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State legislatures are coming back. These are the lawmakers to follow.

January 4, 2023 Published by Politico

Following this mix of rising stars and veteran legislators in Austin, Texas, Lansing, Mich., Harrisburg, Penn., and other capitals is key to understanding the issues that will frame the lives of millions of Americans — and feed a burgeoning 2024 campaign cycle.

Intense debates are also teed up over taxes, spending, labor and much more. These are the state lawmakers to watch.

Pennsylvania

Rep. Joanna McClinton

The Pennsylvania House has been caught up in major drama since the midterms with both parties claiming to hold power over the lower chamber due to surprise post-election twists, including a lawmaker’s death. Weeks of intense intraparty negotiating gave way to some clarity this week when the House named a new speaker after Democrats flipped the chamber in November.

Until this week, Democratic leader Joanna McClinton claimed the speakership, becoming the first woman and first Black woman to hold the role. On Tuesday, however, she stepped aside and gave her support to moderate Democratic Rep. Mark Rozzi, who said he will act as an independent and won’t caucus with either party.

Still, McClinton will continue to wield considerable power within her party as Democrats solidified their statewide standing in the midterms with the elections of Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro and Sen. John Fetterman. And McClinton could make another play for the speakership later this session if Democrats win a handful of special elections that would reestablish their majority.

McClinton said she is focused on expanding health care coverage, affirming abortion rights, ending wage theft and rewriting laws related to the criminal justice system — work that’s influenced by her career as a public defender.

“I’ve got a real passion for pursuing justice, standing up and advocating for folks in a system that is far too crowded,” she said in an interview.

Sen. Kim Ward

Sen. Kim Ward, the top Republican in the Senate, last session became the first woman to be named majority leader.

During her tenure in the Senate, now in her fourth term, she led efforts to implement a work authorization system for employment, and backed expanding protections against child abuse. She also spearheaded legislation mandating statewide Covid-19 disease reporting and limiting the governor’s ability to extend state emergency declarations in pandemics.

Ward, in an interview, said she wants to work with Democrats on issues that will benefit Pennsylvania, not on “ideological issues that are never going to go anywhere.”

West Virginia

Del. Moore Capito

Republican Del. Moore Capito is the next generation of a West Virginia political dynasty — and a test for how much weight the name still carries.

Shortly after winning his fourth term in the state House last fall, he announced a gubernatorial bid. Capito is the son of Sen. Shelly Moore Capito and grandson of former Gov. Arch Moore. His cousin, state Treasurer Riley Moore, is running for Congress in 2024.

“We are going to need somebody with the grit and the experience to be able to take West Virginia to the next level,” Capito said in an interview. Republican Gov. Jim Justice, a former Democrat, is term-limited and thought to be considering a run for the Senate.

Serving as chair of the West Virginia Republican Legislative Committee, Capito deployed a successful candidate recruitment strategy for the 2020 elections that resulted in Republicans picking up 18 seats in the state House, winning a supermajority for the first time.

Capito said his focus in the statehouse since he was elected in 2016 has been on how to attract young people to West Virginia and transform the state into a technology and entrepreneurial hub. He backed the creation of a fintech “sandbox” in 2020 that aims to incentivize tech companies to test products and services within the state by temporarily lifting business regulations. He hopes to expand that into the energy sector this year.

Texas

Rep. Dade Phelan

Following one of the most conservative legislative sessions in recent history, Dade Phelan, the Texas speaker, remains well-positioned to decide how hot the deep-red lower chamber will get this year. In 2021, Phelan, a Republican, oversaw sweeping changes to the state’s abortion and elections laws before they rippled across the country during Texas’ legislative break last year.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has a strong hand in influencing members in the state Senate and setting a multi-item agenda in the chamber this year, and he has also aired frustrations about Phelan and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott since last session. Although Phelan has mentioned taxes and education issues in recent months, he has not yet made an official announcement about his legislative priorities or anything that might shed light on potential conflicts with Patrick.

But Phelan knows how to shepherd contentious legislation. Despite outcries from state Democrats, nearly every GOP priority passed last session — leading the minority party to flee the state for D.C. in a dramatic attempt to halt a special session called to cement new elections laws they considered too restrictive. Abbott threatened to arrest the lawmakers upon their return to Austin, and Phelan himself signed the warrants while also worrying that detaining lawmakers might cause “un-repairable harm” to his chamber.

Iowa

Rep. Pat Grassley

Iowa Speaker Pat Grassley has a famous last name — and it’s long been speculated that he plans to run for his grandfather’s Senate seat when it opens up.

But it may be awhile before the younger Grassley takes on federal politics: Sen. Chuck Grassley, 89, was reelected in November to his eighth term and Pat Grassley has dismissed the notion that he’s been preordained as his grandfather’s successor as a “conspiracy theory.”

Instead, Grassley has focused on solidifying his influence within the state Legislature during his 15 years serving in the Iowa House. Senate Republicans earned a supermajority in November, one of the GOP’s biggest wins in the midterms, and the party is expected to use its boosted statewide influence to enact conservative policies.

Iowa could set an example on school choice — it’s a top priority for Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has tried for years to get legislation approved in the House. Grassley is setting up the infrastructure for her to potentially succeed with the creation of a new education committee this session that will consider changes to the K-12 system.

Virginia

Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant

One of the most interesting — and fraught — fights over Republican ambitions to restrict abortion access is likely to play out in Virginia. Abortion is legal in the state throughout the first and second trimesters, but Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is seeking to largely ban the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant is among the four Republicans he’s asked to draft the legislation — an OB/GYN, and the only medical professional in the group.

