Vybz Kartel concert
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter
THE United Artist Bahamas Union plans to “push back by any means necessary under the law” against the approval of the Vybz Kartel concert set to happen at Fort Charlotte, citing the Jamaican Dancehall artist’s criminal background - despite his 2011 murder conviction having been overturned.
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter
ABACO’S Chamber of Commerce president is stepping down with the hope that the younger generation will bring new ideas, and stronger teamwork to continue representing the island’s business community.
After a tenure of over 13 years, Daphne DeGregory-Miaoulis said she is “frustrated” and has taken a backseat to allow other directors a chance to “take the more leading role.” She added that in 2025, lack
of participation must be addressed.
“Unfortunately, the chamber is winding down
Claiming that policies dictate that the UABU should be consulted before any foreign artist can perform in The Bahamas, secretary general Link Scavella-Ferguson told Tribune Business that the union does not support the Vybz Kartel concert. He added there is a rise in foreign artists who “bypass” the UABU and other “relevant government authorities” and enter the country to perform.
He claimed the UABU is the “only legal union at this time” that may approve foreign artists to enter the country, however, to his understanding, its legacy union, the Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union (BMEU) “are behind that”. Mr Scavella-Ferguson said the UABU
earned its rights to approve or disapprove of foreign artists’ entry into the country due to BMEU officers not lacking certification. He said during its quarterly meeting with Labour Minister Pia Glover-Rolle, about two weeks ago, she “advised” that the BMEU was not certified “which means that union should not be approving any foreign artists coming into the country”.
“In our last meeting with Minister Pia Glover, one of the things that we had confirmed was whether or not the other union, the BMEU, whether or not their elections were certified,”
AN accounting services firm is starting the year by announcing expansions for both its services and locations.
PDC Corporate and Accounting Services recently merged with Assurance Accounting, and has opened a new office at The Caves Professional Centre in Nassau.
As a result of the merger, PDC now offers a broader suite of services tailored to meet the needs of businesses and individuals.
A statement from PDC said: “These include accounting and financial reporting, comprehensive bookkeeping, payroll management, financial statement preparation, corporate services including business registration, corporate secretarial services, and incorporations, business advisory solutions, tax planning, and customised tax strategies.”
PDC specialises in incorporating both Bahamian and international companies, with the company saying it does so “within an impressive timeframe of just 72 hours, reflecting its efficiency and commitment to excellence. This rapid service has been instrumental in helping entrepreneurs and businesses establish their presence quickly and seamlessly. PDC also forms foundations, non-profit organisations and liquidation services”.
Tourism ministry celebrates awards
A HOST of awards marked the end of the year for the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation.
The ministry said the awards closed out 2024 “on a triumphant note, having earned prestigious international awards, the Magellan Awards and the Viddy Awards, which celebrate the destination’s exceptional accomplishments”.
The Magellan Awards, a programme of Travel Weekly, the industry’s top trade publication, salute mastery in travel, marketing and design, and the Viddy Awards, which celebrate outstanding creativity
in video content, have recognised BMOTIA for its excellence across key sectors, with a particular emphasis on tourism, media and digital content creation.
Chamber chief looks to younger generation as she steps down
and I’m coming to the end of my term, and I’m hoping to be, or I’m intending to be replaced as president because I’m not offering to do another term,” Ms DeGregoryMiaoulis said. “So I’ve kind of stepped back a little bit and trying to get other directors to take the more leading role.
“The problem is that I have been serving on the Abaco Chamber for so many years. It’s a constant battle and to date, I’m the longest serving member on our board, but it’s constantly a battle to get people to come out and participate. And this is not just common to the Abaco Chamber. I think this is pretty common, unfortunately throughout the
country and throughout different organisations. I know Rotary have had their challenges, other organisations have had their challenges and this is something that really is going to have to be seriously addressed in 2025.”
She added: “I’ve got personal development that I have planned for 2025 that I just cannot split myself anymore. And I’m sorry to be leaving the chamber, but I’m hoping that by me leaving the chamber, other people will emerge. You know, it’s kind of like government. People say, well, where are all the good people? Why aren’t they offering to be in government? Part of the reason is because you don’t always get good people to work along with as a team. And I don’t know if you’ve
ever done any sports, but no good organisation can really be successful without having a team and every member of that team has a vital role. I don’t care what level you’re at because, you know, if the bathrooms don’t get cleaned, it’s a reputation on the senior management. So from every level, each person involved in the team must excel to their best so that the entire team gets a mark. I think that’s something that’s really missing in our society.”
Ms DeGregory Miaoulis told Tribune Business that she hasn’t reached a few of her goals, two of which include receiving certain responses from the government and getting the community excited to get involved.
“Mentally, because I am where I am, I’ve kind of removed myself from the day-to-day issues that are going on,” Ms DeGregoryMiaoulis said. “I don’t want to be the person that they say, ‘Oh, yeah, you’re doing a great job’ and whatever because I honestly don’t feel that I am doing a great job for two reasons. One, I have not been able to excite or stimulate other people who want to get in and do a good job. I also have not had the response from the administration, government administration, that I think that the Chamber should be afforded. Government, they only come to you at the last minute when they want to just take advantage of, ‘oh, the Chamber is going to support this or whatever’. But they don’t engage us in conversations that affect
us. They don’t allow us to have a say in the planning of things. They only want us to comment after the fact when they’ve already decided and determined how things are going to be, what developments are going to come and all that. I mean, we have so many lost opportunities because government only look at making announcements. They only want to look at how is the voter going to respond to this. Everything is about the vote. Everything is about securing their position.”
She pointed to a few issues negatively impacting Abaco but added that if she were “younger” she would keep up the fight but she is frustrated and passing the torch on, encouraging others to “get out there”.
“So is Abaco doing okay? Well, if you drive through Marsh Harbour, you’ll see that more businesses have opened,” Ms DeGregoryMiaoulis said. “You’ll see that buildings are being completed. We’re certainly looking better, but we still have buildings that are in the same state Dorian left them in and nothing’s been done to them and nobody’s making any noise about it or not enforcing any laws
about it. I think everybody is watching their dollar because expenses have increased all around and by the looks of things, will continue to increase. Taxes will continue to go up… And if I was younger, I can promise you, if I was younger and the situation was the way it was now, I’d be out on the street corners, I’d be campaigning for change. But I’m tired. I’m not fighting that battle. I’m not doing it. But you guys got to get out there and do it.
“Every opportunity you gotta get out there and say, listen, enough is enough. We want better and we want more. Elections are right around the corner. Now’s the time to start. And I’m not saying that any party is better than another. That’s a toss up… I don’t know. I know one thing. Bids aren’t being offered publicly. Decisions are being made without consultation.
“I don’t like the direction that our country is going. Nothing seems to be running right and not enough money is staying in Abaco for us to maintain and make necessary improvements to our infrastructure. And in the school system, children need to be taught to be more civic-minded.”
“At PDC, we pride ourselves on our ability to transform complex processes into seamless solutions for our clients.
Whether you’re launching a new venture, expanding your operations, or navigating financial challenges, our team is here to guide you every step of the way,” said CEO Peter Cartwright.
On Saturday, January 18, 2025, Temple Christian School will hold its Entrance Examination for students entering grades 7, 8, 9 and 10.
TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. LOCATION: High School Campus, Shirley Street
Application forms are available at the High School Offce and should be completed and returned to the school by Friday, January 17, 2025. The application fee is twenty-fve dollars ($25).
For further information, please call telephone number: 394-4481/394-4484.
