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China-made vehicles will comprise a quarter of Europe’s EV sales this year, study shows 2024-03-28 04:31:00+00:00 - China-made electric vehicles will make up more than a quarter of the EV sales in Europe this year, with the country’s share increasing by over 5% from a year earlier, according to a new policy analysis. About 19.5% of battery-powered EVs sold in the E.U. last year were from China, with close to a third of the sales in France and Spain constituting EVs shipped from the Asian country, the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E) reported in a paper shared Wednesday. The share of made-in-China vehicles in the region is expected to rise to just over 25% in 2024, according to the T&E research, as Chinese brands such as BYD ramp up their global expansion. While most EVs sold in the EU are from Western brands such as Tesla, which manufactures and ships EVs from China, Chinese brands alone are set to account for 11% of the region’s market in 2024. That share could reach 20% by 2027, T&E predicted. The findings come as the European Commission probes subsidies given to electric vehicle makers in China to determine if they unfairly undercut local companies. Non-Chinese brands that ship from China, such as Tesla and BMW, could be included in the ongoing subsidy investigation. According to Tu Le, founder of Sino Auto Insights, incentives put in place in China in the early 2010s led to a surge in startups and increased battery cell capacity in the country, paving the way for affordable EVs. “The E.U. and the U.S. are so far behind because they don’t have quality EVs at affordable prices because the legacy automakers have only really recently focused on designing and engineering them,” he added.
'You're About To Get A Sale' On Nvidia: Jim Cramer Shares Insight On Buying During Pullbacks - NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ:SMCI) 2024-03-28 02:17:00+00:00 - Loading... Loading... CNBC’s “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer encouraged investors to view potential market pullbacks as opportunities rather than threats. He suggested that a pullback could be on the horizon and advised investors to prepare by raising some cash. What Happened: Cramer, on Wednesday, referred to the results of CNBC’s Delivering Alpha Stock Survey, where a majority of investors predicted an imminent market correction. He urged investors to welcome the decline and use it as an opportunity to buy quality stocks at lower prices, reported CNBC. He stated, “I think people are right to expect a pullback here. But that’s not a reason to head for the hills. Instead, you want to raise a little cash, watch the market broaden — as it is doing — and then buy your favorite tech stocks when they come down.” He likened pullbacks to rain and portfolios to plants, emphasizing that both are essential for growth. Cramer also advised investors to ride out some of the turbulence, warning that constantly trying to avoid pullbacks could lead to missing out on the next rally. See Also: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Register Little Change Amid Bullish Momentum: Analyst Says $160K Could Be A ‘Conservative’ Price Target For King Crypto Cramer specifically mentioned NVIDIA Corp NVDA as a potential buying opportunity during a pullback, expressing confidence in the company’s future prospects. "If you don't own Nvidia already, you know what? You're about to get a sale," Cramer said. "And if you do own it already, just stick with it, because it's way too hard to swap out and then swap back in at the right level." Why It Matters: This advice from Cramer comes at a time when the market is experiencing significant fluctuations. Earlier in the week, Cramer highlighted Super Micro Computer SMCI as a key player in the tech infrastructure industry, emphasizing its importance beyond being a mere subsidiary of Nvidia. Meanwhile, Bank of America’s technical strategist Stephen Suttmeier predicts a 34% surge in the S&P 500 by the end of 2026, suggesting a continued bull rally. However, UBS anticipates significant market turbulence in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, driven by the stark policy differences between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Investors are thus facing a complex and uncertain market landscape, making Cramer’s advice particularly timely and relevant. Read Next: Dogecoin Soars As Elon Musk’s X Payments Gains Ground, Enthusiasts Rally With $800M Boost Image Via Shutterstock Engineered by Benzinga Neuro, Edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote The GPT-4-based Benzinga Neuro content generation system exploits the extensive Benzinga Ecosystem, including native data, APIs, and more to create comprehensive and timely stories for you. Learn more.
Norfolk Southern CEO says activist investor's responses to settlement are 'unreasonable' 2024-03-28 00:26:00+00:00 - Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw sharply criticized Ancora Holdings, the activist investor currently engaged in a proxy fight with the railroad company's board, during an interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer on Wednesday. "We've gone to the activist, and we've offered a settlement — their responses have been unreasonable at the determination of our board," he said. "Ancora's looking for wholesale change, and our board firmly believes that is, drives, long-term shareholder destruction." Norfolk Southern has faced criticism over the past year after one of its freight trains derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023 and released toxic chemicals into the soil, water and air. Based in Cleveland, 90 minutes from East Palestine, Ancora challenged Norfolk Southern in February, aiming to add eight directors to the board and oust Shaw as CEO. Ancora has strongly come out against Shaw, saying in a presentation that he is a "30-year insider" who lacks "the strategic operating and financial experience needed to effectively oversee Norfolk Southern during this critical period." Ancora did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Shaw said that the existing board is strong, and that it includes CEOs with "direct rail and transportation experience," as well as a former admiral and rail-safety advocates. He added the board offered Ancora "a couple" of seats, but suggested the activist investor was not amenable to the offering. According to Shaw, he's kept promises he's made in the wake of the derailment, saying Norfolk Southern's safety has improved over the last year. Regulators in February recognized the company's efforts to increase safety and said that "early data for 2023 suggest that NS was the only Class I railroad to achieve significant reductions in the rate of mainline derailments this past year." "We enhanced safety, we're making it right in East Palestine," Shaw said. "We enhanced service, and now we got that platform to really drive productivity in 2024 and really drive long term growth and shareholder value."