Republicans took control of the state House in 2021 with a five-seat majority as Youngkin won the governorship. Democrats hold control of the Senate by just one seat. Those narrow margins — and the state’s purple politics — make passing abortion restrictions tricky.

Dunnavant, who represents a competitive district in the Richmond suburbs, has built a voting record since 2016 opposing abortion. She has also expressed support for a Texas law that banned abortions at 20 weeks with exceptions only for the life of the patient or severe fetal anomalies but not for rape or incest.

Florida

Rep. Juan Porras

Republican Rep. Juan Porras will be the youngest member of the Florida House at 25 years old. His election helps mark a new era for Miami-area politics, which has steadily grown redder since Donald Trump’s election in 2016 (Porras’ district includes an unincorporated strip of Miami-Dade County).

“We’re seeing a huge shift, especially here in south Florida,” Porras said in an interview. “A lot of the Hispanic communities and younger communities are leaning more toward conservative ideas and voting Republican.”

In the midterms, Gov. Ron DeSantis became the first GOP gubernatorial candidate to win the county in two decades, carrying downballot Republicans with him to victory.

Porras defeated Democrat Gabriel Gonzalez, a fellow Gen Z candidate.

He has said the statehouse — where he worked as an intern — should bring more accountability to homeowners association fraud, a major issue in his district, which contains sprawling condo complexes with thousands of units. He’s also a supporter of school choice, an issue he’ll work on as a member of the education committee.

Georgia

Sen. Jason Anavitarte

Georgia Sen. Jason Anavitarte helped found the state’s first Hispanic legislative caucus last year with a GOP state representative, a move meant to reflect the rapid growth of Georgia’s Latino populations. There are a record six Hispanic members in the General Assembly this year.

“My Republican colleagues and I aim not only to deliver strong representation to one of our state’s most important communities — but to send a clear message that Hispanic values will be at the front and center of conversations under the Gold Dome for years to come,” Anavitarte said.

Anavitarte got attention in December for drafting legislation to ban the TikTok app in Georgia, a proposal other states tried last year. It mirrors the U.S. Senate-approved measure that would ban the app on government-issued devices over security concerns about it and its Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance, though it is unclear how the House will vote on the issue.

Last cycle, the Polk County state senator pushed for a “constitutional carry” bill, one of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s priorities, that would allow residents to carry guns without a license in most public spaces.

Michigan

Sen. Winnie Brinks

Michigan is at the epicenter of Democratic politics after the party flipped both chambers of the state Legislature last fall and maintained control of the governorship. Now, Democrats face tremendous pressure to take full advantage of their trifecta by enacting a slate of progressive priorities. They just have to agree on where to begin.

Enter incoming Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, the first woman to take on the role. Brinks will be working with Rep. Joe Tate, the first Black speaker of the Michigan House, to set that agenda. But the requests from lawmakers, voters and progressive advocates for what gets priority treatment are long.

“We’re ready for this,” Brinks said in an interview. She cited affirming abortion rights — which Michigan voters came out in droves to protect via ballot measure in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s fall last year — as an early order of business. She also wants to change tax policies she says burden working families, like restoring the earned income tax credit and repealing the retirement tax.

Brinks faces the challenge of keeping the peace between the progressive wing of the caucus — which is eager to repeal right-to-work rules and pursue other pro-labor actions — and moderates urging caution and bipartisanship. Brinks herself said Democrats must be “thoughtful about how we attack our agenda.”

She added: “At the end of the day I’m happy to have the challenges of the majority instead of the challenges of the minority.”

Illinois

Rep. Margaret Croke

During her first term in office, Illinois state Rep. Margaret Croke quickly became a voice for the next generation of Democratic leadership. She’s introduced bills that have been signed into law, including one that expands the definition of infertility in Illinois to include same-sex couples, single women, and others looking to start or grow a family.

Croke pushed for the measure after getting a phone call from a constituent — a pediatrician who is gay and who pointed out financial burdens on families like his when insurance isn’t an option.

“I love how that bill came up organically from a constituent,” she said in an interview. It’s not the first bill that she’s taken on with a resident in mind. Croke is actively working on cyber-bullying legislation with the family of a boy who died by suicide after being bullied online.

“I love constituent services. It started with property taxes and helping people get cash back when they needed it. It made me so happy,” Croke said, referring to her work with a Cook County commissioner.

The Illinois Democrat also helped champion a law making Illinois the first state in the nation to require EMTs to be trained to diagnose Alzheimer’s and dementia. And a version of a bill she pushed last year is part of high-profile 2023 legislation that would allow Illinois residents to take civil action against gun manufacturers, importers and dealers whose firearms are responsible for injury or death in Illinois.

Arizona

Rep. Lorena Austin

Rep.-elect Lorena Austin won one of the most closely watched legislative races in the country in a newly-drawn district in Mesa, helping Democrats encroach upon the Republican majority in the state Legislature. She campaigned alongside Seth Blattman and the pair defeated two Republicans: Mary Ann Mendoza, a vocal opponent of illegal immigration and a Trump ally, and Kathy Pearce.

Austin is a descendant of Mexican immigrants and identifies as LGBTQ.

“People are not looking for what we traditionally view politicians to be,” Austin said in an interview. “They’re looking for authentic people who are doing things in the community — who are accessible, who are visible and who they can come to.”

Austin, who works as a community college adviser, wants to improve public education in Arizona, which consistently ranks at the bottom in the nation. She also wants to address the rising cost of housing, which she says is a “resounding” issue in her district and throughout the state.