Tourism ministry celebrates awards
FROM PAGE B1
These accolades showcase the destination’s innovation, impact and leadership, further solidifying The Bahamas’ position as a toptier destination in the global tourism landscape.
“Receiving recognition from such esteemed industry awards is a true
reflection of the hard work, dedication, and innovation that have made The Bahamas a standout destination,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Chester Cooper. “We are truly honoured to be acknowledged amongst the best in the industry. These awards highlight our commitment to excellence in all sectors of tourism and
reinforces The Bahamas’ position as a leading global destination. These awards are also inherently a reflection of the energy and dedication of tourism professionals worldwide and I want to publicly express my gratitude to each of them. As we wrap up the year, we are more motivated than ever to continue delivering exceptional experiences
that captivate and inspire travelers worldwide.”
In the Magellan Awards, the ministry received gold awards for Brightline Activation and the Fly Away Island Spots Campaign.
In the Viddy Awards, the ministry received platinum awards for the Winds of Tradition Content Story, An Open Invitation Content Story, the In True
Union to fight against Vybz Kartel concert
FROM PAGE B1
Mr Scavella-Ferguson said.
“And the minister advised us, no, they were not certified because of issues that we raised regarding the elections where they have violated their own constitution and the law. And so we brought that to the attention of the minister. And as a result of that and some other things, they have not certified those elections. Which means that union should not be approving any foreign artists coming into the country.
“This was a quarterly meeting with the minister of labour. That’s when all of the unions would raise their issues. And so we raised our issue in reference to what was going on with the influx of the foreign artists coming in. And we asked who was approving all these artists. And so we made it known to them that the other union if their elections have not been certified, they should not be conducting business. So we have not been consulted with these artists that are coming in and we have not approved any.”
Mr Scavella Ferguson has spoken out before about the UABU’s “issue” with the “influx of the foreign artists coming in” and he told Tribune Business that they also disagree with promoters advertising acts and foreign artists before receiving approval.
“We have an issue, a serious issue with promoters advertising their acts or their foreign artists before they have received an approval,” Mr Scavella-Ferguson said. “If you have no approval, you should not be advertising.
“It has not been approved by immigration and has not been approved by us, which is the only legal union of musicians and entertainers at this time. And so they just put their ad out there and start advertising. And that has agitated us. And so we will not support them for that reason and the
other reason with regards to the crime elements in our country.”
The UABU is prepared to protest and given that it is part of the Trade Union Congress umbrella, which has decided that if one union strikes, they all strike, it raises the question of what impacts a protest might bring about. Mr Scavella Ferguson told this newspaper that he has put the Minister of Immigration Alfred Sears “on notice of what we believe is going on”.
“We sent him a note to put him on notice that we will not support that act,” Mr Scavella-Ferguson said. “We send that to him and the Department of Labour. We will not be supporting those type of acts, including another act called Bounty Killer. We are not supporting any artist with the name Bounty Killer. Not in this country. The crime level of last year has been too high. And so we’re not supporting anything to do with Killer.”
He added: “We are so agitated that we intend to push back by any means necessary under the law, which means we will protest when and wherever. We will protest the Prime Minister’s office, the House of Assembly and all the Immigration department, the Department of Labour. If they approve this, they will be seeing us every day.”
He stressed the importance to “note that two major sponsors of the Vybz Kartel & Friends concert are ALIV and Bahamasair (our national flag carrier)”.
Mr Scavella Ferguson revealed that the UABU has formed its own “compliance intelligence unit” which consists of an entertainment compliance team which will “establish a structured framework that ensures the entertainment industry adheres to regulations, contractual agreements, and ethical standards while promoting
fair opportunities and safeguarding stakeholders”.
“We launched it today,” Mr Scavella-Ferguson said. “We just finished working on it, and we will put it out on our Facebook page and our WhatsApp page, and then we’re going to publicise it. So that’s our own compliance intelligence unit. Whenever these foreign artists go to the concert to have the events, we’re going to be there to make sure that all of the things that we require, they have the insurance. Because if the stage break down with Bahamian or American artists or foreign artists, we want to make sure all those things are covered before we give an approval. And so when we go there, if they don’t have sufficient security, we’re going to come down on them and we’re encouraging the Department of Immigration to join us because they shouldn’t be allowing the people to come into the country to perform and then no immigration go to see how many people on the stage. You see, they apply for one artist to come in, Burna Boy, and then the immigration approved that, and then 30 people come in. And that’s not the only bad part about it, is we don’t know what they brought into their instrument cases.”
Mr Scavella-Ferguson, speaking on behalf of the UABU stated that they do not approve of the concert due to the artist’s criminal background, noting that there are “enough criminal activities going on in this country” and it can do without Vybz Kartel’s influence. He said the UABU has “always suspected” that some “Jamaican reggae artists coming in are bringing in stuff in these containers”.
“One of the things that we are now agitated by, in addition to the influx of foreign artists coming into the country, bypassing the legal organisations such as UABU and also bypassing the relevant government authorities in many cases,” Mr Scavella-Ferguson said. “The biggest issue we have right now is this Vybz Kartel artist that they plan to bring in, in March. And so we are launching, a pushback on that. We are not going to support that. We are going to demonstrate to the relevant government agencies, which is the Ministry of Labour and Immigration. We are not supporting any artists that has a criminal background.
“And I encourage you to go and do a background check on this Vybz Kartel, as we have done. And so after learning about his background and he has just been released from prison for murder. We have enough criminal activities going on in this country now. We do not need another performing artist coming here to influence our young people.
“Plus, we don’t know what they bringing in when they come into this country. We’ve always suspected that a number of these Jamaican reggae artists coming in are bringing in stuff in these containers and we always suspected that that is one of the ways that guns and things are coming
Bahamian Fashion Content Story, and The King of Conch Content Story
The director general of the ministry, Latia Duncombe, said: “The Magellan and Viddy Awards shine a spotlight on the creativity and passion that fuel our mission to showcase the unmatched beauty and culture of The Bahamas. These accolades inspire us to continue setting new standards in delivering world-class tourism experiences.
into the country. We’ve always suspected that. And we put the government on notice on that. We believe that the relevant government authorities are slack in their duties.”
Besides the artist’s past, the UABU is also concerned about Bahamian artists not being provided the opportunity to be part of concert lineups.
“And for us in 2025, we are taking no mess,” Mr Scavella-Ferguson said.
“We ain’t taking no mess because the policies that are set for as it relates to foreign artists coming in are set for us to be the watchdog to ensure that Bahamian musicians and entertainers benefit from any foreign artists that are
“As we celebrate this moment, we remain focused on creating new opportunities to engage and inspire travelers while further strengthening The Bahamas’ position on the global stage.”
coming in to engage in gainful employment. And so that is our job and we are doing our job. But we are agitated of the fact that the Ministry of Immigration and Labour, they are slack, and customs are stuck concerning their jobs. If they ask us to comply with the law, we expect that the government itself to comply with its own laws.
“We saw the poster and none have been promoted. They just said Vybz Kartel and Friends. So we do not know who those friends are. But he been in jail for the last 13 years, so he can’t have many Bahamian artist friends unless some of them were in there with him.”
By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press
PRESIDENT Joe Biden on Sunday signed into law a measure that boosts Social Security payments for current and former public employees, affecting nearly 3 million people who receive pensions from their time as teachers, firefighters, police officers and in other public service jobs.
Advocates say the Social Security Fairness Act rights a decades-old disparity, though it will also put strain on Social Security Trust Funds, which face a looming insolvency crisis.
The bill rescinds two provisions — the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset — that limit Social Security benefits for recipients if they get retirement payments from other sources, including public retirement programs from a state or local government.
