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New Endangered Listing For Rare Lizard Could Slow Oil And Gas Drilling In New Mexico And West Texas

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AP | News Rare Lizard affects oil - VOR News Image

Federal wildlife officials designated a unique lizard in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas as an endangered species on Friday. In one of the most valuable oil and natural gas basins in the world, future energy development, sand mining, and climate change are the main risks to the survival of the lizard.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared, “We have determined that the dunes sagebrush lizard is in danger of extinction throughout its entire range.” It was determined that in 47% of its range, the lizard is already “functionally extinct.”

Scientists have found that a large portion of the 2.5-inch (6.5 cm) spiky, light brown lizard’s remaining habitat has been broken up, making it difficult for the species to locate mates outside of those who already reside nearby.

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INaturalist Rare Lizard Effects Oil | AP – VOR News Image

New Endangered Listing For Rare Lizard Could Slow Oil And Gas Drilling In New Mexico And West Texas

The service stated in its conclusion, published in the Federal Register, that “even if there were no further expansion of the oil and gas or sand mining industry, the existing footprint of twould operations will continue to negatively affect the dunes sagebrush lizard into the future.”

The ruling ends twenty years of legal and regulatory battles between the US government, environmentalists, and the oil and gas sector. Environmentalists applauded the decision, but business leaders denounced it as a danger to the continued extraction of fossil fuels.

According to Bryan Bird, the Southwest director of Defenders of Wildlife, the decision offers a “lifeline for survival” for a rare species whose “only fault has been occupying a habitat that the fossil fuel industry has been wanting to claw away from it.”

“The dunes sagebrush lizard languished in a Pandora’s box of political and administrative back and forth for far too long, even as its population was rapidly declining and facing extinction,” Bird stated.

Both the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association and the Permian Basin Petroleum Association expressed disappointment, claiming that the decision defies current scientific understanding and disregards decades-long state-sponsored conservation initiatives spanning hundreds of thousands of acres and costing millions of dollars in both states.

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NewsWeek Rare Lizard Effects Oil | AP – VOR News Image

New Endangered Listing For Rare Lizard Could Slow Oil And Gas Drilling In New Mexico And West Texas

In a joint statement, PBPA President Ben Shepperd and NMOGA President and CEO Missi Currier stated that “this listing will bring no additional benefit for the species and its habitat, yet could be detrimental to those living and working in the region.” They also believed that the federal government’s overreach could hurt local communities.

According to scientists, the distribution of lizards is the second-smallest of any North American lizard and is limited to the Permian Basin. The reptiles burrow into the sand to shield themselves from harsh temperatures, and they graze on insects and spiders in their habitats among shinnery oaks and dunes.

In 2010, federal officials determined that protecting the species, which environmentalists had first requested in 2002, was justified. Some members of Congress and local communities that depend on the development of oil and gas for jobs and tax income expressed outrage about this.

After several Republican senators wrote to Obama administration officials pleading for a postponement of the final decision, federal authorities opted not to list the dunes sagebrush lizard in 2012.

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CNBC Rare Lizard Effects Oil | AP – VOR News Image

New Endangered Listing For Rare Lizard Could Slow Oil And Gas Drilling In New Mexico And West Texas

According to then-U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, the decision was based on voluntary conservation agreements in Texas and New Mexico and the “best available science.”

In its ruling on Friday, the Fish and Wildlife Service stated that although these agreements “have provided, and continue to provide, many conservation benefits” for the lizard, “we conclude that the risk of extinction for the dunes sagebrush lizard is high despite these efforts based on the information we reviewed in our assessment.”

It went on to say that industrial development “will continue to have edge effects on surrounding habitat and weaken the structure of the sand dune formations,” and the network of roads will continue to restrict movement and facilitate the direct mortality of dunes sagebrush lizards from traffic.

SOURCE – (AP)

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Joe Biden Promised to Tirelessly Advocate for Harris. He has been essentially a no-show thus far.

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Joe Biden

(VOR News) – On August 31, President Joe Biden was asked about his fall campaign. “On the road from there on,” he said, visiting Pittsburgh on Labor Day.

Biden hasn’t appeared since Labor Day in Kamala Harris’ campaign. Beyond that, his ceremonial occasions occasionally eclipse hers.

Hurricane Helene forced Harris to travel to Washington for a FEMA briefing, postponing Las Vegas campaign operations. Harris distracted his political successor by reaching for a command center podium as Joe Biden issued his storm response remarks from the Oval Office.

