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Trump's November election victory has cast doubt on the future of American aid for Ukraine, providing a limited window for billions of dollars in already authorized assistance to be disbursed before he is sworn in next month. The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump met in Paris earlier Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said any resolution of the war with Russia should be a "just" settlement that includes "strong security guarantees for Ukraine." The meeting was of huge importance to Zelensky, given fears in Kyiv that Trump may urge Ukraine to make concessions to Moscow. The latest aid will be funded via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, under which military equipment is procured from the defense industry or partners rather than drawn from American stocks, meaning it will not immediately arrive on the battlefield. It follows a $725 million package announced on Monday that included a second tranche of landmines as well as anti-air and anti-armor weapons. The outgoing administration of President Joe Biden is working to get as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump -- who has repeatedly criticized US assistance for Kyiv and claimed he could secure a ceasefire within hours -- takes over. Trump's comments have triggered fears in Kyiv and Europe about the future of US aid, and Ukraine's ability to withstand Russian attacks in the absence of further American support. "Our job has been to try and put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Saturday. In the closing weeks of Biden's term, the goal is "a massive surge of assistance and to up the economic pressure on Russia," he said. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday warned that failure to continue opposing Russia's actions would have dire consequences. "We can continue to stand up to the Kremlin. Or we can let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin have his way -- and condemn our children and grandchildren to live in a world of chaos and conflict," said Austin, who like Sullivan was speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California. "This administration has made its choice. And so has a bipartisan coalition in Congress. The next administration must make its own choice." The defense chief also emphasized the importance of US allies and partners in his remarks -- a contrast to Trump's go-it-alone "America first" world view. "Here is the stark military fact: our allies and partners are huge force multipliers," Austin said. "Ultimately, America is weaker when it stands alone. And America is smaller when it stands apart," he said. "There is no such thing as a safe retreat from today's interwoven world." The United States has spearheaded the push for international support for Ukraine, quickly forging a coalition to back Kyiv after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 and coordinating aid from dozens of countries. Ukraine's international supporters have since then provided tens of billions of dollars in weapons, ammunition, training and other security aid that has been key to helping Kyiv resist Russian forces. wd/mlm/acb
Understanding the Rich Treasury Data Needed to Unlock Trapped Liquidity
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — Garry Clark scored 15 points as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beat Stephen F. Austin 67-48 on Saturday night. Clark had 12 rebounds for the Islanders (6-4, 1-1 Southland Conference). Owen Dease went 3 of 3 from the field to add 10 points. Jordan Roberts had 10 points and shot 4 for 9. Nana Antwi-Boasiako led the Lumberjacks (5-5, 0-2) in scoring, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Clayton Southwick added 10 points and two steals. Myles Jenkins had five points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
The Photos You're Not Supposed to SeeHOUSTON (AP) — Addison Patterson's 25 points helped Northwestern State defeat Houston Christian 64-57 on Saturday night. Patterson also added five rebounds and three steals for the Demons (5-5, 2-0 Southland Conference). Jon Sanders shot 5 of 9 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 5 from the line to add 17 points. Willie Williams shot 5 of 6 from the field to finish with 10 points, while adding 11 rebounds. Bryson Dawkins finished with 13 points for the Huskies (3-7, 1-1). D'Aundre Samuels added nine points for Houston Christian. Julian Mackey also had nine points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from .
