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Ukraine Claims 410 Bodies Found in Recaptured Towns; Zelenskyy Accuses Russia of Genocide. Follow Our Live Updates

This is CNBC’s live blog tracking Sunday’s developments on the war in Ukraine. See below for the latest updates. Ukraine’s top prosecutor said 410 bodies were found in towns near Kyiv as part of an investigation into possible war crimes by Russia. Some witnesses, however, are so traumatized by their ordeal that they are unable to speak, said Iryna Venedyktova, Ukraine’s prosecutor general. After Russia withdrew from some areas around Kyiv, the mayor in Bucha, a liberated town 23 miles northwest of the capital, said that 300 residents had been killed by Russian forces while fighters from Chechnya controlled the area. Russia has denied allegations its troops killed civilians in Bucha. Ukrainian prosecutors were only able to enter the towns of Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel for the first time on Sunday and they need more time to work out the extent of the crimes, Venedyktova said. We need to work with witnesses, Venedyktova said. People today are so stressed that they are physically unable to speak. For his part, Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskiy said it was clear hundreds of civilians had been killed but that he did not want to say exactly how many there were, as efforts were still under way to clear mines in the area Earlier, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of genocide against Ukrainian people, saying in an interview that: We have more than 100 nationalities. This is about the destruction and extermination of those nationalities. Zelenskyy made those comments after warning that forces want to seize the east and south of the country. He also said Ukrainian forces had regained control over communities in Kyiv and Chernihiv. Zelenskyy has also called for a ceasefire before meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reuters Russia is using ‘a lot of manipulation’ to prop up the value of its currency, Blinken says Jakub Porzycki Nurphoto Getty Images Russian one ruble coin and Russian flag displayed on a screen are seen in this multiple exposure illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on March 8, 2022. The dramatic recovery in the value of the Russian ruble is due, in large part, to a lot of manipulation from the government in Moscow, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken claimed in an interview Sunday. The ruble traded at 84.62 per dollar, as of Friday, which is back near levels seen before the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine prompted historic economic sanctions against Russia. The ruble’s value initially plummeted, trading as low as 151.5 per dollar on March 7, according to FactSet data. When it comes to the ruble, it’s more than a little manipulation, it’s a lot of manipulation. People are being prevented from unloading rubles, Blinken said in an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, referring to capital controls implemented by Russia’s central bank. That’s artificially propping up the value. That’s not sustainable, so I think you’re going to see that change, Blinken said, suggesting that the strict sanctions combined with Western businesses leaving Russia will, over the long term, weigh on the currency and economy writ large. The export controls that we’ve imposed on Russia, denying it the technology it needs to modernize industry after industry, that’s going to have an increasing bite, he said. Kevin Stankiewicz Wreckage of the Antonov An-225, once world’s biggest aircraft, seen in Hostomel, Ukraine A view of the wreckage of the Antonov An-225 Mriya cargo plane at an airshed in Hostomel, Ukraine, on April 3, 2022. The Mriya was once the world’s biggest aircraft but it was destroyed on or about Feb. 27, 2022, by Russian shelling as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continued. Metin Aktas Anadolu Agency Getty Images The wreckage of the world’s largest cargo plane Antonov An-225, which was severely damaged and rendered unusable due to Russian bombardments, was viewed by Anadolu Agency. Metin Aktas Anadolu Agency Getty Images A view of the wreckage of Antonov An-225 Mriya cargo plane, the world’s biggest aircraft, destroyed by Russian shelling as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, at an airshed in Hostomel, Ukraine on April 03, 2022. Metin Aktas Anadolu Agency Getty Images A view of the wreckage of Antonov An-225 Mriya cargo plane, the world’s biggest aircraft, destroyed by Russian shelling as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, at an airshed in Hostomel, Ukraine on April 03, 2022. Metin Aktas Anadolu Agency Getty Images A view of the wreckage of Antonov An-225 Mriya cargo plane, the world’s biggest aircraft, destroyed by Russian shelling as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, at an airshed in Hostomel, Ukraine on April 03, 2022. Metin Aktas Anadolu Agency Getty Images The wreckage of the world’s largest cargo plane Antonov An-225, which was severely damaged and rendered unusable due to Russian bombardments, was viewed by Anadolu Agency. Metin Aktas Anadolu Agency Getty Images A view of the wreckage of Antonov An-225 Mriya cargo plane, the world’s biggest aircraft, destroyed by Russian shelling as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, at an airshed in Hostomel, Ukraine on April 03, 2022. Anadolu Agency Russia denies killing civilians in Bucha, calls photos, film of alleged war crimes’staged’ EDITOR’S NOTE: Image in this post contains graphic content Russia denied widely reported allegations it had killed civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, describing footage and photographs of dead bodies as a provocation and a staged performance by Kyiv. Ukraine has accused the Russian military of massacring residents in the town, located northwest of the capital, an area Ukrainian troops said they recaptured on Saturday. All the photos and videos published by the Kyiv regime, allegedly testifying to the ‘crimes’ of Russian servicemen in the city of Bucha, Kyiv region, are another provocation, Russia’s defense ministry said, in a statement. Sergei Supinsky AFP Getty Images A mass grave is seen behind a church in the town of Bucha, northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on April 3, 2022. During the time that Russian armed forces were in control of this settlement, not a single local resident suffered from any violent actions, it said. Moscow has previously denied allegations that it has targeted civilians, and has rejected accusations of war crimes. Reuters Polish PM calls for EU meeting to impose harsh sanctions Metin Aktas Anadolu Agency Getty Images A photo shows damages from conflict areas in the Hostomel region, as Russian attacks on Ukraine continue, on April 03, 2022 in Bucha, Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called for a meeting with European heads of state as soon as possible to impose hard-hitting sanctions on Russia following reports that the nation’s forces executed scores of Ukrainian civilians. The massacre in Bucha is more than an alarm bell for Europe and the world. It is a terrible cry for justice, freedom and the right to life; for basic and universal values, Morawiecki said in a Facebook post. He added that Russian troops committed acts of genocide. The EU must confiscate all Russian assets in its western banks as well as those of Russian oligarchs. It must sever all trade relations with Russia without delay. European money must stop flowing to the Kremlin. Putin’s criminal and increasingly totalitarian regime needs to have one thing imposed on it: SANCTIONS WHICH ACTUALLY WORK, he said. Jessica Bursztynsky Ukraine foreign minister: Russia’s war crimes make it ‘worse than ISIS’ Sopa Images Lightrocket Getty Images Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, pictured here at the Ukrainian Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, called Russia worse than ISIS after apparent evidence emerged of civilian atrocities near Kyiv. Ukraine minister of foreign affairs Dmytro Kuleba said in a video on Sunday that Russia is worse than ISIS, referring to the Islamic extremist group. In its atrocities, in its crimes both the scale of these crimes and the ruthlessness of the behavior of the Russian army in Ukraine, Kuleba said in a video on Twitter. I don’t know where these soldiers were educated what kind of values they have, if any, Kuleba added. It’s unspeakable. Rapes, tortures, murders of civilians. He noted that Ukraine has begun work to prosecute everyone involved in these crimes. Kuleba also said that he is trying to prepare myself for images and videos which will come from Mariupol when we liberate it. Probably they will be even more devastating, Kuleba said. Michael Sheetz Scholz says West to agree more sanctions on Russia in coming days Hannibal Hanschke Reuters German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gives a press statement about the war crimes discovered the day before in Bucha, Ukraine, at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany April 3, 2022. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday Western allies would agree further sanctions on Russia in the coming days over its invasion of Ukraine and the atrocities committed by Russian troops in a town near Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his supporters will feel the consequences of their actions, he said, in a statement to reporters in the chancellery. And we will continue to make weapons available to Ukraine so the country can defend itself against the Russian invasion. Reuters Civilians take shelter from Russian artillery in Kharkiv Civilians are seen taking shelter from Russian artillery in the Kharkiv area of Ukraine. Wolfgang Schwan Anadolu Agency Getty Images Civilians are seen taking shelter from Russian artillery in the Kharkiv area of Ukraine on April 3, 2022. Wolfgang Schwan Anadolu Agency Getty Images Civilians are seen taking shelter from Russian artillery in the Kharkiv area of Ukraine on April 3, 2022. Wolfgang Schwan Anadolu Agency Getty Images Civilians are seen taking shelter from Russian artillery in the Kharkiv area of Ukraine on April 3, 2022. Wolfgang Schwan Anadolu Agency Getty Images Civilians are seen taking shelter from Russian artillery in the Kharkiv area of Ukraine on April 3, 2022. Wolfgang Schwan Anadolu Agency Getty Images Civilians are seen taking shelter from Russian artillery in the Kharkiv area of Ukraine on April 3, 2022. Getty Images U.S. to send more aid as Moldova embraces Ukraine war refugees Lev Radin Lightrocket Getty Images US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield makes a statement at a stakeout at the Security Council at UN Headquarters. Meeting was convened at the request of the Russian Federation who accused Ukraine of developing biological weapons under the tutelage of the United States without providing any evidence. The United States will give Moldova $50 million to help it cope with the impacts of Russia’s war against Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said during a visit to the former Soviet republic on Sunday. She said the funding would support programs, training and equipment for border management, efforts to counter human trafficking, help to improve accountability and transparency in the justice sector, and combat corruption and cybercrime. Nearly 400,000 refugees have already fled Ukraine through Moldova, with about a quarter remaining in the country, since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Moscow says it is carrying out a special military operation that aims to destroy Ukraine’s military infrastructure. The money pledged to Moldova by the United States on Sunday comes on top of $30 million announced last month to assist refugee relief efforts in Moldova over the next six months. Moldova, sandwiched between Ukraine and European Union member Romania, is one of Europe’s poorest countries and has 2.6 million people. Like Ukraine it aspires to join the EU. Reuters U.S. Secretary of State responds to claims of ‘genocide’ in Ukraine Jacquelyn Martin AFP Getty Images US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses the Media after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem, on March 27, 2022. America’s top diplomat on Sunday stopped short of agreeing with those who claim Russia is committing genocide against Ukrainian civilians during its invasion. We will look hard and document everything that we see, put it all together, and make sure the relevant institutions and organizations that are looking at this, including the State Department, have everything they need to asses exactly what took place in Ukraine, who is responsible and what it amounts to, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on CNN’s State of the Union. In a CBS interview that aired Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed the Russian military is committing genocide against Ukrainian people. The U.S. government has formally accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine. That’s one of four main crimes over which the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction. Genocide, crime against humanity and crime of aggression are the other three. However, the U.S. is not a member of the ICC, which defines genocide as the specific intent to destroy in whole or in part a national, ethnic, racial or religious group by killing its members or by other means. Kevin Stankiewicz EU must discuss import ban on Russian gas, German defense minister says Michele Tantussi Reuters German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht speaks with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during the weekly cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, January 26, 2022. Germany’s defense minister said on Sunday that the European Union must discuss banning the import of Russian gas after Ukrainian and European officials accused Russian forces of committing atrocities near Kyiv. There has to be a response. Such crimes must not remain unanswered, the defense ministry quoted Christine Lambrecht as saying in an interview with the public broadcaster ARD. Berlin has so far resisted growing calls to impose an embargo on energy imports from Russia, saying its economy and that of other European countries are too dependent on them. Russia supplies 40 of Europe’s gas needs. But Lambrecht said EU ministers would now have to discuss a ban, according to a tweet from her ministry. Reuters Boris Johnson says Putin and his troops ‘are committing war crimes’ Thomas Coex AFP Getty Images Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a press conference at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on March 24, 2022. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said graphic reports coming out of Bucha and Irpin are more evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his forces are committing war crimes in Ukraine. I will do everything in my power to starve Putin’s war machine, Johnson said in a statement. We are stepping up our sanctions and military support, as well as bolstering our humanitarian support package to help those in need on the ground. Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of executing civilians prior to their retreat of areas surrounding the capital of Kyiv. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry posted a video early Sunday that showed bodies in civilian clothing on the side of the road, accusing Russian forces of executing the residents. Earlier in the day, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called for the attacks to be investigated as war crimes, adding the U.K. would support any investigations by the International Criminal Court. Russia has denied committing the atrocities, according to The New York Times. No denial or disinformation from the Kremlin can hide what we all know to be the truth Putin is desperate, his invasion is failing, and Ukraine’s resolve has never been stronger, Johnson said in a statement. Jessica Bursztynsky Zelenskyy says U.S. has not yet offered Ukraine security guarantees Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via Reuters Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends an interview with some of the Russian media via videolink, as Russia?s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 27, 2022. The U.S. has not provided Ukraine an official security guarantee, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CBS’ Face the Nation. In an interview that aired Sunday, Zelenskyy said he was grateful for the support Washington has offered Ukraine to date to assist the country in defending against Russia’s invasion. The U.S. has provided Ukraine more than $1 billion in security assistance, which includes more than 1,000 Stinger anti-aircraft systems and other military equipment like ammunition and body armor. But nevertheless, the United States have not provided the security guarantees to us, Zelenskyy said, according to a full CBS transcript. Ukrainian officials have recently focused on the concept of security guarantees in their diplomatic peace talks with Russia. According to Reuters, Ukraine has said it would be willing to adopt neutral status if it’s able to enter agreements with a group of countries that pledge to militarily defend Ukraine if Ukraine is attacked in the future. Zelenskyy described the security guarantees as an enforceable document, not just a piece of paper. He suggested that receiving such commitments from allies are critical for peace discussions with Russia to advance because so far, sanctions have yet to deter Russian aggression. We don’t believe in papers any longer. So we are very grateful for the support of the United States, Zelenskyy said. It’s a very powerful support. But in terms of security guarantees, we have not received them yet from anyone, and we have to get them. Kevin Stankiewicz At least 1,417 civilians killed in Ukraine, UN says Alexander Ermochenko Reuters Local resident Pavel, 42, stands next to the grave of his friend Igor, who was killed by shelling while they were riding together in a car during Ukraine-Russia conflict, in a residential area in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 30, 2022. At least 1,417 civilians, including 121 children, have been killed since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said. An additional 2,038 have been injured, including 171 children, from Feb. 24 to April 2, it added. The agency expects the actual figures to be considerably higher. It’s been difficult for officials to determine the extent of injuries and deaths in areas with heavy fighting or that have been taken over by Russian forces. The bulk of the injuries have been caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, such as shelling from heavy artillery and missile and air strikes, the agency said. Jessica Bursztynsky The war is exacerbating supply-chain disruptions that have sent U.S. auto prices sky-high Pablo Monsalve Corbis News Getty Images View of a used car dealership in Ridgewood, Queens New York on January 19, 2022. Inflation spiked to its highest level in four decades, sending consumer prices soaring 7 percent for the year ended. Russia’s war against Ukraine has thrown up a new obstacle to the global auto industry’s attempts to recover from a Covid-related global shortage of semiconductor chips and other key parts and the result is likely to keep prices of new and used vehicles sky-high for a while longer, The Associated Press reports. Ukraine is a key supplier of automotive wiring harnesses to automakers, particularly European automakers including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen or at least it was before the invasion. Now, the Associated Press is reporting that automakers find themselves scrambling to replace the Ukrainian production further hampering their efforts to restore full production and ease the new-car supply crunch that has driven auto prices sharply higher since the beginning of the pandemic. The average price of a new vehicle in the U.S. is up 13 in the past year, to $45,596, according to an Edmunds.com report cited by The Associated Press. Average used prices have surged far more: They’re up 29 to $29,646 as of February. Before the war, S&P Global had predicted that global automakers would build 84 million vehicles this year and 91 million next year. Now it’s forecasting fewer than 82 million in 2022 and 88 million next year, according to the AP. John Rosevear European leaders call on Russia to pay for ‘war crimes’ in Bucha EDITORS NOTE: Image contains graphic content European leaders are calling for Russia to be held accountable amid allegations that its forces killed scores of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry posted a video early Sunday that showed bodies in civilian clothing on the side of the road, accusing Russian forces of executing the residents. Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, shared several photos of casualties, some with their hands tied behind their backs. These people were not in the military. They had no weapons. They posed no threat. How many more such cases are happening right now in the occupied territories? Podolyak said on Twitter. Sergei Supinsky AFP Getty Images EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content: Communal workers carry a civilian in a body bag after he was killed during Russian army shelling in the town of Bucha, not far from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on April 3, 2022. CNBC could not immediately independently verify the claims of execution. But reporters on the ground from The New York Times, Associated Press and Reuters said they saw bodies in civilian clothing on the streets. The AP saw some with their hands tied behind their backs, and also saw two bodies wrapped in plastic, bound with tape and thrown into a ditch. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, called for an independent investigation into the atrocities. She added that perpetrators of war crimes would be held accountable. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the country would issue more severe sanctions in response to the reports. The images from Bucha are unbearable. Putin’s rampant violence is wiping out innocent families and knows no bounds, Baerbock said on Twitter, according to a translation. French President Emmanuel Macron said the images of dead civilians were unbearable. The Russian authorities will have to answer for these crimes, Macron said in a tweet. Jessica Bursztynsky Zelenskyy accuses Russia of committing ‘genocide’ in Ukraine Oleksandr Ratushniak Reuters Local residents ride bicycles past flattened civilian cars, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, on a street in the town of Bucha, in Kyiv region, Ukraine April 1, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Russian military of committing genocide against Ukrainian people. Zelenskyy made the comments in an interview on CBS’ Face the Nation, in light of the reported devastation in the town of Bucha, near the capital Kyiv. Russian forces have now retreated from the city after occupying it for weeks. This is genocide, Zelenskyy said. We have more than 100 nationalities. This is about the destruction and extermination of those nationalities. We are the citizens of Ukraine, and we don’t want to be subdued to the policy of Russian Federation. This is the reason we are being destroyed and exterminated. Ukrainian officials say bodies of dead civilians in Bucha show signs of torture and appear to be executed. Reuters reported some victims laid in mass graves while others were still on the city’s streets. Sergei Supinsky AFP Getty Images Editors Note: Graphic Content: A body of a civilian man with hands tied behind his back lies in the street as a communal worker prepares a plastic body bag to carry him to a waiting car in town of Bucha, not far from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on April 3, 2022. The International Criminal Court is traditionally where claims of alleged war crimes are adjudicated. The ICC defines genocide as the specific intent to destroy in whole or in part a national, ethnic, racial or religious group by killing its members or by other means. Kevin Stankiewicz GOP Rep. Kinzinger: Tucker Carlson and politicians who supported Putin should ‘answer’ for their support Kevin Dietsch Getty Images Rep. Adam Kinzinger speaks after the Republican House caucus voted to remove Rep. Liz Cheney of her leadership, at the U.S. Capitol on on May 12, 2021 in Washington, DC. In a tweet from his personal account, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said that members of Congress and media figures who have expressed support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine should now be held to account, given the emerging evidence of Russian atrocities in Bucha and other areas near Kyiv. He specifically called out Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in the tweet. Carlson’s and McCarthy’s offices didn’t immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. John Rosevear Russia’s move away from Kyiv not a ‘withdrawal’ but a ‘repositioning,’ NATO’s Secretary General says Halil Sagirkaya Anadolu Agency Getty Images NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gives a press conference after the Extraordinary Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government in Brussels, Belgium on March 24, 2022. Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that Russia’s retreat from Kyiv does not appear to be a withdrawal, but rather a shift in strategy. What we see is not really a withdrawal, we see that Russia is repositioning its troops, Stoltenberg told CNN’s Dana Bash. They are taking some of them back to rearm them, to reinforce them, and to resupply them. We should not in any way be too optimistic, the attacks will continue, and we are also concerned about potential increased attacks in the south and in the east. So this is not really a withdrawal, more a shift in strategy, focusing more on the South and East, he said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed Stoltenberg’s comments, telling NBC’s Meet the Press that Russian forces may be regrouping. They may be recalibrating. We’re focused on on what they’re doing, not what they’re saying. John Rosevear Pope Francis prays for end to’sacrilegious’ war Grzegorz Galazka Mondadori Portfolio Getty Images General audience of Pope Francis with the presence of a small group of faithful in masks after the long pause due to the coronavirus pandemic in the Cortile San Damaso. Vatican City, May 26th, 2021. Pope Francis prayed Sunday for an end to the sacrilegious war in Ukraine and for the world to show kindness and compassion to refugees as he concluded a two-day visit to Malta that was dominated by his concern for the devastation unleashed by Russia’s invasion. Francis asked for prayers for peace in Ukraine, a day after he blasted Russia’s invasion as infantile and based on anachronistic claims of nationalistic interests. He urged the faithful to think of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in the martyred Ukraine, which continues to be bombarded in this sacrilegious war. May we be tireless in praying and in offering assistance to those who suffer. The Associated Press Zelenskyy calls for ceasefire before meeting with Putin Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via Reuters Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives for a meeting with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine April 1, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a ceasefire so that he can meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. I can’t even have a meeting when the shelling is going on, Zelenskyy said on CBS’ Face the Nation. So, first the ceasefire and then we can have a meeting with the Russian president we will discuss a point in time where the end of the war will come. After discussions, Zelenskyy said Russian troops need to exit Ukrainian borders. This is the bare minimum, he said. Jessica Bursztynsky Ukraine says Bucha ‘massacre’ was deliberate, demands new Russia sanctions EDITORS NOTE: Image contains graphic content Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Russia on Sunday of carrying out a deliberate massacre in the town of Bucha outside Kyiv and called on the G-7 to impose devastating new sanctions on Moscow. We are still gathering and looking for bodies, but the number has already gone into the hundreds. Dead bodies lie on the streets. They killed civilians while staying there and when they were leaving these villages and towns, his ministry quoted him as saying on Twitter. Sergei Supinsky AFP Getty Images EDITORS NOTE: Graphic Content: A communal worker standing inside a van loaded with body bags, waits for another body to be wrapped and collected by a colleague following Russian shelling of the town of Bucha, not far from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on April 3, 2022. Russia has so far not commented publicly on the claims. Moscow has previously repeatedly denied Ukrainian claims that it has targeted civilians. Reuters Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister says more humanitarian corridors are set to open Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, said in a message on the Telegram messaging app that more evacuations are planned. We continue to evacuate people from Mariupol to Zaporizhia, Vereshchuk wrote. There are currently 17 buses near Berdyansk 10 of them are for the evacuation of Mariupol residents and local residents. If they are not allowed into the city, we ask people to come to the checkpoint at the entrance to Berdyansk there they will be waiting for you. Seven additional buses will attempt once again to get near the battered port city of Mariupol, Vereshchuk said. Evacuations are also planned out of the towns of Lysychansk, Nyzhne, Popasna, Rubizhne, Severodonetsk, she added. Terri Cullen Russia will soon ask for ruble payments for other exports, Kremlin warns Dado Ruvic Reuters Russian rouble coins are seen in this illustration taken February 24, 2022. Russia will soon ask for ruble payments for other exports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned, saying heavy economic sanctions imposed by the West have accelerated diminishing confidence in the dollar and euro. I have no doubt that it will in the future be extended to new groups of goods, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, Reuters reported, citing RIA news agency. Peskov’s comments referred to Moscow’s repeated demands that so-called unfriendly countries pay for Russian natural gas in rubles. The U.S. and international allies have imposed an unprecedented barrage of economic sanctions against Russia, seeking to isolate the Kremlin following its unprovoked onslaught in Ukraine. Sam Meredith Several missile strikes hit Ukraine’s southern port city of Mykolaiv, mayor says The Mayor of Mykolaiv Olexandr Senkevych has reported that several rocket attacks have hit Ukraine’s southern port city. Friends, we have had several missile strikes in the city. We are collecting data now, Senkevych said via Telegram, according to a translation. It comes shortly after a series of explosions could be heard in Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa, prompting thick black smoke to cover the sky. Like Mykolaiv, Odesa is a strategically important port hub on the Black Sea coast. Sam Meredith Ukraine sees sharp drop in March grain exports, economic (https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/business/money-report/missiles-slam-into-port-city-of-odesa-zelenskyy-says-russians-aim-to-seize-east-and-south-ukraine-follow-our-live-updates/2930821/)

Ukraine Suspends Evacuations Amid Safety Fears; Russia, Ukraine Prepare for Face-To-Face Talks

