Pebble legal battle rages with EPA agreement elusive
Companies pushing to build the copper, gold and molybdenum mine in the Bristol Bay watershed revealed in documents submitted to a district court in Alaska that they have failed to reach an agreement with EPA on how to move the project forward.
The Department of Justice said in court documents last week that EPA was 'open' to reconsidering the veto that essentially killed the project. EPA is talking to Pebble Partnership, a company wholly owned by Northern Dynasty Minerals, about a possible settlement, DOJ said.
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'Those discussions were productive but the parties did not reach a negotiated resolution,' Pebble lawyers wrote in a status update filed with the court Thursday. '[Pebble] believes it is now appropriate to proceed to summary judgment briefing regarding EPA's Final Determination.'
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UPI
4 hours ago
- UPI
France to recognize independent Palestinian state
France's President Emmanuel Macron, seen here in June, announced Thursday that Paris will recognize a Palestinian state. File Photo by Laurent Cipriani/EPA July 24 (UPI) -- President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will recognize the state of Palestine as part of Paris' "historical commitment to a just and durable peace in the Middle East." Macron said in a social media post that he plans to make a formal announcement in September at the United Nations in New York. "The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and to bring relief to the civilian population," he wrote in a statement on X. "Peace is possible." Macron's announcement, though mostly symbolic, comes as the death toll in the latest chapter of war between Israel and Hamas continues to rise, and hunger among Gazans in some areas borders on starvation. Errant Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of civilians. Most recently, 67 Gazans were killed near a United Nations humanitarian aid truck convoy where they were lined up to receive supplies. A week prior, six children were among 10 people killed while waiting to retrieve water and other essential goods. Several nations have come out to recognize a Palestinian State amid the war, including Spain, Norway and Ireland, though France is the first Group of Seven nation to recognize a Palestinian state, a decision that will raise the ire of the Trump administration, which supports Israel and has worked to end the war in Gaza. "The United States strongly rejects @EmmanuelMacron's plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the @UN General Assembly," State Secretary Marco Rubio said in a statement. "This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted angrily to Macron's announcement and accused him of leading a "crusade against the Jewish state." Netanyahu said in a statement, "We strongly condemn Mr. Macron's decision to recognize a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre" of 2023, and claimed a Palestinian state could become "a launchpad to annihilate Israel." The move threatens to worsen an already fraying relationship between Israel and France, which has deteriorated amid the war. Hala Abou-Hassira, Palestine's ambassador to France, said they "welcome" Macron's announcement. "Tonight, we are experiencing a decisive moment, a turning point against indifference, a turning point against indifference, a turning point against annihilation of a people, our people, the Palestinian people," she said in a statement. Macron's announcement came on the same day that Israel and the United States recalled their hostage negotiators from Doha following Hamas' reaction to the latest proposal to return them. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of not acting in good faith. It also comes on the heels of Israel's Knesset approving a non-binding resolution on Wednesday to annex the West Bank in a 71-13 vote. Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territory and the establishment of settlements there are widely viewed as illegal under international law, and has drawn repeated criticism and condemnation of the United Nations and the wider international community. Previous U.S. administrations have viewed such actions as destabilizing the region and as threats to the establishment of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel, under Netanyahu, does not support a two-state solution, and the resolution passed Wednesday declared Israel sovereignty "is an inseparable part of the fulfillment of Zionism and the national vision of the Jewish people that has returned to its homeland," and that the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 "proved that the establishment of a Palestinian state poses an existential danger to Israel, its citizens and the entire region." The passing of the resolution drew the condemnation of several, mostly Middle Eastern countries. Israel and Hamas have at war of years, with the conflict exploding into all-out war with the Iran-backed militia's surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Since then, Israel has devastated the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, killing nearly 60,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
George Santos bids dramatic farewell to supporters, critics before he begins 87-month prison sentence: ‘The curtain falls'
Former Rep. George Santos posted a theatrical farewell on social media Thursday night, just hours before he was to begin serving a federal prison sentence for fraud and identity theft. 'Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed,' Santos wrote on X. 'From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it's been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days. To my supporters: You made this wild political cabaret worth it. To my critics: Thanks for the free press.' The former New York congressman is expected to report to federal custody Friday to begin serving an 87-month sentence, just over seven years, after pleading guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos was assessed the maximum sentence in April by US District Judge Joanna Seybert. He was also ordered to pay nearly $374,000 in restitution and forfeit more than $205,000 in fraud proceeds. His guilty plea followed a sweeping investigation into campaign finance fraud, donor identity theft and false COVID-era unemployment claims. 5 Former Rep. George Santos leaves Federal Court after his sentencing in Islip, NY on April 25, 2025. PETER FOLEY/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 5 Santos blows a kiss to the cameras as he leaves a federal courthouse in Islip, NY on Oct. 27, 2023. REUTERS 'This prosecution speaks to the truth that my office is committed to aggressively rooting out public corruption,' said US Attorney John J. Durham, who called the sentence 'judgment day' for Santos and justice for his victims. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said Santos 'traded in his integrity for designer clothes and a luxury lifestyle.' Prosecutors shared how Santos and his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, doctored donor reports to qualify for national Republican party funding. They fabricated contributions from Santos' family and falsely reported a $500,000 loan from Santos, though he had under $8,000 in his accounts. Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed. From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it's been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days. To my supporters: You made this wild… — George Santos (@MrSantosNY) July 24, 2025 He also stole credit card information from donors, including 'victims he knew were elderly persons suffering from cognitive impairment or decline' and made unauthorized charges to fund both campaign and personal expenses, according to the DOJ. Santos also used a fake political fundraising company to solicit tens of thousands of dollars which he spent on 'designer clothing.' During the pandemic, Santos fraudulently claimed over $24,000 in unemployment benefits while employed at an investment firm. He also submitted false congressional financial disclosures to the House. 5 Former Rep. George Santos arrives at federal court for his sentencing on April 25, 2025. AP 5 Former Rep. George Santos leaves federal court on Aug. 13, 2024. Bloomberg via Getty Images 5 Santos appears in a social media post in June 2025. George Santos/ X Santos was elected in 2022 after flipping New York's 3rd District for the GOP. His résumé was easily debunked. He falsely claimed academic degrees, Wall Street jobs and family ties to the Holocaust and 9/11. He was expelled from Congress in December 2023 after a scathing ethics report, becoming just the sixth member ever removed from the People's House. Santos has remained publicly active after his sentencing, selling video messages on Cameo and making social media posts. His tweet concluded, 'I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit.' Unless pardoned, Santos is expected to remain incarcerated until at least early 2032. He has reportedly appealed to President Donald Trump for clemency. The White House and Santos did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
US, Mexico reach agreement on reducing sewage flows across border and into San Diego
By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) -The United States and Mexico on Thursday reached an agreement aimed at finding a permanent solution to a decades-long sewage crisis, in which Mexican sewage has flowed into the Tijuana River and across the U.S. border, emptying into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Mexican Environment Minister Alicia Barcena signed a memorandum of understanding in Mexico City, in which Mexico agreed to expedite the expenditure of $93 million worth of improvements to the Tijuana sewage system and commit to several projects to account for future population growth and maintenance. Some of the Mexican projects would now be completed four years ahead of schedule, the EPA said. The U.S. in turn committed to releasing funds that would complete the expansion of a sewage treatment plant by the end of August. The plant is on the U.S. side of the border but treats sewage pumped in from Mexico. "This is a huge win for millions of Americans and Mexicans who have been calling on us to end this decades-old crisis," Zeldin said in a statement. Though both countries have long cooperated on water and sewage issues, the Tijuana sewage crisis, exacerbated by rapid growth in the border city and an underfunding of infrastructure projects, has often been a sore point. The deal comes amid other cross-border tensions on matters including immigration, drug-trafficking and gun-running. "I want to emphasize that what we are really doing is trying to solve, once and for all, the problem of wastewater in the Tijuana River. And I believe we are also doing it jointly, with both countries making commitments," Barcena told a joint press conference with Zeldin. Millions of gallons of treated and untreated sewage from Tijuana's overburdened system makes its way daily into the Tijuana River and reaches the ocean in the San Diego suburb of Imperial Beach, which has posted "Keep out of Water" signs on its beach for much of the past four years, depriving surfers of waves and Imperial Beach of crucial summer tourism revenue. The International Boundary and Water Commission, a body governed by U.S.-Mexican treaty agreements, has measured up to 50 million gallons per day (2,200 liters per second) of sewage-contaminated water from the Tijuana River toward Imperial Beach. Around half was raw sewage with the remainder a mix of treated sewage, groundwater and potable water from Tijuana's leaky pipes, IBWC officials have said. The IBWC operates the sewage treatment plant north of the border, which will increase its capacity to 35 million gallons per day, up from 25 million gallons per day, the EPA said. Every extra gallon treated is a gallon kept out of the ocean. Barcena said Mexico also committed to doubling the capacity of the San Antonio de los Buenos sewage treatment plant, which was recently repaired after years of delay. Before the recent repairs, the plant 6 miles (10 km) south of the border had been spewing at least 23 million gallons of sewage per day (1,000 liters per second) into the Pacific Ocean, whose prevailing currents flow north much of the year, further fouling San Diego waters.