What Nvidia Stock Investors Should Know About Recent Artificial Intelligence (AI) Updates 2024-03-27 23:34:00+00:00 - In today's video, I discuss recent updates affecting Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). Check out the short video to learn more, consider subscribing, and click the special offer link below. *Stock prices used were the after-market prices of March 26, 2024. The video was published on March 26, 2024. Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now? Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Nvidia wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of March 25, 2024 Jose Najarro has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Jose Najarro is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link they will earn some extra money that supports their channel. Their opinions remain their own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool. What Nvidia Stock Investors Should Know About Recent Artificial Intelligence (AI) Updates was originally published by The Motley Fool
A solution to the retirement crisis? Americans should work for more years, BlackRock CEO says 2024-03-27 22:38:00+00:00 - Committee proposes raising Social Security retirement age Committee proposes raising Social Security retirement age 02:33 With Americans living longer and spending more years in retirement, the nation's changing demographics are "putting the U.S. retirement system under immense strain," according to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink in his annual shareholder letter. One way to fix it, he suggests, is for Americans to work longer before they head into retirement. "No one should have to work longer than they want to. But I do think it's a bit crazy that our anchor idea for the right retirement age — 65 years old — originates from the time of the Ottoman Empire," Fink wrote in his 2024 letter, which largely focuses on the retirement crisis facing the U.S. and other nations as their populations age. Fink, who is worth an estimated $1.2 billion, notes that many 65-year-olds in the early 1950s didn't get a chance to retire because many had already passed away. In other words, he writes, more than half of workers who had paid into Social Security never got a penny because they died before they could claim the benefit. "Today, these demographics have completely unraveled, and this unraveling is obviously a wonderful thing," Fink added. "We should want more people to live more years. But we can't overlook the massive impact on the country's retirement system." Fink's suggestions about addressing the nation's retirement crisis come amid a debate about the future of Social Security, which will face a funding shortfall in less than a decade. Some Republican lawmakers have proposed raising the retirement age for claiming Social Security benefits, arguing, like Fink, that because Americans are living longer, they should work longer, too. But that ignores the reality of aging in the workplace, with the AARP finding in a 2022 survey that the majority of workers over 50 say they face ageism at work. And because of ill health or an unexpected job loss, many older Americans stop working before they planned to. In fact, the median age of retirement in the U.S. is 62 — even lower than the "traditional" retirement age of 65. Some policy experts and Democratic lawmakers have proposed alternatives for fixing Social Security without raising the retirement age, as the latter would effectively reduce benefits for millions of Americans. For instance, Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, wants to lift the income tax cap for Social Security, an idea supported by many retirement experts. In 2024, any earned income over $168,600 is exempt from the Social Security payroll tax of 12.4%. People who earn $1 million a year effectively stop paying into the program on March 2, according to Rep. John Larson, a Democrat from Connecticut. (Fink's base salary was $1.5 million in 2022, although his total pay package was $25.2 million that year, a regulatory filing shows.) Fink is right in saying that the retirement system isn't working for most households, noted retirement expert and New School of Research professor Teresa Ghilarducci told CBS MoneyWatch. But his assessment that people should work longer misses the mark, she added. Many Americans haven't been able to save for their old age, with about 3 in 10 workers age 59 or older having no money put away for retirement. "After a 40-year-old experiment of a voluntary, do-it-yourself-based pension system, half of workers have no easy way to save for retirement," she said. "And in rich nations, why isn't age 65 a good target for most workers to stop working for someone else?" She added, "Working longer won't get us out of this. Most people don't retire when they want to, anyway." Vested interest? To be sure, America's retirement gap, or the gulf between what people need to fund their golden years versus what they've actually saved, isn't new, nor is Social Security's looming funding emergency. Yet Fink's comments are noteworthy because of his status as the head of the world's largest asset manager, with more than $10 trillion in assets, including many retirement accounts. Of course, Fink has a vested interest in Americans boosting their retirement assets, given that his firm collects fees from those accounts. And in his letter, he also promotes a new target-date fund from BlackRock called LifePath Paycheck, which will roll out in April. "He's steering the conversation toward BlackRock — and a lot of people who talk about Social Security reform on Wall Street want to privatize it in some manner and make money," Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff, an expert on Social Security, told CBS MoneyWatch. To be sure, Fink also praises public policy success stories for addressing retirement savings, such as Australia's system, which began in the early 1990s and requires employers to put a portion of a worker's income into a fund. Today, Australia has the world's 54th largest population but the 4th largest retirement system, he noted. "As a nation, we should do everything we can to make retirement investing more automatic for workers," he noted. Fink also writes that his mother, an English teacher, and his father, a shoe-store owner, were never in the top tax bracket. But, he added, they were able to save enough for a comfortable retirement, with funds that could have lasted until they were 100, although they passed away long before reaching that age. One reason for their secure retirement, he points out, is that as a state employee his mom could participate in California's state pension system, CalPERS. But access to pensions has halved since 1980, with only about 15% of employees having access to defined benefit plans in 2021 versus 30% four decades ago, according to the Congressional Research Service. Can boomers fix the problem? Fink, who was born in 1952, said that his generation has an obligation to help fix the nation's retirement problems. The financial insecurity facing younger Americans, such as millennials and Gen Z, are creating generations of disillusioned, anxious workers, he noted. "They believe my generation — the baby boomers — have focused on their own financial well-being to the detriment of who comes next. And in the case of retirement, they're right," Fink wrote. He added, "And before my generation fully disappears from positions of corporate and political leadership, we have an obligation to change that." Boomer (and older) lawmakers and politicians often don't see eye-to-eye on how to fix the retirement crisis. But failing to fix the issue damages not only the retirements of individual Americans, but the country's collective belief in the future of the U.S., Fink noted. "We risk becoming a country where people keep their money under the mattress and their dreams bottled up in their bedroom," he noted.
Joe Lieberman, former U.S. senator and vice presidential nominee, dies at 82 2024-03-27 22:37:37+00:00 - Joe Lieberman, who served as a centrist U.S. senator from Connecticut and was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000, has died at age 82. The four-term senator died Wednesday due to complications from a fall, his family said in a statement. “His beloved wife, Hadassah, and members of his family were with him as he passed,” the statement said. “Senator Lieberman’s love of God, his family, and America endured throughout his life of service in the public interest.” In the Senate, he served as a Democrat from 1989 to 2006, when he became an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2013. A political shapeshifter, Lieberman was known for switching his party affiliation. In the Senate, he served as a Democrat from 1989 to 2006, when he became an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2013. In the 2000 presidential race, Lieberman served as Al Gore’s running mate when the two bested George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in the popular vote but, nonetheless, lost in the Electoral College after the Supreme Court’s landmark Bush v. Gore decision. Lieberman remains the only Jewish candidate to appear on a major party’s presidential ticket in U.S. history. More recently, Lieberman co-founded the controversial centrist political organization No Labels, which reportedly is considering a “unity party” ticket, including a Democrat and a Republican, to run in this year’s presidential race. As recently as last week, Lieberman said that No Labels was meant to “speak for the middle,” but the group has had trouble finding candidates.
