(The Center Square) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom said if President-elect Donald Trump ends the $7,500 electric vehicle rebate program, he’ll get Californians to pay for new credits. However, the credits would not include Tesla, which is the most popular EV company and the only EV manufacturer in the state. This comes weeks after Newsom and his administration passed new refinery and carbon credit regulations that will add up to $1.15 per gallon of gasoline and require Californians with gasoline-powered cars to earn up to another $1,000 per year in pretax income to afford. “We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California,” said Newsom in a statement. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose rocket launches were recently blocked by a California regulatory board that cited his personal politics, shared his disapproval on his social media platform, X, after Newsom staff told Bloomberg that Tesla models would not qualify for California rebates. “Even though Tesla is the only company who manufactures their EVs in California,” said Musk. “This is insane.” Musk recently moved SpaceX and X out of California, citing a new law signed by Newsom banning parental notification for gender change requests from K-12 students. The credits would be paid for through California’s cap-and-trade program, which requires carbon emitters to purchase credits from the state — costs which are generally passed on to consumers in the form of more expensive gasoline, energy, and even concrete. Emitters buy a few billion dollars worth of credits from California each year, with the state’s $135 billion high speed rail project getting the lion’s share of the revenue. The California Resources Board — all but two of whose voting members are appointed by the governor — recently approved $105 billion in EV charging credits and $8 billion in hydrogen charging credits to be largely paid for by drivers of gas cars and diesel trucks. An investigation by The Center Square found the change was pushed by EV makers and the builders of EV charging systems. Buyers of EV chargers, who pay for the energy and own the charger, sign installation contracts that permanently give away their rights to government or other EV charging credits generated from fueling a vehicle with electrons instead of gasoline. These chargers are often bundled with the purchase of an EV, or covered entirely by utility or government rebates, meaning they are permanent, zero-or-low-cost revenue streams for the company collecting the credits.The European Union urgently needs a Russia strategy. A strategy document that articulates a strong vision and comes with the proper policy tools and financial commitments would serve as a signal to the United States that Europe understands the threat posed by Putin’s Russia at a critical moment in the relationship between Washington, Brussels, and Moscow. The impending Trump presidency will shape EU foreign policy and redefine transatlantic ties. A second Trump administration will surely demand more from Europe, including on issues such as Europe’s defense spending and its support for Ukraine. Even as defense budgets across Europe rise and the EU takes a more forward-leaning role on support for Ukraine, the goalposts Washington sets will move. This challenge could create positive opportunities for the EU if it produces a European strategy on Russia. Currently, the bloc does not have a formal strategy toward Russia. This is inconsistent, as the EU has adopted official strategies for relations with a range of countries and regions including China , the Indo-Pacific , and Central Asia , with a strategy for the Middle East under development. But it’s more than inconsistent. Failure to draft a Russia strategy suggests a lack of seriousness and undermines the credibility of the bloc’s geopolitical ambitions. As the world watches the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfold, UkraineAlert delivers the best Atlantic Council expert insight and analysis on Ukraine twice a week directly to your inbox. The most serious obstacle to an EU Russia strategy has traditionally been the inability of member states to agree on interests and priorities. Countries closest to Russia and those with recent histories of oppression by Moscow have a more acute threat perception, whereas others in Europe often still see Russia as an essentially regional issue. However, Russia’s challenge to Europe is clearly no longer regional. It quite literally surrounds and permeates the EU. Russia has unleashed the largest land war on the continent since World War II. To undercut sanctions, it has built up a “shadow fleet” of oil tankers that threaten to create a major environmental disaster in European waters. From the Western Balkans to the Sahel, Russia competes for influence, generates disinformation, and seeks to destabilize governments. Elsewhere in Africa, Moscow deploys mercenaries to support friendly governments and to secure access to resources. Inside the EU, intelligence agencies say Putin is actively engaged in efforts to undermine the political stability of member states. Russia is accused of spreading disinformation, stirring up political conflict, and even resorting to acts of sabotage, such as the recent attempt to plant explosive devices on European airplanes flying to the United States. Faced with increasing Russian threats