Latest news with #Boring
NZ Herald
27-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Kiwi maker of Boring Oat Milk lands major Australian supermarket deal
Boring Oat Milk has landed a distribution deal with Woolworths in Australia. Kiwi plant-based oat milk company Boring has secured a distribution deal with Australia's largest supermarket chain Woolworths. Boring will supply 95% of Woolworths sites in Australia – including 953 supermarkets and 80 metro locations with its Original and Barista oat milk varieties. Founder Morgan Maw said
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Making of India's longest rail tunnel: When project looked jeopardised
Uttarakhand), The completion of India's longest rail tunnel between Devprayag and Janasu in Uttarakhand faced significant challenges, including moments when it seemed the tunnel might collapse and jeopardise the whole project, Larsen & Toubro Limited said on Saturday. "The tunnel boring machine named 'Shakti' was about five km inside the tunnel when it encountered a gush of water from all directions at the rate of around 1,500 litres per minute," Rakesh Arora, Project Director of the tunnel, told PTI. "Besides the TBM operator, there were 200 people inside the tunnel at that time. It was one of the toughest moments when the tunnel was at risk of flooding or collapsing," he said. Arora said the situation did not improve for around a month. His team struggled to overcome it by using a combination of chemical as well as cement grouting to stabilise the rings and surrounding rock, consequent to which, the water flow started reducing and the engineers could stabilise the interiors successfully, he added. "Besides, there were occasions when huge pressure from the surrounding soft rock posed a serious risk to the tunnel's progress, which was successfully handled by speeding up the excavation works with a combination of lubricating the TBM shield using bentonite," Arora added. The 14.57-km tunnel on the 125-km Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Link Project achieved a breakthrough on April 16 in the presence of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and other railway and state officials. Devprayag-Janasu tunnel, besides being the longest, was completed with the fastest speed in the world. It was for the first time that a Single Shield Hard Rock TBM of 9.11-metre diameter was used in the Himalayas to excavate the mountains. According to the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited , out of 14.57 km, 10.49 km was completed through TBM and the rest with the traditional drill and blast method. "The 9.69-metre diameter Cabrera tunnel in Spain was built by a Double Shield Tunnel Boring Machine at an average rate of 423 metres per month and the 10.49-km Devprayag-Janasu tunnel has been completed by Single Shield TBM at an average rate of 413 metres per month, becoming the second fastest in the world,' RVNL Chairman and Managing Director Pradeep Gaur had told PTI on the day breakthrough was achieved. "As the Himalayas are the most challenging geologically, it makes the whole project extremely demanding and interesting. Out of a total of 125 km, 105 km pass through the tunnels. "Around three km are covered through bridges and four km by adits and cross passages; the left portion is just 12 to 13 km which consists of 12 station yards," Gaur added. Arora said the TBM's biggest enemies are water ingress and soft squeezing rock which try to obstruct them from digging a tunnel in the Himalayas. Once a TBM is stuck inside a tunnel, the project is abandoned, he added. According to L&T officials, besides the state-of-the-art TBM machine, multiple scientific and physical investigations helped them ascertain what kind of rocks they would get ahead and they made preparations accordingly. "There is a manual probe through drilling and studying the speed of drilling to find out the rock conditions up to 60 metres ahead. Hard rock gives us slow penetration while soft rocks make penetration faster," Arora said. "The scientific method is Tunnel Seismic Prediction in which seismic waves are emitted and a report is prepared on the condition of rocks ahead by studying the speed of the waves. TSP tells us what kind of rock is 100 metres ahead of TBM and 15 metres on both sides of TBM," he said. The construction firm said they used another physical method to know the rock conditions by investigating the excavated muck.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Digital assets group outlines blockchain policy goals
A group at the forefront of advocacy for the digital assets industry released a report on Tuesday outlining policy objectives for supporting the blockchain industry. The Digital Chamber's "U.S. Blockchain Roadmap" features six pillars for how digital assets can be used to put the U.S. in a leadership role for blockchain technology while strengthening the economy and financial system. "This is not just about making the U.S. the leader in blockchain technology, it's also recognizing that blockchain is an advanced technology and its potential benefits," Perianne Boring, founder and chair of The Digital Chamber, told FOX Business in an interview. "This technology can bring real benefits to the U.S. economic and financial system if we do this correctly." The roadmap includes a call for the enactment of the BITCOIN Act, which would establish a U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve to help shore up the federal balance sheet, as well as promote the use of stablecoins based on the U.S. dollar and create bitcoin-backed Treasury securities. Trump Vows To Make Us 'Undisputed Bitcoin Superpower