President-elect Donald Trump has announced key cabinet nominations ahead of his January 20 inauguration. In November, he nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with a mission to implement a “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which includes plans to eliminate chemical additives from the U.S. food supply. Recent social media posts have sparked rumors that Kennedy intends to ban Hershey’s chocolate. “BREAKING: Effective January 20th, Hershey’s Chocolate will be BANNED in the United States. Make America Healthy Again,” reads a post on X, featuring a screenshot purportedly from Kennedy’s account. This post claims the ban is part of Kennedy’s “war on bioengineered food.” Commenters questioned whether these claims are true. THE QUESTION Has Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced plans to ban Hershey’s chocolate? THE SOURCES Parody account that made the original Diet Coke ban post Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s real X , Instagram and Facebook accounts Review of Hershey’s website and social media accounts THE ANSWER No, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not announced plans to ban Hershey's chocolate. WHAT WE FOUND Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not announced plans for a ban on Hershey’s chocolate. The claim originated from a parody account with the display name “ Robert F. Kennedy Jr - Health Secretary Parody .” The account has since been suspended on X, but it previously spread a similar false claim about Kennedy wanting to ban Diet Coke. Social media posts sharing screenshots from the parody account cropped out the word “parody,” making it appear as if the posts were from Kennedy’s official account. Kennedy’s real X account , with the display name “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” has 5 million followers and doesn’t include the dash mark and ellipsis seen in the screenshots about a Hershey’s ban. Kennedy has not posted anything about a possible Hershey’s chocolate ban on his real account, nor on his Instagram or Facebook pages. VERIFY found no credible news articles supporting claims of a Hershey’s chocolate ban. Additionally, Hershey’s websites and social media accounts do not indicate any plans to halt chocolate sales in the U.S. after Inauguration Day. We reached out to Kennedy and Hershey’s for comment but did not hear back at the time of publication.LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DON’T LOOK Projects is pleased to announce its inaugural group exhibition, Permission to Bloom, featuring the work of four international artists working across various media. Opening on January 18, 2025, at 2680 South La Cienega Blvd in Los Angeles. The exhibition explores the interrelation between nature and technology, prompting us to consider both their effects on our society, humanity and its horizon, and our own positionality in earth’s future. Like a call to adventure beckoning us to explore these connections, the exhibition challenges our understanding of these two seemingly opposing forces. Nature has long been a source of inspiration for artists over the last 40,000 years, the natural world being depicted in prehistoric cave paintings found across the globe. Despite human attempts to control it, nature will reclaim its space after our technological innovations fade, a thought best illustrated in the image of wildflowers that bloom in derelict factories in many provincial locations globally. This exchange reminds us that while modern technologies enhance our lives and agricultural advances feed vast populations, it is nature’s virility that forms the foundation of our existence. Nature also finds ways to endure despite humanity's insatiable appetite for expansion and subjugation. Gillian Brett's work (France) reflects upon the decline of traditional farming methods and the increasing reliance on precision agriculture technologies. Brett invites viewers to consider the delicate balance between human intervention and the natural world. Similarly, Beverley Duckworth’s (UK) research into global landfills materializes in sculpture and installation that takes a regenerative approach to the infinite mountains of discarded garments and electronic waste by implanting them with seeds and utilizing them as foundations for roots of new life to emerge. Helena Sekot (Austria) attends to the formal symbolism of the natural world, leaning into the grace and grit of flora and fauna. Sekot’s series of digital prints of rhubarb skins wrapped around body parts contain a sensuality and eroticism that references both digital cultures and art history. Ewelina Skrowronska’s (Poland) paintings use natural dyes, departing from a human-centric framing of the world to reveal a deeply interconnected biophilic reading of Earth. The works offer us a potential dreamscape of a future where humankind and the natural world work in symbiosis. DON’T LOOK Projects is a contemporary art gallery in Los Angeles, CA. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a2220fa9-6332-4d44-9924-db386e5f331d
Published 5:31 pm Friday, December 27, 2024 By Data Skrive In one of the nine intriguing games on the NBA menu on Saturday, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets will square off at Spectrum Center. Info on live coverage of Saturday’s NBA action is included for you. Sign up for NBA League Pass to get access to games, live and on-demand, and more for the entire season and offseason. Watch ESPN originals, The Last Dance and more NBA content on ESPN+. Use our link to sign up for ESPN+ or the Disney bundle. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .TCU's TD barrage breaks open tight game vs. Arizona
