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tricks para manalo sa fortune gems This is the first in a two-part series about the tariffs likely to be levied on China during Donald Trump’s second term as US president. This part examines the state of trade and taxation from the Americans’ point of view, while part two explores China’s side of the story. When Robert Lighthizer speaks of his early life – spent in a once-thriving industrial town deep in the American rust belt – the long-time Donald Trump ally makes it clear his commitment to reviving domestic manufacturing is as personal as it is political. Having shaped trade policy during Trump’s first term as president, the former United States Trade Representative (USTR) views reindustrialization – and wiping out what he sees as China’s edge in trade – as a patriotic mission and economic necessity. “We need substantial tariffs on China because they are an adversary, they’re taking advantage of us. Now we have to get that back to balance,” the 77-year-old lawyer said last month in a lengthy talk with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), a conservative educational non-profit. Now, as Trump prepares a return to the White House, a new era of economic policy driven by tariffs appears all but certain. Trump’s choice for commerce secretary, the investment banker Howard Lutnick, issued a full-throated defence of import duties in an October interview on finance broadcaster CNBC. “Tariffs are an amazing tool,” he said. “If we want to make it in America, tariff it.”

Ustby, Donarski lead No. 16 North Carolina women over Villanova 53-36 in Battle 4 Atlantis semifinalNone

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Georgian PM promises ‘no Maidan’Canadian investment strategists expect to keep up its momentum next year, even with possible tariffs from ’s incoming administration hanging over the economy. Trump’s threats have disrupted Canadian politics and led economists to worry about a recession. Yet the is higher today than it was on U.S. election day, and the benchmark has jumped about 18 per cent this year, its best showing since 2021. Rising corporate earnings and lower will help drive the equity benchmark toward a record 28,000 points in 2025, according to some market watchers, which would mean another year of double-digit returns in 2025. Among those making that call is Philip Petursson, chief investment strategist at IG Wealth Management, who said Canadian stocks have more reasonable valuations than U.S. equities, which gives them room to catch up. “I think Canada has quite the edge over the S&P 500,” Petursson, who set his TSX target at 28,000 points, said. “If we are in an environment where U.S. inflation and interest rates are going to be a little bit higher, Canada looks quite attractive.” The TSX got off to a slow start this year before gaining speed after the Bank of Canada began its rate-cutting cycle in June. The central bank has delivered five successive rate cuts, bringing the overnight rate down to 3.25 per cent. That’s a full 125 basis points below the upper bound of the Federal Reserve’s policy rate. Policymakers in Canada will keep cutting, bringing the overnight rate to 2.5 per cent by the middle of next year, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Easier central-bank policy helped give a tailwind to technology and financial shares, making them the best performers of the TSX’s 11 major subgroups. , the biggest tech heavyweight in Canada, is up 50 per cent. Gold rallied, as it sometimes does when borrowing costs decline, boosting precious metals companies. BMO Capital Markets strategist Brian Belski has a TSX target of 28,500 by the end of next year, and expects valuations to expand thanks to rate cuts and a rebound in flows into Canadian stocks. “Overall, we believe that the Canadian recovery trade remains in its early stages,” Belski told clients last month. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg are forecasting a pickup in growth next year to 1.8 per cent, from an expected rate of 1.2 per cent this year — though Trump’s trade policy is a big source of uncertainty. The Canadian dollar has been weak — slower growth, lower rates and Trump are the key factors. But the TSX benefits “quite strongly” from that, Petursson said, because it has so many companies with a sizable percentage of U.S.