Minnesota

Sen. Kari Dziedzic

Minnesota Democrats are entering 2023 with a trifecta after the party flipped the Senate in last year’s midterms, opening up another huge political opportunity for Democrats in the Midwest for the first time in nearly a decade.

Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic will have to navigate the Democratic-Farmer-Labor’s slim one-seat majority in the chamber. She has a reputation as a cautious leader who touts working with Republicans. And in an early preview of the DFL agenda, Dziedzdic said there will be a focus on kids’ mental health and education, climate change and economic security.

The state is sitting on a giant $17.6 billion surplus Democrats are eager to use for long-sought progressive causes. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has cited achieving education and family policies as a top goal, potentially by offering child care subsidies to help families pay for the rising cost of daycare.

Marissa Martinez and Shia Kapos contributed to this report.

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PM Sunak promises to tackle Britain’s most pressing problems

January 4, 2023 Published by

US Top News and Analysis

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised on Wednesday to tackle Britain’s most pressing problems.

WPA Pool / Pool / Getty Images

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised on Wednesday to tackle Britain’s most pressing problems, from cutting inflation to ending illegal migration, in a speech aimed at reassuring his restive Conservative Party before the next election.

In an address that was high on ambition but low on detail, Sunak said his government would build “a better future for our children and grandchildren” and asked the public to judge him on “the results we achieve”.

It was as much a statement of intent as it was a reply to critics who doubt whether the 42-year-old former Goldman Sachs analyst and hedge fund partner has what it takes to lead his party to victory in an election expected next year.

After one failed attempt at becoming prime minister last year, Sunak took the job after his predecessor and one-time rival Liz Truss was forced from power in October after just 44 days when markets rejected her unfunded tax-cutting plans.

He has since faced a myriad of problems – thousands of workers have gone on strike to protest over pay, the health service is in crisis, inflation is hovering around 40-year highs and economists see Britain slipping into a long recession.

“I want to make five promises to you today. Five pledges to deliver peace of mind. Five foundations, on which to build a better future for our children and grandchildren,” Sunak said in a speech in east London.

He listed his five promises: halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debt, cutting National Health Service waiting lists and stopping the small boats that carry illegal migrants across the English Channel from France.

“Those are the people’s priorities. They are your government’s priorities. And we will either have achieved them or not … So, I ask you to judge us on the effort we put in and the results we achieve,” Sunak said.

Some of his plans look more achievable than others.

Economists say inflation should fall naturally, but growing the economy and cutting national debt could be more difficult.

While 2024 should bring a return to economic growth, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) last month predicted economic output would only return to its late-2019 level by the end of next year – in other words, five years of lost growth.

On national debt, the OBR projects that it will increase in the coming years, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of economic output.

Record-high waiting lists to get doctors’ appointments might also be tricky to bring down quickly, while slowing migrant boat arrivals depends on the French authorities as well as on London.

Billed by his Downing Street office as a speech to set out his priorities for the year ahead and ambition for a better future for Britain, Sunak said his government would plan for the long-term, changing the way the country works.

Part of those plans was his commitment to deliver on issues such as low numeracy rates in England.

Keen to counter those who say his personal wealth and marriage to the daughter of an Indian billionaire make him unable to understand the suffering of many workers in Britain, he said numeracy and education was “personal for me”.

“Every opportunity I’ve had in life began with the education I was so fortunate to receive,” Sunak said, setting out a new ambition of ensuring that all school pupils in England study some form of maths to the age of 18.

The speech could not have come sooner for those in his governing Conservative Party who see little chance of winning the next election, and who fear Sunak comes across as more of a manager than an inspirational leader.

With the opposition Labour Party holding a strong lead in opinion polls, some Conservative lawmakers and ministers have for weeks called on their leader to act and set out his vision to try to pull Britain out of its tailspin.

“No tricks, no ambiguity. We’re either delivering for you or we’re not,” Sunak said on Wednesday. “I ask you to judge us on the effort that we put in and the results that we achieve.”

Biden heads to Kentucky to talk bridges and deploy McConnell as a political buffer

January 4, 2023 Published by Adam Cancryn and Marianne LeVine

Politics, Policy, Political News Top Stories

When Joe Biden makes his first public appearance of 2023, he will do so next to a Republican lawmaker reviled by progressives, one who had pledged to make the last Democrat in the White House a one-termer.

The president will join Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell in his home state of Kentucky on Wednesday, a rare joint appearance meant to celebrate last year’s infrastructure law.

It is an effort to signal the White House’s eagerness for cooperation ahead of a potentially combative next two years.

It’s also an attempt at political inoculation. The White House, which organized the event, specifically invited McConnell along with other senators and governors from Kentucky and Ohio.

Biden aides and allies say they’re counting on the minority leader to remain something of a bulwark against the GOP’s riskier impulses — hammered home this week by chaos on the House floor over the election of a new speaker. The White House recognizes the need to avoid a government shutdown, keep aid to Ukraine flowing and stave off a catastrophic breach of the debt ceiling. They see McConnell as key to all those items.

“There’s still going to be strong partisan differences on a large majority of issues,” said an adviser to the White House. “But they both understand that when you can agree, you should if it’s in the best interest of the country and it serves your political purpose.”

The Biden-McConnell relationship is, to a degree, an anachronism. The two men served for decades together in the Senate. And they have a history of cutting deals dating back to the Obama era, when they reached agreements on extending the Bush tax cuts, lifting the debt ceiling and the so-called fiscal cliff, which averted an economic meltdown. Biden, as vice president, appeared at the McConnell Center in Louisville in 2011, where he lavished praise on the senator at a time when the Kentucky Republican was openly trying to dislodge his boss from power. Four years later, McConnell was the lone Republican to attend the funeral for Biden’s son, Beau.

