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White House pressing Ukraine to draft 18-year-olds so it has enough troops to battle RussiaCIF urges politicians to prioritise local businessesOver the past few months, United States-based airlines, whether it would be the full-service carriers such as Delta Air Lines or companies on the other side of the spectrum, like Spirit Airlines, have emphasized that passengers have preferred more premium options, especially after the pandemic. While some of the changes that airlines have announced will take time to materialize, there has been a clear trend of US-based carriers adding more premium capacity to their domestic networks. Premium seats outpacing economy seats According to Visual Approach Analytics analysis, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways , and Spirit Airlines have added a substantial number – except Hawaiian Airlines – of premium seats to their networks in 2024 compared to 2019. The firm pointed out that scheduled economy seats on domestic US routes have grown by 4% since 2019, while premium seats have grown by 14%. While American is now leading the pack in terms of premium seats, overtaking Delta, which was the number one premium seat provider on domestic routes in the US in 2019. United Airlines has added 24.8% of premium domestic seats since 2019. Alaska Airlines and Spirit Airlines also added more than 20% of premium seats compared to 2019, showcasing that airlines that have not been associated with a premium travel experience – more in the case with Spirit rather than Alaska – have jumped on the trend and attempted to lure higher yield passengers with more comfortable cabins onboard. In July, the Seattle-based carrier announced that it would add 1.3 million premium seats to its Boeing 737 fleet annually starting this September. Earlier in 2024, Alaska retrofitted its entire regional fleet and added 400,000 premium seats to its Embraer E175s. When presenting the ‘Alaska Accelerate’ plan earlier this month, the carrier said it also plans to expand premium cabins on Hawaiian's widebody aircraft fleet. Currently, the airline’s Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner cabins have an 18-point and 12-point gap in premium seating compared to US competitors operating widebodies, respectively. By 2027, the group plans to have a 29% premium mix on Alaska and Hawaiian aircraft. However, the destinations were outlined to showcase potentially shorter flight times from Seattle than from Los Angeles or San Francisco. Following the money Meanwhile, during Delta's investor day last month, CEO Ed Bastian, noted that he always gets questions about the company’s strategy, including whether the carrier is worried that more airlines are trying to get into the premium space and potentially catch up. “I said if I were them, I [would] do the same thing. That's where the money is [...].” However, Bastian reflected that Delta has invested in its airport locations, fleet, technology, free Wi-Fi , international network, and people, noting that those investments are the foundation of a premium airline. Glen Hauenstein, the carrier's President, continued that train of thought, noting that once he bought his first nice car, he had not gone back. What the airline has garnered over the years is that travelers follow a similar pattern: after they have flown in a premium cabin, they tend not to go back to the lower classes. “[...] the life cycle starts when you're young, and fares were the only thing that matters. And then as you get older and you can afford more and want more and it's really been enlightening to unlock this life cycle of a customer and understand them.” Delta pointed out that premium consumers have been thriving, that millennials have more wealth than prior generations, and they are willing to spend their non-essential cash on luxury travel. “What I think is so exciting, a better future, as Ed [Bastian – ed. note] pointed out, is the millennials and how strong the Delta brand has been over the last 10 years to attract the best millennials.” When American's shareholders grilled the airline during the annual general meeting (AGM) in June, asking why its current management has been “treating this airline as a domestic low-cost carrier, while the other two leading network carriers are developing and branding their product more efficiently and productively,” the airline admitted that customers have been seeing premium experiences as a differentiator. “American currently offers more premium seats than any other U.S. airline, and that number will only grow. In fact, by 2026 the number of premium seats on our fleet is expected to grow by more than 20%.” American Airlines pointed out that its net loss was largely underpinned by one-time charges related to labor agreements. Low-cost carriers going upmarket In response to these changing customer expectations, US-based low-cost carriers, such as Frontier Airlines , Spirit, and Southwest Airlines , have announced changes to their cabins, underpinned by more premium experiences. While Spirit Airlines entered into voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings on November 18th, the airline still outlined that it plans to become more of an up-market carrier post-Chapter 11 , also admitting that following the pandemic, passengers have swayed toward premium experiences. Southwest changed something that has been the focal point of its passenger experience since its inception, introducing assigned seating , more premium seats, and other cabin-related improvements. On December 3rd, Frontier announced that it would introduce a first-class seat in the first two rows of its aircraft , which will be available to passengers starting in late 2025. Barry Biffle, carrier's CEO, said that the company listened to its passengers, who wanted more premium options, like first class seating, attainable seat upgrades, and others. Biffle concluded that the changes represented an exciting new chapter for the low-cost carrier. The following day, Biffle equated passengers who try to avoid paying for carry-on luggage to thieves in an interview with Reuters . The CEO added that he hoped the new administration would allow the airline to focus on important issues, such as safety, rather than “regulating prices and regulating experiences.” Buttigieg responded to the comments Delta Air Lines' CEO had made in November.

