Somewhere in the South Atlantic ocean right now, a 34,000-ton, 870-ft. aircraft carrier is floating aimlessly on the waves. The vessel, caught in an international dispute over its toxic contents, is about to become one of the biggest pieces of trash in the ocean.

The São Paulo, as the ship is known, has been stuck in limbo for five months. Brazil’s navy sold the 60-year-old vessel—the largest in its fleet—for scrap to a Turkish shipyard in 2021, and in August 2022, it set off for Turkey from a naval base in Rio de Janeiro. But while it was on the move, Turkey rescinded its permission to enter, saying Brazil hadn’t been able to prove that the São Paulo was free of asbestos—a toxic mineral used in the construction of many 20th century ships. So, the boat turned around.

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Brazil doesn’t want it back, though. In September, a port on the coast of Pernambuco state blocked the ship from docking. The port argued there was too big a risk that the ship would be abandoned, leaving port authorities to pick up the tab for moving it and dealing with the asbestos. That left the São Paulo circling off the Brazilian coast, until Jan. 20, when Brazil’s navy announced that it had pushed the ship out to international waters, where it remains. The navy says it had to do so because the aging ship, which incurred damage to its hull during its odyssey, could have run aground or sank on the Brazilian coast, threatening other boats and coastal wildlife.

It appears the navy’s solution is to abandon the São Paulo at sea. Military sources told Brazil’s Folha de São Paulo newspaper on Saturday that sinking the vessel—using explosives—is the only way to put an end to the controversy surrounding it.

The ship’s saga is set to become an extreme case of vessel abandonment—a problem that plagues marine conservationists and coastal communities around the world. Ocean watchdogs say sinking a boat as big and old as the São Paulo would be an environmental disaster; according to the Basel Action Network (BAN), an NGO, the ship contains thousands of metric tons of asbestos and other toxic substances in its electrical wiring, paints, and fuel stores.

Abandoning it at sea would constitute “gross negligence” and violate three separate international environmental conventions, says Jim Puckett, BAN’s executive director. “We’re talking about a ship containing both hazardous materials and valuable materials—it’s supposed to be brought into the territory of Brazil and managed in an environmentally sound way,” Puckett says. “You can’t just sink it.”

Approached for comment, the Brazilian navy directed TIME to its official announcements, which say only that the navy will not allow the São Paulo to return to Brazil. They do not address where it will go instead.

Berkcan Zengin—GocherImagery/ReutersTurkey’s various opposition political parties, labour unions, and non-governmental organisations held a mass rally against the dismantle of Brazilian aircraft carrier Nae Sao Paulo in Aliaga district in Izmir, Turkey, on Aug. 4, 2022.

It’s not uncommon for boats to be abandoned. Because they are expensive to maintain and to dispose of properly, tens of thousands of unwanted vessels—normally much smaller than an aircraft carrier—are left in harbors, on beaches, or at sea every year. In Nigeria, thousands of wrecked cargo ships and commercial fishing vessels litter the coast, destroying beach ecosystems, worsening coastal erosion, and making waterways dangerous to pass for local communities. In Venice, around 2,000 abandoned small recreational boats are clogging up a local wetland. In the U.S., the Government Accountability Office estimates that from 2013 to 2016, there were 5,600 boats abandoned in U.S. waters—likely a very lowball estimate, according to Nancy Wallace, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s marine debris program.

The problem is, what’s left onboard those boats doesn’t stay onboard. “Anytime there’s a vessel that’s left at sea, the first thing to think about is toxic chemicals, which can be very impactful to wildlife,” Wallace says. Abandoned boats of any size can cause oil spills and leach paint chemicals and microplastics into the water, while debris such as nets can come loose, trapping fish.

