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GAINESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — As word spread across Jackson County, a gathering of friends quickly grew into an impromptu town hall. One woman, with her freshly coiffed hair, rushed over after hearing about the gathering at the local beauty salon, as did the owners of two restaurants and the coffee shop that all sit on the east side of the Gainesboro town square. One by one, local townspeople — about 50 in all — seemingly appeared out of nowhere from the quiet streets of Gainesboro and quickly ducked into the events center that sits just across the street from the historic Jackson County Courthouse. FULL REPORT: Watch NC5 at 6 p.m. Some just came with questions — others, with deep concerns. "We don't want one news story to portray something of Jackson County that we're not," said Kara Smith, whose husband Beau had spread the word that we were coming to town. It followed NewsChannel 5’s revelations about the white Christian nationalists — led by podcasters Andrew Isker and C.Jay Engel — now setting their sights on Jackson County, hoping to turn this quaint community of just over 12,000 people into a political haven for others just like themselves. Jackson County is located about 90 minutes northeast of Nashville. "We're building a town, right? We're building a community there,” Isker said during a July podcast when he and Engel announced their move to Tennessee. Yet, for the people who already have a community here, the news took them by surprise. "Did anyone have any sense about these people prior to this story?" I asked. A loud chorus of local residents responded in unison, “No, no." Among those we met, some had deep roots. "My family has been here for seven generations," said Mark Dudney, a public historian with an agency that serves the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee. Others were drawn here by the openness of the people they now call neighbors. “I'm a ‘mover-inner.’ I think that's what you all call people who move in from other areas,” said Diane Murphy, glancing around the room with a smile. "This town is such a loving group of people. I've been accepted, even though I came in from outside." And we were there to listen. "What has this story done to this community's sense of well-being?" I asked. "I think mainly people are scared," answered Murphy, who is vice chair of the local Republican Party. I had explained to the crowd that I had used the online story to provide documentation for every remark attributed to Isker and Engel, Murphy added: "I listened to the podcasts. I did research on what you mentioned," Murphy added. "It scares me that they are very clear about taking over." Developers with right-wing ties have purchased hundreds of acres of land in the area, trying to recruit other like-minded people to join Isker and Engel in relocating to Gainesboro. In a video posted online by one of the developers, Isker talked about the ability of those people to get their way in a small community. "You could exercise far, far more political power – even with a few hundred or a few thousand people – than you can on your own, widely dispersed across the entire country,” the right-wing Minnesota pastor said. I asked the Jackson County residents, "When you hear them talking about coming here to build a town, to build a community, what's your reaction?" Diana Mandli quickly chimed in. "I would love to speak to that. That makes me mad," she said. Mandli co-owns a local restaurant, the Bull and Thistle, and she sees a community remaking itself without the help of strangers from out of state who don't understand what Jackson County already has. "People from all different walks of life, genealogies, nationalities, race — you name it — we have got a melting pot right here in this small town, all working together to make this town come back to life,” she explained. So, I wanted to know, “What is it you're afraid of losing?" "I don't want to lose what we already have — the sense of community." Mark Dudney, the public historian, agreed. “It is a very welcoming community, but I think they kinda came in under the radar and want to recreate it in their own image," he said. On election night, the podcasters monitored the results of the 2024 presidential election during a nearly nine-hour show from Gainesboro. The real estate developer behind the project, Josh Abbotoy, provided live reports from a watch party he had hosted for local Republicans at the same events center. One of their podcast buddies also set up an account on X, formerly Twitter, that claimed to represent the views of the local Republican Party. Jackson County Republican Party chair Beau Smith was surprised when NewsChannel 5 Investigates first told him about the X account. "It said it was the official account of the Jackson County GOP." "But it was not," said Smith, who immediately insisted that the podcaster remove the claim that the account was endorsed by the local party. We also showed him where Engel had tweeted that "the best way forward" for Christian nationalists "is to take over local level outlets of the Republican Party." "So that's not going to happen especially now due to your reporting,” Smith said. “We're thankful for that, and knowing these people are in our community is a big deal." Still, not everyone is so concerned. The administrator of a local Facebook group lashed out at those who were also upset that a white supremacist group, the Asatru Folk Assembly, had bought property in Jackson County in December 2022. “I think you guys just don’t like outsiders,” Mickie Davis posted. “Just live and let live.” Late Friday, Engel appeared on a YouTube program run by a local minister to try to quell some of the public backlash following NewsChannel 5’s report. As the host took calls from local residents, Engel was asked about the podcasters’ claims that they are coming to Jackson County to “start a town.” Engel described it as being an “analogous” statement. “Our plan is to