NEW YORK (AP) — In a string of visits, dinners, calls, monetary pledges and social media overtures, big tech chiefs — including Apple’s Tim Cook, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos — have joined a parade of business and world leaders in trying to improve their standing with President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office in January. “The first term, everybody was fighting me,” Trump said in remarks at Mar-a-Lago . “In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.” Tech companies and leaders have now poured millions into his inauguration fund, a sharp increase — in most cases — from past pledges to incoming presidents. But what does the tech industry expect to gain out of their renewed relationships with Trump? A clue to what the industry is looking for came just days before the election when Microsoft executives — who’ve largely tried to show a neutral or bipartisan stance — joined with a close Trump ally, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, to publish a blog post outlining their approach to artificial intelligence policy. “Regulation should be implemented only if its benefits outweigh its costs,” said the document signed by Andreessen, his business partner Ben Horowitz, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the company’s president, Brad Smith. They also urged the government to back off on any attempt to strengthen copyright laws that would make it harder for companies to use publicly available data to train their AI systems. And they said, “the government should examine its procurement practices to enable more startups to sell technology to the government.” Trump has pledged to rescind President Joe Biden’s sweeping AI executive order, which sought to protect people’s rights and safety without stifling innovation. He hasn’t specified what he would do in its place, but his campaign said AI development should be “rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.” Trump’s choice to head the Interior Department, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, has spoken openly about the need to boost electricity production to meet increased demand from data centers and artificial intelligence. “The AI battle affects everything from defense to healthcare to education to productivity as a country,′′ Burgum said on Nov. 15, referring to artificial intelligence. “And the AI that’s coming in the next 18 months is going to be revolutionary. So there’s just a sense of urgency and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration′′ to address it. Demand for data centers ballooned in recent years due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and local governments are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to consume more resources, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. “Maybe Big Tech should buy a copy of ‘The Art of The Deal’ to figure out how to best negotiate with this administration,” suggested Paul Swanson, an antitrust attorney for the law firm Holland & Hart. “I won’t be surprised if they find ways to reach some accommodations and we end up seeing more negotiated resolutions and consent decrees.” Although federal regulators began cracking down on Google and Facebook during Trump’s first term as president — and flourished under Biden — most experts expect his second administration to ease up on antitrust enforcement and be more receptive to business mergers. Google may benefit from Trump’s return after he made comments on the campaign trail suggesting a breakup of the company isn’t in the U.S. national interest, after a judge declared its search engine an illegal monopoly . But recent nominations put forward by his transition team have favored those who have been critical of Big Tech companies, suggesting Google won’t be entirely off the hook. Cook’s notoriously rocky relationship with the EU can be traced back to a 2016 ruling from Brussels in a tax case targeting Apple. Cook slammed the bloc’s order for Apple to pay back up to $13.7 billion in Irish back taxes as “total political crap.” Trump, then in his first term as president, piled on, referring to the European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who was spearheading a campaign on special tax deals and a crackdown on Big Tech companies, as the “tax lady” who “really hates the U.S.” Brussels was eventually vindicated after the bloc’s top court rejected Apple’s appeal this year, though it didn’t stop Cook from calling Trump to complain, Trump recounted in a podcast in October. Trump hosted Cook for a Friday evening dinner at the president-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly. Neither Apple nor the Trump transition team has commented on the nature of their discussions. Altman , Amazon and Meta all pledged to donate $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund. During his first term, Trump criticized Amazon and railed against the political coverage at The Washington Post, which billionaire Bezos owns. Meanwhile, Bezos had criticized some of Trump’s past rhetoric. In 2019, Amazon also argued in a court case that Trump’s bias against the company harmed its chances of winning a $10 billion Pentagon contract. More recently, Bezos has struck a more conciliatory tone. He recently said at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York that he was “optimistic” about Trump’s second term, while also endorsing president-elect’s plans to cut regulations. The donation from Meta came just weeks after Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago. During the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president, but voiced a more positive stance toward Trump. Earlier this year, he praised Trump’s response to his first assassination attempt. Still, Trump in recent months had continued to attack Zuckerberg publicly. And Altman, who is in a legal dispute with AI rival Elon Musk, has said he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence in the incoming administration. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging that the maker of ChatGPT betrayed its founding aims of benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits.“You just can’t keep a good man down,” the old saying goes, and with billionaire Elon Musk that certainly appears to be true regarding his finances. On Tuesday, Delaware Judge Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick ruled for a second time that the Tesla CEO’s 10-year compensation package approved in 2018 and once valued at $56 billion was excessive and the result of him essentially controlling the board of directors, the reported. Some shareholders had sued in Delaware, where Tesla was incorporated, to block the agreement. In January, McCormick ruled for those shareholders. However, the compensation plan was then put before all the shareholders in June, and more than 70 percent of them voted to approve it. Nonetheless, McCormick held Tuesday that the subsequent supermajority vote of the shareholders did not repair what she determined to be a faulty negotiation process in 2018. “A stockholder vote standing alone cannot ratify a conflicted-controller transaction,” McCormick wrote in her . In other words, the judge said she believes there were conflicts of interest in the compensation negotiation process. responded to the ruling on his social media platform X, writing, “Shareholders should control company votes, not judges.” And a post on Tesla’s X account said, “A Delaware judge just overruled a supermajority of shareholders who own Tesla and who voted twice to pay [Elon Musk] what he’s worth.” Shareholders should control company votes, not judges — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) “The court’s decision is wrong, and we’re going to appeal. This ruling, if not overturned, means that judges and plaintiffs’ lawyers run Delaware companies rather than their rightful owners – the shareholders,” the company added. Meanwhile, the same week Musk was denied his Tesla pay, his aerospace company SpaceX, in which he owns a reported as of June, is said to have been revalued an additional $140 billion higher by potential investors. “SpaceX is in talks to sell insider shares in a transaction valuing the rocket and satellite maker at about $350 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, a massive jump highlighting the post-election gains across Elon Musk’s business empire,” reported. was previously valued at $210 billion earlier this year, the news outlet said. Bloomberg further noted the share price of Tesla, in which Musk held a , is up 40 percent since Nov. 5. In October, his Tesla shares went up in value by roughly in just one day of trading alone. The price of one share of Tesla’s on Thursday was $368. Tesla just crossed the $356 mark as investors see past Elon’s temporary comp uncertainty by a corrupt judge’s ruling in a strong market driven by strong AI product outlook. — AJ (@alojoh) According to Bloomberg’s , Musk’s total wealth has soared to $353 billion, making him far and away the wealthiest man in the world. It’s worth pointing out that following McCormick’s first ruling against Musk and Tesla, the company from Delaware to . So if Delaware’s supreme court upholds the lower court’s ruling, the Tesla board of directors can simply vote on another compensation package and likely face a more business-friendly judicial system in the Lone Star State. The AP reported that Musk’s compensation would probably be valued even higher under a new package, since it will undoubtedly include stock options and the price of Tesla stock has doubled in the past six months. Yep, it’s true: you just can’t keep a good man down. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. 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What’s not to like about a getaway to Australia ? The laid-back country down under is beloved for its friendly locals, endless beaches and very cute and cuddly marsupials. Plus, more than cafe culture or good old steak and fries, there is also a whole wave of chefs and restaurants that are pushing the envelope in the dining scene. Drawing on the country’s multi-cultural heritage and its abundance of excellent local produce, you can expect a diverse array of nosh options to satisfy even the pickiest epicureans. And even though the Michelin Guide has not made it down under yet and there is currently just one Australian restaurant on the World’s 50 Best 2024 list (that’s Josh Niland’s Saint Peter in Sydney at #98 on the long list), it has its own Chef Hat Awards for those who are inclined to take a cue from such guides. Better yet, read on to uncover tried and tested dining highlights in three foodie cities – Melbourne, Sydney and Tasmania. Start a gourmand exploration of Melbourne at three-hat fine-dining institution Vue de Monde , where 29-year-old executive chef Hugh Allen turns out inventive yet refined plates of modern Australian cuisine. A unanimous favourite is the flavourful macadamia cream topped with spring greens and caviar in a pool of umami kelp oil – utterly delicious to the last lick. Meanwhile, red kangaroo dipped in a mushroom broth highlights the