-dollar earnings, which are worth more when converted back into loonies. For exporters, a lower Canadian dollar would be a partial offset to tariffs. To be sure, the TSX is still exposed to exogenous shocks. If trade war breaks out with the U.S., it would damage a Canadian economy that’s already close to stalling. estimates that gross domestic product shrank by 0.1 per cent in November, contracting for the first time this year. “A knock ’em down, drag them out, all-out trade war is kind of mutually assured destruction both for Canada and the U.S.,” Brian Madden, chief investment officer at First Avenue Investment Counsel, said. “The U.S. is bigger than us, so they probably can make that bluff more credibly than we can, but nobody really wants that.” Meanwhile, population growth is expected to slow as the government tightens the rules for immigration. “Longer term, it may be positive for GDP-per-capita growth because our infrastructure — now we’ve come to realize — couldn’t support all this population immigration coming into the country,” Christine Poole, chief executive officer at GlobeInvest Capital Management Inc., said in an interview. “But in the near term, it would probably have a negative impact on the economy because people coming into the country is a source of demand for goods and services.” Sectors where earnings are tied to domestic population growth, such as telecom, may suffer. Not everyone is bullish on the broader index. Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management, called tariffs a big risk to the market outlook. He said the TSX is more likely to produce small gains, reaching around 26,000 points by the end of the upcoming year.Ustby, Donarski lead No. 16 North Carolina women over Villanova 53-36 in Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal

AFTER their bitter 15-year feud, you might expect Noel and Liam Gallagher's mum to be delighted that her sons are on speaking terms again. But Noel has revealed that 81-year-old Peggy “couldn’t give a s**t” that he and his brother have reconciled for their Oasis reunion tour next year. The Don’t Look Back In Anger singer says his mum, who was born in County Mayo in Ireland , was indifferent to her boys finally burying the hatchet. Noel added: “My mum couldn’t give a s**t. My mum never gave a s**t, never. You know what Irish mums are like? "When we told her we were getting back together, she said, ‘Sure, that will be nice’. That was it.” Even so, Noel said he and Liam are determined to get her to one of their gigs next year, and added: “We’ll try and get her to Dublin .” READ MORE ON OASIS Although her sons have a net worth of £58million, Peggy still lives in the modest Manchester council house where she brought up her three children. Speaking at the National Portrait Gallery for the Zoe Law Legends exhibition, he said: “People get f***ing shot up the road and she still leaves the door open.” Now that the brothers are both in their fifties, Noel said neither of them plans to go wild on their tour, after their infamous Wembley gig in 2000 was labelled a “low point” — with Liam drinking on stage and singing the wrong lyrics. Noel said: “No, it won’t be as raucous as back in the day, because we’re on the wrong side of 50 now, so we’re too old. “We’re too old to give a s**t now, so there won’t be any fallouts, there won’t be any fighting. It’s a lap of honour for the band.” Most read in Bizarre Asked if they have been getting in shape for the tour — which is expected to bank them £400million — he added: “Well, I still drink, and I think Liam still drinks.” He did not rule out adding extra dates to the sold-out tour after fans slammed the band for dynamic pricing , which sees the cost of tickets rise in relation to demand, with some being quoted more than £350. So is he happy to have healed his long-running feud? “Of course, yes,” he said. Seems the brothers are back in business. NOEL GALLAGHER has registered a new song in recent weeks, which is bound to set tongues wagging. The rocker logged Leave This City on music database ASCAP, which comes amid repeated insistence from Oasis’s team they have “no plans” to release new music. An insider said: “We know Noel has been in the studio for the last few months making his own music, so it’s possible he and Liam could put out a single.” Come on, lads, give the fans what they want. Taylor turns gridiron to hot TAYLOR SWIFT is one red-hot cheerleader as she steps out to watch boyfriend Travis Kelce in American football gridiron action. She looked festive in a Louis Vuitton zipped jumper and platform boots, cheering and celebrating in the stands as Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs narrowly defeated the Las Vegas Raiders. Taylor’s dad Scott and Travis’s mum Donna were also with the hitmaker at the Black Friday game and joined in the whooping and hollering. But Taylor will be quickly back to work as she wraps up her Eras Tour next week in Vancouver, Canada . I am sure Travis will return the favour and be right there cheering her on along with her army of fans. Pretty penny for Elsa ELSA HOSK is the latest celebrity to sign with