Battery manufacturer E-One Moli Energy has announced it is not going ahead with the expansion of its Maple Ridge plant – at this time. The project would create 350 new jobs and secure more than 100 existing positions, making Moli Energy the city's largest private employer. A year ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and B.C. Premier David Eby both toured the plant and joined the company in announcing the $1-billion expansion, which senior government would partner in. The federal commitment was $205 million, with another $80 million from the province, and the plan was for E-One Moli to expand its facility in Maple Ridge, and become Canada’s largest high-performance lithium-ion battery cell manufacturer. They would produce up to 135 million battery cells per year. Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy assured the project is not dead. "It's not really the bad news everyone thinks it is – they're not cancelling, they're just putting it on pause," he said. With the company investing some $750 million in the project, it's easy to appreciate Moli Energy's prudence in watching developing energy markets, as well as the political climate in the Canada and elsewhere, Ruimy explained. He pointed out the project is not overdue – it was slated for completion in 2028. The company has stated the plant expansion in Maple Ridge remains a sound investment. "We're a supporting partner, and we want them to know that we want them to be here," Ruimy said of the city's role. The company started in B.C. in 1977, and has operated from the Maple Ridge site since 1987 as a pioneer in the battery industry, with production facilities in Taiwan. Molicel batteries are used in motorsports, high-end autos, aircraft, medical equipment, power tools, and home appliances. The company was purchased in 2000 by Taiwanese-based Taiwan Cement Corp. “What you’ve been able to build here over the past decades is more relevant now than one could ever imagine, and is part of the exciting future we’re building,” Trudeau told company chairman Nelson Chang last November. Chang said he was thrilled to have the the green energy initiative in Maple Ridge. “We believe that CO2 reduction is absolutely the key to success for all future businesses.” The company recently opened a new production plant in Taiwan.HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Bryce Lindsay had 18 points in James Madison's 78-61 win against Utah Valley on Saturday night. Lindsay added five rebounds for the Dukes (6-4). Xavier Brown scored 12 points and added seven assists. AJ Smith went 4 of 6 from the field (2 for 3 from 3-point range) to finish with 10 points, while adding seven rebounds and three steals. The Wolverines (4-5) were led in scoring by Osiris Grady, who finished with 12 points. Tanner Toolson added 10 points and two steals. Hayden Welling had nine points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Spurs rally to top Jazz 126-118 for 2nd straight victory
Prospera Financial Services Inc grew its holdings in Capital Group Core Balanced ETF ( NYSEARCA:CGBL – Free Report ) by 30.1% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 25,031 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,797 shares during the quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc’s holdings in Capital Group Core Balanced ETF were worth $777,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Capital Group Core Balanced ETF by 4.8% in the 2nd quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 60,570 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,801,000 after acquiring an additional 2,770 shares during the period. Bleakley Financial Group LLC increased its stake in Capital Group Core Balanced ETF by 21.5% during the 3rd quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 20,654 shares of the company’s stock worth $641,000 after buying an additional 3,652 shares during the period. Dakota Wealth Management increased its stake in Capital Group Core Balanced ETF by 42.7% during the 2nd quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 31,854 shares of the company’s stock worth $951,000 after buying an additional 9,529 shares during the period. Simplicity Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Capital Group Core Balanced ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $505,000. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in Capital Group Core Balanced ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $1,123,000. Capital Group Core Balanced ETF Stock Up 0.4 % Capital Group Core Balanced ETF stock opened at $31.62 on Friday. Capital Group Core Balanced ETF has a 12-month low of $25.89 and a 12-month high of $32.03. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $31.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $30.34. Capital Group Core Balanced ETF Company Profile The Capital Group Core Balanced ETF (CGBL) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in target outcome asset allocation. The fund is an actively managed fund-of-funds that offers a balanced approach to total return and capital preservation. The fund employs an active asset allocation strategy to invest in equities, debts, money market instruments, and cash. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CGBL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Capital Group Core Balanced ETF ( NYSEARCA:CGBL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Capital Group Core Balanced ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Capital Group Core Balanced ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Tim Cook won't leave Apple 'til a voice in his head tells him to do so