assimilate into the culture of the area and to participate in making Gainesboro a better place to live, to the extent that we are welcomed to,” he said. Back inside the events center, I asked the group, "Have these Christian nationalist podcasters, these developers tried to have a meeting like this, to sit down and answer your questions?" “No,” they again responded in unison. One woman called out from across the room, "They're a wolf in sheep's clothing." But what really concerned these Jackson County residents — some who were reluctant for their faces to be on camera — are the podcasters' views that the Civil Rights movement was a mistake, that foreigners who have become U.S. citizens still don't belong in America. I asked, "What is it that you would like for these people coming in from out of state to know? What message would you have for these people?" "This town is not for them," said local business owner Barry Naff. Another woman called out, "Bigotry is not going to work." "No, it's not going to work," Naff agreed. Yet another woman chimed in from off camera, "We are not that community, and we don't want to be a part of a racial hate community." Then, Isker and Engel’s views on women are discussed. On social media, Engel had posted that he "detest(s) the specific impact of college-educated White women on the culture of the world" he sees around him. That comment had brought a spirited response on Facebook. "The White women on Facebook that you are referring to, they are probably the scariest thing these guys are going to have to deal with now," Mark Dudney said, drawing laughter from the crowd. Over and over, the townspeople made clear that, if the Christian nationalists think Gainesboro and Jackson County is a place where people all think like them, they don't know Jackson County. "These people's views do not represent our community,” said lifelong resident Nan Coons. "And if they think they are going to come in here and take over and force their views on everybody else, they are going to have a fight on their hands." —————————— Do you have information that would help me with my investigation? Send me your tips: phil.williams@newschannel5.com RELATED STORIES: June 24, 2024: Data compiled by watchdog groups suggests that neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups have targeted the Volunteer State with racist flyers at an alarming rate in the past year, signaling a more brazen and calculated focus on the state. The statistics are alarming. July 19, 2024: Standing on what is now the Diane Nash Plaza — named after the civil rights legend who came here to confront a Nashville mayor and a community's racism — I decided to confront the hate that has once again reared its ugly head. Click here to watch my exchange. August 20, 2024: He warned me there would be consequences if I failed to comply with his demands to air a white-supremacist video. Then, nothing happened. And now that man faces his own consequences. Read more about Kai Liam Nix. September 16, 2024: Millersville, Tennessee, is gaining national attention for an approach to governing that democracy advocates fear. Here, conspiracy theorists carry guns and badges, using their police powers to explore notions that are sometimes completely divorced from reality. You can find a series of stories here. Related videos, stories: Hate Comes to Main Street
AP News Summary at 4:39 p.m. EST
UCF, LSU face off with improved focus in mindEagle County has set a lofty goal to combat climate change by achieving an 80% reduction in carbon emissions from 2014 levels by 2050. One major emitter of carbon emissions is buildings, which can be remedied by constructing net zero buildings. In the Eagle County Climate Action Plan is a goal to reach a net zero or all-electric building code for new construction by 2030. A cohort of Eagle, Pitkin and Garfield County communities, led by Walking Mountains Science Center, Lotus Engineering and Sustainability and the Community Office for Regional Efficiency, has put together a regional roadmap for how to achieve this goal. “In implementing a net zero building standard by 2030, it basically guarantees that any infrastructure we build from 2030 onward will be, in essence, operationally carbon-free,” said Kim Schlaepfer, managing director of climate mitigation and resiliency planning for Lotus Engineering & Sustainability. “So those buildings throughout their lifetime will not be responsible for emitting carbon as they are run.” The roadmap provides concrete steps Eagle, Pitkin and Garfield County municipalities can take to set a standard of net zero new construction. The roadmap is funded by the Colorado Energy Office. “This roadmap effort, to me, really brings together all of those pieces of workforce, of thinking about equity and how we want to build affordability, resilience, healthy homes for our local community members,” Schlaepfer said. “And this idea of regional collaboration can make us better and can make us make these goals easier to achieve.” The roadmap has four main objectives: Define a net zero energy code for new construction, map a path to eliminating operational greenhouse gas emissions generated from new construction, providing local governments a plan for implementing and enforcing net zero new building requirements and supporting ongoing collaboration between municipalities in the region to match each other’s building codes. The roadmap defines net zero construction as a building that is powered by electricity, uses renewable energy from the grid and/or on-site generation, can store energy and/or shift energy use to reduce peak demand on the electric grid, achieves energy efficiency performance above base energy codes, is designed to minimize embodied carbon and is EV-ready. The roadmap was also created with the intention of reassessing it as it is implemented to better apply it to the real world. “This roadmap was built today with our best-case assumptions of what technology is going to do over the next six years,” Schlaepfer said. “So