2025-02-14 23:18
Feb 14 (Reuters) - Two house cats in Oregon were euthanized after testing positive for bird flu linked to their consumption of pet food made from raw chicken, state agriculture officials said on Friday. The virus has infected millions of poultry since the nation's worst-ever outbreak began in 2022, along with thousands of dairy cattle and almost 70 people since April. The CDC has said the risk to the general public is low. Both cats that tested positive ate the same brand of pet food, Wild Coast Raw, before becoming ill, Oregon's agriculture department said. Testing confirmed the presence of bird flu in the cats and food samples, according to the department. The owners of the cats, which lived in separate households, decided to euthanize them because of the severity of their illnesses, the department said. It advised people not to feed undercooked or raw meat to pets. Wild Coast mainly sources its chicken meat from California and only buys human-grade poultry manufactured in facilities inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, owner Tyler Duncan said. The company is working with a third-party lab for internal screening of bird flu in its food, he said. Millions of chickens and turkeys have been wiped out by the virus in recent months in California, while about two-thirds of the state's dairy herds have been infected since the end of August. The U.S. Department of Agriculture last month recommended increased testing for turkeys in Minnesota and South Dakota, following the death of another cat in Oregon that contracted bird flu after eating pet food made with raw turkey. The Trump administration has disrupted the U.S. response to bird flu as the outbreak has worsened, sources have told Reuters. Minnesota's Board of Animal Health said it has struggled to get information from USDA about the increased testing program for turkeys, while the CDC has delayed the release of a report that describes the first bird flu infections among cats that had no access to the outdoors. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-cats-euthanized-after-testing-positive-bird-flu-linked-raw-pet-food-2025-02-14/
2025-02-14 22:57
WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration on Friday said it will delay implementing energy and water efficiency mandates for common appliances including central air conditioners, washing machines and toilets, saying the move would give consumers more choice. The Department of Energy said it will postpone seven home appliance efficiency mandates set under former President Joe Biden. The Environmental Protection Agency said it would overhaul its "water sense" efficiency standard labels for shower heads and toilets. The heads of both agencies said the moves would reduce prices for consumers. “Today's announcement will foster consumer choice and lower prices – it is a win for all Americans," said Energy Secretary Chris Wright. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said he has instructed the agency's "WaterSense" program to overhaul certification specifications for products like showerheads that they be 20% more water efficient than regular products and that certified homes be 30% more water efficient. Zeldin said the Biden-Harris administration "weaponized" energy efficiency rules to restrict consumer choice and that bathroom and kitchen faucets, residential toilets, and sprinkler nozzles that met the WaterSense requirements "just don't work well." Trump on Tuesday moved to revert to older standards for light bulbs as well as toilets, showers and other water-using appliances, a day after signing an order promoting plastic straws and rescinding a plan to reduce single-use plastics. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-energy-department-postpone-seven-mandates-appliance-efficiency-standards-2025-02-14/
2025-02-14 22:49
SAO PAULO, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Brazil's central bank said on Friday it would hold auctions starting on Monday to roll over $15.6 billion in traditional currency swaps expiring on April 1. The central bank said in a statement that daily traditional swap auctions would be held as long as necessary for the expiring stock to be fully renewed. In a traditional currency swap, the bond pays the buyer the currency variation plus an interest rate. In return, the central bank receives the variation in the Brazilian benchmark interest rate, the Selic. The central bank usually seeks to provide currency hedging and maintain liquidity conditions for the market with its rolling policy. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/brazil-central-bank-announces-rollover-156-billion-swaps-maturing-april-2025-02-14/
2025-02-14 22:48
