Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday. Let me count some of the ways I love Thanksgiving: Because it isn’t very commercialized. Because it doesn’t leave out the lovelorn and the lonely. Because it has an intrinsic honesty: It’s about being grateful. Because it’s about as much extended family as most of us can take: just one day of them. Because there aren’t a lot of old movies — aired on other holidays — that get taken out of the movie mausoleum every year, like “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Miracle on 34th Street” or that one about snow, “Holiday Inn,” and “The Ten Commandments.” Because the political class generally shuts up. It doesn’t feel necessary to make long atavistic speeches with dubious grandiloquence that no one believes, least of all the speakers. Because you don’t have to receive presents and lie to your close friends and family, “I always wanted a toy pig that burps,” or “Thank you for the lovely necktie. I’m sure they will come back into fashion in a few decades.” Because there are no flags or bunting, and most houses aren’t turned into glaring neon performance art, nor are there skeletons hanging from swing sets. Because you don’t have to wear a funny hat and red or green or any other color that signals that you are in the spirit of the event. Because when I worked on the newspapers, I could volunteer and get paid double or better in overtime for a shift on Thanksgiving Day. From my arrival at New York’s Idlewild Airport in 1963, I have been able to luxuriate in America’s bounty and give thanks. It wasn’t always easy being an immigrant, even one of favored language and provenance (British), and it didn’t spare me and my English wife, Doreen, from hard times. We had those. But America remained the mansion on the high ground where, if we were lucky, we could be let in to enjoy the riches of acceptance. My first experience of the United States — and I give thanks for it — was the taxi driver who, when he learned I had hardly any money, gave me a free guided tour of Manhattan, The Bronx and Brooklyn. Finally, he deposited me at an uncompromising address on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, where I was to stay while I found work and before I sent for Doreen, my cherished first wife. It was a walk-up and there was no air conditioning. My hosts were an English couple in their 70s: Doreen’s aunt and her husband. She helped with newborns in wealthier people’s homes well into her old age. He had worked rather unsuccessfully as an industrial jeweler. They were palpably short of money and hadn’t enjoyed an easy life since arriving in America in 1918. Their story had a fairytale, extraordinary last volume. Out on Long Island, their grandson and granddaughter were growing up with a single mother, also in straitened circumstances. She worked with seedlings in a plant nursery. The grandson was to climb to the apex of achievement, to stun his family and, in time, the world with his talent. This young man and I would swim in Long Island Sound, where we would head for anchored yachts with people partying on board. A decade older than my companion, I always believed that when they looked down on the swimmers, the partiers would invite us aboard for food and drink. It never happened, but we enjoyed our aquatic adventures and social failure. If they had only known! As I said, that young man was destined to win all that his mother and grandparents didn’t have. His name is Billy Joel, the “Piano Man.” He is someone for all in America to be thankful for — proof that in the United States, the last can be first. — Llewellyn King is the executive producer and host of “White House Chronicle” on PBS. He wrote this for InsideSources.com .Former teammate David Bakhtiari roasts Aaron Rodgers with hilarious joke after shocking negative recordFormer President Jimmy Carter Dies
The Paris-inspired proposal to transform an inner-Sydney barracksFREIBURG, Germany (AP) — Freiburg survived a late comeback to beat Wolfsburg 3-2 and move into fifth place in the Bundesliga on Friday. The sides started the day equal on points and Wolfsburg had won its last five games in the league and cup. But Lukas Kübler scored an opportunist opener three minutes before the break and added a second with his head six minutes into the second half to put Freiburg in the driving seat. Michael Gregoritsch added the third in the 62nd. Jonas Wind came off the bench to score his third goal in two games and Mattias Svanberg cut the deficit seven minutes from time as Wolfsburg desperately looked for a way into the game. But it was too late, and Freiburg moved above Wolfsburg to fifth place on the table and equal on points with Leipzig, which has a game in hand. The match was an important one for two teams vying for a Champions League place next year. Although Bayern Munich have a six-point advantage over second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, only eight points separate the next nine clubs. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer The Associated Press