clean taste of this lean game meat. Atria , located at The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne, focuses on local and hyper-seasonal produce from small-scale growers and artisan producers. Some ingredients, like the duck from the Macedon Ranges, are sourced so close by that the server can even point out the region from the restaurant’s panoramic windows before placing the perfectly dry-aged duck on the table. Speaking of farm-to-table, it is well worth the two-hour sojourn by car to the three-hat Brae , which features a 20-acre organic farm where much of the produce makes its way to the dining table. Helmed by Dan Hunter, the menu is ever-changing, depending on what the day’s harvest and catch looks like. For instance, we were treated to a garden salad made with over 40 fruits, vegetables and flowers harvested at their prime. The restaurant also uses meat sparingly and to maximum effect. The main dish is a hunk of wild-caught venison (fallow deer are considered pests in the countryside) slow roasted in the residual heat of the bread oven for maximum succulence. Best of all, the property also has six luxury carbon-neutral guest suites so there is no need to drive back to town post-dinner. Back in the city, chew on what has been dubbed the world’s best croissant at Lune Croissanterie where founder and former Formula 1 engineer Kate Reid reverse engineered the recipe to perfection. Today, seasonal creations such as the Tim Tam croissant are sold alongside creations that riff on Aussie favourites like the cheese and Vegemite escargot. There are also Lune Lab meals that include guest chef collaborations, for even more experimental takes on the croissant. (Tip: Its outlet in Melbourne’s CBD draws long lines but the Fitzroy outlet is considerably less crowded.) For a quintessential Melbourne dining experience, head to Gimlet , with its handsome leather booths and chic high tables for perfectly executed international fare like its moreish anchovy-dressed beef tartare, prepared tableside with great flourish. Pair with – what else but a perfect gimlet, or leave it to head sommelier Anthony Pieri to unearth an interesting bottle of Aussie vino. At all-day kitchen Big Esso , Torres Strait Islander chef Nornie Bero whips up contemporary Indigenous cuisine that incorporates native and hyperseasonal ingredients. Think crocodile tongue skewers with tea grass red curry and kangaroo tartare garnished with citrusy green ants. Cast aside preconceived notions about these “adventurous” ingredients because there’s no more delicious way to learn a little more about local culture. And if you are lucky enough to score a reservation at the buzzy Serai Kitchen , the recipient of the Good Food Guide 2023 New Restaurant of the Year, go hungry. Chef Ross Magnaye riffs on robust Filipino flavours for his infinitely delicious creations like the wood roasted pig’s head “sisig” tacos and scallops drizzled in crab fat sauce. Stay: The luxe The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne is conveniently located smack in the middle of Melbourne’s central business district, within walking distance of its myriad laneways where plenty of food discoveries await. Or at the recently renovated The Lyall Hotel in the heart of the upscale South Yarra neighbourhood, home to fashionable boutiques and interesting restaurants, which offers chic residential-style digs, with rooms kitted out with a kitchenette, dining and living area. Widely regarded as Australia’s next travel hotspot, the island of Tasmania certainly has plenty to showcase on the dining front, especially since its unique terroir gives rise to excellent hyperlocal ingredients. The purest expression of Tassie cuisine might just come from the two-hat Agrarian Kitchen , a multi-faceted food destination founded by husband and wife pair Rodney Dunn and Severine Demanet, that comprises a restaurant, cafe and cooking school. A meal here starts with a walk through the on-site garden, greenhouse and pantry stocked with ferments and pickles of all sorts. Following an amuse bouche of pickles and dips within the greenhouse, get seated at the restaurant proper where the team showcases a wide range of kitchen crafts including cheese-making, whole animal butchery, wood-fired cooking and charcuterie to offer a true sense of place with every bite. Within capital city Hobart’s centre, more international flavours come into play. A highlight is the two-hat Fico which serves inventive European cuisine made with Tasmanian game, seafood and produce. Like many of Australia’s other top tables, there is no fixed menu, just a line-up of what’s in season, like a delicate octopus and chickpea tart and a zesty hand cut egg tagliolini al limone with bass strait scallops doused in brown butter. Alternatively, Restaurant Maria , one of Hobart’s newest – and trendiest – restaurants, features a Mediterranean-inspired menu, which makes total sense considering the abundance of quality seafood in Tasmania. Expect tasty crowd pleasers like oysters dressed in a wild fennel pollen mignonette and Campari-cured crudo. It is a must to visit the provocative Mona – Museum of Old and New Art – one of the catalysts in transforming Tassie into a travel destination. Faro , one of several on-site F&B establishments, features an experimental menu that lives up to the museum’s provocateur reputation. For giggles, order F*** Art, Let’s Eat, a trio of starter-sized bites that includes a savoury carrot and caraway cream Lamington (a classic Aussie dessert) and comes with a “spoon” shaped like founder David Walsh’s