B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new position in shares of Public Storage ( NYSE:PSA – Free Report ) in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor purchased 3,888 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $1,415,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Public Storage by 5.0% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,392 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $507,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management increased its position in Public Storage by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 1,538 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $560,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC lifted its holdings in Public Storage by 52.0% in the 3rd quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 3,056 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,112,000 after purchasing an additional 1,046 shares in the last quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC lifted its stake in shares of Public Storage by 0.8% during the third quarter. Lindenwold Advisors INC now owns 4,390 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $1,597,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Finally, Aviance Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Public Storage during the third quarter worth approximately $222,000. 78.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wolfe Research upgraded Public Storage to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Truist Financial downgraded shares of Public Storage from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $306.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Public Storage from $293.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Public Storage from $360.00 to $422.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Scotiabank raised their price target on shares of Public Storage from $308.00 to $339.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $339.64. Public Storage Stock Up 0.5 % Shares of NYSE PSA opened at $337.62 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $59.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.06, a PEG ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 0.70. Public Storage has a 1 year low of $251.49 and a 1 year high of $369.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.77, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 0.97. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $343.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $316.39. Public Storage Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 13th will be given a dividend of $3.00 per share. This represents a $12.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 13th. Public Storage’s payout ratio is currently 124.61%. Public Storage Profile ( Free Report ) Public Storage, a member of the S&P 500 and FT Global 500, is a REIT that primarily acquires, develops, owns, and operates self-storage facilities. At December 31, 2023, we had: (i) interests in 3,044 self-storage facilities located in 40 states with approximately 218 million net rentable square feet in the United States and (ii) a 35% common equity interest in Shurgard Self Storage Limited (Euronext Brussels: SHUR), which owned 275 self-storage facilities located in seven Western European nations with approximately 15 million net rentable square feet operated under the Shurgard brand. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PSA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Public Storage ( NYSE:PSA – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Public Storage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Public Storage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Diane Moss lost her home in the Santa Monica Mountains after power lines ignited the apocalyptic Woolsey Fire in 2018. Since then, she’s pressed for a safer electric grid in California. “It’s so easy to forget the risk that we live in — until it happens to you,” said Moss, a longtime clean energy advocate. “All of us in California have to think about how we better prepare to survive disaster, which is only going to be more of a problem as the climate changes.” In recent years, California’s power companies have been doing just that: insulating power lines and burying lines underground, trimming trees, deploying drones and using risk-detection technology. As wildfires across the U.S. intensify , California is on the leading edge of efforts to prevent more deadly and destructive fires ignited by downed power lines and malfunctioning equipment. Customers have shouldered a hefty price for wildfire safety measures. From 2019 through 2023, the California Public Utilities Commission authorized the three largest utilities to collect $27 billion in wildfire prevention and insurance costs from ratepayers, according to a report to the Legislature. And the costs are projected to keep rising: The three companies — Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric — continue to seek billions more from customers for wildfire prevention spending. Rates are expected to continue outpacing inflation through 2027 . Fire safety projects are a big part of the reason that Californians pay the highest electric rates in the nation, outside of Hawaii. Other reasons include rooftop solar incentives, new transmission systems and upgrades for electric vehicles. High electric bills have helped fuel a statewide affordability crisis alongside soaring housing prices, expensive groceries and costly gasoline. Small businesses are feeling the burden, along with the state’s poorest residents: One in three low-income households served by the three utilities fell behind in paying their power bills this year. California’s three investor-owned utilities are regulated monopolies, so when they spend money on costs related to wildfires, they recover it through customers’ bills. The price of electricity has ignited debate about how much California families should bear for the cost of wildfire prevention, whether utilities are balancing risk and affordability and whether the money is being spent wisely. Loretta Lynch, a former head of the state utilities commission, said lack of oversight is a problem, with the commission “rubber-stamping outrageous costs” and allowing the companies to “address wildfires in the most expensive, least effective way possible.” One of the biggest controversies is whether the utilities should be spending so much on burying power lines, an extremely costly and slow process. Last year, a state audit concluded that the utilities commission and the state’s advocates office must do more to verify whether utilities were completing the work they sought payment for. The three companies say the billions of dollars in spending is necessary as climate change worsens wildfires across the state . Utility equipment has caused less than 10% of the state’s fires but nearly half of its most destructive fires, according to the utilities commission . PG&E, which a few years ago came out of bankruptcy triggered by its liability for several deadly, destructive fires, has adopted the stance that “catastrophic wildfires shall stop.” The company, which serves the most high-risk areas in California, is the state’s largest spender on wildfire prevention. PG&E plans to bury 10,000 miles of power lines in its highest-risk areas — work that is highly contentious because it is costly and slow. The company has buried 800 miles since 2021 , with each mile costing between $3 and $4 million. Last year, the commission approved a $3.7 billion plan for PG&E to bury 1,230 miles of lines through 2026. Sumeet Singh, PG&E’s chief operating officer, told CalMatters that the utility is concerned about rates, too. He said the company is “very committed to stabilizing our customer rates as we go forward without compromising safety. I think that’s clear, that it’s a non-negotiable....There’s a pretty robust process, and oversight, that we are under.” Kevin Geraghty, chief operating officer of SDG&E, called the wildfire spending process “the most highly-scrutinized, regulatory utility process I have ever been involved in, in my life.” Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order in October aimed at tackling the high costs of electricity, asking state agencies to evaluate their oversight of wildfire projects and ensure that the utilities are focused on “cost-effective” measures. He is seeking proposals for changes in rules or laws by Jan. 1. The spark for the increased spending came seven years ago, after California suffered one of its worst droughts and a series of devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018, many ignited by utility equipment. Sixteen fires were caused by PG&E equipment during a rash of October 2017 fires that decimated Napa, Sonoma and other Northern California counties. That December, the Thomas Fire , sparked by Southern California Edison equipment, engulfed parts of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. But the devastation of 2017 was only a prelude to an even graver year. On Nov. 8, 2018, the Camp Fire leveled the town of Paradise, killing 85 people, making it the deadliest wildfire in state history. The Camp Fire was caused by the failure of an old metal hook attached to a PG&E transmission tower. An intense wind event pushed the fire at a rate of roughly 80 football fields per minute at its peak. The company in 2020 pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter for its role in the disaster. The same day as the destruction in Paradise, another fire ignited some 470 miles south. In the Simi Hills of Ventura County, Southern California Edison wires in two separate locations made contact with others, triggering “arc” flashes that rained hot metal fragments and sparks onto the dry brush below. These triggered two blazes, which soon merged to form the Woolsey Fire. Santa Ana winds spread the conflagration across parched terrain, with swaths of the nationally protected Santa Monica Mountains reduced to ash. Moss, the clean energy advocate, evacuated her home with her son that day. Her husband, clinging to hope, stayed until the blaze threatened to swallow him whole. Their neighborhood near Malibu, with its heavily wooded surroundings, was no match for the inferno. “My husband stayed until the last minute, when it just — it looked like it could cost him his life,” Moss said. “Everybody else left, and just about all of us lost.” Three people died. Moss’ home was gone, reduced to a hollowed out structure and charred rubble, along with about 100,000 acres of parkland and wilderness , more than any other fire in recorded history for that area. In 2019, downed PG&E lines ignited Sonoma County’s Kincade Fire . Then two years later, the Dixie Fire , also caused by PG&E equipment, became the second largest wildfire in California history, burning 963,000 acres north of Chico. The 2021 Dixie Fire, which claimed one life and destroyed 1,311 structures, was the last catastrophic wildfire in California confirmed to be caused by utility equipment. The number of fires triggered by the companies’ equipment fluctuates from year to year, driven by the huge variability in California’s weather. But data from 2014 through 2023 indicate there were substantially fewer fires last year than in other recent years. SDG&E equipment caused 16 fires after its high of 32 fires in 2015, Southern California Edison had 90 fires, compared to a 2021 high of 173, and PG&E reported 374 fires after a high of 510 in 2020. PG&E also reported that fires in its highest-risk areas trended down every month of 2023 compared to the same months in previous years. But that progress reversed this year, with 62 fires reported by August in high-risk areas, compared to 65 in all of 2023. (PG&E would not provide 2024 fire data to CalMatters.) Caroline Thomas Jacobs, inaugural director of the state Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, established in 2021 to oversee utility safety, said progress can be hard to measure. Nevertheless, she said she has seen a cultural shift at electric companies in recent years, with a more focused approach in high-risk areas and an environment that empowers workers to prioritize safety. “It just takes the wrong ignition ... under the right conditions, to have a catastrophic fire,” Thomas Jacobs said. “But are we in a better place? The numbers seem to indicate we’re moving in the right direction.” PG&E has installed more than 1,500 weather stations and 600 AI-enabled cameras to detect severe weather and ignitions, Singh said. Enhanced safety systems now cut power to lines within a tenth of a second. The utility also has cleared vegetation, ordered power shutoffs during high-risk times, insulated lines and buried some lines underground. “Where do we see the greatest risk?” Singh said the company asks itself, and “what is the most cost-effective way to be able to reduce that risk for every dollar that’s spent?” Southern California Edison said since its investments began in 2019, the risk of catastrophic wildfire in its system has dropped between 85 and 90%. The company plans to bury 600 miles of lines in high-risk areas but it is relying much more on less-expensive insulating technology, which already has been used on more than 6,000 miles of lines. SDG&E began prioritizing wildfire prevention, including underground and insulated lines, a decade ahead of the other two utilities, after its lines sparked three major fires in 2007. The company has avoided a catastrophic fire since 2007, despite operating in one of the nation’s most fire-prone regions. “We continue to double down, and do and do more tomorrow than we did yesterday,” said Brian D’Agostino, the utility’s vice president of wildfire and climate science. “We don’t take a single day without a fire for granted.” Critics say the scramble to address the wildfire crisis has left the state vulnerable to overspending by utilities. About two months before the Camp and Woolsey fires, outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018 signed a $1 billion plan to thin forests and clear out the tinderbox of California’s dead and dying