Kashmir Sees Daily Damage To 50 TransformersMaryland is suing the company that produces the waterproof material Gore-Tex often used for raincoats and other outdoor gear, alleging its leaders kept using “forever chemicals” long after learning about serious health risks associated with them. The complaint, which was filed last week in federal court, focuses on a cluster of 13 facilities in northeastern Maryland operated by Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates. It alleges the company polluted the air and water around its facilities with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances , jeopardizing the health of surrounding communities while raking in profits. The lawsuit adds to other claims filed in recent years, including a class action on behalf of Cecil County residents in 2023 demanding Gore foot the bill for water filtration systems, medical bills and other damages associated with decades of harmful pollution in the largely rural community. “PFAS are linked to cancer, weakened immune systems, and can even harm the ability to bear children,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement. “It is unacceptable for any company to knowingly contaminate our drinking water with these toxins, putting Marylanders at risk of severe health conditions.” Gore spokesperson Donna Leinwand Leger said the company is “surprised by the Maryland Attorney General’s decision to initiate legal action, particularly in light of our proactive and intensive engagement with state regulators over the past two years.” “We have been working with Maryland, employing the most current, reliable science and technology to assess the potential impact of our operations and guide our ongoing, collaborative efforts to protect the environment,” the company said in a statement, noting a Dec. 18 report that contains nearly two years of groundwater testing results. But attorney Philip Federico, who represents plaintiffs in the class action and other lawsuits against Gore, called the company’s efforts “too little, much too late.” In the meantime, he said, residents are continuing to suffer — one of his clients was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer. “It’s typical corporate environmental contamination,” he said. “They’re in no hurry to fix the problem.” The synthetic chemicals are especially harmful because they’re nearly indestructible and can build up in various environments, including the human body. In addition to cancers and immune system problems, exposure to certain levels of PFAS has been linked to increased cholesterol levels, reproductive health issues and developmental delays in children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Gore leaders failed to warn people living near its Maryland facilities about the potential impacts, hoping to protect their corporate image and avoid liability, according to the state’s lawsuit. The result has been “a toxic legacy for generations to come,” the lawsuit alleges. Since the chemicals are already in the local environment, protecting residents now often means installing complex and expensive water filtration systems. People with private wells have found highly elevated levels of dangerous chemicals in their water, according to the class action lawsuit. The Maryland facilities are located in a rural area just across the border from Delaware, where Gore has become a longtime fixture in the community. The company, which today employs more than 13,000 people, was founded in 1958 after Wilbert Gore left the chemical giant DuPont to start his own business. Its profile rose with the development of Gore-Tex , a lightweight waterproof material created by stretching polytetrafluoroethylene, which is better known by the brand name Teflon that’s used to coat nonstick pans. The membrane within Gore-Tex fabric has billions of pores that are smaller than water droplets, making it especially effective for outdoor gear. The state’s complaint traces Gore’s longstanding relationship with DuPont , arguing that information about the chemicals' dangers was long known within both companies as they sought to keep things quiet and boost profits. It alleges that as early as 1961, DuPont scientists knew the chemical caused adverse liver reactions in rats and dogs. DuPont has faced widespread litigation in recent years. Along with two spinoff companies, it announced a $1.18 billion deal last year to resolve complaints of polluting many U.S. drinking water systems with forever chemicals. The Maryland lawsuit seeks to hold Gore responsible for costs associated with the state’s ongoing investigations and cleanup efforts, among other damages. State oversight has ramped up following litigation from residents alleging their drinking water was contaminated. Until then, the company operated in Cecil County with little scrutiny. Gore announced in 2014 that it had eliminated perfluorooctanoic acid from the raw materials used to create Gore-Tex. But it’s still causing long-term impacts because it persists for so long in the environment, attorneys say. Over the past two years, Gore has hired an environmental consulting firm to conduct testing in the area and provided bottled water and water filtration systems to residents near certain Maryland facilities, according to a webpage describing its efforts. Recent testing of drinking water at residences near certain Gore sites revealed perfluorooctanoic acid levels well above what the EPA considers safe, according to state officials. Attorneys for the state acknowledged Gore’s ongoing efforts to investigate and address the problem but said the company needs to step up and be a better neighbor. “While we appreciate Gore’s limited investigation to ascertain the extent of PFAS contamination around its facilities, much more needs to be done to protect the community and the health of residents,” Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain said in a statement. “We must remove these forever chemicals from our natural resources urgently, and we expect responsible parties to pay for this remediation.” Lea Skene, The Associated Press
