alone in their opposition, nor in the treatment they face. Throughout the war, Israelis have taken to the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to protest the war and Netanyahu's government. This past week, Israeli police arrested and beat protesters and hostage family members calling for an end to the war, just the latest example of Israelis being punished for voicing dissent or sympathy with the people of Gaza.”3. Al Jazeera reports yet another Biden Administration official has made public his resignation over the genocide in Gaza. Army Major Harrison Mann, who resigned in November, posted a letter Monday wherein he expressed “incredible shame and guilt” over the United States' “unqualified support” for Israel's war. Explaining why he waited so long to come forward with the reasoning behind his resignation, Mann wrote “I was afraid. Afraid of violating our professional norms. Afraid of disappointing officers I respect. Afraid you would feel betrayed. I'm sure some of you will feel that way reading this,” yet he noted “At some point – whatever the justification – you're either advancing a policy that enables the mass starvation of children, or you're not.”4. At long last, Egypt has announced its intention to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, Al Arabiya reports. In a statement, the Egyptian foreign ministry said this decision comes on the heels of the “worsening severity and scope of Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip,” likely referring to the terror bombing campaign in Rafah, which the United States had previously identified as a “Red Line” in terms of material support. Egypt has faced international embarrassment over its soft line towards its militaristic neighbor and alleged mistreatment of Palestinian refugees trying to flee into Egypt. The country has also “called on the UN Security Council and countries of influence to take actions to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and halt military operations in Rafah, according to the statement.”5. On Wednesday, May 8th, the State Department report on whether Israel has violated U.S. international law was due to Congress. Instead, it was delayed. As POLITICO reported “The State Department has been working for months on the report, which will issue a determination on whether Israel has violated international humanitarian law since the war in Gaza began. If so, the U.S. would be expected to stop sending Israel military assistance.” When the report was finally released, it stated “it is ‘reasonable to assess' that US weapons have been used by Israeli forces in Gaza in ways that are ‘inconsistent' with international humanitarian law,” but the report stopped short of officially saying Israel violated the law, per CNN. The report goes on to say that investigations into potential violations are ongoing but the US “‘does not have complete information to verify' whether the US weapons ‘were specifically used' in alleged violations of international humanitarian law.” This equivocation in the face of genocide – using American weapons — will leave an ineradicable black mark on the already spotty human rights record of the U.S. State Department.6. Students for Justice in Palestine at Columbia University reports “Columbia…is under federal investigation for anti-Palestinian discrimination and harassment.” According to the group, Palestine Legal is representing four Palestinian students and the group itself. Senior attorney for Palestine Legal Radikah Sainath said in a statement “The law is clear— if universities do not cease their racist crackdowns against Palestinians and their supporters, they will risk losing federal funding.”7. On May 8th, the D.C. Metro Police Department cleared the protest encampment at the George Washington University, using pepper spray and brute force. According to the Associated Press, the police arrested 33 protesters. The AP quoted Moataz Salim, a Palestinian student at GW with family in Gaza, who said the authorities merely “destroyed a beautiful community space that was all about love.” He went on to say “Less than 10 hours ago, I was pepper sprayed and assaulted by police…And why? Because we decided to pitch some tents, hold community activities and learn from each other. We built something incredible. We built something game-changing.” The police broke up the encampment in the wee hours of the morning, just before D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was slated to appear before hostile Republican lawmakers in Congress, leading many to believe she acted when and how she did out of sheer cowardice and political expediency. After the encampment was cleared, the hearing was canceled. Undeterred, these courageous students have continued to protest their institution's support of Israel's criminal war and per the American University Eagle, have now set up a second encampment. We urge Mayor Bowser not to bow to pressure from bloodthirsty Congressional Republicans a second time.8. The Seattle Times reports “The FAA has opened an investigation into Boeing's 787 Dreamliner after the company disclosed that employees in South Carolina falsified inspection records.” As the paper notes, “This is the latest in a long litany of lapses at Boeing that have come to light under the intense scrutiny of the company's quality oversight since a passenger cabin panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight in January.” That is to say nothing of the safety lapses leading to the Lion Air and Ethiopia Airlines crashes in 2019, that resulted in the deaths of all aboard both flights. Incredibly, “This new 787 quality concern is unrelated to the 787 fuselage gaps described as unsafe in an April congressional hearing by Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour.” As these critical safety failures and lies continue to come to light, the only question remaining is when is enough enough?9. Bloomberg labor reporter Josh Eidelson reports “The US government [has] raised concerns with Germany about alleged union-busting in Alabama by Mercedes, an unusual move that escalates scrutiny on its handling of the high-stakes union vote.” Mercedes is facing a momentous union election at its Alabama plant, led by the United Autoworkers, fresh off of unionizing the first ever foreign-owned auto plant in the country. Eidelson goes on to say that members of the European Commission have raised the matter with Mercedes as well, raising the heat on the company as the election kicks off. Among other union busting tactics, Labor Notes reports Mercedes has tried enlisting a pastor to tell workers via text “Here in Alabama, community is important, and family is everything. We believe it's important to keep work separate. But there's no denying, a union would have an impact beyond the walls of our plant.”10. Finally, the Chicago Sun-Times is out with a story on the success of Illinois' experiment with ending cash bail for pre-trial detention. As the article puts it, “Despite all the anguish over the Pretrial Fairness Act, [Cook County Judge Charles] Beach says he has been struck by how proceedings have significantly changed for the better in his courtroom. ‘I think we've come a very long way in the right direction…Things are working well.'” This piece describes how “Under the old system of cash bail, Beach — a supervising judge in the pretrial division — was often tasked with setting a dollar figure a person would have to post before being released, a decision that could force a family to skip the rent to post a bond. It was a process that could seem arbitrary, depending on the judge, the time of day and where in the state the hearing was held.” Beach himself goes on to say “There's a sense in the courtroom that taking money out of the equation has leveled the playing field.” The success of this reform should be taken very seriously by other states, particularly New York where Democrats have sought to roll back the state's attempts at ending cash bail following pressure from conservatives. Turns out, it works.This has been Francesco DeSantis. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

The price of petrol, both 93 and 95, will increase by 37c/ℓ as of May 1, while diesel prices will decrease by 30c/ℓ and 36c/ℓ for 0.05% sulphur and 0.005% sulphur, respectively, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has announced. It notes that the average Brent crude oil price increased from $84.22/bl to $88.10/bl during the period under review. "There was a lot of volatility in the market during this period. The main contributing factor is the growing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and sustained production cuts by Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries-plus countries," the DMRE states. As a result of the higher Brent crude oil prices, the average international product prices of petrol have increased. Further, the rand depreciated against the dollar, from R18.04 to R18.90, during the period under review. Meanwhile, the prices of diesel, illuminating paraffin and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) decreased owing to seasonal changes and reduced demand in the northern hemisphere as it moves away from its winter season, the DMRE says. Illuminating paraffin prices will decrease by 19c/ℓ and LPG prices by 46c/kg from May 1.

Oil demand has been higher than expected so far in 2024. Our Global Commodities Strategist explains what could drive oil to $95 per barrel by summer.----- Transcript -----Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Martijn Rats, Morgan Stanley's Global Commodities Strategist. Along with my colleagues bringing you a variety of perspectives, today I'll discuss recent developments in the oil market. It is Friday, April the 5th at 4 PM in London. At the start of the year, the outlook for the oil market looked somewhat unexciting. With the recovery from COVID largely behind us, growth in oil demand was slowing down. At the same time, supply from countries outside of OPEC (Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries) had been growing strongly and we expected that this would continue in 2024. In fact, at the start of the year it looked likely that growth in non-OPEC supply would meet, or even exceed, all growth in global demand. When that occurs, room in the oil market for OPEC oil is static at best, which in turn means OPEC needs to keep restraining production to keep the balance in the market. Even if it does that, it results in a decline in market share and a build-up of spare capacity. History has often warned against such periods.Still, by early February, the oil market started to look tighter than initially expected. Demand started to surprise positively – partly in jet fuel, as aviation was stronger than expected; partly in bunker fuel as the Suez Canal issues meant that ships needed to take longer routes; and partly in oil as petrochemical feedstock, as the global expansion of steam cracker capacity continues. At the same time, production in several non-OPEC countries had a weak start of the year, particularly in the United States where exceptionally cold weather in the middle of January caused widespread freeze offs at oil wells, putting stronger demand and weaker supply together, and the inventory builds that we expected in the early part of the year did not materialise. By mid-February, we could argue that the oil market looked balanced this year, rather than modestly oversupplied; and by early March, we were able to forecast that oil market fundamentals were strong enough to drive Brent crude oil to $90 a barrel over the summer.Since then, Brent has honed in on that $90 mark quicker than expected. Over the last week or so, the oil market has shown a powerful rally that has the hallmarks of simply tightening fundamentals but also with some geopolitical risk premium creeping back into the price. For now, our base-case forecast for the summer is still for Brent to trade around $90 per barrel as that is where we currently see fundamental support. However, the oil market typically enjoys a powerful seasonal demand tailwind over the summer. And that still lies ahead. And, geopolitical risk is still elevated, for which oil can be a useful diversifier. With those factors, our $95 bull case can also come into play.Thanks for listening. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share Thoughts on the Market with a friend or colleague today.

Tuesday, January 8th, 1974. It's a cold night in Brooklyn, New York. There's snow in the forecast. We're driving north on Shore Road, towards the Belt Parkway in a 1973 Ford Maverick. Thanks to the oil crisis, smaller cars like the Maverick are becoming increasingly popular. On January 2nd, President Nixon signed a law lowering the maximum speed limit on U.S. highways to fifty-five miles per hour. It conserved gasoline during the embargo. Highway fatalities dropped twenty three percent over the next year. The limit remained in effect for thirteen years. Unfortunately for Nixon, the Watergate scandal wouldn't go away. Citing executive privilege, on January 4th, Nixon refused to surrender over five hundred subpoenaed tapes to the Watergate Committee. On this night, Tuesday January 8th, John Chancellor signed on with news and updates from NBC. On this day, New York City instituted measures against gas shortage abuse. The day after this broadcast, Representatives from the twelve member nations of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries finished a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, voting for a three-month freeze on oil prices. But this isn't why we're here. As Mutual Broadcasting was getting back into radio drama with The Zero Hour, longtime director Himan Brown finally convinced CBS to give him a nightly hour of time to produce new eerie radio plays. Tonight, we'll go back to January 1974 and study how this moment in time came to be. ____________ In January 1974 Himan Brown was sixty-three years old, having been on the air since the age of eighteen. Brown is noted for having created Bulldog Drummond, Grand Central Station, Dick Tracy, and Inner Sanctum Mysteries. He was itching for the chance to create new dramatic radio. CBS executive Sam Digges was fifty-seven, and close friends with Brown, but the CBS network board could perhaps have been a harder sell for a program that was to air every night of the week. CBS hadn't produced any dramatic shows since September of 1962. Over the eleven years since, numerous technological advancements had been made. In order to produce a show that was to air every night of the week, a dedicated studio would be developed. They used Studio G on the sixth floor of the old CBS Radio Annex on East 52nd street. The writers would be paid three-hundred fifty dollars per script. That's a little more than two thousand dollars today. As Himan Brown mentioned, in New York City CBS aired news, so Mutual Broadcasting's flagship WOR picked up the series just one month after Mutual began airing The Zero Hour. Acting talent would work for SAG-AFTRA scale. Actor E.G. Marshall was tabbed to be the host. In 1973 Marshall was known for his prominent role in the 1957 Twelve Angry Men, and on TV's The Defenders. As a host, he harkened back to the Golden Age of Radio when characters such as The Man In Black, The Whistler, The Mysterious Traveler, and Raymond hosted macabre programs. The CBS Radio Mystery Theater would debut on Sunday January 6th, 1974 with Agnes Moorehead starring in “The Old Ones Are Hard To Kill.” Two-hundred eighteen stations carried the series, including twenty-one which were not CBS affiliates.

