With farmers already starting to dry off some of their herd. It wont be long until the milking season is over and cows are off on their holidays.

Generally, spring-calving herds aim to calve down in around the start of February. However, in many cases, calving always starts sooner than that, with many cows calving in mid-January.

December 1 is just around the corner. So, for many farms, you are looking at a six-to-eight week window before calving starts.

The last thing you want to be doing is cleaning out a calf shed a few days before calving. Get ahead of yourself and put it on your to-do list over the coming weeks.

Depending on how many cows you are milking and the level of help you have on the farm, a window of opportunity could present itself over the next while to tackle the calf shed and get it organised for spring.

In terms of cleaning the shed, ensure all of the dung from the shed is removed and stored in a dung stead, where any run-off can be collected and stored.

The power-washer should be brought into action and the entire shed should be thoroughly cleaned from head to toe.

Once the shed is washed, open up the door(s) of the shed and allow it to dry out fully. The last thing we want is to be letting calves into a damp shed next spring.

Once the shed has been allowed to dry out, we can then look to getting the individual and group pens set up and ready for use.

Its no harm to clean out the water troughs now and again before calves are being housed. As well as that, getting any calf rearing equipment cleaned, and replaced if broken, should also be on the to-do list over the next few weeks.

It is important farmers keep in mind the importance of good ventilation in their calf sheds.

Over the course of the year, dust particles or hay and straw that are stored in the sheds can block up the air outlets in the Yorkshire boarding or in the vented sheeting in the shed.

Therefore, it is important that these outlets are clear and allow for air to come through unaffected.

If the warm air, that builds up in the shed, has nowhere to escape then animal health problems are more than likely going to occur which will have a negative impact on animal performance.

The importance of removing stale air, odour, pathogens and viruses by allowing the inward movement of fresh, clean air into a shed cannot be underestimated.

Therefore, take the time to inspect your calf shed to see if any air outlets are blocked up or if any alterations need to be made to increase or decrease the amount of air coming into the shed.

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Don't leave it to the last minute; get that calf shed cleaned out for spring now - Agriland

Newswise Scientists and medical professionals have long debated whether pod e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes. A new study provides some insight.

In a collaboration between The University of Kansas Cancer Center, California State University San Marcos and Brown University, scientists conducted a six-week-long randomized trial comparing e-cigarette use to traditional cigarette use in African American and Latinx smokers. E-cigarettes simulate tobacco smoke via battery-powered devices that work by heating a liquid into a vapor that the user inhales.

Nikki Nollen, PhD, co-program leader of KU Cancer Centers Cancer Prevention and Control research program, served as site principal investigator.

Fourth generation e-cigarettes contain high concentrations of nicotine and other appealing features that may support switching and reduce potential health risks among those who smoke combustible cigarettes, Dr. Nollen said. We wanted to examine the biomarkers of exposure in both groups and determine the risk-benefit tradeoff of e-cigarettes.

Those who switched to e-cigarettes experienced a significant reduction in a certain biomarker called NNAL. When NNK, a tobacco-specific lung carcinogen is metabolized, it converts to NNAL, indicating the bodys exposure to tobacco products. E-cigarette users also experienced a dramatic drop in carbon monoxide and self-reported respiratory symptoms. Nicotine exposure, lung function and blood pressure remained unchanged.

What was most surprising was the magnitude of change experienced by those in the e-cigarette group, Dr. Nollen said. They reduced their NNAL by 64%, carbon monoxide by 47% and respiratory symptoms by 37% compared to those in the control group who continued to smoke cigarettes as usual.

Dr. Nollen and the team were also surprised to witness that a complete switch to e-cigarettes was not needed to achieve benefits. Those in the e-cigarette group who only partially switched i.e., became dual users of both cigarettes and e-cigarettes also experienced reductions in NNAL, carbon monoxide and respiratory symptoms, though to a lesser degree than those who made a complete switch.