And Crypto Capital Of The World' Boring and The Digital Chamber recommended that the bitcoin reserve be separated from other cryptocurrencies that President Donald Trump has suggested, including in a reserve alongside bitcoin, arguing that the crypto assets serve different functions. Read On The Fox Business App "It's important to recognize that these other cryptocurrencies, they're very different than bitcoin, they're not digital gold," Boring said. "Most of them are smart contract networks, they're an open source platform to create decentralized applications, so that's a very, very different use case than digital gold." "We're calling to separate those two things out – you have bitcoin in its own separate fund for its own separate use, where the crypto fund would be for research and development, because you need access to these cryptocurrencies to be able to innovate, build, develop on the networks," Boring said. Top Pro-crypto Group Advancing Us Policy Names New Leader The Digital Chamber added that the research and development fund would enable the use of those digital platforms to help monitor federal spending in real time and streamline other government processes. "One of the things that I've felt pretty strongly about is that government spending should be put on a blockchain, on an unalterable, 100% verifiable, publicly auditable ledger, so you can track the spending a lot more efficiently and use that to prevent fraud and abuse in the future," Boring said. "We're calling for a research and development fund where the government should be studying the benefits of blockchain infrastructure for the use of different types of government programs, and I think DOGE is a great example, but there's probably many others." Congress is expected to work on developing market structure legislation that would create and clarify regulatory frameworks for digital assets in the near future, and The Digital Chamber's roadmap highlighted three key areas to establish clarity for the industry. Senate Panel Advances Debanking Reform, First Digital Assets Bill These include establishing clear jurisdictional boundaries between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over digital assets; developing a self-regulatory organization for digital assets to coordinate with federal regulators; and establishing guidelines for tokenized assets in capital markets, real estate and corporate finance to spur investment and adoption. In the time since The Digital Chamber's last blockchain action plan was released in 2019, Boring said that the importance of keeping blockchain networks open source and free of censorship to promote financial freedom and decentralization is one area of digital assets policy that has emerged in importance since then. "It's really important as we're building out blockchain infrastructure that we're not jeopardizing the integrity of blockchain networks," she explained. "These are open-source, decentralized software networks. So any attempt to infringe on that open-source nature will not only jeopardize the integrity of these networks, like the security of them, but it also can infringe on the constitutional rights of Americans." "There have been attempts to try to censor blockchain networks or to put different types of regulatory and compliance obligations on the technology itself that would essentially make it illegal to use these technologies here in the U.S.," Boring said. Other components of The Digital Chamber's recommendations include protecting and fostering bitcoin mining in the U.S., which it argues helps strengthen the resiliency of the electric grid, as well as modernizing the banking system to more easily include digital article source: Digital assets group outlines blockchain policy goals
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Who's in Elon's ear — and DMs
Unlike traditional Washington power players, Elon Musk doesn't have a deep bench of policy wonks, think tank researchers or Hill veterans feeding him white papers to bone up on policy — not unlike President Donald Trump during his political debut. From the corridors of the West Wing to the steady drum of right-wing voices on his X feed, Musk has assembled a makeshift brain trust of Silicon Valley loyalists, Trump world heavyweights and online ideological allies who have helped shape his worldview. His most trusted advisers remain a tight-knit group of executives who have followed him from his companies but lack political experience, according to two people familiar with Musk's circles. Among them are Musk's long-time friend Antonio Gracias, former Boring CEO Steve Davis and his wife, Nicole Hollander, the former head of real estate at X, and vice president of people operations at SpaceX, Brian Bjelde. Among the politicos, Musk is particularly close with his top political advisor, Chris Young, the former GOP field organizer who was originally brought in to advise Musk during Trump's campaign and currently serves as treasurer of America PAC. Young has turned into Musk's right hand on all things Washington — from penetrating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to handling personal logistics. Upon Musk's request, Young procured a massive TV for Musk's office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building so he could play video games, according to a person familiar with the situation granted anonymity to speak freely. Musk is also advised by Katie Miller, who served in Trump's first administration, and he maintains a close relationship with Generra Peck, Musk's contact on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign. Peck, DeSantis' former campaign manager, ran America PAC last summer and continues to oversee it. Musk has had a non-traditional political education devoid of experienced bureaucrats or Washington insiders. But that ad hoc approach, combined with personal circumstance and his experience leading Tesla through the Covid-pandemic, is what continues to inform the Musk we see today. 