Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Elon Musk says nearly 100 Starlinks active in Iran amid protests, censorship
Musk said SpaceX would seek exemptions from sanctions on Iran earlier this year

Elon Musk said Monday that nearly 100 of SpaceX's Starlink terminals are active in Iran, which has experienced intermittent internet disruptions and social media censorship in recent months during mass protests. 

Starlink works by connecting satellites in low-earth orbit with user terminals on the ground. 

Musk originally said in September that he would seek exemptions from sanctions on Iran so that Starlink could operate in the country. 

The move came after protests broke out over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while she was in the custody of Iran's so-called morality police.

Internet connectivity has been disrupted in the last few months, most recently around the city of Sanandaj in the east Kurdistan Province on Dec. 20, according to the internet monitor NetBlocks. Read more, see tweet and videos here.

Farmer predicts worse food shortages, higher prices in 2023 amid inflation, drought, interests rate hikes
The US is in the midst of a major food security threat, Tennessee dairy farmer says
 
Drought, supply chain shortages and the rising cost of doing business led to a difficult 2022 for American farmers, but 2023 could be even worse, a fourth-generation dairy farmer said. 

"I definitely think we have a food security threat," Stephanie Nash, a Tennessee farmer and agriculture advocate told Fox News. "I believe 2023 is going to be rough. Worse than this year."

Food prices have been outpacing overall inflation in 2022 as November food prices showed a 10.6% increase compared to last year, while overall inflation hit 7.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

A number of factors have contributed to rising food prices, including fertilizer and fuel shortages, extreme weather conditions and rising interest rates in an industry that relies on debt financing, Nash said. Read more see chart and videos here.