CAIRO, Dec 30 (Reuters) - A gas explosion killed three police officers as maintenance work was being performed at Egypt's police academy in Cairo on Sunday night, the country's interior ministry said in a statement on social media. Two security sources said no foul play was suspected and added that two additional police personnel were injured. Sign up here. Reporting by Yomna Ehab and Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, writing by Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Rod Nickel Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Top 5% earners liable to pay Rs1.6tr in taxes: FBR Finance minister says govt introduced structural reforms in national economy to put it on path of growth The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) building can be seen. — X@FBRSpokesperson/File ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday outlined the measures taken and progress achieved since it began implementing a comprehensive economic reform agenda aimed at widening the tax base through digitisation of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), disclosing the identification of approximately 190,000 people evading taxes amounting to Rs60 billion. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); When consumers data was compiled/refined through an algorithm method, it showed that 190,000 persons leading a high-standard lifestyle [with luxury vehicles and properties] are non-filers. Following this, ground-truthing of the top 5,000-6,000 was performed through field staff that confirmed around Rs7 billion in taxes from them. If calculated today on the basis of 190,000 persons who should be direct taxpayers, there is an Rs50-60 billion taxation pocket, easily, it elaborated. This revelation was made during a joint news conference by Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Ali Pervaiz Malik and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial. Finance Minister Aurangzeb said that the incumbent government soon after assuming the power introduced structural reforms in the national economy to put it on the path of sustainable development and growth, adding that the taxation reforms remained on the top of reforms agenda. The government, he said, intended to enhance the tax-to-GDP ratio up to 13 percent, which was currently estimated at 9 to 10 percent of the GDP, adding the increase in revenue collection would not only strengthen the fiscal sides but also project the country’s image as a responsible state. He said the government had introduced a bill in the National Assembly to ensure full tax compliance, besides overcoming the issues related to non-declaration and under-declaration for enhancing the revenue collection in the country. Besides, Aurangzeb said the government was working on the technology transformation in the FBR and it introduced end-to-end digitization for ensuring transparency, minimizing human interventions to control harassment and eliminate elements of corruption to increase revenue collection. He said the work on the design of digitization of FBR was started in March 2024 under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, which was approved in September and now passing through its implementation stage, focusing on key economic sectors integration to plug leakages. Addressing the press conference, Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik said the increase in tax resources, keeping them judicious and extending to all sectors of the economy were the basic element of national tax strategy. Besides, he said execution of modern tools and digitization of FBR and conversion from indirect taxation to direct taxation as well as use of modern algorithms was the other objectives of the strategy to bring the people into a normal tax regime for ensuring tax compliance culture in the country. Accordingly, he said the government had also formed a task force for the capacity building of institutions, which comprised experts from the IT sector, academia, data analysis and businesses, adding that it helped to establish different dash-boards in the FBR to strengthen the efforts of tax compliance. Using the data analysis, he said, the government had identified about 190,000 potential taxpayers, who must be in the tax net, adding that the data was further authenticated by field formations, following this ground-truthing of the top 5,000-6,000 was performed through field staff that confirmed around Rs7 billion in taxes from them. “If calculated today on the basis of 190,000 persons who should be direct taxpayers, there is an Rs50-60 billion taxation pocket, easily,” he elaborated. He said the government had also introduced measures to protect common man in the country from the inflationary shocks through