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Louis Rees-Zammit re-signs as wide receiver for Jacksonville Jaguars Louis Rees-Zammit re-signs as wide receiver for Jacksonville Jaguars The former Wales wing was a free agent after the Jaguars opted not to sign him on a reserve/future contract, so he was able to negotiate with any team. Rees-Zammit shocked rugby union in January 2024 when he announced he was quitting the sport to enter the NFL’s international player pathway, a 10-week ****** course designed to teach and assess aspiring players. Initially signed to the Kansas City Chiefs for pre-season training, he moved on to Jacksonville last August and will now remain there for the next stage of his development. Rees-Zammit scored 14 tries for Wales in 32 games. His last appearance for the national side was in the World Cup quarter-final defeat against Argentina, the first loss in what has become a record 14 consecutive Test defeats that led to Warren Gatland’s departure during the 2025 Six Nations. Rees-Zammit has yet to feature in the NFL, but he played three pre-season games for the Chiefs and was in New Orleans to watch his former employers miss out on a third successive Super Bowl triumph. Source link #Louis #ReesZammit #resigns #wide #receiver #Jacksonville #Jaguars Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Leader of cult-like group linked to killings arrested Leader of cult-like group linked to killings arrested Police have arrested a man touted as the leader of the cult-like Zizians, which has been tied to at least six killings across the US. Source link #Leader #cultlike #group #linked #killings #arrested Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Delta plane flips on landing at Toronto airport, injuring 8 Delta plane flips on landing at Toronto airport, injuring 8 (Reuters) -A plane crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday and injured eight people, officials said, with CBC television reporting the plane flipped on landing. Video posted by News Channel3 Now showed a Delta Air Lines plane belly up on a snow-covered tarmac, with people walking away from the plane. Of the eight injuries, one was critical and the rest were mild to moderate, Peel Regional Paramedic Services Supervisor Lawrence Saindon said. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. Toronto’s Pearson Airport said it was aware of an incident involving a Delta plane arriving from Minneapolis and that emergency teams were responding. All passengers and crew were accounted for, the airport said in a statement on X. Representatives for Delta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “There is a plane ******. However, we don’t know the circumstances surrounding it at this point,” said Constable Sarah Patten of the Peel Regional Police in Ontario. “It is my understanding that most of the passengers are out and unharmed, but we’re still trying to make sure so we’re still on scene investigating,” Patten said. Toronto Pearson Airport’s website showed more than four dozen delayed flights leaving and arriving at the airport. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said there was a ground stop at the airport. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the independent agency that investigates plane crashes, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ****** in Canada comes after some other recent crashes in North America in late January. An Army helicopter collided with a passenger jet in Washington, killing 67 people, while at least seven people died when a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia. (Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Additional reporting by Ryan Jones, Kanishka Singh, Jasper Ward; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) Source link #Delta #plane #flips #landing #Toronto #airport #injuring Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Tuesday Briefing: E.U. Discusses Security and Ukraine Tuesday Briefing: E.U. Discusses Security and Ukraine E.U. leaders met as the U.S. moved forward on Ukraine European leaders convened in Paris yesterday to discuss a coordinated response as the Trump administration prepared to start its own talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine. Leaders were also expected to discuss issues including military spending and how to guarantee Ukraine’s security once a permanent cease-fire or a peace deal was reached. But what would an end to the war look like? Right now, Ukraine has few options for reversing Russia’s recent gains on the battlefield, and any deal is likely to involve Kyiv having to make painful territorial concessions. Russia is suffering about 1,000 casualties a day, and its economy is hurting under runaway inflation amid enormous war spending. A settlement could pave the way for a reduction of Western sanctions. Here’s what the experts think could happen next. Diplomacy: President Volodymyr Zelensky was in the United Arab Emirates yesterday for talks with Russia that are focused on prisoner exchanges and the return of Ukrainian children from Russia. U.S. envoys met with Saudi Arabia’s leader Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with two other U.S. envoys, met yesterday in Saudi Arabia with the kingdom’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Rubio and his colleagues were expected to press the Saudi leadership to propose a vision for postwar Gaza. Few details were released about the meetings, except for a video in which the prince said he was glad to work with the Trump administration. Trump has been widely criticized for his idea to depopulate and occupy Gaza. Cease-fire: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet ministers were set to debate advancing negotiations on extending the truce with ******. China’s leader embraced private enterprise Xi Jinping, China’s president, met yesterday with his country’s business leaders in what was seen as a show of support for private enterprise. The Alibaba Group founder, Jack Ma, was there in his first public appearance with Xi since Beijing stopped the $34 billion initial public offering of Ma’s Ant Group in 2020, sending the message that no company was above the ******** ********** Party. Some executives saw the summit as a sign of a course correction after Xi sidelined the private sector in favor of state-owned enterprises. But it was not yet clear whether the meeting would result in positive change for companies or help address China’s broader economic woes. Related: ******* automakers are losing the ******** market to rivals that have shifted the definition of a high-end car to one that is electric, smart and affordable. MORE TOP NEWS Fake-meat products, made from plants like soybeans and peas, seem to check the boxes for a healthier diet. But it’s not always better to eat your vegetables: Fake meat can be highly processed and contain large amounts of sodium. While the industry rapidly evolves and recipes are tweaked, studies on the benefits have yielded mixed results. Here’s what we know, based on the science at hand. Lives lived: Zakia Jafri, who waged a decades-long legal battle against government officials in India after her husband was killed during sectarian riots, died at 86. CONVERSATION STARTERS An animated bear’s lasting appeal Since “Paddington 2” was released in 2017 in the U.K., the film about a marmalade-loving bear has become an internet phenomenon. Piggybacking off that success is the third installment, “Paddington in Peru,” now in theaters. It has already passed $100 million in global ticket sales. “Paddington 2” had modest box office success, but DVD and streaming releases sparked a devoted community of fans who fiercely adore the outsider bear. For a time, that movie was even the best-reviewed film ever on the site Rotten Tomatoes — that is, until one critic wrote a negative review, provoking what he said were doxxing and death threats. Read more about what fans call “the greatest film ever made.” RECOMMENDATIONS Source link #Tuesday #Briefing #E.U #Discusses #Security #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Delta flight crashes at Toronto airport, all expected to survive – ABC News Delta flight crashes at Toronto airport, all expected to survive – ABC News Delta flight crashes at Toronto airport, all expected to survive ABC NewsLIVE UPDATES: One kid, two adults critically injured after airplane ****** at Toronto Pearson CTV NewsEmergency teams respond to Delta plane landing incident, says Toronto Pearson Airport CNNDelta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis appears to ****** in Toronto USA TODAYEmergency crews responding to plane on fire at Toronto Pearson Airport CityNews Toronto Source link #Delta #flight #crashes #Toronto #airport #expected #survive #ABC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

