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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: All Vatican Adventure Book LocationsScotland's Finance Secretary Shona Robison is under pressure to embark on wide-ranging reforms as she prepares to set out her draft Budget for next year. Spending watchdog Audit Scotland warns that the NHS is unsustainable in its present state, local authorities want more cash and autonomy, and unions say education is threatened by a lack of teachers. There are also calls for the SNP to replace the council tax with a new system and to restrict access to "freebies" such as state-funded university tuition. Robison said the Budget would focus on eradicating child poverty and "tackling the climate emergency" while improving public services and growing the economy. Her tax-and-spending bill will be scrutinised in the Scottish Parliament over the winter before a vote in February, when she will need support from outside the ranks of the SNP minority administration for it to become law. The UK government says an extra £3.4bn is available to Robison for this Budget , which covers 2025/26, as a result of decisions made by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her October Budget at Westminster. That's because the lion's share of Scottish government funding comes in the form of an annual lump sum from the Treasury known as the block grant, calculated using a formula designed in the 1970s by a Labour politician, Joel Barnett. But much of the increase has already been swallowed up by Scottish government decisions to raise salaries for public sector workers who, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute at Strathclyde University, are both more numerous per head and, "on average, paid more in Scotland," than those elsewhere in the UK. The institute's annual budget report says that despite the increases in funding, the settlement for 2025/26 "is still tricky" and the finance secretary "will have limited room for manoeuvre". Other pressures include the SNP's decision to fund a partial reversal of Reeves’ restriction of winter fuel payments for pensioners, and the impact of Labour’s decision to increase employers' national insurance contributions . There are also calls for Robison to spend some £220m replicating relief from business rates - a form of property tax - announced by the chancellor for retail, hospitality and leisure firms in England. "Given that there's no difference in the challenges being faced either side of the border, we think it's really incumbent on the Scottish government to pass on that 40% rates relief," says Stacey Dingwall, head of policy and external affairs for the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland. Ms Dingwall says the Scottish government also needs to keep its promise to reset relations with business after a net loss of 20,000 small Scottish firms in 2023. Scotland's total budget last year amounted to some £60bn. The UK government says the block grant for 2025/26 will be £47.7bn. Ms Robison must balance the books every year as the devolved administration has only limited powers to borrow money. The remainder of her budget is raised by taxes administered in Edinburgh, such as income tax, land and buildings transaction tax (formerly known as stamp duty), and business rates. Since devolution in 1999, the Scottish government has been responsible for a wide range of public services, including health, education, policing, justice and housing. Control of defence, foreign affairs, currency and immigration remains with the UK government. But, in the quarter of a century since the establishment of the modern Scottish Parliament, extra powers over welfare and taxation have been transferred from London to Edinburgh. That has seen devolved social security spending jump from £192m in 2018/19 to £5.1bn in 2023/24, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute. The sharpest divergence from Westminster welfare policy came through the introduction in 2021 of a weekly benefit for low income families, currently £26.70 per child, known as the Scottish Child Payment. "It is definitely making an impact," says Chris Birt, associate director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, who would like the budget to include more investment in social housing; better funding for social care and childcare; and council tax reform. "Most people don't give a monkey's if services are provided by UK government, Scottish government, health board, council, whatever, they just want that support to be there," says Mr Birt. "We definitely need to have a much more radical discussion about how we support people, not how we worry about our institutions." As well as divergence from Westminster on welfare, there has also been a shift on tax policy . At present anyone earning more than around £29,000 per year in Scotland pays more income tax than their compatriots in England. Those earning below that threshold pay slightly less, in a system which is now more complex than anywhere else in the UK. Ms Robison must also consider what to do with council tax after last year's shock decision by then First Minister Humza Yousaf to reintroduce a freeze of the levy. An extension of that freeze in this year's Budget would be, if anything, an even greater surprise, throwing Yousaf's successor, John Swinney, into a bitter battle with local authority