Business

Subterms

    More stories

    • 150 Shares159 Views

      in US Politics

      Teamsters decline to endorse election candidate – but claim majority backs Trump

      by

      The Teamsters International, which represents over 1.3 million workers, declined to endorse a candidate ahead of November’s presidential election – but released data suggesting most of its members backed Donald Trump over Kamala Harris.The union’s decision to not make an election endorsement, for the first time in almost three decades, comes in the wake of scrutiny of its president, Sean O’Brien, becoming the first Teamsters leader to address the the Republican national convention in July. John Palmer, vice-president at large at the Teamsters, called the decision to appear at the convention, “unconscionable” given Trump’s record opposing labor unions.Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, met with the Teamsters this week for a roundtable discussion prior to the decision. Trump and Joe Biden attended roundtable with the union earlier this year.“Unfortunately, neither major candidate was able to make serious commitments to our union to ensure the interests of working people are always put before big business,” O’Brien said in a statement on Wednesday. “We sought commitments from both Trump and Harris not to interfere in critical union campaigns or core Teamsters industries – and to honor our members’ right to strike – but were unable to secure those pledges.”Polling data released by the union ahead of the announcement showed that its members supported Biden over Trump, though more recent surveys conduct by the union revealed membership supported Trump over Harris.The Teamsters National Black Caucus endorsed Harris last month.In response to the non-endorsement, Teamsters against Trump, a grassroots group of Teamster members and retirees, announced they will expand campaigning efforts to elect Vice President Kamala Harris.The California Teamsters also came out on 18 September to endorse Harris in response to the Teamsters International’s lack of endorsement.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotion“When it comes to my vote for President, as a proud Teamster there’s no contest. Donald Trump doesn’t give a damn about the working class. As President, Trump didn’t lift a finger to help Teamsters whose pensions were in danger. Instead, he installed his billionaire friends in the White House and did everything he could to stop workers from organizing into unions,” said James Larkin, a member of Teamsters Local 299 in Detroit, Michigan and member of the group, in a statement. More

    • 125 Shares169 Views

      in US Politics

      Trump launches new cryptocurrency venture but declines to share details

      by

      Donald Trump launched his family’s cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial, on a livestreamed interview on the social media platform X on Monday. The Republican presidential nominee gave few details about the venture but did offer his first public comments on the apparent assassination attempt against him a day earlier.Trump did not discuss specifics about World Liberty Financial on Monday or how it would work, pivoting from questions about cryptocurrency to talking about artificial intelligence and other topics. Instead, he recounted his experience on Sunday, saying he and a friend playing golf “heard shots being fired in the air, and I guess probably four or five.“I would have loved to have sank that last putt,” Trump continued. He credited the Secret Service agent who spotted the barrel of a rifle and began firing toward it as well as law enforcement and a civilian who he said helped track down the suspect.World Liberty Financial is expected to be a borrowing and lending service used to trade cryptocurrencies, which are forms of digital money that can be traded over the internet without relying on the global banking system. Exchanges often charge fees for withdrawals of bitcoin and other currencies.Other speakers after Trump, including his eldest son, Don Jr, talked about embracing cryptocurrency as an alternative to what they allege is a banking system tilted against conservatives.Experts have said a presidential candidate launching a business venture in the midst of a campaign could create ethical conflicts.“Taking a pro-crypto stance is not necessarily troubling, the troubling aspect is doing it while starting a way to personally benefit from it,” Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said earlier this month.During his time in the White House, Trump said he was “not a fan” of cryptocurrency and tweeted in 2019: “Unregulated Crypto Assets can facilitate unlawful behavior, including drug trade and other illegal activity.” However, during this election cycle, he has reversed himself and taken on a favorable view of cryptocurrencies.He announced in May that his campaign would begin accepting donations in cryptocurrency as part of an effort to build what it calls a “crypto army” leading up to election day. He attended a bitcoin conference in Nashville this year, promising to make the US the “crypto capital of the planet” and create a bitcoin “strategic reserve” using the currency that the government currently holds.Hilary Allen, a law professor at American University who has done research on cryptocurrencies, said she was skeptical of Trump’s change of heart on crypto.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotion“I think it’s fair to say that that reversal has been motivated in part by financial interests,” she said.Crypto enthusiasts welcomed the shift, viewing the launch as a positive sign for investors if Trump retakes the White House.Meanwhile, Kamala Harris’s campaign has not offered policy proposals on how it would regulate digital assets like cryptocurrencies.In an effort to appeal to crypto investors, a group of Democrats, including New York senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, participated in an online Crypto 4 Harris event in August. Neither Harris nor members of her campaign staff attended the event. More

    • 238 Shares149 Views

      in US Politics

      The Stakes: how JD Vance’s home town has won millions in climate investment that he calls a ‘green scam’

