Category: News
After a year of testing, Seed has become my go-to probiotic. Here’s why I love it
Like many people, I occasionally have days when my digestive tract isn’t as happy as I’d like it to be. On my best days, I’m fine. But on my worst days, pain, bloating and other issues can be more than a little disruptive to my daily routine.
I have tried many strategies to help make my gut activity more predictable. I’ve taken both probiotics and prebiotic supplements and had varying degrees of success. This past year, however, I discovered Seed. Seed is a game-changer that can significantly reduce distressing symptoms, such as stomach pain and bloating.
What is a probiotic?
According to the Mayo Clinic, there is an entire micro-ecosystem composed mostly of bacteria that thrives in the lining of your gut. This world of microscopic creatures is called a microbiome. The state of this microbiome has a huge impact on your overall health, mood and behavior.
A probiotic is a food or a supplement that adds living microbes to your system. This is a good thing, as these microbes fight off bad ones and help keep you healthy. Some of the most common probiotic foods are yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi.
What is a prebiotic?
Prebiotics might sound a lot like probiotics, but the two are very different. Prebiotics are specialized plant fibers that are found in many fruits and vegetables. These fibers nourish and fortify the microbes inside you, stimulating growth to make them robust and healthy.
How does Seed DS-01 Daily Synbiotic work?
Seed DS-01 Daily Synbiotic is a mix of 24 clinically and scientifically studied strains that are known to support systemic health. It also contains prebiotics to help stimulate growth. The two-in-one capsule-in-capsule design helps ensure the live probiotics make it all the way into the colon, where they can be the most beneficial to your microbiome.
What you need to know before purchasing Seed DS-01 Daily Synbiotic
The Seed capsules are easy to swallow. I take them first thing in the morning with a glass of water before eating or drinking anything else. These are the only pills I have ever been able to take on an empty stomach with no adverse effects.
There was no unfavorable adjustment period after beginning my daily regimen — one each day for the first three days, then two each day. Within 48 hours, I noticed a significant reduction in stomach pain. Since these capsules are shelf-stable, I can keep them on my night stand or pack them with me when I travel without fear of diminished effectiveness.
Where to buy Seed Synbiotic
You can buy Seed DS-01 Daily Synbiotic from Amazon. You get 60 pills for a reasonable $59.99. The initial purchase activates a monthly subscription that can be paused or canceled at any time.
Other products worth considering
Align’s probiotic supplement is for both men and women. It is formulated to soothe and reduce occasional abdominal discomfort resulting from gas and bloating.
This offering from Now contains 10 probiotic strains that have been identified and verified to naturally colonize the human GI tract.
Garden of Life Once Daily Women’s Probiotics
Garden of Life’s Once Daily probiotic supplement is specifically formulated for women’s health needs. This supplement is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and vegetarian, and it does not require refrigeration.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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Today in Chicago History: Heather Mack tells Tribune from Bali jail, ‘I loved my mom’
Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Feb. 3, according to the Tribune’s archives.
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Fifth page flashback: Feb. 4, 1876
Team owners from eight clubs met at the Grand Central Hotel in New York City on Feb. 3, 1876, to form the National League. (Chicago Tribune)
1876: Chicago Cubs owner William A. Hulbert was one of eight club representatives who met at the Grand Central Hotel in New York City to establish baseball’s National League.
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
High temperature: 59 degrees (1992)
Low temperature: Minus 19 degrees (1996)
Precipitation: 1.52 inches (1896)
Snowfall: 11 inches (1896)
New York/New Jersey Hitmen punt returner Kirby Dar Dar, left, is tackled by Chicago Enforcer defenders William Tate (85) and Dorian Brew (49) at their game at Soldier Field on Feb. 24, 2001. (Chris Bernacchi/for the Chicago Tribune)
2001: The Orlando Rage defeated the Chicago Enforcers 33-29 in front of a sellout crowd of 35,603 in the Citrus Bowl during the debut of the XFL, which was founded by NBC and WWE executive Vince McMahon. The league folded in May 2001.