“They’ve known each other for decades,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a close McConnell ally. “And Joe Biden is a hard guy not to like, even though you may disagree with him on policy.”

Since Biden was elected, aides to both men said, the two have maintained a working relationship as well as a shared belief that the Senate can still get things done. McConnell helped pass the bipartisan infrastructure law as well as shepherd bills to boost semiconductor manufacturing and improve gun safety.

Biden on occasion has gone so far as to refer to McConnell as a “friend,” and sought his advice in crafting U.S. policy toward Myanmar, an area in which the Republican leader maintains a deep interest. At one point last year, the White House planned to nominate an anti-abortion judge favored by McConnell to Kentucky’s district court — a scheme halted only after fellow Republican Sen. Rand Paul refused to sign off on what he called the “secret deal.”

Paul and newly sworn-in GOP Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio were also invited to appear with Biden on Wednesday, a White House official said, but neither are expected to attend.

The event in Covington, Ky., is part of a broader administration blitz to promote Biden’s legislative accomplishments, focusing on the roughly $1.6 billion in funding from that infrastructure bill that will go to a major bridge project between Kentucky and Ohio.

It also comes at a political crossroads for both men, with Biden having one eye on a likely reelection campaign and McConnell picking up the pieces of a failed effort by Republicans to win back control of the Senate.

It is a particularly opportune time for the administration, offering a split screen moment with House Republicans as they spend a second day feuding over who they should pick to lead them. By highlighting the investment in McConnell’s state, officials are explicitly seeking to broaden Biden’s cross-aisle appeal with voters — and draw a clear contrast with the partisan hostility that the White House anticipates from the newly GOP-controlled House.

“Biden is absolutely sending a message to the American people that there are people you can trust to govern,” the adviser to the White House said of the calculations behind the event. “And then there’s the House Republican caucus.”

But while McConnell’s appearance may represent the possibilities of bipartisanship over the next two years, the standoff in the House underscores the challenges facing Biden. As he prepares for a series of showdowns on critical issues like the federal budget, funding for Ukraine and the debt ceiling, there is little to suggest that the White House will have any luck moving legislation through a GOP-led House chamber.

Administration officials have sought to play up Biden’s record in reaching compromises — and make clear to McConnell and other deal-minded Republicans that they’re open to bipartisan coalitions aimed at finding even small areas of agreement.

“I think that will begin to reach people there: Look what bipartisanship looks like,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who will also be at the event. “This is a $1.6 billion investment. It took a new president and a new Senate to do it.”

Though McConnell has opposed much of Biden’s agenda, he’s resisted the most extreme demands of the GOP’s conservative base — including flatly rejecting the idea of impeachment.

Both Biden and McConnell allies, however, cautioned against reading too much into Wednesday’s joint appearance. There’s little expectation on either side that Biden and McConnell will immediately find a slew of other shared legislative goals. The Brent Spence Bridge event, they noted, serves to benefit their respective interests.

For McConnell, funding for the project will help break a lengthy impasse over how to pay for repairs to a critical roadway between Kentucky and Ohio — and deliver a win for a lawmaker who has reinforced his political power over decades by consistently delivering for his constituents.

“This is a bridge that has been a major national issue for 25 years, and my top transportation project for decades,” McConnell said in a brief interview. “And it’s going to be fully funded by the infrastructure bill, which I supported.”

The White House, for its part, is using the occasion to kick off what’s likely to be an extended campaign to emphasize the impact of infrastructure legislation that aides believe most voters haven’t yet fully grasped. Biden advisers view that public relations effort as crucial to the president’s popularity ahead of an anticipated reelection bid, especially with his policy ambitions likely limited by the GOP blockade in the House.

“President Biden at the end of 2022 spoke to the country about how his most significant achievements of his first two years of his term were bipartisan achievements,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), who added that Wednesday’s event with McConnell demonstrates the president “understands that we make our best progress as a country when we do it together.”

Burgess Everett contributed to this report.

Salesforce laying off 10 percent of workforce in restructuring

January 4, 2023 Published by Stephen Neukam

Just In | The Hill

The business software giant Salesforce is set to lay off 10 percent of its workforce, nearly 8,000 employees, and cut back its office spaces, according to a letter to employees on Wednesday citing concerns about the direction of the economy.

“The environment remains challenging and our customers are taking a more measured approach to their purchasing decisions,” the company’s Chief Executive Officer Marc Benioff said in the letter.

The decision by Salesforce is the latest in a string of moves by tech companies to turn to layoffs amid fears of inflation and a looming recession. In November, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced it would lay off 11,000 employees. In the same month, HP said it planned up to 6,000 layoffs over the next three years. Amazon has also said it plans to let go of 10,000 workers.

Like other tech companies, Salesforce’s revenue surged throughout the pandemic as people turned to work-from-home policies and relied heavily on technology to stay connected. Benioff said the company hired “too many people” as its revenue grew, leading to the need for workforce cuts.

“As our revenue accelerated through the pandemic, we hired too many people leading into this economic downturn we’re now facing, and I take responsibility for that,” Benioff said.

Talk of a possible recession on the horizon for the U.S. economy has accelerated. This week, former Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley said a recession was “pretty likely.”

“A recession is pretty likely just because of what the Fed has to do,” Dudley said in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday. “But what’s different this time I think is that if we have a recession, it’s going to be a Fed-induced recession and the Fed can end the recession by subsequently easing monetary policy.”