      by

      .Svg-clip-paths-container.svelte-1yf4410{width:0;height:0}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:300;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:300;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:400;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:400;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:500;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:500;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:600;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:600;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:700;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:700;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:900;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:900;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Titlepiece;src:url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:700;font-style:normal}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{grid-area:header;width:100vw;overflow:clip;position:relative;height:230vh;background-color:#121212;margin-left:-10px;padding:0}@media (min-width: 30em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{margin-left:-20px}}@media (min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{margin-left:calc((100vw – 740px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2 * -1 – 21px)}}@media (min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{margin-left:calc((100vw – 980px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2 * -1 – 21px)}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{margin-left:calc((100vw – 1140px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2 * -1 – 21px)}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{margin-left:calc((100vw – 1300px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2 * -1 – 21px)}}@media (min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 740px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media (min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 980px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 1140px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 1300px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media (min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{height:210vh}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24:before{display:block;content:””;position:absolute;width:1px;height:100%;left:calc((100vw – 740px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2);background-color:#606060}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24:after{display:block;content:””;position:absolute;width:1px;height:100%;top:0;right:calc((100vw – 740px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2);background-color:#606060;z-index:11}}@media (min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{height:300vh}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24:before{left:calc((100vw – 980px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24:after{right:calc((100vw – 980px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24:before{left:calc((100vw – 1140px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24:after{right:calc((100vw – 1140px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24:before{left:calc((100vw – 1300px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24:after{right:calc((100vw – 1300px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{position:sticky;top:0;left:0;width:100vw;height:100vh;z-index:0;opacity:.65;overflow:hidden}@media (min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{width:740px}}@media (min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{width:980px}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{width:1140px}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{width:1300px}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-left.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-right.svelte-1cslg24{height:100vh;width:100vw;background-position:center;background-size:cover;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;overflow:hidden}@media (min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-left.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-right.svelte-1cslg24{width:740px}}@media (min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-left.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-right.svelte-1cslg24{width:980px}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-left.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-right.svelte-1cslg24{width:1140px}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-left.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-right.svelte-1cslg24{width:1300px}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-left.svelte-1cslg24{z-index:2;clip-path:url(#rip-left)}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-right.svelte-1cslg24{z-index:4;left:-1px;clip-path:url(#rip-right)}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-container.svelte-1cslg24{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;background-color:transparent;z-index:1;padding:0}@media (min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-container.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 740px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media (min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-container.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 980px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-container.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 1140px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-container.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 1300px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-container.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 800px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper-animate.svelte-1cslg24{margin:0 auto}@media (min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper-animate.svelte-1cslg24{height:200vh}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{background-color:transparent;width:100vw;height:70vh;display:flex;align-items:center}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24:has(h1){height:90vh;align-items:self-start;padding-top:20%}@media (min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{height:70vh;width:740px;align-items:center;padding-top:unset}}@media (min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{height:100vh;width:640px}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-standfirst.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-headline.svelte-1cslg24{font-size:24px;margin:0 10px;font-family:Guardian Headline,Guardian Headline Full,Guardian Egyptian Web,Georgia,serif;font-weight:500;line-height:1.1;color:#fff;text-shadow:0px 0px 6px rgba(0,0,0,.7);opacity:.5;transition:opacity .5s ease;text-wrap:balance}@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-standfirst.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-headline.svelte-1cslg24{opacity:1}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-headline.svelte-1cslg24{font-size:40px;position:relative}@media (min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-standfirst.svelte-1cslg24{font-size:32px}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-headline.svelte-1cslg24{font-size:48px}}.Stakes-header .text-wrapper .new-headline span{display:block}.Stakes-header .text-wrapper .new-headline span:after{content:””;display:block;position:absolute;bottom:-20px;background-image:url(https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2024/08/21/LINE-53.png);width:275px;height:20px;background-size:contain;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:top left;transform:rotate(-2deg)}@media (min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header .text-wrapper .new-headline span:after{width:320px}}.Stakes-header .text-container .text-wrapper .new-standfirst.animate-in,.Stakes-header .text-container .text-wrapper .new-headline.animate-in{opacity:1}.ios .Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24,.android .Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{margin-left:0}.ios .Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper-animate.svelte-1cslg24,.android .Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper-animate.svelte-1cslg24{height:140vh}.ios .Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24,.android .Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{height:70vh}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:300;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:300;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:400;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:400;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:500;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:500;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:600;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:600;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:700;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:700;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:900;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Headline Full;src:url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:900;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:Guardian Titlepiece;src:url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);font-weight:700;font-style:normal}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.content__main-column–interactive{margin-left:160px}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.content__main-column–interactive{margin-left:240px}}.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom{max-width:620px}@media (max-width: 46.24em){.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom{max-width:100%}}.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase{margin-left:0}@media (min-width: 46.25em){.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase{max-width:620px}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase{max-width:860px}}.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive{max-width:1100px}@media (max-width: 46.24em){.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive{width:calc(100vw – var(–scrollbar-width));position:relative;left:50%;right:50%;margin-left:calc(-50vw + var(–half-scrollbar-width))!important;margin-right:calc(-50vw + var(–half-scrollbar-width))!important}}@media (min-width: 46.25em){.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive{transform:translate(-20px);width:calc(100% + 60px)}}@media (max-width: 71.24em){.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive{margin-left:0;margin-right:0}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive{transform:translate(0);width:auto}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive{max-width:1260px}}.content__main-column–interactive p{color:#121212;max-width:620px}.content__main-column–interactive ul{max-width:620px}.content__main-column–interactive:before{position:absolute;top:0;height:calc(100% + 15px);min-height:100px;content:””}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.content__main-column–interactive:before{border-left:1px solid #dcdcdc;z-index:-1;left:-10px}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.content__main-column–interactive:before{border-left:1px solid #dcdcdc;left:-11px}}.