intentionally built into the roadmap were these reevaluation points.” And while the roadmap does prioritize all-electric construction, Schlaepfer acknowledged that there will be buildings for which net zero construction does not yet make sense. “There is an understood and needed place for exceptions,” Schlaepfer said. “We know that if we were to change over some industrial process loads from gas to electric, it would be a huge amount of electricity that’s needed. And so it’s about smart electrification. ... It’s about being kind of smart with those exceptions and making sure that we’re not hurting our community or putting in place requirements that drive up energy costs.” “We’re seeing increased temperatures across the state of Colorado, across the United States, across the globe. And we know based on a lot of modeling and also real-life climate examples that that’s leading to higher temperatures, leads to less water availability, it leads to higher risks of intense wildfires,” Schlaepfer said. “And we live right in the middle of a place that you know could be in the next several years highly water insecure and highly at fire risk.” Most of Eagle County’s existing buildings run on gas, and, as a result, continuously emit carbon. On the other hand, “our electricity supply is continuously getting cleaner. In addition to that, I think it’s a 29% reduction from our 2014 baseline that we get just from the electricity supply going 100% renewable energy,” Schlaepfer said. “The roadmap will result in another 7% carbon emission reduction from that baseline.” Having all municipalities within a region be aligned on the same codes streamlines the process of building to meet the code requirements for local contractors. “The workforce would really appreciate if local governments could align their codes as much as possible because it’s just less for them to have to know and learn and understand,” Schlaepfer said. Climate leaders in Eagle County have been working to align local municipalities on the same building codes since 2022. Right now, Eagle County, Eagle, Avon and Minturn are all on the same 2021 codes, while Vail just moved to the 2024 codes and Gypsum is on the 2018 codes. “This new roadmap is sort of a part two of that effort,” Schlaepfer said. To align with the 2021 codes, most municipalities adopted an “electric preferred standard,” and in 2021, Colorado implemented a requirement for all communities to adopt an “electric readiness standard,” such that any newly constructed home has to be pre-wired for an easy swap from gas to electric fuel. “That means they have to have plugs in the wall, they have to have wire running through the walls, and they have to have enough capacity in their electric panel to support the swap out of a gas appliance to an electric appliance,” Schlaepfer said. The electric preferred standard means that all buildings in those municipalities — Eagle County, Avon, Minturn, Eagle and Basalt — are built to above code efficiency standards if they have gas in place and are wired for all-electric. As local energy providers work toward achieving a 100% renewable grid, constructing all-electric buildings, by default, will make the buildings net zero. “Electricity supply is 100% renewable. If you build an all-electric building, you are in effect eliminating carbon,” Schlaepfer said. Holy Cross Energy is committed to reaching 100% renewable energy by 2030, Xcel Energy is mandated by state law to achieve 80% renewable energy by 2030, and Aspen Electric and Glenwood Springs Electric are already at 100% renewable energy. Building to all-electric code also provides savings for those who live in residential buildings, as renewable energy lowers energy bills. According to the Eagle County Climate Equity Plan, a survey recently administered by Walking Mountains Science Center and soon to be published, “72% of Spanish-speaking survey takers and 32% of English-speaking survey takers use money meant for important needs like food and medicine to pay their energy bills instead,” Schlaepfer said. “Additionally, renters who often live in less energy-efficient properties face additional barriers like landlords being unwilling to make energy-saving upgrades,” Schlaepfer said. “I think that point really drives home that this roadmap isn’t for the wealthy billionaires. ... It’s not for our visitors. It’s really to make sure that we as a community are prioritizing resilient, healthy, sustainable buildings for our local community to make sure that we, as a community, can continue to stay and thrive here.” Lotus and Walking Mountains hosted six listen and learn sessions to ask for input on the roadmap from the local workforce in the building industry, including architects, general contractors, mechanical engineers and mechanical contractors. “Across the board, we heard a really strong sentiment that consistent codes would be really great,” Schlaepfer said. The concept of building new construction projects all-electric is not new for most Eagle County municipalities. “The trend right now across the board when we see local governments building new affordable housing complexes is that they are all-electric net-zero already,” Schlaepfer said. The roadmap needs to be implemented by local governments by ordinance or resolution to apply to new construction. The plan’s leaders will be coming to Eagle and Pitkin County municipalities to present the plan over the next six months. “We’re trying to take a really targeted and strategic approach to getting folks to adopt this and getting everybody on the same page,” Schlaepfer said. “But you’re not done when you adopt this,” Schlaepfer said. “If you agree to this, you’re agreeing to ongoing coordination and collaboration with your regional, local government partners. You’re agreeing to ... really trying to take a holistic regional approach to a code standard rather than every local government putting their own unique spin on a code that lands us with seven different codes across the community that a builder has to know.”