Team MAGA turned Baltimore Key bridge collapse into a conspiracy 2024-03-27 22:22:00+00:00 - Early Tuesday morning, a 948-foot containership plowed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which quickly collapsed. Rescue teams spent much of the day searching for victims and survivors. While the region grappled with the human and economic cost of the catastrophe, President Joe Biden and his Cabinet pledged to help local leaders rebuild. For most Americans it was a breathtaking disaster and human tragedy. But far-right conspiracy theorists saw it as an opportunity. For most Americans it was a breathtaking disaster and human tragedy. But far-right conspiracy theorists saw it as an opportunity. In a rapid flood of social media posts, politicians and “pundits” insisted that the disaster could not have simply been an accident. It was somehow Biden’s fault, or the fault of immigrants, or the result of a terrorist attack. Without evidence, they blamed “drug-addled” employees, diversity policies, Israel and even the recent infrastructure bill. Many of the usual suspects weighed in, moving seamlessly from one big lie to another. Think of this week’s constellation of psychosis as an outgrowth of Bridge Denialism. Fox News host Maria Bartiromo (whose election lies figured prominently in Dominion’s $787 million defamation lawsuit) tried to link the bridge collapse to what she called “the wide-open border.” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who voted against the 2021 infrastructure bill, appeared on Newsmax to complain that the Biden administration did not spend more money on bridge infrastructure. (Perhaps more hypocrisy than denial, but I digress.) Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., took to X to muse: “Is this an intentional attack or an accident?” This despite Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley stating unequivocally that “there is absolutely no indication that there’s any terrorism, or that this was done on purpose.” Readers on X were blessedly quick to add the context. In fact, the ship’s crew had declared a mayday warning that allowed officials to close access to the bridge. None of this dissuaded the right’s most feculent conspiracist, Alex Jones, from declaring the accident an attack. “Looks deliberate to me,” he posted on X. “A cyber-attack is probable. WW3 has already started.” Lara Logan, the former CBS correspondent who has drifted to the far edges of the fever swamps, was also quick to weigh in. Logan, who once promoted comparisons between Dr. Anthony Fauci and Nazi physician and murderer Josef Mengele, claimed on X that “Multiple intel sources” were telling her that the bridge collapse “was an ‘absolutely brilliant strategic attack’” on U.S. infrastructure. Striking an apocalyptic tone, she claimed with zero evidence that “our intel agencies know” about the attack and that the U.S. has just been divided “along the Mason Dixon line exactly like the Civil War.” And she, via her unnamed "sources," blamed Barack Obama. One after another they piled on. Former Trump aide Steve Bannon hinted at foul play: “It’s not right, and I think we need to get the full accounting of this until people say it’s not terrorism.” Right-wing media personality Benny Johnson breathlessly asked his audience: “Is this terrorism? How the hell did this happen? Is this incompetence? Who’s allowing this?” Kandiss Taylor, who ran for Georgia governor in 2022, also suggested a conspiracy behind the collapse. Taylor — who has claimed “Satan wants to use” Taylor Swift “to elect Joe back into the White House to destroy what’s left of America” — offered no evidence for her bridge theory. Instead, she claimed that she had “watched the video several times.” “What’s the chance that ship hit the bridge in the exact spot to crumple it up like tinfoil?” she asked. “I don’t believe in coincidences.” The tragedy also brought racist and antisemitic trolls out of the woodwork. As Media Matters' Matt Gertz noted, blue-checked accounts were quick to try to connect the disaster with Israel. How incredibly predictable. Other X “influencers” blamed Baltimore’s Black mayor for no other reason, it seems, than he happens to be Black. After Mayor Brandon Scott called for prayers for the victims and their families, a popular right-wing user posted to his 276,000 followers: “This is Baltimore’s DEI mayor commenting on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge. It’s going to get so, so much worse. Prepare accordingly.” It was a revealing comment in more ways than one. Well-known MAGA conspiracy-monger Jack Posobiec similarly (and mindlessly) seemed to implicate diversity and inclusion, forwarding a “Titanic” meme on Telegram that used Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s sexual identity to mock DEI policies. And then there were the commenters whom Maryland journalist Brian Griffiths called, simply, “the ghouls.” And then there were the commenters whom Maryland journalist Brian Griffiths called, simply, “the ghouls” — like Roger Stone. Their crudity, along with their cruelty, is the point. In other words, Tuesday was just another day in the perverse MAGA universe. In this world, any event can be used to spread baseless smears, conspiracy theories, evidence-free attacks, fact-free speculation and lies. All while stoking suspicion, distrust and fear. Meanwhile, the president of the United States was doing his job. “We’re going to stay with you as long as it takes,” he assured Maryland’s residents. The bridge will be rebuilt and the federal government will pay for it. “We’re not leaving until this job gets done.” Quite the contrast.
Settlement reached in lawsuit between Gov. DeSantis allies and Disney 2024-03-27 22:16:00+00:00 - Disney, DeSantis settle yearslong dispute Disney, DeSantis settle yearslong dispute 01:42 Allies of Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney reached a settlement agreement Wednesday in a state court fight over how Walt Disney World is developed in the future following the takeover of the theme park resort's government by the Florida governor. In a meeting, the members of the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District approved the settlement agreement, ending almost two years of litigation that was sparked by DeSantis' takeover of the district from Disney supporters following the company's opposition to Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay" law. The 2022 law bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades and was championed by the Republican governor, who used Disney as a punching bag in speeches until he suspended his presidential campaign this year. The district provides municipal services such as firefighting, planning and mosquito control, among other things, and was controlled by Disney supporters for most of its five decades. Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort, said in a statement Wednesday that the company was pleased a settlement had been reached. "This agreement opens a new chapter of constructive engagement with the new leadership of the district and serves the interests of all parties by enabling significant continued investment and the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and economic opportunity in the state," Vahle said. As punishment for Disney's opposition to the law, DeSantis took over the governing district through legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and appointed a new board of supervisors. Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees, claiming the company's free speech rights were violated for speaking out against the legislation. A federal judge dismissed that lawsuit in January. Before control of the district changed hands from Disney allies to DeSantis appointees early last year, the Disney supporters on its board signed agreements with Disney shifting control over design and construction at Disney World to the company. The new DeSantis appointees claimed the "eleventh-hour deals" neutered their powers and the district sued the company in state court in Orlando to have the contracts voided. Disney filed counterclaims that included asking the state court to declare the agreements valid and enforceable. Under the terms of Wednesday's settlement agreement, Disney lets stand a determination by the board of DeSantis appointees that the comprehensive plan approved by the Disney supporters before the takeover is null and void. Disney also agrees that a development agreement and restrictive covenants passed before the takeover are also not valid, according to the settlement terms. Instead, a comprehensive plan from 2020 will be used with the new board able to make changes to it, and the agreement suggests Disney and the new board will negotiate a new development agreement in the near future.
