7xm bangladesh
A MAGA ‘Civil War’ on X between Musk and the far right over H-1B visas(BPT) - Tech gifts are consistently some of the most popular presents to give and receive during the holidays. In fact, according to the annual Consumer Technology Holiday Purchase Patterns report , a record 233 million U.S. adults (89%) will buy tech products during the 2024 holiday season. But with so many devices out there, it can be hard to decide on the perfect option for the loved one on your list. A tablet like the new Fire HD 8 from Amazon offers the versatility of an all-in-one device, with access to streaming, gaming, video chatting, reading or writing all at your fingertips. Fire HD 8 also features a vibrant 8-inch HD display and lightweight, portable design, for high-quality entertainment on the go. Plus, Fire HD 8 comes with three new AI features that can help you get the most out of your tablet experience. Check them out below and learn how they can help you with daily tasks this holiday season and beyond. 1. Meet your personal writing assistant Do you struggle with writing a heartfelt message or finessing a tricky email? Fear not! Writing Assist is here to help. Writing Assist works as part of your Fire tablet's device keyboard and compatible apps, including email, Word documents and social media. In just a few taps, you can transform your writing from good to great. Try Writing Assist's pre-set styles to turn a simple email into a professionally written note. Or, you can ask Writing Assist for grammar suggestions to make your writing more concise, or elaborate on your ideas. You can even "emojify" your writing to add more fun and personality. 2. Learn more in less time Say goodbye to scrolling through pages of information. The new Webpage Summaries feature allows you to learn pertinent information as quickly as possible. Available on the Silk browser on Fire tablets, Webpage Summaries provides quick insights on web articles. In a matter of seconds, this feature will distill the key points in an article or on a webpage into a clear, concise summary of what you need to know. 3. Get creative with your device wallpaper With Wallpaper Creator, you can easily add a touch of creative flair and customization to your tablet's home screen. You can choose from one of the curated prompts to get started on creating a unique background. Or, if you're ready to let your imagination run wild, type a description of what you'd like to see. For example, you can ask for an image of a tiger swimming underwater or a watercolor-style image of a desert landscape in space. Wallpaper Creator will then turn your vision into a reality, delivering a high-resolution image that you can use as your tablet's wallpaper. Celebrate an AI-powered holiday season Writing Assist, Webpage Summaries, and Wallpaper Creator are now available on Amazon's new Fire HD 8 and other compatible Fire tablet devices, including the latest Fire HD 10 and Fire Max 11 tablets. To learn more, or to order a new Fire tablet this gift-giving season, visit Amazon.com .President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming government waste-cutters Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are catching heat from conservatives for the tech industry’s use of foreign-born workers. Mr. Musk and Mr. Ramasway, who will lead Mr. Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, defended the use of H-1B visas, arguing that the high-tech companies they operated needed to import workers to function. Silicon Valley has benefited from the visa program, which gives visas to specialized foreign workers, and South Africa-born Mr. Musk held an H1-B before becoming a U.S. citizen. Mr. Musk argued that America needs to double the number of engineers and that the number of “super talented” and “super motivated” engineers in the U.S. was “far too low.” He compared the H-1B visa program sports team bringing in new talent “to keep winning.” His electric vehicle company, Tesla, snatched up over 700 of the visas this year. “If you want your TEAM to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever they may be. That enables the whole TEAM to win,” Mr. Musk said on social media. It is an issue where Mr. Musk and Mr. Ramaswamy, who is a first-generation American whose parents immigrated from India, clash with Mr. Trump and his supporters. Conservative commentator Laura Loomer blasted the duo on X and later accused Mr. Musk, who owns the social media platform, of censoring her account. “I have been more loyal to President Trump and his agenda than ANYONE. And I have only been punished for it,” Ms. Loomer said on X. “Pay attention MAGA. This is how you will all be treated now that Big Tech has infiltrated MAGA. ’President Musk’ is starting to look real.” During Mr. Trump’s first term, he increased the wage requirement for H-1B visas far higher than what is typically paid to U.S. workers for the same jobs. The rule was blocked by a federal court. Mr. Trump also attempted to narrow the definition of “specialty occupations” that qualify for the vistas. He also temporarily suspended H-1B visas in 2020. President Biden eventually reversed changes Mr. Trump made to the program. How the president-elect may change the program during his second term, if at all, is unclear. However, Mr. Trump said on “The All-In Podcast” that he wanted foreign-born students graduating from American universities to “automatically” get green cards with their diplomas. The Washington Times reached out to Mr. Trump’s transition team for comment on what the president-elect plans for the H-1B program in his upcoming term. Still, Mr. Trump’s most ardent supporters