Latest news with #GulfOfAmerica
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Trump can bar Associated Press from some events, appeals court rules
The Trump administration can bar the Associated Press from some official events for now, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday. The administration in February barred the news outlet's staff from the press pool that covers the president after the AP said it would continue using the name 'Gulf of Mexico' despite an executive order signed by President Donald Trump shortly after his inauguration that sought to rename the oceanic basin 'Gulf of America.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump boasts of ‘big win' over AP as court allows WH to ban access after ‘Gulf of America' spat
President Trump celebrated a 'big win' Friday as a federal appeals court ruled that his administration can ban the Associated Press from entering the Oval Office and other restricted areas amid its ongoing legal spat with the outlet over the Gulf of America. The White House can now restrict the wire service from the Oval Office, Mar-a-Lago and Air Force One, per a split 2-1 ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. 'Big WIN over AP today,' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'They refused to state the facts or the Truth on the GULF OF AMERICA. FAKE NEWS!!!' The court ruled Friday that certain White House spaces aren't open to the public or large press pools – effectively giving officials the power to decide which journalists and outlets get access, CNN reported. The decision comes after a lower court judge blocked the administration from restricting the AP from privileged areas where the press is typically allowed. 'We are disappointed in the court's decision and are reviewing our options,' a spokesperson for the Associated Press told the outlet. The legal dispute erupted in February when the White House barred the outlet from the Oval Office in response to the agency's refusal to update its style guide to reflect Trump's executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. The AP, which manages the media's go-to style guide 'Associated Press Stylebook,' argued the large ocean basin has been called the Gulf of Mexico for 'more than 400 years' and other international groups have not acknowledged the change. 'VICTORY! As we've said all along, the Associated Press is not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in other sensitive locations,' White House press secretary Karoline Levitt posted to X following the ruling. 'Thousands of other journalists have never been afforded the opportunity to cover the President in these privileged spaces. Moving forward, we will continue to expand access to new media so that more people can cover the most transparent President in American history rather than just the failing legacy media. 'And by the way @AP, it's still the Gulf of America.' Hundreds of reporters have a so-called 'hard pass' which allows access to the White House briefing room and press working area. A second, more limited group of journalists — referred to as the pool — is granted access to more intimate or restricted events with greater opportunity to ask the president face-to-face questions. The pool used to be decided by the White House Correspondents Association, until the Trump administration took it over to hand-pick which journalists they could add to — or remove from — the pool. The AP previously had access to the president's limited events every day alongside fellow wires Reuters and Bloomberg. Now only one wire service is allowed in the pool each day.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mavenir's Converged Packet Core Solution Set to Transform Tampnet's Global 4G/5G Mobile Network
New partnership empowers offshore connectivity innovator to deliver cloud-native 5G services – including enhanced mobile broadband, URLLC and mMTC READING, United Kingdom, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mavenir, the cloud-native network infrastructure provider, today announced that it has been selected as a key technology partner by Tampnet – a global leader in offshore, high-capacity, low-latency connectivity and network services. Following a rigorous selection process, the Norway-based offshore connectivity provider has chosen Mavenir's state-of-the-art Converged Packet Core solution for immediate deployment across its global 4G/5G network. Tampnet operates the world's largest offshore high-capacity communication network in the North Sea and the Gulf of America, serving customers across offshore energy, maritime and carrier industries. Marking a wholesale migration to Mavenir from existing core technology providers in Europe and the Americas, this new strategic partnership unlocks a transformative opportunity for Tampnet to deliver innovative, cloud-native 5G services to its mobile customers – including enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC). Leveraging full containerisation for optimal flexibility, Mavenir's advanced converged packet core solution will ensure a smooth and seamless transition across Tampnet's 4G, 5G Non-Standalone (NSA), and introduction of 5G Standalone (SA), while also setting the global communication service provider on course for future 6G capabilities. Additionally, Mavenir's integration of AI-driven automation and energy-efficient network orchestration features will drive a suite of compelling benefits – enabling Tampnet to optimize network performance, reduce operational costs, and deliver hyper-personalized services tailored to its customers' needs. Commenting on the technology partnership, Øyvind Skjervik, Chief Architect of Tampnet, said: 'This strategic collaboration with Mavenir marks a significant milestone in our journey to deliver cutting-edge connectivity and digital services to our customers worldwide. This positions us as a leader in the global telecommunications landscape, ready to meet the evolving demands of consumers, enterprises, and industries. We're looking forward to collaborating closely with Mavenir to bring this next-generation mobile core to life and to set a new benchmark for connectivity and innovation.' Mavenir's end-to-end, fully containerized packet core portfolio provides multi-generational support for all G's to allow flexible and cost-effective modernization of existing mobile networks while evolving to 5G. The cloud-native architecture offers easy scaling, hardware decoupling, agility, portability and resilience across all cloud environments – public, private and hybrid – while a granular microservice architecture delivers carrier-grade resiliency that meets web-scale requirements – including high availability, security, and performance. Ashok Khuntia, President – Core Networks for Mavenir, said: 'Tampnet and Mavenir are aligned in a mission to fundamentally transform global connectivity, pushing the limits of technology innovation to drive greater accessibility and richer service capabilities for users wherever they are, while continually raising the bar in resilience, reliability, energy-efficiency and performance. By entrusting Mavenir