online fashion retailer Pretty Little Thing in a six-figure deal. The Swedish Victoria’s Secret Angel follows in the footsteps of model Naomi Campbell , who released a range with the brand last year. A pal of Elsa’s tells me: “PLT is going more high end, focusing on quality and raising the game in the style world. “Her shoot will drop in the next few weeks in time for Christmas , with vintage vibes and faux fur.” Sounds festive . . . SHE sang about buying her own flowers after her split with actor Liam Hemsworth, but now Miley Cyrus is getting romance and more from boyfriend Maxx Morando. Her musician lover, who she was first linked to in 2022, has been helping her with new album Something Beautiful, set for release next year. Miley said: “I am so honest and open in this album. It made it easier working with somebody who I love.” Fatboy robbed before gig FATBOY SLIM has revealed he was robbed at London’s Euston station. The DJ told on social media how the drama unfolded as he was on his way to the Drumsheds venue in Tottenham, North London, to play a gig. A source said: “Fatboy managed to make it to the event and reported the incident to police. “He was undeniably shaken by the incident but was more concerned that he would let down fans that had turned up to see him.” Fatboy, whose real name is Norman Cook, replied to the event’s creative producer Hannah Ford on Instagram after she posted a collection of pictures of artwork that had transformed the venue for the sold-out event. He replied: “Thank you so much for your hard work and creativity. “So gutted I didn’t get a chance to check out your work (we got robbed at Euston station on our way there . . . )” Fatboy, who was married to Radio 2 star Zoe Ball until 2020, is set to play at the Faena Theater in Miami, Florida , on Tuesday as part of his new tour. It follows the release of his single Bus Stop Please with Daniel Steinberg on his own label, Southern Fried Records. Ncuti's Wilde time on stage WITH a missing handbag and a mischievously camp sub-plot, The Importance Of Being Earnest at the National Theatre felt like a drop of sunshine under the grey skies of London on Thursday night. Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa takes one of the lead roles in this joyful version of Oscar Wilde’s 1895 farce, which centres on two friends, Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing. As young, eligible bachelors, they both adopt different personas to escape the confines of society and impress the ladies. Jack, played by Mamma Mia! star Hugh Skinner , goes by Earnest when he’s out in the city, while cross-dressing Algernon, played by Ncuti, also uses the same fake name for his alter-ego. The opening scene sees Ncuti dancing in a pink gown and playing the piano at a raucous party – a world away from Algernon’s usual life as an upper-class gentleman in London. But his and Jack’s double lives come undone when they both fall in love under their pretend names. The climax comes as Jack, who was found as a baby in a handbag at London’s Victoria station, appears on top of the stage’s curtain with the very same bag to prove his real identity. I only wish I had lost my own bag so I can return to watch this brilliant adaptation again. Bandit eyeing Glasto CLEAN BANDIT have revealed they are set to play Glastonbury next year. The electronic music trio have performed at Worthy Farm three times previously, but are now eyeing a triumphant return to the festival. Cellist Grace Chatto said: “We are hoping to be on that line-up, it’s looking likely. “We’re ready to go back, as we last played seven years ago in 2017. “It’s time – we love the vibe there and it’s so fun getting to meet so many of our fans.” READ MORE SUN STORIES Grace also teased that the band have an exciting collaboration with a huge American artist possibly lined up to happen next year. She added: “It’s an amazing singer from across the Pond – but it’s too soon to say just in case we don’t pull it off.” THE RCA Sony Music Christmas Showcase at Stereo, Covent Garden, central London, Tuesday. WHO WAS THERE: Cat Burns, Sasha Keable, Louis Dunford and Ossi Grace. WHAT WE ATE: Mini hash browns, smoked salmon canapes and mini fish fingers. WHAT WE DRANK: Margarita and Paloma cocktails along with champagne. This week who would I... Avoid Marry AvoidFORT WORTH, Texas — Navy football capped a turnaround season with an uplifting victory in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl — and made some history in the process. Quarterback Blake Horvath directed a gutsy 12-play, 66-yard touchdown drive that put Navy ahead of Oklahoma. The Mids hung on thanks to defensive end Justin Reed, who preserved the 21-20 win by sacking Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. on