and growing US demands, the EU needs a unified approach toward Moscow. In response, the new European Commission should prioritize the development of an EU Russia strategy aimed at creating a more forward-thinking, ambitious, and cohesive European approach. This would have multiple benefits. First, it would provide a forum for EU members to jointly develop a vision for future policy toward Russia. Second, a strategy would allow the EU to draw a coherent picture of how Moscow’s various tactics are interlinked and threaten the entire bloc. Additionally, the EU would be better positioned for stronger enforcement. Articulating a longer-term Russia policy would lock in the hard-won gains of recent years, helping to ensure that countries like Germany do not return to problematic practices like relying on Russian energy. The EU now has the right personnel in place to lead this effort. The new High Representative for Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas, an ardent Russia hawk, could push for an ambitious and forward-leaning posture toward Russia. Other senior officials including defense commissioner Andreas Kubilius could lend credibility to the strategy, which would naturally be prepared in close coordination with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, herself a strong supporter of Ukraine. Any would-be Russia strategy must start with Ukraine. Support for Kyiv is the central element of Europe’s policy toward Russia, so a successful strategy must plot a path forward on key Ukraine-related issues including financial support, defense industrial cooperation, reconstruction, and eventual Ukrainian EU membership. Similarly, any strategy should also keep in mind areas like the Western Balkans, Moldova, and the South Caucasus, with a view to helping counter Russian influence. Economic statecraft should be a key focus. The EU has gradually adopted a more ambitious sanctions policy toward Moscow, but enforcement is lacking. For example, the EU will need to develop a realistic plan to deal with Russia’s shadow fleet and to ensure that Russian energy isn’t entering the EU via backdoor routes. In order to be effective, an EU Russia strategy must not fall victim to the tendency to water down or take an overly narrow view of the task at hand. Previous EU foreign policy documents, for example the Strategic Compass , offered a raft of initiatives and legislative projects but struggled to project a grander vision. Drafting a Russia strategy will be a politically difficult but worthwhile endeavor. It will be challenging to achieve an EU strategy that is sufficiently ambitious and necessarily forward-leaning while maintaining support from all member states, especially as certain countries have a record of obstructing EU support for Ukraine. Nevertheless, it would represent a crucial step toward addressing today’s changing realities. In addition to boosting the EU’s capacity as a geopolitical actor, a comprehensive and practical Russia strategy would signal to the United States that Europe is stepping up and would help strengthen transatlantic ties. The incoming US administration should support the EU in developing its Russia strategy. An EU that is ready to lead efforts to counter Russia, both inside Europe and throughout the wider region, is exactly what the transatlantic relationship needs. Ian Cameron is a young global professional with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center. James Batchik is an associate director with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center. Further reading The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.777 casino withdrawal in process 。

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The Ohio State Buckeyes were the talk of the college football world on Saturday afternoon, but for all of the wrong reasons. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes were upset by the Michigan Wolverines, 13-10, killing their chance to make it to the Big Ten Conference Championship Game against the Oregon Ducks, and ending their bid for a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. It was also the fourth consecutive time that Day has lost to Michigan, putting his job seioursly in question if he can't go on and make a run to the championship in the playoff. Talk about a bad day in Columbus. © Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images To make matters worse, it's starting to look like the Buckeyes may lose out on one of their top recruits in the future because of this as well. After the game, 5-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., the No. 1 WR and No. 3 overall player in the 2026 class, posted a wordless message to social media. 