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PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter's in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Defying expectations Carter's path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That's a very narrow way of assessing them," Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” ‘Country come to town’ Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn't suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he'd be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter's tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter's lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” A ‘leader of conscience’ on race and class Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor's race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival's endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King's daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn was Carter's closest advisor Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters' early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Reevaluating his legacy Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan's presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan's Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. Pilgrimages to Plains The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.INactive, America’s Silent Killer: An Eye-Opening Film Capturing the Devastating Reality of a World that No Longer MovesEcuador police rescue kidnapped footballer following firefight

PITTSBURGH , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - RoadBlock Solutions, a division of RSG International, a leading Canadian company in road safety infrastructure, is officially expanding. Effective immediately, the merger of Corbin Highway Products, Laura-Metaal, Dimensional Products Inc., Summit Rentals US, and Pivot Safety US will unite their collective expertise, cutting-edge technology, and extensive resources. This strategic merger positions RoadBlock Solutions as a major player in the road safety sector, ready to offer innovative and comprehensive solutions. Ryan Samek , Senior Vice-President of RoadBlock Solutions, brings over two decades of road safety experience to the role. He is supported by a team of industry veterans, including Gary Lallo , Roger Spencer , Tony Cappella, Shannon Carroll , and Alex Wolfinger , ensuring a wealth of expertise drives the company's success. "The merger of these five companies represents a major milestone in our organization," said Ryan Samek . Solutions. "By combining our talented and experienced team, we aim to set new standards in the road safety space and offer unmatched service and solutions to our clients. I am thrilled to stand beside this experienced group of industry professionals and am looking forward to what we can accomplish RoadBlock Solutions specializes in the sale and rental of road safety products essential for roadway safety. It's extensive range includes crash cushions, steel and concrete barrier, and other essential devices designed to protect road users and workers. "The merger has created a resourceful, solutions-based network dedicated to delivering top-tier safety, sales, rentals, and installation services," says Roger Spencer , Business Development Manager for RoadBlock Solutions and former Business Development Manager at Corbin Highway Products, with over two decades of industry experience. "This collaboration fuels innovation and value, ensuring safer roads for everyone." Together, this team brings decades of experience and is dedicated to enhancing services, expanding product offerings, and delivering advanced solutions for road safety infrastructure. "We're combining our strengths to innovate, protect, and pave the way for a safer and brighter future on every road," adds Tony Cappella, Business Development Manager at RoadBlock Solutions and former National Sales Manager for Hill and Smith. These words were echoed by the former General Manager of Dimensional Products Inc (DPI). "The merger of DPI will provide us with resources and knowledge from some of the best in the industry. Being part of the Roadblock team will allow us to grow and expand our business to new levels," added Luke Myers , Chesapeake branch manager Roadblock Solutions. RoadBlock Solutions is a customer-focused, solutions-driven company that not only connects clients with the products they need but also introduces them to cutting-edge innovations they never knew existed. About RoadBlock Solutions RoadBlock Solutions is a leading provider and distributor of road safety devices, offering both sales and rentals. As a division of RSG International, RoadBlock Solutions is committed to enhancing road safety through innovative and reliable solutions. About RSG International RSG International is a global leader in the road safety sector, creating advanced solutions for critical safety challenges. Its portfolio includes comprehensive services across road safety infrastructure, including construction, installation, product distribution, new product development, and auxiliary services. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/introducing-roadblock-solutions-a-merger-of-five-road-safety-industry-leaders-302324362.html SOURCE RSG InternationalInnovation Thailand: A Look at Emerging TechnologiesBroke Zimbabwe government fails to pay teachers’ salaries, protests looming

Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’“Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” This is one of the most famous and influential first lines in literature, the celebrated opening sentence of Gabriel García Márquez’s novel and foundational text for the magical realist genre and contemporary Latin American fiction, One Hundred Years of Solitude. Wisely, the expansive Netflix series that just debuted the first eight (of an eventual 16) hour-long episodes deploys the use of a narrator, ensuring that these peculiar, unpredictable words are the first spoken in the show. Watching this, however, was the first time I heard them in Spanish, reminding me that despite my enthusiasm for García Márquez’s work, I’d never actually read it as it was meant to be read. And surely there will be many whose only encounter with One Hundred Years of Solitude will be the television version, despite the 50 million copies sold. (Someone buying a book doesn’t mean they read it; my copy sat on a shelf for more than a quarter of the title’s time.) Those who encounter the story of the seven generations of the Buedía family living in the fictional village of Macondo as television will experience an even more radical translation than written language. That doesn’t mean this isn’t a remarkable production. New technologies García Márquez, nicknamed Gabo in his native Colombia and elsewhere in Latin America, was pretty adamant that a movie could never be made from the work. He told Harvey Weinstein that he would give Weinstein the rights on the condition that the producer “film the entire book but only release one chapter—two minutes long—each year, for 100 years.” This quote, like George Harrison saying “there won’t be a Beatles reunion as long as John Lennon remains dead,” might seem like final words, but don’t count out new technologies (like the deep-pocketed Netflix, and whatever is responsible for zombie Beatles songs like “Now and Then”), as well as the malleability of an artist’s estate. One Hundred Years of Solitude, the series, has been produced in concert with Rodrigo García and Gonzalo García Barcha, sons of the author, who maintain rights to their father’s work following his death in 2014 and the death of their mother, Mercedes Barcha, in 2020. Still, there are some Colombians who are pre-boycotting the work on principle. Such extreme fealty is understandable. A possibly true factoid you can read on the internet is that only the Bible has sold more copies in Spanish than the works of García Márquez. Another one, even hazier but just as striking, is that the influential book’s depiction of the Banana Massacre of 1928 was what forced United Fruit to rebrand and change its name to Chiquita. Then there’s the specificity of form. One Hundred Years is a massive, meaty text with frequent swerves into fantasy, prurience, and violence, and makes quick jumps between flashbacks and flashforwards. Then there’s the biggest roadblock for many readers, its intentionally perplexing family tree with a great many of the characters sharing the same name. Surely this confusion means something, you reassure yourself, unsure for the moment which José Arcadio has the spotlight in the middle of another fabulous tale. Indeed, the idea of behavior recurring over long periods of time is central. But filmed, as you are actually seeing it (and seeing faces), a lot of this magic gets lost in the translation—a complaint which goes beyond the expected “hey, that’s not how I visualized Pilar the fortune teller’s house!” gripes. One Hundred Years of Solitude has a narrative far too stuffed to summarize, but I can try. Married cousins José Arcadio and Úrsula decide to leave their village after José Arcadio kills another man while defending Úrsula’s honour. (She has been denying her husband sex, wearing chastity belts despite their raging desires out of fear that any offspring will have pig-like tails.) The dead man then starts hanging out in their home. A ghost story, I suppose, but García Márquez’s approaches the haunting—and every other fantastical element of the story—in a curious and direct manner. The dead man just appears in the house, hanging around, getting blood everywhere, more of a nuisance than a terror. Long journey José Arcadio has visions of a utopian city so he, Úrsula, and others join him on a long journey and eventually put down roots. Their village, Macondo, is totally isolated (indeed, for many of the early chapters you have no clue what year it is), lending each development the heft of importance. “Clearly,” you think, “every character and utterance is meant to be symbolic of mankind’s evolution, as Macondo is nothing if not all of humanity under a microscope.” And surely you can read it that way, or look for analogies in Colombian political history, but to do that too much undercuts the fun of riding along on García Márquez’s roller coaster. And this is precisely why some things work better in a book than in a movie or television adaptation. In prose, the bizarre elements—visions, levitation, impossibly long periods of rain, a character who chews on the walls—take on a humorous and discordant tone when simply stated as everyday fact. When you see it, at least for me, it cheapens it. The best example I can give you is when the town’s founding father, driven to madness after years as an only partially successful alchemist, decides to tie himself to an enormous (and rather symbolic) tree. Heavy oak metaphors have considerably less panache when you are watching them on your screen. The other big change is that, other than the foreshadowing in the famous first line, the series is told chronologically. This is an understandable decision, but it undercuts some of the magic of Macondo, where any stray moment can initiate a relevant jump on the timeline. Still, the production design of the town—a shabby collection of huts that grows into turn-of-the-century elegance—is remarkable, and reportedly one the largest productions in Latin American history. (Three separate towns were created, to represent Macondo’s evolution.) The eight episodes have been split between two directors. Alex Garcia Lopez is a United States-based director of Argentine origin, and an alumnus of hit shows like The Witcher, The Punisher and the recent Star Wars series The Acolyte. Laura Mora