US President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter for gun and tax evasion convictions, which raised questions about America’s standing in the world. A father with the power to keep his son out of jail – who wouldn’t use it? So it’s no shock that United States President Joe Biden did just that. On Dec 2, he pardoned his son , Hunter, for gun and tax evasion convictions. He was fully aware of the political firestorm it would ignite – and went ahead anyway. Already a subscriber? Log in Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month $9.90 $9.90/month No contract ST app access on 1 mobile device Subscribe now All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is encouraging constituents to buy electric vehicles by offering partial refunds in a new proposal. However, buyers of vehicles sold by Tesla Inc. will not be included in the proposal, an addition which prompted an indignant response from Tesla CEO Elon Musk. On Monday, Newsom shared plans to renew the expired Clean Vehicle Rebate Program provided that President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his previous promise to end federal electric vehicle tax credit, worth up to $7,500 for new zero-emission vehicles and $4,000 for some used ones. 42% of rebates went to Tesla owners when the program was previously enacted, before it was phased out in 2023. If Trump repeals a federal subsidy, Newsom intends to offer rebates to electric vehicle buyers. However, buyers of Tesla vehicles will be excluded from this program. Newsom stated that this was because of market share limitations, and the program would at least exclude Tesla's popular models, according to the East Bay Times . "It's about creating the market conditions for more of these car makers to take root," said the governor's office, whilst also noting that Tesla's omission from the program could change following negotiations. "Consumers continue to prove the skeptics wrong — zero-emission vehicles are here to stay," Newsom said in a statement . "We're not turning back on a clean transportation future — we're going to make it more affordable for people to drive vehicles that don't pollute." Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his opinion on the California proposal, noting that Tesla vehicles would be excluded from it "even though Tesla is the only company who manufactures their EVs in California!" "This is insane," he continued. Musk, who has established himself as a strong supporter and close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, has previously stated that he is okay with the removal of federal subsidies. However, this proposal would exclude Tesla from an incentive program encouraging California residents to purchase more electric vehicles. "This is a slap in Tesla's face," said Gene Munster, managing partner of Deepwater Asset Management. Newsom also called for his state's legislature to convene in a special session on Monday in order to "Trump-proof" state laws and increase funding to the state attorney general's office. Trump took to social media to criticize Newsom, saying that he was "stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to 'Make California Great Again.'" Originally published by Latin Times.
The British singer-songwriter, 36, launched Weekends With Adele, located at The Colosseum theatre in Caesars Palace in November 2022. In July, she announced she would be taking a “big break” from music after her run of of sell-out shows at the venue, which seats around 4,000 people. In a social media post on Monday, she said: “Well what an adventure! Las Vegas you’ve been so good to me. A post shared by Adele (@adele) “This residency went on to mirror what 30 was about, lost and broken to healed and thriving! “Seems so fitting in the end. The only thing left to do in this case is move on.” The Easy On Me star made a return to the spotlight in 2021 when she released her fourth album, 30. Adele said: “These 100 shows have been so easy to love. “They were all completely different because I got to really be with every single person in the room every night. “I’ve loved every single second of it and I am so proud of it! I will miss it terribly, and I will miss you all terribly too. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! See you next time.” Videos posted online from her concert on Saturday show the singer getting tearful as she bid farewell to Vegas. “It’s been wonderful and I will miss it terribly and I will miss you terribly,” she said. “I don’t know when I next want to perform again.” The singer, full name Adele Adkins, shared an emotional embrace with Celine Dion after she spotted the music artist in the audience during her Las Vegas show last month. In August, Adele played shows in a purpose-built outdoor arena in Munich, with capacity for 80,000 people per night, and told fans on the last night that they would not be seeing her for a “long time”.Pacers push to build momentum, take advantage of bruised Blazers
DURHAM, N.C. — Duke's Cooper Flagg knows what's coming from older and stronger defenders. So too does Auburn coach Bruce Pearl when it comes to the pressure facing his frontcourt star, Johni Broome. On Wednesday night, the two preseason Associated Press All-Americans headlined a heavyweight matchup worthy of March, though from very different positions: Flagg as the 17-year-old touted freshman mentioned as a possible No. 1 overall NBA draft pick long before showing up on campus, Broome as the 22-year-old fifth-year senior who started his career at a mid-major. Yet they're each shouldering the burden of top billing on a team with national title aspirations, all on display as the ninth-ranked Blue Devils beat the second-ranked Tigers 84-78 in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg finished with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds with four assists, three steals and two blocks. The 6-10 