'I think he worries that meritocracy and western liberalism are under assault,' said Ryan Girdusky, a pro-Trump conservative strategist. 'He sees himself as a force to save it, along with countries throughout the West, by supporting populist parties. He finds himself concerned that liberty and prosperity created in the West will die as birth rates wither and wokeism becomes the state religion. Yet his business and life experiences clearly conflict with some of those opinions and his political philosophy is clearly a moving target, but there's something there.' When it comes to learning the world of politics, just as Musk learns any other new domain, he is shaped most by reading or having a direct conversation, said a person who has worked with him directly at one of his companies granted anonymity to discuss him. 'He's extremely skeptical of getting information from people he believes have an ulterior motive,' this person told West Wing Playbook. 'So I would often be very reticent to try to sort of teach him. It was almost always better for me to point him in the direction of reading about something or talking to sort of a primary source.' Inside the Trump White House, Musk leaned on some of the administration's most ideological hardliners to get up to speed on how Washington works. Stephen Miller and Russell Vought, both long-time proponents of dismantling the administrative state, helped brief Musk, the New York Times reported. Musk also spent a significant amount of time at Mar-a-Lago during the transition, participating in discussions about how to assemble Trump's Cabinet, and forging relationships with influential figures like Charlie Kirk. While Musk doesn't have particularly close personal relationships with most White House officials, he's been building rapport by attending dinners with some of the key players — sometimes bringing along his DOGE staffers. He's become close friends with Vice President JD Vance, who he pushed Trump to choose as his running mate, according to a person familiar with their relationship. There's close ideological alignment between the two on issues including rehiring a DOGE employee who resigned after racist comments, questioning the judiciary's authority to serve as a check on executive power, and criticizing Romania's decision to cancel its presidential election in December. Perhaps Musk's most unconventional advisory board is his X feed, an online ecosystem of Tesla fans and right-wing influencers and media voices, some of whom have developed personal relationships with Musk and have a direct impact on his decision-making. One of Musk's closest ideological allies in that space is Ben Shapiro. The two share a mutual distrust of government overreach and an affinity for culture war politics. A few months after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, Musk traveled with Shapiro to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, as well Israel, to study Jewish history and the Holocaust, an experience he digested onstage with Shapiro. 'I must admit to being somewhat frankly naive to [antisemitism],' Musk said on stage at a conference organized by the European Jewish Association. 'It's like an absurdity at least in my friend circle, but looking at the pro-Hamas rallies in vast numbers that took place in almost every major city in the West blew my mind, including on the elite college campuses that are supposed to be enlightened.' (However, Musk on Inauguration Day made a hand gesture widely interpreted as a Nazi salute. Musk has dismissed the connection.) Policy ideas from Musk's X feed are making their way into the White House, although it is uncertain yet whether they'll be adopted. Just weeks ago, anti-woke investor James Fishback posted an idea about DOGE issuing dividend checks — a plan to send rebate money back to taxpayers from federal budget cuts. Musk saw the post, responded that he would 'check with the president,' and within days, the idea was being seriously discussed inside the White House. 'Like the president, Elon Musk respects a strong idea, no matter where it comes from,' said Fishback, who lobbied Musk in person on the sidelines of CPAC. 'When we met, I reiterated the how and why of the DOGE Dividend. That's the way to pitch Elon.' The dramatic shift in ideology for Musk, who used to fundraise for Barack Obama, began in earnest in 2020. During the pandemic, he railed against Covid lockdowns, fueling a pivot that only accelerated when his transgender daughter transitioned. Musk blames the 'woke mind virus' for 'killing' his child, and has since turned cultural issues into a cornerstone of his political identity. Musk's evolution hasn't been confined to American politics. He's now boosting right-wing political movements in at least 18 countries, per NBC News, forming personal connections with leaders like Argentina's Javier Milei, Italy's Giorgia Meloni and El Salvador's Nayib Bukele. For those who knew him in his earlier years as a Democratic-leaning donor, Musk's political arc is jarring. 'Fast forward to today, where Elon is basically the de facto co-president, or certainly the vice president, it's shocking to all of us,' said a person who has worked with him at one of his companies. Like this content? Consider signing up for POLITICO's West Wing Playbook: Remaking Government newsletter.
Politico
12-03-2025
- Business
- Politico
Who's in Elon's ear — and DMs
Unlike traditional Washington power players, Elon Musk doesn't have a deep bench of policy wonks, think tank researchers or Hill veterans feeding him white papers to bone up on policy — not unlike President Donald Trump during his political debut. From the corridors of the West Wing to the steady drum of right-wing voices on his X feed, Musk has assembled a makeshift brain trust of Silicon Valley loyalists, Trump world heavyweights and online ideological allies who have helped shape his worldview. His most trusted advisers remain a tight-knit group of executives who have followed him from his companies but lack political experience, according to two people familiar with Musk's circles. Among them are Musk's long-time friend Antonio Gracias, former Boring CEO Steve Davis and his wife, Nicole Hollander, the former head of real estate at X, and vice president of people operations at SpaceX, Brian Bjelde. Among the politicos, Musk is particularly close with his top political advisor, Chris Young, the former GOP field organizer who was originally brought in to advise Musk during Trump's campaign and currently serves as treasurer of America PAC. Young has turned into Musk's right hand on all things Washington — from penetrating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to handling personal logistics. Upon Musk's request, Young procured a massive TV for Musk's office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building so he could play video games, according to a person familiar with the situation granted anonymity to speak freely. Musk is also advised by Katie Miller, who served in Trump's first administration, and he maintains a close relationship with Generra Peck, Musk's contact on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign. Peck, DeSantis' former campaign manager, ran America PAC last summer and continues to oversee it. Musk has had a non-traditional political education devoid of experienced bureaucrats or Washington insiders. But that ad hoc approach, combined with personal circumstance and his experience leading Tesla through the Covid-pandemic, is what continues to inform the Musk we see today. 'I think he worries that meritocracy and western liberalism are under assault,' said Ryan Girdusky, a pro-Trump conservative strategist. 'He sees himself as a force to save it, along with countries throughout the West, by supporting populist parties. He finds himself concerned that liberty and prosperity created in the West will die as birth rates wither and wokeism becomes the state religion. Yet his business and life experiences clearly conflict with some of those opinions and his political philosophy is clearly a moving target, but there's something there.' When it comes to learning the world of politics, just as Musk learns any other new domain, he is shaped most by reading or having a direct conversation, said a person who has worked with him directly at one of his companies granted anonymity to discuss him. 'He's extremely skeptical of getting information from people he believes have an ulterior motive,' this person told West Wing Playbook. 'So I would often be very reticent to try to sort of teach him. It was almost always better for me to point him in the direction of reading about something or talking to sort of a primary source.' Inside the Trump White House, Musk leaned on some of the administration's most ideological hardliners to get up to speed on how Washington works. Stephen Miller and Russell Vought, both long-time proponents of dismantling the administrative state, helped brief Musk, the New York Times reported. Musk also spent a significant amount of time at Mar-a-Lago during the transition, participating in discussions about how to assemble Trump's Cabinet, and forging relationships with influential figures like Charlie Kirk. While Musk doesn't have particularly close personal relationships with most White House officials, he's been building rapport by attending dinners with some of the key players — sometimes bringing along his DOGE staffers. He's become close friends with Vice President JD Vance, who he pushed Trump to choose as his running mate, according to a person familiar with their relationship. There's close ideological alignment between the two on issues including rehiring a DOGE employee who resigned after racist comments, questioning the judiciary's authority to serve as a check on executive power, and criticizing Romania's decision to cancel its presidential election in December. Perhaps Musk's most unconventional advisory board is his X feed, an online ecosystem of Tesla fans and right-wing influencers and media voices, some of whom have developed personal relationships with Musk and have a direct impact on his decision-making. One of Musk's closest ideological allies in that space is Ben Shapiro. The two share a mutual distrust of government overreach and an affinity for culture war politics. A few months after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, Musk traveled with Shapiro to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, as well Israel, to study Jewish history and the Holocaust, an experience he digested onstage with Shapiro. 'I must admit to being somewhat frankly naive to [antisemitism],' Musk said on stage at a conference organized by the European Jewish Association. 'It's like an absurdity at least in my friend circle, but looking at the pro-Hamas rallies in vast numbers that took place in almost every major city in the West blew my mind, including on the elite college campuses that are supposed to be enlightened.' (However, Musk on Inauguration Day made a hand gesture widely interpreted as a Nazi salute. Musk has dismissed the connection.) Policy ideas from Musk's X feed are making their way into the White House, although it is uncertain yet whether they'll be adopted. Just weeks ago, anti-woke investor James Fishback posted an idea about DOGE issuing dividend checks — a plan to send rebate money back to taxpayers from federal budget cuts. Musk saw the post, responded that he would 'check with the president,' and within days, the idea was being seriously discussed inside the White House. 'Like the president, Elon Musk respects a strong idea, no matter where it comes from,' said Fishback, who lobbied Musk in person on the sidelines of CPAC. 'When we met, I reiterated the how and why of the DOGE Dividend. That's the way to pitch Elon.' The dramatic shift in ideology for Musk, who used to fundraise for Barack Obama, began in earnest in 2020. During the pandemic, he railed against Covid lockdowns, fueling a pivot that only accelerated when his transgender daughter transitioned. Musk blames the 'woke mind virus' for 'killing' his child, and has since turned cultural issues into a cornerstone of his political identity. Musk's evolution hasn't been confined to American politics. He's now boosting right-wing political movements in at least 18 countries, per NBC News, forming personal connections with leaders like Argentina's Javier Milei, Italy's Giorgia Meloni and El Salvador's Nayib Bukele. For those who knew him in his earlier years as a Democratic-leaning donor, Musk's political arc is jarring. 'Fast forward to today, where Elon is basically the de facto co-president, or certainly the vice president, it's shocking to all of us,' said a person who has worked with him at one of his companies. Like this content? Consider signing up for POLITICO's West Wing Playbook: Remaking Government newsletter.
