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US regulators announced plans Wednesday to reverse rules aimed at sharply reducing polluting emissions from coal and gas power plants, in the latest environmental rollback from President Donald Trump’s climate skeptic administration.”We choose to both protect the environment and grow the economy,” Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Lee Zeldin told a press conference.Regulations set to be repealed include limitations on carbon dioxide emissions by power plants and a rule curbing release of hazardous air pollutants such as mercury.The measures were meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the United States, the world’s top polluter, and to protect people living near power plants and exposed to elevated levels of air pollutants that can damage the nervous system and harm breathing.Trump officials argue the regulations, enacted by prior Democratic administrations, are costly and rein in energy output at a time when the development of artificial intelligence is driving booming demand for electricity.More than 200 health care professionals slammed the move as a “direct contradiction” of the EPA’s mission to protect public health, warning in a letter that “it would lead to the biggest pollution increases in decades.”- A powerful polluter -Zeldin argued Wednesday that under the new regulations “no power plant will be allowed to emit more than they do today.”The US power sector is already one of the world’s top polluters, according to a recent report by the Institute for Policy Integrity, a nonpartisan think tank at New York University.Were it considered a country, it would have ranked as the world’s sixth-biggest emitter in 2022 and contributed five percent of total worldwide emissions from 1990-2022, the institute said in a May  briefing on the topic.”The best available evidence shows that each year of greenhouse gas emissions from US coal-fired and gas-fired power plants will contribute to climate damages responsible for thousands of US deaths and hundreds of billions in economic harms,” the institute said in its report.Regulations facing the axe include requirements for coal-fired power plants to capture CO2 emissions instead of releasing them into the atmosphere, using expensive capture and storage techniques that are still not widely in use.-  A change in course -Since Trump — a proponent of fossil fuels and climate change skeptic — returned to power in late January, federal authorities have reversed course on climate policy.In March, the EPA said it would undo dozens of environmental measures enacted during President Joe Biden’s term in office, including those cutting vehicle emissions and drastically reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that coal-fired power plants can emit.The proposed federal rules announced Wednesday will be subject to a period of public comment before being finalized. If they become law, they would most likely be challenged in court.

A former CIA analyst who leaked top secret US intelligence documents about Israeli military plans for a retaliatory strike on Iran was sentenced to 37 months in prison on Wednesday, the Justice Department said.Asif Rahman, 34, who worked for the Central Intelligence Agency since 2016 and held a top secret security clearance, was arrested by the FBI in Cambodia in November.In January, Rahman pleaded guilty at a federal courthouse in Virginia to two counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information.He faced a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.Iran unleashed a wave of close to 200 ballistic missiles on Israel on October 1 in retaliation for the killings of senior figures in the Tehran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups.Israel responded with a wave of strikes on military targets in Iran in late October.According to a court filing, on October 17 Rahman printed out two top secret documents “regarding a United States foreign ally and its planned kinetic actions against a foreign adversary.”He photographed the documents and used a computer program to edit the images in “an attempt to conceal their source and delete his activity,” it said.Rahman then transmitted the documents to “multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them” before shredding them at work.The documents, circulated on the Telegram app by an account called Middle East Spectator, described Israeli preparations for a possible strike on Iran but did not identify any actual targets.According to The Washington Post, the documents, generated by the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, described aviation exercises and movements of munitions at an Israeli airfield. The leak led Israeli officials to delay their retaliatory strike.