Myanmar marks centenary of engineering education
WASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. As the blueprint for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, Trump pulled an about-face . He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy . Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump's election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning how to concentrate power in the West Wing and impose a starkly rightward shift across the U.S. government and society. Trump and his aides maintain that he won a mandate to overhaul Washington. But they maintain the specifics are his alone. “President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “All of President Trumps' Cabinet nominees and appointments are whole-heartedly committed to President Trump's agenda, not the agenda of outside groups.” Here is a look at what some of Trump's choices portend for his second presidency. The Office of Management and Budget director, a role Vought held under Trump previously and requires Senate confirmation, prepares a president's proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration's agenda across agencies. The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power. “The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” Trump did not go into such details when naming Vought but implicitly endorsed aggressive action. Vought, the president-elect said, “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State” — Trump’s catch-all for federal bureaucracy — and would help “restore fiscal sanity.” In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Vought relished the potential tension: “We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.” The strategy of further concentrating federal authority in the presidency permeates Project 2025's and Trump's campaign proposals. Vought's vision is especially striking when paired with Trump's proposals to dramatically expand the president's control over federal workers and government purse strings — ideas intertwined with the president-elect tapping mega-billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a “Department of Government Efficiency.” Trump in his first term sought to remake the federal civil service by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal civil service workers — who have job protection through changes in administration — as political appointees, making them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. Currently, only about 4,000 of the federal government's roughly 2 million workers are political appointees. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump's changes. Trump can now reinstate them. Meanwhile, Musk's and Ramaswamy's sweeping “efficiency” mandates from Trump could turn on an old, defunct constitutional theory that the president — not Congress — is the real gatekeeper of federal spending. In his “Agenda 47,” Trump endorsed so-called “impoundment,” which holds that when lawmakers pass appropriations bills, they simply set a spending ceiling, but not a floor. The president, the theory holds, can simply decide not to spend money on anything he deems unnecessary. Vought did not venture into impoundment in his Project 2025 chapter. But, he wrote, “The President should use every possible tool to propose and impose fiscal discipline on the federal government. Anything short of that would constitute abject failure.” Trump's choice immediately sparked backlash. “Russ Vought is a far-right ideologue who has tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to override the spending decisions of Congress (and) who has and will again fight to give Trump the ability to summarily fire tens of thousands of civil servants,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat and outgoing Senate Appropriations chairwoman. Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, leading Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said Vought wants to “dismantle the expert federal workforce” to the detriment of Americans who depend on everything from veterans' health care to Social Security benefits. “Pain itself is the agenda,” they said. Trump’s protests about Project 2025 always glossed over overlaps in the two agendas . Both want to reimpose Trump-era immigration limits. Project 2025 includes a litany of detailed proposals for various U.S. immigration statutes, executive branch rules and agreements with other countries — reducing the number of refugees, work visa recipients and asylum seekers, for example. Miller is one of Trump's longest-serving advisers and architect of his immigration ideas, including his promise of the largest deportation force in U.S. history. As deputy policy chief, which is not subject to Senate confirmation, Miller would remain in Trump's West Wing inner circle. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27. “America First Legal,” Miller’s organization founded as an ideological counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, was listed as an advisory group to Project 2025 until Miller asked that the name be removed because of negative attention. Homan, a Project 2025 named contributor, was an acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first presidency, playing a key role in what became known as Trump's “family separation policy.” Previewing Trump 2.0 earlier this year, Homan said: “No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick to lead the CIA , was previously one of Trump's directors of national intelligence. He is a Project 2025 contributor. The document's chapter on U.S. intelligence was written by Dustin Carmack, Ratcliffe's chief of staff in the first Trump administration. Reflecting Ratcliffe's and Trump's approach, Carmack declared the intelligence establishment too cautious. Ratcliffe, like the chapter attributed to Carmack, is hawkish toward China. Throughout the Project 2025 document, Beijing is framed as a U.S. adversary that cannot be trusted. Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote Project 2025's FCC chapter and is now Trump's pick to chair the panel. Carr wrote that the FCC chairman “is empowered with significant authority that is not shared” with other FCC members. He called for the FCC to address “threats to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions in the market,” specifically “Big Tech and its attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” He called for more stringent transparency rules for social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube and “empower consumers to choose their own content filters and fact checkers, if any.” Carr and Ratcliffe would require Senate confirmation for their posts.Analysis: Barkley is NFL's version of Ohtani
