Above the roaring fires devastating parts of Los Angeles is an incongruous sight: air tankers dropping gallons of bright red and Barbie-pink slurry over forest, homes, cars, and anything else that might lie in the blazes’ path.The substance, vivid against the grey smoke and charred landscape, is fire retardant — much of it a product called Phos-Chek that has been used by the US Forest Service since the 1960s.”You can see it so easily … it’s amazing stuff,” says Jason Colquhoun, a 53-year-old pilot with HeliQwest, a charter helicopter company specializing in putting out fires.But over the past week it’s been dropped on residential neighborhoods at an “unprecedented” scale, says Daniel McCurry, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California.That’s led to one overwhelming question: how safe is it?- Fertilizer and rust -Sold by fire protection equipment supplier Perimeter Solutions, Phos-Chek is a mixture of primarily ammonium phosphate or ammonium polyphosphate — fertilizer — with additives such as iron oxide — rust — to give it color.Its bright hue — which, Perimeter told AFP, is actually all the same color, but can look different depending on time of day, lighting, smoke and so on — helps pilots as they try to ensure overlapping, unbroken lines around the fires, Colquhoun explains.When pilots drop water from the air, he says, they must search for “the shine and the darkness” to know where to make the next drop. The vivid retardant, however? “So much easier to spot.”The other advantage compared to water: it keeps working, even after the water it is mixed with evaporates, McCurry says.Thickeners add viscosity and help ensure it doesn’t drift off target, adds McCurry, who led recent research into heavy metal content in such retardants.It comes in a powder and is mixed in — essentially — giant paddling pools, before being loaded onto airplanes and helicopters for coordinated drops, Colquhoun says.He gave an enthusiastic “Oh yeah” when asked by AFP if it works.It does so by forming a non-flammable carbon coating, Perimeter explained in a statement to AFP. The water in the slurry boils off, helping to quench the flames; and the retardant works until it is diluted by rain — when it fertilizes the ground. McCurry said he has seen photos “where a brush fire burned right up to a Phos-Chek line and then stopped,” but expressed some caution.He cited a former firefighter as telling him that in a high-intensity fire it’s “not much use,” and said that the high winds which have fanned the fires in Los Angeles may have limited its effectiveness.- ‘Practically non-toxic’ -The Forest Service said it only uses retardants that “meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s criteria for being ‘practically non-toxic’ to mammals, including humans, and aquatic species.” It prohibits drops in waterways and areas home to vulnerable species — unless the fire is threatening human life or public safety, and the retardant could be “reasonably expected” to stave off that threat, spokesman Wade Muehlhof told AFP.But accidents do happen, he said, “whether through wind drift or an inadvertent drop.”The service says it phased out Phos-Chek’s older formulation, LC95 — which McCurry’s study showed had high levels of heavy metals that can contaminate drinking water — nationwide as of December 31.Now it uses a new, less toxic formulation called MVP-Fx, it says. Phos-Chek contains no so-called forever chemicals and no substances “that are known to cause cancer or other harms” under California law, Perimeter added.McCurry says the Forest Service has been successfully sued in the past on environmental grounds, and that Phos-Chek is “likely not harmless to the environment” now.”On the other hand, the human health impact is still a little unclear,” he says.He says it would take “a lot” of retardant to poison, say, a reservoir.”However in the last week we’ve seen it dropped on neighborhoods at an unprecedented scale,” he continues, adding that it’s more often used further from populated areas, or in lower amounts.”So, who knows.”

Marco Rubio, Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, charged Wednesday that China cheated its way to superpower status and vowed to cast aside the “liberal world order” long promoted by the United States.Rubio faced fellow senators at a confirmation hearing that, other than expected interruptions by protesters, was set to be among the least contentious appearances for Trump’s motley array of nominees.The longtime hawk opened by taking aim at China — which outgoing President Joe Biden has also called a competitor but nevertheless sought to engage.Rubio rejected a key tenet of Biden’s foreign policy — prioritizing a rules-based, US-led “liberal world order” — in favor of Trump’s belief in “America First.””The postwar global order is not just obsolete; it is now a weapon being used against us,” Rubio said.”We welcomed the Chinese Communist Party into this global order. And they took advantage of all its benefits. But they ignored all its obligations and responsibilities,” Rubio said.”Instead, they have lied, cheated, hacked and stolen their way to global superpower status, at our expense.”While highlighting China, Rubio’s remarks said that in “Moscow, Tehran and Pyongyang, dictators sow chaos and instability.”He also said that the next US administration would seek “bold diplomacy” with a goal of ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Rubio called for a foreign policy driven solely by whether decisions make the United States safer, stronger and more prosperous.”While America far too often continued to prioritize the ‘global order’ above our core national interests, other nations continued to act the way countries always have and always will, in what they perceive to be in their best interest.” Rubio, the son of working-class Cuban immigrants, would become the first Hispanic and first fluent Spanish speaker to be the top US diplomat.