This has been CNBC’s live blog covering updates on the war in Ukraine. Follow the latest updates here. Face-to-face talks between Ukraine and Russia are set to continue this week, with delegations from both countries traveling to Turkey today. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that discussions were likely to resume Tuesday. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said they would not be opening any humanitarian corridors Monday to allow the evacuation of civilians due to intelligence that suggested Russian forces may be planning an attack on the evacuation routes. Ukrainian counterattacks have pushed Russians back from a number of positions, Britain says The U.K. Ministry of Defence said Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian troops back in some locations as they conduct counterattacks northwest of Kyiv. Still, the ministry said in its daily update that Russia still poses a significant threat to the city through their strike capability. While Russian forces have continued their onslaught in Mariupol, the ministry said the city center remains under Ukrainian control. Military developments are difficult or impossible to confirm as the situation on the ground in Ukraine changes rapidly. Reports of Ukrainian units reclaiming territory north and west of Kyiv began to filter out of the region last week. Christine Wang Japan to ban luxury exports to Russia starting April 5 Japan is expected to ban the export of luxury products such as passenger cars and fashion items to Russia starting April 5, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Banned items include: alcohol, tobacco products, perfume, cosmetics, motorcycles, watches with precious metals, art and antique goods, the ministry said in a Tuesday statement translated by NBC News. The move is the latest response from Japan aimed at putting pressure on Russia for its unprovoked war against Ukraine. Sumathi Bala Ukrainians claim to retake ground ahead of latest talks Oleksandr Ratushniak Reuters A woman holds a child next to a destroyed bridge during an evacuation from Irpin, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 28, 2022. Ukrainian forces claimed to have retaken a Kyiv suburb and an eastern town from the Russians in what is becoming a back-and-forth stalemate on the ground, while negotiators began assembling for another round of talks Tuesday aimed at stopping the fighting. Ahead of the talks, to be held in Istanbul, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country is prepared to declare its neutrality, as Moscow has demanded, and is open to compromise on the fate of the Donbas, the contested region in the country’s east. The mayor of Irpin, a northwestern Kyiv suburb that has been the scene of some of the heaviest fighting near the capital, said Monday that the city has been liberated from Russian troops. Irpin gained wide attention after photos circulated of a mother and her two children who were killed by shelling as they tried to flee, their bodies lying on the pavement with luggage and a pet carrier nearby. Associated Press Biden says his ‘moral outrage’ at Putin does not signal a U.S. policy shift Kevin Lamarque Reuters U.S. President Joe Biden announces his budget proposal for fiscal year 2023, as Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young listens in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 28, 2022. President Joe Biden on Monday clarified that his statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power made over the weekend doesn’t reflect a policy shift by the United States. Biden spoke at the White House two days after he shocked the world and his closest aides on Saturday when he ad-libbed the line during a major speech in Poland, prompting a flurry of headlines saying Biden was calling for a regime change in Russia. On Monday, Biden tried to draw a line between her personal opinion and U.S. policy. I’m not walking anything back, said Biden. I was expressing the moral outrage I felt after having visited with Ukrainian refugees. I was not then, nor am I now, articulating a policy change, he added. Christina Wilkie Nuclear material at Kharkiv research site is undamaged after renewed shelling Leonhard Foeger Reuters International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi attends a news conference in Vienna, Austria March 4, 2022. A nuclear research facility in the war-torn city of Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine has been damaged, but the nuclear material within it remains unharmed, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. The facility, which contains only a small amount of nuclear material, had already been attacked earlier in March as Russian forces blitzed Kharkiv. Ukraine told the IAEA on Saturday that the site had come under additional fire, according to a press release from the agency. In an update Monday, the IAEA said the building, its thermal insulation and the experimental hall were damaged, but the nuclear material-containing neutron source was not. The facility has been used for research and development and radioisotope production for medical and industrial applications, the IAEA said, adding that its nuclear material is subcritical there can be no nuclear chain reaction and the radioactive inventory is low. Kevin Breuninger Ukrainians race to protect their national monuments Ukrainians race to protect their national monuments and statues from Russian shelling. Aris Messinis AFP Getty Images Municipal employees cover the city’s monuments with sand bags to protect them from strikes in Kharkiv on March 26, 2022, amid Russian invasion of Ukraine. Aris Messinis AFP Getty Images Kharkiv municipal use sand bags to protect the city’s monuments from strikes on March 26, 2022 in Kharkiv where local authorities reported 44 Russian artillery bombardments and 140 rocket assaults in a single day. Aris Messinis AFP Getty Images Kharkiv municipal employees fill bags with sand to protect the city’s monuments from strikes on March 26, 2022 in Kharkiv where local authorities reported 44 Russian artillery bombardments and 140 rocket assaults in a single day. Alejandro Martinez Anadolu Agency Getty Images People prepare sand bags to cover statues in an effort to protect cultural and historical heritage amid Russian attacks in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 27, 2022. Mykhaylo Palinchak Lightrocket Getty Images A group of young people cover the monument of Hetman Sahaidachny with sandbags in fear of a possible bombardment as Russian forces continue their full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, triggering the largest military attack in Europe since World War II. Getty Images Biden’s budget proposal would send more defense assistance to Ukraine U.S. President Joe Biden’s 2023 budget proposal would direct even more money toward Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion. The White House called for an $813 billion defense budget, including $31 billion in new spending. The Biden administration said a chunk of the total, $6.9 billion, would go to NATO, European defense, Ukraine and countering Russian aggression. The budget request expresses Biden’s priorities but does not set policy. Congress ultimately proposes and approves federal spending. Christina Wilkie Negotiations with Ukraine moving forward, Russia’s Lavrov claims Kirill Kudryavtsev Reuters Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a news conference following talks with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer in Moscow, Russia March 24, 2022. Negotiations with Ukraine are moving forward with some difficulty, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview on Monday. Speaking with a Serbian television channel, Lavrov claimed Ukraine’s delegation keeps going back on its own suggestions during talks with Russia, but he added that the negotiations are moving forward. Delegates from Russia and Ukraine are traveling to Turkey today for a fresh round of face-to-face talks. Negotiations will continue tomorrow in person, but we still don’t have a clear understanding on our main points, Lavrov said Monday, according to an NBC News translation. He said these were the demilitarization and what Russia has called the denazification of Ukraine a claim repeatedly laid out by Moscow as a justification for its invasion, and one widely rubbished by the international community. Lavrov also said in Monday’s interview that Russia still has a lot of allies, including Latin American, South-East Asian and African countries. The West will keep enforcing sanctions on Russia no matter what, because it’s purpose is not to solve any particular problem, but to stop Russian progress and development, Lavrov claimed. Chloe Taylor Kremlin says it’s monitoring Biden’s comments on Putin Evelyn Hockstein Reuters U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during an event at the Royal Castle, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Warsaw, Poland March 26, 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden’s remarks that his Russian counterpart cannot remain in power are alarming, the Kremlin said Monday. Well, this is a statement that is certainly alarming, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said at a press briefing. We will continue to closely monitor the statements of the U.S. president. We are carefully recording them and we will continue to do so. Biden said during a speech in Poland on Saturday that Putin cannot remain in power, referring to the Russian president as a dictator who was bent on rebuilding an empire. The White House later walked back Biden’s comments, saying the Biden administration was not calling for regime change in Russia and that the president had been referring to Putin attempting to exert power over the European continent. Chloe Taylor Heineken says it’s leaving Russia Simon Dawson Bloomberg Getty Images Bottles of Heineken lager in a supermarket in Slough, U.K. Drinks giant Heineken has announced it will leave the Russian market. We have concluded that Heineken’s ownership of the business in Russia is no longer sustainable nor viable in the current environment. As a result, we have decided to leave Russia, the company said in a statement on Monday. Heineken had earlier announced that it would stop new investments and exports to Russia as well as ending the production, sale and advertising of the Heineken brand in the country. It also said it would not accept any profit from its business in the country. We aim for an orderly transfer of our business to a new owner in full compliance with international and local laws, the company added on Monday. To ensure the ongoing safety and wellbeing of our employees and to minimize the risk of nationalization, we concluded that it is essential that we continue with the recently reduced operations during this transition period. Heineken would pay the salaries of its 1,800 Russian employees until the end of this year, and would not profit from the transfer of ownership of its business in Russia, the company said. Chloe Taylor Ukraine says Russian forces trying to capture Kyiv’s key roads and settlements Marko Djurica Reuters A Ukranian serviceman stands on top of a Russian tank captured after fighting with Russian troops in the village of Lukyanivka outside Kyiv, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, Ukraine, March 27, 2022. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has said that fighting is ongoing in several regions, with several cities including Kyiv restraining the advance of the Russian enemy. The grouping of Ukrainian forces and means of defense of the city of Kyiv is deterring the Russian enemy, which is trying to break through the Ukrainian defense from the northwest and east in order to take control of key roads and settlements, the ministry said in an update. Russian forces are also advancing on the settlements of Huliaipole, Zaporizhzhia and Verkhnotoretske, as well as cities in southern Ukraine, officials said. Chloe Taylor Kremlin says negotiations are unlikely to resume before Tuesday Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has told reporters that delegations from Russia and Ukraine are flying to Turkey today, with face-to-face negotiations likely to begin tomorrow. Negotiations are unlikely to continue today. Today, delegations are indeed going to Turkey. So, we know that this talks could theoretically happen tomorrow, he said during a press briefing. We cannot and will not talk about progress yet. But the very fact that it was decided to continue the talks in person is certainly important. But for now, we still adhere to the line of non-disclosure of any details related to the negotiations. David Arakhamia, a Ukrainian official who has been taking part in negotiations with Russia, said on Sunday that delegates had decided to hold this round of talks in-person between Monday and Wednesday this week. Chloe Taylor Officials say there were no attacks on Ukrainian capital overnight Sergei Supinsky AFP Getty Images Ukrainian soldiers stand guard at Independence Square in Kyiv on March 26, 2022. The Kyiv City Administration said Monday that Ukraine’s capital was calm overnight, and that there had been no attacks on the city. Officials said in a Telegram post that Kyiv’s infrastructure was working, and citizens were being provided with all utilities. They also urged residents of the capital not to leave their homes unnecessarily. Chloe Taylor Ukrainian official not expecting a major breakthrough at this week’s talks with Russia Pavlo Bahmut Ukrinform Future Publishing Getty Images Vadym Denysenko, an advisor to Ukraine’s interior minister, speaks during a briefing on March 14, 2022. Vadym Denysenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, has said that he does not expect any major breakthroughs during this week’s talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials. Delegations from both countries are set to meet in Turkey on Monday for face-to-face talks, which are expected to run until Wednesday. Denysenko was speaking during a charity television marathon, shown around the world, in support of Ukraine. Chloe Taylor Ukraine won’t open humanitarian corridors Monday over fear of ‘provocations’ Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said that authorities will not be opening humanitarian corridors today, as officials fear a Russian attack is looming. Our intelligence reported possible provocations by the occupiers on the routes of humanitarian corridors, she said on messenger app Telegram. Therefore, for reasons of public safety, we do not open humanitarian corridors today. Ukrainian officials have operated safe exit routes in various locations across the country on an almost daily basis in recent weeks, with the corridors enabling the evacuation of civilians and the import of vital supplies. Early attempts to evacuate civilians from the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha had to be halted, as Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces were violating cease-fire agreements along the evacuation routes. Chloe Taylor Ukraine says 143 children have been killed in the war Yuriy Dyachyshyn AFP Getty Images In this picture taken on March 18, 2022, 109 empty strollers are seen placed outside the Lviv city council during an action to highlight the number of children killed in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The office of Ukraine’s attorney general said Monday that 143 children have been killed in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began on Feb. 24. A further 216 children had been wounded in the war, officials added. Children in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Donetsk suffered the most, the attorney general’s office said, but noted that children had been badly affected across 14 regions of Ukraine. Chloe Taylor Russia and Ukraine delegates to meet in Turkey for talks Maxim Guchek Reuters Ukrainian and Russian flags are seen on a table before talks between officials of the two countries in Belarus on March 3, 2022. Delegations from Ukraine and Russia are scheduled to meet in Turkey today to conduct more talks. David Arakhamia, a Ukrainian official who has been taking part in negotiations with Russia, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that delegates had decided to hold this round of talks in-person. Today, at the next round of talks on video connection, it was decided to hold the next live round by two delegations in Turkey on March 28-30, he said, according to an NBC News translation. Chloe Taylor Ukrainian officials reportedly say Russian forces are withdrawing from some locations The Mayor of Slavutych home to employees of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant said Monday that Russian troops have left the town, Reuters reported. They completed the work they had set out to do, Mayor Yuri Fomichev said in an online video post, according to the news agency. They surveyed the town, today they finished doing it and left the town. There aren’t any in the town right now. On Saturday, Ukrainian media reported that Slavutych had been captured by Russian forces. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s armed forces said in the early hours of Monday morning that some Russian troops were withdrawing from the Kyiv region to Belarus. The regrouping of individual units from the composition of the Russian Eastern Military District continues, the armed forces said in a Facebook update. Units that have suffered significant losses in the process of offensive actions are usually taken to the territory of Belarus for the restoration of militia, the update added, saying the withdrawal from the territory of the Kyiv region was celebrated. But officials noted that battles continued across the country, and that Russian forces continue missile and aviation strikes on important military infrastructure and advanced positions aimed at causing losses and personnel exhaustion. CNBC has not been able to independently verify these reports. Chloe Taylor Russia will likely launch cyberattacks on oil and gas infrastructure, warns cybersecurity firm Russian cyberattacks on oil and gas infrastructure are highly likely given the country’s history of tit-for-tat action against sanctions, said Rob Lee, co-founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm Dragos. In 2014 when Russia invaded Ukraine and took Crimea, there was a number of sanctions levied from the Western financial institutions, Lee said on CNBC’s Street Sign Asia. As a result, Russia ended up using cyberattacks back against those financial institutions. Now that we’re seeing sanctions against oil and gas infrastructure, Nord Stream 2 etc we absolutely expect to start seeing cyberattacks against oil and gas infrastructure, he said. Germany halted the certification of the Nord Stream 2 in late February the gas pipeline was designed to bring natural gas from Russia directly to Europe. Joe Raedle Getty Images An oil pumpjack pulls oil from the Permian Basin oil field on March 14, 2022 in Odessa, Texas. Such an attack could have an oversized impact even if the disruption is not big, due to the high connectivity of the global oil and gas sector, Lee said, citing how a recent attack by Yemen’s Houthis on a Saudi Aramco facility resulted in oil prices jumping. I think it’s really incumbent on these industries to try to be proactive, he said. U.S. President Joe Biden has warned U.S. corporations to strengthen their cybersecurity practices in light of intelligence reports indicating Russia is looking at potential attacks. Eustance Huang ‘No significant change to Russian forces’ dispositions,’ UK says Sefa Karacan Anadolu Agency Getty Images Russian soldiers in Volnovakha district in the pro-Russian separatist-controlled Donetsk, Ukraine, on March 26, 2022. The U.K.’s Ministry of Defense has said that over the last 24 hours there have been no significant change to Russian forces’ dispositions in occupied Ukraine. A continued lack of momentum and morale among the Russian military, as well as ongoing logistical shortages and aggressive resistance from the Ukrainians are all causing problems for Russia, the U.K. said in an intelligence update. Russia has gained most ground in the south in the vicinity of Mariupol where heavy fighting continues as Russia attempts to capture the port, it added. Chloe Taylor Read CNBC’s previous live coverage here: You can read Sunday’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine here: Zelenskyy says Ukraine ready to discuss neutrality status; Blinken says U.S. not seeking regime change India is buying up cheap Russian oil at ‘record discounts’ and China may follow suit Russia’s crude oil deliveries to India were fairly infrequent last year, but there’s been a significant uptick since the Russia-Ukraine war began, say industry observers. Russian crude is being sold at record discounts, says the International Energy Agency. Ellen Wald, president of Transversal Consulting, said a couple of commodity trading firms were also offering discounts of up to $30 per barrel two weeks ago for the Urals blend the main oil blend that Russia exports. While India’s motivations are economic, it would also likely weigh its friendship with Russia in purchasing its oil since both countries having a long history, said Samir N. Kapadia, head of trade at government relations consulting firm Vogel Group. Analysts say China, the largest oil importer in the world, could also go for discounted oil from Russia. China really would prefer much cheaper oil prices are way too high even in the $90 range that’s too high for China, said Ellen Wald, president of Transversal Consulting. Weizhen Tan Zelenskyy says Ukraine ready to discuss neutrality status Emin Sansar Anadolu Agency Getty Images President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 12, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country is prepared to discuss adopting a neutral status as part of a peace deal with Russia, though an agreement would need to be guaranteed by third parties and put to a referendum. Security guarantees and neutrality, non-nuclear status of our state. We are ready to go for it. This is the most important point, Zelenskyy said in a 90-minute video address with Russian journalists. Zelenskyy said that while his government is discussing the use of the Russian language in Ukraine in its talks with Russia, other Russian demands such as demilitarization are not currently on the table. He said Russian-speaking cities in Ukraine have been destroyed during the invasion. Ian Thomas, with reporting from Reuters (https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/business/money-report/russia-and-ukraine-prepare-for-in-person-talks-after-zelenskyy-says-hes-ready-to-discuss-neutral-status-follow-our-live-updates/3010221/)

From digital highlighters to charging ports: Here are 12 gadget deals

It doesn’t need to be a holiday for you to score mega discounts. In fact, you can soothe your retail shopping urge and splurge on these unique deals without leaving the comfort of your computer chair. Not that you need an excuse to spend your hard-earned cash, but it is tax season, after all. Whether you’re expecting a huge return or you’re unbelievably stressed thinking about those cryptocurrency transactions you made this year, retail therapy is here to help. Skinny Can Insulator Double-walled and made of premium stainless steel, this insulated koozie works with all your favorite seltzer brands or other skinny 12-ounce cans. Its silicone non-slip base even helps to keep your drink from tipping over from a slight nudge. Grab one in your choice of five color options for only $14.99. Credit: Grand Fusion Housewares Skinny Can Insulator $14.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal Push Up and Grip Training Bundle If you’ve always wanted to be able to do push-ups, this grip training bundle could be the help you need. It includes an adjustable handgrip up to 88 pounds and a pair of rotating push-up bars to train your forearm flexors and extensors and keep your wrists safe from grueling upper-body workouts. Get the bundle for just $44.99 for a limited time. Credit: Maji Sports Push Up & Grip Training Bundle $44.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal Drinkmate: Sparkling Water and Soda Maker with 60L CO2 Cylinder Our top pick for a soda maker, the Drinkmate is a low-profile gadget that carbonates any beverage from water to juice to tea quickly and easily. It comes with a 60-liter CO2 cylinder, so you can start your sparkling process right away, no electricity or batteries necessary. Get it on sale for $99.99. Credit: Drinkmate Drinkmate: Sparkling Water & Soda Maker with 60L CO2 Cylinder $99.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal Gotek Portable Shoe Deodorizer and Sterilizer From the same folks who make the smart fridge deodorizer, the Gotek Portable Shoe Deodorizer and Sterilizer is designed to knock out 99.97 percent of bacteria in and on your shoes. Just put one side of the device in each shoe, enclose them in a bag, and press the button for up to 16 hours of fresh, bacteria-free footwear. Get it on sale for $96.95 for a limited time. Credit: Rego Tech Gotek Portable Shoe Deodorizer & Sterilizer $96.95 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal Callaway 200s Laser Rangefinder Golfers, this laser rangefinder’s P.A.T. and slope mode help to give you precise distance measurements on the course in a sleek, compact design. It’s designed to lock onto the pin up to 275 yards away, magnify up to 6x within a five to 800-yard range, and deliver superior accuracy within one yard. Usually $249, it’s on sale for $229.99 for a limited time. Credit: Callaway Callaway 200s Laser Rangefinder $229.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal ChargeHub X7 Signature: 7-Port USB Charging Station Eliminate the bulky power strips and extension cables surrounding your outlets with this streamlined charging station. Black, glossy, and about the size of a coaster, the ChargeHub X7 is designed with equally spaced USB ports that can deliver power to seven hungry devices at once. Get it for just $44.99 when you use the code LIMITLESS25 at checkout. Credit: Limitless Innovations ChargeHub X7 Signature: 7-Port USB Charging Station $44.99 at the Mashable Shop with code LIMITLESS25 Get Deal VentiFresh Plus: Next Generation Germ and Odor Eliminator Featured numerous times before, the VentiFresh Plus a UV catalyst core and UV-C light, inspired by NASA’s photocatalyst tech, to destroy odors and produce clean air. It can be used near the cat’s litter box, a bathroom, a shoe closet, a gym bag, or a fridge. It’s usually $84, but you can snag it on sale for only $58.99 for a limited time. Credit: VentiFresh VentiFresh Plus: Next Generation Germ & Odor Eliminator $58.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal Scanmarker Air: Digital Highlighter A futuristic way to take notes, the Scanmarker Air wirelessly transfers printed text into an app or web browser 30 times faster than manually typing it. Just highlight words and phrases as you normally would, and in seconds, the Scanmarker reads it and transports it to MS Word, Excel, Gmail, Facebook, and others, so you can edit it as you please. Save 20 for a limited time and get the new-school highlighter for just $110. Credit: Scanmarker Scanmarker Air: Digital Highlighter $110 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal Guardian Torch Solar-Powered Motion Activated Spotlight Designed for easy setup and hands-off use, this spotlight is powered by the sunlight and requires no unnecessary wiring. When it detects even the slightest of movements within a 120-degree field of view, it instantly blasts its five bright LEDs for clear illumination. Save 19 and outfit your home with one for only $24.99. Credit: Brightology Guardian Torch Solar-Powered Motion Activated Spotlight $24.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal HULKMAN Alpha 85: 2000A Jump Starter Instantly jump-start any 8.5-liter gas and 6.0-liter diesel engine vehicles up to 60 times on a single charge with this advanced car battery jump starter. With its LED screen, you’ll have the speed of charge, battery level, error indicator, and other essential info at your fingertips. It’s on sale for just $119.99 and even packs a built-in USB-A port, USB-C port, and 12V DC port for juicing up your hungry gadgets on the go. Credit: Hulkman HULKMAN Alpha 85: 2000A Jump Starter $119.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal IQbuds² MAX Advanced Hearing Buds The advanced IQbuds² combine the functions of hearing aids with wireless earbuds to give you a listening experience personalized to your custom hearing profile, assessed through the compatible app. They’re also equipped with advanced noise cancellation and ambient sound control to elevate your songs and podcasts. Get a pair for $474.99. Credit: Nuheara IQbuds² MAX Advanced Hearing Buds $474.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal Quanta Vici Smart Heated Gloves and Socks Successfully funded on Kickstarter and Indiegogo, these smart heated accessories are designed to keep your fingers and toes toasty throughout the winter. Battery-powered and rechargeable through USB, you can enjoy customized heat for up to 50 hours on a single charge. Snag a set for $435 a savings of 17. Credit: Quanta Vici Quanta Vici Smart Heated Gloves & Socks $435 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal Prices subject to change. (https://mashable.com/deals/feb-28-gadget-deals)

Seafood Industry Braces for Losses of Jobs, Fish Due to Sanctions on Russia

The worldwide seafood industry is steeling itself for price hikes, supply disruptions and potential job losses as new rounds of economic sanctions on Russia make key species such as cod and crab harder to come by. The latest round of U.S. attempts to punish Russia for the invasion of Ukraine includes bans on imports of seafood, alcohol and diamonds. The U.S. is also stripping most favored nation status from Russia. Nations around the world are taking similar steps. Russia is one of the largest producers of seafood in the world, and was the fifth-largest producer of wild-caught fish, according to a 2020 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Russia is not one of the biggest exporters of seafood to the U.S., but it’s a world leader in exports of cod. It’s also a major supplier of crabs and Alaska pollock, widely used in fast-food sandwiches and processed products like fish sticks. The impact is likely to be felt globally, as well as in places with working waterfronts. One of those is Maine, where more than $50 million in seafood products from Russia passed through Portland in 2021, according to federal statistics. If you’re getting cod from Russia, it’s going to be a problem, said Glen Libby, an owner of Port Clyde Fresh Catch, a seafood market in Tenants Harbor, Maine. That’s quite a mess. We’ll see how it turns out. Russia exported more than 28 million pounds of cod to the U.S. from Jan. 1, 2020, to Jan. 31, 2022, according to census data. The European Union and United Kingdom are both deeply dependent on Russian seafood. And prices of seafood are already spiking in Japan, a major seafood consumer that is limiting its trade with Russia. In the U.K., where fish and chips are a cultural marker, shop owners and consumers alike are bracing for price surges. British fish and chip shops were already facing a squeeze because of soaring energy costs and rising food prices. Andrew Crook, head of the National Federation of Fish Friers, said earlier this month that even before the war he expected a third of Britain’s fish and chip shops to go out of business. If fish prices shoot up even higher, we are in real dire straits, he said. In mid-March, the U.K. slapped a 35 tariff hike on Russian whitefish, including chip-shop staples cod and haddock. We’re a massive part of U.K. culture and it would be a shame to see that go, he told broadcaster ITV. U.S. consumers are most likely to notice the impact of sanctions via price and availability of fish, said Kanae Tokunaga, who runs the Coastal and Marine Economics Lab at Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland. Because seafood is a global commodity, even if they are not harvested in Russia, you will notice the price hike, Tokunaga said. In the U.S., the dependence on foreign cod stems from the loss of its own once-robust Atlantic cod fishery that cratered in the face of overfishing and environmental changes. U.S. fishermen, based mostly in New England, brought more than 100 million pounds of cod to the docks per year in the early 1980s, but the 2020 catch was less than 2 million pounds. Regulators have tried to save the fishery with management measures such as very low fishing quotas, and many fishermen targeting other East Coast groundfish species such as haddock and flounder now avoid cod altogether. Seafood processors in Massachusetts are concerned about job losses due to the loss of Russian products, Democratic U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, who does support sanctions on Russia, said. I have heard from seafood processors in my home state with concerns about potential sudden effects of a new, immediate ban on imports on their workforce, including hundreds of union workers in the seafood processing industry, he said on the Senate floor in February. For U.S. producers of seafood staples such as fish and chips, the lack of Russian cod could mean pivoting to other foreign sources, said Walt Golet, a research assistant professor at the University of Maine’s School of Marine Sciences. We might be able to bring in more from Norway, a little more from Canadian fisheries, Golet said. It really is driven by the price of those imports. As an alternative, producers and consumers could try underutilized fish species caught domestically, such as Atlantic pollock and redfish, said Ben Martens, executive director of Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association. Maybe this is a time to use haddock or hake or maybe monkfish, something different, Martens said. If it’s going to disrupt supply chains it does present an opportunity for other species to fill that void. Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report. (https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/seafood-industry-braces-losses-of-jobs-fish-due-to-sanctions/2928587/)