finger. Stay: The Tasman , at #49 on The World’s 50 Best Hotels list , is arguably the most luxurious hotel in Hobart. Or for enviable waterfront views, check into the quirkily charming luxury boutique MACq01 Hotel . The spacious, well-appointed rooms come with indulgences like heated bathroom floors and fun in-room amenities like Jenga and pick-up sticks. One of the most coveted tables in Sydney is Josh Niland’s newly reopened Saint Peter – and rightfully so. Local foodies might be familiar with his restaurant Fysh at The Singapore Edition and his three-hat Australian flagship restaurant takes his philosophy of seafood butchery and whole fish cooking even further. The fascinating fish charcuterie dish elevates secondary cuts into gastronomic delights such as John Dory liver pate and yellowfin tuna chorizo. And our table was in raptures over the inventive “pasta” dish made with fettuccine-sized calamari strips – its al dente texture achieved by painstakingly removing the membranes from the squid – and paired with a rich bolognese-inspired tuna nduja. For ultra-fresh seasonal catch, veteran chef Neil Perry’s Margaret is the address to note. Over the years, he has cultivated close ties with trusted suppliers to deliver their best. Case in point – the King George whiting fillet from a long-term supplier, elegantly pan seared and dressed in lemon and extra virgin olive oil, is perfect in its simplicity. Asian cuisine continues to make its mark on Sydney’s dining scene, with a growing emphasis on inventive reinterpretations of classic flavours. Popular new kid on the block King Clarence features a contemporary Asian menu inspired by executive chef Khanh Nguyen’s travels. Do not miss the viral Fish Finger Bao, a cross between McDonald’s fillet-o-fish and a xiao long bao (soup dumpling) featuring a crispy panko breadcrumb coated fish patty that is filled with soupy dashi stock. At the iconic Chat Thai , second generation restaurateur Palisa Anderson pays homage to her mother’s Thai recipes while elevating the experience with produce sourced directly from her own organic farm. And for punchy Thai flavours derived from treasured family recipes like green curry of grilled pork jowl and lychee, the newly minted one-hat Porkfat is a gem of a find. Stay: Ace Hotel Sydney in the heart of stylish Surry Hills, brings its signature cool to the city’s vibrant creative precinct with an industrial-chic design that is a nod to the building’s history as a former brick factory. Bonus – the minibar is stocked with artisanal snacks. Josh Niland’s latest venture, the soon-to-open 14-room Grand National Hotel located on the same premises as Saint Peter, is one to look out for.Auto industry's shift toward EVs is expected to go on despite Trump threat to kill tax creditsTwo people have been hospitalised after taking strong painkillers that turned out to be "extremely dangerous" opioid drugs. or signup to continue reading The two people suffered severe opioid overdoses after taking what they believed to be oxycodone tablets. NSW Health has issued a public health warning of the dangers of nitazenes, which are extremely potent synthetic opioids more likely to decrease or stop breathing than other opioids. The fake oxycodone tablets have been described as yellow unmarked round tablets, sold as 'OxyContin 40 mg'. Dr Darren Roberts from the NSW Poisons Information Centre said the drugs are extremely dangerous and . "Nitazenes are extremely potent and can vary widely in their strength," Dr Roberts said. As they are illicit and unregulated, there is no way of knowing what type of nitazene is present or what dosage is being taken. The strength and contents can vary widely, even within the same batch. "Opioids can cause pin-point pupils, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, slowed breathing/snoring and skin turning blue/grey, and can be life-threatening. Nitazenes have been detected in vapes and in fake tablets, such as benzodiazepines, and in drugs thought to be heroin or MDMA. Dr Roberts also recommended , a drug that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose, including with nitazenes. Nitazenes can last longer in the body than oxycodone, heroin and naloxone, so higher and repeated doses of naloxone may be required. Anyone who uses naloxone should call Triple Zero (000) for an Ambulance immediately after use for follow-up care. Anyone who has concerns about adverse effects from drugs should contact the on 13 11 26, at any time 24/7. Lucy is a reporter for the Canberra Times. Originally from the Central West, she has a passion for local and rural news. Email her at lucy.arundell@austcommunitymedia.com.au. Lucy is a reporter for the Canberra Times. Originally from the Central West, she has a passion for local and rural news. Email her at lucy.arundell@austcommunitymedia.com.au. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. 