“I maintain that I am innocent of all charges against me related to the death of my mother,” a pregnant Heather Mack told the Tribune during a phone interview in February 2015. (Chicago Tribune)
2015: In a series of interviews with the Tribune, Heather Mack — the Chicago woman convicted of helping to kill her mother, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, and stuffing her body in a suitcase on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali in 2014 — insisted she was innocent and said she was “petrified” about her future and that of her unborn child. Mack says she was compelled to contact the newspaper because her Indonesian criminal defense attorney was not being paid from her trust fund as ordered. She also said there were good Samaritans helping her get food and vitamins and even a bed in her jail cell. She declined to offer details on the people’s identities. “Indonesia’s been great to both me and Stella,” Mack said, using the name she planned to give her unborn child.
Mack served about seven years of a 10-year sentence in Indonesia, only to be arrested by the FBI when she landed at O’Hare International Airport in 2021 on a federal indictment that had been filed under seal in 2017. She pleaded guilty in June 2023 to one count in the federal murder conspiracy case against her in Chicago federal court. Lawyers for Mack have asked a federal judge in Chicago to impose the minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and grant her credit for nearly 10 years already spent behind bars.
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/03/february-3-chicago-history/
Today in History: 15th Amendment ratified
Today is Tuesday, Feb. 3, the 34th day of 2026. There are 331 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On Feb. 3, 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting Black American men the right to vote, was ratified.
Also on this date:
In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified.
In 1917, the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, the same day an American cargo ship, the SS Housatonic, was sunk by a U-boat off Britain (after the crew was allowed to board lifeboats).
In 1943, during World War II, the U.S. transport ship SS Dorchester, which was carrying troops to Greenland, sank after being hit by a German torpedo in the Labrador Sea; only some 230 of the 900 aboard survived.
In 1959, which would become known as “the day the music died,” rock ‘n roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson died in a small plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.
In 1966, the Soviet probe Luna 9 became the first man-made object to make a soft landing on the moon.
In 1998, a U.S. Marine jet sliced through the cable of a ski gondola near Cavalese, Italy, causing the car to plunge hundreds of feet, killing all 20 people inside.
In 2006, an Egyptian passenger ferry sank in the Red Sea during bad weather, killing more than 1,000 people.
In 2007, a truck bomb exploded in a busy street market in Baghdad, killing more than 100 people in one of the deadliest single attacks in the Iraqi capital.
In 2015, a Metro-North Railroad commuter train slammed into an SUV stuck on the tracks at a suburban rail crossing 20 miles north of New York City, killing five train passengers and the SUV driver and injuring about 30 others.
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In 2023, more than three dozen freight cars of a train carrying hazardous materials derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, close to the Pennsylvania line. The derailment prompted an immediate evacuation and the intentional burning of toxic vinyl chloride three days later that sent flames and acrid smoke in the air.
Today’s birthdays: Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton is 86. Actor Blythe Danner is 83. Football Hall of Famer Bob Griese is 81. Singer-guitarist Dave Davies (The Kinks) is 79. Actor Morgan Fairchild is 76. Actor Nathan Lane is 70. Actor Maura Tierney is 61. Basketball Hall of Famer Vlade Divac is 58. Golf Hall of Famer Retief Goosen is 57. Actor Warwick Davis is 56. Actor Isla Fisher is 50. Reggaeton singer Daddy Yankee is 49. Actor Aimee Lou Wood is 32.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/03/today-in-history-15th-amendment-ratified/
Governments Can Fix Money Fast. Here Is Why They Will Not Do It…
Governments Can Fix Money Fast. Here Is Why They Will Not Do It…
The markets have been rocked by news of a possible intervention to control the Japanese yen slump, after it reached a forty-year low relative to the US dollar. Fixing the yen and any other fiat currency is simple: Implement an Austrian approach; eliminate constant deficit spending and monetization of government outlays; and implement clear, sound money policies that support the purchasing power of the currency.
Letting rates float and having zero deficit would help.
However, no government seems to want to control spending and eliminate constant artificial currency creation, even knowing that, by doing so, they would limit the risk of financial crises, excessive risk-taking, and erosion of citizens’ wage purchasing power.
The best a citizen can expect today is a mild form of Keynesianism that aims for lower taxes, relatively lower spending, and a constant expansion of money supply as the driver of economic growth. Even this “lesser evil” approach ends with malinvestment, financial crises, and more politicians demanding “public investment” as the solution.
Governments avoid sound money and controlling spending because these choices can hurt them politically right away, while using inflation and interventionist methods allows them to take a lot of wealth from citizens and give it to themselves and their favored industries.
Governments refer to the constant issuance of new currency that exceeds private sector demand as the “social use of money.” Inflationism is a tool to create dependency and limit individuals’ financial freedom.