"The bill I'm signing today is about a simple proposition: Americans who have worked hard all their life to earn an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity — that's the entire purpose of the Social Security system," Biden said during a signing ceremony in the White House East Room.
"This is a big deal," he said.
Biden was joined by labor leaders, retirement advocates, and Democratic and Republican lawmakers including the legislation's primary sponsors, Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and exiting Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who received a standing ovation from ceremony attendees.
The Congressional Research Service estimated that in December 2023, there were 745,679 people, about 1% of all Social Security beneficiaries, who had their benefits reduced by the Government Pension Offset. About 2.1 million people, or about 3% of all beneficiaries, were affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated in September that eliminating the Windfall Elimination Provision would boost
monthly payments to the affected beneficiaries by an average of $360 by December 2025. Ending the Government Pension Offset would increase monthly benefits in December 2025 by an average of $700 for 380,000 recipients getting benefits based on living spouses, according to the CBO. The increase would be an average of $1,190 for 390,000 or surviving spouses getting a widow or widower benefit. Those amounts would increase over time with Social Security's regular cost-of-living adjustments. The change is to payments from January 2024 and beyond, meaning the Social Security Administration would owe back-dated payments. The measure as passed by Congress says the Social Security commissioner "shall adjust primary insurance amounts to the extent necessary to take into account" changes in the law. It's not immediately clear how this will happen or whether people affected will have to take any action.
Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said firefighters across the country are "excited to see the change — we've righted a 40-year wrong." Kelly said the policy was "far more egregious for surviving spouses of firefighters who paid their own quotas into Social Security but were victimized by the government pension system."
The IAFF has roughly 320,000 members, which does not include hundreds of thousands of retirees who will benefit from the change.
"Now firefighters who get paid very little can now afford to actually retire,"
Kelly said.
Brown, who as an Ohio senator pushed for the proposal for years, lost his reelection bid in November.
Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees labor union, thanked Brown for his advocacy.
"Over two million public service workers will finally be able to access the Social Security benefits they spent their careers paying into," Saunders said in
a statement. "Many will finally be able to enjoy retirement after a lifetime of service."
National Education Association President Becky Pringle said the law is "a historic victory that will improve the lives of educators, first responders, postal workers and others who dedicate their lives to public service in their communities."
And while some Republicans such as Collins supported the legislation, others, including Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, voted against it. "We caved to the pressure of the moment instead of doing this on a sustainable basis," Tillis told The Associated Press last month.
Still, Republican supporters of the bill said there was a rare opportunity to address what they described as an unfair section of federal law that hurts public service retirees.
The future of Social Security has become a top political issue and was a major point of contention in the 2024 election. About 72.5 million people, including retirees, disabled people and children, receive Social Security benefits.
The policy changes from the new law will heap more administrative work on the Social Security Administration, which is already at its lowest staffing level in decades. The agency, currently under a hiring freeze, has a staff of about 56,645 — the lowest level in over 50 years even as it serves more people than ever.
The annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report released last May said the program's trust fund will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2035. The new law will hasten the program's insolvency date by about half a year.
Along with ratifying the Social Security Fairness Act, earlier in his presidency Biden signed the Butch Lewis Act into law, which saved the retirement pensions of two million union workers.
PRESIDENT Joe Biden departs the East Room of the White House after signing the Social Security Fairness Act, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Washington. Photo:Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
Russia-appointed officials in Crimea declare emergency as oil spill reaches Sevastopol
The Associated Press
RUSSIA-appointed officials in Moscow-occupied Crimea announced a regional emergency on Saturday, as oil was detected on the shores of Sevastopol, the peninsula's largest city. Fuel oil spilled out of two storm-stricken tankers nearly three weeks ago in the Kerch Strait, close to eastern Crimea — about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Sevastopol, which lies on the southwest of the peninsula.
"Today a regional emergency regime has been declared in Sevastopol," regional Gov. Mikhail Razvozhaev wrote on Telegram. Oil was found on four beaches in the region and was "promptly eliminated" by local authorities working
together with volunteers, Razvozhaev said.
"Let me emphasize: there is no mass pollution of the coastline in Sevastopol," he wrote. Razvozhaev's announcement came after authorities in Russia's southern Krasnodar region announced a region-wide emergency last week, as the fuel oil continued washing up on the coastline 10 days after one tanker ran aground and the other was left damaged and adrift on Dec. 15. Krasnodar regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said that almost 7,000 people were still working to clean up the spill on Saturday. More than 96,000 tons of contaminated sand and soil have been removed along the region's shoreline since the original spill, he wrote on Telegram.
On Dec. 23, the ministry estimated that up to 200,000 tons in total may have been contaminated with mazut, a heavy, lowquality oil product. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the oil spill an "ecological disaster." The Kerch Strait, which separates the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula from the Krasnodar region, is an important global shipping route, providing passage from the inland Sea of Azov to the Black Sea. It has also been a key point of conflict between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow annexed the peninsula in 2014. In 2016, Ukraine took Moscow to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, where it accused Russia of trying to seize control of the area illegally.
A MELANIA TRUMP DOCUMENTARY FROM DIRECTOR BRETT RATNER WILL BE RELEASED BY AMAZON
By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer
INCOMING first lady Melania Trump will be the subject of a new documentary directed by Brett Ratner and distributed by Amazon Prime Video. The streaming arm of the tech giant got exclusive licensing rights for a streaming and theatrical release later this year, the company said Sunday. Filming is already underway on the documentary.
The company said in a statement that the film will give viewers an "unprecedented behind-the-scenes look" at Melania Trump and also promised a "truly unique story." The former and now future first lady also released a self-titled memoir late last year. Her husband takes office on Jan. 20. The film is the latest connection between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump.
The company in December announced plans to donate $1 million to the President-elect's inauguration fund, and said that it would also stream Trump's inauguration on its Prime Video service, a separate inkind donation worth another $1 million.
The two men had been at odds in the past. During his first term, Trump criticized Amazon and railed against the political coverage at The Washington Post, which Bezos owns. But he's struck a more conciliatory tone recently as Amazon and other tech companies seek to improve their relationship with the incoming president.
In December, Bezos expressed some excitement about potential regulatory cutbacks in the coming years and said he was "optimistic" about Trump's second term. Bezos in October did not allow the Post to endorse a presidential candidate, a move that led to tens of thousands of people canceling their subscriptions and to protests from journalists with a deep history at the newspaper. This weekend, a cartoonist quit her job after an editor rejected her sketch of the newspaper's owner and other media executives bowing before the president-elect.
The film also marks the first project that Ratner has directed since he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, including actor Olivia Munn, in the early days of the #MeToo reckoning in
November 2017. Ratner, whose lawyer denied the allegations, directed the "Rush Hour" film series, "Red Dragon" and ''X-Men: The Last Stand."
Fernando Sulichin, an Argentine filmmaker, is executive producing the film, which began shooting in December.
Melania Trump, Donald Trump's third wife, has been an enigmatic figure since her husband announced he was running in the 2016 election. She had sought to maintain her privacy even as she served as first lady, focusing on raising their son, Barron, and promoting her "Be Best" initiative to support the "social, emotional, and physical health of children."
IN this photo taken from video released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, rescuers work to clean up tons of fuel oil that spilled out of two storm-stricken tankers more than two weeks ago in the Kerch Strait, in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region. Photo:Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service/AP
FIRST lady Melania Trump speaks to a small group of supporters at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Jan. 20, 2021.
