Новости за 16.12.2015

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress appears ready to approve a long-delayed overhaul of the International Monetary Fund, giving more voting power at the global lending agency to fast-growing emerging-market countries such as China and India. China, for instance, is now the world's second-biggest economy, but its share of the IMF vote is No. 6 at less than 3.7 percent of the total.

The company said Wednesday in a news release that the shipyard's workload has improved in the short term, thanks to efforts between it and the Navy. BAE Systems provides ship repair, maintenance, modernization, conversion, and overhaul for the Navy and other customers.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In precedent-setting proposal, California says self-driving cars must have driver behind wheel.

(AP) — Canadian Pacific is increasing its offer to buy Norfolk Southern railroad by adding a payment that would vary depending on the stock price of the new company. Norfolk Southern has already rejected two previous offers from Canadian Pacific, and the two railroads have started issuing dueling news releases at every step of the process. In the latest offer, Canadian Pacific is offering to pay Norfolk Southern investors up to roughly $11.30 per share more if shares of the combined company are worth less than $175 in October 2017. Читать дальше...

Embattled Valeant Pharmaceuticals Inc. has slashed its expectations for the fourth quarter and all of 2015 and issued a guarded outlook for 2016, primarily due to lower sales after Congressional and media scrutiny forced it to end a questionable distribution arrangement for its lucrative dermatology and ophthalmology medicines. Chief Executive Officer Michael Pearson said Wednesday that Valeant should be judged based on its ongoing growth and strategy and its "great brands," not its small research... Читать дальше...

PINE RIDGE, S.D. (AP) — Gazing out his living room window at the rolling, wind-swept hills of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Marvin Goings gestured to his dining room table in his front yard. A few minutes earlier, Goings had sat at that table and accepted the keys to his new home, a permanent manufactured housing unit installed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The installation of the homes marks an historic first for FEMA: placing permanent homes in a disaster area in the continental United States. Читать дальше...

Story by Kendall Jones, via Washington Beer Blog. Story by Kendall Jones, via Washington Beer Blog. This is a great gift idea, and it’s also a great pre-Valentine’s Day plan. Kill two birds with one stone. Dubbed, “foreplay before the big day,” tickets are now on sale for Pike Brewing’s 8th Annual Chocofest, a celebration of all the most beautiful, delicious and decadent... The post Pike Chocofest tickets on sale now, a great gift idea appeared first on Beer News.

Economists say exports could help the economy by reducing fuel prices — there are a lot of U.S. industries for which energy is a huge cost, from agriculture, to airlines, to manufacturing. Exports should also encourage investment in oil and gas production and transport, create jobs, make oil and gas supplies more stable and reduce the U.S. trade deficit. [...] environmental groups worry that the rush by U.S. energy companies to supply the world with crude will lead to more local pollution and higher global emissions. Читать дальше...

Greek authorities say two people have drowned and 83 others have been rescued after a wooden boat crammed with refugees sank in the Aegean Sea off the eastern Greek island of Lesbos. The coast guard says a large search-and-rescue operation with the European Frontex border agency was underway late Wednesday, searching for other survivors or victims. The Greek coastguard says a helicopter, patrol boats and fishing boats are combing an area north of Lesbos for survivors, but no reliable information... Читать дальше...

Children can use a variety of apps to program Dash, the larger robot, to zip around their living room, perform tricks, or speak pre-recorded phrases. Accessories, sold separately, let kids teach Dash how to catapult balls into the air and play a xylophone. The simplest app lets pre-readers draw a path on a tablet screen for their robot and then drag and drop in picture-based instructions. The toy's relatively low cost has made it popular with schools, while its small size lets kids play with it on a table... Читать дальше...

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The United Nations' highest court ruled Wednesday that Nicaragua violated Costa Rica's territorial sovereignty by establishing a military camp and digging channels on a small chunk of land near the mouth of the San Juan River, and ordered Managua to pay compensation. The ruling addressed complaints by both countries in two linked cases about construction work carried out in recent years near the remote mouth of the river — dredging and channels dug by Nicaragua and a road along the river bank built by Costa Rica.

