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HOTSHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Can a $42 Billion
Internet Expansion Plan Close WA’s Digital Divide? (Crosscut Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/news/2023/01/can-42b-internet-expansion-plan-close-was-digital-divide
Electricity Prices
Surged 14.3% in 2022, Double Overall Inflation: U.S. Report (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/electricity-prices-inflation-consumer-price-index/640656/
FBI Warns of Neo-Nazi
Plots as Attacks on Pacific Northwest Power Grid Spike (Oregon Public
Broadcasting)
‘Concerning’ Map
Reveals Where Fish Caught in the U.S. Are Full of Hazardous ‘Forever Chemicals’
(Yahoo! News)
https://news.yahoo.com/concerning-map-reveals-where-fish-154209122.html
Environmental Rules
Stoke Anger as California Lets Precious Stormwater Wash Out to Sea (Los Angeles
Times, CA – Paywall Advisory)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (See Stories Below)
1. Electricity
Prices Surged 14.3% in 2022, Double Overall Inflation: U.S. Report
2. U.S.
Approves Design for NuScale Small Modular Nuclear Reactor
3. FBI
Warns of Neo-Nazi Plots as Attacks on Pacific Northwest Power Grid Spike
4. Oregon
& Washington Explore Options to Strengthen Grid, Other States Propose
Legislation
5. Oregon:
Gas Fight Continues as Students Plan Protest of Teacher Training Sponsored by
NW Natural
6. VP
Harris Touts Arizona-California Power Transmission Line
7. Western
Area Power Administration Celebrates 45 Years Powering the West
8. Mapped:
Biggest Sources of Electricity by State and Province
9. Pakistan
Begins Restoring Power After Second Major Grid Breakdown in Months
10. Editorial:
Nuclear Power Gets Another Look in ‘All-Of-The-Above’ Energy Approach as
Climate Worries Mount
11. Guest
Essay: This Is ‘Once-In-A-Generation Opportunity’ to Help Reconnect Salmon
Habitat
12. Idaho:
BLM Seeks Public Input on Proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project
13. How
an Alaska Village’s Switch to Renewable Energy Helps Local Native Economies
14. Washington
State Offering $35 Million in Grants for Solar Power
15. USDA
$9.7 Billion Program for Rural Electric Cooperatives Will Focus on Renewables
16. How
Solar Panels Might Help Fix California’s Drought
17. Giant
Wind Turbines Keep Mysteriously Falling Over – This Shouldn’t Be Happening
18. Generating
Solar Power in Space Just Took a Major Leap Forward
19. Idaho
Power to Rebuild Oxbow Fish Hatchery
20. Should
Orcas Have Rights? Port Townsend Says Yes
21. Feds:
Offshore Wind Not to Blame for East Coast Whale Deaths
22. WA
State: A Chef, a Creek, & a Salmon Revival
23. ‘Concerning’
Map Reveals Where Fish Caught in the U.S. Are Full of Hazardous ‘Forever
Chemicals’
24. Environmental
Rules Stoke Anger as California Lets Precious Stormwater Wash Out to Sea
25. Scientists
‘Optimistic’ About Improving Drought Conditions in Washington
26. How
Arizona, California & Other States Are Trying to Generate a Whole New Water
Supply
27. Washington’s
Carbon ‘Cap-And-Invest’ Plan Is Here. How Does It Work?
28. Idaho:
Can Boise’s Foothills Help Fight Climate Change? Boise State Researchers Look
at How Much
29. Can
a $42 Billion Internet Expansion Plan Close WA’s Digital Divide?
30. Oregon
Not Ready to Make Best Use of Millions in Federal Broadband Money, Says Audit
31. T-Mobile
Says Hacker Stole Data for 37 Million Customers
32. CNET
Pauses Publication of Artificial Intelligence-Written Stories Amid Controversy
– Errors & a Lack of Disclosure Created an Uproar
33. Oregon-Based
Newspaper Group Plans to Open Newsroom in Medford, Following Mail Tribune’s
Shutdown
34. A
Rare Green Comet Can Be Seen in the Sky, And It May Be Our Last Chance
35. Twinkle,
Twinkle Fading Stars: Hiding in Our Brighter Skies
36. Feds
Send $930 Million to Curb ‘Crisis’ of U.S. West Wildfires
37. Study: Apprenticeships Lead to Fewer Injuries
WORD OF THE DAY – THE HORRIBLE HAIKU EDITION
Tomb \toom\ Noun – 1a: an excavation in which a corpse is buried: grave b: a place of interment 2: a house, chamber, or vault for the dead 3: a building or structure resembling a tomb.
Silence
of the tomb
Shelob
waits in the shadows
She sees you, precious
ENERGY
& UTILITY ISSUES
1. Electricity
Prices Surged 14.3% in 2022, Double Overall Inflation: U.S. Report (Utility
Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/electricity-prices-inflation-consumer-price-index/640656/
2.
U.S. Approves Design for NuScale Small Modular
Nuclear Reactor (Reuters)
4.
Oregon & Washington Explore Options to
Strengthen Grid, Other States Propose Legislation (Associated Press)
5.
Oregon: Gas Fight Continues as Students Plan
Protest of Teacher Training Sponsored by NW Natural (Willamette Week)
6.
VP Harris Touts Arizona-California Power
Transmission Line (Associated Press)
7.
Western Area Power Administration Celebrates 45
Years Powering the West (Western Area Power Administration)
https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsFeatures/2022/Pages/tracey-lebeau-45th-anniversary-letter.aspx
8.
Mapped: Biggest Sources of Electricity by State
and Province (Visual Capitalist)
https://elements.visualcapitalist.com/biggest-sources-of-electricity-by-state-and-province/
9.
