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zlong Washington Governor-elect Bob Ferguson and Attorney General-elect Nick Brown said they don't want to pick fights with the second Trump administration. They'll defend Washingtonians as necessary, they said at a recent press conference . But for the time being, they don't intend to go on the offensive this time around. That may be wise. They have plenty to do at home to strengthen democracy and public trust in government, elections and other institutions. That starts with a healthy, local press system, which both have vowed to support. It also demands open, transparent government. As they prepare their agendas, here are a few suggestions to help, and perhaps start some conversations between Washingtonians, their newly elected leaders and other representatives in state government. All of these proposals should have bipartisan support and provide ways for these Puget Sound Democrats to build bridges across the state's political and geographic divides. Conservatives are equally concerned about excessive power that tech giants have over the public square. So keep pursuing antitrust enforcement that began during the first Trump administration and level the playing field for publishers. Help rural and suburban newspapers survive, so people in all parts of the state have local news representing and strengthening their communities. And increase everyone's trust in state government by reversing Washington's recent slide toward secrecy. Ferguson and Brown will still have time to file federal lawsuits, if they decide that's also necessary.Mumbai: The State Cyber Police have registered a case against 12 social media users for posting an offensive video on social media, alleging that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis does not believe in the Indian Constitution, democracy, or any constitutional institution and suggesting his goal is to establish a parallel state. The action was taken based on a complaint filed by a representative of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to the State Cyber Police, the accused users—India Bhavla Shinde (@Bs131B), Shuddhodhan Sahjrao (@Suddhodhan74629), Nagpur Congress Sevadal (@SevadalNGP), Saurabh Singh Chauhan (@Sbchauhan0103), Mukesh Lavhale (@Lavhale), Prasad Salvi, Varad Kanki, Amol Kamble, Syed Salim, THE SMART 230K, and Vishnu Bhotkar are accused of sharing an edited and incomplete video. The complaint alleged that these social media users posted defamatory content on platforms like Twitter (X Handle), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube with the intent to incite public harm and disturb Maharashtra’s law and order situation. The FIR have registered under Sections 353(1)(B), 356(2), 192, 3(5) of the BNS Act with Section 67 of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 against the social media users responsible for posting the objectionable video. Notices have been issued to all social media intermediaries to provide information on these accused handles. The initial investigation by the State Cyber Police revealed that the video was deliberately taken out of context to falsely portray the Chief Minister as opposing constitutional values and intending to establish a parallel governance system. The video appears to be designed to provoke social unrest, hurt the sentiments of specific groups, and potentially disrupt Maharashtra's law and order.

Dear Eric: When my only son and his wife got married and had kids, I was informed that Christmas Day would just be for them to celebrate. I said OK. For decades, I have given my son and his family (wife and two kids) really nice gifts for Christmas. We are talking about hundreds of dollars. For a while, I would receive a small gift, such as a bottle of homemade vanilla, a rose-scented tin of salve made by a friend of the wife or a coffee cup or some such as a gift from the family. Same with my birthday. I have never received a gift from the grandkids. Last year, I let them know I would no longer be “exchanging” gifts with the parents but gifts to the grandkids (who are now teenagers with jobs) will continue. That year, I got them electronics and hoodies. I got nothing from anyone. Not even an acknowledgement from the kids. I have always had to deliver the gifts or call to see if they received them. This year, it is only going to be a Christmas card. Am I being overly sensitive? — Empty Stocking Dear Stocking: No, you are not being overly sensitive. Every family has their own traditions and needs. And no one is obligated to give — or accept — a gift. But it sure does make me sad that your desire to make this holiday special isn’t being reciprocated. Part of it may be a misalignment of expectations. You’ve given generously, into the hundreds of dollars. I’m curious if your son and daughter-in-law have different values or wants around gifting that are either not being expressed or not being heard. They should tell you clearly. Similarly, when you decided to stop giving gifts to the adults, I’m curious if your expectations were that your son would realize that you weren’t getting what you wanted and make a change. It’s worth talking it through a little more but try to focus on the want behind the want. I suspect that what you’re craving is connection — and perhaps an invitation to the family Christmas. It makes sense that you’d try to show your love from a distance through gift-giving and it makes sense that it would hurt not to have it reciprocated. But perhaps the tradition of gifts is getting in the way on both sides. If you’d like to be invited or would like to find an alternate way of celebrating and being together, that’s a great gift to ask for. Dear Eric: I was riding my bicycle when, unbeknownst to me, my wallet fell out of my pocket. My driver’s license, credit cards and about $200 in cash were in the wallet. Later that day I received a telephone call from a cyclist who found my wallet on his ride and told me that I could come over to pick it up. What, if any, reward would be appropriate? I gave a $30 bottle of wine. — Grateful Cyclist Dear Cyclist: How lucky that your path crossed with such a good fellow citizen! Etiquette experts agree that the amount of a reward in situations like this is really up to you. So, the bottle of wine you gave works. My only suggestion, however, would be that, if this ever happens again (fingers crossed your wallet stays in your pocket from now on), you check with the recipient to make sure that they drink wine. It’s the thought that counts, but you don’t want your grateful efforts to put someone else in an uncomfortable or dangerous situation. Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Morgan Rogers’ fourth goal of the season, an Ollie Watkins penalty and Matty Cash’s finish put Villa 3-0 up after 34 minutes. Mikkel Damsgaard pulled one back for Brentford in the second half but the damage had been done as Villa ended their eight-match winless run in all competitions. Emery was relieved to end the unwanted streak but quickly turned his attention to the next fixture against Southampton on Saturday. “We broke a spell of bad results we were having,” the Villa boss said. “We started the first five or 10 minutes not in control of the game but then progressively we controlled. “Today we achieved those three points and it has given us confidence again but even like that it’s not enough. We have to keep going and think about the next match against Southampton on Saturday. “The message was try to focus on each match, try to forget the table. How we can recover confidence and feel comfortable at home. Today was a fantastic match.” Tyrone Mings returned to the starting line-up in the Premier League for the first time since August 2023. Emery admitted it has been a long road back for the 31-year-old and is pleased to have him back. He added: “Mings played in the Champions league but it’s the first time in the league for a year and three months. “I think he played fantastic – he might be tired tomorrow but will be ready for Saturday again. “It was very, very long, the injury he had. His comeback is fantastic for him and everybody, for the doctor and physio and now he’s training everyday.” Brentford fell to a sixth away defeat from seven games and have picked up only a solitary point on the road this season. They have the best home record in the league, with 19 points from seven matches, but they have the joint worst away record. Bees boss Thomas Frank is confident form will improve on the road. He said: “On numbers we can’t argue we are better at home than away, but on numbers it’s a coincidence. I think two of the seven away games have been bad. “The other games we performed well in big spells. I’m confident at the end of the season we will have some wins away from home.” Frank felt Villa should not have been given a penalty when Ethan Pinnock brought Watkins down. He added: “I want to argue the penalty. I don’t think it is (one). I think Ollie kicked back and hit Ethan, yes there is an arm on the shoulder but threshold and all that – but that’s not the reason we lost.”

A Nabat, Abu Dhabi új klímatechnológiai vállalkozása mesterséges intelligenciát és robotokat használ a mangrovefák helyreállítására és a klímaváltozással szembeni ellenálló képességük javításáraA closer look at the best-selling automotive groups for plugin vehicles — part 2 of 4. This is the second edition of a look into the top EV-selling OEMs . To have a look at the first edition, please check it out here . In this second one, we have a look at Hyundai–Kia, Toyota, GAC, and Mercedes. For more information on these OEMs, don’t forget to check out our report on the top 20 EV brands and auto groups in the world . Hyundai Motor Company, as it is officially known, is a South Korean automotive group based in Seoul. It was founded in 1967 and currently it is the full owner of the namesake brand (Hyundai) and the luxury brand Genesis , while being the largest shareholder (34%) in former rival Kia — since Kia declared bankruptcy in 1997, during the Asian financial crisis . While Kia is formally part of the Hyundai group, because it isn’t fully owned by Hyundai, that means that Kia retains a certain degree of autonomy. So, while the Hyundai–Kia association isn’t an Alliance of Equals , like the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance , Kia’s status isn’t as limited as, say, Audi, within Volkswagen Group. Hence why on the sales articles I call them Hyundai–Kia. Within the three brands, Kia is the best selling one, with 51% of the OEM’s sales. It is closely