Photo:Luis M. Alvarez/AP
TikTok creators left in limbo while awaiting decision on potential platform ban
By JONATHAN LANDRUM JR. and HALELUYA HADERO Associated Press
WILL TikTok be banned this month?
That's the pressing question keeping creators and small business owners in anxious limbo as they await a decision that could upend their livelihoods. The fate of the popular app will be decided by the Supreme Court, which will hear arguments on Jan. 10 over a law requiring TikTok to break ties with its Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance, or face a U.S. ban.
At the heart of the case is whether the law violates the First Amendment with TikTok and its creator allies arguing that it does. The U.S. government, which sees the platform as a national security risk, says it does not.
For creators, the TikTok doomsday scenarios are nothing new since President-elect Donald Trump first tried to ban the platform through executive order during his first term. But despite Trump's recent statements indicating he now wants TikTok to stick around, the prospect of a ban has never been as immediate as it is now with the Supreme Court serving as the final arbiter.
CONSUMER
AGENCY
If the government prevails as it did in a lower court, TikTok says it would shut down its U.S. platform by Jan. 19, leaving creators scrambling to redefine their futures.
"A lot of my other creative friends, we're all like freaking out. But I'm staying calm," said Gillian Johnson, who benefited financially from TikTok's live feature and rewards program, which helped creators generate higher revenue potential by posting high-quality original content. The 22-year-old filmmaker and recent college graduate uses her TikTok earnings to help fund her equipment for projects such as camera lens and editing software for her short films "Gambit" and "Awaken! My Neighbor." Johnson said the idea of TikTok going away is "hard to accept."
Many creators have taken to TikTok to voice their frustrations, grappling with the possibility that the platform they've invested so much in could soon disappear. Online communities risk being disrupted, and the economic fallout could especially be devastating for those who mainly depend on TikTok and have left full-time jobs to build careers and incomes around their content.
PROTECTION
SUES WALMART, BRANCH ALLEGING ILLEGAL PAY PRACTICES FOR GIG DRIVERS
For some, the uncertainty has led them to question whether to continue creating content at all, according to Johnson, who says she knows creators who have been thinking about quitting. But Nicla Bartoli, the vice president of sales at The Influencer Marketing Factory, said the creators she has interreacted with have not been too worried since news about a potential TikTok ban has come up repeatedly over the years, and then died down.
"I believe a good chunk think it is not going to happen," said Bartoli, whose agency works to pair influencers and brands.
It's unclear how quickly the Supreme Court will issue a decision. But the court could act swiftly to block the law from going into effect if at least five of the nine justices deem it unconstitutional.
Trump, for his part, has already asked the justices to put a pause on the ban so he could weigh in after he takes office. In a brief — written by his pick for solicitor general — Trump called the First Amendment implications of a TikTok ban "sweeping and troubling" and said he wants a "negotiated resolution" to the issue, something the Biden administration had pursued to no avail.
The Associated Press
THE Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has sued Walmart and work scheduling platform Branch Messenger for allegedly forcing delivery drivers that are part of the discounter's gig program to use costly
While waiting for the dust to settle in Washington, some creators are exploring alternatives ways to promote themselves or their business, encouraging users to follow them on other social media platforms or are investing more time producing non-TikTok content.
Johnson says she is already strategizing her next move and exploring alternative opportunities. While she hasn't found a place quite like TikTok, she's begun to spend more of her time on other platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube, both of whom are expected to benefit financially if TikTok vanishes.
According to a report by Goldman Sachs, the socalled creator economy, which has been fueled in part by TikTok, could be worth $480 billion by 2027. Because the opportunity to monetize content exists
deposit accounts to get paid and mispresented how they could access their wages.
The agency alleged last week that for approximately two years starting in 2021, Walmart and Branch violated federal law by forcing 1 million drivers on its socalled Spark program to use Branch to get paid and that they would terminate workers who didn't want to use these accounts. Walmart's Spark program uses gig workers who make deliveries from Walmart stores nationwide on so-called "last mile" deliveries.
CFPB also claims that Walmart and Branch misled workers about the availability of same-day access to their earnings. It said that the drivers had to follow a complex process to access their funds, and when they finally did, they faced
across a range of platforms, a vast amount of creators have already diversified their social media presence. However, many TikTok creators have credited the platform — and its algorithm — with giving them a type of exposure they did not receive on other platforms. Some say it has also boosted and provided opportunities for creators of color and those from other marginalized groups.
Despite fears about the fate of TikTok, industry analysts note creators are generally avoiding making any big changes, like abandoning platform, until something actually happens.
"I'm anxious but also trying to be hopeful in a weird way," said Brandon Hurst, who credits TikTok with rescuing his business from obscurity and propelling it into rapid growth.
A year after joining TikTok, the 30-year-old
further delays or fees if they needed to transfer the money they earned into an account of their choice.
The practice resulted in workers paying more than $10 million in fees, the agency said.
"Walmart made false promises, illegally opened accounts, and took advantage of more than a million delivery drivers," said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra in a statement released Dec. 23. "Companies cannot force workers into getting paid through accounts that drain their earnings with junk fees." In a statement emailed to The Associated Press on Friday, a Walmart spokesperson called the lawsuit "rushed" and said it was "riddled with factual errors and contains exaggerations and blatant misstatements of settled principles of law."
Hurst, who sells plants, said his sales doubled, outpacing the traction he'd struggled to gain on Instagram. He built his clientele through the live feature on TikTok, which has helped him sell more than 77,000 plants. The business has thrived so much that he says he now employs five people, including his husband and mom.
"For me, this has been my sole way of doing business," Hurst said.
Billion Dollar Boy, a New York-based influencer marketing agency, has advised creators to download all of their TikTok content into a personal portfolio, which is especially important for those who post primarily on the platform, said Edward East, the agency's founder and group CEO. This can help them quickly build their audiences elsewhere. Plus it can serve as a resume for brands who might want to partner with
"The CFPB never allowed Walmart a fair opportunity to present its case during their rushed investigation," the statement said. "We look forward to vigorously defending the company before a court that, unlike the CFPB, honors the due process of law." Branch, based in Minneapolis, said in an emailed statement to The AP that it strongly disagrees with the lawsuit filed by the CFPB, which Branch said misstates the law and facts, and includes intentional omissions to mask the bureau's clear overreach.
"Branch has provided Walmart and their driver partners valuable services allowing quick and easy access to funds via their business accounts—a key fact the bureau's press release omits," the statement said.
A TIKTOK sign is displayed on top of their building in Culver City, Calif., on Dec. 3, 2024.
Photo:Richard Vogel/AP
Finalized tax credit for cleaner hydrogen gets a cautious OK from some environmental groups
By JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press
THE Biden administration released long-awaited final rules Friday for a tax credit that will send billions of dollars to producers of cleaner hydrogen.
The new rules drew cautious praise from environmental groups, who said they would likely reduce planet-warming emissions but included loopholes that could still reward producers of dirty hydrogen.
The administration is trying to ramp up hydrogen production to displace fossil fuels as an energy source for sectors of the economy that emit massive greenhouse gases, yet are difficult to electrify, such as longhaul transportation and industrial manufacturing, including steel-making.
Most hydrogen today is made from natural gas, contributing to climate change. But hydrogen can also be made by splitting water with solar, wind, nuclear or geothermal electricity, yielding little if any planetwarming greenhouse gases.
A year ago, the Treasury Department proposed a tiered system where firms that produce hydrogen by splitting water could qualify
“We have a number of industry sectors that are hard to decarbonize, aviation, marine shipping, steel production, that are currently using fossil fuels.”
Conrad Schneider
for the full credit of $3 per kilogram.