The findings of the clinical study the first such trial to examine fourth-generation salt-based nicotine e-cigarettes were published in JAMA Network Open.

Improving disparities

To recruit participants for the study, Dr. Nollen and her team leaned on a 20-year partnership with Swope Health Services Central, a federally qualified health center located in Kansas City, Missouri. More than 85% of Swopes patient population is African American. KU Cancer Center members have teamed up with Swope on 10 studies over the last two decades.

Overall, African Americans and Latinxs tend to smoke less compared to other ethnicities, but they are more likely to develop and die from tobacco-related health issues. The two minorities have largely been underrepresented in e-cigarette studies. Excluding these groups from such studies only worsen the uneven burden of tobacco-related deaths and disease they experience.

According to Dr. Nollen, longer studies must be conducted in order to understand the long-term effects of e-cigarettes, but this study may serve as a springboard for additional research endeavors.

Quitting cigarettes is the priority, Dr. Nollen said. But for those unwilling or unable, our findings support using e-cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy for African American and Latinx smokers who experience significant tobacco-related health disparities.

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Are E-cigarettes Safer Than Cigarettes? Study Sheds Light on the Issue - Newswise

F1 2021 Calendar: Outgoing F1 CEO Chase Carey has dropped hints on the number of potential races in the upcoming seasons.

The 2021 F1 Calendar is the longest in the sports history, with 23 races. Venues of all but one have been confirmed, down to the first-ever Vietnamese GP being scrapped. Asked whether 23 is a magic number for the number of races, F1 CEO Chase Carey replied in the negative.

I dont think theres a magic number. The capacity for races is obviously limited. I dont know that youd say there is a magic number that you dont go past, but we recommend 23 is a full calendar. We felt it was the right thing to have in place next year. We expect to have those 23 events next year and with fans. Really, every one of the promoters on that calendar expects to do the same.

Also read: F1 2021 Calendar: Which races have made it to the longest ever F1 Calendar in history?

The Covid-19 pandemic ensured that the current season was shortened, with 17 races ultimately making it to the calendar. It took a great effort from all the stakeholders to make it a reality. And Carey still is choosing not to undermine the uncertainly that presents the sport next season too.

But we recognize we still have a period of uncertainty in front of us. The world is moving to a place where we have to figure out how to move forward with this virus, not shut down because of it. That said, weve all still got to navigate through it, so we feel good about it but we know we have a period of uncertainty in front of us.

Also read: Asian triple-header will take a toll on people- Mercedes team principal shows concern over hectic 2021 schedule

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F1 2021 Calendar: Outgoing F1 CEO Chase Carey sheds light on the number of potential races in the upcoming... - The Sportsrush

In the midst of hardships during the coronavirus pandemic, one 8-year-old boy has been able to dramatically change his familys life all because of his business.

Aaron Moreno, from East Los Angeles, started selling plants for his business, Aarons Garden, in June, after his single mom, Berenice Pacheco, lost her job because of the pandemic, KABC reported.

When Moreno started Aarons Garden, his family had only $12 left and they were living in a shed, according to a GoFundMe page set up by a family friend to support the business.

Now, Moreno and his mom have been able to buy a car, move into an apartment and bring Morenos older sister back to the U.S. from Mexico.

But it was a long road to get there. Pacheco and Moreno had been homeless before they moved between various shelters and homes, finally settling on a shed for several months

Morenos 10-year-old sister, Ayleen Pacheco, had been living in Mexico with her grandparents since 2018 because of the familys financial difficulties.

When he started Aarons Garden, Moreno didnt only want to help support his family. He also wanted to buy his own Hot Cheetos without having to ask his mom for money, the GoFundMe said.

He was certainly able to do that and much more.

Since it was started with a $1,000 goal in June to raise money for Aarons plant company, the GoFundMe has raised $37,075.

I never thought we would accomplish and come this farwe couldnt believe that we got a house, Pacheco told KABC. I admire him for everything he has been able to do that I havent as a mom.