🫤 An emoji speaks a thousand words, right? Henry has been committed to Ohio State since July of 2023, but there are other teams who are hot on his heels, hoping to flip him. The top team on that list is the Oregon Ducks, who are close to home for Henry, who goes to Mater Dei in California. Henry has visited Oregon multiple times, and is stronly considering Dan Lanning and the Ducks. Will Saturday's result matter? Does Henry look at the fact that the Ducks are No. 1 in the nation without a loss, playing for a conference championship in their first year as Big Ten members, while Ohio State has lost to their biggest rival four years in a row? It's impossible to say, but this loss for the Buckeyes may have bigger implications in Columbus than we realize at the moment. Related: Fans Calling for Ohio State Coach Ryan Day’s Job After Devastating Loss to MichiganIn recent years, the pressure to juggle work commitments and personal life has led many individuals to put their jobs ahead of everything else. Whether it's finishing work on vacation, attending meetings while commuting, or working odd hours, the demands of the modern workplace often take centre stage. But now, a viral video featuring a groom engrossed in his mobile phone, tracking stock market fluctuations during his wedding ceremony, has left internet users amused. (Also read: Techie groom seen working at his own wedding sparks backlash: ‘Divorce coming soon' ) The wedding distraction Shared on Instagram by the account Trading Leo, the video shows a groom in full wedding attire, dressed in a traditional sherwani. However, instead of paying attention to his ceremony or the bride, he is seen intently monitoring his trading dashboard. The camera captures the moment from behind, zooming in on his phone screen where the groom is clearly tracking stock market updates. The simple yet hilarious caption reads, "The Traders." Watch the clip here: A post shared by Trading Leo (@tradingleo.in) The clip, which was uploaded just a few days ago, has gone viral, accumulating over 13 million views and counting. The juxtaposition of a joyous occasion with the groom's obsession over his financial portfolio has sparked a range of reactions online. (Also read: Bride’s reaction to groom working on laptop at mandap leaves people in splits. Watch ) Reactions from the internet The internet has been buzzing with reactions. One user quipped, "When your portfolio is more important than your wedding vows!" Many found humour in the groom's apparent priority, with another user commenting, "I think he’s more invested in his stocks than his bride." Others expressed a mix of disbelief and amusement. "He’s definitely planning to invest in a honeymoon later, but first things first – the stocks!" one wrote. Another netizen noted, "Talk about ‘multi-tasking’ – nothing beats trading while saying ‘I do’." The video also sparked debates on the growing obsession with technology. "This is what happens when you can’t let go of your work, even for a moment," said one viewer. Meanwhile, another commenter joked, "Guess he’s trying to make the wedding a profitable venture!" Yet, some were more understanding. "Maybe he's just doing his job. People can’t escape the stock market these days," one person suggested, adding a more serious perspective to the conversation.Delaware judge reaffirms ruling that invalidated massive Tesla pay package for Elon MuskNone

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By RANDALL CHASE, Associated Press DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware judge has reaffirmed her ruling that Tesla must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick on Monday denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. McCormick also rejected an equally unprecedented and massive fee request by plaintiff attorneys , who argued that they were entitled to legal fees in the form of Tesla stock valued at more than $5 billion. The judge said the attorneys were entitled to a fee award of $345 million. The rulings came in a lawsuit filed by a Tesla stockholder who challenged Musk’s 2018 compensation package. McCormick concluded in January that Musk engineered the landmark pay package in sham negotiations with directors who were not independent. The compensation package initially carried a potential maximum value of about $56 billion, but that sum has fluctuated over the years based on Tesla’s stock price.

Rays will play 19 of their first 22 games at home as MLB switches series to avoid summer rain

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An American map showing the rapid increase in average winter temperatures across the United States published last week showed us by doing the numbers what we gardeners know in our bones: It’s getting toastier out there. Not always toasty. There is still cold. Just a lot toastier than before. Thirty-five years ago, when I bought my Pasadena garden (and a little cottage sitting on its edge), there were three or four regular overnight frosts, morning ice glistening on the rose bushes and the irises, every winter, and seven or eight in the different microclimate just down the hill, the floor of the Arroyo Seco canyon where the Rose Bowl is. It’s been well over a decade since we have seen any frost at all. The map published by Climate Central shows that our coastal zone of Southern California is an area that has seen average winter temps rise between 2 and 3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1970. That’s not nearly as major a change as back East, where all of New England is in a zone where the winter lows are on average 5 degrees higher than 54 years ago. This is not an issue of opinion. It doesn’t matter to the real world if a politician such as Donald Trump finds it convenient to pretend that “climate change is a hoax.” This winter numbers are just a small piece of the data pie showing this year to be the hottest ever. “The global mean surface air temperature from January to September 2024 was 1.54°C above the pre-industrial average. This is the first time the world has exceeded 1.5°C warming,” the