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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law , as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify public protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party, but it is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. After the motion fell through, members of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party rallied inside the National Assembly, chanting slogans calling for Yoon's impeachment or resignation. The party's floor leader, Park Chan-dae, said it will soon prepare for a new impeachment motion. “We'll surely impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who is the greatest risk to Republic of Korea,” party leader Lee Jae-myung said. “We'll surely bring back this country to normal before Christmas Day or year's end.” Despite escaping the impeachment attempt, many experts worry Yoon won’t be able to serve out his remaining 2 1/2 years in office. They say some ruling party lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties’ efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. Protests against Yoon are swelling On Saturday, tens of thousands of people densely packed several blocks of roads leading up to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP’s headquarters near the Assembly, angrily shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon’s supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied in separate streets in Seoul, decrying the impeachment attempt they saw as unconstitutional. Impeaching Yoon required support from two-thirds of the National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members. The Democratic Party and five other small opposition parties, which filed the motion, have 192 seats combined. But only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn’t reach 200. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the result “very regrettable” and an embarrassing moment for the country’s democracy that has been closely watched by the world. “The failure to hold a qualified vote on this matter means we were not even able to exercise the democratic procedure of deciding on a critical national issue,” he said. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. Yoon apologizes for turmoil Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued a public apology over the martial law decree, saying he won’t shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose martial law. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my term in office.” “The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot,” Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.” The turmoil resulting from Yoon’s bizarre and poorly-thought-out stunt has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon’s martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. PPP later decided to oppose Yoon's impeachment motion. Yoon’s speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon’s early exit from office. Lee told reporters that Yoon’s speech was “greatly disappointing” and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon’s martial law “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife. Some lawmakers from Yoon’s party were seen leaving the hall after that vote, triggering angry shouts from opposition lawmakers. Yoon accused of ordering arrests of politicians On Friday, PPP chair Han Dong-hun, who criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country’s defense counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities.” Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians. The targeted politicians included Han, Lee and Woo, according to Kim Byung-kee, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly after Yoon imposed martial law. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him. Kim Tong-hyung And Hyung-jin Kim, The Associated PressBeing a successful investor requires just a few skills: knowing when to buy and knowing when to sell. Although it sounds simple, you'll have incredible returns if you're the best at both. There's one popular artificial intelligence (AI) stock that was a buy at the beginning of the year that has now moved into the sell category. That's Palantir ( PLTR 6.22% ) . Palantir has been an incredible success in 2024, with the stock price more than quadrupling. However, the stock has become disconnected from the business, and I think there's a high likelihood that it could come falling back down to earth in 2025. As a result, it's best that investors take their profits and run. Palantir's business is capitalizing on the AI arms race The unfortunate thing about Palantir's business and stock becoming disconnected is that it is doing incredibly well and will likely maintain that status quo throughout 2025 and beyond. Palantir's application-specific AI models aid their clients in decision-making and have found heavy usage in the commercial and government sectors. One of its newer products that has quickly emerged as one of its most popular is its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). AIP allows its clients to build AI applications into their workflows rather than using it as a tool on the side. This allows businesses to control the data that gets plugged into these AI models rather than having it go to a third-party AI platform, which could present an issue when sensitive information that the government deals with is used. Since the AI arms race kicked off, Palantir's AI products have seen a surge in demand, which has translated into strong performance for the company. In Q3, Palantir's revenue rose 30% year over year to $726 million. U.S. clients spent more than their international counterparts, with U.S. commercial revenue rising 54% year over year to $179 million and U.S. government revenue rising 40% year over year to $320 million. Palantir is also solidly profitable, posting a profit margin of around 20% for the second straight quarter. PLTR Profit Margin (Quarterly) data by YCharts With just this information, it's understandable why Palantir has received