With a swath of anti-DEI and other executive orders spilling out of the White House during the first week of Trumps second term, many companies are likewise changing or rolling back their own DEI programs or policies. That list includes Amazon, Boeing, Lowes, McDonalds, and Meta, many in the wake of a 2023 Supreme Court decision striking down certain affirmative action programs (which can be somewhat related to DEI efforts).
However, one big companys shareholders are bucking the trend.
Costcos shareholders rejected a proposal from a conservative think tank on Thursday, which aimed to persuade the company to roll back or nix its DEI hiring practices. Its a notable rejection, given that many other large companies have been more or less giving in to similar requests or proposals, and that Costco is the worlds third-largest retailer. In effect, its a sizable win for DEI adherents.
The proposal was floated by the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), and argued that Costcos DEI policies were harmful to the company and could open it up to lawsuits.
With 310,000 employees, Costco likely has at least 200,000 employees who are potentially victims of this type of illegal discrimination because they are white, Asian, male or straight,” reads a statement in support of the change, presented to shareholders prior to the vote. “Accordingly, even if only a fraction of those employees were to file suit, and only some of those prove successful, the cost to Costco could be tens of billions of dollars.”
Costcos Board of Directors had recommended that shareholders vote against the proposal, and shareholders agreedthe proposal was voted down by 98% of them. While that was a win for DEI proponents, an uphill battle remains. This week, Trump issued an executive order aimed at terminating DEI policies.
Illegal DEI and DEIA policies not only violate the text and spirit of our longstanding Federal civil-rights laws, they also undermine our national unity, as they deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system, the executive order reads. Hardworking Americans who deserve a shot at the American Dream should not be stigmatized, demeaned, or shut out of opportunities because of their race or sex.
So while Costco shareholders may have chalked up a win for DEI proponents in this case, the larger war is still ongoing.
Its no secret that 2024 was a tough year for many retailers. From home goods stores like LL Flooring, to pharmacy chains like Walgreens, to automotive parts providers like Advance Auto Parts, numerous retailers announced store closures last year.
Yet as bad as 2024 was when it came to retailer closures, 2025 is expected to be much, much worse, according to a report out from Coresight Research. How bad, you ask? Last year saw the most U.S. retail store closures7,325 of themsince the first year of the pandemic. In 2025, the number of closures is expected to double.
Retail store closures could reach 15,000 in 2025
According to a January 22 report from Coresight Research that tracks the openings and closings of U.S. retail stores in 2024 and 2025, this year could see as many as 15,000 U.S. retail locations close.
In the first 10 days of the new year, retail store closures announcements have already hit almost two thousand, at 1,925 stores announced to be closing. Nearly 30 retailers have announced store closures for 2025. Many of those, including Nordstrom, Kohls, Anthropologie, and Best Buy, have announced just one store closure, and others, including Foot Locker and Joann, fewer than 10.
But five retail giants have announced dozens or hundreds of closures, which account for a majority of the 1,925 announced closures in 2025. Those retailers include:
Party City: 738 closures
Big Lots: 601 closures
Walgreens Boots Alliance: 333 closures
7-Eleven (Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd.): 148 closures
Macys: 51 closures
The report’s total 15,000 expected closures represents a 50% increase from the 10,000 retail store closures experienced in 2020, when the pandemic wreaked havoc on retail foot traffic as worried consumers opted to shift their spending to online retailers.
2024 was the worst year for retail store closures since the pandemic
While Coresights 2025 numbers are estimates, firm figures are in for the calendar year 2024. It was a year that saw the highest number of U.S. retail store closures since the pandemic.
In total, in 2024, major retailers closed 7,325 locations across the country, reducing their retail footprint by a staggering 120 million square feet.
In 2024, discount store retailers were the overwhelming contributor to U.S. retail store closures, accounting for 23.9% of all store closures. Three retailers accounted for the majority of that slice of the pie, including Family Dollar at 718 stores closed, Big Lots at 517 stores closed, and 99 Cents Only Stores at 371 stores closed.
Overall, the list of top U.S. retailers with closures in 2024 includes:
Family Dollar: 718 closures
CVS Health: 586 closures
Conns: 553 closures
rue21: 543 closures
Big Lots: 517 closures
Other major retail chains also saw a significant number of store closures in 2024, including 7-Eleven (492), Rite Aid (408), American Freight (353), and Walgreens Boots Alliance (259).
