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After facing down nationwide protests demanding his ouster and an armed rebellion that he all but crushed, he had until this month taken back control of much of Syria in the civil war that began in 2011. Quiet in his demeanour, Assad is a political survivor who for years excelled in his alliance-building with Russia and Iran, and who knew just how to present himself as Syria's only viable leader in the face of the Islamist threat. But since November 27, an Islamist-led rebel offensive has wrested from Assad's control city after city, including Aleppo and Hama for the first time since 2011, leaving his grip on power severely under threat. Assad has cast himself as the protector of Syria's minorities, a bulwark against extremism and the sole possible purveyor of stability for the war-ravaged country. In multiple votes held over the years, conducted solely on government-held territory, he has taken the vast majority of the ballots, amid accusations from Western countries that the wartime elections were neither free nor fair. In appearance, whether in person or in the many portraits of him in the capital Damascus, Assad has typically eschewed military garb, opting instead for a sharp-cut business suit and sober tie. In official meetings, during interviews and even on the frontlines, the 59-year-old ophthalmologist by training conducts himself calmly and can almost appear timid. Behind the facade, however, is an astonishing ability to hold onto power amid multiple waves of violence and transformative change in Syria and the wider region. One journalist, who met with Assad on several occasions before and after war broke out in 2011, told AFP the president is a "unique and complex figure". "Each time I met him he was calm... even during the most difficult moments of the war," said the journalist, who declined to be named. Assad has "the same qualities" as his father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly three decades until his death in 2000, the journalist said. "In politics, it's important to know how to shuffle cards, not just how to arrange them," he added. "Assad has mastered the shuffling game." Hafez al-Assad, head of the Syrian Baath Party, imposed in the country a secretive, paranoid regime where even the slightest suspicion of dissent could land one in jail or worse. Bashar al-Assad was never meant to become president, but his life changed radically when his older brother Bassel, who was being groomed to inherit power, was killed in a road accident in 1994. Bashar quit his studies in ophthalmology and left London, where he had met his wife, Asma, a British-Syrian and Sunni Muslim who worked for financial services firm JP Morgan. Back home, he took a course in military studies and was tutored in politics by his father. When the latter died, Bashar became president by referendum, running unopposed, then winning a second term in 2007. Sworn in at the age of 34, Assad was widely seen by Syrians pining for freedoms as a reformer, who could do away with years of repression and introduce economic liberalisation. In the early days, Assad would be seen driving his own car or having dinner at restaurants with his wife. He relaxed some of the heavy restrictions that existed under his father. But his initial image as a reformer quickly evaporated as authorities arrested and jailed academics, intellectuals and other members of what was then known as the Damascus Spring movement. When the Arab Spring reached Syria in March 2011, peaceful demonstrations broke out calling for change. Assad, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, responded by ordering a brutal crackdown on the protesters and civil war swiftly ensued. Throughout the war, which has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced half the population, Assad's position has not changed. He has been the subject of countless cartoons by dissident artists depicting him as a killer, not least in the aftermath of the 2013 chemical attacks on rebel bastions around Damascus. A Syrian researcher in Damascus, who asked to speak anonymously over security concerns, said: "Assad's personality played an undeniable role in his survival." His "persistence and rigour" were especially important in helping him "consolidate decision-making powers, and secure the army's full support", he added. Throughout the war, Assad has enjoyed military backing from staunch allies Iran and Russia, who helped him score a string of military victories. Since the start of the Islamist-led rebel offensive on November 27, Assad has echoed his long-held stance that the conflict in Syria is machinated from abroad. "The terrorist escalation reflects the far-reaching goals of dividing the region and fragmenting the countries in it and redraw the map in line with the objectives of the United States and the West," Assad said on Monday. He is the father of three children. His wife, Asma, was dubbed a "rose in the desert" by Vogue magazine before the revolt. bur/ser/jhbAbdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative is building a the Abdul Samad Rabiu Centre for Corrosion Research at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources The Vice Chancellor of the University mentioned that the center will contribute to local and international industries across the country He said the center will empower researchers with technology for preventing corrosion, strengthen oil and gas industry practices PAY ATTENTION: Follow our WhatsApp channel to never miss out on the news that matters to you! Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market. The Abdul Samad Rabiu Centre for Corrosion Research at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun, Delta State, is now under development thanks to the efforts of the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa). The university is receiving a N250 million grant to build this center as part of ASR Africa's Tertiary Education Grants Scheme (TEGS), which helps the nation's higher education institutions raise the caliber of their educational offerings. Dr. Ubon Udoh, MD/CEO of ASR Africa, reaffirmed the dedication of Abdul Samad Rabiu, Chairman of ASR Africa and the BUA Group, to giving back to the African continent and leaving a lasting impression in the education sector during the groundbreaking ceremony. Read also Non-oil export in focus as Peterside is unveiled as keynote speaker at MAN 36th AGM PAY ATTENTION: Legit.ng Needs Your Help! Take our Survey Now and See Improvements at LEGIT.NG Tomorrow According to a release, he added that the university was chosen because of the high caliber of its educational offerings and its noteworthy contributions to oil and gas industry research and development. Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, the university's vice chancellor, expressed the institution's sincere appreciation to the chairman of the ASR Africa and BUA group for his kind donation of N250 million to establish the Abdul Samad Rabiu Center for Corrosion Research. According to the Vice Chancellor's speech, the center will boost oil and gas sector practices, give students access to state-of-the-art training possibilities, and equip researchers with corrosion prevention technologies. He said in a ThisDay report that the center will support both domestic and foreign businesses, establishing Nigeria as a pioneer in tackling the world's corrosion problems. In his words, “ASR Africa’s investment represents a remarkable commitment to advancing scientific research, supporting technological innovation, and addressing critical challenges within the oil and gas sector.” Read also BREAKING: FG sacks Nnamdi Azikwe University's VC, gives reason The chairman of the BUA Group, an African philanthropist and businessman, is the creator of ASR Africa. ASR Africa was founded in 2021 and offers locally developed, impact-based, and sustainable solutions to developmental problems affecting social, educational, and health development in Africa. Billionaire's company set to build new facility Legit.ng reported that one of the top producers of food in Nigeria, BUA Foods Plc, has partnered with IMAS, a well-known Turkish manufacturer of flour milling equipment, to construct four cutting-edge wheat and flour milling facilities with a combined daily milling capacity of 3200 tonnes. After making its debut on the Nigerian exchange (NGX), BUA Foods has made a strategic plan to expand into new markets, which includes this game-changing move. It is anticipated that the new factories will increase manufacturing capacity and supply more high-quality products, helping Nigeria handle its food difficulties. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ng

While going through the photo collection at the Niagara History Center, I noticed an image that I had not seen before. From the car in the photo, it appears the picture was taken in the 1950s. The sign on the building says “Towpath Inn.” There is nothing in the Lockport City Directories for the Towpath Inn during that time period yet there are newspaper ads from 1954 announcing that the restaurant is “Under New Management.” The address in the ads is 5 Mill St. so that is where my search began. In 1870, Michael Enright moved to Lockport and was granted a license to sell liquor “on Mill street and on Lake avenue, saloons.” Enright was born in Ireland in about 1836. He is listed in the 1871 Lockport City Directory as “Enright Michael, saloon, res. Canal near Mill st. bridge.” In other sources he is listed as a “grocer” which very often went hand-in-hand with a saloon, especially along the Erie Canal where boatmen were looking for a drink and provisions. In 1888, Enright and his son John purchased Joseph G. Norman’s Niagara Brewery on Van Buren Street near Lake Avenue, with the younger man overseeing the operations there. A fire in April 1890 badly damaged the brewery but within a month Enright had the business up and running again. Eight years later, father and son had another problem to deal with when “some person or persons to them unknown” accused them of selling “scab ale and porter” made by non-union workers and asked people not to patronize them. The Enrights defended themselves by assuring the public that “all men in the employ [of their breweries]...are members of the Federation of Labor and are Union men...” A reward of $100 ($3,800 in 2024) was offered for information on who “circulated said reports and posted said notices.” Another, more serious incident occurred on Aug. 14, 1901, when 37-year-old John Enright was found unconscious on the towpath under the Cady Street bridge across from the Thompson mill. He died later that day. Thus began a public debate as to whether his death was accidental, from falling off the bridge, or if he was robbed and murdered by “hoboes” or some canal boatmen. The coroner finally ruled the death accidental. Less than a year later, on March 7, 1902, Michael Enright died at age 66. He is buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery. In about 1893, a few years after Michael Enright had acquired the Norman Brewery, James Eagan was the proprietor of a saloon at 5 Mill St. although the actual property transfer did not take place until 1895. Eagan was born in Newfane in 1861 but lived most of his life in Lockport. His obituary stated that he operated a tavern on Mill Street for 30 years, retiring in 1920, which coincides with about the time he started as proprietor of Enright’s saloon. Like Enright, Eagan also ran a grocery out of the building at 5 Mill St. In 1894, a brief mention in the Lockport Daily Journal stated that he “has about closed out his grocery stock, but may replenish it, should canal business improve so as to warrant it.” Most newspaper reports of Eagan’s saloon concern his repeated violation of the Sunday excise law prohibiting the sale of liquor on that day. Several other saloons were also cited. In 1905, the Rev. Jay Johnson of the Second Methodist Episcopal Church on Clinton Street took out warrants for the arrest of four saloon keepers, including Eagan, for