(FREE) PAINE IN THE MORNING: 12 things you need to know this Wednesday – March 9, 2022

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Biden Ban On Russia Energy Applies To ‘All New Purchases’ — Will Allow 45-Day Winddown On Existing – President Joe Biden’s ban on imports of Russian fossil fuels will be ‘immediate’ according to a US official, and apply to all new purchases, while existing contracts will be given 45 days to ‘wind down’ deliveries.

“The United States is targeting the main artery of Russia’s economy,” Biden said Tuesday morning,” adding “We will not be part of subsidizing Putin’s war.” – READ MORE

Report: Some in California Can Expect to Pay $8 Per Gallon for Gas – Drivers in California can expect to pay $8 per gallon for gas in many areas, according to an expert who says that the current spike in prices is unlikely to ease in the near future. – READ MORE

Pete Buttigieg Promotes Electric Cars; Public Transportation as Solution to High Gas Prices – Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg promoted electric cars on Monday as a solution to Americans struggling from high gas prices.

“Clean transportation can bring significant cost savings for the American people as well,” Buttigieg said, touting President Joe Biden’s $5 billion plan to bolster America’s electric charging network. – READ MORE

Canada Says Its Oil Could Replace US Imports Of Russian Crude, All It Would Take Is Approval Of The Keystone XL Pipeline – Canada’s oil could replace American imports of Russian crude, the top officials of the oil-producing province Alberta said this weekend.

As talks about banning Russian oil imports in the United States and its European allies intensify, reports have started to emerge that the U.S. Administration could be looking to persuade Saudi Arabia to pump more oil or lift some sanctions on Venezuela to help fill the gap that a Russian oil embargo would open. – READ MORE

European NatGas Prices Soar After Russia Threatens To Halt Nord Stream 1 – European natural gas prices surged Tuesday after Russia threatened the possible closure of the Nord Stream 1 (NS1) pipeline if Western countries decide to ban Russian oil.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Russia could halt NS1 flows to Germany if European countries and the US go ahead and ban Russian energy products. – READ MORE

“Energy Shortages Could Threaten Social Cohesion”: Germany Warns Against Ban On Energy Imports From Russia – At a time when US officials are saying virtually every day that the US is in “active discussions” to ban Russian oil imports, Germany’s economy minister said that while he regrets the country is still dependent on imports from Moscow, he warned against a comprehensive ban on energy imports from Russia.

As Dutesche Welle reports, “Germany is currently still dependent on Russian fossil fuels”, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Thursday; he spoke out against a ban on energy imports from Russia in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. – READ MORE

Food Prices Up 20% Over the Past Year – If your grocery bills continue to frustrate you, you’re not alone. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released its report on worldwide food prices for February, and prices hit a record high last month. The February FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) reached a new high of 140.7 points, which reflects an increase of 3.9% over January and a whopping 20.7% over this time last year.

The FFPI serves as a “measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities,” notes the FAO. This month’s increase was largely due to “large increases in vegetable oil and dairy price sub-indices.” Cereal and meat prices are up as well, though not as high, while sugar prices are down. – READ MORE

Food Crisis About To Get Worse After China Says Winter Wheat Condition Could Be Worst In History – The condition of China’s winter wheat crop could be the “worst in history,” the agriculture minister said on Saturday according to Reuters, raising concerns about grain supplies in the world’s biggest wheat consumer. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Chinese regime’s annual political meetings, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Tang Renjian said that heavy rainfall last year delayed the planting of about one-third of the normal wheat acreage.

A survey of the winter wheat crop taken before the start of winter found that the amount of first- and second-grade crop was down by more than 20 percentage points, Tang said. – READ MORE

‘Global Food Crisis’ Ukraine War Will Have ‘Catastrophic’ Effect on Global Food Supply – Agri Org – The world is heading into a global food crisis thanks to the war in Ukraine, according to the head of one major Agri organisation.

Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine is going to have a ‘catastrophic’ effect on the world’s supply of food, the head of one of the world’s leading fertiliser companies. – READ MORE

Joe Biden’s HHS Encouraging Vaccinated Americans to Enroll in ‘After Vaccine Health Checker’ – President Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is encouraging vaccinated Americans to enroll in “v-safe,” a voluntary “after vaccine health checker” to report how they feel post-jab.

“After getting your #COVID19 booster shot, be sure to use v-safe to get your personalized and confidential text message check-ins about how you feel,” Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine — born Robert Levine — said on Tuesday. – READ MORE

Study: Pfizer shot makes teens 7 times more likely to suffer myocarditis – Members of an FDA panel were worried about the risk of myocarditis when they approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 shot for children last fall, and now there is more cause for concern.

A new study published by JAMA Pediatrics found adolescents were seven times more likely to be hospitalized for myocarditis after receiving a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. – READ MORE

Report: In leaked audio, former NIH director Francis Collins laughs off threatening vaccine refusers with unemployment, blames Trump — not Biden — for COVID-19 deaths – Former National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins reportedly laughed off forcing people to get vaccinations under the threat of job loss and disparaged former President Trump for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in a private event at the University of Chicago late last year, according to leaked audio obtained by the Daily Wire.

Collins, also a newly appointed science adviser to President Biden as of Feb. 17, has in the past maintained that he and his subordinate, Dr. Anthony Fauci, are “not political figures.” But according to the Daily Wire, in the Oct. 26 speaking event, Collins put that claim in question, as he strayed far away from medical discussion to offer his opinion on a series of political topics. – READ MORE