ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 26, 2024-- OneRail today announced its No. 66 ranking on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 TM — a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech and energy tech companies in North America, now in its 30th year. Deloitte Fast 500 measures the growth of companies in the last three years, and OneRail grew 2,082% during that time frame. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126001147/en/ OneRail Ranked 66th Fastest-Growing Company in North America on the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500TM. With a real-time connected network of 12 million drivers, OneRail matches the right vehicle for the right delivery so brands lower expenses and increase capacity to rapidly scale their businesses. This people-plus-platform approach features a 24/7 USA-based exceptions team who maintain a 98% on-time delivery rate. (Graphic: Business Wire) “OneRail's revenue growth is a direct reflection of our commitment to solving the most pressing challenges retailers and wholesalers face today,” OneRail Founder and CEO Bill Catania said. “By expanding our OmniPoint ® platform capabilities, we've empowered businesses to meet the rising demand for same-day delivery, while maintaining their delivery promise. Our ability to streamline the last mile, optimize performance and deliver reliability has positioned us as a trusted partner in a rapidly evolving logistics landscape.” “For 30 years, we’ve been celebrating companies that are actively driving innovation. The software industry continues to be a beacon of growth, and the fintech industry made a strong showing on this year’s list, surpassing life sciences for the first time,” said Steve Fineberg , vice chair, U.S. technology sector leader, Deloitte. “Significantly, we also saw a breakthrough in performance of private companies, with the highest number of private companies named to the list in our program’s history. This year’s winners have shown they have the vision and expertise to continue to perform at a high level, and that deserves to be celebrated.” “Innovation, transformation and disruption of the status quo are at the forefront for this year’s Technology Fast 500 list, and there’s no better way to celebrate 30 years of program history,” said Christie Simons , partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP and industry leader for technology, media and telecommunications within Deloitte’s Audit & Assurance practice. “This year’s winning companies have demonstrated a continuous commitment to growth and remarkable consistency in driving forward progress. We extend our congratulations to all of this year’s winners — it’s an incredible time for innovation.” OneRail previously ranked 24th as a 2023 Technology Fast 500 award winner. OneRail has continued its growth story in 2024, recently announcing $42 million in Series C financing lead by Aliment Capital, having been named to FreightWaves’ FreightTech 25 at number 19, being honored on Forbes’ 2024 and 2023 lists of America’s Best Startup Employers, and having been selected as 2024 Last Mile Company of the Year for the SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards. OneRail was also recognized in the 2024 Gartner® Hype CycleTM for Supply Chain Execution Technologies , 2024 Gartner® Hype CycleTM for Smart City Technologies, as well as the 2024 Gartner® Market Guide for Last Mile Delivery Technology Solutions. Overall, 2024 Technology Fast 500 companies achieved revenue growth ranging from 201% to 153,625% over the three-year time frame, with an average growth rate of 1,981% and median growth rate of 460%. About the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Now in its 30th year, the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies — both public and private — in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2020 to 2023. In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company’s operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least US$50,000, and current-year operating revenues of at least US$5 million. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of four years and be headquartered within North America. About OneRail OneRail is a leading omnichannel fulfillment solution pairing best-in-class software with logistics as a service to provide dependability and speed to help businesses meet their delivery promise. With a real-time connected network of 12 million drivers, OneRail matches the right vehicle for the right delivery so brands lower expenses and increase capacity to rapidly scale their businesses. This people-plus-platform approach features a 24/7 USA-based exceptions team who maintain a 98% on-time delivery rate. With its recent acquisition of Orderbot, a distributed order management solution, OneRail is integrating inventory and order management capabilities to enable store-shelf-to-doorstep visibility. By optimizing fulfillment processes, reducing costs and improving order accuracy, OneRail is committed to empowering clients and improving the customer experience. To learn more about OneRail, visit OneRail.com . About Deloitte Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500® and more than 8,500 U.S.-based private companies. At Deloitte, we strive to live our purpose of making an impact that matters by creating trust and confidence in a more equitable society. We leverage our unique blend of business acumen, command of technology, and strategic technology alliances to advise our clients across industries as they build their future . Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Bringing more than 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte’s approximately 460,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com . Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the “Deloitte” name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126001147/en/ CONTACT: Media Inquiries: Diffusion PR for OneRail onerail@diffusionpr.com (646) 571-0120 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA FLORIDA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: DATA MANAGEMENT RAIL APPS/APPLICATIONS TECHNOLOGY LOGISTICS/SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT TRANSPORT SOFTWARE SOURCE: OneRail Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/26/2024 01:31 PM/DISC: 11/26/2024 01:32 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126001147/en Copyright Business Wire 2024.Dore Copper Announces Filing and Mailing of Management Information Circular in Connection with Special Meeting and Encourages Shareholders to Access Meeting Materials Electronically
Good morning, Inequality Insights readers. I'm Wendy Fry. California has expanded its health insurance marketplace, Covered California, to allow Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients to purchase subsidized health plans, CalMatters' health reporter Ana B. Ibarra reports. This is a result of a federal rule that aims to provide health coverage to thousands of "Dreamers," particularly those who are self-employed or lack other insurance options. But the expansion coincides with significant political headwinds. President-elect Donald Trump has attempted to dismantle both programs, though his efforts were unsuccessful during his first term. His recent election raises concern about their future stability.... Wendy Fry , More Wendy Fry , California Divide Reporter , .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow , Class , Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus , Display Inline , .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar , Where Img , Height Auto Max-WidthNEW YORK — Outside Nebraska football team’s hotel, sirens blared, horns honked and music cut through the cold December air. A lengthy procession of cars, escorted by the New York Police Department, paraded through the Manhattan streets reveling with passers-by as they celebrated Hanukkah in full force on Thursday night. While trips to a New York Knicks game, the 9/11 Museum and other sights around New York City have been highlights for the Nebraska football roster, head coach Matt Rhule is pleased with the level of focus he’s seen from his players. “Walking around New York City, there’s a lot of things to do that could pull you away (from the game), but they’ve done everything right and we’ve practiced well,” Rhule said. One final non-football activity took place Friday morning when Rhule, Ty Robinson, Isaac Gifford and Jahmal Banks went to the New York Stock Exchange. Rhule helped ring the bell to denote the opening of the stock markets for the day. People are also reading... Beatrice house suffers severe damage from Christmas fire Is John Dutton real? Meet the powerful rancher seemingly inspiring the 'Yellowstone' legend At the courthouse, Dec. 21, 2024 Beatrice church starts construction on fellowship hall Former Beatrice man sentenced for sex assault of runaway City employee retires after 47 years Gage County supervisors vote down FOP contract offer Two faces charges in January vehicle thefts Downtown Beatrice festive for the holidays Beatrice man pleads guilty to receiving child sex abuse images What’s open and closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2024? Beatrice's Schroeder wins at Junior Angus show Nebraska volleyball libero Lexi Rodriguez signs with LOVB's Omaha team Matt Rhule and Nebraska football plan Pinstripe Bowl practice in Central Park Main Street welcomes new director “I’ve grown up here and if you’d told me in one day I’d be on the floor of the stock exchange ringing the bell and a couple hours later I’d be on the field at Yankee Stadium, I never would have believed you,” Rhule said. Having arrived in New York on Monday, Nebraska has practiced in multiple different locations which include the New York Giants practice facility, Fordham University and a Christmas-day walkthrough inside Central Park. “When we landed we went right to practice, and the first thing we did was put our pads on and hit,” Rhule said. “We’ve given them some free time, we’ve done a lot of cool things and celebrated Christmas together, but at the end of the day this is an opportunity for us to finish our season the right way.” * Friday marked the first time Nebraska stepped foot inside Yankee Stadium for an on-field walkthrough prior to playing in the Pinstripe Bowl. As players and coaches alike soaked up the feeling of being inside the legendary sports venue, Rhule found himself impressed with the bowl game’s setup. “A lot of times they play a football game in a baseball stadium and it’s kinda shoehorned in there, but when they rebuilt Yankee Stadium they certainly did it right because (the field) fits perfectly,” Rhule said. * A photo posted by Nebraska football’s social media accounts on Thursday showed the nine newcomers who traveled with the team and have taken part in NU’s bowl game practices. Transfer defensive end Jaylen George and eight incoming freshmen have gotten a “jumpstart” to their Nebraska careers, Rhule said, by being part of team meetings and the on-field preparation. * With wide receiver Isaiah Neyor having opted out of Nebraska’s bowl game, Rhule identified Jaylen Lloyd and Keelan Smith as two wideouts who could see increased opportunities on Saturday. * Nebraska’s transfer portal efforts are not yet fully finished. Following the New