US President Donald Trump touted “excellent” ties with China on Wednesday, saying the superpowers reached a deal after two days of talks aimed at preserving a truce in their damaging trade war.Trump said on his Truth Social platform that China would supply rare earth minerals and magnets — vital elements for US industries — while Washington would allow Chinese students to remain in American universities.His post came after top United States and Chinese negotiators announced a “framework” agreement late Tuesday following two days of marathon talks in London.The agreement would nonetheless see some recent tariffs remain in place between the major trading partners, and details were sparse.”Our deal with China is done,” Trump wrote, but noting it was still “subject to final approval with President Xi (Jinping) and me.””President XI and I are going to work closely together to open up China to American Trade,” he said in a second post.Major US indexes edged up in early trading before closing lower.- ‘Right track’ -After negotiations spanning more than 20 hours, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday that the talks were “on the right track.””They are going to approve all applications for magnets from United States companies right away,” he told CNBC, on what should happen after Trump and Xi give the green light to the deal.He added that Washington would lift its measures once Beijing acts, and that US tariff levels on China would not change from here.But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, testifying before several congressional committees on Wednesday, warned that a broader deal with China would be a “longer process.”He also noted it was possible to rebalance economic ties with Beijing if China proved a “reliable partner in trade negotiations.”Other nations could see an extension of a pause on higher threatened tariff rates if they were deemed to be “negotiating in good faith,” he said.Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on most trading partners in April but halted steeper rates on dozens of economies until early July as negotiations are underway.With China, Washington agreed to reduce tit-for-tat, triple-digit tariffs during talks in Geneva last month. But cracks appeared in the detente after Trump accused Beijing of violating the deal.Washington was concerned at slower supplies of rare earths after Beijing in early April began requiring domestic exporters to apply for a license — widely seen as a response to US tariffs.On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that China was putting a six-month limit on rare earth export licenses for US automakers and manufacturers.- ‘Candid’ talks -Rare earths are used in everything from electric vehicles to hard drives, wind turbines and missiles.On Truth Social, Trump said China will supply “full magnets, and any necessary rare earths” up front.Washington has also raised Beijing’s ire by vowing to revoke the visas of Chinese students, a major source of revenue for US universities.On Wednesday, Trump said: “We will provide to China what was agreed to, including Chinese students using our colleges and universities.”The US president added that the United States applies 55 percent tariffs on Chinese goods. This is a combination of his 30 percent additional levies this year and the rough average of pre-existing duties, a White House official said.He said Beijing charges 10 percent duties on US goods.The rates are the same as those that were previously agreed in the truce, which temporarily brought US tariffs down from 145 percent and those imposed by China from 125 percent.In a Chinese state media readout released Wednesday, Vice Premier He Lifeng, who headed Beijing’s team in London, stressed the need for both sides to strengthen cooperation in future dialogue.Speaking to reporters in London, China International Trade Representative Li Chenggang said: “Our communication has been very professional, rational, in-depth and candid.”burs-lth-bys/des

Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and Donald Trump’s former advisor, said Wednesday he regretted some of his recent criticisms of the US president, after the pair’s public falling-out last week.”I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X, in a message that was received favorably by the White House.Musk’s expression of regret came just days after Trump threatened the tech billionaire with “serious consequences” if he sought to punish Republicans who vote for a controversial spending bill.Their blistering break-up — largely carried out on social media before a riveted public since Thursday last week — was ignited by Musk’s harsh criticism of Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful” spending bill, which is currently before Congress.Some lawmakers who were against the bill had called on Musk — one of the Republican Party’s biggest financial backers in last year’s presidential election — to fund primary challenges against Republicans who voted for the legislation. “He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,” Trump, who also branded Musk “disrespectful,” told NBC News on Saturday, without specifying what those consequences would be.Trump also said he had “no” desire to repair his relationship with the South African-born Tesla and SpaceX chief, and that he has “no intention of speaking to him.”But after Musk’s expression of regret, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump was “appreciative,” adding that “no efforts” had been made on a threat by Trump to end some of Musk’s government contracts.”The president acknowledged the statement that Elon put out this morning, and he is appreciative of it,” Leavitt said.According to the New York Times, Musk’s message followed a phone call to Trump late on Monday night. Vice President JD Vance and Chief of Staff Susan Wiles had also been working with Musk on how to broker a truce with Trump, the report said.- ‘Wish him well’ -In his post on Wednesday, Musk did not specify which of his criticisms of Trump had gone “too far.”The former allies had seemed to have cut ties amicably about two weeks ago, with Trump giving Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).But their relationship cracked within days, with Musk describing the spending bill as an “abomination” that, if passed by Congress, could define Trump’s second term in office. Trump hit back at Musk’s comments in an Oval Office diatribe and from there the row detonated, leaving Washington stunned.Trump later said on his Truth Social platform that cutting billions of dollars in subsidies and contracts to Musk’s companies would be the “easiest way” to save the US government money. US media have put the value of the contracts at $18 billion.With real political and economic risks to their falling out, both already appeared to inch back from the brink on Friday, with Trump telling reporters “I just wish him well,” and Musk responding on X: “Likewise.”Trump had spoken to NBC on Saturday after Musk deleted one of the explosive allegations he had made during their fallout, linking the president with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of sex trafficking.