Former Sen. Joe Lieberman has died at 82 2024-03-27 21:49:00+00:00 - Former Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman has died, his family announced in a statement Wednesday. He was 82. Lieberman died Wednesday afternoon in New York with his wife, Hadassah, and other loved ones at his side after he suffered complications from a fall, his family said in the statement. "Senator Lieberman’s love of God, his family, and America endured throughout his life of service in the public interest," his family said. Lieberman was the Democratic vice presidential nominee who ran with former Vice President Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election. In a statement on X Wednesday night, Gore called Lieberman a man of integrity whose "strong will made him a force to be reckoned with." "It was an honor to stand side-by-side with him on the campaign trail," Gore said. The pair were defeated by former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney. In his own statement, Bush said he was “saddened” by the loss of Lieberman, referring to him as “one of the most decent people I met during my time in Washington.” “As Laura and I pray for Hadassah and the Lieberman family, we also pray that Joe’s example of decency guides our Nation’s leaders now and into the future,” Bush said. In his later years, Lieberman was co-chairman of No Labels and was heading up the committee to vet its potential unity ticket candidates. A hefty share of the group’s leadership and key staff members had left over the last year. Lieberman was effectively the group’s top spokesperson through its effort this past year to field a third-party ticket. In a statement, No Labels, which encourages cooperation across the aisle, referred to Lieberman as the “moral center” of its movement and called his death “a profound loss for all of us.” And Republicans praised him Wednesday. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on X commended Lieberman’s commitment to working with “anyone regardless of political stripe.” Lieberman’s passing was also mourned by lawmakers in his state, including Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, who in a statement Wednesday cited “political differences” with Lieberman but referred to him as “a man of integrity and conviction.” In 2006, Lamont launched a challenge against Lieberman in the state's Democratic primary, narrowly defeating him for the party's Senate nomination. After he conceded the primary, Lieberman vowed to run as an independent and ultimately won his fourth and final term. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the state was “shocked” by Lieberman’s sudden death. “In an era of political carbon copies, Joe Lieberman was a singularity. One of one," Murphy wrote on X. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also expressed his condolences in a statement on X, referring to Lieberman as a longtime friend of more than 50 years, "a man of deep conscience [and] conviction, [and] a courageous leader who sought to bridge gaps and bring people together." International leaders have also weighed in, with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling Lieberman, who was Jewish, "an exemplary public servant, an American patriot and a matchless champion of the Jewish people and the Jewish state." The Republican Jewish Coalition's national chairman, former Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, called him "a true mensch and a great American." Lieberman’s funeral will be Friday at Congregation Agudath Sholom in his hometown, Stamford, Connecticut, his family said. A second memorial service is expected to be announced later.
Why RFK Jr.'s new running mate is a curveball for his campaign 2024-03-27 21:47:36+00:00 - Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has chosen a vice presidential pick: Silicon Valley attorney and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan. It’s a surprising choice. Kennedy’s public short list spanned ambitious politicians (former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard), widely known celebrities (New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers) and those in between (former professional wrestler and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura). As I argued earlier in March, those names suggested that Kennedy was hoping to leverage big pop culture names to draw attention to his conspiracy theories, particularly about the medical and public health establishments. By contrast, Shanahan is little known outside Silicon Valley. Nor does she have any experience in government that might have conferred a veneer of credibility on Kennedy. Shanahan is embedded in a California tech scene that has shown a growing appetite for experimenting with radical politics. Her views on vaccines, though inchoate, suggest alignment with Kennedy’s conspiracy-minded skepticism. Kennedy’s running mate may not have broadened his appeal, but it may have strengthened his campaign’s longevity. In short, the selection of Shanahan signals that Kennedy is not interested in trying to play the electoral game the way, for example, former President Donald Trump’s selection of Mike Pence did in 2016. What Shanahan can offer Kennedy is quite a lot of cash — and access to a lot of other people who do too. Kennedy’s running mate may not have broadened his appeal, but it may have strengthened his campaign’s longevity by giving it a bigger war chest. It’s unclear how much wealth Shanahan has, but Forbes estimates it could be as much as hundreds of millions of dollars. Part of Shanahan’s wealth comes from founding a company that uses artificial intelligence to help patent holders manage intellectual property. Another source comes from her former marriage to Google co-founder Sergey Brin from 2018 to 2022. The Wall Street Journal reported that the two divorced after she allegedly had an affair with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, though both Shanahan and Musk have denied the claim. After divorcing Brin, Shanahan focused on philanthropic work. She currently serves as the president of a charity called the Bia-Echo Foundation, which focuses on, among other things, “reproductive longevity” and “a healthy and livable planet.” Even before accepting Kennedy’s offer to join his ticket, Shanahan had flexed her financial muscles. Earlier this year, she gave $4 million to a pro-Kennedy super PAC to help pay for a Super Bowl ad. She also helped produce that ad, which, to the chagrin of many in Kennedy’s family, likened his presidential bid to his uncle John F. Kennedy’s 1960 White House run. Moreover, Shanahan's connections in Silicon Valley mean she may have connections to other high-dollar donors of libertarian leanings interested in Kennedy’s bid. (Twitter founder Jack Dorsey is a fan.) Shanahan’s wealth raises an interesting dynamic wherein she could be a huge financier as a vice presidential pick, as opposed to a wealthy self-funded presidential candidate. As NBC News reports, “There is no obvious precedent for vice presidential candidates bankrolling their campaigns, Federal Election Commission rules exempt candidates funding their own campaigns from contribution limits, so it appears she would be able to contribute or lend as much money as she wants to the Kennedy campaign.” Shanahan has called herself a “lifelong Democrat” and in the 2020 election cycle she donated to a number of Democratic presidential candidates, including Pete Buttigieg and Marianne Williamson, and efforts backing Joe Biden. But on Tuesday, as she announced her decision to join Kennedy, Shanahan said she’s “leaving the Democratic Party” and accused Democrats of having “lost their way and their leadership.” Shanahan shares a key interest of Kennedy’s: skepticism of vaccine safety. Shanahan has rejected the label of anti-vaxxer, but has said, “I do wonder about vaccine injuries” and that “there needs to be a space to have these conversations.” Shanahan has an autistic daughter and has funded research into the causes of autism. According to The New York Times, part of her motivation for helping finance Kennedy’s Super Bowl ad “was concern about the environment, vaccines and children’s health, and her belief that Mr. Kennedy was willing to challenge the scientific establishment.” Shanahan has also pushed back against characterizing Kennedy an anti-vaxxer, even though he has said, “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective,” and has propagated the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. Ultimately, given how Kennedy’s campaign is so focused on vaccines and public health contrarianism, there’s no way she could have joined Kennedy as a running mate without at least being very receptive to his many misinformation-laden ideas on vaccines. Shanahan’s likely ideological harmony with Kennedy underscores how much Kennedy’s bid is less about winning over a huge share of the general electorate and more about spreading his fringe messages about public health. And her wealth sends a similar message — that the most important asset to Kennedy in a vice president is how much she can help him stay in the public eye. Shanahan doesn’t bring national stature or government experience, but she can help bankroll his campaign, including efforts to get on the ballot in states across the country. Her wealth won’t necessarily help broaden Kennedy’s appeal, but it does make it more likely he can keep his operation going until Election Day.
