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"You do what is possible": LGBTQ+ leaders fight Trump
In 2025, the number of LGBTQ+ individuals in elected office will be at a record high. Lawmakers fighting federal and state attacks against community Mid-term elections bring hope to combat anti-LGBTQ+ legislation Lucy Middleton Parents or caregivers can refuse to accept a child’s gender identity in one law, and pull their children out of classes discussing LGBTQ+ issues under another. North Carolina's rules define only two genders, prohibit gender affirming care in prisons, and prevent?trans students using facilities that are aligned with their identities. "Instead they focus on divisive issues and hurricane relief," Alston said, a Democrat lesbian who spoke at the International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference held in Washington, DC, this month. "Unfortunately, my party members - this year we do not have the leverage to stop all of the bad things that are happening." Alston is among the record-breaking 1353 LGBTQ+ elected officials who are in office in the United States this year. She has spent the last 2025 years fighting to protect her community's rights, under Donald Trump's presidency. In January, the president launched his second term by launching policies and executive order to target the LGBTQ+ community. These included limiting access to gender affirming care, ending non-binary acceptance, eliminating diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI), and defunding inclusive health initiatives. Trans Legislation Tracker, a data-analysis site, reports that more than 1,000 bills aimed specifically at trans people have been introduced in the United States this year. Legislators who are LGBTQ+ face a double challenge: balancing federal policy while protecting the community against state-level change. Alston's general assembly is dominated by Republicans. "You do as much harm reduction as you possibly can. You try to educate as many voters as you possibly can. And then, you recharge so that you can do it all again tomorrow." Federal vs. State Trump promised to end "transgender ludicrousness" soon after his election. He has framed trans rights as a threat against others, especially women and children, throughout his executive orders. Nearly one year after Trump took office, the directives have had a varying impact across the nation, depending on state laws and political affiliation. Michigan's top attorney Dana Nessel revealed that Democratic Attorneys General from across the country meet online every two days to coordinate lawsuits filed against the administration. A coalition of states including California, Maine Michigan and Wisconsin filed a lawsuit in August challenging Trump's ban on gender affirming care for children, claiming that it interfered with state authority. "A big problem is that I sometimes fight as hard against Republicans in the state legislature as against Trump at the national level," said Nessel. He is the first openly LGBTQ+ elected to a statewide office of Michigan. It's sometimes hard to do both at the same time. Maine lawmakers have successfully blocked a proposal to prevent trans students from using bathrooms, single-sex shelters and changing rooms that are aligned with the identity they identify. A Republican Representative shared the name of a transgender child and his school on social media. The law passed by the state protects minors against being doxxed. It's not easy to stand up for what you believe in. "We're seeing it across the country: hateful people are targeting children," said Ryan Fecteau. He is the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives. We should ensure that bullying children is not tolerated. ANTILGBTQ+ LAWS Idaho, Arkansas Montana and Wyoming are the states that have the most anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. In Florida, which is often considered the birthplace of such legislation, after its "Don't Say Gay", a 2022 law that limits discussion about LGBTQ+ topics in school, all attempts to anti-LGBTQ+ laws in 2025 failed. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis removed multiple rainbow crosswalks, including a memorial for the 49 people who were shot at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando in 2016. This was to comply with the?instructions of Trump's Transportation Secretary to make road markings "free of distractions." Carlos Guillermo Smith is one of Florida's two well-known LGBTQ+ state Senators. He said that the removal of crosswalks had led people to find alternative ways to display rainbows in public by using private businesses. Smith said, "We saw the community rise up and say they will not be erased. They have found new locations where they can rebuild gayer." SECURITY FEARS Representatives from multiple states expressed concern that LGBTQ+ individuals were leaving not only their state, but the United States as a whole. It's the worst thing I've ever experienced. People have asked, "Should I go? Am I safe? Am I safe here? Alston is based in the city of Durham. "That's hard, because I have no good answer." North Carolina is a beautiful state, but some parents are worried about their children's treatment in school. Many Democratic officials from?Republican led states hope that next year's election will be beneficial to the LGBTQ+ community. All seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, a third of the U.S. Senate, and many state positions will be up for grabs in November 2026. Venton Jones is a Texas State Representative. "Right Now, we must do all we can to mobilize the communities, not only to vote, but to get to know their neighbor so that they can do this work," he said.