Inflation is not an accident; it is a policy. The erosion of the purchasing power of the currency makes governments more powerful; they present themselves as the solution to the problems their policies create, and citizens have fewer tools to gain financial independence.
Governments and their “experts” constantly try to blame inflation on anything except what really creates it: monetary excess preceded by fiscal irresponsibility and uncontrolled deficit spending. Politicians point to “greedy companies,” “supply shocks,” or “external factors,” even to wage growth, as causes of inflation to hide the simple fact that issuing more currency than the private sector demands inevitably destroys its purchasing power.
Inflation is a de facto slow default and signals a constant loss of fiscal credibility for governments. High taxes and inflation become two sides of the same policy: controlling citizens and making them servants to an ever-rising bureaucratic power that rewards a few private enablers in the process.
This erosion is not neutral. It is a permanent, silent tax on real wages and savings that benefits the state, the most indebted agent in the economy, which can spend more than it receives. When governments double down on spending and central banks accommodate with quantitative easing and artificially low rates, there is a simple calculated transfer of wealth from the middle class to the public sector.
Central banks have become tools to maintain the government debt bubble rather than defenders of price stability, especially when they view such stability in an annual inflation increase based on a carefully selected basket that masks the true extent of currency debasement. The Fed’s panic in 2020-2024 is a clear signal of a monetary authority subordinating its mandate to the needs of the Treasury.
The ECB has followed a similar path, maintaining its anti-fragmentation tools, rolling over massive holdings of sovereign bonds and giving permanent support for highly indebted states such as France and Spain. Central banks will not oppose the government; instead, they will transfer the burden to consumers.
Governments never end inflation because they benefit from it.
High nominal growth, fueled by money printing and deficit spending, inflates tax revenues and masks the deterioration of real wages, while the real value of outstanding public debt is gradually dissolved.
Sound money, balanced budgets, and structural reforms require the elimination of clientelist spending, politically protected programs, and subsidy‑dependent sectors.
Sound money benefits the private sector and citizens. Inflationism makes the state larger and more powerful at the expense of families and businesses. Politicians consistently pledge “free” benefits, which ultimately result in increased inflation, reduced growth, and diminished productivity.
This is why, even as headline inflation moderates, citizens feel poorer and angrier. Governments created the inflation shock with massive stimulus at the peak of the cycle, then forced central banks to tighten late and aggressively, placing the full burden of adjustment on families, small businesses, and productive investment while public sectors remained largely untouched. The result is stagnation with high taxation and persistent inflation expectations—a slow‑motion confiscation of the middle class.
Refusing to adopt sound money is not an intellectual mistake but a political choice. Governments and central banks have built a framework that systematically sacrifices citizens’ real wages, savings, and freedom to preserve an ever‑larger, ever‑more‑indebted state. You pay.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/03/2026 – 05:00
How preworkout can change your workout routine
Here are some of the benefits of using a preworkout supplement
Ever notice how some people bounce into the gym like they’re auditioning for a fitness commercial while you’re shuffling in like a zombie? Their secret might be sitting in a shaker bottle. Preworkout supplements have gone from niche bodybuilder territory to mainstream gym staple, and for good reason — they actually work. Mix a scoop with water 20 to 30 minutes before your workout, and suddenly that 6 a.m. training session or post-work gym trip feels achievable instead of exhausting.
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The magic comes from smart ingredient combinations. Caffeine sharpens your focus and makes hard work feel easier, beta-alanine delays that burning fatigue in your muscles and creatine helps you power through those last few reps you’d normally skip. Together, these ingredients create a noticeable boost in energy, endurance and mental drive. You’re not imagining it — you genuinely can lift heavier, run longer and push harder when you’re properly fueled with the right preworkout.
The best part? Preworkout helps you show up consistently, which matters more than any single intense session. When you know that scoop of powder will transform your sluggish mood into workout-ready energy, you’re way more likely to actually get to the gym instead of making excuses. Consistency builds results, and preworkout removes one of the biggest obstacles to consistency: just not feeling like hitting the gym today.
Cellucor’s C4 line is well worth checking out for a lot of reasons: It works, tastes decent and offers options for different experience levels. The Original formula delivers a solid energy boost without going overboard, while the Extreme version caters to hardcore gym-goers who want maximum intensity. You can shop all your options on the list below.