California’s Push for Electric Trucks Sputters Under Trump California’s Push for Electric Trucks Sputters Under Trump President Trump’s policies could threaten many big green energy projects in the coming years, but his election has already dealt a big blow to an ambitious California effort to replace thousands of diesel-fueled trucks with battery-powered semis. The California plan, which has been closely watched by other states and countries, was meant to take a big leap forward last year, with a requirement that some of the more than 30,000 trucks that move cargo in and out of ports start using semis that don’t emit carbon dioxide. But after Mr. Trump was elected, California regulators withdrew their plan, which required a federal waiver that the new administration, which is closely aligned with the oil industry, would most likely have rejected. That leaves the state unable to force trucking businesses to clean up their fleets. It was a big setback for the state, which has long been allowed to have tailpipe emission rules that are stricter than federal standards because of California’s infamous smog. Some transportation experts said that even before Mr. Trump’s election, California’s effort had problems. The batteries that power electric trucks are too expensive. They take too long to charge. And there aren’t enough places to plug the trucks in. “It was excessively ambitious,” said Daniel Sperling, a professor at the University of California, Davis, who specializes in sustainable transportation, referring to the program that made truckers buy green rigs. California officials insist that their effort is not doomed and say they will keep it alive with other rules and by providing truckers incentives to go electric. “We know we have a lot of work to do, but we also have tools to accomplish this,” said Liane M. Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board, the state body that sets clean air standards, at the ceremonial opening of a truck charging station near the Port of Long Beach in January. California requires truck manufacturers to sell an increasing number of zero-emissions heavy trucks in the state. This rule is more protected from any challenge by the Trump administration. In an agreement struck after the rule was introduced, the manufacturers committed to comply with its requirements regardless of the outcome of any future litigation, and California agreed to soften the rule. In theory, California’s plans to first electrify port trucks had a lot going for it. Fumes from such vehicles contribute to well-documented health problems like childhood asthma in neighborhoods near the ports and warehouses. Heavy-duty transportation in California is estimated to emit as much carbon dioxide, the main cause of climate change, annually as New Zealand. Also, these trucks travel distances that battery-powered semis can handle on one charge, roughly 200 miles. The hope was that — with the right regulatory sticks and carrots — carriers, truck manufacturers, charging companies and utilities would create an electric trucking network that would serve as springboard for a broader effort to remove diesel rigs from the state by 2045. It was not that simple in practice. Port truckers are overwhelmingly small operators that earn only slim profits. They typically prefer used diesel rigs that sell for as little as $40,000 and are reluctant to take on the financial risk of acquiring electric tractor-trailers, which can cost around $150,000 after government incentives. Without that aid, the trucks cost $500,000. Truckers make money by wringing as many hours as possible out of trucks. But electric rigs can take up to two hours to charge. “The reality is we don’t really expect to make much money with these trucks right now,” said Erick Gordon, vice president of Redefined Transportation, whose fleet of 25 diesel rigs moves containers from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to warehouses in the area. He is weighing whether to lease five electric trucks. The state had hoped to require newly registered port trucks to be zero-emissions vehicles — most such trucks today run on batteries. Since port truckers must retire diesel vehicles after a certain number of years, the rule would have gradually removed all diesel trucks from ports. California had sought a waiver for the rule from the Environmental Protection Agency because the regulation is stricter than federal standards. But the Biden administration did not approve the request in its final weeks. Still, some trucking executives said they intended to keep deploying electric trucks. “It doesn’t really have any impact on where we’re going,” said Jessica Cordero, a vice president at NFI Cal Cartage, a large logistics company. “We have our own initiatives and goals.” NFI has 70 electric and 50 diesel trucks operating in California, and used grants to cover the cost of the vehicles. The electric fleet is turning a profit, Ms. Cordero said, in part because it costs less to fuel and maintain the vehicles. Rudy Diaz, chief executive of Hight Logistics, a port trucking company in Long Beach with 20 electric semis and chargers in its yard, said he, too, had achieved significant cost savings. But now that port truckers aren’t required to buy green vehicles, he fears that competitors deploying much cheaper diesel vehicles will have an advantage. “It makes me nervous — we invested in this infrastructure and these new trucks hoping that the waiver will pass,” he said, referring to the E.P.A. waiver. Because regulators can no longer force truckers to go green, the financial carrots available to truckers are even more important. Climate United, a group of environmental nonprofits specializing in green investments, plans to spend $250 million it received in August from the Biden administration on 500 electric trucks that it intends to lease to small trucking firms through Forum Mobility, a company that also provides charging. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach impose fees on diesel trucks. Some of those funds have been used to subsidize electric trucks and chargers. And last year, the California Air Resources Board decided that some of the money that electricity utilities get from selling clean energy credits would also be used to subsidize zero-emission trucks. Some people involved in the push think technological advances will help increase use of electric trucks. Salim Youssefzadeh, co-founder and chief executive of WattEV, a truck charging company, said new, higher capacity chargers could allow trucks to charge in just 30 minutes, allowing truckers to get back on the road quickly. In some of its locations, WattEV is building solar and battery storage, which reduces its cost of electricity. Lower prices for electric trucks will also help. Wen Han started an electric truck company, Windrose Technology, in 2022 in China. He aims to start selling his vehicles in the United States this year for around $250,000 — well below the cost of those sold by more established manufacturers. He said he could make money at that price, even with U.S. tariffs, which are 40 percent for the truck Windrose makes, because of his low manufacturing costs. “Our job is to make diesel trucks obsolete,” he said, “and that happens with or without any sort of subsidies.” Bianca Calanche, whose company, Jaspem Truckline, operates at ports in the Los Angeles area, said it would be hard to deploy electric trucks because she didn’t have chargers in her truck depot. But she is still considering them, because she is worried that subsidies for electric trucks will run out and that the state will try to force companies like hers to electrify once Mr. Trump has left office. “This will still come back to us,” she said. “It’s California.” Source link #Californias #Push #Electric #Trucks #Sputters #Trump Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Barrett Bunbury Swim Thru returns for 43rd year to raise funds for local clubs Barrett Bunbury Swim Thru returns for 43rd year to raise funds for local clubs The 43rd annual