NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A southeast Louisiana official has been accused of committing perjury for failing to disclose information related to a controversial grain terminal in the state's Mississippi River Chemical Corridor in response to a lawsuit brought by a prominent local climate activist. St. John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard denied in a deposition that she knew her mother-in-law could have benefited financially from parish rezoning plans to make way for a 222-acre (90-hectare) grain export facility along the Mississippi River. Hotard also said in court filings, under oath, that no correspondence existed between her and her mother-in-law about the grain terminal, even though her mother-in-law later turned over numerous text messages where they discussed the grain terminal and a nearby property owned by the mother-in-law's marine transport company, court records show. The text messages were disclosed as part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by Joy Banner, who along with her sister, Jo Banner, successfully led efforts to halt the $800 million grain terminal earlier this year. It would have been built within 300 feet (91 meters) of their property and close to historic sites in the predominantly Black community where they grew up. The legal dispute is part of a broader clash playing out in courts and public hearings , pitting officials eager to greenlight economic development against grassroots community groups challenging polluting industrial expansion in the heavily industrialized 85-mile industrial corridor between Baton Rouge and New Orleans often referred to by environmental activists as “Cancer Alley.” “We are residents that are just trying to protect our homes and just trying to live our lives as we have a right to do,” Banner said in an interview with The Associated Press. The Banner sisters gained national attention after cofounding the Descendants Project, an organization dedicated to historic preservation and racial justice. In the text messages turned over as part of Joy Banner's lawsuit, Hotard, the parish president, says that she wished to “choke” Joy Banner and used profanities to describe her. Hotard also said of the Banner sisters: “I hate these people.” Hotard and her attorney, Ike Spears, did not respond to requests for comment after Tuesday's filing. Richard John Tomeny, the lawyer representing Hotard's mother-in-law, Darla Gaudet, declined to comment. Banner initially sued the parish in federal court in December 2023 after Hotard and another parish councilman, Michael Wright, threatened her with arrest and barred her from speaking during a public comment period at a November 2023 council meeting. “In sum: a white man threatened a Black woman with prosecution and imprisonment for speaking during the public comment period of a public meeting,” Banner's lawsuit says. It accuses the parish of violating Banner's First Amendment rights. Wright and his lawyer did not respond to requests for comment. Hotard and Wright have disputed Banner's version of events in court filings. At the November 2023 meeting, Banner attempted to highlight Hotard's alleged conflict of interest in approving a zoning change to enable the grain export facility's construction. Banner had also recently filed a complaint to the Louisiana Board of Ethics against Hotard pointing out that her mother-in-law allegedly would benefit financially because she owned and managed a marine transport company that had land “near and within” the area being rezoned. In response to a discovery request, Hotard submitted a court filing saying “no such documents exist” between her and her mother-in-law discussing the property, the grain terminal or Joy Banner, according to the recent motion filed by Banner's attorneys. Hotard also said in her August deposition that she had “no idea” about her mother-in-law's company's land despite text messages showing Hotard and her mother-in-law had discussed this property less than three weeks before Hotard's deposition. Banner's lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial early next year. ___ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96 Jack Brook, The Associated Press
Factbox-How Trump's new FTC chair views AI, Big TechWhat started as an evening of celebration for Manchester City ended with the four-time defending Premier League champions conceding four goals and falling to a fifth-straight loss in all competitions. A 4-0 defeat to Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham on Saturday has left City five points behind leaders Liverpool, having played a game more. Two goals from James Maddison inside 20 minutes at the Etihad Stadium stunned the home crowd, who had been treated to a light show before kick-off to mark midfielder Rodri winning the Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world. With manager Pep Guardiola also having signed a two-year contract extension this week, there was double reason to celebrate. Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham ran riot, ending Manchester City’s 52-game unbeaten run at the Etihad ???????? Spurs have now beaten Pep Guardiola’s side twice in the space of five matches. It's the feature match of the round thanks to @HungryJacksAU . pic.twitter.com/9uxK1hU9d9 But Saturday’s latest loss highlighted City’s on-field problems which Guardiola is struggling to stop. Pedro Porro scored a third for Tottenham after half-time and Brennan Johnson added a fourth in the third minute of stoppage time. “We are playing a little bit in our thoughts, a little bit of negativity but this is normal,” Guardiola said. “Football is a sense of mood and when you win a lot it gives you self-awareness you can do it and when you lose three games in a row in the Premier League that situation is there. More Football “We have to do everything to change, especially for the next one, but the exceptionality we lived in eight years is not eternal. Sometimes you drop a little bit.” The result was a huge boost to former Socceroos boss Postecoglou, the Australian also having been under pressure after some inconsistent results. “Today was about sort of doubling down on our football principles and we did that, and it is significant because obviously they’ve got an unbelievable record here at home,” said Postecoglou. “So I don’t think it’s something that you can be blase about. It is significant. 'Give him time, give him the money...he’s got a clear identity. He will win trophies at this football club.' ???? Ange Postecoglou deals out one of the heaviest defeats in Pep Guardiola's career and Tim Sherwood can't help but sing his praises. pic.twitter.com/PbgQVRCMw4 “But I think it’s significant for the whole group that we’ve reached these standards before, it’s about now not dropping as we have in certain games.” City’s defeat handed Liverpool a perfect opportunity to tighten their grip on the title race when they play bottom side Southampton on Sunday. Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton all won to sit six points behind Liverpool. Third-place Chelsea beat Leicester 2-1 in the early kick-off, Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez putting them on course for victory with Jordan Ayew replying for Leicester with a stoppage-time penalty. Fifth-place Brighton won 2-1 at Bournemouth to maintain their outstanding start to the season under new coach Fabian Hurzeler. Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma put the Seagulls 2-0 up at the Vitality Stadium, with David Brooks pulling a goal back for Bournemouth in stoppage time. Meanwhile, boss Mikel Arteta celebrated his 250th game in charge of Arsenal with victory against Forest. Thomas Partey comes off the bench and scores a stunner within minutes ???? Bukayo Saka with the assist. The Ghanaian with the beautiful finish. Watch | https://t.co/MWCHzJjARd pic.twitter.com/1ctidjyiW8 It was the Spaniard’s 147th win in all competitions — more than any Gunners manager after the same number of games. Club great Arsene Wenger won 136 of his first 250 games. Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead in the 15th at the Emirates Stadium and Thomas Partey added a second seven minutes into the second half. Ethan Nwaneri (17) scored his first Premier League goal for the club in the 86th minute. Aston Villa’s winless run was extended to six games after a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. Palace twice led in the first half through Ismaila Sarr and Justin Devenny but Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley levelled for Villa who have lost four of their last six games in all competitions to sit seventh in the standings. Bukayo Saka at the Emirates is automatic! The Arsenal star smashes the Gunners ahead with a stunning finish ???????? Watch | https://t.co/MWCHzJk8GL pic.twitter.com/dRGgQdqgA1 Trailing 1-0 at Fulham, Wolves powered back to win 4-1 at Craven Cottage and climb out of the relegation zone. Alex Iwobi put Fulham ahead, but two goals from Matheus Cunha and strikes from Joao Gomes and Goncalo Guedes saw Wolves secure back-to-back EPL wins. Everton drew 0-0 with Brentford. © AAP
New York, New York, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Americans love a great deal, and this has created the phenomena of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Across multiple categories, deals are offered in goods and services over the US Thanksgiving weekend period. But for the Travel industry, moving ahead of either of these days is Travel Tuesday. Data Scientists at Fareportal, the New York-based travel technology company behind leading online travel agencies CheapOair and OneTravel report that in 2023, sales for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday saw double digit increases as compared to the previous week. However, Travel Tuesday performance outpaced the three-day average by a noteworthy 59%. The CheapOair and OneTravel teams expect this trend to carry over to this year's activity. Many airlines will be offering the traveling public great deals on airline tickets over the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Travel Tuesday sales period. Among these CheapOair points to American Airlines, United Airlines, Air France, LATAM Airlines, Volaris, Avianca, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Ryanair, JetBlue, Air India, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Aer