Biden to require new federal buildings to slash greenhouse gas emissions

Story by Emma Newburger • 


The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled a new building performance standard that would require federal agencies to slash energy use and electrify equipment and appliances in 30% of their building space by 2030.

The move is the latest push by the White House to curb fossil fuel use in residential and commercial buildings, which comprise about 12% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The standard for federal buildings comes as a growing number of cities have voted to curb gas consumption in buildings.


A view of sunset in the evening hours in the United States Capitol, Washington D.C., on December 02, 2022.© Provided by CNBC

The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled a new building performance standard that would require federal agencies to slash energy use and electrify equipment and appliances in 30% of their building space by the end of the decade.

The move is the latest push by the White House to curb fossil fuel use in residential and commercial buildings, which comprise about 12% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Energy used in federal buildings for space heating, water heating, cooking and other needs comprise more than 25% of federal emissions, the White House said.

The agency estimates that the reductions requirements would save $8 million each year in upfront equipment costs and would reduce carbon emissions from federal buildings by 1.86 million metric tons and methane emissions by 22.8 thousand tons over the next 30 years — roughly equivalent to the emissions generated by nearly 300,000 homes in one year.

Officials said the standard would move forward President Joe Biden's plan to decarbonize the economy by 2050 and achieve a 100% clean electricity grid by 2035.

The standard for federal buildings comes as a growing number of cities have voted to curb gas consumption in buildings.

For instance, a few dozen cities, including San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose in California; Cambridge, Mass.; and Seattle, have moved to ban natural gas hook ups in some new buildings to combat climate-warming emissions.

"There is a growing and expanding supply chain for the very products that help our buildings become more efficient and more sustainable," White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi told reporters on Wednesday.

The Department of Energy also highlighted its proposed rulemaking to electrify new federal buildings and buildings undergoing major renovations. The agency's goal is to require all new buildings to lower on-site emissions by 90% compared to 2003 levels by 2025 and fully decarbonize those buildings in 2030.

"We would be setting a gold standard for new construction across America," U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said during the Wednesday briefing.

Study finds that Canadian girls and their parents want a better, safer sport system

Participation rates of girls in Canadian sport have returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to a recent study, despite fears that one in four would not return post-COVID.

That's the good news.

The bad news is those numbers were bleak to begin with, specifically in the teenage years when participation drops off, and among girls with intersecting identities such as Black, LGBTQ, Indigenous and those from lower income homes.

"The fact that participation rates have effectively returned to the pre-pandemic levels is really a positive story," said Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, the CEO of Canadian Women and Sports. "And we don't always have lots to celebrate when looking at the big national data on women in sport. I think this has to be seen as a victory … it also just shows that girls and their parents value sport, and girls want to play.

"Of course, we're not satisfied with the status quo."

What has changed, based on The Rally Report's national survey findings from 4,500 Canadian girls and women and more than 350 sport leaders, is that Canadian girls want a better sport system than the pre-pandemic one.

"It was so interesting to hear parents say that quality is a barrier," said Sandmeyer-Graves. "Almost half of them said that. And 75 per cent of girls want sport leaders to have more training in sport. They're like, 'Please, please, we need more from you to meet our needs and interests.'"

Related video: Canadian Women's National team takes on 9th ranked Brazil in November friendlies (cbc.ca)
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The study indicated that after losing access to sport during the pandemic's public health restrictions, girls and their parents are more aware of the benefits of sport, with more than 90 per cent of Canadian girls surveyed saying they believe that sport benefits their physical and mental health.

But participation rates continue to fall in adolescence. Half of Canadian girls aged 13 to18 in Canada are not participating in sport.

The current sport system is flawed, Sandmeyer-Graves said.

One in three Canadian girls report that coaches and organizations aren't addressing important safety issues. Almost half — 46 per cent — of parents report low-quality programming as a barrier to the ongoing participation in sport of their daughters aged six to 12. And less than half of coaches receive training on topics related to keeping girls in sport, including gender equity, body image, and mental health.

Racialized girls report facing every barrier about 10 per cent more than their white peers; girls 13 to 18 from lower income homes report barriers such as access and cost about 10 to 15 per cent higher than girls from higher income homes; and girls who identified as LGBTQ reported body dissatisfaction as a barrier 10 per cent higher than girls not identifying as LGBTQ.

Sandmeyer-Graves noted that Canadian Women and Sport was mindful in acknowledging that good work being done.

"We absolutely see the many, many, many people in the sport system across Canada who are working so hard to make it better for girls. And I would not want them to feel discouraged by this report," she said. "And so really wanting to let them know that, as an organization, we see them, we see the effort that they're putting in, we know that they're making a difference.

"Let's get more people on board with putting in the effort and making the commitments that are really going to create a support system that is truly equitable, truly safe, truly inclusive."

The Rally Report, the third of is kind, was conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of Canadian Women and Sport and in partnership with Canadian Tire jump-start Charities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2022.

Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press

CANADA
Federal government honours 5 NHL players for overcoming racial barriers

Story by Arun Srinivasan • 

TORONTO — During a ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday, the Government of Canada honoured five players who overcame racial barriers during their journeys to the NHL. It was a specific recognition from the federal government, which they titled Breaking Racial Barriers in the National Hockey League, a small but important step in reconciling our national disgrace of subjecting Black, Indigenous and other minorities to embedded, systemic racism.


Larry Kwong was one of five former NHLers honoured at the Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday. (Photo by New York Rangers/NHLI via Getty Images)

Paul Jacobs, Henry “Elmer” Maracle, Larry Kwong, Fred Sasakamoose and Willie O’Ree were all honoured for their contributions to hockey but more pointedly, recognized for the racism and prejudice they all faced during their professional careers. Family members for each player took turns at the lectern — with the exception of Jacobs, who broke into the NHL for the Toronto Arenas as a defenseman during the 1918-19 season — and were visibly moved by the distinction.

The ceremony culminated in the unveiling of a plaque from the federal government, with the families of the five players honoured taking photos with various government officials. The plaque reads as follows:

Since the establishment of the National Hockey League in 1917, non-white athletes faced racial barriers, preventing them from playing in the league. In the early decades of the NHL, men such as Paul Jacobs, Henry “Elmer” Maracle, Larry Kwong, Fred Sasakamoose, and Willie O’Ree confronted widespread racism and prejudice on and off the ice. These players broke through racial barriers at each stage of their careers, ultimately reaching hockey’s premier league. Representing greater diversity and inclusion in professional hockey, these trailblazers were recognized for both their skill and perseverance, inspiring future generations of players.

Kwong broke the NHL’s colour barrier but this distinction is often a sore subject for his family. He played just one shift for the New York Rangers during the third period of a March 13, 1948 game against the Montreal Canadiens. Wednesday’s ceremony was a proper recognition of the racism he endured throughout his career and his family contended strongly that his career would’ve certainly played out differently if he were white.

Dale Lee Kwong is a writer and poet from Calgary. She is Kwong’s niece and proudly wore his Rangers jersey to the Hall of Fame.

“This is sort of just redemption, this event,” Kwong told Yahoo Sports. “We all knew in our family that he was a hero. Our culture is very humble, you don't boast about things like that.

"I did find it frustrating that people don't know the story of my uncle and the amazing things he did. Breaking the colour barrier and that he wasn't given a fair shot in the NHL, it was kind of like a publicity stunt. And they only played him for one shift late in the third period — I mean, if you play hockey, you know you're sitting on the bench just getting colder and colder and that's no way to make an impact on the game.

“He always regretted that he wasn't given a fair chance and this is acknowledgment that he was correct. He was right in leaving the NHL because he went on to have a good career elsewhere, without the NHL.”

During her speech at the podium, Dale Lee Kwong revealed that her uncle rarely spoke about the racism he endured during his career, trying to uphold gentlemanly values while spending time with his various nephews, nieces and grandchildren. I asked her about if there’s anything she wants hockey historians to uncover about her uncle’s legacy that hasn’t been previously told. Kwong told me her uncle had been discriminated against by his own teammates, and encountered issues at the Canada-U.S. border while travelling with his team.

“I don't think people realize how bad things were for people of colour in the sport of hockey," she said. "The stories we heard today just barely scratches the surface. Those players, they just sucked it up. They didn't dwell on it, they didn't talk about it.”

-—-

In full candor, I was deeply skeptical of the federal government’s motive and timing of the event. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s opening remarks at the 2022 Montreal Biodiversity Conference were interrupted by Indigenous land back supporters, who labeled him as a colonizer. Trudeau didn’t attend Wednesday’s event in Toronto as he was still at the conference.

The federal government is also responsible for overseeing national sport governing bodies such as Hockey Canada, whose public trust has eroded entirely due to the concurrent sexual assault scandals that occurred under its watch. The national hockey governing body also was scrutinized this summer due to the arrogant testimonies of disgraced CEO Scott Smith and interim board chair Andrea Skinner, the latter arguing to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage that arenas across the country could shut down without the existing leadership board intact.

Adam van Koeverden is a decorated former Olympian, who won gold, silver and bronze medals in the K-1 500 and K-1 1000-metre distances spanning three Olympiads from 2004-12. The 40-year-old has seamlessly transitioned into a career in politics, where he is a Member of Parliament for Milton, Ont., and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Minister of Sports for the Liberal Party of Canada.

As a result of his unique experience as an elite athlete who is acutely aware of the role of national sport organizations, I asked him what he thought of the federal government’s oversight of Hockey Canada, particularly as it has committed various indiscretions and rarely cared about addressing systemic racism under its umbrella.

“I have an obligation as an athlete and somebody who cares about the future of our country and the situation for current and future athletes to ensure that those environments and that system is a safe one,” van Koeverden told Yahoo Sports. “That requires us to, and has required us to stand up to the Office of the Sport and Integrity Commissioner and make sure they have all the power and resources that they need in order to provide services to sport organizations but also to athletes who are reaching out and need a little bit of help.

We've been working really closely with the Canadian Olympic Committee and various other national sport organizations, primarily to make sure that the Office of the Sport and Integrity Commissioner is a mandatory mechanism that is used by all national sport organizations.

Beyond that, it's really about the culture of sport in Canada. How inclusive it is, how welcoming it is, how safe it is. This has to be a priority of every leader in sport, whether you're coaching at the peewee level at a town or city in Canada, taking your team to the Canada Games for your province or territory or supporting a team as they go to the Olympics or the World Championships.

We need a mutual obligation — an acknowledgment, I should say — that we still have a lot of work to do, standing up for athletes, particularly in the light of the many stories we've heard today. Yes, there has been racism in sport for over 100 years, but we have to acknowledge that it's not over today, there's still work to be done. Sport is not a safe place or a welcoming place for absolutely every person, and that is a work that is ongoing."

There are often times where doing anti-racism, inclusion and diversity work feels like an insurmountable battle, or more pointedly, that the tasks remain undefined while operating in a country where systemic racism is embedded but rarely publicly discussed. But there are tangible measures to keep the government and other actors accountable, too. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report submitted 94 calls to action in its June 2015 report, intended to address the horrors of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation.

I asked van Koeverden about his assessment of where the federal government stands on honouring these commitments outlined, with five calls to action (87-91) specifically addressing sport.

“The calls to action, 87-91, I believe, are all focused on sport. I'm really grateful for the leadership of people like Mary Wilson or Chief Littlechild, who is right here and Murray Sinclair,” van Koeverden told Yahoo Sports. “When I was on the Indigenous Northern Affairs Committee, we asked them quite pointedly how we could do a better job of making sure all the calls to actions are upheld and adhered to. The ones on sport in particular, specific to the North American Indigenous Games and specific strategy to ensure that sport, physical activity and recreation are all available to all people in Canada.

“There's a couple of other things there. There's a lot of progress that's been made on all the calls to actions but they're really not about the destination. The calls to action are a journey. It is a mutual obligation to all Canadians to read those calls to action, identify ways we can all be better and keep working towards a more inclusive sports system that's more inviting, safer and offers everybody all of those vital lessons, the health and the physical health and the mental health that sport, physical activity and recreation provide. Those are rights in my view. I think play at a young age and developing physical literacy throughout your young years is a right. It needs to be treated as such and we need to make sure it's universal for all kids in Canada.”

—

If you can’t reconcile the past, it may lead to a murky future, and the future of hockey is always a primary consideration at anti-racism in hockey events. Wednesday was no different. Representatives from various youth programs under the Greater Toronto Hockey League’s umbrella, along with players from the Little Native Hockey League and Hockey 4 Youth, a program run by Moezine Hasham to make hockey affordable for anyone, were all proudly on hand at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

It’s a small step in the right direction. It’s somewhat dangerous to give the federal government, a body across party lines that has rarely been interested in addressing racism on any level, too much credit. But if acknowledgment is the first step, the government in conjunction with the Hall of Fame inched towards genuine progress. Representation and reconciliation are steps, not end goals. But there’s also no point in breaking the spirits of the delighted kids on hand at the event. Maybe there is a better future for the kids, after all.

10-year-old Uvalde shooting survivor advocates for assault weapons ban

Ten-year-old Caitlyne Gonzales' day began early when she and her family boarded a plane bound for Washington D.C, a flight that was crowded with people affected by the May shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Caitlyne, a survivor of the massacre, family members of some of the victims and local leaders traveled to the nation's capital on Tuesday to speak with members of Congress during a lame-duck session in an effort to ban the sale and possession of assault-style rifles before Republicans take control of the House of Representatives this January. The group's itinerary includes multiple meetings with U.S. senators, a vigil, and a silent protest outside the Capitol Building.

"It brings me comfort that we can all be together as one," said Caitlyne.


Caitlyne Gonzales walks by a mural of her best friend, Jackie Cazares, Sept. 4, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas.© The Washington Post via Getty Images

The group is pushing for the passage of Senate Bill 736, which would ban semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity magazines like the ones used by the shooters to gun down students at Robb Elementary, parade-goers in Highland Park, Illinois, and LGBTQ nightclub patrons in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The bill would have barred the Uvalde shooter from purchasing a rifle as he did a week before the May 24 shooting. The passing of the ban is highly unlikely before the end of the legislative session, but President Joe Biden reiterated his support for the bill last month.

The U.S. Senate has until the end of the year to pass the bill or else the voting process starts over.

"I’m going to try. I’m going to try to get rid of assault weapons," Biden said.

Caitlyne has been an advocate for gun reform since the tragedy occurred. On May 24, she hid in her classroom as she listened to shots ring out down the hall. Her best friend, 9-year-old Jackie Cazares, was one of the 19 students killed during the massacre. She says she misses her friend's laughter and hugs.

Since the shooting, Caitlyne has been in the local and national spotlight. She called for police accountability at school board meetings in Uvalde, for gun control at rallies in Austin, Texas, and for a national ban on assault weapons in Washington D.C.

"Turn in your badge and step down. You don't deserve to wear one," the 10-year-old said at a packed August school board meeting, addressing the school district's police chief, Pete Arredondo, who was fired a few hours after her confrontation for his alleged role in the flawed police response to the shooting.



Wearing a shirt with her best friend Jackie Cazares, Caitlyne Gonzales prepares her backpack for the start of the new school year, Sept. 5, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas.© The Washington Post via Getty Images

"It feels good that I'm able to make a change," said Caitlyne a few months after that speech.

Arredondo contested his firing and requested his job back, including back pay, on the grounds that the school district violated his constitutional rights.

Caitlyne, publicly outspoken and composed, says in private she's had trouble sleeping and is sensitive to loud noises since the shooting.

This is not her first trip to Washington, D.C., in an attempt to effect change. She has campaigned for Democratic candidates, met with U.S. Senators, and delivered speeches in front of hundreds of people.

When she speaks, she represents younger voices in a growing chorus of Uvaldeans demanding more gun control and stronger school safety measures in the wake of the tragedy that rocked their town of 15,000. More than two dozen of them will be in D.C. this week.

"I decided to be a voice for my friends who can't use their voice no more," said Caitlyne.

Caitlyne has found other ways to remember her friends who died. She posts TikToks of their photos together, ran in a 5K race for 10-year-old victim Lexi Rubio and delivered pancakes (her favorite food) to Jackie Cazares' grave site on Día de Los Muertos.

Over the past few months, Caitlyne has joined an ever-expanding group of young people spurred to action amid grief following their experience of a school shooting.



A general view of the memorial outside Robb Elementary, where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in the U.S. school shooting, in Uvalde, Texas, Nov. 27, 2022.© Marco Bello/Reuters

Recently, she spent a drizzly Saturday in Uvalde with survivors of the 2021 high school shooting in Oxford, Michigan. She helped set up an activity day for Robb survivors, including herself and many of her classmates. The Oxford students flew in from Michigan to spend time with the kids at the town's community center.

Caitlyne's trip this week is being sponsored by March Fourth, a grassroots, mom-led advocacy group formed after the parade shooting in Highland Park. The organization has hosted other Uvalde families in D.C. previously, and has organized many rallies and marches they have participated in. Their objective is to ban assault-style rifles nationwide.

In addition to the silent protest the Uvaldeans led Tuesday evening with the organization, they will attend some 30 meetings with senators that March Fourth says they have arranged. Dozens of other organizations will also be in D.C. this week for the Newtown Action Alliance's 10th annual gun violence vigil, which Caitlyne also plans to attend.

Caitlyne and other families will be joined by approximately 60 physicians from across 25 states, who are rallying behind the assault weapons ban this week on Capitol Hill. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for kids in teens in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Medical Association has declared gun violence a "public health crisis."

March Fourth's founder, Kitty Brandtner, told ABC News she hopes the physicians' support, compelled by "non-emotional, evidence-based data," will nudge senators over the edge to vote to pass the ban.

As for Caitlyne, she wants senators to know that her friend Jackie was "very kind and loving," and didn't deserve to lose her life that day. She hopes, with the passage of the ban, she can get back to being a kid.

"I hope in the future I'll actually feel safer and be able to do normal kid things," she said.

ABC News' Nicco Quiñones contributed to this report.

Sandy Hook Survivor, 17, Tells Her Story For First Time Since Tragedy 10 Years Ago: 'I Thought I Was Going To Die'

Story by KC Baker • People

Nicole Melchionno survived the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and doesn't want any other child to have to endure the nightmare she did.


Sasha Arutyunova Nicole Melchionno

"Kids shouldn't have to worry when they go to school," says Nicole, now 17 and a gun violence prevention advocate who spoke to PEOPLE ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Dec. 14, 2012 shooting.

Ten years ago, Nicole was only 7 and in second grade when a 20-year-old gunman armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, two semi-automatic handguns and an endless supply of ammunition blasted his way into the cozy school through the plate-glass window next to the locked front door.

Once inside, he turned left instead of right, where Nicole's classroom was located, and opened fire, killing 20 terrified first graders and 6 educators in the nation's first mass shooting at an elementary school — and one of the worst in U.S. history.

Trembling in fear, Nicole huddled with her teacher and classmates next to their jackets and hats in their coat cubbies as the crack of gunfire echoed through the halls. "The intercom was left on, so everything was amplified," she says.


Shannon Hicks/Newtown Bee/ZUM

 The scene outside Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012

© Provided by People

Sitting toward the front of the room, she worried that if the gunman came into her classroom, that she would be one of the first to be shot.

RELATED: Remembering the Sandy Hook Shooting Victims 5 Years Later

"I thought I was never going to see my family again," she says. "I was scared that I was going to die."

When law enforcement arrived, Nicole and her classmates and teacher ran to a nearby firehouse, where she was later reunited with her family.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Like others who lived through the unspeakable horrors of that day, she remains scarred from the trauma she endured. After the shooting, she had terrible nightmares and trouble going to sleep. Like so many others who survived the shooting, she was also plagued with anxiety.



Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/Shutterstock 

March Fourth to end gun violence at the US Capitol© Provided by People

She has learned to manage her anxiety, which has lessened over the years. But being in big crowds and "not knowing if someone has a gun can re-trigger me at times," she says.

RELATED: 'Choose Love' to Stop Violence, Sandy Hook Mom Says on Eve of Shooting's 7th Anniversary

Related video: Father Of Uvalde School Shooting Victim Describes The Moment He Learned His Child Had Been Shot (Dr. Phil)
Duration 2:50
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As Nicole kept hearing about the increasing number of school shootings that kept taking place after Sandy Hook, she decided to turn tragedy into triumph by fighting to end gun violence. In 2018, when she was in eighth grade, she started to become involved in gun violence prevention. "It's just so painfully common in this country," she says.

She took part in March for Our Lives, a student-led mass demonstration in March 2018 in Washington, D.C., to push for gun control legislation.

"It was empowering," she says.

For more on Nicole Melchionno and the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting, subscribe now to PEOPLE or pick up this week's issue, on newsstands Friday.

In 2020, when she was a sophomore, she joined the Junior Newtown Action Alliance, which is part of the local gun violence prevention group Newtown Action Alliance, and became its legislative coordinator the following year.

But it was the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in May — which killed 19 students and two children — that moved her to take action.

"It sparked something in me," she says. "I felt that I needed to do more."

RELATED: Sandy Hook Dad Responds to Texas School Shooting: 'Sadly, I Know the Unspeakable Pain'

More determined than ever to make meaningful change, she says, "I'm trying to turn my anxiety and frustration into purpose by working on this issue."

Since then, she has spoken publicly at news conferences in Connecticut and at rallies in D.C. She's also traveled several times to the nation's capital, including in July to celebrate the historic June 24 signing of the Bipartisan Gun Bill on the White House lawn.

In the fall, she worked with March for Our Lives lobbying senators on Capitol Hill about an assault weapons ban.


Courtesy of NICOLE MELCHIONNO 

Nicole with Chloe, a survivor of the Uvalde shooting

They were "trying to get the Democratic caucus to show urgency on the assault weapons ban being brought up for a vote before the end of the lame duck session," she says, referring to the last chance for Democrats to push through their legislative priorities before Republicans take control of the House of Representatives in January.

She is returning this month with other teens to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting at the Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence.

In between her activism, she is a regular teenager, spending time with her friends, going to the movies and hitting the local Starbucks.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society named her one of its students of the year in March for raising money and awareness for the disease.

She's applying to college now, with plans to study public policy and maybe business.

As a member of Gen Z, she says, "gun violence is one of our top priorities because we really are the only generation that's had to grow up through this.

"I am hopeful for the future," she says.

"But more needs to be done."

Taiwan seeks to reassure on TSMC commitment to island despite U.S. investment

Story by Reuters • Yesterday .





TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's economy minister said on Wednesday that the island remains chipmaker TSMC's most important production base after the company announced it would more than triple its planned investment at its new Arizona plant to $40 billion.

TSMC's Arizona factory has sparked concerns in Taiwan, where semiconductor manufacturing is the backbone of the economy, about a "goodbye to Taiwan" trend among chip firms. TSMC, which makes most its chips in Taiwan, is also building a factory in Japan.

The first Arizona chip fabrication facility, or fab, will be operational by 2024 while the second facility nearby will make the most advanced chips currently in production, called "3 nanometre," by 2026.

Speaking on the sidelines of parliament, Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said the island's position as a major semiconductor producer and maker of the most advanced chips was secure.

"TSMC's research and development centre is in Taiwan, the complete supply chain is here," she said. "Taiwan has a complete supply chain, a complete system, and the backing of the government. It is definitely TSMC's most important production base."

The production of 3nm chips is already happening in Taiwan, and the even more advanced 2nm and 1nm development and production in Taiwan are also on track, Wang added.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd, as it is formally called, has repeatedly said that the bulk of its manufacturing will remain in Taiwan.

TSMC's Taipei-listed shares were up 1.5% on Wednesday morning, outperforming the broader index.

The company is the world's largest contract chip maker and a major supplier to global tech firms including Apple Inc.

U.S. President Joe Biden has sought to boost semiconductor production at home after the COVID-19 pandemic caused supply chain problems that led to shortages of chips for vehicles and many other items.

Taiwan has been keen to show the United States, its most important international supporter and arms seller in the face of mounting Chinese military pressure, that as a "like-minded democracy" it is a reliable semiconductor partner and supplier and has supported the Arizona plans.

But the government is also rolling out more support for the chip industry at home, including proposing larger tax breaks for technology companies' research and development to retain its competitive edge.

It is also encouraging more foreign tech firms in the chip supply chain to invest in Taiwan.

Premier Su Tseng-chang said late on Tuesday that his deputy Shen Jong-chin was leading a task force to promote such investments.