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Tech billionaire Elon Musk faced accusations of censorship Friday from fellow conservatives after several prominent right-wing accounts who had criticized Musk’s views on immigration said that they subsequently lost access to premium features on Musk’s social media app, X. At least 14 conservative accounts said late Thursday or Friday that X had revoked their blue verification badge, cutting them off from a variety of premium features, including the ability to monetize their accounts through subscriptions and advertising revenue-sharing, according to a review conducted by NBC News . Some accounts said the number of those affected was far higher. The accounts were all still active Friday, but without access to monetization features; some of them said they worried about their ability to keep posting. Some conservatives said they considered X’s actions to be a betrayal by Musk, who purchased the service then known as Twitter in 2022 in part because he said it had unfairly limited conservative speech . Musk has since called himself a free-expression advocate, even as he calls for jailing some of his critics . Musk and X did not respond to requests for comment on Friday. But on Thursday night, about an hour before some conservatives started complaining about losing access to X’s premium features, Musk posted what he called “a reminder” on X. He wrote that the site’s algorithm automatically reduces the reach of a user if they’re frequently blocked or muted by other, credible users. “If far more credible, verified subscriber accounts (not bots) mute/block your account compared to those who like your posts, your reach will decline significantly,” Musk posted . But rather than satisfying people complaining about censorship, the post elicited even more accusations that Musk was shadowbanning his conservative critics, or reducing engagement on their posts without officially disclosing such actions to affected accounts. The actions by X came in the middle of a heated online debate on the subject of future immigration policy under President-elect Donald Trump, with anti-immigration MAGA loyalists denouncing the influence of pro-immigration tech executives and investors such as Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Many of the affected accounts said they were affiliated with one media brand in particular, ConservativeOG. Preston Parra, a 23-year-old influencer and head of ConservativeOG, said he considered the actions by X to be a “political takedown” in retaliation for publicly disagreeing with Musk’s pro-immigration views. He said he plans to keep fighting Musk, not only to get his premium features restored but also to ensure that Trump pursues restrictionist immigration policies. “If anyone thinks for one minute the REAL backbone of the right wing and MAGA is gonna stand idly by while these big tech gillionaire Silicon Valley dweebs who didn’t get bullied enough in high school, steal our country, they’re mistaken,” Parra said in a text message. He said he believes Musk to be a “Trojan horse” in the Trump camp. Trump announced that Musk and Ramaswamy would lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency,” to much fanfare, shortly after the Nov. 5 election. But in recent days, after venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan was announced as a White House adviser on AI policy, Trump’s tech-world allies — including Musk and Ramaswamy — have come under deeper scrutiny and criticism from the far-right for their previous statements about or involvement with legal immigration. Musk is an immigrant, having been born and raised in South Africa. He became a U.S. citizen in 2002. This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News: Human remains found on Southern California shoreline on consecutive days Mega Millions jackpot grows to $1.22 billion ahead of Friday night drawing Trump urges Supreme Court to hit pause on a law that could ban TikTok in the U.S. next month
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What Snoop wants: Arizona Bowl gives NIL opportunities to players for Colorado State, Miami (Ohio)Should you worry about overfunding your 529 plan? 529 college savings plans are powerful tools to help pay for the mounting costs of an education. Why are some people hesitant to use them? One common concern is oversaving. Margaret Giles Of Morningstar, The Associated Press Dec 27, 2024 11:00 AM Dec 27, 2024 11:05 AM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message FILE - A specialist studies monitors on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor in New York on November 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File) 529 college savings plans are powerful tools to help pay for the mounting costs of an education. Why are some people hesitant to use them? One common concern is oversaving. You can use 529 funds to cover only qualified education expenses without incurring a tax penalty, but it can be hard to pinpoint how much money you actually need. Many parents open 529s for their children when they are born; they have no way of knowing whether their kids will earn a scholarship or even go to college at all. Fortunately, parents of multiple children can change the beneficiary of a 529 plan. But what do you do if you still have money left over after covering education expenses? Thanks to Secure 2.0 , college savers won’t have to worry about overfunding their 529s. Starting this year, you can now roll over unused 529 funds to a Roth IRA . But don’t think the 529 rollover is a loophole to save extra for retirement; there are rules that limit the conversions. Here’s what you should consider when converting your 529 funds to a Roth IRA. The Roth IRA receiving the funds must be in the name of the 529 plan beneficiary. The 529 plan must be open for at least 15 years. You cannot convert 529 contributions made within the past five years (or the earnings on those contributions). The 529 funds you roll over count toward your IRA annual contribution limit. You can move a maximum of $35,000 from a 529 plan to a Roth IRA during your lifetime. 