Now, the final rule could also extend the full credit to firms that use natural gas to make hydrogen if they use technology to capture and sequester the emissions, and to firms that make hydrogen from natural gas alternatives sourced from wastewater, animal manure and landfill gas. Hydrogen produced from coal mine methane would likely qualify for lower tiers of the credit.
A major airline is being fined for chronic flight delays, and passengers may get a cut of the money
By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer
THE Transportation Department said Friday it will hit JetBlue Airways with a $2 million penalty for chronically late flights along the East Coast, and half the money will go to passengers who were delayed.
The agency said it's the first time it has fined an airline for chronic delays on specific routes, which it blamed on "unrealistic scheduling" by JetBlue.
"Illegal chronic flight delays make flying unreliable for travelers. Today's action puts the entire airline industry on notice that we expect their flight schedules to reflect reality,"
JOB POSTING:
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. His department has led the Biden administration in criticizing airlines for poor service and an increase in passenger fees. JetBlue said the government, which operates the air traffic control system, shares the blame for late flights.
Airline spokesperson Derek Dombrowski said JetBlue has invested "tens of millions of dollars to reduce flight delays, particularly related to ongoing air traffic control challenges in our largest markets in the Northeast and Florida," resulting in better on-time performance in
2024, including during the peak summer travel season.
"While we've reached a settlement to resolve this matter regarding four (routes) in 2022 and 2023, we believe accountability for reliable air travel equally lies with the U.S. government, which operates our nation's air traffic control system," Dombrowski said.
He said the incoming Trump administration should prioritize modernizing "outdated" air traffic control technology and understaffing of controllers, who are hired by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Transportation Department regulations prohibit
BAHAMAREEFS ASSISTANT PROGRAM MANAGER (#56053)
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Te BahamaReefs Assistant Program Manager (APM) develops, manages, and advances conservation programs, plans and methods and provides technical leadership for the Northern Caribbean Program (Te Bahamas and Turks and Caicos), with a focus on the administration and implementation of the program Impact Funding for BahamaReefs, a long-term blended fnance initiative being led by Te Nature Conservancy and the Global Fund for Coral Reefs. With guidance and support from the BahamaReefs Program Manager, the APM will support the overall administration and execution of the project, including reporting on project outcomes to the granting agency, development and management of workplans, supporting budgets, and monitoring program progress. S/he will support project teams, liaise with the implementing partners, and provide adaptive management of project priorities.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
marine science, or related feld.
climate adaptation and mitigation, or blue economy initiatives. projects, including managing stafng, workloads, and budgets under deadlines.
programmatic and technical reports for public and/or privately funded projects, giving attention to details.
working closely with a variety of national and community-based stakeholders in Te Bahamas including government agencies. audiences.
within allotted timeline(s).
Scientifc Diving Program.
HOW TO APPLY
To see full job description, visit and apply online to Job # 56053
Please note that all applications must be submitted through Te Nature Conservancy’s online application system. Hard copy applications will not be accepted. Te application deadline is 11:59pm EST on 12 January 2025
A MACHINE is operated at a facility for the Norwegian company Nel in Heroya, Norway, on April 20, 2023. Nel makes devices that take water and split it into hydrogen and oxygen, known as electrolyzers, as well as fueling stations.
ambitious policies to support the clean hydrogen industry. The environmental group Earthjustice said the rules support clean hydrogen projects that by and large do not worsen climate and health-harming pollution. But the group said they're also concerned that dirty hydrogen producers will enjoy the benefits of this important climate program, too.
Administration officials said the credit is based only on the lifecycle emissions of the hydrogen production process, rather than on how the hydrogen is produced. The credit is part of the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022, but it has support from some Republican members of Congress.
Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the act, along with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, are the world's most
airlines from publishing schedules that don't reflect real departure and arrival times. The agency defines a flight as chronically delayed if it runs at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late more than half the time.
The department cited JetBlue flights between June 2022 and November 2023. It said it warned JetBlue about frequent delays on flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina. Frequent delays also occurred on flights
But Schneider said accurately tracking the emissions of hydrogen produced with natural gas could be impossible if the Trump administration weakens regulations on methane and emissions reporting requirements.
The Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association includes more than 100 members involved in hydrogen production, distribution and use, including vehicle manufacturers, industrial gas companies, renewable developers and nuclear plant operators. Frank Wolak, the association's president, said they are relieved the rules are finally in place. The big question now, he said, is whether the tax credit will move the industry forward and give firms the confidence to make investments, or whether the provisions work for some and not for others.
Conrad Schneider, senior director at the Clean Air Task Force, an advocacy group, said the final rules do benefit the climate. If the hydrogen qualifies for a credit, that means it's being made with lower carbon emissions than the fossil fuels it's displacing, he said. "We have a number of industry sectors that are hard to decarbonize, aviation, marine shipping, steel production, that are currently using fossil fuels," he said. "Having a tax incentive like this for the production of clean hydrogen will create a fuel that replaces those unabated fossil fuels and helps the climate."
between JFK and Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida, and between Windsor Locks, Connecticut and Fort Lauderdale.
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Public is hereby advised that I, VOINES S. TURNQUEST of P.O. Box 5777 #106 Prince Charles Drive, New Providence, The Bahamas Parent of REINA LAURA MATOS CORDOVA A minor intend to change our child’s name to REINA LAURA TURNQUEST MATOS. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Deputy Chief Passport Offcer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice. INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL
Career Opportunity
We Are Growing and Have an Exciting New Opportunity For You!
If you possess the qualities below, we invite you to apply for the position of:
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
Since inception in 1997, RF Group has been committed to helping clients create and manage wealth. We are your local private bank connecting Bahamians with the best in local and international investments.
The role of the Senior Accountant provides fnancial accounting and reporting services for the RF Group companies in the areas of fnance and fund administration
Key Responsibilities:
Produce the Month-End Financial Reporting
• Financial Reports Analysis
Monthly record maintenance of Fund Accounting records
• Monthly system review, calculation, analysis and investigation of net asset value of the fund (NAV).
Produce annual fnancial reports for the calendar year within forty-fve (45) days of the year-end.
Liaise with audit team to provide audit deliverables within deadlines
• Timely submission of fnancial reports and information to regulatory authorities
• Regulatory Tax Return flings to relevant Government Agencies
Key Qualifcations & Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting or related feld.
• Professional Accounting Designation (i.e., CPA/ ACCA) Required
• Minimum of 5 years’ work experience in a senior-level role
• Knowledge of banking and fnance industry, fund accounting, and audit experience preferred
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills Ability to work independently
• Demonstrated written and verbal communication
• Excellent interpersonal skills and strong adherence to professional standards and confdentiality
• Continued professional education to retain accounting credentials required
Please apply online at: https://www.rfgroup.com/careers Deadline to Apply is Friday, 17th January 2025
Photo:Trond R. Teigen/AP
Driving into Manhattan? That’ll cost you, as new congestion toll starts Sunday
By JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press
NEW York's new toll for drivers entering the center of Manhattan debuted Sunday, meaning many people will pay $9 to access the busiest part of the Big Apple during peak hours.
The toll, known as congestion pricing, is meant to reduce traffic gridlock in the densely packed city while also raising money to help fix its ailing public transit infrastructure.
Drivers of most passenger cars will pay $9 to enter Manhattan south of Central Park on weekdays between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. and on weekends between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. During off hours, the toll will be $2.25 for most vehicles.
After years of studies, delays and a last-ditch bid by New Jersey to halt the toll, the program launched without major hiccups early Sunday. But transit officials cautioned the first-in-the-nation scheme could require adjustments — and likely would not get its first true test until the workweek.