overcoming its deficits and economic management. “These measures are now bearing results and inflation rate has come down to a single digit.” FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial said the FBR was committed to digitization and automation in tax system and a lot of work had been completed for digitization and automation and execution was also priority of the institution. He said that FBR coordinated well with all relevant institutions, and currently, all the main institutions were working together with FBR to achieve the annual revenue target in the current Fiscal Year (2024-25). The chairman said that currently FBR has evolved its data analytic systems and added that the total tax gap was Rs7.1 trillion. “We are mainly focusing on the top five percent in terms of revenue collection and out of the top five percent people, which are 3.3 million, 600,000 people have so far filed their returns.” He said out of 190,000, only 38,000 people have filed returns and paid Rs370 million tax, while notices were issued to 169,000 wealthy non-filers. The FBR so far sent out tax notices to 186,000 high net worth individuals for possessing substantial assets, income and vehicles but never contributed up to the desired mark. The top five percent wealthy individuals who come into account, 670,000 are potential tax dodgers in the country who spent money but never bothered to come into the tax net. These 0.6 million high net worth individuals are on the radar screen of tax authorities. However, the minister for finance did not reply directly when asked whether the government would bring a mini budget or make an effort to convince the IMF for slashing down the FBR’s tax collection target keeping in view the shortfall in the range of Rs340 billion. The minister for finance replied that they would show the IMF sincere efforts undertaken by the government, adding that some assumptions were changed as inflation came down at an accelerated pace. “We will share all details with the IMF mission in good faith when they come for review talks,” he added. The finance minister said that the National Fiscal Pact was signed by the Centre and the provinces and it would be implemented in cooperation with the federating units. He said the Agriculture Income Tax (AIT) law was passed by the Punjab Assembly while other provinces were making progress but at different stages. He said the FBR achieved revenue growth of 29 percent but the target for the current fiscal year was set with an ambitious target of 40 percent. Sharing the criteria for prioritising potential high net worth individuals, the FBR chairman said that the revenue collector had identified 190,000 non-filers on the basis of six factors such as who earned bank profit of Rs1.3 million per annum, owned more than 3 vehicles with cumulative value of Rs10 million, transaction of more than two properties with cumulative value of Rs16 million, withdrawal of more than Rs3.5 million per annum and possessed two bank accounts, deposited at least Rs28 million and owned credit card. He said the FBR could easily collect Rs50 to Rs60 billion from these high-net worth individuals but conceded that the tax laws could not be implemented as criminal law, so there was a set procedure which would be followed. The FBR’s official data shows that Regional Taxpayer Office (RTO), Lahore, sent out tax notices to 38,828, RTO-II Karachi 15,000 and LTU Karachi only 75 individuals. For sharing digitization up-date for execution of FBR’s transformation plan, the tax compliance gap stood at Rs7.1 trillion -- sales tax of Rs4.1 trillion, income tax Rs2.4 trillion and Customs duty Rs0.6 trillion. Only 38,002 individuals have filed their returns and deposited Rs377.62 million. It was agreed by the government and FBR high-ups that in the short run, the FBR might face revenue shortfall but there was no other way to plug the leakages. “Our hands have been tied and there is no other way for broaden the tax base,” the finance minister said, adding that how long the FBR would collect taxes from salaried and formal manufacturing sector, so the retailers and others would have to come into the tax net. He said that the tax-to-GDP ratio hovered around 9 to 10 percent, which would be jacked up to 13.5 percent over a five-year period. The FBR chairman said the government undertook actions against sugar sector and also implemented faceless assessment and examination mechanism to end collusion among the importers and Customs high-ups. He said that PRAL’s new Board was inducted. The new hiring would be done with an injection of Rs4 billion. The FBR would hire 550 new auditors to improve efficiency. Meanwhile, the Senate Standing Committee on Finance has unanimously passed the Tax Laws Amendment Bill 2024 which recommended that the sale of property and gold related restrictions be placed to bar substantial transactions. The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenues met under Chairman Senator Saleem Mandviwalla here on Wednesday. Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mehmood Langrial said 95 percent households would not be affected by the proposed legislation to ban major transactions of ineligible people and businesses, rather these measures would help increase tax collection, as around Rs1.6 trillion gap exists in 5 percent top earners compared to Rs140 billion in the rest of the 90-95 percent alone in the Income Tax side. According to the proposed legislation, the ineligible person would not be able to transact certain economic transactions (certain basic exclusion applies). An ineligible person will not be able to transact economic transactions unless he became an eligible person. The eligible person is one who had filed an income tax return for the last preceding tax year along with an online filing of statement of investment and expenditure. The eligible person must have sufficient resources in his wealth statement (130 percent) of cash and cash equivalent. Regarding income tax amendments -- insertion of new section 175AA, the committee was informed that the purpose is to detect and take corrective measure against under declaration of income/ sales by fetching taxpayers’ banking system data and match with the declaration filed with the FBR. The FBR and banks would agree on an algorithm for setting banking transaction thresholds based on declared turnover and income of the person in the previous years against each CNIC. CNIC-based banking transaction threshold would be shared with the central depository of the banking system and such transactions would be reported to the FBR. The FBR would take legal action against such persons. Regarding the federal excise duty (FED) amendment, the committee was informed that Sections 26 and 27 are regarding seizing duty and sales tax unpaid goods in the country, authorising federal and provincial authorities to seize and destroy such unpaid goods. The minister for finance and revenue noted that while banks already had systems in place, integrating additional data could improve the identification of suspicious transactions.Prime Minister leads tributes to former US president Jimmy Carter
Yemen on fire after massive Israeli air raid on capital and ports sparks raging infernos
The Onion's rejected purchase of Infowars in an auction bid supported by families of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting dealt them a new setback Wednesday and clouded the future of Alex Jones' conspiracy theory platform, which is now poised to remain in his control for at least the near future. What's next for Infowars and Sandy Hook families' long-sought efforts to hold Jones accountable over calling one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history a hoax was unclear, after a federal judge in Houston late Tuesday rejected The Onion's winning bid for the site . U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston said he did not want another auction but offered no roadmap over how to proceed. One possibility includes ultimately allowing Sandy Hook families — who comprise most of Jones' creditors — to return to state courts in Connecticut and Texas to collect on the nearly $1.5 billion in defamation and emotional distress lawsuit judgments that Jones was ordered to pay them. “Our hope is that when this process ends, and it will end, and it will end sooner rather than later, is that all assets that Alex Jones has available are paid to the families, and that includes Infowars, and that as a result of that process Alex Jones is deprived of the ownership and control of the platform that he’s used to hurt so many people,” Christopher Mattei, an attorney for the Sandy Hook families, said in a phone interview Wednesday. The families, meanwhile, were preparing the mark the 12th anniversary of the Dec. 14 shooting. Why was The Onion bid rejected? The sale of Infowars is part of Jones’ personal bankruptcy case , which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay the $1.5 billion. Jones was sued for repeatedly saying on his show that the 2012 massacre of 20 first graders and six educators was staged by crisis actors to spur more gun control. Lopez said there was a lack of transparency in the bidding process and too much confusion about The Onion's bid. He also said the amount of money offered in the only two bids was too low and there needed to be more effort to try to raise as much money possible from the selling of Infowars' assets. The Onion's parent company, Global Tetrahedron, submitted a $1.75 million cash