-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email Attorney General Merrick Garland declined to prosecute former Rep. Matt Gaetz , R-Fla., despite a trail of text messages and testimony from seemingly scores of women detailing the Republican lawmaker’s alleged penchant for buying sex, including from a woman he later learned was under 18. Garland’s Justice Department then obstructed congressional investigators, claiming an internal policy — not a statute on the books — barring the sharing of any information, damning or exculpatory, that it uncovered during its own investigation into the congressman. Gaetz was never charged with a federal crime even though his friend, former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg , pleaded guilty over similar allegations. Text messages revealed in the House Ethics Committee report released Monday show Greenberg explicitly facilitated the purchase of sex for his friend in Congress, even sharing a photo of Gaetz in one of the exchanges (followed by the question: “Have you ever tried molly”). In May 2021, Greenberg pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting and paying for sex with a minor, among other federal crimes, and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. At the time, federal investigators were still investigating Gaetz and whether he “broke federal sex trafficking, prostitution and public corruption laws,” CNN reported , an investigation that would formally end in February 2023. Prosecuting a crime in an actual court of law is rather different than alleging one in the court of public opinion. A decision to not pursue charges does not necessarily mean someone is innocent in the eyes of the law, but could reflect the perceived difficulty of securing a conviction — of, perhaps, a desire to avoid a political firestorm. Related "Substantial evidence": Ethics report says Matt Gaetz violated statutory rape and drug laws In its report, the House Ethics Committee said it had found “substantial evidence” of Gaetz breaking federal and state laws, noting that an adult man having sex with a 17-year-old constitutes statutory rape in Florida (where the statute of limitations has already expired). Not only did Gaetz “regularly” pay for sex, but he also was using and purchasing drugs from his office on Capitol Hill, investigators allege; at one point, he abused his influence as a member of Congress to help a woman he was having sex with obtain a passport, falsely claiming she was constituent. Investigators also accuse Gaetz of obstructing justice, a federal offense, noting that “some women cited a fear of retaliation from the congressman when declining to speak on the record with the Committee.” In sum, “the Committee concluded there was substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress.” The report also accuses the Department of Justice of obstruction, noting that investigators were repeatedly stymied in their attempts to obtain information on Gaetz and his accusers, the department citing a policy against sharing evidence in cases where it has not brought charges. The argument against pursuing at least some federal charges does find support from the committee. Although alleging that Gaetz had sex with a minor — more than once, including in front of witnesses at a party, paying $400 to a girl who “had just completed her junior year of high school” — investigators note potential lines of defense. Speaking to investigators, “Victim A” said she did not tell Gaetz her age at the time nor did he ask it; she also does not allege that the sex was nonconsensual, a key factor for federal prosecutors, though she noted that she was “under the influence of ecstasy during her sexual encounters with Representative Gaetz,” who she said was using cocaine (per investigators, “at least one women felt that the use of drugs at the parties and events they attended may have ‘impair[ed their] ability to really know what was going on or fully consent’”). “The Committee did not obtain substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws,” the report notes. “Transportation of an individual for purposes of commercial sex could violate such laws if the individual was a minor, or if the sexual activity occurred through force, fraud, or coercion.” Put another way: Gaetz has plausible deniability on his side, at least on that particular charge. Former federal prosecutors also told Politico that the Department of Justice is reluctant to prosecute commercial sex crimes in the absence of clear coercion. “It’s a crime, it’s a statute on the books that they can prosecute — but it’s not a high-priority thing,” Robert Bittman told the outlet. “It’s not something that’s often prosecuted, and really would only be prosecuted if there are significant, other aggravating factors.” We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism But critics of the Garland-led DOJ can point to Gaetz’s status as a public official: Shouldn’t lawbreaking by the most powerful be prosecuted as an example for others in the service of good, honest government? They can also point to Joel Greenberg: Here was someone who was indeed charged for trafficking the 17-year-old “Victim A” — a minor who he explicitly arranged to have sex with his friend and U.S. congressman, Matt Gaetz, even sharing a photo to remove any doubt (“Oooh my friend thinks he’s really cute!” the 20-year-old intermediary replied). Greenberg’s lawyer insisted he too had no idea that the girl was underage, telling reporters after his sentencing that the minor had advertised herself as being over 18 on a website for “sugar daddy” relationships. Greenberg’s claimed ignorance did not save him from a federal prison. And he was willing