The prospect of European travel for Americans has begun to diminish once more as countries adopt new measures in response to a recent surge in US Covid cases.
Earlier this week, the European Union announced it was dropping the United States from its safe list, advising its 27 member states to reconsider allowing entry to nonessential US travelers. https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/eu-bans-on-us-tourists-sweden-netherlands-italy/index.html

It's a volatile day for bitcoin, which briefly fell by more than 10% Tuesday — below the $43,000 mark.
The drop comes after El Salvador made good on a plan announced in June and adopted the cryptocurrency as legal tender, making it the first country in the world to do so.
The move received some criticism in El Salvador, where people protested, as well as abroad.
"The country needs a stable currency system and efficient payment system. To the extent that El Salvador's government or bank would not create a central bank digital currency, it makes more sense for them to adopt another major stable digital currency, whether it is centrally offered or decentralized," said Will Cong, professor of finance at Cornell University https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/07/investing/bitcoin-selloff-crypto-today/index.html

The fossil fuel economy must be run in reverse, effectively. The simplest and lowest-cost way to do that—planting trees—requires a lot of land relative to the scale of intervention that’s needed. So a handful of companies have been tinkering with “direct air capture” (DAC)—essentially, big CO2-sucking machines.
The largest DAC plant in the world will open Sept. 8 in Iceland. Operated by the Swiss engineering startup Climeworks, the plant, known as Orca, will annually draw down a volume of emissions equivalent to about 870 cars. Orca will boost total global DAC capacity by about 50%, adding to the dozen or so smaller plants that are already operational in Europe, Canada, and the US. https://qz.com/2055951/climeworks-is-opening-the-worlds-biggest-carbon-removal-machine/

Roughly 18 months into the Covid-19 pandemic, global shipping is still in crisis, with backlogs looming over the peak holiday shopping period. One look at the market for steel shipping containers, and it's clear that a return to normal won't happen any time soon. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/08/business/shipping-containers/index.html

The summer that was supposed to mark America’s independence from COVID-19 is instead drawing to a close with the U.S. more firmly under the tyranny of the virus, with deaths per day back up to where they were in March. https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-health-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-north-carolina-b9012bd212ef28dcceec583eb3ca7612

Keep in mind: they have about 70% of population over 50 vacinated. The event on September 11, a day after Denmark dropped all coronavirus restrictions, was Europe’s first concert hosting more than 50,000 people since the pandemic began. Social distancing was not required, nor masks, nor certificates proving vaccination.
“It was packed with people, and it was euphoric,” Jensen told Al Jazeera.
COVID is no longer considered a “socially critical disease” in Denmark and now, the small European country – home to about six million people – will live with the virus as if it were the flu. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/17/denmark-returns-to-pre-pandemic-life-with-a-huge-pop-concert

A walrus previously spotted in Ireland, France, Spain and the UK has turned up in Iceland, marine experts have said.
The 800kg (125st) Arctic walrus, known as Wally, had not been seen for more than three weeks, with spotters saying they were "starting to lose hope" of ever seeing him again. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-58632372

Jubilant South African Airways staff at the country's biggest airport broke into song and dance on Thursday as the airline took to the skies for the first time in around a year. https://a1le.xyz/ML91x5

'Goofiest little weirdo' now a Guinness World Record holder
Check out the world's longest dog ears as the hound checks out herself. https://edition.cnn.com/videos/business/2021/09/28/dog-longest-ears-guinness-world-record-moos-pkg-vpx.cnn

Merck says antiviral COVID-19 pill halves death and hospitalizations
Merck found its antviral pill molnupiravir can reduce pandemic hospitalizations and deaths by half, in a test that's yet to face peer review. The company says it has already lined up contracts if regulators approve. https://p.dw.com/p/419KT

The Amazon rainforest is at severe risk from deforestation and fires that are eroding the forest's ability to absorb heat-trapping greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Even worse, the fires themselves are releasing carbon and adding to the problem. https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2021/10/07/rainforest-amazon-desforestation-fires-isa-soares-pkg-intl-ldn-vpx.cnn

Global American exports: Marlboro, Coca Cola, McDonald, iPhone, Cannabis, Cocaine - all the stuff that get's people hooked comes from one location......
~ Tobacco and alcohol consumption is trending downward
~ The number of adults who smoke dropped by 5%, while "hazardous" alcohol consumption among adults was down by more than 2%
~ Cannabis use among young adults aged 18 to 25 rose by almost 9%
~ Cocaine usage has also become more popular, rising among young adults by nearly 2%
https://p.dw.com/p/41Oa5

The capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo is being overrun by a dangerous new drug called bombé, made from deposits the catalytic converters of automobiles. In a country facing many problems, it helps people forget. https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/new-drug-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-the-zombies-of-kinshasa-a-b6c69627-922b-42c7-bb6f-25b939f5d2ac

A panel advising the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
A month ago, the FDA authorised Pfizer booster jabs for some Americans, including those over 65 or at higher risk of severe illness and who work in frontline jobs. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58887929

Called by a woman who said she had seen rattlesnakes scurry under her Northern California house and was surprised to find more than 90 rattlesnakes getting ready to hibernate. https://apnews.com/article/oddities-snakes-california-reptiles-santa-rosa-d82a9259b15f2a78f675233de11310fb

U.S. regulators are considering revising the rules for COVID-19 vaccines to allow people to opt for a different type of shot for their booster than what they originally received, a move that would enable people who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to receive the Moderna or Pfizer dose as their next shot. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-regulators-weigh-people-mix-covid-booster-shots/story?id=80603411&cid=social_twitter_abcn

Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso has declared a state of emergency as the country grapples with a surge in drug-related violence, and ordered the police and military onto the streets. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/19/ecuador-president-declares-state-of-emergency-over-drug-violence

U.S. health officials may have solved the mystery of how four people in different states came down with a serious tropical disease even though none had traveled internationally: an aromatherapy spray imported from India.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that investigators found the same type of bacteria that causes the disease, melioidosis, in a spray bottle found in one of the patients’ homes.

The four people were from Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota and Texas. Two of them, one a child in Georgia, died. https://apnews.com/article/science-business-health-india-georgia-f4912f9cf0264b2723c7752ae3cf08f4

Covid across Europe: As UK prepares for new lockdowns, Europe too is struggling. Just as Europe was hoping it could put Covid to rest, the virus has risen again, with renewed venom. Case numbers have been rising and in their wake, hospital admissions too.

Each country is trying to find the right combination of measures - local lockdowns, test-and-trace initiatives, economic support and public communication - to drive down numbers as winter approaches. As the UK government prepares to unveil a range of new lockdown rules, BBC reporters from France, Germany and other European capitals explain how their countries are managing. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-54482905

The island nation of Tonga on Friday reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive.
Tonga is among the few remaining nations in the world that have avoided outbreaks of the virus. Like many of its neighbors, Tonga’s isolation has helped keep it safe but it faces big challenges should the virus take hold due to its under-resourced health system. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-business-new-zealand-christchurch-d1cfbd5e1e0d6f84161035750d15b54f