came out swinging against Mr. Musk and Mr. Ramaswamy, who further fueled the social media firestorm by calling the issue a cultural problem that has “venerated mediocrity” in the U.S. “The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over ’native’ Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation),” Mr. Ramaswamy said on X. “A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture.” He argued that a “culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.” His comments struck a nerve with conservatives, including former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, who also is a first-generation American whose parents immigrated from India. “There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture. All you have to do is look at the border and see how many want what we have,” Ms. Haley said on X. “We should be investing and prioritizing in Americans, not foreign workers.” Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. .Activist brings US anti-domestic violence campaign to Bermuda
By JILL COLVIN NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump wants to turn the lights out on daylight saving time. In a post on his social media site Friday, Trump said his party would try to end the practice when he returns to office. “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,” he wrote. Setting clocks forward one hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall is intended to maximize daylight during summer months, but has long been subject to scrutiny. Daylight saving time was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. Lawmakers have occasionally proposed getting rid of the time change altogether. The most prominent recent attempt, a now-stalled bipartisan bill named the Sunshine Protection Act , had proposed making daylight saving time permanent. The measure was sponsored by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , whom Trump has tapped to helm the State Department. Related Articles National Politics | Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’ National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg National Politics | Veteran Daniel Penny, acquitted in NYC subway chokehold, will join Trump’s suite at football game “Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary,” Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said as the Senate voted in favor of the measure. Health experts have said that lawmakers have it backward and that standard time should be made permanent. Some health groups , including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said that it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology. Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do, the date that clocks are changed varies, creating a complicated tapestry of changing time differences. Arizona and Hawaii don’t change their clocks at all.
Support Independent Arts Journalism As an independent publication, we rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, consider becoming a member today . Already a member? Sign in here. Support Hyperallergic’s independent arts journalism for as little as $8 per month. Become a Member As this year’s centennial celebrations of Surrealism come to a close, Belgian painter René Magritte’s “L’empire des lumières” (1954) sold for a whopping $121.16 million at Christie’s on Tuesday, November 19, eclipsing its $95 million estimate. The auction house noted in a press statement that the painting is the most expensive Surrealist work sold at auction and achieved a world record for the artist. After a feverish bidding war between two clients over the phone, the hammer came down in just under 10 minutes during Christie’s sale of the collection of the late interior designer Mica Ertegun. Quintessential to Magritte’s oeuvre, “L’empire des lumières” portrays a home with a warm-toned lamppost casting a yellow glow over the building and its rippling reflection in the body of water in front of it. Slightly shrouded by silhouetted trees, the house itself is depicted during late evening or night time, while the sky above it is a soft daytime blue with cotton-like cumulus clouds stagnating over the composition. Separately, the two scenes are serene if not comforting — but their uncanny union and incongruity sparks both curiosity and unease. Get the latest art news, reviews and opinions from Hyperallergic. Daily Weekly Opportunities Magritte ruminated on this particular night-and-day phenomenon in over a dozen similar paintings executed in both oil and gouache. Esteemed from the start, a separate iteration of “L’empire des lumières” garnered quite a bit of fanfare in the Belgian pavilion at the 1954 Venice Biennale before ending up in the collection of Peggy Guggenheim. Magritte apparently appeased the unmet demands of disappointed buyers by converting the work into a series over 15 years. Max Carter, vice chairman of 20th and 21st century art at Christie’s, described this particular iteration of “L’empire des lumières” from Ertegun’s collection as “arguably the finest, most deftly rendered and hauntingly beautiful of the series” in a statement ahead of the sale. The Romanian-American interior designer, philanthropist, and collector of Surrealist and contemporary art died last December at the age of 97, and a portion of the proceeds from sales of her collection will be distributed among several philanthropic initiatives to continue her legacy. The Magritte sale is not the only milestone for the Surrealist movement this month: On Monday, November 18, Buenos Aires Museum of Latin American Art (MALBA) founder Eduardo Constantini snapped up Leonora Carrington’s