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☆ US government’s proposal to boost EV sales is challenging but not impossible
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

By 2032, electric vehicles would need to make up about two-thirds of all the new cars sold in America. And even as EV market share rises to two-thirds, it’s not like EVs will flood America’s roads overnight, he said. Reaching two-thirds EV market share mark by 2032 isn’t a sure thing, said Cantor, but it should be manageable. The increasing number of automakers entering the EV market will also help, said Ivan Drury, an industry analyst with Edmunds.com. General Motors also has a number of EV models coming in the next year or two.

☆ Abortion pill ruling puts 'judge shopping' concerns back in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Alliance For Hippocratic Medicine wants Judge Kacsmaryk to nullify the FDA's medical approval of mifepristone, which would effectively ban the abortion pill across the US. They argue plaintiffs are skirting the usual process of assigning cases randomly — which is mainly intended to "avoid judge shopping," as one federal court explains. Medication abortion is the most common form of the procedure in the U.S.An attorney for the ADF has rebuffed accusations of judge shopping. Trump was accused of judge shopping for Florida federal Judge Aileen Cannon, whom he appointed, when he filed a sweeping lawsuit in 2022 against his former political rival Hillary Clinton in Cannon's division in Florida. Ziegler echoed the view that even the appearance of judge shopping can erode trust in the courts.

☆ U.S. proposes 56% vehicle emissions cut by 2032, requiring big EV jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The proposal, if finalized, represents the most aggressive U.S. vehicle emissions reduction plan to date, requiring 13% annual average pollution cuts and a 56% reduction in projected fleet average emissions over 2026 requirements. The EPA is also proposing new stricter emissions standards for medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks through 2032. The proposal is more ambitious than President Joe Biden's 2021 goal, backed by automakers, seeking 50% of new vehicles by 2030 to be electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in hybrids. Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign, said the EPA proposal should have been tougher. Medium-duty vehicle rules are projected to cut emissions by 44% over 2026.

☆ US proposes to slash EV mileage ratings to meet fuel economy rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. Energy Department (DOE) on Monday proposed reducing electric vehicles' (EV) mileage ratings to meet government fuel economy requirements, a move that could force automakers to sell more low-emissions cars or improve conventional models. DOE wants to significantly revise how it calculates the petroleum-equivalent fuel economy rating for electric and plug-in electric hybrids for use in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program. Miles Per Gallon equivalent (MPGe) ratings are determined by using values for national electricity, petroleum generation and distribution efficiency and driving patterns. Environmental groups note fuel economy ratings for EVs is far higher for determining CAFE compliance than those listed on the government's consumer fueleconomy.gov website. The Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club petitioned for the change in 2021, arguing "excessively high imputed fuel economy values for EVs means that a relatively small number of EVs will mathematically guarantee compliance without meaningful improvements in the real-world average fuel economy of automakers' overall fleets."

☆ Guest view: “1% for 1.5C” can power green finance
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Mahmoud Mohieldin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Developing countries excluding China require approximately $2 trillion annually by 2030, as per the Finance for Climate Action report. But current arrangements to get climate finance from developed to developing states are inefficient, insufficient and unfair. The difference could be subsidized in part through the as-yet unpaid portion of the promised $100 billion climate finance pledge, estimated conservatively at $20 billion annually. And it helps minimize developing countries’ indebtedness, in comparison to the current practice. The scheme would also unlock concessional funds for adaptation and resilience projects, which relative to the mitigation of emissions remains the Cinderella of climate finance, attracting less than 10% of global climate finance.

CNN —Dueling decisions in two federal district courts last week are likely to set up a showdown at the Supreme Court over the fate of the abortion pill mifepristone. When the Supreme Court upheld the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in 2007, dubious scientific arguments became even more central to anti-abortion advocacy. In Gonzales v. Carhart, the court held that in circumstances of scientific uncertainty, legislators would have more latitude to regulate abortion. Implausible scientific claims are now visible on social media, in lawsuits and in congressional hearings. (By taking this position, abortion opponents can still defend bans with no or few exceptions by claiming that abortion is never necessary.)

☆ A Texas judge's abortion pill ruling was 'extraordinary' because it let doctors ban a drug they neither use nor prescribe, the DOJ said in a bid to reverse the decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Justice Department filed an emergency motion seeking a stay on last week's abortion pill ruling. Anti-abortion activists lacked standing to challenge FDA approval of the drug, the department says. But anti-abortion doctors are neither in a position to use nor prescribe mifepristone, the DOJ said. Feds criticize anti-abortion studyIn their filing, Justice Department lawyers also took aim at the sources Judge Kacsmaryk cited to justify his decision. The Justice Department, in turn, described the source as "an article" that was "based entirely on fewer than 100 anonymous blog posts submitted to a website titled 'Abortion Changes You.'"