1 / 7 Multiple companies, ranging from KPI Green to Garware Technical will undergo their respective corporate actions as their record dates have been fixed during the course of the week. However, the focus will be on the price action in ITC as the record date for its hotels business demerger approaches. Here is a look at the stocks in the list: 2 / 7 ITC | The cigarette-to-hotels-to-FMCG conglomerate has been working on the demerger of its hotels business for which it finally declared the record date last week. January 6, 2025 has been fixed as the record date for the demerger and shareholders will receive 1 share of the hotels business for every 10 shares of ITC they own. 3 / 7 Surya Roshni | The company had announced a bonus issue in the 1:1 ratio, which is one free share for every one held. The record date for the same has been fixed as Wednesday, January 1, 2025. 4 / 7 Garware Technical Fibres | This company, which has a market capitalisation of over ₹9,000 crore had announced the issue of four free shares for every one share held and the record date for the same has been fixed as Friday, January 3, 2025. This is the first instance of the company issuing bonus shares after conducting share buybacks earlier this year and in 2022. 5 / 7 KPI Green Energy | KPI Green Energy had also announced another bonus issue, this time in the ratio of 1:2, which means shareholders will get one free share for every two held as on the record date, which has been fixed as Friday, January 3, 2025. 6 / 7 Redtape | The footwear brand, demerged from Mirza International, declared a bonus issue as well as an interim dividend last week. The record date for the ₹2 interim dividend has been fixed as Friday, January 3, 2025. The record date for the three for one bonus issue or three free shares for every one held is yet to be determined. 7 / 7 Banco Products | The company had announced a bonus issue in the 1:1 ratio and the stock will trade ex-bonus from today, December 30. This means, shareholders who had shares of the company in their demat account by closing on Friday will be eligible for these bonus shares.The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on the founder of Georgia’s ruling political party, which has steered the country away from a pro-Western stance and towards Russia, US officials said. The US State and Treasury departments said they hit Georgian Dream party founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili with penalties “for undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation”, according to a statement. The designation of Mr Ivanishvili is the latest in a series of sanctions the US has placed on Georgian politicians and others this year. Those sanctions include freezes on assets and properties those targeted may have in US jurisdictions or that might enter US jurisdictions as well as travel bans on the targets and members of their families. “The United States is committed to promoting accountability for those undermining democracy and human rights in Georgia.” Mr Ivanishvili is a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and served briefly as Georgia’s prime minister. In 2012, he founded Georgian Dream, Georgia’s longtime ruling party. Critics have accused Georgian Dream of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted towards Moscow. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBT+ rights, prompting the European Union to suspend Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely. In October, Georgian Dream won another term in a divisive parliamentary election that has led to more mass protests. Last month, the country’s prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced a four-year suspension of talks on Georgia’s bid to join the European Union, fuelling further public outrage.
Australia’s sharemarket is likely to open lower after a sell-off in the world’s largest technology companies hit US stocks in the final stretch of a stellar year. Futures are pointing to a drop of 0.35 per cent, or 29 points, on Monday morning across the local bourse, to 8228, as traders take stock of a pullback in the US last week. Nasdaq, one of the “Magnificent Seven” companies, bore the brunt of last week’s selling. Credit: Bloomberg In the US, during a session of slim trading volume – which tends to amplify moves – the S&P 500 lost 1.1 per cent and the Nasdaq 100 slipped 1.4 per cent. While every major industry succumbed to Friday’s slide, tech megacaps bore the brunt of the selling. That’s after a torrid surge in which the group of companies dubbed the “Magnificent Seven” accounted for more than half of the US equity benchmark’s gains in 2024. “I think Santa has already come. Have you seen the performance this year?” said Kenny Polcari from financial advising firm SlateStone Wealth. “[This] week is another holiday-shortened week, volumes will be light, moves will be exaggerated. Don’t make any major investing decisions this week.” Steve Sosnick, from Interactive Brokers said while the market was in holiday season, he had fielded more inquiries than expected. Loading “The best I can figure out is that there are large accounts, pension funds and the like, who need to rebalance their holdings before year-end,” he said. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 trimmed last week’s gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.8 per cent on Friday. A gauge of the “Magnificent Seven” sank 2 per cent, led by losses in Tesla and Nvidia. The Russell 2000 index of small caps dropped 1.6 per cent. The yield on 10-year Treasuries rose 4 basis points to 4.62 per cent. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index wavered.