"This is a toll system that has never been tried before in terms of complexity," Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said at a press conference held at Grand Central Terminal Sunday. "We don't expect New Yorkers to overnight change their behavior. Everybody's going to have to adjust to this."
The fee — which varies for motorcyclists, truck drivers and ride-share apps — will be collected by electronic toll collection systems at over 100 detection sites now scattered across the lower half of Manhattan. It comes on top of tolls drivers pay for crossing various bridges and tunnels to get to the city in the first place, although there will be a credit of up to $3 for those who have already paid to enter Manhattan via certain tunnels during peak hours.
On Sunday morning, hours after the toll went live, traffic moved briskly along the northern edge of the congestion zone at 60th Street and 2nd Avenue.
Many motorists appeared unaware that the newly activated cameras, set along the arm of a steel gantry above the street, would soon send a new charge to their E-Z Passes.
"Are you kidding me?" said Chris Smith, a realtor from Somerville, New Jersey, as he drove against traffic beneath the cameras, circumventing the charge. "Whose idea was this? Kathy Hochul? She should be arrested for being ignorant."
Some local residents and transit riders, meanwhile, said they were hopeful the program would lessen the bottlenecks and frequent honking in their neighborhoods, while helping to modernize the subway system.
NOTICE
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT, 2000 Honey Labs Inc. (IN VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in accordance with section 138(6) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000, as amended, the winding up and dissolution of Honey Labs Inc. is complete.
Kim D. Thompson Sole Liquidator
Address: Equity Trust House Caves Village West Bay Street P O Box N-10697 Nassau, Bahamas
"I think the idea would be good to try to minimize the amount of traffic down and try to promote people to use public transportation," said Phil Bauer, a surgeon who lives in midtown Manhattan, describing the constant din of traffic in his neighborhood as "pretty brutal."
President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, has vowed to kill the program
when he takes office, but it's unclear if he will follow through. The plan had stalled during his first term while it waited on a federal environmental review.
In November, Trump, whose namesake Trump Tower is in the toll zone, said congestion pricing "will put New York City at a disadvantage over competing cities and states, and businesses will flee."
NOTICE
International Business Companies Act (No. 45 of 2000)
PINGUIM INVEST LIMITED
Registration Number: 209911 B
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000 notice is hereby given that Pinguim Invest Limited, has been dissolved and has been struck of the Register of Companies with efect from the 21st day of December, 2024.
GSO Corporate Services Ltd. Liquidator
Lieber, the MTA head, said he was not overly concerned that the president-elect would succeed in unwinding the program, even if he did follow through. "I think he understands living on 59th and 5th Avenue what traffic is doing to our city," Lieber said Sunday.
Other big cities around the world, including London and Stockholm,
have similar congestion pricing schemes, but it is the first in the U.S. Proponents of the idea note the programs were largely unpopular when first implemented, gaining approval as the public felt benefits like faster bus speeds and less traffic.
In New York City, even some transit riders voiced skepticism of a plan intended to raise much-needed funds for the subway system.
"With my experience of the MTA and where they've allocated their funds in the past, they've done a pretty poor job with that," said Christakis Charalambides, a supervisor in the fashion industry, as he waited for a subway Sunday morning in Lower Manhattan. "I don't know if I necessarily believe it until I really see something."
International Business Companies Act (No. 45 of 2000)
LEWES INVESTMENT FUND LTD. (the “Company”) In Voluntary Liquidation
Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, (No.45 of 2000), LEWES INVESTMENT FUND LTD. (the “Company”) is in Dissolution. The date of commencement of the Dissolution is the 31st day of December, 2024. Sebastian Diego Lewit is the Liquidator and can be contacted at Rua João de Barros 136/101 – Leblon, Rio de Janeiro - RJ 22441-100, Brazil. All persons having claims against the abovenamed Company are required to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator before the 31st day of January, 2025 Sebastian Diego Lewit Liquidator
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT, 2000
Aequitas International Strategies Fund Ltd. (IN VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in accordance with section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000, as amended, Aequitas International Strategies Fund Ltd. is in dissolution.
The dissolution of the said Company commenced on 31 December 2024 when the Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered with the Registrar General in Nassau, The Bahamas.
The Sole Liquidator of the said Company is L. Michael Dean of Equity Trust House, Caves Village, West Bay Street, P.O. Box N 10697, Nassau, Bahamas.
L. Michael Dean Sole Liquidator
NOTICE
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT, 2000
EIFS Structural Asset Fund Ltd. SAC (IN VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in accordance with section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000, as amended, EIFS Structural Asset Fund Ltd. SAC is in dissolution.
The dissolution of the said Company commenced on 31 December 2024 when the Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered with the Registrar General in Nassau, The Bahamas.
The Sole Liquidator of the said Company is L. Michael Dean of Equity Trust House, Caves Village, West Bay Street, P O Box N 10697, Nassau, Bahamas.
L. Michael Dean Sole Liquidator NOTICE
Photo:Ted Shaffrey
‘Mufasa’ and ‘Sonic 3’ rule first weekend of 2025
By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer
THE Walt Disney Co.'s "Mufasa" claimed the No. 1 spot on the North American box office charts over the first weekend of 2025.
The photorealistic "Lion King" prequel earned $23.8 million in its third weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," which has dominated the
past two weekends, wasn't far behind. "Sonic 3" stayed close with a 3-day estimate of $21.2 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to $187.5 million and helping the overall franchise cross $1 billion worldwide. "Mufasa's" running total is slightly less, with $169.2 million.
In third place, Focus Features' "Nosferatu" remake defied the fate of so many of its genre predecessors and
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that ORESTE VESCINE of Nassau East, Nassau, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 30th day of December, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
fell only 39% in its second weekend. Horror films typically fall sharply after the first weekend and anything less than a 50% decline is notable. "Nosferatu," which added 140 screens, claimed $13.2 million in ticket sales, bringing its running total to $69.4 million since its Christmas debut. The film, directed by Robert Eggers, already surpassed its reported production budget of $50 million, though that figure does not account for
marketing and promotion expenses).
No new wide releases opened this weekend, leaving the box office top 10 once again to holdovers from previous weeks. Several have been in theaters since Thanksgiving. One of those, "Moana 2," claimed the No. 4 spot for Disney in its sixth weekend in theaters. The animated sequel earned another $12.4 million, bumping its global total to $960.5 million.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that GERALD JOSEPH of Lower Bogue, North Eleuthera, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 30th day of December, 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
The Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," dipped only slightly in its second weekend, bringing in $8.1 million. With $41.7 million total, it's Searchlight's highest grossing film since Disney acquired the company in 2019. A24's erotic drama "Babygirl," which added 49 locations, held steady at $4.5 million. Another Thanksgiving leftover, "Wicked," rounded out the top five. Universal's movie musical was made available to purchase on VOD on Jan. 31, but still earned another $10.2 million from theaters. The movie is up for several awards at Sunday's Golden Globes, including nominations for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, best motion picture musical or comedy and "cinematic and box office achievement," which last year went to "Barbie."
Also in theaters this weekend was the IMAX rerelease of David Fincher's
4K restoration of "Seven," which earned just over $1 million from 200 locations.
The 2025 box office year is already off to a better start than 2024, up around 20% from the same weekend last year.
Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. "Mufasa: The Lion King," $23.8 million.
2. "Sonic the Hedgehog
3," $21.2 million.
3. "Nosferatu," $13.2 million.
4. "Moana 2," $12.4 million.
5. "Wicked," $10.2 million.
