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Rampart Online launches new fast-action 5 Card Draw Poker in NevadaRecently I published a round up of quite awful hydrogen maritime trial efforts , and ended with a request that if others knew of more that they should share. A few additional ones bubbled up and there were a couple of minor corrections and delightful additions. I encourage those who haven’t read the previous article to do so via the link above and then read this article. Let’s return to the subject of much of the analysis in the recent article, the MF Hydra. As a reminder, it gets its hydrogen from 1,300 kilometers away in Germany. It’s actually a slightly longer trip than Google Maps suggested as you can’t drive liquid hydrogen trucks through most tunnels in Europe because of the hazards, so it has to detour around Hamburg. The combination of the four truck loads driving at least two days in each direction — ferries have strict requirements and restrictions around liquid hydrogen trucks as well, so it’s quite possible that they will face delays there as well —, the higher carbon electricity used to make the hydrogen in Germany and the leakage of high global warming potential hydrogen through the value chain means that the ferry is emitting twice as much greenhouse gas well to wake as the diesel ferry it replaces, and at roughly ten times the cost of energy as the roughly 80 battery electric ferries that crossing Norway’s fjords already. But a commenter pointed out another amusing point, which is that the fuel cells can’t deliver as much power as the batteries on an electric ferry which operates on exactly the same triangular route between three small ports in western Norway. As a result, it does the same trip but slower. Ten times the cost, about 40 times the emissions and it can’t even do the same job. Par for the course for hydrogen based on my assessment of fleets globally. They sell it as being exactly the same as fossil fuels with no operational changes required and having superior characteristics to batteries, and that’s just not true. But the Hydra wasn’t Norway’s first foray into bedragssløsing (a Norwegian compound word I had ChatGPT make up for me combining deception and waste). The Beffen hydrogen ferry project in Bergen, Norway — a town a couple of hundred kilometers, six ferry rides and 37 hours travel north of the Hydra’s failures, launched in 2009. It was an attempt to integrate hydrogen fuel cell technology into one of the city’s historic passenger ferries. The project faced the usual significant challenges, including limited refueling infrastructure, storage and safety concerns, and fuel cell durability. These obstacles, combined with high operational costs and technological limitations that continue to face hydrogen transportation attempts today because they are systemic and impossible to overcome, led to the project being abandoned in 2016. Despite its failure, Norway wasted more money on the MF Hydra, which is going to be abandoned for the same reasons in the not to distant future. Then there is the 30-meter, solar-panel, wind turbine, kite sail and electrolyzer toting Energy Observer catamaran . It completed a seven-year journey around the world recently. Launched in 2017 and retrofitted from a former racing catamaran, the vessel traveled across 50 countries and 101 ports. It produced some hydrogen from seawater through onboard electrolysis. Now back in its home port of Saint-Malo, France, the vessel continues to serve as an educational platform, aka it’s moored, not going anywhere and kids get school trips to it. You might notice I used the modifier “some” before hydrogen there. The big claim they make is that over the seven years they produced 1.3 tons of hydrogen on board from sea water. That’s half a kilogram a day on average. Under perfectly calm conditions and ideal conditions with no hull fouling and good propellers, that might be able to provide five kilometers of range. That’s not exactly a big contributor. More likely it was used for onboard systems like the radio and induction stove. Of course, it had batteries too, 112 kWh of lithium-ion batteries. That half kilogram of hydrogen could have been stored as electricity without any of the absurd losses with 95 kWh to spare. If they’d ripped out the electrolyzer, compressors, hydrogen storage tanks and fuel cells, which weighed 1.5 tons and occupied 5 cubic meters, they could have put another 300 kWh of storage in there for the mass and had 4.4 extra cubic meters to play with, which would have been much more useful. Assuming they could have filled the batteries, they could have traveled about 180 kilometers on the 300 kWh. Despite this really obvious mass, volume, energy and balance distance, people do keep pointing at the Energy Observer as being hydrogen powered, when in actual fact it just wasted a lot of generated electricity making hydrogen and not getting much for it. The Energy Observer isn’t the only attempt to do this. The Race for Water