Gore-Tex maker sued over pollution from toxic ‘forever chemicals’TCU's TD barrage breaks open tight game vs. Arizona
AI is a game changer for students with disabilities. Schools are still learning to harness itWASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he will nominate former White House aide Brooke Rollins to be his agriculture secretary, the last of his picks to lead executive agencies and another choice from within his established circle of advisers and allies. The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by Republicans when Trump takes office Jan. 20. Rollins would succeed Tom Vilsack , President Joe Biden’s agriculture secretary who oversees the sprawling agency that controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition. Then-President Donald Trump looks to Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, as she speaks during a Jan. 11, 2018, prison reform roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. Rollins previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The pick completes Trump’s selection of the heads of executive branch departments, just two and a half weeks after the former president won the White House once again. Several other picks that are traditionally Cabinet-level remain, including U.S. Trade Representative and head of the small business administration. Brooke Rollins, assistant to the president and director of the Domestic Policy Council at the time, speaks during a May 18, 2020, meeting with restaurant industry executives about the coronavirus response in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Rollins, speaking on the Christian talk show “Family Talk" earlier this year, said Trump was an “amazing boss” and confessed that she thought in 2015, during his first presidential campaign, that he would not last as a candidate in a crowded Republican primary field. “I was the person that said, ‘Oh, Donald Trump is not going to go more than two or three weeks in the Republican primary. This is to up his TV show ratings. And then we’ll get back to normal,’” she said. “Fast forward a couple of years, and I am running his domestic policy agenda.” Trump didn’t offer many specifics about his agriculture policies during the campaign, but farmers could be affected if he carries out his pledge to impose widespread tariffs. During the first Trump administration, countries like China responded to Trump’s tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports like the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. Trump countered by offering massive multibillion-dollar aid to farmers to help them weather the trade war. Brooke Rollins speaks at an Oct. 27 campaign rally for then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York. President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms. The USDA oversees multiple support programs for farmers; animal and plant health; and the safety of meat, poultry and eggs that anchor the nation’s food supply. Its federal nutrition programs provide food to low-income people, pregnant women and young children. And the agency sets standards for school meals. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has vowed to strip ultraprocessed foods from school lunches and to stop allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries from using food stamps to buy soda, candy or other so-called junk foods. But it would be the USDA, not HHS, that would be responsible for enacting those changes. In addition, HHS and USDA will work together to finalize the 2025-2030 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They are due late next year, with guidance for healthy diets and standards for federal nutrition programs. Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Associated Press writers Josh Funk and JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Mayor Todd Gloria has added his voice to growing community opposition to a proposed 23-story hotel and residential tower in Pacific Beach. “While I am a staunch advocate for affordable housing, this project is an extreme application of the state Density Bonus Law that fails to meet the spirit or intent of California’s affordable housing policies,” he said in an email update to constituents just before Christmas. The mayor noted “significant community concerns,” and added, “I share many of the reservations about the project.” The Vela project at 970 Turquoise Street in Pacific Beach would include 139 hotel rooms and 74 residential units, 10 of which would be deed-restricted for affordable housing. The developer is Kalonymus LLC , a Los Angeles-based real estate firm. We have launched our year-end campaign. Our goal: Raise $50,000 by Dec. 31. Help us get there. Times of San Diego is devoted to producing timely, comprehensive news about San Diego County. Your donation helps keep our work free-to-read, funds reporters who cover local issues and allows us to write stories that hold public officials accountable. Join the growing list of donors investing in our community's long-term future. Gloria said the city is requesting assistance from the California Department of Housing and Community Development to ensure that the development, if it proceeds, complies with all state housing regulations. He said his office is also working with state Sen. Catherine Blakespear to introduce legislation amending the Density Bonus Law to strengthen safeguards on projects that include affordable housing. “San Diego has led the way in addressing the affordable housing crisis, but we cannot allow pro-housing policies to be exploited for projects that fail to serve our community’s needs,” Gloria said. Get Our Free Daily Email Newsletter Get the latest local and California news from Times of San Diego delivered to your inbox at 8 a.m. daily. Sign up for our free email newsletter and be fully informed of the most important developments.Trump taps Rollins as agriculture chief, completing proposed slate of Cabinet secretaries