Shein and Temu represent an increasing threat to U.S. retailers
So, whats behind the high number of store closures in 2024 and expected closures in 2025? There are several factors, according to Coresight Research CEO Deborah Weinswig.
Inflation and a growing preference among consumers to shop online to find the cheapest deals took a toll on brick-and-mortar retailers in 2024, Weinswig said. Last year we saw the highest number of closures since the pandemic. Retailers that were unable to adapt supply chains and implement technology to cut costs were significantly impacted, and we continue to see a trend of consumers opting for the path of least resistance. Not only do they want the best prices, but they also have no patience for stores that are constantly disorganized, out of stock, and that deliver poor customer service.
Yet its not just inflation-weary consumers looking for the best deals for their discretionary spending, or a displeasure with the brick-and-mortar shopping experience. Coresight says that retailers are also experiencing pressure from new online entrantsnot just e-commerce giant Amazon.
The firm sees Shein and Temu (combined) as a $100+ billion juggernaut pressuring incumbent retailers and marketplaces across a number of global markets, including the US, the report states. We expect general-merchandise retailers across a wide range of categories, from automotive to home and pet, to be threatened by the further growth of Temu and the scaling of Sheins non-clothing offering.
It should be noted, however, that while 2024 saw the most store closures since the pandemic, it also saw a number of openings. In 2024, major U.S. retailers opened 5,970 locations, dropping the net loss of stores to 1,355 locations.
The bad news for 2025 is that store closures are not only expected to double, but store openings are expected to come in lower than they did in 2024. For 2025, Coresight Research expects approximately 5,800 major retail locations to open. That’s fewer than the number of locations that opened last year, and leaves an expected 2025 net loss of approximately 9,200 retail locations.
That being said, Coresight expects a 3.3% rise in retail sales in America for 2025 (excluding automobiles and gasoline). However, that growth pales in comparison to online retail sales, which are expected to grow at almost triple that rate at 8.3%.
Additionally, the report notes, we expect competition from e-commerce players to be Shein and Temu, as well as alternative channels such as TikTok (should it continue to operate in the US) and social commerce more widely.
Sooner or later, the politicians who most admire Donald Trump begin to emulate him. They adopt his populist rhetoric, specific diction, or aggressive tone. If they happen to be men, they might stuff their closets with navy suits and red ties. Some of them even start to stand like him. Its not just politicians, though. A lot of the tech billionaires who have recently become more open to Trump (who have been dubbed the “broligarchy”), have to varying degrees also come to resemble him in one way or another.
Earlier this week, for instance, the long-running feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altmanboth once members of OpenAIs board before Musk departed in 2018veered into the realm of Trumpian spectacle. After Trump trumpeted a $500 billion joint venture between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank on Tuesday, Musk threw cold water on the idea. He responded to OpenAIs X post officially unveiling the Stargate project, bluntly concluding: They dont have the money.
Altman wasted no time firing back. He invited Musk to visit the first Stargate site purportedly in development, and took a jab at Musks patriotism. ([I] realize what is great for the country isn’t always what’s optimal for your companies, he wrote, but in your new role [I] hope you’ll mostly put [America] first.) Later, the OpenAI CEO attempted to de-escalate the spat, adding: [I] genuinely respect your accomplishments and think you are the most inspiring entrepreneur of our time. But its hard to put billionaire-war toothpaste back in the tube.
These two have sparred before, in company blog posts and goofy Musk tweets, but this X activity is something new. Its the most publicly pugnacious Altman has gotten yet, even if he did try to soften it afterward with a compliment.
Its also the closest hes come to the Trump tactic of airing out adversaries on social media.
Perhaps donating $1 million to Trumps inauguration has pulled him into Trumps gravitational orbit, floating alongside the rest of the broligarchy.
Musk was the first of the heavy-hitter tech CEOs to start imitating Trump. Even before his May 2022 announcement that hed be voting Republican going forward, Musk had already reinvented himself. It seemed his primary takeaway from Trumps first term was that he, too, should become the main character online (and in reality) as often as possible. Trump had led like a P. T. Barnum-esque ringmaster, turning the office of the presidency into a reality TV show. Perhaps Musk recognized that even though Trump lost his bid for reelection, there was power in providing the general public with spectacleeven if it meant being hated as much as admired.