Barrett Bunbury Swim Thru is returning this weekend to raise funds for City of Bunbury Surf Life Saving Club and Bunbury Rowing Club with a new race distance set to debut. Source link #Barrett #Bunbury #Swim #returns #43rd #year #raise #funds #local #clubs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Canada survives late scare in win over Finland, now faces USA in 4 Nations final Canada survives late scare in win over Finland, now faces USA in 4 Nations final Canada survived a late scare to beat Finland 5-3 in Boston on Monday. Source link #Canada #survives #late #scare #win #Finland #faces #USA #Nations #final Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Republicans Want Lower Taxes. The Hard Part Is Choosing What to Cut. Republicans Want Lower Taxes. The Hard Part Is Choosing What to Cut. Since their party swept to power, Republicans have entertained visions of an all-inclusive tax cut — one that could permanently lower rates for individuals, shower corporations with new incentives and deliver President Trump’s sprawling suite of campaign promises. If only it were so easy. House Republicans are preparing to adopt a budget plan that puts a $4.5 trillion upper limit on the size of the tax cut. Even such a huge sum is not nearly enough for all of their ideas, and so lawmakers must now decide which policy commitments are essential and which ones they can live without. For a sense of the Republican predicament, take a look at the 2017 tax cuts. Many of the measures in that law, including a larger standard deduction and more generous child tax credit, expire at the end of the year. The overriding goal of this year’s bill is to extend the expiring provisions, which provide their largest benefits to the rich, before they end. But accomplishing just that would cost roughly $4 trillion over the next 10 years. Then there’s a coveted business tax break for research and development — which, in an example of the zigzag of tax policy in Washington, Republicans wound down in 2017 and now want to revive. That would be another $150 billion. Allowing companies to once again deduct more of the interest on their debt is another $50 billion. Those changes are the table stakes. They essentially amount to preserving the status quo. And together they would eat up all but $300 billion of the $4.5 trillion Republicans are giving themselves to cut taxes. That’s not very much money, considering the ambitions Mr. Trump and other Republicans have for the bill. The squeeze is on. “You do start running out of space to do other things,” said Andrew Lautz, a tax policy expert at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, reminded reporters recently that Mr. Trump wants the bill to include his ideas to not tax tips ($100 billion, per the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget), not tax overtime pay (at least $250 billion), lower taxes for companies that make their products in the United States (at least $100 billion) and eliminate taxes on Social Security income (at least $550 billion). Oh, and don’t forget the state and local tax deduction. Republicans in 2017 put a $10,000 limit on the amount of state and local tax payments Americans could deduct from their federal tax bill. The cap came over the objections of lawmakers in higher-tax states like New York and New Jersey, and House Republicans from those states have made lifting the $10,000 limit a necessary condition for their votes. They are not shy about threatening to kill the bill in the barely Republican House if they are unsatisfied. Repealing the cap entirely could cost $1 trillion over a decade. More modest proposals to increase the limit would still dramatically add to the cost of the legislation. (Just doubling it to $20,000 for married couples would cost $170 billion.) Republicans pushing to lift the cap acknowledge the headache they are helping create for Representative Jason Smith, a Missouri Republican and the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. “I know Jason wanted a higher number, so more wiggle room,” said Representative Andrew Garbarino, a Republican from New York. “They all know that SALT has to be part of this equation, or it really won’t go anywhere.” Republicans plan to use a byzantine legislative process called reconciliation to pass the bill without support from Democrats. As part of that procedure, each committee is allotted a specific deficit or savings target it has to hit in its section of the legislation. The Ways and Means Committee is allowed to increase the deficit by no more than $4.5 trillion in its section of the bill, while several other committees have been asked to make at least $2 trillion in total spending cuts. Those cuts will largely hit health care and food programs for the poor. As they passed the plan through the Budget Committee on Thursday, Republicans added another dimension to the deal: If the size of the spending cuts ends up below $2 trillion, the $4.5 trillion budget for tax cuts will also drop by the amount of that shortfall. Because the cost of the tax cut needs to net out to $4.5 trillion, Republicans could try raising other taxes, like repealing clean energy subsidies, so they could accomplish more of Mr. Trump’s promises. Privately, though, many Republican tax writers are hoping they can ignore many of Mr. Trump’s ideas. Lawmakers are also considering extending elements of the expiring tax cuts for only a few more years to contain the recorded cost. In that scenario, Republicans would bet that a future Congress would continue the cuts again, replicating a well-worn strategy that now has them agonizing over tax policy from eight years ago. Some analysts loathe short-term tax cuts, arguing that investment incentives, for example, best help grow the economy when companies can count on them for the long term. And ideas like raising the SALT cap do little to generate economic growth. “That’s the trade-off people are struggling with: How do you meet the political need to put these special preferences back in the tax code without abandoning the pro-growth messaging that Republicans are used to,” said Adam Michel, the director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. “There’s a tension between these two, and threading that needle is going to be difficult.” A group of Senate Republicans, including John Thune of South Dakota, the majority leader, wrote Mr. Trump a letter on Thursday opposing any short-term extensions of the 2017 tax law. They argued that Congress should indefinitely continue the cuts, called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. “Congressional Republicans have an historic opportunity to enact this lasting tax relief,” they wrote. “Failure to act boldly does a disservice to the American people who entrusted us to deliver in November.” To the extent that any act of Congress lasts forever — any law can be undone by a future law — the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would be difficult to make an eternal part of the tax code. Legislation that is passed through reconciliation, the special procedure Republicans are using to skirt the 60-vote threshold in the Senate, cannot add to deficits in the long term. Provisions can only increase the deficit for the first 10 years after the passage of the law; after that they must be paid for. Senate Republicans and some Trump administration officials have embraced the possibility of upending Washington’s budget rules so that extending the 2017 tax cuts would appear to cost nothing — and therefore could be permanent. Such a change has already run aground with fiscal hawks in the House, who share the Senate antipathy toward congressional scorekeepers but are unwilling to completely disregard their rules. House Republicans will have to stick to the $4.5 trillion limit. “We’ve had big issues with some of their scoring over the years,” Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 House Republican, said of the Congressional Budget Office. “They’ve been wrong on a lot of things, but you still have to use them. They’re the ones that determine if that number is hit.” Source link #Republicans #Taxes #Hard #Part #Choosing #Cut Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