The stock market has witnessed significant gains in 2024, with the S&P 500 up over 20% year to date. But will this momentum continue into the new year? Stephen 'Sarge' Guilfoyle joined TheStreet to discuss his market outlook for 2025. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.This story is part of the November 24 edition of Sunday Life. See all 14 stories . Dreaming about leaving the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life behind? If you’ve got your eyes fixed on a farm-centric future, you’re far from alone. According to the Big Movers 2023 report, 614,144 Australians made the move from our capital cities to regional areas across the country during the last census period (2016-21) – an increase of 120,750 on the prior one, with COVID restrictions probably driving some of this. Interestingly, the same report shows that Millennials left Sydney and Melbourne (the cities experiencing the greatest loss) in the highest numbers, as they likely embraced greater work flexibility and chased better affordability and work/life balance around the country. But is the move worth it? Three women who’ve done it in recent years share their highs and lows. “We lost everything in the floods, but we have no regrets” Sue Bourke, 54, PR and marketing professional “My husband, Brad, was diagnosed with prostate cancer seven years ago, aged 51. Until that point, we’d been living like many urbanites [in Sydney’s north], often feeling like hamsters running on a wheel but never able to get ahead. We we were exhausted and dreaming of getting out of the rat race. When Brad was undergoing treatment we said, ‘If we make it through this, let’s move to a country town.’ Moving to Wauchope [in the NSW Mid North Coast region] made sense from the get-go. We wanted a country town experience, yet still be close to the sea as well as a regional centre – and Wauchope ticked those boxes. When a local work opportunity landed in my lap, everything fell into place. We moved up here in 2019 and, straight after settling into our new home, went into a six-month period where we were badly affected by two natural disasters and the pandemic. The bushfires at the end of 2019 left many of the towns around us cut off, but we lost almost everything we owned in the floods of March 2020. I can still remember having to swim out from the house late at night in the dark and returning to find 90 per cent of our stuff either gone or destroyed. It wasn’t ideal but since we were insured, we were luckier than most. It also gave us a moment to detach ourselves from ‘stuff’; it’s not often you’re given a chance to start with a clean slate. The first thing you notice when you move to a country town is the depth of the community spirit; people share their abundance with their neighbours here. Some will drop off fruit and vegetables from their garden, and others will drop off jams they’ve made themselves. I put a post on our local Facebook community group the other day asking about manure and someone dropped off 16 bags of it for free. There are challenges with making a tree change; obviously we’re exposed to natural disasters in a way you only ever see on TV back in metropolitan areas, and I must admit I still really miss my hairdresser, but outside of that, I’d say we’ve never really looked back - especially since our son (now 25) moved up here three years ago. Living between the mountains and the sea means we’ve adopted a healthier, outdoor lifestyle which has seen me shed close to 50 kilos and drop from a size 22 to a size 12. Work has picked up too - I’m now working with The Rural Woman [a co-op putting women in touch with services] helping women living in rural and regional areas become digitally savvy. Women living in the bush are chronically underrepresented in Parliament, which is a real shame because there are so many forward-thinking, fearless female entrepreneurs doing amazing things around the country and their voices - their talents - should be amplified.” “Our family gap year gave us the courage to make the leap” Tamara Scenna, 47, caravan park operator “Our tree change began as a 12-month family gap year around Australia. Before we fled Sydney’s inner west in our caravan at the start of 2019, life was all hustle and bustle. I worked in public service, leaving the house at 7am to avoid heavy traffic that saw my journey to work take more than an hour. Loading With the kids [now 16 and 13, respectively] at school, it often felt as if we all were ships in the night, so we thought a year to travel and bond before our eldest started high school would help us reset and ease back into city life with a fresh mindset. Of course, we then all realised there was so much more to life than what Sydney offered; during our time on the road, the seed to try something else was planted. Initially, we tried to settle down back in Sydney; we even got a new dog and a cat, but when COVID-19 hit, we started to think about buying a caravan park as a way to earn a living outside the city. We looked at a few options in Queensland, then we fell in love with what is now Daintree Siesta [in the state’s far north], which also had motel rooms and a restaurant. With school-aged children, timing is important and we were aware that if we wanted a tree change, it was now or