sculptural magnum opus “La Grande Dame” (1951) for over $11.3 million at Sotheby’s Modern Evening Sale in New York, only months after shattering Carrington’s auction record by purchasing her iconic painting “ Les Distractions de Dagobert ” (1945) for a $28.5 million in May. We hope you enjoyed this article! Before you keep reading, please consider supporting Hyperallergic ’s journalism during a time when independent, critical reporting is increasingly scarce. Unlike many in the art world, we are not beholden to large corporations or billionaires. Our journalism is funded by readers like you , ensuring integrity and independence in our coverage. We strive to offer trustworthy perspectives on everything from art history to contemporary art. We spotlight artist-led social movements, uncover overlooked stories, and challenge established norms to make art more inclusive and accessible. With your support, we can continue to provide global coverage without the elitism often found in art journalism. If you can, please join us as a member today . Millions rely on Hyperallergic for free, reliable information. By becoming a member, you help keep our journalism free, independent, and accessible to all. Thank you for reading. Share Copied to clipboard Mail Bluesky Threads LinkedIn Facebook
Middle East latest: Israel bombs Lebanon's capital as Netanyahu considers a ceasefire with HezbollahNEW YORK (AP) — President-elect wants to turn the lights out on daylight saving time. In a post on his social media site Friday, Trump said his party would try to end the practice when he returns to office. “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation,” he wrote. Setting clocks forward one hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall is intended to maximize daylight during summer months, but has long been subject to scrutiny. Daylight saving time was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. Lawmakers have occasionally proposed getting rid of the time change altogether. The most prominent recent attempt, a now-stalled bipartisan bill named the , had proposed making daylight saving time permanent. The measure was , whom Trump has tapped to helm the State Department. “Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary,” Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said as the Senate voted in favor of the measure. Health experts have said that lawmakers have it backward and that standard time should be made permanent. , including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said that it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology. do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do, the date that clocks are changed varies, creating a complicated tapestry of changing time differences. Arizona and Hawaii don’t change their clocks at all.
Pep Guardiola’s side avoided the indignity of a sixth successive defeat in all competitions and looked on course for a welcome victory thanks to a double from Erling Haaland – the first from the penalty spot – and a deflected effort from Ilkay Gundogan. Yet Guardiola was left with his head in hands as Feyenoord roared back in the last 15 minutes with goals from Anis Hadj Moussa, Sergio Gimenez and David Hancko, two of them after Josko Gvardiol errors. FULL-TIME | A point apiece. 🩵 3-3 ⚫️ #ManCity | #UCL pic.twitter.com/6oj1nEOIwm — Manchester City (@ManCity) November 26, 2024 Arsenal delivered the statement Champions League win Mikel Arteta had demanded as they swept aside Sporting Lisbon 5-1. Arteta wanted his team to prove their European credentials, and goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track in style following the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan last time out. A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. Putting on a show at Sporting 🌟 pic.twitter.com/Yi9MgRZEkl — Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 26, 2024 Paris St Germain were left in serious of danger of failing to progress in the Champions League as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Kim Min-jae’s header late in the first half was enough to send PSG to a third defeat in the competition this season, leaving them six points off the automatic qualification places for the last 16 with three games to play. Luis Enrique’s side, who had Ousmane Dembele sent off, were deservedly beaten by Bayern who dominated chances and possession. 🔔 FULL TIME – Victory at home! +3 in the #UCL 👏❤️ #FCBayern #MiaSanMia | #FCBPSG #UCL pic.twitter.com/BYE23dXXih — FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) November 26, 2024 Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid were 6-0 winners away to Sparta Prague, Julian Alvarez and Angel Correa each scoring twice whilst there were also goals from Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann. Barcelona ended tournament debutants Brest’s unbeaten start with a 3-0 victory courtesy of two goals from Robert Lewandowski – one a penalty – and Dani Olmo. Lewandowski’s first was his 100th Champions League goal, only the third man to reach the mark after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. A Castello Lukeba own goal saw Inter Milan go top of the standings with a narrow 1-0 win over RB Leipzig at San Siro, whilst Bayer Leverkusen were emphatic victors against Red Bull Salzburg, Florian Wirtz scoring twice to move Xabi Alonso’s side into the automatic qualification places. Atalanta continued their strong start, albeit whilst conceding a first goal in Europe this season in a 6-1 win away to Young Boys, whilst Tammy Abraham scored the decisive goal as AC Milan beat Slovan Bratislava 3-2.