Employer of missing bridge workers vows to help their families. "They were wonderful people," exec says. 2024-03-27 21:45:00+00:00 - With six workers who went missing after the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge now presumed dead, attention is turning to helping their families. An executive with Brawner Builders, a general contractor in Hunt Valley, Maryland, told CBS MoneyWatch the workers had company-sponsored life insurance, while declining to disclose details regarding the policies. Separately, a GoFundMe campaign is aiming to raise $60,000 to help their survivors. "The company is doing everything possible to support the families and to counsel the families and to be with the families," Brawner Builders executive vice president Jeffrey Pritzker said. The six men were filling potholes on the center span of the bridge when a massive cargo ship struck the bridge early Tuesday morning. Originally from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, the Maryland men were living with their families in Dundalk and Highlandtown, according to WJZ media partner The Baltimore Banner. So far, three of the missing workers have been identified: Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, originally from Honduras and who has been living in the U.S. for 20 years Miguel Luna, originally from El Salvador Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, originally from Guatemala Sandoval, 38, was the youngest of eight siblings from Azacualpa, a rural mountainous area in northwestern Honduras. He had worked as an industrial technician in Honduras, repairing equipment in the large assembly plants, but the pay was too low to get ahead, one of his brothers, Martín Suazo Sandoval, told the Associated Press Wednesday. "He always dreamed of having his own business," he said. Another brother, Carlos Suazo Sandoval, said Maynor hoped to retire one day back in Guatamala. "He was the baby for all of us, the youngest. He was someone who was always happy, was always thinking about the future. He was a visionary," he told the AP by phone Wednesday from Dundalk, Maryland, near the site of the bridge collapse. Brawner intends to offer financial assistance to the missing workers' families as they cope with the sudden loss of income, Pritzker said, without providing additional details on the company's plans. "They had families, spouses and children, and they were wonderful people who now are lost," he said, describing the contractor as a tight-knit business where other employees were "very close" to the missing workers. "The company is broken," Pritzker added. In a statement on Brawner's website, company owner Jack Murphy wrote that highway construction work is one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S. Construction workers "go out every day on our highways to make things better for everyone," he said. "Unfortunately, this tragic event was completely unforeseen and was not something that we could imagine would happen." When performing highway work, Brawner always uses employees, rather than contractors, Pritzker said. But the company sometimes works on other projects, such as building schools, that require it to hire subcontractors. The GoFundMe campaign for the missing workers' families was organized by the Latino Racial Justice Circle, an advocacy group that fights racial injustice, and had raised more than $58,000 as of Wednesday afternoon. Brawner Builders is linking to the GoFundMe on its website, directing people who wish to support the families to the fundraising effort. "There's a great deal of other benefits that will be flowing to the families as a result of this tragedy," Pritzker said, without providing further details. "Of course that can't replace the lost of their loved ones." —The Associated Press contributed to this report
Baltimore bridge collapse victims’ family members reflect on their loved ones’ lives 2024-03-27 21:01:00+00:00 - Two of the six men presumed dead in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore were remembered by loved ones as devoted husbands, fathers and workers who were simply trying to improve their lot in life. “He gave us strength for everything,” said Norma Suazo, sister of Maynor Suazo, a member of the construction crew that had been repairing potholes on the bridge when it was struck by a container ship early Tuesday. “He fought day after day for our family to get ahead. He looked for a way to make a living,” Norma told Noticias Telemundo on Wednesday in a Spanish-language interview. Suazo’s brother Fredy described him as good-natured, “smiley, the type of person that always fought for the well-being of the family.” “You come to this country to accomplish your dreams, and sometimes that dream doesn’t get fulfilled,” Fredy Suazo added. “And for a tragedy like this to happen to us, can you imagine?” Maynor, who was from Honduras, leaves behind an 18-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter, according to his brother Carlos Alexis Suazo Sandoval. Authorities confirmed Tuesday night that six workers are presumed dead in the bridge collapse. Officials on Wednesday confirmed the names of two of the workers. The bodies of Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, were recovered from a submerged pickup truck Wednesday morning, said Col. Ronald L. Butler Jr., a superintendent with the Maryland State Police. Fuentes was originally from Mexico and lived in Baltimore. Cabrera was from Guatemala and lived in Dundalk, Maryland. Butler said the search-and-recovery mission has become one of salvage. It is no longer safe for divers, who had returned to the frigid water to scour for bodies Wednesday morning, to search around the wreckage, he said. María del Carmen Castellón told Telemundo that her husband, Miguel Luna, was one of the workers on the Key Bridge when it tumbled into the Patapsco River. Castellón, also interviewed in Spanish, said she was desperate for news. “They only tell us that we have to wait, that for now they can’t give us information,” she said, referring to officials, adding that she and her family were “devastated, devastated because our heart is broken, because we don’t know if they’ve rescued them yet. We’re just waiting to hear any news.” CASA, a nonprofit organization that provides services to immigrants in the Baltimore area, confirmed that Luna was from El Salvador and had been living in Maryland for more than 19 years. Gustavo Torres, CASA’s executive director, described Luna as “a longtime member of our CASA family, adding an even deeper layer of sorrow to this already grievous situation.” At least two of the men presumed dead were from Mexico. In a statement, Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs said his government plans to provide assistance to their family members, as well as that of a Mexican national who was rescued alive from the wreckage. The other men were originally from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, Butler said. In a tweet Wednesday morning, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said: “We have spoken to the families, prayed with them, and assured them that our state will mobilize every resource to bring them closure. Suazo’s brother-in-law told Telemundo that Suazo “leaves a very great legacy.” “He has been a great example for many people,” he said.
Utah women's basketball team had racist slurs yelled at them in Idaho 2024-03-27 20:57:06+00:00 - The Utah women's basketball team said they were subjected to repeated racist harassment while staying in Idaho for an NCAA women's basketball tournament in Washington, an incident the team's coach said has tainted the players' experience. The University of Utah team traveled to Spokane, Washington, for the competition last week. Due to another sporting event in the city leading to high demand for accommodation, several teams stayed in hotels in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, approximately 30 miles from Spokane. The Utah players said the first incident happened while they were walking to a restaurant for dinner. Someone in a truck with a Confederate flag yelled racist slurs, including the N-word, they said. "We all just were in shock, and we looked at each other like, did we just hear that?" Utah deputy athletics director Charmelle Green, who is Black, told KSL.com. "Everybody was in shock — our cheerleaders, our students that were in that area that heard it clearly were just frozen." After the team left the restaurant, the driver of the same truck, accompanied by another vehicle, followed them back to the hotel. The drivers revved their engines and shouting racist epithets again, the players said. Utah coach Lynne Roberts called the incidents "incredibly upsetting." "Racism is real and it happens, and it's awful," Roberts said at a news conference on Monday. "And for your players and staff to not feel safe in [an] NCAA tournament environment, it’s messed up." The team then coordinated with the host school, Gonzaga University, and the NCAA to move to a different place to stay in Spokane, the University of Utah said in a statement. And although the UC Irvine team was not involved in the incident, it also requested to move “for the well-being and safety of our student-athletes and the entire travel party,” spokesperson Mike Uhlenkamp told The Associated Press. In a statement provided to news organizations, the NCAA said it condemned racism. “We are devastated about the Utah team’s experience while traveling to compete on what should have been a weekend competing on the brightest stage and creating some of the fondest memories of their lives," it said. Coeur d’Alene Police are looking into the incidents after a police report was filed that night. Police Chief Lee White also said he was working with the FBI, the AP reported. Meanwhile, local officials have apologized to the team. "To the young women who endured racial slurs while visiting, I offer my most sincere apology," Coeur d’Alene Mayor Jim Hammond said at a news conference on Tuesday. White supremacists have historically had a stronghold in the Pacific Northwest, and many alt-right and neo-Nazi groups are known to currently operate in the area. As some residents held signs denouncing racism at Tuesday's news conference, the event was disrupted by David Reilly, a far-right activist who attended the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia and has tweeted antisemitic remarks in the past. (He denied being a racist or white supremacist when resigning from a radio job in 2017.) He was booed by the crowd and the news conference ended abruptly.