Hes just been doing everything for us, Pacheco added later. And hes like the man of the house.

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Boys plant business helps family move from shed to apartment during COVID-19 - New York Post

But for his mom -- who is undocumented, single and struggling to make ends meet -- it wasn't always easy to buy Aaron his favorite snack.

That's what inspired the 8-year-old to start selling plants in East Los Angeles. The small project quickly transformed into a business that helped his family of four move from a shed into an apartment.

"When I lost both my jobs in March because of the coronavirus pandemic and we had no option but to live in a shed, this kid was always asking for Hot Cheetos," Berenice Pacheco, Aaron's mom, told CNN. "It's just $3, but when you have kids and you don't have a job, it can make all the difference."

Aaron -- who wanted to help his mom, and score some snacks -- used Pacheco's last $12 to buy succulents, which he sold to neighbors for a small profit.

Initially, he celebrated his success with a trip to the ice cream shop -- but he realized a small business could be his family's way out of poverty.

"Our shed was hot and crowded and I wasn't happy," Aaron told CNN. "I started my garden so my mom won't be stressed because I don't like seeing her struggle."

Every day for months, Aaron and his mom would wake up at 6:00 am to take the bus to the flower district and search for plants his customers might like. Some days he sold them from his shed, while other days he staged a pop-up shop.

"Before he started this we really only had things like tuna to eat, because we didn't have a kitchen and we could only cook by putting a small electric stove on a chair outside," Pacheco said. "But then his garden saved us. The money from the GoFundMe and Aaron's Garden allowed us to buy a car, which we didn't have for four years."

On November 1, the family finally moved into a new apartment, where Aaron runs his business from the garage.

Bringing his sister back from Mexico

The money raised through Aaron's Garden and GoFundMe didn't just move the family into a new home -- it reunited them.

At one of the pop-up shops, a man donated $1,000, which Aaron used to bring his 10-year-old sister Ayleen Pacheco home.

Before moving into the shed, the family had bounced between homeless and domestic violence shelters. In 2018, Pacheco sent Ayleen to live with her family in Mexico due to their financial struggles.

"The best part of what Aaron has done for us is bringing back his sister," Pacheco said. "It was so hard being without her and we are a whole family again. And I was so happy to see they still had their amazing bond even if they spent so much time apart. It's such a blessing."

Together, with their 2-year-old sister Alani, the family is finally complete and looking forward to what's next.

"Imagine four sleeping in one bed," Pacheco said. "I really don't know how we did it. It was the hardest thing to put my children through."

"As an undocumented person, I didn't have many laws to protect me. When I lost my jobs, I didn't get a stimulus, I didn't get unemployment. I was on my own and I would stay up at night trying not to cry so my kids wouldn't hear me. I wanted to sleep my life through."

But now, Pacheco said her family is "full of hope" and ready to start a new chapter. As for Aaron, he doesn't miss a day without buying himself a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

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This kid's love of Cheetos led him to start a business that helped his family move from a shed into an apartment - CNN

Jessica Hill|Cape Cod Times

Back in 1970 asthe 350th anniversary of the Pilgrim landing approached, Frank James,a member of theWampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah),was invited by Gov. Frank Sargent to write and give a speech at the ceremony.

But when James shared his speech with state officials, he was toldit was too aggressive and extreme. Then they asked him toread a statement written by a public relations professional.

James refused.

In his speech, James compared the white culture and the Native culture, how one conquered and pillagedand the otherwas enslaved or forced to assimilate. Onethought it must control life and profit off it, and the other believed life was to be enjoyed because nature decreed it. Onewas portrayed as organized and disciplined, and the other as savage and uncivilized.

We, the Wampanoag, welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end, James wrote, that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people.

The censorship angered local Native people andhelped sparkthe creation in 1970 of the National Day of Mourning a gathering held every Thanksgiving on Coles Hill in Plymouth to honor indigenousancestors and the struggles that Native people face today.

