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Seadrill Announces Sale of Jack-Up West Prospero(The Center Square) – Adoption of institutional neutrality is supported by better than 6 in 10 tenured and nontenured faculty at the University of North Carolina, Wake Forest University and Duke University, a report says. Nationally, 66% of faculty say “colleges and universities should not take positions on political and social issues,” says Silence in the Classroom, the 2024 FIRE Faculty Survey Report. At Duke, the percentage is 71%, at Carolina 65%, and at Wake 64%. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.BlueTriton — North America’s biggest bottled water firm — recently announced it will close Canada’s largest water bottling plant and its entire operations in Ontario. While the company gave no reasons for the move , its retreat is a strong indication of the changing fortunes of the bottled water industry, both domestically and globally. It also illustrates the growing effectiveness of social movements that have challenged bottled water , weakening the industry’s sales . As an environmental sociologist, my research explores social conflicts over water commodification. My current work focuses on bottled water and asks what its rapid growth means for the human right to water . Bottled water is the world’s most-consumed packaged beverage . It has grown rapidly into a USD$340 billion global market led by major food and beverage corporations. However, bottled water also has a host of negative environmental and social impacts. Read more: When communities face drinking-water crises, bottled water is a 'temporary' solution that often lasts years − and worsens inequality I am particularly interested in how the growth of the bottled water industry has generated diverse and surprisingly effective opposition movements. These movements fall into two broad categories. On one hand are campaigns challenging the industry’s groundwater extraction in specific places. On the other are efforts to reduce the consumption of single-use bottled water and increase access to public tap water. The exit from Ontario by BlueTriton — a private equity consortium that purchased Nestlé’s North American bottled water business in 2021 — is a clear victory for opponents that reflects the impact of both of these strands of opposition. Opposing bottling In 2000, the Swiss food and beverage giant Nestlé acquired a bottling plant in Aberfoyle, Ont. Included in the sale were two water wells and permits to extract 4.7 million litres of groundwater daily — the highest volume of water extraction rights of any bottler in the province. In 2016, the firm bought another well that would have allowed it to expand to 6.2 million litres per day. Ontario is dependent on sub-surface groundwater for nearly all its water uses, including municipal water supply. Opposition to Nestlé’s water extraction operations emerged when the grassroots advocacy group Water Watchers was established in 2007 and expanded when Save Our Water was founded in 2015. Their efforts were supported by national organizations including the Council of Canadians . Droughts in 2012 and 2016 highlighted tensions over the region’s finite groundwater. While residential water use was curtailed, Nestlé continued to pump largely unrestricted . This contrast enabled Nestlé’s opponents to effectively leverage the issue of water scarcity — and the prospect of future drinking water shortages — in their efforts . Nestlé countered that its water-taking volume was insignificant relative to total groundwater use. More recently, water advocates have collaborated with Indigenous activists and the traditional leadership of Six Nations of the Grand River Haudenosaunee First Nation . Only 17 per cent of residents on the Six Nations reserve are connected to safe drinking water, and two-thirds need to rely on packaged water . In this case, activists have framed Nestlé’s and BlueTriton’s water extraction as an issue of human rights , water injustice and land sovereignty . These campaigns attracted significant media attention, which — against the backdrop of the 2016 drought — made water bottling into a volatile political issue at the provincial level. An opinion poll (sponsored by opponents) found that 64 per cent of Ontario residents across party lines favoured ending groundwater extraction for commercial bottling entirely . Even Ontario’s Premier Kathleen Wynne criticized the industry in 2016 . The result was substantial policy change. Ontario’s government imposed a moratorium on new water-taking permits for commercial water bottlers and raised their extraction fees dramatically . These moves drew strong industry protest . Read more: How the bottled water industry is masking the global water crisis Even so, Doug Ford’s Conservative government extended the moratorium until 2021, when it announced a major groundwater policy revision . Among the reforms was a local veto over new large water-bottling operations , which doomed BlueTriton’s expansion to a third site. Similar campaigns have also helped to stop water bottling by these companies elsewhere, including California and Oregon . Reclaiming the tap Meanwhile, another set of movements has challenged bottled water from the consumer end. Initiatives to “reclaim the tap” involve municipalities , universities and other institutions banning bottled water sales on their premises. At the same time, activists have pressured local authorities to expand access to tap water by installing new filtered drinking fountains in public spaces, including airports . This has taken place alongside efforts to educate the public about tap water quality. These end-user strategies have also been energized by a growing awareness of the crisis of single-use plastic pollution . Roughly 600 billion single-use plastic beverage bottles are consumed and disposed of annually, of which packaged water represents the largest share . Canada is the epicentre of this phenomenon. Since 2008, Toronto , Montréal , Vancouver and dozens of smaller communities have banned government purchases of bottled water and its sale on public property. Most have also installed refilling stations and promoted tap water consumption. Hundreds of cities worldwide have followed suit. Similar policies have been passed in San Francisco , Los Angeles , New York , Berlin , Paris , Brussels , Munich and South Delhi, India . Some of these efforts are co-ordinated internationally. For example, the Blue Communities Project links more than 80 municipalities in eight countries that have enacted such policies. These initiatives have substantial reach. I estimate that nearly 14 million Canadians, and more than 200 million people worldwide, live in jurisdictions that have banned or restricted bottled water and expanded tap water access. Moreover, fewer Canadians are buying single-use bottled water and 85 per cent of households now frequently use refillable bottles . These shifting patterns are stoking demand for convenient places to fill those bottles, and initiatives including Refill and Blue W help users find the nearest free refill points. Stalling growth The cumulative impact of these governmental policies and the refilling movement is becoming apparent. After more than four decades of steady growth, the volume of bottled water consumed per person is now stagnant or falling across the Global North, including Canada , the United States , Germany , France and the European Union . Worldwide, per-capita consumption of packaged water is projected to flatline in coming years. Industry market analyses have expressed deep concern about this sea change. A Nestlé sustainability manager recently stated that: “The water bottle has in some ways become the mink coat or the pack of cigarettes. It’s socially not very acceptable to the young folks, and that scares me.” These factors influenced Nestlé’s 2021 decision to sell its North American bottled water business to BlueTriton. Its CEO attributed the move to falling sales and environmental opposition . Now, BlueTriton too appears to have scaled back in closing its Ontario operations, as it faces increased costs, heightened regulation, falling demand and an inability to expand. All of these adverse conditions are due at least in part to the efforts of opposition movements. This move, and the industry’s flagging fortunes, provide strong evidence that organized opposition and the public backlash against single-use plastic bottled water are having a major impact.phlove invitation code 。