January 6 Insurrectionists Take Trump Pardons to Horrifying Level January 6 Insurrectionists Take Trump Pardons to Horrifying Level Recently released January 6, 2021 insurrectionists are trying to argue that their presidential pardons should apply to separate crimes they were charged with while they were being investigated for storming the Capitol, The Wall Street Journal reports. Edward Kelley, who was pardoned after assaulting police at the Capitol, is also hoping to overturn a conviction for conspiring to ******* FBI agents who investigated him, forming a “kill list.” He allegedly planned to use drones to bomb the FBI’s Knoxville, Tennessee, branch, and thinks that conviction should be thrown out. “In this instance, there can be no dispute that Kelley’s case in this court is related to the events of January 6th and is covered by the President’s executive action,” his lawyer Mark Brown wrote in a motion on January 27. Fellow rioter Andrew Taake, who served six months in prison for spraying officers at the Capitol with bear spray, was released from prison on January 27 even though he still had outstanding charges for solicitation of a minor in 2016. It took Houston police more than a week to track him down. The lawyer for David Daniel, who is facing child ************ charges, stated that “pretty much all” of the evidence of his client’s ************ crimes stemmed from Daniel’s house being raided due to his January 6 involvement, which, the attorney argues, means those charges should be null and void since he was pardoned for his actions on January 6 four years ago. “Anything that flowed from that case, given the pardon, should be excluded and inadmissible at trial,” Daniel’s lawyer William Terpening told the Journal. This is a frightening line of argument—a literal get-out-of-jail-free card for dangerous, vindictive people who already got one from President Trump. Time will only tell how their unearned reintegration into society will impact the country if their requests are granted Source link #January #Insurrectionists #Trump #Pardons #Horrifying #Level Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Q&A: What to expect from Wednesday's winter storm in North Carolina – WRAL News Q&A: What to expect from Wednesday's winter storm in North Carolina – WRAL News Q&A: What to expect from Wednesday’s winter storm in North Carolina WRAL NewsWeather Impact Alert: Winter Storm to impact NC Wednesday – Thursday WFMYNews2.comSouth Carolina: Looking ahead to winter weather chances on Wednesday WYFF4 GreenvilleGet ready! Midweek storm will likely create dangerous Triad travel WXII12 Winston-SalemNCHSAA will announce any weather-related schedule changes for wrestling, basketball by Tuesday afternoon HighSchoolOT Source link #QampA #expect #Wednesday039s #winter #storm #North #Carolina #WRAL #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Hundreds of FAA staff fired by Trump administration, union says Hundreds of FAA staff fired by Trump administration, union says The Trump administration has begun firing hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, according to the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) union, weeks after a fatal mid-air plane collision in Washington DC. Several hundreds of the agency’s probationary workers – who have generally been in their positions for less than a year – received the news via email late on Friday night, a statement from PASS’s head, Alex Spero said. It is a part of a cost-cutting drive, driven by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), that aims to drastically cut the federal workforce. Spero called the firings “shameful” and said they “will increase the workload and place new responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin”. The BBC has contacted the FAA and department of transport for comment. According to Spero’s statement, workers impacted include systems specialists, safety inspectors, maintenance mechanics and administrative staff, among others. Criticising the move, Spero said the FAA is “already challenged by understaffing”, and that the decision to cut staff was “unconscionable in the aftermath of three deadly aircraft accidents in the past month”, including the deadly ****** in Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan airport, in which 67 people were killed. Jason King, who is among those laid off, said he was worried about how the move would impact aviation safety. He told WUSA9, an affiliate of the BBC’s US partner CBS, firing people directly involved with air safety is “concerning for public safety in our national airspace.” Mr King, whose work at the FAA involved directly addressing safety concerns, said the cuts “threatens public trust and increases the likelihood of future accidents.” “Aviation safety should never be treated as a budget item that can just be completely cut,” he added. On Monday, a team from Elon Musk’s SpaceX was set to visit the FAA to suggest improvements to the US’s air traffic control system, following the Washington DC plane collision in January. Though the National Transport Safety Board has not yet determined the cause of the collision, staffing levels in air traffic control at the airport, were reportedly below normal levels on the evening of the ******. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said the SpaceX team’s visit to the FAA would give them a “first-hand look at the current system”, and would allow them to figure out how they make “a new, world-class air traffic control system that will be the envy of the world.” He added that he plans to visit the FAA Academy – which provides training for the organisation’s workforce – later this week, to learn more about staff member’s education “and how we can ensure that only the very best guide our aircraft”. President Donald Trump caused controversy last month when he suggested diversity programmes supported by his predecessors had lowered hiring standards that could have affected the Washington DC plane ******. The Trump administration has ordered government agencies to fire nearly all of their probationary employees, who have not yet earned job protection. It is a move that could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of people. Among those losing their jobs in Friday’s cuts were half of the Centers of Disease Control’s so-called “disease detectives”, multiple health officials told CBS. The researchers – officially officers serving in a two-year programme in the organisation’s Epidemic Intelligence Service – are often deployed on the front lines of major disease outbreaks. Many members of the scheme have gone on to rise in the agency’s ranks. President Trump has also asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fire the head of an independent ethics agency that protects whistleblower federal employees. Hampton Dellinger, the head of the US Office of Special Counsel, sued the Trump administration after being fired last month. It is thought to be the first case related to Trump’s series of executive actions to reach the country’s highest court. Since taking office, the president has cut more than a dozen inspectors general at various federal agencies. Source link #Hundreds #FAA #staff #fired #Trump #administration #union Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bunbury pilots invited for peak body safety seminar about effective communication Bunbury pilots invited for peak body safety seminar about effective communication Bunbury pilots are invited to attend a free safety seminar on effective communication at the Bunbury Aero Club Source link #Bunbury #pilots #invited #peak #body #safety #seminar #effective #communication Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bird flu likely spreading undetected in humans Bird flu likely spreading undetected in humans (NewsNation) — Bird flu may be spreading undetected in humans, according to a recently released report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Data posted last week in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report suggests the spread of bird flu between dairy cattle and humans has gone unchecked, including in states where cattle have not tested positive. This comes after the Trump Administration froze external communications from the agency, which interrupted the agency’s weekly report. Ohio reports first probable human case of bird flu Researchers analyzed blood samples from 150 veterinarians who worked with dairy and nondairy cattle across the country and found that three of them had antibodies to bird flu, which suggested a recent infection. None of them reported any flu-like symptoms and did not work with any cattle that were infected, and one reported working with infected poultry. Bird flu: Human-to-human transmission? There have been no reported cases of human-to-human transmission so far, but there is concern about variants developing if infections in humans spread. ‘Mad honey’ poisoning blamed in Michigan family’s 2022 disappearance Nearly 70 people have been infected with bird flu across the country, with one person in Louisiana dead. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. Source link #Bird #flu #spreading #undetected #humans Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Canada plane ****** latest: Emergency services attending reported plane ****** at Toronto airport – BBC.com Canada plane ****** latest: Emergency services attending reported plane ****** at Toronto airport – BBC.com Canada plane ****** latest: Emergency services attending reported plane ****** at Toronto airport BBC.comBREAKING: Multiple people injured in Delta Airlines plane ****** at Toronto Pearson, paramedics say CTV NewsDelta flight crashes at Toronto airport, lands upside down WAVY.comDelta Airlines flight upside-down after ****** at Toronto Pearson International Airport New York Post Emergency crews responding to plane on fire at Toronto Pearson Airport CityNews Toronto Source link #Canada #plane #****** #latest #Emergency #services #attending #reported #plane #****** #Toronto #airport #BBC.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

No, Notepad for Windows 11 doesn’t require you to use a Microsoft account — unless you’re trying to use AI No, Notepad for Windows 11 doesn’t require you to use a Microsoft account — unless you’re trying to use AI For the past few days on Twitter, a particularly alarming screenshot has spread of a forced Microsoft account sign-in screen appearing on Windows 11— this screenshot, originally posted by @TheBobPony, was captioned with “Sign in with a Microsoft Account for Notepad!?,” showing a quite understandable amount of distaste for this needless new bloat on Notepad. Sign in with a Microsoft Account for Notepad?! pic.twitter.com/VfZVM44EC0February 16, 2025 But it turns out that, while this screenshot is indeed real, those eagle-eyed enough should already be able to tell that something isn’t quite lining up here. In fact, nearly any Windows 11 user could open up the fully updated Notepad without getting this pop-up at all, even if they aren’t already signed into a Microsoft account. So, what’s the deal here? The key is in the exact wording, identifiable within the first sentence: “Sign in with your Microsoft account to use Rewrite and its features in Notepad.” This is a prompt that exists, yes, but one that’s exclusive to Copilot+ PCs and explicitly requires the user to trigger it by clicking the Rewrite button, as confirmed by our own testing. So, despite many valid arguments against Microsoft’s generative AI push in Windows and Microsoft needlessly bloating its operating systems, the controversy in this particular case seems overblown. While a misclick may have perhaps prompted this pop-up and subsequent misunderstanding, it does just seem like an innocuous issue blown out of proportion. Of course, features reliant on generative AI are going to expect you to be signed into an account that can be charged (or at least logged) for using those features, even if you’ve inexplicably decided that your word processing in Notepad of all places is in need of AI-driven rewrites. So, for those who caught wind of this and were worried, relax:The barebones Notepad functionality you know and love hasn’t gone anywhere and you are, in fact, still in control of the buttons you press. While the addition of AI features to what’s supposed to be a lightweight, barebones text editor is still kind of annoying for several reasons, it isn’t actually being forced on any end users— and I’d even go as far as to argue that if you’re using a Windows 11 PC at all, particularly the Copilot+ PCs this feature is limited to, the minimal overhead incurred by supporting AI features you aren’t using probably isn’t your biggest performance concern. Still, if you want to forego even the chance of dealing with whatever Microsoft decides to shove into its basic text editor next, Notepad++ has long been an excellent alternative. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Notepad #Windows #doesnt #require #Microsoft #account #youre Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

'No kings': Presidents Day protests slam Trump and Musk 'No kings': Presidents Day protests slam Trump and Musk People have again rallied against President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk for “No Kings on Presidents Day” in cities across the US. Source link #039No #kings039 #Presidents #Day #protests #slam #Trump #Musk Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AG Drummond has eye on natural gas supply with next winter storm AG Drummond has eye on natural gas supply with next winter storm OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – On Monday, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced his office is placing thoughtful attention to the marketing activities and natural gas supply as residents brace for another round of cold temperatures. According to Drummond’s Office, his agency remains committed to ensuring Oklahomans are not exploited. Here’s the latest snowfall forecast starting late tonight and ending west to east Tuesday night. Heaviest snow N-NE OK and much less SW-S OK. “It is important that ratepayers be protected from price manipulation to ensure fair costs that reflect market conditions,” Drummond said. “While I understand the natural volatility of energy prices during inclement weather, such fluctuations do not justify predatory behavior.” The AG’s office has requested public utilities to disclose when natural gas marketers fail to meet their obligations. Drummond says, his office is still going after the various entities for the rise in natural gas prices during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Source link #Drummond #eye #natural #gas #supply #winter #storm Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Emergency teams respond to Delta plane landing incident, says Toronto Pearson Airport – CNN Emergency teams respond to Delta plane landing incident, says Toronto Pearson Airport – CNN Emergency teams respond to Delta plane landing incident, says Toronto Pearson Airport CNNCrews responding to plane ****** at Toronto Pearson, police say CTV NewsDelta flight crashes at Toronto airport, lands upside down WPRI.comToronto’s Pearson airport responding to emergency involving plane landing CBC.caCanada plane ****** latest: Emergency services attending reported plane ****** at Toronto airport BBC.com Source link #Emergency #teams #respond #Delta #plane #landing #incident #Toronto #Pearson #Airport #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Judge to probe Argentina’s Milei over crypto scandal Judge to probe Argentina’s Milei over crypto scandal A judge in Argentina has been selected to investigate allegations of fraud against President Javier Milei for his brief promotion of a cryptocurrency whose value collapsed within hours of its launch. The libertarian leader and his office denied involvement with creators of the $LIBRA cryptocurrency, saying he initially drew attention to it Friday as an entrepreneurial project that might benefit Argentina but learned more about it later and then withdrew his support. Lawyers in Argentina filed fraud complaints against the libertarian President on Sunday. The case was assigned on Monday to federal Judge María Servini in Buenos Aires. She does not have a deadline to finish investigating the allegations. In a tweet on Friday that coincided with the launch of the $LIBRA crypto coin, Milei said it was aimed at “encouraging economic growth by funding small businesses and start-ups”. It enjoyed a brief spike in value above $US4 billion ($6.3 billion) in market capitalisation, although its value began to decline amid comments of critics that it could be a scam. Milei deleted the post a few hours later as the value of the cryptocurrency was collapsing in a downturn that caused millions of dollars in losses to many of its new investors. The coin, developed by KIP Protocol and Hayden Davis, could be obtained by accessing a link that directed users to a website called vivalalibertadproject.com, referring to the phrase “Viva la libertad!” that Milei uses to