Contrary to conventional beliefs about how the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries operates, there are many reasons to believe OPEC has fewer degrees of freedom than most people believe. That misperception can serve the needs of politicians searching for a bogeyman. Peter Van Doren and David Kemp explain why in a new paper. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

最後登機廣播，2023長榮航空線上旅展將於11/26結束，尚未購買機票的旅客請盡速前往長榮航空官網購買。除享有全航線最低72折起優惠外，還可再抽一年全球飛到飽機票！https://go.fstry.me/3SNDwo7 —— 以上為 Firstory DAI 動態廣告 —— ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎針對這一集留言你的想法： 留言連結 主題投稿/意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com 官方網站：www.15mins.today 加入Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- Topic: Russia's Villages, and Their Culture, Are 'Melting Away' With its winding dirt lanes framed by lilacs, quaint wooden houses and graceful onion-domed church, the tiny farming hamlet of Baruta was once a postcard of Russian bucolic bliss. 俄國西北部普斯科夫區域的巴魯塔小農村曾是俄國田園的幸福象徵，蜿蜒的土路旁盡是丁香、古雅的木屋和優美的洋蔥圓頂教堂。 No longer. More people lie in the tightly packed church cemetery than inhabit the village. Agriculture is slowly withering, too. 此景不再。在擁擠不堪的教堂墓地安息的人，比住在村裡的多。農業也逐步衰退。 With Russia's natural population growth entering an extended period of decline, villages like Baruta are disappearing from across the country's continental expanse. 由於俄國人口的自然增長進入長期衰退期，像巴魯塔這樣的村落正從廣袤的俄國大陸各地消失。 "We have not had a wedding or a baptism for quite some time — we mostly have funerals," said a resident, Alexander Fyodorov, 59, one of just 17 men left in what was a thriving collective of some 500 farmers. 59歲居民費奧多羅夫說：「我們好一段時間沒有婚禮或洗禮了——多半是喪禮。」他曾是一個約有500農民、蓬勃發展的集體農場的一分子，如今農場只剩下17個男人，他是其中之一。 President Vladimir Putin frequently cites hardy population growth as a pillar of restoring Russia's place atop the global order. There is a pronounced gap, however, between the positive terms in which Putin and his advisers habitually discuss demographic trends and the reality of the numbers. 俄國總統普亭常說，強勁的人口成長是讓俄國重居新全球之首的基礎。不過，普亭與顧問們討論人口趨勢時慣常使用的正面詞語，和真實人口數目差距甚大。 Russians are dying faster than they are being born, demographers said. Given the general hostility toward immigration, the question is to what degree the population of 146 million, including annexed Crimea, might shrink. 人口學者說，俄國人死亡的速度比出生快。在俄國人普遍對移民懷有敵意的情況下，俄國總數1億4600萬（包括兼併來的克里米亞）的人口勢將減少，問題只在減幅的大小。 The number of deaths exceeded the number of births in 2016 by a few thousand, and the prognosis for the years ahead is poor. From 2013-2015, extremely modest natural growth peaked in 2015 with just 32,038 more births than deaths. 去年俄國死亡人數超越出生人數幾千人，未來幾年前景也不樂觀。2013到2015年極微小的人口自然增長在2015年達到高峰，出生數只比死亡數多3萬2038人。 "The statistics and the propaganda are very different things," said Natalya V. Zubarevich, an expert in social and political geography at Moscow State University. 莫斯科國立大學社會與政治地理學專家祖巴列維奇說：「統計數字和宣傳大不相同。」 In terms of population loss, Pskov, which borders Latvia and parts of Estonia, is among the worst hit regions in Russia. The population peaked at around 1.8 million in the 1920s, said Andrei Manakov, a demographer at Pskov State University. It is down to 642,000, and projected to drop to about 513,000 by 2033. 普斯科夫與拉脫維亞和愛沙尼亞部分地區接壤，是俄國人口減少最嚴重的區域之一。普斯科夫國立大學人口學者馬納科夫說，1920年代這裡的人口達到高峰，約180萬。現在降到64萬2千人，料將在2033年前降到大約51萬3千人。 Researchers estimate that out of 8,300 area villages in 1910, 2,000 no longer have permanent residents. 研究人員估計，1910年這裡的8300個地區村落中，2000個不再有常住居民。 Under the most optimistic projections by demographers, Russia's population by 2050 will stay the same, about 146 million, if immigration from Central Asia — which has also been dropping — balances out low birthrates. Less optimistic figures put the population around 130 million by 2050, and the most pessimistic say fewer than 100 million. 人口學者最樂觀的預測是，如果來自中亞的移民（也正在逐漸減少）能彌補俄國的低出生率，2050年俄國人口會跟現在一樣，大約1億4600萬。較不樂觀的數據是2050年人口約為1億3000萬，最悲觀的是不到1億。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/318780/web/ Topic: Russia reaches out to OPEC as Riyadh opens oil taps The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in China and its rapid spread has taken its toll on the global economy, driving down demand for oil in the first weeks of 2020. 在中國爆發的武漢肺炎冠狀病毒迅速蔓延，讓全球經濟遭受巨大損失，對石油的需求在二〇二〇年開年數週便降低了。 In response, in the scheduled meeting on March 5-6 in Vienna, Saudi Arabia and other OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) states called for OPEC+ to a make drastic cut of 1.5 million barrels per day to reduce supply by a total of 3.6 million barells per day — insisting on a non-OPEC agreement. However, Russia rejected the plan. When the OPEC+ talks collapsed, the OPEC oil cartel scrapped all output limits. A dispute then broke out. 因應此情況，沙烏地阿拉伯與其他石油輸出國組織（OPEC）國家三月五日至六日在維也納所舉行的例行會議中，便要求OPEC+國家每日大幅減產一百五十萬桶，讓石油每日供應總量減少三百六十萬桶，並堅持非屬OPEC之產油國也須共同遵守此協議。但俄羅斯拒絕了此計畫，談判破裂，OPEC這石油壟斷利益集團便取消了所有產量限制，爭端於焉爆發。 Russian oil companies had opposed such cuts, fearing loss of market share and of competitiveness against US shale production. They had previously in December agreed on a milder production cut of 500,000 barrels in 2020, and Russia wanted this to continue. 俄羅斯的石油公司曾對這種減產措施加以反對，擔心會失去市佔率，也會失去對美國頁岩油的競爭力。他們去年十二月曾同意一項較溫和的減產計畫，將在二〇二〇年減產五十萬桶，俄羅斯希望維持此計畫。 Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude exporter, responded on March 8 by announcing unilateral price cuts with its biggest price cut in 20 years in a bid to win market share. This prompted the oil price to plummet and fueled huge drops on stock markets the following day. 三月八日星期日，世界最大的原油出口國沙烏地阿拉伯對此做出回應，單方面宣佈降低油品價格，以贏得市佔率，此為二十年來最大降幅。這使得油價暴跌，並引發了三月九日星期一的股市大跌。 By March 9, oil had fallen to as low as US$31 from about US$66 at the end of 2019 as Riyadh said it would lift production to record highs, their biggest one-day move since the 1991 Gulf War. On March 10, Saudi oil giant Aramco announced a plan to massively increase oil output despite falling demand during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. 利雅德表示將把產量提升至歷史新高，到了三月九日，油價便從二〇一九年底的六十六美元左右，應聲跌至三十一美元，這是自一九九一年波斯灣戰爭以來的最大單日跌幅。儘管武漢肺炎冠狀病毒爆發造成石油需求下降，沙烏地石油巨頭阿美公司仍在三月十日宣布，要大幅提高石油產量。 “At first glance, this looks like a battle between Russia and Saudi Arabia over oil policy,” said Chris Weafer of Macro Advisory consultancy. “But the context of the relentless rise in US oil production over the past 10 years is also an important factor.” 「乍看之下，這像是俄羅斯與沙烏地阿拉伯在石油政策上的鬥爭」，宏觀諮詢公司的克里斯‧威佛表示。「但是，過去十年來美國石油產量的持續增加，也是重要的背景因素」。 Both Russia and major OPEC producers have been “openly annoyed” with US producers' refusal to participate in past production cuts, he added. 他補充說，美國生產商一直都拒絕參與減產，俄羅斯和OPEC主要產油國都對此感到「公開地惱 火」。 On Monday and Thursday last week, the crash in oil prices and fears over the global economic impact of the virus outbreak prompted a meltdown on stock markets. 油價暴跌，以及擔憂疫情對全球經濟造成影響，導致上週一及週四的股市崩盤，觸動了熔斷機制。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/03/17/2003732810 Topic: About Russia: 'They just want to take a selfie'： how TV show changed Chernobyl tourism The hit TV series "Chernobyl" has attracted a new generation of tourists to the nuclear disaster zone but guides say that many are more interested in taking selfies than learning about the accident. 美國熱門電視影集《核爆家園》吸引一群新世代遊客造訪車諾比核災區，但當地導遊說，比起了解核災意外，很多人只想自拍。 Tourists now are often on the lookout for locations featured in the acclaimed HBO drama and can be surprised to discover that certain sites were fictional. 遊客現在大多是去探訪出現在這部備受讚譽的HBO影集中的地點，但他們可能會驚訝地發現，劇中有些場景是虛構的。 The abandoned site had already become a "dark tourism" destination, even before the eponymous TV show started broadcasting. 早在這個以車諾比為名的影集開播前，這個被遺棄的地方就已成為「黑暗旅遊」的目的地。 Some Ukrainian travel agencies have further adapted their tours to take in locations from the "Chernobyl" series and offer special trips, such as kayaking in rivers around the exclusion zone. 某些烏克蘭旅行社進一步改變行程，加入出現在《核爆家園》的地點，為旅客提供特別之旅，像是在禁制區附近的河流划皮艇。 In July, new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree that aims to develop the site further as a tourist attraction. In 2018, 72,000 people visited Chernobyl and it is expected to jump to 100,000 in 2019. 7月，新任烏克蘭總統佛拉迪米爾‧澤倫斯基簽署一項法令，進一步將車諾比地區打造成觀光景點。2018年，有7萬2000人造訪車諾比，2019年可望增至10萬人。 Next Article: Topic: Russia joins race to make quantum dreams a reality 俄羅斯加入量子戰局 Russia has launched an effort to build a working quantum computer, in a bid to catch up to other countries in the race for practical quantum technologies. 俄羅斯開始致力建造可投入應用的量子電腦，以期在實作量子技術的競爭中，趕上其他國家。 The government will inject around 50 billion roubles （US$790 million）over the next 5 years into basic and applied quantum research carried out at leading Russian laboratories, the country's deputy prime minister, Maxim Akimov, announced on 6 December at a technology forum in Sochi. 俄羅斯副總理馬克司米．阿基莫夫12月6日在索契的一場科技論壇宣布，未來5年政府將投入約500億盧布（7.9億美元），推動國家重點實驗室在量子科學的基礎研究及應用。 Quantum technology already receives massive governmental support in a number of countries. The European Union's €1-billion （US$1.1-billion） Quantum Flagship programme, first announced in 2016. Germany announced a €650-million national quantum initiative in August 2019. The Chinese and US governments are also spending billions on quantum science and technology programmes. 量子技術已獲得多國政府大力支持。歐盟2016年率先宣布一項10億歐元（11億美元）的量子旗艦計畫。德國2019年8月發表一項6.5億歐元的國家量子計畫。中國和美國政府同樣也在量子科學和技術項目投入數十億經費。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1342518; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1344790