is a 35-meter-long hydrogen-powered catamaran retrofitted from the PlanetSolar, transforming it into a hybrid renewable energy vessel combining solar panels, a hydrogen fuel cell system, and a kite sail for wind propulsion. It faced the usual challenges such as limited hydrogen infrastructure, storage constraints, and complex maintenance requirements which hindered its efficiency during a couple of global expeditions. The Race for Water Foundation is sensibly transitioning to the MODX 70, a zero-emission vessel powered by advanced hydrogeneration and wind propulsion systems, entirely abandoning hydrogen in favor of a more streamlined and sustainable energy design. Lots of batteries, no hydrogen, par for the course for people who try it. Then there’s the MARANDA project , funded with $3.1 million from the EU’s Horizon 2020 program, which aimed to demonstrate the viability of hydrogen fuel cell systems in maritime applications. Installed aboard the research vessel Aranda, the system provided 165 kW of power for auxiliary systems and dynamic positioning, replacing conventional diesel generators. The project faced the usual significant challenges, including limited refueling infrastructure, the durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cells in harsh marine environments, and the high cost of hydrogen production and storage. The MARANDA project stopped in 2022, having proven yet again that hydrogen is really bad for this use case, but claiming success. Next up is the Viking Neptune cruise ship, delivered in November 2022. It has a small 100 kW fuel cell designed to power a portion of auxiliary systems such as lighting and ventilation. It’s explicitly experimental, because once again they haven’t looked at all of the experiments already done that find that batteries are vastly superior in pretty much every way. Then there are the in-progress efforts by people who refuse to learn from history. There’s the With Orca , which is bulk carrier developed through a collaboration between HeidelbergCement and Felleskjøpet Agri. The 88-meter bulk carrier will have compressed hydrogen stored onboard and features two rotor sails for wind-assisted propulsion. Apparently they’ve at least learned that fuel cells and ocean air don’t mix, so they instead are going to be using even less efficient internal combustion engines. It was supposed to enter service early this year, but naturally there’s no way to refuel the thing, so governments have ponied up $9.3 million to build infrastructure that will end up being abandoned as costs escalate and the reality of hydrogen’s leakage rates and high greenhouse gas status become apparent. They’ll undoubtedly claim success regardless. Back to Norway and ferries. Norway is investing $550 million to build and operate two hydrogen-powered ferries on the 100 kilometer, open seas, Vestfjorden route for 15 years, with construction costs estimated at ~$276 million USD per vessel—up to four times higher than the $60–100 million USD typical for diesel or LNG ferries. By contrast, battery electric ferries typically cost 30% to 40% more than fossil fuel powered equivalents. The ferries will be supplied with 5–6 tons of green hydrogen daily from GreenH AS under a 15-year agreement, with the hydrogen produced via electrolysis powered by renewable energy. Certainly given the location in the far northwest of Norway, the hydrogen would have to be shipped in at extraordinary expense. Substantial government subsidies, including Enova SF’s $68.3 million for hydrogen infrastructure, aim to offset the higher costs of hydrogen vessels and their refueling systems. Basically they are going to be throwing away two-thirds of the electricity that they could have been putting into much more reliable batteries, all in the name of providing more reliable shipping. I don’t think this will end well. Expect stories about missed sailings, high expenses, failed refueling and high hydrogen greenhouse gas emissions. In the weird annals of hydrogen on the high seas, it’s time for a dictator’s yacht. The Hydrogen Viking is a reported project to transform a 28-meter Sunseeker Predator 95 yacht, formerly owned by Muammar Gaddafi and named Che Guevara, into a hydrogen-powered vessel. After being grounded in Malta and left deteriorating, the yacht was acquired by Norwegian shipbuilder Green Yacht. Three years after the announcement, it’s apparently still deteriorating somewhere. I’m not waiting with bated breath for it. The Finnøy Hydrogen Ferry Project is — or maybe was — an initiative by Norwegian operator Norled to replace biodiesel with hydrogen fuel on a ferry serving the Finnøy route, northeast of Stavanger. The project is part of the EU-funded FLAGSHIPS initiative — more money wasted by the EU trying to make hydrogen fit for purpose for transportation —, which aims to deploy two hydrogen-powered vessels: one in Stavanger, Norway, and another in Lyon, France. Naturally, it can’t get hydrogen. In January 2020, Enova, a Norwegian government