Older vessels also often contain so-called PCBs, a group of highly carcinogenic chemicals that were often used in electrical wiring before the 1970s and were globally banned under the 2001 Stockholm convention. When dumped in the ocean, scientists say PCBs work their way up the marine food chain, affecting everything from small crustaceans to orcas. BAN estimates that the São Paulo, which was built in France in the 1960s, contains around 300 metric tons of PCBs, based on analysis of its sister ship, the Clemencau. The NGO says leaving the vessel at sea would violate both the Stockholm convention and the 1996 London Protocol.

In Brazil, the face of the ship abandonment problem is Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro state, where some 200 vessels, including cargo ships and oil tankers, have been left to rot by owners caught up in financial or legal troubles. Local NGOs say the resulting oil and chemical pollution has dramatically reduced native mangrove, tortoise, and dolphin populations, and has hurt the livelihoods of local fishermen. The bay made national headlines in November, when a storm caused a 660-ft. cargo ship to come loose from its moorings and crash into the Rio-Niteroi—Latin America’s longest over-water bridge.

Pilar Olivares—ReutersRemains of abandoned ships are seen on the shores of the Guanabara Bay in Niteroi, Brazil, on Dec. 28, 2022.

Removing such vessels is a major headache for governments. Hauling them out can cost anywhere from $8,000 (the per-boat cost for 14 recreational boats recently lifted out of the water in South Carolina) to $1.8 million (the cost for removing an 83-ft. fishing boat in Saipan in 2021, which had been degrading a nearby coral reef in the Northern Mariana Islands for six years after a 2015 storm left it too damaged for its owners to repair.)

But, thankfully, it is highly unusual for a ship as large as the São Paulo to be deliberately abandoned. That’s because large boats like cruise ships, container ships, and aircraft carriers contain vast amounts of high-quality valuable metals, especially steel, which can be salvaged and resold. (Recycling is also beneficial for the environment, since manufacturing new steel is extremely carbon-intensive.)

Puckett, from BAN, says the idea of sinking the São Paulo doesn’t make financial sense for Brazil. “It’s got millions of dollars worth of steel to be recycled, which far outweighs the cost of managing those hazardous materials,” he says. “I’ve never seen such a valuable ship being deliberately sunk.”

BAN is calling on Brazil’s new leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to step in. To comply with international treaties, including the Basel Convention restricting the export of toxic waste, Puckett says the navy must tow the São Paulo into a naval base, repair the damage to the hull, and then offer the recycling contract to new shipyards in Europe, which can safely remove the asbestos before dismantling the ship.

Lula’s government has privately expressed concerns about the environmental impact of abandoning the ship, according to Folha de São Paulo, the Brazilian newspaper. But it is unwilling to start a conflict with the navy because Lula’s relationship with the armed forces is under severe strain following recent civilian calls for a military coup. So, with little sign of an about-face from the navy, it looks like the São Paulo is heading for a toxic watery grave.

Actor Alec Baldwin and set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were charged with involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Western movie “Rust” in 2021, a New Mexico prosecutor’s spokesman said.

District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies had announced Jan. 19 that she would file the charges by month’s end, following months of speculation she would determine she had evidence Baldwin showed criminal disregard for safety when a revolver with which he was rehearsing fired a live round that killed Hutchins.

Heather Brewer, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, said the district attorney had filed the charges against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed.

The “30 Rock” actor has denied responsibility for the shooting, saying he cocked the revolver but never pulled the trigger and it was the job of Gutierrez-Reed and other weapons’ professionals to ensure it was unloaded.

Gutierrez-Reed said she checked the rounds she loaded into the gun were dummies before handing it to first assistant director Dave Halls. Halls handed it to Baldwin, telling him it was a “cold gun,” meaning it did not contain an explosive charge, according to police.

Halls has signed a plea deal for a misdemeanor charge and is expected to cooperate with the prosecution.

On Dec. 13 Halls testified to New Mexico’s worker safety bureau that Gutierrez-Reed handed the gun to Baldwin and that he never declared the Pietta reproduction Colt .45 a “cold gun.”