Also known as the October War and the Ramadan War, this conflict was initiated by Egypt and Syria on October 6, 1973, as a surprise attack on Israel during the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur and the Muslim month of Ramadan. It was motivated by a desire among Arab states to regain territory taken by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967, particularly the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. The initial stages of the war caught Israel off guard, but they were able to regroup and mount a strong defence. The war ended with a ceasefire brokered by the United States and the Soviet Union. Israel returned the entire Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and in exchange Egypt recognised Israel as a legitimate state - the first Arab country to do so.It had a profound impact on the region and the seismic waves were felt across the world. Against the backdrop of the Cold War, it's been described as a proxy war between the US and the Soviet Union with Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries imposing an embargo against the United States in retaliation for the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military. This became a key contributor to the energy crisis of 1973, felt particularly in Britain.Commentators have made comparisons between the surprise attack by Hamas on the 7th of October 2023, with that first surprise attack made by the Arabic coalition in the Yom Kippur War. Today, Dan is joined by Dr Alexander Burns- Assistant Professor at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, a Historian of the eighteenth-century Atlantic World, American Continental Army, and Military Europe to look at those comparisons and run through a play-by-play of the 1973 conflict and its impact on the region and global order. Produced by Dan Snow, Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal PatmoreDiscover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1: On Saturday, the Palestinian terror group Hamas broke through barriers separating Gaza from Israel—raiding Israeli towns, killing over 1,000 civilians with another 150 civilians having been kidnapped, according to estimates. President of Israel Isaac Herzog said of the attack, “not since the Holocaust have so many Jews been killed in one day.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that in response, Israel “will exact a price that will be remembered by [Hamas], and Israel's other enemies, for decades to come.” According to reporting from Summer Said, Benoit Faucon, and Stephen Kalin of The Wall Street Journal, “Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas's Saturday surprise attack on Israel and gave the green light for the assault at a meeting in Beirut last Monday, according to senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-backed militant group. Officers of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had worked with Hamas since August to devise the air, land and sea incursions.” However, the Biden Administration is denying these reports—explaining that they have not yet discovered a direct Iranian connection. If Iranian involvement in the October 7th attack on Israel is ultimately proven, will an even larger war in the Middle East breakout? You can read The Wall Street Journal's report here: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-israel-hamas-strike-planning-bbe07b25 In a closed-door meeting held on Wednesday, Republicans selected Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) to be the next Speaker of the House—113 to 99. However, it is worth noting that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy won his party's support last November with 188 votes before ultimately requiring 15-votes to officially winning the speakership. Annie Karnie of The New York Times reports that the House is in recess and will not meet to hold a floor vote for the vacant speakership at 3pm, as was originally planned. Karnie writes, “The move to recess came as it became clear that Scalise would not have the votes to win the gavel on the House floor today, and members complained of a rushed process. Meanwhile, Jordan, in a private meeting with Scalise, offered to give a nominating speech on his behalf, according to his spokesman. But that gesture did not seem to move a number of Republicans from across the political spectrum who said they would not vote for Scalise on the floor. So far, the eight who deposed McCarthy are not the main problem for Scalise (although Nancy Mace and Bob Good, two of the eight, have said they are undecided on who they will support on the floor). He faces a new set of opponents, some of whom made alliances with McCarthy. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who became a McCarthy ally, for instance, has said she will vote against Scalise on the House floor.” You can read the latest news regarding a potential House vote to determine the speakership here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/11/us/house-speaker-vote-news/745258fd-a9a5-522c-8e7c-f89fe99e23e9?smid=url-share The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board writes that not only has the Biden Administration provided Iran with $6 billion in previously frozen assets, but they also “throttled back enforcement of oil sanctions, which gave Tehran billions more dollars to finance Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist proxies. Iran's oil production jumped to three million barrels a day in August from 2.6 million in April, according to Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries data. Iran's oil minister said in August the country's oil production would hit 3.4 million barrels a day by the end of September, the highest since 2018 when the Trump Administration imposed sanctions. Its exports have increased even more—by about one million barrels a day this year—because it has also been shipping stored fuel, namely to China.” You can read the full editorial here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-hamas-oil-sanctions-biden-administration-israel-gaza-adbace0b Rich is joined by 1210 WPHT producers Anthony and Dan who are at Citizen Bank Park ahead of tonight's game 3 playoff matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. The series is currently tied 1-1.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (10/11/2023): 3:05pm- On Saturday, the Palestinian terror group Hamas broke through barriers separating Gaza from Israel—raiding Israeli towns, killing over 1,000 civilians with another 150 civilians having been kidnapped, according to estimates. President of Israel Isaac Herzog said of the attack, “not since the Holocaust have so many Jews been killed in one day.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that in response, Israel “will exact a price that will be remembered by [Hamas], and Israel's other enemies, for decades to come.”  3:15pm- According to reporting from Summer Said, Benoit Faucon, and Stephen Kalin of The Wall Street Journal, “Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas's Saturday surprise attack on Israel and gave the green light for the assault at a meeting in Beirut last Monday, according to senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-backed militant group. Officers of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had worked with Hamas since August to devise the air, land and sea incursions.” However, the Biden Administration is denying these reports—explaining that they have not yet discovered a direct Iranian connection. If Iranian involvement in the October 7th attack on Israel is ultimately proven, will an even larger war in the Middle East breakout? You can read The Wall Street Journal's report here: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-israel-hamas-strike-planning-bbe07b25 3:30pm- In a closed-door meeting held on Wednesday, Republicans selected Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) to be the next Speaker of the House—113 to 99. However, it is worth noting that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy won his party's support last November with 188 votes before ultimately requiring 15-votes to officially winning the speakership. 3:35pm- Annie Karnie of The New York Times reports that the House is in recess and will not meet to hold a floor vote for the vacant speakership at 3pm, as was originally planned. Karnie writes, “The move to recess came as it became clear that Scalise would not have the votes to win the gavel on the House floor today, and members complained of a rushed process. Meanwhile, Jordan, in a private meeting with Scalise, offered to give a nominating speech on his behalf, according to his spokesman. But that gesture did not seem to move a number of Republicans from across the political spectrum who said they would not vote for Scalise on the floor. So far, the eight who deposed McCarthy are not the main problem for Scalise (although Nancy Mace and Bob Good, two of the eight, have said they are undecided on who they will support on the floor). He faces a new set of opponents, some of whom made alliances with McCarthy. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who became a McCarthy ally, for instance, has said she will vote against Scalise on the House floor.” You can read the latest news regarding a potential House vote to determine the speakership here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/11/us/house-speaker-vote-news/745258fd-a9a5-522c-8e7c-f89fe99e23e9?smid=url-share 3:40pm- The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board writes that not only has the Biden Administration provided Iran with $6 billion in previously frozen assets, but they also “throttled back enforcement of oil sanctions, which gave Tehran billions more dollars to finance Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist proxies. Iran's oil production jumped to three million barrels a day in August from 2.6 million in April, according to Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries data. Iran's oil minister said in August the country's oil production would hit 3.4 million barrels a day by the end of September, the highest since 2018 when the Trump Administration imposed sanctions. Its exports have increased even more—by about one million barrels a day this year—because it has also been shipping stored fuel, namely to China.” You can read the full editorial here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-hamas-oil-sanctions-biden-administration-israel-gaza-adbace0b 3:50pm- Rich is joined by 1210 WPHT producers Anthony and Dan who are at Citizen Bank Park ahead of tonight's game 3 playoff matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. The series is currently tied 1-1. 4:05pm- Daniel Turner—Founder & Executive Director of Power the Future—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the Biden Administration's decision to reduce sanctions against Iranian oil production. Is the money from Iranian oil sales being used to support terrorists? Earlier in the day, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby was asked if, given the Hamas-led attack on Israel and reports of Iranian involvement, the Biden Administration would consider reimposing Trump-era sanctions on Iran will concurrently ramping up domestic oil production. Kirby seemingly dismissed the idea. 4:30pm- Professor Alan Dershowitz—The Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard University & Author of “Get Trump: The Threat to Civil Liberties, Due Process and Our Constitutional Rule of Law”—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the thirty-three student organizations at Harvard University that have explicitly, and outlandishly, blamed Israel for the Hamas-led attacks on Israeli citizens. Dershowitz refers to the organizational reaction as “anger inducing”—calling for the school to release the names of the students who have now openly defended barbaric acts of terrorism against women and children. Additionally, Dershowitz wonders why it took so long for university leadership to denounce the abhorrent beliefs echoed by these organizations. 4:40pm- On Wednesday, President Joe Biden met with Jewish community leaders during a roundtable discussion in Washington D.C. In a speech following the meeting, Biden reemphasized U.S. support for Israel and said that he has spoken with Iran, warning them to “be careful.” 5:00pm- In a post on the social media platform X, “Saved By the Bell” star Mario Lopez criticized Governor Gavin Newsom and California's recent “Skittle's Ban”—a bill that will forbid the sale of foods containing red dye No. 3. Lopez writes: “Crime is through the roof, worst drug epidemic ever & homelessness at an all time high in CA…Let's focus on Skittles.” 5:10pm- Listeners weigh-in on the terror attacks orchestrated against Israeli citizens. 5:40pm- Annie Karnie of The New York Times reports that the House is in recess and will not meet to hold a floor vote for the vacant speakership at 3pm, as was originally planned. Karnie writes, “The move to recess came as it became clear that Scalise would not have the votes to win the gavel on the House floor today, and members complained of a rushed process. Meanwhile, Jordan, in a private meeting with Scalise, offered to give a nominating speech on his behalf, according to his spokesman. But that gesture did not seem to move a number of Republicans from across the political spectrum who said they would not vote for Scalise on the floor. So far, the eight who deposed McCarthy are not the main problem for Scalise (although Nancy Mace and Bob Good, two of the eight, have said they are undecided on who they will support on the floor). He faces a new set of opponents, some of whom made alliances with McCarthy. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who became a McCarthy ally, for instance, has said she will vote against Scalise on the House floor.” You can read the latest news regarding a potential House vote to determine the speakership here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/11/us/house-speaker-vote-news/745258fd-a9a5-522c-8e7c-f89fe99e23e9?smid=url-share 5:50pm- When questioned by reporters on Capitol Hill, Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) refused to condemn Hamas attacks on Israeli citizens.   5:55pm- While appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers challenged Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce—who recently appeared in a Pfizer commercial—to a debate on whether COVID-19 vaccines are effective.   6:05pm- The Phillies score several runs in the 3rd inning and Rich gets distracted from his own show…ring the bell! 6:10pm- At the White House on Wednesday afternoon, President Joe Biden held a press event to denounce “junk fees” impacting consumers across several industries including banking and ticket sales. With war breaking out in the Middle East, and the ongoing battle in Ukraine, is this the best use of the Biden Administration's time? 6:30pm- Rich becomes a sports broadcaster—offering play-by-play (or his version of it, at least) for the Phillies-Braves game. 6:50pm- Is the United States looking for regime change in Georgia? According to a report from Kit Klarenberg of The Grayzone, “[t]he arrest of US regime change operatives in Tbilisi suggests a coup against Georgia's government could be in the works. As Ukraine's counteroffensive fails, the West appears eager to open a new front in its proxy war.” You can read the full report here: https://thegrayzone.com/2023/10/06/maidan-color-revolution-georgia/

