By David Shepardson and Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court on Friday rejected an emergency bid by TikTok to temporarily block a law that would require its Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest the short-video app by Jan. 19 or face a ban on the app. TikTok and ByteDance on Monday filed the emergency motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, asking for more time to make its case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Friday's ruling means that Tiktok now must quickly move to the Supreme Court in an attempt to halt the pending ban. The companies had warned that without court action, the law will "shut down TikTok — one of the nation's most popular speech platforms — for its more than 170 million domestic monthly users." "The petitioners have not identified any case in which a court, after rejecting a constitutional challenge to an Act of Congress, has enjoined the Act from going into effect while review is sought in the Supreme Court," the D.C. Circuit said. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under the law, TikTok will be banned unless ByteDance divests it by Jan. 19. The law also gives the U.S. government sweeping powers to ban other foreign-owned apps that could raise concerns about collection of Americans' data. The U.S. Justice Department argues "continued Chinese control of the TikTok application poses a continuing threat to national security." TikTok says the Justice Department has misstated the social media app's ties to China, arguing its content recommendation engine and user data are stored in the U.S. on cloud servers operated by Oracle while content moderation decisions that affect U.S. users are made in the U.S. (Reporting by David Shepardson and Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Chris Sanders and David Gregorio)California Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks is feeling a time crunch in California’s quest to combat climate change. So she’s trying to speed up renewable energy source construction and storage. “We do have to make it faster and better,” Wicks said recently. “Government has to work better for people.” Wicks, an Oakland Democrat, was speaking about a Legislative subcommittee field hearing on permitting reform that she held to discuss streamlining renewable energy permits last month. It was part of a statewide tour of several cities to explore permitting solutions for issues such as energy, housing and climate change. The first stop in the Coachella Valley hearing was the Desert Peak battery storage project in Palm Springs, by NextEra Energy Resources. It’s silhouetted against the San Bernardino Mountains, surrounded by a field of wind turbines and next to a Southern California Edison substation. The battery storage center draws power from the Palo Verde nuclear generating station in Arizona and renewable energy projects in the desert, said Pedro Villegas, executive director for political and regulatory affairs for NextEra. Rows of sheds house hundreds of lithium-ion batteries that store power and then feed it into the grid. At full capacity Desert Peak will produce 700 megawatts, enough to power about 140,000 homes. Facilities like this are key to California’s ambitious climate goals. The state aims to reach net carbon zero — the point at which the amount of greenhouse gasses that humans emit equals the amount removed from the atmosphere — by 2045. In 2022 the California Air Resources Board released a plan to get there. To do that, California has to cut red tape, Wicks said. Industry experts at the hearing said there has to be less duplication of paperwork, increased staffing at regulatory agencies and better coordination between them. Wind and solar farms can displace valuable ecosystems and farmland, while battery storage sites pose fire risks, so the state is facing pushback from rural communities that are Ground Zero for renewable energy development. Five years ago San Bernardino County restricted new large-scale wind and solar projects on more than a million acres of rural land after residents in some communities complained the projects threatened fragile natural environments and historic sites. “We need to be mindful of creating sacrifice zones in pursuing climate solutions,” Nataly Escobedo Garcia, policy coordinator for the Fresno-based Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, told the subcommittee. Converting traditional farms to solar farms also sparks opposition, Villegas said. “Especially in rural areas, some folks have a reaction to turning agricultural lands to solar energy,” he said. Battery storage has gotten bad press lately, with several high profile fires in San Diego County. An Escondido battery storage facility caught fire in September, prompting evacuations and closures of nearby schools. In May a blaze at a battery storage site in Otay Mesa burned for two and a half weeks, sparking worry about the safety of the high-powered batteries. In September 2023, a Valley Center energy storage facility caught fire . Energy experts said the industry has improved its fire safety protocols since those were built. “The facility in Escondido was installed in 2017,” said Scott Murtishaw, executive director of the California Energy Storage Alliance. “That’s ancient technology.” Despite advances in newer and potentially safer energy technology, lawmakers say efforts to wean Californians off fossil fuels aren’t moving fast enough to avert the effects of climate change. “There’s a huge chasm between the things we say are our priorities and what we are actually delivering in the state” in renewable energy and climate action, said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris , a Democrat from Irvine. “The No. 1 thing we need to do to accelerate the pace is permit reform.”SM, Mastercard empower 10 STEM students with scholarship grants