While Musk had long been a public figure, and sparked his fair share of controversies, at the dawn of the 2020s, he started generating headlines practically every day. Whether it was through complaining about gender pronouns, hyping up crypto, hosting SNL, or berating rival billionaire Jeff Bezos over the aesthetics of his Blue Origin rocket. He also began to antagonize journalists he disagreed with, and to use one of Trumps favorite terms: fake news.
It should not be surprising that the pair are now close allies, locked in a symbiotic relationship.
Bezos eventually followed his foe Musk into Trump Country, squashing a Kamala Harris endorsement from running in his troubled news outlet, The Washington Post, last October. Also like Musk, Bezos had seemingly already internalized the Trump trait of showmanship.
After his divorce from Mackenzie Scott in 2019, Bezos quickly became more of a fixture in headlineswhether he was showing off his Blue Origin rocket, dressing in skin-tight art deco, or popping up at Coachella with girlfriend Lauren Sanchez. He also purchased a $500 million superyacht and shot down rumors of an even more expensive wedding. The divorced-guy version of Bezos seemed comfortable in the spotlight, ever-ready to give America something to talk about. When he was seen smiling in the VIP row at Trumps inauguration earlier this weekthe nexus of the worlds attention that dayhe could hardly have looked more at home.
Like Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also had a glow-up recently, ditching his signature hoodies for loose T-shirts and a neck chain, and perming his hair into the Gen Z broccoli cut. The new look also accompanies a fresh pivot into Trumpism, complete with financial support and hostility toward MAGA bugaboos like fact-checking and DEI. According to a New York Times report, this pivot is more than a cover-your-ass initiative to keep Meta prtected, but public proof that the billionaires personal politics have shifted sharply to the right since 2020.
The CEO may have also dropped some hints of his evolution along the way.
Zuckerbergs Trumpiest moment may not have come across that way in real time. In many respects, it was probably the best press hed gotten since his wunderkind era. Either way, during the summer of 2023, as Meta was about to launch its Twitter-killer Threads, Musk joked about the possibility of a cage match with Zuckerberg. He probably didnt expect what happened next. Zuckerberg contacted Ultimate Fight Championship CEO and close Trump ally Dana Whitenow a member of Metas boardand asked him to broker the fight.
If the matchup between Mr. Musk, 52, and Mr. Zuckerberg, 39, goes ahead, it would be a rare spectacle, even in the braggadocio-filled universe of the tech industry, the Times reported.
Just the fact that a cage match was potentially in the offing was a spectacle all on its own. It drew attention to Zuckerbergs recent transformation into a Jiu-Jitsu badasswhich he demonstrated on the Lex Fridman podcastnot to mention the launch of Threads. Musk may have started the cage match conversation, but it was Zuckerbergs newfound showman instincts that recognized it as an incredible opportunity for self-promotion.
Before calling the fight off six weeks later, Zuckerberg got to look cool by calling Musks bluff. He seemed to codify the sides of the social media playing field. Musk represented the one tilting far-right and fringe beliefs, while Zuckerbergs side was distancing itself from politics and instead going hydrofoiling. The hypothetical fight between the two seemed like a proxy war for the future of social media. Looking back now, though, it just seems like blatant self-promotion, with the soap opera drama of WWE and the reality-show flair of Trumps entire political career.
In 2023, it was easy, maybe even fun to revel in the hype of a dumb CEO fight and choose sides. Now, the whole broligarchy is clearly all on the same sideduking it out amongst each other to see who can be most like Trump at any given time.
When Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared on a January 10, 2025, episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, he lamented that corporate culture had become too feminine, suppressing its masculine energy and abandoning supposedly valuable traits such as aggression.
The workplace, he concluded, has been neutered.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Zuckerberg has also embraced stereotypically masculine pursuits in his personal life. Hes become a mixed martial arts aficionado and has shared his affinity for smoking meats. On his expansive Hawaii compound, hes even taken up bow-and-arrow pig hunting.
Hes come a long way from the geeky image of his youth.