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Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), has relaunched its online customer resource center to include an all-new incentive finder for residential customers and updated resources for businesses and contractors. The Sunnyvale-based nonprofit provides clean energy for residents of South Bay communities. The SVCE eHub, located at https://ehub.svcleanenergy.org , is designed to help customers find rebates and other incentives to go all electric, as well as free expert advice and assisted home upgrades. An updated Appliance Marketplace helps renters and homeowners compare and select electric technologies. To learn how to navigate the new incentive finder and other tools, visit https://svcleanenergy.org/2024/11/15/incentives-finder. The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority’s Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC) is looking to fill two vacancies. One representative is sought for District 6, which encompasses San Jose’s Alum Rock area. Applicants must reside within the district’s boundaries, preferably be a registered voter and have experience participating with community groups within the district. An at-large representative is also needed on the committee. This representative should be able to demonstrate a general knowledge of and involvement in committee activities and areas of interest, including agriculture, business, civic organizations, development community, parks, public health and safety and/or trails. Applicants must reside within the authority’s boundaries. Both appointments run through June 30, 2025. Applications are due by Dec. 8. For more information and to apply, visit https://www.openspaceauthority.org/public-information/committees/citizens%E2%80%99-advisory-committee.html.I'M A Celebrity viewers were left in tears as Oti Mabuse's husband gave her a very meaningful gift in a jungle surprise. The emotional moment came during a special segment where the remaining six celebrities were treated to surprise visits from their loved ones. 10 I'm A Celebrity viewers were left in tears as Oti Mabuse's husband gave her a very meaningful gift Credit: Rex 10 The remaining six celebrities were treated to surprise visits from their loved ones Credit: Rex Each reunion was packed with emotion, but it was Oti’s meeting with Marius that stood out for fans. As Oti, 34, walked through the jungle, she was stunned to spot dancer Marius , 41, waiting for her at the creek, reaching out his arms wide, ready to lift her up into a big hug. Oti said: “Walking through the jungle this beautiful face was the last face I expected to see but the best surprise ever.” She told him: “You smell so good.” read more on Oti Mabuse CHEEKY DEC Awkward moment I'm A Celeb's Oti Mabuse tells Dec off for SMILING MUM STRESS I'm A Celeb's Oti Mabuse fights back tears over cruel trolling for leaving baby And Marius had a surprise or two for Oti. Telling her to check his pocket, she found an outfit that her baby had worn the day before. A crying Oti hugged and smelt it, as she declared: “This is the perfect gift!” Also to mark their ten year anniversary, Marius got her a new ring, as an excited Oti couldn’t wait to try it on. Most read in Reality STRICTLY HINT EastEnders star drops biggest hint yet that she’s signed up for Strictly 2025 jo no! I’m A Celeb star Danny Jones’ wife reveals health issue ahead of Celeb Cyclone wowie Towie chaos as star is kicked off set midway through Christmas special filming COOKING CONTINUES MasterChef will ‘be on the air for 4 more years’ despite Gregg scandal Oti said: “This is exactly what I needed to spur me on until the end.” As they went their separate ways, Oti gave him lots of kisses goodbye and she told him: “I love you.” Star lands a place in the semi-final and immunity in I'm A Celeb Home audiences were touched by the moment, taking to X, formerly Twitter, to share their delight. One wrote: "Oti seeing her husband so sweet," while another added: "Oti is so cute!" Someone else said: "Danny and now Oti, I’m crying rivers tonight." A fourth concluded: "Oti and her husband, may this love find me." But it wasn't Oti who was surprised with a loved one. GK Barry was reunited with her mum Loretta, Reverend Richard Coles ' brother Will visited him, Danny Jones was surprised by his wife Georgia and son Cooper, Alan Halsall's brother Stephen came to see him and Coleen Rooney was surprised by her mother Colette and sons Kai and Cass. In last night's episode, Oti landed herself a place in the semi-final after winning the coveted golden ticket. The former Strictly star took on Danny, Maura and Coleen in Battle Blocks and wowed everyone with her impressive strategy. Covered in jungle slime and fish guts, and having to put their hands into different hell holes filled with critters to find all ten battle blocks, Maura screamed, as Danny laughed his way through. Meanwhile, Oti and Coleen both kept stealth with their game faces on. But Oti had a different plan to the rest, putting her civil engineering degree to good use, her tactic was to lay all ten blocks out on the floor and fit them like a puzzle to determine which way round they would successfully fit in the grid. Ant and Dec watched on saying: “That’s an interesting strategy, putting it on the floor first, even with stuff dropping down!” With tension building, Ant said: “Ooh Coleen is so close, has she got all her blocks?” as they watched her try and assemble the blocks into her grid. Meanwhile, Maura squealed as rotten fruit and veg dropped on her, as she