offer with plans to kick Jones out and relaunch Infowars in January as a parody . The bid also included a deal with many of the Sandy Hook families for them to forgo $750,000 of their auction proceeds and give it to other creditors. Lopez called it a complex arrangement that led to different interpretations of the bid's actual value as well as last-minute changes to a proposed sale order. The other bidder was First United American Companies, which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements and planned to let Jones stay on the Infowars platforms. It offered $3.5 million in cash and later, with Jones, alleged fraud and collusion in the bidding process. Lopez rejected the allegations, saying that while mistakes were made there was no wrongdoing. Christopher Murray, the trustee who oversaw the auction, said he picked The Onion and its deal with the Sandy Hook families because it would have provided more money to Jones' other creditors. What happens next? The next steps remained unclear Wednesday. The judge directed Murray to come up with a new plan to move forward. Murray and representatives of The Onion did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The judge said there was a possibility there could be a trial in 2025 to settle Jones' bankruptcy. He said Murray could try to sell the equity in Infowars' parent company. He also said Murray could abandon the efforts, which could allow the Sandy Hook families to return to the state courts where they won their lawsuits against Jones and begin collection proceedings against him. The judge said he wanted to hear back from Murray and others involved in the bankruptcy within 30 days on a plan to move forward. Mattei, who represented the Sandy Hook families in the Connecticut lawsuit, said everyone is waiting to see what plan the trustee comes up with. Jones, meanwhile, continued to allege fraud and collusion on his show Wednesday and threatened legal action over what he called an attempted “rigged auction.” On the social media platform X, he called the judge's ruling a “Major Victory For Freedom Of The Press & Due Process." “I don’t want to have to go after these people, lawsuit-wise, but we have to because if you don’t then you’re aiding and abetting and they do it to other people. They made some big mistakes," he said. Sandy Hook families to mark shooting anniversary It's a solemn and heartbreaking week for relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The 12th anniversary is Saturday, and some of the victims' relatives were traveling to Washington, D.C., to attend the annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence on Wednesday evening. The families usually mark the anniversary out of the public eye. Many of the families said their lawsuits against Jones bought back the unbearable pain of losing their loved ones, as well as the trauma of being harassed and threatened by believers of Jones' hoax conspiracy. Relatives said they have been confronted in public by hoax believers and received death and rape threats. Robbie Parker, whose 6-year-old daughter Emilie was killed, testified at the Connecticut lawsuit trial in 2022 that the decade of abuse his family suffered made them move across the country to Washington state, and even there he was accosted in person. The families have not received any money from Jones since winning the trials. Jones has been appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments, and has since conceded that the shooting did happen. Last week, a Connecticut appeals court upheld most of the judgment in that state but reduced it by $150 million. ___ Associated Press writer Juan A. Lozano in Houston contributed to this report. Dave Collins, The Associated Press
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree stands lit during its lighting ceremony. The 74-foot tall, 11-ton Norway Spruce from West Stockbridge was donated by Earl Albert. He and his wife Lesley planted it in 1967. The tree and the Alberts' story, has warmed the hearts of many. On Christmas Day, Sir Paul McCartney chose it as a backdrop for a photo with his wife, Nancy Shevell. WEST STOCKBRIDGE — For a 57-year-old Norway spruce begotten by love and Berkshires soil, it was the selfie of all time. It got its picture taken with a Beatle. Sir Paul McCartney sent a message of Christmas and Hanukkah greetings on social media as he stood with his wife, Nancy Shevell, in front of the bedecked spruce at Rockefeller Center. “Happy Christmas all round the world and have a heck of a Hanukkah, — Paul," McCartney wrote in the message posted to his Instagram and Facebook pages on Dec. 25. A post shared by Paul McCartney (@paulmccartney) Sir Paul shared the photo along with another picture of a lit Hanukkah menorah. (Shevell