Disgraced Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of one sexual assault at his retrial Wednesday and not guilty of another, with jurors still considering a rape charge after hearing graphic testimony from his alleged victims.Weinstein was retried for offenses against two women, Jessica Mann whom he is alleged to have raped, and Miriam Haley whom he was found to have sexually assaulted, alongside new charges of assaulting ex-model Kaja Sokola. He was found not guilty of those new charges at the tense proceeding in a Manhattan court on Wednesday.Delivering the verdict of the seven women and five men of the jury on the Haley count, the foreman said: “Guilty.”He shook his head when he was asked for a verdict on the rape of Mann, and said “not guilty” on the Sokola count.Weinstein looked on impassively, seated in a wheelchair and wearing a dark suit as he has done throughout the six weeks of hearings.But later, the 73-year-old appeared to mutter “Not true” as he was wheeled out of court.Following the verdict, Haley told reporters that the defense’s “victim shaming and deliberate attempts to distort the truth was exhausting and at times dehumanizing.””But today’s verdict gives me hope, hope that there is new awareness around sexual violence and that the myth of the ‘perfect victim’ is fading.”- Threats -The verdicts came after a dramatic morning in which tensions in the jury deliberation room spilled into the open.The foreman had told the judge Curtis Farber he could not continue after facing threats.”One other juror made comments to the effect ‘I’ll meet you outside one day’,” the judge said quoting the foreman, adding there was yelling between jurors.After Weinstein’s lawyer Arthur Aidala heatedly demanded a mistrial over the jury rupture, Weinstein himself addressed the court, deploying a commanding voice reminiscent of the heyday of his Hollywood power.”We’ve heard threats, violence, intimidation — this is not right for me… the person who is on trial here,” he said.”My lawyers, the District Attorney’s lawyers can fight all they want, (but) this is my life that’s on the line and it’s not fair.””It’s time, it’s time, it’s time your honor, to say this trial is over,” Weinstein added.The judge responded that while unusual, disputes between jurors were not unheard of, before pressing on to hear the jury’s partial verdict.- Genesis of ‘MeToo’ -The Oscar-winner’s conviction is a vindication for Haley, whose complaint in part led to the initial guilty verdict in 2020, and helped spur the “MeToo” movement that saw an outpouring of allegations from prominent women who were abused by men.Weinstein underwent a spectacular fall from his position astride the world of Hollywood and show business in 2017 when the first allegations against him exploded into public view.The movement upended the film industry, exposing the systemic exploitation of young women seeking to work in entertainment, and provoking a reckoning on how to end the toxic culture.More than 80 women accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct in the wake of the global backlash against men abusing positions of power.Weinstein’s original 2020 conviction, and the resulting 23-year prison term, was thrown out last year after an appeals court found irregularities in the way witnesses were presented.Throughout the trial that began on April 15, Weinstein’s sharp-suited attorney argued that the context had shifted since the first proceedings.While the “MeToo” movement was “the most important thing in society” back them, “I think people’s heads are in a different place right now,” Aidala said.Any sentence will be in addition to the 16-year term Winstein is already serving after being convicted in California of raping a European actress over a decade ago.Weinstein, the producer of box office hits like “Pulp Fiction” and “Shakespeare in Love,” did not take the stand during his retrial, but did acknowledge in an interview he acted “immorally.”The retrial played out with far less public attention than the initial proceedings, when daily protests against sexual violence were staged outside the court.This time, the case was eclipsed by the blockbuster trial of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs taking place at an adjacent courthouse.

President Donald Trump’s administration proposed Wednesday to roll back measures enacted by former Democratic presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama aimed at reducing polluting emissions from gas and coal-fired power plants.The move “would deliver savings to American families on electricity bills, and it will ensure that they have the electricity that they need today,” Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Lee Zeldin told a press conference, adding that his office would balance protecting the economy and the climate.Regulations set to be repealed include limitations on carbon dioxide emissions by power plants and a rule curbing release of hazardous air pollutants such as mercury.The measures were meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the United States, the world’s top polluter, and to protect people living near power plants and exposed to elevated levels of air pollutants that can damage the nervous system and harm breathing.The Trump administration argues the regulations are costly and rein in energy output at a time when the development of artificial intelligence is driving booming demand for electricity.  – A powerful polluter -“No power plant will be allowed to emit more than they do today,” Zeldin said Wednesday.The US power sector is already one of the world’s top polluters, according to a recent report by the Institute for Policy Integrity, a nonpartisan think tank at New York University.Were it considered a country, it would have ranked as the world’s sixth-biggest emitter in 2022 and contributed five percent of total worldwide emissions from 1990-2022, the institute said in a May  briefing on the topic.”The best available evidence shows that each year of greenhouse gas emissions from US coal-fired and gas-fired power plants will contribute to climate damages responsible for thousands of US deaths and hundreds of billions in economics harms,” the institute said in its report.Regulations facing the axe include requirements for coal-fired power plants to capture CO2 emissions instead of releasing them into the atmosphere, using expensive capture and storage techniques that are still not widely in use.-  A change in course -Since Trump — a proponent of fossil fuels and climate change skeptic — returned to power in late January, federal authorities have reversed course on climate policy.In March, the EPA said it would undo dozens of environmental measures enacted during Biden’s term in office, including those cutting vehicle emissions and drastically reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that coal-fired power plants can emit.The proposed federal rules announced Wednesday will be subject to a period of public comment before being finalized. If they become law, they would most likely be challenged in court.  