shouted: “That’s enough!” As Ant and Dec deduced: “A lot of squealing and screaming, I don’t think that’s helping her at all.” The tension was getting to Danny, as he tried to place the blocks in the correct alignment, saying: “This is hard!” Oti picked her blocks up off the floor, as Dec questioned: “She’s getting them off the floor, straight in. Do you think she’s done it?” Ant replied: “It hasn’t really helped, has it? Or has it?” I'm A Celebrity 2024 i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year.. Coleen Rooney - Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney , has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever. Tulisa - The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year's I'm A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal. Alan Halsall - The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities. Melvin Odoom - The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - the Aussie jungle . GK Barry - The UK's biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers. Dean McCullough - A rising star amongst this year's bunch of celebs , Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live. Oti Mabuse - The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV's Dancing On Ice . Danny Jones - The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle , after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he's now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice , along with bandmate Tom Fletcher. Jane Moore - The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge - having recently split from her husband . It will be Jane's first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past. Barry McGuigan - Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer . He told The Late Late Show in 2021: "She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache." Maura Higgins - The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard . Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year. Rev. Richard Coles - Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity , and he's ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star , said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: "Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth." With the pressure building, Coleen, Danny, and Oti were neck and neck, all filling up their grids at a fast pace, whilst Maura hadn’t yet started putting blocks into the grid in front of her. Suddenly Oti burst out of her gameplay area and ran to press the golden buzzer, as golden confetti burst into the air and she jumped up and down celebrating. Dec remarked: “Oti! That was incredible!” Ant added: “Absolutely brilliant.” Telling them all about her tactic to lay out the blocks on the floor, her fellow celebrities clapped and congratulated her, whilst Ant said: “Work smart, not harder!” The moment then came for Dec to hand Oti the coveted golden ticket to Cyclone, granting her immunity for the next two vote-offs, and a guaranteed place in the Celebrity Cyclone. Read more on the Scottish Sun DARR-ARGH! Weather maps reveal exact date Storm Darragh to hit Scots with rain, wind & SNOW 'SICK BEYOND BELIEF' Cops probe footage 'showing Scots woman having sex with XL Bully dog' A very happy Oti grinned and said: “It feels amazing, I’ve got to wash my underwear more now!” I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! continues nightly at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX. 10 Telling her to check his pocket, she found an outfit that her baby had worn the day before Credit: Rex 10 Oti’s meeting with Marius stood out for fans Credit: Rex 10 Oti couldn't believe her eyes as she saw her husband Credit: Rex 10 Reverend Richard Coles' brother Will visited him Credit: Rex 10 Coleen Rooney was surprised by her mother Colette and sons Kai and Cass Credit: Rex 10 Alan Halsall's brother Stephen came to see him Credit: Rex 10 GK Barry was reunited with her mum Loretta Credit: Rex 10 Danny Jones was surprised by his wife Georgia and son Cooper Credit: Rex
Paramount Global Announces Redemption of its 4.750% Senior Notes due May 2025
Are you tired of battling with a hair dryer that takes forever to dry your hair and leaves it looking damaged and frizzy? If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of waiting for your hair to dry while trying to avoid heat damage, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with traditional hair dryers that simply don’t deliver the results they desire. Fortunately, this Black Friday, Dyson is offering a solution that can transform your hair care routine: it offers massive discounts on two of their most innovative products—the Dyson Airwrap and the Dyson Supersonic. The Dyson Airwrap is priced at $499, down from $599 , which is a 17% discount, while the Dyson Supersonic is available for $329, reduced from $429 , offering a 23% savings. Given that Dyson rarely discounts its premium products, this is a rare opportunity to invest in high-quality tools designed to elevate your hair care experience. See Dyson Airwrap at Amazon See Dyson Supersonic at Amazon As you consider these (incredible) options this Black Friday, remember that Amazon offers a best price guarantee: if the price drops further during the promotional period, they will refund you the difference. Plus, with an extended