violating the excise law and selling liquor to a minor. On at least one occasion, Eagan claimed that he was exempt from the excise law because he was operating a hotel, not a saloon; other times he just paid the fine. Like the owner of the Upson Coal Building featured last week in Niagara Discoveries, in 1910, Eagan was faced with the prospect of moving his saloon “at least a dozen feet” to the north to accommodate the expanded Erie Barge Canal. How that feat was accomplished is not mentioned but considering how many structures lined the canal at that time, it must have been an arduous task. Eagan retired from the saloon business in 1920 and lived at 471 East Avenue until his death in 1945. He is buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery. The next longtime owner of 5 Mill St. was Leo Marcinek. He was born in Poland in 1896 and came to Lockport in 1913. During his 30-year ownership, starting in 1923, the most noteworthy event occurred in April of 1924. This was during the era of Prohibition and Marcinek was described as a “soft drink proprietor.” The business was raided by the police and Marcinek was arrested, not for any liquor violations, but for hosting an illegal poker game in the back room of his establishment in which two of the players were wanted for swindling and counterfeiting. Marcinek was later released with a warning “not to allow card playing in his place in the future.” Once Prohibition ended in 1933, and through the early 1950s, Marcinek’s Restaurant was regularly advertised in the newspaper for its food and dancing. Leo Marcinek died in 1955 and is also buried in St. Patrick’s Cemetery. In 1954, it was announced that the “Towpath Inn” was open under the new management of Archie and Mary Chateauneuf. Archie Chateauneuf was born in 1915 in Massachusetts and died in Los Angeles in 1963 although he had lived in Niagara County for about 40 years. Mary is not mentioned in his obituary although two children are listed. Not much could be found about Mary. How long the Chateauneufs managed the Towpath Inn is uncertain. In 1954, Archie portrayed a canal boatman in a short documentary film about the Erie Canal. Maybe he’d been bitten by the acting bug because he left for California in 1957. After this brief revival of a restaurant/dance hall at 5 Mill St., the following years saw the decline of the building. In 1960, there were ads in the classifieds for pianos and other musical instruments being sold out of the “Barge Hotel” at that address. There were also ads for rooms to rent there. At an Urban Renewal meeting in 1968, 5 Mill St. was used as an example of the deplorable housing conditions in Lowertown. The building at 5 Mill St. came to a tragic end exactly 100 years after Michael Enright first established a saloon and grocery there in 1870. On the night of April 4, 1970, a fire started next door at 7 Mill St. which then spread to the old Towpath Inn building which was still being used as a sometime bar and restaurant. Seven children were sleeping at 7 Mill St. while some of their parents were next door at 5 Mill St. The fire spread so quickly that efforts to save the children were thwarted by heavy smoke and flames. Of the seven, only one child was rescued; the other six, ranging in age from 20 months to six years, all perished in the fire. The children were all cousins. Despite reports of a firebomb being thrown into the home, it was determined that the cause was electrical in nature. The fire once again brought to light the substandard housing conditions in Lowertown and local activists called for a “rent strike” in Lockport. A few years later, urban renewal destroyed most of that housing but it was not replaced with new units. Both of the Mill Street buildings were demolished after the fire. It is now a grassy lot with nothing to indicate the tragedy that took place 54 years ago.ITTA BENA, Miss. (AP) — Cornelious Brown IV threw five touchdown passes, Donovan Eaglin ran for 105 yards and two scores, and Alabama A&M defeated Mississippi Valley State 49-35 on Saturday. The Bulldogs scored 21 points in the third quarter to break free from a 28-all tie at halftime. All three touchdowns came on passes by Brown. He hit DJ Nelson for 35 yards, Donovan Payne for 9 yards, and Keenan Hambrick for 13 yards. Alabama A&M led 49-28 heading to the final quarter. Donivan Wright caught Brown's two other TD passes. He was the Bulldogs' leading receiver with 79 yards among their team total of 296. Brown completed 19 of 28 passes for 252 yards for the Bulldogs (6-5, 4-3 SWAC). Ty’Jarian Williams was 12 for 28 passing for 275 yards for the Delta Devils (1-11, 1-7). He threw two TD passes and was intercepted twice. Nathan Rembert had 107 yards receiving and a touchdown on five receptions. There were five touchdowns in the second quarter and the score was tied three times before the Bulldogs blew it open in the third quarter. __ Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Economic performance in 2024 and roadmap for 2025Join Sam McKewon and Amie Just as they dive deep into the Husker sports scene — rationalizing, analyzing, and summarizing as only they can! In the latest episode of The Showdown, Sam McKewon and Amie Just break down a jam-packed week for Nebraska Athletics. The open with the football game between Nebraska and Wisconsin, how the Huskers' can come out victorious in the matchup and the weird comments from Luke Fickell about who will be the Badgers' play caller. They move onto the doubleheader between both Nebraska and Creighton basketball teams, including the loss of Natalie Potts and how Creighton's difficult schedule can help the Husker women. The duo also talk the Husker men's chances against the Bluejays and Ryan Kalkbrenner. They close out with Nebraska volleyball's upcoming match against Wisconsin on Senior Day and the looming match against Penn State. People are also reading... Recap: Here's how Joey Graziadei will win 'Dancing with the Stars' At the courthouse, Nov. 16, 2024 Zitel bound over to district court in death of child Kidnapping in Nebraska prompted police chase that ended with 3 dead on I-29 in Missouri Beatrice native's latest film gets special engagement in hometown BPS mini-marts offer help They fell in love with Beatrice. So they opened a store in downtown. Chamberlain among seven inducted into Nebraska Baseball HOF Inmate cited for damaging video system Just Askin': Dana Holgorsen noncommittal on future, ranking a big week for Nebraska Athletics Beatrice High School first-quarter honor roll Micheal J's to reopen Former Daily Sun publisher Thomas dies Historical society appoints board members, elects officers At the courthouse, Nov. 9, 2024 Subscribe to HuskerExtra.com Join co-hosts Sam and Amie as they dive deep into the Husker sports scene – rationalizing, analyzing, and summarizing as only they can! Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Most Americans have a negative view of Congress and see it as stagnant, and that’s got some Democratic lawmakers wanting to change America’s winner-takes-all electoral system to one based on proportional representation. According to a report by NOTUS, Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Jared Golden—each of whom recently won reelection in traditionally red districts—have proposed a task force to look at implementing nonpartisan open primaries, establishing independent redistricting commissions, introducing multimember districts that reflect a party’s share of the vote, and expanding the House of Representatives beyond its current 435 members. The task force aims to be equally bipartisan. It would meet for a year, hold public hearings, and provide final recommendations to Congress and the president. In the U.S.’s current system, the House candidate who receives the majority of the vote in a general election wins the entire district. This tends to favor two major opposing parties since smaller parties lack a geographical base and find it difficult to win seats. “My seat was drawn to be a red seat,” Gluesenkamp Perez told NOTUS in an interview, arguing that when members of Congress have guaranteed seats, they become complacent and out of touch. “We need that competition,” she said. “We need that urgency.” The system she and Golden are proposing to study would more closely resemble those in Italy, Germany, and New Zealand. And these lawmakers argue that proportional reform like this would allow Americans to be more accurately represented in Congress, reduce the influence of extremists, and create space for more than two political parties. Unlike the U.S.’s current system, proportional representation would ensure that the number of seats a party wins in Congress corresponds to the percentage of votes it receives in an election. This would mean shifting from single-member districts to multimember districts. For example, if a party secured 30% of the vote, a proportional system would grant them 30% of the seats. If a party won 50% of the vote, it would receive 50% of the seats, and if a party captured 20% of the vote, it would receive 20% of the seats in Congress, and so on. Advocates argue that this approach would foster a healthier democracy. Lindsey Cormack, a political scientist at the Stevens Institute of Technology and the author “How to Raise a Citizen,” told Daily Kos that a proportional representation, particularly one with open primaries that allow all voters to participate regardless of party affiliation, could help combat the rise of polarizing candidates. Proportional representation achieves this by adding more seats within districts and providing room for more political parties. “It’s a check against political extremism,” Cormack said, adding that it allows for “more voices that don’t as strongly identify with the party.” Under a proportional system, extremists would represent only the percentage of the district they won rather than representing the entire district. This system would better reflect the actual number of votes each political party receives in an election. The resulting elected body would more accurately represent the diversity of America by encouraging the rise of multiple political parties instead of the two dominant parties—Democratic and Republican—that currently monopolize politics. In 2021, Democratic Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia reintroduced the Fair Representation Act, a bill originally introduced in 2017 that sought to implement a nationwide system of ranked-choice voting, independent redistricting commissions, and multimember districts. Eight other House Democrats co-sponsored the legislation, but the bill never advanced out of committee. Two years later, the liberal Center for American Progress published an in-depth look at the merits of many of the reforms Gluesenkamp Perez and Golden are now proposing. The article emphasized that the current system's setup can “discourage problem-solving and reward conflict” and “impede representation” of moderates in Congress. Another hurdle for reform is that Congress wants to keep their jobs. “Political incumbents—whether elected politicians, political parties, or allied interest groups—tend to resist changes to the system that put them in power,” Alex Tausanovitch wrote in the article. “Fortunately, now more than ever, many of these incumbents see the current political status quo as alarming, even untenable.” Cormack, too, stated that politicians may be opposed to voting on reform because it’s what got them into their seats. “It’s hard to say, ‘I would like a new system,’ because you're probably reducing your own job security,” she said. “And that's sort of the self-interested nature of politics that makes any of these reforms very hard to implement and incredibly unlikely to come from top-down versus a bottom-up.” “Which is why I think you see a lot of electoral reforms like ranked-choice voting usually come from a ballot initiative process, not legislators saying, ‘Let’s change this,’” she added. Elected officials like Gluesenkamp Perez and Golden may not be the first to say, “Let’s change this,” but they hope to be the last.