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A FOOTBALL WAG has hailed an "expensive looking" Christmas partywear haul after splashing out £170 in the high street store. Ellie Butler is the childhood sweetheart of ex-Celtic midfielder Liam Shaw . She regularly shares her shopping hauls and outfit tips with her army of followers on social media. Unsurprisingly, her dressing room is packed with designer handbags, jewellery and footwear. But the down-to-earth WAG still loves to hit the high street and her local supermarket for fashion buys too. In a recent video , the newly engaged blonde beauty bagged some festive partywear must-haves in H&M. She gushed: "I am so excited for this. If I was attending Christmas parties these are some of the pieces that I would style and create an outfit from. "I've gone for quite a mixture in this selection. We've got some cooler, more casual Christmas party outfits, some extreme ‘hello it’s Christmas’ outfits and also a little Christmas jumper thrown in there." First up, the size 10 WAG picked up a long-sleeved jersey top covered in sparkly diamante embellishments. And the top, which comes in sizes XXS to XL, is a bargain at just £12.99. Most read in Fabulous Ellie said: "This is a nice in between. I feel like this is perfect if you're not wanting full sequins, you're not wanting to buy an outfit that you can only wear at Christmas. You can use this all year round. "This is a really nice, gorgeous quality. It's so thick and soft, a long-sleeved black T-shirt with these little diamonds all the way around. "It’s nice and sculpting. I'm still a little bit sparkly and I can wear this all year round. I love it. I feel like it's really flattering as well. "I don't feel like this was expensive at all and it looks really expensive. I just love the style of it." Next, Ellie paired £19.99 sequin mini shorts, available in XS to XXL, with a £37.99 black tie-belt blazer. She gushed: "These shorts are the perfect length for a really short short. They cover my bum but just cut off at the perfect length. I think they look so expensive." And the blonde beauty was just as impressed by the blazer, as the she added: "I can still have the oversized look but with a cinched in waist too." Determined to bag a more understated Christmas jumper, the 5ft 7in fashionista managed to find an adorable £24.99 bow detailed cream jumper, which is also available in dusty pink. She said: "If you want a Christmas jumper but you don't want it covered in Santa or reindeers or gingerbread men, I feel like this is a great alternative. "You've got a little bow which is still trending at the moment. It's a really nice soft jumper. "I just think it looks really expensive but it's perfect for this time of year. It's giving Christmas without screaming ‘hello it's Christmas’. "It's just nice and subtle but I think it's really pretty and girly and cute." Ellie also hailed a £37.99 rhinestone-embellished vest top as "the most stunning vest that she's ever seen". But her final purchase didn't prove quite as successful as she was left disappointed by a brown and gold £37.99 sequined A-line dress. She sighed: "I feel like if we had something like even a shoelace to tie around the waist of this and give it a little bit more structure, a little bit more shape, I feel that would be really flattering. "It's actually really comfortable it's got really nice lining inside so it's not itchy at all I feel like the shape's quite unflattering "I feel like cinched in and a little bit shorter makes all of the difference." Ellie's footballer beau Liam Shaw only played TWICE for Celtic in three years - and never tasted defeat. His last game in the Hoops was a sub appearance against St Mirren in the league back in December 2021, but he started in the 3-2 Europa League win against Real Betis earlier that same month. However it didn't spell a run and he was loaned out to Motherwell for the second half of his first season in Scotland and then spells with Morecambe and Wigan followed before his release this summer - one year early. READ MORE SUN STORIES But he managed to find a new club five weeks after the transfer window closed - and he'll work with a former RANGERS player no less. Shaw has signed for Charlie Adam at Fleetwood Town on a deal until the end of the season.2 House Republicans seek to stop IVF expansion in defense bill
The increase is an addition to the $64 million awarded to X-Bow in 2023 to expand production capacity of the solid rocket motor industrial base. LULING, Texas , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- X-Bow Systems Inc. (X-Bow), a leading non-traditional producer of advanced solid rocket motors (SRMs) and defense technologies, today announced the expansion of its contract to provide large solid rocket motors (SRM) to the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army. This increase reinforces X-Bow as a new supplier of SRMs and strengthens the Defense Department supply chain in a critical period for the United States . Following the increase, X-Bow hosted Ms. Adele Ratcliff , Director of the DoD's Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office, at our expanding Texas campus on December 3, 2024 . Ms. Ratcliff leads the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program, crucial for fortifying the U.S. defense industry and fostering emerging sectors like advanced manufacturing to ensure rapid response to national security needs. Ms. Ratcliff stated, "It is a national imperative that DoD seek new and rapid alternative sources of solid rocket motor production that provide the Department's decisions makers options that not only meet DoD's operational needs but bring capabilities and capacity to bear that grow the defense industrial base (DIB). X-Bow is a critical partner in the DIB ecosystem that aims to provide technical overmatch in the Hypersonics domain." "This contract expansion underscores the critical role X-Bow is playing in modernizing the U.S. defense