leaders. It is therefore considered unlikely. Over their 17 years in power at Holyrood, the SNP have also maintained and expanded the provision of a wide range of state-funded benefits, including personal care for the elderly, university tuition, prescriptions, and bus travel for the youngest and oldest Scots. Some critics, including Alison Payne, research director with the think tank, Reform Scotland, say this is a poor use of a limited pot of cash. "Where budgets are tight and you have dwindling resources, you need to have a conversation about whether it is better to target what support you have to those who need it most," says Ms Payne. But it is the National Health Service which provides the biggest headache for Robison. Not only does it account for 40% of her Budget but it is under extraordinary pressure. The public spending watchdog, Audit Scotland, says the country's current healthcare delivery model is not sustainable , with a "worsening financial position" and "ongoing performance issues." Here too there is a call not just for increased funding, or tinkering with existing policy, but for fundamental reform, potentially up to the point of stopping some services. Ahead of the budget, Scottish Labour said "every institution in Scotland" had "been left weaker by SNP mismanagement and waste." The Scottish Conservatives accused the SNP of having "failed Scotland by making people pay more while getting less". Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton, said the SNP "would have to pull out all the stops" to persuade his party to support the budget. The Scottish Greens said they wanted to see "a progressive budget that invests in tackling the climate crisis and lifting children out of poverty". The Alba Party urged Swinney to reject any proposals from parties "that want to rip up the social contract that Alex Salmond delivered whilst in office". Taken together it is all a huge challenge for Robison and her boss, John Swinney, who has promised to guide Scotland out of "a long, dark winter" into the "warmth of spring".
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Results of a non-binding vote on the proposed Grassy Mountain coal mine in Crowsnest Pass were announced Monday, with more than 71 per cent of voters supporting the project. About 54 per cent of eligible voters participated in the plebiscite, which was held to gauge community sentiment specifically on metallurgical coal mining by Northback Holdings Corp. The ballot posed the question, “Do you support the development and operations of the metallurgical coal mine at Grassy Mountain?” An advance poll was conducted on Nov. 19, followed by the primary voting day on Monday. The results showed 71.7 per cent of voters in favour of the project, while 28.3 per cent opposed it. Crowsnest Pass Mayor Blair Painter expressed satisfaction with the strong voter turnout and called the result a “real strong message” from the community. “I’m very pleased that we had over 53 per cent of the eligible voters turn out to vote on this subject,” Painter told Shootin’ the Breeze. “This sends a very strong message to our council that our community is in favour of ethical metallurgical coal mining in our area.” Painter emphasized the importance of understanding community preferences regarding a project that could affect housing, infrastructure and employment in the region. “We are the community that this mine primarily will draw from. Therefore, it is important that we need to know where our community stands and they have told us,” he said. However, he acknowledged that the municipal council’s role is limited to advocacy and that the ultimate decision on the proposed mine is not in their hands. “We are not the decision-maker on this project; we are only one of the stakeholders,” he noted, adding that council will move forward and continue to advocate. The Grassy Mountain coal mine project has been the subject of significant debate. On Sept. 10, Crowsnest Pass council passed a motion to conduct a non-binding vote, seeking input from residents on their support for the development and operations of the proposed mine. Since then, a long-standing debate has grown heated at times regarding the consequences of mining. Supporters have cited its potential to drive economic growth and create jobs, while critics have voiced concerns over environmental risks, such as selenium contamination and air quality issues due to dust generation. Painter acknowledged these concerns, stating, “Clean water is very important. We get that. Now you must also remember that the area of this mine site, Grassy Mountain, is not pristine mountaintops. It’s previously mined land with no reclamation.” He added that mining operations have made strides in addressing environmental concerns, citing global investments in clean-water technology by other mining companies. “Our mining neighbours to the west of us, Glencore, is spending billions of dollars on clean water technology. They are leaders globally in clean water,” he said. The mayor clarified that council’s next steps would involve internal deliberations, with no influence over the regulatory process or the mining company’s decisions. “We cannot control what they are going to do. They’re bound by the rules and regulations of our country. We cannot influence that,” he said. Northback Holdings, the company behind the Grassy Mountain project, welcomed