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Nova Scotia Liberals saw support crumble after campaign linking them to TrudeauCommunications Minister Michelle Rowland confirms Misinformation and Disinformation Bill will be pulledPolice Report Casts Doubt on Sexual Assault Allegation Against Pete HegsethThe standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A law to show government-issued photo identification to cast regular ballots will stand after a lower-court judge found it constitutional Tuesday. Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem's decision upholds the law, which was made possible by a 2016 voter-approved allowing lawmakers to enact photo ID requirements. “To maintain a secure system for voting, it only stands to reason that a photo ID should be essential,” Missouri Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said in a statement praising the ruling. Voter photo ID supporters such as Ashcroft say the practice prevents and improves public confidence in election results. Voting rights advocates say getting the records needed to obtain proper photo identification can be challenging, especially for older voters and people with disabilities. The National Conference of State Legislatures request or require identification to vote, of which at least 21 ask for a photo ID. Under Missouri’s law, people without government-issued photo identification can cast provisional ballots to be counted if they return later that day with a photo ID or if election officials verify their signatures. The law also requires the state to provide a free photo identification card to those lacking one to vote. Missouri's NAACP and League of Women Voters, along with two individual voters, sued to overturn the law in 2022. They argued that some voters faced substantial obstacles getting up-to-date and accurate government-issued photo IDs and worried that casting a provisional ballot could put them at higher risk of having their votes not counted. Beetem initially , finding neither of the two individual voters “alleged a specific, concrete, non-speculative injury or legally protectable interest in challenging the photo ID requirement.” The Missouri ACLU and Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, who sued on behalf of the plaintiffs, in response added another voter to the lawsuit and asked Beetem again to find the voter ID requirement unconstitutional. Beetem noted in his Tuesday ruling that all of the individual plaintiffs have successfully voted since the law took effect. “Their claim that their provisional ballots may be rejected is purely speculative,” Beetem wrote. “In addition, the evidence at trial confirms that rejection rates for provisional ballots are low, and the rates specifically for signature-mismatch are exceedingly low.” He concluded that the law's rules on photo identification “protect the fundamental right to vote by deterring difficult to detect forms of voter fraud." Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they will appeal Beetem's ruling. “The League believes the state should be making it easier, not harder, for Missourians to exercise their fundamental right to vote," Missouri League of Women Voters President Marilyn McLeod said in a statement. "There’s no evidence of voter impersonation in Missouri, so these restrictions don’t make our elections any safer or more secure.” The 2022 law also includes permits in-person voting for any reason two weeks before an election, a compromise negotiated by Senate Democrats. Summer Ballentine, The Associated Press
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In celebration of World Children’s Day, the Orphans Care Centre (Dreama), in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF), has launched a campaign titled 'The First Call' at Hamad International Airport (HIA). The campaign aimed to promote global solidarity, raise awareness of children’s rights, and improve their well-being worldwide. It carried a profound message: 'The First Call' marks the beginning of a new journey to support children and uphold their rights—not the last call. The campaign adopted the slogan: “The journey marks the beginning, and children around the world need every opportunity,” emphasizing the importance of providing opportunities for every child to achieve a brighter future. It focused on fostering social inclusion for all children, with a special emphasis on orphaned children, to enhance their sense of belonging and empower them to integrate into society. As part of the campaign, a creative artwork titled 'Al-Bokhnaq' by Qatari artist Fatima al-Shibani was unveiled. The artwork reflects Qatari cultural values and symbolizes solidarity with children worldwide. It features a sculpture of a mother wearing the traditional bokhnaq, carrying a suitcase, followed by her children, each carrying suitcases as well. The artwork highlights the importance of children feeling safe and cared for, with the mother representing community members supporting children, and the interactive suitcases conveying positive messages from the public. In a gesture of appreciation, the 'Al-Bokhnaq' artwork was displayed at HIA, serving as a testament to promote human values and highlight the importance of supporting children’s rights. The event was attended by