(Reporting by Jeanny Kao and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

BC

Port Coquitlam ordered to pay $58K after firing a worker who washed his truck at municipal facility

Yesterday 

A Port Coquitlam employee has won his wrongful dismissal suit against the city after being fired for washing his personal vehicle at a municipal wash facility.

Marco Stevens, a supervisor in the public works department, was awarded nearly $58,000 in damages for wrongful dismissal in B.C. Supreme Court on Dec. 1.

“While Mr. Stevens breached the policy and his conduct reflected poorly on his leadership skills, it did not justify his summary dismissal for cause,” ruled Justice Bruce Elwood.

“His misconduct was not so egregious that it effectively destroyed the employment relationship,” Elwood wrote.

In November 2020, Stevens stopped at the public works yard on his day off to wash his truck and recreational trailer after returning from a hunting trip with his son.

The city has a policy that prohibits employees from using city facilities, equipment, supplies or resources for personal use.

Another employee saw Stevens. The employee was later caught washing his own vehicle, at which point he said Stevens told him it was OK.

Stevens testified he told the employee that he “probably shouldn’t,” and that it’s “frowned upon.”

When Stevens was still a unionized employee in 2018, he had been told not to wash his truck at the wash facility.

Stevens said it was a casual conversation, no city policies were cited nor any potential consequences.

The meeting was brief, informal and there was no union representative present. No warnings or discipline were issued.

The manager of the public works department, David Kidd, learned of the 2020 incident on Nov. 24. Kidd phoned Stevens’ boss to explain his “utter disappointment.”

Stevens texted both men to apologize.

“I had a lapse of judgments [sic] and I was wrong. I’ll take whatever comes from it on the chin. My bad guys.”

The next day he was fired by the city.

Kidd testified that Stevens’ misconduct was exacerbated because the city had just fired six other employees from his department based on the same policy.

In 2018, the city completed an investigation into a group of employees who it believed had been stealing and selling municipal-owned copper going back to 2000.

The city alleged the group would cut up scrap copper, conceal it in burlap bags in municipal vehicles, before transferring it to personal vehicles to sell.

“Using municipal equipment was essential to the scheme,” according to court documents.

“This was a co-operative effort that required the knowledge and condonation of a number of employees, including unionized supervisors.”

Twelve employees were interviewed in the investigation, including Stevens, resulting in seven being fired in 2018.

The union filed a grievance, but only one dismissal was reversed after an arbitrator cleared one employee of involvement in the copper scheme .

The fallout from the investigation led to an “atmosphere of mistrust” between management and the union.

“The copper theft scheme reflected a culture in which some employees took advantage of their position for personal gain or advantage,” court documents stated.

Less serious examples included employees disposing of personal garbage on site, taking municipal tools home, and maintaining or washing their personal vehicles.

Following the dismissals, changes to the management structure were made, including promoting Stevens to a new managerial position.

One of his duties was ensuring other staff adhered to city policies.

Justice Elwood ruled that Kidd had placed “undue weight” on the recent dismissals and the need for consistent application of city policies when he terminated Stevens.

While Kidd had reason to be disappointed and angry with Stevens in light of recent events, he could have issued a suspension or remedial training, the court found.

“Washing a truck at a municipal wash station is simply not analogous to a nefarious and long-running scheme to use municipal equipment and vehicles to steal city property,” the Justice concluded.

The Justice stated the consequences for breaching the city’s municipal equipment policy were not clear, as Port Coquitlam prohibits a wide range of conduct that would clearly not require summary dismissals.

The city’s investigation into Stevens’ 2020 and 2018 infractions were not thoroughly explored before he was dismissed, Elwood wrote.

“The 2020 Incident reflected poorly on Mr. Stevens’ management skills. However, I am not persuaded the employment relationship was damaged beyond repair,” Elwood stated. “I find that summary dismissal was not a proportionate response to the misconduct.”

Stevens’ claim for punitive damages was dismissed by the judge, stating the city was acting in good faith and had reasonable grounds to discipline him.

Patrick Penner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tri-Cities Dispatch

MANITOBA

WSD to offer Filipino bilingual program

Yesterday 

A historic number of freshly minted Filipino trustees on Manitoba’s largest school board will oversee the introduction of a new bilingual program that caters to immigrants from the Philippines and their Winnipeg-born descendants.

The Winnipeg School Division, which oversees the education of 30,000 students in central and inner-city classrooms, plans to launch a Filipino bilingual program next year.

So far, 12 students have registered for the course slated to be offered at Meadows West School in Inkster Gardens. The division requires a minimum of 23 pupils before finalizing a specialty program.

“If we are not going to do this, I cannot imagine moving forward — 10 years from now, our youth of today will no longer have the language; it’s easy to lose,” said Mary Jane Napolitano, president of the Manitoba Association of Filipino Teachers.

When her family immigrated to Canada from the Philippines nearly 20 years ago, Napolitano initially encouraged her nine-year-old daughter to focus on English.