the vote’s outcome, calling it a step forward for “responsible resource development.” In a statement issued on social media, the company expressed gratitude for the community’s support and reiterated its commitment to balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship. “Exciting news from Crowsnest Pass! Residents have voted in favour of the Grassy Mountain project! Thank you for your overwhelming support for responsible resource development and economic growth,” the company said. “Together, we’re creating well-paying jobs and a brighter future for the region. At Northback, we are committed to modern mining practices that protect the environment while revitalizing the local economy. Let’s move forward together!” Northback representatives were unavailable to comment on the voting results.AUGUSTA, Maine — The 132nd Legislature met Wednesday in Augusta to swear in members and elect the Democratic-nominated constitutional officers, a largely ceremonial day that followed drama surrounding how Republicans selected their attorney general nominee. The swearing-in process ahead of legislative business beginning in January came a day after the final recount of a Nov. 5 election race concluded. Democrats, who have controlled the State House and governor’s office since 2018, saw their majorities narrow to a 76-73 advantage in the House, with two independents, and to a 20-15 edge in the Senate. The Legislature voted Wednesday for Attorney General Aaron Frey to continue in the role he has held since 2018, after Democrats nominated him by secret ballot Tuesday over challenger Maeghan Maloney, the district attorney for Kennebec and Somerset counties. Rep. Joe Perry, D-Bangor, will become the Maine state treasurer after beating House Majority Leader Mo Terry, D-Gorham. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Maine State Auditor Matt Dunlap did not face Democratic challengers for the positions they have held since 2021. Each chamber has new Democratic leadership after House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, and Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, were termed out. Members elected former House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, to once again hold the gavel in the lower chamber and elected Assistant Senate Majority Leader Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, to lead the upper chamber. House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, and Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle, will continue in their leadership roles. Republicans nominated former Maine Attorney General Bill Schneider, who served from 2011 to 2013, to compete for Frey’s position but did not have the numbers to elect him. The closed-door nomination process featured some drama after the Maine Republican Party initially said in a Nov. 26 news release that Bobby Charles, a Wayne native who served as assistant secretary of state for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs under former President George W. Bush, would be the party’s attorney general pick. But several Republican lawmakers said the party overstepped by publishing that news release last month. Maine Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment. Charles, who is mulling a run for governor in 2026, said during a Wednesday morning interview on WVOM he did not know what happened behind the scenes, adding it was “above my pay grade” and he had “a feeling it has to do with personalities or something.” “I was told people were shocked,” Charles said. “But you know what, it’s really not my call.” Faulkingham said Schneider, a Durham resident and Army veteran who previously was a state lawmaker, assistant U.S. attorney and district court judge, was “the better candidate here.” “They both have a good resume, but Bobby’s is in D.C. and Schneider’s is here in Maine,” Faulkingham said by text message Wednesday. Bellows beat the Republican nominee for secretary of state, Sawin Millett, a longtime lawmaker and former state commissioner from Waterford who earlier this year finished his final term in the Legislature that he was first elected to in 1968. Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, noted 36 members are “brand new” to the Legislature while speaking to incoming legislators Tuesday evening during a banquet and reception at the Augusta Civic Center. The Legislature has members ranging in age from 25 to 79. Mills mentioned a range of issues the Legislature will likely tackle ahead of a statutory end date of June 18, 2025, such as housing , rising property taxes and health care . Mills reiterated she plans on proposing a state budget in the coming weeks “that is lean and that maintains, to the greatest extent possible, commitments the Legislature has already made.” “As you consider my budget proposal and other legislation before you,” Mills said, “I urge you to keep the long-term fiscal stability of our state as a high priority.” More articles from the BDN