to testify against his former associate; congressional investigators likewise spoke with more than two dozen witnesses of Gaetz’s alleged behavior and compiled a list of 15 women “who were alleged to have received payments from him or on his behalf relating to sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.” The decision not to prosecute Gaetz is legally defensible, at least judging by the former prosecutors willing to defend it and congressional investigators’ admission that the evidence they managed to obtain — without much help from the Department of Justice — would likely not be enough to convict Gaetz, at least on a charge of sex trafficking a child. But it’s also true that Gaetz could have been charged, too: Greenberg was, after all, and Gaetz likewise could be argued to have acted “in reckless disregard of the fact” that the girl with whom he was engaging in a “ commercial sex act ” could have been a minor. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter , Crash Course. In terms of appearances, it at least looks like Gaetz benefited from his notoriety. He was not just some podunk tax collector, but a prominent ally of President-elect Donald Trump — so close to Trump, in fact, that he was put forward as Merrick Garland’s replacement. Was that a factor? According to CNN, the “ final decision ” to not charge Gaetz “was made by Department of Justice leadership after investigators recommended against charges last year." That decision came despite Greenberg spelling out his arrangement with Gaetz. In a text message to Roger Stone, from whom he was seeking help in getting a pardon from then-President Trump, Greenberg said he’d told his lawyers all about the congressman and his escapades. “They know he paid me to pay the girls and that he and I both had sex with the girl who was underage,” Greenberg wrote in December 2020, The Daily Beast reported . Garland’s four-year tenure has been characterized by a hesitancy to pursue high-profile cases against alleged criminals who are top Republicans, it taking him more than a year and a half to appoint a special prosecutor to look into Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021, and his retention of classified documents. In that case, according to the Washington Post, “A wariness about appearing partisan, institutional caution, and clashes over how much evidence was sufficient to investigate the actions of Trump and those around him all contributed to the slow pace.” That sure sounds a lot like the Gaetz saga, too — bolstered by the fact that an alleged co-conspirator is behind bars while the man who was a member of Congress remains free, just as dozens of rioters are imprisoned while the man accused of inciting them is returning to the White House. Tristan Snell, a former New York state prosecutor who investigated Trump and his businesses, put it this way: “Sex trafficking, sex trafficking of a minor, statutory rape, cocaine/ecstasy use, bribery, abuse of his office, obstruction of justice,” he wrote on social media. “Federal prosecutors knew ALL this about Matt Gaetz[.] And yet they didn’t charge him with anything — they let him walk.” Read more about Merrick Garland Merrick Garland, Donald Trump and the fall of France “Cowardly”: Legal experts slam Garland for punting to special counsel after Trump announcement "The weakness is off the charts": Ex-prosecutors sound alarm on team Garland assigned to Trump case By Charles R. Davis Charles R. Davis is Salon's deputy news editor. His work has aired on public radio and been published by outlets such as The Guardian, The Daily Beast, The New Republic and Columbia Journalism Review. MORE FROM Charles R. Davis Related Topics ------------------------------------------ Analysis Joel Greenberg Matt Gaetz Merrick Garland Tristan Snell Related Articles Advertisement:

Comelec receives final batch of ACMs for 2025 polls

Research team tackles hoarding by young people, older adultsRashford exiled at Utd over standards - AmorimMiami enters the week still stunned after losing its fourth straight game. Next up, the Hurricanes will play host to Arkansas on Tuesday night in Coral Gables, Fla., as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. Miami (3-4) lost on Saturday afternoon to Charleston Southern, a team that entered with a 1-7 record. Arkansas (5-2) is coming off a Thanksgiving loss to Illinois on a neutral floor in Kansas City, Mo. "We've got a lot to learn," said John Calipari, in his first season coaching Arkansas. "We really haven't scrimmaged because we haven't had 10 guys (due to injuries). "But this team is going to be fine." The same thing cannot confidently be said about the Hurricanes. Their first three defeats of the current skid were tough for Miami to take, losing to Drake, Oklahoma State and VCU on a neutral court as part of the Charleston Classic. But the loss to Charleston Southern -- which was a 25-point underdog -- has to be considered among the worst in Miami history. Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga was without point guard Nijel Pack, who missed the contest due to a lower-body injury. Pack leads Miami in scoring (15.2) and assists (4.7). There are no reports on how long he will be out. With Pack unavailable, five-star freshman Jalil Bethea made his first college start. However, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard has not yet played up to his ranking. Bethea is averaging 6.