That just further fueled the fire that after all these years, youre still trying to filter what we say, said David Weeden, tribal historic preservation officer for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe about James being censored. Youre still trying to paint the actual history and tell a version of history, of what happened, reluctant to acknowledge the fact that Native Americans are still notbeingtreated equally or justly or not have a fair shake.

Even before James, who died in 2001at the age of 77,was censored,Weeden's father, Everett "Tall Oak" Weeden,had watched Native people demanding civil rights and recognition in other parts of the countryin the late 1960s.

Indigenous civil rights organizationsdemanded recognition and raised awareness abouttheinjustices taking place in several places around the country in thelate 60s and early 70s. In November 1969, "Indians of All Tribes"occupied Alcatraz Island offSan Francisco for 19 months.

In 1970, demands that Mount Rushmore be returned to the Sioux led to a group of Native American activists climbing the mountain and occupying it for months.

With this as the backdrop, around the same time James was censored, Tall Oak, a decedent of both Mashantucket Pequot and Wampanoag,traveled to Connecticut for a gathering of Native Americans. While therehe approached his friend James Fraser, who is Cherokee and Edisto, to discuss what happened to James.

As they sat in Tall Oaksblue Volkswagen bug, theybrainstormed ways to put a national spotlight on the eastern tribes and the injustices they faced.

Tall Oak, now 84, and Fraser, now 91,sought out four other Native Americans to help with the planning, and together they organized the first Day of National Mourning 50 years ago.

James, who taught music at Nauset Regional High School, Gary Parker, Shirley Mills, Rayleen Beyalong with Fraser andTallOakgathered multiple times to plan.

The six originally planned their gatheringfor Jamestown, Virginia, but later decided to hold itin Plymouth, where the Mayflower landedand a statue of Ousamequin, also known as Massasoit, which means,"Great Sachem,"stands looking over Plymouth Harbor.

The grouporganized different speakers and developed a list of different issues to discuss. They also spread the word across the country and arranged lodging for people who planned to attend the event.

Their biggest objective was to make sure the event was peaceful, Fraser said. No threatening or fighting words would be spoken.

It was the intent of the initial six of us that our observance on Thanksgiving would be a solemn occasion to bring attention to the eastern Native people that are still here, said Fraser, who lives in Lexington.

Part of their mission was to enhance relationships between Native and non-Native people onCape Cod, Fraser said. The event would have no ethnocentrism, no discussion of one culture being better than another. It would teach acceptance and cultural appreciation, he said.

The first National Day of Mourning was held onThanksgiving of 1970. Almost 500 Native Americans from across the country gathered at the statue of Massasoit. James gave a keynote speech, which wasmore tempered than the original speech he had prepared to give at the 350th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing, Fraser said. They wanted a peaceful event that would inspire a connection between Natives and non-Natives.

It was thought that all hell was going to break loose at the first National Day of Mourning, Fraser said. There were undercover police officers. And there were cameras going, capturing pictures of those who had gathered.

Fraser remembers walking around the parking lot and seeing license plates from Arizona, New Mexico, Virginia and North Carolina. He walked around while people were eating and did a head count, and stoppedat 477 people.

It turned out to be a very lovely day, he said.

The National Day of Mourning is still held every year in Plymouth on Coles Hill. On Thursday, Nov. 26, people will gather for the 50th year and march through the historic district of Plymouth.

Fraser said both he and Tall Oak, who lives in Charlestown, Rhode Island, no longer attend the yearly event. But Fraser helped with an exhibit that the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., is planning for the National Day of Mourning, although COVID-19 delayed the preparation, Fraser said. A movie is also in the works.

David Weeden remembers going to the National Day of Mourning as a child.

It was all Natives in the early period and there was a lot of solidarity, he said. It felt good to be there.

In the early days the event would focus specifically to injustices Native Americans in the New England region faced, he said, but it now involves a wide range of issues, such as the environment and climate change.