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom{margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-bottom:12px;padding-top:12px}.content__main-column–interactive p+.element-atom{padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;margin-top:12px;margin-bottom:12px}.content__main-column–interactive .element-inline{max-width:620px}nav+section{display:none}nav+aside{display:none}aside+section{display:none}#maincontent{margin-top:0}.content–interactive-grid{position:relative;grid-template-areas:”title” “header” “media” “media” “lines” “meta” “body”;grid-template-rows:[title-start header-start media-start] auto [title-end header-end lines-start media-end] auto [lines-end meta-start] auto [meta-end standfirst-start] auto [body-start] auto [body-end]}.content–interactive-grid #headline,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=headline],.content–interactive-grid .headline,.content–interactive-grid .standfirst,.content–interactive-grid #standfirst,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=standfirst]{display:none}.content–interactive-grid .article-header,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=title],.content–interactive-grid #main-media,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=media]{z-index:10;height:-moz-fit-content;height:fit-content}.content–interactive-grid .article-header a,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=title] a{position:relative}@media (min-width: 61.25em){.content–interactive-grid .article-header a:hover,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=title] a:hover{text-decoration:none}}.content–interactive-grid .article-header a:after,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=title] a:after{content:””;display:block;position:absolute;top:22px;background-image:url(“https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2024/09/05/red-scribble-2_(1).png”);width:90px;height:20px;background-size:contain;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:top left;transform:rotate(-2deg)}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.content–interactive-grid .article-header a:after,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=title] a:after{top:25px;width:110px}}.content–interactive-grid .article-header a,.content–interactive-grid .article-header span,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=title] a,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=title] span{color:#fff;text-shadow:0px 0px 6px rgba(0,0,0,.7)}.content–interactive-grid .article-header .content__labels span a,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=title] .content__labels span a{display:none}.content–interactive-grid #main-media,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=media]{align-self:flex-end;margin-inline:-10px;padding-inline:10px;width:100vw}.content–interactive-grid #main-media figcaption,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=media] figcaption{margin-bottom:0;padding-bottom:6px;margin-inline:-10px;padding-inline:10px;background-color:#121212b8}@media (min-width: 23.4375em){.content–interactive-grid #main-media,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=media]{margin-inline:-20px;padding-inline:20px}.content–interactive-grid #main-media figcaption,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=media] figcaption{margin-inline:-20px;padding-inline:20px}}.content–interactive-grid #main-media figcaption,.content–interactive-grid #main-media figcaption span,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=media] figcaption,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=media] figcaption span{color:#999}.content–interactive-grid #main-media figcaption span svg,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=media] figcaption span svg{fill:#999}@media (min-width: 46.25em){.content–interactive-grid #main-media,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=media]{width:unset;display:flex;justify-content:flex-end}.content–interactive-grid #main-media figcaption,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=media] figcaption{width:-moz-fit-content;width:fit-content}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.content–interactive-grid{grid-template-areas:”title . .” “header header header” “. . media” “. . media” “. border lines” “. border meta” ” body body body” “. . .”}.content–interactive-grid .keyline-4,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines],.content–interactive-grid #meta,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta]{position:absolute;left:-160px;max-width:140px}.content–interactive-grid .keyline-4,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines]{top:14px}.content–interactive-grid #meta,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta]{top:27px}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.content–interactive-grid .keyline-4,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=lines],.content–interactive-grid #meta,.content–interactive-grid [data-gu-name=meta]{left:-240px;max-width:220px}}.content–interactive-grid .standfirst-links{padding-top:25px}.content–interactive-grid .standfirst-links ul >li >a{font-family:Guardian Headline,Guardian Headline Full,Guardian Egyptian Web,Georgia,serif;font-size:1.25rem;font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:115%}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.content–interactive-grid .standfirst-links{padding-top:7px}}.content–interactive-grid figure.element-atom+figure+#sign-in-gate+p:not(:has(em)):first-letter,.content–interactive-grid figure.element-atom+figure+#sign-in-gate+p:has(em)+p:first-letter,.content–interactive-grid figure.element-atom+figure+p:not(:has(em)):first-letter,.content–interactive-grid figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em)+p:first-letter{float:left;font-size:7rem;line-height:5.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;box-sizing:border-box;margin-right:4px;vertical-align:text-top}.content–interactive-grid .element-atom{height:0;margin:0;padding:0}.content–interactive-grid .element-atom+figure.element-inline{height:0;margin:0;padding:0}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.content–interactive-grid .italic-p:has(em){margin-top:8px}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.content–interactive-grid .italic-p:has(em){margin-top:10px}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.content–interactive-grid .no-italic-p{margin-top:5px}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){.content–interactive-grid figure.element-showcase{margin-left:-170px}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){.content–interactive-grid figure.element-showcase{margin-left:-250px}}#maincontent h2,#feature-article-container h2,#standard-article-container h2,#comment-article-container h2{position:relative;margin-top:48px;max-width:620px}@media (min-width: 71.25em){#maincontent h2,#feature-article-container h2,#standard-article-container h2,#comment-article-container h2{margin-top:56px}}#maincontent h2:before,#feature-article-container h2:before,#standard-article-container h2:before,#comment-article-container h2:before{content:””;width:calc(100vw – 1px);left:-10px;height:60px;display:block;position:absolute;top:-30px;background-image:url(https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2024/09/03/tear-2-mob.png);background-size:contain;background-repeat:no-repeat}@media (min-width: 30em){#maincontent h2:before,#feature-article-container h2:before,#standard-article-container h2:before,#comment-article-container h2:before{left:-20px}}@media (min-width: 41.25em){#maincontent h2:before,#feature-article-container h2:before,#standard-article-container h2:before,#comment-article-container h2:before{width:659px;top:-17px;background-image:url(https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2024/09/03/tear-2-wide.png)}}@media (min-width: 46.25em){#maincontent h2:before,#feature-article-container h2:before,#standard-article-container h2:before,#comment-article-container h2:before{width:739px}}@media (min-width: 61.25em){#maincontent h2:before,#feature-article-container h2:before,#standard-article-container h2:before,#comment-article-container h2:before{width:979px}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){#maincontent h2:before,#feature-article-container h2:before,#standard-article-container h2:before,#comment-article-container h2:before{top:-48px;left:-181px;width:1139px}}@media (min-width: 81.25em){#maincontent h2:before,#feature-article-container h2:before,#standard-article-container h2:before,#comment-article-container h2:before{left:-260px;width:1299px}}@media (min-width: 71.25em){#maincontent h2:after,#feature-article-container h2:after,#standard-article-container h2:after,#comment-article-container h2:after{content:””;width:3px;height:44px;position:absolute;top:-30px;left:-11px;background-color:#fff}}#maincontent h2:nth-child(odd):before,#feature-article-container h2:nth-child(odd):before,#standard-article-container h2:nth-child(odd):before,#comment-article-container h2:nth-child(odd):before{transform:scaleX(-1)}#maincontent h2:nth-child(odd):after,#feature-article-container h2:nth-child(odd):after,#standard-article-container h2:nth-child(odd):after,#comment-article-container h2:nth-child(odd):after{height:33px;top:-19px}.ios #standard-article-container,.ios #feature-article-container,.android #standard-article-container,.android #feature-article-container{overflow:clip}.ios h2,.android h2{position:relative;margin-top:48px;max-width:620px;font-size:24px;line-height:1.15;font-weight:500;font-style:normal;padding-top:8px;padding-bottom:2px}@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark){.ios h2:before,.android h2:before{background-image:url(https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2024/09/03/tear-2-mob-dark.png)}}.ios .Stakes-header .text-container .text-wrapper h2:before,.android .Stakes-header .text-container .text-wrapper h2:before{display:none!important}.ios .article-kicker,.android .article-kicker{padding:0}.ios .article-kicker__section,.android .article-kicker__section{display:none}.ios .article-kicker__highlight,.android .article-kicker__highlight{display:unset;position:absolute;top:4px;left:10px;text-shadow:0px 0px 6px rgba(0,0,0,.7);color:#fff;z-index:20}.ios .article-kicker__highlight:after,.android .article-kicker__highlight:after{content:””;display:block;position:absolute;top:22px;background-image:url(“https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2024/09/05/red-scribble-2_(1).png”);width:90px;height:20px;background-size:contain;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:top left;transform:rotate(-2deg)}.ios #article-header #headline,.ios #article-header [data-gu-name=headline],.ios #article-header .headline,.ios #article-header .standfirst,.ios #article-header #standfirst,.ios #article-header [data-gu-name=standfirst],.ios #feature-header #headline,.ios #feature-header [data-gu-name=headline],.ios #feature-header .headline,.ios #feature-header .standfirst,.ios #feature-header #standfirst,.ios #feature-header [data-gu-name=standfirst],.android #article-header #headline,.android #article-header [data-gu-name=headline],.android #article-header .headline,.android #article-header .standfirst,.android #article-header #standfirst,.android #article-header [data-gu-name=standfirst],.android #feature-header #headline,.android #feature-header [data-gu-name=headline],.android #feature-header .headline,.android #feature-header .standfirst,.android #feature-header #standfirst,.android #feature-header [data-gu-name=standfirst]{display:none}.ios #article-header #main-media,.ios #feature-header #main-media,.android #article-header #main-media,.android #feature-header #main-media{height:0}.ios #article-header #main-media figcaption,.ios #feature-header #main-media figcaption,.android #article-header #main-media figcaption,.android #feature-header #main-media figcaption{display:none}.ios #article-body .element-atom,.ios #feature-body .element-atom,.android #article-body .element-atom,.android #feature-body .element-atom{height:0;margin:0;padding:0}.ios #article-body .element-atom+figure.element-image,.ios #feature-body .element-atom+figure.element-image,.android #article-body .element-atom+figure.element-image,.android #feature-body .element-atom+figure.element-image{height:0;margin:0;padding:0}.ios #article-body .element-atom+figure.element-image .figure__inner,.ios #feature-body .element-atom+figure.element-image .figure__inner,.android #article-body .element-atom+figure.element-image .figure__inner,.android #feature-body .element-atom+figure.element-image .figure__inner{height:0!important}.ios #article-body .element-atom+figure.element-image figcaption,.ios #feature-body .element-atom+figure.element-image figcaption,.android #article-body .element-atom+figure.element-image figcaption,.android #feature-body .element-atom+figure.element-image figcaption{display:none}.ios #article-body .element-atom+figure.element-image+p:has(em)+p:first-letter,.ios #feature-body .element-atom+figure.element-image+p:has(em)+p:first-letter,.android #article-body .element-atom+figure.element-image+p:has(em)+p:first-letter,.android #feature-body .element-atom+figure.element-image+p:has(em)+p:first-letter{float:left;font-size:11.85rem;line-height:8.