6. "A Complete Unknown," $8.1 million.
7. "Babygirl," $4.5 million.
8. "Gladiator II," $2.7 million.
9. "Homestead," $2.1 million.
10. "The Fire Inside," $1.2 million.
MARINE FORECAST
Tesla data helped police after Las Vegas truck explosion, but experts have wider privacy concerns
By BERNARD CONDON AP Writer
YOUR car is spying on you.
That is one takeaway from the fast, detailed data that Tesla collected on the driver of one of its Cybertrucks that exploded in Las Vegas earlier this week. Privacy data experts say the deep dive by Elon Musk's company was impressive, but also shines a spotlight on a difficult question as vehicles become less like cars and more like computers on wheels.
Is your car company violating your privacy rights?
"You might want law enforcement to have the data to crack down on criminals, but can anyone have access to it?" said Jodi Daniels, CEO of privacy consulting firm Red Clover Advisors. "Where is the line?"
Many of the latest cars not only know where you've been and where you are going, but also often have access to your contacts, your call logs, your texts and other sensitive information thanks to cell phone syncing.
The data collected by Musk's electric car company after the Cybertruck packed with fireworks burst into flames in front of the Trump International Hotel Wednesday proved valuable to police
in helping track the driver's movements. Within hours of the New Year's Day explosion that burned the driver beyond recognition and injured seven, Tesla was able to track Matthew Livelsberger's movements in detail from Denver to Las Vegas, and also confirm that the problem was explosives in the truck, not the truck itself. Tesla used data collected from charging stations and from onboard software -- and to great acclaim.
"I have to thank Elon Musk, specifically," said Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin
McMahill to reporters. "He gave us quite a bit of additional information."
Some privacy experts were less enthusiastic.
"It reveals the kind of sweeping surveillance going on," said David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston.
"When something bad happens, it's helpful, but it's a double edged sword. Companies that collect this data can abuse it."
General Motors, for instance, was sued in August by the Texas attorney general for allegedly selling data from 1.8 million
drivers to insurance companies without their consent.
Cars equipped with cameras to enable selfdriving features have added a new security risk. Tesla itself came under fire after Reuters reported how employees from 2019 through 2022 shared drivers' sensitive videos and recordings with each other, including videos of road rage incidents and, in one case, nudity. Tesla did not respond to emailed questions about its privacy policy. On its website, Tesla says it follows strict rules for keeping names and information private.
Venezuela opposition leader recognized by US as election victor embarks on international tour
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina Associated Press
VENEZUELAN opposition leader Edmundo González, who the United States recognized as the winner of last year's presidential election, kicked off an international tour on Saturday that will take him to Washington just days before President Nicolás Maduro is set to be sworn in for a third term in defiance of international pressure.
A crowd of a few hundred Venezuelan migrants broke into shouts of "Edmundo, Presidente" as González emerged from a meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei to wave to supporters from the balcony of the iconic Casa Rosada, or Pink House, in Buenos Aires.
"We are doing whatever the cause of freedom requires," Milei, an effusive far-right supporter of the Venezuelan opposition, said as he welcomed González to the presidential palace with honors normally reserved for a head of state.
González, a retired diplomat, fled into exile in Spain in September after a judge issued an arrest warrant following the July 28 presidential election, in which Maduro was declared the winner by the National Electoral Council, which is stacked with governing party loyalists.
In recent weeks, he has been vowing to travel to Venezuela to be sworn in for the presidential term, which according to law must begin on Jan. 10. But
he hasn't said how he plans to return or wrest power from Maduro, whose party controls all institutions and the military.
"By whatever means necessary, I'm going to be there" on Jan. 10, González said.
On Thursday, Maduro's government raised the stakes even further, announcing a $100,000 reward for information on González's whereabouts and plastering the wantedlike bulletin with the retired diplomat's photo on social media and the arrivals board at the country's main airport.
“I’m
post-election crackdown by Maduro.
During his meeting with Milei, the two discussed the well being of five Maduro opponents who have been sheltering in the Argentine ambassador's residence in Caracas for nearly 10 months. Maduro's government broke relations with Argentina and expelled its diplomats after Milei and other regional leaders refused to recognize Maduro's reelection.
But it has denied the activists holed up in the diplomatic compound safe passage so they can take up exile in Argentina. As part
very grateful to the Argentines, they’ve been beautiful to me, but I want to go home, to be with my family.”
Janet Avila
Venezuela two years ago, was among those gathered outside the presidential palace to greet González.
"I'm very grateful to the Argentines, they've been beautiful to me, but I want
Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.
"No one but you would have knowledge of your activities, location, or a history of where you've been," according to a statement. "Your information is kept private and secure."
Auto analyst Sam Abuelsamid at Telemetry Insight, said he doesn't think Tesla is "especially worse" than other auto companies in handling customer data, but he is still concerned.
"This is one of the biggest ethical issues we have around modern vehicles. They're connected," he said. "Consumers need to have control over their data."
Tensions were high when the Cybertruck parked at the front doors of Trump's hotel began smoking, then burst into flames. Just hours earlier a driver in another vehicle using the same peerto-peer car rental service, Turo, had killed 15 people after slamming into a crowd in New Orleans in what law enforcement is calling a terrorist attack.
Shortly before 1 p.m., the Las Vegas police announced they were investigating a second incident.
"The fire is out," the police announced on the social media platform X, one of Musk's other
to go home, to be with my family," she said. The Biden administration and most European governments have rejected the election's official results, pointing out that authorities didn't provide detailed results as they have in past elections. Meanwhile, copies of tally sheets collected by the opposition from 85% of the nation's electronic voting machines
Las Vegas Police Department/AP
companies. "Please avoid the area."
Tesla shortly thereafter swung into action. "The whole Tesla senior team is investigating this matter right now," Musk wrote on X. "Will post more information as soon as we learn anything."
Over the next few hours, Tesla was able to piece together Livelsberger's journey over five days and four states by tracking, among other things, his recharging stops in various locations, including Monument, Colorado, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Flagstaff, Arizona. There are no federal laws regulating car data similar to those that restrict information collection and sharing by banks and health care providers. And state laws are a grab-bag of various rules, mostly focused on data privacy in general. Daniels, the privacy consultant, thinks that new national laws are needed because rules have not kept up with technology.
"I think law enforcement should have access to data that can help them solve things quickly," she said. "But we have a right to privacy."
show that González prevailed by a more than two-to-one margin.
González, 75, was a previously unknown career diplomat when he was thrust into rallying the anti-Maduro coalition as a last-minute stand-in for opposition stalwart María Corina Machado, whom the government banned from running for office.
González at a press conference said that he would travel Saturday night to the U.S., where he hopes to speak with President Joe Biden, following a brief stop in Uruguay for a meeting with President Luis Lacalle Pou. He also plans to visit Panama and the Dominican Republic as part of the impromptu regional tour.
González, who twice served as Venezuela's ambassador to Argentina more than two decades ago, used his visit to highlight the plight of hundreds of Venezuelans who remain imprisoned as part of a
of the diplomatic standoff, Maduro's government last month also arrested an Argentine national guardsman as he was entering the country, accusing him of terrorism. Argentina said the officer, Nahuel Gallo, traveled to Venezuela to visit his wife and her family, who are from Venezuela.
An estimated 220,000 Venezuelans are believed to reside in Argentina — part of an exodus of more than 7 million who have fled political turmoil, economic chaos and political repression by Maduro since 2014.