But is Zuckerberg right? Do workplaces in the U.S. need to embrace a more diesel-fueled, street-fighting, meat-eating mentality?
As a social psychologist who studies masculinity and aggression, I think its important to evaluate what the science says about Zuckerbergs claimsand to consider what it means for the future of workplace culture in the U.S.
Show no weakness
In 2018, sociologist Jennifer Berdahl and her colleagues coined the term masculinity contest culture to describe workplaces rife with cutthroat competition, toxic leadership, bullying, and harassment.
Integrating decades of prior research on masculinity in the workplace, Berdahl and her collaborators were able to map how masculinity contest cultures operate, as well as show how they affect organizations and individual employees.
In her experiments, she had participants agree or disagree with statements such as expressing any emotion other than anger or pride is seen as weak, based on their perceptions of their own organization. Using advanced statistical techinques, Berdahls team was able to distill masculinity contest cultures down to four components: showing no weakness, strength and stamina, putting work first, and dog eat dog.
Then they were able to show how these cultures are tied to a host of negative outcomes for workers and companies, such as burnout, turnover, and poor well-being. And at the organization level, they can foment a dysfunctional office environment, toxic leadership, and even bullying and harassment.
An imagined grievance
Based on this research, then, it seems like promoting rigid masculinity in the workplace is not the best solution for an arguably already struggling Meta.
What, then, led Zuckerberg to claim that the workplace has been neutered and must be infused with masculine energy? Has the American office really gone full Legally Blonde?
Zuckerbergs own company isnt exactly a paragon of parity: Its total workforce, as of 2022, was nearly two-thirds male, while its tech workforce was three-quarters male. Furthermore, according to psychologists Sapna Cheryan and Hazel Markus, workplaces in the U.S. still reflect what they call masculine defaultscultures that reward characteristics or behaviors generally associated with men.
This can range from how companies describe themselvesfor example, as places that are aggressive and unrestrainedto hosting events catering to traditionally male pursuits, such as golf outings.
Although Cheryan and Markuss analysis centers on how masculine defaults make it harder for women to carve out their professional paths, they can harm everybody, including men.
My research, for example, has shown that when men feel pressured to fulfill certain masculine expectations, they can develop fragile masculine identities, which are linked with aggression and anxiety.
Although the pervasiveness of masculinity norms can give men an upper hand in the workplace, I wonder whether men are contorting themselves to fit into outdated molds of who succeeds at work. Indeed, research shows that successful organizations promote a healthy mix of stereotypically masculine and feminine qualities.
In other words, its best when people of all genders feel comfortable showcasing traits such as cooperation and agency, qualities that dont necessarily fall into one gender camp.
The rise of the fragile billionaire
If many workplaces still possess dog-eat-dog cultures and celebrate masculinitywith evidently poor outcomesyou might wonder why billionaire corporate leaders would advocate for them.
The most generous explanation is ignorance. Zuckerberg could simply be unaware that most offices in the U.S. still possess competitive environments and traits associated with traditional masculinity.
Although this could be the case, I think there could be two other explanations for Zuckerbergs promotion of rigid masculinity norms.
There could be an economic motive. Perhaps Zuckerberg thinks that promoting his company as an arena of high-stakes competition and aggression is the best way to attract talent and spur innovation in a field already dominated by men. Its often thought that competition drives innovation. So Meta needs to be more masculine could actually be code for Meta needs to breed mre internal competition, which will spur innovation and turn a profit. This assumption is also misguided: Recent research has shown that internal competition may actually stifle innovation.
There could also be a psychological motive. Ive found in my research that men are most likely to cling to notions of rigid masculinity when they feel pressure to man up and are insecure about themselves.
Perhaps Zuckerberg sees diversity efforts as a challenge to his power. Maybe he thinks aligning himself with President Donald Trumps version of masculinity will help him gain and retain power, especially as he faces challenges from other tech giants. So his promotion of an aggressive workplace, along with his slashing of policies that could make him look weak, are moves to reinforce his status as a leader, as an innovator, and as a man.
This isnt to say that activities such as hunting and mixed martial arts are inherently bad, or even inherently masculine: There are plenty of female hunters and UFC fighters. Nor is it to say that certain masculine characteristics in the workplace are inherently bad.