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. To mark 50 years since the global oil crisis, we're focusing on oil - from discovery to disaster. We hear from Dr Fadhil Chalabi, then the deputy secretary general of Opec (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) about what happened during the 1973 crisis. Our guest Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University, explains why oil became the lifeblood of industrial economies during the last two centuries. We also learn how Kazakhstan signed ‘the deal of the century' to become a fossil fuel powerhouse thanks to the Tengiz Oil Field. Plus, why in 1956, not everyone welcomed the discovery of oil in the Nigerian village of Oloibiri. We find out more about the devastating impact of one of the world's largest oil spills - when the Amoco Cadiz tanker ran aground off the coast of France in 1978. The wreck released more than 220,000 tonnes of crude oil into the sea. And finally, how an indigenous community in the Ecuadorian Amazon fought a court battle to protect their land from oil drilling – and won. Contributors: Dr Fadhil Chalabi – former deputy secretary general of Opec Professor Helen Thompson - Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University Bruce Pannier - Central Asia news correspondent Chief Sunday Inengite – chief of Oloibiri, Nigeria Marguerite Lamour – former secretary to Alphonse Arzel, the mayor of Ploudalmézeau in France Jose Gualing - former Sarayaku president Ena Santi - Sarayaku community leader (Photo: Oil rig. Credit: Fairfax Media via Getty Images via Getty Images)

In October 1973, Arab nations protested the American support of Israel in its war against Egypt and Syria by slashing oil production, causing prices to sky rocket. Dr Fadhil Chalabi was deputy secretary general of Opec (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries). In 2014 he spoke to Alex Last about the embargo. (Picture: Empty gas pump in 1973. Credit:Getty Images)

Canada's unprecedented wildfire season overwhelms Canadian firefighters, and many in the eastern United States deal with dangerous levels of smoke; the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries releases its monthly oil report as Saudi Arabia seeks to boost prices; Germany hosts NATO's largest air defense exercise as a signal to Russia; and Ukraine rushes to respond to the humanitarian and security crises caused by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam.   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/canadas-wildfires-opec-oil-report-natos-largest-air-drill-and-more 

2022 was a landmark year for the energy transition. The world added a record amount of renewable energy, expanding the global installed capacity by nearly 10%. Electric vehicles also had a record year, reaching 10 million sales worldwide, a stunning 55% increase over the previous year. Yet despite this tremendous progress, the world is still not on track to meet its climate goals, with oil and gas demand predicted to be higher in 2030 than today. Meanwhile, volatility in global energy markets is continuing to drive uncertainty over the future of the energy transition. Imbalances between supply and demand drove energy prices to dizzying heights last year, and 75 million people around the world lost access to electricity as a result. What will it take to bring clean energy deployment in line with climate goals? What does the energy transition mean for the future of fossil fuels? And how can world leaders protect energy reliability in the transition to net zero? This week host Jason Bordoff talks with Fatih Birol.  Fatih is the executive director of the International Energy Agency, the intergovernmental organization tasked with providing data and policy analysis regarding the global energy sector. He spent more than 20 years at the IEA prior to becoming executive director. Most recently, he served as chief economist, in charge of the organization's flagship publication, the World Energy Outlook. Before joining the IEA, Fatih worked for OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. This episode of the Columbia Energy Exchange is a recording of a live, in-person conversation that took place on April 12th during the Columbia Global Energy Summit 2023. 

Daniel Turner—Founder & Executive Director of Power the Future—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) recent announcement that they will reduce oil production by 1.16 million barrels per day. Should we expect to see gas prices exceeding $4 a gallon? Could they even exceed $5 a gallon?

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 2: Daniel Turner—Founder & Executive Director of Power the Future—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) recent announcement that they will reduce oil production by 1.16 million barrels per day. Should we expect to see gas prices exceeding $4 a gallon? Could they even exceed $5 a gallon? Did The Simpsons predict the Barbie Movie AND the arrest of former President Donald Trump? Rich, Matt, and Henry review the evidence—social media may have oversold the prediction. Does Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have a secret burner Twitter account? Who knows for sure! BUT she was on Late Night with Seth Meyers and was as hilarious as you would imagine.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (04/06/2023): 3:05pm- The Supreme Court of the United States has denied West Virginia's emergency request to “lift an appeals court's injunction, which enabled a transgender girl to compete on her middle school's female teams until the three-judge panel reaches a final decision.” According to reporting from The Hill's Zach Schonfeld and Brooke Migdon, “Justice Samuel Alito in a statement joined by Justice Clarence Thomas dissenting from the decision said the case ‘concerns an important issue that this Court is likely to be required to address in the near future.'” Though, as Rich notes, the title of the article is incredibly misleading, you can read more here: https://thehill.com/homenews/3937891-supreme-court-rules-west-virginia-transgender-athletes-can-compete-on-female-sports-teams/ 3:30pm- FACT CHECK: According to a misleading headline from the Miami Herald the “13-year-old son of Rebekah Jones, whistleblower who clashed with DeSantis, arrested over memes.” Christina Pushaw, a political aide for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, notes that “he threatened to shoot up his middle school and stab classmates who angered him.” 3:35pm- According to Leah Barkoukis of Townhall, “[d]uring former President Trump's speech at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday following his arraignment in a Manhattan courthouse, ABC News blurred out the message written on his podium. ‘TEXT TRUMP to 88022' was displayed as a way to fundraise for his presidential campaign, but the news organization did not want their viewers to see…” Interestingly, the news organization did not blur a text-to-donate number displayed during a recent President Joe Biden speech. You can read more here: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2023/04/06/why-abc-news-is-being-accused-of-election-interference-n2621636 3:45pm- According to a report from Ari Blaff of National Review, “Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) subpoenaed Mark Pomerantz, a former senior lawyer in Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg's office, to testify on Capitol Hill following public statements he made pressuring his old boss to pursue a case against Donald Trump.” You can read more here: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/jim-jordan-subpoenas-former-manhattan-da-attorney-who-demanded-trump-be-indicted/ 4:05pm- Daniel Turner—Founder & Executive Director of Power the Future—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) recent announcement that they will reduce oil production by 1.16 million barrels per day. Should we expect to see gas prices exceeding $4 a gallon? Could they even exceed $5 a gallon? 4:30pm- Did The Simpsons predict the Barbie Movie AND the arrest of former President Donald Trump? Rich, Matt, and Henry review the evidence—social media may have oversold the prediction. 4:40pm- Does Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have a secret burner Twitter account? Who knows for sure! BUT she was on Late Night with Seth Meyers and was as hilarious as you would imagine. 5:05pm- The Drive at 5: 2024 Republican Presidential Primary Endorsements- Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) has announced that he is endorsing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for President. Though he is expected to run, DeSantis has not yet officially announced his candidacy. Massie now joins Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX) in endorsing DeSantis. Meanwhile, on Monday, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) became the sixth U.S. Senator to endorse former President Donald Trump. 5:10pm- While appearing on MSNBC's Morning Joe, presidential historian Jon Meacham accused Republicans of suspending their devotion to the U.S. Constitution in exchange for appeasing former President Donald Trump. 5:15pm- While speaking alongside Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman at the City University of New York's Graduate Center, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had her remarks interrupted by several loud hecklers. 5:25pm- Leonard DiCaprio vs Nord Stream II! PLUS The Mystery Movie Clip. 5:40pm- On Thursday, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby spoke to the White House press about a newly released review of the Biden Administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan. When asked about an estimated $7 billion in military equipment that was abandoned in Afghanistan, Kirby suggested the Afghanistan military is responsible for abandoning the equipment and allowing it to fall into the hands of enemy combatants. 6:05pm- Dr. Victoria Coates—former Deputy National Security Advisor & Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to talk about her latest editorial for Newsweek, “Biden's Ineffectual Energy Play Sticks Americans with the Bill.” Dr. Coates also discusses Russia's wrongful detention of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich—who has baselessly been accused of espionage. 6:35pm- Rich gets knocked off the air…did he get fired for insulting Leonardo DiCaprio? 6:40pm- During Wednesday's press briefing, The New York Times' Michael Shear questioned White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre about the Biden Administration's decision to not comment on Donald Trump's indictment even though members of the administration have been outspoken about Trump's legal troubles in the past. 6:50pm- While speaking with CBS Mornings, Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson blamed poverty and crime in Chicago on big corporations who aren't paying their fair share in taxes. Has Chicago replaced Lori Lightfoot with a new Lori Lightfoot?

Alex Perny of Advanta IRA welcomes Neil Paulson, a seasoned investor, for a discussion about what to expect when audited by the IRS and how to handle it. Alex shares a market recap for 4/03/2023 and explains what OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is. If you're interested in being a podcast guest speaker or have questions get in touch with us at Podcast@AdvantaIRA.com. Learn more about Advanta IRA: Website: https://www.AdvantaIRA.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Adva... Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdvantaIRA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdvantaIRA/ Advanta IRA does not offer investment, tax, or legal advice nor do we endorse any products, investments, or companies that offer such advice and/or investments. This includes any investments promoted or discussed during the podcast as neither Advanta IRA nor its employees, have reviewed or vetted any investments, persons, or companies that may discuss their services during this podcast.  All parties are strongly encouraged to perform their own due diligence and consult with the appropriate professional(s) before entering into any type of investment. Note: What Is content is compiled from Investopedia.com.