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US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, pushing to get aid out before Biden leaves office WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the United States is expected to announce it will send another $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. It's part of a push by the Biden administration to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on Jan. 20. Officials say the large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155 mm- and 105 mm artillery rounds. The officials say they expect the announcement will be made on Monday. They spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in the president-elect’s political movement into public display. The argument previews fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — that is, wealthy members of the tech world who want more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says a ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, a deputy national security adviser, said Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. Warren Upton, the oldest living survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, dies at 105 HONOLULU (AP) — The oldest living survivor of the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the last remaining survivor of the USS Utah has died. He was 105. Warren Upton died Wednesday at a hospital in Los Gatos, California. Kathleen Farley, the California state chair of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, says he suffered a bout of pneumonia. The Utah was moored at Pearl Harbor when Japanese planes began bombing the Hawaii naval base in the early hours of Dec. 7, 1941. The attack propelled the U.S. into World War II. Israeli troops forcibly remove staff and patients from northern Gaza hospital, officials say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's Health Ministry says Israeli troops have stormed one of the last hospitals operating in the territory's north and forced many of the staff and patients outside. Then they had to remove their clothes in winter weather. Friday's incident was the latest assault on Kamal Adwan Hospital. Staff say it has been hit multiple times in the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in the surrounding neighborhoods. Israel's military says Hamas uses the hospital as a base. It did not provide evidence, and hospital officials have denied it. Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire U.S. and Azerbaijani officials have said weapons fire may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed on Wednesday, killing 38 people. The statements from Rashad Nabiyev and White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Friday raised pressure on Russia. Officials in Moscow have said a drone attack was underway in the region that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was destined for but have not addressed statements from aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defenses responding to a Ukrainian attack. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Chechnya on Wednesday when it crashed, killing 38 people and leaving all 29 survivors injured. Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has ruled that the Georgia state Senate can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. It's part of a inquiry into whether Willis has engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump. But Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram is giving Willis the chance to contest whether lawmakers’ demands are overly broad before Willis responds. A Republican-led committee was formed earlier this year and sent subpoenas to Willis in August seeking to compel her to testify during its September meeting and to produce scores of documents. Willis argued that the committee didn’t have the power to subpoena her. US homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people Federal officials say the United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said that federally required tallies taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless. That increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of pandemic assistance. Among the most concerning trends was a nearly 40% rise in family homelessness. What Snoop wants: Arizona Bowl gives NIL opportunities to players for Colorado State, Miami (Ohio) TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — When Snoop Dogg agreed to become the sponsor of the Arizona Bowl, he had a demand: It must have a NIL component. Other bowls have provided NIL chances for single players the past few years, but the Arizona Bowl is believed to be the first to offer NIL compensation to every player on both Colorado State and Miami (Ohio). The players participated in youth clinics before Saturday's game and will be compensated for their time. Alex Ovechkin is on track to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is chasing the NHL career goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin entered the season 42 goals short of breaking a record that long seemed unapproachable. He is set to play again Saturday at the Toronto Maple Leafs after missing more than a month with a broken left fibula. Ovechkin was on pace to get to 895 sometime in February before getting injured. At 868, he his 27 goals away from passing Gretzky.

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Australian PM ready to 'engage' with Musk on social media teen banPolitical pollsters who underestimated Donald Trump's popularity in 2016 and 2020 said they finally cracked the challenge, a report suggests. Trump won in 2016 despite many polls saying he would lose to Secretary Hillary Clinton, and came close to President Joe Biden when some analysts said it would be more of a blowout for Biden. In 2024, the polls were within a margin of error of the final election results. "For pollsters hoping to accurately forecast an election with Donald Trump at the top of the ticket, the third time may have been the charm — but it was still somewhat unsatisfactory," Politico reported. "Pollsters argue that they finally cracked the challenge of pinning down Trump voters, an elusive segment of the polling population that has caused polls to veer off the mark in previous election cycles when Trump was on the ticket." ALSO READ: A dark mystery from America's past could save us from Trump's tyranny The article quotes one GOP pollster, Whit Ayres, as saying, "In the past, we have had a lot of Trump supporters who have simply refused to answer our questions ... We call, ‘I’m from the New York Times or The LA Times or The Washington Post, and I’m doing a survey,’ and they go, ‘Well, to hell with you,’ click.” Democratic pollster Paul Maslin added to that, saying in the Politico piece, "The very same Trump voters who don’t trust experts, don’t trust the media, don’t trust science — also don’t trust pollsters ... And we found in several states that simply, they were opting out.” Ayres also pointed to ways pollsters are compensating for the past flaws. "In order to correct course, researchers this year 'jumped through a lot of hoops,' Ayres said, in order to reach greater numbers of Trump voters and more accurately predict the outcome," the report says. "They adjusted modeling of the likely electorate, weighted more heavily certain demographic groups, and adjusted their outreach strategy to non-college-educated voters, who tend to lean Republican." Read the full article here.

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