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;box-sizing:border-box;margin-right:4px;vertical-align:text-top;margin-top:8px}.ios #article-body .standfirst-links li:before,.ios #feature-body .standfirst-links li:before,.android #article-body .standfirst-links li:before,.android #feature-body .standfirst-links li:before{display:none}.ios #article-body .standfirst-links ul >li >a,.ios #feature-body .standfirst-links ul >li >a,.android #article-body .standfirst-links ul >li >a,.android #feature-body .standfirst-links ul >li >a{font-family:Guardian Headline,Guardian Headline Full,Guardian Egyptian Web,Georgia,serif;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:115%;color:#c70000}@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark){.ios #article-body .standfirst-links ul >li >a,.ios #feature-body .standfirst-links ul >li >a,.android #article-body .standfirst-links ul >li >a,.android #feature-body .standfirst-links ul >li >a{color:#ff4e36}}.ios #article-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em) a,.ios #feature-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em) a,.android #article-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em) a,.android #feature-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em) a{color:#c70000;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:#dcdcdc;background-image:none}@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark){.ios #article-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em) a,.ios #feature-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em) a,.android #article-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em) a,.android #feature-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em) a{color:#ff4e36}}.ios #article-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:not(:has(em)):first-letter,.ios #article-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em)+p:first-letter,.ios #feature-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:not(:has(em)):first-letter,.ios #feature-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em)+p:first-letter,.android #article-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:not(:has(em)):first-letter,.android #article-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em)+p:first-letter,.android #feature-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:not(:has(em)):first-letter,.android #feature-body figure.element-atom+figure+p:has(em)+p:first-letter{float:left;font-size:11.25rem!important;line-height:8rem!important;text-transform:uppercase;box-sizing:border-box;margin-right:4px;vertical-align:text-top;margin-top:16px!important}
      @font-face{font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Light.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:300;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-LightItalic.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:300;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:400;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:400;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:500;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:500;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:600;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:600;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:700;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:700;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:900;font-style:normal}@font-face{font-family:”Guardian Headline Full”;src:url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:900;font-style:italic}@font-face{font-family:”Guardian Titlepiece”;src:url(“https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff2”) format(“woff2”), url(“https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff”) format(“woff”), url(“https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.ttf”) format(“truetype”);font-weight:700;font-style:normal}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{grid-area:header;width:100vw;overflow:clip;position:relative;height:230vh;background-color:#121212;margin-left:-10px;margin-left:-10px;padding:0}@media(min-width: 30em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{margin-left:-20px}}@media(min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{margin-left:calc((100vw – 740px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2 * -1 – 21px)}}@media(min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{margin-left:calc((100vw – 980px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2 * -1 – 21px)}}@media(min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{margin-left:calc((100vw – 1140px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2 * -1 – 21px)}}@media(min-width: 81.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{margin-left:calc((100vw – 1300px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2 * -1 – 21px)}}@media(min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 740px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media(min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 980px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media(min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 1140px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media(min-width: 81.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 1300px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media(min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{height:210vh}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24::before{display:block;content:””;position:absolute;width:1px;height:100%;left:calc((100vw – 740px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2);background-color:#606060}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24::after{display:block;content:””;position:absolute;width:1px;height:100%;top:0;right:calc((100vw – 740px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2);background-color:#606060;z-index:11}}@media(min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{height:300vh}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24::before{left:calc((100vw – 980px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24::after{right:calc((100vw – 980px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media(min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24::before{left:calc((100vw – 1140px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24::after{right:calc((100vw – 1140px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media(min-width: 81.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24::before{left:calc((100vw – 1300px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24::after{right:calc((100vw – 1300px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{position:sticky;top:0;left:0;width:100vw;height:100vh;z-index:0;opacity:0.65;overflow:hidden}@media(min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{width:740px}}@media(min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{width:980px}}@media(min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{width:1140px}}@media(min-width: 81.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{width:1300px}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-left.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-right.svelte-1cslg24{height:100vh;width:100vw;background-position:center;background-size:cover;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;overflow:hidden}@media(min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-left.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-right.svelte-1cslg24{width:740px}}@media(min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-left.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-right.svelte-1cslg24{width:980px}}@media(min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-left.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-right.svelte-1cslg24{width:1140px}}@media(min-width: 81.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-left.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-right.svelte-1cslg24{width:1300px}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-left.svelte-1cslg24{z-index:2;clip-path:url(#rip-left)}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .image-wrapper-right.svelte-1cslg24{z-index:4;left:-1px;clip-path:url(#rip-right)}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-container.svelte-1cslg24{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;background-color:transparent;z-index:1;padding:0}@media(min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-container.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 740px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media(min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-container.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 980px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media(min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-container.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 1140px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media(min-width: 81.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-container.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 1300px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}@media(min-width: 71.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-container.svelte-1cslg24{padding:0 calc((100vw – 800px – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px)) / 2)}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper-animate.svelte-1cslg24{margin:0 auto}@media(min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper-animate.svelte-1cslg24{height:200vh}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{background-color:transparent;width:100vw;height:70vh;display:flex;align-items:center}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24:has(h1){height:90vh;align-items:self-start;padding-top:20%}@media(min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{height:70vh;width:740px;align-items:center;padding-top:unset}}@media(min-width: 61.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{height:100vh;width:640px}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-standfirst.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-headline.svelte-1cslg24{font-size:24px;margin:0 10px;font-family:”Guardian Headline”, “Guardian Headline Full”, “Guardian Egyptian Web”, Georgia, serif;font-weight:500;line-height:1.1;color:white;text-shadow:0px 0px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7);opacity:0.5;transition:opacity 0.5s ease;text-wrap:balance}@media(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-standfirst.svelte-1cslg24,.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-headline.svelte-1cslg24{opacity:1}}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-headline.svelte-1cslg24{font-size:40px;position:relative}@media(min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-standfirst.svelte-1cslg24{font-size:32px}.Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper .new-headline.svelte-1cslg24{font-size:48px}}.Stakes-header .text-wrapper .new-headline span{display:block}.Stakes-header .text-wrapper .new-headline span:after{content:””;display:block;position:absolute;bottom:-20px;background-image:url(“https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2024/08/21/LINE-53.png”);width:275px;height:20px;background-size:contain;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:top left;transform:rotate(-2deg)}@media(min-width: 46.25em){.Stakes-header .text-wrapper .new-headline span:after{width:320px}}.Stakes-header .text-container .text-wrapper .new-standfirst.animate-in,