a two-point conversion attempt with six seconds remaining. Horvath’s 6-yard keeper with 4:34 left capped a string of 21 straight Navy points to fully erase a 14-0 lead Oklahoma built in the first quarter. However, the Sooners drove 65 yards in 1:41 to get in position to win the game after Hawkins threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jake Roberts. Coach Brent Venables decided to go for the win and Hawkins never had a chance to get off a pass as several Navy defenders broke into the backfield. Reed dropped the dangerous freshman as the Midshipmen breathed a collective sigh of relief. Navy’s winning score came after taking possession at its own 34-yard line following a missed field goal by Oklahoma early in the fourth quarter. The Midshipmen converted on third down twice and fourth down once to stay on the field. Horvath completed a clutch 10-yard pass to snipe Brandon Chatman on a third down, then later found snipe Eli Heidenreich open in the flat for a 16-yard gain on fourth down to set up the winning score. On first-and-goal from the 6, Horvath found an opening on the right side, got a great block from fullback Alex Tecza and scooted untouched into the end zone, giving Navy its first lead of the game and causing a raucous celebration along the visiting sideline. The drive took more than seven minutes off the clock and left less than five for the Sooners to tie or win. An exchange of punts left Oklahoma at its own 35-yard line with 1:47 to go in the game. Hawkins calmly completed seven passes as the Sooners drove 65 yards in 13 plays. He got the touchdown the Sooners needed, but couldn’t escape Reed with the game on the line. Horvath was the offensive hero for Navy (10-3), rushing for 155 yards and two touchdowns with almost all of that coming in the second half. Horvath overcame a slow start throwing the ball to complete 7 of 12 passes for 92 yards. Inside linebackers Colin Ramos and Kyle Jacob spearheaded the defense for the Midshipmen. Ramos recorded a game-high 12 tackles, while Jacob totaled nine tackles, a forced fumble and a sack. This Navy team became just the sixth in program history to reach double digits for wins, the first since 2019, which also was the last time Navy won a bowl game. The Midshipmen defeated a Southeastern Conference opponent in a bowl game for only the second time in program history. Way back in 1954, Navy’s “Team Named Desire” defeated Mississippi in the Sugar Bowl. “It was all Oklahoma early as the Navy defense was overmatched on two straight possessions to start the game, while the offense shot itself in the foot. Hawkins directed an efficient nine-play, 65-yard touchdown drive on the game’s opening possession. Gavin Sawchuk capped it with a 21-yard scoring scamper. He burst through a big hole on the left side and raced untouched into the end zone to give the Sooners a 7-0 lead with just over three minutes elapsed. Navy nearly countered with a score of its own as Horvath hit wide receiver Nathan Kent in stride on a deep throw. Kent got way behind the entire secondary and was wide-open, but Horvath’s throw was high. Kent made a spectacular catch to snag the ball, but fell to the turf at the Oklahoma 41-yard line. Navy eventually punted. Oklahoma added to the lead on its second possession with Hawkins using his running ability to make things happen. He scrambled for 16 yards to convert a third down then did it again to produce a touchdown, eluding pressure then finishing Zion Kearney for a 56-yard touchdown that made it 14-0. Navy finally got its offense going late in the second quarter. Oklahoma’s second turnover on downs gave Navy a short field and the Mids took advantage. Horvath used a fake quarterback draw and jump pass to convert a third down with a 21-yard completion to tight end Cody Howard. Two plays later, Tecza found a seam up the middle then ran through two defenders for a 21-yard touchdown that made it 14-7 at the break. Following an exchange of punts to start the second half, Horvath electrified the crowd by bursting up the middle on a quarterback keeper and racing 95 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest touchdown run in Navy football history and the also the longest in Armed Forces Bowl history. Set up in shotgun formation and standing on his own goal-line, Horvath saw the parting of the Red Sea and galloped untouched the length of the field. Heidenreich made a great hustle play by racing downfield to get in the way of the nearest chasing defender. Nathan Kirkwood’s extra point tied the game at 14 with 3:49 left in the third period. Oklahoma appeared to take the lead back with a 56-yard Hawkins touchdown run late in the third quarter, but it was called back for holding. The Sooners still put together a couple of first downs to get to Navy’s 34, but a 52-yard field goal by Zach Schmitt was off the mark and Navy proceeded to embark on its winning touchdown drive. (c)2024 The Capital (Annapolis, Md.) Visit The Capital (Annapolis, Md.) at www.hometownannapolis.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