Thoseissuesthat Native Americans first discussed 50 years ago at the statue of Massasoit are the same ones tribes are fighting for today. They fight for their aboriginal rights, the ability to hunt and fish, and to keep their sovereignty, Weeden said.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, for example, continues to fight to keep its land in trust and thereservation it established after officially receiving federal recognition in 2007, he said.

The discomfort that non-Natives felt from James' speech in the '70s also carries on today. Weeden said when Native Americans start talking about issues that are relevant to them today, the more privileged members of society get uncomfortable, wanting them to tone down their feelings.

Acknowledging that wrongs have been done is the first part of healing, Weeden said, and until wrongs are acknowledged and responsibilities have been taken for those wrongs and injustices, youre just perpetuating whats already been done.

Despite this,one of the original goals of the National Day of Mourning was to find a connection and peace between Natives and non-Natives.

James original speech also ended on a hopeful, uplifting message.

What has happened cannot be changed, but today we must work towards a more humane America, a more Indian America, where men and nature once again are important; where the Indian values of honor, truth and brotherhood prevail.

Contact Jessica Hill at jhill@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @jess_hillyeah

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Not all Native Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. Find out why. - Fall River Herald News

BAGHDAD A bribe scandal involving an Australian man, officials from Iraqs oil ministry and government officials in the South Oil Company of Iraq, revealed on Wednesday the extent to which corruption plagues the Arab country and its state institutions.

The scandal erupted when Australian police arrested a man in connection with $78 million in bribes used to secure lucrative Iraqi oil contracts linked to an alleged international corruption ring.

Local media named the man as former Leighton Offshore managing director Russell Waugh.

Police claim his company paid bribes through contractors including Unaoil a Monaco-based firm which last year had two former senior executives plead guilty to being part of a scheme to bribe foreign government officials in several countries including Azerbaijan, Syria and Iraq.

Investigators believe the payments were used to secure contracts to build oil pipelines worth roughly $1.5 billion.

The key targets of the bribery scheme were Iraqi Ministry of Oil officials and government officials within the South Oil Company of Iraq, Australian Federal Police said in a statement announcing the arrest of a 54-year-old in Brisbane.

They said the investigation, which spanned nine years and involved US and UK authorities, was a painstaking process of piecing together a worldwide jigsaw of alleged corruption.

Police also announced they had issued two further arrest warrants for men living overseas.

Since last year, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi protesters have been taking to the streets in Baghdad and the predominantly Shia south to call for an end to endemic corruption by a political class that is largely seen as having squandered Iraqs resources through greed and mismanagement over the past years.

The protests were met with a heavy military crackdown and hundreds were killed.

Graft is endemic across Iraq, which ranks among the worlds worst offenders in Transparency Internationals annual Corruption Perceptions Index.

Since 2004, a year after the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein, almost $450 billion of public funds have vanished into the pockets of shady politicians and businessmen, according to parliament.

In 2018, Iraq gathered $30 billion in pledges from international donors in Kuwait to rebuild the ruined province, but virtually none of the funds have been disbursed.

The lack of progress has been widely blamed on the countrys infamous bureaucracy and rampant corruption.

Original post:
Australia bribe scandal sheds light on Iraq oil corruption | | AW - The Arab Weekly

An early morning fire Friday damaged a shed and the siding to a home in the 100 block of Birch Lane, and one woman suffered minor injuries attempting to help after alerting the residents to the fire.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue received the call around 6:45 a.m., with the first units on scene seven minutes later, according to a news release.

Firefighters found heavy smoke and flames coming from the detached shed, and they were quickly able to put out the fire. The nearby residence had heat damage to the siding, and the fire was called under control at 7:15 a.m.

The woman was treated at the scene and then went to a local medical facility for further treatment.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Engines 1, 6 and 9, along with Ladder 6, Rescue 1, Battalion 1, Tanker 9, Medic 9, Safety 1 and Car 1 responded to the fire.