Industry-wide firearms safety guidelines instruct actors to assume a firearm is loaded with blank ammunition. Live ammunition is strictly forbidden on sets.

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Major U.S. stock indexes closed higher on Tuesday as labor cost data encouraged investors about the Federal Reserve’s aggressive approach to taming inflation a day ahead of the central bank’s critical policy decision.

Investors also digested a full plate of earnings reports, including share-price gains in Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) and United Parcel Service Inc (UPS.N) following their results, countered by declines in Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) and McDonald’s Corp (MCD.N).

U.S. labor costs increased at their slowest pace in a year in the fourth quarter as wage growth slowed, Labor Department data showed. The U.S. central bank on Wednesday is expected to hike the Fed funds rate by 25 basis points, following a 2022 in which the Fed aggressively boosted rates to control soaring inflation.

The labor cost data is “indicating that maybe what the Fed has done is working and … we’re rounding the corner on interest rate hikes,” said Peter Tuz, president of Chase Investment Counsel in Charlottesville, Virginia.

According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 (.SPX) gained 59.39 points, or 1.48%, to end at 4,077.16 points, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) gained 190.99 points, or 1.68%, to 11,584.55. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) rose 371.04 points, or 1.10%, to 34,088.13.

The S&P 500 posted its first increase for the month of January since 2019, following a brutal 2022 in which the benchmark index sank 19.4%.

Aside from the Fed’s rate decision on Wednesday, Chair Jerome Powell’s news conference will be scrutinized for whether the rate-hiking cycle may be coming to a close and for signs of how long rates could stay elevated.

“Jerome Powell and team are probably looking at this easing of financial conditions that has happened over the last month, and we will see if they try to push back against it to any extent,” said Mona Mahajan, senior investment strategist at Edward Jones. “I don’t think they would want markets to move up too far, too fast either.”

In earnings news, Exxon Mobil shares rose after the oil major posted a $56 billion net profit for 2022, setting not only a company record but a historic high for the Western oil industry.

United Parcel Service shares climbed after its quarterly profit topped estimates, while General Motors Co (GM.N) shares jumped after it forecast stronger-than-expected earnings for 2023.

Caterpillar shares sank as the machinery maker’s fourth-quarter earnings slid by 29%. McDonald’s shares dropped after the burger chain warned inflation will weigh on margins in 2023.

A busy week for markets will also include reports in coming days from Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), central bank meetings in Europe and the monthly U.S. employment report.

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As Jews and citizens of both America and Israel who love both countries dearly, we face the reality that if Israel’s new government acts on its words, this will destroy the very basis of Israel’s founding as a democratic, humanistic society.

Israel’s major asset is its human capital. Its world-leading innovative industrial base has been built over decades, fueled by an excellent education system and immigration. Immigrants from the former Soviet Union and elsewhere have brought knowledge and expertise. Basic sciences, medicine, biology, engineering, mathematics, agronomy and many other disciplines have thrived. These trends have been abetted by the relationships, discipline and technological training imparted by military service.

We know this from experience. We have been CEOs of major Israeli public companies in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, and have decades of experience raising capital in Israel. Together, we have advocated for biotech and the need to grow a viable biopharma industry in Israel. It is deeply disturbing to see the progress of the “Start-Up Nation” in danger due to far-right extremism in the new Israeli government.

Israel’s prosperity has been built through contributions by diverse parts of its population: its men, women, Arab citizens (nearly a quarter of the population), and — notably — its LGBTQ community, which has been free to live openly in contrast to any of the Arab countries or Iran. All are part of a vibrant, knowledge-based, democratic society and economy. Israel has set an example not just for the Middle East, but also the world.

However, if the statements of the new government are to be believed, Israel is to be governed by those who say they don’t believe in the very concept of fact-based science or in equal opportunity regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual preference, or even in allowing women and men to study together. It is worth noting that this faction holds sway in a government that is bent on doling out increasing proportions of GDP to the ultra-Orthodox community, which, for the most part, does not pay taxes, nor participate in civic life, military service, employment or secular education.