trees. That measure came too late to prevent the devastation. But it opened the door to increased spending by utilities beyond limits set in the highly deliberative process known as their general rate cases, which determine what Californians pay. Newsom and the Legislature in 2019 created a $21 billion wildfire fund paid for by Wall Street investors and California ratepayers to help PG&E exit bankruptcy and protect utilities from being financially threatened by the wildfires they cause. The utilities cannot access the state’s $21 billion fund unless their wildfire plans are approved by the energy safety office. One problem, critics say, is that the safety plans are approved by one government entity while the spending to carry them out is approved by another. “We now have this very odd system,” said Lynch, who served on the utilities commission from 2000 through 2004. “The Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety reviews the plans, puts out guidelines, but then the (commission) still has to ratify the plans, so that the utilities can take money from their ratepayers.” On a temperate, clear morning in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of Placerville in October, a PG&E construction crew donned yellow jackets and safety helmets and went about the work of burying power lines along a narrow, wooded road. Overhead lines snaked through thick trees in this area — prime fire risk territory. The workers buried the lines in a trench that had been dug using a heavy piece of equipment designed to cut hard concrete and soil. Once those power lines are buried and activated, their risk of fires are all but eliminated. Burying lines in high-risk areas improves reliability amid rising wildfire risks and extreme weather, PG&E’s Singh said. Though it’s pricier up front, it eliminates the yearly expense of trimming trees and vegetation, which makes it a better, long-run value for customers, he said. “Underground is a no-brainer when you look at it from that lens,” Singh said. But the high cost and the time it takes to do the work has left some skeptical. The company has buried 800 miles of wires underground since 2021, and plans to bury more than 1,600 by the end of 2026. It aims to get the cost per mile down to $2.8 million by the end of 2026 from $3 million at the end of 2023. Michael Campbell, assistant deputy director of energy for the public advocates office, a state entity that represents utility customers, said PG&E should consider other means of preventing wildfire, like insulated wires, otherwise known as “covered conductors.” This can be deployed more quickly and at a lower cost, he said, and is effective when combined with operational techniques like fast trip settings and power safety shutoffs. “In some areas, (burying power lines) really is the correct approach to minimize risk. But it’s also very slow and very expensive, and so there’s a need to address safety in as many miles as quickly as possible, to reduce overall risk,” Campbell said. The utilities commission has taken a proof-of-concept approach: The commission scaled back PG&E’s plan to bury 2,000 miles through 2026 to 1,230. The commission approved installing covered conductors, or insulated power lines, over 778 miles. Lynch is skeptical of utilities and their big projects because they can profit from them, and Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, says too much spending is going unchecked. The sense of urgency following fires paved the way for the multi-billion surge in spending. The commission authorized PG&E, for instance, to spend $4.66 billion on wildfire costs from 2020 through 2022, but the company ultimately spent $11.7 billion and is seeking payment through utility bills, according to The Utility Reform Network. Audits of nearly $2.5 billion in 2019 and 2020 wildfire spending found some costs from PG&E , Southern California Edison and SDG&E may already have been covered by previously approved rates, or more documentation was needed to confirm they had not been covered. The utilities challenged many of the findings, saying they didn’t plan to claim some of the costs, and disputed the auditor’s conclusions as well as some of their calculations. In interviews with CalMatters, representatives for all three utilities said the process in place to oversee wildfire spending at the utilities commission was robust and thorough. Geraghty, of SDG&E, said the process is transparent, with public comment periods and hearings. Regarding critics who say wildfire prevention should be cheaper and faster, “every one of them had that voice, had that say, had that transparency through this entire process,” he said. Some expenses, such as operating costs, have an immediate impact on how much people pay in their bills. But other costs, such as long-term investments in insulating or burying power lines, are stretched out over years, meaning they add to bills for decades to come . Over time, these capital costs are growing due to factors like depreciation and the returns utilities are allowed to generate. This creates a compounding effect, meaning wildfire-related capital costs will take up an increasing share of what California customers are charged in the future. The burden of the rising bills is hitting many Californians hard. Roshonda Wilson, of Oakland, couldn’t afford to pay her power bill even though she said she watches television only after sunset, refrains from running unnecessary appliances and is hyper-aware of every energy-consuming action in her household. At one point PG&E turned her power off this year. “I couldn’t catch up,” she said. On the other hand, Moss — who has weathered not just the trauma of losing her home near Malibu but also the difficult process of rebuilding — says the expensive wildfire prevention work is critical to prevent more tragedies. “Even though (burying power lines) is costly and time-consuming, the cost and time of not doing it is starting to seem more devastating to a broader swath of people,” Moss said. Nevertheless, the rate hikes have alarmed climate activists who fear rising power bills in California may trigger a backlash against the state’s effort to switch to renewable energy, and influence other states, too. “The state, we fear, will start to lose the political will to keep pushing on,” said Mohit Chhabra, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council. “The problem with that is not that California will be a few years late — we can handle that. But the impact on all the other states who are looking at California.” Natasha Uzcátegui-Liggett and Miguel Gutierrez Jr. contributed to this report.