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - A federal judge's decision last week to suspend the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of abortion pill mifepristone could severely weaken the agency if allowed to stand, health policy and legal experts said. The FDA approved mifepristone, part of a two-drug regimen that accounts for more than half of U.S. abortions, over 20 years ago. Banning its sale calls into question the FDA's power to regulate all drugs nationwide, the experts said. The challenge was brought by a coalition of anti-abortion groups and doctors seeking withdrawal of the FDA's mifepristone approval before Kacsmaryk, who is himself a conservative former Christian activist. Plaintiffs are arguing that the FDA in its 2000 approval did not adequately consider the drug's safety when used by girls under age 18 to terminate a pregnancy.

The Biden administration is seeking an emergency stay of Kacsmaryk's order from the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. The 5th Circuit has a conservative reputation, with 12 of its 16 active judges appointed by Republican presidents. The FDA could then petition the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency stay. Regardless of whether it wins an emergency stay of the injunction, the FDA will continue its appeal of Kacsmaryk's preliminary injunction. Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

☆ Texas judge's ruling to ban mifepristone nationwide cites Wikipedia, contains pro-life talking points, and gets basic facts about abortion wrong: Experts say it's 'completely flawed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"So many of the things in this ruling I would say are completely flawed," a researcher told Insider. But an OB-GYN told Insider the judge's interpretation of what the drug does is medically inaccurate. Mifepristone and misoprostol are used before we can even see an embryo on ultrasound," Grossman told Insider. Spreading such misinformation through an official judicial ruling, Biggs said, is "inappropriate, unethical, and jarring." It's definitely not going to help or prevent mental health harm or physical harm as it claims – it's going to do the opposite."

☆ Federal judge stays FDA abortion pill approval, gives Biden administration time to appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Abortion rights advocates gather in front of the J Marvin Jones Federal Building and Courthouse in Amarillo, Texas, on March 15, 2023. A federal judge in Texas on Friday stayed the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, but delayed the ruling taking effect for a week, giving the Biden administration time to appeal. The Food and Drug Administration, abortion pill maker Danco Laboratories and the anti-abortion group Alliance Defending Freedom presented their arguments before the court. The alliance represents a coalition of physicians opposed to abortion called the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, which sued the FDA in November over its approval of mifepristone. It took more than four years from the filing of the initial application until the pill was approved.

April 7 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Friday halted federal regulators' approval of the abortion pill mifepristone while a legal challenge proceeds, partially granting a request by anti-abortion groups and dealing another setback to abortion rights in the United States. A White House official said they are reviewing the abortion ruling. Kacsmaryk's ruling is a preliminary injunction that would essentially ban sales of mifepristone while the case before him continues. Some abortion providers have said that if mifepristone is unavailable, they would switch to a regimen using only misoprostol for a medication abortion. During the hearing in the case, the judge raised questions about the regulatory process used by the FDA.

Adding to the volatile legal landscape around abortion, a federal judge in Washington state on Friday issued a seemingly conflicting injunction that prevented federal regulators from altering access to the same abortion drug. Kacsmaryk's ruling is a preliminary injunction that would essentially ban sales of mifepristone while the case by anti-abortion groups before him continues. By choosing to sue in Amarillo, the plaintiffs ensured that the case would go before Kacsmaryk, a conservative former Christian activist. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has a conservative reputation, with more than two-thirds of its judges appointed by Republican presidents. The FDA in January said that the government for the first time will allow mifepristone to be dispensed at retail pharmacies.

☆ U.S. EPA to propose new vehicle pollution cuts, sees big EV jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Kamil KrzaczynskiWASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is set as early as next week to propose new rules to spur sweeping cuts in vehicle emissions pollution that will push automakers towards a big increase in electric vehicle sales, sources told Reuters. The administration has not backed calls by California and others ban the sale of new gasoline-only light-duty vehicles by 2035. In December 2021, the EPA finalized new light-duty tailpipe emissions requirements through the 2026 model year that reversed then-President Donald Trump's rollback of car pollution cuts. One big question is whether the new EPA rules will be as aggressive as California's effort to ramp up zero-emission vehicles and phase out new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. Environmentalists want EPA to mandate significant pollution cuts for gas-powered vehicles because they will remain on the road for decades.

Any impact on the FDA will depend on details of the judge's ruling in the case known as Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The challenge was brought by a coalition of anti-abortion groups and doctors seeking withdrawal of the FDA's mifepristone approval before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas, a conservative former Christian activist. The court could order mifepristone pulled from the market while it considers a final ruling. It would call into question the entire drug approval process, said Laurie Sobel, associate director for Women's Health Policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. 'SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY'The possibility of its approvals being overruled would likely see the FDA become more cautious, Lee said.

Here is a snapshot of pending and passed legislation seeking to restrict or protect access in 2023. KANSAS: Although Kansans voted in favor of state abortion rights on a ballot measure last year, the Republican-led state Senate has passed a prohibition on prescribing abortion pills via telemedicine. The Republican-led state is currently enforcing a total abortion ban, with exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother. MONTANA: The Republican-led state Senate has passed a bill seeking to overturn a 1999 state Supreme Court ruling that found that the state constitution protected a right to abortion. SOUTH CAROLINA: Despite the fact that the state Supreme Court recently struck down a six-week abortion ban in a 3-2 vote, Republicans have introduced a near-total abortion ban and a six-week ban this year.