To enact its changes, this government is also pushing ahead with alacrity its proposal to allow the Knesset to overrule Supreme Court decisions by a margin of a single vote. This will unhinge the checks and balances that have underpinned Israel since its foundation and more broadly are essential to democracy. These actions are designed to prevent independent prosecution of politicians and clear a path toward what effectively will be an anti-democratic theocracy.

Gutted of its foundational freedoms, suppressing freedom of thought and expression, Israel will degrade its chief advantages of innovation and social cohesion. Its young people no longer will be highly educated, motivated warriors, steeped in technology and rational thought, capable of inventing breakthrough technologies, building internationally acclaimed businesses and defeating hugely superior enemies; they will instead become bullies and braggarts, capable only of suppressing ill-equipped enemies.

Many of the most talented will join the growing Israeli diaspora — lost to the country. The trend for highly educated Israelis to leave increased from 2.8 emigrants per returnee in 2014 to 4.5 in 2017. This “brain drain,” reported by the Shoresh Socieconomic Institute, will accelerate as more and more educational and high-tech jobs move out of Israel.

In the healthcare industry, the education system that fostered Israel’s top-tier healthcare and medical science will be degraded. According to a 2020 report from the Ministry of Health, almost half the recipients of medical licenses in Israel are Arab. Many are regarded as global leaders in medicine, and many more are pharmacists and nurses. The current education proposals and legislation to reduce the rights of Arabs in Israel will ensure that these critical resources become increasingly disenfranchised and, again, that many will leave the country.

On the business front the issue is acute: Proposed new segregationist and discriminatory laws would put Israel on a direct collision course with the mainstream businesses of America and Europe. It would be difficult or impossible for reputable international businesses to invest in, partner with or trade with Israeli businesses that comply with these laws. These foreign companies are governed by social and legal obligations in their own countries that prohibit them from working with those whose laws permit racial segregation, discriminate against women, or seek to harm the LGBTQ or other minority communities.

These dynamics will affect Israel’s own companies, as well. Such companies include Pfizer, Moderna, Novartis, J&J, AstraZeneca, Apple, Google and many others. They see in Israel a tiny market for their products but a huge opportunity to source innovation. They will act in response to the laws enacted by the new government, and over time will seek innovation elsewhere. In a harbinger of how this will affect Israel’s “Start-Up Nation,” just this week Papaya Global, an Israeli tech startup valued at $3.7 billion, announced that it is moving all its money out of Israel, as it is not confident it will be able to conduct international business under the current regime.

On the security front, businesses have been pragmatic to date. While U.S. businesses largely view conflicts with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas as part of the justifiable battle against terrorism, few will see a massive conflagration on the West Bank, ignited by proposed legislation to restrict the rights of Palestinians, as a worthy endeavor. Instead, they will see it for what it is: a war against Palestinians waged by Jewish religious zealots. The statements and actions of the current Israeli cabinet members reinforce such an impression. When and if such a conflagration occurs, international companies will vote with their feet. Recent events in the West Bank and Jerusalem underscore this concern. Hamas recognizes that by provoking the current government, they can provoke retaliation; supporters of the new national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, are already calling for massive intervention in the West Bank.

Diaspora Jews are already becoming distant from modern Israel. Their image of the “Start-Up Nation” that emerged from the ashes of the Holocaust — democratic and secular, with a vibrant society — is already disintegrating as the full impact of the proposed laws unfolds. If this rupture continues, there will be profound economic and political consequences for both nations. The American electorate and their government do not need an Israel beset by racial conflict and governed by theocracy and misogyny.

The corner Israel has turned offers only two alternatives: one rejects Israel’s current path in favor of valuing the country’s core assets of human capital, its democratic roots, its engine of innovation and its independent judiciary; the other leads to bigoted theocracy more akin to that seen in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan.

The choice is in Netanyahu’s hands, and if he persists in his current path, then in the hands of the Israeli people.