Capt. Charles Montgomery pilots the Alice Jean, a 1,200 horsepower tow boat, alongside six barges docked at Campbell Transportation Co.'s facility. Yet coal and the coke used for steelmaking still dominate the Georgetown landing, where Campbell crews re-arrange barges into smaller or larger tows depending on if they are heading upriver toward Pittsburgh or down toward the Mississippi, said Terry Mick, port captain of harbor vessels. Across the river, a fleet of tankers float full of lube oils, diesel and jet fuel, gasoline and petrochemicals.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (AP) — Authorities say a small plane has crashed in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The Federal Aviation Administration says in a statement that the Cirrus SR20 crashed at 10 a.m. Wednesday 7 miles southwest of the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport in Martinsburg. Two people were on board. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office told media outlets that there were no injuries. Further details weren't immediately available. The FAA says it will investigate the accident. The... Читать дальше...

CVS Health hiked its dividend, tightened its 2016 earnings forecast and repeated its message of patience, as the nation's second largest drugstore chain laid out its growth expectations on Wednesday. Acquisitions and other business gains will help boost revenue next year, but it will take a few months for some of that to trickle down to the bottom line, and CVS Health leaders said at the company's annual analyst meeting in New York that earnings growth will pick up more in the second half of 2016. Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The massive year-end spending measure includes a provision that will encourage companies to share cyber threat information with the government. The Cybersecurity Act of 2015 largely hews to the Senate version of the bill, which passed despite concerns about privacy and transparency from some senators and technology companies, such as Apple and Yelp. The bill allows the president to designate an agency other than the civilian Homeland Security Department to act as a portal for... Читать дальше...

Seattle has become a city of transplants. Still, all of us should know at least a little of the Emerald City's lore and trivia. So here's a test for the newly arrived. If you've been here more than a few years, we expect you to get at least 75 percent correct!

Some critics believe that too much technology too early can interfere with a child's natural development; others warn that pushing advanced concepts on younger kids could frustrate them and turn them off computer science completely. [...] there's a nationwide push to improve computer literacy in elementary school — and entrepreneurs are jumping aboard. The idea is to make building sets of increasingly complex instructions so intuitive and fun that it sparks children's natural curiosity about the way things work. Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican leaders have decided to delay until January a House vote to unravel President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and block federal money for Planned Parenthood, hoping to increase attention on their drive against two of conservatives' favorite targets. Though the House and Senate have voted dozens of times to repeal all or part of Obama's 2010 health care law, this measure would be the first to reach the president's desk and be vetoed.

(AP) — Baking and pastry students in Central Wyoming College's Jackson Hole culinary arts and hotel and restaurant management program ended their fall semester with rich fillings and buttercream toppings. Asked to create holiday-themed desserts, the 10 chefs-in-training took the results to Jackson Whole Grocer to be judged by a panel of pastry chefs. Couloir chef Regi Rikli, who was on the panel and who also taught the culinary arts students in October when the semester started, was impressed with the progress the future bakers made. Читать дальше...

Caregivers face an assortment of challenges when traveling with a frail relative, friend or someone with dementia. Every person reacts differently to stress, and it's impossible to suggest one-size-fits-all tips, but in general, experts suggest scheduling a doctor visit before the trip and emphasize patience and planning as key elements of traveling. John Schall, chief executive of Caregiver Action Network, suggests that caregivers stay physically close to a person with dementia. "Don't feed into the stress," said Lauren Dowden... Читать дальше...

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. industrial output fell for the third straight month in November, another sign that American manufacturers are under stress. Mining production slid 1.1 percent amid continued cutbacks in the oil and gas industry and a big drop in coal mining. American industry is being hurt by economic weakness overseas and a strong dollar that makes U.S. goods more expensive in foreign markets.

WASHINGTON (AP) — US industrial production posts third straight drop in November, worst month since March 2012.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that total housing starts — both houses and apartments— climbed 10.5 last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.17 million homes. Solid hiring over the past two years and relatively low interest rates have buoyed the real estate market, encouraging more people to upgrade to two new houses and sign rental leases. "An upward trend in total housing construction appears to be re-emerging, following the slowdown in the summer," said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. Читать дальше...