DALLAS (AP) — More than 60 years after , conspiracy theories still swirl and any new glimpse into the fateful day of Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas . President-elect Donald Trump that he would declassify all of the remaining government records surrounding the assassination if he returned to office. He made a similar pledge during his first term, but ultimately bended to keep some documents withheld. At this point, only a few thousand of the related to the assassination have yet to be fully released, and those who have studied the records released so far say that even if the remaining files are declassified, the public shouldn't anticipate any earth-shattering revelations. “Anybody waiting for a smoking gun that’s going to turn this case upside down will be sorely disappointed,” said Gerald Posner, author of “Case Closed,” which concludes that assassin acted alone. Friday's 61st anniversary is expected to be marked with a moment of silence at 12:30 p.m. in Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy's motorcade was passing through when he was fatally shot. And throughout this week there have been events marking the anniversary. When Air Force One carrying Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy , they were greeted by a clear sky and enthusiastic crowds. With a reelection campaign on the horizon the next year, they had gone to Texas on political fence-mending trip. But as the motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the Texas School Book Depository building. Police arrested 24-year-old Oswald and, two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer. A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate the assassination, concluded that Oswald acted alone and there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that hasn't quelled a web of alternative theories over the decades. In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection of over 5 million records was required to be opened by 2017, barring any exemptions designated by the president. Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had boasted that he'd allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the And while files have during President Joe Biden's administration, some still remain unseen. The documents offer details on the way intelligence services operated at the time, and include CIA cables and memos discussing visits by Oswald to the Soviet and Cuban embassies during a trip to Mexico City just weeks before the assassination. The former Marine had previously defected to the Soviet Union before returning home to Texas. Mark S. Zaid, a national security attorney in Washington, said what's been released so far has contributed to the understanding of the time period, giving “a great picture” of what was happening during the Cold War and the activities of the CIA. Posner estimates that there are still about 3,000 to 4,000 documents in the collection that haven’t yet been fully released. Of those documents, some are still completely redacted while others just have small redactions, like someone's Social Security number. There are about 500 documents where all the information is redacted, Posner said, and those include Oswald's and Ruby’s tax returns. “If you have been following it, as I have and others have, you sort of are zeroed in on the pages you think might provide some additional information for history,” Posner said. Trump's transition team hasn’t responded to questions this week about his plans when he takes office. From the start, there were those who believed there had to be more to the story than just Oswald acting alone, said Stephen Fagin, curator of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which tells the story of the assassination from the building where Oswald made his sniper's perch. “People want to make sense of this and they want to find the solution that fits the crime," said Fagin, who said that while there are lingering questions, law enforcement made “a pretty compelling case” against Oswald. Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said his interest in the assassination dates back to the event itself, when he was a child. “It just seemed so fantastical that one very disturbed individual could end up pulling off the crime of the century," Sabato said. “But the more I studied it, the more I realized that is a very possible, maybe even probable in my view, hypothesis.”

