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Threads welcomed 35 million signups during November 2024It's getting harder to stay on the PGA Tour. Here's why
Adanis knew of US probe when they sold bribe-linked assets to TotalEnergies, prosecutors say
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth has spent the week on Capitol Hill trying to reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Defense in the wake of high-profile allegations about excessive drinking and sexual assault . But senators in both parties have also expressed concern about another issue — Hegseth’s frequent comments that women should not serve in frontline military combat jobs . As the former Army National Guard major and combat veteran fights to salvage his Cabinet nomination, meeting with senators for a fourth day Thursday with promises not to drink on the job and assurances he never engaged in sexual misconduct, his professional views on women troops have also come under scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women “straight up” should not serve in combat roles. North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer said Wednesday that he confronted Hegseth about the issue when they spoke one-on-one. “I said to him, just so you know, Joni Ernst and Tammy Duckworth deserve a great deal of respect,” Cramer said, referring to two female senators who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Both Ernst, R-Iowa, and Duckworth, D-Ill., are combat veterans who served in the Iraq war, and Duckworth lost both legs when a Blackhawk helicopter she was piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. Ernst, a former Army National Guard member and a retired lieutenant colonel who spent more than two decades in the service, was circumspect after her own meeting with Hegseth, saying only that they had a “frank and thorough conversation.” She has spoken openly about surviving sexual assault while in college and worked to ensure a safe environment for women in uniform. The Iowa senator demurred again Thursday on whether she will support Hegseth’s nomination, praising his service but telling Fox News that a “very thorough vetting” is needed. Along with the reports of his previous behavior, the bipartisan concerns about Hegseth’s comments on women have put his nomination in some peril, contributing to general uncertainty about whether his nomination will make it to a hearing next month. While Hegseth said that Trump is “behind us all the way,” and he’s put in a full week’s work explaining himself to senators, some Republicans are not yet committing their support. South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds said after meeting with Hegseth on Thursday that he “went a long way today” in getting his full support, but “I want him to be able to answer in front of everybody else the questions that are there and to do a good job on it.” Rounds said the issue of women in combat didn’t come up in his meeting but that Hegseth can explain himself in a hearing. “Women are integrated into our armed forces today, and they do a great job,” Rounds said. The role of women in the military is another entry in the far-right’s efforts to return the armed forces back to an earlier era, something Hegseth has embraced with Trump’s approach to end “woke” programs that foster diversity, equity and inclusion in the ranks and fire generals who reflect those values. Military and defense leaders, however, have argued that it would be fundamentally wrong to eliminate half the population from critical combat posts, and they have flatly denied that standards were lowered to allow women to qualify. In remarks Wednesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin touted the service of women , including in his own combat units when he was a commander in Iraq. “If I get a little fired up about this, it’s just because this isn’t 1950. It isn’t 1948. It is 2024,” Austin said. Hegseth has so far pushed back questions about his views. “We have amazing women who serve our military,” Hegseth said Tuesday, “amazing women who serve in our military.” Pressed if they should serve in combat, Hegseth said they already do. But he said as recently as last month that women “straight up” should not serve in combat. It “hasn’t made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated,” he said in a podcast before he was nominated by Trump. In his own writings, he has expanded on views of a more masculine-focused military. As he tries to shore up votes in his own party, Hegseth has yet to meet with Duckworth or any of the other Democrats on the committee. Duckworth, a Democrat and Purple Heart recipient, also rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel before retiring after 23 years in the Reserve forces. She later served as an assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs. North Dakota Sen. Cramer said he told Hegseth that his confirmation hearing “won’t be pleasant” as Democrats, in particular, grill him on his views. As members of the Armed Services panel, both Ernst and Duckworth will have a chance to ask him questions. Trump, for now, appears to be standing aside as Hegseth fights to preserve his nomination, even as suggestions float about a possible replacement pick, including former Trump rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , to lead the Pentagon. Trump’s closest allies in the Senate expressed cautious optimism that Hegseth will not be replaced — immediately at least. “It’s not in trouble until it’s over,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin , R-Okla. “Right now we’ve got to move forward.” “We’re going to push as long as he’s wanting to be there, and as long as the president still wants him in place, we’re going to push and do all we can to get him confirmed,” Mullin said. At the same time, The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind Project 2025, said it would be spending $1 million to put pressure on senators unwilling to support Hegseth, the group’s president told The Associated Press on Thursday. “The establishment is trying to take his scalp,” said Kevin Roberts, president of The Heritage Foundation after an event in Mar-a-Lago. “He would be a wonderful secretary of defense.” About 17.5% of the more than 1.3 million active-duty service members are women, a total that has grown steadily over the past two decades. They have served in combat in a wide array of military jobs, including as pilots and intelligence officers for years. The Pentagon formally opened all combat jobs to women in 2015, including frontline infantry and armor posts, and since then thousands of women have been in jobs that until that time were male-only. As of this year, nearly 4,800 women are serving in Army infantry, armor and artillery job, more than 150 have completed the Army Ranger course and a small number have qualified for more elite special operations units, including as Army Green Berets.