But when I see middle-aged billionairesZuckerberg isnt the only oneexhibiting the signs of fragile masculinity that Ive observed among young adult men and adolescent boys, I cant help but wonder what the countrys future holds.
Adam Stanaland is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Richmond.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Theres panda-monium in Washington, D.C., and we arent talking politics. Two giant pandas are making their public debut at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on Friday, January 24, giving the nations capital some much-needed levity.
Heres everything you should know about Bao Li and Qing Bao:
“Panda diplomacy” in the United States
Before Bao Li and Qing Bao, Richard Nixon traveled to China in 1972. This opened up trade possibilities and diplomatic relations between the two countries. As an added bonus, a pair of pandas were given to the National Zoo, marking a new era for what has been termed “panda diplomacy.”
When did Bao Li and Qing Bao arrive?
The furry duo arrived back in October of 2024. This was less than a year after their counterparts, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub, Xiao Qi J, exited the scene. The pandas are on a 10-year loan from China. The adorable pair quarantined for 30 days for safety and were given time to adjust to their new enclosure before greeting guests.
All about Bao Li
Bao Li [Photo: Roshan Patel/Smithsonians National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute]
This three-year-old males name means treasure and energetic in Mandarin. He hails from Sichuan. His mom, Bao Bao, was born at the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute while his grandparents Mei Xiang and Tian Tian called the National Zoo home from 2000 to 2023. Coming to America almost seems to be part of the family business for this animal ambassador.
According to his keepers, Bao is spirited and playful. He is also vocal and not afraid to loudly make his opinions known. “If you hear a panda vocalizing to a keeper, thats probably Bao Li,” keeper Mariel Lally shared in an interview on the Zoos website.
All about Qing Bao
Qing Bao [Photo: Roshan Patel/Smithsonians National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute]
This three-year-old female is more of an introvert. She was also born at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan. She prefers to take toys into the trees and get away from people.
Another way to tell her apart from Bao is the markings on her backside. She has two dark patches of fur located on her left hip. Her checks are also wider. Her name means green and treasure in Mandarin.
How to visit the pandas
If you find yourself in the D.C. area, drop by to say hello to these creatures. Admission to the Zoo is free but you will need an entry pass. You can save time by getting one ahead of time here.
From January 25 to February 9, a whole slew of special events are taking place to celebrate the new arrivals. The District of Panda Party will include Lunar New Year celebrations, a special screening of Kung Fu Panda, and more.
How can I stream the giant pandas live?
For those outside of the nations capital, modern technology has your back. The National Zoo has a Giant Panda Cam with two feeds that are live-streaming daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET so you can watch the pandas do their thing.
The cameras switch to a pre-recorded feed in the evenings.
At least 242 million children in 85 countries had their schooling interrupted last year because of heat waves, cyclones, flooding, and other extreme weather, the United Nations Children’s Fund said in a new report Friday.UNICEF said it amounted to one in seven school-going children across the world being kept out of class at some point in 2024 because of climate hazards.The report also outlined how some countries saw hundreds of their schools destroyed by weather, with low-income nations in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa hit especially hard.But other regions weren’t spared the extreme weather, as torrential rains and floods in Italy near the end of the year disrupted school for more than 900,000 children. Thousands had their classes halted after catastrophic flooding in Spain.While southern Europe dealt with deadly floods and Asia and Africa had flooding and cyclones, heat waves were “the predominant climate hazard shuttering schools last year,” UNICEF said, as the earth recorded its hottest year ever.More than 118 million children had their schooling interrupted in April alone, UNICEF said, as large parts of the Middle East and Asia, from Gaza in the west to the Philippines in the southeast, experienced a sizzling weeks-long heat wave with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).“Children are more vulnerable to the impacts of weather-related crises, including stronger and more frequent heat waves, storms, droughts, and flooding,” UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell said in a statement. “Children’s bodies are uniquely vulnerable. They heat up faster, they sweat less efficiently, and cool down more slowly than adults. Children cannot concentrate in classrooms that offer no respite from sweltering heat, and they cannot get to school if the path is flooded, or if schools are washed away.”Around 74% of the children affected in 2024 were in middle- and low-income countries, showing how climatic extremes continue to have a devastating impact in the poorest countries. Flooding ruined more than 400 schools in Pakistan in April. Afghanistan had heat waves followed by severe flooding that destroyed over 110 schools in May, UNICEF said.Months of drought in southern Africa exacerbated by the El Nio weather phenomenon threatened the schooling and futures of millions of children.And the crises showed little sign of abating. The poor French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean off Africa was left in ruins by Cyclone Chido in December and hit again by Tropical Storm Dikeledi this month, leaving children across the islands out of school for six weeks.Cyclone Chido also destroyed more than 330 schools and three regional education departments in Mozambique on the African mainland, where access to education is already a deep problem.UNICEF said the world’s schools and education systems “are largely ill-equipped” to deal with the effects of extreme weather.