      .Stakes-header .text-container .text-wrapper .new-headline.animate-in{opacity:1}.ios .Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24,.android .Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24.svelte-1cslg24{margin-left:0}.ios .Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper-animate.svelte-1cslg24,.android .Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper-animate.svelte-1cslg24{height:140vh}.ios .Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24,.android .Stakes-header.svelte-1cslg24 .text-wrapper.svelte-1cslg24{height:70vh}
      .Svg-clip-paths-container.svelte-1yf4410{width:0;height:0}
      This is the first part of the standfirst This is the second part of the standfirst Headline what’s at stake?
      View image in fullscreenA hulking steel plant in Middletown, Ohio, is the city’s economic heartbeat as well as a keystone origin story of JD Vance, the hometown senator now running to be Donald Trump’s vice-president.Its future, however, may hinge upon $500m in funding from landmark climate legislation that Vance has called a “scam” and is a Trump target for demolition.In March, Joe Biden’s administration announced the US’s largest ever grant to produce greener steel, enabling the Cleveland-Cliffs facility in Middletown to build one of the largest hydrogen fuel furnaces in the world, cutting emissions by a million tons a year by ditching the coal that accelerates the climate crisis and befouls the air for nearby locals.View image in fullscreenIn a blue-collar urban area north of Cincinnati that has long pinned its fortunes upon the vicissitudes of the US steel industry, the investment’s promise of a revitalized plant with 170 new jobs and 1,200 temporary construction positions was met with jubilation among residents and unions.“It felt like a miracle, an answered prayer that we weren’t going to be left to die on the vine,” said Michael Bailey, who is now a pastor in Middletown but worked at the plant, then owned by Armco, for 30 years.“It hit the news and you could almost hear everybody screaming, ‘Yay yay yay!’,” said Heather Gibson, owner of the Triple Moon cafe in central Middletown. “It showed commitment for the long term. It was just so exciting.”This funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the $370bn bill to turbocharge clean energy signed by Biden after narrowly passing Congress via Democratic votes in 2022, has been far less thrilling to Vance, however, despite his deep personal ties to the Cleveland-Cliffs plant.View image in fullscreenThe steel mill, dating back to 1899 and now employing about 2,500 people, is foundational to Middletown, helping churn out the first generations of cars and then wartime tanks. Vance’s late grandfather, who he called Papaw, was a union worker at the plant, making it the family’s “economic savior – the engine that brought them from the hills of Kentucky into America’s middle class”, Vance wrote in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.But although it grew into a prosperous All-American city built on steel and paper production, Middletown became a place “hemorrhaging jobs and hope” as industries decamped offshore in the 1980s, Vance wrote. He sees little salvation in the IRA even as, by one estimate, it has already spurred $10bn in investment and nearly 14,000 new jobs in Ohio.When campaigning for the Senate in 2022, Vance said Biden’s sweeping climate bill is “dumb, does nothing for the environment and will make us all poorer”, and more recently as vice-presidential candidate called the IRA a “green energy scam that’s actually shipped a lot more manufacturing jobs to China”.America needs “a leader who rejects Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s green new scam and fights to bring back our great American factories”, Vance said at the Republican convention in July. “We need President Donald J Trump.”Republicans in Congress have repeatedly attempted to gut the IRA, with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint authored by many former Trump officials, demanding its repeal should Republicans regain the White House.Such plans have major implications for Vance’s home town. The Middletown plant’s $500m grant from the Department of Energy, still not formally handed over, could be halted if Trump prevails in November. The former president recently vowed to “terminate Kamala Harris’s green new scam and rescind all of the unspent funds”.Some longtime Middletown residents are bemused by such opposition. “How can you think that saving the lives of people is the wrong thing to do?” said Adrienne Shearer, a small business adviser who spent several decades helping the reinvigoration of Middletown’s downtown area, which was hollowed out by economic malaise, offshored jobs and out-of-town malls.“People thought the plant was in danger of leaving or closing, which would totally destroy the town,” she said. “And now people think it’s not going anywhere.”Shearer, a political independent, said she didn’t like Vance’s book because it “trashed our community” and that he had shown no alternative vision for his home town. “Maybe people who serve with him in Washington know him, but we don’t here in Middletown,” she said.View image in fullscreenClimate campaigners are even more scathing of Vance. “It’s no surprise that he’s now threatening to gut a $500m investment in US manufacturing in his own home town,” said Pete Jones, rapid response director at Climate Power. “Vance wrote a book about economic hardship in his home town, and now he has 900 new pages from Trump’s dangerous Project 2025 agenda to make the problem worse so that big oil can profit.”Local Republicans are more complimentary, even if they differ somewhat on the IRA. Mark Messer, Republican mayor of the neighboring town of Lebanon, used the vast bill’s clean energy tax credits to offset the cost of an upcoming solar array that will help slash energy costs for residents. Still, Vance is a strong running mate for Trump and has “done good for Ohio”, according to Messer.“My focus is my constituents and doing what’s best for them – how else will this empty floodplain produce $1m for people in our town?” Messer said. “Nothing is going do that but solar. I’m happy to use the IRA, but if I had a national role my view might be different. I mean printing money and giving it away to people won’t solve inflation, it will make it worse.”Some Middletown voters are proud of Vance’s ascension, too. “You have to give him credit, he went to [Yale] Law School, he built his own business up in the financial industry – he’s self-made, he did it all on his own,” said Doug Pergram, a local business owner who blames Democrats for high inflation and is planning to vote for Trump and Vance, even though he thinks the steel plant investment is welcome.This illustrates a problem for Democrats, who have struggled to translate a surge of new clean energy projects and a glut of resulting jobs into voting strength, with polls showing most Americans don’t know much about the IRA or don’t credit Biden or Harris for its benefits.Ohio was once a swing state but voted for Trump – with his promises of Rust belt renewal that’s only now materializing under Biden – in the last two elections and is set to do the same again in November. Harris, meanwhile, has only fleetingly mentioned climate change and barely attempted to sell the IRA, a groundbreaking but deeply unsexy volume of rebates and tax credits, on the campaign trail.View image in fullscreen“Democrats have not done well in patting themselves on the back, they need to be out there screaming from the rooftops, ‘This is what we’ve done,’” said Gibson, a political independent who suffers directly from the status quo by living next to the Middletown facility that processes coke coal, a particularly dirty type of coal used in steel production that will become obsolete in the mill’s new era.“The air pollution is horrendous, so the idea of eliminating the need for coke, well, I can’t tell you how happy that makes me,” said Gibson. The site, called SunCoke, heats half a million short tons of coal a year to make coke that’s funneled to the steel plant, a process that causes a strong odor and spews debris across the neighborhood. Gibson rarely opens her windows because of this pollution.“Last year it snowed in July, all this white stuff was falling from the sky,” Gibson said. “The soot covers everything, covers the car, I have to Clorox my windows. The smell is so bad I’ve had to end get-togethers early from my house because people get so sick. It gives you an instant headache. It burns your throat, it burns your nose. It’s just awful.”The prospect of a cleaner, more secure future for Middletown is something the Biden administration tried to stress in March, when Jennifer Granholm, the US energy secretary, appeared at the steel mill with the Cleveland-Cliffs chief executive, union leaders and workers to extol the new hydrogen furnace. The grant helps solve a knotty problem where industry is reluctant to invest in cleaner-burning hydrogen because there aren’t enough extant examples of such technology.View image in fullscreen“Mills like this aren’t just employers, they are anchors embedded deeply in the community. We want your kids and grandkids to produce steel here in America too,” Granholm said. “Consumers are demanding cleaner, greener products all over the world. We don’t want to just make the best products in the world, we want to make sure we make the best and cleanest products in the world.”Lourenco Goncalves, chief executive of Cleveland-Cliffs, the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America, followed Granholm to boast that a low-emissions furnace of this size was a world first, with the technology set to be expanded to 15 other company plants in the US.Republicans elsewhere in the US have jumped onboard similar ribbon-cutting events, despite voting against the funding that enables them, but notably absent among the dignitaries seated in front of two enormous American flags hanging in the Middletown warehouse that day was Vance, the Ohio senator who went to high school just 4 miles from this place. His office did not respond to questions about the plant or his plans for the future of the IRA.Bailey, a 71-year-old who retired from the steel plant in 2002, said that as a pastor he did speak several times to Vance about ways to aid Middletown but then became alarmed by the senator’s rightwards shift in comments about women, as well as his lack of support for the new steel mill funding.“JD Vance has never mentioned anything about helping Middletown rebound,” said Bailey, who witnessed a “brutal” 2006 management lockout of workers during a union dispute after which drug addiction and homelessness soared in Middletown. “He’s used Middletown for, in my view, his own personal gain.“Somewhere in there, JD changed,” he added. “He’s allowed outsiders to pimp him. This guy is embarrassing us. That’s not who we are.” More