never. So after serious discussions with our kids, we sold up and – after a few border closure complications – arrived to our new lives at the end of 2021. Moving to a remote location, particularly with teenagers, isn’t for everyone. Mossman is our closest town, so our local supermarket and pharmacy is an hour away, while Cairns is 21⁄2 hours away. My kids have always played soccer, so one of the non-negotiables of our move was that they would continue to do so. But for that to happen, we have to take them to training in Mossman every week and down to Cairns for games on Saturdays. It’s a lot of time spent driving, but we get someone to cover for us at the park and do it as a family, which provides quality time to talk about the big topics. The benefits have been plentiful. The schools my children attend are much smaller than the ones they went to in Sydney – my daughter’s primary school has 20 kids – so they get plenty of one-on-one with teachers. Shared experience has brought our children closer, and now they’re working after school in our restaurant and navigating all sorts of interesting situations, they’ve blossomed into wonderful young adults. Of course, we’re mindful they’ll likely leave for university, so it’s important to enjoy this time we have living and working together.” “Buying in Sydney made little financial sens e ” Tahlia Crinis, 40, PR consultant “I never realised how over the whole ‘Sydney thing’ I was until lockdowns forced us to live indoors for an extended period of time. Until that point, life felt like one social event after another. My husband, Alex, and I must have had at least three dinners out with friends each week, and there were endless work events during the day as well as casual coffee catch-ups and morning gym sessions. Once we were cooped up inside, we realised how much we enjoyed not having to go to places and being able to take life at a slower pace. When we started looking for a place to buy, it soon became apparent that we either had to downsize into a shoebox apartment or look well beyond city limits. Sydney has many wonderful attributes but affordability is not one of them Loading The move to Wombarra [on the Illawarra coast south of Sydney] made sense from the get-go; I grew up in nearby Bulli so knew the area well, plus we needed a seachange location that was still close enough to Sydney to make Alex’s commute to the office at least three days a week a little easier to bear. The house we bought was the first one we looked at, and we couldn’t believe what our budget could stretch to once we left Sydney. In place of a one-bedroom apartment in Potts Point, we now have a three-bedroom home with ocean views and a large backyard. Life has changed in the way we’d planned since we made our move in 2023. I work from home, so during warmer weather I start my days with a swim at the beach. I always make time for the things I’d forgotten how much I’d always enjoyed, like sitting in the garden with a book and a cup of tea. Alex enjoys his commute, too; he says doing a lengthy train trip twice a day gives him a chance to complete any outstanding work, so his brain can be clutter-free by the time he gets home. A sea change isn’t only about moving house, but about changing aspects of how you live your life – or so we found out pretty quickly. Down here, we can no longer rely on ordering takeaway, which was a big part of our week in the city, and our suburb doesn’t even have a cafe or grocery store. Over time, however, we’ve learnt the importance of buying a good-quality coffee machine, and planning meals adequately so you don’t have to drive to the nearest shop, but they’re small adjustments in the grand scheme of things. We’re enjoying the peace and quiet so much – not to mention all this space we suddenly have – that we’ve never really given Sydney a second thought!” Get the best of Sunday Life magazine delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. Sign up here for our free newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Sunday Life Sydney New South Wales Property market Renting Housing crisis Dilvin Yasa is a freelance writer. Most Viewed in Lifestyle Loading
Border plan promises round-the-clock aerial surveillance, drug detection support
I had my own Grand Designs moment recently during a family holiday on Rottnest Island when I had a hardhat preview tour of The Lodge Wadjemup. The sprawling $40 million hospitality and accommodation project, which completely reimagines the old Karma Rottnest site, was more than a month from completion and as such was a building site. However, channelling my inner Kevin McCloud, I got a real sense that the brains behind the bold redevelopment — Social Grounds Hospitality partners Miles Hull and Graeme Dick — are determined to create an iconic addition to the people’s paradise. The boldest move is that, unlike existing venues Hotel Rottnest and Isola, The Lodge Wadjemup does not face Thomson Bay. Patrons will enter the hotel and hospo venue from Digby Drive. Most of the eventual 100-plus hotel rooms and the conference centre face west so guests can enjoy sunsets over Garden Lake with Wadjemup Lighthouse in the distance. Sunsets Bar and Dining, overseen by head chef Mat Powell (Il Lido, Little Creatures), will offer Mediterranean-leaning food. He’s keen to keep things simple to ensure that they can feed up to 500 seatings while keeping everything on the menu between deliveries from the mainland. Powell took Bar & Bites backstage to show off several large commercial walk-in refrigerators. Beers on tap will be mostly West Aussie, plus Peroni, with wines from major investors