Inflation Is Hammering the Voters Who Will Soon Decide Some Key Midterm Races

Few areas of the country have seen inflation as bad as in the South, where prices have risen across the 16-state region by an average of 8.4 from a year ago. But prices aren’t the only thing heating up in the South and West, as Georgia and Arizona voters find themselves in a fierce 2022 midterm election cycle. Some residents say rising food, gasoline and housing costs are likely to play a factor in how they vote later this year. The Labor Department’s March 2022 CPI consumer price report is due out Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. ET. Matthew Rice doesn’t have to look hard for signs of inflation in Savannah, Georgia. A gallon of gas cost $2.79 a few months ago, he said. Now it runs him more than $4. And, of course, when the price of gas goes up, the price of products goes up, the 45-year-old added. So yeah. It’s played a role in our household. Rice, a longtime fan of MLB’s Atlanta Braves and a graduate of Armstrong State University, now known as Georgia Southern University, is one of the tens of thousands of Americans who say rising prices are straining their household budgets and shaping how they think about this year’s elections. Gradual but steady jumps in the costs of groceries, housing and gas have forced consumers like Rice, who manages reservations for an RV park on nearby Tybee Island, to change how they spend money. While his work has been busy as more Americans take long-delayed vacations following Covid pandemic-era shutdowns, Rice said inflation has made him choosier when he, his mother and 10-year-old daughter shop for groceries every other Friday. Spencer Platt Getty Images People shop in a store in Brooklyn on March 10, 2022 in New York City. The price of gas, food, cars and other items has hit a 40 year high as inflation continues to rise in America. We have, at times, made substitutions based off what’s available because of the supply chain, he said. And at times, due to the price, we maybe try other brands of products that we normally would not have tried before. Few areas of the country have seen inflation as bad as in the South, where prices have risen across the 16-state region by an average of 8.4 from a year ago. That compares with year-over-year inflation of 8 in the Midwest, 8.1 in the West and 6.6 in the Northeast, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Inflation is particularly bad in Tampa, Florida, Miami and Atlanta where consumer prices have jumped by an average of 9.6, 9.8 and a whopping 10.6, respectively, over the last year. But prices aren’t the only thing heating up in the South and West, as Georgia again finds itself in the middle of a fierce election cycle. Inflation has vaulted to the top of the minds of both voters and candidates across the state. At the federal level, several Republicans hope to unseat Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who defeated Republican Kelly Loeffler in a special election in 2020. Loeffler was appointed in 2019 by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to finish the term of former GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson, who resigned for health reasons. Warnock is Georgia’s first Black senator, and his win gave Democrats a razor-thin majority in the Senate. Dustin Chambers Reuters Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler look on ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump hosting a campaign event with Perdue and Loeffler at Valdosta Regional Airport in Valdosta, Georgia, U.S., December 5, 2020. Meanwhile, the state’s gubernatorial race pits Kemp against fellow Republican and former Sen. David Perdue, who’s been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. In an already bitter primary competition, Perdue hopes to tap into Georgia Republicans’ frustrations with Kemp after the governor refused to overturn the 2020 election results that favored then-candidate Joe Biden. Trump falsely claimed widespread fraud led to Biden’s win, and asked the state’s top elections official to find enough votes for him to reverse his loss. The GOP winner is all but certain to face another tough challenger in the November general election from Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams, who narrowly lost the 2018 governor’s race to Kemp. But as different as Georgia’s candidates and elections are, voters are unified by their shared fatigue over rising sticker prices for gasoline, groceries and housing. For the past several months, Labor Department data has shown that year-over-year price jumps have been hitting levels not seen since the Ronald Reagan administration. In its most recent update last month, the department said its benchmark consumer inflation index rose 7.9 over the last 12 months, the hottest reading since January 1982. The Labor Department’s March 2022 consumer price report is due out on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. ET. Those familiar with the White House’s thinking say the administration expects to see a hot headline March CPI figure given that the prior print failed to fully capture a dramatic uptick in petroleum prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that began in late February. The CPI, or consumer price index, is the department’s tool for measuring the price changes of a basket of goods and services that everyday Americans buy each month. Core inflation, which excludes volatile energy prices, could be more modest by comparison in the March report. The Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank tasked with keeping prices stable, considers inflation around 2 a healthy byproduct of economic growth. But too much can signal overheating and a disconnect between the economy’s broadest forces of supply and demand. For consumers, unruly inflation can erode what economists call purchasing power, or the total quantity of goods and services they can buy at their current income. But as fast as prices rise in Savannah, Rice said some grocery purchases aren’t up for debate. We try not to make too many adjustments because my daughter she likes certain brands, he laughed, saying they can’t substitute cheaper brands for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese or Quaker Oats’ Peaches & Cream flavored instant oatmeal among his daughter’s favorites. Kids usually have a certain taste. Inflation nation Economists say the country’s inflation woes began in the spring of 2021 as Covid vaccines arrived and then was exacerbated by a variety of seemingly unrelated factors. The inoculations stoked demand for all the things consumers gave up to stay safe during the worst of the pandemic travel and dining out. Demand also surged for new cars, paid for in part with all the money saved by staying in for months. Factory shutdowns during the pandemic left automakers like Ford and General Motors behind on production. The surge in demand, combined with a shortage of computer chips, further reduced vehicle inventory and sent prices soaring on cars and electronics. Read more of CNBC’s politics coverage: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says tens of thousands killed in Mariupol; Austrian leader meets Putin. Follow our live updates Inflation is hammering the voters who will soon decide some key midterm races Desperate Ukraine tells U.S. ‘bureaucracy’ is no excuse for failing to provide critical weapons and ammunition Labor shortages due in part to people calling out sick with Covid or quarantining because of an exposure led to freight backlogs at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, and higher shipping costs that were passed on to consumers. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent oil prices spiking, and soaring real estate values have driven up the cost of housing. Caroline Fohlin, an economics professor at Emory University in Atlanta, said Arizona and Georgia are both seeing steep home price jumps as people leave the country’s largest cities for cheaper locales. The pandemic opened up the prospects of working from home from anywhere for city dwellers who could buy expansive homes with yards for the cost of a one-bedroom apartment in New York or San Francisco. Online listing website Apartment List shows that Atlanta rents climbed by about 18 over 2021, with the average per-month cost for a one-bedroom apartment at $1,831. They’re moving in droves to places like Savannah, Charleston you know, the coastal South, Fohlin said. Take a look at the real estate market in, say, Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina where shacks are selling for millions. That’s great news for the old-timers who are able to sell their previously $50,000 shacks for $3 million, she said. Joe Raedle Getty Images A for sale sign in front of a home that Zillow shows has a pending sale of 750,000 dollars on February 18, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Roger Ferguson, former vice chair of the Federal Reserve, attributed most of the rise in consumer prices in Georgia and Arizona to the increase in housing costs. There might be some differences in terms of your labor force, compensation composition, Ferguson, a CNBC contributor, said last month. But my hypothesis is that it’s primarily around housing. In New York City, where renters comprise about 67 of all households, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment fell from about $1,920 per month in February 2020 to $1,510 by January 2021 as residents fled congested cities, according to Apartment List. Rents have more than rebounded since then as bosses increasingly insist on workers returning to their offices. The monthly cost of a one-bedroom apartment in New York City is now around $2,068. Politics of prices The mismatch between supply and demand, and the resulting inflation, has blossomed into a critical issue for Biden and Democrats hoping to retain control of Congress this year. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans, 17, said in March that inflation is the most important problem facing the U.S., according to polling site Gallup. That figure represents a 7 percentage point climb from the 10 of Americans who in February said inflation was the country’s chief headache. Patrick T. Fallon AFP Getty Images Gasoline fuel prices above five dollars a gallon are displayed at a Shell gas station in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on February 17, 2022. As inflation has climbed, Biden’s polling has fallen: Just 36 of those surveyed by Gallup in a recent poll say they approve of his handling of the economy, down from 54 in February 2021. Republicans hoping to win back control of Congress have seized on rising prices as evidence of economic mismanagement and frivolous spending by Democrats, who control the White House and both chambers of Congress. They have focused on the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, the Democratic coronavirus relief law passed in March 2021, as vaccines were starting to boost demand in the U.S. One such Republican is former pro football player Herschel Walker, who’s running against Warnock in Georgia’s Senate race. Dustin Chambers Reuters Former college football star and current senatorial candidate Herschel Walker speaks at a rally, as former U.S. President Donald Trump applauds, in Perry, Georgia, U.S. September 25, 2021. Walker, a longtime Trump ally, echoed the frustrations of many Georgia Republicans earlier this year when he shared on Twitter an image of a near-barren grocery store shelf and blamed Democrats’ economic agenda for the frothy inflation. Our shelves are empty, the supply chain is a mess, and inflation is at the HIGHEST in 40 years, Walker wrote in a Jan. 19 Twitter post. President Biden’s approval ratings continue to drop. Why is he focused on social spending? People just want affordable gas and groceries on the shelves. Democrats attribute the price spikes to a combination of overwhelmed supply chains, the war in Ukraine, labor shortages and unprecedented demand. Warnock specifically has met opponents’ inflation barbs by blaming corporate profiteering. While corporations are seeing record profits, Georgia consumers are seeing record prices, Warnock said in a Twitter post from February. Whether it’s working to ease supply chain issues, or capping out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, I’m fighting for hardworking Georgians every day. Heating up in Arizona Across the country in Arizona, prices have also affected consumer spending and the political landscape. Aaron Spector, a 28-year-old Tempe resident, said his landlord’s move to hike rent by nearly 20 led him to make some changes he bought his own home. Honestly, it just didn’t make sense to rent anymore with the increase that I was seeing, Spector, who works in sales for a logistics firm, told CNBC. I did want to buy a house it was on the timeline. But it was definitely expedited almost necessary when I saw what the rent was increasing to. In nearby Phoenix, Kevin McElwain said signs of housing cost hikes are everywhere. McElwain, who works sourcing labor and materials for homebuilders, said more expensive raw materials are fueling prices for new homes. Anything from framing, concrete, electrical you name it. Prices have risen probably by at least 50, he said. A lot of the problem, he explained, comes from shortages of supply for workers and raw commodities. You have people that will turn down bids for new projects because either they don’t have the necessary parts and materials, or they don’t have the crews, McElwain, 29, said. Scott Olson Getty Images Stacks of lumber are offered for sale at a home center on April 05, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. Those shortages are likely a main culprit in Phoenix’s high prices, which have risen 10.9 over the last 12 months. Over the last year in the city, meat prices have jumped 16.2, clothing costs have climbed 15.5 and restaurant bills are up 5.9. Spector said that inflation, and the state of the economy more broadly, will influence him at the ballot box come Election Day. It will definitely impact how I vote, the graduate of the State University of New York at Geneseo said. It will obviously have an impact. When people’s bank accounts are affected like this, it changes people’s minds. Phoenix resident McElwain, who said he’s not registered to vote with either party, said inflation is on his mind this election year. I’d like to see it be addressed by the candidates that are running, he continued. But I’m still going to take everything that they have to say with a grain of salt one way or the other. Tom Williams CQ-Roll Call, Inc. Getty Images Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., conducts a news conference outside the Capitol to discuss the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act, which would remove serious crime prosecution out of the chain of command, on Thursday, April 29, 2021. Votes from McElwain and Spector this fall will help determine whether Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly will hold on to the seat he won in Arizona’s 2020 special election against then-GOP incumbent Martha McSally to finish out the remainder of former Sen. John McCain’s term. Like Warnock, Kelly has tried to convince voters that he and his fellow Democrats are working to check unruly prices. The retired astronaut in March detailed 6 Things he is doing to try to cool inflation in Arizona. Those efforts include a bill to suspend the federal gas tax for the rest of 2022, his contributions to the CHIPS semiconductor bill and a deal to cap out-of-pocket prescription costs for seniors. We’re in the middle of a global microchip shortage that’s driving up prices on everything from cars to appliances, Kelly said in a Twitter post April 2. Our bill to boost U.S. microchip manufacturing will help end that shortage, create thousands of high-paying jobs for Arizonans, and grow our state’s economy. The strain soaring inflation has put on Americans and the anxiety it has caused incumbents running this fall has shown up repeatedly in the policy choices made by swing-state lawmakers this year. On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., named both Kelly and Warnock to a conference committee that will hash out a final microchip bill with House members. Both senators have also tried to show voters they can address an issue that has vexed Rice in Georgia and people across the U.S.: high gas prices. Kelly and Warnock co-sponsored legislation that would suspend the U.S. gas tax for the rest of the year. The bill has not moved forward since senators unveiled it in February. This bill will lower gas prices by suspending the federal gas tax through the end of the year to help Arizona families struggling with high costs for everything from gas to groceries, Kelly said in a statement at the time. Warnock added in his own statement: Hardworking Georgians being squeezed at the pump understand that every penny counts. Correction: Quaker Oats has a Peaches & Cream flavored instant oatmeal. An earlier version misstated the name of the product. (https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/business/money-report/inflation-is-hammering-the-u-s-south-and-voters-who-will-soon-decide-some-key-midterm-races/2867188/)

Thinkware X1000 review: An excellent dash cam, but you pay for it

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Fantastic front captures Touch display Hardwiring kit Numerous driving assist features Optional radar Cons No internal GPS Uses proprietary power connection Expensive optional OBDII and auxiliary power cables Our Verdict This two-channel dash cam takes fantastic front video at night, and sports an easy-to-use touch display. But it’s pricey for a dash cam that lacks internal GPS. Price When Reviewed $299.99 Best Prices Today Retailer Price Delivery $229.99 Free View Thinkware $299.99 View Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide The $300, dual-channel Thinkware X1000 dash cam offers exceptional front video captures. It also features a handy IPS touch display, a cornucopia of driver assist features, and a connection for external radar. It’s highly capable, but pricey for a unit with no internal GPS. This review is part of our ongoing roundup of the best dash cams. Go there for more reviews and buying advice. Design and features The X1000 is a rectangular unit measuring 4.1-inches wide, by 2.4-inches high, by a mere 1-inch deep the lens housing doesn’t protrude very far as you can see in the photos. Both the front and rear cameras offer a wide 156-degree field of view, covering the better part of the area around the vehicle. Both cameras offer 2560 x1440 resolution, providing a good amount of detail and high dynamic range color. On the back of the main camera is a clear, colorful 3.5-inch touchscreen that’s used to display live camera input and adjust settings. It took me a bit to get used to the display as it required a firmer press than the recently reviewed Cobra 400D. It was also harder to read during the day at a distance, largely because of the amount of red text used on the main screen. I’m being picky, though it’s fun and easy. mentioned in this article Cobra SC 400D Read our review MSRP: 399.95 Best Prices Today: $399.95 at Amazon $399.95 at Cobra On top of the main body is a coupling for the semi-permanent sticky mount. The rear camera is fixed on its semi-permanent mount, though the cable is removable. If I leave a camera on the windshield here in San Francisco it will be gone within a week. For some reason, they’ve never taken a rear camera. Also on top of the main camera are the power jack, GPS jack, radar jack, and the mini USB jack for the rear camera. The left side of the unit has the power button, microphone, and reset button, while the right side is home to the micro SD card slot. Note that a 32GB SD card is included always a nice perk. Again, the radar is actually a LiDAR module used to enhance the driver-assist features. It’s not for detecting RADAR signals from law enforcement. Since the X1000 has a touchscreen display, the only button on the device is for power. The X1000 is graced with a host of driver-assist features. The camera chirps at you any time it senses you’ve departed your lane, are approaching solid objects in your path, or are tardy in leaving the light. The dash cam is rather vigilant in these warnings and I eventually turned off the assist features because I simply didn’t need them. That said, the chirping didn’t bother me. In fact, I missed it when it was gone. It was akin to having a friendly bird sharing the cabin. Go figure, and kudos to Thinkware for that. More mundane features include parking mode, as well as sensitivity adjustments for just about everything. You can turn off the HDR if for some reason you don’t like color. Hard-wired, proprietary Uniquely, in our experience, the X1000 ships with hard-wiring rather than the more common auxiliary or OBDII power cables. The latter are available, but at a rather staggering $30 and $45, respectively. Thinkware’s unusual coaxial power jack means you’re likely stuck with these pricey offerings. The Thinkware X1000 offers exceptional 1440p, 30fps front captures day and night. Obviously, if you want to hardwire this isn’t an issue. But OBDII installations are nearly as clean, and far easier for the average user. Beyond that, if a Thinkware cable breaks or goes bad on the road, you’ll need to order online and wait. The cables with USB connecters that most dash cams use are often available at truck stops and gas station convenience stores. Performance While I have my issues with the X1000’s price and proprietary wiring, it’s impossible to fault its front video. First off, there’s a remarkable lack of fish-eye distortion given the wide 156-degree field of view. Then there’s the day video, which is nicely saturated and shows very good detail. But the night video is the real eye-popper. It shows a remarkable amount of detail, while still handling headlight flare and the like extremely well. The only cameras we’ve tested with the same detail in night captures are the Cobra SC400D and the Nextbase 422GW, 622GW. However, those require brightening to see the details, which the X1000 does not. This is a very crisp forward capture with detail in both bright and low-light areas. If you’ve viewed the night captures in some of our other reviews, the one below will impress you. The detail is nothing short of fantastic, especially given the 1440p resolution and the fact that it’s a lot darker outside than the image would lead you to believe. Note that this is with the headlights off. With them on, detail is even better. You can turn off this Ultra Night Vision processing and produce darker captures if you like. Not something I’d do, but it is possible. This is an absolutely outstanding forward night capture. Plenty of detail, yet no blow-out from the rather bright headlight on the truck across the street. The rear day captures weren’t as detailed as the front, which is likely due to the optics. The colors are slightly duller, the heater wire in my back windshield is squashed and the focus is discombobulated. The image is still quite good, and detail adequate. While not as sharp at the front captures, the X1000 rear day captures are still good. Rear night captures aren’t as good as those from the forward camera either, though they’re still usable. You can really see the heater wire in this capture. That cab be remedied by more careful placement of the rear camera. Get someone to stand outside the vehicle to tell you if it’s situated correctly. This isn’t as sharp and detailed as the forward camera, but it’s still usable. Worth it, but there’s competition There’s no arguing the quality of the X1000’s front video captures they’re as good as anything we’ve seen at 1440p. It’s also versatile with both GPS and radar options and the touch display makes it exceptionally pleasant and easy to use. If you’re into driver-assist features, the X1000 is a short-lister. mentioned in this article Nextbase 422GW modular dual-channel dash cam Read our review MSRP: $224.50 Best Prices Today: $195.49 at Amazon But again, there’s the price. By the time you add the GPS, you’re talking nearly $350. At that price point you also find the aforementioned $400 three-channel Cobra SC400D, which offers better rear captures and a third channel for an optional cabin camera, and the Nextbase 422GW / 622GW, with their versatile modular interior/rear camera systems. (https://www.pcworld.com/article/608241/thinkware-x1000-dash-cam-review-nice-display-fantastic-night-captures-pricey.html)

Tipping Point? NYC Subway Riders, Already Skittish Amid Violent Uptick, React to Mass Shooting