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists. He is also shooting 30.0 percent on 3-pointers. Miami ranks 284th in the nation in rebounds and 259th in blocked shots. "We haven't been able to put together a solid defensive effort," Larranaga said following the loss to Charleston Southern. "Some of it has to do with fundamentals. Some of it has to do with athletic ability. Some of it has to do with size." Tuesday's game will match two veteran coaches: Larranaga, 75, and Calipari, 65. Calipari brought in seven transfers and five freshmen for his first season in Fayetteville. Two of those transfers -- 6-foot-8 wing Adou Thiero and 7-foot-2 center Zvonimir Ivisic -- were signed after leaving Kentucky, Calipari's previous stop. Thiero leads Arkansas in scoring (19.1), rebounds (5.9) and steals (2.9). Ivisic leads Arkansas in blocks (2.7) while ranking third in points (12.1). Freshman Boogie Fland, a McDonald's All-American, has made a quick transition to college ball. The 6-foot-2 point guard is second on the team in scoring (15.9) and steals (1.9) and first in assists (4.9). Among Arkansas' bench pieces are 6-foot-11 Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo and 6-foot-10 Arkansas holdover Trevon Brazile. Their combined 92 college starts illustrate Arkansas' depth. "The ceiling is there," Calipari said. "But we need to be the aggressors." --Field Level Media

Topline President Joe Biden will issue more pardons before he leaves office, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday, a day after Biden’s surprise pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, as lawmakers and advocates make a final push for pardon requests as Biden’s term winds down—though Biden has remained mum about who could get clemency. Key Facts What To Watch For Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday they can expect more pardons before the end of Biden’s term on Jan. 20. Big Number 26. That’s the number of pardons Biden has issued since 2021, including his son Hunter Biden. In April, he pardoned 11 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses he said had shown a commitment to improving their lives. Key Background Biden announced Sunday he pardoned his son Hunter Biden for his felony convictions, claiming the Justice Department was politically motivated when it prosecuted him for a set of tax and gun charges. Biden announced the decision despite saying previously he would not pardon his son. Hunter Biden was set to be sentenced later this month on charges of lying on the federal paperwork required to purchase a gun by saying he was not a drug user and for failing to pay over $1 million in taxes on time. In announcing the decision, Biden said it is extremely rare for the Justice Department to bring charges for lying on the gun form. The president also claimed the DOJ doesn’t typically prosecute people who “were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties,” referencing Hunter Biden’s well-documented addiction to crack cocaine at the time. The pardon prohibits the federal government from prosecuting the younger Biden for any alleged offenses that have occurred since the start of 2014, in addition to clearing his record of the felony tax and gun charges. The decision drew bipartisan blowback , including from Trump, who called it “an abuse and miscarriage of Justice” in a Truth Social post. Further Reading Democrats Blast Hunter Biden’s Pardon: Here’s How Both Sides—And Trump—Are Reacting (Forbes) Joe Biden Pardons His Son Hunter For Felonies (Forbes) Trump Teases Jan. 6 Rioter Pardons After Biden Pardons His Son—Here’s Who Else Trump Might Pardon (Forbes)

Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) at Atlanta (6-5) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 1 1/2 Series record: Falcons lead 8-4. Against the spread: Chargers 7-3-1, Falcons 5-6. Last meeting: Chargers beat Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. Last week: Ravens beat Chargers, 30-23; Falcons had bye week following 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17. Chargers offense: overall (21), rush (13), pass (20), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (13), rush (10), pass (10), scoring (13). Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (5), scoring (16). Falcons defense: overall (25), rush (19), pass (26), scoring (26). Turnover differential: Chargers plus-8, Falcons minus-3. Chargers player to watch RB Gus Edwards could move up as the lead back for Los Angeles as J.K Dobbins (knee) is . Edwards was activated from injured reserve earlier this month following an ankle injury and had nine carries for 11 yards with a touchdown in Monday night’s to Baltimore. Falcons player to watch WR Drake London has 61 catches, leaving him four away from becoming the first player in team history to have at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. London has 710 receiving yards, leaving him 140 away from becoming the first player in team history with at least 850 in each of his first three seasons. Key matchup Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Chargers run defense. Robinson was shut down by Denver, gaining only 35 yards on 12 carries, and the Atlanta offense couldn’t recover. The Chargers rank 10th in the league against the run, so it will be a challenge for the Falcons to find a way to establish a ground game with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. A solid running attack would create an opportunity for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to establish the play-action passes for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Key injuries Dobbins appeared to injure his right knee in the first half of the loss to the Ravens, though coach Jim Harbaugh did not provide details. ... The Falcons needed the bye to give a long list of injured players an opportunity to heal. WR WR KhaDarel Hodge (neck) did not practice on Wednesday. WR Darnell Mooney (Achilles), CB Kevin King (concussion), DL Zach Harrison (knee, Achilles) and WR Casey Washington (concussion) were hurt in the at Denver on Nov. 17 and were limited on Wednesday. CB Mike Hughes (neck), nickel back Dee Alford (hamstring), ILB Troy Andersen (knee), TE Charlie Woerner (concussion) and ILB JD Bertrand (concussion) also were limited on Wednesday after not playing against Denver. C Drew Dalman (ankle) could return. Series notes The Chargers have won the past three games in the series following six consecutive wins by the Falcons from 1991-2012. Los Angeles took a 33-30 overtime win in Atlanta in 2016 before the Chargers added 20-17 wins at home in 2020 and in Atlanta in 2022. The Falcons won the first meeting between the teams, 41-0 in San Diego in 1973. Stats and stuff Each team has built its record on success against the soft NFC South. Atlanta is 4-1 against division rivals. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season. The Chargers have a four-game winning streak against the division. ... Atlanta is 0-2 against AFC West teams, following a to Kansas City and the lopsided loss at Denver. They will complete their tour of the AFC West with a game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 16. ... The Falcons are the league’s only first-place team with a negative points differential. Atlanta has been outscored 274-244. Fantasy tip The loss of Dobbins, who has rushed for eight touchdowns, could put more pressure on QB Justin Hebert and the passing game. Herbert’s favorite option has been WR Ladd McConkey, who has four TD receptions among his 49 catches for 698 yards. McConkey, the former University of Georgia standout who was drafted in the second round, could enjoy a productive return to the state against a Falcons defense that ranks only 26th against the pass. ___ AP NFL:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ian Schieffelin had 18 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in leading Clemson to a 75-67 win over Penn State on Tuesday and the championship of the Sunshine Slam Beach Division. Chase Hunter added 17 points, Chauncey Wiggins 14 and Del Jones 10 for the Tigers (6-1), who shot 44% and made 9 of 19 3-pointers led by Hunter's three. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children's toys and hair accessories. In a blog post, Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society in Canada, explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it's actually about one-tenth of that. (Dreamstime/TNS) The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were "an order of magnitude lower" than the EPA's thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it's actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren't enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn't be in these products in the first place. "The math error does not impact the study's findings, conclusions or recommendations," said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they're heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you're wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. It's nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That's because these products that include recycled e-waste don't disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it's also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study "had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them," she said. Anytime you're looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you're going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. There isn't a definitive timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. The 20th century brought airplanes, radio, television, the internet, and plastic. Lots of plastic. That plastic is now showing up on shorelines, forming islands in oceans, and generating mountains of translucent trash on land. Around 700 species of animals in the sea have been found to interact with plastic daily. Companies across every industry face pressure to reduce the amount of plastic they produce. Seventy-two percent of the world's largest have made voluntary commitments to reduce their plastic waste, according to a Duke University analysis. One industry, in particular, has greatly benefited from advancements in single-use plastic technology: the medical industry. Only in recent years have businesses and academics in the field begun to talk about minimizing their impact on our environment like beverage manufacturers and other consumer goods-producing businesses. Medical Technology Schools analyzed academic studies published in the National Library of Medicine , the American Medical Association , and news reports to shed light on the medical community's use of plastics through history, their environmental problems, and proposed solutions to reduce their impact. And the impact can be significant. A single hospital patient generates nearly 34 pounds of waste a day —as much as a quarter of it is plastic. The COVID-19 pandemic only worsened the problem. The pandemic pushed hospital capacity to the brink and led to a massive increase in personal protective equipment and medical supply usage. Medical-grade masks and other protective equipment like face shields, made mostly of nonrenewable plastics, were in high demand. In 2020, the World Health Organization estimated that the international need for PPE manufacturing would boost 40% to address the public health crisis. Hospitals needed an estimated 89 million masks, 76 million gloves, and 1.6 million goggles every month of the pandemic. To date, nearly 677 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, each requiring their own plastic syringe, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan estimated that the