The White House said Wednesday President Donald Trump would not allow “mob rule” after protests against his immigration policies spread across the United States despite a military-backed crackdown in Los Angeles.Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also attacked the Democratic governor of California and mayor of Los Angeles, claiming they had “fanned the flames” of the clashes.”President Trump will never allow mob rule to prevail in America,” Leavitt told a briefing at the White House, backed by television screens showing images of burning vehicles and masked rioters.”The most basic duty of government is to preserve law and order, and this administration embraces that sacred responsibility.”Leavitt’s comments echoed Trump’s in a speech at the Fort Bragg military base on Tuesday, in which he vowed to “liberate” Los Angeles and branded the protesters “animals.”Trump is in conflict with California authorities who have accused the Republican president of being “dictatorial” and seeking political gain by sending in thousands of troops to break up the protests, which have largely been peaceful.Pockets of violence — including the burning of self-driving taxis and hurling of stones at police — have triggered a massive response from authorities, who have used tear gas and other less-lethal weapons.”Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass shamefully failed to meet their sworn obligations to their citizens,” Leavitt responded, accusing Newsom of having “fanned the flames and demonized our brave ICE officers.”The protests erupted last week after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers carried out a series of raids in Los Angeles to back up Trump’s hardline immigration policies.Trump has also called the protesters “paid insurrectionists” — alleging that some of them had professional anti-riot equipment — but the White House did not say who it believed was paying them.”It’s a good question the president is raising, and one we are looking into, about who is funding these insurrectionists,” Leavitt said when asked by AFP about the president’s comments.

From the the carefree sound of California surf music to the sophistication of later darker works, here are five of the top hits penned by influential Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson.- ‘Surfin’ USA’ (1963) -“Surfin’ USA” was the Beach Boys’ first global hit, taken from their eponymous debut album. A youthful ode to sea, sun and girls, it became an anthem for the West Coast and beyond.It demonstrated Brian Wilson’s increasing songwriting prowess as well as the band’s unique vocal sound achieved thanks to double tracking.”We’ll all be gone for the summer/ We’re on safari to stay/ Tell the teacher we’re surfin’/ Surfin’ USA,” it rang out.Wilson intentionally set his lyrics to the music of “Sweet Little Sixteen,” by Chuck Berry, leading Berry to take legal action.- ‘California Girls’ (1965) -On the big hit of the summer of 1965, Wilson’s cousin Mike Love burst into song to celebrate the sun-tanned women of California.”I wish they all could be California girls,” the band members sang in seemless harmony.It was also the first song written by Wilson under the influence of LSD, “which could explain why the accompaniment seems to move in a slow, steady daze at odds with the song’s bright, major-key melody,” Rolling Stone magazine wrote.- ‘God Only Knows’ (1966) -It took Wilson just 45 minutes to write “God Only Knows,” the legendary eighth track on the album “Pet Sounds” which has gone down as one of the greatest love songs ever.Sung by brother Carl Wilson, Brian’s rival Paul McCartney declared it to be his favourite song of all time and said it reduced him to tears.But the record company and other members of the group were wary at the new turn in style.- ‘Good Vibrations'(1966) -“Good Vibrations” was a massive commercial success, selling one million copies in the United States and topping charts there and in several other countries including the UK.At the time the most expensive single ever made, the “pocket symphony” was recorded in four different studios, consumed over 90 hours of tape and included a complexity of keys, textures, moods and instrumentation.The song was a far cry from the group’s surf-and-sun origins and the enormity of the task brought Wilson to the brink. He was unable to go on and complete the album “Smile,” of which the song was to have been the centerpiece.- ‘Til I die’ (1971) – On side B of the album “Surf’s Up,” “‘Til I die” was composed in 1969 by a depressed Wilson worn down by mental illness and addiction.He wrote in his 1991 autobiography that it was perhaps the most personal song he had written for the Beach Boys.