Abdulaziz al-Mass, Vice President Marketing and Corporate Communication at HIA, who delivered a thank-you speech expressing his appreciation for this ground-breaking initiative that highlights children’s rights. Hamad Ali al-Khater, Chief Operating Officer at HIA, said: "We are honoured to collaborate with the Ministry of Social Development and Family and Dreama Center in celebration of World Children’s Day. As the gateway to the State of Qatar, Hamad International Airport plays an integral role in creating awareness on the importance of children’s rights to its millions of passengers. We look forward to fostering and sustaining humanitarian partnerships that will continue to add value to the communities we serve.” Travelling children and transit passengers were invited to write special messages for World Children’s Day and attach them to the suitcases featured in the artwork. These messages created a global call for community cooperation in supporting children and advocating for their rights. The campaign also included an informational booth in the departure area of the airport, which ran for 48 hours. It featured an interactive children’s corner with activities such as a tic-tac-toe game and building blocks for writing motivational phrases. Visitors to the booth received activity booklets and water bottles, with an opportunity to write solidarity messages directed to children worldwide. Sheikhah Najla bint Ahmed al-Thani, Executive Director of Dreama, highlighted the significance of the campaign, stressing that 'The ‘First Call’ campaign reflects our commitment to supporting children and promoting their rights, not only in Qatar but across the globe. Through these activities, we aim to send a message of hope that every child has the right to safety, care, and a bright future.”Dynamic Roofing Concepts, Inc. Delivers Quality Roofing Services to Brandon, FL Residents
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The best deals in the 2024 Steam Autumn SaleAI data centers, due to their insatiable demand for electricity and more importantly, due to the vast financial resources of their owners, threaten to upend the operations, regulation and financial basis of the electric utility networks. That is not hyperbole. A new administration that distrusts regulation and is heavily influenced by a Silicon Valley that advocates breaking things, may speed the process. Let’s step back. Five years ago we wrote a paper which said that electricity sales growth would resume, that the electricity industry was not prepared, and that the incumbent electricity industry might not benefit from the rise in demand — somebody else might. if(window.innerWidthADVERTISEMENTfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "oilprice_medrec_atf", slotId: "oilprice_medrec_atf" });';document.write(write_html);} Next, back to basics. Regulation of public utilities involves an implied two step process: 1) the city or state grants the utility a monopoly or franchise and 2) in return the utility corporation agrees to service levels, capital controls, and other measures to prevent customer abuse. The prospective AI power plant developer, as a free agent has no legal obligation to the utility or the utility's customers. And we think it is almost inevitable that the data centers and utilities will end up in a big legal squabble. We expect the AI folks, as large power generators, will try to shift costs over to the utility and its customers, in what we call cross-subsidization. The AI-led power plants represent an enormous incremental base load addition that has to be physically accommodated up and down the transmission and distribution system. Someone will have to pay for all these utility upgrades. Should small residential and commercial customers pay higher utility bills simply because an AI facility is located in their service area and requires extremely expensive system upgrades? Related: Indian Oil Probes Allegations of Albemarle Bribes to State Firm’s Officials The utility-regulatory model is a scarcity model (which presumes investment capital is scarce or expensive). Regulators allocate resources and expenses among competing customer classes—all of whom want cheap electricity. The AI/data center trend upends these traditional relationships between government, corporations, and customers for several reasons: 1) their margins are high enough that, unlike typical industrial customers, they are relatively price insensitive, 2) they have the size and sophistication to own and operate multiple generating stations, 3) and they have large balance sheets, with cost of capital advantages, and virtually unlimited access to capital. And it is this last point gives them an enormous competitive advantage. Tech giants can finance their new generating plants, assuming 100% debt financing, for less than half of what it would cost an investor owned utility. Competitive disadvantages of that magnitude are literally insurmountable. The disparities are mind-boggling. The top five AI players have sales of $1.76 trillion, net profit of $0.384 trillion, cash balance of $ 0.433 trillion, and free cash flow of $0.345 trillion. That is three times the sales, six times the profit and twenty times the cash balance of the entire electric industry. (No point making a free