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PS2 hits colossal 160 million sales, Sony confirmsA new federal rule will require water utilities across the country to pull millions of lead drinking water pipes out of the ground and replace them, at a cost of billions of dollars. States, cities and water utilities agree that the lead pipes need to go to ensure safe water for residents. But they say they may struggle to do so in the 10-year window required under the rule, and they fear some ratepayers will be hit with massive cost increases to pay for the work. State officials are urging Congress to provide ongoing funding for the lead replacement effort. Local leaders say they’ll need lots of help to meet the deadline. And environmental advocates are calling on states to issue bonds or provide other financial support to water utilities. “It took us close to 100 years to get all of these lead service lines in the ground, and the EPA is asking us to get them out in 10 years,” said Tom Dobbins, CEO of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, an advocacy group for publicly owned water systems. “The [Biden] administration grossly underestimated the cost. Obviously, if the federal government doesn’t provide the funding for this, the ratepayers will have to pay for this. That exacerbates certain communities’ affordability issues.” The new rule, issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in October, requires cities and water utilities to replace all lead service lines — the pipes that run from water mains to private residences under lawns and sidewalks. Because the lines extend under private property, some water system operators say the rule has created confusion over whether utilities or homeowners will be responsible for the replacement costs. The EPA estimates that more than 9 million service lines are made of lead, a neurotoxin that can cause nervous system damage, learning disabilities and other health problems, especially in children. If lead pipes corrode, as in the infamous case of Flint, Michigan, they can poison drinking water. While no amount of lead exposure is safe, the federal rule now requires utilities to notify the public and improve corrosion treatment if lead in their water exceeds 10 parts per billion. Some homes in Syracuse, N.Y., recently tested at 70 parts per billion. “This is a significant public health advance,” said Erik Olson, who leads a drinking water protection campaign with the Natural Resources Defense Council, a national environmental nonprofit. “We’ve known for decades that lead service lines are dangerous, and, unfortunately, a lot of utilities just kept putting it on the back burner.” Under the rule, water systems will have until 2027 to draft a plan for replacing their lead lines, after which they will have 10 years to complete the work. Olson said President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to roll back many environmental regulations, would have a difficult time undoing the lead rule. A provision in the Safe Drinking Water Act prevents “backsliding” for federal protections, he said, and efforts to overturn the rule through Congress could prove deeply unpopular. Money worries The federal mandate comes after some states, including Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey, already issued their own lead replacement requirements and directed funding to their hardest-hit communities. “It’s a challenging goal, but I think we’ve shown it’s achievable,” said Eric Oswald, director of the Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division in the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. “I’m trying to make Michigan the first state to remove all lead service lines.” The federal rule will accelerate Michigan’s timeline, as state regulations gave utilities a 20-year replacement window. But the initial state requirement has given water systems there a head start. Michigan has somewhere between 300,000 and 500,000 service lines, of which it’s replaced about 50,000 so far. Oswald acknowledged that the work will be expensive. In New Jersey, water utilities have replaced more than 25,000 service lines since a state lead law was passed in 2021 (that figure does not include a previous effort that replaced 23,000 pipes in Newark). But the state still has more than 120,000 lead service lines, which it said will cost at least $1.8 billion to replace. “There’s nothing yet that has made me think that it’s not achievable, but right now the focus has been on getting a good inventory,” said Trish Ingelido, director of water supply and geoscience at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. “We’ll have a better sense in the next two years what the replacement rate is looking like.” The EPA estimates that the cost of replacing lead pipes nationwide will be about $45 billion. A separate analysis by the consulting firm Safe Water Engineering, funded by the Natural Resources Defense Council, arrived at a similar figure. But the American Water Works Association, a coalition of water system operators, puts the cost at closer to $90 billion. “This is important on the public health side, but it’s a challenge for local governments,” said Carolyn Berndt, legislative director for sustainability at the National League of Cities, which advocates for municipal governments. “We do see this raising concerns about affordability.” While local governments worry about expenses, the EPA says that the public health costs of lead poisoning are far greater. A federal analysis estimates that the rule, on an annual basis, will prevent 1,500 cases of premature death from heart disease and protect 900,000 infants from having low birthweight. The agency says the savings from avoiding