CALGARY, AB, Dec. 3, 2024 /CNW/ - Enbridge Inc. (TSX: ENB) (NYSE: ENB) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has appointed Douglas L. Foshee as a Director of Enbridge, effective January 1, 2025. Mr. Foshee has more than 40 years of energy industry experience, including as Chair, President and CEO of El Paso Corporation from 2003 to 2012, as CFO and then COO of Halliburton Company from 2001 to 2003, and as Chair, President and CEO of Nuevo Energy from 1996-2001. "On behalf of the Board of Directors of Enbridge, we are very pleased to welcome Doug to the Enbridge Board. He has extensive energy industry and business experience and will be an excellent addition to our Board," stated Pamela Carter, the Chair of the Board of Directors of Enbridge. About Enbridge Inc. At Enbridge, we safely connect millions of people to the energy they rely on every day, fueling quality of life through our North American natural gas, oil and renewable power networks and our growing European offshore wind portfolio. We're investing in modern energy delivery infrastructure to sustain access to secure, affordable energy and building on more than a century of operating conventional energy infrastructure and two decades of experience in renewable power. We're advancing new technologies including hydrogen, renewable natural gas, carbon capture and storage. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Enbridge's common shares trade under the symbol ENB on the Toronto (TSX) and New York (NYSE) stock exchanges. To learn more, visit us at enbridge.com . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Media Toll Free: (888) 992-0997 Email: media@enbridge.com Investment Community Toll Free: (800) 481-2804 Email: investor.relations@enbridge.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/enbridge-appoints-new-director-to-its-board-302321529.html SOURCE Enbridge Inc.HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam , Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The HoSkar Night series has become a favorite event for hospitality and real estate professionals across Asia , connecting industry leaders, developers, and innovators in a vibrant networking atmosphere. In 2024, the series embarked on an incredible journey, covering major cities such as Ho Chi Minh City , Hanoi , Phnom Penh , Bangkok , and Manila cementing its status as a key platform for meaningful dialogue and collaboration in the industry. Launched in 2024, the HoSkar Talk - Developers Seminar marked a new milestone, bringing industry professionals together to discuss critical topics shaping the future of the hospitality and real estate industries. Looking ahead to 2025, the HoSkar Talk will dive deep into themes such as Wellness in Real Estate, Branded Residences, Technological Advancements in Hospitality, F&B Trends, and Design in Project Development. Mark your calendars for the 2025 event series, scheduled in key cities across the region: Bangkok (8th May), Phnom Penh (29th May), Manila (19th June), Ho Chi Minh City (10th July), Hanoi (29th October), Dubai (6th November) and Ho Chi Minh City (27th November). HoSkar Night calendar 2025 Brought to you by WeHub, the largest community for hospitality and real estate developers, as well as senior industry professionals in the region. With its commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and growth, WeHub provides a robust platform for members to share knowledge, explore opportunities, and stay ahead in a competitive market. HoSkar Night would not be possible without the incredible support of our sponsors and partners. If you'd like to showcase your brand, share your expertise, or collaborate with us to make 2025 even more impactful, we'd love to hear from you. For sponsorship and collaboration inquiries, contact us at [email protected] . Visit the HoSkar Night website at https://hoskarnight.com/ or find out more information at WeHub LinkedIn . Vision Asia Pacific is a registered company which owns WeHub and organizes many event series, including Meet The Experts conference (MTE) and HoSkar Night networking event.