Bud Light has debuted a new look just for TikTok and transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. BlazeTV contributor Jaco Booyens and Lt. Colonel Allen West sound off on the new Bud Light campaign. Violent protests happened in New York City this weekend, and our very own Alex Stein got in the middle of it. The CMT Music Awards were held in Austin, Texas, last night. Kelsea Ballerini used the stage to protest restrictive drag show laws across the country. Onstage, she danced with drag queens and sang a song dedicated to the LGBT community called “If You Go Down (I'm Going Down Too).” Marjorie Taylor Greene was interviewed last night on "60 Minutes" by Lesley Stahl. When Stahl questioned Greene on her "over-the-top" claims, MTG defended and repeated her assertions that the Democrats over-sexualize children. A new report shows that the Chinese balloon that flew over the country back in February DID gather secret intelligence from American military sites. Trump's legal team is gearing up for a fight. The team believes the Manhattan judge will take the unprecedented step to silence a presidential front-runner and former president by issuing a gag order tomorrow. Oil prices are set to soar after an announcement Sunday that Saudi Arabia plans to leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Today's Sponsors: This year, resolve to stop supporting companies that don't align with your values. Patriot Mobile's 100% U.S.-based customer service team makes switching easy! Just go to http://PATRIOTMOBILE.COM/NEWS or call 878-PATRIOT! Get FREE ACTIVATION today with the offer code NEWS. ScoreMaster could save you over $75,000 or more in interest over the life of your loan. That's the genius behind the ScoreMaster three-week rule. It only takes a minute to get started, and you can add 30 to 100 points in about three weeks depending on your credit file. Before you apply for any loan, auto lease, or credit, start at ScoreMaster. Visit http://www.ScoreMaster.com/news to try ScoreMaster for FREE. This supernatural thriller is perfect for your friends who love scary films and love going to church. You're going to have some great conversations afterward! "Nefarious" opens in theatres nationwide on April 14. Mark the date, and get your tickets now at http://www.whoisnefarious.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Topic: Russia's Villages, and Their Culture, Are 'Melting Away' With its winding dirt lanes framed by lilacs, quaint wooden houses and graceful onion-domed church, the tiny farming hamlet of Baruta was once a postcard of Russian bucolic bliss. 俄國西北部普斯科夫區域的巴魯塔小農村曾是俄國田園的幸福象徵，蜿蜒的土路旁盡是丁香、古雅的木屋和優美的洋蔥圓頂教堂。 No longer. More people lie in the tightly packed church cemetery than inhabit the village. Agriculture is slowly withering, too. 此景不再。在擁擠不堪的教堂墓地安息的人，比住在村裡的多。農業也逐步衰退。 With Russia's natural population growth entering an extended period of decline, villages like Baruta are disappearing from across the country's continental expanse. 由於俄國人口的自然增長進入長期衰退期，像巴魯塔這樣的村落正從廣袤的俄國大陸各地消失。 "We have not had a wedding or a baptism for quite some time — we mostly have funerals," said a resident, Alexander Fyodorov, 59, one of just 17 men left in what was a thriving collective of some 500 farmers. 59歲居民費奧多羅夫說：「我們好一段時間沒有婚禮或洗禮了——多半是喪禮。」他曾是一個約有500農民、蓬勃發展的集體農場的一分子，如今農場只剩下17個男人，他是其中之一。 President Vladimir Putin frequently cites hardy population growth as a pillar of restoring Russia's place atop the global order. There is a pronounced gap, however, between the positive terms in which Putin and his advisers habitually discuss demographic trends and the reality of the numbers. 俄國總統普亭常說，強勁的人口成長是讓俄國重居新全球之首的基礎。不過，普亭與顧問們討論人口趨勢時慣常使用的正面詞語，和真實人口數目差距甚大。 Russians are dying faster than they are being born, demographers said. Given the general hostility toward immigration, the question is to what degree the population of 146 million, including annexed Crimea, might shrink. 人口學者說，俄國人死亡的速度比出生快。在俄國人普遍對移民懷有敵意的情況下，俄國總數1億4600萬（包括兼併來的克里米亞）的人口勢將減少，問題只在減幅的大小。 The number of deaths exceeded the number of births in 2016 by a few thousand, and the prognosis for the years ahead is poor. From 2013-2015, extremely modest natural growth peaked in 2015 with just 32,038 more births than deaths. 去年俄國死亡人數超越出生人數幾千人，未來幾年前景也不樂觀。2013到2015年極微小的人口自然增長在2015年達到高峰，出生數只比死亡數多3萬2038人。 "The statistics and the propaganda are very different things," said Natalya V. Zubarevich, an expert in social and political geography at Moscow State University. 莫斯科國立大學社會與政治地理學專家祖巴列維奇說：「統計數字和宣傳大不相同。」 In terms of population loss, Pskov, which borders Latvia and parts of Estonia, is among the worst hit regions in Russia. The population peaked at around 1.8 million in the 1920s, said Andrei Manakov, a demographer at Pskov State University. It is down to 642,000, and projected to drop to about 513,000 by 2033. 普斯科夫與拉脫維亞和愛沙尼亞部分地區接壤，是俄國人口減少最嚴重的區域之一。普斯科夫國立大學人口學者馬納科夫說，1920年代這裡的人口達到高峰，約180萬。現在降到64萬2千人，料將在2033年前降到大約51萬3千人。 Researchers estimate that out of 8,300 area villages in 1910, 2,000 no longer have permanent residents. 研究人員估計，1910年這裡的8300個地區村落中，2000個不再有常住居民。 Under the most optimistic projections by demographers, Russia's population by 2050 will stay the same, about 146 million, if immigration from Central Asia — which has also been dropping — balances out low birthrates. Less optimistic figures put the population around 130 million by 2050, and the most pessimistic say fewer than 100 million. 人口學者最樂觀的預測是，如果來自中亞的移民（也正在逐漸減少）能彌補俄國的低出生率，2050年俄國人口會跟現在一樣，大約1億4600萬。較不樂觀的數據是2050年人口約為1億3000萬，最悲觀的是不到1億。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/318780/web/ Topic: Russia reaches out to OPEC as Riyadh opens oil taps The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in China and its rapid spread has taken its toll on the global economy, driving down demand for oil in the first weeks of 2020. 在中國爆發的武漢肺炎冠狀病毒迅速蔓延，讓全球經濟遭受巨大損失，對石油的需求在二〇二〇年開年數週便降低了。 In response, in the scheduled meeting on March 5-6 in Vienna, Saudi Arabia and other OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) states called for OPEC+ to a make drastic cut of 1.5 million barrels per day to reduce supply by a total of 3.6 million barells per day — insisting on a non-OPEC agreement. However, Russia rejected the plan. When the OPEC+ talks collapsed, the OPEC oil cartel scrapped all output limits. A dispute then broke out. 因應此情況，沙烏地阿拉伯與其他石油輸出國組織（OPEC）國家三月五日至六日在維也納所舉行的例行會議中，便要求OPEC+國家每日大幅減產一百五十萬桶，讓石油每日供應總量減少三百六十萬桶，並堅持非屬OPEC之產油國也須共同遵守此協議。但俄羅斯拒絕了此計畫，談判破裂，OPEC這石油壟斷利益集團便取消了所有產量限制，爭端於焉爆發。 Russian oil companies had opposed such cuts, fearing loss of market share and of competitiveness against US shale production. They had previously in December agreed on a milder production cut of 500,000 barrels in 2020, and Russia wanted this to continue. 俄羅斯的石油公司曾對這種減產措施加以反對，擔心會失去市佔率，也會失去對美國頁岩油的競爭力。他們去年十二月曾同意一項較溫和的減產計畫，將在二〇二〇年減產五十萬桶，俄羅斯希望維持此計畫。 Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude exporter, responded on March 8 by announcing unilateral price cuts with its biggest price cut in 20 years in a bid to win market share. This prompted the oil price to plummet and fueled huge drops on stock markets the following day. 三月八日星期日，世界最大的原油出口國沙烏地阿拉伯對此做出回應，單方面宣佈降低油品價格，以贏得市佔率，此為二十年來最大降幅。這使得油價暴跌，並引發了三月九日星期一的股市大跌。 By March 9, oil had fallen to as low as US$31 from about US$66 at the end of 2019 as Riyadh said it would lift production to record highs, their biggest one-day move since the 1991 Gulf War. On March 10, Saudi oil giant Aramco announced a plan to massively increase oil output despite falling demand during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. 利雅德表示將把產量提升至歷史新高，到了三月九日，油價便從二〇一九年底的六十六美元左右，應聲跌至三十一美元，這是自一九九一年波斯灣戰爭以來的最大單日跌幅。儘管武漢肺炎冠狀病毒爆發造成石油需求下降，沙烏地石油巨頭阿美公司仍在三月十日宣布，要大幅提高石油產量。 “At first glance, this looks like a battle between Russia and Saudi Arabia over oil policy,” said Chris Weafer of Macro Advisory consultancy. “But the context of the relentless rise in US oil production over the past 10 years is also an important factor.” 「乍看之下，這像是俄羅斯與沙烏地阿拉伯在石油政策上的鬥爭」，宏觀諮詢公司的克里斯‧威佛表示。「但是，過去十年來美國石油產量的持續增加，也是重要的背景因素」。 Both Russia and major OPEC producers have been “openly annoyed” with US producers' refusal to participate in past production cuts, he added. 他補充說，美國生產商一直都拒絕參與減產，俄羅斯和OPEC主要產油國都對此感到「公開地惱 火」。 On Monday and Thursday last week, the crash in oil prices and fears over the global economic impact of the virus outbreak prompted a meltdown on stock markets. 油價暴跌，以及擔憂疫情對全球經濟造成影響，導致上週一及週四的股市崩盤，觸動了熔斷機制。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/03/17/2003732810 Topic: About Russia: 'They just want to take a selfie'： how TV show changed Chernobyl tourism The hit TV series "Chernobyl" has attracted a new generation of tourists to the nuclear disaster zone but guides say that many are more interested in taking selfies than learning about the accident. 美國熱門電視影集《核爆家園》吸引一群新世代遊客造訪車諾比核災區，但當地導遊說，比起了解核災意外，很多人只想自拍。 Tourists now are often on the lookout for locations featured in the acclaimed HBO drama and can be surprised to discover that certain sites were fictional. 遊客現在大多是去探訪出現在這部備受讚譽的HBO影集中的地點，但他們可能會驚訝地發現，劇中有些場景是虛構的。 The abandoned site had already become a "dark tourism" destination, even before the eponymous TV show started broadcasting. 早在這個以車諾比為名的影集開播前，這個被遺棄的地方就已成為「黑暗旅遊」的目的地。 Some Ukrainian travel agencies have further adapted their tours to take in locations from the "Chernobyl" series and offer special trips, such as kayaking in rivers around the exclusion zone. 某些烏克蘭旅行社進一步改變行程，加入出現在《核爆家園》的地點，為旅客提供特別之旅，像是在禁制區附近的河流划皮艇。 In July, new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree that aims to develop the site further as a tourist attraction. In 2018, 72,000 people visited Chernobyl and it is expected to jump to 100,000 in 2019. 7月，新任烏克蘭總統佛拉迪米爾‧澤倫斯基簽署一項法令，進一步將車諾比地區打造成觀光景點。2018年，有7萬2000人造訪車諾比，2019年可望增至10萬人。 Next Article: Topic: Russia joins race to make quantum dreams a reality 俄羅斯加入量子戰局 Russia has launched an effort to build a working quantum computer, in a bid to catch up to other countries in the race for practical quantum technologies. 俄羅斯開始致力建造可投入應用的量子電腦，以期在實作量子技術的競爭中，趕上其他國家。 The government will inject around 50 billion roubles （US$790 million）over the next 5 years into basic and applied quantum research carried out at leading Russian laboratories, the country's deputy prime minister, Maxim Akimov, announced on 6 December at a technology forum in Sochi. 俄羅斯副總理馬克司米．阿基莫夫12月6日在索契的一場科技論壇宣布，未來5年政府將投入約500億盧布（7.9億美元），推動國家重點實驗室在量子科學的基礎研究及應用。 Quantum technology already receives massive governmental support in a number of countries. The European Union's €1-billion （US$1.1-billion） Quantum Flagship programme, first announced in 2016. Germany announced a €650-million national quantum initiative in August 2019. The Chinese and US governments are also spending billions on quantum science and technology programmes. 量子技術已獲得多國政府大力支持。歐盟2016年率先宣布一項10億歐元（11億美元）的量子旗艦計畫。德國2019年8月發表一項6.5億歐元的國家量子計畫。中國和美國政府同樣也在量子科學和技術項目投入數十億經費。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1342518; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1344790 Powered by Firstory Hosting