is Jewish, as was his first wife, Linda Eastman, according to an article in The Forward entitled, “Why Paul McCartney should be known as ‘the Jewish Beatle,” by local author Seth Rogovoy.) But back to the Berkshires’ own celebrity spruce, donated to Rockefeller Center. The tree, at 74 feet tall, has bestowed and received its own tidings of comfort and joy since word got out that it would be heading to New York City. In “All You Need Is Love” fashion, the tree seemed to unite the Berkshires after a grueling election season, a wildfire and an assortment of other bad news. This 74-foot tall Norway Spruce at Earl Albert's family home in West Stockbridge, shown on Oct. 28, has been chosen as the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The tree’s history in the yard of a modest Albany Road home is a love story for the ages. Newlyweds Earl and Lesley Albert planted the tree in 1967, the same year the Beatles released the album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and hits including “All You Need Is Love,” “Penny Lane” and “Hello, Goodbye.” A few days after Lesley Albert died in 2020, Rockefeller Center’s head gardener, Erik Pauze knocked at Earl Albert’s door. Pauze had come to the Berkshires scouting for future Christmas trees. Their tree caught his eye. Earl and Lesley's son, Michael Albert, told The Today Show that, at the time, he wondered if Pauze was “an angel or something.” The elder Albert told The Eagle that he intends to install a plaque at the tree’s stump to honor his wife's memory. Earl Albert, shown in 2013, said he intends to put up a plaque in honor of his late wife, Lesley, at the stump of the 74-foot spruce tree that he donated to Rockefeller Center. Even before it traveled to New York City on a flatbed last month, it drew many fans. And around 800 people outside watched as it was felled. Then, Sir Paul got his moment with the spruce. McCartney’s post received more than 406,700 likes on Instagram; more than 125,000 on Facebook. McCartney is no stranger to elaborate holiday decorating. “We’ve got the decorations up already actually,” he said in a Dec. 21 answers to fan questions on his website. “And I’m one of those guys that loves to overdo decorations, so I need a minute to sit back, relax and enjoy them. So, that’s what I’ve got to look forward to.” McCartney also said that his holiday plans after his 2024 tour ended with a concert in London on Dec. 19 included “a well-deserved rest,” he wrote in his website post of “You Gave Me The Answer — The Final Fan Questions for 2024.” “It’s Christmas, so it’s family time for me,” he wrote. This year he is most thankful, he told fans, for “My family, as always; my kids and [my wife] Nancy, who are all great people.” After a rest, he’ll be back to making more music. He told fans that one New Year’s resolution is to “finish a new album!” “I’ve been working on a lot of songs," McCartney said, “and have had to put it to the side because of the tour. “ What will become of the superstar spruce when the year turns, its bejeweled, 800-pound star is winched off, and its 5 miles of light strands are unwound? The timber will be used to build houses for those who need a home to call their own.CAIRO, Dec 30 (Reuters) - A gas explosion killed three police officers as maintenance work was being performed at Egypt's police academy in Cairo on Sunday night, the country's interior ministry said in a statement on social media. Two security sources said no foul play was suspected and added that two additional police personnel were injured. Sign up here. Reporting by Yomna Ehab and Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, writing by Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Rod Nickel Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Mayor vows to fight corruption allegations
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Report: Iowa CB Jermari Harris opts out of rest of season
(Reuters) – Meta’s Facebook and Instagram were down for thousands of users across the United States on Wednesday, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com. There were more than 105,000 incidents of people reporting issues with Facebook and over 70,000 with Instagram, in an outage that started around 12:50 pm ET. WhatsApp, Meta’s messaging application, was also down for more than 12,000 users, according to Downdetector.com. The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Some Facebook and Instagram users posted on rival platform X that they were encountering an error that said “something went wrong” and that Meta was working to get it fixed. Hundreds of thousands of Facebook and Instagram users were impacted globally for more than two hours early this year by an outage that was caused by a technical issue.