return policy until January 31, 2025—far beyond the usual 30 days—you can shop with confidence this holiday season. What Difference? The Dyson Airwrap uses the revolutionary “Coanda” effect to style and dry hair simultaneously without exposing it to extreme heat. This technology allows the device to attract and wrap hair around its barrels using only air and enables you to create beautiful curls, waves and smooth blowouts without the risk of damage. With 8 attachments—including four curling barrels and various brushes for smoothing and volumizing—the Airwrap caters to a wide range of hair types and styles for salon-quality results right at home. In contrast, the Dyson Supersonic hair dryer is engineered for rapid drying: its powerful digital motor spins up to 6 times faster than traditional dryers and delivers supersonic airspeed that drastically reduces drying time. The Supersonic comes with 5 attachments—a smoothing nozzle, a wide-tooth comb, a flyaway attachment, a diffuser for curly hair, and a gentle air attachment for fine or sensitive hair. With intelligent heat control technology that measures airflow temperature over 40 times per second, it prevents extreme heat damage while enhancing shine. While both devices excel in their respective functions, they cater to different needs: the Dyson Airwrap is perfect for those who want to style their hair while drying it simultaneously . Meanwhile, if your primary goal is quick drying before styling with other tools, the Supersonic is the better choice. See Dyson Airwrap at Amazon See Dyson Supersonic at AmazonTrump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’Meta rolled out AI translation to its Ray-Ban smart glasses while startup Own.App launched a decentralized social platform promising full content ownership and higher creator payouts, intensifying competition in the rapidly evolving social media industry. PYMNTS takes a look at what’s new. Magic Vision Aims to Slash Content Creation Time Magic Vision launched its AI-powered content creation platform on Friday (Dec. 13), promising to cut digital media production time by 70% through automated editing tools for photo, video, and audio content. The London-based startup combines artificial intelligence with editing features like intelligent object removal, text-to-video generation and voice cloning capabilities. The platform targets creators ranging from amateur photographers to professional media agencies, addressing growing demands in digital content production. “Magic Vision is more than just an editing tool — it’s a creative partner that evolves alongside users,” said CEO Noel Fargents, Citing the platform’s self-learning AI that adapts to workflows over time. Key features include AI-powered photo manipulation, smart video stabilization and audio synchronization tools. The company said it has already secured partnerships with major content agencies and media production companies. Looking ahead, Magic Vision plans to expand into virtual reality content creation and add collaboration features. The platform is available now through magicvision.app, offering tools for creators seeking to streamline their digital media production process. Meta Adds Live AI, Translation to Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Meta announced it would begin rolling out new artificial intelligence and translation capabilities to its Ray-Ban smart glasses through a software update starting Monday (Dec. 16). The v11 software update will give Early Access Program members in the U.S. and Canada access to two new features. “Live AI” will allow the glasses to see and discuss what users are looking at in real-time, providing hands-free assistance with tasks like meal prep and exploring new neighborhoods without requiring the “Hey Meta” wake phrase for follow-up questions. For early access members, the glasses will also be able to translate speech in real time between English and Spanish, French or Italian — a feature CEO Mark Zuckerberg demonstrated at Connect 2024. Users will be able to hear translations through the glasses’ speakers or view them as transcripts on their phones. The company is also adding Shazam integration for U.S. and Canadian users, enabling them to identify songs by asking, “Hey Meta, what is this song?” Meta noted these AI features are still being tested and may not always work perfectly. The company plans to release additional features in 2025. Aggie Says It Can Slash Small Business Social Media Costs A new artificial intelligence platform claims it can reduce social media management time by 99.75% and cut content creation costs by up to 70% for small businesses. Aggie, launched by data analytics firm Audience Genomics, automates the creation and scheduling of social media posts across multiple platforms. According to company executives, the tool generates a month’s worth of content in minutes. The platform builds on Audience Genomics’ experience serving major brands like Universal Studios and Fenty Beauty. CEO Greg Weinstein says Aggie’s algorithm draws from six years of social media data from approximately 5,000 companies across 150 industries. “Social media doesn’t have to be so overwhelming,” said Weinstein, who previously led A&E’s Digital Content Studio. The company secured $3.2 million in funding led by SPO Capital Investments LLC. Early adopters report promising results, including skincare startup Gleem Beauty, which claims sales nearly tripled after it implemented the platform. Aggie currently supports Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Threads, with plans to expand to additional platforms and video content in the coming months.What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industry