Preworkout from C4 that will get you pumped for your next gym sesh
C4 Original Pre-Workout Fruit Punch
The C4 Original is the perfect entry point if you’re new to preworkout or sensitive to caffeine. With 150 milligrams (about the same as a strong cup of coffee), it provides noticeable energy without making you feel jittery. The beta-alanine also provides a mild boost, and creatine supports strength gains over time. Plus, it’s sugar-free.
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C4 Ripped Pre-Workout Powder Cherry Limeade
With the same winning formula as the Fruit Punch, this Cherry Limeade flavor will also energize your workout without going overboard. Get 30 servings to last a full month of workouts — great for consistent users who train four to five times a week.
This is the big leagues. The Extreme formula doubles down on everything — 300 milligrams of caffeine for serious energy, higher beta-alanine for maximum endurance support and two types of patented creatine for enhanced strength gains. This version is for experienced preworkout users who’ve built up tolerance and need that extra kick, or for people tackling particularly tough training sessions.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/03/how-preworkout-can-change-your-workout-routine/
Rusia lanza 450 drones y 70 misiles a Ucrania un día antes de las conversaciones mediadas por EEUU
Por KAMILA HRABCHUK
KIEV, Ucrania (AP) — Rusia lanzó alrededor de 450 drones de largo alcance y 70 misiles de varios tipos contra Ucrania en un gran ataque durante la noche, afirmó el martes el presidente ucraniano, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
El bombardeo ocurrió un día antes de que los dos países asistieran a conversaciones mediadas por Estados Unidos en Abu Dabi, Emiratos Árabes Unidos, sobre el fin de la guerra total que Rusia inició hace casi cuatro años.
El bombardeo de al menos cinco regiones de Ucrania tuvo como objetivo específico la red eléctrica, señaló Zelenskyy, como parte de la campaña continua de Moscú para dejar a los civiles sin luz, calefacción y agua corriente en medio del invierno más frío en años. Al menos 10 personas resultaron heridas, dijeron las autoridades.
“Aprovechar los días más fríos del invierno para aterrorizar a la gente es más importante para Rusia que la diplomacia”, dijo Zelenskyy.
Instó a los aliados a enviar más suministros de defensa antiaérea y ejercer “máxima presión” sobre Rusia para poner fin a su invasión a gran escala, que comenzó el 24 de febrero de 2022.
Las autoridades han descrito las recientes conversaciones entre las delegaciones de Moscú y Kiev como constructivas. Pero después de un año de esfuerzos, el gobierno de Trump todavía busca un avance en temas clave como quién conserva la tierra ucraniana que el ejército ruso ha ocupado, y un acuerdo integral parece lejano. Las conversaciones en Abu Dabi estaban programadas para el miércoles y jueves.
Rusia ha intentado desgastar el apetito de los ucranianos por la lucha creando dificultades para la población civil.
Ha intentado destruir la red eléctrica de Ucrania, atacando subestaciones, transformadores, turbinas y generadores en plantas de energía. La mayor empresa privada de energía de Ucrania, DTEK, dijo que el ataque nocturno golpeó sus plantas de energía térmica en el noveno gran asalto desde octubre.
En Kiev, las autoridades dijeron que cinco personas resultaron heridas en los ataques que dañaron e incendiaron edificios residenciales, un jardín de infancia y una gasolinera en varias partes de la capital, según el Servicio Estatal de Emergencias.
Para la madrugada, 1.170 edificios de apartamentos en la capital estaban sin calefacción, dijo el alcalde de Kiev, Vitali Klitschko. Eso retrasó las desesperadas operaciones de reparación que habían restaurado la electricidad a todos menos 80 edificios de apartamentos, afirmó.
Rusia también atacó la región nororiental de Járkiv en Ucrania, donde se reportaron heridos, y la región sureña de Odesa.
El ataque también dañó el Salón de la Fama en el Museo Nacional de la Historia de Ucrania en la II Guerra Mundial, al pie del Monumento a la Madre Patria en Kiev, dijo la ministra de Cultura ucraniana Tetiana Berezhna.
“Es simbólico y cínico al mismo tiempo: el estado agresor ataca un lugar de memoria sobre la lucha contra la agresión en el siglo XX, repitiendo crímenes en el siglo XXI”, sealó Berezhna.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
US-Sanctioned Russian Military Transport Plane Touches Down At Cuban Airfield
US-Sanctioned Russian Military Transport Plane Touches Down At Cuban Airfield
In a development which sounds reminiscent of the most dangerous moments of the Cold War, a Russian military cargo plane has been observed landing in Cuba, just as Havana is in Washington’s regime change crosshairs.