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( MENAFN - The Rio Times) This week's economic calendar is marked by year-end holidays and key economic indicators across major economies. Here are the main highlights for each day: Monday, December 30: Brazil releases its Gross Debt-to-GDP ratio, while the U.S. reports Chicago PMI and Pending Home Sales. China unveils its PMI data. Tuesday, December 31: Many markets close early or entirely for New Year's Eve. The U.S. releases S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price index and API Weekly crude Oil Stock data. Wednesday, January 1: Most global markets are closed for New Year's Day. China releases Caixin Manufacturing PMI after market hours. Thursday, January 2: Markets reopen with a flurry of activity. The UK reports Nationwide Housing Prices, while the Eurozone and U.S. release Manufacturing PMI data. The U.S. also reports Jobless Claims, ISM Manufacturing data, and Crude Oil Inventories. Friday, January 3: Germany reports unemployment figures. The U.S. releases ISM Manufacturing data and Baker Hughes Rig Count . Note: Japan's markets remain closed on January 2 and 3 for extended New Year holidays. Investors should closely monitor these releases. They offer a comprehensive view of Brazil's economic landscape. The interplay between inflation, employment, and investment flows will likely influence market sentiment and policy decisions in the near term. Monday, December 30, 2024 Brazil (BRL) MENAFN29122024007421016031ID1109039909 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Celebrates National Lager Day with Legit. Texas. Lager.Trimble and Mallon sanctioned DUP ministers over rotation planPalo Alto Networks ( NASDAQ: PANW ) reported a beat and raise during its q1’25 earnings on November 20, 2024, resulting in relatively mixed price action, dropping -5% post-earnings before recovering the following day. Guidance for eq2’25 and eFY25 came in Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of CRWD either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Silicon, a component in a range of common consumer products, was identified earlier this year by Canada and last week by the US as a material critical to supply chain security for clean energy transition technologies. The US’ newly amended Critical Mineral Consistency Act modifies the Energy Act of 2020 to expand the definition of critical minerals to include critical materials designated by the Department of Energy, and now includes copper, electrical steel, silicon and silicon carbide. This summer, silicon was named by the Biden administration in an initiative to provide up to $400 million to usher in a new era of semiconductor manufacturing, and on Wednesday, the administration finalized Chips Act incentives , awarding chipmaker GlobalFoundries $1.5 billion in grants to support US factories as part of a broader semiconductor push. Silicon metal is critical in semiconductors and photovoltaic cells, and there is electric battery technology emerging with silicon as an anode component. Silicon can hold 10 times as many lithium ions by weight as graphite , but developing the battery technology to scale sustainably has met its share of challenges. As with many other metals critical to clean energy technologies, there is a projected near short term boost in demand for silicon– from 3.27 million tons in 2024 to 4.25 million tons in 2029 – a 5.4% CAGR increase. Ferroglobe (NASDAQ: GSM) produces silicon products for new technologies with operations in eight states and plans to expand its production capacity. The company’s US operations. Source: Ferroglobe Ferroglobe’s vice president of US corporate affairs, Bill Hightower, is concerned about the US’ ability to meet impending production demand increases, while having to rely on China, which controls over 70% of the world’s production. Hightower, a former Alabama senator and congressional candidate, points out the advantage to the US implementing industrial policy on silicon metal. China notoriously overproduces metals, subsequently flooding emerging markets with cheaper products. In an investigation on Silicon Metal from China , last year, the US International Trade Commission determined the “revocation of the antidumping duty order on silicon metal from China would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably foreseeable time.” “If these countries are naming critical materials like silicon metal, then we can develop policy around it,” Hightower told MINING.com in an interview. “If [China] makes 70% of the world’s [supply], all they’ve got to do is dump it in another region, and it has an ultimate effect upon America and other markets. If China sneezes, the whole world feels it when it comes to silicon metal and other products. Graphite was the big scare last year.” The former politician turned resource company executive recently authored an Op-ed on the critical role of silicon metal production in the US energy sector. “All throughout my career, I’ve been very aware of what’s going on in Washington D.C...I’ve been through the cycle...where there was tremendous offshoring,” Hightower said. “We were looking for the lowest cost producer. It was a global economy. But things are changing.” Now, there’s an emphasis on reshoring or nearshoring. And we have to get on with it because the current suppliers of the product, if they decided to cut us off, we’d be in a lot of trouble.” Ferroglobe has forged a partnership with Coreshell, a company Hightower said has “broken the code” on displacing graphite in batteries, which could substantially reduce the cost. The company acknowledges that metallurgical silicon anodes tend to swell and degrade quickly, but says its technology solves this problem. On its website, Coreshell states its technology acts both as