The 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Asunción, Paraguay, on 2-7 December, decided to add the Myanmar Traditional Ata Thingyan Festival, also known as the Myanmar Traditional New Year Water Festival, to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture issued a press release on acknowledgement of active participation of the Myanmar cultural heritage preservation body, ethnic literature and culture groups from regions and states, Bagan heritage protection group, the Shwedagon Pagoda Board of Trustees, the Botahtaung Pagoda Board of Trustees, Bagan’s Ananda Temple Board of Trustees, Myanmar Inter-Faith Dialogue Group (Central), Botahtaung Township, Myanmar Music Association, Myanmar Theatrical Association, Myanmar Artists Association, Myanmar Sculptors Association, Withakha Foundation, TMW Enterprise Limited, Myanmar Women Entrepreneurs Network (Yangon), Myanmar Veda Research Group, Hninsigon Home for Aged Trusteeship Board (Bahan Township), Myanmar Restaurants Association, Myint Myat Thu Cetana Blood Donor Association, Bramaso Social Welfare Association and other associations, all contributors, the Ministry of Information and Living Myanmar Media Group which provided records on Thingyan festival and performed narration, the French Language Department of the Yangon University of Foreign Languages under the Ministry of Education for necessary translation in submitting the nomination file, the Myanmar Ambassador to France and embassy staff giving information and technological data for the dossiers, officers and staff from the Department of Archaeology and National Museum under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture, entire people who have been preserving the Myanmar traditional Thingyan festival from the Bagan era to date, the organizations, persons and all contributors who were unintentionally omitted from the acknowledgement for adding Myanmar Traditional Ata Thingyan Festival to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage as the first-ever identification on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. — Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture
It's getting harder to stay on the PGA Tour. Here's whyAP Sports SummaryBrief at 3:39 p.m. EST
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NoneFrom gentle exercise videos to fall prevention tips to guided meditation for mental clarity and relaxation, keeping Northumberland County seniors safe and well at home is the aim of a new initiative created by Northumberland Paramedics as part of its community paramedicine program. Northumberland Paramedics recently announced the launch of a virtual wellness library, designed to connect seniors in their own homes with online resources and videos to help improve their health and well-being. Created in partnership with Community Care Northumberland (CCN), the Town of Cobourg, and the Cobourg Community Centre, the wellness library is geared toward seniors but includes a broad range of resources that are suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels. “By engaging our partners through networks like the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland — such as Community Health Centres of Northumberland and CCN — we’ve been able to produce this library to bring resources already in the community into people’s homes, removing barriers and creating connections,” Northumberland Paramedics chief Susan Brown told kawarthaNOW. “This is another way to action our commitment with the community paramedicine program to take a holistic approach to wellness, connecting physical, mental, and social well-being,” Brown said. Resources in the community paramedicine wellness library include seated or stabilized workout videos featuing 30 or 40-minute gentle exercise classes designed to improve flexibility and strength, tips and video resources to help seniors reduce the risk of falls and maintain independence, and meditation resources with guided sessions designed to reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and enhance relaxation. “Many of our clients are looking to stay active and maintain their independence,” Brown said. “This tool connects residents to resources and classes available in the community, through a virtual platform that aims to help to reduce barriers for those unable to access these resources in person.” “The virtual library promotes independence by encouraging regular fitness activities to improve strength and mobility, while also boosting mental health and fostering connection to reduce isolation.” The virtual library is available at . Northumberland Paramedics’ community paramedicine program deliver non-emergency in-home health care directly to residents in need. These preventative care programs support vulnerable community members and seniors in the community, while also helping to manage the high demand for emergency services, hospitals, and clinics. Clients can access health services on the telephone 24/7 and on-site services from 6 a.m. to midnight. Services provided through home visits include 12-lead electrocardiograms, oxygen saturation tests, blood draws (for homebound individuals with barriers to in-home lab work), blood glucose readings, weight measurements, urinalysis, and the monitoring of of vital signs to prevent the escalation of chronic medical conditions.
