After a Mayor's Mysterious Death, a Land Dispute Divides Republicans in Tennessee
But when the county's pro-growth mayor, Judd Matheny, died under unusual circumstances last year, it unleashed a development battle with a Southern Gothic twist that has split this deeply red area over the fundamental question of what it means to be conservative.
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16 Red States Where Energy Costs Could Go Up the Most Under Trump's ‘One Big Beautiful Bill'
President Donald Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' (OBBB) was signed into law on July 4. The final legislation has significant repercussions for energy. It includes policies that will increase oil and gas leasing and repeal clean energy tax credits. Wholesale electricity prices are expected to increase 25% by 2030 and 74% by 2035. Electricity rates paid by consumers are expected to increase between 9% and 18% and household energy costs are anticipated to go up $170 annually by 2035. Find Out: Read Next: Red states could be hit harder by rising energy costs than blue states chiefly because Republican-led states generally don't have their own policies to develop renewable energy in the way that Democrat-led states do. A new analysis by the Energy Innovation Policy & Technology, LLC found the 16 red states that will see the biggest annual increases to household energy costs by 2035 as a result of the OBBB. 16. Wisconsin Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$300 Learn More: 12. Utah Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$320 12. Nevada Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$320 12. Michigan Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$320 12. Indiana Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$340 11. Iowa Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$350 10. Kansas Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$380 8. Florida Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$430 8. Arkansas Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$430 7. Louisiana Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$440 6. Texas Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$480 5. North Carolina Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$490 4. Oklahoma Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$540 2. South Carolina Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$630 2. Kentucky Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$630 1. Missouri Annual energy cost increase per household by 2035: +$640 More From GOBankingRates 3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025 The 10 Most Reliable SUVs of 2025 6 Popular SUVs That Aren't Worth the Cost -- and 6 Affordable Alternatives This article originally appeared on 16 Red States Where Energy Costs Could Go Up the Most Under Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill'
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Western aid cuts cede ground to China in Southeast Asia: study
China is set to expand its influence over Southeast Asia's development as the Trump administration and other Western donors slash aid, a study by an Australian think tank said Sunday. The region is in an "uncertain moment", facing cuts in official development finance from the West as well as "especially punitive" US trade tariffs, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute said. "Declining Western aid risks ceding a greater role to China, though other Asian donors will also gain in importance," it said. Total official development finance to Southeast Asia -- including grants, low-rate loans and other loans -- grew "modestly" to US$29 billion in 2023, the annual report said. But US President Donald Trump has since halted about US$60 billion in development assistance -- most of the United States' overseas aid programme. Seven European countries -- including France and Germany -- and the European Union have announced US$17.2 billion in aid cuts to be implemented between 2025 and 2029, it said. And the United Kingdom has said it is reducing annual aid by US$7.6 billion, redirecting government money towards defence. Based on recent announcements, overall official development finance to Southeast Asia will fall by more than US$2 billion by 2026, the study projected. "These cuts will hit Southeast Asia hard," it said. "Poorer countries and social sector priorities such as health, education, and civil society support that rely on bilateral aid funding are likely to lose out the most." Higher-income countries already capture most of the region's official development finance, said the institute's Southeast Asia Aid Map report. Poorer countries such as East Timor, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are being left behind, creating a deepening divide that could undermine long-term stability, equity and resilience, it warned. Despite substantial economic development across most of Southeast Asia, around 86 million people still live on less than US$3.65 a day, it said. - 'Global concern' - "The centre of gravity in Southeast Asia's development finance landscape looks set to drift East, notably to Beijing but also Tokyo and Seoul," the study said. As trade ties with the United States have weakened, Southeast Asian countries' development options could shrink, it said, leaving them with less leverage to negotiate favourable terms with Beijing. "China's relative importance as a development actor in the region will rise as Western development support recedes," it said. Beijing's development finance to the region rose by US$1.6 billion to US$4.9 billion in 2023 -- mostly through big infrastructure projects such as rail links in Indonesia and Malaysia, the report said. At the same time, China's infrastructure commitments to Southeast Asia surged fourfold to almost US$10 billion, largely due to the revival of the Kyaukphyu Deep Sea Port project in Myanmar. By contrast, Western alternative infrastructure projects had failed to materialise in recent years, the study said. "Similarly, Western promises to support the region's clean energy transition have yet to translate into more projects on the ground -- of global concern given coal-dependent Southeast Asia is a major source of rapidly growing carbon emissions." djw/dgi/dhw/rsc Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNN
16 minutes ago
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Live updates on Trump's presidency: Administration seeks release of Epstein testimony
Update: Date: 13 min ago Title: Trump says "nothing will be good enough" for those demanding more information on Epstein case Content: President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post yesterday that 'nothing will be good enough' for those he deems 'troublemakers' and 'radical left lunatics' demanding more information on the Jeffrey Epstein case. Trump's post came after days of turmoil surrounding his administration's handling of documents related to the disgraced financier, including rare criticism from the president's MAGA base. The Justice Department on Friday asked a judge to release years-old grand jury testimony made against Epstein, the convicted sex offender who faced sex trafficking and conspiracy charges before his 2019 death in jail. 'I have asked the Justice Department to release all Grand Jury testimony with respect to Jeffrey Epstein, subject only to Court Approval. With that being said, and even if the Court gave its full and unwavering approval, nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request. It will always be more, more, more,' Trump wrote yesterday morning. In the Justice Department filing, Attorney General Pam Bondi said unsealing the transcripts would be justified by the public's 'longstanding and legitimate interest.' But it's ultimately up to a federal judge to decide. Trump's weekend: The president is expected to remain in the Washington, DC, area and does not have public events scheduled this weekend. He took private meetings yesterday afternoon at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, a White House official said. The official declined to share any details about the meetings. CNN's Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report. Update: Date: 14 min ago Title: Catch up on a chaotic week in the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files Content: The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to release years-old grand jury testimony made against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as President Donald Trump fumes on social media over public demands to release the so-called Epstein files. If you're just catching up on the saga, here's what to know: • How we got here: The DOJ's move came after a week of outcry from the president's MAGA base over the administration's perceived backtracking on promises of maximum transparency regarding Epstein. The pressure campaign had been ramping up since the Justice Department said in a memo earlier this month that it wouldn't be releasing further documents on the case. • Putting the request in context: Grand jury testimony made behind closed doors is a 'minuscule fraction of the entire file' from Epstein's case, according to CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig. And while Attorney General Pam Bondi argued in her request that releasing the material is in the public interest, it's ultimately the court's decision. • Trump sues newspaper: Trump also announced Friday that he is suing the publisher of The Wall Street Journal and two reporters who wrote a story about a collection of letters gifted to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, including a note bearing Trump's name and an outline of a naked woman. The Journal report seemed to unite a set of skeptical MAGA influencers in defense of the president after the week's turmoil. • More on the doodle: The president has emphatically denied writing the note and said he doesn't draw pictures. But a charity director told CNN she received two doodles from him in 2004 for an auction in Ohio. • Read CNN analysis: With the renewed scrutiny surround Trump's relationship with Epstein, CNN identified five key questions that remain unanswered.