AP climate and environment news: https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment
Gerald Imray, Associated Press
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced last month that automatic payments are being sent to roughly one million taxpayers who did not claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit on their tax returns.
These payments, according to the IRS, were expected to be disbursed throughout December and arrive by late January 2025 “in most cases,” meaning most eligible recipients should receive them by this week or next at the latest.
Why are these payments being sent out?
The Recovery Rebate Credit was created to provide financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic for individuals who missed or did not receive the full amount of their Economic Impact Payments, commonly known as stimulus checks.
While most eligible taxpayers have already claimed their credits, IRS officials identified a significant group that overlooked this benefit.
Looking at our internal data, we realized that one million taxpayers overlooked claiming this complex credit when they were actually eligible,” Danny Werfel, commissioner of the IRS, said in a statement in December. “To minimize headaches and get this money to eligible taxpayers, were making these payments automatic, meaning these people will not be required to go through the extensive process of filing an amended return to receive it.
How are these payments being disbursed?
The payments, which can reach up to $1,400 per individual, will be sent via direct deposit or as a paper check to the address or bank account listed on the recipients 2023 tax return. Those receiving payments will also be notified by letter. If a taxpayers bank account has changed, the funds will be reissued as a check to the updated address on file.
Am I eligible for a payment?
In total, the IRS estimates approximately $2.4 billion will be distributed through these final payments. Taxpayers who did not file a 2021 return but believe they are eligible have until April 15, 2025, to submit a return and claim the credit.
The IRS encourages taxpayers to confirm their eligibility using online resources or by reviewing the credit guidelines on the IRS website.
Importantly, if you are eligible for a payment and filed a 2021 return, you don’t not have to do anything. The payments are automatic.
The agency has also committed to further outreach during the 2025 tax season to ensure individuals understand other available benefits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and other pandemic-related tax relief.
This final round of payments closes the chapter on pandemic stimulus measures, offering a last opportunity for eligible individuals to access unclaimed financial support.
Days after a winter storm dropped ice and record-breaking snow, cleanup efforts were underway Thursday in several major Southern cities such as New Orleans, where crews were removing snow the same way they remove trash, drink cups, and plastic beads after Mardi Gras.Temperatures were gradually rising across the U.S. South, bringing hopes that remaining snow and ice would melt away.“We have to be honest with ourselveswe’re from Louisiana, we know crawfish, we know football, but we don’t really know snow and ice and that’s okay,” said Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development spokesperson Daniel Gitlin. “It’s going to go away and we’re better off letting Mother Nature do what she needs to do right now.”Up to 200 miles (320 kilometers) of interstate was expected to remain closed until Friday due to treacherous patches of black ice, Gitlin said. Louisiana has nearly run out of its salt supply after treating roads, he added.In the Big Easy, a private waste management firm has been contracted to repurpose equipment that’s typically used to clean up Mardi Gras beads and cups to clear snow from the streets.IV Waste President Sidney Torres said his company has deployed a 4,000-gallon (15,000-liter) “flusher” truck to spray water on the ground to soften the ice for removal in the historic and festive French Quarter. The truck normally sprays lemon-scented fragrance “to get rid of that funky liquor, urine, puke smell from the night before,” Torres said. “We’re finding new solutions and better techniques to dealing with this.”Arkansas sent Louisiana snowplows, dump trucks, salt spreaders, and other equipment, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said.The snowfall likely broke several records across the region, including in Florida where a preliminary report of 10 inches (25 centimeters) in one town would set a new all-time record for the state, if confirmed.Snow totals reached 3 inches (8 centimeters) this week in Savannah, Georgia, the most that the state’s oldest city has recorded since December 1989.The snow was lighter in metro Atlanta, where the southern suburbs saw more snow and ice than areas north of the city. In Covington, southeast of Atlanta, Jesse Gentes used a flame thrower to deice the roads in his subdivision. In better weather, he typically uses the flame thrower for brush removal, he told WSB-TV.Light freezing rain was forecast Thursday in the port city of Brunswick and surrounding Glynn County, where