529 funds must be converted by paying the amount directly to a Roth IRA—you can’t pay yourself and then deposit the money into the Roth IRA later. You can contribute to a Roth IRA only if you have earnings from a job, so the 529 beneficiary must have eligible earnings when the 529-to-IRA conversions occur. Roth IRA income limits do not apply to 529 rollovers. While avoiding the Roth IRA income limits is a retirement-saving perk for those with higher income, the rest of the rules around rolling over your excess 529 funds are designed to ensure that people are using 529 plans for their intended purpose: education. The annual contribution limits as well as the lifetime cap on conversions mean that you can’tdouble up on your retirement funding. So, what’s the bottom line? The ability to convert unused 529 funds to a Roth IRA can help alleviate potential concerns about oversaving for education. Still, don’t count on your 529 as a means to save for retirement. Instead, consider funding your Roth IRA separately. ___ This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance Margaret Giles is a content development editor at Morningstar. Related links: Understand your 529 state tax benefits https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance/how-do-your-states-529-tax-benefits-stack-up Margaret Giles Of Morningstar, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More The Mix Fire engulfs section of popular Manhattan holiday market Dec 27, 2024 10:25 AM 'Morrison Hotel' made famous by The Doors goes up in flames in LA Dec 27, 2024 10:19 AM Tugboats, crews try to refloat ship stuck in St. Lawrence River near Montreal Dec 27, 2024 9:40 AM Featured FlyerNEW YORK — Nebraska football writer Luke Mullin offers his extra points from the Husker football team's 20-15 bowl game win over Boston College on Saturday. Play of the game: Rahmir Johnson's fourth-down conversion late in the fourth quarter. On a play where Nebraska needed to gain 1 yard to ice the game, Johnson came up with 11 instead and gained a first down that the Huskers simply needed to have. Had he been stopped short, Boston College could've gotten a chance to come all the way back for a win, but Johnson ensured that didn't happen. Turning point: Boston College's missed field goal in the first quarter. Having intercepted a Dylan Raiola pass, the Eagles drove into Nebraska territory and had a chance to take a 3-0 lead. When the drive stalled out and BC's long field goal try missed, momentum was back on NU's side, where it remained for much of the game. Quotable: "I don't think you should say 6-7 (record), that's such a miserable thought right now. Let's be positive, guys, we just won a bowl game!" Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule on what it meant to end the season with a win. Game ball: Rahmir Johnson. The MVP of the bowl game certainly deserves a game ball, and Johnson earned it as the hometown hero playing in front of family and friends. The sixth-year senior played one of his best games as a Husker in his final game with the team. Game ball: The entire Nebraska defense. The final score shows that it was a close game, and it's only that way because of Nebraska's ability to stop Boston College inside its own territory. A below-average game from the Husker defense could've led to a BC win instead, but Nebraska played at a high level and won the game because of it. Hat tip: To Dylan Raiola, who made big passes and gained key yardage with his legs when the situation required it. An early interception didn't do much to detract from Raiola's performance as the true freshman led Nebraska to a win. Questionable: There wasn't much to complain about, but Nebraska's decision to attempt a fake field goal might just warrant it. Given that the Huskers had already converted a fake punt, Boston College was bound to be alert for the chance of a fake and indeed it was. There was no issue with going for the try, but Nebraska would've been better served by keeping its offense on the field rather than trying some trickery once again. Tone-setter: Jahmal Banks' one-handed catch. While it didn't lead to any points, Banks' grab showed that Nebraska was going to go after the one-on-one matchup that BC afforded it. The Huskers made great use of those situations to move the ball all game long. 10: Different Huskers who caught a pass on Saturday, including defensive back Isaac Gifford. 7: Consecutive Boston College drives which ended without points to begin the game. 2-for-2: Punter Brian Buschini's passing statistics this season, having thrown for 38 yards on his two tries. 7: Tackles for a loss recorded by the Nebraska defense, three of which being quarterback sacks. 3,290: Days since Nebraska's last bowl game win during the 2015 season. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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