By CLAIRE RUSH PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Googly eyes have been appearing on sculptures around the central Oregon city of Bend, delighting many residents and sparking a viral sensation covered widely by news outlets and featured on a popular late-night talk show. Related Articles National News | Drones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightings National News | FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup National News | OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco apartment National News | Judge rejects an attempt by Trump campaign lawyer to invalidate guilty plea in Georgia election case National News | Texas’ abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine On social media, the city shared photos of googly eyes on installations in the middle of roundabouts that make up its so-called “Roundabout Art Route.” One photo shows googly eyes placed on a sculpture of two deer, while another shows them attached to a sphere. It’s not yet known who has been putting them on the sculptures. “While the googly eyes placed on the various art pieces around town might give you a chuckle, it costs money to remove them with care to not damage the art,” the city said in its posts. The Facebook post received hundreds of comments, with many users saying they liked the googly eyes. “My daughter and I went past the flaming chicken today and shared the biggest laugh,” one user said, using a nickname for the “Phoenix Rising” sculpture. “We love the googly eyes. This town is getting to be so stuffy. Let’s have fun!” Another Facebook user wrote: “I think the googly eyes on the deer specifically are a great look, and they should stay that way.” Others said the city should focus on addressing more important issues, such as homelessness, instead of spending time and money on removing the googly eyes. Over the years, the city’s sculptures have been adorned with other seasonal decorations, including Santa hats, wreaths, leis. The city doesn’t remove those, and views the googly eyes differently because of the adhesive, Bend’s communications director, Rene Mitchell, told The Associated Press. “We really encourage our community to engage with the art and have fun. We just need to make sure that we can protect it and that it doesn’t get damaged,” she said. The post and its comments were covered by news outlets, and even made it on a segment of CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert .” The city regrets that its post was misunderstood, Mitchell said. “There was no intent to be heavy-handed, and we certainly understand maybe how that was taken,” she said. “We own this large collection of public art and really want to bring awareness to the community that applying adhesives does harm the art. So as stewards of the collection, we wanted to share that on social media.” The city has so far spent $1,500 on removing googly eyes from seven of the eight sculptures impacted, Mitchell said, and has started treating some of the art pieces, which are made of different types of metal such as bronze and steel. The “Phoenix Rising” sculpture might need to be repainted entirely, she said. For some, the googly eyes — like the other holiday objects — provide a welcome boost of seasonal cheer. “I look forward to seeing the creativity of whoever it is that decorates the roundabouts during the holidays,” one social media commenter said. “Brings a smile to everyone to see silliness.”AP News Summary at 1:32 p.m. ESTKellanova (NYSE:K) Shares Sold by Commerce Bank
What can parasite eggs preserved in medieval poop tell us about human history?Former UCF head coach Gus Malzahn hired as Florida State OC( MENAFN - EIN Presswire) WILMINGTON, NEW CASTLE, DE, UNITED STATES, December 3, 2024 /EINPresswire / -- According to a recent report published by Allied market Research, titled, "Automotive Tailgate Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report, by Type, Vehicle Type and Sales channel : Global Opportunity Analysis and industry Forecast, 2019-2026." Automotive Tailgate Market Statistics - 2026 : The global automotive tailgate market was valued at $11.50 billion in 2018, and is projected to reach $17.17 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 5.3%. Asia-Pacific was the highest revenue contributor, accounting for $4.81 billion in 2018, and is estimated to reach $7.94 billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 6.6%. Asia-Pacific and Europe collectively accounted for around 64.3% share in 2018, with the former constituting around 41.9% share and are expected to witness considerable CAGRs of 6.6% and 4.9%, respectively, during the forecast period. The cumulative share of these two segments was 64.3% in 2018, and is anticipated to reach 68.2% by 2026. Get Research Report Sample Pages : Automotive tailgates are the gates attached to the rear side of the vehicle and are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the passengers and vehicle while driving. Tailgates used in a vehicle are of different types such as manually operated tailgates or the automatic tailgates and this depends on the level of autonomy of the vehicle. With the increased production and sales of the vehicles equipped with advanced components, the demand for better and efficient tailgates to be equipped in vehicles has increased, which supplements the growth of the vehicle tailgate market. It comprises several components such as taillights, camera, and other components, which increase the demand for better and efficient tailgates within the vehicle thereby boosting the automotive tailgate industry. Various developments have been carried out by top companies operating in the market along with the introduction of different products, which enhances the automotive tailgate outlook among the customers. Currently, there are two types of automotive tailgates widely used in vehicles, namely, hydraulic/manual operated and power-operated gates. Better and