industrial base," said Max Vozoff , CTO, X-Bow Systems. "Our innovative manufacturing techniques and focus on advanced materials will enable us to deliver high-performance solid rocket motors more efficiently and cost-effectively, strengthening our national security posture." Ms. Ratcliff witnessed X-Bow's new methods for manufacturing SRMs and energetics that will lead to a significant increase in SRM production capacity and decrease in cost for production of SRMs. X-Bow is nearing completion of its Texas campus which, when finished will be the second-largest solid rocket motor production facility in the United States . This facility will significantly enhance our nation's defense readiness. Ms. Ratcliff's visit highlighted the vital role X-Bow plays in strengthening the U.S. Defense Industrial Base through our advanced manufacturing approach to solid rocket motor technology. About X-Bow Systems X-Bow Systems is disrupting the aerospace industry with innovative and cost-effective advanced manufactured energetics for the solid rocket motor and launch vehicle market. X-Bow is also designing and building a suite of modular solid rocket motors and small launch vehicles for both orbital and suborbital launch services. X-Bow is led by CEO Jason Hundley , Chairman Mark Kaufman , CTO Max Vozoff , CRO Maureen Gannon, General Counsel John Leary , COO Mike Bender and a growing team of seasoned industry veterans and new space entrepreneurs. X-Bow is a dual-use technology company with investment from Crosslink Capital, Razor's Edge Ventures, Balerion Space Ventures, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin Ventures. Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico , X-Bow has additional presence in California , Alabama , Colorado , Texas , Utah , Maryland and Washington, DC . For more information visit www.xbowsystems.com . About DoD's Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office: The Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office manages and executes the DoD's Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program Element, which aims to improve the readiness and competitiveness of the U.S. industrial base by investing in, and establishing high priority domestic capabilities for new supply chains needed for national security and mitigating exposure to global supply chain risks. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/x-bow-to-receive-additional-funding-for-expansion-of-dod-contract-for-hypersonic-solid-rocket-motor-development-302337560.html SOURCE X-Bow Systems © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
The deal, announced on Tuesday night, will see hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed militants Hezbollah suspended for 60 days, with both sides withdrawing from southern Lebanon. Brokered by the US and France, the agreement is designed to provide a permanent end to the conflict, US President Joe Biden said following the announcement. But Israeli ministers insisted it would resume strikes on Lebanon if Hezbollah breached the terms of the ceasefire, while the deal does not affect Israel’s continuing war with Hamas in Gaza. In a statement, Sir Keir Starmer described the deal as “long overdue”, saying it would “provide some measure of relief to the civilian populations of Lebanon and northern Israel, who have suffered unimaginable consequences during the last few months of devastating conflict and bloodshed”. He said: “Now, this deal must be turned into a lasting political solution in Lebanon, based on Security Council Resolution 1701, that will allow civilians to return permanently to their homes and for communities on both sides of the border to rebuild. “The UK and its allies will continue to be at the forefront of efforts to break the ongoing cycle of violence in pursuit of a long-term, sustainable peace in the Middle East. “We must see immediate progress towards a ceasefire deal in Gaza, the release of all hostages and the removal of restrictions on desperately needed humanitarian aid.” The announcement of the deal follows a day of intense Israeli air strikes in Beirut, with local authorities saying at least 24 people were killed in the bombardment while Hezbollah continued to fire rockets into northern Israel. Recommending the ceasefire to his cabinet, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal would isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus more on Iran, which supports both Hamas and Hezbollah and has staged attacks on Israel in recent months. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the announcement offered “hope” and must become “a turning point that builds momentum towards a lasting peace across the Middle East”. He said: “The UK was the first G7 country to call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah in September and we have worked relentlessly since with our allies and partners to apply pressure to end this conflict since. “We strongly urge all parties to use this agreement to open a pathway to a lasting peace.” While aid organisations have welcomed the ceasefire, they have also called for it to be made permanent and extended to the conflict in Gaza. Amelia Whitworth, head of policy, campaigns and youth at the children’s charity Plan International UK, welcomed news of the deal. She said: “It is essential that all parties respect this ceasefire so that vital humanitarian aid can be delivered to the children and families that desperately need it.” Ms Whitworth added: “Today’s agreement must act as a vital step towards a sustained, permanent ceasefire – both in Lebanon and across Gaza and the wider Middle East region. “The horror must stop immediately, all children deserve to enjoy their childhood free from the threat of violence.” Paras Tamang, global humanitarian director at ActionAid, echoed her comments, saying the ceasefire would provide “temporary relief” for civilians but was “not an acceptable long-term solution to the crisis”. Mr Tamang said: “Whilst air strikes may stop for a while, the fallout from these attacks will continue to be felt for years to come. “More humanitarian aid is needed to help the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost everything.” According to the UN, more than 3,700 people, including 240 children, have been killed in Lebanon since the latest round of fighting began in