A day after a shooting on a subway in Brooklyn left 23 people injured, 10 of them with gunshot wounds, New Yorkers were still on edge Wednesday possibly feeling a bit less safe on their morning commutes after a tough evening one. During the evening rush hour in Grand Central Terminal, some felt that the shooting only cemented their already present fears and worries about traveling on the subway. We were talking about this at work among the women we don’t feel safe. We always feel like we have to watch our back, said Rashda Bibi. brooklyn subway shooting Apr 12 Brooklyn Subway Attack: Person of Interest Identified, Rented U-Haul Linked to Gunman, Police Say brooklyn subway shooting Apr 12 Gunman Fires 33 Times in Brooklyn Subway Attack, Shooting 10 Riders, Police Say; Person of Interest Identified The morning attack occurred at the height of the morning rush hour, sending terrified riders out of the subways and into the streets, leaving some scrambling for rides. Uber and Lyft said they suspended surge pricing in Sunset Park in the aftermath of the violence, after users blasted both companies for the high prices in a time of need. But even after 7 p.m., it would still cost more than $80 to go from Union Square to Brooklyn’s Windsor Terrace. Uber said it would refund anyone who experienced surge prices. At an evening Yankees game in the Bronx, families expressed fear over riding the subway, while other noticed more security than normal. The attack came at a time when subway violence has surged, up 68 percent in 2022 from the same time the previous year. But officials insist that taking the subway remains safe. IT WAS TERRIFYING. I SAW THE 16-YEAR-OLD KID. I SAW THE 16-YEAR-OLD KID. HE HAD A BULLET IN HIS KNEE. Reporter: TONIGHT, THE Reporter: TONIGHT, THE ARSENAL LEFT BEHIND. THE GUN GLITCH THAT LIKELY SAVED LIVES, AND THE LINK BETWEEN A LIVES, AND THE LINK BETWEEN A KEY, A CREDIT CARD AND THIS U HAUL VAN THAT COULD LEAD POLICE TO THE SHOOTER. WE HAVE BEEN COVERING THE CHAOS, THE RESPONSE, AND THE THE RESPONSE, AND THE INVESTIGATION FOR MORE THAN 14 HOURS, SINCE THE FIRST SHOT WERE FIRED. AND TONIGHT, WE u2019RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE PERSON OF INTEREST, THE VICTIMS AND THE SEARCH FOR A MOTIVE. THANKS FOR STAYING WITH US. BEHIND ME, BELOW ME, THE 36th STREET AND 4th AVENUE HERE STILL AN ACTIVE CRIME SCENE AT THIS HOUR. SEVERAL HOURS AFTER A MAN SEVERAL HOURS AFTER A MAN WEARING A GAS MASK AND REFLECTIVE VEST OPENED TWO SMOKE CANISTERS ON A TRAIN AND FIRED CANISTERS ON A TRAIN AND FIRED NEARLY THREE DOZEN SHOTS. TEN PEOPLE, HIT BY BULLETS. 13 OTHERS ALSO HURT. EVERYONE EXPECTED TO SURVIVE. EVERYONE EXPECTED TO SURVIVE. RIGHT NOW, THE NYPD CAN u2019T SAY ANYONE IS IN CUSTODY FOR THIS, BUT THEY WANT TO FIND THIS MAN, BUT THEY WANT TO FIND THIS MAN, DEEMED A PERSON OF INTEREST, WHO RENTED A U-HAUL VAN THAT MAY BE LINKED TO THE SHOOTING. WE WANT TO SHOW YOU VIDEO WE TOOK JUST ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINUTES AGO. HUNDREDS OF DETECTIVES ARE WORKING THIS CASE. THE NYPD INVESTIGATORS JUST EMERGED FROM THE STOP BEHIND ME WITH THESE EVIDENCE BAGS. WITH THESE EVIDENCE BAGS. OUR TEAM OF REPORTERS IN PLACE TONIGHT COVERING ALL ANGLES OF TONIGHT COVERING ALL ANGLES OF THIS ALMOST UNIMAGINABLE ATTACK. WE u2019LL BEGIN WITH OUR CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER. Reporter: FROM NEW YORK TO PENNSYLVANIA TO THE MIDWEST, INVESTIGATORS BUSY TRYING TO TRACK THE PAST MOVEMENTS OF THAT PERSON OF INTEREST. THEY ARE NOT CALLING HIM THE SHOOTING SUSPECT. TOO SOON TO KNOW THAT. TOO SOON TO KNOW THAT. BUT THEY ARE LOOKING TO SEE IF, IF FINGERPRINTS ON THE GUN, ON THE CANISTERS, FINGERPRINTS ON THE CANISTERS, FINGERPRINTS ON THE MACHETE FOUND AT THE CRIME SCENE, IF THERE u2019S A MATCH. SCENE, IF THERE u2019S A MATCH. INVESTIGATORS WANT TO KNOW IF THE GUNMAN IS THE SAME MAN WHO DROVE THIS U-HAUL VAN FROM PHILADELPHIA TO NEW YORK TO CARRY OUT THE ATTACK. POLICE SAY HIS BAG OF WEAPONS, FIREWORKS AND SMOKE GRENADES SHOW HE WAS RMED TO KILL. SHOW HE WAS RMED TO KILL. THEY RECOVERED A 9 MILLIMETER HAND GUN, MAGAZINES AND A HATCHET. ALSO FOUND IS GASOLINE AND A BAG CONTAINING CONSUMER GRADE FIREWORKS AND A HOBBY FUSE. Reporter: THIS IS A PERSON OF INTEREST, 62-YEAR-OLD FRANK JAMES FROM PHILADELPHIA. POLICE SAY HE RENTED THE U-HAUL POLICE SAY HE RENTED THE U-HAUL IN PENNSYLVANIA. THEY SAY FOUND IN THAT BAG OF WEAPONS ON THE SUBWAY AFTER THE WEAPONS ON THE SUBWAY AFTER THE SHOOTING, KEYS TO THAT U-HAUL VAN. BUT POLICE NOT YET CALLING JAMES A SUSPECT. A SUSPECT. WE ARE LOOKING TO DETERMINE IF HE HAS ANY CONNECTION TO THE TRAIN. Reporter: INVESTIGATORS SAY JAMES HAS A CRIMINAL HISTORY IN PENNSYLVANIA AND HIS NATIVE WISCONSIN, INCLUDING MAKING TERRORISTIC THREATS. TERRORISTIC THREATS. SOME SOURCES SAY HE APPEARS TO HAVE EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. VIDEO HE POSTED ON YOUTUBE SHOW VIDEO HE POSTED ON YOUTUBE SHOW HIM RANTING ABOUT VIOLENCE. FAMOUS LAST WORDS. Reporter: AND THEY SAY HE REFERRED GENERALLY TO MAYOR ADAMS. AS A RESULT OF THAT, AND ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, WE u2019RE GOING TO TIGHTEN THE MAYOR u2019S SECURITY DETAIL. Reporter: SECURITY BEING TIGHTENED ON THE SUBWAYS. TIGHTENED ON THE SUBWAYS. 33 SHOTS FIRED, NO ONE KID, BUT TEN HIT BY GUNFIRE, FIVE SERIOUSLY WOUNDED. SECURITY CAMERAS INSIDE THE SECURITY CAMERAS INSIDE THE STATION WERE NOT WORKING, AND NO POLICE OFFICERS WERE ON THE PLATFORM AT THE TIME. IT HAS BEEN PATROLLED SEVERAL TIMES ON THIS CALENDAR DATE IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. Reporter: NO MOTIVE KNOWN, Reporter: NO MOTIVE KNOWN, THE FBI, ATF, AND HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATORS ASSISTING. FINGERPRINTS AND BALLISTICS FROM FINGERPRINTS AND BALLISTICS FROM THE EVIDENCE RECOVERED, BEING USED TO TRY TO POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE SHOOTER. IDENTIFY THE SHOOTER. AS OF NOW, PREMEDITATED SHOOTING ATTACK, THE LEADING THEORY, NO EVIDENCE SO FAR LINKING IT TO TERROR. ALTHOUGH THE MAYOR SAID THE CITY WAS CLEARLY TERROR FIZIZED THIS WAS CLEARLY TERROR FIZIZED THIS MORNING. AGAIN, POLICE NOT CALLING JAMES THE SUSPECT, BUT THEY ARE WORKING TO FIND WHOEVER WAS THE WORKING TO FIND WHOEVER WAS THE GUNMAN BEHIND THIS MAYHEM. CLEARLY THIS INDIVIDUAL BOARDED THE TRAIN INTENT ON VIOLENCE. Reporter: INVESTIGATORS LOOKING TO SEE WHERE THE GUN, WHERE THOSE FIREWORKS WERE PURCHASED FROM. ALL LEADS BEING FOLLOWED AROUND THE CLOCK. REAL URGENCY AT THIS HOUR, AS REAL URGENCY AT THIS HOUR, AS THE GUNMAN WHO REMAINS OUT THERE THE GUNMAN WHO REMAINS OUT THERE A THREAT GIVEN WHAT TOOK PLACE THIS MORNING. JONATHAN, THANK YOU. BACK OUT HERE LIVE TO ONE OF TWO CRIME SCENES IN BROOKLYN TONIGHT. THE 36th STREET STATION, JUST OVER FOUR MILES AWAY FROM THE SPOT WHERE INVESTIGATORS SAY FRANK JAMES PARKED THAT U-HAUL. FRANK JAMES PARKED THAT U-HAUL. IDA SIEGEL HAS SOME NEW INFORMATION ON THE PERSON WHO LED POLICE TO THAT VEHICLE. Reporter: NUMEROUS STREETS IN Reporter: NUMEROUS STREETS IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAD BEEN CLOSED SENSE LATE THIS AFTERNOON, AND THAT u2019S BECAUSE DETECTIVES WERE CAREFULLY AND METICULOUSLY GOING THROUGH THAT U-HAUL VAN TO SEE WHAT WAS INSIDE. IT u2019S A MAJOR PIECE OF EVIDENCE THAT POLICE FOUND, THANKS TO A RESIDENT WHO CALLED 911. I SPOKE TO THAT MAN OVER THE PHONE. HE DOESN u2019T WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED BUT TOLD ME THAT THE SUPER TOLD HIM ABOUT A U-HAUL VAN THAT WAS HIM ABOUT A U-HAUL VAN THAT WAS BLOCKING THE BUILDING u2019S DRIVEWAY. ANOTHER RESIDENT APPARENTLY SAW IT PARKED THERE AT SOME POINT YESTERDAY. AND THEN THE DRIVER LEAVING IT BEHIND. WHEN HE HEARD THAT THE U-HAUL VAN HAD ARIZONA PLATES AND THE TRAIN STATION IS A COUPLE BLOCKS TRAIN STATION IS A COUPLE BLOCKS AWAY, HE CALLED 911 IMMEDIATELY. NOW THAT HE u2019S DONE THAT, POLICE HAVE THAT VAN IN THEIR CUSTODY HAVE THAT VAN IN THEIR CUSTODY AND CAN REMOVE IT AND INSPECT IT FURTHER. REPORTING FROM GRAVES END, IDA SIEGEL, “NEWS4 NEW YORK. ” THE SITE OF THIS MORNING u2019S PANIC AND CHAOS WHERE WE ARE PANIC AND CHAOS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, SEES MORE THAN 9,000 PEOPLE PASS THROUGH THE TURNSTILES ON AVERAGE EACH DAY. TURNSTILES ON AVERAGE EACH DAY. THIS IS A SCENE THERE THIS MORNING. BLOOD STAINS, PLATFORMS FILLED WITH INJURED PASSENGERS. JESSICA CUNNINGTON CONTINUES OUR COVERAGE WITH A CLOSER LOOK. JESSICA? Reporter: AND DAVID, YOU SAID IT EARLIER TODAY, THAT THE SUBWAY SYSTEM IS WHAT BRINGS US TOGETHER, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, AND TONIGHT, THERE ARE NEW AND TONIGHT, THERE ARE NEW YORKERS WHO SAW, HEARD, AND FELT THINGS THAT THEY NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD ON THEIR WAY HOME, ON THEY WOULD ON THEIR WAY HOME, ON THEIR WAY TO SCHOOL OR ON THEIR WAY TO WORK, AS THIS MANHUNT CONTINUES TONIGHT. IN AN INSTANT, THE ROUTINE MORNING COMMUTE WAS SHATTERED. PEOPLE SCREAMING “BOMB, GUN, PEOPLE SCREAMING “BOMB, GUN, HE u2019S SHOOTING, GET DOWN. ” Reporter: THE HEART BEAT OF OUR CITY, ATTACKED. OUR CITY, ATTACKED. DOZENS OF SHOTS FIRED ON A PACKED M-TRAIN IN BROOKLYN TUESDAY MORNING. TUESDAY MORNING. CLEARLY THIS INDIVIDUAL BOARDED THE TRAIN INTENT ON VIOLENCE. Reporter: A MAN WEARING AN ORANGE NYLON VEST AND GAS MASKS ORANGE NYLON VEST AND GAS MASKS OPENED TWO SMOKE GRENADES AND OPENED FIRE BEFORE 8:30 A.M. KENNETH SMITH WAS IN THE NEXT CAR OVER. CAR OVER. YOU START SEEING FACES AGAINST THE GLASS, AND IT u2019S PEOPLE, AND IT WAS LIKE SEVERAL WOMEN BANGING AGAINST THE GLASS, SCREAMING. Reporter: HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES TO GET OUT. YOU SEE A FLASH OF ORANGE, AND THAT AFTER THAT, I DID CHECK TWITTER AND SEE THAT MIGHT CHECK TWITTER AND SEE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE PERPETRATOR. I DID SEE A GENTLEMAN, WHO WAS SHOT IN THE LOWER STOMACH, WAS SHOT IN THE LOWER STOMACH, LAYING ON THE GROUND, BEING TREATED BY THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE, BYSTANDERS. NOT EMS. Reporter: ABOVE GROUND, A Reporter: ABOVE GROUND, A SWARM OF OFFICERS AND DETECTIVES FROM SEVERAL AGENT SIS. SEVERAL SCHOOLS ON LOCKDOWN, TRAIN LINES SHUT DOWN. AS INVESTIGATORS SEARCH FOR FRANK R. JAMES, A PERSON OF INTEREST IN THIS CASE. WE ARE LOOKING TO DETERMINE IF HE HAS ANY CONNECTION TO THE TRAIN. WE KNOW MR. JAMES RENTED THAT U-HAUL TRUCK IN PHILADELPHIA. Reporter: LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS STANDING BY NYPD BRASS TONIGHT AS THEY ASK FOR TIPS FROM THE PUBLIC, VIDEOS IN PARTICULAR TO TRACK DOWN JAMES PARTICULAR TO TRACK DOWN JAMES AND WHOEF THEVER THE SHOOTER. I WASN u2019T THE ONE WHO HEARD THE SHOTS. THE SHOTS. THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO I THINK ABOUT, WHO I CAN u2019T STOP THINKING ABOUT. THOSE PEOPLE I COULDN u2019T HELP. Reporter: A LOT OF PEOPLE FEELING THAT EXACT WAY TONIGHT, DAVID. AND AS INVESTIGATORS RIGHT NOW, AS THE HOURS GO BY ARE PORING OVER SURVEILLANCE VIDEO TRYING OVER SURVEILLANCE VIDEO TRYING TO FIND THE SUSPECT AND IDENTIFY A SUSPECT HERE, THE FBI AND NYPD ARE ASKING NEW YORKER IT IS YOU ARE ASKING NEW YORKER IT IS YOU WERE HERE TODAY, IF YOU HAVE ANY CELL PHONE VIDEO, PLEASE SEND IT IN TO THEM. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION TO HELP, CALL CRIME STOPPERS, AS WELL. DAVID? JESSICA CUNNINGTON, THANK YOU. FIRST RESPONDERS DIVIDED INTO TWO DOZEN INJURED AMONG FOUR DIFFERENT HOSPITALS IN BROOKLYN. AMONG THEM, MAIMONIDES WHERE THE GOVERNOR VISITED TONIGHT. CHECKEY? Reporter: DAVID, WHILE THE 23 VICTIMS WERE SPREAD OUT AT HOSPITALS ACROSS THE CITY, THE PEDIATRIC ONES WERE BROUGHT HERE. THE YOUNGEST JUST 12 YEARS OLD. THE GOVERNOR PAID THOSE PATIENTS A VISIT TONIGHT AND SAID SHE A VISIT TONIGHT AND SAID SHE SPENT AS MUCH TIME CONSOLING THEIR ANXIOUS PARENTS AS SHE DID THEIR ANXIOUS PARENTS AS SHE DID THE PATIENTS THEMSELVES. AS THE SMOKE CLEARED, THE INJURED WERE RUSHED TO LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE MEDICAL CENTER HERE TAKING THE YOUNGEST VICTIMS IN THE YOUNGEST VICTIMS IN TUESDAY u2019S SUBWAY SHOOTINGS. ONE 12, ONE 13, A 15 AND 16-YEAR-OLD. I u2019VE HAD CHILDREN INJURED I u2019VE HAD CHILDREN INJURED BEFORE, AND IT HITS YOU RIGHT HERE. Reporter: GOVERNOR HOCHUL VISITING THE VIMSCTIMS HERE. THE MOTHER WAS THERE ALONE, THE MOTHER WAS THERE ALONE, AND IT WAS SO SAD TO SEE HER THROUGH A TRANSLATOR TALK ABOUT HER ANXIETY. ALL SHE HAD IS HER SON. ALL SHE HAD IS HER SON. Reporter: THAT TEEN, SHOT IN THE LAND, NEARLY LOSING HIS FINGER. IT WAS A DEVASTATING INJURY IT WAS A DEVASTATING INJURY TO THE THUMB, AND IT DESTROYED A LOT OF THE BONE, THE JOINT, THE TENDONS AND THE NERVES. Reporter: SPEAKING TO CNN FROM HIS HOSPITAL BED, HE SAYS HE u2019S IN EXTREME PAIN. HE u2019S IN EXTREME PAIN. THE WORST PAIN I u2019VE FELT IN MY LIFE. Reporter: HE SAID HE SAT NEXT Reporter: HE SAID HE SAT NEXT TO THE SHOOTER BEFORE SMOKE FILLED THE CAR. HE SAYS HE WAS TRYING TO SHIELD A PREGNANT WOMAN WHEN HE WAS HIT. SHE SAID I u2019M PREGNANT WITH A BABY. I HUGGED HER, AND I GOT PUSHED AND THEN GOT SHOT IN THE BACK OF MY KNEE. Reporter: HIS ACTIONS, LIKE SO MANY ON THIS DIFFICULT DAY, SO MANY ON THIS DIFFICULT DAY, HELPING FALLEN AND WOUNDED STRAP HANGERS. ALL THESE FELLOW RIDERS THIS ALL THESE FELLOW RIDERS THIS MORNING WHO STEPPED UP TO HELP PEOPLE IS ANOTHER TESTAMENT HOW INCREDIBLE NEW YORKERS ARE. INCREDIBLE NEW YORKERS ARE. Reporter: NEW YORKERS INDEED. NOW, WE u2019RE TOLD THAT THREE OF THE MINORS WERE TREATED FOR SMOKE INHALATION AND RELEASED. ONE MINOR REMAINS HERE TONIGHT, THE 16-YEAR-OLD WITH THAT THE 16-YEAR-OLD WITH THAT GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HAND. AND AN 18-YEAR-OLD MAN WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE LEG. GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE LEG. WE u2019RE LIVE, CHECKEY BECKFORD, “NEWS4 NEW YORK. ” DAVID, BACK TO YOU. CHECKEY, THANK YOU. CHECKEY, THANK YOU. ALL NEW YORKERS PULLING FOR THEIR RECOVERY. ALL NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY LINES ARE NOW BACK UP AND RUNNING. THE ONLY EXCEPTIONS ARE THE D AND R LINES, THEY u2019RE BYPASS THING STATION. THING STATION. BUT THE QUESTION TONIGHT, WILL BUT THE QUESTION TONIGHT, WILL ALREADY SKITTISH RIDERS RETURN? ANJILI? Reporter: WELL, DAVID, MANY Reporter: WELL, DAVID, MANY PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED TONIGHT u2019S NETS GAME HOPPED ON THE SUBWAY TO GET HOME. BUT AFTER THIS MORNING u2019S ATTACK AND A RECENT SURGE IN VIOLENCE, SOME SAY THEY DON u2019T FEEL SAFE IN THE SUBWAY ANY MORE. THE SUBWAY ANY MORE. SCARY TO SAY THE LEAST. Reporter: NEW YORKERS STILL ON EDGE TONIGHT AS THEY HEADED HOME FROM WORK DURING THE HOME FROM WORK DURING THE EVENING RUSH AND BUSY GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS AT WORK. YOU KNOW, WE DON u2019T FEEL SAFE. YOU KNOW, WE DON u2019T FEEL SAFE. WE ALWAYS HAVE TO FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO WATCH OUR BACK. Reporter: THIS MORNING, THE SUBWAY ATTACK HAPPENED AT THE HEIGHT OF MORNING RUSH HOUR, SENDING COMMUTERS OUT OF THE SUBWAYS INTO THE STREETS, SUBWAYS INTO THE STREETS, LEAVING NEW YORKERS SCRAMBLING FOR RIDES. UBER AND LYFT SUSPENDED PRICING UBER AND LYFT SUSPENDED PRICING AFTER USERS BLASTED BOTH COMPANIES FOR HIGH PRICES IN THE WAKE OF THE ATTACK. BUT IT WAS STILL MORE THAN $80 TO GO FROM UNION SQUARE TO TO GO FROM UNION SQUARE TO BROOKLYN. IT WAS UNNERVING. Reporter: AND AT TONIGHT u2019S YANKEES GAME, FAMILIES EXPRESSING FEAR OVER RIDING THE IN THE STATION. SO I FELT SAFE. Reporter: THIS MORNING u2019S Reporter: THIS MORNING u2019S ATTACK COMES AT A TIME WHEN SUBWAY VIOLENCE HAS SURGED, UP 68 THIS YEAR OVER LAST. I TOOK THE SUBWAY OVER HERE EARLY THIS MORNING TO LET NEW YORKERS KNOW WE APPRECIATE THEIR YORKERS KNOW WE APPRECIATE THEIR RESILIENCY, HOW TOUGH THEY ARE. AND I FEEL GRATEFUL TO THE CITY THAT NEW YORKERS CANNOT BE KEPT THAT NEW YORKERS CANNOT BE KEPT DOWN. Reporter: BUT SOME SAY THEY u2019RE NOT COMFORTABLE GETTING BACK ON BOARD. YOU DON u2019T KNOW WHAT u2019S GOING YOU DON u2019T KNOW WHAT u2019S GOING TO HAPPEN ANY MORE. EVERY DAY THE CITY GETS CRAZIER AND CRAZIER IT SEEMS LIKE. Reporter: DAVID, SUBWAY SERVICE IS EXPECTED TO BE BACK TO NORMAL FOR TOMORROW u2019S RUSH, AND UBER WILL REFUND ANYONE WHO EXPERIENCED SURGE PRICES. EXPERIENCED SURGE PRICES. ANJALI HEMPHILL, “NEWS4 NEW YORK. ” THE NETS OPENED UP THE NBA PLAYOFFS AT BARCLAYS CENTER AND THEY HELD A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF THE ATTACK. THE FACILITY IS ABOUT A HALF MILE FROM THE SCENE OF TODAY u2019S SHOOTING. THE TEAM RELEASED A STATEMENT THE TEAM RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING IN PART THE NETS ANNOUNCED THEY WILL THE NETS ANNOUNCED THEY WILL DONATE $50,000 TO THE VICTIMS OF THE SHOOTING. OUR COVERAGE OF THE ATTACK AND INVESTIGATION CONTINUES AND INVESTIGATION CONTINUES AROUND THE CLOCK, ON OUR APP AND AT NBCNEWYORK.COM. THERE YOU WILL FIND A LIVE BLOG, THERE YOU WILL FIND A LIVE BLOG, INCLUDING UP TO THE MINUTE INFORMATION, AS WELL AS COMMUTER ALERTS AND HISTORY OF ATTACKS IN THE NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY. THE NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY. NATALIE, AS I SEND IT BACK TO YOU, THIS HAS BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY DAY IN NEW YORK CITY, A CITY THAT u2019S SEEN MANY OF THEM. IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE, THOUGH IT IS BAD. NEW YORKERS, NOR THE NYPD WILL”,”video_id”:”2022508099555_808″,”video_length”:”922389″,”video_provider”:”mpx”,”short_video_excerpt”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_low”:”SKq4FBInf_VJ”,”pid_streaming_web_mobile_low”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_standard”:”91OXstGsKp74″,”pid_streaming_mobile_standard”:”128jcvviw6cU”,”alleypack_schedule_unpublish”:””,”feed_remote_id”:”mpx_2022508099555″,”feed_thumbnail_url”:”” ” data-livestream=”false” data-title=”Brooklyn Subway Shooting: Hunt for Gunman After Bullets Fly in Sunset Park” data-vidcid=”1:2:3643468″ data-vidurl=”https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/brooklyn-subway-shooting-hunt-for-gunman-after-bullets-fly-in-sunset-park/3643468/” data-islead=”false” data-catnames=” “1444”:”On Air”,”1445″:”As Seen On”,”64″:”News”,”65″:”Local”,”68″:”U.S. World” ” data-tagnames=” “659906”:”as seen on”,”151″:”Brooklyn”,”876615″:”brooklyn subway shooting”,”15543″:”Eric Adams”,”877471″:”frank james”,”877600″:”frank r. james”,”15342″:”Gravesend”,”941″:”gun violence”,”6804″:”NYC Subway”,”208606″:”subway crime”,”680482″:”Sunset Park”,”6280″:”terror” ” data-customdata=” “ContentPartner”:”None”,”Source”:”WEBFM”,”SyndicationAllowed”:”true”,”mSNVideoCategories”:”MSN Video v4 Connector-most watched news”,”mSNVideoContentSupplierID”:”NBC_Local”,”mSNVideoCountry”:”us”,”subtitle”:”nosubtitle”,”uploadedByTeam”:”1″,”youtubeChannel”:”None” ” data-autoplay=”false” data-cplay=”true” I took the subway over here to let New Yorkers know: We appreciate their resilience in how tough that they still keep coming on this subway, and I was really grateful to see that New Yorkers cannot be kept down, said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. But some riders said they are still not comfortable getting back on board. It’s an every day thing, you never know what’s going to happen anymore. Every day the city gets crazier and crazier it seems like, said Jesus Vasquez, of the Bronx. Public transportation unfortunately is the only route right now. It’s just a matter of feeling safe, said Bibi. The NYPD is asking New Yorkers to be on alert in the subway, while the search for the shooter continues. (https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/will-already-skittish-nyc-subway-riders-return-after-mass-shooting-at-brooklyn-station/3643484/)

Biden Tapping Oil Reserves for 1 Million Barrels a Day for 6 Months to Control Gas Prices

President Joe Biden is ordering the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve for six months, the White House said Thursday, in a bid to control energy prices that have spiked after the U.S. and allies imposed steep sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The White House said Biden is also calling on Congress to impose financial penalties on oil and gas companies that lease public lands but aren’t producing. And he intends to invoke the Defense Production Act to encourage the mining of critical minerals for batteries in electric vehicles, part of a broader push to shift toward cleaner energy sources and reduce the use of fossil fuels. The actions demonstrate forcefully that oil remains a key vulnerability for the U.S. at home and abroad. Higher prices have hurt Biden’s approval domestically, while also adding billions of oil-export dollars to the Russian war chest as it wages war on Ukraine. The release of reserves in the U.S. would create pressures that could reduce oil prices, though Biden has already twice ordered releases from the strategic reserves without causing a meaningful shift in oil markets. United States 12 hours ago Oil Prices Slide as Biden Announces Largest-Ever Strategic Petroleum Reserve Release politics Mar 30 Germany Warns of Possible Natural Gas Rationing Amid Dispute With Russia Part of Biden’s concern is that high prices have not so far coaxed a meaningful jump in oil production. The planned release is a way to increase supplies as a bridge until oil companies ramp up their own production, with administration officials estimating that domestic production will grow by 1 million barrels daily this year and an additional 700,000 barrels daily in 2023. The markets reacted quickly with crude oil prices dropping about 4 in Thursday trading to under $104 a barrel. Still, oil is up from roughly $60 a year ago, with supplies failing to keep up with demand as the world economy has begun to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic. That inflationary problem was compounded by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which created new uncertainties about oil and natural gas supplies and led to retaliatory sanctions from the U.S. and its allies. Biden has been in talks with allies and partners to join in additional releases of oil, such that the world market will get more than the 180 million barrels total being pledged by the U.S. Americans on average use about 21 million barrels of oil daily, with about 40 of that devoted to gasoline, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That total accounts for about a fifth of total global consumption of oil. Domestic oil production is equal to more than half of U.S. usage, but high prices have not led companies to return to their pre-pandemic levels of output. The U.S. is producing on average 11.7 million barrels daily, down from 13 million barrels in early 2020. Republican lawmakers have said the problem rests with the Biden administration being hostile to oil permits and the construction of new pipelines such as the Keystone XL. Democrats have countered that the country needs to move to renewable energy such as wind and solar that could reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and Putin’s leverage. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mt., blasted Biden’s action to tap the reserve without first taking steps to increase American energy production, calling its a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. Daines called Biden’s actions desperate moves that avoid what he called the real solution: investing in American energy production, especially oil and gas. Biden needs to stop appeasing the woke green activists and get oil and gas leases going again, Daines said. The Biden administration has countered that increasing oil output is a gradual process and the release would provide time to ramp up production. It also wants to incentivize greater production by putting fees on unused leases on government lands, something that would require congressional approval. Oil producers have been more focused on meeting the needs of investors than consumers, according to a survey released last week by the Dallas Federal Reserve. About 59 of the executives surveyed said investor pressure to preserve capital discipline amid high prices was the reason they weren’t pumping more, while fewer than 10 blamed government regulation. The steady release from the reserves would be a meaningful sum and come near to closing the domestic production gap relative to February 2020, before the coronavirus caused a steep decline in oil output. Still, the politics of oil are complicated with industry advocates and environmentalists both criticizing the planned release. Industry advocates want to make drilling easier, while environmental groups say energy companies should be forced to pay a special tax on windfall profits instead. The American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas industry’s top lobbying group, said Biden needs to stop focusing on interim steps such as the strategic reserve. Instead of managing from crisis to crisis, we should be focused on promoting policies that avoid them altogether through increased production of our nation’s domestic energy resources, said Frank Macchiarola, senior VP of policy, economics and regulatory affairs. Jamie Henn, spokesperson for STOP, said releasing more oil from the strategic reserve won’t address the root cause of these high gas prices: Big Oil’s coordinated campaign to gouge Americans at the pump. A better solution would be to pass the windfall profits tax proposed in Congress which guarantees immediate relief to Americans without undermining the administration’s climate goals. Big Oil should pay for the problem they’ve created. The Biden administration in November announced the release of 50 million barrels from the strategic reserve in coordination with other countries. And after the Russia-Ukraine war began, the U.S. and 30 other countries agreed to an additional release of 60 million barrels from reserves, with half of the total coming from the U.S. According to the Department of Energy, which manages it, more than 568 million barrels of oil were held in the reserve as of March 25. After the release, the government would begin to replenish the reserve once prices have sufficiently fallen. News of the administration’s planning was first reported by Bloomberg. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Michael Balsamo contributed to this report. (https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/biden-tapping-oil-reserves-for-1-million-barrels-a-day-for-6-months-to-control-gas-prices/2928986/)

New Vehicles Must Average 40 Mpg by 2026, Up From 24 Mpg

New vehicles sold in the United States will have to travel an average of at least 40 miles per gallon of gasoline in 2026 under new rules unveiled Friday by the government. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said its fuel economy requirements will undo a rollback of standards enacted under President Donald Trump. The new requirements increase gas mileage by 8 per year for model years 2024 and 2025 and 10 in the 2026 model year. For the current model year, standards enacted under Trump require the fleet of new vehicles to get just over 24 miles per gallon in real-world driving. Agency officials say the requirements are the maximum that the industry can achieve over the time period and will reduce gasoline consumption by more than 220 billion gallons over the life of vehicles, compared with the Trump standards. Trump’s administration rolled back fuel economy requirements so they rose 1.5 per year, which environmental groups said was inadequate to limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change. But the new standards won’t immediately match those adopted through 2025 under President Barack Obama. NHTSA officials said they will equal the Obama standards by 2025 and slightly exceed them for the 2026 model year. The Obama-era standards automatically adjusted for changes in the type of vehicles people are buying. When they were enacted in 2012, 51 of new vehicle sales were cars and 49 SUVs and trucks. Last year, 77 of new vehicle sales were SUVs and trucks, which generally are less efficient than cars. Some environmental groups said the new requirements from NHTSA under President Joe Biden don’t go far enough to fight global warming. Climate change has gotten much worse, but these rules only require automakers to reduce gas-guzzling slightly more than they agreed to cut nine years ago, said Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport Center at the Center for Biological Diversity. He said the final rule is about 2 mpg short of the strongest alternative that NHTSA considered. Officials said that under the new standards, owners would save about $1,400 in gasoline costs during the lifetime of a 2029 model year vehicle. Carbon dioxide emissions would drop by 2.5 billion metric tons by 2050 under the standards, the NHTSA said. The agency did not give figures for how much the standards would increase the cost of vehicles. Auto dealers say more stringent requirements drive up prices and push people out of an already expensive new-car market. The NHTSA sets fuel economy requirements, while the Environmental Protection Agency develops limits on greenhouse gas emissions. NHTSA officials said their requirements nearly match rules adopted in December by the EPA, so automakers don’t have to comply with two rules. (https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/new-vehicles-must-average-40-mpg-by-2026-up-from-24-mpg/2860808/)

Ukrainian President Says Defense Is at a ‘Turning Point,’ Pleads for More US Help

The Ukrainian president said his country’s defense against the Russian invasion is at a turning point and again pressed the United States for more help, hours after the Kremlin’s forces reneged on a pledge to scale back some of their operations. Russian bombardment of areas around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv and intensified attacks elsewhere in the country further undermined hopes for progress toward ending the brutal war. Talks between Ukraine and Russia were set to resume Friday by video, according to the head of the Ukrainian delegation, David Arakhamia. A delegation of Ukrainian lawmakers visited Washington on Wednesday to push for more U.S. assistance, saying their nation needs more military equipment, more financial help and tougher sanctions against Russia. We need to kick Russian soldiers off our land, and for that we need all, all possible weapons, Ukrainian parliament member Anastasia Radina said at a news conference at the Ukrainian Embassy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the case directly to U.S. President Joe Biden. If we really are fighting for freedom and in defense of democracy together, then we have a right to demand help in this difficult turning point. Tanks, aircraft, artillery systems. Freedom should be armed no worse than tyranny, Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation, which he delivered standing in the dark outside the dimly lit presidential offices in Kyiv. He thanked the U.S. for an additional $500 million in aid that was announced Wednesday. More Russia-Ukraine Coverage 10 hours ago Ukrainians Already in US Mobilize to Prepare for Up to 100,000 Inbound Refugees Gas prices 16 hours ago Biden Planning Bigger Tap Into Oil Reserve to Combat Gas Prices There seemed little faith that Russia and Ukraine will resolve the conflict soon, particularly after the Russian military’s about-face and its most recent attacks. Russia said Tuesday that it would de-escalate operations near Kyiv and Chernihiv to increase mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations. Zelenskyy and the West were skeptical. Soon after, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian shelling was hitting homes, stores, libraries and other civilian sites in or near those areas. Russian troops also stepped up their attacks on the Donbas region in the east and around the city of Izyum, which lies on a key route to the Donbas, after redeploying units from other areas, the Ukrainian side said. Olexander Lomako, secretary of the Chernihiv city council, said the Russian announcement turned out to be a complete lie. At night they didn’t decrease, but vice versa increased the intensity of military action, Lomako said. A top British intelligence official said Thursday that demoralized Russian soldiers in Ukraine were refusing to carry out orders and sabotaging their own equipment and had accidentally shot down their own aircraft. In a speech in the Australian capital Canberra, Jeremy Fleming, who heads the GCHQ electronic spy agency, said President Vladimir Putin had apparently massively misjudged the invasion, he said. Although Putin’s advisers appeared to be too afraid to tell the truth, the extent of these misjudgments must be crystal clear to the regime, he said. U.S. intelligence officials have given similar assessments that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about the poor performance of his military in Ukraine because they are too afraid to tell him the truth. Five weeks into the invasion that has left thousands dead on both sides, the number of Ukrainians fleeing the country topped a staggering 4 million, half of them children, according to the United Nations. I do not know if we can still believe the Russians, Nikolay Nazarov, a refugee from Ukraine, said as he pushed his father’s wheelchair at a border crossing into Poland. I think more escalation will occur in eastern Ukraine. That is why we cannot go back to Kharkiv. Zelenskyy said the continuing negotiations with Russia were only words without specifics. He said Ukraine was preparing for concentrated new strikes on the Donbas. Zelenskyy also said he had recalled Ukraine’s ambassadors to Georgia and Morocco, suggesting they had not done enough to persuade those countries to support Ukraine and punish Russia for the invasion. With all due respect, if there won’t be weapons, won’t be sanctions, won’t be restrictions for Russian business, then please look for other work, he said. During talks Tuesday in Istanbul, the faint outlines of a possible peace agreement seemed to emerge when the Ukrainian delegation offered a framework under which the country would declare itself neutral dropping its bid to join NATO, as Moscow has long demanded in return for security guarantees from a group of other nations. Top Russian officials responded positively, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying Wednesday that Ukraine’s willingness to accept neutrality and look outside NATO for security represents significant progress, according to Russian news agencies. But those statements were followed by attacks. Oleksandr Pavliuk, head of the Kyiv region military administration, said Russian shells targeted residential areas and civilian infrastructure in the Bucha, Brovary and Vyshhorod regions around the capital. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the military also targeted fuel depots in two towns in central Ukraine with air-launched long-range cruise missiles. Russian forces hit a Ukrainian special forces headquarters in the southern Mykolaiv region, he said, and two ammunition depots in the Donetsk region, in the Donbas. In southern Ukraine, a Russian missile destroyed a fuel depot in Dnipro, the country’s fourth-largest city, regional officials said. The U.S. said Russia had begun to reposition less than 20 of its troops that had been arrayed around Kyiv. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said troops from there and some other zones began moving mostly to the north, and some went into neighboring Belarus. Kirby said it appeared Russia planned to resupply them and send them back into Ukraine, but it is not clear where. The Ukrainian military said some Russian airborne units were believed to have withdrawn into Belarus. In northern Ukraine, Russian forces took no offensive actions Wednesday, focusing on reconnaissance and logistics, the general staff said in a statement. But Russia is expected to increase attacks soon to protect its own troops as they are repositioned, it said. The Russians also are expected to try to blockade Chernihiv. Top Russian military officials say their main goal now is the liberation of the Donbas, the predominantly Russian-speaking industrial heartland where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014. Some analysts have suggested that the focus on the Donbas and the pledge to de-escalate may merely be an effort to put a positive spin on reality: Moscow’s ground forces have been thwarted and have taken heavy losses in their bid to seize the capital and other cities. In other developments: The U.N. is looking into allegations some residents of the besieged and shattered southern city of Mariupol were forcibly taken to areas controlled by Russian forces or to Russia itself. Germany said Russia had reassured it European companies won’t have to pay for Russian gas in rubles, a prospect that raised fears Russia could cut off supplies. Also, Poland said it would end Russian oil imports by the year’s end. Click here for complete coverage of the crisis in Ukraine. Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report. (https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/ukrainian-president-says-defense-is-at-a-turning-point-pleads-for-more-us-help/2859729/)

How Much Will California’s Proposed $400 Gas Tax Rebate Help You?