Lingus, Norse, French Bee, TAP Air Portugal, Philippine Airlines, Fiji Airways, China Airlines, LOT Polish, Singapore Airlines, NEOS and Sky Airlines as just a small sample of the multiple domestic and international carriers that will be making special offers available to the travel buyer. An article published in early November on the CheapOair Miles Away blog delves into the topic and compares Black Friday to Travel Tuesday through the lens of the overall shopping experience, and that of the travel purchase. Also take a moment to read this Cyber Monday Travel Guide published November 22 nd on CheapOair Miles Away. Sandeep Gill, Fareportal Interim President, comments, "Each year we are thrilled to be able to offer our customers our very best deals in available airfares. As consumer awareness of Travel Tuesday has increased over the years, so too has the airlines' focus on providing exciting deals over the Thanksgiving weekend period. We expect to be very busy serving our customers' needs over the next week, and through the busy holiday air travel season!" Consumers can visit CheapOair or OneTravel to sign up for Fare Alerts and get help with air travel inspiration, planning, and booking. About CheapOair CheapOair is an online travel agency that specializes in providing cheap flights and great last-minute flight deals for travelers worldwide. Consumers can book online, on mobile apps, by phone or live chat. Part of the Fareportal family of travel brands, CheapOair bridges the gap between an online travel agency and a traditional agency with certified travel agents available to help find great deals on flight tickets to global destinations on over 500 airlines, a million lodgings, and 100s of car rental companies. Follow CheapOair on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram to learn how to travel the world for less. About Fareportal Fareportal is New York-based travel technology company powering a next generation travel concierge service. Utilizing its innovative technology and company-owned and operated global contact centers, Fareportal has built strong industry partnerships providing customers access to over 500 airlines, a million lodgings, and hundreds of car rental companies around the globe. With a portfolio of consumer travel brands including CheapOair and OneTravel Fareportal enables consumers to book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone, or live chat. Fareportal provides its airline partners with access to a broad customer base that books international and domestic flight, lodging, and other travel and add-on ancillaries. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Manchin, Sinema prevent Democrats from locking in majority on labor board through 2026 WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats failed in their bid to confirm a Democratic member of the National Labor Relations Board after the Senate rejected a razor-thin vote that hinged on the pivotal rejections of independent Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. If the nomination had been successful, the board would have had a Democratic majority until 2026. President-elect Donald Trump will now have a chance to nominate a replacement. The NLRB is a government agency that handles labor relations and unionization in the workplace. It also has the power to investigate potential unfair labor practices, meaning its leadership is highly scrutinized by business interests and labor groups. The failed vote is another blow to Senate Democrats and outgoing President Joe Biden's agenda. Arizona AG sues Saudi firm over 'excessive' groundwater pumping, saying it's a public nuisance PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes says she is suing a Saudi Arabian agribusiness over what she calls “excessive pumping” of groundwater. She alleges that the Fondomonte alfalfa farm in western Arizona is violating a public nuisance law even though the area has no groundwater pumping regulations. Mayes said Wednesday that Fondomonte's use of groundwater threatens the public health, safety and infrastructure of local communities in rural La Paz County. It's Arizona's latest action against foreign companies that use huge amounts of groundwater to grow thirsty forage crops for export. The Associated Press emailed Fondomonte seeking a response to the lawsuit. US inflation ticked up last month as some price pressures remain persistent WASHINGTON (AP) — Fueled by pricier used cars, hotel rooms and groceries, inflation in the United States moved slightly higher last month in the latest sign that some price pressures remain elevated. Consumer prices rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier, up from a yearly figure of 2.6% in October. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core prices increased 3.3%. Measured month to month, prices climbed 0.3% from October to November, the biggest such increase since April. Wednesday’s inflation figures are the final major piece of data Federal Reserve officials will consider before they meet next week to decide on interest rates. The November increase won’t likely be enough to discourage the officials from cutting their key rate by a quarter-point. Albertsons sues Kroger for failing to win approval of their proposed supermarket merger Kroger and Albertsons’ plan for the largest U.S. supermarket merger in history has crumbled. The two companies have accused each other of not doing enough to push their proposed alliance through, and Albertsons pulled out of the $24.6 billion deal on Wednesday. The bitter breakup came the day after a federal judge in Oregon and a state judge in Washington issued injunctions to block the merger, saying that combining the two grocery chains could reduce competition and harm consumers. Albertsons is now suing Kroger, seeking a $600 million termination fee, as well as billions of dollars in legal fees and lost shareholder value. Kroger says the legal claims are “baseless.” Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the Year NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time and be named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Thursday's events will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who has long seen praise from the business world and media as a sign of success. Four people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press that Trump was expected to be on Wall Street on Thursday to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, while a person familiar with the selection confirmed that Trump had been selected as Time's Person of the Year. Supreme Court allows investors' class action to proceed against microchip company Nvidia WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing a class-action lawsuit that accuses Nvidia of misleading investors about its past dependence on selling computer chips for the mining of volatile cryptocurrency to proceed. The court’s decision Wednesday comes the same week that China said it is investigating the the microchip company over suspected violations of Chinese anti-monopoly laws. The justices heard arguments four weeks ago in Nvidia’s bid to shut down the lawsuit, then decided that they were wrong to take up the case in the first place. They dismissed the company’s appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward. Apple's latest iPhones get the gift of more AI as holiday shopping season heats up SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is pumping more artificial intelligence into the latest iPhones during the holiday shopping season. It comes in the form of a free software update that includes a feature that enables users to create customized emojis within a matter of seconds. The Wednesday release of the iPhone’s upgraded operating system extends Apple’s expansion into AI months after rivals such as Samsung and Google began implanting the revolutionary on their devices. The update builds upon another one that came out in late October. The latest round of AI tricks includes “Genmojis,” Apple’s description of emojis that iPhone users will be able to ask the technology to create and then share. EU targets Russia's ghost fleet shipping oil in a new round of sanctions BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union envoys have agreed a new raft of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine. The EU's Hungarian presidency said Wednesday that the measures will target in particular a vast shadow fleet of ships that Moscow is exploiting to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and fuel. The sanctions are aimed at about 50 of what are routinely decrepit ships. The sanctions will hit more officials and entities alleged to be helping Russia to improve its military technology by evading export restrictions. EU foreign ministers are set to formally adopt the sanctions package on Monday. Can ordinary citizens solve our toughest problems? BEND, OREGON (AP) — Research shows Americans are frustrated with what they perceive as aloofness and gridlock within civic institutions. Citizen assemblies may be able to help. The groups which have direct involvement in decision-making can help “overcome polarization and strengthen societal cohesion,” says Claudia Chwalisz, founder of DemocracyNext. Her nonprofit, launched in Paris in 2022, champions such assemblies worldwide, hoping they can “create the democratic spaces for everyday people to grapple with the complexity of policy issues, listen to one another, and find common ground.” In Europe, examples of such changes abound. In the United States, results are spottier. Making a $1B investment in the US? Trump pledges expedited permits — but there are hurdles WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is promising expedited federal permits for energy projects and other construction worth more than $1 billion. But like other Trump plans, the idea is likely to run into regulatory and legislative hurdles, including a landmark law that requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impact before deciding on major projects. Environmental groups called the plan a clear violation of the National Environmental Policy Act. The chief policy advocacy officer at the Natural Resources Defense Council says Trump should be careful what he wishes for. She said, "What if someone wants to build a waste incinerator next to Mar-a-Lago or a coal mine next to Bedminster golf course?”