The average price of SMM 1# silver in 2024 rose approximately 30% YoY, supported by rigid PV demand in H1 and market expectations of a US Fed interest rate cut. Meanwhile, the market's capital chain was relatively loose, leading to a significant increase in silver prices. Both supply-demand dynamics and macro sentiment influenced silver prices. In 2023, macro factors had a weaker impact, and silver prices were more affected by industrial supply and demand. However, entering 2024, as the macro market shifted to an interest rate cut environment, futures market investment activity surpassed industrial supply and demand, with macro news exerting a stronger influence on silver prices. Macro Front : In 2025, the US will remain in an interest rate cut environment, and the US Fed is expected to set interest rates lower than in 2024. Meanwhile, the US president's policies will strengthen the US dollar and weaken precious metals. However, as the correlation between the US dollar and gold may weaken, coupled with currency exchange rate issues, silver prices are likely to fluctuate on the bullish side. Demand Side : PV demand will continue to grow in 2024, with PV silver usage (production + inventory) at 5,800 mt, up 26% YoY. The increase in silver usage is related to advancements in PV technology conversion, sustained growth in downstream demand, and further strengthening of localisation substitution. Demand for electrical alloys will also rise compared to last year, mainly due to improved orders for electrical alloys in 2024. Downstream home appliance subsidies have encouraged consumers to upgrade appliances, driving related demand for electrical alloys. In the electronics sector, demand is supported by semiconductor-related products. However, as domestic silver supply for semiconductors is skewed towards low and mid-end, the market relies heavily on imports. Additionally, due to cost reduction pressures in the industry chain, the substitution rate with base metals is higher. Other traditional industrial sectors, impacted by high silver prices, are increasingly using base metals as substitutes where performance is not compromised. Supply Side : Rising silver prices have driven an increase in silver production, with 1# silver production up 9% YoY. At the same time, more silver is entering the supply system. In H1, strong PV demand significantly boosted domestic silver prices, pushing domestic prices above the tax-inclusive prices of imported silver. In June and July, domestic markets uncharacteristically imported silver to supplement domestic demand. Supply-Demand Balance : At the beginning of 2025, a tight supply-demand balance is expected, with supply slightly exceeding demand. Therefore, from the supply-demand perspective, silver prices in 2025 are expected to show a downward trend. Given the influence of both macro factors and supply-demand dynamics, the average silver price in 2025 is expected to be similar to that in 2024, with overall prices exhibiting a wide fluctuating trend. 》Check SMM Precious Metals Spot Prices
AP Business SummaryBrief at 1:27 p.m. ESTLewis scores 21, Marist beats Binghamton 69-51Brock Bowers sets NFL rookie records as the Raiders roll to a 25-10 victory over the Saints
By MATTHEW BROWN and JACK DURA BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Donald Trump assigned Doug Burgum a singular mission in nominating the governor of oil-rich North Dakota to lead an agency that oversees a half-billion acres of federal land and vast areas offshore: “Drill baby drill.” That dictate from the president-elect’s announcement of Burgum for Secretary of Interior sets the stage for a reignition of the court battles over public lands and waters that helped define Trump’s first term, with environmentalists worried about climate change already pledging their opposition. Burgum is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who grew up on his family’s farm. He represents a tame choice compared to other Trump Cabinet picks. Public lands experts said his experience as a popular two-term governor who aligns himself with conservationist Teddy Roosevelt suggests a willingness to collaborate, as opposed to dismantling from within the agency he is tasked with leading. That could help smooth his confirmation and clear the way for the incoming administration to move quickly to open more public lands to development and commercial use. “Burgum strikes me as a credible nominee who could do a credible job as Interior secretary,” said John Leshy, who served as Interior’s solicitor under former President Bill Clinton. “He’s not a right-wing radical on public lands,” added Leshy, professor emeritus at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. The Interior Department manages about one-fifth of the country’s land with a mandate that spans from wildlife conservation and recreation to natural resource extraction and fulfilling treaty obligations with Native American tribes. Most of those lands are in the West, where frictions with private landowners and state officials are commonplace and have sometimes mushroomed into violent confrontations with right-wing groups that reject federal jurisdiction. Burgum if confirmed would be faced with a pending U.S. Supreme Court action from Utah that seeks to assert state power over Interior Department lands. North Dakota’s attorney general has supported the lawsuit, but Burgum’s office declined to say if he backs Utah’s claims. U.S. Justice Department attorneys on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to reject Utah’s lawsuit. They said Utah in 1894 agreed to give up its right to the lands at issue when it became a state. Trump’s narrow focus