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Fox attorneys seek to dismiss shareholder lawsuit over reporting of vote rigging allegations in 2020CARSON, Calif. — The LA Galaxy finished 26th in the 29-team Major League Soccer standings just one season ago, and their biggest supporters boycotted certain matches to protest a decade of poor performance. The most successful club in league history seemed light years away from its luminous prime. When the Galaxy raised the MLS Cup again Saturday amid confetti and fireworks, their spectacular transformation was complete. In only one year, a team that was profoundly lost had rediscovered its peerless championship pedigree. "We won this trophy, and it's finally back where it belongs," striker Dejan Joveljic said. Joseph Paintsil and Joveljic scored in the first half, and the Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes of the final, the Galaxy nursed their lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league's biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. MLS' most successful franchise struggled through most of the ensuing years, but everything changed after LA spent smartly in the offseason to build a high-scoring new lineup topped by Paintsil, Joveljic and Gabriel Pec. The Galaxy finished second in the Western Conference and streaked through the postseason with an MLS playoff-record 18 goals in five games to win another crown. "I'm just so proud of this group after the challenges that we (had) and the way they bounced back and competed as a group," Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. "We spent a lot of energy at the start, but I'm just so proud of these guys. They've cemented themselves as legends in this club." The Galaxy even won this title without perhaps their most important player. Riqui Puig, the playmaking midfielder from Barcelona who ran their offense impressively all season long, tore a ligament in his knee last week in the conference final. Puig watched this game in a suit, but the Catalan catalyst's teammates hadn't forgotten him: After his replacement, Gastón Brugman, set up LA's opening goal with a superb pass in the ninth minute, Paintsil held up Puig's jersey to their roaring fans during the celebration. "I was really waiting for this moment," said Paintsil, who scored his 14th goal of an impressive season. "I'm much more, 10 times faster than them, and Gaston saw the space. ... It was really a good thing. We did it for Riqui, and we did it for our family that came, and our supporters." Just four minutes later, Joveljic sprinted past four New York defenders and chipped home his 21st goal. Brugman was named the MLS Cup MVP after a commanding performance in midfield. The Uruguayan hadn't started a match for the Galaxy since Oct. 5 after an injury-slowed season, playing only as a postseason substitute before the final. "I dreamed of that yesterday, of something I could give to the team," Brugman said of his pass to Paintsil. "Today, it happened." Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable postseason charge ended one win shy of their first Cup championship. With the league's youngest roster, New York fell just short of becoming the lowest-seeded team to win the tournament under first-year German coach Sandro Schwarz. "I love these guys," Schwarz said. "Some guys, they are crying. In the big picture, that's a start. Sometimes when you lose the final, it's tough, but you use this experience to create the next energy, the next intensity." Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made four saves to win his second MLS title in three seasons, but Nealis beat the 2022 MLS Cup MVP in the 28th minute when he volleyed from the penalty area. The second half was lively: Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg hit the outside of the post in the 72nd minute, while Pec and Galaxy substitute Marco Reus nearly converted chances a few moments later. The ball got loose in the Galaxy's penalty area in the third minute of extra time, but two Red Bulls couldn't finish. After Galaxy owner Phil Anschutz received the MLS Cup that bears his name because of his steady financial support of the league during its shaky years, Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida carried the trophy to his teammates for the celebration. The Galaxy extended their lead over DC United (4) for the most MLS Cup championships in league history. The Red Bulls remain one of three original MLS franchises never to win the title, along with FC Dallas and the New England Revolution. The Galaxy finished 17-0-3 this season at their frequently renamed suburban stadium, where the sellout crowd of 26,812 for the final included several robust cheering sections of Red Bulls supporters hoping to see their New Jersey-based club's breakthrough. But this season was about the Galaxy's rebirth. The club famous for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier "Chicharito" Hernández swiftly turned itself into a contender again by acquiring young talents without international fame. The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and grabbed Paintsil, a Ghanaian playing in Belgium. The duo combined with Joveljic to form a potent attack with orchestration from Puig, one of MLS' best players. "Losing a guy like Riqui after the performance he put in all season was devastating," McCarthy said. "Even if he wasn't on the field, we did it for him." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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The New York Giants (2-13) are just two weeks away from officially locking up the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Losers of 10 straight games, New York is in an unfortunate and head scratching situation. It boasted one of the best sack defenses in the league and featured a history-making rookie wide receiver in Malik Nabers. All it was missing was a quarterback seemingly. Season-starter Daniel Jones was waived in late November with multiple backups taking snaps in the following weeks. A recipe for tanking and starting over as a franchise. However, Nabers still has hope that the current group of players — specifically the rookies — can produce winning football for the team. Malik Nabers on his favorite quality from the Giants' rookie class: "We’ve got that mentality that we want to win. Nothing's going to stop us from getting done what we want to get done. To have that as a group and all in one, the sky’s the limit for us, I'm happy for that." pic.twitter.com/xPU4BbzIXG "We’ve got that mentality that we want to win," Nabers told reporters Thursday. "Nothing's going to stop us from getting done what we want to get done. To have that as a group and all in one, the sky’s the limit for us." Selected sixth overall in April, Nabers has put together an impressive rookie campaign . He's racked up 969 yards on 97 receptions but only scored four touchdowns. Additionally, Tyrone Tracy Jr. sits second in rushing yards among rookie running backs, behind only Tampa Bay's Bucky Irving. Both are two future key pieces to New York's offense and having faith in the future of the team is the first step in completing a rebuild. Nabers' attitude toward the situation should encourage Giants fans that despite the poor year, players haven't necessarily given up on the team. That's a characteristic any fanbase should want from its star players. New York may be one franchise quarterback away from returning to competitiveness but it'll take an attitude shift like Nabers' to keep that trajectory on track.NEW YORK (AP) — Having waited 63 years for an Ivy League football title, Columbia had to stand by for another 40 minutes. The Lions had beaten Cornell 17-9 but needed a Harvard loss against Yale to secure a share of first place on the season's final day. So Columbia players retreated to their locker room on a hill a few hundred feet from Wien Stadium to watch the game in Boston on TV as a few hundred fans remained and gazed at the gold-and-orange foliage of Inwood Hill Park glowing in Saturday's afternoon sun. When Yale recovered onside kick with seconds left to ensure a 34-29 Harvard defeat, players let out a scream and streamed back onto the field to celebrate, smoke cigars, lift a trophy and sing “Roar, Lion, Roar” with family and friends. Who would have thunk it? “You had the realization of, oh, I’m a champion, which is something that hasn’t been said here in a while,” co-captain CJ Brown said. Harvard dropped into a tie with Columbia and Dartmouth at 5-2, the first time three teams shared the title since 1982 — the conference doesn't use tiebreakers. “It was nerve-wracking, for sure, but definitely exciting because that's something that not a lot of people have experienced, especially here," running back Joey Giorgi said. There have been several top players at Columbia — Sid Luckman, Marty Domres, Marcellus Wiley among them — but the school is perhaps better known for owners such as the New England Patriots' Robert Kraft and former Cleveland Browns head Al Lerner. Columbia's only previous championship in 1961 also was shared with Harvard. That Lions team was coached by Buff Donelli, a former Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Rams coach who scored for the Americans in soccer's 1934 World Cup. Columbia set a then Division I-AA record with 44 consecutive losses from 1983-88, a mark broken by Prairie View’s 80 in a row from 1989-98. Since 1971, the Lions’ only seasons with winning records until now were 1994, 1996, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022. Al Bagnoli, who won nine Ivy titles in 23 years at Penn, couldn't manage one at Columbia from 2015-22. He quit six weeks before the 2023 opener, citing health, and was replaced on an interim basis by Mark Fabish, his offensive coordinator. Jon Poppe, now 39, was hired last December after working as a Bagnoli assistant at Columbia from 2015-17 between stints at Harvard from 2011-14 and 2017-22, plus one season as a head coach at Division III Union College. He led the Lions to a 7-3 record overall, their most wins in a coach's first season since George F. Sanford's team went 9-3 in 1899. Poppe had wife Anna and 7-year-old daughter with him in the locker room watching the countdown to the title. “Sixty-three years of whatever into now,” he said. “Just seeing a lot of that history myself, personally. This is a hugely — a feeling of elation, seeing my dad on the field, a lot of emotional things with that.” Before a crowd of 4,224, quarterback Caleb Sanchez's 1-yard touchdown run put Columbia ahead in the second quarter. Giorgi's 1-yard TD run opened a 14-3 lead in the third and Hugo Merry added a 25-yard field goal in the fourth, overcoming three field goals by Alan Zhao. Giorgi rushed for 165 yards and finished his career with 2,112, second in school history. He and Brown missed what would have been their freshman season in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Given Columbia's athletic history — the most successful sport is fencing — it is not an obvious football destination. “I saw the dedication, whether it resulted in wins or losses,” Brown said. “I saw their dedication to the product that they put out on the field and also the athletic department, the facilities that we had here, the busses on schedule and stuff, I was like, OK, they care about their athletes. People here want to win and it doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past, it matters what we’re going to do now.” Poppe cited a mindset. “You get 10 opportunities, unlike other sports, it is a grind to play this sport and prepare the way we do just for 10,” he said. As the final whistle sounded in Boston, Brown noted an unusual initial reaction in the locker room. “It was like kind of awe when they recovered the kick,” he said. “It was a lot quieter than you would think it would be, but you could feel the joy and the elation.” They accomplished what more than six decades of their predecessors had failed to. As the players headed out, Poppe had a final word. “Day off tomorrow,” he said. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballA business executive who has worked in multiple industries in the last three decades has been tapped as the next chief financial officer at Albuquerque-based Array Technologies. Effective Jan. 6, Keith Jennings will be the next CFO for Array, an Albuquerque-based utility-scale solar energy company.