The OPEC Fund for International Development, a development institution established by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' member governments, has raised $1 billion by selling its first-ever bond. The three-year bond which will pay investors an interest rate of 4.5 percent, will also be classed as a 'sustainable development' bond. The OPEC Fund's head of Funding, Martine Mills Jansen, says the bond pricing is a major milestone for the OPEC Fund and the culmination of several years of intensive work. A breakdown of subscriptions showed that central banks from the Middle East, Europe, and Asia and other types of official institutions, including from the United States, accounted for 62 percent of the bond's buyers.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4090160/advertisement

Major oil-producing countries led by Saudi Arabia and Russia agreed on Sunday to maintain their current output levels in a climate of uncertainty and ahead of fresh sanctions against Moscow coming into force next week. The representatives of the thirteen members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries led by Riyadh, and their 10 allies headed by Moscow, decided to stick to their course agreed in October of a production cut of two million barrels per day until the end of 2023. The alliance says that its October decision to cut output was purely driven by market considerations adding that it had been the necessary and right course of action towards stabilizing global oil markets.

Nigeria now ranks seventh on the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' crude oil production list, according to the organisation's Monthly Oil Market Report for November, which examined oil production performance in October. Nigeria's output was a mere 1.014 million barrels per day in October, ranking seventh after Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq, Angola, and Algeria. While Nigeria's production was 1. 014mb/d in October, Angola produced 1. 051mb/d; Algeria, 1.060mb/d; Kuwait 2.811mb/d; UAE, 3.188mb/d; Iraq, 4.651mb/d; and Saudi Arabia, 10. 957mb/d. While Venezuela's production was 711b/d, Equatorial Guinea's was 57b/d. The likes of Gabon, Libya, and Iran did not produce a barrel in the month.

"EU backs COP27 call to phase down all fossil fuels The European Union supports a call by India to phase down fossil fuel use as part of a COP27 deal, the bloc's climate policy chief Frans Timmermans said on Tuesday (15 November), provided it does not weaken previous agreements on reducing the use o" "--START AD- #TheMummichogblogOfMalta Amazon Top and Flash Deals(Affiliate Link - You will support our translations if you purchase through the following link) - https://amzn.to/3CqsdJH Compare all the top travel sites in just one search to find the best hotel deals at HotelsCombined - awarded world's best hotel price comparison site. (Affiliate Link - You will support our translations if you purchase through the following link) - https://www.hotelscombined.com/?a_aid=20558 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."""" #Jesus #Catholic. Smooth Radio Malta is Malta's number one digital radio station, playing Your Relaxing Favourites - Smooth provides a ‘clutter free' mix, appealing to a core 35-59 audience offering soft adult contemporary classics. We operate a playlist of popular tracks which is updated on a regular basis. https://smooth.com.mt/listen/ Follow on Telegram: https://t.me/themummichogblogdotcom END AD---" "f coal. India, the world's second-biggest buyer of coal, wants countries to agree to phase down all fossil fuels at the U.N. climate summit in Egypt, rather than a narrower deal to phase down coal that was agreed at COP26 last year. “We are in support of any call to phase down all fossil fuels,” Timmermans told a news conference. “But we also have to make sure that this call does not diminish the earlier agreements we had on phasing down coal, so if it comes on top of what we already agreed in Glasgow, then the EU will support in this proposal.” Timmermans' comments come even as the EU ramps up its quest for coal and natural gas in the near term to counter an energy supply crunch triggered by high demand and supply disruptions since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Opposition from developing countries, Saudi Arabia The proposal could benefit India by easing the global focus on its coal use, but is also likely to face stiff opposition from developing countries with rich oil and gas deposits that want to avoid language limiting their use. “We have come out strongly to indicate that we should be facilitated to sustainably explore our oil and gas resources,” Irene Batebe, permanent secretary at Uganda's energy ministry, told Reuters. “For us, and that's the African Union's position, we wouldn't be pushing for a phase down, unless the phase down is clearly defined, because many of us are discovering new resources,” Batebe said. Saudi energy ministry official and COP27 negotiator, Khalid Abuleif, said his country, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' biggest producer, was worried the final talks would “demonise” the fossil fuel industry. India was among the countries resistant to efforts to eliminate coal at last year's climate talks in Glasgow when the final deal at the last minute dropped wording calling for a phase out of coal-fired power, replacing it with phase down. African states to use threat of fossil fuels to get EU climate finance Ahead of the COP27 summit scheduled for November, there are fears African governments will use the threat of exploiting fossil fuel reserves to push European nations to keep their promises on climate change, investments and infrastructure. Gas ‘is a different situation': Timmermans Timmermans said the EU was not seeking to dictate a country's investment plan but wanted to send a warning on investing in fossil fuels. “I'm not telling African countries not to invest in fossils, let me be very clear about that. I'm just telling them ‘be careful what you do' because if you invest in coal now, you're sure to create stranded assets. If you invest in oil, you're probably going to create st

Chairman Wayne Christian of the Texas Railroad Commission addressed the decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia (OPEC) to cut crude oil output by 2 million barrels per day. U.S. energy costs are going up more than 20 percent and gasoline prices are rising again to almost a gallon, Christian said in a press release. With winter coming, he urges President Biden to unleash domestic oil and natural gas production to lower prices for consumers. “OPEC and Putin aren't the answer to our energy security,” he said. “Harnessing the Permian Basin is. We achieved energy independence...Article Link

Last week, OPEC Plus cut global production of oil by 2 million barrels a day. Let's unpack that. OPEC - the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries - is basically a global cartel controlling oil prices. So what is OPEC Plus - the new and improved version?Also, 2 million barrels… is that a lot? Because it certainly sounds like a lot. Finally, reporting around this decision suggests that what we're seeing is the oil producers of the world siding with Russia… over the United States. As a result, the US announced they're “re-evaluating” their relationship with Saudi Arabia. Today Alec and Sascha ask: what do I need to know about OPEC Plus and their recent decision to cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day?We're asking our UK audience to help share our business news podcast – The Dive – with friends and family. You can join the referral program for free here: https://refer.fm/thedive and get rewarded for your sharing! Tell us what you think of The Dive - email us at thedive@equitymates.com. Follow our Instagram here, or find out more here. In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of The Dive acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today. *****This podcast is intended for education and entertainment purposes. Any advice is general advice only, and has not taken into account your personal financial circumstances, needs or objectives. Before acting on general advice, you should consider if it is relevant to your needs and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. And if you are unsure, please speak to a financial professional. Equity Mates Media operates under Australian Financial Services Licence 540697. The Dive is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries has agreed to a larger-than-expected reduction in oil production targets. The production cut is two million barrels a day from November 2022, squeezing supplies in a tight market. The United States has criticised the move. - Organisasi Negara Pengekspor Minyak telah menyetujui pengurangan target produksi minyak yang lebih besar dari perkiraan. Pengurangan produksi adalah dua juta barel per hari dari bulan depan, menekan pasokan di pasar yang ketat. Amerika Serikat telah mengkritik langkah tersebut.

The price of Brent, the global benchmark for crude, gained $1.62 by rising to $93.4/barrel as oil producers agreed on a major production cut. Members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and their Russia-led allies agreed on a major cut in oil production a move to prop up prices that could bolster sanction-hit Moscow's coffers and irk Washington. AFP reported that the 13-nation OPEC cartel and its 10 Russian-led allies agreed to reduce two million barrels per day from November at a meeting in Vienna,

Despite the claims of voter fraud propelled by former President Donald Trump that were wholly unfounded, widespread distrust in the election process lingers in Wisconsin. Here & Now's Chris Bentley reports from Green Bay about the election officials and poll workers trying to restore trust in the system. Then, underserved communities were disproportionately impacted by hurricane Ian, and many wonder how disaster relief will get to them. Former Tampa emergency manager and CEO of the Institute of Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management, Chauncia Willis, joins us. And, OPEC+, or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, announced plans Wednesday to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day. This comes amid security concerns around the Nord Stream pipeline. Andreas Eriksen, Norway's State Secretary for Petroleum and Energy, joins us.

OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, announced that it will slash oil production by 2 million barrels per day. This move is the biggest cut since before the pandemic started and it threatens to push the price of gasoline higher. We discussed the repercussions this move has on the American people.

OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, announced that it will slash oil production by 2 million barrels per day. This move is the biggest cut since before the pandemic started and it threatens to push the price of gasoline higher. We discussed the repercussions this move has on the American people.

P.M. Edition for Oct. 5. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its Russia-led allies, collectively known as OPEC+, have agreed to cut oil production by two million barrels a day. WSJ senior Middle East correspondent Summer Said joins host Annmarie Fertoli to discuss what the deal could mean for energy prices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC+ Alliance, is meeting Wednesday to consider a cut in oil production of up to 2 million barrels a day. Managing editor at S&P Global Platts Herman Wang joins us to talk about how this could be disastrous for gas prices. Then, Brookings Institution senior fellow John Hudak joins us to examine the importance of political debates and why lately, many candidates have opted not to participate in them. And, a new documentary "Singing Our Way To Freedom" celebrates the life and music of Ramon "Chunky" Sanchez. Director Paul Espinosa joins us to talk about the film.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has agreed to a bigger than expected cut in oil production targets. The reduction in output is two million barrels per day from next month, squeezing supplies in a tight market. The United States has criticised the move.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies have announced a major production cut of 2 million barrels per day starting November. The move is designed to bolster oil prices that have recently tumbled over recession fears.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies are ready to cut oil production by two million barrels a day starting from November. The move is the biggest reduction since the start of the pandemic.