the poisoning of residents will be 13 times greater than the cost of replacing the pipes. The feds have provided $15 billion for lead service line replacement through the 2021 infrastructure law passed by Congress, plus another $11.7 billion in state-administered drinking water funds that can be used for new lines. Some communities have used those federal grants and loans, along with pandemic relief funds, to make significant progress on their lead problem. So far, the EPA says it has distributed $9 billion of the money targeted at service line replacements, enough to change out up to 1.7 million pipes. But many water systems are still working to inventory their lead pipes, leaving them little time to compete for the federal funding that expires in 2026. “[Federal investments] provided significant new funding for this effort, but it’s absolutely not nearly enough for the successful implementation of the rule,” said Ben Grumbles, executive director of the Environmental Council of the States, a nonprofit association of environmental agency leaders. Grumbles noted that state agencies also are facing significant expenses from new federal rules to limit exposure to PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in drinking water (lead, a naturally occurring metal, is not among the man-made PFAS chemicals). Cities struggle At the local level, leaders are scrounging for funding as best they can. “We’re looking at federal money, we’re looking at bonds, we’re looking at different loans and grants,” said Randy Conner, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Water Management. “We’re making sure we turn over all the couch cushions to find every quarter we can possibly find to put towards this effort.” Chicago has an estimated 400,000 lead pipes, more than any other U.S. city. Because of the sheer scale of the problem, the EPA gave Chicago an extended deadline of 20 years to replace its lines. Even so, that would require pulling out 19,000 lines a year, well more than the city’s current pace of 8,000. That work will cost about $780 million annually, according to city officials. Conner said the city is hoping for more federal and state support to avoid placing a heavy burden on ratepayers. Meanwhile, state and local leaders say Congress is interfering with a key source of money for lead line replacement. Two loan programs, funded by the federal government but administered by states, provide crucial financing for water infrastructure work. State agency leaders deploy the funding based on detailed assessments of community needs. But in recent years, members of Congress have bypassed states’ funding strategies to earmark money for projects in their districts. State agencies say they’re receiving less than half of the pool of money after Congress assigns its favored projects. That has left them less able to help the neediest communities. And many of the congressionally designated projects are lagging because they haven’t gone through the rigorous preparation work required by states. “By diverting so much funding away from the successful [loan programs], disadvantaged communities are less likely to get funding,” said Grumbles, who oversees the coalition of state agencies. Grumbles and others argue that any earmarks from Congress should only be in addition to the baseline loan program funding. Other challenges Costs aren’t the only obstacle water systems are facing. Some are concerned that the rush to replace millions of pipes nationwide will strain the workforce and supply chain capacity. “The limiting factor is going to be the availability of contractors and professionals and materials to do the actual work,” said Robert Boos, executive director of the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority. “That’s going to be a national issue, when you’ve got tens of thousands of communities trying to do this work.” Pennsylvania has boosted clean water funding in its state budget, and it’s trying to tackle the workforce issue as well. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order in 2023 to create a workforce training program for infrastructure jobs, including lead pipe replacement. Olson, the environmental advocate, pointed to Newark, New Jersey, which partnered with a labor union to train local residents. The city replaced all of its 23,000 lead service lines in just over two years. “Creative thinking and political will are really what’s needed,” he said. “This is definitely doable.” Another potential problem is the fact that service lines lie under private property, meaning utilities need cooperation from homeowners to conduct the work. In some cases, they’ve run into opposition from residents or struggled to reach absentee landlords. “People just don’t trust government; they don’t think that anything is free,” said Conner, the Chicago official. “We want them to understand that we’re not coming into their house to give citations.” Environmental advocates also note that service lines’ placement on private property has created confusion over who must pay to replace them. The federal rule does not explicitly make water utilities responsible. “When the city goes to a household and says you have to pay a couple thousand dollars to replace your portion of the lead service line, it may work for higher-income people,” Olson said. “But the studies are showing that lower-income homeowners and landlords will not pay for it. It’s a real exacerbation of environmental injustices.” He pointed to Michigan, which adopted a rule specifying that water systems are responsible for the costs of replacing lines. He also noted that some cities have passed ordinances allowing residents of a home to authorize pipe replacement if a landlord can’t be reached.