followed by Hyundai, with about 47% of the OEM’s sales. Niche Genesis is responsible for the remaining 2%. Looking at individual models, the OEM has a balanced lineup, with the top sellers being the retro-futuristic Hyundai Ioniq 5 , representing 19% of the OEM’s EV sales this year, and its sportier cousin, the Kia EV6 , is second, with 13% of sales. Those two are followed closely by the Kia Niro (BEV+PHEV) and Hyundai Kona EV , with 12% of sales each. With several new models landing or in ramp-up stage ( Kia EV3 & Kia EV5 , Hyundai Inster/Casper EV , & Hyundai Ioniq 9 ), expect the Korean OEM to continue growing steadily in 2025, probably reaching the break-even point in its EV business as a consequence. When it comes to China, the fact that its operations there are minimal — they represent just 1% of all of the OEM’s plugin sales, and counting all powertrains sales, they move fewer than 250,000 units a year, or 6% of total Hyundai–Kia sales — will eventually serve as an advantage to the Koreans. It means that if they eventually leave China, their sales and production output will not be seriously affected. Something that other legacy OEMs cannot say.... It feels a bit strange to treat Toyota as a middle-of-the-pack OEM , but that is the current reality of the Japanese make when it comes to plugins. Toyota is the biggest Japanese carmaker (and the largest in the world). Based in the Aichi prefecture, it started making vehicles in 1936, and it is a familiar name worldwide. The Toyota OEM has a few brands under its umbrella: Toyota itself Lexus — luxury arm of Toyota Daihatsu — brand focused on city and kei cars, but also offers a few compact MPVs and crossovers Hino — commercial vehicle maker. Besides these fully-owned brands, Toyota is also the largest shareholder of Subaru (20%) and part of a couple of joint ventures (JV) in China, like FAW–Toyota and GAC–Toyota , where it holds 50% of them. FAW–Toyota makes the China-only Toyota bZ3 sedan, while GAC–Toyota makes the local Toyota bZ4X . In this case, we will be focusing on the namesake brand, which is by far the best-selling plugin make in the group, representing 80% of sales. Unlike what some might believe, Toyota’s sales aren’t that PHEV-heavy, as 44% of Toyota’s total plugin sales are actually coming from pure electrics, and two out of the three best-selling models are BEVs. The bZ4X SUV is responsible for 24% of its plugin sales, while the China-only bZ3 sedan amounts to 19% of deliveries. Still, the best-selling Toyota plugin is a PHEV. That version of the Toyota RAV4 represents 25% of sales. The Japanese brand has significant exposure to China, with that market representing 22% of its plugin sales this year. So, if by any chance Toyota gets swallowed by the downward spiral of other Japanese brands in China (Honda, we are looking at you) , its overall output will be significantly reduced. No wonder, then, that Toyota needs to reach out to its Chinese partners in order to launch its upcoming EV models, the bZ3C and the bZ3X . As for 100% Toyota-developed new EVs? (crickets....) Guangzhou Automobile Group Co, also known as GAC Group, is a state-owned Chinese OEM based in Guangzhou, a city of 19 million people in the Guangdong province. It was founded in 1954 and is currently the 5 th largest OEM in China, with around 2 million units sold in 2023. Despite not having a galaxy of brands , like other Chinese OEMs, GAC has a few of them under its belt: Trumpchi — GAC’s ICE brand, focusing on SUVs and MPVs, with a few of its models also offering PHEV versions Aion — mainstream BEV brand Hyptec — luxury sub-brand of Aion GAC–Hino — joint venture, where GAC owns 90% of shares — makes Hino-based commercial vehicles. It has 50% stakes in joint ventures with Honda ( GAC–Honda ) and Toyota ( GAC–Toyota ), where it makes models from the respective Japanese OEMs. Finally, GAC has a minority (25%) stake in Hycan , a small BEV brand born out of cooperation with NIO. But since the startup brand left Hycan, in 2022, there hasn’t been any investment in it, and the brand is expected to disappear soon. The main brand in the plugin market is Aion, which represents 80% of the group’s plugin vehicle sales. The share it has of the OEM’s exports is marginal (1%), but it is expected to grow in 2025. With slowing sales in 2024, due to the lack of successful new models, and a BEV focus that led GAC to lose out in the current PHEV/EREV surge in China, the OEM hopes that new models, like the revised Aion V crossover or the new Aion UT compact hatchback, will pull them back into the growth path. Looking at the best-selling models, Aion lives on the continued success of the Aion S and Aion Y , with the sedan being responsible for 39% of the brand’s sales while the crossover represents 46% of its sales. Mercedes-Benz Group AG , also known as Mercedes, or Merc to its closest friends, is one of the most famous automotive brands worldwide, making cars in one form or another since 1885. It is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, and is known as one of the Three German Premium Mary’s (Audi, BMW, and Mercedes). The OEM is made of its namesake brand and a number of sub-brands associated with it, like the sport-focused Mercedes-AMG , the high-end luxury Mercedes-Maybach , and Mercedes Vans. On