Squeeze No More - Meme names come crashing down to earth! Treasury (yields) moving higher again - lots of Central bank chatter Jackson Hole confab this week - what will Powell say? Retail earnings... Hit and miss.... PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm Up - The Squeeze gets squashed - Really HOT in China! - E Coli outbreak - watch out - Jackson Hole Annual gathering of eco big-wigs - Gearing up for War? - A sad day for the Auto industry Market Update - Rolling Over - Fed ratchets up "communication strategy" - Everyone watching the Jackson Hole confab - Friday Powell Speaks  (morning) - Treasury (yields) moving higher again - lots of Central bank chatter - - 10Yr Yield > 3% again - Retail Earnings Reminder - This week on TDI Podcast - Peter Schiff (Gold, Tuna and Central Banks)   BREAKING NEWS - White House officials expect slower economic growth in 2022 with higher inflation, according to NY Times Now this is interesting - EURO @NG... Euro NG Facts - Just the Facts - At the end of 2021, Natural Gas Prices on Europe was priced at 70 Euros. U.S. Natural gas (NG) was priced at $2.53. ---- Note that these have different measurements, but let's just look at price escalation. - Currently, the price of Natural gas in Europe is 276 Euros. Here in the U.S. it is $9.64. - So, European natural gas has moved up 294% since the end of 2021. U.S. Natural gas has seen a 281% rise. - If you were only getting info from the TV talking heads, you would believe that NG prices have moved much more than here in the U.S. - The blame has been squarely directed to Russia on this. But, the U.S. is a major NG producer. Big problem with the messaging.... So, What Does German Do About it? - German Economy Minister Robert Habeck ruled out on Sunday extending the lifespan of the country's three remaining nuclear power plants in order to save gas, saying it would save at most 2 percent of gas use. - These savings were not sufficient to be worth reopening the debate about the exit from nuclear energy given the consensus on the topic, he said during a discussion with citizens at the government's open-door day. Oil Not Going Down - Oil prices edged up on Tuesday, after Saudi Arabia warned that OPEC could cut output to correct a recent drop in oil futures. - The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries stands ready to reduce production to correct the recent oil price fall driven by poor futures market liquidity and macro-economic fears, which has ignored extremely tight physical crude supply Meanwhile - U.S. crude inventory in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell by 8.1 million barrels in the latest week to the lowest level in more than 35 years, according to data from the Department of Energy. One More Energy - German utility Uniper SE on Monday said it will start producing electricity for the market at its Heyden 4 hard-coal-fired power plant as a three-day halt in Russia's gas supplies to Europe may cause disruptions to power supply. - In December 2020, Uniper announced that Heyden 4 would stop commercial production as Germany's energy regulator included it on the list of plants that may be shut in return for compensation to fight carbon pollution. - So much for global warming! Remember The SQUEEEEEZE - Was fun while it lasted - BBBY high of $30, now below $10 ---- Ryan Cohen pumped and dumped.... Sol ALL SHARES a couple days after the big move (That was due to his massive option purchase) - AMC $27 last week to $11 now - Big reversals for ARRK type names after nice run-up - - 200 Day MA for S&P500 was line in the sand M&A - Signify Health surged 37.

What is OPEC? The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is an international cartel currently made up of thirteen member states. Over the years, it has played an important role in the global economy, coordinating the petroleum policies of its members. But right now, its influence is waning, due in no small part to the Covid-19 pandemic. OPEC was created in 1960 in Baghdad. At the time, there was a high level of competition between petrol companies, meaning prices were low. The main petrol-producing Arabic countries therefore decided to join forces to rival Western companies. Together, they decided to produce less petrol, forcing prices up as a result. When was it created ? What's the link between petroleum and a health crisis?  In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions ! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : What are the benefits of slow sex? What is Roe vs Wade, the ruling that guaranteed American women abortion rights? Could tourism quotas help preserve endangered local environments? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The man charged with killing seven people when he unleashed a hail of bullets on an Independence Day parade from a rooftop in suburban Chicago legally bought the high-powered rifle used in the shooting and four other weapons, despite threatening violence, police said. Former NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver Demaryius Thomas is the latest in a growing list of football players diagnosed with CTE. The Secretary-General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries has died, Nigerian authorities and the oil cartel announced Wednesday. Only hours before his death, he'd met with Nigeria's president and spoken in defense of the energy industry amid increasing climate change pressure. Residents of parts of Shanghai and Beijing have been ordered to undergo further rounds of COVID-19 testing following the discovery of new cases in the two cities, while tight restrictions remain in place in Hong Kong, Macao and other Chinese cities. A defiant British Prime Minister Boris Johnson battled to stay in power Wednesday after the resignation of two top ministers and a slew of more junior officials, who said they could no longer serve under his scandal-tarred leadership. The Food and Drug Administration issued an administrative stay Tuesday on the order it issued last month for vaping company Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the market. —The Associated PressSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It seems that the more intense the chaos, the deeper the changes emerge from it. In the present post-Covid-19 chaos of supply disruptions, 40-year high inflation rates, and a war in Europe—we seem to be on the brink of a major monetary pivot. To understand its implications and how digital assets fit into it, we first must revisit the previous reset. World War II as the First Great Reset As World War II chaos was coming to closure in July 1944, it birthed a new paradigm we still live in today. In the Bretton Woods mountain resort, 44 nations set up a new international monetary system. The arrangement was simple. As the economic and military powerhouse, the US would become the monetary center, as other nations would peg their currencies to the dollar. In turn, the dollar itself would be pegged to US gold reserves, at $35 per ounce. Other nations would then contract or expand their USD supply within the 1% range of the fixed-rate, as investors used forex brokers to exchange foreign currencies. President Richard Nixon abandoned the gold peg in 1971—and effectively the Bretton Woods system altogether—framing it as “There is no longer any need for the United States to compete with one hand tied behind her back.” Yet, the Bretton Woods legacy remained. Both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have served as key cogs for the post-Bretton Woods era – the petro-dollar. The US as the World's Money Controller President Nixon was correct in that the gold peg hobbled US expansion. On both sides of the equation, the gold peg has a number of issues: Because the money supply was constrained by a fixed exchange rate, so too were the government's expansionary policies. These ranged from unemployment interventions to military spending. Furthermore, the gold peg was a double-edged sword. Although countries that pegged their currencies to the dollar ceded some of their domestic economic policies, they could also redeem dollars for gold. While the gold itself is rare and expensive to mine, its supply is not fixed. Even so, its supply doesn't match up with the economic growth of the global economy. If a nation falls into a deficit, when the government's income is lower than its spending, it has fewer options available to right the course around the recession storm. Altogether, it was the last point that made Nixon cut off the gold peg. He needed the Federal Reserve to provide an inexpensive money supply via lower interest rates. In this way, the economy would be flooded with cash, meaning it would grow sufficiently to offset a recession, regardless of the dollar being devalued in the process. Sound familiar? We have certainly seen record-high stock market gains thanks to the Fed's injection of trillions of USD, which triggered a new era of retail traders using commission-free stock trading platforms. Needless to say, with the stabilizing gold peg gone, the 1970s were a period of the Great Inflation, just as appears to be happening now. Nonetheless, things would have been worse without the USD growing into its petrodollar status. In a nutshell, the USD has become the world's global reserve currency because the US spends nearly as much on the military as the entire world. With influence over Europe stemming from WWII firmly entrenched and its control over the Gulf states, the US has been using the petrodollar as a vehicle to offset the downsides of unlocking its money supply and relentless spending. Both OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) and non-OPEC nations, such as Russia and Qatar, have been using dollars to trade oil and gas. Such a system holds a glaring vulnerability that the West punctured this March, as it took unprecedented financial moves against Russia. New World Monetary Order Emerging As a nation with the world's largest landmass, Russia holds an abundance of energy reserves. Accordingly, Russia's main exports are energy-related products, at 63%, of which 26% and 12% constitute crude oil and gas, ...

U.S. President Joe Biden travels to Poland as Russia's war in Ukraine enters a new phase, leaders from OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and its allies convene virtually to discuss oil production, and international themes abound at the Ninety-Fourth Academy Awards.   Podcasts Mentioned on the Podcast   Charles A. Kupchan, “TPI Special: The War in Ukraine,” The President's Inbox, February 25, 2022