NEW YORK -- The founder and former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network could face decades in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to federal fraud charges, admitting that he misled customers about the business. Alexander Mashinsky , 58, of Manhattan, entered the plea in New York federal court to commodities and securities fraud. He admitted illegally manipulating the price of Celsius’s proprietary crypto token while secretly selling his own tokens at inflated prices to pocket about $48 million before Celsius collapsed into bankruptcy in 2022. In court, he admitted that in 2021 he publicly suggested there was regulatory consent for the company's moves because he knew that customers “would find false comfort” with that. And he said that in 2019, he was selling the crypto tokens even though he told the public that he was not. He said he knew customers would draw false comfort from that too. “I accept full responsibility for my actions,” Mashinsky said of crimes that stretched from 2018 to 2022 as the company pitched itself to customers as a modern-day bank where they could safely deposit crypto assets and earn interest. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a release that Mashinsky “orchestrated one of the biggest frauds in the crypto industry” as his company's assets purportedly grew to about $25 billion at its peak, making it one of the largest crypto platforms in the world. He said Mashinsky used catchy slogans like “Unbank Yourself” to entice prospective customers with a pledge that their money would be as safe in crypto accounts as money would be in a bank. Meanwhile, prosecutors said, Mashinsky and co-conspirators used customer deposits to fund market purchases of the Celsius token to prop up its value. Machinsky made tens of millions of dollars selling his own CEL tokens at artificially high prices, leaving his customers “holding the bag when the company went bankrupt,” Williams said. An indictment alleged that Mashinsky promoted Celsius through media interviews, his social media accounts and Celsius’ website, along with a weekly “Ask Mashinsky Anything” session broadcast that was posted to Celsius’ website and a YouTube channel. Celsius employees from multiple departments who noticed false and misleading statements in the sessions warned Mashinsky, but they were ignored, the indictment said. A plea agreement Mashinsky made with prosecutors calls for him to be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison and to forfeit over $48 million, which is the amount of money he allegedly made by selling his company's token. Sentencing was scheduled for April 8.
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American Airlines has cut some international flights from major US airports next year and delayed others, blaming Boeing for the hold up. A number of new long-haul routes can’t go ahead yet because Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner jets are delayed, The Points Guy first reported . “As a result of ongoing Boeing 787 delivery delays, American is adjusting service on certain routes in spring 2025 to ensure we are able to re-accommodate customers on affected flights,” the airline said in a statement. “We’ll be proactively reaching out to our impacted customers to offer alternate travel arrangements and remain committed to mitigating the impact of these Boeing delays while continuing to offer a comprehensive global network.” American Airlines is awaiting delivery of 25 of the 787 Dreamline jets, according to Boeing orders and delivery figures . American Airlines services between Miami International Airport and Ministro Pistarini International Airport, near Buenos Aires, are being cut from three daily to two. Flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Paris Charles De Gaulle have been on hold since September and won’t be restarting until May. They were scheduled to resume in April. At Miami, flights to the Parisian airport will be temporarily suspended in May. The airline stressed that routes to the destinations would not be canceled due to Boeing delays, but the flights would be starting later than planned. The Independent has contacted Boeing for comment. This morning American Airlines grounded its flights for around an hour across the U.S. on Christmas Eve amid one of the busiest travel periods of the year. The technology issue impacted systems needed to release flights, causing a ground stop that lasted approximately one hour. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) posted a nationwide groundstop order for all American flights at the request of the airline, an advisory notice shows, which has since been lifted. Passengers aired their woes on social media about the delays to their Christmas Eve travel plans due to the temporary halting of American Airlines flights. One X user wrote that they had been required to deplane at Pittsburgh International Airport, to which the airline responded: “We’re doing our best to get things back on track. Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this has caused.” Another passenger wrote: “Heck of way to start Christmas. Hey, American Airlines just tell us whether we should go home or not. Please don’t make us wait in the airport for hours.” A video posted from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport showed a large crowd waiting in the gate area with an announcer saying that its “system is down” so they could not get the crew on the plane nor board any customers. FlightRadar24, a flight data tracking site, said on X that while the ground stop has now been canceled, “it will take some time for flights to get back to normal.” It added that there are 420 active American Airlines flights as of 8:32 a.m., whereas at the same time last week, there were 620.