    • 175 Shares159 Views

      in US Politics

      ‘Democrats are losing’: a battle on EVs could cost Kamala Harris votes in Michigan

      by

      As the critical swing state of Michigan hangs in the balance, experts warn that Democrats’ poor messaging over the shift to electric vehicles could lose them the state in November’s election.“I will end the electric vehicle mandate on day one, thereby saving the US auto industry from complete obliteration, which is happening right now,” Donald Trump told the Republican national convention in a speech this summer that would reach tens of millions of people.Despite his burgeoning friendship with Tesla’s Elon Musk, Trump has remained a consistent critic of EVs and battery-powered vehicles more generally. The messaging has resonated with many United Auto Workers (UAW) members, eroding Joe Biden’s support among union members in Michigan by as much as 25 points since the 2020 election.The claim that EVs require less labor is probably not true: multiple studies and industry executives have said it takes about as much or more labor to produce EVs. Still, the Biden-Harris campaign has not pushed that essential point, and in the process is losing the messaging war over EVs, imperiling Democrats’ chances in tightly contested Michigan as union support sputters, according to Bernie Porn, an Epic-MRA Michigan pollster.“Biden and Democrats are doing a lousy job on messaging [on EVs],” said Porn. “Democrats are losing support … but they’ve been silent.”Autoworker votes are critical to Michigan and other must-win upper midwest industrial swing states – Trump won there by a narrow 10,000 votes in 2016.Biden retook the state with broad union support four years later, but by late 2023, union members here preferred Trump over Biden by a 47-40 margin, Epic-MRA found. Following the UAW endorsement early this year, Biden’s support among unions bounced up to 52% – but still 13 points below the last election.About 55% of state residents are also opposed to the EV transition, polling found.Trump’s claim that the EV transition represents the US auto industry’s death knell began to deeply worry union members as Biden guided the nation into the EV transition via the billions of dollars of investment in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and Inflation Reduction Act.Trump regularly claims EVs require up to 40% less labor to make than gasoline cars, a statistic repeated by Brian Pannebecker, who backs Trump and is a former UAW member.Even with the evidence that EVs take the same or more time to produce, skepticism among many autoworkers persists, he said.“Of course we’re not going like that,” Pannebecker said. “We’d be suicidal or stupid if we did.”But Trump’s claims are not true, and the job-creating power of EVs is “the biggest secret in politics”, said Mike Murphy, a Republican with the EV Politics Project, a non-profit that pushes for stronger EV policy.Its recent focus groups and polling found people across the political spectrum are more supportive of EVs when they learn that it creates jobs, and EV Politics Project is planning to air a television commercial that hits on that point in the coming weeks.“I don’t know why the Biden-Harris administration has been so bad at telling the story,” Murphy added. “They need to go on the offense.”Democrats could point to recent General Motors statements on the issue.“We’ve done our own analysis at General Motors, and there are other studies that have affirmed that the employee base needed in the future for EV production is very similar to what’s needed for a comparable [internal combustion] vehicle today,” GM executive Gerald Johnson said.GM is building a massive new battery plant in Michigan, which has the most announced battery production nationwide. At least seven plants have opened or are in the works, and UAW leadership has been supportive of the EV expansion.A spokesperson for UAW said support for the EV transition among union members was strong, dismissing opposition within its ranks as rooted in partisan politics.Parsing EV productionThe idea that EV production requires fewer hours can be traced back to several out-of-context comments made by auto executives and companies underestimating the time demands in 2017, a Heatmap analysis found.Trump has run with the comments, and the messaging has bounced around the echo chamber without much media scrutiny. On its face the claim makes sense – EVs require fewer parts in their powertrain, so it takes less time to assemble.The powertrain is what propels the car, and in gas-powered vehicles it contains over 1,000 parts that make up the engine and transmission. An EV powertrain is seemingly simpler – just a few hundred components with batteries, electric motors and power management systems.But industry observers say the claims about labor hours seem to omit battery packs. And when every component and the complexity of the EV powertrain production process is factored in, it takes about the same or more time to put it together, a recent Carnegie Mellon study found.The research used shop floor level data and interviews with autoworkers at nine plants to determine how long it takes to make each EV powertrain part. The researchers found EV powertrains require about two to three times more labor to produce than gas – up to 11 worker hours per gas powertrain compared with up to 24 worker hours for a battery powertrain.“You need to unpack the black box of the production process to figure out whether the assembly time reduction was outweighed by an increase in fabrication complexity,“ said Christophe Combemale, a study co-author. “We can say very strongly at the moment the evidence suggests it takes as many or perhaps more labor hours to produce [an EV powertrain].”Recent University of Michigan research took a different approach. It examined output at three factories where EV production replaced gas production. It found output is higher at gas plants, meaning more hours are required to build EVs – a former California GM/Toyota plant produced 80 vehicles per person per year, while a Tesla plant now in the facility averages 30.Researchers at the Boston Consulting Group came to a similar conclusion in an analysis that looked at an entire car’s assembly. It also noted time-consuming complexities in EV production, like the battery pack’s heavy weight, which requires the rest of the car to be much lighter than a gas-powered vehicle. The Tesla Model S battery pack weighs more than half a ton, which is offset by using aluminum instead of steel, as is standard with gas vehicles, the paper notes.However, aluminum is “trickier to work with in a factory” because it is comparatively weak, the paper states, demanding expensive adjustments like spot welding to shore up its strength. The installation of the charging unit, additional wiring, battery loading and alignment all require time not needed in gas assembly.“This is a significant change for an industry that has spent more than 100 years developing and improving engine manufacturing and vehicle assembly to the highest degrees of efficiency,” the paper states.CaveatsAs the nascent EV production process matures, automakers will find efficiencies that will reduce the manufacturing time. Meanwhile, while the EV market is growing, sales have been slower than expected, and some Michigan plants have recently laid off workers or scaled back employment figures.In his critique of EVs, Pannebecker, the Trump-backing former UAW member, pointed out the most obvious caveat to research showing they take more hours: batteries and their components largely are not made in the US at the moment, so they are not of use to the UAW.“No matter which way you look at it, it’s a losing proposition for autoworkers,” Pannebecker said.As much as 80% of lithium ion batteries are estimated to be produced in China, but that is changing. A slew of battery plants are scheduled to come online in the US in the coming years in addition to more than 30 already operating, and five of those will be in Michigan.Even if those plants are built, Pannebecker noted, many of them are not unionized and only pay $15-$18 an hour. Near Youngstown, Ohio, an Ultium battery plant near the once-storied GM Lordstown plant suffers from high turnover because of the low pay that workers there say is in line with a local Waffle House.But that is also changing. Late last year and early this year the UAW made battery plants a priority in its negotiations with automakers, and the plants’ workers can now unionize.Meanwhile, the Chips and Science Act aimed at reshoring the semiconductor industry that produces critical components to EVs is also helping shift component production to the US. Combemale said there is some potential for autoworkers to be retrained or take on jobs in semiconductor plants or other higher tech settings than a shop floor.Still, this broad narrative does not seem to be reaching many Michiganders, whether in a union or not. The most recent polling shows only 56% of Michigan union members approve of the EV transition – far below the 74% of Democrats who approve of it. Meanwhile, union members’ families disapprove by a 51-45% margin, and support among independent voters is even lower.But it’s not too late to change the messaging for this election, and into the future, said EV Politics’ Murphy. Part of the problem may be generational within union ranks – older guys are less supportive because they won’t be around as the EV transition progresses, Murphy said.Democrats need to stop making EVs an environmental issue, which will “divide the voters in half”, Murphy said, and instead push the job creation narrative. His focus groups found an up to 19-point improvement on EV approval rating when messaging focused on the latter.“It’s a very powerful way to reframe the argument,” Murphy said. “It’s one of the best bragging rights they’ve got. This isn’t hard, it’s just a story no one knows.” More