A survey by the Wall Street Journal also found that two-thirds of economists believe that a recession is near.

News, Finance, layoffs, Recession, Salesforce, tech companies, technology Read More

Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $940M after no winner

January 4, 2023 Published by The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $940 million after another drawing resulted in plenty of losers but not a single grand prize winner.

The numbers drawn late Tuesday were: 25, 29, 33, 41, 44 and gold Mega Ball 18.

The next drawing is scheduled to be held Friday night.

The new $940 million jackpot is for a winner who chooses to be paid through an annuity over 29 years. Nearly all winners opt for a cash payout, which for Friday night’s drawing would be an estimated $483.5 million.

In Tuesday’s drawing, there were more than 2.9 million winning tickets of various amounts including three $4 million tickets sold in Arizona, Mississippi and South Dakota, Mega Millions said in a statement.

The lack of a winner of an estimated $785 million jackpot Tuesday means there have been 23 straight drawings without anyone taking the top prize.

The new jackpot will remain the sixth-largest jackpot in U.S. history.

The jackpot-winning drought isn’t surprising given the daunting odds of one in 302.6 million of winning the top prize.

The jackpot is the largest since someone in California won a record $2.04 billion Powerball prize on Nov. 8. There still has not been an announced winner of that prize.

There have been only three larger Mega Millions jackpots than Friday’s estimated prize in the game’s 20 years, including $1.53 billion in 2018, $1.05 billion in 2021 and $1.33 billion in July, Mega Millions said.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Dubai announces $8.7 trillion economic plan to boost trade, investment and global hub status

January 4, 2023 Published by Natasha Turak

US Top News and Analysis

Dubai is seeing its hottest real estate market in years, with sales in the sector up 45% year on year in April and 51% in May, according to the Dubai Land Department.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dubai on Wednesday announced a mammoth $8.7 trillion economic plan for the coming decade, aimed at turbocharging trade, foreign investment and its place on the map as a global hub.

“Dubai will rank as one of the top four global financial centers with an increase in FDI to over AED 650 billion ($177 billion) over the next decade,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, tweeted. “Over 300,000 global investors are helping build Dubai into the fastest growing global city.”

The post outlined a few of the 100 “future transformational projects” included in the ten-year economic roadmap. Those include boosting foreign trade to 25.6 trillion dirhams from 14.2 trillion dirhams in the last decade, nearly doubling annual foreign direct investment to 60 billion dirhams yearly, and increasing government spending from 512 billion dirhams in the last decade to 700 billion in the next.

The plan also aims to bring private sector investments up from 790 billion dirhams in the last decade to 1 trillion in the next and pledged 100 billion dirhams in annual contributions to the economy from digital transformation projects.

Dubai aims to double the size of its economy in the next decade and become one of the “top 3 economic cities around the world,” the Sheikh’s tweet read.

The news comes just a few days after Dubai announced an end to its steep 30% tax on alcohol, a move that looks to have been made to boost tourism and business. Recent years have seen the emirate — which is the glitzy commercial and tourism capital of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates — roll out a flurry of reforms aimed at making it more attractive for foreigners and international companies to live and invest.

The sheer size of the city’s economic goals may draw some skepticism, but finance experts in Dubai believe they are achievable.

“It’s ambitious, but there’s no reason to doubt those targets given Dubai’s economic history and records of reforms,” Tarek Fadlallah, Middle East CEO at Nomura Asset Management, told CNBC.

Karim Jetha, chief investment officer at Dubai-based asset management firm Longdean Capital, noted the competition angle: nearby Saudi Arabia is itself investing trillions to shed its closed and conservative image and attract tourism and foreign investment.

“The numbers sound ambitious but Dubai has never been short on ambition,” Jetha said. “As neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia open up and look to capture more regional business, Dubai is setting its sights higher and is seeking to be a global hub.”

VIDEO5:3005:30

Inside the UAE’s space centre

View from the Gulf

Dubai has long been a regional hub for the Middle East but has of late made changes to integrate further with other parts of the world. It is home to a diverse 90% expatriate population and has for many years offered lifestyles comparable to those in the Western world — along with beaches, no income tax, and one of the world’s lowest crime rates.

The UAE also recently changed its Islamic weekend of Friday-Saturday to the Western weekend of Saturday-Sunday, to be in line with much of the rest of the world, and began offering a remote worker visa program through the coronavirus pandemic as more people adopted a remote work lifestyle.

VIDEO12:2512:25

Dubai wants to become a global tech hub – and it’s betting on crypto

View from the Gulf

An early rollout of vaccines for its entire population in early 2021 allowed Dubai to return to “normal life” during the pandemic far sooner than most other places, drawing waves of new residents and visitors. Its real estate sector is currently booming, and Dubai was recently ranked as one of the world’s top ten best cities for expats to live and work.

As much of the world looks ahead to a grim and bearish 2023, with forecasts of widespread recessions, high energy costs and slow economic growth, the Gulf states generally are set to flourish, says Nomura’s Fadlallah — buoyed by still-high oil prices and driven by a desire to diversify their economies.

“I think the GCC is going through a Golden Age,” Fadlallah said, referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council states. Its “economies have never been bigger, stronger, more diversified and more integrated into the global economy.”