an artificial SEI (solid electrolyte interphase) and as an encapsulant – reinforcing metallurgical silicon anodes during charge and discharge – while preventing surface degradation. “Coreshell has a number of tests underway. They’ve determined how they can now displace 100% of the graphite, [and] introduce silicon. And as a result, the battery charges 30% faster. It goes 20% longer,” Hightower said. Hightower said the process lessens the incident of fire in the battery and new technologies will reduce the cost of electric vehicle ownership. “Our theory is that the market for electric vehicles is kind of a high-priced market, and it’s been fully penetrated. The only way to expand and sell more is to drop the price. A battery is a third of the car’s cost. We have a development agreement and we’re working with auto manufacturers to define the next technology in batteries.” “With the battery technology, with photovoltaic, with chips all being reshored, demand for silicon metal is going to really ratchet up at the end of the decade. And if we don’t build that capacity now, we’re going to find ourselves even more reliant upon imports.” Hightower said Ferroglobe has permitting underway for additional capacity in the US and West Virginia Representative Carol Miller has introduced a task force to look at tax policy along the supply chains. “Certainly, the federal government has a role to play in incentivizing the building of capacity. If we’re not going to have enough capacity in silicon metal, the US can incentivize companies to start that. They can do it by managing the tariffs. They can also do it by offering tax credits and incentives, as they’ve done with the IRA or the bipartisan infrastructure law.” President- elect Trump has indicated his support for US domestic manufacturing, and Hightower believes silicon production in the US will benefit from this policy. “Silicon metals are used in such a broad range of products, any policy which encourages US-based production products in the automotive, medical, electronics, and energy sectors will be a positive for silicon production in the USA,” he said. Hightower notes President Elect Trump will take actions to reduce the cost of energy in the US by investing in lower cost traditional energy sources like oil and natural gas, reopening federal lands for oil and gas, expediting new pipeline and infrastructure projects, incentives for development of clean coal and nuclear power, and EPA action to support fossil/liquid-based fuel producers. “As silicon production requires an enormous amount of energy, any actions to reduce the cost of US domestic energy costs will benefit the industry and the consumer,” Hightower said. “President Elect Trump has indicated that he will use tariffs and trade policy to strategically achieve US domestic goals, and protect the US from countries who compete unfairly. To the degree these actions deal with un-competitive behavior such as dumping in the US, it will help the industry.”

Sign up below to get Mission Local’s free newsletter , a daily digest of news you won’t find elsewhere. It’s not every day that one sees a dragon rising out of San Francisco’s fog. So when I saw a life-sized dragon puppet suspended from a treehouse in Hayes Valley, I knew I had to meet its maker. I slipped a note through the gate of the nearby Victorian and hoped the rain wouldn’t smudge my handwriting. Edward Winslow, a dad, dancer, and internationally-touring puppeteer of 20 years, responded. Winslow, now 64, had the Bay Area version of a storybook childhood: His mom, Marilyn, owned a toy store in Los Altos called Mud Pie and the Jester’s Eye, where she sold handmade Renaissance Faire toys. Winslow, at 11, would play with their stock of finger puppets, but it wasn’t until he moved to New York in the late 1980s that he picked up his first life-sized puppet. No matter what happens across the country, Mission Local remains your source of in-depth San Francisco reporting . Now, more than ever, we're asking your help to support nonprofit, independent journalism in your community. We have $65,000 in matching gifts — double your donation today! At the time, Winslow was getting his master’s degree at New York University. A broke dance student, he worked odd jobs as a handyman in his spare time. Then, he “got a phone call from a woman in Rockland County who had a desperate need for a puppeteer who could dance.” The audition, Winslow said, lasted 30 seconds. He walked onstage and picked up the “nine-foot-tall hunter puppet” set aside for Hudson Vagabond Puppets’ upcoming production of “Peter and the Wolf.” He started “moving the head and romping around the stage and doing some dance moves.” By this point in the retelling, Winslow has risen from his desk chair and begun re-enacting the performance. “And she was like, ‘Okay, the audition is over,’” he said, sitting back down. Those 30 seconds “rocket started” his puppetry career. Immediately after landing the job, Winslow went on tour with a 14-foot-long trailer full of puppets, performing almost 200 times a year across the country. The company also went abroad — not always comfortably. For three days, Winslow performed in an outdoor stage adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s “The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck” in Chihuahua, Mexico. It was 110 degrees out, and the performers were stuffed inside foam ducks. One character twisted her ankle, and “all she could do was just sit in her nest and look around,” Winslow said, miming a sitting duck. “The show didn’t come back,” he said. “All the puppets were stuck at the border, trying to get back into the United States.” While that show was in English, the company also performed to recordings of Greek translations for a tour of Nicosia, Cyprus, in 2008. “You just