Year, the Huskers can again host transfer players on campus for visits. “We’ll be back at work on the first,” Rhule said. “There’s no break, there’s no vacation and there’s no time away; there’s the game and then we’ll be ready to host people that first week (of January).” Get local news delivered to your inbox!VANCOUVER - A Federal Court judge has dismissed an appeal by a “deeply religious” British Columbia health executive who said he was wrongfully denied employment insurance after being fired three years ago for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Darold Sturgeon was fired as executive director of medical affairs for Interior Health in November 2021 after refusing to get the vaccine based on his Christian beliefs. He applied for employment insurance benefits but was denied due to being fired for “misconduct,” with appeals to two levels of the Social Security Tribunal also failing, leading him to seek a judicial review in Federal Court in August 2023. The ruling says Sturgeon believed the tribunal should have examined his assertion under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that the term “misconduct” did not apply to his case “because he was exercising his freedom of religion.” Justice William Pentney says “recent, abundant and unanimous case law” defined a specific and narrow role for the tribunal’s appeal divisions, focusing on an employee’s conduct, and not justification for and employer’s policies or compliance with the Charter. The ruling says Sturgeon’s appeal fell “outside the mandate” of the tribunal and he could have challenged Interior Health’s mandatory vaccine police “through other avenues.” These included advancing a Charter claim, lodging a wrongful dismissal suit or labour grievance, or complaining to the British Columbia Human Rights Commission. “The point is, there were other avenues available to pursue the Charter question; this decision does not cut off the only avenue of relief,” the ruling says. It added of Sturgeon, who represented himself, that “no one has doubted that he acted based on his understanding of his religious obligations,” and that he had “ably advanced his arguments.” “However, despite his sincere and thoughtful arguments, the binding jurisprudence requires that I find against him,” the ruling says. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.
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After weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey , U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is urging the federal government to deploy better drone-tracking technology to identify and ultimately stop the airborne pests. The New York Democrat is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy special technology that identifies and tracks drones back to their landing spots, according to briefings from his office. Schumer’s calls come amid growing public concern that the federal government hasn’t offered clear explanations as to who is operating the drones, and has not stopped them. National security officials have said the drones don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference. “There’s a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, on Fox News Sunday. “The answer ‘We don’t know’ is not a good enough answer.” President-elect Donald Trump posted on social media last week: “Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so. Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down.” What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey? Dozens of witnesses have reported seeing drones in New Jersey starting in November. 3 days ago Certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security have the power to “incapacitate” drones, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. “But we need those authorities expanded,” he said, without saying exactly how. The drones don’t appear to be linked to foreign governments, Mayorkas said. “We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter,” Mayorkas said. Last year, federal aviation rules began requiring certain drones to broadcast their identities. It’s not clear whether that information has been used to determine who is operating the drones swarming locations in New York and New Jersey. Mayorkas’ office didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether they’ve been able to identify drones using this capability. Schumer is calling for recently declassified radar technology to be used to help determine whether an object is a drone or a bird, identify its electronic registration, and follow it back to its landing place. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday said federal officials were sending a drone detection system to the state. “This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations,” Hochul said in a statement. The governor did not immediately provide additional details, including where the system will be deployed. Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month over New Jersey, raising concerns among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility and over Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Get daily updates from WHYY News! The free WHYY News Daily newsletter delivers the most important local stories to your inbox. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