ATLANTA (AP) — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington . As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race , held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating residents’ pets , he didn't just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris , many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris' loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women's concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution , which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government programs and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people . Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,''' she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Some of Trump’s plans affect people in Olivia Gordon’s immediate community, which is why she struggled to get behind the “Black women rest” wave. Gordon, a New York-based lawyer who supported the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential nominee, Claudia de la Cruz, worries about who may be left behind if the 92% of Black women voters who backed Harris simply stopped advocating. “We’re talking millions of Black women here. If millions of Black women take a step back, it absolutely leaves holes, but for other Black women,” she said. “I think we sometimes are in the bubble of if it’s not in your immediate circle, maybe it doesn’t apply to you. And I truly implore people to understand that it does.” Nicole Lewis, an Alabama-based therapist who specializes in treating Black women’s stress, said she’s aware that Black women withdrawing from social impact movements could have a fallout. But she also hopes that it forces a reckoning for the nation to understand the consequences of not standing in solidarity with Black women. “It could impact things negatively because there isn’t that voice from the most empathetic group,” she said. “I also think it’s going to give other groups an opportunity to step up. ... My hope is that they do show up for themselves and everyone else.” Brown said a reckoning might be exactly what the country needs, but it’s a reckoning for everyone else. Black women, she said, did their job when they supported Harris in droves in hopes they could thwart the massive changes expected under Trump. “This ain’t our reckoning,” she said. “I don’t feel no guilt.” AP polling editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
VANCOUVER — Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says the central bank is preparing for a future that looks more uncertain and more prone to shocks. In a speech to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, he said Monday structural changes are underway in the world including demographic shifts, technological changes, decarbonization and a move away from globalization. “We need to use the pandemic experience to prepare for future crises,” Macklem said in a prepared text of his speech. To that end, Macklem says the Bank of Canada is working to learn what it can from how the economy reacted to the pandemic and in its aftermath. The Bank of Canada is conducting a review of the policy actions it took to restore financial stability and support the economy during the pandemic that it plans to publish along with an assessment of an independent panel of experts. Macklem said the spike in inflation in 2022 was a reminder that even though inflation was relatively low and stable for 30 years leading up to the pandemic, central banks cannot take public trust for granted. “All of a sudden, people couldn’t afford the things they need. And while inflation is low once again, many prices are still a lot higher than they were before the pandemic. So people feel ripped off. And that erodes public trust in our economic system,” he said in his speech. The Bank of Canada has cut its key policy interest rate five times this year including last week when it reduced the benchmark by a half a percentage point to 3.25 per cent. Macklem says the bank will be evaluating the need for further reductions in the policy rate one decision at a time and anticipates a more gradual approach to monetary policy if the economy evolves as expected. Statistics Canada reported last month that the annual inflation rate was two per cent in Ontario, hitting the Bank of Canada’s target. The speech by Macklem came ahead of the release of the November inflation report on Tuesday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2024.Why OpenAI plans transition to public benefit corporation
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Looking for hard-to-find bottles of Kentucky bourbon to toast the holidays or add to a collection? Get your bids ready as the Bluegrass State launches its first online auction of confiscated alcohol. Whiskeys up for sale include two bottles of Old Rip Van Winkle, a Blanton’s Single Barrel Gold in box with Japanese markings and a bottle of Four Roses Small Batch Barrel Strength 2011. The sale is the result of a new Kentucky law, which allows alcohol confiscated from closed criminal investigations by the state's alcoholic beverage control agency to be auctioned. Online bidding opens Wednesday and closes at midnight on Dec. 11. Proceeds will support programs promoting responsible alcohol use by adults and awareness programs for youths. “This is a really good auction,” Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, said by phone Tuesday. “There are some hard-to-find and rare bottles on there.” No estimate has been given on how much the auction might raise. “We look forward to seeing the response to this auction and have started planning additional auctions for 2025,” said Allyson Taylor, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The auction features 32 bottles of alcohol and includes a “stock the bar” bundle with bottles of wine, vodka, rum and whiskey, the agency said. But the stars are the hard-to-find and rare bourbons up for sale. “It’s not every day you go to a liquor store and find a bottle of Blanton’s Gold," Gregory said. “You never go to a liquor store and find a bottle of Four Roses 2011.” The lineup includes bottles of E.H. Taylor bourbon, Blanton’s Single Barrel, Eagle Rare 10 yr., Weller Antique 107, Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Rye, Michter’s, an Old Forester gift set and more. A link to the online auction is available at ABC.ky.gov . Auction items cannot be shipped, so winning bidders must pick up items in Frankfort, the state said. The auctions will become a “can't miss opportunity” for bourbon connoisseurs, Gregory said. Previously, confiscated bourbon or other spirits could end up being destroyed, he said. “We don't like to see good bourbon poured down the drain,” Gregory said. Kentucky distillers produce 95% of the global bourbon supply, the Kentucky distillers’ group says.Readers tackle rental squeeze and ask why bats can lock humans out of parks