On Thursday, a group of California state lawmakers proposed a $400 rebate for the gas tax, in light of the sky-high gas prices that drivers are paying right now. While announcing the proposal, lawmakers said the $400 would more than cover a full year of California’s gas tax. The rebate is just a proposal for now, with some distance to go before it’s signed into law. But would it really cover a full year of taxes for gas? We spent some time crunching numbers so you don’t have to. Here’s what we found. What We Know California’s gas tax for the period between July 2021 and June 2022 is $0.511 per gallon of gas, according to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Assuming the gas tax rate stays the same after June 2022, the $400 rebate covers the state taxes a Californian would have to pay for roughly 782.8 gallons of gas. That’s a significant amount for the 16,710,195 Californians that the U.S. Census Bureau estimates are employed, over the age of 16 and working somewhere other than where they live, based on one of its American Community Surveys for 2016-2020. Around 82 of them, or 13,702,360 people, take a car, truck or van to work. Some of them about 10 carpool with others, and even then, not all of those cars, trucks and vans run on gasoline. But for daily commuters who do fill up at the pump instead of the charger, how many times could you fill up your tank before you have to pay the gas tax again yourself? How Many Miles Can the Average Driver Go With the Proposed $400 Rebate? According to the EPA, the average estimated real world fuel economy in the United States in 2021 was 25.4 mpg. It would take about 19,883 miles for someone with a car that has 25.4 mpg to use up the full 782.8 gallons of gas you get tax-free from the $400 rebate. The actual number of times you’d have to fill up your tank in that time would vary depending on the size of your car’s gas tank. Since the tax is based on the number of gallons you’re buying and isn’t tied to the price of gas when you head to the pump, the tax and the number of gallons it covers stays the same. CONAN, THANK YOU. WELL, GAS PRICES HAVE BEEN CLIMBING SINCE THE RUSSIAN INVASION, AND TODAY, THEY WENT INVASION, AND TODAY, THEY WENT UP ANOTHER CENT HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. THERE COULD BE SOME HELP ON THE WAY. NBC 4 u2019S ANGIE CROUCH JOINS US NBC 4 u2019S ANGIE CROUCH JOINS US LIVE WITH DETAILS OF A PROPOSED $400 REBATE FOR EVERY STATE TAXPAYER. ANGIE. YEAH, HERE AT THE 76 STATION IN SHERMAN OAKS, THE PRICE FOR IN SHERMAN OAKS, THE PRICE FOR UNLEADED GAS IS $6.09 A GALLON. PREMIUM WILL COST YOU $6.29. THAT u2019S AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE NATION. WHEN WE TOLD FOLKS HERE TODAY WHO WERE FILLING UP THEY COULD BE GETTING A $400 REBATE CHECK TO HELP WITH THE RISING COSTS, MOST OF THEM SAID THEY WON u2019T SAY NO TO IT, BUT IT u2019S NOT GOING TO GO FAR. WE HEAR YOU, CALIFORNIA. WE HEAR YOU, CALIFORNIA. WE SEE THAT YOU u2019RE HURTING, AND WE ARE HERE TO HELP. LOS ANGELES STATE ASSEMBLYMAN LOS ANGELES STATE ASSEMBLYMAN JOINED OTHER DEMOCRATS OUTSIDE THE STATE CAPITAL IN SACRAMENTO TO PROPOSE SENDING A $400 CHECK TO PROPOSE SENDING A $400 CHECK TO EVERY TAXPAYER IN CALIFORNIA TO HELP OFFSET THE RISING COST OF GAS PRICES. THE MONEY TOTALING $9 BILLION, WOULD COME FROM THE STATE u2019S BUDGET SURPLUS, ESTIMATED AT $65 BILLION. ASHLEY LANE SAYS IT TAKES ABOUT $100 TO FILL UP HER TANK. SHE u2019S AMONG THE DRIVERS WE SPOKE WITH TODAY WHO SAY $400 WON u2019T GO WITH TODAY WHO SAY $400 WON u2019T GO FAR. THAT u2019S NOT GOING TO DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR ME. IT NEEDS TO BE LIKE $1,000 FOR ME TO BE LIKE, GIVE IT TO ME. IT WILL LAST ABOUT A WEEK, WEEK OR TWO THE WAY I DRIVE. I MEAN, $400 IS BETTER THAN NOTHING. I JUST HOPE THERE IS NO CATCH. THERE u2019S NO CATCH. UNDER THE DEMOCRATS u2019 PLAN, EVERYONE IN CALIFORNIA WOULD GET THE $400 CHECK, EVEN THOSE WHO DON u2019T OWN A CAR. THAT DOESN u2019T SIT RIGHT WITH SOME THAT DOESN u2019T SIT RIGHT WITH SOME DRIVERS. I DON u2019T GET THAT MENTALITY THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO GET THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO GET REBATED DON u2019T EVEN USE GAS OR PAY INTO THE GAS TAX. GAS PRICES IN CALIFORNIA ARE TOO DAMN HIGH. CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS EARLIER THIS WEEK PROPOSED A DIFFERENT APPROACH. SUSPENDED THE STATE u2019S 51 CENT SUSPENDED THE STATE u2019S 51 CENT PER GALLON GAS TAX LIKE THE STATE OF GEORGIA DID TODAY. BUT CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS ARGUE THE GAS TAX MONEY IS NEEDED TO THE GAS TAX MONEY IS NEEDED TO PAY FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND SUSPENDING THE TAX OFFERS NO GUARANTEE THAT OIL COMPANIES WOULD PASS ALONG THE SAVINGS DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS. DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE u2019RE PUTTING MONEY IN THE POCKETS OF WORKING FAMILIES, NOT IN THE HANDS OF OIL COMPANIES AND NOT FOREIGN DICTATORS. EVEN THOUGH CONSUMERS SAY EVEN THOUGH CONSUMERS SAY $400 WON u2019T LAST LONG, EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS. MONEY IS MONEY. I u2019LL TAKE IT. WHY NOT? WHY NOT? NOW, IF THE $400 REBATE IS PASSED, IT THEN GOES TO GOVERNOR NEWSOM FOR HIS SIGNATURE AND YOU COULD HAVE THAT CHECK AS EARLY COULD HAVE THAT CHECK AS EARLY”,”video_id”:”2013985859544_699″,”video_length”:”151785″,”video_provider”:”mpx”,”short_video_excerpt”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_low”:”alNUKBSUcx1j”,”pid_streaming_web_mobile_low”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_standard”:”F2wM4bkX1z3X”,”pid_streaming_mobile_standard”:”Eg6sO7w4KigB”,”alleypack_schedule_unpublish”:””,”feed_remote_id”:”mpx_2013985859544″,”feed_thumbnail_url”:”” ” data-livestream=”false” data-title=”Gas Tax Rebate Proposed as Prices Continue to Soar” data-vidcid=”1:9:2850593″ data-vidurl=”https://www.nbclosangeles.com/on-air/gas-tax-rebate-proposed-as-prices-continue-to-soar/2850593/” data-islead=”false” data-catnames=” “759974”:”On Air” ” data-tagnames=” “800293”:”Gas prices”,”800889″:”taxes” ” data-customdata=” “ContentPartner”:”None”,”Source”:”WEBFM”,”SyndicationAllowed”:”true”,”mSNVideoCategories”:”MSN Video v4 Connector-most watched news”,”mSNVideoContentSupplierID”:”NBC_Local”,”mSNVideoCountry”:”us”,”subtitle”:”nosubtitle”,”uploadedByTeam”:”1″,”youtubeChannel”:”None” ” data-autoplay=”false” data-cplay=”true” The size of your gas tank comes into play when you start wondering how many commutes the rebate covers. How Many Commutes Would It Take an Average Californian to Use the Gas Tax Rebate Money? A smaller car like the Honda Fit has a gas tank that holds 10.6 gallons. On the other hand, larger cars like the Jeep Grand Cherokee have tanks that hold a whopping 25 gallons of gas. The top-selling car in California, according to consumer reports website Edmunds, is the Honda Civic. Depending on the year, the gas tank for the Civic falls somewhere between 11 gallons and 13.5 gallons These calculations were made assuming the car in question has a 13-gallon tank. A commuter with a 13-gallon tank and 25.4 mpg can travel 330.2 miles before the tank is completely empty. The average Californian has a commute of about 29.8 minutes, according to that same Census Bureau survey data. To make the math easy, let’s assume you’re traveling an average of 55 mph during your commute between surface street and freeway speeds. Traveling at 55 mph for about half an hour gets you 27.5 miles away from where you started, giving a rough estimate of how far Californians are traveling. If you’re traveling faster, and it takes 30 minutes to get there, it’s a longer distance that will burn more fuel; if you’re traveling slower, and it takes 30 minutes, it’s a shorter distance that will burn less fuel. A 27.5-mile commute would burn a little over one gallon of gas for the average driver with a 25.4 mpg car. Burning a little over two gallons of gas to travel a total of 55 miles each day, with a 13-gallon tank, it would take about 6 days of commuting to go from one full tank of gas to an empty one. That same math means the full $400, 782.8-gallon rebate would pay for the gas tax on just over 60 totally-empty uses of your 13-gallon, 25.4 mpg gas tank. That’s about 361 days of commuting 55 miles to work and back. California Mar 18 Gas Tax Rebate Proposed As Prices Continue to Soar Gas prices Mar 17 California Lawmakers Propose $400 Gas Rebate for Taxpayers gas tax Mar 17 California Democrats Call for Gas Tax Rebate Amid Record-High Gas Prices So Will The $400 Gas Rebate Cover A Full Year of Gas Taxes? It’s possible, but it’s a tight squeeze, based on this example. An overall 361 days of commuting is less than a 365-day year, and with the holidays, weekends and vacation time many people have, the rebate would cover taxes for one calendar year of work. But most people travel for other reasons as well. If you decide to go out for the weekend, you work multiple jobs in different areas, or you just take a long trip to see family, that all adds to how much fuel and money you’re burning on a regular basis. These calculations won’t apply perfectly to everyone, because the nature of averages is that they take the midpoint of a lot of sometimes widely different data. For example, the most popular cars in America overall, according to Edmunds, are trucks in the Ford F-series, which tend to have tanks closer to 25 gallons, some even more. All other factors staying the same, the owner of that car could commute for around 11 days before they’d need to stop for gas again, so they’d get more “days” of tax-free gas from the rebate. A commuter with a more efficient vehicle could also travel farther before using a gallon of gas, extending the time until their next refill. The amount of gas you use up varies with how fast you drive and how fuel efficient your car is. That knowledge can help you save at the pump if you use it to your advantage, but it also makes it hard to predict exactly how often everyone will fill up their tank. Find the cheapest gas near you. If your commute is extra-long, you find yourself having to make a lot of road trips this year, or you’re continually stuck in traffic and burning fuel without going anywhere, you might find yourself refilling more often, and the $400 rebate might not quite cover the taxes for a full year. But if you work remotely all or some of the time, you have a super-fuel efficient car, or you’re lucky enough to have a short commute, you’re probably in luck if the proposal by California state lawmakers passes. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. (https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/how-much-will-californias-proposed-400-gas-tax-rebate-help-you/2851136/)

How States Aim to Tackle High Gas Prices With Tax Holidays, Rebates for Residents

Many politicians are working to ease the financial burden consumers face from rising gas prices. That includes efforts to give drivers a break from paying state gas taxes, which average 39 cents per gallon. Others are moving to provide residents with one-time payments. Here’s a roundup of which states have enacted changes first, and which ones may follow. As gas prices have soared across the country, some politicians have floated a potential solution: temporarily halting the collection of taxes charged at the pump. That includes proposals to suspend the federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, as well as state taxes that average about 39 cents per gallon. The national average for a gallon of gas is currently $4.22, according to AAA. That’s up from the $3.61 average drivers saw a month ago and $2.87 a year ago. More from Personal Finance: Why a federal gas tax holiday won’t save consumers much Inflation is costing households $300 more a month Why the Fed raises interest rates to combat inflation An NBC News poll found 8 in 10 Americans worry the war between Russia and Ukraine will increase gas prices. Politicians are rushing to ease those financial worries. President Joe Biden on Thursday announced the U.S. will use oil from strategic reserves to help force down gas prices. Meanwhile, leaders at both the federal and state level have sought to temporarily suspend taxes consumers pay at the pump. Experts say a break from those taxes won’t necessarily result in big savings. It does take money out of state coffers that could be used for something else, such as paying for state unemployment benefits, said Scott Roberti, who leads Ernst & Young’s state policy services practice. Several states have already put gas tax holidays in place. Connecticut Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, signed emergency legislation on March 24 to suspend the state’s gas tax from April 1 through June 30. The state’s tax on gasoline is 25 cents per gallon. In addition, the legislation also suspends fares on public buses statewide during that same period. Georgia Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation on March 18 that will temporarily remove the state’s tax on gas through May 31. The state typically applies levies of 29.1 cents per gallon on gas. Maryland Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan signed legislation on March 18 that suspends the state’s gas tax of 36.1 cents per gallon for 30 days. I think it makes a huge difference to the average consumer and I can tell you that the average price across the country is something like $4.25 we’re down around $3.75 so we’re 50 cents a gallon cheaper than most, Hogan said during an interview in March on CNBC’s Squawk Box. Other states could follow Other states may follow the precedent set by Connecticut, Georgia and Maryland with their own gas tax holidays, and in some cases, direct rebate payments to residents. Here’s a roundup of activity that has taken place in recent weeks. Alabama A proposal has been raised by certain state representatives to suspend the state’s gas tax from May 1 through Sept. 1, or until average monthly prices per gallon are at or below what the monthly price was in January. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, has asked the state’s House of Representatives to consider suspending state motor fuel taxes of 8 cents per gallon through June 2023. The state Senate passed a nonbinding resolution in support of the proposal. California David Paul Morris Bloomberg Getty Images A driver fuels a vehicle a gas station in Richmond, California, on March 24, 2022. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has unveiled a proposal to send drivers $400 debit card rebates. The payments would be determined by vehicle registration, not tax records. Individuals could receive up to two payments, which would start in July if approved by the state legislature. Separately, a bill introduced in January would suspend the tax on motor vehicle fuels for six months. Colorado Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis has sought to delay a new 2 cents per gallon fee on gas. In addition, he sent a letter with five other governors urging Washington lawmakers to suspend the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon. Delaware Lawmakers are seeking to send $300 checks to all state residents who filed 2020 tax returns. However, the legislation still needs to be formally proposed and passed. Florida Lawmakers have agreed to suspend the state’s gas tax for one month in October. Florida’s gas tax is about 27 cents per gallon. Illinois Bills to temporarily suspend or reduce the state gas tax have been introduced in the Illinois General Assembly. Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has sought to halt a 2.2 cents per gallon increase set to go into effect in July. Maine Efforts to temporarily suspend the state’s gas tax of 30 cents per gallon through the rest of the year have stalled. However, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has proposed sending $850 checks to state residents amid high gas prices and inflation. Massachusetts Vanessa Leroy/Bloomberg via Getty Images A taxi driver refuels a vehicle at a Gulf gas station in Boston on March 1, 2022. The Massachusetts state Senate recently voted against a proposal to pause the state’s gas tax of 24 cents per gallon through Labor Day. However, the state does plan to send $500 payments to low-income workers this month. Michigan While the Republican-led state legislature passed a bill to suspend Michigan’s gas tax of 27.2 cents per gallon for six months, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has said she would veto the proposal. Whitmer is among the governors who have petitioned federal lawmakers to suspend the national gas tax. Minnesota State lawmakers have called for pausing the state’s gas tax of 28.5 cents per gallon from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Mississippi Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and other state lawmakers have proposed suspending the state’s gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon for six months. Missouri One proposed bill aims to suspend the state’s gas tax of 19.5 cents per gallon from July 1 through Dec. 31. New Hampshire New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has said he is on board with the idea of giving drivers a temporary reprieve from the state’s taxes on gas at the pump. New Jersey Eduardo Munoz Reuters The city council of Newark, New Jersey, unanimously passed a resolution March 3, 2022, urging the the state’s largest city to suspend all licenses of two local Lukoil gasoline stations to show support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has proposed tax rebates of up to $700 for homeowners earning up to $250,000 per year in income and $250 for renters who earn up $100,000. Separately, legislation has been proposed to cut the state’s 42.4 cents per gallon gas tax in half if the average price of an unleaded gallon reaches $4.51 in the summer months. New York Certain New York state political leaders have backed suspending the state gas tax of about 33.3 cents per gallon of gas. Depending on the proposal, that could last through the end of the year or for one year. Ohio A state Senate proposal seeks to reduce Ohio’s gas taxes to 28 cents per gallon from 38.5 cents per gallon. Pennsylvania State lawmakers have proposed eliminating a portion of Pennsylvania’s gas tax of 57.6 cents per gallon through the end of the year. Rhode Island State lawmakers have proposed suspending the state’s 34 cents per gallon gas tax through the end of the year. South Carolina One group of lawmakers is calling for a one-year suspension of the state’s 26 cents per gallon gas tax. Tennessee Certain state Democratic lawmakers have urged Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee to suspend the state’s gas tax of 27.4 cents per gallon for 90 days. Virginia Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has proposed suspending the state’s 26.2 cents per gallon tax on gas for three months, from May through June. Those levies would then be gradually phased back in from August through September. Washington A proposal to suspend Washington state’s gas tax of 49.4 cents per gallon through the end of the year failed to get brought up for a vote. West Virginia Certain West Virginia Democratic lawmakers are pushing for a 90-day suspension of the state’s 35.7 cent per gallon tax on gas. (https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/business/money-report/how-states-aim-to-tackle-high-gas-prices-with-tax-holidays-rebates-for-residents/2860646/)

Biden Waiving Ethanol Rule in Bid to Lower Gasoline Prices

With inflation at a 40-year high, President Joe Biden journeyed to corn-rich Iowa on Tuesday to announce a modest step aimed at trimming gasoline prices by about a dime a gallon at a limited number of stations by waiving rules that restrict ethanol blending. His action reflects the ways Biden is deploying almost every weapon in his bureaucratic arsenal to ease price pressures, yet the impact appears to be small and uncertain. Inflation has only accelerated in recent months, instead of fading as Biden once promised it would after the recovery from the coronavirus recession following last year’s $1.9 trillion relief package. A government report Tuesday that consumer prices jumped 8.5 in March from a year ago the worst reading since December 1981 only deepened the political challenge for Biden and fellow Democrats ahead of this year’s midterm elections. More than half the increase came from higher gas prices, which spiked in part because of Russia’s war in Ukraine, but costs also jumped for housing, food and other items. Biden called the inflation report Putin’s price hike. Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide a half a world away, the U.S. president said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. But in his remarks at the POET biofuels facility in Menlo, west of Des Moines, Biden acknowledged that the waiver on ethanol mixes was a small step. I’m doing everything within my power by executive orders to bring down the price, he said. It’s not going to solve all our problems, but it’s going to help some people. Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is blended with 10 ethanol, a biofuel that is currently cheaper than gas. Biden was announcing that the Environmental Protection Agency will issue an emergency waiver to allow widespread sale of a 15 ethanol blend that is usually prohibited between June 1 and Sept. 15 because of concerns that it adds to smog in high temperatures. Senior Biden administration officials said the action will save drivers an average of 10 cents per gallon based on current prices, but at just 2,300 gas stations out of the nation’s more than 100,000. The affected stations are mostly in the Midwest and the South, including Texas, according to industry groups. Administration officials said the EPA has determined that the emergency step of allowing more E15 gasoline sales for the summer is not likely to have a significant air quality impact. That’s despite some environmentalists long arguing that more ethanol in gasoline increases pollution, especially during warmer summer months. More Gas Prices Coverage Business Apr 11 Gas Prices Can Vary a Lot Depending on Where You Live. Drivers in These 10 States Spend the Most Business Apr 1 How States Aim to Tackle High Gas Prices With Tax Holidays, Rebates for Residents The waiver is another effort to help ease global energy markets that have been rocked since Russia invaded Ukraine. Last month, the president announced the U.S. will release 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve over the next six months. His administration said that has helped to slightly reduce gas prices lately, after they climbed to an average of about $4.23 a gallon by the end of March, compared with $2.87 at the same time a year ago, according to AAA. Not only is this decision a major win for American drivers and our nation’s energy security, it means cleaner options at the pump and a stronger rural economy, Emily Skor, CEO of the biofuel trade association group Growth Energy, said in a statement. Members of Congress from both parties also had urged Biden to grant the E15 waiver. Homegrown Iowa biofuels provide a quick and clean solution for lowering prices at the pump, and bolstering production would help us become energy independent once again, said Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. He was among nine Republican and seven Democratic senators from Midwestern states who sent Biden a letter last month urging him to allow year-round E15 sales. The trip will be Biden’s first as president to Iowa, where his 2020 presidential campaign limped to a fourth-place finish in the state’s caucus. He will arrive saddled with sagging approval ratings and the high inflation while his party faces the prospect of big midterm election losses that could cost it control of Congress. The president also planned to promote his economic plans to help rural families and highlight the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law enacted last fall. That law includes money to improve internet access, as well as for modernizing wastewater systems, reducing flooding threats and improving roads and bridges, drinking water and electric grids in sparsely populated areas. Biden had hoped Democrats could run on the low 3.6 unemployment rate and an agenda geared toward lifting the middle class, but inflation has hijacked those ambitions and given Republicans a target for criticism. Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kauffman was unsparing in his criticism of Biden’s handling of the economy and inflation. But, he said, the temporary move on ethanol was the right one. First of all, let me say that that’s a good thing. Absolutely good thing. It would have been nice had he done it earlier, Kauffman said. Am I glad about this waiver? Yes I am. Is it enough? Nope. The high inflation also poses a threat to Biden’s broader domestic agenda that likely hinges on the vote of Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Manchin released a statement saying that the Biden administration and the Federal Reserve failed to act fast enough, to curb costs for the American people and that the problem of high prices predates the invasion of Ukraine. Manchin, whose opposition doomed Biden’s 10-year, roughly $2 trillion measure in December, had recently returned to the negotiating table with the White House. It remains unclear what impact the new inflation data will have on those negotiations. After Iowa, Biden will visit Greensboro, North Carolina, on Thursday. The EPA has lifted seasonal restrictions on E15 in the past, including after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The Trump administration did so in the summer two years later but had that action struck down by a federal appeals court. A group representing petroleum refiners blasted Biden’s decision, saying the only emergency was his dropping poll numbers. We are right there with the administration on wanting to see relief for consumers at the pump, but an unlawful executive order is not how to solve the problem, said Chet Thompson, president & CEO of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers. (https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/biden-waiving-ethanol-rule-bid-lower-gasoline-prices/3022594/)

‘It’s Not Sustainable’: Renters Face Tough Decisions as Rent Rises Sharply in DFW