Ortega is a Colombian director with a less international resume, but whose work includes the Netflix series Green Frontier. Neither are afraid of One Hundred Years’s more lusty moments (you can set your watch to the regular hammock-based interludes) and when civil war eventually barges into Macondo, there are some heart-pounding battle sequences that don’t hold back on the gore. Visual form Some of the more famous moments from the first half of the novel (or, I should say, first half of the narrative, since the show mostly goes in order) stitch together quite nicely in a visual form. There is a stretch in which a plague of insomnia hits the town, which at first is welcomed. More time to get things accomplished, José Arcadio says. But with a lack of sleep comes confusion, until no one can remember what anything represents, forcing them to leave notes everywhere. (“Don’t Pee In The Streets, People Get Angry” is probably my favorite, because it’s funny but also true.) Eventually, the memory of the townsfolk gets so blitzed that no one can even read anymore, plunging everyone into paranoia and violence. This whole chapter cuts together marvelously in the show. Another moment—among the most emotionally resonant images from the story—is when one character is violently killed, and their blood spills out of their house, down the street, weaving around corners, into another house, and across several rooms until the streak ends at the foot of the deceased’s mother. This is a moment that is not diminished when filmed. However, there are some aspects of García Márquez’s story that are wisely tamped down. A major character (an adult) experiences love at first sight with a 9-year-old girl. His obsession becomes “a physical sensation that almost bothered him when he walked, like a pebble in his shoe,” and he is described in the novel as having fits of asthma just hearing her voice, especially when she calls him “sir.” Egads! He decides he must marry her, and a deal is worked out between the families. She can marry once she’s reached puberty, which occurs for her “before getting over the habits of childhood.” Yikes all around. All I can say is that in the book—in which there are soothsayers and ghosts and the pursuit of the Philosopher’s Stone, not to mention enormous blocks of eloquent prose—these deviations don’t read quite so repulsive as I’ve laid them out here. Inadvertent near-incest To its credit, the show doesn’t erase this section entirely, but it is lessened. When we first meet the character Remedios, she is presented as “very young,” but she doesn’t look 9. I don’t know the age of the actress playing her, but when she later gets her first period (which we witness both as metaphor and reality), a few costume changes age her up considerably. It’s still questionable, but certainly skirts around the ick factor. The same goes for a moment of inadvertent near-incest. (A less inadvertent one awaits in season two, but I don’t know how that will play out just yet.) This loyalty to the text might be why Netflix’s promotional machine has been pretty minimal in the United States. Other than an article this summer in Vanity Fair, most of the press has been geared to the Hispanic market. (There were lines around the block to see the first episodes in Havana, but nothing happened in New York City.) Considering that Netflix’s biggest hit is the South Korean series Squid Game, the fact that One Hundred Years is in Spanish can’t be used as an excuse to keep this exclusively international. There is, however, a lot of content out there, so I’m wondering how much of an impact it will make with U.S. viewers. Will I watch season two? Absolutely, and not just because of the time I’ve already invested. On its own merits, the show is engaging, the performances (particularly Claudio Cataño as Colonel Aureliano Buendía and the mononymous Akima as the feral cousin Rebeca) are quite good. Everything (and everyone) is gorgeous, so the show is a winner from a visual perspective alone. But it may not be a bad idea to take advantage of the intermezzo between seasons and take the book off the shelf before the launch of part two. The series is, after all, only a rough translation. – foreignpolicy.comVIÑAS QUEIROLO NAMES COLANGELO & PARTNERS AS AGENCY OF RECORDEmmanuel Macron has rejected calls to stand down and says he will name a new prime minister – the fourth of his seven years as president – in the coming days. If France was in his biggest political crisis in a generation, Macron wasn’t feeling it. In the wake of his government’s collapse, he says it’s still in the national interest that he sees out his five-year presidential mandate, which ends in 2027. A bar shows the telecast of French President Emmanuel Macron’s address to the nation. Credit: AP The collapse of France’s centre-right coalition government has thrust Macron back into the spotlight and a growing chorus is questioning whether the divisive and at times impetuous leader is suited to resolve the country’s political crisis. The turmoil comes amid a rough patch in the French economy , as various factors take a toll on growth, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, high interest rates and economic slowdowns in Germany and China, two of France’s trading partners. In a televised address, Macron said France could not constitutionally have new parliamentary elections for 10 months, following his decision to call a snap poll back in July. The result, he promised at the time, would offer the country some “clarification”. It led to the current chaos. But for the first time, he conceded he was partly to blame for the situation the nation now faced. “Many have blamed me for it and I know, many continue to blame me. It’s a fact and it’s my responsibility,” he said. “The dissolution was not understood, that’s my responsibility, [but] I will never accept the irresponsibility