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After new US interceptions, oil loading in Venezuela has slowed. More ships are making U-turns.
According to tracking data, and sources, tanker loading in Venezuela has decreased on Monday. Most ships are only moving oil cargoes between domestic ports after U.S. action against two more ships, and while state-run PDVSA is struggling to recover from a recent cyberattack. U.S. officials said that the U.S. Coast Guard seized this month an oil supertanker carrying Venezuelan oil under sanctions and attempted to intercept "two more" Venezuela-related ships on the weekend. The U.S. Coast Guard seized a supertanker carrying Venezuelan oil this month and tried to intercept?two more?Venezuela-related ships over the weekend, U.S. authorities said. Washington hasn't provided any updated information about the ships. Last week, U.S. president Donald Trump announced a ban on all oil tankers that are subject to sanctions from entering or leaving Venezuela. Trump's campaign of pressure on Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro includes a stepped-up military presence and over two dozen military attacks on vessels that the U.S. claims are "transporting drugs" in the Pacific Ocean or Caribbean Sea near South America nation. At least 100 people were killed. OIL PRICES ARE RISING The interceptions of the vessels have been the biggest blow to PDVSA ever since the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions in 2020 on two units from Rosneft that were former oil trading companies owned by PDVSA, forcing them to reduce their output and exports. Brent crude futures rose?2.17% on Monday to $61.78 per barrel, while U.S. WTI oil rose 2.2% to $57.77 in response to U.S. action and Russia's conflict with Ukraine. Both developments raised fears of supply disruptions. PDVSA delivered heavy crude of 1.9 million barrels to the Aruba flagged vessel Azure Voyager on Monday at the Jose port. However, no other supertanker bound towards Asia was scheduled to load anytime soon, according documents from the company. In recent days the number of tankers loaded with Venezuelan oil that haven't left has increased. Millions of barrels are stuck on ships while customers demand higher discounts and contract modifications to make risky trips beyond Venezuelan waters. LSEG monitoring data revealed on Monday that some tankers nearing Venezuela's coastline, whether to load oil to export or deliver imported naphtha for import, made U-turns recently or suspended navigation until owners clarified instructions to load. PDVSA slowly restores some online systems, and is resorting to paper records following a cyberattack that occurred last week. Sources said that the company was unable to re-establish its centralized administrative system and many employees have not received their salary on time. PDVSA, Venezuela's Oil Ministry and the Venezuelan Oil Ministry did not respond to requests for comments. Yvan GIL, the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated on Monday that U.S. seizures violate international law and constitute "acts" of piracy. China's Foreign Ministry stated on Monday that the recent U.S. interception was a serious breach of international law. LSEG ship data revealed that PDVSA's principal joint-venture partner Chevron shipped a 500,000 barrel cargo of?Venezuelan crude oil to the U.S. Gulf Coast via one of its tankers on Sunday. The shipment was authorized by the United States. In a post on social media, Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's Oil Minister said that Venezuela hadn't interrupted Chevron's deliveries. The video included showed the Venezuelan maritime authority watching over the departure of the ship. Monitoring data shows that Chevron exported seven cargoes of Venezuelan oil into the U.S. in this month. Each one contained between 300,000 to 500,000 barrels. US ACTIONS PURSUED A satellite image acquired by TankerTrackers.com revealed that the Panama-flagged supertanker Bella 1 was drifting northeast of Bermuda, in the Caribbean on Monday. An official from the United States told reporters on Sunday that no one had boarded the tanker and that there were many ways to intercept vessels, including flying or sailing close. On Sunday, maritime sources reported that the loaded vessel Skipper - the first to be seized by the U.S. in this month - had reached an area near Galveston port, Texas, for the transfer of oil cargoes.