cash flow comparison because the electric industry does not generate any free cash flow. Assuming a new power plant costs $3 billion, about 20% of total construction expense is typically dedicated to capital costs—assuming a utility’s cost structure or $600 million. Financing at half the utility’s cost of capital would save $300 million in prospective financing costs. Utilities are at an enormous cost of capital disadvantage here relative to large technology companies like Microsoft which, for example, could finance a large power generating station with 100% debt at a cost of 5% (their 25 year corporate bonds due 2050 yield 5.1%). And from a credit quality perspective, their balance sheet is pristine and their corporate bonds are rated AAA, the highest possible rating. Utilities typically carry a far weaker BBB fixed income credit rating, though still solidly investment grade. The question then becomes, why don’t the technology companies finance these power assets on their own balance sheet for literally less than one half the cost? In order to believe in a perpetuation of the utility finance status quo here, one has to believe that capital cost differentials of the magnitude indicated here will make no difference to large prospective power purchasers, which we frankly find hard to believe. if(window.innerWidth ADVERTISEMENTfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "oilprice_medrec_btf", slotId: "oilprice_medrec_btf" });`;document.write(write_html);} And if these power plants do get built by technology companies, and not utilities, what happens to utility growth prospects? Hard to construct this as a positive. A related question is whether this triggers a new wave of mergers and acquisitions with technology companies actually purchasing entire utilities. Maybe there are interesting synergies to be realized on both sides of the meter. It is also possible that the data centers end up overbuilding power generating plants perhaps hoping their new plants find lucrative power markets even if that means competing with local utilities. This could be another source of financial exposure for regulated utilities. Having a large parallel network of generating stations owned and operated by sophisticated technology corporations has to be viewed as some type of competitive threat. In a funny way this continues a long term industry trend. The first power plant builders to break away from the regulated utility model under President Jimmy Carter were called IPPs, independent power producers. They were independent of the obligation to serve a particular service area, like most other utilities of the time. Now with data centers poised to procure power generating plants independently of the local utility, the utility industry now faces the prospect of “independent power consumers”, who will also produce for self consumption. It’s not like they won’t have a relationship with the local utility. They’ll still be part of the grid. But the potentially most lucrative part of this utility-data center relationship, the ownership and operation of the power generating station, is likely to be lost to the incumbent utility for the reasons cited above. The utility industry has never been in this position before. They have always been the elephant or the 800 pound gorilla in the room so to speak, dictating policy to regulators and politicians alike. Now much bigger and more formidable elephants and gorillas from the world of technology—companies thirty times their size—are in the room as well. Microsoft for example has a market capitalization of $3.3 trillion vs Southern Company-a very large utility-- with a market cap of only about $91 billion. Today’s US electric utilities are puny compared to large technology firms, with far more leverage, and that has placed them at a significant competitive disadvantage where it matters most, relative borrowing costs. The best the US utility industry can hope for is that they get ignored by the technology corporations, the way a shark ignores a sardine while hoping for bigger prey. If our present utility industry survives more or less in its present form it is likely to be because Microsoft, Apple, Meta, or whomever is currently scrambling to buy power plants chooses to ignore the regulated utility’s other non-generating assets. And we think this is unlikely. The technology industry has developed all manner of intrusive consumer products under the rubric of “smart” devices. Do we really think they wouldn’t continue to tinker at least with the thermostat, a device that could be in almost every room in a home or office? The near term competitive threat to utility growth, which will likely shake the markets, has to do with who actually builds and profits from new power generating assets. But, longer term, we don't think the regulatory process itself can mediate between technology companies and utilities—there is no bright line here— once it is no longer clear where the public's interest lies. As long as electricity prices remain affordable, the PSC’s will likely lapse into the position of referees and just let the big dogs fight. Then if power prices get out of hand, it’ll may be too late for the PSCs to do much. By Leonard Hyman and William Tilles for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com