kind of flap your mouth and try to memorize it,” Winslow explained. In his two decades with the Hudson Vagabond Puppets, Winslow became a jack of all puppetry trades: Performer, puppet-builder, choreographer and producer. He designed productions for kids from the ground up, putting comedic spins on school curricula or classic literature. He also has an original show concept that has yet to be produced: “Zero: The story of an outer space intergalactic obelisk that makes all the numbers.” “What do you mean, ‘makes all the numbers?’” I asked. “Exactly,” he responded. In Winslow’s imaginary world, all the digits except zero have been created, and the other numbers are having a difficult time without it. Then Zero, who Winslow described as a “non-gender-specific character with a backpack full of nothing,” enters the scene. “You guys gotta lighten your load,” the Zero puppet, described as a Michael Jackson-like “easy, scooty dancer,” would say. “Be like me.” By the end of the show, Winslow imagines, kids in the audience will have learned something about math. In 2011, Winslow left Hudson Vagabond Puppets to move to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his two children and now ex-wife. Even there, the puppet world found him. An opera house reached out, saying they needed “a giant teacup” for a production of Maurice Ravel’s “L’enfant et les Sortilèges.” Winslow did them one better. He built a set out of trash — cardboard, bubble wrap, and boxes — that came to life, morphing into a 60-foot-wide moth complete with fishing poles for antennas. “The person that ran the opera company was like, ‘I’ve never seen anything like that before in my life,’” the dancer said. “And neither had I.” In 2014, Winslow moved to San Francisco to manage his sister’s event planning business from her Hayes Valley home (though her scruffy rescue dog, Scuppers, appears to be the real manager of the house). His most recent project involved purchasing a professional paper cutter to construct 60 paper churches for a GLIDE Memorial Church fundraiser. When his sister asked if that was really necessary, Winslow responded, “I’m not okay with being a beginner. I need to be an expert.” He misses the theater. He misses the dance community. He misses the creativity and “thinking big.” But now, he says, being a dad is his priority. When Winslow’s son, Tyler, who is now 17 and applying to colleges, was in 6th grade, students at his elementary school wrote a show about a giant dragon. The former puppeteer offered his services and created “Matilda,” as Winslow’s 14-year-old daughter calls her, installing her on a tree in the family’s backyard. The creature that now adorns (and defends) Ivy Street was born. For us at Mission Local, it brought a realization that while we can still be puzzled by this country and city, we can serve it best by covering it as journalists. Your support allowed us to bring you extensive election coverage in 2024 . Now, regardless of the national results, we’ll be following up on all of the promises that the winning candidates made here in San Francisco. Independent, nonprofit outlets like ours rely on your donations to make this happen. It is how we continue to do our job and expand our coverage every year. And now we are in the crazy period of end-of-year fundraising at an equally crazy political time. We have $65,000 in matching funds. More than 80 readers have already donated to our year-end campaign. Join them by giving today to double your donation. Join more than 1,800 other donors who give to Mission Local. Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn MastodonNone

Jaipur: The illegal encroachment of the vegetable market on Sahakar Marg in Lalkothi, is increasing day by day, making it difficult for the public to walk on road. Despite several attempts by the administration to remove the encroachers, they return due to the lack of a permanent solution. Various departments seem to be shirking their responsibilities in this matter. Priyavrat Charan, DC of Malviya Nagar Zone, said, "I am not aware of this issue as I have recently taken charge. I will conduct an inspection soon and necessary action will be taken." Deputy mayor Puneet Karnawat said, "We have tried several times to remove these encroachers, but they come back repeatedly. It is easier for them to earn here, which is why they return. However, strict action will be taken soon after Rising Rajasthan Summit." JDA's DIG Kailash Bishnoi held the municipal corporation responsible for the encroachment and said, "It is JMC's responsibility to resolve this issue. We can only assist them." A few days ago, JMC held a meeting on this issue, where a proposal was made to provide an alternative location for the illegal vegetable market. However, due to the Rising Rajasthan Summit, this proposal has been put on hold for now. Residents and passersby have expressed that due to encroachment on the road, both vehicles and pedestrians face great difficulty. People are urging the administration to find an immediate and permanent solution to prevent this problem from reoccurring. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