a lot of investment interest. It's growing rapidly in an area that investors are focused on right now. Palantir is doing incredibly well as a business, and I predict strong results for 2025. The problem is that its stock has disconnected from these fundamental results. The stock and the business are disconnected As mentioned earlier, Palantir's stock is up by over 300%, yet its revenue growth is a tenth of that. As a result, the stock has become highly valued, trading at an unbelievable valuation. PLTR PS Ratio data by YCharts At 64.5 times sales , Palantir has eclipsed the highest level Nvidia traded at over the past three years (45 times sales). Despite significantly lower profit margins and far slower growth, it has done this. When Nvidia achieved that valuation, it tripled its revenue the following quarter. At Palantir's current growth rate (30%), it would take over four years to triple its revenue. No part of Palantir's valuation makes sense, which is unfortunate because the company is doing so well. Let's take a second to assess the absolute best-case scenario for Palantir. It would include these factors: Revenue growth accelerates to 40%. Profit margin rises from 20% to 30% to match software leader Adobe . It trades for 50 times trailing earnings. Effects of stock-based compensation are ignored (this is a terrible assumption, as Palantir's share count rose 3.5% this past year thanks to hefty stock-based compensation). If Palantir achieved these four items, the stock price would have to stay at its current level for over four years to achieve the 50 times trailing earnings valuation. All of these are extremely aggressive assumptions that likely won't come true, further illustrating how expensive Palantir's stock has become. As a result, I think there's a very high likelihood that Palantir's stock will crash sometime in 2025. There is just too much growth baked into the stock for its current growth levels, and investors will eventually decide to take profits en masse, which will cause the stock to struggle even if the business is doing well .PTI’s chaos curve There are lessons to be drawn here – not just for PTI, but for government as well The latest chapter in the PTI’s recurring tale of protest unfolded yesterday – Imran Khan’s ‘final call’ to march on Islamabad ostensibly fizzling out, in the wake of road closures, internet disruptions, arrests, and general public frustration. While the protest may not have escalated into major violence, its impact on ordinary citizens and the national exchequer was significant. Per reports and claims, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s prior warnings and the Islamabad High Court’s directives against such gatherings did little to deter PTI, which charged ahead regardless, with convoys of supporters facing arrests en route to the capital. The government, in turn, reacted with heavy-handed measures – blocking roads, closing educational institutions, and reportedly tampering with internet services under the guise of maintaining order. As has become routine with PTI protests, normal life ground to a halt for many citizens, while millions of rupees were drained from the national coffers. There are lessons to be drawn here – not just for the PTI, but for the government as well. For the ruling coalition, a myopic approach of force and crackdowns will only deepen political polarisation. A segment within the PML-N has reportedly advocated for engaging with PTI, recognising that the party and its founder remain political realities that cannot simply be erased. Yet the government’s inability – or unwillingness – to negotiate with the PTI reflects a broader failure of political maturity across the board. For the PTI, however, the writing on the wall is stark. Protests may be an essential democratic right, but repeated calls for marches that disrupt public life and deplete resources have diminishing returns, both politically and morally. Observers have said that many within the PTI’s ranks had urged Imran Khan to reconsider the protest, citing public fatigue and the impracticality of his maximalist demands – which include the rollback of constitutional amendments and immediate government dissolution. These are not requests for negotiation; they are ultimatums. Imran’s apparent refusal to listen to dissenting voices within his party or to engage in meaningful dialogue with other political stakeholders is emblematic of the same rigidity that has plagued his leadership. It may rally his hardcore supporters, but it alienates the broader electorate and strains the patience of a public already grappling with economic instability and security challenges. The reality is that anarchist politics only lead to diminishing credibility over time. The November 24 protest, like those before it, seems to have achieved little except sowing more chaos. The path forward is not through relentless agitation but through a serious recalibration of strategy. The PTI must come to terms with the fact that democracy is built on compromise, dialogue, and patience – not ultimatums or chaos. The party has every right to demand accountability and fair treatment, but it cannot hold the country hostage every time it faces political setbacks. But let’s be clear here: the government’s reaction can only be called over the top as well. Its reactionary crackdowns are hardly helping matters and are in fact only strengthening the narrative that this is a government that is on an authoritarian streak. For the sake of Pakistan’s political future, both the PTI and the government need to step off their current trajectory. The time has come for cooler heads to prevail – both within the PTI and across the aisle. Chaos should not be a strategy.
Our first resolution should be to work for downtrodden, needy: LGNone