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Americans say they're most grateful for friends and family this year. That may be one reason a big majority plans to avoid political discussions at the Thanksgiving table. In the wake of Donald Trump's victory , Trump voters and Republicans are relatively a bit more open to political chat than Kamala Harris voters and Democrats are, but most on either side aren't particularly looking forward to politics with their poultry. When asked to choose from a list, it's family and friends that Americans say they're especially thankful for this year. It is the top choice across a wide swath of Americans, including all regions, age and racial groups, and across the political spectrum. Following family and friends, Americans say they are especially thankful for their health and freedom. Matters of politics and government rank at the bottom of the list. Whether people plan to engage in political conversation at Thanksgiving may depend on the company. Many people do report that they'll be gathering with like-minded voters this Thanksgiving: Harris voters say they'll mostly be with fellow Harris supporters and Trump voters say they'll mostly be with fellow Trump supporters. When that happens, they'll be relatively more open to political discussion than those who'll be spending the holiday with a mix of voters, or with those who mostly voted for the other candidate. All that said, few are going out of their way to avoid political differences altogether. Just 1 in 10 say they have changed their plans to avoid gathering with people who voted for a different presidential candidate than they did. Despite the political differences between Trump and Harris voters, at least one thing they share is their gratitude for their family and friends. Fred Backus contributed to this report. This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,232 U.S. adults interviewed between November 19-22, 2024. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to gender, age, race, and education, based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as 2024 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±2.3 points. Toplines Cbsnews 20241124 Tue-thanks by CBSNews.com on Scribd
The Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. As reaction poured in from around the world, President Joe Biden mourned Carter’s death, saying the world lost an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” and he lost a dear friend. Biden cited Carter’s compassion and moral clarity, his work to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and advocacy for the disadvantaged as an example for others. “To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement. “He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.” Biden said he is ordering a state funeral for Carter in Washington. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. ‘Jimmy Who?’ His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. ‘A wonderful life’ At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” By Bill Barrow for the Associated Press Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) announcement of a dedicated green energy auction (GEA) for offshore wind projects next year has serious industry players excitedly charging ahead like surfers eyeing that perfect swell into the deep sea—but are we ready to catch the big wave on these uncharted waters, or will we dip our toes in the shallow end? The rising titans of the offshore wind industry know exactly what they’re after—they are laser-focused on taking that plunge for billion-dollar investments to anchor themselves at the heart of the Philippines’ bold energy transition goal. The big question is: how do we turn these fancy project blueprints into tangible gigawatt-producing wind farms without getting blown off course? Offshore wind: Policy & regulations The newly-released study from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) on "The Philippines Offshore Wind Supply Chain" isn’t just prescriptive and revealing — it’s an unflinching battle plan, outlining 15 critical policy and regulatory fixes that must be tackled head-on to turn targeted projects into actual gigawatt-installations. During the study’s presentation, GWEC Philippines Country Manager Ann Margret Francisco made it crystal clear: that to hit the government’s ambitious 2028 offshore wind generation target, “we need the right environment, the right policies, the right frameworks, a solid supply chain, and a robust offtake (power supply agreement) mechanism.” She acknowledged that there’s still a heated debate over what the industry can truly solidify by 2028—whether it’s construction, the first turbine on water, or actual kilowatt-hours of electricity generation—but the momentum is undeniable. The offshore wind sector is already gaining ground, rallying key players from government to financial institutions, industry groups, and embassies to push for policies that will make these projects a reality. Francisco cited that “the Philippines is off to a good start with the government showing a strong political will in developing its offshore wind market.” But she didn’t sugarcoat the challenges, emphasizing that “for the Philippines to fully capitalize on these offshore wind opportunities, the government needs to refine existing policies and scale up its local supply chain.” The GWEC’s supply chain-underpinned study cuts through the noise with 15 essential policy fixes that had been broken down into four sub-categories, starting with the heavy lifting of crafting a clear regulatory framework and streamlining permitting. This tackles five core issues: building a realistic, long-term offshore wind pipeline; securing transmission capacity linked to auction awards; ensuring policy continuity through changing administrations; establishing an Inter-Ministerial Task Force for Offshore Wind; and setting competitive GEAR (green energy auction reserve) prices— all while keeping consumer protection front and center. Next up on the roll is a deep dive into industry