240-pound Broome had 20 points, 12 rebounds and three assists before fouling out late. They didn't match up directly, but remained the gravitational force at the center of everything — from offensive plans to collapsing defenses — all the same. For Flagg, it was sign of big-game growth after late stumbles in losses to Kentucky and Kansas, along with handling the physical play of the Tigers. "That's something I'm going to start to see more and more," Flagg said. "It's definitely going to be a game plan for the other team, just to try and be physical with me. I think that's something that I've been dealing with since I was in sixth, seventh grade. People look at me and think they can just out-tough me, be more physical with me, and it would take me out the game. "But I've just got to keep playing through it, keep learning how to use that against them and just keep getting better." He did that against the veteran-laden Tigers, scoring 16 points and drawing seven fouls while getting to the line nine times after halftime. He felt several of those, too, such as Chaney Johnson's off-ball bump that knocked him to the hardwood midway through the second half and left him wincing. "I told him all week: 'They're going at you the whole time,'" junior teammate Tyrese Proctor said. "They had a couple of dirty plays. I just told him to keep his head composed and poised and just trust himself." Flagg pushed through regardless and showed some of his smooth moves, particularly in the second half. A dribble drive into the lane for a fallaway jumper over 6-11 big man Dylan Cardwell; pouncing on a defensive switch to drive and easily score over 6-4 guard Denver Jones; a spinning drop-step score in the paint while being fouled, leaving Pearl staring at officials and pointing to the Tigers' end of the court about an earlier no-call. Flagg also had no turnovers in his 37 minutes, a reversal after losing late turnovers in the losses to the Wildcats and Jayhawks. "To be able to coach him, he never fights you," Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. "He just never fights you. In a game, you can get on him. In practice he's always wanting to get better and in every aspect of his game. "I've always felt like Cooper's a one-time guy. He needs to experience something one time to get adjusted." As for Broome, he was coming off a dominating run through the Maui Invitational that made him the AP men's college basketball national player of the week Tuesday. Auburn also jumped two spots in Monday's latest AP Top 25, erasing nearly all of top-ranked Kansas' previous margin on the No. 2-ranked team. And that made the Tigers just the second top-2 nonconference team to play in Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1965 and first since top-ranked Michigan's "Fab Five" lost here December 1992 — exactly 32 years ago Thursday. Broome, who played his first two college seasons at Morehead State, offered matchup concerns with his ability to handle the ball on the perimeter, alter shots and attack the glass. And he was unbothered by the hostility of Duke's famously rambunctious "Cameron Crazies" fans, staring at them through much of pregame warmups with a grin and even laughing multiple times. He didn't shoot well early (2 for 9 in the first half) but started thriving in the pick-and-roll after halftime with Duke's defense stretched by Auburn's 3-point shooters. He nearly had a double-double in the second half (15 points, nine rebounds), including when he finished at the rim through Mason Gillis' foul and knocked Gillis to the ground — then gave him a lengthy stare as he stood over him. Broome led the Tigers until fouling out with 15 seconds left with Blue Devils fans starting to chant "Our house! Our house!" to mark another home win in their famed arena. He never flinched, even in the face of Auburn's first loss. "I think he's handled (the pressure) really well," Pearl said. "One of the reasons our team has played well so far this year is Johni's been a tremendously consistent player. Clearly a (national) player of the year candidate. If our team continues to win, he's our best player. ... He's able to do it on both ends, and he's able to do it inside and out." Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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OTTAWA — Parents of children who died because of online sexual extortion are urging MPs to act on online harms legislation. The online harms bill is among the legislation that’s been blocked from moving forward for months due to a parliamentary privilege debate raging between the Liberals and Conservatives. The bill targets seven categories of online behaviour, from the non-consensual sharing of intimate images to content that can be used to bully a child, and would create a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada. Justice Minister Arif Virani announced plans to split the bill into two parts this week, heeding calls from critics to separate the more controversial hate speech provisions from the child exploitation components. But the bill still can’t move forward until the privilege filibuster is over. Barbie Lavers, whose teenage son died by suicide after being extorted online over intimate images, told a House of Commons committee Thursday that she supports the online harms legislation. Lavers asked politicians from all parties to come to a temporary alliance and stop using children as political pawns to show “one party is more correct than the other.” “The longer Bill C-63 remains a political issue, the more children we will lose. We beg you to please stop wasting time and do something to help save our children,” she said. Carol Todd, whose daughter Amanda died by suicide due to online sextortion, told MPs it is hurtful to watch political arguments after waiting 12 years for legislation. The Conservatives say they won’t end the filibuster until either the Liberals hand over unredacted documents related to misspending at a now-defunct green technology fund to the RCMP, or the NDP agrees to bring down the government. The Liberals need the support of an opposition party to end or pause the privilege debate, which the NDP did last week when it allowed the government to pass legislation to enact a temporary federal sales tax holiday. But the New Democrats say they, too, want the documents handed over and will not agree to end the debate entirely. Virani said the goal of breaking the legislation into two was “to find consensus amongst parliamentarians on the things that we can agree to immediately.” Conservative justice critic Larry Brock called for Virani to “give up” on the bill and instead adopt a Conservative private member’s bill tackling online harms. Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner, who introduced that bill, repeatedly put it forward as a superior alternative to the government’s proposed legislation while questioning the witnesses at committee Thursday. Rempel Garner said her concern with the government bill is that it puts the social media platforms’ responsibilities “into a regulator that hasn’t been built and it gives online platforms the ability to wiggle out of this two, three, four years in the future.” “I would direct your attention to C-412,” she told Todd. The first part of the government bill, which Virani plans to prioritize, would create a new regulator to compel social media companies to outline how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, particularly minors. It would also update rules around mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse material by internet service providers and some online services. Rempel Garner’s bill would include measures modernizing the existing law against criminal harassment so a victim can ask a judge to force social media companies to identify someone who has repeatedly harassed them online. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian PressBiden administration to loan $6.6B to EV maker Rivian to build Georgia factory that automaker paused
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By ROB GILLIES TORONTO (AP) — Canada is already examining possible retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the United States should President-elect Donald Trump follow through on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official said Wednesday. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if the countries don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across southern and northern borders. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders. A Canadian government official said Canada is preparing for every eventuality and has started thinking about what items to target with tariffs in retaliation. The official stressed no decision has been made. The person spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly. When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Many of the U.S. products were chosen for their political rather than economic impact. For example, Canada imports $3 million worth of yogurt from the U.S. annually and most comes from one plant in Wisconsin, home state of then-House Speaker Paul Ryan. That product was hit with a 10% duty. Another product on the list was whiskey, which comes from Tennessee and Kentucky, the latter of which is the home state of then-Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. Trump made the threat Monday while railing against an influx of illegal migrants, even though the numbers at Canadian border pale in comparison to the southern border. The U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone — and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian one between October 2023 and September 2024. Canadian officials say lumping Canada in with Mexico is unfair but say they are happy to work with the Trump administration to lower the numbers from Canada. The Canadians are also worried about a influx north of migrants if Trump follows through with his plan for mass deportations. Trump also railed about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, even though seizures from the Canadian border pale in comparison to the Mexican border. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Related Articles National Politics | Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia National Politics | Trump’s tariffs in his first term did little to alter the economy, but this time could be different National Politics | Trump transition says Cabinet picks, appointees were targeted by bomb threats, swatting attacks National Politics | Southwest states certify election results after the process led to controversy in previous years National Politics | Political stress: Can you stay engaged without sacrificing your mental health? Canadian officials argue their country is not the problem and that tariffs will have severe implications for both countries. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. “Canada is essential to the United States’ domestic energy supply,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said. Trump has pledged to cut American energy bills in half within 18 months, something that could be made harder if a 25% premium is added to Canadian oil imports. In 2023, Canadian oil accounted for almost two-thirds of total U.S. oil imports and about one-fifth of the U.S. oil supply. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is holding a emergency virtual meeting on Wednesday with the leaders of Canada’s provinces, who want Trudeau to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the United States that excludes Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that her administration is already working up a list of possible retaliatory tariffs “if the situation comes to that.”
Canada is already examining tariffs on certain US items following Trump’s tariff threat