Buffalo Bills' Damar Hamlin in critical condition after collapse on field

January 4, 2023 Published by CNBC News

Fans look on as the ambulance leaves carrying Damar Hamlin #3 of the Buffalo Bills. Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter at Paycor Stadium on Jan. 2, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Dylan Buell | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

Buffalo defensive back Damar Hamlin was in critical condition early Tuesday after the Bills say his heart stopped following a tackle during the Monday Night Football game, which was indefinitely postponed.

Hamlin collapsed on the field during the first quarter of the nationally televised game against the Cincinnati Bengals and was given medical treatment for nearly 20 minutes before being taken to a hospital.

“Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment,” the Bills said in a statement. “He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”

Jordon Rooney, a family representative who described himself as a good friend of the player, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday that Hamlin’s relatives are in good spirits but going through a lot and need their privacy. He declined to give details on Hamlin’s condition other than to say he is sedated.

“All I can say is he’s fighting; he’s a fighter,” Rooney said.

In a chilling scene, Hamlin was administered CPR on the field, ESPN reported, while surrounded by teammates, some of them in tears, while they shielded him from public view. He was hurt while tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins on a seemingly routine play that didn’t appear unusually violent.

An announcement is displayed on the scoreboard after the game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills is postponed following the injury of Damar Hamlin #3 at Paycor Stadium on Jan. 2, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Dylan Buell | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

The NFL announced Hamlin’s condition shortly after he was taken to a hospital, but neither the league nor the hospital released any other details about the 24-year-old’s medical condition. The team’s statement was released before its flight arrived back in Buffalo early Tuesday. There was no immediate update about the future status of the game.

On the play the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin was injured, Higgins led with his right shoulder, which hit the defensive back in the chest. Hamlin then wrapped his arms around Higgins’ shoulders and helmet to drag him down. Hamlin quickly got to his feet, appeared to adjust his face mask with his right hand and then fell backward about three seconds later and lay motionless.

Hamlin was treated on the field by team and independent medical personnel and local paramedics, and he was taken by ambulance to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Teammate Stefon Diggs later joined Hamlin at the hospital.

About 100 Bills fans and a few Bengals fans gathered on a corner one block from the emergency room entrance, some of them holding candles.

Jeff Miller, an NFL executive vice president, told reporters on a conference call early Tuesday that the league had made no plans at this time to play the game, adding that Hamlin’s health was the main focus.

An ambulance was on the field four minutes after Hamlin collapsed while many players embraced, including quarterbacks Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.

“Please pray for our brother,” Allen tweeted.

Buffalo Bills players kneel after teammate Damar Hamlin #3 collapsed following a tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter at Paycor Stadium on Jan. 2, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Kirk Irwin | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

Hamlin collapsed at 8:55 p.m., and when he was taken off the field about 19 minutes later in what seemed like an eternity, the Bills gathered in prayer. A few minutes after the ambulance left the field, the game was suspended, and players walked off the field slowly and into their locker rooms where they awaited word on Hamlin and the game.

“I’ve never seen anything like it since I was playing,” NFL executive Troy Vincent, a six-time Pro Bowl cornerback during his career, said in the conference call early Tuesday. “Immediately, my player hat went on, like, how do you resume playing after seeing a traumatic event in front of you?”

Hamlin’s uniform was cut off as he was attended to by medical personnel. ESPN reported on its telecast that Hamlin was also given oxygen.

Vincent said the league took no steps toward restarting the game and did not ask players to begin a five-minute warmup period as ESPN’s broadcasters had announced.

“It never crossed our mind to talk about warming up to resume play,” Vincent said. “That’s ridiculous. That’s insensitive. That’s not a place we should ever be in.”

Vincent said the Bills were returning early Tuesday morning to the team facility in Orchard Park, New York, with the exception of a few players who stayed behind with Hamlin.

There was a heavy police presence at Buffalo Niagara International Airport when the team arrived at about 2:45 a.m. A small group of fans gathered across the street from the players’ parking area near the airport. Police blocked off the road to allow the players to leave.

The Bengals led 7-3 in the first quarter of a game between teams vying for the top playoff seed in the AFC. Cincinnati entered at 11-4 and leading the AFC North by one game over Baltimore, while AFC East champion Buffalo was 12-3.

“The NFLPA and everyone in our community is praying for Damar Hamlin,” the players’ union said in a statement. “We have been in touch with Bills and Bengals players, and with the NFL. The only thing that matters at this moment is Damar’s health and well being.”

The unfinished game has major playoff implications as the NFL enters the final week of the regular season, with the wild-card playoff round scheduled to begin on Jan. 14.

The aftermath of the injury was reminiscent of when Bills tight end Kevin Everett lay motionless on the field after making a tackle on the second-half opening kickoff in Buffalo’s 2007 season-opening game against the Denver Broncos.

Everett sustained a spinal cord injury that initially left him partially paralyzed.

Hamlin spent five years of college at Pittsburgh — his hometown — and appeared in 48 games for the Panthers over that span. He was a second-team All-ACC performer as a senior, was voted a team captain and was picked to play in the Senior Bowl.

He was drafted in the sixth round by the Bills in 2021, played in 14 games as a rookie and then became a starter this year once Micah Hyde was lost for the season to injury.

By late Monday night, a community toy drive organized by Hamlin had surged to more than $1.2 million in donations. His stated goal was $2,500.

Kathryn Bersani and her mother, Gayle, were among the Bills fans who traveled from Buffalo for the game and went to the hospital from the stadium.

“This is our family Christmas,” Kathryn Bersani said. “We thought it would be a great game. Joe (Burrow) and Josh (Allen) are such great men. Sad, sad time. Such a shock. I just hope he can live a normal life. It stunned us.”

Chuck and Janet Kohl went to the hospital after watching the game at home.