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Early morning fire damages shed, siding to home on Birch Lane - The Suffolk News-Herald - Suffolk News-Herald

The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X, by Les Payne and Tamara Payne Liveright hide caption

The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X, by Les Payne and Tamara Payne

Definitive is a word we must use carefully when talking about biographies because it implies a degree of finality that research and new information may prove wrong.

That said, Les and Tamara Payne's The Dead are Arising is, for now, the definitive biography of Malcolm X.

The first question that arises when calling a biography definitive in the presence of an outstanding autobiography (Malcolm's own The Autobiography of Malcolm X, co-written with Alex Haley) and several other great biographies is how a new book can surpass the words of the person being discussed and all its predecessors. The answer to that, in this case, is easy: The Dead Are Arising isn't only a biography of Malcom X, it is a book that contextualizes race in America prior to Malcolm's birth, takes an in-depth, nuanced, unflinching look at Malcolm's life, and then explores his death and its aftermath, all backed by 28 years of research.

Payne, who unfortunately passed away in 2018 and didn't see this book in print, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist with a knack for research. Using books, hundreds of hours of interviews with Malcolm's siblings and those who knew him best, court documents, newspaper and magazine articles, police reports, academic texts and other sources, Payne and his daughter Tamara who served as Payne's principal researcher for many years have assembled an incredibly complete picture of Malcolm's life. More than a biography of a man, this is a narrative about a man that constantly places him in the contexts of his country, his family, and his inner world.

That The Dead are Arising is special becomes obvious early on. The first part of the book looks at Malcolm's parents, Earl Little, from Georgia, and the Grenada-born Louise Helen Little, and the sibling that came before him. The look at his family is something you could expect from a biography, but Payne's panoptic view expands from Earl and Louise's relationships and transformation into Garveyites to looking at race and racism in American in the 1910s and 1920s and the life and impact of figures as diverse as Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, Frederick Douglass, and Booker T. Washington. Payne uses historical events to offer readers a clear, unwavering look at the state of the nation and the way it shaped Malcolm's parents and his early life. The quality of the writing is superb and the book contains a wealth of gems that make the narrative unforgettable. Chief among them in the first part of the book is a brutal, gory, and unforgettable retelling of Will Brown's lynching in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1919. It's hard to read about Brown's lynching in such detail, but it also sets the stage for what's to come and forces readers to remember the monstrous acts performed in the name of racism back then.

Besides offering a rich, well-informed chronicle of Malcolm's life, Payne spent a lot of time making sure readers understood his formative years. For example, there is a lot of information about the impact of poverty and the death of his father on young Malcolm's psyche. The death of his father left him feeling "deserted and, it appeared, doomed to wander the earth in search of a substitute anchor." On the other hand, the financial impact of that loss, which was devastating for a family that was already poor, pushed young Malcolm to do strange things, like trying to become a boxer, which didn't last long because he got knocked out at the start of his boxing career and quickly opted for a different approach: "...young Malcolm set his sights on making his way in the world not by gloved hands but by sharpened wits. And along the way, he set to mastering the art of winning friends and influencing people across the spectrum," Payne writes.

If the beginning of the book reads like historical fiction, the last third of it, especially the chapters dealing with his death, are read like a thriller, complete with a noir-ish atmosphere, squealing tires, bad men, and guns: "It was a dark, snub-nosed, five-shot .38-caliber Chief Special, with a 2 1/2-inch barrel and a cozy, thumb-sized handle." That gun, which spent some time pressed against Malcolm's back, is a perfect metaphor for the tight, punchy prose of The Dead Are Arising's chapters dealing with the last days of Malcolm's life.

Les Payne was an outstanding researcher, and so is Tamara Payne, who worked to see this book finished after Les Payne's death. Malcolm X is still a powerful, influential figure, and getting this definitive biography, which sometimes corrects the historical record (and even corrects some dates and facts on Malcolm's autobiography) feels necessary and timely given today's racial unrest. In fact, this biography isn't just important; it should be required reading.