- Expected to coast to confirmation -Other nominees facing Senate hearings Wednesday include Pam Bondi, tapped for the top law enforcement job of attorney general, who served the same role in Florida and personally defended Trump in his first impeachment trial.Trump named her after his first choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew following allegations that he paid for sex, including with an underage girl, at drug-fueled parties.Little controversy surrounds Rubio, a three-term senator generally well-liked by his colleagues and known for his ease in public appearances.He clashed bitterly with Trump when he challenged him for the 2016 nomination — with the future president mocking him as “Little Marco” — but he has come back into good graces.He is expected to get to work quickly, with sources saying preparations are underway for an immediate four-way meeting on Tuesday in Washington with Rubio’s counterparts from the Quad — Australia, India and Japan.The Quad has long been seen by China as a US-led platform for the four democracies to encircle it, despite Quad leaders’ denials.Rubio’s appearance comes a day after the Biden administration announced it was removing Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism as part of a deal that will free imprisoned protesters.The move comes almost exactly four years after Trump, on leaving office, put Cuba back on the blacklist.Rubio, whose parents fled Cuba before Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution and strongly opposed the communists, for years has pushed for tough action against Cuba and other leftist-run Latin American nations such as Venezuela.Another nominee set for a senate hearing on Wednesday is Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary.As the governor of South Dakota, Noem raised her profile among Trump supporters with her opposition to Covid pandemic restrictions, but later raised controversy by revealing in a memoir how she killed her family’s dog.Pentagon nominee Pete Hegseth faced a grueling hearing Tuesday, including questioning over his views on women in combat and allegations of sexual abuse, which he denies. Some of the most potentially fiery hearings are yet to be scheduled, including for vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health and human services director and Trump stalwart ally Kash Patel to head the FBI.

Large US banks reported soaring profits Wednesday propelled by strength in trading and financial advisory services as Wall Street eyes a potential merger boom under the incoming Trump administration.Profits climbed for US financial heavyweights including JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, in part because of the absence of large costs in 2024’s year-ending quarter.In the equivalent period in 2023, banks set aside large sums to replenish a US rescue program following the collapse of Silicon Vally Bank.JPMorgan Chase’s fourth-quarter profits jumped 50 percent to $14 billion, while Goldman Sachs’ more than doubled to $3.9 billion. In both cases, huge increases in revenues tied to trading were a standout category, reflecting a buoyant environment in a period that included the US presidential election and a heady aftermath on Wall Street.Citi reported profits of $2.9 billion, compared with a loss of $1.8 billion during the 2023 quarter, while Wells Fargo’s profits rose 47 percent to $5.1 billion.Gains in banking shares helped lift Wall Street stocks Wednesday.Many financial firms are salivating over the prospects of the shift to the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who is expected to scale back the confrontational regulatory approach of the outgoing Biden administration.”There’s no question that were in a kind of animal spirits moment right now,” said JPMorgan Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Barnum, alluding to an uptick in the “pipeline” of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity.”All eyes are on the US in a big way,” said Citi Chief Financial Officer Mark Mason.”Generally people are looking at the US with what’s likely to be a pro-growth agenda,” Mason said on a briefing with reporters. The bank’s M&A pipeline is “very strong,” he added. A wave of corporate mergers would translate into increased advisory fees at banks after the Biden administration’s broadly skeptical view of dealmaking discouraged some transactions.The industry also stands poised to benefit from an easing of bank regulation that could free up funds currently required to be held as emergency capital. Instead, banks could lend that money, or return it to shareholders.- US economy ‘resilient’ -At JPMorgan, a successful fourth quarter lifted annual profits to $58.5 billion, up 18 percent.Profits increased in JPMorgan’s commercial and investment bank business, driven by higher advising fees and a surge in fixed income and equity trading. JPMorgan also scored higher asset and wealth management fees.These areas of strength offset a two percent decline in net interest income, the result of lower interest rates. JPMorgan also experienced higher credit charge offs, while adding net reserves of $267 million in case of bad loans.Chief Executive Jamie Dimon described the US economy as “resilient,” with relatively low unemployment and solid consumer spending.”Businesses are more optimistic about the economy, and they are encouraged by expectations for a more pro-growth agenda and improved collaboration between government and business,” Dimon said.However, Dimon pointed to the risk that elevated inflation will persist and to geopolitical conditions that remain “the most dangerous and complicated since World War II.”Meanwhile, at Goldman, revenues tied to equity and fixed income, currency and commodity trading rose by double digits, while interest rate products were essentially flat.Goldman also won higher revenues in equity and debt underwriting. While advisory revenues were lower, Goldman said the investment banking fees backlog rose compared with the prior quarter.A Goldman powerpoint listed an “improving” regulatory backdrop among the supporting factors for the firm’s business.”With an improving operating backdrop and growing CEO confidence, we are harnessing the power of One Goldman Sachs to continue to serve our clients with excellence and create further value for our shareholders,” said Chief Executive David Solomon.All four banks rose on Wall Street. At mid-morning, JPMorgan was up 0.8 percent, Goldman Sachs 5.9 percent, Citi 6.2 percent and Wells Fargo 5.2 percent.