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Puigdemont warns he’s willing to topple Spanish PM Sánchez

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:10:51 GMT

The Junts party would be willing to withdraw support from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government if “there is not sufficient progress” in negotiations for Catalan independence, its leader Carles Puigdemont said.Speaking to Brussels Playbook on the sidelines of the POLITICO 28 gala dinner on Tuesday night, Puigdemont said his seven Junts MPs, who struck a deal to prop up Sánchez’s government earlier this month in exchange for an amnesty for everyone involved in the failed 2017 Catalan independence referendum, would be open to working with the conservative Popular Party (PP) to depose Sánchez mid-term.Junts would consider a motion of no confidence in Sánchez’s government if it could agree with the PP on an independent prime minister to replace the Socialist, said Puigdemont, “But for that, the PP must make a step toward us … they cannot keep treating me like a terrorist.” The Popular Party won the most votes in Spain’s July ele...

Von der Leyen flirts with second term, outlines priorities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:10:51 GMT

TERVUREN, Belgium — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has yet to announce if she will seek another term in office, seems open to the idea of another run at the helm of the EU’s executive.Asked at a POLITICO event Tuesday evening what she would do differently during a second mandate, von der Leyen said she would “keep the direction of travel for the big topics” from her current mandate — namely the Green Deal, the digital transitions and resilience.But the Commission chief also stressed that Europe would need flexibility to adapt to a changing world.“The world is dictating partially what the tasks of the day are,” von der Leyen said. “You have to integrate [this] in your political life too.”Von der Leyen, a former German defense minister from the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and a close ally to former Chancellor Angela Merkel, became the first woman to land the top EU job in 2019.Since then, she has deci...

Biden to take on Boebert, House GOP’s economic vision in Colorado remarks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:10:51 GMT

(CNN) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday will seek to contrast his economic vision with that of so-called “MAGA” Republicans, including Republican firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert, during a visit to her Colorado district, according to an administration official.Biden will visit CS Wind, the world’s largest wind tower manufacturer, where he’ll point to the company’s new $200 million Pueblo, Colorado, facility expansion – an expansion both the company and the Biden administration have directly attributed to passage of 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act.Biden and Boebert have clashed in the past and the trip to the conservative congresswoman’s district comes as she faces a tough reelection bid in 2024. Earlier this year, Democrat Aaron Frisch – who narrowly lost to the incumbent Boebert in 2022’s midterm elections – announced he would again mount a campaign to unseat her in 2024.The official said the president will use his remarks We...

Blinken seeks a new extension of the Gaza cease-fire as he heads again to the Middle East

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:10:51 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the Biden administration would like to see a new extension of the cease-fire agreement in Israel’s war with Hamas after the current one expires to secure the release of additional hostages held by the militant group and to ramp up humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.As he prepared to make his third visit to the Middle East since the war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, Blinken said Wednesday that in addition to discussing short-term logistical and operational planning, the Biden administration believes it is imperative to discuss ideas about the future governance of Gaza if Israel achieves its stated goal of eradicating Hamas.Israel and Arab nations have resisted such discussions about future governance, with Israeli officials concentrating on the war and Arab leaders insisting the immediate priority must be ending the fighting that has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians.The extension of the current deal e...

Supreme Court to examine the power of agencies and the president

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:10:51 GMT

(CNN) — The Supreme Court returns to the so-called “administrative state” Wednesday, in a case that offers the conservative majority a fresh chance to pare back the authority of regulatory agencies and could potentially enhance presidential power.The case involves the reach of the Securities and Exchange Commission – established in 1934 to protect investors and maintain orderly markets – but it could also impact other federal agencies depending upon how the justices view the dispute.It’s one of several cases this term where the conservatives on the court are expected to take a hard look at the structure of government out of a belief that independent agencies unaccountable to the public have become too powerful, in violation of the separation of powers.One aspect of the case – that will be decided by July in the heat of the presidential election – concerns the tenure of administrative law judges who can only be removed for cause, and not at the whim of the president. It comes as...