If you’re a renter, you might already know the bad news. Rent is going way up and there seems to be no end in sight. Over the last several months, people have reported getting slapped with shocking lease renewals. In most cases, rent is going up by hundreds of dollars if they sign a new lease. Plano and Collin County in particular is becoming a hotspot for sharpest increases. When you don’t have increases in salary and you have these price increases, it’s really scary. A $750 price increase is not sustainable, said Courtney Humphries, who has lived in Plano for most of her life. It’s scary and you basically have to figure out how to work through the problem. You read that right. Humphries found out her rent was going up by $750 for a one-year renewal on her rental home, not including bills and additional costs. If you don’t have the availability to work more and you’re not getting increases at your job, then you’ve got a big problem. I mean $750 that to some people could be a paycheck, Humphries said. The single mom said she had no intention of moving because her son is still in high school and she didn’t want to put him through starting over again. This isn’t just get up and move, just roll with the punches. There are other things involved. For example, people with children. Naturally, a parent wants their child to stay in the same school district, she said. I have a great support system. Do I have a family that’s just going to hand me $750 a month? No. So I have to look to my boss and I have to work harder, which means I see my kid less but what it means is my kid gets to stay in the same school district. So it is a challenge. The rising rent is also hitting college students in their wallets. Students around UT Dallas have reported the struggle in finding affordable apartments as they compete with young professionals who are moving to the Plano and Richardson area for tech jobs and other high-paying positions. The situation is a far cry from 2020 when renters saw rent reductions and landlords struggling to fill empty units and rental homes. But now, those landlords are hiking up prices as COVID-19 restrictions and eviction moratoriums end and as housing demands spike. As some renters figure out their next move, Humphries said she decided to move forward on loans to buy a house something she wasn’t quite ready to do but felt would be a better place to spend her money. I’ve been waiting for a couple of years thinking the prices are going to come down and so I continued renting but this rent increase was kind of the kicker, she said. Humphries went from the crazy rental market to the even crazier housing market. She warned that every single house she looked at had offers well over asking price. As she struggled with soaring prices in the housing market, Humphries got lucky her grandmother was planning to move and sold her the house. But most renters who are trying to navigate rent increases will most likely have to renew and pay more or develop a plan to move. The key thing is to not just freeze. You just have to move forward and navigate the new ‘new’. This is it, she said. I work for a real estate appraisal company and my boss says these prices aren’t going anywhere. Why is this Happening? The pandemic has sent people on the move, many of them to North Texas. With thousands moving here all at once, they all need a place to live. It’s driving rent up higher than people’s paychecks can keep up with. THE PANDEMIC HAS SENT PEOPLE ON THE MOVE, MANY OF THEM TO NORTH TEXAS. THE PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE AND FOR MANY, THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO AFFORD IT. WE ARE LIVE IN PLANO, DIVING INTO A SPECIAL SERIES OF STORIES EXPLORING ISSUES RENTERS ARE FACING ACROSS NORTH TEXAS. REPORTER: ACCORDING TO THE DATA, BETWEEN APRIL AND JUNE OF THIS YEAR, DFW HAD THE MOST DEMAND FOR APARTMENTS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. MORE THAN 15,000 PEOPLE MOVED TO THE AREA IN JUST THOSE THREE MONTHS. AND IT SEEMS WE CANNOT BUILD APARTMENTS FAST ENOUGH. THE DEMAND FOR APARTMENTS IS RELENTLESS. DALLAS IS LEADING THE COUNTRY IN THE DELIVERY OF MULTIFAMILY UNITS. DESPITE THE INCREASE IN HOW MUCH UNITS WE ARE DELIVERING, THE OCCUPANCY LEVELS ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH. REPORTER: HOUSING COSTS AND DEMAND WERE ALREADY GOING UP BEFORE COVID-19, BUT THE PANDEMIC EXACERBATED THE PROBLEM. THE DALLAS AREA IS BREAKING RECORDS WITH THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE MOVING HERE. COLLIN COUNTY REPRESENTING THE MAJORITY OF NEW EMPLOYMENT GROWTH IN DFW. PEOPLE ARE FLOCKING HERE FROM THE EAST AND WEST COAST FOR THE BOOMING ECONOMY AND CHEAPER COST OF LIVING. PEOPLE ARE BEING PRICED OUT AND WHILE THEY WAIT TO BUY, THEY RENT. THAT FORMULA OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND IS CAUSING RENT TO SKYROCKET. RENT ACROSS NORTH TEXAS HAS SHOT UP BY ABOUT 15 COMPARED TO LAST YEAR COLLIN COUNTY SAW THE STEEPEST INCREASES, PLANO AT NEARLY $1900 A MONTH FOR A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT. NOT TO MENTION INCREASING COSTS FROM THE PANDEMIC. THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS REALLY EXPERIENCING INCREASES. IN RENTAL COSTS, AND THAT IS DRIVEN BY THE INVESTMENT CULTURE GOING TO BUY THESE HIGH PERFORMING ASSETS. DRIVING THE VALUES UP, REALLY AFTER LABOR TYPICALLY, REAL ESTATE TAXES IS ONE OF YOUR LARGEST OPERATING EXPENSES IN RUNNING A PROPERTY. THAT IS TIED TO THE VALUE OF THE REAL ESTATE. REPORTER: HOPEFULLY THAT EXPLAINS IT ON WHY RENT IS GOING UP. WHAT CAN RENTERS DO? THERE ARE NO TEXAS LAWS PROTECTING YOU FROM RENT INCREASES. BUT LANDLORDS ARE SUPPOSED TO GIVE YOU A 30 DAY NOTICE OF AN INCREASE. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO NEGOTIATE AND IF YOU HAVE A FEW MONTHS LEFT ON YOUR LEASE, EXPERTS SAY, TO START NOW AND SEE IF YOUR LANDLORD IS UP FOR DISCUSSION. THERE ARE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RENTAL UNITS UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK. RESEARCH SHOWS PROMISING NEWS, NORTH TEXAS, AT LEAST FROM A PROPERTY VALUE PERSPECTIVE, HAS PEAKED WITH THE PRICES. THEY ARE HOPEFUL THAT THINGS WILL LEVEL OUT IN THE NEXT”,”video_id”:”1974212675511_116″,”video_length”:”186319″,”video_provider”:”mpx”,”short_video_excerpt”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_low”:”MFPy9lEhpBJn”,”pid_streaming_web_mobile_low”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_standard”:”TpT_Yzxur4rt”,”pid_streaming_mobile_standard”:”0qE3Qv7Glj55″,”alleypack_schedule_unpublish”:””,”feed_remote_id”:”mpx_1974212675511″,”feed_thumbnail_url”:”” ” data-livestream=”false” data-title=”What is Driving North Texas Rent Prices to Skyrocket?” data-vidcid=”1:8:2816109″ data-vidurl=”https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/what-is-driving-north-texas-rent-prices-to-skyrocket/2816109/” data-islead=”false” data-catnames=” “329284”:”News”,”1098″:”Local” ” data-tagnames=” “630507”:”rental prices” ” data-customdata=” “ContentPartner”:”None”,”Source”:”WEBFM”,”SyndicationAllowed”:”true”,”mSNVideoCategories”:”MSN Video v4 Connector-most watched news”,”mSNVideoContentSupplierID”:”NBC_Local”,”mSNVideoCountry”:”us”,”subtitle”:”nosubtitle”,”uploadedByTeam”:”1″,”youtubeChannel”:”None” ” data-autoplay=”false” data-cplay=”true” The demand for apartments is relentless. Dallas is leading the country in the delivery of multi-family units, said Julie Lynch, associate director of the Weitzman Institute of Real Estate at UT Dallas’ Naveen Jindal School of Management. This last year, we delivered over 36,000 units and each of the prior five years we delivered 40,000 units each year. Despite the increase in how many units we’re delivering, the occupancy levels are at an all-time high at 96.5. Lynch has worked in real estate for over 30 years and has transacted over $10 billion of real estate in her career. However, even she seems shocked over the data that’s coming out of the market in the past 18 months. We’ve never had the opportunity to look historically at a pandemic economic environment in the current day situation, she said. It’s made for an interesting research time to look at the economic indicators to see what’s driving the market, how human behaviors are performing, and the implications to real estate. According to Richardson-based RealPage, the Dallas-Fort Worth area had the most demand for apartments in the entire country between April and June 2021, with 15,400 people moving to the area during that time period. The report states that North Texas has been the country’s top apartment absorption center throughout the past several years. It is a layered conversation, Lynch said of the reasons behind the increases. But the headline is the Texas economy is thriving. Lynch said housing costs and demands were already rising before COVID especially in North Texas and the pandemic exacerbated the problem. The Dallas area is breaking records with the number of people moving to the area, with Collin County representing the majority of new employment growth in DFW. As you know, many people want to live and work in the same area so the demand for multi-family as well as for-sale housing is at an all-time high in the Collin County area, Lynch said. The housing crisis has become so complex that leaders in McKinney are developing a ‘balanced housing plan’ to address rapid growth and rising costs. There’s an exodus of people flocking to Texas from the East and West coasts for a number of reasons, including corporate headquarter jobs, access to a booming economy, more affordable housing, and cheaper cost of living. Additionally, while many homes are being snatched up and people are being priced out, would-be homebuyers are turning to renting while they wait to buy a house. That simple formula of supply and demand is causing rents to skyrocket. The increasing costs of materials, electricity, natural gas, property taxes and other factors from the pandemic are also driving up rent. The whole country is experiencing these increases in rental costs and that’s really driven by the investment culture going to buy these high-performing assets, driving the values up after labor. Typically real estate taxes are one of your largest operating expenses in running a property. And that’s tied to the value of the real estate, Lynch explained. These increased cost and operations are nearly been passed through to the tenant, and it does boil down to the typical supply and demand equation, so that’s why you’re seeing these big increases in rents. This year, rents across North Texas have shot up by about 15 compared to last year. Collin County saw some of the steepest increases. Lynch said currently, Plano has the highest median rents for a two-bedroom apartment at nearly $1,900 a month, followed by McKinney for nearly $1,700 a month. Forth Worth shows more affordable apartments at $1,260 a month. Relatively speaking towards the rest of the country, we’re still in an affordable environment to live in but at the end of the day, the double-digit rent increase is hard for anybody, Lynch said. So what can renters do? There are no Texas laws protecting renters from rent increases, but landlords are supposed to give a 30-day notice of a rent increase before it goes up. You have the right to negotiate and if you have a few months left on your lease, experts say to start now to see if your landlord is up for such a discussion. Lynch doesn’t have a crystal ball but she said her research shows some promising news for the coming new year. Based on the research I’ve been doing, we’re going to have a robust economy for the next 12 months at least. So I would anticipate continued increase in value, she said. I think maybe we peaked out from a value perspective, which means the cost of the real estate taxes hopefully will have flattened out. RealPage also reports that there are roughly 38,700 apartments under construction in Dallas-Fort Worth, which could help feed the demand for apartments. (https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/its-not-sustainable-renters-face-tough-decisions-as-rent-rises-sharply-in-north-texas/2816199/)

US Inflation Jumped 8.5 in Past Year, Highest Since 1981

Inflation soared over the past year at its fastest pace in more than 40 years, with costs for food, gasoline, housing and other necessities squeezing American consumers and wiping out the pay raises that many people have received. The Labor Department said Tuesday that its consumer price index jumped 8.5 in March from 12 months earlier, the sharpest year-over-year increase since December 1981. Prices have been driven up by bottlenecked supply chains, robust consumer demand and disruptions to global food and energy markets worsened by Russia’s war against Ukraine. From February to March, inflation rose 1.2, the biggest month-to-month jump since 2005. The government’s report also showed that inflation rose 1.2 from February to March, up from a 0.8 increase from January to February. Across the economy, the year-over-year price spikes were widespread in March. Gasoline prices have rocketed 48 in the past 12 months. Used car prices have soared 35.3, though they actually fell in February and March. Bedroom furniture is up 14.7, men’s jackets suits and coats 14.5. Grocery prices have jumped 10, including 18 increases for both bacon and oranges. Even excluding volatile food and energy prices, which have driven overall inflation, so-called core inflation jumped 6.5 over the past 12 months, the biggest such increase since 1982. The inflation fire is still out of control,” said Christopher Rupkey, chief economist at the economic research firm FWDBONDS LLC. The March inflation numbers were the first to capture the full surge in gasoline prices that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Moscow’s brutal attacks have triggered far-reaching Western sanctions against the Russian economy and have disrupted global food and energy markets. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of gasoline $4.10 is up 43 from a year ago, though it has fallen back in the past couple of weeks. The escalation of energy prices has led to higher transportation costs for the shipment of goods and components across the economy, which, in turn, has contributed to higher prices for consumers. The latest evidence of accelerating prices will solidify expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates aggressively in the coming months to try to slow borrowing and spending and tame inflation. The financial markets now foresee much steeper rate hikes this year than Fed officials had signaled as recently as last month. The Fed will be pressing firmly on the brake pedal not just pumping the brakes in an effort to slow demand and bring the inflation rate back down, said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. Even before Russia’s war further spurred price increases, robust consumer spending, steady pay raises and chronic supply shortages had sent U.S. consumer inflation to its highest level in four decades. In addition, housing costs, which make up about a third of the consumer price index, have escalated, a trend that seems unlikely to reverse anytime soon. Economists point out that as the economy has emerged from the depths of the pandemic, consumers have been gradually broadening their spending beyond goods to include more services. A result is that high inflation, which at first had reflected mainly a shortage of goods from cars and furniture to electronics and sports equipment has been emerging in services, too, like travel, health care and entertainment. Airline fares, for instance, have soared an average of nearly 24 in the past 12 months. The average cost of a hotel room is up 29 More Inflation Coverage Business Apr 11 Inflation Is Hammering the Voters Who Will Soon Decide Some Key Midterm Races Business Apr 8 Here’s How the Fed Raising Interest Rates Can Help Get Inflation Lower, and Why It Could Fail The expected fast pace of the Fed’s rate increases will make loans sharply more expensive for consumers and businesses. Mortgage rates, in particular, though not directly influenced by the Fed, have rocketed higher in recent weeks, making home buying costlier. Many economists say they worry that the Fed has waited too long to begin raising rates and might end up acting so aggressively as to trigger a recession. For now, the economy as a whole remains solid, with unemployment near 50-year lows and job openings near record highs. Still, rocketing inflation, with its impact on Americans’ daily lives, is posing a political threat to President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies as they seek to keep control of Congress in November’s midterm elections. The American public’s expectation for inflation over the next 12 months has reached its highest point 6.6 in a survey the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has conducted since 2013. Once public expectations for inflation rise, they can be self-fulfilling: Workers typically demand higher pay to offset their expectations for price increases, and businesses, in turn, raise prices to cover their higher labor costs. This can set off a wage-price spiral, something the nation last endured in the late 1960s and 1970s. Economists generally express doubt that even the sharp rate hikes that are expected from the Fed will manage to reduce inflation anywhere near the central bank’s 2 annual target by the end of this year. Luke Tilley, chief economist at Wilmington Trust, said he expects year-over-year consumer inflation to still be 4.5 by the end of 2022. Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he had forecast a much lower 3 rate. Inflation, which had been largely under control for four decades, began to accelerate last spring as the U.S. and global economies rebounded with unexpected speed and strength from the brief but devastating coronavirus recession that began in the spring of 2020. Many Americans have been receiving pay increases, but the pace of inflation has more than wiped out those gains for most people. In February, after accounting for inflation, average hourly wages fell 2.5 from a year earlier. It was the 11th straight monthly drop in inflation-adjusted wages. Still, for now anyway, with the job market robust, inflation has yet to dampen overall consumer spending. Levi Strauss & Co., for example, says its price increases don’t seem to have fazed its customers. That said, Adrian Mitchell, chief financial office at Macy’s, cautions that chronically high inflation will likely lead consumers to be choosier: They may spend less on department store goods and more on services like travel and dinners out. We do believe that the consumer is going to be spending,” Mitchell said. But are they going to be spending on discretionary items that we sell, or are they going to be spending on an airline ticket to Florida or air travel or going out to restaurants more? ___ AP Business Writer Anne D’Innocenzio in New York contributed to this report. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. (https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/sticker-shock-march-inflation-expected-to-set-another-40-year-high/2867885/)

Maryland’s Gas Tax Now Suspended for 30 Days

Maryland’s state gas tax has been suspended for 30 days, Comptroller Peter Franchot announced Friday. Lawmakers approved the legislation and sent it to Gov. Larry Hogan, who signed it into law Friday. He noted that Maryland has become the first state to immediately suspend the gas tax amid sharply rising prices. This gas tax holiday returns $100 million to Marylanders’ wallets and should provide economic relief for motorists who have seen prices soar in recent weeks, Franchot said in a release. While I continue to believe that a three-month gas tax holiday would have offered more substantial savings and been easily absorbed due to the state’s historic surplus, any respite from the current pain at the pump is welcome. Around the nation, a rising number of governors and state lawmakers have been calling to suspend gas taxes, because prices have been at record highs that could go up even higher after the country cut off Russian oil imports. Maryland’s gas tax of 36 cents per gallon is now suspended for 30 days for both regular and diesel. A driver of a vehicle with a 12-gallon tank could save about $4.32 a fill-up, although it’s unclear exactly when the price drop would be seen at most gas stations. While the legislation does not mandate that retailers reduce their prices by 36 cents, the Comptroller’s Office is actively working with industry leaders and the state’s roughly 2,300 gas stations to encourage them to lower their prices so motorists realize the savings in full, as intended, a release from Franchot’s office said. The suspension will continue through 11:59 p.m. on April 16. NEWS 4 AT 11:00 STARTS NOW. ALL RIGHT. TONIGHT, FIRST UP, DRIVERS IN MARYLAND ARE SEEING SOME RELIEF AT THE GAS PUMP. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. I u2019M CARE I AM ERIKA GONZALEZ. THIS AFTERNOON, THE PRICE OF GASOLINE FELL 36 CREPTS A GALLON WIPING WIPING WIPING OUT THE TAX DRIVERS NORMALLY PAY. NEWS 4 u2019S JACKIE BENSEN. JACKIE? ERIKA, I CAN TELL YOU WE MET A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THE DISTRICT AND VIRGINIA TODAY. AND THIS IS LIKELY THE REASON WHY. WELCOME TO MARYLAND. Reporter: NEVER, HAS THE INTERCONNECTED NATURE OF THE DMV BEEN MORE APPARENT THAN WHEN A GALLON OF GAS IS NEARLY 40 CENTS CHEAPER IN M AS OPPOSED TO D OR V. AT THIS STATION, CUSTOMERS WITH D.C. LICENSE PLATES TOLD US THEY BYPASSED STATIONS IN THE DISTRICT TO COME HERE. WE CAME ALL THE WAY, LIKE, 24 MINUTES JUST TO GET GAS. CAPITOL HILL IS $5. SO, I KNOW, SO I COME MOST OF THE TIME ANYWAY UP AND DOWN. Reporter: MARYLAND GOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN SIGNED INTO LAW A 30-DAY TAX HOLIDAY. IT WIPES OUT THE 36 CENT TAX THAT DRIVERS WOULD NORMALLY PAY ON A GALLON OF GAS IN THE STATE. IT APPLIES TO ALL OCTANES OF GAS AND DIESEL FUEL. GAS STATIONS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO TAKE PART AND LOWER THEIR PRICES. THOSE THAT DID SO, LIKE THIS ONE ON RIVER ROAD IN BETHESDA, DREW A STEADY STREAM OF CUSTOMERS FROM NEIGHBORING D.C. AND FROM VIRGINIA. HAPPY TO SEE CHEAPER GAS. I CAN SAVE A LOT MORE. JUST LOOKING FOR SOME CHEAP GAS. I LIVE JUST ACROSS THE LINE, AND I SAW THAT HOGAN SIGNED THE BILL FOR THE TAX GAS TAX. AND WE CAME UP. WE ARE HEADED TO THE RIVER. SO, WHY NOT FILL UP NOW? Reporter: AND I CAN TELL YOU, PEOPLE ARE STILL PULLING UP TO THIS GAS STATION, EVEN THOUGH IT CLOSED RIGHT AT 11:00. THERE IS A NATIONWIDE PUSH FOR STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO DO THIS, AND I CAN TELL YOU WE SAW SOMETHING INTERESTING. A GAS STATION IN THE DISTRICT RIGHT NEAR THE MARYLAND LINE HAD ALREADY LOWERED ITS PRICES WHEN WE GOT THERE. I AM GUESSING THAT THEY FELT IT WAS EASIER FOR THEM TO TAKE THE LOSS THAN FOR PEOPLE TO BYPASS THEM COMPLETELY.”,”video_id”:”2014438467513_875″,”video_length”:”153087″,”video_provider”:”mpx”,”short_video_excerpt”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_low”:”U1jqIZY6p8FX”,”pid_streaming_web_mobile_low”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_standard”:”b5ibFVHt4OAB”,”pid_streaming_mobile_standard”:”j7XexfGBHi8p”,”alleypack_schedule_unpublish”:””,”feed_remote_id”:”mpx_2014438467513″,”feed_thumbnail_url”:”” ” data-livestream=”false” data-title=”Drivers Travel to Maryland for Cheaper Gas” data-vidcid=”1:14:3003699″ data-vidurl=”https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/drivers-travel-to-maryland-for-cheaper-gas/3003699/” data-islead=”false” data-catnames=” “223863”:”News”,”569″:”Local” ” data-tagnames=” “6767”:”gas”,”20301″:”gas tax”,”3035″:”Larry Hogan”,”125″:”Maryland” ” data-customdata=” “ContentPartner”:”None”,”Source”:”WEBFM”,”SyndicationAllowed”:”true”,”mSNVideoCategories”:”MSN Video v4 Connector-most watched news”,”mSNVideoContentSupplierID”:”NBC_Local”,”mSNVideoCountry”:”us”,”subtitle”:”nosubtitle”,”uploadedByTeam”:”1″,”youtubeChannel”:”None” ” data-autoplay=”false” data-cplay=”true” While the bill passed with unanimous support, some lawmakers said they would prefer the tax break to last longer, especially amid the worst inflation since the early 1980s and a state budget surplus estimated to be about $7.5 billion over two years. The average price of gas in Maryland was about $4.20 on Thursday. The state estimates it would lose about $94 million in revenue under the 30-day suspension. Perhaps a 90-day abatement would be good under the circumstances, because we know that under a 30-day hiatus on collecting the gas tax, you know, the average household might save 30 or 40 bucks, and with today’s prices, that’ll probably get you a couple loafs of bread and a pound of baloney, but it’s something, Del. Haven Shoemaker, a Carroll County Republican who is the House minority whip, said before Thursday’s House vote. The average price of gas in Maryland was about $4.20 on Thursday. The state estimates it would lose about $94 million in revenue under the 30-day suspension. personal finance Mar 17 Washington Lawmakers Are Considering a Gas Tax Holiday. Don’t Expect That to Make a Big Dent in What You’re Paying at the Pump. US: News Mar 17 Amazon Flex Drivers Hit by Surging Gas Prices Demand Relief After Uber, Lyft Offer Help to Workers United States Mar 17 How Higher and More Volatile Energy Prices Will Affect the Move to Clean Energy Transportation advocates have noted that because of other factors affecting gas prices, the full amount of tax cuts may not be reflected at the pump. On average, only about one-third of the value of previous gas tax cuts or tax increases were passed on to consumers, according to a 2020 report from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association that analyzed 113 state gas tax changes enacted over several years. That’s because retail gas prices are influenced by complex factors, including the price of crude oil and supply-and-demand pressures. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. (https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/marylands-gas-tax-now-suspended-for-30-days/3003307/)

Negotiations to Resume Wednesday Between SoCal Grocers, Workers Following Vote to Authorize Strike

Contract talks will resume Wednesday in hopes of avoiding a walkout by thousands of Southern California grocery workers who have already authorized their union to call a strike if negotiations break down. The United Food and Commercial Workers union announced late Saturday that its members had overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike if necessary against stores including Ralphs and Vons/Pavilions/Albertsons. The yes vote does not automatically result in a strike it only authorizes the union to call one if no progress is made in labor negotiations. San Diego News fuel prices 21 hours ago Record Diesel Prices Strain Budgets of San Diego County School Districts Russia-Ukraine Crisis 13 hours ago ‘I Can’t Process It’: Russian UCSD Student Worries for Loved Ones in Ukraine Roughly 47,000 workers represented by seven UFCW locals between Central California and the Mexico border were eligible to cast ballots. The membership covers workers at more than 500 stores. Through the past two years of the pandemic, it was the hard work and sacrifice of our members that helped these companies earn billions in profits, according to a union statement. As we continue at the bargaining table, all of our Local Unions are committed to getting a contract that reflects everything these essential grocery workers have contributed to their employers, their customers, and their communities. Representatives for Ralphs, which has 184 stores and 18,000 employees in Southern California, called the union’s strike authorization unrelated to Ralphs’ labor negotiations and said it will not derail the company from resuming bargaining for a new contract. Our proposal invests $141 million in new wages and prevents increases in health costs. This is a serious commitment by Ralphs to Southern California and to our exceptional associates, said Robert Branton, vice president of operations at Ralphs. Our three goals throughout negotiations are to reward and invest in our people, keep groceries affordable for our customers and maintain a sustainable business that creates jobs in the future. Ralphs’ proposal meets all three goals. The current UFCW proposal only meets one of those goals. We encourage the UFCW to join us in meaningful and balanced negotiations to promptly deliver wage increases to our associates. Union officials announced earlier this month that contract talks had stalled. A three-year-old labor contract between the unionized grocery workers and Southern California supermarkets expired March 7. Grocery employees are continuing to work under the terms of the previous contract. Bargaining committees composed of front-line grocery workers and union leaders came prepared with proposals that would fairly increase wages and improve store conditions to reflect the needs of workers in a pandemic and post pandemic world, the union said in a statement earlier this month. The corporations representing the stores offered pennies, a proposal that would ultimately be a pay cut due to inflation. Union officials said they are seeking a $5-per-hour wage hike, phased in over the next three years, along with bolstered safety standards and adequate scheduling and hours. The grocery stores have offered annual 60-cent-per-hour wage increases over the next three years, totaling $1.80. ASHLEY, THANK YOU. SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND IF YOU NEED TO HEAD TO THE GROCERY STORE THIS WEEK. WORKERS ARE PUSHING FOR HIGHER WAGES AND A STRIKE COULD HAPPEN IF AN AGREEMENT ISN u2019T REACHED BETWEEN THE OWNERS AND THE UNION. NBC 7 u2019S MADISON WEIL IS LIVE IN KEARNY MESA THIS MORNING. I DON u2019T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE. A WHILE. Reporter: GOOD MORNING. THIS IS A CONVERSATION WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW. SEVERAL GROCERY STORE WORKERS SAY THAT WHAT IS BEING PAID RIGHT NOW JUST ISN u2019T ENOUGH WHEN IT COMES TO THE INFLATION THAT THEY u2019RE FACING. THEY u2019RE FACING. AS YOU SAID, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW. THE LATEST THING THAT COULD THE LATEST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN IS GROCERY WORKERS VOTED TO AUTHORIZE THEIR UNION TO CALL A STRIKE IF NEEDED. A STRIKE IF NEEDED. THEY WERE VOGTTING ON THIS ALL LAST WEEK. THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS THEM ANNOUNCED THIS WEEKEND, IF AN AGREEMENT CANNOT BE REACHED, THEN A STRIKE COULD HAPPEN. UNION OFFICIALS SAY THEY u2019RE UNION OFFICIALS SAY THEY u2019RE SEEKING A $5 PER HOUR WAGE HIKE AMONG OTHER THINGS. UNION SAYS GROCERY STORES ONLY UNION SAYS GROCERY STORES ONLY OFFERED A 60 CENT PER HOUR WAGE INCREASE. AND WORKERS WE SPOKE TO SAY THAT IS JUST NOT GOING TO CUT IT. IS JUST NOT GOING TO CUT IT. IT IS NOT REALLY GOING TO COVER THE COST OF GAS OR THE GROCERIES, LET ALONE RENT TO GET A 60-CENT RAISE. SO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW A LOT OF SO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW A LOT OF US FEEL THAT WE HAVE TO PUSH FOR SOMETHING BETTER. Reporter: AGAIN, AN OFFICIAL Reporter: AGAIN, AN OFFICIAL STRIKE ISN u2019T BEING PLANNED JUST YET. THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE SET TO CONTINUE ON WEDNESDAY. CONTINUE ON WEDNESDAY.”,”video_id”:”2017051203739_523″,”video_length”:”94295″,”video_provider”:”mpx”,”short_video_excerpt”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_low”:”sQjPa5hbYPca”,”pid_streaming_web_mobile_low”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_standard”:”wPyeEw5xUGuE”,”pid_streaming_mobile_standard”:”pQvKSXH6g0Xf”,”alleypack_schedule_unpublish”:””,”feed_remote_id”:”mpx_2017051203739″,”feed_thumbnail_url”:”” ” data-livestream=”false” data-title=”Grocery Workers Vote to Strike If Needed” data-vidcid=”1:13:2906245″ data-vidurl=”https://www.nbcsandiego.com/videos/grocery-workers-vote-to-strike-if-needed/2906245/” data-islead=”false” data-catnames=” “677803”:”News”,”666″:”California”,”461″:”Local”,”510″:”U.S. World”,”681115″:”Videos” ” data-tagnames=” “775744”:”grocery”,”793102″:”grocery workers”,”7953″:”SoCal”,”13013″:”Strike” ” data-customdata=” “ContentPartner”:”None”,”Source”:”WEBFM”,”SyndicationAllowed”:”true”,”mSNVideoCategories”:”MSN Video v4 Connector-most watched news”,”mSNVideoContentSupplierID”:”NBC_Local”,”mSNVideoCountry”:”us”,”subtitle”:”nosubtitle”,”uploadedByTeam”:”1″,”youtubeChannel”:”None” ” data-autoplay=”false” data-cplay=”true” Ralphs has said its proposal also will not increase health care costs for associates. Ralphs says it pays an average hourly wage of $19 an hour, with more than half of associates having been with the company for more than 10 years, and more than one-third having been with Ralphs for more than 20 years. Ralphs also provides health care benefits and a pension for retired associates. Ralphs has always been and continues to be a workplace where our associates come for a job and stay for a career, Branton said. Union leaders have accused the supermarket chains of committing unfair labor practices, including accusing Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions of conducting unlawful surveillance of workers who are protesting, and accusing both chains of refusing to implement wage increases as required under the previous contract. Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. In 2003-04, Southland grocery store workers walked off the job over a contract dispute, and the strike lasted 141 days. That work stoppage was estimated by some analysts to have cost the supermarket chains as much as $2 billion, with the workers losing $300 million in wages. During the last round of negotiations in 2019, grocery workers voted to authorize a strike but negotiations continued for two months, and a labor deal was eventually reached, averting a walkout. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. (https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/negotiations-to-resume-wednesday-between-socal-grocers-workers-following-vote-to-authorize-strike/2907177/)

Are You Getting What You Pay For? Violations Discovered at San Diego County Grocery-Store Scales