efficient tailgates have a wider application in automobiles as they are used to ensure the safety of the vehicle and passengers while driving. Also with the introduction of automated tailgates, the automotive tailgate market size has increased due to its wider application, which has boosted the automotive tailgate market growth across the globe. Factors such as increase in demand for electronic-based components or devices and need for effective automatic tailgate in the vehicle are increasing the automotive tailgate market share. However, high configuration cost and degradation of sensing mechanism is projected to hamper the automotive tailgate market size. Further, rise in technological advancement and innovation in the field of automotive industry and surge in expenditure on luxury vehicles around the globe is expected to create numerous opportunities for the growth and expansion of the vehicle tailgate market. Procure Complete Research Report : /purchase-options Leading Market Players : Go Industries, Inc., Gordon Auto Body Parts Co., Ltd., Huf Hülsbeck & Fürst GmbH & Co. KG., Johnson Electric Holdings Limited, Magna International Inc., Plastic Omnium, Robert Bosch GmbH, Aisin Seiki, Autoease Technology, Woodbine Manufacturing Co. Inc. Inquire Before Buying : Key Findings Of The Study : Based on type, the hydraulic/manual operated segment generated the highest revenue in 2018. Based on vehicle type, the passenger vehicle segment was the highest revenue contributor in 2018. Based on sales channel, the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is the highest revenue contributor during the forecast period. Based on region, the Asia-Pacific is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR during the forecast period followed by Europe, LAMEA and North America. Read More Reports : Electric Commercial Vehicle Market Portable EV Charger Market Cruise Ship Market E-Commerce Warehouse Market Logistics Market Roadside Assistance Market About us : Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies, and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. David Correa Allied Market Research +1 800-792-5285 email us here Visit us on social media: Facebook X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above. MENAFN02122024003118003196ID1108948866 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Just as TAFE is a proudly Australian story, it is a key to a better Australian future. or signup to continue reading TAFE opens doors and gives Australians one of the greatest opportunities they have - not just to fulfil their potential, but expand it. And in the process, Australia fulfils more of its own vast potential. It is a home-grown solution to the skills gaps hampering business and hurting the economy. Getting TAFE right means we're better placed to get the future right. That is why our government is taking our a crucial step further by making it permanent. We will legislate to guarantee 100,000 free TAFE places nationwide every year. That means more tradies to build more homes. More apprentices getting a start. More carers to look after our loved ones, whether they're just starting out on life's journey or have a respectable bit of mileage on the clock. And it will equip Australians to enhance their own skills and adapt to the economy as it keeps evolving. What a boon this will be for Australia. My government made it a priority to put public TAFE back at the centre of vocational education and training. And our game-changing investment in free TAFE is already delivering results. More than half a million Australians have already enrolled in free courses. Crucially, one in every three places have been taken up by . People are training to become electricians in Belmont. They're training to become nurses in Loganlea. They're training to become early childhood educators in Batchelor, Cairns and Frankston. And, at the new TAFE Centres of Excellence in the Hunter Valley and Western Sydney, they're training for the good jobs that will help Australia manufacture things here at home again. We've had 35,000 enrol in construction courses, 35,000 in early education, 50,000 in digital technology, and 130,000 in aged care and disability care. Tens of thousands of jobseekers are getting a fresh start. Hundreds of thousands of young people are training for a new career, and older workers are training for a new opportunity. These are not just numbers. Each one is a story of individuals and families. A story about the joy of achievement, and the satisfaction and reward of meaningful work. And it's a story about stronger, happier communities and a healthier, more diverse economy. Our investment sends a clear message to each and every person enrolled: we back you. We support your education. We support your aspiration. And we want you to get that qualification to help build the life you want. The positive, life-changing consequences of free TAFE are such a no-brainer that it takes an ideology without heart to oppose it. Yet that is exactly what the Coalition parties have revealed about themselves through their snobbery and sneering at TAFE. Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley said the quiet part out loud in Parliament this week when she said this: "It's a key principle and tenet of the Liberal Party: if you don't pay for something, you don't value it." What an extraordinarily out-of-touch thing to say. They believe nothing in life can possibly be of any value unless you've got a receipt for it. Tells you everything you need to know about what a profound and disturbing threat the Coalition are to proudly Australian achievements like Medicare and public education. They don't back TAFE. They never will. The truth is that no matter how high TAFE helps you climb in life, and no matter what opportunities you get to build a future for yourself and your loved ones, the Liberals and Nationals will look down on the very education that gave you a boost to get there. I only hope they can open their eyes to the central place TAFE occupies in the Australian government invests in education, all Australians benefit. 