U.S. would produce a year's worth of medical waste in just two months due to the pandemic. The World Economic Forum warned that the COVID-19 crisis threatened to " stall and even reverse progress " to reduce large plastic waste. It's a challenge researchers acknowledge today as they search for solutions. Plastics introduced an era of ultraconvenience to the world. It makes our clothes. It's made bike helmets and airbags possible. And it's a cheap material to produce, meaning it's cheap for consumers too. Almost as importantly, it's durable and incredibly easy to make into complex shapes—a trait that helped plastics invented in the mid-20th century quickly replace more expensive metal and wooden goods. That adoption extended to the medical field, where the single-use nature of plastics represented a move toward more hygienic tools for physicians and hospitals. But it wasn't plastic's sanitary qualities that the industry first latched onto. Like so many other technical advancements, convenience and cost were the initial driving factors. That they were more conducive to creating a sterile environment for patients was a benefit that health care began to tout closer to the end of the 20th century. PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, replaced glass bottles previously used to hold IV solution and replaced rubber tubing used throughout hospital settings. Plastic has also become the go-to material for making syringes and catheters. Plastic products are generally made from chemicals derived from the oil and natural gas refining process. Chemists use those byproducts to create synthetic materials with malleable and durable chemical structures. The low cost of these materials has helped medical device-makers support better health outcomes for communities across the U.S. since the 1900s. No longer was health care priced at rates only the elite could afford—it was accessible to a much larger swath of the public. In the last decade, the U.S., in particular, has emerged as a massive market for medical plastics. The country generally accounts for nearly half of the global market for medical devices. Plastic's durability is not only a benefit but a detriment to the environment, as the material can take many years to deteriorate when it enters landfills or trashes oceans. Estimates vary widely, but scientists ballpark that depending on the kind of plastic and the environment in which it decomposes, it could take dozens to thousands of years to break down entirely. COVID-19, which remains a burden for health care systems, isn't the only force raising the stakes for a health care industry pressured to reduce reliance on plastics or find ways to reuse them. Global annual production of plastic has doubled in the last two decades , according to the Environmental Protection Agency. As the U.S. looks toward the future, its aging population is another factor that could exacerbate the rate at which medical plastics end up in landfills. People require more medical care as they age, and aging baby boomers are expected to place increased demand on the medical device industry. At the same time, governments are under pressure to lower health care costs, which have become unaffordable even for those insured . As recently as 2021, researchers lamented a lack of data on efforts to recycle medical plastics. Around 350 hospitals participate in Practice Greenhealth's Environmental Excellence Awards . Practice Greenhealth is an organization working to help hospitals increase their sustainability. It's one of the few sources of hospital sustainability data, and its roster of participating hospitals represents a small fraction of the more than 6,000 hospitals operating in the U.S. To meet the need to reduce plastic waste generation, some hospitals are moving away from using plastic in certain applications. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center replaced health care workers' disposable plastic isolation gowns with reusable cloth gowns at its hospitals in the last decade, saving money and preventing literal tons of medical waste. It also implemented a process for sterilizing and incinerating the boxes that hold used needles, allowing them to be reassembled and reused in a health care setting. Recycling plastic medical waste is complicated by the potential for contamination and the need to separate contaminated and noncontaminated waste; once separated, they can be broken down with heat or treated with chemicals and reprocessed. However, using chemical methods to break down and dispose of plastics has drawbacks. Over 200 nongovernmental organizations signed a letter in 2023 urging the Biden administration to end federal support for methods like these, arguing they generate toxic pollutants. The Vinyl Council of Australia is working with hospitals to recover used materials made of PVC . The materials are broken down into tiny pieces, washed and heated at high temperatures, and remade into things used outside medical settings. In the U.S. and Europe, there's the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council, a coalition of companies working in the health care device space that includes DuPont, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic. In 2021, the HPRC, advised by professionals at Kaiser Permanente and other health systems, rolled out a medical waste recycling pilot project with hopes of scaling it across more hospitals. Story editing by Ashleigh Graf. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on Medical Technology Schools and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week!AI will help Saudi Arabia achieve ambitious growth targets: expert

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