Christmas dinner injury forces golf’s World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler to miss PGA Tour season opener | CNNPro-European Social Democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was leading in Sunday’s first round of Romania’s presidential election, according to two exit polls released soon after the end of voting. Ciolacu scored 25% of the vote while the centre-right former journalist turned small-town mayor Elena Lasconi was on 18%, according to the polls. Two far-right candidates scored 15% and 16% . Voting finished at 9pm. In the absence of an outright winner in the first round — scoring more than 50% — the top two candidates go through to a second-round run-off on December 8. Romanians voted on Sunday in the first round of a presidential election amid a surge in inflation and fears over the war in neighbouring Ukraine that could favour far-right leader George Simion. The vote kicks off two weeks of elections in the poor Nato member country, including a parliamentary vote and a December 8 presidential run-off. Social democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is leading a field of 13 contenders in the race to take over from President Klaus Iohannis in the largely ceremonial post. Ciolacu has about 25% support in opinion polls, followed by AUR leader Simion on 15% to 19% . Ciolacu, whose Social Democratic Party (PSD) has shaped the country’s politics for more than three decades, promised stability and a “decent” standard of living as he voted on Sunday. Simion, 38, has seen his popularity surge by tapping into voter anger over record inflation — 10% last year and 5.5% predicted for 2024 — while promising more affordable housing. Looking for a new election breakthrough for European far-right parties, he warned of possible “fraud” and “foreign interference” when voting. But he added: “I am happy that we are giving Romanians hope and the prospect of a better future.” Simion is targeting people like Rodica, a 69-year-old who was among the first to vote in Bucharest’s chilly sunshine. The pensioner, who would not give a family name, was afraid of the Ukraine war and wanted “better living conditions and peace”. Andrea Irimie, a 29-year-old teacher, was also concerned about Ukraine and said she wanted “change”. The stakes are high for Romania, which has a 650-kilometre border with Ukraine and has become more important since Russia invaded its neighbour in 2022. The Black Sea nation now plays a “vital strategic role” for Nato — as it is a base for more than 5,000 soldiers — and the transit of Ukrainian grain, the New Strategy Center think tank said. Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election has further “complicated” Romania’s choice, political analyst Cristian Pirvulescu told AFP. Known for his fiery speeches, Simion is a Trump fan who sometimes dons a red cap in appreciation of his idol. Simion opposes sending military aid to Ukraine, wants a “more patriotic Romania” and frequently lashes out against what he calls the “greedy corrupt bubble” running the European Union. Having campaigned hard to win over Romania’s large diaspora working abroad, he said the country has only had “minions and cowards as leaders”. Analyst Pirvulescu predicted that if Simion reaches the second round his AUR party would get a boost in the December parliamentary election. “Romanian democracy is in danger for the first time since the fall of communism in 1989,” he added. ”I’m really afraid we’ll end up with Simion in the second round,” 36-year-old IT worker Oana Diaconu told AFP, expressing concern about the far-right leader’s unpredictable nature and attacks on the European Union. The campaign has been marked by controversy and personal attacks, with Simion facing accusations of meeting with Russian spies — a claim he has denied. Ciolacu has been criticised for his use of private jets. Polling in third place is former journalist Elena Lasconi, who became mayor of the small town of Campulung and head of a centre-right opposition party, who some tip as a potential surprise package. Lasconi said she wanted a future “where no one has to pack their suitcases and leave” the country and for “institutions that work”. Related Story Harris or Trump? Long lines of voters in tense US election US voters head to polls as turbulent campaign concludesWas Bucs’ Baker Mayfield mocking Giants’ Tommy DeVito with TD gesture? Here’s what he said
BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey spent months clamoring for lawmakers to finish work on a sweeping jobs package she filed in March, and she wound up needing only about 60% of the time allotted for her review before making it law. Healey on Wednesday signed her approval on almost the entirety of the 319-page, roughly $4 billion package that offers hundreds of millions of dollars of long-term state support to the life sciences and climate technology industries, clears the way for development of a professional soccer stadium in Everett, controversially shields a nonprofit accused of predatory lending, and more. The governor is approaching the midpoint of her four-year term, and has now signed into law a major jobs package, a borrowing bill she believes will supercharge housing production and a tax relief package, all of which she identified as priorities. Agreeing to almost everything the Legislature packed into the