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INDIANAPOLIS – When the concept of the NFL’s most dangerous offense is broached, the image that first comes to mind likely depends on the age of the beholder. It could be Dan Marino’s Miami Dolphins or perhaps Kurt Warner’s Los Angeles Rams. Maybe it’s Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts or Tom Brady’s New England Patriots. For the youngest observers, it’s likely Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs. Each of those units – no matter the era in which they played – had one thing in common: an explosive passing game that put video game numbers on the stat sheet week in and week out. The Detroit Lions – this year’s highest scoring NFL offense – certainly have that capability. But this is a team that very much reflects the personality of its head coach – former NFL tight end Dan Campbell. In addition to the aerial exploits of quarterback Jared Goff and his fleet of receivers, the Lions (9-1) boast the league’s third-ranked rushing offense. Two players – Jahmyr Gibbs (796 yards, eight touchdowns) and David Montgomery (595 yards, 10 touchdowns) – already have surpassed the 500-yard rushing mark, and Detroit is not afraid to get down in the trenches and bully the opposition when the situation calls for it. “We had a joint practice what, two years ago with them, and I think what stood out is that they are a physical, tough team,” Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. “They come in with a mentality. So it starts with that. It comes from their head coach. He's done a great job with that culture. Then you look at their skillset, right? They've got two really good running backs. Their offensive line is – I mean compared to a lot of the great offensive lines that have played. “So up front, they can run the ball. They can protect. The quarterback is playing – I mean, if he has three incompletions in a game, that's a shocker to him. So they're just very effective. They're very efficient. They've got playmakers on the perimeter. ... If they don't score every series, they're upset. So very explosive that way, and it's a great challenge for us.” Indianapolis has won its last two meetings against Mahomes and the Chiefs in large part by being the more physical team on the field. The Colts ran the ball efficiently in both a 2019 victory at Arrowhead Stadium and a 2023 upset at Lucas Oil Stadium. That helped keep the Kansas City offense on the sideline, and the Indianapolis defense made some big plays at opportune times to further limit the damage. That won’t be a simple formula to replicate Sunday against the Lions. Detroit has the fifth-ranked run defense in terms of total yards and is 11th with an average of 4.3 yards allowed per carry. So keeping the ball out of the Lions’ hands will take significant effort. And when Detroit has possession, it’s absolutely lethal. The Lions average 33.6 points per game and have topped the 40-point barrier four times – including two 52-point showings in the past four weeks, against the Colts’ AFC South rivals Tennessee and Jacksonville. Detroit put up a massive 645 yards of total offense last week against the Jaguars, and its 46-point margin of victory marked the third time this year it has won by more than 35 points. This is domination often witnessed in the college game but rarely at the pro level. “Obviously, they play hard for all four quarters,” Indianapolis defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said. “They play really well together, especially offensively. On the offensive line, they do a really good job working with each other, communicating. They’ve got a lot of great skill players. They’ve probably got one of the best running back duos in the league. Obviously, Jared Goff is playing at a very high level. “So, defensively, we’ve got to be on a lot of our keys and our technique. We’ve just got to continue to communicate better and just make sure that everybody, especially in the run game, are in their gaps and their fits.” Left tackle Bernhard Raimann (knee) did not practice again Thursday, increasing the chances Indianapolis will again start three rookies on the offensive line. Right tackle Braden Smith (foot) was upgraded to full participation. Defensive end Tyquan Lewis (elbow) and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) were full participants for the second straight day. Wide receiver Josh Downs (calf) and cornerback Kenny Moore II (knee) were added to the report but were full participants Thursday. Cornerback Terrion Arnold (groin) was added a limited participant for the Lions and was the only player on Detroit’s 53-man roster who was not a full participant.Nvidia’s new RTX 50 series graphics cards are looking like more of a lock for CES 2025 than ever, with Zotac and Acer now having leaked as many as new GPUs — ones which may have a new AI trick up their sleeves that we’ve never seen before. Inno3D, an Nvidia graphics card partner, a wide slate of Nvidia AI features at the Las Vegas show, including “Neural Rendering Capabilities” that are allegedly “Revolutionizing how graphics are processed and displayed.” . It’s not 100 percent clear from the company’s vague teaser if that’s a new RTX 50-series hardware feature, but it appears alongside other features that are typically attributed to the cards, like “Improved RT cores”: Inno3D also writes the cards will feature “Advanced DLSS technology” — perhaps we’ll see higher image quality and faster framerates than ever with a possible announce of DLSS 4.0? As far as the cards themselves, struck gold seeking out online retailer leaks this week, discovering that and the existence of both an upcoming RTX 5090 with an unprecedented 32GB of GDDR7 memory, , and an RTX 5080 with 16GB of the same. But goes further, suggesting that Nvidia might announce not two, not three, but as many as new cards at CES, including the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, an RTX 5090D for China, the RTX 5070 Ti whose specs have , and even a base RTX 5070. We’re any of these new cards to aim for affordability, but one can hope. If not, an RTX 5060 Ti and a vanilla RTX 5060 are reportedly on the way, that the RTX 5060 may stick with a paltry 8GB of video memory, while the 5060 Ti may be