FRIDAY, Dec. 6, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Faced with rising cases of bird flu virus being detected in raw milk in California, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Friday announced it would mandate testing for the virus in milk nationwide. The National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) "builds on measures taken by USDA and federal and state partners since the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza [HPAI] H5N1 in dairy cattle was first detected in March 2024," the agency said in a statement . Any entity that handles pre-pasteurized raw milk -- milk processors and transporters, for example -- must hand over samples for testing to USDA staff upon request. According to the USDA, this could be an efficient way to identify herds infected with H5N1. As of Thursday, 718 cattle herds nationwide are known to be infected with the avian flu virus. The new testing initiative "will give farmers and farmworkers better confidence in the safety of their animals and ability to protect themselves, and it will put us on a path to quickly controlling and stopping the virus’ spread nationwide," U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the USDA statement. The move comes only a few days after a California dairy farm said it was expanding its recall of raw milk and cream after state health officials discovered bird flu virus in more milk samples. In a notice posted Tuesday, Fresno-based Raw Farm LLC said it has now recalled all whole milk and cream products with "use by" dates of Nov. 27 to Dec. 13. Meanwhile, California health officials took additional steps to keep consumers safe, including quarantining the farm. "While this voluntary recall only applies to raw whole milk and cream, due to multiple bird flu detections in the company's operation, the California Department of Public Health [CDPH] urges consumers to avoid consuming any Raw Farm products for human consumption including raw milk, cream, cheese,and kefir, as well as raw milk pet food topper and pet food kefir marketed to pet owners," the CDPH said in a health alert posted Tuesday. "In addition to the statewide voluntary recall, CDFA [California Department of Agriculture] has placed the farm under quarantine, suspending any new distribution of its raw milk, cream, kefir, butter and cheese products produced on or after November 27," the agency added. No human bird flu cases linked to the consumption of raw milk products have been confirmed at this point, the CDPH noted. Unlike raw milk, pasteurized milk is heat-treated to kill off any viruses and remains safe to drink. The latest actions follow recalls of two lots of Raw Farm products after bird flu was first reported in raw milk samples on Nov. 24. Bird flu first surfaced in U.S. dairy cows in March. Since then, the virus has been spreading across the country, particularly in California, where nearly 500 of the more than 700 infected herds nationwide have been detected, the Associated Press reported. So far this year, the virus has infected 58 people in the United States, including 31 in California, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Mild illnesses have been seen in dairy and poultry workers who had close contact with infected animals. No cases of bird flu spreading between people have been detected so far, the agency added. In a statement posted to its website, Raw Farm officials said they were working to restore raw milk supply quickly. “There are no illnesses associated with H5N1 in our products. But rather this is a political issue,” the post stated. “There are no food safety issues with our products or consumer safety. We are working towards resolving this political issue while being cooperative with our government regulatory agencies.” Any move to restrict public access to raw milk could be challenged by the incoming Trump administration, however. Robert Kennedy Jr., who has long criticized crackdowns on raw milk, has been nominated to run the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and has vowed to push for greater distribution of raw milk products. More information The CDC has more on bird flu . SOURCE: U.S. Department of Agriculture, news release, Dec. 6, 2024; California Department of Public Health, news release, Dec. 4, 2024; Associated Press A California dairy farm has issued a full recall of its raw milk and cream after bird flu was discovered in more milk samples.Red River Stop has become one of the newest gas stations to include electric vehicle charging stations. On Thursday morning, people gathered for the ribbon cutting of the Gainesville National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Station. This is the second NEVI station to open in Texas. “On federal highways, we paid not only for this one here in Gainesville, but we’ve also paid for other ones in the state of Texas and also around the nation,” said Carl Highsmith of the