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LOCAL government units (LGUs) are ultimately responsible for ensuring housing safety in urban areas, even with the availability of detailed geohazard maps and risk assessments, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). Allan Rommel Labayog, Phivolcs regional monitoring officer, emphasized that the agency’s role is limited to prevention and mitigation, leaving the implementation of safety measures to LGUs. “We have developed a website, webpage, and app, as well as a manual on home safety. This includes a training system and mapping tools for disaster-prone areas, which we’ve shared with LGUs and other stakeholders,” Labayog said in a mix of English and Filipino during a geological hazards seminar led by the Department of Science and Technology on Friday. “However, Phivolcs’ current capabilities are limited to this extent.” He then urged local authorities, especially in vulnerable regions, to translate this information into tangible actions, such as enforcing building codes, conducting risk assessments, and ensuring housing developments are located in safe zones. “We [Phivolcs] provide information and interpretations, it’s up to them [LGUs] to implement or act on it,” he said. Under Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, LGUs, with partner stakeholders, “should build the disaster resilience of communities and institutionalize arrangements and measures for reducing disaster risks.” The 2023 United Nations Habitat country report revealed that 70 percent of cities and urban centers in the Philippines are located along coastlines, with 3.7 million informal settler families, including 500,000 in high-risk areas, living in slums. As of December 2022, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development reported a housing backlog of 2.2 million units, adding the need to prioritize safe areas for new developments. Hidden risks While no fault lines exist in some regions, the Phivolcs officer said that proximity to trenches still poses significant seismic risks, citing Zamboanga’s proximity to the Sulu Trench as an example. “Earthquakes from trenches are far stronger compared to fault lines. Even without a visible fault, urban housing here remains at risk,” he explained. Based on the Phivolcs’ prediction, the West Valley Fault, which is anticipated to cause ‘The Big One,’ could trigger a magnitude 7.2 earthquake if it ruptures along Metro Manila’s eastern side. Areas near the Marikina Valley and Manila Bay’s edge are particularly vulnerable to intense shaking due to the underlying soft soil. In contrast to the rest of the earthquake-prone Philippines, Labayog noted that Palawan stands out as a relatively sheltered region, with its distance from major fault lines and trenches significantly reducing its seismic risk. “In the center of the development of the Philippines, almost everything is affected; Basically, everything is affected, except for Palawan,” he said.
NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump's lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution's suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea "absurd." The Manhattan district attorney's office asked Judge Juan M. Merchan to "pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful," Trump's lawyers wrote in a 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump's lawyers filed paperwork this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won't include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn't sentenced and his appeal wasn't resolved because of presidential immunity. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney's office declined comment. It's unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump's request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution's suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump's parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution's suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the "ongoing threat" that he'll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. The prosecution's suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they contend. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump tapped for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution's novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to "fabricate" a solution "based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump" who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September "and a hypothetical dead defendant." Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what's already a unique case. "This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding," prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn't "precipitously discard" the "meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers." Prosecutors acknowledged that "presidential immunity requires accommodation" during Trump's impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury's verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Other world leaders don't enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation's wars in Lebanon and Gaza. Trump has fought for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. Trump's hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith ended his two federal cases, which pertained to Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in each case. Trump was scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November, but following Trump's Nov. 5 election win, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president's sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.Allianz, Amundi stop talks over combining asset management businesses, source says