October 2023, while around 900,000 have been displaced.It’s a 10-year anniversary set to brighten communities across the country. Monuments across Canada, including the giant Winnipeg sign at The Forks and the Esplanade Riel, will be lit up yellow this week to celebrate 10 years of the #NoGoodWay Day campaign, a nationwide effort to build a more inclusive environment for Special Olympics athletes. “Special Olympics has given me the world,” said Camryn Grant, an athlete in Winnipeg. “It has provided me friendships and being able to play sports.” Spearheaded by Motionball athletes, the event is an anti-bullying campaign at its heart, educating people about the importance of inclusive language aimed to end casual and negative use of the “R-Word” in everyday conversations. “It really is hard when you see an athlete get bullied or have someone say something negative towards them,” said Grant. She says Motionball has had a significant impact on building a supportive community for Special Olympics athletes, and the campaign has played an important role in the work across all sports. “It makes everyone happy when they see everyone having fun,” she said. “When they don’t, it can take a negative impact on someone, and you can see athletes will shy away from sports.” The campaign is calling on the public to take a pledge to not use the “R-word” in everyday conversation, to educate others about the link between the R-word and bullying and for people to show their support for #NoGoodWay Day. Marina Lovell, the event director at Motionball Winnipeg, says the words we use can have a real effect on people. “We hold a lot of power with the words that we say,” said Lovell. “Hopefully we can use that for the good. So by changing the language, and stopping using that word, we hopefully can promote inclusivity and those living with an intellectual disability can feel more welcome.” Since the beginning of the campaign, Motionball says tens of thousands of Canadians have pledged their commitment to use inclusive language. “Obviously a lot of people have jumped on board and taken the pledge,” she said “We just want to get the word out; to stop using that word, and if they do hear it, to say something to someone.” To show support for Special Olympic athletes and the #NoGoodWay campaign, you can take the pledge on the .
President Joe Biden's administration said Friday that it has cemented deals for billions in funding to South Korean semiconductor giant Samsung Electronics and Texas Instruments to boost their chipmaking facilities in the United States. US officials have been working to solidify Biden's legacy to bolster domestic manufacturing ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's White House return—and these agreements are among the latest efforts to do so. The United States has been trying to reduce its dependence on other countries for semiconductors, while also seeking to maintain its scientific and technological edge as competition with China intensifies. Samsung's award of up to $4.7 billion in direct funding goes towards its effort to grow its Texas presence into a full-fledged operation for developing and producing leading-edge chips, said the US Commerce Department. The funding will supplement the company's investment of more than $37 billion in the coming years, the department added. Samsung's expansion will help "ensure we have a steady, domestic supply of the most advanced semiconductors that are essential to AI and national security, while also creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement. National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard added that Samsung is "the only semiconductor company that is a leader in both advanced memory and advanced logic chips." In a separate notice, the Commerce Department said it also had finalized an award of up to $1.6 billion for Texas Instruments, supporting its efforts to build new facilities. Raimondo noted that shortages of current-generation semiconductors were a problem during the supply chain disruptions sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that TI now plans to grow its US capacity in making these devices. The Biden administration has unveiled billions in grants through the CHIPS and Science Act, a major law passed during the veteran Democrat's term aimed at strengthening the US semiconductor industry. Officials have managed to get many deals across the finish line before Trump returns to the Oval Office, awarding the vast majority of more than $36 billion in proposed incentives that have been allocated. The finalized deals mean funds can be disbursed as companies hit project milestones. © 2024 AFPNone
The UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors passed a resolution chiding Iran's poor cooperation with the agency after hours of heated exchanges, diplomats told AFP late on Thursday, a move Tehran called "politically motivated". The censure motion brought by Britain, France, Germany and the United States at the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board follows a similar one in June. But it comes as tensions run high over Iran's atomic programme, with critics fearing that Tehran is attempting to develop a nuclear weapon -- a claim the Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied. The resolution -- which China, Russia and Burkina Faso voted against -- was carried by 19 votes in favour, with 12 abstentions and Venezuela not participating, two diplomats told AFP. Ahead of the vote on Thursday night, the United States and its European allies sought to rally support for their resolution by denouncing Iran. In its national statement to the board, Washington said that Tehran's nuclear activities are "deeply troubling". London, Paris and Berlin in a joint statement drew attention to the "threat" Iran's nuclear programme posed "to international security", stressing that it now had enough highly enriched uranium for four nuclear weapons. In a first reaction after the vote, Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Mohsen Naziri Asl, told AFP that the resolution was "politically motivated", citing its "low support" compared to previous censures. The confidential resolution seen by AFP says it is "essential and urgent" for Iran to "act to fulfil its legal obligations". The text also calls on Tehran to provide "technically