Senior IPS officer says AI has huge potential to transform private security industryNew Delhi: From being led in science and innovative research, India is today in a position to lead others across the world, proven by recent success stories accomplished under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including space sector, biotechnology and vaccine breakthroughs, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, said on Saturday. Addressing the eighth convocation of the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) in the national Capital, Dr Singh said India has progressed from a single-digit count of space startups to over 300, while the biotechnology sector now boasts nearly 9,000 startups, contributing significantly to the country’s economy. The minister celebrated the accomplishments of women in science, noting the historic appointment of CSIR’s first woman Director General, Nallathamby Kalaiselvi. “India’s woman power has always been the foundation of great achievements, but it is now receiving the recognition it deserves,” the minister stated. Dr Singh also highlighted AcSIR’s role in fostering interdisciplinary learning, promoting industry-academia collaboration, and driving India’s ascent in global science and technology rankings. He called the institution’s futuristic academic approach a cornerstone for achieving PM Modi’s vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat 2047.’ AcSIR is ranked among the top three per cent of global universities, despite being a relatively young institution. “AcSIR is not just an academic institution, it’s a torchbearer of a new academic culture in India,” said the minister, adding that its partnerships with 82 institutions, including CSIR, ICMR, and DST, exemplify effective collaboration in research and development. AcSIR offers an innovative Integrated PhD (iPhD) programme. “iPhD links innovation, imagination, and industry right from the start of research journeys, ensuring sustainable startups,” said Dr Singh. The minister tied such efforts to India’s meteoric rise in the global innovation ecosystem, moving from 81st to 40th in the Global Innovation Index under the PM Modi government.Have you ever wished you could have a say in how your favorite streaming platform evolves? Well, now you can! Google TV is inviting users to become “Advisors” and provide valuable feedback on new features, updates, and overall user experience. This is your chance to influence the future of Google TV and help shape it into the ultimate entertainment hub. Google kicked off this initiative in the fall of 2023, offering users a unique opportunity to join their exclusive Advisor program. The program is open to Google TV users across the globe, allowing a diverse range of voices to contribute to the platform’s development. By becoming an Advisor, you’ll get a sneak peek at upcoming features and have a direct impact on how they are implemented. This is a fantastic opportunity for tech enthusiasts, entertainment aficionados, and anyone passionate about improving their streaming experience. What Does a Google TV Advisor Do? As a Google TV Advisor, your primary role is to provide feedback on various aspects of the platform. This includes: Essentially, you’ll be Google’s eyes and ears on the ground, helping them understand how real users interact with Google TV and what improvements can be made. Why Should You Become an Advisor? Besides the obvious cool factor of being a part of an exclusive program, there are several benefits to becoming a Google TV Advisor: How to Become a Google TV Advisor While Google hasn’t publicly announced specific eligibility criteria or a formal application process, reports suggest that invitations to the program are randomly sent to Google TV users. To increase your chances of being selected, make sure you: Keep an eye on your email inbox and Google TV notifications for potential invitations to the program. My Personal Experience with Google TV I’ve been an avid Google TV user since it first launched, and I’ve always been impressed by its intuitive interface and seamless integration with other Google services. However, there have been times when I wished certain features were implemented differently or new functionalities were added. When I received the invitation to become a Google TV Advisor, I was thrilled! So far, I’ve had the opportunity to test a new voice search feature that allows for more natural language commands. I also participated in a survey about the organization of the home screen and suggested improvements to the recommendations algorithm. It’s been a rewarding experience to know that my feedback is being considered and could potentially shape the future of Google TV. What’s Next for Google TV? While the specifics of upcoming features remain under wraps, it’s clear that Google is committed to enhancing the user experience and expanding the capabilities of Google TV. Based on my experience as an Advisor and the information gleaned from online discussions, here are some potential areas of focus: The Future is Collaborative The Google TV Advisor program is a testament to Google’s commitment to user-centric design. By involving users in the development process, Google is ensuring that Google TV remains a cutting-edge and user-friendly platform. If you’re passionate about technology and entertainment, becoming a Google TV Advisor is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference. So, keep an eye out for that invitation and get ready to shape the future of television!Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs win at the buzzer again, topping Panthers 30-27 on Shrader's field goal