BANGALORE/NEW YORK, Feb 14 (Reuters) - U.S.-based hedge fund Viking Global built a $526 million-worth new position in planemaker Boeing (BA.N) , opens new tab in the fourth quarter, with 2.9 million shares, and roughly doubled bets on JPMorgan Chase, a regulatory filing showed on Friday. Shares in Boeing are up 3.92% year to date, but are still worth 30% less than its peak in December 2023. The plane maker has been trying to revive production that was dented last year by a strike, and an accident that raised concerns about the safety of its jets. In January, Boeing's shares rallied after the company said it was making progress to stabilize production, despite a $11.8 billion loss. Some other investors also placed bets that Boeing's share price will rise. Soros Fund Management, the family office of billionaire George Soros, increased its stake in the plane maker, while macro hedge fund Discovery Capital Management unveiled a new stake. The $45.3 billion equities long/short hedge fund showed a new stake in carmaker General Motors, with 2.6 million shares worth $137.4 million. FINANCIALS Andreas Halvorsen's hedge fund reinforced bets on financials, increasing stakes in JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) , opens new tab, Bank of America (BAC.N) , opens new tab and Charles Schwab (SCHW.N) , opens new tab. JPMorgan's was Viking's biggest stake in dollar amount at the end of December, worth $1.8 billion, the filing showed. The fund roughly doubled its stake to 7.5 million shares. It also had over $1 billion in positions in Bank of America and Schwab. The fund's positions were revealed in quarterly securities filings known as 13Fs. While backward-looking, these snapshots show what funds owned on the last day of the quarter and are one of the few ways hedge funds and other institutional investors have to declare their positions. The filings do not indicate exact timing of purchases or sales and may not reflect current holdings. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/hedge-fund-viking-buys-boeing-shares-filing-shows-2025-02-14/
2025-02-14 22:11
Feb 14 (Reuters) - Diamondback Energy (FANG.O) , opens new tab is in talks to buy EnCap-backed Double Eagle, a big West Texas energy producer, for more than $5 billion, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday. Last year, Reuters reported that Double Eagle was exploring a sale of its Permian Basin-based producer in a deal that could be worth more than $6.5 billion, including debt. A deal could be announced in the coming days, if the talks don't fall apart, and it is also possible another suitor could emerge, the person said. In September, Diamondback acquired Endeavor Energy Resources for $26 billion to create an oil and gas company valued at more than $50 billion. Diamondback and Double Eagle did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. The Wall Street Journal reported on the talks first on Friday. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/diamondback-talks-buy-double-eagle-more-than-5-billion-wsj-reports-2025-02-14/
2025-02-14 21:43
HAVANA, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Cuba closed schools and told non-essential workers to stay home on Friday as its electrical grid faltered following the failure of a major power plant, causing widespread blackouts across the crisis-ridden island. Only six of the country's 15 oil-fired power plants are in operation, according to government reports, and a dire fuel shortage has made it impossible to run smaller clusters of diesel-fired generators that typically back up the system. The predicament has hobbled the island's creaky electrical system and led to the largest blackouts since several nationwide grid collapses late last year left the entire nation of 10 million people in the dark, prompting scattered protests and unrest. Dwindling oil imports from Venezuela, Russia and Mexico last year pushed the island's obsolete and struggling oil-fired power plants into full crisis. The government said late on Thursday it would "suspend... teaching and work activities that are not essential under current conditions." Basic services would remain, the government said. Residents across the capital Havana, typically protected by the government from the worst of the blackouts, reported outages ranging from six to 10 hours this week. Provincial cities and smaller towns in the countryside reported outages of as much as 20 hours a day. The blackouts increase anxiety in a population already stressed by widespread shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Upwards of one million Cubans have left the island since the COVID-19 pandemic, pressured by fast-deteriorating conditions. Cuba blames the U.S. trade embargo and stiff sanctions implemented by the Trump administration for difficulties in maintaining its electrical grid and acquiring fuel and spare parts, a situation many on the island feel will only get worse. U.S. President Donald Trump last month reversed last-second measures taken by his predecessor Joe Biden to lighten sanctions on Cuba. Cuban officials said residents could expect a slight improvement in conditions through the weekend as fuel supply improved. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuba-tells-non-essential-workers-students-stay-home-latest-blackout-2025-02-14/