Casino magnate to buy majority share of NBA’s Dallas Mavericks from Mark Cuban, reports say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:10:51 GMT

(CNN) — The owner of a casino empire is preparing to buy a majority share of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks franchise from billionaire businessman Mark Cuban, according to multiple media reports.The reports come as Las Vegas Sands Corp. informed the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday that Dr. Miriam Adelson, the company’s majority shareholder, and the Adelson family trust plans to sell $2 billion of Sands stock “to fund the purchase of a majority interest in a professional sports franchise.”The Las Vegas Sands Corp., headquartered in Nevada, owns casinos in Macao and Singapore, and used to own The Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip.The Adelson family will purchase a majority share of the Mavericks from Cuban for $3.5 billion, according to media reports that cited sources familiar with the deal. The deal will reportedly see Cuban retain partial ownership of the Mavericks franchise and remain in control of the team’s basketball operations. Cuban would al...

Gallery: Grave marker ceremony for Samuel Adams and John Hancock

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:10:51 GMT

Boston Tea Party holds grave marker ceremony for Samuel Adams and John Hancock at Granary Burial Grounds in Boston

56 gun control bills bring heated testimony to Beacon Hill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:10:51 GMT

Dozens of gun control measures under consideration by the state Legislature are plainly at odds with recent rulings by the Supreme Court and wouldn’t actually prevent gun violence or crime, firearms advocates told a legislative joint committee.However, some of the would-be gun laws might make Massachusetts safer and potentially save lives, if advanced to the full Legislature and given the governor’s signature, gun safety advocates told the same group of lawmakers.Through four hours of occasionally heated and emotional testimony during a hearing held Tuesday morning, the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security heard from both gun owners and victims of gun violence over 56 firearms-related bills, consideration of which comes just weeks after the state House passed an omnibus gun policy proposal and while the Senate considers a similar measure.“A majority of the bills have already been incorporated, in one fashion or another, into the omnibus gun bill t...

GM says strike cost $1.1B, but it can absorb rising labor costs as it raises dividend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:10:51 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors says pretax earnings took a $1.1 billion hit this year from a six-week strike by autoworkers, but the company expects to absorb the costs of a new contract and is even raising its dividend. The Detroit automaker on Wednesday reinstated its full-year earnings forecast that was withdrawn after the United Auto Workers began targeting the factories of Detroit automakers with strikes on Sept. 15. Those strikes continued at GM until Oct. 30.The company now predicts full-year net income of $9.1 billion to $9.7 billion, down from its previous outlook of $9.3 billion to $10.7 billion. But GM expects to generate more cash for the full year. It expects free cash flow of $10.5 billion to $11.5 billion, an increase from a previous forecast of $7 billion to $9 billion.To get there, GM expects to cut capital spending, including a slowdown in spending on electric vehicles and at Cruise, its troubled autonomous vehicle unit. California regulators revoked the San Francis...

Enbridge raising quarterly dividend next year as it expects business to grow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:10:51 GMT

CALGARY — Enbridge Inc. is raising its dividend as it expects its business to continue to grow next year.The company also reaffirmed its full year guidance for 2023 for earnings before interest, income taxes and depreciation and distributable cash flow.Enbridge says it will pay a quarterly dividend of 91.5 cents per share, effective with the dividend payable on March 1, 2024, up from 88.75 cents per share.The increased payment to shareholders will come as the company expects 2024 adjusted EBITDA on its base business to total $16.6 billion to $17.2 billion. Distributable cash flow per share is expected between $5.40 and $5.80.Enbridge says the ranges for 2024 represents growth of four per cent for its base business EBITDA and three per cent for its distributable cash flow compared with the midpoint of its 2023 guidance.The guidance does not include the impact of the U.S. gas utility acquisitions announced in September that are expected to close during 2024.This report by The Canadian...