The Ilyushin Il-76, operated by the government-linked airline Aviacon Zitotrans, is reportedly under US sanctions as it has a well-documented history of ferrying military gear to Latin America. It touched down late Sunday at a Cuban military airfield.
The same aircraft – registered RA-78765 – logged flights to Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba in October amid rising tensions between Washington and Caracas.
According to details in Fox News:
Flight-tracking records show the aircraft stopped in St. Petersburg and Sochi in Russia; Mauritania, Africa; and the Dominican Republic. Each landing would have required approval from host governments, offering a window into which countries are continuing to permit Russian military-linked aviation activity despite Western sanctions.
The large, long range aircraft can carry up to 50 tons of cargo or roughly 200 personnel.
The US Treasury first added the company to its sanctions list in January 2023. The statement said, “Aviacon Zitotrans has shipped military equipment such as rockets, warheads, and helicopter parts all over the world,. Aviacon Zitotrans has shipped defense materiel to Venezuela, Africa, and other locations.”
Whether this latest delivery involved weapons, equipment or infrastructure parts remains unclear. What is clear is that sanctioned Russian military logistics are once again operating in the Caribbean’s airspace.
However, from Havana’s viewpoint, it should be allowed to maintain alliances and routing business and transactions – even if on the military front, with a large power like Russia.
Days ago, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia vowed that there will be no repeat of the Venezuelan scenario in Cuba.
An Aviacon Zitotrans IL-76 cargo plane that has previously been used to deliver military related cargoes from Russia to Venezuela crossed the Atlantic for the first time this year, but this time its destination was Cuba. pic.twitter.com/74lxpJLOKa
— CNW (@ConflictsW) February 2, 2026
“There has undoubtedly been betrayal in Venezuela, this is being said quite openly. Some high-ranking officials have, in fact, betrayed the president. This scenario will not work in Cuba. I think that the Americans, despite the rhetoric they have been using against Cuba lately, are still just rhetoric. Because there will be no easy ride in Cuba if they want to repeat something like what happened in Venezuela,” Nebenzia told a Russian TV channel.
China has also lately called out the US over its threats against Cuba, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday stating, “China stands firmly against inhumane practices and moves that deprive the Cuban people of their rights to subsistence and development.”
Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/03/2026 – 04:15
Por qué China construye tantas plantas de carbón pese a su auge solar y eólico
Por KEN MORITSUGU
BEIJING (AP) — A pesar de que la expansión de la energía solar y eólica de China avanzó rápidamente en 2025, el gigante asiático abrió muchas más plantas de energía de carbón de las que había abierto en años recientes, lo que generó preocupación sobre si el mayor emisor del mundo reducirá lo suficiente las emisiones de dióxido de carbono para limitar el cambio climático.
En 2025 se pusieron en marcha más de 50 grandes unidades de carbón —conjuntos individuales de calderas y turbinas con una capacidad de generación de un gigavatio o más— en comparación con menos de 20 al año durante la década anterior, según un informe de investigación publicado el martes. Dependiendo del uso de energía, un gigavatio puede abastecer desde varios cientos de miles hasta más de dos millones de hogares.
En general, China puso en línea 78 gigavatios de nueva capacidad de energía de carbón, un aumento pronunciado respecto a años anteriores, según el informe conjunto del Centro de Investigación sobre Energía y Aire Limpio, que estudia la contaminación del aire y sus impactos, y Global Energy Monitor, que desarrolla bases de datos que rastrean tendencias energéticas.
“La escala de la construcción es asombrosa”, afirmó Christine Shearer, coautora del informe de Global Energy Monitor. “Solo en 2025, China comisionó más capacidad de energía de carbón que India en toda la última década”.
Al mismo tiempo, adiciones aún mayores de capacidad eólica y solar redujeron la participación del carbón en la generación total de energía el año pasado. La energía proveniente del carbón cayó alrededor del 1% ya que el crecimiento en fuentes de energía más limpias cubrió todo el aumento en la demanda de electricidad el año pasado.
China añadió 315 gigavatios de capacidad solar y 119 gigavatios de energía eólica en 2025, según estadísticas de la Administración Nacional de Energía del gobierno.
