Latest news with #Sand
Spectator
4 days ago
- Science
- Spectator
How the US military became world experts on the environment
In 1941, as it entered the second world war, the US Army barely bested Bulgaria's for size and combat readiness. Nor did US forces have very much idea of what conditions were like in their new theatres of operation. In the winter of 1942, hot-weather gear and lightweight machinery landed in the deserts of North Africa where hot and dry conditions were assumed to persist throughout the year. Men froze half to death, even as their digging equipment foundered in winter mud. Sand, Snow and Stardust is the story of how the US military shed its ignorance and, by harnessing logistical intelligence and environmental knowledge, turned America into a global superpower. Before the second world war the US operated just 14 overseas military bases. By 1960 its 'leasehold empire' of more than 1,000 bases webbed the Earth and extended its influence over even the most extreme environments. In Greenland during the Cold War, bizarrely named bases proliferated across the landscape: SnoComp and Dogsled, Crystal Party and Snowman; Camp Fistclench, Camp Redrocks and Camp Century. It was an effort that was horribly wasteful and often wrong-headed; yet, in the final analysis, it was overwhelmingly successful, at least in turning a glacial valley in Greenland into a modern base that has been in operation since 1952. (In 2023 Camp Century was renamed Pituffik and given a new mission as a base for the US Space Force.) So here's the paradox that exercises Gretchen Heefner, a historian at Northwestern University, Illinois: the effort to establish military bases in extreme environments – laying airstrips across deserts and snowfields, anchoring radar stations into permafrost and pure ice – did evident and lasting harm to those environments; but it also left us with much better knowledge of how Earth environments tick.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Fear and uncertainty' driving up China-US container rates
If Hunter S. Thompson had written about supply chain, we might have 'Fear and Uncertainty in Ocean Shipping.' He didn't, but we do. And the supply chain is trying to cope. Container rates on the Asia-U.S. trade are surging during the pause in the China-U.S. tariff tiff as carriers press for higher prices and gauge shippers' desperation. 'Fear and uncertainty is a powerful force in global supply chains and we are seeing this clearly as shippers fight to get their goods moving after the temporary lowering of U.S.-China tariffs – and they are willing to pay higher rates to do so,' said Peter Sand, Xeneta chief analyst, in a note. For the week that ended on Friday, Xeneta data showed market average spot rates from the Far East to U.S. West Coast at $3,000 per forty-foot equivalent unit from $2,722 the previous week, and $4,069 per FEU for Far East to U.S. East Coast, up from $3,883 for the week of May 16.'Carriers are pushing for big spot rate increases on trades from China to the U.S. on June 1 and shippers are once again being offered 'Diamond Tier' services to guarantee space on ships,' Sand said. 'How successful carriers are in getting these rates will be determined by how much shippers are willing to push back.' For what Xeneta terms mid-high spot rates as paid by shippers in the 75th percentile of the market, Far East to U.S. West Coast was $3,200 per FEU, up from $3,012 the previous week; Far East to U.S. East Coast came in a $4,250 per FEU, from $4,050. Sand noted a squeeze after carriers reduced capacity amid falling demand during the period of 145% tariffs, but he urged shippers to question the severity when negotiating rates. 'Are these rate increases being driven by a squeeze in capacity or fear in the market? Likely a combination of both,' he said. 'In the defense of carriers, it does take time to shift capacity back to the China-U.S. trades, so spot rates will peak in the first half of June before softening later in the month.'Find more articles by Stuart Chirls CGM developing $600M Vietnam container terminals Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd partner on new Asia-Long Beach service Maersk more than halfway through $1B stock buyback Drewry: China-US container rates up by double digits The post 'Fear and uncertainty' driving up China-US container rates appeared first on FreightWaves. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Boston Globe
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Brown grad Rob Sand is aiming to break GOP hold in Iowa governor's race
Sand graduated from Brown in 2005 before moving back to Iowa for law school. He landed in the state attorney general's office, where he helped crack one of the largest lottery fraud cases in American history. (There's a Advertisement Longtime Rhode Map readers might also be familiar with Sand because he helped Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up The race is seen as an uphill battle for Sand because Iowa has turned deep red since 2012, when President Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney in the state. But Sand has long maintained that Iowans have proven to be more open to voting for Democrats in local races. Sand is vying to succeed Republican Governor Kim Reynolds, who has routinely been rated as one of the least popular governors in the country, Advertisement This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Dan McGowan can be reached at
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pollution can't kill Iowa fish if the fish are already dead
Every time I read about a manure spill, oil spill, or chemical spill somewhere in Iowa I see the sentence: 'No dead fish have been observed.' Of course not. There were no live fish in Iowa prior to the spill because Iowa creeks and rivers are full of manure, oil, and chemicals. Marty Ryan, Des Moines Why vote for a hypocrite? Merriam Webster defines 'hypocrite' as 1. a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion; (and) 2. a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.' State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott meets both definitions. In her campaigns for state Legislature, and now for Congress, Trone Garriott features her role as a Lutheran pastor. As such, she would be expected to uphold the biblical teachings that God 'didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb (Psalms 139:13), and knew us even "before I formed you in the womb' (Jeremiah 1:5); that 'thou shalt not kill'; and 'It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.' Luke 17:2. Yet, she sees the killing of an unborn child as merely a 'deeply personal, private health care decision.' She has claimed that 'The near-total abortion ban is devastating reproductive care in our state, putting lives at risk.' If she is actually concerned about 'lives at risk,' why zero concern for the unborn child threatened with abortion? To use one's position as a Lutheran pastor and to claim a concern about 'lives at risk' while supporting abortion are the actions of a hypocrite. Her positions are consistent with her designation as a 'Planned Parenthood champion' but wholly inconsistent with being a Christian pastor. Donald W. Bohlken, Indianola I have questions about the headline 'Auditor questioned over his role in $27M judicial branch misallocation' in the May 2 Metro & Iowa section. The headline clearly implies Auditor Rob Sand is a party to, if not complicit in, mismanagement of funds under the judicial branch's control. But the story explains exactly the opposite. It states that Sand wasn't informed of the misallocation, wasn't asked by the judicial branch to investigate the problem, and didn't have the necessary computer coding personnel in the auditor's office to solve it. Meanwhile, a few Republican legislators, with an assist from the Register, are attempting to connect Sand to this mess. Could it be the legislators are better served by stirring up a deceptive story backed by a colorful headline because it provides such a juicy, and misleading opportunity to diminish Sand as the jockeying begins for the 2026 state election cycle? Frank McDowell, Spirit Lake This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Real Christian pastors don't support abortion rights | Letters
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rob Sand visits potential voters in Davenport
Voters in Davenport had an opportunity to meet with a 2026 Iowa governor candidate Wednesday Morning. State auditor Rob Sand (D) visited Lafayette Park as he makes his way around the state. Sand is the first high-profile Democrat in Iowa's governor's race. He promised to be a governor for everyone by focusing on public service rather than politics. Sand said his campaign raised $2 million from 9,000 donations in the first 24 hours of entering the race. The Democrat added he would have no problem working with Republicans if they maintain their majority in the legislature. 'I think one of the most important things we need to prioritize is restoring the power of the auditor's office so that Iowans actually know how their tax dollars are getting spent,' Sand said. 'I think knowing how your tax money is getting spent is a fundamental right and a fundamental freedom for Iowans. I also think it's important to get our economy back in shape. We're 49th in the country in economic growth, according to the Trump administration right now. That's not good enough.' Sand said he plans to announce a schedule for 100 town hall meetings as part of his campaign. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