Pakistan Begins Restoring Power After Second
Major Grid Breakdown in Months (Reuters)
SOAPBOX
SERENADE – VOX POPULI
10.
Editorial: Nuclear Power Gets Another Look in ‘All-Of-The-Above’
Energy Approach as Climate Worries Mount (Utility Dive)
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nuclear-power-smr-climate-ira-omnibus-spending/639484/
11.
Guest Essay: This Is ‘Once-In-A-Generation
Opportunity’ to Help Reconnect Salmon Habitat (Bellingham Herald, WA – Paywall
Advisory)
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article271404527.html
RENEWABLE
ENERGY & SELF STORAGE
12.
Idaho: BLM Seeks Public Input on Proposed Lava
Ridge Wind Project (KMVT-TV, Twin Falls, ID)
https://www.kmvt.com/2023/01/19/blm-seeks-public-input-proposed-lava-ridge-wind-project/
13.
How an Alaska Village’s Switch to Renewable Energy
Helps Local Native Economies (PBS Newshour)
14.
Washington State Offering $35 Million in Grants for
Solar Power (Vancouver Columbian, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/jan/20/state-offering-35m-in-grants-for-solar-power/
15.
USDA $9.7 Billion Program for Rural Electric
Cooperatives Will Focus on Renewables (PV Magazine)
16.
How Solar Panels Might Help Fix California’s Drought
(Marketplace)
17.
Giant Wind Turbines Keep Mysteriously Falling
Over – This Shouldn’t Be Happening (Popular Mechanics)
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a42622565/wind-turbines-falling-over/
18.
Generating Solar Power in Space Just Took a Major
Leap Forward (Yahoo! News)
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/generating-solar-power-space-just-204822544.html
FISH
& WILDLIFE
19.
Idaho Power to Rebuild Oxbow Fish Hatchery (Big
Country News, Clarkston, WA)
20.
Should Orcas Have Rights? Port Townsend Says Yes
(KING-TV, Seattle, WA)
21.
Feds: Offshore Wind Not to Blame for East Coast Whale
Deaths (Associated Press)
22.
WA State: A Chef, a Creek, & a Salmon
Revival (Christian Science Monitor)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2023/0123/A-chef-a-creek-and-a-salmon-revival?icid=rss
ENVIRONMENTAL
AFFLATUS – CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE
https://news.yahoo.com/concerning-map-reveals-where-fish-154209122.html
WATER,
WATER, ANYWHERE?
25.
Scientists ‘Optimistic’ About Improving Drought
Conditions in Washington (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA – Paywall Advisory)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/jan/22/washington-state-scientists-optimistic-about-droug/
26.
How Arizona, California & Other States Are
Trying to Generate a Whole New Water Supply (Yahoo! News)
https://news.yahoo.com/arizona-california-other-states-trying-220000809.html
CLIMATE
CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
27.
Washington’s Carbon ‘Cap-And-Invest’ Plan Is
Here. How Does It Work? (Yahoo! News)
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/washingtons-carbon-cap-invest-plan-190015086.html
28.
Idaho: Can Boise’s Foothills Help Fight Climate
Change? Boise State Researchers Look at How Much (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)
https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/community/boise/article271282827.html
LONDON
CALLING –TELECOMMUNICATIONS
29. Can
a $42 Billion Internet Expansion Plan Close WA’s Digital Divide? (Crosscut
Seattle)
https://crosscut.com/news/2023/01/can-42b-internet-expansion-plan-close-was-digital-divide
30.
Oregon Not Ready to Make Best Use of Millions in
Federal Broadband Money, Says Audit (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
BEAM
ME UP, SCOTTY - THE WIZARDING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY
31.
T-Mobile Says Hacker Stole Data for 37 Million
Customers (Bloomberg News)
PUBLIC
RELATIONS, MARKETING & MEDIA
32.
CNET Pauses Publication of Artificial
Intelligence-Written Stories Amid Controversy – Errors & a Lack of Disclosure
Created an Uproar (Engadget)
https://www.engadget.com/cnet-pauses-ai-written-stories-211548131.html
33.
Oregon-Based Newspaper Group Plans to Open
Newsroom in Medford, Following Mail Tribune’s Shutdown (Yachats News, OR)
BARREL
O’ GREEN POTPOURRI – SEETHING STEW OF SCIENCE
34.
A Rare Green Comet Can Be Seen in the Sky, And
It May Be Our Last Chance (Science Alert)
35.
Twinkle, Twinkle Fading Stars: Hiding in Our
Brighter Skies (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/science-e8ff324175e57a7de092859941f57499
OTHER
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY
36. Feds
Send $930 Million to Curb ‘Crisis’ of U.S. West Wildfires (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-science-politics-health-oregon-fd0b4b56e97fca9a6e083096f2bc97f4
37.
Study: Apprenticeships Lead to Fewer Injuries
(South Sound Business)
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS
Close British Columbia
Mayoral Race Wasn’t Bought with Cinnamon Rolls, Court Rules
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/pouce-coupe-mayoral-race-cinnamon-rolls
Planters Searches for
Next Class of Peanutters to Drive the Nutmobile
https://www.wowt.com/2023/01/17/planters-searches-next-class-peanutters-drive-nutmobile/
A Moment That Changed
Me: I Began Wearing Skirts with Pockets Big Enough to Hold a Wine Bottle
AP Photos: East Asia
Marks Lunar New Year of the Rabbit
https://apnews.com/article/beijing-china-covid-e4e5a798eccc66fdc59eba5b5809e373
SONG OF THE DAY
The Pretenders – Brass
in Pocket
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6W0clIT-zA
LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY
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