local officials had imposed an overnight curfew because of icy roads and frigid temperatures. Officials opened three warming stations where people could escape the biting chill, and nearly 4,000 residents of the county were still without power Thursday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us.South Carolina reported at least one death in the storm. A 71-year-old man died from a medical condition while shoveling snow Thursday morning in Berkeley County, Coroner Darnell Hartwell said. About 3-4 inches (8-10 centimeters) of snow fell in the area, according to the National Weather Service.The snow and ice had staying power and left a mess on the roads in coastal South Carolina. In Charleston, ice that melted and then refroze overnight closed the James Island Connector, a bridge that links the city to its western suburbs. Police said on social media that “while crews are working hard, it is unlikely to reopen soon.”Schools and county offices remained closed as officials in most areas south and east of the state capital, Columbia, asked people to stay home at least one more day.It was a similar story in North Carolina, where slick roads remained a danger to drivers after snow melted and then refroze overnight. Schools were also affected, including in Cumberland County where Fayetteville is located, where the school system announced that students would have an “asynchronous” learning day allowing students to complete assignments at home. Several other school districts operated on a two-hour delay.Some school systems in central and south Alabama remained closed Thursday because of concerns about remaining ice on roads or the possibility of frozen pipes in schools. In coastal Baldwin County, sections of Interstate 65 and Interstate 10 were shut down because of ice.Across the South, airports were gradually recovering from the weather interruption. Nationwide, about 600 flights scheduled to fly into or out of U.S. airports had been canceled by midday Thursdaya marked improvement over previous days when the storm was at its peak, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware.com.
Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press Writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Makiya Seminera in Raleigh, North Carolina; Sara Cline in Key Largo, Florida; Jeff Martin in Kennesaw, Georgia; and Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed.
Jack Brook and Russ Bynum, Associated Press
California will spend $2.5 billion to help the Los Angeles area recover from recent deadly wildfires under a relief package signed Thursday by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.Newsom signed the laws after the state Legislature approved them with bipartisan support earlier in the day. The measures include $2.5 billion for the state’s disaster response efforts such as evacuations, sheltering survivors, and removing household hazardous waste. Lawmakers also approved $4 million for local governments to streamline approvals for rebuilding homes, and $1 million to support school districts and help them rebuild facilities.“This is about distilling a sense of hopefulness,” Newsom said at a news conference in Pasadena, a city recovering from one of the destructive fires that ignited earlier this month.The aid won approval a day before President Donald Trump is set to visit California for a look at damage from the blazes. He’s suggested any federal wildfire relief should come with conditions, though congressional Republicans who represent the state have pushed back on that idea. Former President Joe Biden already approved some disaster aid for the region earlier this month.Newsom called lawmakers into a special session in November to prepare for legal battles against Trump ‘s administration. But after major fires broke out around Los Angeles, the governor shifted gears to prioritize fire relief funding. He expanded the focus of the special session to pass the recovery funding under pressure from Republican state lawmakers who said the focus on Trump was misplaced while the state dealt with the disaster.The governor said he hasn’t spoken with Trump about his visit to the state, but that he hopes to work with the president despite their political differences.Republican state Sen. Kelly Seyarto criticized Newsom for not issuing the fire relief funding on his own, but ultimately Seyarto supported the bills.He said in the future, Democrats should do a better job of working with Republicans on crafting legislation for fire response and prevention funding.“We need a plan from all of us to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” he said.The state Senate also approved $25 million Thursday to defend the state against legal challenges by the federal government, along with another $25 million in part for legal groups to defend immigrants facing possible deportation and other threats. The vote fell largely along party lines. The state Assembly would still have to pass the bills before they can reach Newsom’s desk.The largest of the recent Southern California blazes ignited on January 7, ripping through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles and killing 11 people. The Eaton Fire, which broke out the same day near Altadena, has killed 17 people.The region is also now battling the Hughes Fire, which ignited Wednesday north of Los Angeles, spread more than 15 square miles (39 square kilometers), and led to evacuation orders or warnings for more than 50,000 people.State Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire, a Democrat representing the North Coast, said the fires have been “nothing short of devastating.”