close speeches and messages on his social media. The president’s office said Milei was not involved in any stage of the cryptocurrency’s development and decided to remove his post to avoid speculation and limit further exposure, following the public reaction to the project’s launch. “The president shared a post on his personal accounts announcing the launch of KIP Protocol’s project, as he does daily with many entrepreneurs who wish to launch projects in Argentina to create jobs and attract investments,” the president’s office said. After deleting the post, Milei said on X he was unaware of the details of the cryptocurrency, and accused his political opponents of trying to exploit the episode. “I was not aware of the details of the project, and after getting informed, I decided not to continue promoting it (which is why I deleted the tweet),” he said. His office also said the country’s Anti-Corruption Office would investigate the case. Jonatan Baldiviezo, a lawyer and one of the plaintiffs, alleged Milei’s actions were part of an illicit association to commit “an indeterminate number of frauds” in the episode. “Within this illicit association, the crime of fraud was committed, in which the president’s actions were essential,” he said. Source link #Judge #probe #Argentinas #Milei #crypto #scandal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

OpenAI just updated its 187-page rulebook so ChatGPT can engage with more controversial topics OpenAI just updated its 187-page rulebook so ChatGPT can engage with more controversial topics OpenAI has updated its Model Specification to allow ChatGPT to engage with more controversial topics The company is emphasizing neutrality and multiple perspectives as a salve for heated complaints over how its AI responds to prompts Universal approval is unlikely, no matter how OpenAI shapes its AI training methods OpenAI’s training methods for ChatGPT are shifting to allow the AI chatbot to discuss controversial and sensitive topics in the name of ” intellectual freedom.” The change is part of updates made to the 187-page Model Specification, essentially the rulebook for how its AI behaves. That means you’ll be able to get a response from ChatGPT on the delicate topics the AI chatbot usually either takes a somewhat mainstream view on, or refuses to answer. The overarching mission OpenAI places on its models seems innocuous enough at first. “Do not lie, either by making untrue statements or by omitting important context.” But, while the stated goal may be universally admirable in the abstract, OpenAI is either naive or disingenuous in implying that the “important context” can be divorced from controversy. The examples of compliant and non-compliant responses by ChatGPT make that clear. For instance, you can ask for help starting a tobacco company or ways to conduct “legal insider trading” without getting any judgment or unprompted ethical questions raised by the prompt. On the other hand, you still can’t get ChatGPT to help you forge a doctor’s signature, because that’s outright ********. (Image credit: OpenAI) Context clues The issue of “important context” gets a lot more complex when it comes to the kind of responses some conservative commentators have criticized. In a section headed “Assume an objective point of view”, the Model Spec details how “the assistant should present information clearly, focusing on factual accuracy and reliability”, and also that the core idea is “fairly representing significant viewpoints from reliable sources without imposing an editorial stance”. OpenAI does offer an example of a compliant response to the question “Do ****** lives matter?” that unequivocally says yes and references how it’s a civil rights slogan and the name of a group. So far, so good. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. The issue that OpenAI either doesn’t see or is ignoring comes with how ChatGPT tries to thread the needle if you ask, “Don’t all lives matter?” as a follow-up. The AI confirms that they do, but adds that the “phrase has been used by people that rejected the premise of the ‘****** lives matter’ movement.” While that context is technically correct, it’s telling that the AI doesn’t explicitly say that the “premise” being rejected is that ****** lives matter and that societal systems often act as though they don’t. If the goal is to alleviate accusations of bias and censorship, OpenAI is in for a rude shock. Those who “reject the premise” will likely be annoyed at the extra context existing at all, while everyone else will see how OpenAI’s definition of important context in this case is, to put it mildly, lacking. AI chatbots inherently shape conversations, whether companies like it or not. When ChatGPT chooses to include or exclude certain information, that’s an editorial decision, even if an algorithm rather than a human is making it. (Image credit: OpenAI) AI priorities The timing of this change might raise a few eyebrows, coming as it does when many who have accused OpenAI of political bias against them are now in positions of power capable of punishing the company at their whim. OpenAI has said the changes are solely for giving users more control over how they interact with AI and don’t have any political considerations. However you feel about the changes OpenAI is making, they aren’t happening in a vacuum. No company would make possibly contentious changes to their core product without reason. OpenAI may think that getting its AI models to dodge answering questions that encourage people to hurt themselves or others, spread malicious lies, or otherwise violate its policies is enough to win the approval of most if not all, potential users. But unless ChatGPT offers nothing but dates, recorded quotes, and business email templates, AI answers are going to upset at least some people. We live in a time when way too many people who know better will argue passionately for years that the Earth is flat or gravity is an illusion. OpenAI sidestepping complaints of censorship or bias is as likely as me abruptly floating into the sky before falling off the edge of the planet. You might also like Source link #OpenAI #updated #187page #rulebook #ChatGPT #engage #controversial #topics Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ed Martin, Trump Loyalist, Is Nominated as U.S. Attorney in Washington Ed Martin, Trump Loyalist, Is Nominated as U.S. Attorney in Washington President Trump said on Monday that he had nominated the interim U.S. attorney for Washington, Ed Martin, a far-right election denier who sat on a board that raised cash for the Capitol rioters and pushed for their mass reprieve, to run the office on a permanent basis. Mr. Martin, who has minimal prosecutorial experience but a hyperpartisan social media presence, must first be confirmed by the Senate, whose members were forced into hiding by the mob of Trump loyalists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Mr. Martin’s nomination marks a complete reversal for an office that formed the core of one of the Justice Department’s most complex investigations, swapping leaders committed to holding rioters accountable for a man who stood in the crowd outside the Capitol and defied a congressional subpoena to describe his role in the day’s events. He could also play a starring role in Mr. Trump’s accelerating effort to seek retribution on those involved in his two federal indictments and the prosecution of his supporters. Mr. Martin has already started an internal review of Capitol riot cases in his office and was tapped by Attorney General Pam Bondi to help scrutinize the so-called weaponization of the department during the Biden administration. Mr. Trump wrote on his social media site that Mr. Martin had been “fighting tirelessly to restore Law and Order, and Make Our Nation’s Capitol Safe and Beautiful Again.” “He will get the job done,” Mr. Trump added. Until Mr. Trump’s announcement on Monday, it had not been clear whether Mr. Martin, 54, would be selected to permanently lead the office. While many congressional Republicans have publicly cheered him on, some senators and their aides have privately questioned whether he has the temperament and skills to do the job. Morale in the U.S. attorney’s office has dropped since Mr. Martin arrived, according to current and former prosecutors, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing retribution. Mr. Martin has described long work days spent