Trump Media, Reddit surge despite questionable profit prospects, taking on the ‘meme stock’ mantle 2024-03-27 20:50:06+00:00 - NEW YORK (AP) — Reddit and Trump Media are the first notable social media companies to begin trading publicly in the last five years. They’re also, thanks to the rabid reception among investors coupled with the companies’ fuzzy profit outlooks, the latest meme stocks. Meme stocks are typically shares in companies whose underlying business fails to justify a surge in their price. The action is often driven by small investors who for some reason pile into a stock, be it belief that a struggling company can turn itself around, a disdain for so-called short sellers — or fidelity to a former president. Or simply opportunism. Reddit’s initial public offering last week was the most anticipated debut so far this year, and it didn’t disappoint, rising 48% on the first day. The stock gained an additional 30% Monday. Then Trump Media stole Reddit’s thunder by jumping as much as 59% on its first day of trading Tuesday, before cooling off and closing with a gain of 16%. On Wednesday, the stock gained an additional 14% to close at $66.22. Former President Donald Trump holds a majority stake in Trump Media that could bring him billions. Analysts and academics are comparing the surge in Reddit and Trump Media to the meme stock craze in 2021 that boosted shares of companies such as video game retailer GameStop and movie theater operator AMC Entertainment. Although there are differences between the two groups, the companies did have two prominent similarities: It was hard to look at the financials and predict a path to long-term profitability. But small investors bought in nonetheless. Trump Media lost $49 million in the first nine months of last year, when it took in just $3.4 million in revenue and had to pay $37.7 million in interest expenses. In a recent regulatory filing, the company said it will lose money “for the foreseeable future.” Research firm Similarweb estimates that Truth Social had roughly 5 million monthly visits in February of this year. By comparison, Facebook had 15.2 billion visits, while Reddit had 2 billion. Reddit, like its social media peers, relies on user growth and advertising revenue, but it has yet to turn a profit in its nearly 20-year history that has also been beset by management turmoil and user backlashes. About 76 million users checked into one of Reddit’s roughly 100,000 communities in December, according to a regulatory disclosure. While Reddit and Trump Media can be considered newer technology companies, GameStop and AMC were considered to be somewhat antiquated when small investors latched onto them in late 2020 and early 2021. GameStop struggled while selling video games and consoles in stores without a digital alternative, and AMC lost billions of dollars as movie fans embraced streaming and the pandemic kept them out of theaters. Granted, GameStop had the backing of Ryan Cohen, founder of the e-commerce pet food company Chewy, who investors likely thought could modernize GameStop’s business. But a number of investors were individuals who belonged to the Reddit community Wall Street Bets and bought shares in order to “stick it to” to big institutions that had made bets the stock would drop. As the stock took off, even more investors seized the opportunity to buy. Many of those investing in Trump Media are also small-time investors either trying to support Trump or aiming to cash in on the mania. They helped the stock of Digital World Acquisition more than double this year ahead of its merger with Trump Media, which took its place on the Nasdaq stock market. As the stock jumped Tuesday, one user urged conservatives to “get behind the DJT stock and send it over $100 per share” to “drive the liberals insane!” Data from Vanda Research show that retail investors bought $6.5 million of Trump Media shares on its first trading day and $7.9 million of Reddit shares for its debut. The frenzy surrounding GameStop and AMC eventually died down. GameStop’s market value peaked above $20 billion in January 2021; it’s now just above $4 billion after Cohen’s turnaround has for the most part failed to materialize. AMC’s market value has dropped from a high of around $29 billion to about $1.5 billion. While both carry on — GameStop even reported a small profit for the fiscal year ended in January — analysts question their longevity. Following the release of GameStop’s earnings report Tuesday, Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, wrote in a note to investors that steeper revenue declines for the company could lead to large losses and possibly bankruptcy. “If we’re right, GameStop has a likely runway of no more than five years,” Pachter said. Even so, Pachter is even more skeptical of the fervor over Trump Media in the market. He notes that GameStop had revenue of more than $5 billion back in 2020 while Trump Media’s revenue is under $5 million. “GameStop was the meme stock of a lifetime, but Trump Media has put it to shame,” Pachter said in an email.
Baltimore bridge collapse calls attention to growing Latino labor force and risks they face 2024-03-27 19:56:00+00:00 - Most of the missing workers presumed dead following the Baltimore bridge collapse are originally from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico — illustrating the dangers Hispanic workers face as they continue to be overrepresented in the construction industry. Eight construction workers were fixing potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge's roadway early Tuesday when an immense cargo ship experiencing technical issues after it lost power accidentally crashed into the bridge, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River. Two workers who survived were rescued from the water, and search efforts for the remaining six were underway Wednesday. “The hope we have is to be able to see the body," Fredy Suazo, the brother of Maynor Suazo, one of the missing construction workers presumed dead, told NBC News. "We want to see him, find him, know whether he is dead because we don’t know anything." "My brother is the engine of the family. He was everything to us; he was the best," Suazo's sister Norma tearfully told Noticias Telemundo about her missing brother. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor considers construction as "a high hazard industry" in which workers are exposed to serious risks such as falling from rooftops, being struck by heavy construction equipment and being hurt or killed by unguarded machinery. Latinos are more exposed to these dangers since they make up about a third of the nation's construction workers. According to Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, two of the missing workers are Mexican nationals, as well as one of the survivors who "is recovering satisfactorily from his injuries." Guatemala's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said two of its nationals were among those missing. One of the missing Guatemalan workers was identified by his family as José López. His brother-in-law, Walter Guerra, said López’s young child hasn’t stopped asking about her father since Tuesday. “To the girl, we only say he’s working, we’ve told her he’s working and that he’ll be back soon,” Guerra told Noticias Telemundo. Maynor Suazo, of Honduras, and Miguel Luna, of El Salvador, have also been identified as missing