“This is much more important than football,” Chuck Kohl said. “Had to come and pray for Mr. Hamlin.”

Entering the game, Hamlin had 91 tackles, including 63 solo tackles, and 1 1/2 sacks.

A tweet from the Pitt football account was simple and clear: “Damar Hamlin is the best of us. We love you, 3,” the tweet said, referring to Hamlin by his college jersey number. “Praying for you.”

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US base in Syria hit with 2 rockets following 3rd anniversary of Soleimani killing

January 4, 2023 Published by Fox News

Two rockets struck a U.S. military base in northeastern Syria Wednesday following the 3rd anniversary of the killing of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike in 2020.

Coalition forces at Mission Support Site Conoco were targeted in the attack that occurred around 9 a.m. local time, according to United States Central Command (CENTCOM).

There were no injures or even damage to the base or the coalition’s property.

Troops from the Syrian Democratic Forces Special Operations and the U.S.-led anti-jihadist coalition, take part in heavy-weaponry military exercises in the countryside of Deir Ezzor in northeastern Syria, on March 25, 2022.
(DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

IRAN HOLDS TOP MILITARY DRILLS IN MAJOR OIL WATERWAY IN ‘WAR BEFORE THE WAR’

“Attacks of this kind place coalition forces and the civilian populace at risk and undermine the hard-earned stability and security of Syria and the region,” Col. Joe Buccino, a spokesman for CENTCOM said.

It is unclear how many troops were on the base at the time of the attack, though some 900 U.S. forces are stationed in Syria.

Syrian Democratic Forces visited the site of the rockets origin and found a third unfired rocket.

The attack came one day after the anniversary of Soleimani’s death on Jan. 3, 2020 in Baghdad by a U.S. drone strike.

Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, center, attends Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s meeting with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps in Tehran, Iran on Sept. 18, 2016.
(Pool / Press Office of Iranian Supreme Leader/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Soleimani served as the former head of Iran’s Quds Force in its Revolutionary Guard and gained notoriety for his support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his involvement in proxy wars across the Middle East.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday vowed to avenge Soleimani, who was viewed as a war hero for his involvement in the Iran-Iraq war that ran for eight years beginning in 1980.

“We have not forgotten and will not forget the blood of martyr Soleimani,” Rasi said during a commemoration address, reported Voice of America.

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The Iranian president claimed that Soleimani had defeated “U.S. hegemony” before then-President Trump ordered him to be killed.

Raisi on Tuesday warned those behind his death “should know that retaliation is obvious” and said “there will be no relief for murderers and accomplices.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news.

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Jeremy Renner shares first photo since snow plowing accident

January 4, 2023 Published by CNN

CNN
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“Hawkeye” star Jeremy Renner thanked well-wishers for their “kind words” in his first post to social media since his New Year’s Day snow plowing accident.

In a short post to Instagram, where he shared a selfie reflecting some facial bruising, Renner wrote, “Thank you all for your kind words. Im (sic) too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Samantha Mast, Renner’s publicist, provided more details on the accident that landed Renner in the hospital, saying the actor was near his Nevada home, clearing driveways prior to the incident.

Renner was moving snow from a private driveway on Sunday, so that his family members could depart his residence after they celebrated the holidays together, his representative added. Members of Renner’s family were with him when the accident occurred.

An image posted to Renner's Instagram account shows the actor in what appears to be a hospital bed with facial injuries.

“Jeremy is making positive progress and is awake, talking and in good spirits,” Mast said a new statement released Tuesday evening. “He remains in ICU in critical but stable condition. He is overwhelmed by the showing of love and support. The family asks for your continued thoughts while he heals with his close loved ones.”

On Sunday at 8:55am PT, authorities received a 911 call reporting a crash involving a snowcat, a device used to remove snow, and a pedestrian on Mount Rose Highway, Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said on Tuesday during a press conference.

While it was not snowing at the time of the accident, Balaam said Mount Rose Highway was closed due to “severe winter weather” and had snow that wasn’t yet removed. He added that about 13 to 20 abandoned cars were also on the highway that were difficult to maneuver around.

The first sheriff’s department unit arrived on scene at 9:30am PT, where emergency medical services were on scene providing aid to Renner, Balaam said.

Balaam said Renner was run over by his snowcat after the machine started to roll away when he was not in the driver’s seat. He was injured during an attempt to get back into the snowcat.

Renner posted a video of himself clearing snow to his Instagram account in 2019.

Renner had been using his snowcat to remove snow around his personal vehicle at the time of the accident, Balaam said.

Balaam added that authorities do not believe Renner was intoxicated during the incident and called it “a tragic accident.”

A spokesperson for Renner previously told CNN that he sustained “blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries.”

The 51-year-old actor has so far undergone two surgeries to address his injuries, a source close to the actor told CNN.

Balaam said on Tuesday that Renner was awake and speaking with first responders when they arrived to the scene.

When Renner was injured, his neighbors rendered aid and brought towels while waiting for first responders, Balaam added.

The actor was the only person involved in the accident, the Sheriff’s Office previously said in a news release.

A helicopter landed in the vicinity of the highway at 9:37am PT, and at 9:56am PT, Renner was taken to a Reno-area hospital, Balaam said.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is currently in possession of Renner’s snowcat and analyzing it to “rule out any potential mechanical failure,” which is a normal part of the investigation with this severity of injuries, Balaam said.

Renner was allowed to operate the snowcat as he was on a private road that was shared by his neighbors and not maintained by the county, Balaam said.

