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fa178 Making a $1B investment in the US? Trump pledges expedited permits — but there are hurdles WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is promising expedited federal permits for energy projects and other construction worth more than $1 billion. But like other Trump plans, the idea is likely to run into regulatory and legislative hurdles, including a landmark law that requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impact before deciding on major projects. Environmental groups called the plan a clear violation of the National Environmental Policy Act. The chief policy advocacy officer at the Natural Resources Defense Council says Trump should be careful what he wishes for. She said, "What if someone wants to build a waste incinerator next to Mar-a-Lago or a coal mine next to Bedminster golf course?” Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has named Andrew Ferguson to be the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission. Ferguson is already one of the FTC's five commissioners. He will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars’ worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday evening that Ferguson has “a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country.” The replacement of Khan likely means that the FTC will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. Proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons is halted by federal, state judges The proposed $24.6 billion merger between supermarket giants Kroger and Albertsons floundered on Tuesday after judges overseeing two separate cases both halted the merger. A federal judge in Oregon temporarily blocked the proposed merger until an in-house administrative judge at the Federal Trade Commission considers it. Shortly afterward, a judge in Washington state issued a permanent injunction barring the merger in that state, saying it lessens competition. Kroger and Albertsons in 2022 proposed what would be the largest grocery store merger in U.S. history. But the Federal Trade Commission and the state of Washington sued earlier this year. Kroger and Albertsons said Tuesday they are disappointed in the decisions and are reviewing their options. Biden says he was 'stupid' not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, like Donald Trump had done in 2020. He noted Tuesday in a speech at the Brookings Institution that Trump likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he defended his economic record and challenged Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. Trump’s decision to add his name to the checks sent by the U.S. Treasury to millions of Americans struggling during the coronavirus marked the first time a president’s name appeared on any IRS payments. Former chairman of state-owned bank China Everbright Group jailed for 12 years for corruption BEIJING (AP) — Chinese official broadcaster CCTV says a former chairman of the state-owned bank China Everbright Group has been jailed 12 years for embezzlement and bribery. Tang Shuangning, who had also held senior posts at the People’s Bank of China and the China Banking Regulatory Commission, was arrested in January, part of a wider wave of prosecutions of senior officials accused of financial crimes. A court in the city of Tangshan, about 100 miles east of Beijing, found him guilty of taking advantage of his position at the state-owned bank in “seeking convenience for others” in jobs and loans, in exchange for illegal payments. The court said he had accepted illegal property with a total value of more than $1.5 million. Trustee over Infowars auction asks court to approve The Onion's winning bid A trustee who oversaw the bankruptcy auction of Alex Jones’ Infowars is asking a judge to approve The Onion’s winning bid for the conspiracy-filled platform. Trustee Christopher Murray took the stand Tuesday in the second day of testimony at a hearing where a judge is scrutinizing the satirical news outlet’s winning offer. He told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston that he was there asking a court to approve the sale of Infowars’ parent company to The Onion’s parent company. It is not clear how quickly Lopez will rule. The Onion wants to turn Infowars’ website and social media accounts into parodies. GM to retreat from robotaxis and stop funding its Cruise autonomous vehicle unit DETROIT (AP) — General Motors says it will retreat from the robotaxi business and stop funding its money-losing Cruise autonomous vehicle unit. Instead the Detroit automaker will focus on development of partially automated driver-assist systems like its Super Cruise, which allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel. In a statement Tuesday, GM said it would get out of robotaxis due to what it described as the considerable time and resources that would be needed to scale the business, along with an increasingly competitive robotaxi market. What did you Google in 2024? From the elections to Copa América, here's what search trends show NEW YORK (AP) — Remember what you searched for in 2024? Google does. Google has released its annual “Year in Search," rounding up 2024's top trending searches. It shows terms that saw the highest spike in traffic compared to last year. Sports — particularly soccer and cricket — dominated overall search trends, led by queries for Copa América, the UEFA European Championship and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, the U.S. election led news-specific searches worldwide. Queries about excessive heat and this year’s Olympic Games followed. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump topped searches in Google’s people category this year — followed by Catherine, Princess of Wales, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. US defense secretary in Japan to support alliance as Osprey aircraft safety causes concern TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has met with officials in Japan to reaffirm the importance of their alliance and Washington's commitment to regional security as threats rise from China and North Korea. Austin’s visit on Tuesday also came amid growing concerns over the safety of Ospreys. The military aircraft have been grounded in the United States following a near crash at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico last month. The incident was caused by weakened metal components. It was similar to a fatal crash off southwestern Japan last year. The U.S. measure prompted the suspension of Ospreys operated by Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force. Small businesses plan events, start marketing earlier to deal with shorter holiday shopping season The holiday shopping season is underway, and this year small businesses have less time to capitalize on the busy shopping period. Only 27 days separate Thanksgiving and Christmas — five fewer than last year. But there are still ways to make the most of a shorter season. One key strategy is for owners to promote deals to customers wherever they can, from social media to physical ads. The National Retail Federation predicts that retail sales will rise between 2.5% and 3.5% compared with same period a year ago. Online shopping is expected to grow too. Adobe Digital Insights predicts an 8.4% increase online for the full season.With nearly all of the votes counted, left-leaning Mr Milanovic won 49% while his main challenger Dragan Primorac, a candidate of the ruling conservative HDZ party, trailed far behind with 19%. Pre-election polls had predicted that the two would face off in the second round on January 12, as none of the eight presidential election contenders were projected to get more than 50% of the vote. Mr Milanovic thanked his supporters but warned that “this was just a first run”. “Let’s not be triumphant, let’s be realistic, firmly on the ground,” he said. “We must fight all over again. It’s not over till it’s over.” Mr Milanovic, the most popular politician in Croatia, has served as prime minister in the past. Populist in style, the 58-year-old has been a fierce critic of current Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and continuous sparring between the two has been a recent hallmark of Croatia’s political scene. Mr Plenkovic has sought to portray the vote as one about Croatia’s future in the EU and Nato. He has labelled Mr Milanovic “pro-Russian” and a threat to Croatia’s international standing. “The difference between him (Mr Primorac) and Milanovic is quite simple: Milanovic is leading us East, Primorac is leading us West,” he said. Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Croatia, an elected president holds political authority and acts as the supreme commander of the military. Mr Milanovic has criticised the Nato and European Union support for Ukraine and has often insisted that Croatia should not take sides. He has said Croatia should stay away from global disputes, thought it is a member of both Nato and the EU. Mr Milanovic has also blocked Croatia’s participation in a Nato-led training mission for Ukraine, declaring that “no Croatian soldier will take part in somebody else’s war”. His main rival in the election, Mr Primorac, has stated that “Croatia’s place is in the West, not the East”. However, his bid for the presidency has been marred by a high-level corruption case that landed Croatia’s health minister in jail last month and which featured prominently in pre-election debates. Trailing a distant third in the pre-election polls is Marija Selak Raspudic, a conservative independent candidate. She has focused her election campaign on the economic troubles of ordinary citizens, corruption and issues such as population decline in the country of some 3.8 million. Sunday’s presidential election is Croatia’s third vote this year, following a snap parliamentary election in April and the European Parliament balloting in June.

Tafara Gapare scored a season-high 19 points off the bench and Derik Queen added 15 points and eight rebounds, lifting Maryland to a 91-67 victory over Bucknell on Wednesday in College Park, Md. Gapare made 7 of 9 shots from the floor -- including 3 of 4 from 3-point range. He highlighted his performance by unleashing a personal 10-point run in the second half to help send the Terrapins (6-1) to their third straight win. Gapare, who made one 3-pointer prior to Wednesday's game, was limited to just three minutes and was held without a point in Maryland's 76-75 victory versus Villanova on Sunday. Julian Reese scored 14 points for the Terrapins, who shot a robust 50.0 percent from the floor and scored 22 points off 20 turnovers. Selton Miguel drained three 3-pointers to score all 13 of his points in the first half. That effort came three days after being held without a point versus Villanova. Bucknell's Ruot Bijiek sank four 3-pointers to highlight his 20-point performance. Josh Bascoe scored 10 points and Brandon McCreesh added nine off the bench for the Bison (4-4), who lost two in a row for the second time this season. Maryland answered