Elon Musk shared some choice words for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday, referring to him as an “insufferable tool” on social media. Musk responded to a video posted on X in which Trudeau expressed his thoughts on the latest American election results. “We were supposed to be on a steady, if difficult sometimes, march towards progress. And yet, just a few weeks ago, the United States voted for a second time to not elect its first woman president,” said Trudeau at a gala in Ottawa on Tuesday. “Everywhere, women’s rights and women’s progress is under attack, overtly and subtly. And I want you to know that I am, and always will be, a proud feminist.” In a reply to the post, Musk added that Trudeau “won’t be in power for much longer.” The comments come after President-elect Donald Trump taunted Trudeau , referring to him as the “Governor” of the “Great State of Canada” in a post he made on Truth Social. “I look forward to seeing the Governor again soon so that we may continue our in depth talks on Tariffs and Trade, the results of which will be truly spectacular for all!” Trump stated in the post. Trump recently named Musk, the founder of Tesla and owner of X, to co-chair his Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE. This isn’t the first time Musk has shown dislike for Trudeau’s leadership. On November 7, he said that the prime minister would “be gone in the upcoming election” in a reply to an X user asking him to help Canada “get rid” of Trudeau.
The chief of Ukraine's defense intelligence, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, has said that Kyiv is aware of Russian "execution lists" targeting teachers, journalists, and Ukrainian priests, among others. "[The execution lists] were supposed to include teachers of the Ukrainian language, literature, history, ATO [Anti-Terrorist Operation] veterans, journalists, scientists, writers, priests of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and other denominations who supported Ukraine, public and political figures, heads of state authorities and self-government," said Budanov. A release from the agency also said that "maniacal" instructions were implemented in different regions of Ukraine invaded by Russia. Budanov added: "We have seen horrific mass crimes against Ukrainian citizens, the facts of which have become known to the whole world. "The atrocities of units of the Russian armed forces in Borodyanka, Bucha, Hostomel, Izyum, Mariupol and many other settlements of Ukraine showed that these identical and synchronized actions were based on clear doctrinal provisions of the Russian genocidal policy of the authorities and military leadership." The intelligence head also said that "Ukrainophobia" has affected the entire society of Russia. "The genocide of Ukrainians is not only the state policy of the Russian Federation, but also a mandatory social conviction from above," he said. Newsweek contacted Russian authorities for comment on Saturday outside of standard working hours. Budanov's comments follow several significant developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict over the past week. On Tuesday, Moscow launched a hypersonic missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, targeting a military facility. The attack utilized the experimental Oreshnik hypersonic missile, an intermediate-range weapon reportedly capable of carrying either nuclear or conventional warheads. In a televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strike was a response to Ukraine's deployment of U.S. and British long-range missiles, which have been used to target sites within Russia. "No one in the world has weapons like these," Putin said. This followed President Joe Biden 's recent decision to authorize the use of U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) for strikes inside Russian territory—a significant policy shift announced last weekend. Kyiv had long been advocating for access to these missiles. Biden justified the move as a response to the involvement of North Korean troops in the conflict. "ATACMS will significantly enhance Ukraine's ability to disrupt Russian operations deep behind the front lines," Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Ukraine's former defense minister, told the Financial Times . "These missiles allow us to address high-value targets that other systems cannot." Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article or the war in Ukraine? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.co mStock market update: Nifty Auto index 0.42% in a weak market
Ottawa firefighters respond to three ice rescues involving dogs this weekNoneRADFORD, Va. (AP) — Jarvis Moss scored 15 points and Jonas Sirtautas had a go-ahead three-point play in overtime to help Radford hold off Bucknell 74-70 on Sunday night. Sirtautas gave the Highlanders the lead for good with 2:38 left in the extra period. Moss shot 4 of 13 from the field, including 2 for 7 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 6 from the line for the Highlanders (9-2). Josiah Harris scored 12 points and added five rebounds. Achile Spadone led the Bison (4-7) in scoring, finishing with 22 points and two steals. Bucknell also got 19 points and four assists from Josh Bascoe. Noah Williamson had nine points. Bascoe's layup with 12 seconds left forced overtime tied at 59. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .