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Energy Secretary says US wants responsible lithium mining
NORTH LAS VEGAS (AP) Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said the Biden administration wants to see lithium needed for electric cars to be mined in a responsible way that respects the environment and Native American tribes.Granholm said during a visit to Nevada on Thursday to promote President Joe Biden s sweeping infrastructure plan that lithium, used for electric vehicle batteries, could become a big source of job creation in the state, in addition to furthering the president s ambitious climate agenda.Nevada is home to the only large-scale lithium mine currently operating in the U.S. Two proposed lithium mines in Nevada are facing legal challenges and pushback from conservationists.This week, plans for one of the mines appeared in jeopardy after the U.S. government announced it intends to propose protecting an extremely rare wildflower that grows only in Nevada at the mine site under the Endangered Species Act.A third proposed mine near the Nevada-Oregon border has attracted legal challenges and opposition from ranchers, Native Americans and environmentalists.The challenges test the Biden administration s ability to straddle its promises to protect public lands while pushing aggressive clean energy goals like getting more electric cars on the road.Granholm on Thursday said the administration wants find a way to achieve both aims.The administration wants to see mining happen in a responsible way in this country to be able to get the lithium, cobalt, the nickel that are necessary for battery production for electric vehicles, Granholm said. It can be done in a way that respects Indigenous communities. It can be done in a way that respects the environment.Granholm pointed to a project in California where an energy company is working to extract lithium from brine from the Salton Sea, an inland lake. She called the project utterly sustainable and very exciting.The two proposed Nevada projects are open pit mines, a different type of mining, but the Energy Secretary and former Michigan governor said Thursday that there s a variety of types of mines and all of them could be sustainable.It s just got to be done in the right way, she said.Granholm also reaffirmed Biden s commitment not to revive plans to create a national nuclear waste dump at Nevada s Yucca Mountain.Most Nevadans are opposed to storing the nation s radioactive waste at the site about 100 miles from Las Vegas. Nevada politicians, pitted against their counterparts in states that want to offload their nuclear waste, have fought for years to block the project.Granholm said the Biden administration is working to find a place to store the waste where the surrounding community and state would be willing to take it on and receive compensation. She said the process will get underway this fall, but the government is already soliciting information from interested parties.Granholm appeared at the North Las Vegas City Hall with Gov. Steve Sisolak and U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford.She planned to visit a solar energy facility, tour a solar-powered home and meet with elected officials, community advocates and workers during her two-day visit wrapping up Friday.
Federal investigators to examine deadly Phoenix tanker crash
PHOENIX (AP) Federal safety officials said Thursday they will investigate a crash in which authorities said a milk tanker going too fast collided with seven passenger vehicles on a Phoenix freeway, killing four people and injuring at least nine.The wreck occurred late Wednesday after the tanker failed to slow for traffic congestion, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said in a statement.The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending nine investigators to conduct a safety probe into the crash in cooperation with the Arizona public safety department.Among the issues that NTSB investigators will study is whether the crash could have been prevented if the tanker was equipped with electronic safety devices, board spokesman Chris O Neil said. Automatic emergency braking is definitely something we want to take a look at, he said.Six of the nine people injured in the crash were taken to hospitals in critical condition, the Phoenix Fire Department said a statement. The four men and two women ranged in age from 22 to 45. Details on the four people killed were not immediately released.After the initial collisions, the trailer of the tanker rig separated and went over the freeway s median wall and ended up on its side in the lanes going in the opposite direction, the state public safety department said.Authorities ruled out the possibility that the trucker was impaired, the department said. The trucker was not identified.At present, there are no federal requirements that semis have forward collision warning or automatic emergency braking, even though the systems are becoming common on smaller passenger vehicles.The systems use cameras and sometimes radar to see objects in front of a vehicle, and they either warn the driver or slow and even stop the vehicle if it s about to hit something.O Neil said investigators will determine if the tanker had any advanced safety equipment and if so, how it performed in the crash. If it didn t have the systems, they will determine if collision avoidance technology would have mitigated the severity or prevented it altogether, he said.The NTSB, he said, has investigated several crashes involving big trucks hitting stopped or slowed traffic. As early as 2015, the NTSB recommended that manufacturers should immediately include electronic safety systems as standard equipment. At the time, the agency said the systems could prevent or mitigate more than 80% of the rear-end collisions that cause about 1,700 deaths and a half-million injuries annually.Twenty automakers representing 99% of U.S. new passenger vehicle sales signed a voluntary agreement with the government in 2016 to make the feature standard on all light vehicles by Sept. 1, 2022, and many companies are progressing toward that goal.O Neil said the team heading to the crash scene included members with experience in motor carriers, highway design, occupant protection, human performance, vehicle factors and technical crash reconstruction.Investigators also will try to determine if driver distraction played a role, he said.Our investigators will look at the people involved in the crash, the vehicles involved in the crash and the environment in which the crash happened, O Neil said.Investigators generally stay on the scene for five to 10 days, and they publish a preliminary report 30 to 90 days after finishing their field work. Investigations usually take 12 to 24 months to complete.___Krisher reported from Detroit.
Dog ejected from vehicle in Idaho crash found herding sheep
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) A pet dog who vanished for two days after being ejected from a vehicle during an accident has been found apparently doing the job it was bred to do herding sheep.Linda Oswald s family and their dog, Tilly, were driving along Idaho State Highway 41 on Sunday when they crashed into another car, launching the dog through the rear window, The Spokesman-Review reported.The unharmed but stunned dog then ran away, prompting an immediate search with at least six complete strangers who witnessed the crash and pulled over along the highway to help, Oswald said.People just kept going out, Oswald said, noting that the search lasted about 10 hours on Sunday before the family went home. We were sore and exhausted.Oswald said the family then wrote a Facebook post that included a picture of the 2-year-old border collie and red heeler mix and more than 3,000 people shared the post. That s when Tyler, Travis and Zane Potter recognized the dog in the photo as the same dog they saw on their family farm south of Rathdrum on Tuesday.Both the Potters and Oswald think Tilly was drawn to the farm and their sheep.I think that dog was trying to herd, Travis Potter said.Oswald said if it weren t for the post, he would still be out there.
Judge rejects effort to return MLB All-Star Game to Georgia
NEW YORK (AP) A Manhattan judge on Thursday rejected an attempt to force Major League Baseball to return next month s All-Star Game to Atlanta.U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Carponi ruled against a not-for-profit organization representing small businesses, saying a lawsuit had failed to provide proof that its members have suffered any injuries by the decision to move the game.The lawsuit filed May 31 alleged that Major League Baseball acted unconstitutionally when it moved the game from the Atlanta Braves stadium to Denver after Georgia Republicans enacted a restrictive new voting law.According to the lawsuit, businesses in the Atlanta metro region would lose $100 million in business because the All-Star Game would not be there.The rewrite of Georgia s election rules followed former President Donald Trump s repeated unproven claims of fraud after his presidential loss to President Joe Biden.Biden has declared the Georgia law un-American and Jim Crow in the 21st century.MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has said he decided to move the All-Star events after discussions with individual players and the Players Alliance, an organization of Black players formed after the death of George Floyd last year.Before ruling, Caproni verbally sparred for over an hour with attorney Howard Kleinhendler, making it clear that she thought there were no grounds for the lawsuit s claims and that his organization did not have standing to sue.The lawsuit had sought $100 million in compensatory damages and $1 billion in punitive damages. The lawyer said he represented the Washington-based Job Creators Network, described in the lawsuit as a nonpartisan organization supporting over 30 million businesses nationwide, including over 10,000 Georgia businesses.He said his client supports the new Georgia election law.At one point, Caproni said: This case is not about whether the Georgia law is a good law or a bad law.After Caproni made it clear through her questioning of Kleinhendler that she would rule against the lawsuit, attorneys for Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association kept their arguments brief. Outside court, they declined comment.In ruling, Caproni said she had doubts whether Atlanta businesses could have suffered anything close to $100 million in damages. She said the plaintiff further undermined its case when it suggested that Major League Baseball could remedy the harm by setting up a $100 million relief fund for harmed businesses.Such a fund, she noted, would make it hard to argue any harm would be irreparable.Outside court, Kleinhendler said Caproni s ruling was disappointing and lawyers needed to evaluate legal options.Kleinhendler noted that one legal document described how business owners in Atlanta were reluctant to go public with the damage done to them by Major League Baseball s decision because they feared intimidation tactics such as protests or bad online reviews would be used against them.We re saddened for those small businesses because this game, in many cases, was the difference between possibly keeping their doors open and closed forever, he said.
Small Minneapolis event eyes Klobuchar to help stop Line 3
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) About 100 people gathered at a Minneapolis park Thursday before marching to Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar s office to promote shutting down reconstruction of an aging oil pipeline in northern Minnesota.The half-hour program at Gold Medal Park included singing and speeches by activists insisting that Klobuchar pursue at least a delay on the final segment of the Enbridge Energy Line 3 project. One prominent opponent, Winona LaDuke, founder of the Indigenous-based environmental group Honor the Earth, mentioned Klobuchar by first name on several occasions and said the senator should demand a more thorough environmental impact study for the project.You need to be the woman who stands up for the water, Amy, LaDuke said.Opponents of Enbridge s more than $7 billion project to replace Line 3 say it would add to the growing climate change problem and risk spills in sensitive areas where Native Americans harvest wild rice, hunt, fish, gather medicinal plants, and claim treaty rights. Enbridge says the new Line 3 will be made of stronger steel and will better protect the environment while restoring its capacity to carry oil and ensure reliable deliveries to U.S. refineries.Marco Hern ndez, a community organizer and member of Gov. Tim Walz s climate change council, criticized the Democratic governor and Klobuchar for turning a blind eye on the hazards of the project. The pipeline s path through Native American lands is breaking not just one, but multiple treaties, he said.Before walking less than a mile to Klobuchar s office, the group sang a song that included the refrain, We will stop Line 3. The people and the water will flow free.Line 3 would carry Canadian tar sands oil and regular crude from Alberta and across North Dakota and Minnesota to Wisconsin. The project is nearly done except for the Minnesota leg, which is about 60% complete.Thursday s small gathering came on the heels of the largest resistance yet to the project, when at least 1,000 marched to the headwaters of the Mississippi River, one of the pipeline protesters, and nearly 250 people were arrested for shutting down an Enbridge pump station in the area on Monday.The Minnesota Court of Appeals is expected to rule next week in a major legal challenge to the project. Opponents, including the state Department of Commerce, are seeking to reverse the decision by the state s independent Public Utilities Commission to grant the certificate of need and route permit. They contend that Enbridge s oil demand projections failed to meet the legal requirements. Enbridge and the PUC say the projections complied.On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the appeals court heard oral arguments in a separate challenge. The issue is whether they should invalidate a decision by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency last November to grant a water quality certification for the project that was a precondition for Enbridge getting its wetlands permit from the Army Corps of Engineers later that month.The opponents are challenging the wetlands permit in federal court and hope a decision by the appeals court to void the Minnesota agency s certification will help strengthen their case against the federal permit. But attorneys for the Minnesota agency and Enbridge argued that the case was moot because the Corps already issued the permit.___Associated Press reporter Steve Karnowski contributed to this story.
Brisbane set to be named 2032 Olympics host next month
GENEVA (AP) Brisbane has long seemed to be in a one-horse race to host the 2032 Olympics.That race looks sure to be over and won next month when the International Olympic Committee meets before the Tokyo Games open.IOC president Thomas Bach said after an executive board meeting Thursday that Brisbane can be awarded hosting rights as the only candidate proposed at a July 21 meeting in Tokyo.The Australian city s victory already appeared certain after the IOC put it on the fast track in February by being named the preferred candidate without a formal opponent.Though Bach said the outcome was in the hands of the members around 100 will meet two days ahead of the Tokyo opening ceremony they typically rubber stamp all recommendations coming from the leadership.Bach praised Australia as a sport-loving country with strong support from layers of government in the city of Brisbane, the state of Queensland and federal level.All this together I think made it somehow irresistible, the IOC leader said.Brisbane is set to be the first Olympic host selected unopposed under a new system to streamline bid campaigns in order make them less costly, give the IOC more control and decrease the risk of vote-buying. Tokyo s campaign and 2016 host Rio de Janeiro were both tainted by corruption allegations that are part of ongoing criminal investigations.The bid from Brisbane and neighboring cities in southeast Queensland state has been led by IOC Vice President John Coates, who two years ago oversaw updating the bidding process at Bach s invitation.Its quick progress as the IOC s clearly preferred option has raised questions about possible conflicts of interest for Coates. He is viewed as one of Bach s closest allies and also leads the IOC s oversight of preparations for the postponed Tokyo Olympics.Bach cited the IOC s strict rules which were monitored by ethics and compliance officials.Still, Brisbane s rapid selection this year blindsided officials in countries including Germany, Hungary, Indonesia and Qatar which had been in talks with Olympic officials about shaping bids.That dialogue will continue with a pool of interested parties to host the Olympics in 2036 or 2040, Bach suggested.The future of the Games looks bright, Bach said.The 2024 Olympics will be held in Paris, with the 2028 Games in Los Angeles both cities offering more stability than the troubled and often chaotic organization in Rio.Australia last hosted the Olympics in 2000, with the popular success of the Sydney Games. Coates was heavily involved in the bid and organizing committees of those games.Lawmaker Ted O Brien, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison s representative for the 2032 bid, acknowledged another milestone had been achieved.While we re delighted to have cleared the penultimate hurdle, we take absolutely nothing for granted as we seek endorsement of members of the IOC session in Tokyo, O Brien said in a statement Friday morning local time.The 2030 Winter Games have yet to be awarded, with Salt Lake City among potential bidders. Bach said the IOC was in talks with a number of interested parties but there was no urgency to make a pick.Bach also confirmed he will not visit Tokyo before mid-July, citing the quarantine periods needed to make back and forth trips from Switzerland which had been planned and expected.___AP Sports Writer Dennis Passa contributed from Brisbane, Australia.___More AP Olympics: https: apnews.com hub olympic-games and https: twitter.com AP_Sports
Giants, Nationals rained out, day-night twin-bill Saturday
WASHINGTON (AP) The San Francisco Giants game at the Washington Nationals on Thursday night was postponed because of rain.The game was called less than an hour before the scheduled start. The tarp remained over the infield on the night of what was supposed to be the first game at Nationals Park since the 2019 World Series without capacity limits.The rainout was rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader of seven-inning games on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.WEATHERMAN?With the tarp on the field early on Thursday, Giants manager Kapler had to field a few weather-related questions.The east coast, the NL East in particular, is different, said Kapler, who managed the Phillies from 2018-19. You have to expect that you re going to run into delays. I did not expect to be thinking as much about weather as I do in this position but I am. Everyone is asking about it so here we are talking the weather.CHANCE TO RESTAfter beating Tampa Bay 9-7 in 11 innings on Wednesday, Washington didn t return home until early Thursday morning ahead of its long homestand.I didn t go to sleep until 6:30, woke up at 11:30 rip-roaring to go, Nationals manager Dave Martinez said.Martinez and the rest of the Nationals got opponent to rest on Thursday night before playing 11 games over the 10 days. That stretch includes doubleheaders on Saturday and on June 19 against the Mets.TRAINER S ROOMGiants: Kapler said LHP Caleb Baragar (left elbow inflammation) is close to returning. OF Mike Yastrzemski (right thumb sprain) and C Curt Casali (left wrist sprain) could come off the 10-IL Saturday or Sunday.UP NEXTGiants: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (5-2, 3.51) starts Friday. He has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 15 consecutive road starts.Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer (5-4, 2.22 ERA) is 4-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 10 starts against the Giants.___More AP MLB: https: apnews.com hub MLB and https: twitter.com AP_Sports
Blackwood scores, Jamaican women beat Nigeria 1-0
HOUSTON (AP) Deneisha Blackwood scored early in the second half and Jamaica defeated Nigeria 1-0 to open the Summer Series on Thursday night.Blackwood, who also plays for the Houston Dash of the National Women s Soccer League, scored in the 51st minute for the Reggae Girlz. She has eight international goals for Jamaica.Blackwood s penalty kick in the 25th minute was saved by Nigeria goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi.The Reggae Girlz became the first Caribbean team to play in the Women s World Cup when they made the field in France in 2019. The team is gearing up for qualifying for the next World Cup, set for Australia and New Zealand in 2023.Randy Waldrum, former coach of the Dash, was making his debut as head coach of Nigeria.The Summer Series continues Sunday, with Jamaica facing the United States after Portugal plays Nigeria.___More AP soccer: https: apnews.com hub soccer and https: twitter.com AP_Sports
Panel: Lawmaker should be removed over Oregon Capitol breach
SALEM, Ore. (AP) Almost a half-year after a Republican legislator let violent, far-right protesters into the Oregon State Capitol, a committee of six lawmakers on Monday recommended he be the first member of the House to be expelled in its 160-year history.Rep. Paul Holvey, the committee chairman, said at the start of the video-conference hearing the protesters Rep. Mike Nearman let in had planned to occupy the Capitol. Some were armed.The panel s unanimous recommendation that Nearman be removed from the Legislature for disorderly behavior now goes to the full state House for consideration.Nearman was seen on security camera video opening a door to protesters on Dec. 21 as lawmakers met in emergency session to deal with economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Protesters barged into the building, which was closed to the public because of coronavirus safety protocols, got into shoving matches with police and sprayed officers with bear spray.It s impossible to overstate the seriousness of the reason we are here today, Holvey said. Rep. Nearman enabled armed, violent protesters to enter the Capitol, breaching the security of the Capitol, which was officially closed to the public, and also endangered the authorized staff and legislators inside the building.Some of the protesters had guns. Among those who gathered outside the Capitol in Salem that day were people espousing false QAnon conspiracy theories about Democrats kidnapping babies. They carried American flags and President Donald Trump banners. One carried a sign calling for the arrest of Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, Holvey said.Nearman was unapologetic as he read a prepared statement to the committee.The fact is that I exited the building and members of the public entered into the Capitol building, a place they had a right to be a place the Legislative Assembly had no right to exclude them from, Nearman said. He said that on the advice of his attorney he would not answer questions.Hundreds of people provided written testimony to the House Special Committee On December 21, 2020, which is composed of three democrats and three Republicans.Some people who testified excoriated Nearman as a seditionist. Others praised him for letting people into the Capitol, saying people should be allowed to attend even though hearings are livestreamed on video.Mike Nearman s behavior ... was abhorrent and anti-democratic, David Alba said. Furthermore, by aiding and supporting extremists, he has placed people s lives in danger. He should be removed from office and he is not fit to represent my district.After video emerged in local news reports Friday showing Nearman choreographing how he would let protesters into the Capitol, pinpointing the door he would open for them and disclosing his cellphone number so protesters could text him, all of his House GOP colleagues on Monday strongly recommended he step down.But Nearman s supporters said they elected him and the House should not expel him. One supporter suggested those 22 GOP lawmakers be voted out of office.We see you compromising Republicans that whittle away at concepts of morality, liberty, and justice to take a knee to the woke mob, Casey Ocupe said in written testimony. May your Republican constituents take no mercy on you.On Monday, House Speaker Tina Kotek introduced a resolution that would have the House expel Nearman if two-thirds of its members vote in favor. She appointed the committee to consider the matter.Kotek credited riot police, who finally pushed out the protesters, with preventing a full-scale assault like the one by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. She said some were visibly injured and shaken.As we saw in January at the U.S. Capitol, the ramifications could have been dire if law enforcement had not stepped in so quickly, the Democrat said.Nearman has not responded to numerous requests from The Associated Press for comment. He told a conservative radio talk show that a video presentation he held on Dec. 16 was me setting up the 21st. He indicated that his actions were civil disobedience because he objected to the Capitol being closed to the public.Nearman also faces two misdemeanor criminal charges and has said he will seek a trial by jury.___Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter at https: twitter.com andrewselsky
Juarez leads Oklahoma past Florida State for fifth title
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Giselle Juarez re-emerged as the star pitcher Oklahoma needed to complement its high-powered offense, and now the Sooners are national champions again.Juarez threw her second consecutive complete game, and Oklahoma beat Florida State 5-1 on Thursday for its fifth Women s College World Series title.The Sooners lacked a dominant pitcher heading into the series but Juarez answered the call, allowing one run on two hits in the decisive Game 3. Oklahoma won Game 2 6-2 behind Juarez, who went 5-0 at the World Series and was named Most Outstanding Player. The left-hander allowed four runs in 31 1 3 innings.Juarez, a super senior, was a first-team NFCA All-American in 2019 but had surgery on her left arm last year and struggled to regain her form.The beginning of the season wasn t great for me, but I just kept grinding and trusting God s plan for myself. He had this moment planned for me, Juarez said.Much of the crowd stood when Juarez took the circle in the seventh inning. Fittingly, the final out was a popup into her glove.Honestly, I was kind of hoping it didn t go in the sun and that they would let me catch it, she said. But I mean, it felt so slow motion, and then just to look up after I caught it and see (Kinzie) Hansen running at me surreal, awesome moment.After Juarez secured the catch, teammates mobbed her and Boomer Sooner blared over the sound system as the crowd of 10,830 at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium mostly Oklahoma fans celebrated the win just 25 miles from campus.It wasn t easy for the top-seeded Sooners they came out of the losers bracket after dropping a stunner to Odicci Alexander and unseeded James Madison in the tournament s opening game. But Oklahoma beat James Madison twice in the semifinal round, then recovered from a loss to Florida State in the championship series opener.Oklahoma (56-4) also won titles in 2000, 2013, 2016 and 2017, all under coach Patty Gasso. The Sooners set the Division I single-season record with 161 home runs this season.Jocelyn Alo hit four homers in the World Series, including the go-ahead blast in Game 2, on her way to All-Tournament honors. Her homer in Game 3 was her 34th of the season. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year extended her school single-season record.We knew that we wanted to set the tone pretty early, Gasso said. Jocelyn Alo is made differently. Made differently. When she puts her mind to something, she gets it done, whatever it is.Oklahoma left fielder Mackenzie Donihoo went 10-for-21 in the World Series and made several outstanding catches during the week to also earn All-Tournament honors.Florida State (49-13-1) was seeking its second national championship in the past three World Series under coach Lonni Alameda. The 10th-seeded Seminoles finished second in their conference during the regular season, lost in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament and had to win twice at No. 7 seed LSU in super regionals. They lost their World Series opener before winning five straight to get to the brink of a national title.I m just so proud of the team to be here and everything we ve gone through this year to persevere and to be in this moment is what we dreamt of, Florida State center fielder Dani Morgan said. I m just proud of this team. We were able to get here and give everything we had.Florida State s Kathryn Sandercock gave up one hit in 3 1 3 innings of relief in the final game. She won three World Series games.Florida State freshman Kaley Mudge set the record for hits in a Women s College World Series with 14. She had 16 hits all season before arriving in Oklahoma City.I m just blessed to be here, honestly, Mudge said. Coming into the World Series, I did not think that I was going to break any records. I was just excited to put my feet on the clay here.Alo s homer got things started for Oklahoma on Thursday. Jayda Coleman poked one just over the fence in the second inning to give the Sooners a 2-0 lead and the early jolt they had been lacking for much of the week.Florida State got its only run in the third when Oklahoma s Tiare Jennings lost a popup in the sun, allowing Kalei Harding to score.Oklahoma responded quickly. With the bases loaded and two outs in the third, Jennings scored on a wild pitch by freshman reliever Emma Wilson. Coleman then hit a hard line drive off the left field wall to score two and give the Sooners a 5-1 lead.There could be more in store for the Sooners. Jennings and Jayda Coleman were NFCA first-team All-Americans as freshmen, and Jennings was named Freshman of the Year.For them to find out what it feels like and what it takes to win it the future is really, really bright for the Sooners, Gasso said.___Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: https: twitter.com CliffBruntAP___More AP college sports: https: apnews.com hub sports and https: twitter.com AP_Top25