enterprise, allocated $1.3 million to support this conversion and an additional $2.2 million for the development of a hydrogen production and bunkering facility at Fiskå. This facility is planned to produce approximately one ton of hydrogen per day, with half designated for the ferry’s operations. As of December 2024, the ferry operates on biodiesel, with the hydrogen conversion pending further technical and economic evaluations, meaning it’s unlikely to ever happen given the reality of costs. Havila Voyages operates four hybrid cruise ships—Havila Capella, Havila Castor, Havila Polaris, and Havila Pollux—that combine LNG engines with large battery packs, enabling up to four hours of zero-emission operation in sensitive fjords. The ships are designed for future conversion to hydrogen fuel as part of the FreeCo2ast project, funded by Norwegian organizations, including Enova and the Research Council. Havila aims to transition to renewable biogas by 2028 and hydrogen by 2030 to comply with Norway’s 2026 ban on fossil-fuel-powered vessels in protected fjords. What’s really going to happen is that they might transition to biogas, but they’ll definitely put in much bigger batteries. Hydrogen? Not likely. Of course, luxury cruise ships have much higher margin than most maritime use cases, so maybe they’ll waste the money. Ulstein, a Norwegian shipbuilding company that’s an innovator in hull design with its X-Bow, has developed the ULSTEIN SX190 Zero Emission design, a theoretical 99-meter-long offshore construction support vessel powered by hydrogen fuel cells. As of December 2024, the vessel remains in the design phase, with no reports indicating that construction has commenced. Ulstein had projected that sea trials could begin as early as 2022. That clearly didn’t happen and is unlikely to ever happen. As a reminder, hydrogen isn’t zero emission as it leaks everywhere along the value chain and has a high global warming potential. To be fair to Ulstein, a firm I admire a great deal for the X-Bow, the leakage rates were hypothetical from first principles until recently when peer-reviewed studies started measuring it , and the high global warming potential is also relatively new news, with the Nature paper finding 13 to 37 times the potency of carbon dioxide over 100 and 20 year time frames only coming out in 2023. With luck and a little careful effort by rational energy actors, these papers and their implications will get in front of funding agencies so that hydrogen can be put back where it belongs, in industrial facilities as a carefully controlled feedstock. The Østensjø Rederi Offshore Wind Service Vessel (OWSP) is another reported Norwegian hydrogen-powered ship intended to support offshore wind farm operations. As of now, specific details regarding the vessel’s construction status, operational timeline, and technical specifications have not been publicly disclosed. The development of hydrogen infrastructure and technology will play a crucial role in the project’s progression, meaning it’s unlikely to ever hit water either. The shipping industry is just like every other green hydrogen for energy market, full of announcements which never pass final investment decision. People pushing hydrogen fill their decks with announcements, but never mention that they don’t and likely won’t exist. Samskip , a European logistics firm, is pushing ahead with two hydrogen-powered shipping projects despite uncertainty caused by the financial troubles of its partner, TECO 2030. The SeaShuttle project involves constructing two 135-meter container ships with 3.2 MW hydrogen fuel cells, set to operate between Oslo and Rotterdam by late 2025. Separately, the HyEkoTank project plans to retrofit the multipurpose vessel Samskip Kvitnos with hydrogen fuel cells to meet EU and Norwegian “zero-emission” regulations. However, TECO 2030, responsible for providing the hydrogen technology, filed for bankruptcy in November 2024, raising concerns about project timelines. Moss Maritime , a subsidiary of Saipem, has developed a liquefied hydrogen containment system inspired by its established spherical LNG tank design. The company has received Approval in Principle from DNV for its LH2 containment system. However, no vessels using this technology have been constructed or entered operation to date. And none likely will, as everyone now realizes what was obvious to anyone who did the math with real numbers years ago knew, which is that energy that costs ten times what LNG costs isn’t affordable to any country’s economy. In November 2020, DFDS announced plans to develop a hydrogen-powered ferry, Europa Seaways, for the Oslo–Frederikshavn–Copenhagen route. The vessel, designed to carry 1,800 passengers and up to 120 trucks or 380 cars, would feature a 23 MW hydrogen fuel cell system, with fuel sourced from a wind-powered electrolyzer in Copenhagen. Initially projected to enter service by 2027, there have been no significant updates on construction or funding progress as of December 2024, leaving the project’s status uncertain. Dead in the water, more likely, as cost realities reared their ugly heads. The trend, by the way, is very clear, with a rather overwhelming majority of hydrogen shipping projects being in Norway. Odd how a fossil fuel major is trying to really hard to make molecules for energy remain a thing, especially when they have 80 electric ferries cheaply, efficiently and reliably plying their waters already. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email RedditBluesky had one of its first major moments on Thursday, as former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination as President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general. The left-leaning social media platform responded in full force — with a flood of jokes and commentary. This marked the first big news event for Bluesky's growing community to rally around since Trump's election victory, which had spurred a surge of new users to the platform. In case you missed it, the news itself wasn’t exactly a surprise. Gaetz’s withdrawal followed long-standing controversies , including allegations of sexual misconduct and statutory rape involving payments to a minor. While Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing, pointing out that a federal investigation did not result in charges, the cloud of allegations has lingered, as noted by the Associated Press. Users on Bluesky were quick to jump on the news, reacting largely through memes and lighthearted commentary. The company itself has indicated it doesn't have an interest in supporting politicians — unlike X's Elon Musk devout backing of Trump — and has become the preferred platform for lots of left-leaning folks. Since the election, the app has surged in popularity, climbing to over 21 million users , up from around 12 million in October. On Thursday, it felt like a significant portion of that growing user base had something to say — many of them with jokes aimed squarely at Gaetz. Attorney General Matt Gaetz has brought down his first and last sex criminal, Attorney General Matt Gaetz.— Josh Gondelman ( @joshgondelman.bsky.social ) November 21, 2024 at 12:45 PM [Anne Hathaway Oscar acceptance speech voice] It came true! [image or embed] — Mark Harris ( @markharris.bsky.social ) November 21, 2024 at 12:33 PM Folks, this is just a minor setback for Matt Gaetz. Well, several minors. [image or embed] — Zach Schonfeld ( @zachschonfeld.bsky.social ) November 21, 2024 at 1:19 PM That news was as good as it Gaetz.— George Takei ( @georgetakei.bsky.social ) November 21, 2024 at 1:15 PM Matt Gaetz is unemployed. Lol— Imani Gandy ( @angryblacklady.bsky.social ) November 21, 2024 at 12:46 PM Happy to all who celebrate [image or embed] — Read the book Abolish Rent ( @jphillll.bsky.social ) November 21, 2024 at 1:27 PM Happy to all who celebrate [image or embed] — Read the book Abolish Rent ( @jphillll.bsky.social ) November 21, 2024 at 1:27 PM There were, of course, plenty of reactions and jokes about Gaetz on X as well. But for Bluesky, this moment felt particularly significant. Twitter, before it became X, was known as the go-to platform for real-time reactions to breaking news. Bluesky's ability to step into that role, especially amid its post-election surge in users, signals a major milestone in its evolution as a social media hub.
Across the Middle East and beyond, the fall of Syria’s authoritarian government at the hands of jihadi fighters set off waves of jubilation, trepidation and alarm. Expatriate Syrians and many residents across the Middle East exulted at the overthrow of a leader who led his country through 14 years of civil strife that left half a million Syrians dead and displaced millions to countries around the world. Others worried about still more instability rocking a region in turmoil. Governments — whether allies or opponents of Assad — scrambled to absorb the sudden, stunning development and assess the implications for the Middle East and the world. In Lebanon, thousands of Syrians headed for the Masnaa border crossing to return to their home country, despite the uncertainty. “Anything is better than Bashar,” said Sami Abdel-Latif, a refugee from Hama who was heading back to join his wife and four children. “This is a feeling we’ve been waiting 14 years for,” said Malak Matar, who was preparing to return to the capital Damascus. Now, he said, “Syrians have to create a state that is well organized and take care of their country.” Many citizens in Syria’s neighboring countries reacted with joy to news Assad was gone. In Jordan’s capital, Amman, resident Muhab al-Majali said his fall marked the end of “unjust and tyrannical rule.” “I believe that the future is beautiful and prosperous for the Syrians,” he said. Others were not so sure, in a region that saw the energy of the 2011 Arab Spring democracy movement collapse into conflict and authoritarian rule. Saeed Sawy, an engineer in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, predicted that Syria’s