outfitted with 16GB. 32GB of video memory isn’t the only way that the RTX 5090 might physically be a beast: an early prototype leak . But it’s possible that was just a prototype; reliable leaker that Nvidia is going for a dual-slot design instead. Just a few days ago, the its power consumption may have been revised downward from 600W, too. /REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP (RJLF) has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a coalition of manufacturers, businesses, affordable housing interests, and workers seeking to prevent enforcement of South Coast Air Quality Management District regulations that effectively ban certain gas appliances. The plaintiffs, representing thousands of California residents, businesses, and workers, include Rinnai America Corporation , Noritz America Corporation , National Association of Homebuilders , California Manufacturers & Technology Association , California Restaurant Association , California Hotel & Lodging Association , and California Apartment Association , all represented by RJLF and Sean Kneafsey of the Kneafsey Law Firm . Californians for Homeownership is represented by Matt Gelfand , Restaurant Law Center is represented by Angelo Amador , and the California State Pipe Trades Council by McCracken, Stemerman & Holsberry . The coalition's suit asserts that the District's zero-NOx emissions rule for certain appliances, which effectively bans those gas appliances, is preempted by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) and should be blocked. The District's rule not only effectively mandates the use of electric appliances in new buildings but also forces costly retrofits to electric in existing buildings when appliances are replaced. This rule threatens the reliability and affordability of energy for millions of Californians, will impose enormous costs and disruption on businesses and workers, and will reduce the availability of affordable housing. Earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that Berkeley, California's ban on gas piping in new buildings was preempted by EPCA ( California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley , 89 F.4th 1094 (9th Cir. 2024)) . The District's rule is legally indistinguishable, and the same result applies. "This case is pivotal to reinforcing the federal and state roles in setting national energy policy," said Sarah Jorgensen , lead counsel for the plaintiffs at RJLF. "The District's mandate for electric appliances in both new construction and forced retrofits not only jeopardizes our clients' work, business, and interests but also disregards established federal law. California must comply with the law." The case is Rinnai America Corp. et al. v. South Coast Air Quality Management District , No. 2:24-cv-10482 , in the United States District Court for the Central District of California . About Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP (RJLF) is a national trial firm that handles high-stakes energy, commercial, intellectual property, and white collar disputes. The firm is majority women-owned, reinventing the practice of law without the billable hour in favor of fee arrangements that align client interests. RJLF's attorneys are diverse, exceptionally credentialed, and passionate about trial advocacy. From offices in Silicon Valley, New York , Washington, D.C. , Austin , and Atlanta , the firm tries cases and argues appeals throughout the country. For more information, visit www.reichmanjorgensen.com . Contact Sarah Jorgensen [email protected] (650) 623-1403 SOURCE Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP
BALTIMORE — Maryland falls in the top five states where women must save more than men to have a comfortable retirement, a new study shows. Women tend to live longer and earn less than men, the Nov. 11 study by NetCredit showed. In Maryland, women need to save $969,506 to retire comfortably, or about $364,337 more than men, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and MIT’s Living Wage Calculator. NetCredit, an online financial services provider, compared the average length of retirement in the U.S. to life expectancy and wages by gender by state. The findings showed that the additional amount women in Maryland need to save would be equivalent to working more than seven years extra, with no spending. NetCredit said about 4.1 million Americans will end up retiring this year. About two-thirds of retirees live on savings or pensions, while about 92% draw on Social Security. Of those yet to retire, about a quarter lack retirement savings and more than one in 10 over age 65 lives in poverty. Single women and women of color are disproportionately represented in that group. On average, women earn 84% of what men earn and living six years longer. They are more likely to spend time out of work raising children or caring for aging parents, the study said. It found differences by state because of cost of living, gender wage gap and life expectancy. The study found women in Hawaii with the biggest disparity, needing $422,897 more than their male counterparts to retire comfortably. Maryland ranked as having the fifth biggest disparity. NetCredit said younger workers face challenges in saving for later in life too. The average millennial carries more than $30,000 in debt, not including mortgages. ------- ©2024 The Baltimore Sun. Visit at baltimoresun.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Northvolt crisis may be make or break for Europe's EV battery ambitionsSEC THIS WEEK
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