Bijiek's layup by scoring 12 straight points to take a 15-2 lead. Miguel keyed the spurt by draining two 3-pointers and a jumper. Bucknell tried to keep pace and trailed 25-12 after McCreesh's layup, but the Terrapins kept their foot on the gas to steadily build a 25-point lead late in the first half. The Bison made a modest charge to begin the second half, trimming the deficit to 16 at 58-42 on Bijiek's fourth 3-pointer of the game. Gapare singlehandedly halted the momentum by sandwiching 3-pointers around a layup and an emphatic dunk over the next five possessions. Reese sank a pair of free throws to cap the 12-0 run, extending Maryland's lead to 70-42 with 11:39 to play. The Terrapins were not threatened the rest of the way. --Field Level MediaOlder 2SLGBTQ+ adults embraced tech to support each other during pandemic: Dalhousie study

Mum has always been an inspiration, but never more so than now, say Jane Moore’s daughters in heartwarming chatAuthored by Tom Mitchelhill via CoinTelegraph.com, Ethereum’s Ether has been marred by under-performance over the last 18 months, seeing Bitcoin and a swathe of other alternative layer-1 coins, including the likes of Solana and Sui, dramatically outperforming it. While ETH has gained 88% in the last 18 months, SOL has posted a 1,040% gain, and SUI has rallied 448% in the same timeframe. “ETH got sandwiched in 2024 between two shiny objects: Bitcoin, which attracted a huge amount of institutional interest, and Solana, which gained traction with retail investors. ETH was the odd man out,” Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan told Cointelegraph. However, many crypto pundits believe the election of Donald Trump in the United States and the expected crypto-friendly stance of key agencies under his new administration could mark the turning point for the performance of Ether in the crypto market. After all, the incoming president’s family launched its own decentralized finance (DeFi) project, World Liberty Financial, on the chain. Experts are looking at a swathe of new developments for a bullish stance on ETH heading into 2025, ranging from the demise of “financial nihilism” to a complete overhaul of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, positive regulatory developments, Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF) staking, and increased Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) oversight of crypto. Alternative layer-1 coins like SOL and SUI have drastically outperformed ETH. Source: TradingView “Ethereum is poised to benefit more [from a Trump win] than other protocols, especially since it’s just a lot bigger and more mature than all the other ecosystems other than Bitcoin, which is mature but narrow in its purview,” Consensys CEO Joe Lubin told Cointelegraph at Devcon 2024 . At the same time, the gloss has started to come off Solana, whose SOL token peaked at an all-time high of $264 a month ago but has since retreated to $192 amid concerns over looming token unlocks. One of the big factors weighing heavily on Ethereum’s price has been the aggressive approach of regulators toward alleged securities violations by ecosystem projects including Uniswap, Consensys, Lido and Rocket Pool. Memecoin projects, meanwhile, have been largely overlooked by the SEC. A related issue is the disillusionment of crypto natives who were dumped on by venture capitalists during the brutal bear market. Many have turned to fair-launch memecoins and other hyper-speculative assets with little utility. Ikigai Asset Management founder and chief investment officer Travis Kling calls this phenomenon “financial nihilism.” In a March 12 essay , Kling said financial nihilism gives little if any importance to “fundamentals” or any notion of an underlying “value proposition.” “Financial Nihilism goes hand in hand with Populism – a political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.” “The underlying drivers of Financial Nihilism and Populism are the same – this system is not working for me, so I want to try something very different (e.g., buy SHIB or vote for Trump),” wrote Kling. However, Ethereum is sold almost entirely on its fundamentals and utility. Advocates repeatedly make the claim that the blockchain network and its ecosystem of layer 2s stand as the future of legitimate, programmable digital money, smart contracts and decentralized financial activity. Saul Rejwan, managing partner of crypto venture capital firm Masterkey, says Trump’s pro-crypto stance could see financial nihilism fall out of favor as legitimate projects are encouraged by regulators rather than hit with endless Wells notices from the SEC. On Dec. 4, Trump tapped pro-crypto businessman and former SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins as his nominee for the next SEC chair , with current Chair Gary Gensler set to resign from the agency on Jan. 20. The SEC will be losing three of its Democratic commissioners under Trump, with Jaime Lizarraga set to leave the agency on Jan. 17 and, more recently, the Senate Banking Committee canceling the renomination vote of crypto-skeptic commissioner Caroline Crenshaw on Dec. 17. As the ruling party, the Republicans would typically appoint a majority of three commissioners, but the rapid-fire resignations and cancellations open the SEC up to a possible line-up of four Republican-appointed, crypto-friendly commissioners if Trump breaks protocol. Rejwan told Cointelegraph that legitimate sectors of the crypto industry, specifically DeFi and decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN), stand