rebel groups would descend into infighting over the country’s future. “We saw this happen before,” he said. “We saw this in Libya, in Tunisia, in Yemen and Sudan. People rejoice over the fall of tyrants, then they disagree and fight, and a civil war starts.” Syria’s neighbors stepped up security along their borders. Lebanon said it was closing all but one of its land border crossings with Syria. Jordan also closed a border crossing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had — temporarily, he said — seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement, after Syrian troops abandoned their positions. Airstrikes were reported on a military airport near Damascus, which has previously been targeted by Israel, and on other Syrian military sites. Iran, a key ally of Assad, said the Syrian people should decide their country’s future “without destructive, coercive foreign intervention.” The Foreign Ministry in Tehran said Iran supports Syria’s unity and national sovereignty, and hopes to see “the end of military conflicts, the prevention of terrorist activities and the start of a national dialogue” with the participation of all groups. The Iraqi government, which is close to Iran, said it “supports all international and regional efforts seeking to open a dialogue” for Syria. Egypt’s foreign ministry urged a “comprehensive political process” to establish a new era of peace in the war-torn county. The head of Yemen’s internationally recognized government welcomed the fall of Assad as “a historic moment.” Yemen’s government is at war with the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran. Turkey has backed anti-Assad fighter groups in Syria, and could play a key role in what happens next. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the fall of Assad brought “hope.” He called on the world to help “unite and reconstruct” Syria. Fidan, who met in Qatar on Saturday with diplomats from Russia and Iran, the main backers of the Assad regime, said regional and global powers should try “to act with prudence and calm.” The war sent millions of Syrians fleeing to Europe and expatriates took to the streets in celebration in cities including Paris, London, Stockholm, Helsinki and Athens. Many European governments welcomed Assad’s departure while urging a rapid return to stability. “The end of Assad’s dictatorship is a positive and long-awaited development,” said Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s newly appointed foreign policy chief, in a post on X. “Our priority is to ensure security in the region. I will work with all the constructive partners, in Syria and the region.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement that the end of Assad’s rule was “good news,” adding that “what matters now is that law and order are quickly restored in Syria.” France’s foreign ministry welcomed the fall of Assad, saying “the Syrian people have suffered too much.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also welcomed the end of Assad’s “barbaric regime.” “We call on all sides to protect civilians and minorities and ensure essential aid can reach the most vulnerable in the coming hours and days,” he said. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for calm and urged work to ensure an “orderly political transition to renewed institutions.” Russia, which backed Assad with troops and warplanes, said it has been following the “dramatic events” in Syria “with extreme concern.” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha of Ukraine, which is at war with Russia, wrote on X that the ousted Syrian leader had suffered the fate of “all dictators who bet on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. He always betrays those who rely on him.” In Washington, President Joe Biden was meeting with his national security team Sunday for an update on the situation in Syria. President-elect Donald Trump said in a social media post Saturday, before Assad’s fall was confirmed: “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria, including U.S. forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group.
DETROIT — The reliability of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids has dramatically improved, narrowing a wide gap with gas-powered automobiles, according to the latest survey by Consumer Reports. But vehicles with internal combustion engines and gas-electric hybrids are still far more dependable, the survey found. Consumer Reports subscribers, who filled out surveys during much of 2024, reported that electric vehicles had 42% more problems than gas autos on average. But that was down from 79% more in the 2023 survey. The survey released Thursday measured reliability of vehicles mainly from the 2022, 2023 and 2024 model years. Plug-ins, which travel a short distance on battery power before a hybrid powertrain kicks in, had 70% more problems than gas vehicles, but that was less than half the difference found in last year's survey. The reason for the improvement? EV and