One of the two female OpenAI board members replaced after the Sam Altman incident says a company lawyer tried to pressure her with an ‘intimidation’ tactic


Kylie Robison
Thu, December 7, 2023 

Amidst the pre-Thanksgiving holiday drama at OpenAI, in which CEO Sam Altman was abruptly fired by the company’s board of directors, some of the board's lesser-known members found themselves thrust into the spotlight. Helen Toner, a 31-year-old academic from Australia, was among them, swiftly acquiring a less-than-flattering rap online for her role in ousting the popular AI chief.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, Toner finally told her side of what had unfolded over the five-day fiasco—and accused the company of an “intimidation tactic” in an effort to get her to restore Altman to the throne.

“Our goal in firing Sam was to strengthen OpenAI and make it more able to achieve its mission,” she told the Journal, noting the company’s “very unusual organization, and the nonprofit mission—to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity—comes first.”

While Toner declined to discuss the specific details of the incident that led to Altman’s firing, she told the Journal that it wasn’t about AI safety, it was about a lack of trust. Toner and Altman had frequently clashed since she joined the board in 2021, the report said, citing anonymous sources.

As a backlash erupted over Altman’s firing, and nearly all of OpenAI’s staffers threatened to quit unless he was reinstated, Toner said that an unnamed OpenAI lawyer tried to pressure her into reversing her decision. According to Toner, the lawyer told her the board’s decision to fire Altman might result in the company’s downfall, and that if she didn’t therefore immediately resign, she would be in breach of her fiduciary duties.

But Toner defended her actions, insisting that even OpenAI’s potential self-destruction might “align with the mission” of ensuring that AGI—the term for a superintelligent AI that performs general tasks better than humans—benefits humanity.

The media meticulously chronicled Altman’s firing, with each passing hour creating a fresh headline. After Altman got the axe on that fateful Friday, reports circulated that a startled Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella immediately got to work creating a plan to reinstate Altman. The cloud giant had already poured billions of dollars into the startup, including computational power, and was working quickly to leverage that bargaining chip. Meanwhile, some investors were quick to publicly voice their displeasure.

“OpenAI’s board members’ religion of ‘effective altruism’ and its misapplication could have set back the world’s path to the tremendous benefits of artificial intelligence,” wrote early OpenAI investor Vinod Khosla, referring to Toner’s ties to the effective altruism movement, a philosophy that tends to err on the side of caution when it comes to building AGI, which appeared to be at the core of the clash.

“Our decision was about the board’s ability to effectively supervise the company, which was our role and responsibility. Though there has been speculation, we were not motivated by a desire to slow down OpenAI’s work,” Toner wrote on X after stepping down.

OpenAI’s board is now composed of former Salesforce executive Bret Taylor as chairman, Lawrence Summers, and Adam D’Angelo, with the goal of “building out a qualified and diverse board, and enhancing governance procedures consistent with the importance and complexity of OpenAI’s mission,” Taylor wrote in a post.

“I have enormous respect for the OpenAI team, and wish them and the incoming board of Adam, Bret, and Larry all the best. I’ll be continuing my work focused on AI policy, safety, and security, so I know our paths will cross many times in the coming years,” Toner posted, with Altman’s name notably absent.

Got a tip? Contact Kylie securely via encrypted messaging app Signal at 415-735-6829 or on X @kyliebytes. Follow all of Kylie's stories here.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

The Sublime Perversion of Capital
Marxist Theory and the Politics of History in Modern Japan



BookPages: 264

Published: March 2016
Author: Gavin Walker

In The Sublime Perversion of Capital Gavin Walker examines the Japanese debate about capitalism between the 1920s and 1950s, using it as a "prehistory" to consider current discussions of uneven development and contemporary topics in Marxist theory and historiography. Walker locates the debate's culmination in the work of Uno Kozo, whose investigations into the development of capitalism and the commodification of labor power are essential for rethinking the national question in Marxist theory. Walker's analysis of Uno and the Japanese debate strips Marxist historiography of its Eurocentric focus, showing how Marxist thought was globalized from the start. In analyzing the little-heralded tradition of Japanese Marxist theory alongside Marx himself, Walker not only offers new insights into the transition to capitalism, the rise of globalization, and the relation between capital and the formation of the nation-state; he provides new ways to break Marxist theory's impasse with postcolonial studies and critical theory.