With the election finally over, and America getting ready to celebrate its fall holiday tradition of families not speaking to each other, it’s good to remember that there is one thing that unites us all. In every region of the country, people of every age, race, color, creed, religion and national origin share one common thought: How can California still be counting ballots? For decades, registered California voters would go to the polls in their neighborhood on Election Day, give their name and address to a poll worker sitting at a folding table, sign a paper registry, receive a ballot and vote. Completed ballots were secured in locked boxes and when the polls closed, the ballot boxes would be transported to county offices to be tabulated. County election officials didn’t need weeks to verify the validity of every ballot, because voters had already attested to their identity at the polling places. Vote-by-mail ballots had to be verified, but for a long time that was only a small fraction of total ballots. According to records from the California Secretary of State, mail ballots accounted for just 4.21% of all ballots cast in 1964 general election, 4.5% in 1976, 6.26% in 1980 and 9.33% in 1984. Later, the percentage of mail ballots began to climb. By 2016, more than 57% of ballots were vote-by-mail, and then in 2020, when California began sending a mail ballot to every active registered voter, 86.72% of ballots cast were mail ballots. In 2022, it was 88.64%. California lawmakers fretted that tens of thousands of mail ballots were rejected because they were returned too late, or because the voter had not signed the return envelope, or because the signature did not match the voter registration record on file. So they passed laws that allowed extra time and extra chances for voters to get it right. Counties are now required to accept ballots for seven days after the polls close, even without a postmark, as long as the voter “has dated the vote-by-mail ballot identification envelope or the envelope otherwise indicates that the ballot was executed on or before Election Day.” This and other lenient standards for accepting mail ballots can be found in the California Code of Regulations, Section 20991. In the current election, the counties accepted ballots through Nov. 12. But that’s not the end of the delays. Under state law, counties must notify voters if their ballot hasn’t been accepted due to a missing or mismatched signature and inform them that they can “cure” their signature by signing a form. This year, California enacted another law, Assembly Bill 3184, to ensure that voters are given the maximum amount of time to respond to the notice. Voters have until Dec. 1 to return the signed form. This week, several close races remained undecided with hundreds of thousands of ballots statewide still to count. This does not inspire confidence, especially since many changes to voting and election procedures that California has made in recent years have opened apparent vulnerabilities to cheating. In addition to mailing ballots to voters who did not request them and continuing to accept ballots for seven days after the polls close, the state legalized ballot “harvesting,” which enables an individual to return stacks or sacks of ballots to an unattended drop box or county elections office without triggering legal scrutiny. Before Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1921 in 2016, only a close relative or member of the same household could return a voter’s mail ballot. Then this year, Newsom signed Senate Bill 1174 to prohibit local governments from adopting a voter ID law. Last year he signed AB 969, making it illegal for counties to hand-count ballots in an election. Voters in California were promised paper ballots that could be audited, but it hasn’t worked out that way. Manual verification of machine-tabulated vote totals has become virtually impossible in the wake of the 2016 Voter’s Choice Act, SB 450, which threw out the local polling place model and allowed voters to cast their ballot in person at any “vote center” in the county. Returned ballots are no longer sorted by precinct. The state’s method of confirming the accuracy of a machine tally was always a manual tally of 1% of the precincts where in-person voting occurred, randomly chosen. That was changed in 2018 to substitute “batches” of ballots for precincts. But how can the public know if those numbers really match? What about recounts? Anyone who is willing to pay the cost may request a recount of any race, but retrieving the paper ballots requires paying county workers for weeks of work to find them. An alternative is to recount optical scans of ballots, but that is costly, too, due to the need for tech workers, computers and monitors. With the previous voting systems, recounts could be conducted by four clerks at a table, and the cost was in the tens of thousands of dollars. But in 2019, then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla decertified all those voting systems everywhere in the state and forced the counties to buy voting technology that counted optical scans. Now recounts cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some of the state’s actions seem like an engraved invitation to fraud. A 2010 law, SB 1404, required the secretary of state to regulate the tint and watermark on printed ballots. Ahead of every election, an advisory goes up on the state’s website to announce the exact ink color, watermark and printing instructions for official ballots. “The tint for the background and watermark is Pantone 372 U ‘Light Green’ (RGB 212, 238, 141/ CMYK 11, 0, 41, 7),” this year’s advisory explained. Do other states publish instructions for manufacturing official ballots? When so many security vulnerabilities are layered on top of each other, it appears to be possible to steal an election and get away with it. California officials claim they’ve made it easier to vote. It looks like they’ve made it easier to cheat. Write Susan@SusanShelley.com and follow her on Twitter @Susan_ShelleyIndia’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to a “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement. “Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency” at 8:06 p.m., the hospital said, but “despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 PM.” Singh was being treated for “age-related medical conditions,” the statement said. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and leader of the Congress Party in the Parliament's Upper House, earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen to fill the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. Singh was reelected in 2009, but his second term as prime minister was clouded by financial scandals and corruption charges over the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This led to the Congress Party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 national election by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi. Singh adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister. Prime Minister Modi, who succeeded Singh in 2014, called him one of India’s “most distinguished leaders” who rose from humble origins and left “a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.” “As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” Modi said in a post on social platform X. He called Singh’s interventions in Parliament as a lawmaker “insightful” and said “his wisdom and humility were always visible.” Rahul Gandhi, from the same party as Singh and the opposition leader in the lower house of the Indian Parliament, said Singh’s “deep understanding of economics inspired the nation” and that he “led India with immense wisdom and integrity.” “I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” Gandhi wrote on X. Born on Sept. 26, 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India, Singh’s brilliant academic career took him to Cambridge University in Britain, where he earned a degree in economics in 1957. He then got his doctorate in economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. Singh taught at Panjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics before joining the Indian government in 1971 as economic advisor in the Commerce Ministry. In 1982, he became chief economic adviser to the Finance Ministry. He also served as deputy chair of the Planning Commission and governor of the Reserve Bank of India. As finance minister, Singh in 1991 instituted reforms that opened up the economy and moved India away from a socialist-patterned economy and toward a capitalist model in the face of a huge balance of payments deficit, skirting a potential economic crisis. His accolades include the 1987 Padma Vibhushan Award, India’s second-highest civilian honor; the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress in 1995; and the Asia Money Award for Finance Minister of the Year in 1993 and 1994. Singh was a member of India’s Upper House of Parliament and was leader of the opposition from 1998 to 2004 before he was named prime minister. He was the first Sikh to hold the country’s top post and made a public apology in Parliament for the 1984 Sikh Massacre in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed after then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh bodyguards. Under Singh, India adopted a Right to Information Act in 2005 to promote accountability and transparency from government officials and bureaucrats. He was also instrumental in implementing a welfare scheme that guaranteed at least 100 paid workdays for Indian rural citizens. The coalition government he headed for a decade brought together politicians and parties with differing ideologies that were rivals in the country’s various states. In a move hailed as one of his biggest achievements apart from economic reforms, Singh ended India’s nuclear isolation by signing a deal with the U.S. that gave India access to American nuclear technology. But the deal hit his government adversely, with Communist allies withdrawing support and criticism of the agreement growing within India in 2008 when it was finalized. Singh adopted a pragmatic foreign policy approach, pursuing a peace process with nuclear rival and neighbor Pakistan. But his efforts suffered a major setback after Pakistani militants carried out a massive gun and bomb attack in Mumbai in November 2008. He also tried to end the border dispute with China, brokering a deal to reopen the Nathu La pass into Tibet, which had been closed for more than 40 years. His 1965 book, “India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth,” dealt with India’s inward-oriented trade policy. Singh is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and three daughters.
By MATTHEW BROWN and JACK DURA BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Donald Trump assigned Doug Burgum a singular mission in nominating the governor of oil-rich North Dakota to lead an agency that oversees a half-billion acres of federal land and vast areas offshore: “Drill baby drill.” That dictate from the president-elect’s announcement of Burgum for Secretary of Interior sets the stage for a reignition of the court battles over public lands and waters that helped define Trump’s first term, with environmentalists worried about climate change already pledging their opposition. Burgum is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who grew up on his family’s farm. He represents a tame choice compared to other Trump Cabinet picks. Public lands experts said his experience as a popular two-term governor who aligns himself with conservationist Teddy Roosevelt suggests a willingness to collaborate, as opposed to dismantling from within the agency he is tasked with leading. That could help smooth his confirmation and clear the way for the incoming administration to move quickly to open more public lands to development and commercial use. “Burgum strikes me as a credible nominee who could do a credible job as Interior secretary,” said John Leshy, who served as Interior’s solicitor under former President Bill Clinton. “He’s not a right-wing radical on public lands,” added Leshy, professor emeritus at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. The Interior Department manages about one-fifth of the country’s land with a mandate that spans from wildlife conservation and recreation to natural resource extraction and fulfilling treaty obligations with Native American tribes. Most of those lands are in the West, where frictions with private landowners and state officials are commonplace and have sometimes mushroomed into violent confrontations with right-wing groups that reject federal jurisdiction. Burgum if confirmed would be faced with a pending U.S. Supreme Court action from Utah that seeks to assert state power over