plug-in technology are maturing, said Jake Fisher, head of Consumer Reports' automobile test center. “As the automakers get more experience with the new technologies and new platforms, they will improve,” Fisher said. He said he expects plug-in and electric vehicles to keep getting better, further closing the gap with gas vehicles. But one thing may stand in the way: Automakers often test new automation and other features on EVs, and the new stuff is prone to glitches. “Until we get to where an EV is just a car that does practical things with their own powertrain, I'm not sure they'll ever catch up totally” to gas vehicles, Fisher said. The new technology may offer more than the next wave of EV buyers would like, as EVs move from early adopters to more practical mainstream buyers, Fisher said. “There are people who just want a car that’s easy to maintain,” he said. “I don’t use gas. I don’t need this automation feature and electric door handles or whatever the heck they are putting out.” Consumer Reports has noted that concerns about EV and plug-in quality add to issues that may have buyers hesitating before switching from gasoline engines, including concerns about higher up-front costs, too few charging stations and long charging times. Gas-electric hybrids, which switch from internal combustion to electric power to get better mileage, were about as reliable as cars with combustion engines. While the technology is pretty technical, it has been refined for a quarter century, mainly by pioneer Toyota, Fisher said. “CR's tests have shown that they are often quieter, quicker and more pleasant to drive than their gasoline-only counterparts,” he said. Through September of this year, the last month for which all automakers have reported results, electric vehicle sales are up 7.2%, plug-in sales rose 11.6%, but hybrids led with a 32.6% increase, according to Motorintelligence.com . Consumer Reports said its 2024 survey of subscribers representing about 300,000 vehicle owners found that Subaru was the most reliable brand for the first time, followed by perennial top finishers Lexus and Toyota. Rounding out the top five were Honda and its Acura luxury brand. It was the first time since 2020 that neither Toyota nor its Lexus luxury brand were in the top spot, Fisher said. The highest-ranked brand from a U.S.-based automaker was General Motors' Buick at No. 11. The five lowest of 22 brands that were ranked were electric upstart Rivian, followed by GM's Cadillac luxury brand, GMC, Jeep and Volkswagen, Consumer Reports said. The magazine and website didn't get enough data this year to rank Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Lucid, Maserati, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Porsche and Ram. Electric vehicle sales leader Tesla finished 17th, down three spots from last year's survey. Subaru took first place in the survey by following the same formula that Toyota uses to get high reliability scores: It doesn't make huge changes when updating or unveiling new vehicles, Fisher said. Instead of going with new engines or transmissions, Subaru carries parts over from the prior generation. “They don't fix what's not broken,” he said. “They continue to refine their products, and because the products perform quite well, they don't have to have big changes.” Rivian, Fisher said, is a new company with new electric models that have more glitches. Since the company is a startup, it can't use proven powertrains from prior generations yet. “It's expected that you're going to have issues when you have nothing to carry over” from previous model years, he said. The survey found that the gas-powered Toyota RAV4 small SUV was the most reliable vehicle, followed by the Toyota Corolla compact car. The RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid was third, followed by the RAV4 gas-electric hybrid, Fisher said. Consumer Reports' survey of its subscriber base does not represent all vehicle purchasers in the U.S. or the population that bought specific vehicle types. The survey results were released at a meeting of the Automotive Press Association of Detroit.
'Squid Game' Season 2 Includes New Games, Contestant With A Crypto Background, Revenge Factor, Political OvertonesTrump taps forceful ally of hard-line immigration policies to head Customs and Border Protection
(CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to impose massive tariffs was an early warning shot to try to force the hand of allies and adversaries to come to the negotiating table on immigration and trade issues, a transition official told CNN. Trump on Monday vowed hikes in the taxes American companies must pay on goods imported from Mexico, Canada and China starting on his first day in the White House, unless those countries comply with his demands to crack down on migration and drugs flowing into the United States. “Why not? No surprises,” the transition official told CNN. “We know what works.” Trump’s posts Monday on Truth Social appeared to be the opening act in a long-promised trade war with China and North American countries – as well as the latest illustration of how the president-elect plans to force other countries to help the United States stem the flow of migrants and drugs into ports and across borders, as he often vowed on the campaign trail. It comes despite warnings that tariff hikes, if they come to fruition, could increase inflation. A Goldman Sachs analysis on Tuesday projected that Trump’s proposed hikes would increase the core personal consumption expenditures index — a key inflation gauge that excludes food and energy costs — by 0.9%. And Matt Priest, the president of the leading footwear industry trade group Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America, warned that Trump’s proposed tariffs would “directly increase costs for retailers and consumers, leading to higher prices on everyday essentials like shoes.” But it’s a strategy that stems from a belief that similar threats worked in Trump’s first term in the Oval Office, the transition official said. During those four years, Trump took a hardline — and at times, scattershot — approach toward Latin America, which was largely the source of migration to the United States. That approach included levying consequences, like sanctions, and threatening and imposing tariffs. The Goldman Sachs analysis also described Trump’s tariff announcement as “more reminiscent of the first Trump administration, when such tariffs were announced as a negotiating tactic.” Trump ultimately declined to impose some of his proposed tariffs. In 2019, tariff threats ultimately resulted in Mexico giving in to the expansion of one of the Trump administration’s key immigration policies, known as “remain in Mexico,” according to two sources familiar with the matter. The unprecedented policy required migrants to stay in Mexico for the duration of their immigration proceedings in the United States. At that time, Trump’s 25% tariff threat on Mexico was short-lived and resulted in a deal within a matter of weeks, spurred by a delegation of Mexican officials that traveled to Washington for urgent talks. Trump’s then-senior adviser Stephen Miller and top aides to then-Vice President Mike Pence led the negotiations on behalf of the United States. If the talks had dragged out, prominent business lobbies had prepared to sue the Trump administration, alleging that the tariffs were not an adequate response to a non-trade issue. CNN previously reported that Trump’s team is gaming out a similarly aggressive strategy toward Latin America that will be a crucial element to plans to deport migrants and stem migration. The president-elect is moving forward with that approach despite the leaders of neighboring countries responding that it won’t achieve Trump’s stated goals, and would trigger a mutually destructive trade war. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a news conference Tuesday that “neither threats nor tariffs will solve the issue of migration or drug consumption.” “Imposing one tariff would mean another comes in response, continuing like this until we put shared companies at risk,” she said. “For example, some of the largest exporters from Mexico to the United States are General Motors, Stellantis and Ford Motor Company, which arrived in Mexico 80 years ago,” Sheinbaum said. “Why impose a tax that puts them at risk? It’s unacceptable and would cause inflation and job losses in Mexico and the United States.” The timing of Trump’s social media posts might have been a surprise, but their content was not. On the campaign trail, he frequently pledged to use tariffs as a negotiating tool to bend China and North American countries’ policies to his will. His advisers have acknowledged privately that tariffs could be more urgently slapped on Canada and Mexico, as Trump seeks to fulfill his campaign pledge to renegotiate his own free trade agreement. In July, Canada implemented a 3% tax on the profits of large foreign technology companies operating in the country — a move that both President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration and the incoming Trump team view as discriminatory and in violation of a 2018 trade deal between the United States, Canada and Mexico. During Trump’s first term, the three countries spent more than a year hammering out that deal — the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement — to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, which went into force in 1994. The new deal requires all three countries to renew it by July 1, 2026, to keep it in force — and Trump’s team is expected to call for renegotiating parts of the deal. Advisers see the new tariff threat as a way to build leverage for Trump going into those talks. Trump telegraphed that approach in an October speech at the Detroit Economic Club, where he said that upon taking office, he would “formally notify Mexico and Canada of my intention to invoke the six-year renegotiation provision of the USMCA that I put in.” Trump is said to