Praise

“Walker leads readers on a theoretical odyssey illustrating the convolutions of contemporary Marxist theory surrounding capital's historicity, and interweaving important threads of a largely forgotten narrative by Uno Kôzô, a crucial Japanese thinker on the problems of capital and the national question during the critical interwar period and postwar 1950s.” — Annika A. Culver, History: Reviews of New Books

"Walker’s book does much to clarify the relevance of Uno’s work for both historical research and studies of the present moment; it occupies a central place in the on-going 'Uno Renaissance.'" — Katsuhiko Endo, Journal of Social History

"The value of The Sublime Perversion of Capital lies in this very point, namely, that the historical and social aspects of nationalism are created and sustained through a romantic repetition of ideas, events, symbols, commemorations, and trivialities that swerve our gazes away from the inherent problems of the nation-state, capitalist accumulation, and, especially today, the unbridled excesses of globalization and perfunctory attempts to (pretend to) roll these back in the name of some 'national interest.'" — Curtis Anderson Gayle, Journal of Japanese Studies

"Walker’s work offers something of value to both economic historians as well as Japanologists: an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the contributions of Japanese intellectuals as you focus on the tensions of Marxism and capitalism for the former and a review (if not (re)discovery) of the essentials of Marxism and capitalist theory while in pursuit of the history of contemporary Japanese social sciences for the latter." — Anthony Rausch, New Books Asia

“Original and erudite. . . . Gavin Walker develops a wide-ranging and densely argued Marxist theoretical account of capital and its (il)logics. The heart of his inquiry is what he calls capital’s “sublime perversion”: its ability to overcome, without resolving, its own contradictions, its 'constant and relentless transformation of limits into thresholds.' Walker’s theorization of this perversion interweaves a set of concepts and approaches derived from Marx and from Walker’s extensive reading (in, by my count, seven languages) of twentieth- and early twenty-first-century thinkers.” — Derek Hall, Pacific Affairs

"Gavin Walker’s book on the Japanese capitalism debate of the 1920s and 1930s, The Sublime Perversion of Capital, brings this important set of arguments on Marxist theory and history out of the domain of Japanese studies, where it is often cited but scarcely appreciated, and into dialogue with contemporary historiography and political theory. . . . The Sublime Perversion of Capital is an important and singular contribution to scholarship on Marxism and capitalism. It restores the sophistication of interwar Japanese debates on the country’s development and the development of capitalism on a global scale. Walker shows the significance of these debates for Marxism at a time when the Comintern’s dicta were challenged by the heterogeneity of the global political economy. His book thus reinstates the historicity of debates on the nature of capitalism and its historical manifestation, then and now.” — Christopher L. Hill, American Historical Review

"A truly interdisciplinary work that understands Japanese Marxism as part of a larger global moment. . . .Through Japanese Marxist writings, [Walker] shows how capital needs the state to commodify labor power, leading to a global system of borders and policing. In this light one might compare the book to recent Althusserian readings of Marx that theorize capitalism as comprising class structures related to the market, state, and world system. Walker also gestures in the direction of combined and uneven development and attempts to posit an alternative to the theoretical impasse between universal- ism and particularism by grounding both in a theory of capitalism. The Sublime Perversion of Capital remains essential reading for scholars interested in area studies, Japanese intellectual history, and Marxist theory and helps us rethink the role that capitalism and the nation-state play in shaping the world in which we live.” — Viren Murthy, Monumenta Nipponica

"The Sublime Perversion of Capital makes an important intervention in both Japanese intellectual history and Marxist theory." — Viren Murthy, Journal of Asian Studies

"Walker’s [The Sublime Perversion of Capital] benefits immensely from the profundity and breadth of his truly impressive erudition, which allows him to involve in the unfolding of his argument a plethora of ideas and inspirations also from regions far beyond the horizon of the known Marxist universe and to prepare in turn the ground 'not only for rethinking Japanese intellectual history, but for numerous interventions in contemporary debates on the philosophy of history, in postcolonial historiography, and for contemporary political thought.’" — Christian Uhl, Canadian Journal of History

"This is a very rich, densely packed book whose remarkably extensive bibliography supports what is a timely intervention…. Far from merely casting light on debates unique to a hitherto obscure group of Marxist critics, Walker’s book ought to be a significant invigoration of global critique and the formulation of relevant political strategies based on that. The book’s argument deserves wide dissemination.” — Michael Keaney, World Review of Political Economy


"What is capital? What is its relation with the 'world' and with the nation? What is its origin, its limit, and its 'other'? Reading the 'debate on Japanese capitalism' in the 1920s and 1930s against the grain of contemporary concerns, Gavin Walker invites us to a breathtaking intellectual journey. He provides a masterful interpretation of a crucial historical debate and makes a landmark contribution to our understanding of global capitalism and to the forging of a new project of liberation." — Sandro Mezzadra, coauthor of Border as Method, or, The Multiplication of Labor

"Gavin Walker's superb The Sublime Perversion of Capital is a brilliantly imaginative recovery of Marx's worldly vocation and the original premises of historical materialism dedicated to combining the immediacy of local contemporary circumstances with the global reach of capital. He realizes this singularly vital program by reflecting on the writings of the economist Uno Kozo, especially his thinking on logic and history, as they intervened and culminated in the famous Marxian debate on capitalism in Japan's 1920s and 1930s in a context sparked by a rapidly uneven passage into capitalist modernity and its spillover into imperialism." — Harry Harootunian, author of Marx After Marx: History and Time in the Expansion of Capitalism

PERVERSITY OF CAPITALI$M

CRISPR STOCK CRASHES AFTER

 FDA Approves Gene-Editing Treatment

Shares of Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP) had a volatile day on Friday after the Food and Drug Administration approved the company's groundbreaking gene-editing treatment for sickle cell disease. CRSP stock rallied ahead of the news, but shares then fell sharply shedding more than 8%.

The FDA approved the treatment that Crispr developed based on its gene-editing technology known as CRISPR. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) co-developed the treatment.
"Gene therapy holds the promise of delivering more targeted and effective treatments, especially for individuals with rare diseases where the current treatment options are limited," Nicole Verdun, M.D., director of the Office of Therapeutic Products at the agency's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.

In November, the U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved the Crispr treatment for patients age 12 and older with blood diseases known as sickle cell disease or beta thalassemia. CRSP stock surged on the news, and is up nearly 50% year to date.

CRSP stock sank 8.1% to close at 64.54.

Vertex, CRISPR Therapeutics Get FDA Approval for First CRISPR Gene-Editing Therapy in US

By BILL MCCOLL
Published December 08, 2023



KEY TAKEAWAYS

Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics received regulatory approval for the first gene-editing therapy using CRISPR technology in the U.S.

The treatment, called Casgevy, is used to treat sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder.

Casgevy uses the Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR technique to edit the cells that cause the illness.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) announced Friday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave them approval for use of the first-ever gene-editing therapy using CRISPR technology in the U.S.

The companies’ Casgevy is a treatment for sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder. Casgevy uses the Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR genetic modification technique to edit patients’ DNA to target the effects of the disease.1

Dr. Reshma Kewalramani, CEO of Vertex, said Casgevy “offers the potential of a one-time transformative therapy for eligible patients with sickle cell disease.”

Vertex noted that because the administration of Casgevy requires specialized experience in stem cell transplantation, the company is “engaging with experienced hospitals to establish a network of independently operated, authorized treatment centers.” It explained that currently, nine medical centers across the country have been activated.

Shares of Vertex finished 1.1% lower Friday following the news, while CRISPR Therapeutics shares lost 8.1%. However, both remained higher for the year, with Vertex shares up 22.4% year-to-date, while CRISPR Therapeutics shares have gained over 57%.

STONE AGE SHIPPING?
Divers Found Cargo That Might Just Lead to a 'Mind-Blowing' Neolithic Shipwreck

Tim Newcomb
Thu, December 7, 2023 

We May Have Found Cargo From A Neolithic Shipwreck

Eric Volto - Getty Images

A series of obsidian blocks were found off the Italian island of Capri.

Italian authorities believe the obsidian could have come from a Neolithic shipwreck.

Other experts say it is possible that the the site was once a Stone Age settlement, before the sea engulfed it.

Obsidian was the gold of the Stone Age. So, when a series of obsidian blocks have been located off the coast of Capri, authorities began saying that the “worked obsidian cores” could have been the precious cargo a Neolithic shipwreck.

“Finding a Neolithic wreck would be mind-blowing,” Sean Kingsley, Wreckwatch magazine editor, told Newsweek. “If any extensive cargo and crew’s belongings survive, the discovery would become one of the top five underwater strikes of all time. For now, the jury is out, however.”

The jury may be out, but the search is on. In a translated statement from the Superintendent of Archeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Naples Metropolitan Area (SABAP), the group announces plans to continue extensive instrumental surveying of the seabed in order to verify the possible presence of a hull or other cargo material.

“Obsidian was precious during prehistoric times because very sharp blades were made from it, which lasted a long time,’ Sandro Barucci, an ancient seafaring researcher, tells Newsweek. “When metals were not yet in use, obsidian was the best material for making cutting tools, and its value was enormous.”

Found 100 to 130 feet below the water, SABAP said they were “recovering what must have been part of the cargo of a Neolithic-era ship.” The first piece uncovered was a massive, 17-pound piece of the valuable material. On it and other pieces, SABAP pointed to the clear traces of chiseling and processing on the surface of the “worked obsidian cores” to show the piece was in transport as part of some sort of Neolithic ship.

Barucci said that it is too early to say the obsidian came from a cargo boat that wrecked off Capri. He’d also like to see an in-depth technical examination of the obsidian before throwing around the Neolithic theory. But researchers believe that, since obsidian was popular during the Stone Age, the 17-pound piece is likely at least 4000 years old.

Barucci points out, however, that no Neolithic hull has ever been found in the Mediterranean. Even though it would have been strengthened, the wood from the ships—which would have resembled canoes with simple sails—just hasn’t had a great record of surviving the water or the wood-eating mollusks that live there.

“At Capri, if the boat had sunk quickly into the sand and remained protected, it would perhaps be possible to find some wooden parts, especially if it were a dugout canoe—i.e. made from a single large hollowed-out tree trunk,” Barucci said. “But it would truly be a very rare event indeed unique. We have to wait for the excavations.”

And this may all be wishful thinking anyway, Kinglsey said, as the seabed around the find is largely rocky and filled with boulders instead of sand.

Kingsley said that there’s also some potential that the obsidian is from a sunken prehistoric settlement, not a shipwreck. The exact location of the find, while kept a secret, is near caves that could have once been above the ocean’s reach.

All the intrigue has Italian authorities hoping for more details as they start an extensive search of the area. They’re hoping to strike more than just black gold.

RED TORY

SIR Keir Starmer insists he’s no Thatcher ‘fan boy’ and says she did terrible things

Adam Forrest

Sir Keir Starmer has attempted to calm the storm of criticism over his comments about Margaret Thatcher by telling a Scottish audience that she did “terrible things”.

The Labour leader sought to draw a line under the row after he appeared to praise the former Tory prime minister and her moves to boost Britain’s “entrepreneurialism”.

On a visit to Scotland on Friday, Sir Keir insisted he is no fan of Ms Thatcher and said that he “profoundly disagrees” with some of her actions.

He said she did “huge damage” to communities across the UK – particularly in Scotland – only days after listing her as among former leaders who delivered “meaningful change”.

In an article for the Sunday Telegraph, he said Baroness Thatcher had sought to “drag Britain out of its stupor by setting loose our natural entrepreneurialism”.

The attempt to appeal to traditional Tory voters fell flat with some Labour supporters and he was mocked by Conservative MPs as a Thatcher “fan boy” in the Commons.

But asked whether he was a fan at a Scottish Labour gala dinner in Glasgow on Thursday evening, he said: “No, absolutely not.”

The comments, heard on an audio recording, were met with applause by the audience in Scotland, where the former Tory leader’s privatisation agenda hit particularly hard.

Keir Starmer sought to draw a line under the row in Scotland (Getty Images)

“She did terrible things, particularly here in Scotland which everybody in this room, myself included, profoundly disagrees with,” Sir Keir said.

“The point I was trying to make in a piece that we penned last week was that there are some political leaders who have a mission, a plan, that they implement,” he told the audience.

The Labour leader went on to said: “Attlee of course, was one of them, the ‘New Jerusalem’. Thatcher, whether you liked her or you didn’t like her, you couldn’t say she didn’t have a plan, or a mission.

Sir Keir added: “You can say someone has a mission and a plan and disagree profoundly with them.”

Baroness Thatcher won three general elections in her 11-year reign, but remains a divisive figure, including over the agenda of privatisation that saw the decline of industries such as coal and steel.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar did not repeat Sir Keir’s supportive comments this week, instead describing Baroness Thatcher as a “destructive force for our country”.

Sir Keir was following in the footsteps of his predecessor Sir Tony, who also praised the Iron Lady in the run-up to his 1997 general election landslide.

But he faced a furious backlash from left-wing MPs, with Beth Winter saying the former Tory PM “caused poverty and deprivation not seen since the Dickensian era”.

Some backbenchers urged the leadership to distance itself from any praise for Thatcher. Labour MP Ian Byrne said Ms Thatcher’s legacy was “inequality, hunger, destitution and misery”.

Earlier this week Labour’s national campaign coordinator Pat McFadden said he would not use the word “admire” to sum up how he felt about Thatcher, and would instead say she was “successful electorally”.

Meanwhile, two people have been charged in connection with alleged disorder offences following a protest where UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was confronted by pro-Palestine activists.

On Thursday night, Police Scotland said a man, 33, and a woman, 26, were arrested after Sir Keir was confronted by protesters as he arrived in Glasgow.

Footage showed Sir Keir arriving at Glasgow Central station, where a group of activists were waiting with Palestinian flags.

He has faced criticism for refusing to back a ceasefire in Gaza, with the party leadership in favour of calling for humanitarian pauses to allow people to leave Gaza and for aid to enter.

This Nation of 10 Million People Just Ran Entirely on Renewable Energy for 149 Hours

Portugal Ran on Renewable Energy For Nearly a Week

Cícero Castro - Getty Images

Darren Orf
Fri, December 8, 2023

For the world to avoid the worst outcome of human-induced climate change, countries need to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy as soon as possible.

For 149 consecutive hours in November, Portugal provided a stunning example of what that could look like, as it used a mix of solar, wind, and hydropower to provide more clean energy than the entire country needed.

The nation has plans to upgrade its wind turbines, expand its solar capacity, and close its last gas-powered plants.

The world desperately needs to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy as quickly as possible. While some small countries have made the green energy leap, for many large nations, it’s an unfortunately slow-going process—too slow by most scientists’ measure.

However, for one week in November, the country of Portugal bucked the trend by running entirely on renewable energy. Producing 1,102 GWh (according to the national grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais) for both industrial and residential use, the country’s renewable energy sources—a mix of wind, solar, and hydropower—provided 262 GWh more than was needed.

This exceeds the country’s previous record—it ran for 131 hours on renewable energy back in 2019—and for 95 hours during this recent test, Portugal even exported its excess clean energy to Spain. Although the country’s gas plants were on standby, Portugal’s renewable infrastructure proved to be more than up for the task.

The test, which ran from 4 a.m. local time on October 31 until 9 a.m. on November 6, proved just how effective the climate policies of one of the greenest members of the European Union have been. Portugal first began building onshore wind turbines back in the 1990s, and in 2016, the country set its own goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050—three years before the rest of the EU. It also pledged to shut down all of its coal plants by 2030, which it managed to do a full nine years early. Portugal is also home to Europe’s largest floating solar farm, built with 12,000 panels, and the county has pledged to double its solar and hydrogen capacity.

In other words, Portugal means business.


The country aims to get 85 percent of its energy through renewable sources by 2030, but doing so won’t be easy (despite this recent feat). This is in part because much of the prime offshore locations for wind energy are already occupied. However, many of the old-time turbines could be replaced with newer ones to could provide a significant wind power increase, according to Canary Media.

This 149-hour, record-breaking run is certainly impressive, but it did benefit from a seasonality advantage. Because the test was conducted in mid-autumn, the grid didn’t have as high a heating or cooling demand as it would usually experience in the summer and winter months. It’s one thing to provide enough energy during the relatively mild seasons, but it would be another thing entirely to provide a continuous flow of electrons during a heat wave or a cold snap.

Portugal’s 149 hours of renewable bliss is a hopeful vision of the future for a fossil fuel-weary present. Humans can adapt to the climate challenges that face us—we just have to do it one renewable megawatt at a time.

 

Stellantis to introduce battery swap stations from 2024
Jonathan Bryce
Fri, December 8, 2023 

Ample charging

The system will initially be rolled out in Madrid next year

Stellantis will launch a network of battery swap stations that can fit a fully charged battery to an EV "in less than five minutes".

The technology, developed by San Francisco-based Ample and backed by Vauxhall parent Stellantis, will be rolled out on a subscription basis and be introduced in Madrid, Spain, next year. Further sites will follow, although the brand is remaining tight-lipped on locations and timelines.

It will initially be available for only the electric Fiat 500 but the system will be expanded to accommodate every marque in the Stellantis stable, including Citroën, Peugeot, Jeep and Maserati.

It has been conceived to make gaining a fully charged battery "as fast and convenient as refuelling with gas", according to Stellantis. Cars will be recognised on arrival, with drivers using an app to initiate the swapping process.

It follows a similar set-up by Chinese EV brand Nio, which has more than 1300 of its Power Swap Stations in service across its home nation, with a further 13 in several central European countries. Plans for the UK have previously been mooted.

For Stellantis’s tech, the swappable modular batteries have been designed as "drop-in replacements" for existing packs used by any electric car. It allows Stellantis to integrate its batteries without re-engineering platforms, saving cash.

“Ample’s Modular Battery Swapping solution has the opportunity to offer our customers greater energy efficiency, outstanding performance and lower range anxiety. We are looking forward to executing the initial programme with our stellar Fiat 500e,” Stellantis senior vice president Ricardo Stamatti said.

According to Stellantis, the swap stations can be constructed and fully operational in "as little as three days".

Ample CEO Khaled Hassounah said: “The combination of offering compelling electric vehicles that can also receive a full charge in less than five minutes will help remove the remaining impediments to electric vehicle adoption.”

Stellantis warns thousands in US of potential job cuts

BUILDING FIAT-EV'S IN EUROPE FOR US MARKET!

AFP
Fri, December 8, 2023 

More than 1,200 workers at Stellantis' Ohio factory were notified of potential job cuts (Sarah Rice)


Stellantis has notified thousands of workers in the US states of Ohio and Michigan of potential layoffs, attributing the move partly to California rules that limit where vehicles can be sold.

The European automaker on Thursday notified 2,455 workers in Detroit and 1,225 in Ohio of potential job loss under the federal Warn Act, which requires early notification of major layoffs.

The company expects the actual number of layoffs to be "much lower" than the Detroit figure and "slightly lower" than the Ohio number, said Stellantis spokeswoman Jodi Tinson.


"Due to the complexity of our bargaining agreement related to the placement of affected employees, Warn notices were issued to more employees than will ultimately be impacted out of an abundance of caution to give employees notice even if not legally required," Tinson told AFP in an email.

The notification hits the Midwestern states only weeks after workers at Stellantis and fellow Detroit giants General Motors and Ford ratified sweeping new wage increases following a roughly six-week strike organized by the United Auto Workers union.

The job cuts affect Stellantis' Mack assembly plant in Detroit, where the Grand Cherokee and hybrid Grand Cherokee 4xe are assembled; and the Toledo Assembly plants where the Jeep Wrangler and hybrid Jeep 4xe are put together.

The moves at the plants are to "manage sales of the vehicles they produce to comply with California emissions regulations that are measured on a state-by-state basis," said a Stellantis statement.

On Wednesday, Stellantis filed a formal challenge with the California Office Administrative Law of state air board policies that it argues unfairly disadvantage the European company.

Stellantis is currently sending only the hybrid versions of its vehicles to dealer lots in California and 13 other states that follow the mandates set down by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

This has meant that in certain periods, Stellantis has only sold internal combustion engine vehicles in California in response to customer orders, Stellantis attorneys said in the December 6 letter to the administrative board.

Conversely, the company has at times limited hybrid models to customer orders, meaning "dealers could not place certain vehicles on their lots for customers to view and test drive," Stellantis said in the letter.

In July 2019, California announced an agreement with four Stellantis rivals -- Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW -- in response to then President Donald Trump's effort to freeze emissions rules.

CARB's "continuing exclusion" of Stellantis subjects the company to a "double standard," which also threatens "the livelihoods of our 56,000 US employees," the company said.

str-jmb/md

Stellantis Blames Job Cuts at Jeep Plants on California Emissions Rules

Keith Laing and Gabrielle Coppola
Thu, December 7, 2023 at 7:14 PM MST·3 min read




(Bloomberg) -- Stellantis NV is eliminating a shift at a Jeep plant in Detroit and cutting jobs at its Toledo, Ohio, Jeep assembly complex, a move the company blamed on strict emissions standards adopted by California and more than a dozen other states in 2019.

Stellantis announced Thursday it will temporarily cut a shift at its Mack Avenue plant in Detroit, which makes two- and three-row Jeep Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicles and hybrids, and trim jobs in Toledo, which produces the Wrangler SUV and Jeep Gladiator pickup.

Stellantis said it was cutting Jeep production in anticipation of potentially lower sales of gas-powered vehicles in California and other states. The company filed a petition against California regulators Wednesday arguing the state’s rules put the company at a disadvantage versus competitors.

The moves come as automakers are pushing back on the Biden administration’s efforts to increase fuel economy and spur faster adoption of electric vehicles. Automobile industry trade groups have said stricter rules would cost them billions in fines, while dealers warn that EV demand is softening.

Stellantis’ predecessor, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, sided with the Trump administration it its fight to take away California’s legal right to set its own emissions standards. That position resulted in it being left out of the less stringent deal the California Air Resources Board, or CARB, struck with four carmakers — Ford Motor Co., Volkswagen AG, Honda Motor Co. and BMW AG.

Layoff Notices

Stellantis said it would file notices Thursday to state and local governments under the federal WARN Act, which requires employers with 100 or more workers give 60 days’ notice of plant closings or mass layoffs. The company declined to specify how many jobs would be affected; the two plants combined employ just over 10,000 people.

Stellantis’s Wednesday petition alleged that California improperly adopted a 2019 deal negotiated by state regulators and four carmakers that allowed those manufacturers to voluntarily increase the average fuel economy of their fleets to about 50 miles per gallon (80 kilometers) by the end of the 2026 model year.

While Stellantis has lagged behind other automakers in the conversion to EVs, its Jeep Wrangler 4xe hybrid is the fourth best-selling electrified vehicle in California this year through September, and its Chrysler Pacifica hybrid is 13th on the list.

At the same time, all three big Detroit automakers are looking to cuts costs after they agreed to contracts with record pay increases following the United Auto Workers’ strikes this year.

Lys Mendez, communications director for CARB, said the agency expects California’s Office of Administrative Law would recognize the agreements with the carmakers “for the settlements that they are” and dismiss Stellantis’ petition. The UAW did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sales Slump

Stellantis is also wrestling with shrinking sales at its prized Jeep brand as high interest rates put its premium SUV out of reach for more consumers.