Gabino Iglesias is an author, book reviewer and professor living in Austin, Texas. Find him on Twitter at @Gabino_Iglesias.

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'The Dead Are Arising' Sheds Light On Malcolm X And Those That Influenced Him - NPR

Many people had come to believe we were at least stable, and now were having a second uptick, which throws potential GDP and everything else up in the air, said Randy Frederick, vice president of trading & derivatives at Charles Schwab. I did not expect this level of volatility or this degree of a sell-off.

The S&P 500 lost 119.65 points to 3,271.03. The Dow lost 943.24 points, or 3.4 percent, to 26,519.95. The Nasdaq composite slumped 426.48 points, or 3.7 percent, to 11,004.87. The selling was widespread, and 96 percent of stocks in the S&P 500 fell.

The selling in US markets followed broad declines in Europe, where the French president announced tough measures to slow the virus' spread and German officials agreed to impose a four-week partial lockdown. The measures may not be as stringent as the shutdown orders that swept the world early this year, but the worry is they could still hit the already weakened global economy.

Coronavirus counts are also climbing at a troubling rate in much of the United States, and the number of deaths and hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are on the rise. Even if the most restrictive lockdowns dont return, investors worry that the worsening pandemic could scare away customers of businesses regardless and sap away their profits.

Crude oil tumbled on worries that an economy already weakened by the virus would consume even less energy and allow excess supplies to build higher. Benchmark US crude dropped 5.7 percent to $37.39 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 5.4 percent to $39.12 per barrel.

Instead, investors headed into the safety of US government bonds. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 0.77 percent from 0.79 percent late Tuesday. It was as high as 0.87 percent last week.

A measure of fear in the stock market touched its highest level since June, when the market suddenly tumbled amid concerns that a second wave of coronavirus infections had arrived. The VIX measures how much volatility investors expect from the S&P 500, and it climbed 20.8 percent Wednesday.

Even the continued parade of better-than-expected reports on corporate profits for the summer failed to shift the momentum.

Microsoft, the second-biggest company in the S&P 500, reported stronger profit and revenue for its latest quarter than expected. Thats typically good for a stock, but Microsoft nevertheless slumped 5 percent. It gave a forecast for the current quarter that was relatively in line with Wall Street forecasts, but analysts noted some caveats in it.

UPS fell 8.8 percent after also reporting better-than-expected earnings, though it said the outlook for its business is too cloudy due to the pandemic to offer any forecasts for its revenue or profits in the current quarter.

Companies broadly have not been getting as big a pop in their stock prices as they typically do after reporting healthier-than-expected profits. Analysts say that suggests good news on profits has already been built into stock prices and that the markets focus is elsewhere.

Investors' hopes that Congress and the White House could soon offer more big support for the economy as it struggles through the pandemic have largely faded. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have continued their talks, but investors see little chance of a deal happening before Election Day next week.

Economists say the economy likely needs such aid after the expiration of the last round of supplemental unemployment benefits and other stimulus approved by Washington earlier this year.

Uncertainty about the upcoming presidential election has also been pushing markets around.

The market never likes uncertainty, said Stephanie Roth, portfolio macro analyst at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. People are just taking profits ahead of the election, to some extent.

The race seems be getting tighter than it was just a few weeks ago, said Jamie Cox, managing partner for Harris Financial Group. It has markets somewhat unnerved that the prospects of a contested election are back in the mix, he said.

Cox said he expects more calm in the markets in November after the election passes and some of the uncertainty over a new aid package fades.

Aid is coming regardless. Therell be no political motivation to hold it back after the election, he said. Theres plenty of desire to get money out to people so I think it will happen one way or another in November.

___

AP Business Writer Yuri Kageyama contributed.

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Dow sheds more than 900 points as surging virus cases lead to shutdowns - BetaBoston