“I thought that’s the best way to do it, and many of us practised that… but now the tables are already turned around. (Parents) want their children to know the language, to know the culture, the history, the songs, and we’ve been very, very successful in delivering this in our heritage programs. Why not put it in class now?” she said, noting the success of WSD’s after-school cultural offerings. The inaugural cohort is expected to study Filipino in social studies, art and music.

WSD has Ukrainian, Hebrew, Cree, Spanish and Ojibwa bilingual programs. The second language is used for instruction for approximately 50 per cent of lessons throughout a typical school day.

The three most common ethnic origins within the division’s borders are Filipino, English and Canadian, according to the latest school demographics report.

English aside, Tagalog — a dialect of the same language as Filipino — is the most popular language spoken in family homes.

“The numbers we have warrant representation,” said Perla Javate, the newly elected Ward 6 representative whose resumé boasts more than 30 years working as a community liaison and intercultural support worker in the division.

“That’s one reason why I did say yes to running this time, because it was never my plan to go into a public position, because I was busy with volunteer work, working with racialized groups and the Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba.”

Javate and her colleagues Dante Aviso and Ann Evangelista, voted in to represent wards 5 and 9, respectively, were honoured at an event at the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba last month.

The new trustees — accounting for a third of the board representatives — spent the majority, if not all, of their schooling in their home country; Aviso arrived in Winnipeg with his family as a teenager and graduated from Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute.

In a group interview, Aviso said the trio is bringing unique experiences with different education systems, strong individual relationships with ethnocultural communities and a shared commitment to serve residents to the board table.

They are all in agreement that local pupils would benefit from classroom culture changes that mimic successful practices in the Philippines, including an emphasis on openly recognizing exceptional student achievement to motivate peers and drilling strong study skills.

“There is really a huge gap. A lot of parents have pointed this out — when their kids transition from Grade 12 to university, there is some sort of culture shock,” said Evangelista, an instructor at the University of Winnipeg.

The Ward 9 trustee, who has taught in countries across Southeast Asia, said her priorities include advocating for post-secondary transition supports and updated professional development for bilingual program teachers.

Javate’s to-do list for the 2022-26 term includes recommending the division designate a staff member at every school to be a receptionist, guide “and friend” for newcomer youth to set them up for success.

For Aviso, a real estate agent and literacy advocate, an eventual expansion of the Filipino bilingual program to Sargent Park is of interest.

The latest iteration of the school board is an exciting development for Filipino teacher organizers.

Genalyn Tan, a trained educator, parent and community leader, said their autumn open house to advertise the tentative September 2023 program launch drew significant interest.

Tan said WSD’s after-school heritage classes are giving youth the ability to speak to their grandparents and other relatives in their mother tongues.

“It’s giving (families) a sense of pride and it boosts their morale, whenever they hear their children speak the language when they get back home,” said the vice-president of the Filipino Canadian National Congress.

Fluency also benefits students because they can earn a high school credit via WSD’s Filipino exam and later in life, take on jobs where multiple languages are an asset, she said, adding the language is growing in popularity due to immigration.

The Seven Oaks School Division launched a groundbreaking English-Filipino stream — believed to be the first of its kind in Canada — in 2018-19. Arthur E. Wright Community School in The Maples continues to offer it to K-6 students.

The program in WSD is anticipated to begin with kindergarten and Grade 1 pupils.

Learners from across the city are welcome to register, but free busing will only be available to pupils in the division who live 1.6 kilometres from Meadows West, according to the organizers.

Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press

Alabama family sentenced by feds for running 'one of the largest cockfighting enterprises' in the US

Story by Greg Norman • 

The seventh and final member of an Alabama family that prosecutors allege ran an "expansive cockfighting operation" complete with "stadium-style seating for approximately 150 people" and a "merchandise stand," has been sentenced on federal charges.

On Tuesday, George Easterling, 56, of Verbena, was handed a 22-month prison term followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to multiple felonies, including violating the Animal Welfare Act’s prohibition against animal fighting, according to the Justice Department.

Prosecutors say Easterling and six other family members, ranging in age from 25 to 77, were recently involved in operating a cockfighting pit and fighting-bird breeding operation.

"According to court documents and information in the public record, from at least January 2018 through June 11, 2021, illegal cockfighting events were held at the cockfighting pit, which consisted of an arena with stadium-style seating for approximately 150 people which faced several cockfighting pits and several nearby outbuildings including a merchandise stand," the Justice Department said in a statement.

143 ROOSTERS EUTHANIZED AFTER CALIFORNIA COCKFIGHTING BUST

A cockfighting event is pictured on Feb. 20, 2021 near Manila, Philippines. The Justice Department says the Easterling family ran "one of the largest cockfighting enterprises" in the U.S. Jes Aznar/Getty Images© Jes Aznar/Getty Images

"Participants were charged expensive fees to enter their birds in the derbies – such as $1,500 to fight seven roosters – and told what weapons to strap to the roosters’ legs, such as short knives, long knives or spurs," it added.

Prosecutors say that near the cockfighting pit, "members of the Easterling family ran two large fighting-bird breeding businesses known as Swift Creek Gamefarm and L&L Gamefarm at which thousands of birds were bred and sold to be used in fights between two or more birds for the purposes of sport, wagering or entertainment."