Apagones en 2021-22 impulsaron la construcción de plantas de carbón
El enorme crecimiento en energía eólica y solar plantea la pregunta: ¿Por qué China sigue construyendo plantas de energía de carbón y, según la mayoría de los análisis, muchas más de las que realmente necesita?
La respuesta es complicada.
China está en una etapa de desarrollo más temprana que Estados Unidos o Europa, por lo que necesita más energía para seguir creciendo. Si más de los 1.400 millones de habitantes del país ascienden a la clase media, más personas podrán permitirse aires acondicionados y lavadoras.
Se necesita electricidad para mantener las fábricas de China en funcionamiento y para satisfacer las altas demandas de energía de la inteligencia artificial, una prioridad del gobierno mientras busca hacer del país un líder en tecnología.
El desabastecimiento de energía en partes de China en 2021 y 2022 reforzó las viejas preocupaciones sobre la seguridad energética. Algunas fábricas detuvieron temporalmente la producción y una ciudad impuso apagones rotativos.
La respuesta del gobierno fue señalar que quería más plantas de carbón, lo que llevó a un aumento en las solicitudes y permisos para su construcción.
Ese aumento de 2022-23 impulsó el gran salto en capacidad el año pasado a medida que las nuevas unidades entraron en línea, dijo Qi Qin, analista del Centro de Investigación sobre Energía y Aire Limpio y otra coautora del informe. “Una vez que se emiten los permisos, los proyectos son difíciles de revertir”, expresó.
La construcción comenzó en 83 gigavatios de energía de carbón el año pasado, según el informe, lo que sugiere que una gran cantidad de nueva capacidad podría entrar en línea este año.
El exceso de capacidad de carbón podría ralentizar la transición a la energía eólica y solar
La posición del gobierno es que el carbón proporciona un respaldo estable a fuentes como el viento y el sol, que se ven afectadas por el clima y la hora del día. La escasez en 2022 derivó en parte de una sequía que afectó a la energía hidroeléctrica, una fuente de energía importante en el oeste de China.
El carbón debería “jugar un papel importante de apoyo y equilibrio” en los años venideros, dijo la Comisión Nacional de Desarrollo y Reforma, la principal agencia de planificación económica, en una guía emitida el año pasado sobre cómo hacer que las plantas de carbón sean más limpias y eficientes.
La Asociación de Transporte y Distribución de Carbón de China, un grupo de la industria, dijo la semana pasada que la energía generada por carbón seguiría siendo esencial para la estabilidad del sistema eléctrico, incluso cuando otras fuentes de energía la reemplacen.
El riesgo de construir tanta capacidad de carbón es que podría retrasar la transición a fuentes de energía más limpias, dijo Qin. La presión política y financiera mantendrá las plantas en funcionamiento, dejando menos espacio para otras fuentes de energía, manifestó.
El informe instó a China a acelerar el retiro de plantas de carbón envejecidas e ineficientes y a comprometerse en su próximo plan quinquenal, que se aprobará en marzo, a garantizar que las emisiones del sector eléctrico no aumenten entre 2025 y 2030.
“Si la expansión de la energía de carbón en China finalmente se traduce en mayores emisiones dependerá de… si el papel de la energía de carbón está realmente limitado a respaldo y apoyo en lugar de generación de carga base”, dijo Qin.
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La periodista de video de Associated Press Olivia Zhang contribuyó.
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Polish President Pushes For Aggressive Move To Nuclear, Bypassing LNG Amidst ‘Geopolitical Turmoils’
Polish President Pushes For Aggressive Move To Nuclear, Bypassing LNG Amidst ‘Geopolitical Turmoils’
Polish President Karol Nawrocki is prioritizing nuclear power in the Polish energy mix, avoiding the transitional inclusion of gas, with the government focused on building the first nuclear power plant in Lubiatów-Kopalin.
Before his trip to Davos, Nawrocki had met with entrepreneurs to discuss Poland’s accession to the G20. In his speech, he presented his vision for Poland’s future energy mix. At the beginning of the year, the Sejm (lower house of parliament) almost unanimously passed a law to support the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Lubiatów-Kopalin, Pomerania, with over PLN 60 billion (€14 billion).
Negotiations on the contract for the construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant (EPC) are expected to be completed by mid-year. Preliminary work on the plant’s construction site and the preparation of associated infrastructure are also scheduled for this year.