People walk past a closed part of the Franco-Italian automaker Stellantis factory of Mirafiori, in Turin, Italy, Oct. 16, 2024. Remo Casilli/Reuters For much of its life, Fiat’s Mirafiori factory in Turin was the top car maker in Europe. The vast, Fascist-era industrial spread in Northwest Italy pumped out almost 30 million vehicles after it reopened just after the Second World War, turning Fiat into a global brand. Today Mirafiori is the poster child for Italian – and European – deindustrialization. For Italy, it was a slow-burn crisis that suddenly accelerated in the spring, when Stellantis, Fiat’s parent since 2021, went from stock-market darling to dog at alarming speed. Former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares at an assembly facility in the Mirafiori complex. Massimo Pinca/Reuters Early this week, Stellantis ousted chief executive officer Carlos Tavares, leaving the company leaderless and the future of Mirafiori and some of the company’s other factories in Europe and North America in doubt, as the market share of its brands goes into reverse. Its global portfolio includes Jeep, Dodge, Citroën, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Maserati. Stellantis shares have plunged by more than half since their 2024 peak in March. Production at the company’s Italian factories fell by a quarter in the first half of the year, according to Fim-Cisl union data. In November, the company said it would close its Vauxhall van factory in England. There will be more blood, especially since electric vehicle sales are in near free fall. Mirafiori remains open, but its output has declined steadily in recent years. All car production was suspended this month, though the shutdown hardly came as a shock. The site was making only three slow-selling models: the Fiat 500e – the electric version of the iconic little 500 – and two low-volume Maserati sports cars. In its heyday, Mirafiori pumped out a million vehicles a year and had 60,000 employees. They worked in a “city within a city,” as Stellantis’s communications team calls it. Today, the plant officially employs 13,000, though the figure includes 1,800 who are being paid to stay home after the 500e and Maserati lines went idle. They are to return to work when production of the 500e resumes after the new year – if it resumes. Marco, a veteran Mirafiori engineer who would not provide his last name because he did not want to be seen as critical of his employer’s strategy, told The Globe and Mail before passing through the entrance gates Wednesday morning that the industrial site’s hollowed-out state has left him sad. “There is hardly anything left here,” he said. “More and more production is being moved to cheap locations overseas.” (Stellantis last year opened a factory in Algeria that will make six Fiat models.) Not so many decades ago, Mirafiori represented the industrial might and engineering savvy of Italy, which was then (and remains) the second-biggest manufacturing power in Europe, after Germany. The site’s 1939 opening ceremony was attended by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, but mass production did not start until 1947, with the tiny Topolino, or Little Mouse. Over the years, Mirafiori made dozens of Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Maserati models. The Mirafiori and Lingotto factories in Turin (the “t” in Fiat stands for Turin, or Torino in Italian) put tens of millions of Italians and other Europeans on the road. Lingotto, famous for the rooftop test track that appeared in the 1969 comedy caper The Italian Job, closed in 1982 and found a new life as a shopping arcade, hotel and convention centre, leaving Mirafiori as the last survivor of Fiat’s once-vast Turin empire. The site is a self-contained marvel that would never be replicated today, even if the car markets were buoyant – they aren’t. It covers two million square metres (almost 500 acres) and includes 20 kilometres of rail lines, 11 kilometres of tunnels, a generating plant and a test track. The handsome, five-storey main office building, made of ivory-white limestone, lies empty, awaiting reincarnation as an ecology centre. Former Chairman & CEO of Fiat Chrysler Sergio Marchionne. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters As late as 20 years ago, during the era of Sergio Marchionne, Fiat’s workaholic Italian-Canadian CEO, Mirafiori seemed to have a bright future. Mr. Marchionne took over the near-bankrupt Fiat in 2004 and went into overdrive to repair it. He took a blowtorch to Fiat’s clapped-out car fleet. The company was saddled with 19 different “architectures,” or platforms, with few parts shared among models. The number of platforms was reduced to six by 2012. Car development times were cut by almost half. New models were rolled out, including the compact Grande Punto, the car that more than any other is credited with turning Fiat around, and the 500, an instant hit. Fiat’s Italian market share rose from 24 per cent to 33 per cent in five years. In 2009, Mr. Marchionne bought a stake in Chrysler, mostly for the Jeep and Ram brands, and officially merged Fiat and Chrysler in 2014. His massive restructuring plan saw the seven Chrysler factories cut loose. The Mirafiori plant survived, partly because Mr. Marchionne feared fighting the powerful Italian unions – partly because Fiat sales volumes were back on the rise and non-Italian products, such as Jeeps, could be built there. Mr. Marchionne died in 2018. Two years later, Fiat Chrysler agreed to merge with France’s PSA Group, the owner of Peugeot, to create the world’s fourth-largest automaker. Mirafiori by then was turning into an echo chamber but survived. Stellantis, the new parent company, called the factory a centre of “excellence” and “the birthplace of ingenious ideas and futuristic projects.” In 2020, it became apparent its future would rely on EVs – the Fiat 500e would be made there. A Fiat 500 electric car is displayed at a showroom of a car dealer in Rome. Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters The 500e has not sold well on either side of the Atlantic. Only a few hundred were bought in the United States this year. With production suspended, Mirafiori is struggling to find a purpose. A state-of-the art production line with 850 workers that makes transmissions for electric and hybrid cars remains open. Engineering, design and project management work for a few brands, including Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Jeep, fills some space in the cavernous buildings. But a factory site the size of a small city that makes no cars at the moment does not seem to have a bright future. Stellantis is not alone. EV sales, along with those of regular combustion engines, are sagging across Europe. Volkswagen plans to close three factories in Germany and force a 10-per-cent pay cut for the survivors. Ford is axing 4,000 European jobs. Mr. Tavares, the ousted Stellantis CEO, mostly had a good run since his appointment in 2021. The share price soared after the pandemic. Aggressive cost-cutting and price increases propelled profit margins ever higher. But the cars’ high sticker prices eventually repelled buyers, putting the company into crisis mode by the early autumn. Stellantis’s market share plummeted. Today, in the crucial U.S. market, it’s about 8 per cent, down from 14 per cent in 2019, according to Citi analysts. As sluggish 500e sales show, the company’s EV strategy needs work. This week, Stellantis chief financial officer Doug Ostermann hinted that any tariffs imposed by incoming U.S. president Donald Trump would not bode well for the non-American factories and that some production could be shifted to underutilized factories in the United States. At a Goldman Sachs conference, he said, “We have available capacity in the U.S. that will allow us to adjust. It’s not ideal for us, as it won’t be for other automakers.” The Trump tariffs do not bode well for any foreign automaker that covets the U.S. market. Mirafiori is 85 years old. The factory is alive – barely. Its future depends on Stellantis getting its act together on EVs and gambling that Mirafiori can become more than a relic from a lost industrial era.$300 billion global climate deal seen as 'insufficient,' implementation requires accountability mechanism: expert