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NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes rose to more records Wednesday after tech companies talked up how much of a boost they’re getting from the artificial-intelligence boom. The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% to add to what’s set to be one of its best years of the millennium. It’s the 56th time the index has hit an all-time high this year after climbing in 11 of the last 12 days . The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 308 points, or 0.7%, while the Nasdaq composite added 1.3% to its own record. Salesforce helped pull the market higher after delivering stronger revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its profit fell just short. CEO Mark Benioff highlighted the company’s artificial-intelligence offering for customers, saying “the rise of autonomous AI agents is revolutionizing global labor, reshaping how industries operate and scale.” The stock price of the company, which helps businesses manage their customers, jumped 11%. Marvell Technology leaped even more after delivering better results than expected, up 23.2%. CEO Matt Murphy said the semiconductor supplier is seeing strong demand from AI and gave a forecast for profit in the upcoming quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. All the optimistic talk helped Nvidia , the company whose chips are powering much of the move into AI, rally 3.5%. It was the strongest force pushing upward on the S&P 500 by far. They helped offset an 8.9% drop for Foot Locker, which reported profit and revenue that fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Mary Dillon said the company is taking a more cautious view, and it cut its forecasts for sales and profit this year. Dillon pointed to how keen customers are for discounts and how soft demand has been outside of Thanksgiving week and other key selling periods. Retailers overall have offered mixed signals about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain. Their spending has been one of the main reasons the U.S. economy has avoided a recession that earlier seemed inevitable after the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates to crush inflation. But shoppers are now contending with still-high prices and a slowing job market . This week’s highlight for Wall Street will be Friday’s jobs report from the U.S. government, which will show how many people employers hired and fired last month. A narrower report released Wednesday morning suggested employers in the private sector increased their payrolls by less last month than economists expected. Hiring in manufacturing was the weakest since the spring, according to Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. The report strengthened traders’ expectations that the Fed will cut its main interest rate again when it meets in two weeks. The Fed began easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high in September, hoping to offer more support for the job market. The central bank had appeared set to continue cutting rates into next year, but the election of Donald Trump has scrambled Wall Street’s expectations somewhat. Trump’s preference for higher tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , which could alter the Fed’s plans . Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the central bank can afford to cut rates cautiously because inflation has slowed from its peak two years ago and the economy remains sturdy. A separate report on Wednesday said health care, finance and other businesses in the U.S. services sector are continuing to grow, but not by as much as before and not by as much as economists expected. One respondent from the construction industry told the survey from the Institute for Supply Management that the Fed’s rate cuts haven't pulled down mortgage rates as much as hoped. Plus, “the unknown effect of tariffs clouds the future.” In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.18% from 4.23% late Tuesday. On Wall Street, Campbell’s sank 6.2% for one of the S&P 500’s sharper losses despite increasing its dividend and reporting a stronger profit than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, and the National Football League’s Washington Commanders hired Campbell’s CEO Mark Clouse as its team president. Gains for airline stocks helped offset that drop after JetBlue Airways said it saw stronger bookings for travel in November and December following the presidential election. It also said it’s benefiting from lower fuel prices, as well as lower costs due to improved on-time performance. JetBlue jumped 8.3%, while Southwest Airlines climbed 3.5%. All told, the S&P 500 rose 36.61 points to 6,086.49. The Dow climbed 308.51 to 45,014.04, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 254.21 to 19,735.12. In stock markets abroad, South Korea’s Kospi sank 1.4% following a night full of drama in Seoul. President Yoon Suk Yeol was facing possible impeachment after he suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday night, prompting troops to surround the parliament. He revoked the martial law declaration six hours later. In the crypto market , bitcoin climbed near $99,000 after Trump said he would nominate Paul Atkins , a cryptocurrency advocate, to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. AP Writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed.HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company's collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work and wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but "We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company's website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory claiming all birds are actually government surveillance drones. Peters said she and some other former employees are upset and think the relaunch was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, 74, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. But Sherron Watkins, Enron’s former vice president of corporate development and the main whistleblower who helped uncover the scandal, said she didn’t have a problem with the joke because comedy “usually helps us focus on an uncomfortable historical event that we’d rather ignore.” “I think we use prior scandals to try to teach new generations what can go wrong with big companies,” said Watkins, who still speaks at colleges and conferences about the Enron scandal. This story was corrected to fix the spelling of Ken Lay’s first name, which had been misspelled “Key.” Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70