incentives and risk mitigation – and these are fleshed out into three key concerns: promoting retail electricity options for supply chain manufacturers, designating offshore wind projects as ‘infrastructure projects of national importance’; and unlocking export incentives for supply chain companies while ensuring they serve the domestic market. Third on the industry’s policy wish list is a purposeful engagement in workforce development and capacity building - segregated into five critical actions: leveraging the Department of Science and Technology’s Balik Scientist Program as an immediate solution to tap Filipino talent for the offshore wind sector; creating long-term strategies to lure skilled workers back to the country; upskilling local talent to meet the industry's specific needs; boosting the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) institutional capacity; and enhancing the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre’s (PITC) expertise to promote offshore wind and its growing supply chain. At the heart of reskilling and upskilling for green jobs in offshore wind, the study highlights the Norwegian Training Initiative in Manila as a transformative force —pioneering a program that will equip Filipino seafarers with the specialized skills needed to power the offshore wind industry forward. According to GWEC, a powerful partnership is being firmed up between the Norwegian Training Center (NTC) in Manila and the Norwegian Shipowners Association (NSA) in Oslo; “to ensure that the Philippines will be able to produce the right personnel needed for offshore wind deployment.” The fourth and final focus zeroes in on mapping the industry’s competitive advantage, tackling two paramount hurdles: first, crafting targeted pitches to draw more supply chain players—ranging from steel production and shipbuilding to the extraction of critical minerals like those needed for transmission cables; and second, urging the Department of Trade and Industry’s Investment Promotion Group (DTI-IPG) to identify other Philippine industries with transferrable skills that could fuel the offshore wind industry’s growth. Simply put, the Philippines’ ambitious offshore wind dream is no longer a distant vision—it’s almost certain that it will be making landfall. Now, the power to turn this goal into tangible megawatts and gigawatts rests squarely in the hands of key stakeholders, each holding a crucial piece to ensure that billion-dollar investments flow in and the industry takes solid root. Tidbit: With two ERC Commissioners retiring by July 2025, the industry is already buzzing with speculation about forthcoming big moves. Two early prospective candidates have emerged—one is a current DOE official, and the other is a lawyer-executive entrenched in spot trading of electricity. Place your bets on who’s on deck for the next regulatory spotlight.Jimmy Carter dies: The 39th U.S. president and global humanitarian was 100The coronation of King Charles in May 2023 cost taxpayers at least £72m, official figures have revealed. The cost of policing the ceremony was £21.7m, with a further £50.3m in costs racked up by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. About 20 million people in Britain watched Charles crowned at Westminster Abbey on TV, substantially fewer than the 29 million Britons who had watched the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. The coronation ceremony was attended by dignitaries from around the world, and a star-studded concert took place at Windsor Castle the following night. The annual report and accounts of DCMS, the lead department in Rishi Sunak’s government that worked with the royal household on the coronation, stated that the department “successfully delivered on the central weekend of His Majesty King Charles III’s coronation, enjoyed by many millions both in the UK and across the globe”. It described the coronation as a “once-in-a-generation moment” that enabled the “entire country to come together in celebration”, as well as offering “a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our national identity and showcase the UK to the world”. Republic, which campaigns to replace the monarchy with an elected head of state and more democratic political system, described the coronation as an “obscene” waste of taxpayers’ money. “I would be very surprised if £72m was the whole cost,” the Republic CEO, Graham Smith, told the Guardian. As well as the Home Office policing and DCMS costs included in the figures, he said the Ministry of Defence, Transport for London, fire brigades and local councils also incurred costs related to the coronation, with other estimates putting the totalspend at between £100m and £250m. “But even that kind of money – £72m – is incredible,” Smith added. “It’s a huge amount of money to spend on one person’s parade when there was no obligation whatsoever in the constitution or in law to have a coronation, and when we were facing cuts to essential services. “It was a parade that Charles insisted on at huge expense to the taxpayer, and this is on top of the huge inheritance tax bill he didn’t [have to] pay, on top of the £500m-a-year cost of the monarchy.” Under a clause agreed in 1993 by the then prime minister, John Major, any inheritance passed “sovereign to sovereign” avoids the 40% levy applied to assets valued at more than £325,000. Smith added: “It was an extravagance we simply didn’t have to have. It was completely unnecessary and a waste of money in the middle of a cost of living crisis in a country that is facing huge amounts of child poverty. “When kids are unable to afford lunches at school, to spend over £70m on this parade is obscene.”