Interior Department lands. North Dakota’s attorney general has supported the lawsuit, but Burgum’s office declined to say if he backs Utah’s claims. U.S. Justice Department attorneys on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to reject Utah’s lawsuit. They said Utah in 1894 agreed to give up its right to the lands at issue when it became a state. Trump’s narrow focus on fossil fuels is a replay from his 2016 campaign — although minus coal mining, a collapsing industry that he failed to revive in his first term. Trump repeatedly hailed oil as “liquid gold” on the campaign trail this year and largely omitted any mention of coal. About 26% of U.S. oil comes from federal lands and offshore waters overseen by Interior. Production continues to hit record levels under President Joe Biden despite claims by Trump that the Democrat hindered drilling. But industry representatives and their Republican allies say volumes could be further boosted. They want Burgum and the Interior Department to ramp up oil and gas sales from federal lands, in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Alaska. The oil industry also hopes Trump’s government efficiency initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk can dramatically reduce environmental reviews. Biden’s administration reduced the frequency and size of lease sales, and it restored environmental rules that were weakened under Trump . The Democrat as a candidate in 2020 promised further restrictions on drilling to help combat global warming, but he struck a deal for the 2022 climate bill that requires offshore oil and gas sales to be held before renewable energy leases can be sold. “Oil and gas brings billions of dollars of revenue in, but you don’t get that if you don’t have leasing,” said Erik Milito with the National Ocean Industries Association, which represents offshore industries including oil and wind. Trump has vowed to kill offshore wind energy projects. But Milito said he was hopeful that with Burgum in place it would be “green lights ahead for everything, not just oil and gas.” It is unclear if Burgum would revive some of the most controversial steps taken at the agency during Trump’s first term, including relocating senior officials out of Washington, D.C., dismantling parts of the Endangered Species Act and shrinking the size of two national monuments in Utah designated by former President Barack Obama. Officials under Biden spent much of the past four years reversing Trump’s moves. They restored the Utah monuments and rescinded numerous Trump regulations. Onshore oil and gas lease sales plummeted — from more than a million acres sold annually under Trump and other previous administrations, to just 91,712 acres (37,115 hectares) sold last year — while many wind and solar projects advanced. Developing energy leases takes years, and oil companies control millions of acres that remain untapped. Biden’s administration also elevated the importance of conservation in public lands decisions, adopting a rule putting it more on par with oil and gas development. They proposed withdrawing parcels of land in six states from potential future mining to protect a struggling bird species, the greater sage grouse. North Dakota is among Republican states that challenged the Biden administration’s public lands rule. The states said in a June lawsuit that officials acting to prevent climate change have turned laws meant to facilitate development into policies that obstruct drilling, livestock grazing and other uses. Oil production boomed over the past two decades in North Dakota thanks in large part to better drilling techniques. Burgum has been an industry champion and last year signed a repeal of the state’s oil tax trigger — a price-based tax hike industry leaders supported removing. Burgum’s office declined an interview request. In a statement after his nomination, Burgum echoed Trump’s call for U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. The 68-year-old governor also said the Interior post offered an opportunity to improve government relations with developers, tribes, landowners and outdoor enthusiasts “with a focus on maximizing the responsible use of our natural resources with environmental stewardship for the benefit of the American people.” Related Articles National Politics | Republicans scramble to fill JD Vance’s Ohio Senate seat National Politics | Gaetz’s withdrawal highlights how incoming presidents often lose Cabinet nominees National Politics | What to know about Pam Bondi, Trump’s new pick for attorney general National Politics | Democrats strike deal to get more Biden judges confirmed before Congress adjourns National Politics | Bob Casey concedes Pa. Senate race, congratulates Dave McCormick on win Under current Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the agency put greater emphasis on working collaboratively with tribes, including their own energy projects . Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe in New Mexico, also advanced an initiative to solve criminal cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous peoples and helped lead a nationwide reckoning over abuses at federal Indian boarding schools that culminated in a formal public apology from Biden. Burgum has worked with tribes in his state, including on oil development. Badlands Conservation Alliance director Shannon Straight in Bismarck, North Dakota, said Burgum has also been a big supporter of tourism in North Dakota and outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing. Yet Straight said that hasn’t translated into additional protections for land in the state. “Theodore Roosevelt had a conservation ethic, and we talk and hold that up as a beautiful standard to live by,” he said. “We haven’t seen it as much on the ground. ... We need to recognize the landscape is only going to be as good as some additional protections.” Burgum has been a cheerleader of the planned Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. Brown reported from Billings, Montana.Thousands demand lower rents at Barcelona demo