Fogarty Wine Group and other local producers. Behind Sunsets facing east is Pelicans, a casual cafe and ice-cream kiosk for folks wanting a bite (or lick) before jumping on their bike or into the pristine waters. The grab-and-go option will offer soft serve ice-creams, something currently missing from Rotto. The rooms are compact, especially in the heritage-listed former boys’ reformatory, but well-appointed with pleasingly clean design from Space Collective Architects. The old 1970s-built motel-style rooms have also been renovated, with the old “Rotto orange” walls repainted in crisp Santorini white. Reservations for the first 60-odd refurbished rooms will open within the next month, with the newly constructed rooms, pools, conference centre and Indigenous cultural space Gathering Ground due to arrive in mid-2025. On the tour, The Lodge Wadjemup general manager Jeremy Nordkamp said he’s been asked one question more than any other since plans for the ambitious project were unveiled. What are they doing with infamous Governor’s Bar? The dingy dive bar was both an anachronism on the idyllic island and a great escape from pests endemic to Rotto — quokkas, seagulls, children and inexperienced cyclists. The Guv is gone. The Lodge Wadjemup marks a new era for Rotto. Now the challenge is to find around 130 staff to make this potential game-changer live up to its immense promise. For more information, and to snare first access to booking details, visit thelodgewadjemup.com.
Climate summit US$300bn deal 'a paltry sum'With a focus on human rights, US policy toward Latin America under Jimmy Carter briefly tempered a long tradition of interventionism in a key sphere of American influence, analysts say. Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 100, defied the furor of US conservatives to negotiate the handover of the Panama Canal to Panamanian control, suspended aid to multiple authoritarian governments in the region, and even attempted to normalize relations with Cuba. Carter's resolve to chart a course toward democracy and diplomacy, however, was severely tested in Central America and Cuba, where he was forced to balance his human rights priorities with pressure from adversaries to combat the spread of communism amid the Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union. "Latin America was fundamental and his global policy was oriented toward human rights, democratic values and multilateral cooperation," political analyst Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank in Washington, told AFP. During his 1977-1981 administration, which was sandwiched between the Republican presidencies of Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, the Democrat sought to take a step back from US alignment with right-wing dictatorships in Latin America. An important symbol of Carter's approach was the signing of two treaties in 1977 to officially turn over the Panama Canal in 1999. "Jimmy Carter understood that if he did not return the canal to Panama, the relationship between the United States and Panama could lead to a new crisis in a country where Washington could not afford the luxury of instability," said Luis Guillermo Solis, a political scientist and former president of Costa Rica. Carter called the decision, which was wildly unpopular back home, "the most difficult political challenge I ever had," as he accepted Panama's highest honor in 2016. He also hailed the move as "a notable achievement of moving toward democracy and freedom." On Sunday, Panamanian President Jose Mulino praised Carter for helping his country achieve "full sovereignty." During his term, Carter opted not to support Nicaraguan strongman Anastasio Somoza, who was subsequently overthrown by the leftist Sandinista Front in 1979. But in El Salvador, the American president had to "make a very uncomfortable pact with the government," said Shifter. To prevent communists from taking power, Carter resumed US military assistance for a junta which then became more radical, engaging in civilian massacres and plunging El Salvador into a long civil war. Carter took a critical approach to South American dictatorships in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, suspending arms deliveries and imposing sanctions in some cases. But his efforts "did not achieve any progress in terms of democratization," said Argentine political scientist Rosendo Fraga. The American president also tried to normalize relations with Cuba 15 years after the missile crisis. He relaxed sanctions that had been in force since 1962, supported secret talks and enabled limited diplomatic representation in both countries. "With him, for the first time, the possibility of dialogue rather than confrontation as a framework for political relations opened up," Jesus Arboleya, a former Cuban diplomat, told AFP. But in 1980, a mass exodus of 125,000 Cubans to the United States, with Fidel Castro's blessing, created an unexpected crisis. It "hurt Carter politically with the swarm of unexpected immigrants," said Jennifer McCoy, a professor of political science at Georgia State University. Castro continued to support Soviet-backed African governments and even deployed troops against Washington's wishes, finally putting an end to the normalization process. However, more than 20 years later, Carter made a historic visit to Havana as ex-president, at the time becoming the highest-profile American politician to set foot on Cuban soil since 1959. During the 2002 visit, "he made a bold call for the US to lift its embargo, but he also called on Castro to embrace democratic opening," said McCoy, who was part of