Mall-goers can now fuel up with coffee, donuts and ice cream as they look to redeem gift cards, return presents or buy themselves the gifts they didn't get this holiday season. A combination Dunkin'/Baskin Robbins opened in the middle of the super-regional mall at U.S. 30 and Mississippi Street in Hobart. The two Massachusetts-based chains teamed up to offer sweets to shoppers. Baskin Robbins is, of course, known for serving 31 flavors of ice cream at any given time, and has rolled out 1,300 different flavors since it opened in 1948. Formerly known as Dunkin' Donuts, Dunkin' is a staple in the Calumet Region and greater Chicagoland that historically was best known for its donuts, but which has pivoted to focus more strongly on caffeinating people on the go with a wide array of coffee drinks, including many sugary options like the seasonal peppermint mocha. It's perceived by some as a more working-class and less pretentious alternative to Starbucks. "The brand-new kiosk is located on the lower level in Center Court," Southlake Mall Marketing and Business Development Manager Kristyn Filetti said. "We are excited for them to be open and offer coffee to our shoppers again with such a strong, national brand. Along with coffee and donuts, shoppers can also enjoy their favorite Baskin Robbins' sweet treats." Open Toni's Pizza, a longtime landmark pizzeria in East Chicago, is under new ownership. Uli Gom, an acclaimed chef who also runs the EC Cafe and is especially well-known for his previous Tapas Cafe restaurant, took over the pizzeria at 4724 Indianapolis Blvd. in downtown East Chicago. It's a homecoming of sorts as he had started working there as a teenager, getting his first taste of the kitchen. ""In fact, the first time I discovered pizza was from Toni's Pizza in EC," he said. "I wow myself indulging the flavors of this melted cheese, tomato and sausage baked pie. 'What is this?' I said. So I took a job as a cook here at Toni's. Actually, my culinary journey started here. I remember spending long hot summer days making pizza with my brothers Rim and Alberto while we all were students at Purdue University." The longtime institution, having opened in 1972, is known for its pan pizza slices and Chicago-style deep dish. "Two months ago, the previous owner of Toni's decided to retire from the pizza business so my brother Rim and I took the opportunity to take over the place and bring the old Toni's Pizza back to its glory days," Gom said. "It's been a challenge for us. Unfortunately, the three-year Indianapolis Boulevard street reconstruction had a big impact to all of the small businesses in East Chicago. Fortunately, the whole street is back open for traffic, so we are taking the opportunity to promote and get the pizzeria back on track." He plans to bring old recipes back using homemade pizza dough, Italian sausage and sauce, while adding unique interesting items like chicken BBQ, pork pastor, barbacoa brisket, Buffalo and Italian meats pizzas, as well as baked pizza rolls Gom describes as ideal for game day. Toni's Pizza is open 4-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Coming soon The old Michel's Sports Eatery across from Lake Central High School at 8209 Wicker Ave. in St. John has been completely gutted for renovations. R-Bar in Highland, a sports bar in Highland known for its Serbian food, is taking over the space about five miles south. Michel's was a popular place to watch the game that closed after owner George Michel, a retired fire chief with the Schererville Fire Department, died earlier this year. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts "We've been looking to get into St. John for the last five or six years. We had other opportunities that didn't work out. This opportunity was a great fit, so we jumped on it," said Steve Ruzich, who runs R-Bar with his business partner Alex Romic. "We're got it gutted and have filled up four dumpsters. We're going to renovate the whole thing. It will be redesigned and laid out similar to our new bar. The blueprint's here. If it ain't broke, don't fix it." R-Bar's second location will have 40 new TVs, live music, trivia night, bingo parties and other events. It will encompass about 5,000 square feet and seat up to 200 people. It will have the same menu of Serbian food that includes cevaps, pljeskavica, shish kebab, smoked sausage, muckalica, burek, sopska salata, ajvar and kajmak. The traditional old world cuisine, which comes with authentic sides like raw onion, draws Serbs, Croatians and Eastern Europeans from across Northwest Indiana. Open Kabelin Ace Hardware opened a new store on Michigan City's east side. The family-owned retailer opened its eighth store and second in Michigan City at 2309 E. Michigan Blvd. in Eastgate Plaza. "This new location is more than just a store — it is a promise to support and uplift the East Side community by creating jobs, offering essential products, and forming meaningful partnerships with other local businesses," Mackenzie Kabelin Watkins said. "Our goal is to enhance the quality of life for everyone who calls this area home." Chicago-based Ace is the place with the helpful hardware man and more than 5,700 locations across the country. It's a cooperative of local hardware stores like Kabelin Hardware, which started in 1912. The chain also has locations in LaPorte, New Carlisle, Granger, Walkerton and South Bend. It's calling its latest location the Michigan City East store. The store has a 4,000-square-foot open-air garden center as well as a wide array of hardware, home improvement supplies and the expert advise Ace is known for. “We have been hard at work for months bringing this new store together. I couldn’t be prouder of the team involved and their commitment to making sure we provide the highest level of quality and service to our new neighbors," Store Manager Lisa Conley said. Reopened Tarimoro Fruits reopened in Hammond after suffering a fire in November. The neighborhood grocery store at 1301 Chicago Ave. in Hammond stocks fresh fruit, produce and meat and a wide array of imported goods from Mexico like nopales, tortillas and clay pots. It also has many vendors who serve freshly prepared meals like chicken tamales in green sauce with hot champurrado. The butcher serves many Mexican favorites like barbacoa, carnitas and cow tongue. Ethnic fare like ceviche and Puerto Rican cuisine draws customers from a wide area, including neighboring East Chicago and the south suburbs.