Furthermore, in the first quarter, PEJ will soon submit an application to the National Atomic Energy Agency for a permit to build a nuclear power facility, Deputy Minister of Energy Wojciech Wrochna told Business Insider.
Experts confirm the long-term energy efficiency of nuclear power compared to other sources, such as renewables or coal.
Marcin Izdebski, an expert at the Center for Development Strategies, told the portal: “Renewable energy installations operate for 15-25 years. Nuclear power has a much longer lifespan, lasting 60-80 years. Furthermore, nuclear power doesn’t require balancing like renewable energy, which increases its economic efficiency. It’s most justified to build nuclear power plants where coal-fired units currently operate. Otherwise, these locations face economic collapse.”
“The government has a very rational and pragmatic approach to energy. We are by no means ideological about any source—neither coal, renewable energy, nor nuclear power. We are pursuing a policy aimed at achieving three goals: energy security, reducing CO2 emissions, and economic competitiveness. We view Poland’s future energy mix solely through the prism of these three issues,” Wrochna explained.
Construction of the first reactor of the Lubiatowo-Kopalino nuclear power plant is set to begin in 2028, while the plant is scheduled to become operational in 2036.
One source close to President Nawrocki also told Business Insider that he hopes to avoid natural gas altogether.
“The president’s goal is for us not to make a hasty transition by replacing coal with gas, but to immediately switch from coal to nuclear power. For the head of state, stability is paramount, as it is not just an economic issue but also a component of national security.”
Wojciech Dąbrowski, former president of the Polish Energy Group under PiS, pointed to the risks of gas reliance.
“Some point to gas, but it’s a fuel highly susceptible to various geopolitical turmoils. This must not be forgotten, as we don’t have sufficient gas resources of our own and must import about 80 percent of it. Therefore, gas can only be a useful supplement.”
Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/03/2026 – 03:30
Witkoff Set To Meet Iran Envoy In Istanbul For Rare Direct Nuclear Talks
Witkoff Set To Meet Iran Envoy In Istanbul For Rare Direct Nuclear Talks
At this point it it seems clear that President Trump is not quite ready to order a major attack on Iran, after last week threatening to do so, and weighing military options. Instead, Washington and Tehran could be inching back toward direct contact.
US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet on Friday in Istanbul to discuss a possible nuclear deal, Axios reports.
If it actually happens (and the two sides don’t escalate the rhetoric before then), it would mark the first face-to-face engagement between American and Iranian officials since talks collapsed amid the 12-day June war.
Still a lot could happen between now and the end of the week, as Axios also concedes:
A fourth source familiar with the planning said a meeting on Friday was “the best case scenario” but cautioned that nothing is final until it happens.
Iranian foreign Miniser Araghchi has stressed that “Iran is ready for diplomacy” but has also spelled out that “diplomacy is incompatible with pressure, intimidation, and force.” The Iranians are hopeful about potential renewed direct contacts with Washington, however.
There’s been reports of a lot of behind the scenes diplomatic scrambling in order to head off war, especially by Egypt, and Qatar.
But Washington’s demands have remain unchanged. This reportedly includes Trump insisting on zero uranium enrichment, and restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile program.
Tehran has expressed that it is willing to dialogue on the nuclear issue, but that it will not limit or reduce its ballistic missile capabilities, given especially that Israel is not willing to do the same, and the Islamic Republic has already come under unprovoked Israeli attack. Such would be tantamount to national self-destruction and handing Israel an easy, cost-free victory.
Trump:
Qasem Soleimani was the military leader of Iran.
If he lived, that attack we made on Iran would not have been the same thing. He was a great general.
They don’t have that now.
Source: The Dan Bongino Show pic.twitter.com/xxL4u6fAsk
— Clash Report (@clashreport) February 2, 2026
In a recent interview with CNN, Araghchi said indirect contacts with Washington via regional intermediaries had been “fruitful” while at the same time warning that a wider war would be “a disaster for everybody.”
“Trump has yet to say whether and how he might use force,” the WSJ wrote over the weekend. “But American airstrikes on Iran aren’t imminent, U.S. officials say, because the Pentagon is moving in additional air defenses to better protect Israel, Arab allies and American forces in the event of a retaliation by Iran and a potential prolonged conflict.”
Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/03/2026 – 02:45