Federal Highway Administration. “One of our goals is to make sure that we have electric vehicle charging stations approximately every 50 miles along the interstate, because one of the things that we know is that if you have an electric vehicle, you need some place to charge it.” The ultimate plan is to have NEVI stations frequently enough throughout Texas that electric vehicle owners don’t have to go a different route just to charge their vehicle and can travel with confidence. “There will be 84 stations about every 50 miles on the interstates,” said Michael Chamberlain from the Texas Department of Transportation. “Once we finish the alternative fuel corridors, then we transition to off the corridors, those inside the metropolitan planning organizations and inside the county seats.” Each station will have at least four ports, but some like the one in Gainesville will have around 12 quick-charge ports, which according to Chamberlain can charge a car in 15 to 30 minutes. While the charging stations at Red River Stop are Tesla brand, they have plugs compatible with both of the major vehicle charging plugs. Representatives from a variety of organizations are going on a roadtrip to do shows like the one Thursday to help people learn more about electric vehicles and why stations like the one in Gainesville are needed. “Consumer Reports show that without any experience with electric vehicles, 40 percent of Americans say ‘I’m never going to own one of these things.’ If they get just a little bit of experience, that drops down to 4%, so it really is important for people to have that experience with an EV so they can make an educated decision,” said Buzz Smith, executive director of the Texas EV Alliance. “We don’t believe in mandates in Texas. Texans should be able to have the freedom to choose any vehicle they want to drive. "That being said, those of us that have electric vehicles and know the benefits and challenges of having one know that when people actually get the experience, they’re going to want one for themselves.” Representatives also talked about wanting to get past electric vehicles being a partisan issue. “We also want to get politics out of the discussion of EVs; EVs are not political,” said Smith. “Whether you’re concerned about the environment, national security, international competition or the Texas energy grid, EVs are part of the solution ... Even more than that is the economic impact that EVs are having on Texas. Factories are being built here. The No. 1 employer in Austin right now is the Tesla giga factory. Wallbox and LG have factories in Texas, and there’s even more coming. That means jobs and prosperity for Texans.” Some of the attendees at the ribbon cutting included representatives from the Texas Electric School Bus Project, who help educate people on the possibilities with electric school buses and help school districts begin the process. “A number of studies have measured the diesel exhaust as being 10 to 15 times more concentrated in the bus than outside,” said Jessica Keithan, the founder of the TESBP. “One of the things we’re doing is working to bring the research to a new level and get new studies in multiple locations to confirm those past results.” In addition to being better for the environment and students, electric school buses can help schools save money over time. “School buses are a perfect use case for electrification, with short, predictable routes and their daily return to a central hub to charge in the middle of the day and at night,” said Keithan. “Conservatively, districts can save 60 percent on fueling and maintenance costs.” The group acknowledges that there’s still challenges. For example, while electric buses can be more cost-effective in the long run, they do require a large sum up front. A single electric bus can cost around $400,000. “They’re cheaper to operate and maintain ... the high upfront cost is a big barrier, and so we look for all kinds of ways to minimize that upfront capital expenditure for school districts, whether it’s federal funding, state funding, creative financing or pursuing the idea of repowering existing diesel busses into electric vehicles at a fraction of the cost,” said Keithan. TESBP also anticipates other improvements, such as improving battery capacity for longer trips. “It’s not for everywhere, all the time, all at once right now ... it’s a route bus that you know that you’re going to come back,” said Michelle Montague, business development director for TESBP. “Your one-hour drive to the football stadium at the competing high school, you’ve got to make sure they have a charger over there.” As the buses become more widespread, charging infrastructure will as well, and more charging stations means the vehicles can travel longer distances, Keithan said. “Also, just in the last two years, battery technology has improved ... they’re getting longer range ... We would never advocate for changing every single bus on the road right now; it’s not feasible or practical," she said. "We are all about the balanced approach as we march toward the better future.” The Gainesville NEVI Station is located at 1200 Frontage Road along I-35. For more information about electric vehicles and NEVI stations in Texas, visit electrifytexasroadshow.com .
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