None“We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes — and we must.” Jimmy Carter, at his 2002 Nobel Peace Prize lecture Former President Jimmy Carter, a man who redefined what a post-presidency could be, died Sunday. Dec. 29. He was 100. Carter, who lived longer than any other U.S. president, entered home hospice care in Plains, Georgia, in February 2023 after a series of short hospital stays. Carter had the longest post-presidency of anyone to hold the office, and one of the most active. After a one-term presidency, which ended with low approval ratings, Carter emerged as a champion of human rights and worked for several charitable causes. Carter founded the Carter Presidential Center at Emory University in Atlanta. The center, which began in 1982, is devoted to issues relating to democracy and human rights. The only Georgian ever elected to the White House, Carter left office after a single term that was highlighted by forging peace between Israel and Egypt, but was overshadowed by the Iran hostage crisis. In the decades after, his reputation grew through his and wife Rosalynn Carter’s work at the Carter Center in Atlanta and his philanthropic causes such as Habitat for Humanity. “People will be celebrating Jimmy Carter for hundreds of years. His reputation is only going to grow,” Rice University history professor Douglas Brinkley wrote in his book “The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter.” In 1986, The Carter Center began leading an international campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease. The disease may soon become the second human disease in history, after smallpox, to be eradicated. Since 1984, Carter worked with Habitat for Humanity International, an organization that works worldwide to provide housing for underprivileged people. WASHINGTON – APRIL 27: (FILE PHOTO) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter walks past a Naval Honor Guard during a dedication ceremony for a nuclear submarine bearing his name at the Pentagon April 27, 1998 in Washington, DC. Carter served in the U.S. Navy prior to his political career. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced October 11, 2002 that Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002. (Photo by Robert Giroux/Getty Images) LAGRANGE, GA – JUNE 10: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalyn attach siding to the front of a Habitat for Humanity home being built June 10, 2003 in LaGrange, Georgia. More than 90 homes are being built in LaGrange; Valdosta, Georgia; and Anniston, Alabama by volunteers as part of Habitat for Humanity International’s Jimmy Carter Work Project 2003. (Photo by Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images) OSLO, NORWAY – DECEMBER 10: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter holds up his Nobel Peace Prize December 10, 2002 in Oslo, Norway. Carter was recognized for many years of public service and urged others to work for peace during his acceptance speech. (Photo by Arne Knudsen/Getty Images) WASHIGTON – NOVEMBER 18: U.S. President George W. Bush (R) stands with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (L), winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, with H. Robert Horvitz, recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine, looking on during a reception for 2002 U.S. Nobel laureates in the White House Oval Office November 18, 2002 in Washington, DC. The official awards ceremony will be held later this year in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Robert Trippett/Getty Images) VIOLET, LA – MAY 21: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter works on the 1,000th home to be built by Habitat for Humanity on the Gulf Coast May 21, 2007 in Violet, Louisiana. Carter made waves May 19 when he said that the Bush administration “has been the worst in history”, in an interview published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) Former US president Jimmy Carter (C) and his wife Rosalynn (R) inspect some of the 32 houses being built for poor families under the Habitat for Humanity campaign at Dong Xa village, in the northern province of Hai Duong on November 18, 2009. The volunteers for Habitat for Humanity will build or repair 166 homes in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam on the November 15-20 tour, the Atlanta-based Christian group said. AFP PHOTO/HOANG DINH Nam (Photo credit should read HOANG DINH NAM/AFP via Getty Images) PLAINS, GA – OCTOBER 11: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter greets the crowd after a news conference at The Carter Center October 11, 2002 in Plains, Georgia. Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize October 11, 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and peace mediation efforts, with the Norwegian Nobel Committee adding that his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter was noted for the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. (Photo by Ken Krakow/Getty Images) NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 12, 2000: (FILE PHOTO) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter walks outside of a Habitat for Humanity home September 12, 2000 in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize October 11, 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and peace mediation efforts, with the Norwegian Nobel Committee adding that his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter was noted for the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) NEW YORK – OCTOBER 8: (FILE PHOTO) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter leaves a news conference where he and Raymond V. Gilmartin, President and CEO of Merck and Co., presented a model for global health care October 8, 2002 in New York City. Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize October 11, 2002 for his efforts to promote human rights and peace mediation efforts, with the Norwegian Nobel Committee adding that his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter was noted for the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 23: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter answers a question during a panel discussion at the University of Illinois at Chicago as part of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates on April 23, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates convenes in Chicago today and runs through Wednesday, April 25. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Former US President and Nobel Prize for Peace winner Jimmy Carter takes part in the building of houses for “Habitat for Humanity International” ONG 25 October, 2004 in Puebla, 110 km west of Mexico City. US President George W. Bush “has been adroit” at exploiting the suffering caused by the September 11 attacks, his predecessor Jimmy Carter said in an interview with the Guardian published Monday. AFP PHOTO/Ronaldo SCHEMIDT (Photo by Ronaldo SCHEMIDT / AFP) (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images) WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 04: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (R) speaks as Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford (L) looks on during a news conference for the kick-off of an all-week construction project to mark the World Habitat Day and the annual Habitat for Humanity Carter Work Project October 4, 2010 in the Ivy City neighborhood of Washington, DC. Carter was recently released from an Ohio hospital after being treated for a viral infection. Under the project a total of 86 homes will be built, rehabilitated or repaired in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; and Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) WASHINGTON – APRIL 27: (FILE PHOTO) Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter walks past a Naval Honor Guard during a dedication ceremony for a nuclear submarine bearing his name at the Pentagon April 27, 1998 in Washington, DC. Carter served in the U.S. Navy prior to his political career. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced October 11, 2002 that Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002. (Photo by Robert Giroux/Getty Images) James Earl Carter Jr. was born in Plains on Oct. 1, 1924, the first of four children of Earl Carter, a farmer and businessman, and Lillian Gordy Carter, a registered nurse. Related: Jimmy Carter turns 99 with family around him He gained an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduated and joined the Navy submarine branch where in seven years he worked his way into “Rickover’s boys,” the elite nascent unit of America’s nuclear submarine fleet championed by the iconic Admiral Hyman Rickover. Carter was on his way up until a death at home changed his destiny. His father Earl, a farmer, businessman and cornerstone personality in the Plains community, died from cancer. Carter left the Navy and its far-from-Plains postings such as Hawaii, and he, Rosalynn and their growing family returned to Georgia in 1953 to take over the family farming business. It was there he first ran for school board, then state senator. He was elected governor in 1970. Carter served one successful term before launching an improbable bid to become president, winning the Democratic nomination and then defeating Republican President Gerald Ford in November 1976. On his inauguration day, rather than driving past the crowds in an armored limousine, Jimmy and Rosalynn emerged from the car with daughter Amy at their side and walked down Pennsylvania Avenue, holding hands and waving. Carter’s successes included promoting human rights, adding to the national park and preserve system, reestablishing governmental credibility after the Watergate Crisis, and the Camp David Accords, which forged a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. They were overshadowed by trouble at home and abroad. At home, Carter and his advisers, most of them Washington outsiders, met resistance from his own party. Then, in November 1979, Iranian militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took hostages. He tried negotiation, then launched a bold rescue mission that never reached its target because of helicopter failure. He could not resolve the situation until the last day of his administration. At home, a foundering economy exacerbated by oil embargoes from Mideast countries and the rise of the Republican Party under Ronald Reagan helped lead to his defeat in November 1980. Carter returned to tiny Plains and used the power of an ex-president’s bully pulpit as the springboard to his last, and, some say, his best act. Carter began volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, a fairly new Americus-based organization, building houses for the poor. Then, together with Rosalynn, he founded the Atlanta-based Carter Center, which focused on making peace and spreading health and democracy around the world. It will carry the couple’s humanitarian and democratic work forward. From his work as president and as the leader of the Carter Center, he won the Nobel Prize, the United National Human Rights Prize and many other notable awards from countries, organizations and world leaders. The Carters both were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. ”Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter,” Clinton said, “have done more good things for more people in more places than any other couple on the face of the Earth.” Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy Carter’s wife of 77 years, died in November 2023 . They are survived by their children Amy, Chip, Jack and Jeff; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Sources: Cartercenter.org, Plains Historical Preservation Trust, The Associated Press; The Brookings Institution; U.S. Navy; WhiteHouse.gov, Gallup
Bengaluru: A tele-serial actor in his late 20s was arrested on charges of sexually harassing and blackmailing a 29-year-old actress. The accused — Charit Balappa, alias Druvant Talwar, a resident of NGEF Layout — was arrested by RR Nagar police under BNS Sections 115 (Voluntarily causing hurt), 308 (Extortion), 351 (Criminal intimidation), and 75 (Physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures). According to the complainant, who acts in Kannada and Telugu serials, she and Charit became friends in Nov 2023. But his behaviour towards her changed recently. "Knowing that I lived alone, he often came to my house. Many a time, Charit would force me to get into a physical relationship with him. Slowly, I started distancing myself, but he started to blackmail me, saying he would upload videos of our private moments on social media. Often, he demanded money too..." her statement read. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword .
Officials from Mexico, Canada and China and major industry groups warned that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's threat of hefty tariffs on goods would harm the economies of all involved, causing inflation to spike and damaging job markets. The news roiled currency, bond and equity markets on Tuesday, as the three countries are the U.S.'s largest trading partners. Mexico and Canada are particularly intertwined in U.S. auto production and energy output. Trump's plan to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports does not exempt crude oil, two sources familiar with the plan told Reuters on Tuesday. Leaders and other top officials urged cooperation and dialogue in their initial reactions to Trump's surprise announcement on Monday for tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% levy on Chinese goods until the three countries clamp down on the flow of illicit drugs and migrant border crossings. "To one tariff will follow another in response and so on, until we put our common businesses at risk," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said during a regular press conference. Sheinbaum said she planned to send a letter to Trump and would seek a call with him to discuss the issue. A Bank of Canada official said that any move by Trump to deliver on the threat would reverberate on both sides of the U.S. northern border. "What happens in the U.S. has a big impact on us, and something like this would clearly have an impact on both economies," Deputy Governor Rhys Mendes said during an audience question-and-answer session in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Earlier, a spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington said: "No one will win a trade war or a tariff war." The three countries shipped a total of more than $1 trillion of goods to the United States in the first nine months of the year, led by Mexico and followed by China and then Canada, according to U.S. Commerce Department data as of September. Tariffs are paid by the companies that import goods, even though Trump frequently erroneously states that tariffs would be imposed on the foreign nations in question. The threatened levies would appear to violate the terms of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on trade. The deal, which Trump signed into law, took effect in 2020 and continued the largely duty-free trade between the three North American countries; the deal sunsets in 2026. Warren Maruyama, former general counsel for the U.S. Trade Representative under President George H.W. Bush, said Trump's threat could be acted on with relative ease by declaring a national emergency, which would unlock the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. "If precedent is any indication, it's a serious uphill fight" to challenge actions taken under that umbrella, he said. 'DISASTER FOR THE U.S. AUTO INDUSTRY' Trump's broadside sent the Mexican and Canadian currencies tumbling, and shares of U.S. and European automakers dropped on the increased uncertainty. "If implemented, this would spell disaster for the U.S. auto industry and Detroit Three manufacturers, all of whom import significant numbers of vehicles from Canada and Mexico, as well as Volkswagen and other European OEMs," Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska said in a note. Ford F.N and General Motors GM.N were among automakers whose shares fell sharply. Energy shares were mixed. Drilling and refining industry lobbying groups warned of big effects, including higher import prices and less available supplies of oil feedstocks and products, as well as potential retaliation that could hurt consumers. The United States needs to import crude oil to meet its daily consumption needs, and Canada is its biggest foreign supplier, sending more than 4 million barrels daily, largely by pipeline. "Maintaining the free flow of energy products across our borders is critical for North American energy security and U.S. consumers," said Scott Lauermann, spokesperson for API, a trade group representing the U.S. natural gas and oil industry. Deutsche Bank analysts on Tuesday estimated the proposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada would increase U.S. inflation temporarily, and they raised their 2025 core personal consumption expenditure price index inflation forecast from 2.6% to 3.7%. It was at 2.7% in September. FOCUS ON FENTANYL Trump had pledged throughout his presidential campaign to levy tariffs of varying degrees on U.S. trading partners, part of his promise to "put America first." Imposing import duties was a major policy plank during his first four-year term, and like now, he has also threatened them for non-economic reasons. In 2019, he threatened 5% tariffs on Mexico over the influx of migrants over the southern U.S. border, but called then off after Mexico agreed to take steps to tighten border controls. In the current case, the flow into the U.S. of illicit drugs, particularly fentanyl, was added to Trump's mix of grievances with the three countries. The number of U.S. deaths from fentanyl overdoses actually declined in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although nearly 75,000 people still succumbed to the powerful opioid. Some said the tariffs could be an opening bid for negotiation. "It leaves the door open to Canada and Mexico coming up with a credible plan over the next two months to try and avoid those tariffs," said Thomas Ryan, North America economist at Capital Economics. Regarding China, Trump in a post on his social media site said: "Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America." It was not entirely clear what that would mean for China as Trump has previously pledged to end China's most-favored-nation trading status and slap tariffs on Chinese imports in excess of 60% - much higher than those imposed during his first term. —Reuters
Remembering a Visit to Jimmy Carter in Plains, Georgia
The rise and fall of strongmen, and justice for a woman unbowed'We are on it': US official seeks to allay drone sighting concerns