To contact the authors, email opinion@forward.com

The post Israel’s new far-right government is already chilling innovation and causing brain drain appeared first on The Forward.

(JTA) — Stephen Sizer, a retired British vicar who once claimed Jews and Israel were behind 9/11, was banned from the Anglican ministry for 12 years on Monday.

Over the course of more than two decades as priest and academic in southern England, Sizer made a name for himself as an outspoken opponent of Christian Zionism, completing a Ph.D thesis and writing several books on the topic. 

“It is irresponsible to believe that God will bless Christians materially if they support the largely secular State of Israel,” he wrote in his 2007 book “Zion’s Christian Soldiers.” 

The British Jewish community welcomed the church tribunal’s decision. 

“Given that he indulged in ‘antisemitic activity’ and caused grievous offence to the Jewish community over a number of years, this is the correct decision,” said Marie Van der Zyl, president of the Board of deputies of British Jews, which lodged the initial complaint against Sizer, in a statement. “I am grateful to the Tribunal for hearing our evidence and look forward to a continued strong and close relationship with the Church of England in the coming years.”

Sizer has admitted to having spoken at a 2008 conference alongside Holocaust denier Fredrick Toben and once wrote on Facebook that former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was a victim of “the hidden hands of Zionism.” The offense that led to his suspension involved posting a link on Facebook to an article titled “9/11/Israel did it” and later saying that the conspiracy theory should be “considered.”

Sizer’s ban is set to last until 2030 because he was initially suspended in 2018 after the complaints were filed and the 12-year ban announced Monday includes the time already served.



“It is clear that the behaviour of Stephen Sizer has undermined Christian-Jewish relations, giving encouragement to conspiracy theories and tropes that have no place in public Christian ministry and the church. I renew my call for the highest possible standards among ordained ministers of the Church of England in combating antisemitism of all kinds,” wrote the Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest Clerical official in the Anglican church since it split with the pope in the 16th century under Henry VIII, in a statement.

This article originally appeared on JTA.org.

The post British clergyman accused of antisemitism is barred from Church of England through 2030 appeared first on The Forward.

Peter Buck died in 2021. He owned half of Subway.

James Marshall/Getty Images

• Subway’s last surviving founder, Peter Buck, died in 2021. 
• In 1965, Buck invested $1,000 to help Fred DeLuca start Subway, which grew into a fast-food empire. 
• On Tuesday, Buck’s private foundation said it was receiving Buck’s 50% stake in Subway.  

Half of Subway, reportedly for sale, will soon be owned by a charity thanks to a gift from the chain’s late cofounder Peter Buck. 

Buck, who died last year, left his 50% stake in the chain to the Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation, according to a Tuesday announcement by the charity. Buck, a nuclear physicist turned entrepreneur, founded the organization in 1999. 

“This gift will allow the foundation to greatly expand its philanthropic endeavors and impact many more lives, especially our work to create educational opportunities for all students, work Dr. Buck cared so deeply about,” Carrie Schindele, executive director of the foundation, said in a statement.

According to Forbes, Buck’s two sons, Christopher and William Buck, and Ben Benoit, the foundation’s chief financial officer, are the executors of Buck’s estate. The publication obtained a copy of Buck’s will. Forbes said that the two sons also serve on the foundation’s board of directors. 

Peter Buck was 34 when he partnered with a 17-year-old family friend, Fred DeLuca, to open a submarine sandwich shop. Buck backed the startup with an initial investment of $1,000.

Subway would eventually become one of the biggest fast-food franchise companies in the world. Today, it has more than 37,000 restaurants. Over the last few years, Subway has struggled to stay relevant. It’s closed dozens of stores over the years and restructured franchisee operations. In 2020, the chain laid off hundreds of corporate staff to cut costs amid rumors of a company sale. 

According to the foundation, “the Buck and DeLuca families continue to remain close.” Subway told Insider that members from both the Buck and DeLuca families sit on the Subway board of directors.