on fossil fuels is a replay from his 2016 campaign — although minus coal mining, a collapsing industry that he failed to revive in his first term. Trump repeatedly hailed oil as “liquid gold” on the campaign trail this year and largely omitted any mention of coal. About 26% of U.S. oil comes from federal lands and offshore waters overseen by Interior. Production continues to hit record levels under President Joe Biden despite claims by Trump that the Democrat hindered drilling. But industry representatives and their Republican allies say volumes could be further boosted. They want Burgum and the Interior Department to ramp up oil and gas sales from federal lands, in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Alaska. The oil industry also hopes Trump’s government efficiency initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk can dramatically reduce environmental reviews. Biden’s administration reduced the frequency and size of lease sales, and it restored environmental rules that were weakened under Trump . The Democrat as a candidate in 2020 promised further restrictions on drilling to help combat global warming, but he struck a deal for the 2022 climate bill that requires offshore oil and gas sales to be held before renewable energy leases can be sold. “Oil and gas brings billions of dollars of revenue in, but you don’t get that if you don’t have leasing,” said Erik Milito with the National Ocean Industries Association, which represents offshore industries including oil and wind. Trump has vowed to kill offshore wind energy projects. But Milito said he was hopeful that with Burgum in place it would be “green lights ahead for everything, not just oil and gas.” It is unclear if Burgum would revive some of the most controversial steps taken at the agency during Trump’s first term, including relocating senior officials out of Washington, D.C., dismantling parts of the Endangered Species Act and shrinking the size of two national monuments in Utah designated by former President Barack Obama. Officials under Biden spent much of the past four years reversing Trump’s moves. They restored the Utah monuments and rescinded numerous Trump regulations. Onshore oil and gas lease sales plummeted — from more than a million acres sold annually under Trump and other previous administrations, to just 91,712 acres (37,115 hectares) sold last year — while many wind and solar projects advanced. Developing energy leases takes years, and oil companies control millions of acres that remain untapped. Biden’s administration also elevated the importance of conservation in public lands decisions, adopting a rule putting it more on par with oil and gas development. They proposed withdrawing parcels of land in six states from potential future mining to protect a struggling bird species, the greater sage grouse. North Dakota is among Republican states that challenged the Biden administration’s public lands rule. The states said in a June lawsuit that officials acting to prevent climate change have turned laws meant to facilitate development into policies that obstruct drilling, livestock grazing and other uses. Oil production boomed over the past two decades in North Dakota thanks in large part to better drilling techniques. Burgum has been an industry champion and last year signed a repeal of the state’s oil tax trigger — a price-based tax hike industry leaders supported removing. Burgum’s office declined an interview request. In a statement after his nomination, Burgum echoed Trump’s call for U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. The 68-year-old governor also said the Interior post offered an opportunity to improve government relations with developers, tribes, landowners and outdoor enthusiasts “with a focus on maximizing the responsible use of our natural resources with environmental stewardship for the benefit of the American people.” Related Articles National Politics | Trump convinced Republicans to overlook his misconduct. But can he do the same for his nominees? National Politics | Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad National Politics | Trump’s team is delaying transition agreements. What does it mean for security checks and governing? National Politics | Judge delays Trump hush money sentencing in order to decide where case should go now National Politics | Republicans scramble to fill JD Vance’s Ohio Senate seat Under current Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the agency put greater emphasis on working collaboratively with tribes, including their own energy projects . Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe in New Mexico, also advanced an initiative to solve criminal cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous peoples and helped lead a nationwide reckoning over abuses at federal Indian boarding schools that culminated in a formal public apology from Biden. Burgum has worked with tribes in his state, including on oil development. Badlands Conservation Alliance director Shannon Straight in Bismarck, North Dakota, said Burgum has also been a big supporter of tourism in North Dakota and outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing. Yet Straight said that hasn’t translated into additional protections for land in the state. “Theodore Roosevelt had a conservation ethic, and we talk and hold that up as a beautiful standard to live by,” he said. “We haven’t seen it as much on the ground. ... We need to recognize the landscape is only going to be as good as some additional protections.” Burgum has been a cheerleader of the planned Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. Brown reported from Billings, Montana.