Democrats may win the House, Senate, and lower-ballot races, including Harris, without presidential campaigning or scheduling issues. Former president Obama questioned Harris. Before November 5 in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Obama will tour battleground states. Recorded Florida, Maryland, and Michigan Democratic Senate advertisements.

Managing a new presidential campaign is hard.

Lame-duck presidents grapple with succession. Harris had less time to campaign once Joe Biden left for a second term.

Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “I think he’s doing his job as president.” “That seems to be the most crucial factor,”

Hurricane Helene created temporary issues.

Biden postponed his Pennsylvania campaign event and drove with Harris to the Carolinas and Georgia on Wednesday to assess damage and offer support.

Their remarks varied. On Friday, Biden unexpectedly entered the White House briefing room and disrupted Harris’s presentation on unions outside Detroit. It was his first presidential address.

On Tuesday, Biden will help Democratic Sen. Bob Casey in suburban Philadelphia and travel to battleground Harris’ staff ignored Biden’s run.

The president of Pennsylvania is tied to union leaders and blue-collar workers. Brazile promised to “put him on a bus” for PA’s campaign.

Brazile: “I would make sure he is out there in the final weeks and days of the campaign.” “He has connections to people she will require.”

At a White House gun control rally with Harris in August, Biden declared, “We cannot let Kamala lose.” Both frequently discuss the Middle East in the Situation Room.

Joe Biden and Harris’ lone campaign event failed.

The White House proposed Biden introduce Harris at their lone political engagement on Labor Day, when the vice president replaced the president. Her procedural violation emphasized union aid.

“Electing Kamala Harris to the presidency will prove to be the best choice you have ever made,” Biden addressed the assembly. Biden uncomfortably grabbed close friends’ hands after speaking since Harris hadn’t.

Democratic voters prefer Harris over Biden, thus Harris may not want Biden’s help. Harris lauded the administration and her work while neglecting major issues.

That includes encouraging gun ownership more than Biden, restricting US-Mexico border asylum, and raising affluent Americans’ long-term capital gains taxes after Biden slashed them.

Many things need Joe Biden’s time.

Biden’s campaign absence may worsen as his administration handles Hurricane Helene and the Middle East.

“When you’re doing your job, you don’t need to campaign,” said Nikki Fried, Florida Democratic Party chair. Fried said Biden’s Thursday visits to numerous states showed that “the full force of the federal government stands with the people during times of heartbreak and uncertainty.”

Presidents are always busy, as shown by last month’s New York U.N. General Assembly meetings and Joe Biden’s Germany and Angola travels. Despite the White House promising further political action after the trip, he can’t campaign for Harris until mid-October, three weeks before Election Day.

Joe Biden can succeed, says Fried.

Says “Joe Biden adores being out on the campaign trail.” “He’s seen interacting with voters and communities while strolling around, and it definitely puts a spring in his step and a smile on his face.”

Some things are better avoided.

Party candidates benefit from president’s absences. Bush lost support after the 2008 financial crisis. McCain resigned citing economic problems after criticizing the government’s Katrina and Iraq War responses.

“I want him to win whether my presence and support for him help him or if I oppose him and it helps him,” he adds.

In 2000, Al Gore distanced himself from Bill Clinton by condemning Monica Lewinsky and other misdeeds. That contributed to Gore’s narrow loss to Bush, according to Democrats.

Clinton and Biden are different, argues Hillary’s 1992 campaign planner Paul Begala. Begala noted, “Clinton enjoyed widespread popularity in 2000.” “Biden is not.”

For Biden, Begala proposes “focusing on governing, and leaving the campaigning to Kamala” and her closest allies.

: “A lot of people can campaign for her: Oprah, Taylor Swift, the Obamas, and the Clintons.” Only Biden can be president.

SOURCE: AP

SEE ALSO:

Tropical Storms in the Gulf do not Threaten Texas. Another Hurricane is Coming to Florida.

 

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Howard Schultz Violated Labor Law By Telling Employee ‘If You’re Not Happy At Starbucks, You Can Go Work For Another Company’

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Starbucks’ interim CEO, Howard Schultz, violated federal labor law in 2022 by telling a California barista who expressed concerns about unionization that “if you’re not happy at Starbucks, you can go work for another company.”

The National Labor Relations Board ruled on Wednesday that Schultz’s statement constituted an unconstitutional, coercive threat.