of others.” He then went on to attack his political opponents on the “extreme right” and “extreme left”, accusing them of collaborating in an “anti-republican front”. “Some political groups have chosen chaos,” he said, referring to the no-confidence vote which led to Michel Barnier standing down just three months after he was appointed by Macron. “They don’t want to build, they want to dismantle.” Barnier’s government the shortest-tenured in modern French history, following the first successful no-confidence vote in France in more than 60 years. Sparking his downfall was his proposed financing bill, which included €60 billion ($98.4 billion) worth of tax hikes and spending cuts aimed at bringing the country’s budget deficit down to 5 per cent next year. Michel Barnier has resigned as France’s prime minister following a no-confidence vote. Credit: Bloomberg Macron must now appoint a new prime minister and task them with either passing a law that extends this year’s budget into the early months of 2025 or pushing a complete budget through parliament by the end of the year to avoid a government shutdown. Macron said the next prime minister would be charged with forming a “government of general interest” with a priority of passing a budget. Addressing voters directly, he said some of his political opponents were not thinking “about you, the voters”, suggesting that their interest was in the next presidential election. “Let’s be honest, they think about one thing: the presidential election,” Macron said of the party of his long-term, hard-right National Rally rival Marine Le Pen. He said the rival party’s “cynical” approach had brought “a sense of chaos” to the country. After Macron’s address, Le Pen wrote a “Gentle reminder to President Macron” in a post on X that no-confidence votes are “not anti-Republican, but provided for in our constitution”. National Rally leader Marine Le Pen says Macron will continue to feel the pressure. Credit: AP Le Pen, whose party holds the most seats in the French parliament, stopped short of calling for Macron’s resignation but warned that “the pressure on the president of the republic will get stronger and stronger”. The one thing to never forget is that Macron is hated in France with a vicious passion . The people of France see him as arrogant, elitist and unrelatable. Alain Minc, a political essayist and long-term informal adviser to French presidents, said on Thursday: “Macron is a victim of his own narcissism ... He was in denial of reality.” Barnier will stay on in a caretaker role for now, but Macron is under pressure to quickly name a new prime minister who might offer the country some stability. Candidates include Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and centrist former presidential candidate François Bayrou. Whoever is chosen, few believe a new government will manage to navigate the minefield of a bitterly divided parliament. France could be back in this position again soon enough. Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here .

“Hunter was singled out only because he is my son,” Joe Biden said on Sunday, when he issued a pardon that saved Hunter Biden from serving time for his gun and tax crimes. That much was accurate, but not in the way the president meant. Naked nepotism allowed Hunter Biden to avoid the consequences of a criminal justice system that punishes people for conduct that violates no one’s rights and compounds that punishment when they demand the trial to which they are entitled under the Sixth Amendment. While the pardon was undeniably hypocritical, those injustices are real, and they affect many people who lack the political connections to escape them. Last June, a federal jury convicted Hunter Biden of three felonies based on his 2018 purchase of a revolver, which was illegal because he was a crack cocaine user. The case sits at the intersection of two policies that punish people for actions that are not inherently criminal. As the philosopher Douglas Husak has observed, drug and gun possession laws forbid “inchoate offenses,” which involve conduct that is not necessarily harmful. They “do not proscribe harm itself,” Husak notes, “but rather the possibility of harm — a possibility that need not (and typically does not) materialize when the offense is committed.” Since Hunter Biden’s possession of a revolver harmed no one, his father argues, a prison sentence was not justified for that offense. Although the president is right about that, his position is blatantly inconsistent with his support for gun laws that authorize such penalties. The Biden administration has vigorously defended the arbitrary, constitutionally dubious gun law that Hunter Biden violated, insisting that cannabis consumers are so untrustworthy and dangerous that the government is justified in threatening them with prison if they dare to exercise their Second Amendment rights. And in 2022, the president signed a law that increased the maximum penalty for drug users who possess firearms while creating an additional potential charge against them. Joe Biden also complains that prosecutors threw the book at his son after a proposed plea deal fell apart under judicial scrutiny last year. But that is par for the course when defendants insist on exercising their constitutional right to trial by jury. In the gun case, a single felony charge that Special Counsel David Weiss was initially prepared to drop after Hunter Biden completed a pretrial diversion program became three felony charges, all based on the same transaction. As a result, Biden faced up to 25 years in prison, quite a jump from zero time behind bars under the nixed diversion agreement. In the tax case, two misdemeanors became three felonies and six misdemeanors, all of which were covered by a guilty plea that Biden entered in September. That increased the maximum penalty to 17 years in a