With grocery prices higher the past two years because of inflation and supply chain issues, it’s important to make sure you get what you pay for. That isn’t always the case, however An NBC 7 Consumer Investigation looked at two years of grocery-store inspection data and discovered dozens of issues at local stores. Some scales were weighing meat and produce as much as half a pound heavier than what a customer was actually receiving. Grocery stores can have many scales, often at registers or and meat and deli counters. They’re tested once a year by inspectors from the county’s weights and measures division. That means you could be paying more for a while before the problem is discovered. The impact could be considerable if you add it up over the course of the year, said Alan Gin, who teaches economics at the University of San Diego. If they’re not getting as much as they pay for, this just adds to the burden that consumers have. Between January 2020 and November of 2021, there were 1,056 visits by inspectors checking on grocery scales. Out of those inspections, 146 found at least one scale with violations. Grocery Stores With Faulty Food Scales See which San Diego County stores have failed scale accuracy inspections since January 2020. Source: County of San Diego Amy O’Kruk/NBC Not every violation will cost you money. In fact, most of the time, the scales are saving you cash. According to the data we reviewed, only 11 stores had scales that were reading items as heavier than they actually were. If it fails in the customers’ favor, we don’t red tag it, said Kevin Porter, an inspector at the county’s weights and measures division. Stores can still use it but can choose to take it out of service if they want. But if the scale is costing consumers more money, it has to be repaired, and stores often have to pay a fine. Porter inspects one scale at a time, placing weights of slowly increasing amounts on the scale to check its accuracy. Scales are given a.01 pound margin of error up to five pounds, which then increases to a.02 pound margin of error, before finally increasing to the maximum of.03 pound margin of error at 30 pounds. Inspectors like Porter are given ZIP codes around the county to inspect, and it’s their job to check all the devices in their region. Porter said he inspects about 3,000 devices a year. Some stores have 46 computing scales, Porter said. You gotta go all over the place. Scales also have to be certified and registered with the county. If you think there’s an issue with a scale at a store you shop at, you can file a complaint by scanning the QR code on the scale or at the county’s website. Only two inspections between January 2020 and November 2021 were prompted by complaints, but the county wants people to know there is a group they can call if there are issues. Everything gets tested once a year in this county, Porter said. We’re out there looking out for the consumer. NBC 7 Investigates also looked into how inspectors test the pumps at local gas stations. Click here to watch our investigation and see which stations had issues. FILLING YOUR GAS TANK IS NOT CHEAP THESE DAYS. MAYBE YOU WONDERED WHETHER YOU u2019RE REALLY GETTING AS MUCH AS YOU u2019RE PAYING FOR ANYWAY. NBC 7 INVESTIGATES PULLED NEARLY TWO YEARS u2019 WORTH OF COUNTY GAS PUMP INSPECTION RECORDS. PUMP INSPECTION RECORDS. ALEXIS RIVAS SHOWS US WHICH STATIONS MISSED THE MARK AND BY HOW MUCH. Reporter: WHEN GAS PRICES ARE THIS HIGH I u2019M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PRICE I u2019M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PRICE THAT u2019S GOOD AND MY GAS TO LAST LONGER. Reporter: SAN DIEGO DRIVERS SAY GAS IS A LOT. DRIVERS SAY GAS IS A LOT. THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT GET GAS HERE, IT u2019S CONSTANT, NONSTOP. Reporter: WITH SO MANY Reporter: WITH SO MANY DOLLARS ON THE LINE FOR SO MANY DRIVERS, WHO u2019S COUNTING? READY FOR PUMP TEST ON NUMBER 12. Reporter: THIS IS HOW SAN DIEGO COUNTY KEEPS TRACK OF WHETHER GAS PUMPS ARE DISPENSING WHETHER GAS PUMPS ARE DISPENSING WHAT THE METERS SAY THEY ARE. GARRETT GILES WORKS AS AN INSPECTOR FOR THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT u2019S WEIGHTS AND DEPARTMENT u2019S WEIGHTS AND MEASURES DIVISION. THERE u2019S A WHOLE LOT OF FACTORS WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR AT A GAS STATION. GAS STATION. Reporter: WE MET UP WITH GILES AT A LOCAL STATION SO HE COULD SHOW US HOW PUMPS ARE INSPECTED. AT EACH PUMPS WE u2019RE BASICALLY TESTING FIVE GALLONS AT A TIME. Reporter: HE CHECKS HIS TANKS AGAINST WHAT THE METER READS. THE COUNTY ALLOWS EACH PUMP TO THE COUNTY ALLOWS EACH PUMP TO BE OFF BY PLUS OR MINUS SIX INCHES. TIGHT TOLERANCE. Reporter: NBC 7 INVESTIGATES PULLED COUNTY INSPECTION RECORDS. OVER THE COURSE OF NEARLY TWO YEARS, THE COUNTY INSPECTED NEARLY 722 GAS STATIONS. NEARLY 722 GAS STATIONS. 727 OF THEM HAD VIOLATIONS. SO MOST GAS STATIONS, THINK 85, HAD NO VIOLATIONS OF ALL. OF THOSE THAT DID, MOST WERE ACTUALLY GIVING CUSTOMERS MORE GAS THAN THEY PAID FOR, LIKE THIS JACKSON FOOD STORES IN VISTA. AN INSPECTION LAST OCTOBER FOUND EIGHT PUMPS WERE DISPENSING MORE FUEL IN THE CUSTOMERS u2019 FAVOR. FUEL IN THE CUSTOMERS u2019 FAVOR. THE CUSTOMERS WE SPOKE WITH SAID EVEN A FEW GAS STATIONS SHORTING CUSTOMERS SOME OF THE TIME IS CUSTOMERS SOME OF THE TIME IS STILL UNACCEPTABLE. WOW. WHEN YOU TOLD ME, I u2019M JUST LIKE, FOR REAL? FOR REAL? Reporter: THIS STATION JUST OFF THE 5 IN CARDIFF HAD A MAJOR DISCREPANCY. IN THE SUMMER OF 2020, THREE PUMPS WERE TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR PROBLEMS WITH SIX DIFFERENT FUEL GRADES. FUEL GRADES. THE BIGGEST OFFENDER CHARGED NEARLY 7 MORE THAN WHAT THE CUSTOMERS ACTUALLY GOT. YEAH, I THINK IT u2019S CRIMINAL, YEAH, I THINK IT u2019S CRIMINAL, BECAUSE OF THE PRICES OF THE GAS ALREADY, THAT YOU u2019RE NOT GETTING WHAT YOU u2019RE ALREADY PAYING FOR. WHAT YOU u2019RE ALREADY PAYING FOR. IT u2019S ALMOST $5 A GALLON. THAT u2019S PRETTY CRAZY. Reporter: THE STATION WAS REINSPECTED TWO DAYS LATER AND PUT BACK INTO SERVICE. ANOTHER INSPECTION A YEAR LATER FOUND NO VIOLATION. MOVING SOUTH, LAST SUMMER AN INSPECTOR TOOK TWO PUMPS OUT OF SERVICE AT THIS VALERO STATION SERVICE AT THIS VALERO STATION OFF THE 94 ON EUCLID AVENUE. METER CREEP IS WHEN THE PRICE TICKER KEEPS COUNTING UP BUT THE METER STOPS. THOSE ISSUES WERE FIXED DAYS LATER. GAS IS EXPENSIVE. I WANT TO GET WHAT I PAID FOR. Reporter: GAS PRICES HAVE A Reporter: GAS PRICES HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, SAYS PROFESSOR ALAN GIN, ESPECIALLY AT A TIME WHEN GIN, ESPECIALLY AT A TIME WHEN GAS IS THIS HIGH. EVERY TIME THE PRICE OF GAS GOES UP ONE CENT A GALLON, THAT TAKES A MILLION DOLLARS A MONTH OUT OF THE SAN DIEGO ECONOMY. Reporter: THAT u2019S BECAUSE WE CAN u2019T BUY AS MANY THINGS WHEN CAN u2019T BUY AS MANY THINGS WHEN MORE OF OUR BUDGET GOES TO GAS. COMBINED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING LESS GAS THAN WE PAY GETTING LESS GAS THAN WE PAY FOR, AND THE IMPACT COULD BE CONSIDERABLE IF YOU ADD IT UP OVER THE COURSE OF AN ENTIRE YEAR. Reporter: IN MISSION VALLEY, THIS STATION ON CAMINO DEL RIO SOUTH TOOK ALL ITS PUMPS OUT OF SERVICE AFTER AN INSPECTION LAST NOVEMBER FOUND ALL OF THEM GAVE CUSTOMERS LESS GAS THAN THEY PAID FOR. PAID FOR. THOSE WERE CORRECTED AND PUT BACK IN SERVICE TWO WEEKS LATER. THIS MOBILE STATION TEMPORARILY THIS MOBILE STATION TEMPORARILY LOST TWO PUMPS FOR TEN DAYS AFTER THE INSPECTOR FOUND SEVEN GRADES OF GAS DISPENSING LESS GRADES OF GAS DISPENSING LESS FUEL THAT THE METER DISPLAYED. TODAY THEY u2019RE BACK IN NORMAL WORKING ORDER. THAT u2019S NOT FAIR, ARTERIES RIPPING YOU OFF RIGHT IN YOUR FACE. Reporter: WE REACHED OUT TO ALL THE OWNERS OF STATIONS ALL THE OWNERS OF STATIONS FEATURED IN THIS STORY. NONE WANTED AN INTERVIEW BUT THE ONES WE SPOKE TO SAID THE ERRORS ONES WE SPOKE TO SAID THE ERRORS WHY NOT DELIBERATE AND THE ISSUES QUICKLY CORRECTED. STATIONS GET INSPECTED ONCE A YEAR BUT SOME CUSTOMERS WE YEAR BUT SOME CUSTOMERS WE TALKED TO WANT THEM CHECKED TWICE AS OFTEN. IT u2019S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS SHOULD BE ACCURATE AND THAT SOMEONE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. Reporter: THE COUNTY INSPECTOR SAYS THE MOST COMMON REASON A GAS PUMP METER IS REASON A GAS PUMP METER IS FAULTY IS A LACK OF MAINTENANCE. HE SAYS EVERY PUMP SHOULD GET SERVICED TWICE A YEAR. SERVICED TWICE A YEAR. THE TROUBLE STARTS WHEN THOSE CHECKUPS GET SKIPPED. ALEXIS RIVAS, NBC 7 INVESTIGATES. HERE I AM. HERE I AM. COUNTY INSPECTORS PUT STICKERS ON THE PUMPS WITH A QR CODE. ON THE PUMPS WITH A QR CODE. YOU CAN SCAN THAT AND MAKE A YOU CAN SCAN THAT AND MAKE A COMPLAINT WITH THE COUNTY. MORE THAN 80 INSPECTIONS LAST YEAR BEGAN WITH A COMPLAINT FROM A CUSTOMER JUST LIKE THAT. A CUSTOMER JUST LIKE THAT.”,”video_id”:”1998678595598_970″,”video_length”:”322389″,”video_provider”:”mpx”,”short_video_excerpt”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_low”:”zk0HrWNa0O1P”,”pid_streaming_web_mobile_low”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_standard”:”JzSaQRNojgt3″,”pid_streaming_mobile_standard”:”09noQmiN0OJA”,”alleypack_schedule_unpublish”:””,”feed_remote_id”:”mpx_1998678595598″,”feed_thumbnail_url”:”” ” data-livestream=”false” data-title=”Some San Diego Gas Stations Not Pumping What the Meters Say” data-vidcid=”1:13:2857408″ data-vidurl=”https://www.nbcsandiego.com/videos/some-san-diego-gas-stations-not-pumping-what-the-meters-say/2857408/” data-islead=”false” data-catnames=” “677803”:”News”,”679276″:”Investigations”,”461″:”Local”,”681115″:”Videos” ” data-tagnames=” “8”:”California”,”89703″:”consumer”,”798″:”gas prices”,”3091″:”gas stations”,”809852″:”Gasoline”,”6747″:”Investigation”,”927069″:”pain at the pump” ” data-customdata=” “ContentPartner”:”None”,”Source”:”WEBFM”,”SyndicationAllowed”:”true”,”mSNVideoCategories”:”MSN Video v4 Connector-most watched news”,”mSNVideoContentSupplierID”:”NBC_Local”,”mSNVideoCountry”:”us”,”subtitle”:”nosubtitle”,”uploadedByTeam”:”1″,”youtubeChannel”:”None” ” data-autoplay=”false” data-cplay=”true” (https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/investigations/are-you-getting-what-you-pay-for-violations-discovered-at-san-diego-county-grocery-store-scales/2896488/)

Average LA County Gas Price Drops Again, In New Largest Decrease Since April 2020

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County recorded its largest decrease since April 2, 2020 on Saturday, dropping below $6 for the first time since March 21. The average price dropped 2 cents to $5.999, squeaking just under $6. The 2-cent drop comes after back-to-back decreases of 1.9 cents, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service, setting a new record for the largest overnight decrease since April 2020. It has dropped 7.1 cents over the past seven days following a 32-day streak of increases totaling $1.283. It is 7.1 cents less than one week ago but $1.071 higher than one month ago and $2.045 more than one year ago. The California state average, according to AAA, is now at $5.864 for one gallon of regular unleaded gasoline. The Orange County average price recorded its largest decrease since at least September 2019, dropping 2.9 cents to $5.947. It has dropped 8 cents over the past seven days, including 1.8 cents on both Thursday and Friday, following a 35-day streak of increases totaling $1.277. Despite the recent decreases, the Orange County average price is $1.043 higher than one month ago and $2.013 more than one year ago. Business Apr 1 How States Aim to Tackle High Gas Prices With Tax Holidays, Rebates for Residents Business Mar 31 Biden to Invoke Defense Production Act for Electric Vehicle Battery Materials Business Mar 31 U.S. to Release 1 Million Barrels of Oil Per Day From Reserves to Help Cut Gas Prices Here are the gas prices around Southern California counties, as of Saturday morning: Los Angeles County: $5.999 Ventura County: $5.999 San Bernardino County: $5.937 Orange County: $5.947 Riverside: $5.909 “With the release keeping oil down, we’ll see most/all areas decline over the weekend and into next week,” according to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, which provides real-time gas price information from more than 150,000 stations. Find the cheapest gas near you. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. (https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/average-la-county-gas-price-drops-again-in-new-largest-decrease-since-april-2020/2861476/)

California Lawmakers Propose $400 Gas Rebate for Taxpayers

A group of California lawmakers on Thursday announced a proposed $400 gas rebate for every state taxpayer amid record-high gas prices. Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris and several other lawmakers announced their proposal to use $9 billion of the state’s budget surplus to provide a $400 rebate to every California taxpayer. They added that the rebate will more than cover the current 51.1-cent-per-gallon gas tax for one full year of weekly fill-ups for a car with a 15-gallon gas tank. Other lawmakers who are part of the proposal include Assembly members Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Jesse Gabriel, Adam Gray, Jacqui Irwin, Evan Low, Chad Mayes, Blanca Rubio, Sharon Quirk-Silva and Carlos Villapudua. oil and gas Mar 16 What’s the Cheapest Day to Buy Gas? Many Californians are feeling severe financial pain at the pump and looking to California’s leaders for help, Petrie-Norris said in a statement. We believe a rebate is the best approach to directly put money in people’s pockets. The group of lawmakers added that under their proposal, every California tax filer will receive a rebate including taxpayers who don’t own or drive a car. As of Thursday, the average price for regular gas in California went up to $5.77 a gallon, up from $4.94 a week ago, according to the latest data from AAA. Some people who NBC Bay Area spoke to Wednesday night had mixed reaction on the proposal. I don’t think it’s enough. I don’t think it’s enough money, especially in these hard times, said Noah Pacheco of Pleasanton. Meanwhile, California Republicans believe they tried to ease the pain by trying to get lawmakers to sign a bill that would suspend the gas tax for at least six months and it failed. I think this was a real missed opportunity for bipartisanship and working across the aisle to help every Californian in the state that is hurting from this, said Matt Shupe, Contra Costa County Republican Party chair. The gas rebate is only a proposal at this point. It will have to go through several committees and votes before anyone sees the money. (https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/ca-lawmakers-to-propose-400-gas-rebate/2849826/)

Youngkin Wants Virginia Lawmakers to Suspend Gas Tax for 3 Months

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Wednesday that he wants the divided General Assembly to pass legislation that would suspend the state gas tax for three months, a move he estimated would save drivers 26 cents per gallon at a time when prices have skyrocketed. At an appearance at a Richmond-area gas station, Youngkin said he would send a bill to lawmakers when they reconvene soon for a special session that would roll back the tax then gradually phase it back in after the three-month holiday. The governor said high gas prices are just part of the inflationary pressures Virginia families are facing. United States Mar 16 Lyft Will Add 55-Cent Surcharge to Each Ride to Help Drivers With Higher Gas Prices United States Mar 16 Oil Market Heads for ‘Biggest Supply Crisis in Decades’ With Russia’s Exports Set to Fall, IEA Says We need to do something real and fast, he said. Passage of such a measure would require bipartisan cooperation. Leadership of the Senate Democratic caucus neither fully endorsed nor rejected the proposal. As final negotiations take place, we need to make sure we can provide relief for Virginians while still maintaining a robust and responsible budget. Senate Democrats look forward to working with Governor Youngkin, Senate Republicans, and the House of Delegates to achieve these and many other goals, Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw said in a statement. Reporter: DRIVERS ARE HOPING SOMEONE CAN PUMP THE BRAKES ON THE HIGH COST OF GAS AS THEY FILL UP. THAT WAS NOT FUN. THAT IS DEFINITELY MORE THAN USUAL. THE PRICES OF GAS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. Reporter: AND EVEN IF YOU DON u2019T DRIVE, GAS SURCHARGES ARE DON u2019T DRIVE, GAS SURCHARGES ARE BEING PLACED ON THINGS LIKE UBER AND LYFT RIDES. D.C. CABS PUTTING A $1 PER RIDE SURCHARGE IN PLACE TO HELP SURCHARGE IN PLACE TO HELP DRIVERS ON THE ROAD ALL DAY. BUT NOW, HELP IN THE FORM OF STATES CUTTING OUT THEIR GAS TAX COULD BE COMING. THE MARYLAND COMPTROLLER SAYS A 30-DAY SUSPENSION OF THE STATE u2019S 37-CENT GAS TAX IS IMMINENT. YOU THINK THIS IS A DONE DEAL IN A DAY OR TWO? A DAY OR TWO? CORRECT AND WILL BE SIGNED TODAY OR TOMORROW. TODAY OR TOMORROW. THIS IS GOING TO BE ROCK AND ROLLING POPULAR WITH ALL MARYLANDERS AND WE u2019LL ATTRACT FOLKS FROM VIRGINIA, D.C., DELAWARE TO COME IN AND SPEND MONEY IN OUR STATE. Reporter: THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA ALSO PROPOSING VIRGINIA ALSO PROPOSING SUSPENDING THE STATE GAS TAX FOR 90 DAYS. NATIONALLY, THE PRICE FOR A GALLON OF REGULAR IS $4.30. GALLON OF REGULAR IS $4.30. UP FIVE CENTS COMPARED TO THE SAME TIME LAST WEEK. AND HOW MUCH LONGER WILL THESE HIGH PRICES GO ON? REJONAH ALI WITH AAA SAYS BRACE YOURSELF. THE SUMMER DRIVING AND TRAVEL THE SUMMER DRIVING AND TRAVEL SEASON USUALLY MEANS HIGHER GAS PRICES ANY WAY. THIS IS THE TIME WHEN WE SEE THE SWITCHOVER OF GASOLINE FROM THE SWITCHOVER OF GASOLINE FROM THE WINTER FUEL BLENDS TO THE SUMMER FUEL BLENDS, WHICH ARE MORE EXPENSIVE TO PRODUCE. Reporter: THE UNREST IN UKRAINE CAUSING BIG SWINGS IN THE PRICE OF OIL, AND SO FOR NOW, NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN NOW, NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE RISING”,”video_id”:”2013524035770_628″,”video_length”:”109977″,”video_provider”:”mpx”,”short_video_excerpt”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_low”:”QKR3AD8DVOyU”,”pid_streaming_web_mobile_low”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_standard”:”7QHiBXda0TyP”,”pid_streaming_mobile_standard”:”FrDkbSQucRUP”,”alleypack_schedule_unpublish”:””,”feed_remote_id”:”mpx_2013524035770″,”feed_thumbnail_url”:”” ” data-livestream=”false” data-title=”Taxis, Ride Shares Add Surcharges Because of High Gas Prices” data-vidcid=”1:14:3001472″ data-vidurl=”https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/transportation/taxis-ride-shares-add-surcharges-because-of-high-gas-prices/3001472/” data-islead=”false” data-catnames=” “569”:”Local”,”223863″:”News”,”693″:”Transportation” ” data-tagnames=” “876”:”gas prices”,”440066″:”gas tax holiday”,”442056″:”ride shares”,”442057″:”taxis” ” data-customdata=” “ContentPartner”:”None”,”Source”:”WEBFM”,”SyndicationAllowed”:”true”,”mSNVideoCategories”:”MSN Video v4 Connector-most watched news”,”mSNVideoContentSupplierID”:”NBC_Local”,”mSNVideoCountry”:”us”,”subtitle”:”nosubtitle”,”uploadedByTeam”:”1″,”youtubeChannel”:”None” ” data-autoplay=”false” data-cplay=”true” Saslaw’s statement also emphasized that the state’s transportation budget relies on gas tax revenue. Unable to reach an agreement on the state budget, lawmakers adjourned their regular session Saturday with the intent to reconvene upon the call of the governor once progress has been made. Youngkin told reporters Wednesday that it wasn’t clear yet when he would call them back. Stay informed about what’s happening in the Washington, D.C., area. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter. (https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/first-read-dmv/youngkin-wants-virginia-lawmakers-to-suspend-gas-tax-for-3-months/3001168/)

Federal Reserve Approves First Interest Rate Hike in More Than Three Years, Sees Six More Ahead

The Fed approved a 0.25 percentage point rate hike, the first increase since December 2018. Officials indicated an aggressive path ahead, with rate rises coming at each of the remaining six meetings in 2022. Members also pared expectations for economic growth this year and sharply raised their outlook for inflation. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved its first interest rate increase in more than three years, an incremental salvo to address spiraling inflation without torpedoing economic growth. After keeping its benchmark interest rate anchored near zero since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, the policymaking Federal Open Market Committee said it will raise rates by a quarter percentage point, or 25 basis points. That will bring the rate now into a range of 0.25 0.5. The move will correspond with a hike in the prime rate and immediately send financing costs higher for many forms of consumer borrowing and credit. Fed officials indicated the rate increases will come with slower economic growth this year. Along with the rate hikes, the committee also penciled in increases at each of the six remaining meetings this year, pointing to a consensus funds rate of 1.9 by year’s end. That is a full percentage point higher than indicated in December. The committee sees three more hikes in 2023 then none the following year. The rate rise was approved with only one dissent. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard wanted a 50 basis point increase. The committee last raised rates in December 2018, then had to backtrack the following July and begin cutting. In its post-meeting statement, the FOMC said it also anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate. Addressing the Fed’s nearly $9 trillion balance sheet, made up mainly of Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities it has purchased over the years, the statement said, In addition, the Committee expects to begin reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities at a coming meeting. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell at his post-meeting news conference hinted that the balance sheet reduction could start in May, and said the process could be the equivalent of another rate hike this year. The indication of about 175 basis points in rate increases this year was a close call: The dot plot of individual members’ projections showed eight members expecting more than the seven hikes, while 10 thought that seven total in 2022 would be sufficient. We are attentive to the risks of further upward pressure on inflation and inflation expectations, Powell said at the news conference. The committee is determined to take the measures necessary to restore price stability. The U.S. economy is very strong and well-positioned to handle tighter monetary policy. Officials also adjusted their economic outlook on multiple fronts, seeing much higher inflation than they expected in December and considerably slower GDP growth. The Fed is about to hike rates. Here’s what history shows should happen to the stock market next Top Goldman Sachs analyst: Here’s what’stagflation’ could mean for markets JPMorgan says these are the stocks to buy on the pullback, including some set to gain 50 or more Committee members bumped up their inflation estimates, expecting the personal consumption expenditures price index excluding food and energy to reflect 4.1 growth this year, compared with the 2.7 projection in December 2021. Core PCE is expected to be 2.7 and 2.3, respectively, in the next two years before settling to 2 over the longer term. Inflation remains elevated, reflecting supply and demand imbalances related to the pandemic, higher energy prices, and broader price pressures, the statement said. On GDP, December’s 4 was sliced to 2.8, as the committee particularly noted the potential implications of the Ukraine war. Subsequent years were unchanged. The committee still expects the unemployment rate to end this year at 3.5. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is causing tremendous human and economic hardship, the statement said. The implications for the U.S. economy are highly uncertain, but in the near term the invasion and related events are likely to create additional upward pressure on inflation and weigh on economic activity. Stocks initially reacted negative to the announcement but then bounced back. Bond yields momentarily moved higher, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rising to 2.22 before receding. Ultimately, they’ve come through with a clear message, that the Fed has a path forward to continue to tighten in response to this overwhelming concern around inflation, said Jim Baird, chief investment officer at Plante Moran Financial Advisors. The question is, will it be enough and are they even recognizing that they’ve perhaps fallen behind the curve? Changing course The central bank had slashed its federal funds rate in the early days of the pandemic to combat a shutdown that crippled the U.S. economy and financial markets while sending 22 million Americans to the unemployment line. But myriad factors have combined to force the Fed’s hand on inflation, a condition that policymakers last year dismissed as transitory before capitulating. Officials over the past two months have strongly indicated that interest rate hikes are coming, with the main question left for investors being how many increases and how quickly they would come. The current trend of price increases, at their fastest 12-month pace in 40 years, has been fed by demand that has far outstripped supply chains that remain clogged if less so than their pandemic-era peaks. Unprecedented levels of fiscal and monetary stimulus more than $10 trillion worth have coincided with the inflation surge. And the Ukraine war has coincided with a major spike in oil prices, though that has abated in recent days. Heading into this week’s FOMC meeting, markets had been pricing in the equivalent of about seven 0.25 hikes this year, according to CME Group data. However, traders were split about 50-50 over whether the Fed might hike 50 basis points in May, as some officials have indicated could happen if inflation pressures persist. Prices are up 7.9 year over year, according to the consumer price index, which measures a wide-ranging basket of goods and services. Energy has been the biggest burden, as gasoline prices have risen 38 in the 12-month period. However, price pressures have broadened out from simply gas and groceries. For instance, clothing prices, after plummeting in the early days of the pandemic, have risen 6.6 over the past year. Motor vehicle repair costs are up 6.3 and airline fares have jumped 12.7. Rent of shelter costs, which make up nearly one-third of the CPI, have been moving up sharply in recent months and are up 4.8 year over year. All of those cost increases have left the Fed’s 2 inflation target in the dust. The Fed in September 2020 approved a new approach to inflation, in which it would let it run hotter in the interest of a full and, most notably, inclusive employment goal that spans across race, gender and wealth. However, the change in approach was followed almost immediately by more pernicious inflation than the U.S. economy had seen since the days of the Arab oil embargo and inflation that peaked in the early 1980s at nearly 15. In those days, the Paul Volcker-led Fed had to jack up interest rates to a point where they tipped the economy into recession, something central bankers now want to avoid. Back then, the funds rate eclipsed 19. Baird said the Fed will need to live up to its promise to be nimble if it is to continue to assuage market fears about runaway inflation. Will the path that they’ve laid out be enough to bring inflation back down to more comfortable levels in some reasonable time frame? The possibility certainly exists that they could get more aggressive, he said. (https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/business/money-report/federal-reserve-approves-first-interest-rate-hike-in-more-than-three-years-sees-six-more-ahead/2896590/)