the US delegation for the trip, during which Castro encouraged Carter to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Cuban All-Star baseball game. "Castro was sitting in the front row and we were afraid he would rise to give a long rebuttal to Carter's speech. But he didn't. He just said, 'Let's go to the ball game.'" Cubans "will remember with gratitude his efforts to improve relations," the island's current leader Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Sunday. In the years following Carter's presidency, Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) would go on to resume a full-frontal confrontation with Cuba. Decades later, Barack Obama (2009-2017) opened a new phase of measured normalization, which Donald Trump (2017-2021) brought to an end. US President Joe Biden promised to review US policy toward Cuba, but hardened his stance after Havana cracked down on anti-government protests in 2021. "Carter showed that engagement and diplomacy are more fruitful than isolation," McCoy said. bur-lp-rd-jb/lbc/mlr/bfm/sst/bbk/nro/acb
Developers will have to show that their project either helps reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste going to landfill, or replaces an older, less efficient incinerator. The move forms part of the Government’s drive to increase recycling rates, which have held at about 45% of household waste since 2015. Environment minister Mary Creagh said: “For far too long, the nation has seen its recycling rates stagnate and relied on burning household waste, rather than supporting communities to keep resources in use for longer. “That ends today, with clear conditions for new energy from waste plants – they must be efficient and support net zero and our economic growth mission, before they can get the backing needed to be built.” Developers will also have to ensure their incinerators are ready for carbon capture technology, and demonstrate how the heat they produce can be used to help cut heating bills for households. The Government expects that its “crackdown” on new incinerators will mean only a limited number are built, while still reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill and enabling the country to process the waste it produces. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the country was almost at the point where it had enough waste facilities to handle non-recyclable rubbish, and so had limited need for new incinerators. But the proposals stop short of the plans included in the Conservatives’ 2024 manifesto, which committed to a complete ban on new incinerators due to their “impact on local communities” and declining demand as recycling increased.Executives at Ford Motor Company, General Motors (GM), and Stellantis are begging President-elect Donald Trump to keep in place President Joe Biden’s Electric Vehicle (EV) mandates. The plea comes as automakers have invested billions in EVs that have failed to turn a profit. In March of this year, Biden issued a federal regulation to begin phasing out gas-powered cars, requiring American automakers to produce EVs and ensure that by 2032, the majority of new cars sold in the U.S. market are electric. Since then, Ford, GM, and Stellantis have staked their futures on EVs. The results have been bleak as the initiative remains unprofitable, with American consumers turned off to the high cost and increased issues that arise with EVs. The auto executives are now quietly lobbying Trump to keep Biden’s EV mandates — despite a recent study showing almost 125,000 auto manufacturing jobs are at risk of being eliminated due to the federal rule. The New York Times reports : Three of the nation’s largest automakers, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, are strategizing with other car manufacturers on how to make a delicate request of President-elect Donald J. Trump: Don’t scrap the federal regulations that compel the industry to sell electric vehicles. [Emphasis added] ... In fact, most automakers don’t love the more stringent rules Mr. Biden put in place. But they have already invested billions in a transition to electric vehicles , and fear that if Mr. Trump made an abrupt change as he has promised, they could be undercut by automakers who sell cheaper, gas-powered cars. They argue it would harm an industry that is a backbone of American manufacturing and employs 1.1 million people. [Emphasis added] Lobbyists and officials from several car companies say the automakers want the Biden regulations to remain largely intact , with some changes such as more time for compliance and lower penalties for companies that don’t meet the requirements. [Emphasis added] Trump and Vice President-Elect JD Vance have long committed to throwing out Biden’s EV mandate, noting that hundreds of thousands of American auto jobs are at risk because of the mandate. The auto executives are asking Trump to keep the EV mandate in place even as going all-electric has been a bust for their companies. Business Insider reports that the likes of Ford, GM, and Stellantis are all planning layoffs because of their EV push, which has not been profitable. GM, for example, has invested $35 billion into EVs. CEO Mary Barra said in October that even though EVs are still not profitable, she plans to make the automaker all-electric by 2035. Similarly, Ford’s EV sales have been so poor that the automaker is now giving away EV charging stations and free installation whenever an EV is purchased. John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here .
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How world leaders are reacting to Jimmy Carter's death