President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the US air safety agency pledged Wednesday to upgrade the nation’s aging air traffic system and address staffing shortfalls.During the opening to his confirmation hearing to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Bryan Bedford referenced recent US aviation incidents, including a January crash at Washington’s Reagan National Airport in which 67 people died, the first major US commercial crash since 2009.”I can assure all of you that, if confirmed, my top priority will be public safety and in restoring the public’s confidence in flying,” Bedford told the Senate commerce committee.Bedford, the CEO of regional airline Republic Airways, strongly endorsed an ambitious overhaul of the US air traffic control system, championed by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, which has been estimated to cost more than $30 billion. The push comes on the heels of troubling incidents at Newark Airport in New Jersey when air traffic controllers lost contact with planes on radar or by radio for 90 seconds because of telecommunications outages.The aviation industry has rallied behind Duffy’s plan, with backers calling it a long overdue update of equipment installed decades ago.While Wednesday’s hearing did not feature the sort of hostile exchanges seen at some confirmation hearings, multiple Democratic lawmakers probed Bedford’s effort at Republic in 2022 to streamline pilot training requirements amid staff shortages connected to surging travel demand following Covid-19 lockdowns.The FAA turned down a Republic request to allow graduates of the company’s own flight academy to become co-pilots with just 750 flight hours rather than the 1,500 hours required under 2010 congressional legislation.”This a perilous moment for aviation safety,” said Illinois Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth as she urged preservation of the 1,500-hour rule. “Well-trained pilots are our last line of defense in incident after incident.”In response, Bedford told Duckworth that their positions were not far apart, saying “we both want to have the safest pilots operate our aircraft.”But Bedford appeared to open the door to potentially easing the requirement, saying “I don’t believe safety is static.”

For Stephen Miller, the architect of US President Donald Trump’s hardline migration policy, the protests in Los Angeles were nothing less than the front line of a “fight to save civilization itself.”Hyper-loyalist Miller, 39, has carved out a niche as Trump’s most powerful and hawkish advisor on the Republican’s signature issue of immigration.A combative presence on the White House driveway, Miller is frequently rolled out in public to double down on the president’s comments in front of the cameras and frequently spars with reporters.But the sharp-suited advisor’s comments on Los Angeles — which echo hard-right talking points about the decline of the West as it faces an “invasion” of migrants — underscored that the topic is not just political for him, but existential.His fingerprints have been all over the White House’s unprecedented assertion of its right to use presidential power to pursue its agenda, often using centuries-old or rarely cited laws to deport migrants.And Miller, who is formally Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor, is at the sharp end of things too.- ‘Ruins of the West’ -It was Miller who, according to the Wall Street Journal, issued US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with orders in May to step up its work after the number of daily deportations under Trump fell below those carried out by Joe Biden’s administration last year.Those orders led to the immigration raids on a Home Depot in Los Angeles that triggered clashes between protesters and federal agents — and Trump’s decision to send in thousands of troops.Miller, who grew up in LA’s Santa Monica, has since taken to social media to battle Democrats who accuse Trump of authoritarianism.”We’ve been saying for years this is a fight to save civilization. Anyone with eyes can see that now,” Miller said on X on Sunday.A few days earlier he set out his right-wing worldview more explicitly as he pushed for Trump’s new “big, beautiful” spending bill, which contains provisions for migration.”We will be debating these matters over the ruins of the West if we don’t control migration,” he wrote on June 4.Critics say such comments echo the far-right “replacement theory” about migration undermining Western society. Indeed, during Trump’s first term, Miller’s hardline stance made him something of an outlier.As a young firebrand, Miller was one of the architects of the so-called “Muslim travel bans” in Trump’s first presidency, which later ran into legal difficulties after they were poorly drafted.Miller largely avoided the chaotic feuding that engulfed Trump’s first White House, resulting in somewhat more moderate voices winning out on immigration policies.Miller, however, remained loyal, and stuck by his boss even as Trump’s first term ended in the disgrace of the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.- Musk blip -In the second Trump administration, Miller’s views have become mainstream. “I call Stephen ‘Trump’s brain,'” Republican former House speaker Kevin McCarthy told the New York Times just before Trump’s inauguration in January.Miller was the driving force in particular behind the use of an obscure 200-year-old wartime law to deport undocumented migrants — and a vocal defender when that crackdown saw a man wrongly deported to El Salvador.He also outraged Democrats when he said on May 9 that the White House was “looking into” suspending habeas corpus, which would prevent migrants targeted for mass deportations to appeal for their right to appear in court.Miller recently claimed a media scalp when broadcaster ABC dropped a veteran correspondent, Terry Moran, who described the Trump aide as a “world-class hater” in a late-night social media screed.One blip, however, came when Miller and his wife Katie found themselves caught up in the explosive split between Trump and his billionaire advisor Elon Musk.Katie Miller had been a senior advisor and spokeswoman in Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — and was reportedly set to leave and work for Musk’s companies when he departed the White House.But the couple now find themselves, professionally speaking, on opposite sides of the break-up between the world’s richest person and its most powerful.