"Combined, the seven convicted members of the Easterling family helped run one of the largest cockfighting enterprises in the country," the Justice Department said. "With the help of six of his family members, Jim Easterling owned and operated the cockfighting pit for many years, even enlisting his granddaughter, Amber Easterling, to sell weapons used to kill birds in cockfights at the merchandise stand."



Locals watch as roosters clash during a cockfight on Dec. 4, 2011 in Koronadal, Philippines. U.S. federal prosecutors say the members of the Easterling family also "ran two large fighting-bird breeding businesses." Jeoffrey Maitem/Getty Images© Jeoffrey Maitem/Getty Images

The statement also described Brent Easterling as being "one of the most widely-known fighting-bird breeders in the country, running L&L Gamefarm with his wife Kassi Easterling and charging $1,500 for three chickens because they were birds of select fighting pedigrees."

Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said, "As these sentences vividly show, the Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable those who encourage and profit from forcing animals to fight each other for human entertainment."

NO MENTION OF THE UIGHERS
China's Xi on 'epoch-making' visit to Saudi as Riyadh chafes at U.S. censure

Story by By Aziz El Yaakoubi and Eduardo Baptista • 

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Riyadh© Thomson Reuters

RIYADH (Reuters) -Chinese President Xi Jinping began a visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that Beijing said marked its biggest diplomatic initiative in the Arab world, as Riyadh expands global alliances beyond a longstanding partnership with the West.

The meeting between the global economic powerhouse and Gulf energy giant comes as Saudi ties with Washington are strained by U.S. criticism of Riyadh's human rights record and Saudi support for oil output curbs before the November midterm elections.


Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Riyadh© Thomson Reuters

The White House said Xi's visit was an example of Chinese attempts to exert influence, and that this would not change U.S. policy towards the Middle East.

"We are mindful of the influence that China is trying to grow around the world," White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

China, the world's biggest energy consumer, is a major trade partner of Gulf oil and gas producers. Bilateral ties have expanded under the region's economic diversification push, raising U.S. concerns about growing Chinese involvement in sensitive infrastructure in the Gulf.



Flags of participating countries are pictured ahead of the China-Arab summit in Riyadh© Thomson Reuters

Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Wednesday said that Riyadh would remain a "trusted and reliable" energy partner for Beijing and that the two countries would boost cooperation in energy supply chains by establishing a regional centre in the kingdom for Chinese factories.

Related video: Chinese President XI Jinping to meet Saudi Arabia's Crown prince (WION)  Duration 6:38 View on Watch




Saudi Arabia is China's top oil supplier and Xi's visit takes place while uncertainty hangs over energy markets after Western powers imposed a price cap on sales of oil from Russia, which has been increasing volumes to China with discounted oil.

The Chinese delegation is expected to sign deals worth $30 billion with Riyadh, Saudi state media had said.

'EPOCH-MAKING VISIT'

Xi was met by the governor of Riyadh, the kingdom's foreign minister and the governor of sovereign wealth fund PIF.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to offer Xi a lavish welcome, in contrast with the low-key reception for U.S. President Joe Biden whose censure of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler formed the backdrop for a strained meeting in July.

Xi will hold bilateral talks with Saudi Arabia and Riyadh will later host a wider meeting with Gulf Arab states and a summit with Arab leaders which will be "an epoch-making milestone in the history of the development of China-Arab relations", foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

Speaking on arrival in Riyadh, Xi said he would work with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and other Arab leaders "to advance Chinese-Arab relations and Chinese-GCC relations to a new level", Saudi state news agency SPA reported.

For Riyadh, frustrated by what it sees as Washington's gradual disengagement from the Middle East and a slow erosion of its security guarantees, China offers an opportunity for economic gains without the tensions which have come to cloud the U.S. relationship.

"Beijing does not burden its partners with demands or political expectations and refrains from interfering in their internal affairs," Saudi columnist Abdulrahman Al-Rashed wrote in the Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

Unlike Washington, Beijing retains good ties with Riyadh's regional rival Iran, another supplier of oil to China, and has shown little interest in addressing Saudi political or security concerns in the region.

Saudi Arabia, birthplace of Islam, had supported China's policies in Xinjiang, where the U.N. says human rights abuses have been committed against Uyghurs and other Muslims.

Saudi officials have said that regional security would be on the agenda during Xi's visit. The United States has for decades been Saudi Arabia's main security guarantor and remains its main defence supplier, but Riyadh has chafed at restrictions on U.S. arms sales to the kingdom.

Riyadh has said it would continue to expand partnerships to serve economic and security interests, despite U.S. reservations about Gulf ties with both Russia and China.

(Reporting by Eduardo Baptista in Beijing and Aziz El Yaakoubi in Riyadh; Additional reporting by Ghaida Ghantous and Maha El Dahan in Dubai and Steve Holland and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Writing by Dominic Evans and Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Nick Macfie and Toby Chopra)