NEW YORK — With the holiday season in full swing, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is offering six tips to help the millions of Americans celebrate the holidays with their loved ones in a dementia-friendly way. “Dementia doesn’t prevent someone from feeling the warmth, love, and laughter of the holiday season, but it can change how they experience it,” said Director of Educational and Social Services Jennifer Reeder. “Being proactive, adaptable, and inclusive of the person’s wishes and abilities are the best ways caregivers can help them have a happy and joyful holiday season.” AFA offers these six tips for creating a dementia-friendly holiday season: Keep decorations festive, but simple. Decorating is part of the holiday season fun. However, many flickering lights, noisy items, or major changes to the person’s environment can be overwhelming and could potentially cause the person to wander. Choose a few favorite items and phase in decorations over a period of days, so that changes to the person’s environment are less confusing. Eliminate dangerous decorations and safety hazards. Avoid fragile decorations that can shatter. Ones that look like food or candy should also be avoided, as they can be mistaken for edible treats and could create a choking or dental hazard. Be mindful of potential tripping hazards on the floor, such as wires for decorations, as dementia can cause changes in vision, depth perception, and gait. Securely hook Christmas trees to the wall to avoid falls and use menorahs or kinaras with electric candles to reduce fire hazards. Adapt past traditions. Build on old traditions when appropriate, such as enjoying favorite music or movies, and adapt past traditions as well. If the person always sent out holiday cards or baked holiday cookies and still wants to do so, do it with them. Start new traditions that center on activities and events the person enjoys and can do, such as touring neighborhood holiday lights together. Whenever possible, ask your loved one what traditions are most important; these activities keep them engaged, and help you prioritize and plan appropriately. Feeling some sadness about changes and losses, especially during a holiday, is normal. Acknowledge these feelings and then move on to new ways to celebrate. Take cues from your loved one. Utilize a strengths-based, person-centered approach and incorporate what the person can do and what they choose to do now, rather than dwelling on what they used to do. Focus on those things that bring joy and let go of activities that seem too stressful. Prepare a quiet, calm space before a holiday gathering. Create a space where your loved one can sit comfortably during a holiday gathering, and where guests can visit in small groups or one-to-one, if the celebration becomes overwhelming. Provide familiar comfort items in the space (i.e., favorite blanket, sweater, stuffed animal) to help your loved one feel safe and at ease. To the greatest extent possible, maintain the person’s normal routine when scheduling holiday gatherings; disruptions in routine can be difficult for someone living with dementia. Accept help from others. Many parts of the holiday season — shopping for gifts, making preparations, or hosting a holiday gathering — can be stressful even without the additional responsibilities of caring for a loved one with dementia. Relatives and friends might be eager to help but do not know how. Accept their offers of assistance and be specific about what would be helpful; running errands, bringing a dish to the celebration, or spending time with your loved one so you can complete holiday tasks. For more information, visit alzfdn.org .
By Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children’s toys and hair accessories. The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were “an order of magnitude lower” than the EPA’s thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it’s actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren’t enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn’t be in these products in the first place. “The math error does not impact the study’s findings, conclusions or recommendations,” said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they’re heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you’re wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. It’s nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That’s because these products that include recycled e-waste don’t disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it’s also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study “had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them,” she said. Anytime you’re looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you’re going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. There isn’t a definitively timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Maryland is suing the company that produces the waterproof material Gore-Tex often used for raincoats and other outdoor gear, alleging its leaders kept using “forever chemicals” long after learning about serious health risks associated with them. The complaint, which was filed last week in federal court, focuses on a cluster of 13 facilities in northeastern Maryland operated by Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates. It alleges the company polluted the air and water around its facilities with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances , jeopardizing the health of surrounding communities while raking in profits. The lawsuit adds to other claims filed in recent years, including a class action on behalf of Cecil County residents in 2023 demanding Gore foot the bill for water filtration systems, medical bills and other damages associated with decades of harmful pollution in the largely rural community. “PFAS are linked to cancer, weakened immune systems, and can even harm the ability to bear children,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement. “It is unacceptable for any company to knowingly contaminate our drinking water with these toxins, putting Marylanders at risk of severe health conditions.” Gore spokesperson Donna Leinwand Leger said the company is “surprised by the Maryland Attorney General’s decision to initiate legal action, particularly in light of our proactive and intensive engagement with state regulators over the past two years.” “We have been working with Maryland, employing the most current, reliable science and technology to assess the potential impact of our operations and guide our ongoing, collaborative efforts to protect the environment,” the company said in a statement, noting a Dec. 18 report that contains nearly two years of groundwater testing results. But attorney Philip Federico, who represents plaintiffs in the class action and other lawsuits against Gore, called the company’s efforts “too little, much too late.” In the meantime, he said, residents are continuing to suffer — one of his clients was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer. “It’s typical corporate environmental contamination,” he said. “They’re in no hurry to fix the problem.” The synthetic chemicals are especially harmful because they’re nearly indestructible and can build up in various environments, including the human body. In addition to cancers and immune system problems, exposure to certain levels of PFAS has been linked to increased cholesterol levels, reproductive health issues and developmental delays in children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Gore leaders failed to warn people living near its Maryland facilities about the potential impacts, hoping to protect their corporate image and avoid liability, according to the state’s lawsuit. The result has been “a toxic legacy for generations to come,” the lawsuit alleges. Since the chemicals are already in the local environment, protecting residents now often means installing complex and expensive water filtration systems. People with private wells have found highly elevated levels of dangerous chemicals in their water, according to the class action lawsuit. The Maryland facilities are located in a rural area just across the border from Delaware, where Gore has become a longtime fixture in the community. The company, which today employs more than 13,000 people, was founded in 1958 after Wilbert Gore left the chemical giant DuPont to start his own business. Its profile rose with the development of Gore-Tex , a lightweight waterproof material created by stretching polytetrafluoroethylene, which is better known by the brand name Teflon that’s used to coat nonstick pans. The membrane within Gore-Tex fabric has billions of pores that are smaller than water droplets, making it especially effective for outdoor gear. The state’s complaint traces Gore’s longstanding relationship with DuPont , arguing that information about the chemicals' dangers was long known within both companies as they sought to keep things quiet and boost profits. It alleges that as early as 1961, DuPont scientists knew the chemical caused adverse liver reactions in rats and dogs. DuPont has faced widespread litigation in recent years. Along with two spinoff companies, it announced a $1.18 billion deal last year to resolve complaints of polluting many U.S. drinking water systems with forever chemicals. The Maryland lawsuit seeks to hold Gore responsible for costs associated with the state’s ongoing investigations and cleanup efforts, among other damages. State oversight has ramped up following litigation from residents alleging their drinking water was contaminated. Until then, the company operated in Cecil County with little scrutiny. Gore announced in 2014 that it had eliminated perfluorooctanoic acid from the raw materials used to create Gore-Tex. But it’s still causing long-term impacts because it persists for so long in the environment, attorneys say. Over the past two years, Gore has hired an environmental consulting firm to conduct testing in the area and provided bottled water and water filtration systems to residents near certain Maryland facilities, according to a webpage describing its efforts. Recent testing of drinking water at residences near certain Gore sites revealed perfluorooctanoic acid levels well above what the EPA considers safe, according to state officials. Attorneys for the state acknowledged Gore’s ongoing efforts to investigate and address the problem but said the company needs to step up and be a better neighbor. “While we appreciate Gore’s limited investigation to ascertain the extent of PFAS contamination around its facilities, much more needs to be done to protect the community and the health of residents,” Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain said in a statement. “We must remove these forever chemicals from our natural resources urgently, and we expect responsible parties to pay for this remediation.”Published 5:22 pm Friday, December 27, 2024 By Data Skrive The Oklahoma City Thunder against the Charlotte Hornets is one game in particular to catch on a Saturday NBA schedule that features nine thrilling matchups. We have everything you need in terms of how to watch today’s NBA action right here. Take a look at the links below. 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 .
Obama hails 'power of pluralism' as some Democrats push to pass the torch