want to open trade negotiations with Canada as quickly as possible after taking office. Howard Lutnick — the co-chair of Trump’s transition effort and his pick for Commerce secretary — said in a CNBC interview before the election that “of course” tariffs are a “bargaining chip,” and would help remove barriers to American-made goods in other countries. “This is just negotiating,” he said. But Lutnick added that Trump wouldn’t seek to slap price-raising tariffs on goods that aren’t made in the United States. “Do we make a lot of money on tariffs? Or we bring productivity here and we drive up our workers here?” Lutnick said. “So it’s a win-win scenario.” CNN’s Matt Egan and David Goldman contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire TM & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Columbia, Mo. (KMIZ) On Monday, the Columbia City Council will discuss the results of a community survey that shows residents feel the city is worse off than it was five years ago. The five-page survey was mailed to a random sample of houses in August and September, hoping at least 800 residents would fill it out. The city met its goal with 855 total responses. Respondents emphasized the quality of police and fire services, street quality, and code and ordinance enforcement as the three most important things the city should focus on in the next two years. The largest points of contention were the city roads and value received for taxes and fees with over 45 percent of respondents saying they were dissatisfied. Sixty-four percent of respondents said Columbia was either an “excellent” or good place to work, while 61 percent viewed it as an “excellent” or good place to live. However, only 55 percent had a favorable view on whether Columbia was a place to raise a family. Respondents were also satisfied with major city services with, 65 percent of respondents scoring the quality of city parks, recreational programs, and facilities giving the city a rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale. Fifty-eight percent of people were satisfied with the quality of electric services and customer service from city employees while 53 percent had a favorable view of health and human services and solid waste services. Respondents identified the lack of crime prevention, the quality of the Columbia Police Department, and the visibility of CPD as its three largest concerns. Overall just 40 percent of people said they felt safe in Columbia. Data from the Missouri State Highway Patrol shows that violent crime is up compared to last year. Through 11 months CPD had reported 515 violent crimes, which has already surpassed last year's total of 513. Sixty-two percent of respondents also said they were dissatisfied with the city’s efforts to prevent crime. Within the last year, Mayor Barbra Buffaloe created an Office of Violence Prevention . The city council also voted to implement over 100 Flock security cameras across the city. Eighty-one percent (81%) of respondents, who had an opinion, were “very supportive” or “somewhat supportive” of the City utilizing gunshot detection technology for public safety; 71% support utilizing public space cameras; 61% support utilizing license plate reader technology, and 51% support utilizing drone surveillance. The Fire Department was one of just three categories that had an overall satisfaction rating of over 70 percent (83) along with daytime safety and perception of city parks. The last survey done in 2019 showed that residents had a much more favorable view of the city. Columbia scored lower in seven of eight categories in “major city services. The most significant drops came in the quality of the city’s solid waste services which saw its satisfaction rating plummet by just over 28 percent. The city also scored lower in all seven “public safety” categories. Only 17 percent of respondents said that they were satisfied with Columbia’s crime prevention efforts.None
Ruthless Arsenal answer Mikel Arteta's call with statement win to ignite seasonBOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Tre Carroll scored 18 points off the bench to lead Florida Atlantic to an 89-80 victory over Texas State on Saturday. Carroll shot 7 of 9 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Owls (7-5). Niccolo Moretti scored 15 points, shooting 4 of 6 from the field and 6 for 7 from the line. Matas Vokietaitis shot 5 of 8 from the field and 3 of 8 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points. The Bobcats (7-4) were led by Tyler Morgan, who posted 19 points, six rebounds and five assists. Tylan Pope added 14 points and three blocks. Josh O'Garro finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Texas State had a five-game win streak end. Florida Atlantic took the lead with 51 seconds to go in the first half and never looked back. The score was 43-40 at halftime, with Vokietaitis racking up 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Data Skrive.
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