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Brazil Senator Bolsonaro pledges to moderate father’s legacy in Presidential run
Senator Flavio Blsonaro is the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. He plans to run for president next year in order to moderate his family's legacy and deliver?smaller government?, tax cuts, and privatizations. In his first international interview since announcing his presidential ambitions earlier this month, the Senator said that he planned to travel abroad next January. The senator may visit the United States as well as Argentina, Chile and Israel. He could also travel to Europe, the Middle East, Europe, and the Middle East. He was elected to Brazil's Senate on the conservative wave which brought his father Bolsonaro to the presidency. He vowed to continue the reforms of the older Bolsonaro while distancing him from the right-wing cultural wars. "I think of myself as a more moderate Bolsonaro," Bolsonaro said in an interview on Friday afternoon from his Brasilia offices, which were decorated with miniaturized versions of his father, Donald Trump, and the U.S. president. "I have always been more moderate and measured." A?VACCINATED BOLSONARO After winning the endorsement of father, who is now serving a sentence of 27 years for a failed plot to overthrow the government, Senator Bolsonaro has been pitching himself as a conservative without baggage when it comes to topics like COVID-19 vaccinations. "I'm a Bolsonaro that got vaccinated." "I took two doses AstraZeneca and my father did not want to," he said. The news of Bolsonaro Junior's candidacy in the financial markets this month was a shock. Investors bet that the former president would support a more experienced candidate, such as his former Infrastructure Minister, Tarcisio de Freitas of Sao Paulo, in order to prevent a fourth term for leftist President Luiz nacio Lula da Silva. The Evangelical Firebrand Pastor Silas Malafaia has cast doubts on his father's "political muscles." The senator, who acknowledged the skepticism of some political allies but insisted that he could unite the right to deliver a bold, pro-market agenda by prioritizing fiscal balance, reduced spending on the public sector, modernization and the State, and an obsession for lower taxes. Recent polls have him in the lead among a large group of right-wing candidates for president, but he trails Lula by a significant margin in a possible runoff. LEANER STATES AND PRIVATIZATIONS Bolsonaro's economic vision includes cutting taxes, modernizing state and privatizations in order to energize Latin America’s largest economy. This could include the debt laden Brazilian Postal Service. He also suggested that Petrobras, the state-run oil firm, should be examined more closely to see if it could divest assets or streamline its operations as his father did. He said that the oil company was a conglomerate. "We have to find out what works, what should be continued and what does not work." Senator said that he saw also room to shake up Brazil's aviation market by introducing new competition and improving services and prices. "Today, you have only a few airlines in Brazil," he said. He said that his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro is organizing his travels abroad next month. Eduardo Bolsonaro lost his position as a federal legislator after moving to the United States in order to push for a response to his father’s trial. It was unclear to the senator if he will meet with senior U.S. government officials during his trip. He would still like to meet Trump and invite him to January 2027's inauguration, if Trump wins the election in October. Reporting by Luciana Magnhaes Editing and reporting by Manuela Andreoni Brad Haynes, Franklin Paul
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Honeywell to charge $470 Million for Flexjet Settlement
Honeywell said Monday that it expected to "record a one time charge of about $470 million" in the fourth quarter related to a possible settlement of Flexjet litigation. This sent its shares down by 1.3% during premarket trading. Flexjet, a private aviation company, sued Honeywell on?March 20, 2023 for allegedly breaching an agreement regarding aircraft engine maintenance services. Flexjet demanded liquidated damages for?delayed repairs of engines and said the damages continue to accrue each month. Honeywell updated its full year outlook, as it plans on reporting its 'Advanced Materials Unit' as discontinued operations beginning in the 'fourth quarter 2025. This follows the successful spin-off of Solstice Advanced Materials. The industrial conglomerate's profit forecast for this year is now between $9.70 to $9.80 per share, down from the previous estimate of $10.60 - $10.70.