bill, including scores of project earmarks, she did not veto any language from the bill (H 5100), and she sent a single section dealing with motor vehicle liability insurance back with a proposed amendment. “This legislation includes nearly all of the authorizations and transformative policy initiatives that I filed in March, bringing the total authorized to nearly $4 billion, and takes important steps toward implementing our economic development plan,” Healey wrote in a letter to lawmakers. “This bill is essential to keeping the Massachusetts economy strong and adaptable in a rapidly changing world.” Healey had until Sunday to review the bill, but decided Wednesday that she was ready to act. The measure reaches across different facets of the state’s economy, and lawmakers crammed it full of additional policy riders — some that are controversial — including language admitting Massachusetts to a national nurse licensure compact and a section that opponents say could shield a Boston nonprofit facing predatory lending accusations from lawsuits. One section would effectively protect BlueHub Capital, a Roxbury nonprofit that was sued in 2020 over predatory lending allegations, according to the Boston Globe. An earlier iteration of the language drew scrutiny from Attorney General Andrea Campbell, who described “serious consumer protection concerns,” the Globe reported. The issue burst into the spotlight Wednesday, when someone in the crowd interrupted Healey at an event in Waltham to criticize her for not vetoing the language. “I was your attorney general. I went after the subprime predatory lenders. I’m pretty well-schooled in this, and we took them on and took them down,” Healey replied. “I probably more than anybody know what it means to stand up ... and fight predatory lending.” On the borrowing front, large chunks of capital funding would flow to two industries that lawmakers and administration officials view as current or future cornerstones: life sciences, and climate technology. The law reauthorizes another $500 million over 10 years for the state’s Life Sciences Initiative, which launched under Gov. Deval Patrick and continued under Gov. Charlie Baker, and it boosts the annual life sciences tax incentive program from $30 million to $40 million. It includes $400 million in capital authorizations and $300 million in tax incentives for the climate tech field, which Healey described as “modeled on the same type of investments that have successfully transformed our life sciences sector into a global powerhouse.” Another $100 million will go toward creating a Massachusetts AI Hub. “Look, AI is here to stay. We’ve worked together to put together a program for an AI hub in Massachusetts that’s going to help transform all of our industries, and that includes small businesses,” Healey said in a speech to retailers on Wednesday. Many of the law’s most eye-catching provisions go beyond dollars and cents. One section would authorize municipalities and government entities to enter into project labor agreements, which often require unionized labor only. Another would allow the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to craft an alternative certification process for some teachers, which supporters say will help diversify the educator workforce. In a boost for the Kraft family and the New England Revolution soccer team they own, the law would remove the designated port area classification from a parcel of land in Everett, viewed as a key hurdle toward developing a new stadium there. It took lawmakers years to get on the same page supporting the change, and the final accord prohibits public funding from flowing toward construction of the stadium. Developers would also need to strike community mitigation agreements with the cities of Everett and Boston. Another section of the law installs new regulations around event ticket sales, including by prohibiting the use of “bots” that quickly snatch up many tickets. Consumer groups had criticized language outlining requirements for nontransferable tickets, arguing that it would give buyers fewer choices on the secondary markets, but Healey opted to sign her approval on the full package. Her only proposed amendment would change the amounts and effective date for new limits on motor vehicle insurance liability coverage. Healey wrote to lawmakers that the existing limits “have not been updated in over 30 years” and signaled support for raising them. “I support these limit increases, but I also recognize that the language as currently drafted would become effective immediately upon my signature, providing insurance companies inadequate time for implementation,” she wrote. “Insurers must update current policies and submit new forms and rates to the Commissioner of Insurance for review and approval before implementing these changes. Based on feedback from industry stakeholders, pushing out the effective date to July 1, 2025 will ensure that these changes take place in an orderly way.” The bill takes a limited run at tax policy changes to boost economic development, with tax incentives focused on the life sciences and climate tech sectors and a new tax credit to assist the live theater sector. On Oct. 31, the Tax Foundation released its State Tax Competitiveness Index, formerly the State Business Tax Climate Index, and Massachusetts ranked 41st among the 50 states. The foundation cited “overly burdensome” individual income taxes, property taxes, and unemployment insurance taxes in Massachusetts, and said property taxes here are “among the highest in the nation.” While the new income surtax on high earners is facilitating major new investments in education and transportation — two focus areas of businesses — the foundation blamed the 2022 constitutional amendment approved by voters statewide for “dismantling the state’s formerly competitive flat income tax and making Massachusetts less attractive for productive households and businesses.” Aides said the governor “will host a ceremonial signing event in the near future” to bring more attention to the new jobs law. Sam Drysdale and Michael P. Norton contributed reporting.