    • 175 Shares119 Views

      in US Politics

      Price-gouging is illegal in 37 US states. Let’s make it 50 | Bob Casey

      by

      Over the past few years, Erin Wiggle has approached every trip to the grocery store with a sense of dread. During each visit, the retired army veteran, small business owner and mother from Worcester Township, Pennsylvania, has seen her budget stretched thinner and thinner as prices keep ratcheting up for the goods her family relies on. Erin’s burden has grown heavier despite pandemic-related supply chain issues subsiding, and she has a growing sense that the companies making the products she needs are padding their profits at the expense of her family.Erin is right. Under the cover of inflation, companies have raised the prices of everyday household items to rake in record profits at the expense of American families. As my investigation into what I’ve called “greedflation” shows, from mid-2020 to mid-2022, corporate profits rose by 75% – five times as fast as inflation. In fact, corporate profits jumped so much that they played a major role in causing inflation – according to the Federal Reserve, corporate profits accounted for all the inflation from July 2020 through July 2021 and 41% of all inflation from July 2020 through July 2022.We should not let powerful corporations use a crisis to jack up prices way beyond what is necessary to make a profit. In fact, many states across the country have already steeled themselves to fight the most egregious examples of this shameful practice. Laws against price-gouging are on the books in 37 states and the District of Columbia, giving state attorneys general the power to investigate and prosecute companies that excessively raise prices during emergencies. In the US Senate, I’ve introduced legislation with my colleagues Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Baldwin to give the federal government power to do the same.In recent weeks, after Kamala Harris embraced our bill as a part of her economic agenda, the legislation has come under fire from various defenders of corporate greed. These critics appear to have missed the fact that the federal legislation is modeled on laws that are already in effect across the nation, where capitalism is still alive and well. In Texas, for example, where the attorney general has the power to take on companies that unfairly exploit state residents, the governor regularly touts the state as the best place to do business in the country.Similarly, the critics are ignoring the very real protections these laws have offered for consumers. In Pennsylvania, where a price-gouging ban was enacted in 2006, the office of the attorney general investigated hundreds of cases of businesses taking advantage of Covid-19 to price-gouge desperate consumers. The investigations ultimately led to fines and to restitution for many consumers who were taken advantage of in the early days of the pandemic, including hundreds of thousands from just one seller alone.Bans on price-gouging protect victims from companies that would take advantage of different crises to rip off scared consumers. In New York, the state was able to punish Walgreens for taking advantage of customers during the infant formula crisis when supply chain issues reduced the availability of baby formula across the country. In North Carolina, the attorney general won a series of cases against companies that gouged consumers following hurricanes. In both Kentucky and Idaho, companies were held accountable for artificially forcing up gas prices in the wake of pipeline closures.These laws don’t just prevent price-gouging on a case-by-case basis; they also send a message to companies about where and when to draw the line. In the 37 states with price-gouging bans, companies can still raise prices, and they can still bring in a healthy profit for their shareholders. It’s only when they seek to take advantage of a crisis to fleece consumers that they can expect the government to step in and stop them. Our bill would apply this standard to massive corporations that exploit consumers while specifically protecting small businesses under $100m in earnings that don’t have the same power to set prices.There are multiple factors that contribute to the high cost of living, but there is no question that corporate greed plays a role. While companies have a right to turn a profit – even a substantial one – American consumers deserve to pay fair prices. That means holding giant corporations accountable when they go too far to make a buck.Giving the federal government the power to investigate and prosecute large companies that price-gouge isn’t a campaign gimmick, nor is it the beginning of the end of capitalism in America. It’s simply a way of ensuring that when corporations are using a crisis as an excuse to jack up prices on consumers, we will not surrender – instead, we will fight back.

      Bob Casey is a US senator representing the state of Pennsylvania More

    • 200 Shares149 Views

      in US Politics

      The US right keeps accusing Democrats of ‘communism’. What does that even mean? | Jan-Werner Müller

      by

      The Trump campaign, flanked by an army of online trolls commanded by Elon Musk, has been struggling to settle on an attack line against the Democratic ticket. Of course, a decade or so ago no one would have thought a candidate unable to think of nasty nicknames had a problem; but Donald Trump has made us all ask stupider questions and have stupider thoughts. If in doubt, though – and no matter what any Democrat actually does or says – the Republican party will level the charges of “socialism” and “communism” against them.To state the obvious: free lunches – ensuring that poor kids won’t go hungry – are not communism. The one time in recent history that the US clearly resembled the Soviet Union – empty shelves and long lines outside shops – was under Trump; to be sure, other countries also had supply chain problems during Covid-19, but the former president proved exceptionally irresponsible and incompetent. But there’s another, less obvious similarity with the late Soviet Union in particular: the experience of being at the mercy of bureaucrats. No, not the DMV, but vast private corporations with quasi-monopoly power, something with which Trump’s Republican party, unlike the Biden administration, is evidently fine.Ever since the New Deal, the US right has relied on an ideological mixture as incoherent as it is toxic, with charges of communism freely interspersed with accusations of fascism. Into that mixture, US reactionaries sprinkle what is politely called “anti-elitism” but often enough amounts to thinly disguised antisemitism. Musk and the Republican ideologues now regularly portray Kamala Harris as controlled by secret “puppetmasters”, the Soroses (son and father) in particular, bent on advancing a “globalist” or “cultural Marxist” agenda.Most rightwingers would struggle to explain what these terms really mean; but then again, for many of them politics is not a philosophy exam, but a contest over what can incite fear and hatred of dangerous Others threatening supposed “real Americans”. One fairly simple, almost intuitive throughline, however, is the notion that Real America wants individual freedom, while Real America’s enemies are collectivists bent on creating all-powerful bureaucracies whose business is not business, but telling people what to do. (That is also why, when pressed, rightwingers will inevitably identify “bureaucrats” and the “managerial class” as core members of the “liberal elite”.)The truth is that much of day-to-day life in the US is horrendously bureaucratic: filling out “paperwork”, spending hours on hold, being at the mercy of individuals who might be reasonable when they have a good day (and respond to the plea “Can I talk to you like a human being?”) or simply use discretion to say no when they happen to have a bad day. Europeans never believe this could be the reality in the land of the free, because European pro-business parties like to sell them the story that every day in the US, somebody starts the equivalent of Microsoft in their garage.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionMeanwhile, plenty of Americans do not see that US businesses can be bureaucratic nightmares because, to be blunt, they know nothing else. Often unable to travel for financial reasons, they accept red scare tales about countries they’ve never seen. Democrats are complicit in encouraging a nationalism that makes the case for reform unnecessarily difficult: if people are constantly told by both parties that theirs is the greatest country ever, why mobilize for fundamental change?Capitalist bureaucracies are maddening, but the madness has a method: it’s driven in part by fear of liability (something Democrats are reluctant to address properly) but above all by the hope that frustrated customers will eventually just give up and let the insurance claim go, rather than spend another two hours on the phone listening to the automated message: “Your call is important to us.” Corporate power has increased enormously in recent decades, partially based on the rightwing doctrine that monopolies are OK as long as they benefit consumers. Bureaucratization has also increased in areas where the state, driven by neoliberal ideology, has tried to engineer competition in public services – in the process creating ever-larger bureaucracies devoted to measuring and surveillance. George W Bush’s No Child Left Behind is a prime example.The Biden administration has at least tried to change course on monopoly power, under the leadership of Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission, whose career started with an attack on the mistaken pro-monopoly theory. The government has gone after “junk fees” such as exorbitant credit card late fees; most recently, with its Time is Money initiative, the White House is confronting predatory capitalists using red tape to extract time and, ultimately, money from powerless customers unable ever to “speak to a representative”. Meanwhile, just as with the upside-down reasoning about monopolies, distinguished defenders of the little guy such as Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina have twisted themselves into justifying junk fees.True, daily indignities and frustrations in dealing with private-sector bureaucrats are trivial compared with the horrors of 20th-century totalitarianism. But it’s not trivial to want to make life just a little fairer by reducing the power of private actors to behave like dictators.