World Meteorological Organization reports. King Canute can command the tides to recede all he likes, but the rising tide pays no attention to his royal wishes. But the perhaps apocryphal story of the actual ancient English king, crowned in 1027, as told by his chronicler, Henry of Huntingdon, was meant to tell the opposite of how the story is now understood. After the tide kept coming up and dampened his shoes despite the command, Canute stepped back and declared, “Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings, for there is none worthy of the name, but He whom heaven, earth, and sea obey by eternal laws.” A king, or a president, can have no effect on global warming and other examples of climate change by commanding the atmosphere and the oceans to stop heating up. The laws of chemistry, and of physics, are eternal laws. But the president can, out of a desire to seem populist, or whatever reality-denying motive is at play here, once again withdraw our nation from The Paris Agreement, negotiated by 196 countries in 2015 “to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.” And surely once in office Trump will do just that. It’s a national embarrassment, yet another one; it’s anti-human, as well as anti-Earth. For those of us who favor the Earth over, say, Mars, and who don’t want to leave our great-grandchildren an inhospitable home planet, it’s a disgusting political maneuver. But that doesn’t mean that smart, everyday Americans will give up on our own fight against climate change, absurd as it is that the president’s likely action will see us join only a tiny group of countries, including Libya, Iran and Yemen, in the denialism. We do contribute 13% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and American scientists, engineers and politicians of goodwill will continue to work to bring that number down, waiting out the Trump administration’s colossal error. As Max Boykoff, professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado says, yes, there will be “a loss of trust and a loss of opportunity for the U.S. to be in a position of leadership in a clean energy economy, and more generally on other global issues as well.” But: “The renewable energy sector has grown to a point where it actually makes great financial sense to continue to benefit from these market trends. With the way the economy has been moving, the Trump administration’s withdrawal ... may carry more symbolic significance than actual functional significance.” Keep up the good fight, even if this president is unlikely to attain the wisdom of the old king. Larry Wilson is on the Southern California News Group editorial board. lwilson@scng.com.NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball switched a pair of series involving the Tampa Bay Rays to the first two months of the season in an attempt to avoid summer rain at open-air Steinbrenner Field, their temporary home following damage to Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay is scheduled to play 19 of its first 22 games at home and 37 of 54 through May 28, then play 64 of its last 108 games on the road. The Rays are home for eight games each in July and August. A series scheduled at the Los Angeles Angels from April 7-9 will instead be played at Tampa, Florida, from April 8-10, MLB said Monday. The second series between the teams will be played at Anaheim, California, from Aug. 4-6 instead of at St. Petersburg, Florida, from Aug. 5-7. Minnesota's first series against the Rays will be played at Steinbrenner Field from May 26-28 and the Twins' second will be at Target Field in Minneapolis from July 4-6. Tampa Bay heads into the All-Star break with a 10-game trip to Minnesota, Detroit and Boston, and has a 12-game trip to the Angels, Seattle, Oakland and San Francisco from Aug. 4-17. Tropicana Field, the Rays’ home since the team started play in 1998, was heavily damaged by Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9 , with most of its fabric roof shredded. The Rays cannot return to the Trop until 2026 at the earliest, if at all. Tampa's average monthly rainfall from 1991 to 2020 was 2.25 inches in April and 2.60 in May , according to the National Weather Service, then rose to 7.37 in June , 7.75 in July and 9.03 in August before falling to 6.09 in September . The Class A Tampa Tarpons, the usual team at Steinbrenner Field, had six home postponements, two cancellations and four suspended games this year from June 21 through their season finale on Sept. 8. The Rays are now scheduled to play their first six games at home against Colorado and Pittsburgh, go to Texas for a three-game series, then return for a 13-game homestand against the Angels, Atlanta, Boston and the New York Yankees. The Tarpons will play their home games on a back field. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/Bilbo Baggins once wrote that “the old that is strong does not wither.” Well, Lord of the Rings is over 70 years old, and War of the Rohirrim may be a worrying (but beautifully crafted, often entertaining) omen for a franchise looking to justify itself. Peter Jackson directed three of the greatest, most monumental movies in cinema history with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He tried, and failed, to recapture the wonder of Middle-earth with The Hobbit movies, needlessly chopped up and full of garish VFX (lest we forget Legolas defying gravity more than Wicked’s Elphaba ). Regrettably, the series has become a hotbed for insufferable finger-wagging and pedantry after Amazon’s Rings of Power . Admittedly, its first season was a bit iffy, but Season 2 was extraordinary, and perhaps the most vivid and compelling interpretation of Tolkien’s texts since the original films. Jackson, Phillipa Boyens and co. have since returned to the fold. They’re making at least two more live-action movies (starting with The Hunt for Gollum ). It could be an attempt to sway contemptuous fans back to the fold, or perhaps it’s just about money, or maybe – just maybe – they have good stories to tell. Unfortunately, War of the Rohirrim isn’t quite a testament to the latter hope. What is LOTR: The War of the Rohirrim about? “All of Middle-earth [and the real world, let’s be honest] knows the tale of the One Ring,” Miranda Otto’s Éowyn narrates. “But there are others... tales that light a path through the dark.” Set over 180 years before the events of the Fellowship of the Ring, the movie follows Héra (Gaia Wise), the “headstrong, wild” daughter of Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), the king of Rohan – he won’t admit it, but he’s “proud of his tearaway daughter,” Éowyn says, and while you won’t find her name in the “old tales... by her hand, many great deeds were done.” Related: Everything seems swell in Edoras, but one punch starts a war. Freca (Shaun Dooley), a Dunlending lord with Rohirric blood (and a clear disdain for Helm) hears that Héra may be marrying a Gondorian prince. He proposes she marry Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), her childhood friend, instead. Helm turns him down, leading to a fight – a generous description, considering Helm haymakers Freca and kills him. Wulf is furious and vows to avenge his father’s death, lighting the fuse of the titular war. Lord of the Rings is perfect for anime Let me say this outright: War of the Rohirrim looks and sounds spectacular, with an eye-popping, vibrant blend of different styles; you can see Attack on Titan (both Weta and MAPPA worked on the visuals), Studio Ghibli , and even Ralph Bakshi’s original Lord of the Rings movie. The landscapes are breathtaking, Stephen Gallagher’s score bows its head to Howard Shore’s irreplaceable compositions while sprinkling its own melodies, and Kenji Kamiyama doesn’t merely try to emulate Jackson’s staging and direction – this feels like a unique entry in the LOTR canon; epic, but gorgeous in a way only this medium can allow. Here, the Mûmakil (the big elephants) are terrifying, fury-eyed beasts, the Great Eagles are great (the best animated birds since The Rescuers: Down Under – yes, really), and we even get a slimy, enormous Watcher in the Water that’s slickly brought to life. The action is generally well-done, if not always that exciting; anime has some of the most dynamic set pieces across movies and television, and outside of its world-building and general presentation, War of the Rohirrim doesn’t maximize its potential (Helm Hammerhand aside). War of the Rohirrim’s story is uninspiring Here’s the thing: War of the Rohirrim isn’t for the rookies, nor does it feel like a deep-cut Tolkien story (because it isn’t). Excluding Éowyn’s vague narration, it operates on the assumption that you not only know about Rohan and Gondor, but you care about their pasts, their lineages, and the political tensions that lie between the two allied kingdoms. That onus shouldn’t be on us , it’s on the filmmakers, and this movie fails where its predecessors (even The Hobbit films) succeeded. It’s not that it’s missing any connections to the main Lord of the Rings saga (its references are admirably restrained, and each one works better than the last), it just struggles to communicate why this story is worthy of our attention. There’s a blatant message in here – if men don’t curb their arrogance, it could be their downfall – but it’s tritely conveyed, a consequence of a film that’s fast-paced but lacks impact in its momentum. For example, Helm Hammerhand is immediately likable (mainly due to Cox’s wonderful voice performance), but do I feel like I know him as I did Gandalf, Frodo, Sam, and the rest of the Fellowship? This is a writing issue, and one character stands out: I’m sorry, but Héra is a dull lead, and it’s obvious that the movie was written around a character with almost no basis in the source material. She may be “headstrong and wild”, but we barely get a sense of who she is; everyone loves her, she’s a talented fighter, she’s not interested in getting married... and that’s about it. By Wise’s own admission, she’s not a “fully-formed woman” – but she’s not a fully-formed character, either. Dexerto review score: 3/5 – Good If nothing else, War of the Rohirrim is a proof of concept; we need more Lord of the Rings animes from Tolkien’s legendarium. However, striking animation and a charming vocal ensemble aside, it feels regrettably forgettable – entertaining in the moment, but dispensable. If “all we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us,” I’d rather wait for something better. Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will hit cinemas on December 13. Check out what we know about Rings of Power Season 3 , how to get the War of the Rohirrim popcorn bucket , and for more information on how we score TV shows and movies, check out our scoring guidelines here.