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Telecom Italia ditches costly savings shares
Telecom Italia has announced a 'long-awaited' plan to convert expensive savings shares into ordinary stocks after a windfall compensation that will help the company resume dividend payments which were halted by 2022. TIM won a case involving concession fees worth 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion). The company can now proceed with a conversion that, according to the company, will simplify its capital structure and governance. It will also reduce costs associated with multiple share classes. TIM's shares of savings rose by 9% on Monday morning after the company announced the terms of conversion late Sunday. By 1040 GMT, the gains had fallen to just 4.5%. The ordinary shares of the?company were down by 2.2%. Intermonte analysts, who advised TIM together with Goldman Sachs on the 'plan,' said the move could cost TIM around 630 million euro. Intermonte stated that if TIM reinstates dividend payments from next year onwards, the savings resulting from the cancellation of the privileged class of shares, which pays higher dividends, are estimated at around 1 billion euros. Davide Leone's London-based investment company is the largest holder of TIM saving shares. He welcomed the?proposed term as "market-friendly", and said that it was good for both types shareholders. TIM called meetings for ordinary shareholders and savings investors on January 28, to?vote about the proposal. Poste Italiane is TIM's biggest shareholder, with a holding of 27.3%, and supports the conversion despite its dilutive effects on its stake. Poste Italiane would lose 19.6% of its stake if the conversion were to take place. Sources said that the Italian Post Office is examining options to rebuild a stake in TIM, including transferring PosteMobile, its phone service business, to TIM as an exchange for shares. For voluntary conversion, savings shareholders will be offered a new ordinary share in exchange for each saved share. They will also receive 0.12 euros cash. Savings shares that remain after the conversion period will be converted in the same ratio, but with a cash adjustment of 0.04 euros.
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Azerbaijan wants to increase food wheat production and reduce Russian import dependence
Azerbaijan imports the majority of its food grade wheat from Russia and plans to increase local production in the coming years to 50% of needs from 20% currently, according to a senior official at the agriculture ministry. Azerbaijan wants to reduce its dependence upon imports from Russia, which is the largest exporter of wheat in the world. Azerbaijan imported 1.292 millions metric tons of wheat from Russia in 2024. Seymur afarli is the head of the Crop Production Organisation and Monitoring Department in the Ministry of Agriculture. He said that the annual demand for Azerbaijan's food-grade grain?stands around 1.8 million tons. Azerbaijan is increasing its wheat imports from Kazakhstan. This country currently accounts for 9% Azerbaijan’s total imports. Safarli stated that the ministry plans to gradually increase output by rolling out new irrigation systems, improving farming techniques and encouraging consolidation in the sector. He also said that imports will likely remain the same in 2026. Azerbaijan has launched a programme with the support of the state to boost production of high-quality grains by 2022. In 2025, the program will see around 23,000 hectares of food-grade wheat planted. Safarli stated that the average yields in these areas are 5.6 metric tonnes per hectare. This is nearly twice as much as the national level. Azerbaijan’s total wheat production fell this year, from 1.69 to 1.58 millions tons. This was largely because of a decrease in the planted area. (Reporting and editing by Gleb Brianski, Kirsten Doovan).
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Fire at Odesa port and power outages caused by Russian attack
A senior Ukrainian official reported that Russian troops attacked port and energy infrastructure during an overnight attack in Ukraine's Odesa Region. They allegedly caused a fire to break out at a major harbor and disrupted electricity for tens if not hundreds of thousands?of people. Ukraine's Black Sea port is crucial to its export-driven economic system. Their security and functionality has been vital to the country's survival during nearly four years of war since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Oleksiy Kuleba, the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, said in a Telegram message that "Russia is attempting to disrupt maritime logistic by launching a systematic attack on port and energy infrastructure." "Last evening, ports and energy facilities were again targeted." Kuleba reported that following the 'attacks,' a fire had broken out at Pivdennyi port and around 30 containers of vegetable oil and flour were on fire. The fire was being tackled by emergency services and port workers. He said that because of the damage to the energy grid, more than 120,000 Odesa customers were without electricity. The interior ministry reported that one person was injured in the attack. The overnight attack was not commented on by Russia immediately. Officials from Ukraine said that Russia has intensified its attacks in recent weeks on Odesa and the surrounding area, aiming to "limit Ukraine's ability to access the Black Sea" and to "disrupt critical logistic routes to the border with Moldova". Ukraine is also targeting Russia's maritime logistic, focusing more on the shadow fleet of oil tankers used to circumvent sanctions imposed by Russia for its war.