credible explanations" for the presence of uranium particles found at two undeclared locations in Iran. Moreover, Western powers are asking for a "comprehensive report" to be issued by the IAEA on Iran's nuclear efforts "at the latest" by spring 2025. Since 2021, Tehran has significantly decreased its cooperation with the agency by deactivating surveillance devices to monitor the nuclear programme and barring UN inspectors. At the same time, Iran has rapidly ramped up its nuclear activities, including by increasing its stockpiles of enriched uranium. That has heightened fears that Tehran might be seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, which it denies. The resolution comes just as IAEA head Rafael Grossi returned from a trip to Tehran last week, where he appeared to have made headway. During the visit, Iran agreed to an IAEA demand to cap its sensitive stock of near weapons-grade uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity. "This is a concrete step in the right direction," Grossi told reporters Wednesday, saying it was "the first time" Iran had made such a commitment since it started breaking away from its obligations under the nuclear deal. The landmark 2015 deal -- which curbed Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief -- fell apart three years later after the unilateral withdrawal by the United States under then-president Donald Trump. In retaliation, Tehran began gradually rolling back some of its commitments by increasing its uranium stockpiles and enriching beyond the 3.67 percent purity -- enough for nuclear power stations -- permitted under the deal. Although symbolic in nature at this stage, the censure motion is designed to raise diplomatic pressure on Iran. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday the censure "will disrupt" interactions with the agency, but stressed Tehran would remain keen to cooperate. Earlier, Araghchi had warned of a "proportionate" response by Iran if the board passes the resolution. According to Heloise Fayet, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations, the resolution has the potential to "harm Rafael Grossi's efforts". "But Western powers are frustrated by the lack of effectiveness of his diplomatic manoeuvres and are looking for firmer solutions," she told AFP. On Wednesday, Grossi said he could "not exclude" that Iran's commitment to cap enrichment might falter "as a result of further developments". Foreign policy expert Rahman Ghahremanpour said Tehran might retaliate to the new censure by "increasing the enrichment levels". But he does not expect any drastic "strategic measures" as Iran does not want to "aggravate tensions" before Trump returns to the White House. pdm-anb-kym/giv
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Warren Stephens, a billionaire investment banker, as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom. The 67-year-old billionaire, who is well-known for his substantial fortune and conservative political beliefs, will now assume one of the most prominent diplomatic positions globally. A Legacy of Business Success Stephens is the chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Stephens Inc., a Little Rock, Arkansas-based financial services company. The privately held company has been in business for more than 80 years and is among the biggest investment banks in the United States. Stephens Inc. became a significant force in the financial industry under his direction. The company is known for its cautious business methods and provides services in capital markets, wealth management, and investment banking. Stephens is among the richest persons in Arkansas, with an estimated net worth of over $3 billion. He is well-known in the financial community and a major Republican Party supporter thanks to his business savvy and conservative political contributions. A New Role as Diplomat Stephens is in a crucial diplomatic position as a result of his recent nomination to the position in the UK. In order to improve political, economic, and cultural relations between the two countries, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom has historically served as a crucial intermediary. Stephens will live in Winfield House, the opulent American embassy building in London with a view of Regents Park, in his capacity as ambassador. Stephens has always wanted to work for the US government, and this appointment is the result of that desire. On his Truth Social platform, President-elect Trump announced the news, emphasizing Stephens' background and commitment. “I am pleased to announce that Warren A. Stephens, one of the most successful businessmen in the country, has been nominated to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s,” Trump said in his statement. “Warren has built a wonderful financial services firm and selflessly given back to his community as a philanthropist.” Trump called Stephens a “top diplomat” and expressed excitement about his role in bolstering U.S.-U.K. ties in his statement, which also commended Stephens’ long-held goal of full-time public service. A Family Legacy of Business and Community Engagement Stephens was born in 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas, into a family with a strong business background. Stephens Inc. was founded by his father, Jackson T. Stephens, a well-known businessman. Mary Amerine Stephens, his mother, was a housewife. Warren Stephens received his economics degree from Washington and Lee University in Virginia after attending Trinity Presbyterian School in Montgomery, Alabama. He met Harriet Calhoun, his future wife, on a blind date at Wake Forest University, where he received his MBA in 1981. Miles, John, and Laura, the couple's three children, share their father's employment at Stephens Inc. The family has a long history of generosity in Little Rock, where they have supported local groups and causes. Political Ties and Speculation There had been conjecture prior to the nomination that Trump might name New York Jets owner Woody Johnson as U.K. Ambassador once more, the Daily Mail noted. Johnson was viewed as a potential contender for a second term and held the position during Trump's first presidency. But in the end, Stephens made the choice. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.
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