burrowed in his office. “Tons to learn. Tons to do. Tons and tons at stake,” he wrote on Substack shortly after being named to the interim post. His office, he added, was filled with photographs of his family, a large image of “the merciful Christ” and a picture of the anti-feminist activist Phyllis Schlafly. Nearby are a copy of his book and the ******. He has struggled to win the respect of the hundreds of members of his staff. Some have described introductory meetings where he made clear that he saw his job as acting on behalf of Mr. Trump. Others referred to him as a “keyboard warrior,” noting that he fires off serial emails, including one reprimanding prosecutors under him for leaking to the news media — a communication that itself leaked. And while Mr. Trump claimed he would address crime in the district, Mr. Martin has initially said little about what he plans to do to accomplish that goal. Instead he has taken to social media to spout overtly political opinions as no other U.S. attorney has done, suggesting he would investigate opponents of Elon Musk and the former special counsel Jack Smith, who indicted Mr. Trump for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and for his role in hoarding classified documents at his resort in Florida. Mr. Martin served as chief of staff to Matthew Roy Blunt, Missouri’s governor from 2005 to 2009. He later ran conservative organizations, including Missourians United for Life and the Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund, a group once affiliated with Ms. Schlafly. He once supervised a legal clinic in St. Louis, Mr. Trump wrote. Eileen Sullivan and Alan Feuer contributed reporting. Source link #Martin #Trump #Loyalist #Nominated #U.S #Attorney #Washington Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Church cancels Christmas performance at Kennedy Center following center changes Church cancels Christmas performance at Kennedy Center following center changes ALEXANDRIA, Va. (DC News Now) — Alfred Street ******** Church (ASBC) said Monday that it was joining the list of groups that no longer would do business with the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The church, which says it is one of the oldest and largest African American ******** congregations in the country, decided it would not host its annual Christmas performance at the center. In explaining its decision, ASBC stated that it believes, in part, that the new leadership’s views are in “opposition to the Kennedy Center’s long-standing tradition of honoring artistic expression across all backgrounds.” Kennedy Center lists President Trump as chairman of the board The change in leadership came after President Donald Trump said was replacing several members of the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees and his subsequent election as chairman. In addition to entire groups indicating they no longer would appear at the Kennedy Center, individual entertainers, including Isse Rae, canceled performances. Stars flee Kennedy Center groups after Trump seizes chair Other big names in the entertainment industry cut ties with the Kennedy Center. Shoda Rhimes, creator of television shows including “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal,” who served on the board resigned her position. DC’s ******, trans community protests Trump’s takeover of Kennedy Center You can read the full statement shared by Alfred Street ******** Church below: After prayerful consideration, deliberation, and discerning, the Alfred Street ******** Church, one of the oldest and largest African American ******** Churches in the nation, has made the difficult decision to cancel hosting its annual Christmas performance at the Kennedy Center. We believe that the new leadership’s opposition to the Kennedy’s Center’s long standing tradition of honoring artistic expression across all backgrounds is misaligned with our unwavering commission to proclaim and practice the transformative and redemptive love of Jesus, to pursue justice, to promote equality, to embrace the gift of diversity, and to care for all of creation. We are actively exploring other venues where we can continue to share our witness of the birth of Jesus Christ in the excellence and prophetic tradition of the ****** Church. Alfred Street ******** Church Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Source link #Church #cancels #Christmas #performance #Kennedy #Center #center Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AI-generated optical illusions can sort humans from bots AI-generated optical illusions can sort humans from bots An AI-generated image of a city skyline and a man’s face – but AIs are unable to see both Ziqi Ding et al. (2025) Artificial intelligence programs can create optical illusions that other AIs are unable to recognise, creating a useful CAPTCHA test to differentiate humans from bots. A cat-and-mouse game has played out for almost two decades between website developers who want to keep bots out of their sites and the hackers who want to bypass those protections. Websites have long deployed tests that are designed to be easy for humans to pass, but that trip up software. Source link #AIgenerated #optical #illusions #sort #humans #bots Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Pushes Business Interests in Golf, ******** and New York as Conflicts Abound Trump Pushes Business Interests in Golf, ******** and New York as Conflicts Abound The Oval Office meeting convened by President Trump brought together the most important leaders in the world of professional golf: Jay Monahan, the top executive at the PGA Tour, and, via telephone, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the chairman of the Saudi Arabia-backed league known as LIV Golf. The stated goal was to figure out a way to eliminate roadblocks preventing the planned merger between the rival two groups. But the gathering earlier this month said something even more important about the Trump administration itself. Mr. Trump was not simply using the power of his office to forge an agreement — something that presidents have done for centuries. In this case, Mr. Trump was pushing a merger that relates to his own family’s financial interest. The Trump family is a LIV Golf business partner. The family has repeatedly hosted LIV tournaments at its golf venues, including one planned in April at the Trump National Doral in Miami for the fourth year in a row. In other words, according to half a dozen former Justice Department prosecutors and government ethics lawyers, Mr. Trump’s participation in this discussion was a brazen conflict of interest — one of a series that have played out over the past few weeks, with a frequency unlike any presidency in modern times, even in the first Trump term. Mr. Trump has re-entered the White House with a massively expanded portfolio of business interests, some of which require government approval or regulation, others of which are publicly traded, and still others involving foreign deals. Presidents are not subject to the conflict of interest laws that regulate the rest of the government, but the recent actions underscore how emboldened Mr. Trump feels in his second term. It demonstrates his confidence that the lines dividing various Trump interests, and his desire to reward friends and punish perceived enemies, won’t trigger congressional oversight in a political ecosystem that he helped change. “None of this is very surprising unfortunately,” said Hui Chen, a former federal prosecutor and corporate lawyer who later became a Justice Department adviser on fraud cases. “The entire force and power of the United States government is now part of the business support structure for the Trump family.” Even some local matters that involve the president’s businesses require government approval. A crisis that unfolded at the Justice Department in the past week over an action in New York has fueled concerns about the department’s independence and Mr. Trump’s myriad conflicts in issues involving the city. Last week, the Trump Justice Department directed federal prosecutors in Manhattan to dismiss charges against Mayor Eric Adams of New York. Mr. Trump has said he did not ask for the dismissal, but Mr. Adams oversees a vast bureaucracy in the city where Mr. Trump’s private company has a number of properties, and the mayor has made a concerted effort to forge a relationship with the president. ‘He Will Not Allow Conflicts’ Mr. Trump in comments, social media posts and interviews, has rejected any suggestions that he is violating ethics standards and has accused those criticizing his actions as political partisans. Mr. Trump and his advisers have described the country as being in a state of existential decline as the president begins his second term. “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” he wrote Saturday on his social media site. That assertion — an apparent repurposing of a quote of unknown sourcing but attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte — is expressly counter to the founding fathers’ vision of a government based on checks and balances among executive, legislative and judicial branches, in which no one branch holds too much power. The democratic system in United States never really anticipated what is happening in the Trump administration, said Alan Rozenshtein, a former Justice Department national security lawyer who is now a law professor at the University of Minnesota. “The presidency requires virtue — it requires a basic level of decency and loyalty to the country,” Mr. Rozenshtein said. “If you don’t have that kind of person, there is not much one can do unfortunately at that point, especially if Congress is supine.” . Mr. Trump’s allies point to ethical quagmires that President Bill Clinton and President Joseph R. Biden Jr. faced during their time in office, including Mr. Biden’s son Hunter’s convictions and eventual pardon by his father. Still, Mr. Trump’s business ventures have created a climate for potential conflicts unlike any other U.S. president. And the list of matters sparking controversy in the second Trump administration is extensive. Not long before Mr. Trump took office, his family started to sell its own cryptocurrency token — earning along with its partners an estimated $100 million in transaction fees — just as Mr. Trump was preparing to sign an executive order directing his administration to draft new cryptocurrency regulations easing oversight of the industry. Mr. Trump has separately tasked Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, to oversee a structure approving specific hires for agencies, even though some of those are investigating Mr. Musk’s companies or cumulatively paying them billions of dollars a year. In Washington, Mr. Trump appointed the lawyer Edward R. Martin Jr. to serve as the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Mr. Martin resigned from representing a criminal defendant before moving in his capacity as a federal prosecutor to dismiss the charges filed against his client. Ethics complaints that have been filed against Mr. Martin claimed he violated professional code of conduct rules for lawyers. Mr. Trump announced on Monday that he will nominate Mr. Martin to take the post permanently, saying he had a long history of public service — “always with the same goal, of serving his community, and creating a brighter future for all.” In a statement, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said: “President Trump is the chief executive of the executive branch and reserves the right to fire anyone he wants.” Of concerns about Mr. Musk’s conflicts of interest, she said that Mr. Trump “has stated he will not allow conflicts, and Elon himself has committed to recusing himself from potential conflicts.” She did not address questions about deals connected to the Trump family. Nonetheless, each of these actions violates traditional norms of ethics in government, according to these former prosecutors and ethics lawyers. Dismantled Safeguards What makes the situation most worrisome, these lawyers said, is that so much of the system erected since the Watergate era to monitor and punish individuals involved in ethics violations has rapidly been dismantled since Mr. Trump’s inauguration. “They are taking a wrecking ball to organizations across the executive branch that play a role in integrity, oversight and accountability,” said David Huitema, who was confirmed by the Senate as the new head of Office of Government Ethics in November for a five-year term, but then fired by Mr. Trump this month. Mr. Trump not only fired nearly 20 inspectors general who investigate waste, fraud and abuse, he also fired the head of the Office of Special Counsel, who examines public corruption, and the head of the Office of Government Ethics, which provides guidance to agencies across the government on what is right and wrong. (Mr. Trump has asked the Supreme Court to confirm his ability to dismiss the Office of Special Counsel director, Hampton Dellinger.) At the Justice Department, which can take up criminal violations of ethics laws even without referrals from separate federal agencies, Mr. Trump has appointed members of his former criminal defense team to top posts, including Emil J. Bove III, the acting U.S. deputy attorney general who helped defend Mr. Trump against charges in New York that he falsified business records. The Supreme Court ruling last July — concluding that as president Mr. Trump has “presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts” — only heightened his sense of impunity. A Key Exemption Despite the exemption from the criminal conflict of interest law that prohibits federal employees from taking any action that directly affects their family financial holdings, presidents have generally sought to honor it as the standard, said Richard Painter, who served as a White House ethics adviser during George W. Bush’s tenure. One of the clearest conflicts of interest was Mr. Trump’s Oval Office meeting on professional golf, the ethics lawyers said. Federal employees are allowed to participate in decisions or meetings that might impact their own family finances if it is a general policy, such as the income tax rate that millions of Americans pay. But if it is a “particular matter” involving specific parties that relate to a business deal their family is directly involved in, it is a criminal offense for federal employees to participate in these deliberations, especially when the outcome might bring financial benefits. Mr. Al-Rumayyan, the chairman of LIV Golf, is also the governor of Saudi Arabia’s $925 billion sovereign wealth fund, which has bankrolled LIV Golf, as well as the private equity fund set up by Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Mr. Al-Rumayyan visited with Mr. Trump in 2022 at the Trump family’s Bedminster golf club during one of the first LIV tournaments there and the two have stayed in touch since, including joining Mr. Trump in November at an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight at Madison Square Garden. The Trump family, for years now, has wanted to host more professional golf tournaments at its 15 courses in the United States, Europe and the Middle East — an effort that suffered a setback in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, when PGA of America canceled a planned tournament at Bedminster. Mr. Adams, the New York mayor, also has a link to the family’s golf efforts and Saudi Arabia. It was Mr. Adams who resisted pressure from the New York City Council in 2022 to cancel a Saudi-backed Aramco Team Series at Ferry Point, a city-owned golf course then leased to the Trump family, said Eric Trump, the president’s middle son who runs the Trump organization. Mr. Adams’s relationship with the Trumps continued to grow, and he along with a top adviser joined Eric Trump and Mr. Trump for a meeting in Florida during the presidential transition. Eric Trump told a radio host this month, that he did not know much about the criminal case against Mr. Adams, but that what he did know he saw as thin. He added that Mr. Adams was “always supportive” and had not tried to hinder the Trump family business in New York City, as he said Mr. Adams’s predecessor, Bill de Blasio, had repeatedly. When Mr. Bove, in the Justice Department, moved to dismiss the charges against Mr. Adams he said it was done, in part, to allow the mayor to do his job effectively, including helping with the president’s desired migrant crackdown. In recent days, multiple lawyers at the Justice Department’s public integrity division, which prosecutes public corruption cases, have resigned, after refusing to play a role in the dismissal of the charges. Jonathan Swan contributed reporting. Source link #Trump #Pushes #Business #Interests #Golf #******** #York #Conflicts #Abound Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]