The decision highlights Starbucks’ difficult relationship with organized labor, as more and more employees at its outlets unionize.

Howard Schultz Violated Labor Law By Telling Employee ‘If You’re Not Happy At Starbucks, You Can Go Work For Another Company’

In 2022, as interim CEO, Schultz visited a business event in Long Beach, California, to address and improve working conditions at Starbucks locations. According to the NLRB, Barista Madison Hall attempted to discuss the benefits of unionization as well as Starbucks’ claimed history of unfair labor practices.

“Why are you angry at Starbucks?” Schultz inquired. He stated that the occasion was not the appropriate forum for discussing union problems before remarking on working elsewhere. The administrative law decision states that he “had an angry expression on his face.” The NLRB ruling maintains an administrative law judge’s decision from October 2023.

Starbucks issued a statement expressing its disagreement with the board’s decision. “Our focus remains on training and supporting our managers to ensure respect for our partners’ right to organize, and we are making progress in our discussions with Workers United,” a business representative said in a statement Thursday.

Though Schultz stepped down from his third term as CEO in March 2023, he remains involved with the company. When he retired from Starbucks’ board of directors in September, the business named him “lifelong chairman emeritus.”

“We note that the judge identified the Respondent’s highest official, interim CEO Schultz, as a ‘legendary leader,’ a status that would exacerbate the coercive nature of Schultz’s statement,” the ruling read.

Since the first Starbucks branch in Buffalo, New York, unionized in 2021, the coffee business has been embroiled in hundreds of labor battles over alleged union-busting practices. In June, the Supreme Court heard Starbucks v. McKinney, a case involving seven employees who were fired after attempting to form a union. The Supreme Court agreed with Starbucks.

An NLRB administrative law judge earlier stated that Starbucks had engaged in “egregious and widespread misconduct” in its dealings with employees involved in unionization efforts at Buffalo outlets, including the first site to unionize. Starbucks dispatched high-level executives into Buffalo-area stores on a “relentless” campaign, according to the judge, which “likely left a lasting impact as to the importance of voting against representation.”

Starbucks stated at the time that it is “considering all options to obtain further legal review,” and that “we believe the decision and remedies ordered are inappropriate given the record in this matter.”

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Howard Schultz Violated Labor Law By Telling Employee ‘If You’re Not Happy At Starbucks, You Can Go Work For Another Company’

The union reports that on October 1, the 500th Starbucks location in Washington state decided to unionize.

The NLRB ordered Starbucks on Wednesday to stop threatening to terminate employees for unionizing and to post a notice of employee rights in all of its Long Beach outlets.

“We are pleased to see the NLRB continuing to advocate for workers and their legal right to organize. At the same time, we’re looking ahead and proud to be on a new journey with the firm,” said Michelle Eisen, co-chair of Starbucks Workers United’s national organizing committee and bargaining delegate, in a statement to CNN on Thursday.

SOURCE | CNN

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Tesla Recalls 27,000 Cybertrucks Due To A Rearview Camera Issue

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CNN | Tesla

Tesla is recalling around 27,000 Cybertrucks due to a rearview camera issue that delays the image being presented on the dashboard, increasing the danger of a collision.

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report, the rearview display may appear blank for up to 8 seconds when the Cybertruck is in reverse. That is far over the two seconds required by US federal safety regulations.

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Tesla Recalls 27,000 Cybertrucks Due To A Rearview Camera Issue

Tesla has issued a free, over-the-air software update to address the issue. Drivers can also reverse the Cybertruck by “performing a shoulder check and using their mirrors,” according to the NHTSA.

This is the fifth recall for the electric vehicle, which was released last year. The most recent recall, in June, concerns the truck’s large single windshield wiper and a piece of plastic trim along the edge of the truck bed that might become loose and detach from the vehicle while driving.

In April, the trucks were recalled because the accelerator pedal could become stuck when depressed. Tesla launched a software recall in January for 2.2 million of its cars, including Cybertrucks, due to warning light letters that were too small to read. That issue was likewise resolved with an over-the-air software upgrade.

Tesla Recalls 27,000 Cybertrucks Due To A Rearview Camera Issue

Tesla announced a rise in sales this week for the first time this year, however, year-to-date sales still trail the same period in 2023.

The company delivered approximately 463,000 automobiles worldwide in the third quarter, rising 6% from the previous year’s sales number and 4% from the second quarter of this year.

SOURCE | CNN

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