to benefit most from the new administration and a more crypto-friendly SEC. “DeFi projects will thrive under a more favorable regulatory environment. Sectors like restaking just need a little regulatory push to hook institutional investors,” he said. “We expect this new leadership to lower barriers to entry and make it easier for early-stage crypto entrepreneurs and resilient firms to innovate and thrive.” The Gensler-led SEC under the Biden administration has been famously hostile to DeFi, with the regulator bringing Uniswap, the largest decentralized exchange on Ethereum, into its sights earlier this year. The SEC has proposed expanding the definition of what qualifies as an exchange in the Exchange Act of 1934, explicitly arguing it should include crypto market participants in DeFi. Anoop Nannra, CEO of Trugard Labs, said he expects the SEC to undergo a complete overhaul of its enforcement actions and policy directions, saying crypto assets are slated to be classified as “property” under the new administration. “I’ve heard from several people within Trump’s orbit that property rights are a critical issue for this administration and that this is actually going to be the calling card for the Republican party’s position on crypto,” he said. “I expect to see a complete revamp of the SEC's position based on this.” On Dec. 19, the Token Alliance — which incoming SEC Chair Paul Atkins was co-chair of — met with staffers for SEC Commissioners Hester Peirce and Mark Uyeda and issued its list of priorities. It requested that the agency denounce the controversial 2018 “Hinman speech” and formally withdraw a series of rules that deemed DeFi players to be seen as “exchanges” by law. The Token Alliance has asked the SEC to walk back a swathe of anti-crypto policies. Source: The Digital Chamber Nannra said he also expects the CFTC will soften to digital assets as well and that the SEC will engage in more discussions with the CFTC moving forward. “I expect to see the CFTC take a more progressive position on crypto as well, further re-aligning the oversight powers between the SEC and the CFTC,” Nannra said. Many pundits believe that the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21) — a bill that was passed through the House in May — would be central to the alignment of the CFTC and the SEC on crypto. In short, the bill sought to introduce a federal framework for crypto regulation, pull back some of the SEC’s authority over digital assets, and hand over regulation of spot crypto markets to the CFTC instead. Because Ether has also been deemed a commodity by the CFTC, several pundits have previously asserted that FIT21 could be highly beneficial for Ethereum from a policy perspective. But now, with the change in the regulatory landscape, it raises the question of whether or not the FIT21 bill would be necessary or even desirable anymore. The bill may end up becoming just an unnecessary policy bargain made during a hostile time for crypto assets. In a Nov. 15 client alert, lawyers from legal firm Brownstein noted the bill had stalled but would likely “serve as the starting point for legislative efforts in the new Congress.” Regardless of whether FIT21 passes, Trump is reportedly considering handing the CFTC oversight over crypto during his upcoming term, which would also classify most crypto projects as commodities if they meet certain criteria. If the CFTC is given regulatory control of crypto, it could come as a win for the industry, which has long signaled that the agency would be its preferred regulator — with the CFTC widely seen as having a “lighter touch” on regulation. Crypto lawyer Robert Nupp told Cointelegraph that the launch of the Trump dynasty’s World Liberty Financial was one the biggest “soft” endorsements of Ethereum, DeFi and real-world crypto projects. It has already purchased millions of dollars worth of ETH, Chainlink LINK $22.18 and Aave AAVE $326.14 . Nupp believes many within crypto are actually underestimating the positive impact of Trump on the industry. Source: Lookonchain According to Nupp, Trump is using World Liberty Financial as a beacon to show the world exactly how he intends to deal with crypto when he becomes president. “He’s basically signaling to the world that it’s okay to do this going forward in his administration,” he said. Nupp also tipped the Trump administration to move extremely quickly on crypto, pointing out Trump’s close ties with Elon Musk and the appointment of David Sacks as crypto and AI czar as evidence of the pace he will set. SEC Commissioner Peirce has already flagged the potential of revisiting decisions to block in-kind redemptions for crypto ETFs and to add staking for the Ether ETFs. “If it changes from a majority of commissioners who don’t want things to go through to a majority of commissioners who do want things to go through, then yeah, it’s easier,” she said . The ETF issuers — including Fidelity, 21Shares, and Franklin Templeton — have all requested the addition of staking, which currently yields approximately 3.1% per year, according to Staking Rewards. “We believe, under a new Trump 2.0 crypto-friendly SEC, ETH staking yield will likely be approved,” Bernstein said , predicting that growing network activity on Ethereum could see rewards “juice up” to 4%–5%. Ethereum boasts a 3.11% staking reward rate as of Dec. 24. Source: Staking Rewards It doesn’t take much to connect the dots on why an ETF offering native yield would be bullish for the underlying asset, particularly in an economic landscape where the US Federal Reserve is looking to drop interest rates further in 2025. “In a declining rate environment, ETH yield can be quite attractive. The yield feature in ETFs would also leave some spread for asset managers,” Bernstein said, adding that this would improve ETH’s economics and introduce further incentives to push ETH ETFs to institutional investors.Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened to cut off back up power supplies to Ukraine if Kyiv stops transporting Russian gas to Central Europe. “After January 1, we will assess the situation and potential reciprocal measures against Ukraine,” Fico said in a video posted on Facebook on Friday evening. “If necessary, we will stop supplying electricity that Ukraine urgently needs during network outages.” Russian gas that flows through Ukraine to Europe will halt at the end of the year when the current deal expires if an alternative can’t be found. Slovakia is one of the biggest remaining buyers and has been cranking up the pressure on Ukraine to find a solution. Fico threatened to retaliate if Volodymyr Zelenskiy doesn’t give him what he wants and the comments on Friday are his strongest warning yet. Russia stepped up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since March, destroying half of power generating capacities and causing blackouts across the country. Ukraine heavily relies on imports, including from Slovakia. Slovakia still receives Russian oil that transits Ukraine through the Druzhba pipeline. Halting supplies could be a possible counter-move for Kyiv if Slovakia stops electricity exports, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing politically sensitive matters. The escalating remarks from both sides raise the political stakes as the clock ticks down to the gas agreement expiring on Jan. 1. Fico justified the threat by pointing to the significant impact that stopping flows of Russian gas would have on Europe’s economy. The European Union will face an additional 120 billion euros in energy costs over the next two years as a result of a halt, according to the Slovak leader. “Stopping the transit of Russian natural gas through Ukraine is not just a hollow political gesture. It’s an extremely costly move, one that we, in the European Union, will pay for,” Fico said. Both Russia and Ukraine have made it clear that they can’t easily find common ground on the terms of a deal as tensions deepen. The Slovak Prime Minister wants to maintain gas transit beyond 2024 and says he has suggested alternative solutions that would not require contact between the two warring nations. With assistance from Daryna Krasnolutska. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.Macy’s Struggles and Its Bold New Chapter: Can the Iconic Retailer Make a Comeback?

With nearly all of the votes counted, left-leaning Mr Milanovic won 49% while his main challenger Dragan Primorac, a candidate of the ruling conservative HDZ party, trailed far behind with 19%. Pre-election polls had predicted that the two would face off in the second round on January 12, as none of the eight presidential election contenders were projected to get more than 50% of the vote. Mr Milanovic thanked his supporters but warned that “this was just a first run”. “Let’s not be triumphant, let’s be realistic, firmly on the ground,” he said. “We must fight all over again. It’s not over till it’s over.” Mr Milanovic, the most popular politician in Croatia, has served as prime minister in the past. Populist in style, the 58-year-old has been a fierce critic of current Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and continuous sparring between the two has been a recent hallmark of Croatia’s political scene. Mr Plenkovic has sought to portray the vote as one about Croatia’s future in the EU and Nato. He has labelled Mr Milanovic “pro-Russian” and a threat to Croatia’s international standing. “The difference between him (Mr Primorac) and Milanovic is quite simple: Milanovic is leading us East, Primorac is leading us West,” he said. Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Croatia, an elected president holds political authority and acts as the supreme commander of the military. Mr Milanovic has criticised the Nato and European Union support for Ukraine and has often insisted that Croatia should not take sides. He has said Croatia should stay away from global disputes, thought it is a member of both Nato and the EU. Mr Milanovic has also blocked Croatia’s participation in a Nato-led training mission for Ukraine, declaring that “no Croatian soldier will take part in somebody else’s war”. His main rival in the election, Mr Primorac, has stated that “Croatia’s place is in the West, not the East”. However, his bid for the presidency has been marred by a high-level corruption case that landed Croatia’s health minister in jail last month and which featured prominently in pre-election debates. Trailing a distant third in the pre-election polls is Marija Selak Raspudic, a conservative independent candidate. She has focused her election campaign on the economic troubles of ordinary citizens, corruption and issues such as population decline in the country of some 3.8 million. Sunday’s presidential election is Croatia’s third vote this year, following a snap parliamentary election in April and the European Parliament balloting in June.GM Bails On Cruise To Focus On Super Cruise After Burning Billions On Robotaxi DevelopmentTrump's tariff threat a grim reminder of turbulent trade in first administration