News that the foundation has acquired half of Subway comes just weeks after the Wall Street Journal reported that the chain is exploring a sale. It’s unclear how the charity will impact Subway operations and any future sale.

Subway declined to talk about the sale rumors. 

“As a privately held company, we don’t comment on ownership structure and business plans. We continue to be focused on moving the brand forward with our transformational journey to help our franchisees be successful and profitable,” the company told Insider.

 

Are you a Subway insider with insight to share? Got a tip? Contact this reporter via email at nluna@insider.com. 

Former President Donald Trump pauses during an address to New Hampshire Republicans.

Reba Saldanha/AP

• Trump had a rocky start as he emerged from seclusion to hit the 2024 campaign trail.
• A pair of events in South Carolina and New Hampshire illustrated his staying power in the GOP.
• But the former president’s appearances also underlined his status as a vulnerable front-runner. 

Former President Donald Trump’s return to the campaign trail over the weekend ended his bizarre self-imposed seclusion that saw a declared presidential candidate do few of the actual things candidates are supposed to do.

In campaigning in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Trump checked off the box of visiting two of four early states that loom over the GOP’s presidential primary and caucus calendar. His presence also illustrated that while he is the current frontrunner, he is not scaring opponents off the field as one might expect from a former president.

The reality is that Trump is only beginning to take his third campaign seriously. In the meantime, senior operatives are gathering support for one of his possible opponents just outside of the room. But the rest of the entire field is frozen, unable or unwilling to grapple with Trump head-on.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis smiles as confetti falls after he is declared the victor on election night 2022.

Getty Images

Rival campaigns are poaching support at Trump’s own rallies

For example, take his time in New Hampshire. Trump’s commanding win in the Granite State in 2016 after a humiliating loss in Iowa began his glide path to the nomination and eventually the White House. While the former president worked the room, reporters found volunteers for a pro-Ron DeSantis super PAC signing up volunteers for the Florida governor, who has yet to even announce his intentions. That fact didn’t stop outgoing Vice Chairwoman Pamela Tucker from signing up volunteers.

Just before the gathering, a University of New Hampshire poll found that DeSantis held a 12-point lead among likely GOP primary voters. DeSantis hasn’t even visited the state for months.

According to Politico, Trump’s speech at the New Hampshire GOP’s annual meeting was added to his schedule at the last minute. The apparent lack of communication about the former president’s first visit to New Hampshire since 2020 came despite Trump confirming his trip to South Carolina weeks prior.

Former President Donald Trump listens to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the White House, on October 21, 2019.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

But no one is willing to take him on directly

The good news for Trump is that for the time being the rest of the potential 2024 campaign field remains frozen. Former Vice President Mike Pence is dealing with his own classified documents mess. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is sniping at former US Ambassador to United Nations Nikki Haley. And it remains to be seen what former 2016 hopefuls like Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Marco Rubio, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will do. 

Trump’s visit to South Carolina also appears to have gone more smoothly. Gov. Henry McMaster, who more or less owes Trump his job, re-upped his support for the former president. Ditto for Sen. Lindsey Graham, who rebuked Republicans who want Trump’s policies without Trump personally. In 2016, Trump locked down support across the South, something he’ll want to replicate, particularly if the 2024 nomination turns into a protracted fight. 

There’s a lane to take on Trump, but nobody is stepping into it

None of these factors are evidence of a juggernaut campaign. The reality is that there has always been an opening to challenge Trump. The question is will any candidate want to lock horns with a former president, as The Atlantic’s McKay Coppins outlined in a piece on how 2024 could look a lot like 2016, with the GOP privately wishing for Trump’s demise while doing little to actually bring his comeuppance. 

“None of Donald Trump’s opponents ever have the balls to throw him the damn brick,” Terry Sullivan, one of Rubio’s top 2016 operatives, told Coppins. “They just hope someone else will. Hope isn’t a winning strategy.”