Jeep brand sales fell 4% in the third quarter, the ninth consecutive quarterly decline, Stellantis reported in October. Sales were down 9% this year through September. Jeep named a new head of North America and picked a new global brand head last month.

The 2019 emission deal between California and the four carmakers is widely seen as a model for a subsequent Biden administration rule adopted in 2022. That rule now requires carmakers to increase their average fuel economy to about 49 miles per gallon by 2026.

Despite the fact that the national rules will require roughly the same fuel economy as California’s standards, Stellantis says manufacturers in the 2019 deal can meet the standards based on their nationwide sales, while excluded automakers are measured by sales in the states that follow the California rules. This, a company spokesperson said, necessitated the moves announced on Thursday.

Bloomberg Businessweek

Stellantis Says California's to Blame for Making It Harder to Buy an ICE Jeep

Adam Ismail
Thu, December 7, 2023

Stellantis Says California's to Blame for Making It Harder to Buy an ICE Jeep photo


Stellantis has formally lodged a petition against the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for subjecting it to stringent emissions requirements that not all automakers are required to meet. It's the latest chapter in a saga that has impacted the Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, and Dodge vehicles available for sale across the country, that Stellantis said in a statement "destabilizes our production schedules, the livelihoods of our 56,000 U.S. employees, and the thousands of spinoff jobs generated by our operations."

First, some background. Over the summer, Stellantis confirmed it was allocating only electrified versions of its vehicles, when possible, to dealer lots in the 14 CARB-compliant states. What this meant is that if you happened to shop in one of those states, the only Wranglers or Pacificas readily in stock were plug-in hybrid vehicles. Pure internal-combustion variants of those models were still available, but they had to be special-ordered for a customer. Meanwhile, dealers in non-CARB states suffered the opposite scenario: few or no hybrids stocked for people to buy and drive away same day, and a predominantly gas-only inventory.

Dodge Hornet R/T

The reason Stellantis moved to do this was because of CARB rules. Under its regulations, most manufacturers are required to sell a certain percentage of zero-emissions vehicles and plug-in hybrids within those 14 states. That's why Stellantis has prioritized sending such vehicles to those areas of the country. The sticking point for Stellantis is, a group of automakers that signed the department's "framework agreement" in 2020—BMW, Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, and Volvo—get to play by different rules. For those automakers, compliance is measured by sales nationwide, not just in CARB states. And that makes those numbers much easier to hit.

You may ask why Stellantis didn't just join 'em, if they couldn't beat 'em. It tried. According to the company's petition, it applied for the framework group in 2021 but was "barred" from entry. And, the way Stellantis sees it, this was a form of punishment because it publicly questioned California's authority to set its own regulations back in 2019 when the Trump administration was vying to undermine CARB. Stellantis, then just Fiat Chrysler, wasn't alone at the time; General Motors and Toyota were on the same side of the fight. On the other was BMW, Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen, if it's any surprise.

Regardless of the cause, Stellantis' position today is that CARB's selective rules violate the California Administrative Procedure Act (APA) by creating an alternate, favorable criteria for certain players, and that the board also violated the company's First Amendment rights by rejecting Stellantis due to arguments made against California regulators in the past. "If CARB had gone through the APA procedures, it would have had to publicly explain and justify the classification of OEMs into a two-tiered regulatory structure, and the regulated community would have had the opportunity to comment on the issues it would create," the petition reads.

Jeep Wrangler 4xe Willys

It's not surprising that Stellantis and GM would've opposed CARB back when it seemed there was an outside chance they wouldn't be forced to play by its rules, which are more stringent than the EPA's national criteria. Both SUV- and truck-centric automakers reportedly paid the government record fines for exceeding Corporate Average Fuel Economy limits in the final years of the previous decade, according to Reuters.

But for Stellantis, these hurdles are still affecting what the company can sell to customers right now in every state, in one manner or the other. A Stellantis representative told The Drive that "because of the disparities created by our exclusion from the Framework Agreement, our inventories of unsold electrified vehicles in California have become excessive." They also added that "excluding companies from the Framework Agreement is forcing Stellantis to undertake a production strategy that pits 'California states' against 'non-California states,'" decreasing product availability in some markets and hampering the company's EV rollout, which it's investing $35 billion in.

Bethlehem church brings people to tears after redesigning Christmas nativity scene to reflect Israel-Hamas war

Lawrence Richard
Fri, December 8, 2023

A church in Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus, is receiving attention for its decision to redesign its Christmas nativity scene to reflect the impact of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Just weeks before Christmas, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, located in the West Bank, unveiled a new display of the nativity scene that shows baby Jesus lying in a manger amid rubble. The imagery symbolizes the destroyed Palestinian communities in Gaza and the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terror group, a church official said.