case where Weiss initially was prepared to recommend probation. The dramatic escalation in potential punishment vividly illustrated the “trial penalty” that prosecutors routinely impose on defendants who make the government prove its case. That threat helps explain why 97% of federal felony convictions are based on guilty pleas, a reality that transforms trial by jury from a promise to a fantasy. Related Articles Opinion Columnists | California politicians suddenly discover inflation in aftermath of election Opinion Columnists | How California ranks as the most active political state Opinion Columnists | Donald Trump must replace Pete Hegseth with Ron DeSantis Opinion Columnists | Larry Elder: Biden breaks his promise and pardons his son Opinion Columnists | California’s unaccountable homeless industrial complex A president cannot unilaterally change the laws that authorize draconian punishments for inchoate offenses and give prosecutors enormous power to coerce guilty pleas. But they can ameliorate the resulting injustices by exercising his clemency powers, which Joe Biden so far has largely failed to do. During his 2020 campaign, Biden promised that he would “use the president’s clemency power to secure the release of individuals facing unduly long sentences for certain non-violent and drug crimes.” But as of this week, he had received more than 10,500 petitions for commutations and granted just 132, or about 1%. That is roughly the same as Donald Trump’s rate and one-fifth Barack Obama’s. But Biden still has a few weeks to show that his mercy extends beyond his own kin. Jacob Sullum is a senior editor at Reason magazine. Follow him on Twitter: @jacobsullum.

A month later, Trump’s election win continues to upend Georgia politics

5 Key Milestones As The US Space Force Marks 5th AnniversaryLG USA ANNOUNCES CREATION OF 2025 SUMMER INTERNSHIPS EXCLUSIVELY FOR RUTGERS STUDENT-ATHLETESThe critically acclaimed documentary “ INactive, America’s Silent Killer ” illuminates a growing crisis hiding in plain sight. Directed by Charles Anderson, a globally renowned “director by osmosis,” and produced by Karl André Talbot, an award-winning filmmaker, INactive examines the catastrophic consequences of physical inactivity in modern society. The film, which premiered on July 20, 2024, and was produced by TALK Encounters, presents a grounding truth. The West is at the forefront of wealth and technological innovation. Yet, it’s simultaneously the epicenter of the epidemic of generalized inactivity, which threatens individual health, national economic stability, and global security. Approximately 83 million individuals live completely sedentary lives. If this trend continues, projections suggest that by 2030, nearly half of the population will suffer from obesity and related chronic health issues. It’s worth highlighting that this crisis isn’t limited to adults, as it also robs children of their futures. INactive explores the cultural, historical, and technological roots of the inactivity pandemic through expertly curated narratives. It shows how lifestyle changes, urbanization, and the widespread adoption of technology have gradually made physical movement dire. For instance, modern technology has indeed transformed daily life for the better in countless ways. Shopping, cooking, commuting, and other tasks that once required effort can now be completed with the swipe of a finger. This convenience is extremely alluring, but it also leads to unprecedented levels of physical inactivity. The cost? Human health. The film also examines the rise in childhood obesity, which is linked to poor nutrition, the removal of physical education programs in schools, and the pervasiveness of screens as digital babysitters. Childhood obesity is one of the most pervasive public health challenges of the 21st century. With a significant percentage of schools not offering physical education, children are deprived of opportunities to develop healthy habits. This instance has created a perfect storm for long-term health problems. Although contributions from health and education experts worldwide enabled INactive to highlight the consequences of failing to address this epidemic, the film doesn’t leave viewers hopeless. It offers solutions such as enhanced school physical education programs and emerging technologies like EyeClick, which integrates physical activity into digital learning environments. These tools demonstrate that reversing the trend of inactivity is achievable, but only if immediate action is taken. Talbot reflects on the film’s mission with hope. He says, “The crisis of inactivity is something many don’t see in their daily lives, but its effects are devastating, especially for our children. This documentary highlights this problem and inspires people to act. Change starts with awareness, and awareness starts with us.” The brilliance of INactive has been noticed, garnering over 30 awards and 60 nominations globally. It won Best Director, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Health Film at the World Film Festival in Cannes. In the 2024 Bangkok Movie Awards, it won in four categories—Documentary Film, Educational Film, Best Producer, and Best Director. INactive was also hailed Best Documentary Feature and Best Producer at the New York International Film Awards (NYIFA) and Best Feature Documentary at the Stockholm City Film Festival. Other accolades include recognition at the Red Movie Awards, the Global Film Competition, and the Rome Prisma Film Awards, among many others. Ultimately, INactive, America’s Silent Killer captures the devastating reality of a world that no longer moves. It urges individuals, educators, policymakers, and communities to tackle this silent killer before it becomes unmanageable.OTTAWA — Cowessess First Nation Chief Erica Beaudin accused Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer of using First Nations drinking water legislation as a political “tactic,” saying she’s disappointed in what transpired in the House of Commons on Thursday. Government legislation known as Bill C-61 recognizes that First Nations have an inherent right to clean drinking water, after amendments by the Indigenous and Northern affairs committee, and commits the government to providing “adequate and sustainable” funding for water services in First Nations. Liberal MP Jaime Battiste asked on Thursday for unanimous consent from members of Parliament to send the First Nations Clean Drinking Water Act to the Senate — but several MPs said no. Scheer, whose riding includes Cowessess, rose immediately afterward with a similar motion that also condemned the Liberal government for inaction, and that was also defeated. While Cowessess is not under a boil water advisory, Beaudin says people in her community rely on bottled water because they don’t trust what comes from their taps. “I’m very disappointed that he used clean drinking water as a tactic in this House in order to say, ‘If you do this, then we will do this,’ where there’s real lives that are being affected,” Beaudin told reporters at a news conference. “We’re not talking about toys, we’re not talking about items that are not essential, but water is essential and you either believe in clean drinking water for everybody or you don’t. And if you do, you do everything you possibly can to work towards that happening.” Beaudin added that she knows Scheer to be “very genuine” in representing the people of his riding and urged him to get the Conservative party to co-operate to get the legislation passed. According to government data, there are 31 long-term boil water advisories on First Nations across the country, and 36 short-term advisories. The situation in the House became heated when Battiste entered the aisle holding a glass of water. Battiste later said he considered throwing it at the Conservative benches after his motion was defeated. “This is about protecting water. In Nova Scotia, they poisoned our water in the Pictou Landing community for generations, if not decades. I had the chief in the audience with some of her councillors, and I feel like I let them down,” said a visibly upset Battiste. Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu blasted the Conservative party’s record on ensuring there is clean water on First Nations, and accused them of ignoring First Nations leadership. “So it’s a bit rich for them to use that moment to exploit First Nations people and their need for water to play politics in the House. It’s appalling,” Hajdu said. Hajdu and Battiste were flanked by several chiefs, including Beaudin, and other First Nations representatives in a press conference following the vote. Originally, they planned to speak about the bill moving on to the Senate. The Assembly of First Nations held a special chiefs assembly in Ottawa this week, and on Tuesday the AFN executive endorsed a resolution to continue advocating for the approval of water legislation. The bill is stalled at third reading in the House of Commons because of an ongoing privilege debate that has taken precedence over nearly all other business since late September. The Conservative party did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. — With files from Alessia Passafiume David Baxter, The Canadian Press

"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?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball beats No. 19 Michigan State, 72-66

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Nvidia Stock Hits Sell Zone On Power-Chip Overheating IssueNEW YORK, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our company,” or “MFH”) (Nasdaq: MFH), a digital fintech group powered by blockchain technology, today announced its unaudited financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2024. First Half 2024 Financial and Operating Highlights GAAP revenue - First half 2024 GAAP revenues of USD$517,177, compared to revenues of USD$246,242 in first half 2023, reflecting an increase of 110.03% in GAAP revenue and demonstrating the Company’s enhanced profitability and diversified revenue stream for the six months ended June 30, 2024. GAAP gross loss - First half 2024 GAAP gross loss of USD$276,444, compared to gross loss of USD$447,178 in first half 2023, reflecting a decrease of 38.18% in GAAP gross loss. GAAP net loss - First half 2024 GAAP net loss of USD$3,834,465, compared to net loss of USD$2,578,541 in first half 2023, reflecting an increase of 48.71% in GAAP net loss. For detailed financial results, please refer to the Company’s filing. About Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. is a digital fintech company with subsidiaries specializing in distributed computing and digital consultation across North America and the Asia-Pacific region. Our focus is on delivering innovative financial solutions while adhering to principles of compliance, professionalism, and operational efficiency. Our aim is to contribute to the evolution of digital finance by providing secure and innovative financial services to individuals and businesses. And our dedication to compliance, professionalism, and operational excellence ensures that we remain a trusted partner in the rapidly transforming financial landscape. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements We have made statements in this report that constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements about our plans, objectives, expectations, assumptions or future events. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expect,” “we believe,” “we intend,” “may,” “should,” “could” and similar expressions. These statements involve estimates, assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements about: our business and operating strategies and plans for the development of existing and new businesses, ability to implement such strategies and plans and expected time; developments in, or changes to, laws, regulations, governmental policies, incentives, taxation and regulatory and policy environment affecting our operations and the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry; our future business development, financial condition and results of operations; expected changes in our revenues, costs or expenditures; general business, political, social and economic conditions in mainland China and the international markets where we base our operations. The ultimate correctness of these forward-looking statements depends upon a number of known and unknown risks and events. Many factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. Consequently, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and, except as required by law; we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update this forward-looking information. Nonetheless, we reserve the right to make such updates from time to time by press release, periodic report or other method of public disclosure without the need for specific reference to this interim report. No such update shall be deemed to indicate that other statements not addressed by such update remain correct or create an obligation to provide any other updates. CONTACTS Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. Hoi Yi Xian ir@mercurityfintech.com Tel: + 1 646 283 7120 International Elite Capital Inc. Vicky Cheung Tel: +1(646) 866-7928 Email: mfhfintech@iecapitalusa.com

NEW YORK , Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Macy's, Inc. (NYSE: M) resulting from allegations that Macy's may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. So What: If you purchased Macy's securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. What to do next: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31645 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. What is this about: On November 25, 2024 , The New York Times published an article entitled "Macy's Discovers Employee Hid Millions in Delivery Expenses." This article stated that "Macy's said on Monday that an employee had "intentionally" misstated and hidden up to $154 million in delivery expenses over the past few years, forcing the retailer to delay a much-anticipated earnings report that Wall Street uses to gauge the strength of holiday shopping." On this news, the price of Macy's, Inc. stock fell 2.2% on November 25, 2024 . Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rosen-law-firm-encourages-macys-inc-investors-to-inquire-about-securities-class-action-investigation--m-302322921.html SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.

TORONTO, ONT – Canada is already examining possible retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the United States should President-elect Donald Trump follow through on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official said Wednesday. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if the countries don't stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across southern and northern borders. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders. Recommended Videos A Canadian government official said Canada is preparing for every eventuality and has started thinking about what items to target with tariffs in retaliation. The official stressed no decision has been made. The person spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly. When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Many of the U.S. products were chosen for their political rather than economic impact. For example, Canada imports $3 million worth of yogurt from the U.S. annually and most comes from one plant in Wisconsin, home state of then-House Speaker Paul Ryan. That product was hit with a 10% duty. Another product on the list was whiskey, which comes from Tennessee and Kentucky, the latter of which is the home state of then-Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. Trump made the threat Monday while railing against an influx of illegal migrants, even though the numbers at Canadian border pale in comparison to the southern border. The U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone — and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian one between October 2023 and September 2024. Canadian officials say lumping Canada in with Mexico is unfair but say they are happy to work with the Trump administration to lower the numbers from Canada. The Canadians are also worried about a influx north of migrants if Trump follows through with his plan for mass deportations. Trump also railed about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, even though seizures from the Canadian border pale in comparison to the Mexican border. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Canadian officials argue their country is not the problem and that tariffs will have severe implications for both countries. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. “Canada is essential to the United States’ domestic energy supply,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said. Trump has pledged to cut American energy bills in half within 18 months, something that could be made harder if a 25% premium is added to Canadian oil imports. In 2023, Canadian oil accounted for almost two-thirds of total U.S. oil imports and about one-fifth of the U.S. oil supply. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is holding a emergency virtual meeting on Wednesday with the leaders of Canada's provinces, who want Trudeau to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the United States that excludes Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that her administration is already working up a list of possible retaliatory tariffs “if the situation comes to that.”