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ByMichaelLiedtke The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO Netf- lix has already crossed off the biggest item on its New Year's list of resolutions. The Internet video service debuted in 130 countries Wednesday in a surprise move likely to reel in mil- lions of new subscribers. CEO Reed Hastings re- vealed the scope of Netf- lix's expansion at the end of a presentation in Las Ve- gas at CES, one of the tech- nology industry's marquee events. "You are witnessing the birth of a global TV net- work," Hastings crowed on stage. The news caught almost everyone off guard because Netflix had previously set a goal of being available in most of the world by the end of this year. It looked like the Los Gatos, Califor- nia, company had plenty of work ahead it because it ended December in 60 countries. Now, Netflix is avail- able in 21 different lan- guages and streaming in just about every market that it had in its sights, with the notable exception of China, the world's most populous country. Enter- ing China may be a formi- dable challenge requiring potentially prickly negoti- ations with a government that blocks its citizenry from seeing material it considers objectionable or incendiary. Netflix currently has no plans to push into North Korea, Syria or Crimea be- cause of restrictions on U.S. companies operating in those countries. Investors were delighted with Netflix's quantum leap across the globe. Its stock climbed $8.78, or 8 percent, $116.44 on a grim day in the rest of the market. The uptick in the shares reflects a belief that Netf- lix is now in a position to sign up more subscribers this year than analysts had previously anticipated, gen- erating additional revenue that the company can spend on TV series and movies as it bids against rivals such as HBO, Amazon.com, You- Tube and Hulu for licensing rights. Netflix Inc. began the year with more than 70 million subscribers and management had already vowed to spend about $5 billion this year licensing video from studios around the world. Increasingly, Netflix has been buying material that only can be seen on its ser- vice, with more than 600 hours of original program- ming lined up for this year. That slate encompasses more than 50 exclusive TV shows and movies, includ- ing award-winning series such as "House of Cards" and "Orange Is the New Black." Although Netflix is now virtually worldwide, not of all its entertainment will be available everywhere. For instance, a prized licensing contract that gives Netf- lix the rights to Walt Dis- ney films after their theat- rical release will be limited to the U.S. and Canada as part of a deal negotiated several years ago. Hastings told reporters Wednesday that Netflix is hoping to ex- pand those rights into other countries. Netflix has come up with a formula that has proven addictive as its service has transformed the entertain- ment industry by allowing people to watch video any- time they want on an Inter- net-connected device. INTERNET VIDEO SERVICE Netflix expands into 130 more countries in surprise move By Seth Borenstein The Associated Press WASHINGTON A major pesticide harms honeybees when used on cotton and citrus but not on other big crops like corn, berries and tobacco, the Environmental Protection Agency found. It's the first scientific risk assessment of the much- debated class of pesticides called neonicotinoids and how they affect bees on a chronic long-term basis. The EPA found in some cases the chemical didn't harm bees or their hives but in other cases it posed a significant risk. It mostly depended on the crop, a nuanced answer that neither clears the way for an outright ban nor is a blanket go-ahead for contin- ued use. Both the pesticide makerandanti-pesticidead- vocates were unhappy with report. The issue is important because honeybees are in trouble and they do more than make honey. They are crucial to our food supply: About one-third of the hu- man diet comes from in- sect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that polli- nation. Some advocacy groups target neonicotinoids — the chemical works on insects' central nervous systems and are often called "neon- ics" — and call for bans on the chemicals. Recent scien- tific studies have pointed to problemsandpesticidemak- ers dispute those studies and this one from the EPA. Europe banned the pesti- cide class, and then lifted the ban. Don't expect any future action on this pesticide to solve the dwindling bee problem because it's not just this pesticide alone, but a complicated puzzle that includes lack of food for bees, parasites, disease and the way different pesticides and fungicides interact, said bee expert May Berenbaum at the University of Illinois. "Anything to reduce stress on bees is helpful," said University of Mary- land entomologist Dennis vanEngelsdorp. "I am not convinced that neonics are a major driver of colony loss." Before it acts on a pesti- cide, EPA wanted more spe- cific and targeted research. The risk report released Wednesday is the first of four on this class of chemi- cals. The study was done by the EPA and California's en- vironmental agency, with a similar one done by Canada. EPA analysis of detailed tests found a clear level of concentration of the pes- ticide imidacloprid, the most common neonicoti- noid, in which things start to go awry. If nectar brought back to the hive from worker bees had more than 25 parts per billion of the chemical, "there's a significant effect," namely fewer bees, less honey and "a less robust hive," said Jim Jones, EPA's assistant administrator for chemical safety and pollu- tion prevention. But if the nectar chemi- cal level was below 25 parts per billion, it was as if there were no imidacloprid at all, with no ill effects, Jones said. It was a clear line of harm or no harm, he said. Levels depended on the crop, Jones said. While nec- tar of cotton and citrus fruits were above the harm- ful concentrations, the levels were not harmful for corn — the nation's top crop by far — most vegetables, berries and tobacco. Other crops weren't conclusive and need more testing, including le- gumes, melons, tree nuts and herbs. Also, the controversial practice of treating seeds with the chemical seemed not to harm bees, Jones said. The problem crops of cotton and citrus are No. 7 and 9 in U.S. production value in 2014, according to Agriculture Department statistics. The study looked just at commercial honeybees be- cause they are a good surro- gate forallpollinators,Jones said. But Lori Ann Burd, en- vironmental health director of the advocacy group Cen- ter for Biological Diversity, criticized the agency for ig- noring wild bees, like bum- blebees, which studies show are much more sensitive to the pesticides, calling the re- port "weak." Jones said this is a draft of a scientific report, not a regulation. After public comments and the report is finalized, then EPA may act. Imidacloprid-maker Bayer Crop Sciences said EPA "appears to overes- timate the potential for harmful exposures in cer- tain crops" and ignore its benefits. "Withhundredsofstudies conducted and their demon- strated safe use on farmland across the country, we know more about the safe use of neonics to honeybees than any other pesticide," Bayer Vice President Dana Sargent said in a statement. RISK ASSESSMENT MARCIOJOSESANCHEZ—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE A bee works on a honeycomb at the Gene Brandi Apiary in Los Banos. The Environmental Protection Agency has found that a major pesticide harms honeybees when used on cotton and citrus but not on other big crops like corn, berries and tobacco. EPA says pesticide could harm bees in some cases | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2016 4 B