Average LA County Gas Prices Record Largest Drops Since April 2020

On the bright side, gas prices didn’t rise overnight. But the reality is they still remain high after the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County recorded its largest decrease since April 2, 2020, dropping 1.9 cents to $6.038. The average price has dropped 3.2 cents over the past five days, including 1.2 cents Wednesday, following a 32-day streak of increases totaling $1.283, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is seven-tenths of a cent higher than one week ago, $1.152 more than one month ago and $2.089 greater than one year ago. CUSTOMERS HAVE ACTIVE RECYCLING IN SOUTH L.A. HAD A CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE EARTH AND GET HELP WITH THOSE GAS PRICES. ACTIVE RECYCLING IS GIVING AWAY FREE $20 GAS CARDS TO THEIR CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY COME IN TO DROP OFF THOSE RECYCLABLES. IT IS FOR PERSONAL ACCOUNTS ONLY, NOT COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS. THE OWNER EXPLAINED HOW IT THE OWNER EXPLAINED HOW IT WORKS.”,”video_id”:”2018087491797_634″,”video_length”:”27395″,”video_provider”:”mpx”,”short_video_excerpt”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_low”:”gRxmi0sUtWPI”,”pid_streaming_web_mobile_low”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_standard”:”g6NMsYzxdGVP”,”pid_streaming_mobile_standard”:”uLcFk3xLFrAc”,”alleypack_schedule_unpublish”:””,”feed_remote_id”:”mpx_2018087491797″,”feed_thumbnail_url”:”” ” data-livestream=”false” data-title=”Free Gas Cards Offered at South LA Recycling Plant” data-vidcid=”1:9:2859559″ data-vidurl=”https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/free-gas-cards-offered-at-south-la-recycling-plant/2859559/” data-islead=”false” data-catnames=” “756756”:”News”,”505″:”Local”,”759974″:”On Air” ” data-tagnames=” “802572”:”gas”,”800293″:”Gas prices”,”893778″:”Gasoline”,”784958″:”recycle”,”904927″:”Recycled products”,”3286″:”recycling”,”1012384″:”Slauson”,”795722″:”South LA” ” data-customdata=” “ContentPartner”:”None”,”Source”:”WEBFM”,”SyndicationAllowed”:”true”,”mSNVideoCategories”:”MSN Video v4 Connector-most watched news”,”mSNVideoContentSupplierID”:”NBC_Local”,”mSNVideoCountry”:”us”,”subtitle”:”nosubtitle”,”uploadedByTeam”:”1″,”youtubeChannel”:”None” ” data-autoplay=”false” data-cplay=”true” The Orange County average price recorded its largest decrease since April 8, 2020, dropping 1.8 cents to $5.994. It has dropped 3.3 cents over the past five days, including 1.7 cents Wednesday, following a 35-day streak of increases totaling $1.277. The Orange County average price is a half-cent higher than one week ago, $1.139 more than one month ago and $2.06 greater than one year ago. politics 2 hours ago U.S. to Release 1 Million Barrels of Oil Per Day From Reserves to Help Cut Gas Prices Climate Policy 12 hours ago How Hackers and Geopolitics Could Derail the Planned Energy Transition According to Oil Price Information Service, West Coast gasoline traders attributed the drop to the arrival of imported gasoline and gasoline components, easing concerns about supply. We should see further price drops at the pump as long as wholesale prices don’t swing upward again. On Thursday, President Biden is expected to order the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve, according to two people familiar with the decision. The move is a bid to control energy prices that have spiked as the U.S. and allies have imposed steep sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. (https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/average-la-orange-county-gas-prices/2859917/)

Fed Begins Inflation Fight With Key Rate Hike, More to Come

The Federal Reserve launched a high-risk effort Wednesday to tame the worst inflation since the 1970s, raising its benchmark short-term interest rate and signaling potentially up to seven rate hikes this year. The Fed’s quarter-point hike in its key rate, which it had pinned near zero since the pandemic recession struck two years ago, marks the start of its effort to curb the high inflation that has followed the recovery from the recession. The rate hikes will eventually mean higher loan rates for many consumers and businesses. The central bank’s policymakers expect inflation to remain elevated and to end 2022 at 4.3, according to updated quarterly projections they released Wednesday. That’s far above the Fed’s 2 annual target. The officials also now forecast much slower economic growth this year, of 2.8, down from its 4 estimate in December. Chair Jerome Powell is steering the Fed into a sharp U-turn. Officials had kept rates ultra-low to support growth and hiring during the recession and its aftermath. As recently as December, Fed officials had expected to raise rates just three times this year. Now, its projected seven hikes would raise its short-term rate to 1.875 at the end of 2022. It could increase rates by a half-point at future meetings. Fed officials also forecast four additional hikes in 2023, boosting its benchmark rate to 2.8. That would be the highest level since March 2008. Borrowing costs for mortgage loans, credit cards and auto loans will likely rise as a result. Powell is hoping that the rate hikes will achieve a difficult and narrow objective: Raising borrowing costs enough to slow growth and tame high inflation, yet not so much as to topple the economy into recession. Yet many economists worry that with inflation already so high it reached 7.9 in February, the worst in four decades and with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine driving up gas prices, the Fed may have to raise rates even higher than it now expects and potentially tip the economy into recession. By its own admission, the central bank underestimated the breadth and persistence of high inflation after the pandemic struck. Many economists say the Fed made its task riskier by waiting too long to begin raising rates. Since its last meeting in January, the challenges and uncertainties for the Fed have escalated. Russia’s invasion has magnified the cost of oil, gas, wheat and other commodities. China has closed ports and factories again to try to contain a new outbreak of COVID, which will worsen supply chain disruptions and likely further fuel price pressures. In the meantime, the sharp rise in average gas prices since the invasion, up more than 60 cents to $4.31 a gallon nationally, will send inflation higher while also probably slowing growth two conflicting trends that are notoriously difficult for the Fed to manage simultaneously. The economy’s steady expansion does provide some cushion against higher rates and more expensive gas. Consumers are spending at a healthy pace, and employers keep rapidly hiring. There are still a near-record 11.3 million job openings, far outnumbering the number of unemployed. (https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/politics/fed-begins-inflation-fight-with-key-rate-hike-more-to-come/2849305/)

Biden Planning Bigger Tap Into Oil Reserve to Combat Gas Prices

President Joe Biden is preparing to order the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve, according to two people familiar with the decision, in a bid to control energy prices that have spiked as the U.S. and allies have imposed steep sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine The announcement could come as soon as Thursday, when the White House says Biden is planning to deliver remarks on his administration’s plans to combat rising gas prices. The duration of the release hasn’t been finalized but could last for several months. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the decision. High oil prices have not coaxed more production, creating a challenge for Biden. The president has seen his popularity sink as inflation reached a 40-year high in February and the cost of petroleum and gasoline climbed after Russia invaded Ukraine. Crude oil on Wednesday traded at nearly $105 a barrel, up from about $60 a year ago. Still, oil producers have been more focused on meeting the needs of investors, according to a survey released last week by the Dallas Federal Reserve. About 59 of the executives surveyed said investor pressure to preserve capital discipline amid high prices was the reason they weren’t pumping more, while fewer than 10 blamed government regulation. More Oil Prices Coverage energy Mar 28 India Is Snapping Up Cheap Russian Oil, and China Could Be Next gas prices Mar 26 Why Gas Prices Have Soared in America The steady release from the reserves would be a meaningful sum and come near to closing the domestic production gap relative to February 2020, before the coronavirus caused a steep decline in oil output. The Biden administration in November announced the release of 50 million barrels from the strategic reserve in coordination with other countries. And after the Ukrainian war began, the U.S. and 30 other countries agreed to an additional release of 60 million barrels from reserves, with half of the total coming from the U.S. According to the Department of Energy, which manages it, more than 568 million barrels of oil were held in the reserve as of Mar. 25. News of the administration’s planning was first reported by Bloomberg. Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed. (https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/biden-planning-to-tap-oil-reserve-to-control-gas-prices/2928488/)

‘Short-Term Thinking’: Environmentalists Push Back on Biden’s Ethanol Expansion

President Joe Biden’s plan to reduce the price of gas by allowing the sale of higher-ethanol fuel this summer may make corn farmers and their elected representatives happy. But the move also has irked environmentalists who see ethanol as a climate-change villain. Biden made his announcement Tuesday during a trip to Iowa, where corn and ethanol are crucial to the state economy. He said the Environmental Protection Agency would issue an emergency waiver from the Clean Air Act that will permit the sale of gasoline that is 15 percent ethanol, 5 percent more than the typical blend, from June 1 to Sept. 15. The change will lower gas prices by about 10 cents a gallon at the 2,300 gas stations equipped to pump it, the Biden administration says. To environmentalists, that’s a small benefit compared to the damage the decision could do to efforts to reduce the country’s carbon emissions. What the president is doing is the definition of short-term thinking, said Carroll Muffett, president and CEO of the Center for International Environmental Law. The goal here shouldn’t be to bring gas prices down by 10 cents in the near term by increasing emissions that will endanger large parts of the population. Although ethanol was embraced more than a decade ago as a renewable fuel, its green reputation has eroded. Scientists have found evidence that increased corn production for ethanol could increase greenhouse gas emissions; a study published in February said ethanol may be worse for the climate than gasoline. Read the full story on NBCNews.com here. More Ethanol Coverage gas prices Apr 12 Biden Waiving Ethanol Rule in Bid to Lower Gasoline Prices gas prices Apr 12 Is High-Ethanol Gasoline Safe for Your Car? What to Know About E15 (https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/short-term-thinking-environmentalists-push-back-on-bidens-ethanol-expansion/2939064/)

Maryland Announces Tax Relief for Many Retirees, Families, Businesses

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and leaders in the legislature have reached a $1.86 billion agreement for tax relief over five years for retirees, small businesses and low-income families, officials announced Monday. When combined with a recently enacted gas tax suspension, the governor’s office said this legislative session will deliver nearly $2 billion in tax relief. The Republican governor called the bipartisan deal the largest tax cut package in state history with major and long-overdue relief for Maryland’s retirees. This agreement will deliver on our promise to provide real, long-term relief for hard-working Marylanders dealing with inflation and higher prices, and help create more jobs and more opportunity to continue our strong recovery, Hogan said. The tax relief agreement comes at a time when the state has billions of dollars in surplus that has resulted from enormous federal aid to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The state started the session in January with about $4.6 billion in surplus, and the amount grew even higher as officials revised revenue estimates earlier this month. The agreement includes tax relief for retirees 65 and older making up to $100,000 in retirement income, and married couples making up to $150,000 in retirement income. Under the deal, 80 of Maryland retirees will get substantial tax relief or pay no state income taxes at all, the governor’s office said. It comprises about $1.55 billion of the overall agreement. The plan includes the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to incentivize employers and businesses to hire and retain workers from underserved communities that have faced significant barriers to employment. The agreement also includes sales tax exemptions for child care products such as diapers, car seats, and baby bottles, as well as critical health products such as dental hygiene products, diabetic care products, and medical devices. Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones, who are both Democrats, also praised the bipartisan nature of the agreement. The last two years of the pandemic have shown the cracks in our state’s civic infrastructure, Ferguson, of Baltimore, said. As I’ve said since the beginning of the 2022 legislative session, everything we do must prioritize our state’s economy and the health of our residents. supplemental budget Mar 26 Maryland Governor Submits $292M Supplemental Budget MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY Mar 26 Amendment on Abortion Doesn’t Advance in Maryland Maryland Redistricting Mar 25 Maryland Judge Rules New Congressional Map Unconstitutional Jones, of Baltimore County, said the House started the session with the goal of helping Marylanders left behind in the post-pandemic recovery. This bipartisan agreement helps hundreds of thousands of seniors on fixed incomes who are struggling with inflation and puts families on a stronger footing as they buy necessities and pay for child care or college, Jones said in a statement. The significant increase in capital spending, coupled with the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, will help Maryland businesses put more chronically unemployed Marylanders back to work. The agreement also makes a one-time $800 million investment in the state’s sweeping education reform plan known as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. It also will maintain a record level of funding in the state’s Rainy Day Fund. The agreement also makes investments to support public safety and victims of crime and the state’s health system by supporting hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. It also includes funding to expand access to child care and protect against growing cyber security threats. Hogan and the legislature’s presiding officers plan to hold a bill signing ceremony later this week. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. (https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/maryland-announces-tax-relief-for-many-retirees-families-businesses/3010609/)

Encinitas Flips The Switch on 100 Renewable Energy

Encinitas is the latest city to roll out a new electricity provider, joining Imperial Beach and La Mesa, which began service in February and March, respectively. The San Diego Community Power program says it purchases renewable power and feeds it into the electricity grid. It then works with San Diego Gas & Electric to deliver it to you at competitive rates. As part of the program, customers could potentially see their monthly bills decrease and reduce their carbon footprint. While SDCP focuses on generating power from wind and solar, SDG&E remains involved in the billing process, transmission and distribution of electricity. When you get a bill from San Diego Gas & Electric, it’ll have a little line on it that says you’re getting your power from San Diego Community Power, Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina explained when the program launched in his city. Right off the bat, the prices are the same or a little bit more competitive than San Diego Gas & Electric. Both Imperial Beach and La Mesa opted for SDCP’s Power On tier, which offers 50 renewable energy. Encinitas chose to enroll in the Power 100 tier, which offers 100 renewable energy. We had within our climate action plan a strategy of getting to 100 renewable energy 10 years ahead of the State of California, said Encinitas City Council Member Joe Mosca, who also chairs the SDCP Board of Directors. With this strategy of community choice energy, we’re actually able to offer residents a 100 renewable clean energy right away, if they so choose. Since SDCP is a community choice aggregation program, state rules dictate that all-electric customers under a municipality that joins a CCA must automatically be enrolled in the program. Those who prefer to have their power generated by SDG&E instead can notify the SDCP to opt-out of the program. AND PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY HAVE BEEN FEELING THE PINCH, OF COURSE, AS WE u2019VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT OF SKYROCKETING TALKING ABOUT OF SKYROCKETING UTILITY BILLS. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN LA MESA THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN LA MESA GET TO CHOOSE WHO PROVIDES THEIR ELECTRICITY. YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF THIS. THE POWER POLICEMAN IS ROLLED OUT TODAY. OUT TODAY. AUDRA STAFFORD JOINING US WITH MORE ON THIS PROGRAM. REALLY ALL ABOUT CHOICE, AWED ARE A. THAT u2019S RIGHT. UP UNTIL NOW, WE HAVEN u2019T HAD A CHOICE WHEN IT COMES TO WHO CHOICE WHEN IT COMES TO WHO PROVIDES OUR ENERGY. SDG & E HAS BEEN THE ONLY CHOICE. UNDER THE SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY UNDER THE SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY POWER PROGRAM, YOU WILL STILL GET A BILL FROM SDG & E. AND THEY WILL STILL PROVIDE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, POWER POLES, POWER LINES. YOU CAN SEE THAT LIFTED FIRST HERE ON THIS SAMPLE BILL. NOW UNDER THAT YOU u2019LL SEE IT NOW UNDER THAT YOU u2019LL SEE IT SAYS CCA ELECTRIC GENERATION. SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY POWER IS AN AGGREGATOR OR CCA. AGGREGATOR OR CCA. THAT IS WHAT THEY CHARGE FOR THEIR POWER AND IT REPLACES SDG THEIR POWER AND IT REPLACES SDG & E u2019S ELECTRIC GENERATION CHARGE. IMPERIAL BEACH IS THE FIRST TO MAKE THE CHANGE. SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY POWER WILL REDUCE OUR CARBON EMISSIONS BY REDUCE OUR CARBON EMISSIONS BY NEARLY $3 BILLION POUNDS A YEAR. 50 OF THE ENERGY COMES FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES. RENEWABLE SOURCES. THAT u2019S LIKE TAKING 270,000 CARS OFF THE ROAD. PLANTING MILLIONS OF TREES. THIS IS A WIN, WIN, WIN. IT u2019S A PRAGMATIC DRIVEN WAY OF ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE. ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE. AND THAT u2019S A GREAT SAN DIEGO OUTCOME. SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY POWER IS SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY POWER IS ROLLED OUT TODAY THROUGHOUT THIS MONTH IN LA MESA AND OTHERS WILL LAUNCH IN APRIL AND CHULA VISTA LAUNCH IN APRIL AND CHULA VISTA FOR A TOTAL OF 700,000 CUSTOMERS. THE NEXT YEAR NATIONAL CITY AND THE NEXT YEAR NATIONAL CITY AND THE UNUNCORPS RATED AREAS OFINCO ROLLED ON. THEY WILL BE ENROLLED IN THE POWER PROGRAM. BUT AGAIN, WE SAID IT IS ALL ABOUT CHOICE. ABOUT CHOICE. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO OPT OUT AT IN I TIME AND PAY THE SDG & E RATE INSTEAD.”,”video_id”:”2008075843929_648″,”video_length”:”134502″,”video_provider”:”mpx”,”short_video_excerpt”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_low”:”fMPvUD8lf2HU”,”pid_streaming_web_mobile_low”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_standard”:”v_2iZWQ14C2R”,”pid_streaming_mobile_standard”:”2ek83j4HulkZ”,”alleypack_schedule_unpublish”:””,”feed_remote_id”:”mpx_2008075843929″,”feed_thumbnail_url”:”” ” data-livestream=”false” data-title=”Community Energy Program Rollout in La Mesa” data-vidcid=”1:13:2883257″ data-vidurl=”https://www.nbcsandiego.com/videos/community-energy-program-rollout-in-la-mesa/2883257/” data-islead=”false” data-catnames=” “677803”:”News”,”461″:”Local”,”681115″:”Videos” ” data-tagnames=” “8854”:”electricity”,”18317″:”La Mesa”,”4″:”San Diego”,”793710″:”San Diego Community Power”,”232″:”San Diego County”,”926903″:”sdcp”,”8545″:”SDG E”,”797865″:”utilities” ” data-customdata=” “ContentPartner”:”None”,”Source”:”WEBFM”,”SyndicationAllowed”:”true”,”mSNVideoCategories”:”MSN Video v4 Connector-most watched news”,”mSNVideoContentSupplierID”:”NBC_Local”,”mSNVideoCountry”:”us”,”subtitle”:”nosubtitle”,”uploadedByTeam”:”1″,”youtubeChannel”:”None” ” data-autoplay=”false” data-cplay=”true” SDG&E said it is on board with the initiative and doing its part to support the program. We are committed to continuing to work collaboratively with local community choice aggregation programs to support their successful launch and ensure that our mutual customers receive excellent customer service, the utility company said in a statement. Chula Vista and San Diego will join SDCP next month. National City and unincorporated areas of the county are set to launch the program next year. For more information on SDCP, click here. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. (https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/encinitas-flips-the-switch-on-100-renewable-energy/2916087/)

Republican County Assembly hears from candidates

Nominees for local offices selected Kristi Burton Brown, chairwoman of the Colorado Republican Party, speaks at last Sunday’s Republican County Assembly, emphasizing the importance of creating a rural coalition. Andrew Nygaard The Holyoke Enterprise A large crowd attended the Phillips County Lincoln Day Luncheon and Republican County Assembly last Sunday afternoon, March 20, at Phillips County Event Center. Andrew Nygaard The Holyoke Enterprise Congressman Ken Buck speaks to the Republican County Assembly last Sunday, highlighting the importance of taking Colorado back and having a united Republican Party after the primaries. Andrew Nygaard The Holyoke Enterprise Andrew Nygaard, The Holyoke EnterpriseCommunity members filled the Biesemeier Room at Phillips County Event Center for the Phillips County Lincoln Day Luncheon and Republican County Assembly on Sunday afternoon, March 20. They enjoyed a meal, heard from numerous candidates for office and selected nominees for local offices. Congressman Ken Buck, Kristi Burton Brown, chairwoman of the Colorado Republican Party, Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg and many others spoke at the event. Buck said the Biden administration has declared war on domestic energy production and has caused high gas prices, high inflation and high crime rates. You can’t fix stupid, but you can vote it out, Buck said. He added, If you look at history, we’re going to win the House, and if you look at history, we have a really good chance of winning the U.S. Senate. But that can’t be where we stop. That has to be where we start. He said Republicans have to keep going and get Colorado back, and it’s important that Republicans unite behind their candidates as soon as the primaries are over. Burton Brown told those assembled that she has visited all 64 counties in Colorado, and Sunday was her second visit to Phillips County. She said that growing up in rural Colorado was one of the best experiences of her life, and that many of those in power at the state level are from Denver and Boulder, which does not represent all of Colorado. She added that this November is the perfect opportunity to turn out every possible rural vote to drown out the socialist, liberal policies that Denver and Boulder are using to control our state, kick our industries out of Colorado and control our way of life. She said, What we are asking people in rural Colorado to do is build a real rural coalition across Colorado this year, adding that the goal is to get voter turnout to 95 or higher. She said unaffiliated voters and moderate Democrats can be persuaded by this message and help voters restore some balance in Colorado and save the families and industries that feed us and have built our way of life. Burton Brown said the big three issues to use to persuade unaffiliated metro voters to vote with Republicans are to make Colorado affordable again, prioritize public safety, and expand educational options for all parents and all kids. This is the year to change the narrative that Denver and Boulder control the state, she said. Sonnenberg, who is term-limited in the State Senate, also spoke to the gathering, describing what an honor it has been to be your mouthpiece, your representative, your senator, your spokesperson for agriculture, your defender of your way of life in rural Colorado. It truly has been the highlight of my life to be that person for you. Those assembled also heard remarks from candidates for House District 63 Rep. Richard Holtorf and Jessie Vance; State Senate District 1 candidates Rep. Tonya Van Beber and Byron Pelton; gubernatorial candidates Greg Lopez and Danielle Neuschwanger; U.S. Senate candidates Greg Moore, Deborah Flora, Joe O’Dea, Gino Campana and Judy Feldhousen on behalf of Rep. Ron Hanks; and candidates for Colorado Secretary of State Mike O’Donnell and Tina Peters. Republican candidates for local positions nominated Also last Sunday, the assembly nominated the following people as Republican candidates for Phillips County offices: Terry Hofmeister, District 1 county commissioner; Doug Kamery, assessor; Beth Zilla, clerk and recorder; Steve Young, treasurer; and Thom Elliott, sheriff. I have enjoyed this position. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I put my heart and soul into it, Hofmeister said. I couldn’t be more proud to be a team member of this community. He said that he really enjoys what he’s doing and is happy to be part of a team with fellow commissioners Garold Roberts and Tom Timm, and he added that the three of them work very well together. Kamery said he appreciated the community’s support for the last 19 years and appreciates it going forward. He thanked Toby Thompson and Nick Flaa and is very proud to call them co-workers. He said he looks forward to working with the citizens of Phillips County. Kamery also read remarks from Zilla, who was unable to attend. She wanted to thank the community for the support of 19 years and continued support moving forward. She also thanked her staff members, Val Danielson, Debbie Bennett and Mary Roberts, for all of their hard work to make the office run smoothly. Young said he looks forward to the opportunity to serve the citizens of Phillips County. He said agriculture is the life blood of Phillips County’s economy, and he will keep that in mind when making decisions that may affect the county. Elliott said he has been a fiscal conservative, returning to the county out of the sheriff’s budget between $40,000 and $60,000 over the past four years. He worked with the commissioners to make Phillips County a Second Amendment county to protect the right to bear arms. Elliott said Phillips County Sheriff’s Office has also reduced crime, including those involving drugs, internet crimes against children and auto theft. The assembly also selected delegates representing Phillips County to attend: The State Senate District 1 Republican Assembly and House District 63 Republican Assembly in Sterling on Saturday, April 2. The 4th Congressional District Republican Assembly on Friday, April 8, in Colorado Springs. The State Republican Assembly on Saturday, April 9, in Colorado Springs. Local (https://www.holyokeenterprise.com/local/republican-county-assembly-hears-candidates)

These California Cities Are Among the Best to Live in US: Report

California’s costly housing market and rising gas prices may be driving some people out of the Golden State, but several cities are among the top to live in across the U.S., according to a new report from Niche. The company released its ranking of top U.S. cities to live in this week, and two California cities made the top 10 Berkeley and Irvine. politics Feb 17 A Petition for an $18 Minimum Wage Is Gaining Signatures in California. What That Means for the Hourly Worker The company looks at affordability, public schools, walkability and the housing market when deciding a city’s ranking. A total of 228 cities across the country were ranked on the list, with 41 California towns making the cut. Here are the top 10 California cities to live in, according to Niche: Berkeley Irvine San Francisco Sunnyvale Torrance Santa Clara Carlsbad Pasadena Thousand Oaks San Diego To see the list in its entirety click here. As for the best city to live in America? That title goes to The Woodlands, Texas, a town of about 113,000 residents, just outside of Houston. Also topping Niche’s ranking Cambridge, Massachusetts, Naperville, Illinois, Arlington, Virginia and Overland Park, Kansas. AND THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET WORSE HIM NOW THAT SHE FOUND OUT. FREMONT WAS NAMED THE FREMONT WAS NAMED THE HAPPIEST PLACE TO LIVE IN THE U.S. ROUNDING OUT THE TOP OF THE NEXT FOUR CITIES, COLUMBIA, MARRIED,”,”video_id”:”2008492099969_253″,”video_length”:”21856″,”video_provider”:”mpx”,”short_video_excerpt”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_low”:”mvBLGzos9Ui8″,”pid_streaming_web_mobile_low”:””,”mpx_download_pid_mobile_standard”:”fv80dxadwV4Q”,”pid_streaming_mobile_standard”:”xFmyHQklrNZ_”,”alleypack_schedule_unpublish”:””,”feed_remote_id”:”mpx_2008492099969″,”feed_thumbnail_url”:”” ” data-livestream=”false” data-title=”Fremont Named Happiest Place to Live in the US” data-vidcid=”1:4:2826466″ data-vidurl=”https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/fremont-named-happiest-place-to-live-in-the-us/2826466/” data-islead=”false” data-catnames=” “245076”:”News”,”518″:”California”,”478″:”Local”,”488″:”East Bay”,”524″:”San Francisco”,”480″:”South Bay”,”499″:”U.S. World”,”319472″:”Video” ” data-tagnames=” “348”:”Fremont”,”1714″:”Irvine”,”74″:”San Francisco”,”20″:”San Jose”,”371615″:”WalletHub” ” data-customdata=” “ContentPartner”:”None”,”Source”:”WEBFM”,”SyndicationAllowed”:”true”,”mSNVideoCategories”:”MSN Video v4 Connector-most watched news”,”mSNVideoContentSupplierID”:”NBC_Local”,”mSNVideoCountry”:”us”,”subtitle”:”nosubtitle”,”uploadedByTeam”:”1″,”youtubeChannel”:”None” ” data-autoplay=”false” data-cplay=”true” (https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/top-california-cities-to-live-niche/2849731/)