by friends and family. The names of the remaining missing workers have not been released. Jesús Campos, a construction worker at Brawner Builders, said he had worked alongside Suazo and Luna and described them to Telemundo 44 as "fathers and people who come to work to earn a living." Suazo lived in the U.S. for nearly two decades and started working for the company several months ago, according to his brother Fredy. He described Suazo, a father of two, as a smiley and pleasant man who "always fought for the well-being of the family.” “You come to this country to accomplish your dreams and sometimes that dream doesn’t get fulfilled," Fredy said. "And for a tragedy like this to happen to us, can you imagine?” With 1,056 fatalities, workers in the construction and extraction industries had the second most fatalities in 2022, followed by transportation and material moving workers, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released in December. At least 423 of these workers died due to falls, slips or trips, according to BLS. The majority of these deaths, at least 286, happened among Hispanic workers. The fatality rate of construction and extraction workers increased from 12.3 deaths per 100,000 full-time employee workers in 2021 to 13.0 a year later. A total of 316 of foreign-born Hispanic construction workers died of workplace injuries in 2022, according to BLS. Miguel Luna and Maynor Suazo are among the missing construction workers following the Baltimore bridge collapse. Family photos Other tragedies involving Hispanic construction workers have already taken place this year. In another Maryland town about 10 miles west of Baltimore, at least three Latinos were among the six construction workers fatally struck by two drivers while in a construction zone doing roadwork in Woodlawn over the weekend. Two months ago in Idaho, three construction workers, two of which were from Guatemala, were killed in a building collapse in the town of Boise. 'Part of the very fabric' of Baltimore The Baltimore bridge collapse tragedy has hit Latino and immigrant communities nationwide hard, said Bruna Sollod, senior political director of United We Dream, the nation’s largest immigrant youth-led organization. Sollod said in a statement Wednesday that immigrant workers like the six men who remain missing in Baltimore “have been building and repairing the bridges that ensure we can move freely throughout the cities we call home and stay connected as neighbors and families.” “Each and every single one of these men were a part of the very fabric that helps make Baltimore a thriving, vibrant, and safer community,” Sollod said, adding that they are “a reminder of the often unseen care immigrants pour into our cities and communities every day.” In addition to being a construction worker, Luna was a member of CASA, one of the most prominent immigrant advocacy groups in the state of Maryland. "He is a husband, a father of three, and has called Maryland his home for over 19 years," Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA, said in a statement. "Miguel Luna, from El Salvador, left at 6:30 p.m. Monday evening for work and since, has not come home." The organization is working with the affected families to provide them support, Torres added. Moisés Díaz, another Brawner Builders construction worker who was friends with Suazo and Luna, said he used to work on the same shift in which his friends presumably died but switched shifts to make space in his schedule to attend church. "They were great husbands, fathers, sons," Díaz told NBC News. "We are very worried." Traffic into the Francis Scott Key Bridge was closed off after authorities received a distress call from the cargo ship after it had lost power — effectively preventing a larger or more deadly disaster. The crash happened less than five minutes later. Campos said he believes little could have been done to safely evacuate his co-workers. "Everything happened in the blink of an eye and that wasn't possible," Campos told Telemundo 44 in Spanish. For more from NBC Latino, sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Ninja, Video Gaming Star on Twitch, Reveals Skin Cancer Diagnosis 2024-03-27 19:48:56+00:00 - Tyler Blevins, the video game superstar known as Ninja, revealed this week that he had been diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Mr. Blevins, 32, said on social media on Tuesday that a mole was removed from his foot during an annual checkup with a dermatologist a few weeks ago. “It came back as melanoma, but they are optimistic that we caught it in the early stages,” he said. In the post, Mr. Blevins said a second dark spot was found on his foot that had also been removed and was being checked, “with the hopes that under the microscope they will see clear non-melanoma edges and we will know we got it.”
Owners of Crooked House pub appeal against order to rebuild 2024-03-27 19:44:00+00:00 - The owners of the Crooked House pub in Himley have appealed against an order to rebuild the 18th-century building, which was demolished days after a fire last year. The blaze on 5 August, which is being treated by police as arson, and the subsequent demolition of the famously wonky Staffordshire pub prompted a national outcry. The fire broke out just nine days after the pub was bought by ATE Farms Ltd. An enforcement notice to rebuild was issued last month to the company, as well as to its director George Adam Taylor and former director Carly Taylor, who stepped down in December. The enforcement notice for unlawful demolition issued by South Staffordshire council was seen as a huge win for local campaigners and politicians who wanted to see the pub returned “brick by brick” to its original state. The mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, said the notice marked a “monumental day” in the push towards that happening. View image in fullscreen The Crooked House pub before the fire. Local residents and politicians have been calling for a ‘brick-by-brick’ rebuild. Photograph: Nick Maslen/Alamy/PA The order stated the building must be “built back to what it was prior to the fire” within three years and that the owners had 30 days to appeal. The council said it was awaiting a date for the appeal and the appointment of a planning inspector. Paul Turner, a local resident who has helped spearhead the Save the Crooked House campaign, said: “As I have said all along, there will be a few hurdles to be overcome and this, now, will be the next. We’ll just have to watch and see what happens.” Architects specialising in historical buildings have said rebuilding the Crooked House to its original state, including its 15-degree lean caused by subsidence in the area, is possible although costly. First built as a farmhouse in 1765, the building is thought to have been a pub since about 1830. Over the years, it sank 1.2 metres into the ground because of subsidence caused by local mining. It was scheduled for demolition in the 1940s before being made safe with reinforcements. A number of arrests have been made in relation to the fire last year. A woman aged 34, and two men, aged 23 and 44, have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with intent or being reckless as to whether life was endangered. Three other men, aged 66, 51 and 33, had been held on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. All have been released on conditional bail.