"Tomorrow we will welcome Finland as the 31st member of NATO making Finland safer and our alliance stronger," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels, hailing the move as "historic". Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year pushed Finland and its neighbour Sweden to apply for NATO membership, abandoning decades of military non-alignment. [1/2] NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg attends a news conference before a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium April 3, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron 1 2"President Putin went to war against Ukraine with the clear aim to get less NATO," Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg pledged to work hard to get Sweden into NATO as soon as possible.

☆ Stoltenberg: Finland will join NATO on Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsStoltenberg: Finland will join NATO on TuesdayPostedFinland will join NATO on Tuesday, marking the completion of a swift journey into the military alliance for the Nordic nation following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday.

Small icons of scientific papers are lined up in a grid, each representing a study of medication abortion. Studies of abortion pills Each icon represents one study that reported serious complications after medication abortion. For pregnant women considering medication abortion, the alternatives would be childbirth or procedural abortion. Almost all patients will experience bleeding and pain during a medication abortion, because the pills essentially trigger a miscarriage. But the study itself notes that bleeding is expected, serious complications are rare and medication abortion is safe.

LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - A member of a United Nations-backed coalition of insurance firms and pension funds seeking to tackle climate change told Reuters it was considering quitting after disagreements about curbing investment in the oil and gas sector split the group. The row is the latest in a string of policy splits among major climate coalitions of financial firms. AkademikerPension wanted the position paper to state that NZAOA members should only invest in public equities or corporate bonds when the companies involved are no longer investing in exploration for new oil and gas. German insurer Munich Re (MUVGn.DE) said earlier on Friday it was withdrawing from another alliance of insurers focused on reducing carbon emissions to avoid antitrust risks. "I think it's going to be extremely difficult for a plaintiff, even a government enforcer, to prevail on an antitrust theory of harm," said Mitnick.

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday unveiled stricter electric vehicle tax rules that will reduce or cut tax credits on some zero-emission models but grant buyers another two weeks before the new requirements take effect. The EV battery sourcing guidance issued on Friday triggers new requirements for critical minerals and battery components and takes effect for vehicle purchases starting April 18. The government will publish by April 18 a revised list of qualifying models and tax credit amounts. The $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) signed by Biden in August eliminated manufacturer's EV sales caps but imposed new conditions on EV credits. Republican Senator Marco Rubio introduced legislation this month seeking to block EV tax credits for batteries produced using Chinese technology, saying it would "significantly restrict the eligibility of IRA tax credits and prevent Chinese companies from benefiting."

☆ You only have until April 17 to get a hot deal on an electric car before stricter tax credit rules go into effect, making some models ineligible
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Alexa St. John | Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US has provided more detailed information on whether certain EVs will qualify for tax credits. The new rules will halve the current credit amount for certain models and disqualify others. The new rules halve the credit amount for certain models and disqualify others entirely, so it could pay to act 3ast. Starting on April 18, the EV tax credit will be split into two halves. "In fact, this period may go down as the highwater mark for EV tax credit eligibility since the IRA passed last year."

☆ U.S.-China tech rivalry will continue to put Chinese firms under intense scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowChinese companies will continue to face intense scrutiny as U.S.-China tensions and competition won't be easing anytime soon, one analyst told CNBC. Chinese companies are getting a ton of scrutiny in part because of their ties to the Chinese Communist Party," said Lindsay Gorman, senior fellow for emerging tech at the German Marshall Fund's Alliance for Securing Democracy, on CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" Tuesday. It's really intense competition [between the U.S. and China]. That really speaks to just how intertwined the U.S. and Chinese technological ecosystems are and have been. We can't let undersea cables become another example of that trend," said U.S.

☆ Tim Cook's Beijing visit: China and U.S. tech ecosystems are 'intertwined,' analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTim Cook's Beijing visit: China and U.S. tech ecosystems are 'intertwined,' analyst saysLindsay Gorman of the German Marshall Fund's Alliance for Securing Democracy says U.S. companies like Apple have significant manufacturing bases in China, and that complicates the "geopolitical picture."

☆ Car companies and dealers are so desperate to demystify electric cars that they'll let you drive one for a month before buying
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hyundai launched Evolve+ in February, a program that lets the "EV curious" try driving an electric car for a flat monthly rate. Brad Sowers, president at Jim Butler Auto Group in Fenton, Missouri, offers DriveBLACKTIE, a way to help customers try an EV without a major commitment. But automakers and dealers are desperate to speed up EV adoption, as they spend trillions of dollars to develop and launch new electric cars. EV adoption in the US has been slower than elsewhere across the globe due to a lack of public charging infrastructure, inventory availability, cost, and more. Allowing drivers to take home EVs and try them out could help increase education and familiarity with electric cars, with relatively little effort on the part of automakers and dealers.

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