“But we promise we have your back, and we’re going to get through this,” he said before Newsom signed the aid into law.Newsom’s administration said the state expects to be reimbursed by the federal government for the disaster relief funding.The governor also announced a commitment Thursday by 270 state-chartered banks, credit unions, and lenders to provide mortgage relief to homeowners impacted by fires in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat from Encino and chair of the chamber’s special session budget committee, said his family was ordered to evacuate for six days while firefighters battled the Palisades Fire.The funding the Legislature passed Thursday is “the first of many steps” lawmakers will take to support wildfire survivors and to protect communities from the threat of future blazes, he said.“No community is immune from these wildfires,” Gabriel said. “That’s part of what the tragedy in Los Angeles proved to us.”__Associated Press writer Jaimie Ding in Pasadena, California, contributed to this report.-Austin is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @ sophieadanna
Sophie Austin, Associated Press/Report for America
Shares in Venture Global, Inc. are expected to make their debut on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) after the company raised $1.75 billion in its initial public offering.
Venture global’s IPO is the largest public offering ever for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer and comes at what may be one of the most opportune times for the companyimmediately after Donald Trump has returned to the presidency with the intention of unleashing Americas energy-producing potential.
Heres what you need to know about Venture Global and its IPO.
What is Venture Global, Inc?
Venture Global is a producer of liquified natural gas (LNG). It was founded in 2013 and currently has five liquified natural gas projects in various stages of production, reports Reuters. Those projects are all located in the Gulf of Mexico, near Louisiana.
Besides LNG production, Venture Global is also in the business of natural gas transportation and regasification. The companys first facility, called Calcasieu Pass, started producing LNG in January 2022. A second facility, called Plaquemines LNG, began LNG production last month, in December 2024.
Venture Global is the second-largest LNG exporter in the United States.
Venture Global is one of the companies expected to benefit after President Trump signed an executive order earlier this week that ended a moratorium on new export permits for liquified natural gas. The executive order was a move to boost Trumps desire to increase Americas energy production.
A reduced public offering
Venture Globals public offering makes it the largest liquified natural gas IPO ever on a global scale, notes Reuters. It is also the third-largest energy and utility sector public listing in the United States since 1995.
However, the company was forced to almost halve its sought valuation after investors doubted its long-term profit estimates for its export business. Originally, the company sought to sell 50 million shares for between $40 and $46 each, which would have given Venture Global a valuation of as much as $110 billion.
Instead, the company settled on selling 70 million shares for a revised range of $23 to $27 per share. On Thursday, the company announced that shares were priced at $25 apiece.
When is Venture Globals IPO?
Venture Global priced shares on Thursday. It expects to begin trading today: Friday, January 24, 2025.
What is Venture Globals stock ticker?
Venture Globals stock will trade under the ticker VG.
Which exchange will Venture Global shares trade on?
Venture Global shares will trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
What is the IPO share price of VG?
Venture Globals IPO share price is $25, which is in the middle of its revised $23 to $27 price range.
How many VG shares are available in its IPO?
Seventy million shares of its Class A common stock were made available in its IPO.
How much will Venture Global raise in its IPO?
At $25 per share, Venture Global raised $1.75 billion in its initial public offering. That was down from the $2.3 billion it sought to raise before its IPO price revision.
What is Venture Globals valuation?
As of its IPO, Venture Global had a total valuation of $60.5 billiondown from the $110 billion valuation it would have had if it had not revised its original IPO plans.
What else is there to know?
Some experts expect the U.S. IPO market to ramp up this year following Trump’s return to the White House. Lynn Martin, president of NYSE, expressed optimism around Trump’s “pro-growth agenda” this week at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, according to Bloomberg. However, uncertainties such as inflation and the impact of tariffs remain.