Topic: Russia's Villages, and Their Culture, Are 'Melting Away'   With its winding dirt lanes framed by lilacs, quaint wooden houses and graceful onion-domed church, the tiny farming hamlet of Baruta was once a postcard of Russian bucolic bliss. 俄國西北部普斯科夫區域的巴魯塔小農村曾是俄國田園的幸福象徵，蜿蜒的土路旁盡是丁香、古雅的木屋和優美的洋蔥圓頂教堂。 No longer. More people lie in the tightly packed church cemetery than inhabit the village. Agriculture is slowly withering, too. 此景不再。在擁擠不堪的教堂墓地安息的人，比住在村裡的多。農業也逐步衰退。 With Russia's natural population growth entering an extended period of decline, villages like Baruta are disappearing from across the country's continental expanse. 由於俄國人口的自然增長進入長期衰退期，像巴魯塔這樣的村落正從廣袤的俄國大陸各地消失。 "We have not had a wedding or a baptism for quite some time — we mostly have funerals," said a resident, Alexander Fyodorov, 59, one of just 17 men left in what was a thriving collective of some 500 farmers. 59歲居民費奧多羅夫說：「我們好一段時間沒有婚禮或洗禮了——多半是喪禮。」他曾是一個約有500農民、蓬勃發展的集體農場的一分子，如今農場只剩下17個男人，他是其中之一。 President Vladimir Putin frequently cites hardy population growth as a pillar of restoring Russia's place atop the global order. There is a pronounced gap, however, between the positive terms in which Putin and his advisers habitually discuss demographic trends and the reality of the numbers. 俄國總統普亭常說，強勁的人口成長是讓俄國重居新全球之首的基礎。不過，普亭與顧問們討論人口趨勢時慣常使用的正面詞語，和真實人口數目差距甚大。 Russians are dying faster than they are being born, demographers said. Given the general hostility toward immigration, the question is to what degree the population of 146 million, including annexed Crimea, might shrink. 人口學者說，俄國人死亡的速度比出生快。在俄國人普遍對移民懷有敵意的情況下，俄國總數1億4600萬（包括兼併來的克里米亞）的人口勢將減少，問題只在減幅的大小。 The number of deaths exceeded the number of births in 2016 by a few thousand, and the prognosis for the years ahead is poor. From 2013-2015, extremely modest natural growth peaked in 2015 with just 32,038 more births than deaths. 去年俄國死亡人數超越出生人數幾千人，未來幾年前景也不樂觀。2013到2015年極微小的人口自然增長在2015年達到高峰，出生數只比死亡數多3萬2038人。 "The statistics and the propaganda are very different things," said Natalya V. Zubarevich, an expert in social and political geography at Moscow State University. 莫斯科國立大學社會與政治地理學專家祖巴列維奇說：「統計數字和宣傳大不相同。」 In terms of population loss, Pskov, which borders Latvia and parts of Estonia, is among the worst hit regions in Russia. The population peaked at around 1.8 million in the 1920s, said Andrei Manakov, a demographer at Pskov State University. It is down to 642,000, and projected to drop to about 513,000 by 2033. 普斯科夫與拉脫維亞和愛沙尼亞部分地區接壤，是俄國人口減少最嚴重的區域之一。普斯科夫國立大學人口學者馬納科夫說，1920年代這裡的人口達到高峰，約180萬。現在降到64萬2千人，料將在2033年前降到大約51萬3千人。 Researchers estimate that out of 8,300 area villages in 1910, 2,000 no longer have permanent residents. 研究人員估計，1910年這裡的8300個地區村落中，2000個不再有常住居民。 Under the most optimistic projections by demographers, Russia's population by 2050 will stay the same, about 146 million, if immigration from Central Asia — which has also been dropping — balances out low birthrates. Less optimistic figures put the population around 130 million by 2050, and the most pessimistic say fewer than 100 million. 人口學者最樂觀的預測是，如果來自中亞的移民（也正在逐漸減少）能彌補俄國的低出生率，2050年俄國人口會跟現在一樣，大約1億4600萬。較不樂觀的數據是2050年人口約為1億3000萬，最悲觀的是不到1億。 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/318780/web/   Next Article   Topic: Russia reaches out to OPEC as Riyadh opens oil taps   The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in China and its rapid spread has taken its toll on the global economy, driving down demand for oil in the first weeks of 2020. 在中國爆發的武漢肺炎冠狀病毒迅速蔓延，讓全球經濟遭受巨大損失，對石油的需求在二〇二〇年開年數週便降低了。 In response, in the scheduled meeting on March 5-6 in Vienna, Saudi Arabia and other OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) states called for OPEC+ to a make drastic cut of 1.5 million barrels per day to reduce supply by a total of 3.6 million barells per day — insisting on a non-OPEC agreement. However, Russia rejected the plan. When the OPEC+ talks collapsed, the OPEC oil cartel scrapped all output limits. A dispute then broke out. 因應此情況，沙烏地阿拉伯與其他石油輸出國組織（OPEC）國家三月五日至六日在維也納所舉行的例行會議中，便要求OPEC+國家每日大幅減產一百五十萬桶，讓石油每日供應總量減少三百六十萬桶，並堅持非屬OPEC之產油國也須共同遵守此協議。但俄羅斯拒絕了此計畫，談判破裂，OPEC這石油壟斷利益集團便取消了所有產量限制，爭端於焉爆發。 Russian oil companies had opposed such cuts, fearing loss of market share and of competitiveness against US shale production. They had previously in December agreed on a milder production cut of 500,000 barrels in 2020, and Russia wanted this to continue. 俄羅斯的石油公司曾對這種減產措施加以反對，擔心會失去市佔率，也會失去對美國頁岩油的競爭力。他們去年十二月曾同意一項較溫和的減產計畫，將在二〇二〇年減產五十萬桶，俄羅斯希望維持此計畫。 Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude exporter, responded on March 8 by announcing unilateral price cuts with its biggest price cut in 20 years in a bid to win market share. This prompted the oil price to plummet and fueled huge drops on stock markets the following day. 三月八日星期日，世界最大的原油出口國沙烏地阿拉伯對此做出回應，單方面宣佈降低油品價格，以贏得市佔率，此為二十年來最大降幅。這使得油價暴跌，並引發了三月九日星期一的股市大跌。 By March 9, oil had fallen to as low as US$31 from about US$66 at the end of 2019 as Riyadh said it would lift production to record highs, their biggest one-day move since the 1991 Gulf War. On March 10, Saudi oil giant Aramco announced a plan to massively increase oil output despite falling demand during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. 利雅德表示將把產量提升至歷史新高，到了三月九日，油價便從二〇一九年底的六十六美元左右，應聲跌至三十一美元，這是自一九九一年波斯灣戰爭以來的最大單日跌幅。儘管武漢肺炎冠狀病毒爆發造成石油需求下降，沙烏地石油巨頭阿美公司仍在三月十日宣布，要大幅提高石油產量。 “At first glance, this looks like a battle between Russia and Saudi Arabia over oil policy,” said Chris Weafer of Macro Advisory consultancy. “But the context of the relentless rise in US oil production over the past 10 years is also an important factor.” 「乍看之下，這像是俄羅斯與沙烏地阿拉伯在石油政策上的鬥爭」，宏觀諮詢公司的克里斯‧威佛表示。「但是，過去十年來美國石油產量的持續增加，也是重要的背景因素」。 Both Russia and major OPEC producers have been “openly annoyed” with US producers' refusal to participate in past production cuts, he added. 他補充說，美國生產商一直都拒絕參與減產，俄羅斯和OPEC主要產油國都對此感到「公開地惱火」。 On Monday and Thursday last week, the crash in oil prices and fears over the global economic impact of the virus outbreak prompted a meltdown on stock markets. 油價暴跌，以及擔憂疫情對全球經濟造成影響，導致上週一及週四的股市崩盤，觸動了熔斷機制。 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/03/17/2003732810   Next Article   Topic: About Russia: 'They just want to take a selfie'： how TV show changed Chernobyl tourism   The hit TV series "Chernobyl" has attracted a new generation of tourists to the nuclear disaster zone but guides say that many are more interested in taking selfies than learning about the accident. 美國熱門電視影集《核爆家園》吸引一群新世代遊客造訪車諾比核災區，但當地導遊說，比起了解核災意外，很多人只想自拍。 Tourists now are often on the lookout for locations featured in the acclaimed HBO drama and can be surprised to discover that certain sites were fictional. 遊客現在大多是去探訪出現在這部備受讚譽的HBO影集中的地點，但他們可能會驚訝地發現，劇中有些場景是虛構的。 The abandoned site had already become a "dark tourism" destination, even before the eponymous TV show started broadcasting. 早在這個以車諾比為名的影集開播前，這個被遺棄的地方就已成為「黑暗旅遊」的目的地。 Some Ukrainian travel agencies have further adapted their tours to take in locations from the "Chernobyl" series and offer special trips, such as kayaking in rivers around the exclusion zone. 某些烏克蘭旅行社進一步改變行程，加入出現在《核爆家園》的地點，為旅客提供特別之旅，像是在禁制區附近的河流划皮艇。 In July, new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree that aims to develop the site further as a tourist attraction. In 2018, 72,000 people visited Chernobyl and it is expected to jump to 100,000 in 2019. 7月，新任烏克蘭總統佛拉迪米爾‧澤倫斯基簽署一項法令，進一步將車諾比地區打造成觀光景點。2018年，有7萬2000人造訪車諾比，2019年可望增至10萬人。   Next Article:   Topic: Russia joins race to make quantum dreams a reality 俄羅斯加入量子戰局   Russia has launched an effort to build a working quantum computer, in a bid to catch up to other countries in the race for practical quantum technologies. 俄羅斯開始致力建造可投入應用的量子電腦，以期在實作量子技術的競爭中，趕上其他國家。 The government will inject around 50 billion roubles （US$790 million）over the next 5 years into basic and applied quantum research carried out at leading Russian laboratories, the country's deputy prime minister, Maxim Akimov, announced on 6 December at a technology forum in Sochi. 俄羅斯副總理馬克司米．阿基莫夫12月6日在索契的一場科技論壇宣布，未來5年政府將投入約500億盧布（7.9億美元），推動國家重點實驗室在量子科學的基礎研究及應用。 Quantum technology already receives massive governmental support in a number of countries. The European Union's €1-billion （US$1.1-billion） Quantum Flagship programme, first announced in 2016. Germany announced a €650-million national quantum initiative in August 2019. The Chinese and US governments are also spending billions on quantum science and technology programmes. 量子技術已獲得多國政府大力支持。歐盟2016年率先宣布一項10億歐元（11億美元）的量子旗艦計畫。德國2019年8月發表一項6.5億歐元的國家量子計畫。中國和美國政府同樣也在量子科學和技術項目投入數十億經費。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1342518; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1344790

Top oil-producing countries on Monday picked Kuwaiti oil executive Haitham al-Ghais as the next Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. He will replace Nigeria's Mohammed Barkindo, who took over the helm of the organisation in 2016 and led it for two terms. Al-Ghais, who was Kuwait's OPEC governor from 2017 to June 2021, serves as a Deputy Managing Director of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC). His decades of experience in the industry include stints in Beijing and London for the state oil corporation.

Top oil-producing countries on Monday picked Kuwaiti oil executive Haitham al-Ghais as the next Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. He will replace Nigeria's Mohammed Barkindo, who took over the helm of the organisation in 2016 and led it for two terms. Al-Ghais, who was Kuwait's OPEC governor from 2017 to June 2021, serves as a Deputy Managing Director of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC). His decades of experience in the industry include stints in Beijing and London for the state oil corporation.

Top oil-producing countries on Monday picked Kuwaiti oil executive Haitham al-Ghais as the next Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. He will replace Nigeria's Mohammed Barkindo, who took over the helm of the organisation in 2016 and led it for two terms. Al-Ghais, who was Kuwait's OPEC governor from 2017 to June 2021, serves as a Deputy Managing Director of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC). His decades of experience in the industry include stints in Beijing and London for the state oil corporation.

Here in the US of A on the East side of the country, they are back to the 70s due to Russian hackers' that put gas lines out of commission and gasoline has increased as much as $7.00 dollars a gallon and to top it off people are making long lines to put gas in their cars Talk about the history of president jimmy carter Gas lines in America may be rare, but they're not unprecedented. The gas shortage in the Northeast, the result of Superstorm Sandy, is inflicting plenty of pain. But it's a localized phenomenon that's not expected to last for long. During two separate oil crises in the 1970s, Americans from coast to coast faced persistent gas shortages as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, flexed its muscles and disrupted oil supplies. In 1973 and again in 1979, drivers frequently faced around-the-block lines when they tried to fill up. Drivers would go to stations before dawn or late at night, hoping to avoid the lines. Odd-even rationing was introduced — meaning that if the last digit on your license plate was odd, you could get gas only on odd-numbered days. New Jersey and New York have just reintroduced the system. Back in the '70s, some gas stations took to posting flags — green if they had gas, yellow if rationing was in effect and red if they were out of gas. To conserve gas, the maximum speed limit was cut to 55 miles per hour. To cut energy consumption in the broader economy, daylight saving time was introduced year-round at the beginning of 1974, facing criticism from parents whose kids had to go to school before sunrise in the winter months. When the second crisis hit in 1979-80, President Carter described combating it as the "moral equivalent of war," and many Americans feared that oil shocks would be a recurring nightmare. Joe Biden's refuses to enforce a bipartisan sanction on the company that is building the pipeline for Putin In the meantime, Putin finish his pipeline in the European territory So, the question is (is Biden Harrison administration for Russia? Because it looks to me that they are for them and not for us) We know that this will not be the last time this will happens But Joe Biden's administration is in power now and has put people that have not the best interest on We The people because their only interest is to have a bureaucracy to stall on the real work that the pipes line that then-president trump allowed to be built so gas is transported easier and safer. We know for a fact that Joe Biden closes the pipeline by the power of a pen and 11000 jobs were killed gone due to a JOE BIEDEN signature. Let me remind you that a pipeline is a lot Safer than a train, truck, or plane. So, if the democrats are not bringing any ideas and closing the doors on the ideas that work because they came from the ORANGE MAN ideas that work for all people not just republicans but also democrats so this is my question why do the people keep falling for the lies that the democrats keep saying? Why are some people not opening their eyes to see what these people are doing to our country and our way of life? book link http://www.umsl.edu/~alexanderjm/Marx.pdf --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hugo-alvarez/message