top of this, it still has a 30% stake in Daimler Truck AG , a spinoff company of its former commercial vehicle division, as well as a 50-50% joint venture with Geely, Smart , which started in 2019. For the purpose of counting its sales volume, because Smart is now based in Ningbo, China, and is using Geely’s platforms, drivetrains, and technology, with Mercedes being only responsible for design, I have been counting these sales under the Geely umbrella. This means that the OEM’s volume output is basically the same as the namesake brand’s output now. Mercedes has a large lineup of EVs, both BEV and PHEV, which means that the sales of its three best-selling EV models ( Mercedes EQA , EQB , and GLC PHEV ) counted together represent just 40% of its total sales. Looking at the glass half full, this means that it is not dependent on the lifecycle of one particular model, but looking at the glass half empty, it means that it lacks a star player on the team. While its exposure to the Chinese EV market is not that significant, with that market representing just 8% of Mercedes’ total PEV sales, when looking at the total number of sales, all powertrains included, things become more concerning. In 2023, over one third of all Mercedes global sales were in China , surpassing even the total number of Mercedes sold in Europe during the same period. This sales discrepancy with regard to China (8% of EV sales vs. 33%+ of overall sales) should be one of the major items of concern for the German make, because Mercedes could lose some 25% of its total sales, or over half a million sales, in a PEV-based Chinese market. And that scenario is less than five years away.... Looking at the sales of each OEM , one can see the extraordinary evolution of these OEMs in the past five years. In fact, while the best-selling one had little more than 100,000 sales in 2019, in 2024, the lowest selling of them is expected to clock in over 300,000 units. Looking at individual OEMs, the good work being done by Hyundai–Kia is clearly visible, with steady development over the years, and with the exception of 2023, it’s always the one with the highest volumes among these OEMs. Given its low exposure to the Chinese market, consistent sales performances, and technological expertise, the Korean group is probably the legacy OEM that is best managing the EV transition, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it became the largest of the legacy OEMs in a PEV-based global market. And that would allow Hyundai–Kia to compete for the 4 th position in a future global OEM ranking. Mercedes was also growing consistently, until this year, so the next couple of years will be decisive for the German OEM. The much expected 2025 CLA BEV needs to land sooner than later, and it has to be a success, just like the 2026 GLC BEV, or else things can start to get messy in Stuttgart.... GAC is also in trouble, dropping sales YoY by over 50,000 units in 2024. Next year will need to see it return to growth. Hence the launch of new models and a new focus on exports. In the cut-throat Chinese market, GAC doesn’t have the scale of Geely or SAIC, let alone BYD, to be safe in the future. Finally, Toyota. A giant in the overall market, not so much in the plugin market. Looking at the graph, while the past two years have finally seen it move the needle, that has more to do with a need to follow the electrification trend in China, where Toyota is expected to sell over 1.5 million units this year, all powertrains included, than a concerted effort to make itself noticed in the EV arena. The Japanese OEM still has tremendous potential to be one of the main players in a PEV-based automotive market. The thing is, as years go by, the window of opportunity is starting to close, and markets where Toyota is still a major player, like China and Southeast Asia, are going EV and losing their loyalty to the Japanese OEMs, and Toyota in particular. Unlike Hyundai–Kia, where one can see consistent deployment of new vehicles and platforms, on the Toyota side, excluding the China-only models (which are made with the help of local players), besides some average-specced PHEVs and the middle of the road bZ4X, there’s little more than plans, or concepts of a plan . Quo Vadis , Toyota? CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email Reddit

Bethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas Eve during the war in Gaza BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem is marking another somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza. Manger Square lacked its usual festive lights and crowds of tourists on Tuesday. Instead, the area outside the Nativity Church was quiet. The church was built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. The war, the violence in the occupied West Bank it has spurred and the lack of festivities has deeply hurt Bethlehem's economy. The town relies heavily on Christmas tourism. The economy in the West Bank was already reeling because of restrictions placed on laborers preventing them from entering Israel during the war. Pope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has opened the great Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. The ceremony kicks off the 2025 Holy Year. It's a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome. And it will test the pope’s stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them. This begins the Christmas Eve Mass. The ceremony inaugurates the once-every-25-year tradition of a Jubilee. Francis has dedicated the 2025 Jubilee to the theme of hope. Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he'll “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole. Trump said that he will direct the Department of Justice to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated.” Trump was vague on what specific actions he may take. 21 dead as Mozambique erupts in violence after election court ruling MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Violence that engulfed Mozambique after the country’s highest court confirmed ruling party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo as the winner of disputed Oct. 9 elections has killed at least 21 people, including two police officers. Mozambique Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda told a news conference in Maputo late Tuesday that a wave of violence and looting was sparked by the court’s announcement a day earlier. He said it was led by mostly youthful supporters of losing candidate Venancio Mondlane, who received 24% of the vote, second to Chapo, who got 65%. Prosecutors find workers in 'slavery like' conditions at Chinese car company site in Brazil RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) — A task force led by Brazilian prosecutors says it has rescued 163 Chinese nationals working in “slavery-like” conditions at a construction site in northeastern Brazil, where Chinese electric vehicle company BYD is building a factory. The Labor Prosecutor’s Office released videos of the dorms where the construction workers were staying, which showed beds with no mattresses and rooms without any place for the workers to store their personal belongings. In a statement issued Monday, the prosecutor’s office said the workers had been hired in China by Jinjian Group, one of the contractors on the site, which is located in Camaçari, a city in the Salvador metropolitan region. NFL players who use platform to share their faith say it's their duty to spread their love of Jesus ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Jake Bates was standing on the turf in his hometown of Houston when asked to reflect on an unlikely journey from learning how to sell bricks to making game-winning kicks for the Detroit Lions. Bates used his platform as an NFL player to spread his love of Jesus. A month later, Bates told The Associated Press it is a duty to share his faith. The NFL is filled with players and coaches who feel the same way, such as Houston's C.J. Stroud, Atlanta's Kirk Cousins, and Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens. Stunning photos show lava erupting from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano HONOLULU (AP) — Lava is erupting from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano for the second straight day. The eruption has stayed within Kilauea’s summit caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and no homes are threatened. Molten rock began spewing out of the volcano before dawn on Monday when fissures opened in the caldera floor and shot lava high into the air. It then oozed across the caldera floor. Scientists expect activity to fluctuate in coming days. The lava paused Monday afternoon but fountains reemerged Tuesday morning. The eruption has occurred in an area that’s been closed to the public since 2007 due to hazards including crater wall instability and rockfalls. Haiti gang attack on journalists covering a hospital reopening leaves 2 dead, several wounded PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s online media association confirms that two reporters were killed and others wounded in a gang attack on the re-opening of Port-au-Prince’s biggest public hospital. Street gangs have taken over an estimated 85% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and they forced the closure of the General Hospital early this year. Authorities had pledged to reopen the facility Tuesday but as journalists gathered to cover the event, suspected gang members opened fire in a vicious Christmas eve attack. The killed journalists were identified as Markenzy Nathoux and Jimmy Jean. An unspecified number of reporters had also been wounded in the attack, which was blamed on the Viv Ansanm gang. Hurricane-force winds bear down on California, latest in stretch of extreme weather LOS ANGELES (AP) — California has been hit hard by extreme weather over the past several weeks. Atmospheric rivers, which are long stretches of wet air that can produce heavy rains, brought a record-setting rainfall before Thanksgiving. A series of atmospheric rivers are producing strong waves and storms near Santa Cruz this week. Thousands were left under evacuation warnings and orders because of a fire around Malibu. Climate change means that strong storms will be responsible for a greater share of the state's yearly precipitation and the periods between those events will be drier. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by vendor technology in its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled.Supporters of suspected CEO killer Luigi Mangione establish defense fund