'No good options': Biden admin has no plans to change how it treats Haitian migrants despite outrage from advocates 2024-03-27 19:16:00+00:00 - The Biden administration is under increasing pressure from human rights organizations to rethink its treatment of Haitian migrants trying to flee Haiti or currently living undocumented inside the U.S., but so far there are no plans to change course, three U.S. officials told NBC News. More than 480 human rights organizations sent a letter to the Biden administration on Wednesday asking for a moratorium on deportations to Haiti, the immediate release of detained Haitian migrants, the closure of pending deportation cases for Haitian migrants and a new designation of Temporary Protected Status that would let more Haitian migrants already living in the U.S. remain in the U.S. “If the United States cannot keep its personnel safe in Haiti, then the Haitian government is unlikely to keep Haitian nationals safe,” said the letter, referring to the U.S. mission to airlift Americans out of Haiti. For more on this story, tune in to "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt" tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT or check your local listings. U.S. officials say there has been moral handwringing inside the administration, both at the White House and the Department of Homeland Security, over the issue. “It’s heartbreaking,” one U.S. official said, adding that there are no plans to allow more Haitian migrants into the U.S. “There are no good options here,” said another U.S. official. The Biden administration is facing sharp backlash on its immigration policies, including from some Democratic mayors, heading into the November presidential election. Customs and Border Protection has made more than 10 million apprehensions of undocumented migrants trying to cross the southern border since the beginning of the administration, many of them Haitian. Crossings hit record monthly levels in late 2023, though they have now dropped. Since gangs took over Haiti this month, forcing Prime Minister Ariel Henry to announce his resignation, the Caribbean nation has been engulfed in violence. The charred remains of vehicles in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Monday. Clarens Siffroy / AFP - Getty Images The Biden administration has not deported Haitian migrants back to their home country by plane since the violence began, in large part because the airport in the capital and largest city, Port-au-Prince, has been taken over by gangs. But it has continued sending migrants who are interdicted at sea back to Haiti by boat. On March 14, the U.S. Coast Guard returned 65 Haitians found on a sailboat at sea. “Those interdicted at sea are subject to immediate repatriation pursuant to our longstanding policy and procedures," a spokeswoman for DHS said. "The United States returns or repatriates migrants interdicted at sea to The Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti." A spokeswoman for the White House’s National Security Council said the Biden administration’s approach is to help Haitians pave a path to democracy. “If our goal was to bring everyone from around the world whenever there’s a crisis, we would have a huge problem,” the NSC spokeswoman said. She noted that the U.S. has been working to help the situation for over a year. The U.S. government has provided more than $170 million in humanitarian aid since October 2022, making it the single largest humanitarian assistance provider to Haiti. No protected status Two U.S. officials told NBC News that the Biden administration will not change the policy of returning Haitians interdicted at sea because they do not want to trigger mass migration. The officials also said that the current crisis has not yet spurred the U.S. to consider granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to an additional group of undocumented Haitians. TPS has historically been used to let nationals from a country facing a humanitarian crisis legally live and work inside the U.S, whether the crisis at home is due to political upheaval or a natural disaster. TPS is granted by the president. Many Haitian migrants who arrived in the U.S. in the past already have TPS, including those who came after Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. Advocates for Haitian refugees argue the administration set a double standard by granting TPS to a new group of Venezuelans last summer, when conditions in Venezuela were less dire than the current situation in Haiti. People, including many Haitians, leave Mexico to cross into the U.S. in Tijuana, Mexico, on March 13. Gregory Bull / AP file The fear of using TPS for Haitians now, two officials said, is that it will send the wrong message to Haitians that they will be allowed to stay in the U.S. if they can make it here. But, they acknowledged, it is a terribly violent situation to which to return anyone. “There’s an acknowledgement this is really difficult,” said a U.S. official. “But we don’t want to encourage more people to take to the sea.” Guerline Jozef, a human rights advocate and co-founder of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, which led the letter sent Wednesday, said the Biden administration should rethink its policy. She said accepting desperate migrants who are lucky enough to escape would not trigger mass migration because it is so hard to get out. “It is almost impossible to leave Haiti,” Jozef said. U.S. officials noted that those recently interdicted at sea are not being sent back to Port-au-Prince, where most of the violence is concentrated, but in other parts of Haiti like the northern city of Cap-Haïtien. “There is no excuse to send anyone to anywhere in Haiti right now. They are using this as an excuse for the inexcusable,” Jozef said. “The whole country is unstable.”
Subaru recalls nearly 119,000 vehicles over air bag problem 2024-03-27 18:09:00+00:00 - Checking your vehicle for important safety recalls Checking your vehicle for important safety recalls 02:15 Subaru has recalled 118,723 vehicles because a sensor may short circuit, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash. The recall covers the Japanese automaker's 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy models. An air bag malfunction would increase the chance of a passenger suffering injury in an accident, Subaru said in recall documents submitted last week to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). No injuries have been reported to Subaru related to the air bag issue, the company said. The affected Legacy and Outback vehicles have a sensor that detects when someone is sitting in the passenger seat. That sensor is connected to the vehicle's Occupant Detection System (ODS). Subaru said that an outside company hired to make the ODS may have used faulty circuit boards inside the system, the company said in its recall notice. Having a cracked circuit board allows moisture to leak in and can eventually cause a short circuit, Subaru said. When a short circuit happens, the vehicle will not detect if someone is in the passenger seat. If there's a possible short circuit, the dashboard on the Outback or Legacy will alert drivers and the "airbag system warning lamp will illuminate, the front passenger's frontal airbag OFF indicator will illuminate and the front passenger airbag may not deploy in certain crashes as designed," the recall states. Subaru said it will replace the ODS sensors free of charge for Outback and Legacy owners who take their vehicle to a dealership. The company plans to notify dealerships about the recall and replacements on Wednesday. Subaru owners with questions about the recall can contact the company at (844) 373-6614 and mention recall number WRA-24. Owners can also contact NHTSA at (888)327-4236. The sensor problem at Subaru is the latest in a recent string of vehicle recalls in recent months. Last week, Hyundai and Kia recalled a combined 147,110 vehicles because a part inside the cars may stop charging their batteries. Earlier this month, General Motors recalled nearly 820,000 pickup trucks because of a glitch that could cause the tailgate to open unexpectedly. In January, Ford recalled about 1.9 million Ford Explorer SUVs because the windshield trim panels could fly off while the vehicle is traveling at highway speeds.
Wearing a secondhand outfit these days is something to brag about, not whisper 2024-03-27 17:32:00+00:00 - The secondhand clothes movement is here to stay. The stigma is, by and large, gone. Where it once came with some degree of shame attached, culture has, thankfully, shifted and confiding that your outfit is preloved is now more of a not-so-humble brag than something to whisper. It can’t hurt that the new editor of Vogue is no stranger to a secondhand stall, and treated vintage clothes with as much respect as new luxury styles in her debut issue. But while it may be of the zeitgeist, there is no going back. Of course there is the ethical impetus. Consumers on the whole want to shop more thoughtfully, both for the sake of planet and for the garment workers whose mistreatment has been under increased scrutiny in recent times. But it isn’t all about the ethics. The options for secondhand are now all-encompassing. “Secondhand” might be a catchall for multiple different kinds of clothes, but there is something for everyone, not just the kids who have traditionally been happy with the prices and creative possibilities of secondhand fashion. On Depop, where many of the younger generation go for preloved styles, you can easily and relatively cheaply source the cowboy boots and baseball caps, bows and Longchamp bags that will help you keep up with the latest trends. On Vestiaire or TheRealReal, luxury fashion fans can find iconic bags from heritage labels such as Gucci and Chanel all for less than they would cost new, making high-end fashion more accessible to a wider range of people. But it is not all good news. The danger is that the ease with which it is possible to shop secondhand, as well as its relative affordability, is making attitudes towards it more akin to that of fast fashion. Rather than being treated as something to treasure and take care of, it can be seen as disposable in the way other garments might. Without the guilt of having bought something new, there is a worry that consumers use it as an excuse to continue to consume at pace. The consequences are not evenly meted out. As the Or Foundation stated in its Stop Waste Colonialism report: “The fashion industry uses the global secondhand clothing trade as a de facto waste management strategy.” Based in Kantamanto market in Accra, Ghana, it is dedicated to tackling the injustice of fashion’s trash problem. While it remains to be seen whether some of these secondhand businesses can turn a profit, it will not be for want of appetite for preloved fashion.