"Church families met last week and built it together. It was a moving experience for our families. During the service on Sunday, some people were in tears," Reverend Doctor Munther Isaac, the church's pastor, told The New Arab. "We are pleased our message has reached the world. This is what Christmas looks like in Palestine this year, the origin of Christmas."

Bethlehem is historically recognized as the birthplace of Jesus and his birth is celebrated by Christians and others on Christmas, Dec. 25. The nativity scene often depicts Jesus as a baby, alongside his mother Mary, often regarded by Catholics as a saint; as well as his father Joseph, wise men and their respective gifts, shepherds, angels and various animals, including donkeys and sheep.

A picture shows an installation of a scene of the nativity of Christ with a figure "symbolizing baby Jesus lying in his manger amid rubble", inside the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Dec. 6, 2023, a few weeks before Christmas amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.More

Isaac said the church has been "surprised and overwhelmed" by the response the church has received regarding the new manger.

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"Bethlehem has no visitors this year. Pilgrims are not coming to Bethlehem this year because of war," Isaac told the New Arab. "But we were surprised and overwhelmed by the attention and response this Manger received through the social media and media in general."

Bethlehem is historically recognized as the birthplace of Jesus and his birth is celebrated by Christians and others on Christmas, Dec. 25.

Reverend Doctor Munther Isaac, the church's pastor, said the installation of a scene of the nativity of Christ has a figure "symbolizing baby Jesus lying in his manger amid rubble."

While the current war between Israel and Hamas has primarily taken place in Gaza, a territory that runs along the Mediterranean Sea and shares its borders with Israel and Egypt, the fighting has escalated violence in the surrounding region, including the West Bank, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.

In the West Bank, known by Israelis by its biblical name Judea and Samaria, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have launched various and often deadly raids, including a raid Friday morning in Tubas and its refugee camp.

Reverend Doctor Munther Isaac said the church has been "surprised and overwhelmed" by the response the church has received over the new manger.

Israeli undercover forces entered the Faraa refugee camp, a stronghold of terror activity, where they killed the local commander of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade and arrested suspected Palestinian militants.

The undercover operation ultimately resulted in a firefight with local gunmen that left six Palestinians killed, including a 14-year-old boy.

Yigal Carmon, a former counterterrorism adviser to two Israeli Prime Ministers, told Fox News Digital that operations in the West Bank are being executed by Israelis to prevent a "third front" of its current war — in addition to fighting in Gaza and fighting with the Lebanese terrorist movement Hezbollah on its northern border.

Israel Defense Forces continue to conduct operations in the West Bank, known by Israelis by its biblical name Judea and Samaria.

"The initiative is always ours to prevent a third front. So the gangs of Hamas and the PIJ [Palestine Islamic Jihad] know we are in full force not only in Gaza and in the north but also in the West Bank," he said.

The IDF has used numerous drone attacks to knock out terrorists during such operations.

The new nativity was displayed a few weeks before Christmas amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Times of Israel reported that since the start of the war, Israel has arrested over 2,000 wanted Palestinians in the West Bank, including more than 1,100 affiliated with Hamas.

The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli forces have killed 267 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.

Fox News' Benjamin Weinthal and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Palestinian President Abbas says US is the 'only power' capable of ordering Israel to end the war

Timothy Nerozzi
Fri, December 8, 2023 

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a meeting of the Palestinian leadership at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah.

Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, on Friday told Reuters that he believes the U.S. "is the only power that is capable of ordering Israel to stop the war [...] but unfortunately it doesn't."

Abbas, speaking in an interview, also said that "the United States, which fully supports Israel, bears the responsibility of what is happening in the enclave."

He called for an international peace conference to find a solution to end the Israel-Hamas war.

WHITE HOUSE INTERNS REBEL AGAINST BIDEN WITH PRO-PALESTINIAN LETTER DEMANDING CEASE-FIRE

"I am with peaceful resistance. I am for negotiations based on an international peace conference and under international auspices that would lead to a solution that will be protected by world powers to establish a sovereign Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem," Abbas told Reuters.

A temporary cease-fire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas went into effect in late November but lasted for only a week before fighting resumed in the Gaza Strip.

On Tuesday, President Biden blamed Hamas for breaking the agreement with Israel, telling donors the terrorist group's "refusal to release the remaining young women is what broke this deal."

Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas, right, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken shake hands prior to a meeting at the Muqata, the presidential compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

"The United States tells us that it supports a two-state solution, that Israel is not allowed to occupy Gaza, to keep security control of Gaza or to expropriate land from Gaza," he also said, referencing an Israeli plan to have a temporary presence in Gaza after the war ends, according to Reuters.

He added, "America doesn't force Israel to implement what it says."

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this report.