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Source: Russia's pipeline exports of gas to China have increased by 25% in the past year.
Sources familiar with data said that Russia's natural gas exports to China will have increased by 25% this year, as Moscow increases its sales to Asia. Calculations showed that this would not compensate for the revenue loss due to the loss of European gas markets. Since the beginning of the Ukraine war in 2022, Russia has diverted most of its oil towards India and China as Moscow and Europe, once its primary commodity export market and revenue source, severed their ties. The 'diversion of gas flows to the east has proven to be more difficult and painstaking discussions to bring more Russian Gas to China have produced limited results. Source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorised to speak to media, stated that Russian energy giant Gazprom anticipates that gas exports from Russia to China via the Power of Siberia Pipeline will reach approximately 38.6-38.7 bcm this year. This is up from 31 bcm by 2024, and exceeds the planned annual capacity of the pipeline of 38 bcm. Gazprom didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. Alexei Miller, its Chief Executive Officer, said in October that the company's Power of Siberia I supplies would surpass 38 bcm for this year. The countries reached an agreement during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China in September to increase the annual volume on the route from 44 bcm to 6 bcm. Russia and China have also given their blessings to the Power of Siberia 2 pipe, which will one day be able to deliver 50 bcm of Russian Gas per year via Mongolia from the Arctic gas field of Yamal. The price of Russian Gas remains the biggest obstacle to the implementation of the project. China also agreed to buy more gas via a pipeline in Russia's Far East, from Sakhalin Island. The previous agreement was for 10 bcm per year. The route should be operational by 2027. Loss of European Market and Revenue According to the Russian economy ministry, revenue from gas exported to China in 2025-2028 will be 30-40% less than that of gas exported to Europe. Only the TurkStream pipeline, which runs under the Black Sea, is a viable route for Russian gas to reach Europe. The deliveries via Ukraine, which had been around 12-15 billion cubic meters in recent years, were stopped at the beginning of the year because?Moscow failed to extend the transit agreement with Kyiv. Gas exports in Russia generated approximately 420 billion Russian roubles (5.28 billion dollars) for the budget between January and November, according to data from the Russian Finance Ministry. Calculations show that gas exports are expected to raise approximately 470 billion Russian roubles (roughly $4.7 billion) this year. This is 71% less than the record of 1.63 trillion roubles set in 2022, when European hubs saw gas prices soar. It's also down from $490 billion in 2024.
UAW prompts Stellantis employees to authorize strike, accuses cars and truck maker of breaching agreement
The United Automobile Employees union asked the employees at Stellantis to authorize a strike, implicating the FrenchItalian car maker of breaking its agreement promises, UAW President Shawn Fain stated in a letter to the union's U.S. chapters on Friday.
We all recommend to the subscription that every UAW worker at Stellantis get ready for a battle, and we all prepare yourself to vote YES to authorize a strike at Stellantis, Fain composed in the letter that the UAW shared in a post on Facebook.
The union's complaints center around Stellantis' product and financial investment commitments made during agreement settlements last autumn.
We examined the serious offenses of our contract and patterns of prohibited behavior by Stellantis. The proof is clear that CEO Carlos Tavares is steering Stellantis on a crash course that will trigger our members significant damage, the letter on Friday added.
Stellantis reiterated that it has actually honored its commitments with the UAW under an arrangement reached in 2023.
Chrysler-parent Stellantis' North American operations have been struggling and has drawn in criticism from consumers and employees who have argued it has not done enough to revitalize need.
The primary sticking points for the UAW revolve around delays of a planned multibillion-dollar investment into a brand-new battery plant and factory in Belvidere, Illinois and possible plans by Stellantis to move production of the Dodge Durango SUV out of the United States.
Fain stated earlier this month that numerous of its union regional chapters were laying the groundwork for strikes.
Tavares has actually stated he is focused on enhancing Stellantis' performance in the U.S., and stated a determination to shut down brands worldwide if they do not make money.
(source: Reuters)