Janet Avila, a 51-year old school teacher who left
THIS undated photo, provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows the Tesla Cybertruck involved in an explosion outside the
Photo:
VENEZUELA’s opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, right, and Argentine President Javier Milei hold hands from the government house balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Gonzalez, who claims he won the 2024 presidential election and is recognized by some countries as the legitimate president-elect, traveled from exile in Madrid to Argentina. Photo:Natacha Pisarenko/AP
Biden blocks $14 billion acquisition of US Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel
By FATIMA HUSSEIN, JOSH BOAK and MARC LEVY Associated Press
PRESIDENT Joe Biden has blocked the nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel — affirming his earlier vow on the presidential campaign trail to prevent the acquisition of Steeltown USA’s most storied steel company.
The proposed deal kicked up an election year political maelstrom across America’s industrial heartland and blocking it drew a threat of litigation from Nippon Steel.
“We need major U.S. companies representing the major share of US steelmaking capacity to keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests,” Biden said in a Friday morning statement.
Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel blasted the decision, saying in a joint statement that Biden’s blocking the deal “reflects a clear violation of due process and the law” in a process it said was “manipulated” to advance Biden’s political agenda.
It also insisted that Biden cited no credible evidence of the deal presenting a national security problem and suggested it will sue, saying “we are left with no choice but to take all appropriate action to protect our legal rights.”
Biden’s decision comes after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS, failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of the deal last month, and sent a long-awaited report on the merger to Biden. He had 15 days to reach a final decision.
The committee, chaired by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and made up of other Cabinet members, can recommend that the president block a transaction, and federal law gives the president that power.
A U.S. official familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press last month that some federal agencies represented on the panel were skeptical that allowing a Japanese company to buy an American-owned steelmaker would create national security risks.
The decision comes just weeks before the Democratic president is set to leave office and could damage relations between the U.S. and Japan, which is America’s biggest ally in Asia and its largest foreign holder of U.S. debt.
In their statement, the two steel companies said it’s “shocking — and deeply troubling” that the U.S. would reject a transaction that advances U.S. interests and “treat an ally like Japan in this way.”
“Unfortunately, it sends a chilling message to any company based in a U.S. allied country
contemplating significant investment in the United States,” the companies said. Biden previously came out against the deal during the presidential campaign — and was backed by the United Steelworkers, concerned over whether the company would honor existing labor agreements or slash jobs, as well as over the firm’s financial transparency.
“It is important that we maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steel workers,” Biden said in a March statement, while he was still seeking reelection to the presidency before dropping out of the race. “U.S. Steel has been an iconic American steel company for more than a century, and it is vital for it to remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated.”
President-elect Donald Trump has also opposed the acquisition and vowed in December on his Truth Social platform to block the deal and to use tax incentives and tariffs to boost U.S. Steel’s fortunes.
On Friday, Steelworkers President David McCall said the union is grateful for Biden’s move to block the sale and, in a video news conference, called it the “right move for our members and for America’s national security.”
McCall had long questioned Nippon Steel’s status as an honest broker for U.S. national trade interests and reiterated that Friday, calling Nippon Steel a “serial trade cheater” that would degrade U.S. steelmaking and had, for decades, undermined the domestic steel industry by dumping its products into U.S. markets.
“Allowing it to purchase U.S. Steel would have offered it the opportunity to further destabilize our trade system from within and in the process, compromise our ability to meet our own national security and critical infrastructure needs,” McCall said.
McCall insisted that U.S. Steel — which is profitable and reported $1.8 billion on its balance sheet — has the financial wherewithal to make the company strong. Nippon Steel’s offer was a “huge windfall” for executives and investors, but not for America or workers, McCall said.
However, U.S. Steel has warned that, without Nippon Steel’s cash, it will shift production away from its aging blast furnaces to cheaper non-union electric arc furnaces and move its headquarters out of Pittsburgh.
For its part, Nippon Steel had said it is best positioned to help American steel compete in an industry dominated by the Chinese and to invest billions in United Steelworkers-represented facilities, including the company’s aging blast furnaces in Pennsylvania and Indiana.
It pledged to protect U.S. Steel in trade matters, and promised not to import steel slabs that would compete with the blast furnaces.
Nippon Steel announced in December 2023 that it planned to buy the steel producer for $14.9 billion in cash and debt, and committed to keep the U.S. Steel name and Pittsburgh headquarters. Despite that, its proposal raised concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security.
The announcement came during a tide of renewed political support for rebuilding America’s manufacturing sector and followed a long stretch of protectionist U.S.
tariffs that analysts say have helped reinvigorate domestic steel.
Nippon Steel waged a public relations campaign to consolidate support, even offering $5,000 in closing bonuses to U.S. Steel employees, a nearly $100 million expense.
A number of conservatives and business groups like the U.S. Chamber had publicly backed the deal, as Nippon Steel began to win over some Steelworkers union members and mayors in areas near its blast furnaces.
Nippon Steel was the world’s fourth largest steelmaker in 2023, according to World Steel Association figures. U.S. Steel was 24th.
S&P 500 rallies to its first gain since Christmas
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer
WALL Street snapped out of its holiday-season funk on Friday.
The S&P 500 rallied 1.3% for its first gain since Christmas and its best day in nearly two months. Strength for Big Tech stocks helped it break a five-day losing streak, its longest since April, and trim its loss for the week to 0.5%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 339 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite leaped 1.8%.
Nvidia was the strongest force lifting the market after dashing 4.5% higher.
Other companies caught up in the craze around artificial-intelligence technology also rose, despite criticism that their stock prices have already vaulted too high.
Super Micro Computer, which sells servers for AI and other uses, jumped 10.9%, and Palantir Technologies climbed 6.3%.
"While the easy gains in AI may be behind us, we think this rally looks far from over," according to Solita Marcelli, chief investment officer, Americas, at UBS Global Wealth Management.
Another influential Big Tech stock, Tesla, jumped 8.2% to bounce back from its 6.1% tumble the day before, when it disclosed it delivered fewer electric vehicles in the last three months of 2024 than analysts expected. Rival Rivian soared 24.5% after saying it delivered more than 14,000 vehicles during the latest quarter. That was more than analysts expected. On the losing end of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which fell 6.5% after President Joe Biden blocked a nearly $15 billion deal proposed by Japan's Nippon Steel to buy its Pittsburgh-based rival.
Beer, wine and liquor companies sank after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned about the direct link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk. He called for an update on the health warning label on alcoholic drinks, as well as for a reassessment of guidelines for alcohol consumption to account for cancer risk.
Molson Coors Beverage fell 3.4%. Brown-Forman, the distillery behind Jack Daniel's, lost 2.5%. All told, the S&P 500 rose 73.92 points to 5,942.47. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 339.86 to 42,732.13, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 340.88 to 19,621.68.
Wall Street's post-Christmas pullback dimmed its shine by only a bit following two stellar years for U.S. stock indexes. They've vaulted to records after the U.S. economy managed to keep growing despite high interest rates that have helped push inflation nearly all the way down to the Federal Reserve's 2% target. But even though the economy and job market still look solid at the moment, the path ahead is not assured. Part of the reason the S&P 500 set more than 50 all-time highs last year was because of the expectation that the Fed would keep cutting interest rates through 2025, after it began easing them in September.
Traders are now ratcheting back their expectations for coming cuts to rates. Inflation is proving to be stubborn as the Fed tries to wring out the last percentage point of improvement to get inflation down to 2%. Worries are also rising that tariffs and other policies coming from Presidentelect Donald Trump could put upward pressure on inflation.
THIS is a portion of US Steel’s Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock, Pa., on Sunday, Apr., 28, 2024.
Photo:Gene J. Puskar/AP