“He was being a great neighbor and he was plowing those roads for his neighbor,” Balaam said.

Authorities do not suspect any foul play, according to Balaam.

At the time of the accident, parts of western Nevada were covered with snow. The Reno area received around 6-12 inches of snow at elevations below 5,000 feet between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and up to 18 inches at higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

Renner has previously shared multiple videos and photos on his verified social media accounts showing him in snowy conditions, including one Instagram video posted two weeks ago in which the actor appears to be driving a snowplow.

Renner’s family released a statement Monday evening thanking hospital staff and first responders as the actor remained hospitalized.

“Jeremy’s family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff, Reno City Mayor Hillary Schieve and the Carano and Murdock families,” a statement from his spokesperson read. “They are also tremendously overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from his fans.”

Renner stars in the Paramount+ series “Mayor of Kingstown” and is best known for his role as Hawkeye in several Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

His “Avengers” co-star Mark Ruffalo asked for prayers of support for Renner on Monday.

“Prayers up for our brother @jeremyrenner on a full and speedy recovery,” Ruffalo posted on his Instagram stories. “Please send healing goodness his way.”

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Hamlin’s collapse spurs new wave of vaccine misinformation

January 4, 2023 Published by ALI SWENSON, DAVID KLEPPER and SOPHIA TULP

Top News: US & International Top News Stories Today | AP News

A person leaves flowers for the display set-up for Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin outside of University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in Cincinnati. Hamlin was taken to the hospital after collapsing on the field during the Bill’s NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Unfounded claims about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines proliferated in the hours and days after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during Monday’s game, revealing how pervasive vaccine misinformation remains three years after the pandemic began.

Even before Hamlin was carried off the field in Cincinnati, posts amassing thousands of shares and millions of views began circulating online claiming without evidence that complications from COVID-19 vaccines caused his health emergency.

While cardiac specialists say it’s too soon to know what caused Hamlin’s heart to stop, they’ve offered a rare type of trauma called commotio cordis as among the possible culprits. Physicians interviewed by The Associated Press say there’s no indication Hamlin’s vaccine status played a role, and said there’s no evidence to support claims that a number of young athletes have died as a result of COVID vaccinations.

Peter McCullough, a Dallas cardiologist and outspoken vaccine critic, amplified the theories on a Fox News segment hosted by Tucker Carlson on Tuesday, speculating that “vaccine-induced myocarditis,” may have caused Hamlin’s episode. While the Bills have not said whether Hamlin was vaccinated, about 95% of NFL players have received a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the league.

Hub peek embed (BuffaloBills) – Compressed layout (automatic embed)

In his Tuesday segment, Carlson claimed McCullough and another researcher found that “more than 1,500 total cardiac arrests” have occurred among European athletes “since the vax campaign began.”

But Carlson was citing a letter in which the authors’ evidence was a dubious blog that lists news reports of people all over the world, of all ages, dying or experiencing medical emergencies. The blog proves no relationship between the incidents and COVID-19 vaccines; it also includes in its count reported deaths from cancer and emergencies of unknown causes.

“It’s not real research, but he quotes it as if it’s real research,” said Dr. Matthew Martinez, director of sports cardiology at Atlantic Health System in Morristown Medical Center. “Anybody can write a letter to the editor and then quote an article that has no academic rigor.”

Many social media users have also shared deceptive videos that purport to show athletes collapsing on-field because of COVID-19 vaccines. However, several of the cases shown have been proven to be from other causes.

Though anti-vaccine influencers have insisted that sudden cardiac arrests during sports games are unprecedented, cardiologists say they’ve observed these traumatic events throughout their careers, and long before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There have always been cases of athletes having sudden cardiac death or cardiac arrest,” said Dr. Lawrence Phillips, sports health expert and cardiologist at NYU Langone Health. “I have not seen a change in the prevalence of them over the last couple of years versus earlier in my career.”

In fact, Phillips said, these rare medical emergencies are the main reason that doctors and activists have spent years campaigning for defibrillators to be on standby at sporting events.

That push, and the implementation of emergency action plans, has improved outcomes after cardiac events on the playing field, even as the number of such events has remained “remarkably stable,” Martinez said.

Martinez, who has worked for the National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and Major League Soccer, said he has investigated but not seen any signal that COVID-19 or vaccines are causing an increased incidence of cardiac events among athletes.

His research shows that among professional athletes who have had COVID-19, rates of inflammatory heart disease were about 0.6% — showing no increased risk compared to other viruses.

Online posts mentioning Hamlin and vaccines soared into the thousands within one hour of Hamlin’s collapse, according to an analysis conducted for the AP by Zignal Labs, a San Francisco-based media intelligence company.

It’s not surprising that misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccines surged following Hamlin’s cardiac arrest, given how much vaccine misinformation has spread since the pandemic began, said Jeanine Guidry, a Virginia Commonwealth University professor who researches health misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.

High-profile public events like Hamlin’s collapse often create new waves of misinformation as people grasp for explanations. For people concerned about vaccine safety, Hamlin’s sudden collapse served to affirm and justify their beliefs, Guidry said.

“This happened to a person in the prime of their life, on primetime television, and the people watching didn’t immediately know why,” she said. “We like to have clear answers that make us feel safer. Especially after the last three years, I think this is coming from fear and uncertainty.”

Similarly unfounded claims about vaccine injuries surged last month following the death of sports journalist Grant Wahl, who died of a ruptured blood vessel in his heart while covering the World Cup in Qatar. His death was not related to vaccines.

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Associated Press writer Angelo Fichera in Philadelphia contributed to this report.