      Jan-Werner Müller is a professor of politics at Princeton University and a Guardian US columnist More

    • 138 Shares199 Views

      in US Politics

      Trump appears to tie high bacon prices to ‘horrible’ wind energy

      by

      Donald Trump revived questions about his mental acuity after appearing to say that wind energy was to blame for the increased price and decreased consumption of bacon.The former president’s bizarre remarks came at a town hall-style campaign gathering in Wisconsin on Thursday, when an audience member asked the Republican nominee for November’s White House election what he would do to help bring inflation down.Trump delivered a lengthy answer, apparently saying that he blamed wind power for bacon being more costly and therefore eaten less.“You take a look at bacon and some of these products – and some people don’t eat bacon any more,” Trump said. “We are going to get the energy prices down. When we get energy down, you know … this was caused by their horrible energy – wind. They want wind all over the place. But when it doesn’t blow, we have a little problem.”Video clips of Trump’s comments quickly made the rounds online and brought out critics in full force. Some detractors dismissed his answer as “incoherent” and “word salad”.On Friday, Mehdi Hasan – a broadcaster and author and a Guardian US columnist – posted the video of Trump’s remarks on X and asked whether his answer would draw the same level of editorial scrutiny as comments from Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris or her running mate Tim Walz.“Will any of the army of factcheckers obsessed with Tim Walz’s dog or Kamala Harris’s McDonald’s summer job be giving any attention to Donald Trump suggesting windmills cause high bacon prices?”In another post featuring the video clips, Hasan argued that Trump should face the same kind of media pressure to end his run for president that preceded Joe Biden’s decision to halt his re-election campaign after a poor performance at a 21 June debate.Hasan wrote: “Historians will scratch their heads about 2024, in which 1 candidate was forced to quit the race for being old & having a bad debate while the other candidate said mad, rambling stuff like this & not only stayed in the race but didn’t get pressured to step aside by the media.”In what seemed like a reference to Trump’s recent comments about bacon, a Thursday night cooking-themed virtual Harris campaign fundraiser hosted by the Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell featured some recipes with bacon.Swalwell on Friday sent out an email touting the success of the cooking call, which included some well-known chefs, and a “notable moments” list conspicuously mentioned the bacon recipes. More

    • 150 Shares99 Views

      in US Politics

      No tax on tips fires up Nevada hospitality workers: ‘I want that!’

      by

      Kristine serves gamblers playing countertop video poker screens at the center bar of Las Vegas’s Ellis Island casino. She declines to share her last name for privacy reasons, but is not timid about her support for Donald Trump when asked about his campaign promise to end federal taxation on tips.“I want that!” Kristine says as she fulfills cocktail waitresses’ orders. “Our tip compliance is too high. They take so much from our paycheck.”Tip compliance – the tax process for expected earnings from tips – has become a political football in Nevada, with federal lawmakers from both parties piling in to co-sponsor bills or present their vision for how tax exemption for tips should work.The push for tax relief for a specific sector of wageworker may seem out of the blue if the idea wasn’t so brazenly opportunistic. According to state employment figures, one in four jobs in this crucial swing state are in leisure and hospitality, many if not most of which are tip-earning positions at bars, restaurants, casinos, spas and hotels in Las Vegas and Reno.The frenzy over the issue started in June, during a Trump rally in Las Vegas, where he surprised supporters, press and members of his own party, saying: “Hotel workers and people that get tips, you’re going to be very happy because when I get to office we are going to not charge taxes on tips.”It was a “wild-ass promise”, says Ted Pappageorge, treasurer for the Culinary Union Local 226, which represents 60,000 hospitality workers in Nevada.He points out that during Trump’s four years in office and the four years since, the union’s heard “not a peep out of him” regarding overtaxed wage workers. Indeed, Trump’s signature legislative achievement as president was a tax cut that mainly benefited corporations, real estate developers, and billionaires and millionaires transferring wealth to their scions. “One of the problems is Trump lies, and he lies a lot,” Pappageorge said.But, Pappageorge added, Trump’s comments created an opening. “There’s actually a requirement now to have a discussion and an opportunity for us to wedge into the discussion, to make it real.”The union is now seeking tip compliance relief for their members while also advocating to raise the federal sub-minimum wage, which allows employers in some states to pay tipped earners as little as $2.13 per hour.Trump’s opponents have been listening. In Kamala Harris’s first Las Vegas rally as the presumptive Democratic nominee, she announced that she wouldas also pursue no taxes on tips, delighting rank-and-file Democrats who had become intrigued with the proposal, and irritating Trump supporters who wanted him to have the policy all to himself.“Why is she copying him?” says Kristine, the Ellis Island bartender. She voted for Trump in the last two election cycles and will again this fall. “I believe in women power, but I feel like we need a better president, like a strong personality, a tough one, to put [things] back to normal.”Wistful for the pre-pandemic economy, before food, fuel and housing prices shot up, Kristine says it would be nice if people could afford to enjoy themselves again: “Go on vacation again, because everything we make goes to bills, that’s it, and it’s not enough still. Everything is so expensive and you’re making the same money.”Southern Nevada’s vulnerability to economic slumps has led to two local sayings: the region is “the first to suffer, last to recover” because “when the economy gets sick, Las Vegas catches pneumonia.”The city was hit hard by pandemic-era travel restrictions. Since then, resorts have recovered strongly, reporting record profits from gaming each of the past three years. In resorts and casinos that are unionized (Ellis Island is not), the culinary union leveraged these historic profits to negotiate higher wages for their members.Still, many workers say their tip earnings have remained stagnant.Machines such as the Smarttender beverage-mixer and screen-based ordering systems have depressed tip earnings by dehumanizing the experience and distorting the scale of service, says Sheri Earl, 51, a cocktail waitress at Mandalay Bay. “It looks like a lot of the servers are bringing out so many drinks, but we’re not being tipped on all of those.View image in fullscreen“Also,” Earl adds, “people just aren’t tipping the way that they used to because they don’t have the money. I noticed when I’m serving, more people will give $1 for four drinks, whereas it used to be $1 per drink, so I’m serving more drinks, but bringing back less money.”A lifelong Democrat, Earl’s loyalty to the party had wavered in recent years, and her conversations in the employee break room suggest that many her colleagues will support Trump out of nostalgia for how they thrived before Covid.But Harris’s candidacy has reaffirmed her allegiance to the Democratic ticket, Earl says. “She’s very optimistic about changes that she wants to do as a female president, and a lot of the tax cuts for the working class helps.“Now, I don’t think there will ever be no taxes on tips,” Earl clarified. “I expect to pay it, but not at rates where it’s unrealistic, or I can’t support my family, or I can’t pay my bills at the end of the month.”Others were less inspired.“It’s a ‘so you vote for me’ promise,” says Samantha, a blackjack dealer at Ellis Island. “I don’t think Congress will let it happen. [The candidates] can say it, and they can hope that because they said it, you’re going to vote for them, but it isn’t going to happen.” Shrugging, she says she does not intend to vote. “Unfortunately, I don’t believe that my vote matters.”Democratic presidential candidates have enjoyed a winning streak in Nevada that goes back four cycles from Biden’s narrow 2020 win, to Hillary Clinton’s 2.4% margin over Trump, to Barack Obama’s victories in 2012 and 2008. Survey averages currently show Trump leading Harris by 2 to 3 percentage points.Before Biden dropped out, Trump led by 9 points in Nevada. Harris has rejuvenated Democratic enthusiasm and made strides to corral the unwieldly coalition that defeated Trump four years ago, but Nevada is proving to be a different beast. It’s one of the few swing states in which Trump continues to lead in most major polls. But her canny decision to jump on the no tax bandwagon may help.Badass Tax Guys, a tax preparation company in Henderson, Nevada, has hundreds of tip-earning clients, and many have mentioned to owner Robert Wagner that the proposal, while intriguing, seems too good to be true.“‘We see all the upside, and we love keeping our money, but what’s the catch potentially?’ is what I’m hearing right now,” he paraphrases while warning that it would be exploited if not written carefully to solely target those who need relief.“I would put a tip jar on my desk, you know what I mean?” Wagner quips. “I’ll charge lower fees and you can throw the difference in the tip jar. All of a sudden, my income is to going to go down quite a bit. I generally like the idea overall, but if you’re going to do that there needs to be a way to stop Wall Street from taking advantage of it.” More