with its mobile core transformation, Tampnet is positioned to fully realize the benefits of an agile, extensible network and accelerate the roll-out of leading-edge services to support IoT and emerging next-generation applications. We are excited to be embarking on this significant collaboration where, together, we will be working to redefine what's possible in offshore telecommunications.' About Mavenir Mavenir is building the future of networks today with cloud-native, AI-enabled solutions which are green by design, empowering operators to realize the benefits of 5G and achieve intelligent, automated, programmable networks. As the pioneer of Open RAN and a proven industry disruptor, Mavenir's award-winning solutions are delivering automation and monetization across mobile networks globally, accelerating software network transformation for 300+ Communications Service Providers in over 120 countries, which serve more than 50% of the world's subscribers. For more information, please visit About Tampnet Tampnet provides first-class, high-capacity connectivity to the global offshore energy sector, enabling digitalization, efficiency, and sustainability. By operating the world's largest offshore network, Tampnet delivers reliable and scalable high-capacity, low-latency connectivity solutions that support safer, smarter and more sustainable operations from site to shore. Through continuous innovation and focus on reduction of carbon footprint, Tampnet revolutionizes offshore operations, contributing to a more sustainable energy production landscape. The company operates offshore telecom infrastructure in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America), Trinidad & Tobago and Canada. More than 350 offshore energy installations, as well as a large number of mobile rigs and vessels, receive high-speed data communication by Tampnet. For more information, please visit Media Contact :Emmanuela Spiteri A photo accompanying this announcement is available at 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
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Fear, hope and loathing in Elon Musk's new city: ‘It's the wild, wild west and the future'
Along a flat coastal highway in south-east Texas, surrounded by wetlands and open plains, the artefacts of a new American oligarchy appear in quick succession. Three towering rockets stand upright on the horizon. A fleet of Tesla Cybertrucks speeds by. A large mural of the Shiba Inu 'doge' dog stares ahead, its arms crossed. There is a 12ft-tall bust of the world's richest person, painted in bronze, facing a dusty roadside. 'ELON aka MemeLord', a plaque beneath reads. It's not exactly romantic poetry, but the whole scene reminds me of the sonnet by Shelley: 'Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!' While old Ozymandias may have seen his fiefdoms crumble, Elon Musk's empire is possibly only just beginning. Here in Cameron County, on the southern tip of the Lone Star state, where Google Maps proudly displays the newly declared 'Gulf of America' just offshore, Musk has situated his self-described mission to save humanity and populate Mars. Just a few miles from his painted bust is the Starbase industrial complex, a rocket-manufacturing facility and launch arena, which commands the vista for miles. It is also the site of the multibillionaire's latest venture to acquire even more political power. Fresh from an extended stay in Washington as the de facto leader of the government-slashing, conflict-of-interest-riddled, so-called 'department of government efficiency' (Doge), Musk has returned in time to see Starbase become its own city. We are here shortly before the vote, where there is little doubt that the 280 eligible voters (the vast majority of whom are employed by or connected to Musk's space exploration company SpaceX) will approve the incorporation of a new, 4 sq km (1.6 sq mile) municipality. There remain many questions about why the company, which did not respond to any of my written questions and interview requests, would move for such recognition. It brings limited local powers, including the ability to impose minor property taxes and grant building permits, as well as the mandate to create its own fire department and – to some alarm – police department. And yet, as the US lurches further into what many describe as an era of norm-shattering digital dystopia under the second presidency of Donald Trump, the goings-on here, in this remote enclave by the US-Mexico border, already bring a sense of grizzly prescience. As we pull off the highway into the Starbase neighbourhood (Boca Chica village, before the vote), we are trailed almost instantly by two white security trucks with flashing yellow lights. We drive along the main residential drag, where dozens of shiny, silver Airstream trailers – housing for SpaceX staff – sit in neat symmetry. We pass the newly renamed 'Memes Street' (formerly it was Weems Street), marked with a black street sign accompanied by a small image of Musk's pioneering Starship rocket. On the adjacent LBJ Boulevard, lined with modest homes and customised Cybertrucks parked outside, we pass what is reportedly Musk's personal residence, a small bungalow winged by a high black fence. As I get out, I chat with the security guard who has trailed us for the past five minutes. He informs me with a smile that while the roads may be public, if I step on to the front lawns of any of the homes, he'll seek to have me arrested. 'It's private property,' he says. Time to leave. While downtown Starbase may be a little averse to visitors, it's a different story in the ranchlands outside. Musk founded the facility in late 2014, and its rapid expansion in recent years has drawn a small platoon of Mars obsessives to the area. A few miles away from the production site, at a staging location seen in the distance, a Starship rocket is preparing for a static engine test. Clouds of vapour cascade from the 170ft vehicle, and small groups of awestruck spectators congregate at intervals on the roadside. Many are livestreamers and photographers who document the minutiae of Starbase's activities in extraordinary detail; surveying the serial numbers of components, the progress of launchpad construction and the particulars of planning documents, to assess when the next Starship launch is likely to take place. 'When you're standing here it's a weird combination of the wild, wild west and the brand new future,' says a livestreamer named Caesar G, who works for an independent YouTube channel called NASASpaceflight, which has 1.32 million subscribers. He's focusing a long lens camera on the testing taking place a few miles away, arms flailing with excitement. 'Take the politics out of everything,' he says. 'This is the coolest thing that's going on, engineering-wise. We are catching rockets!' While there is no doubt that the midair mechanical capture of a 232ft rocket booster, as happened here first in October of last year, is an extraordinary technological achievement, I do wonder how it is possible to distinguish it from politics, given the company's owner is also accused of making a fascist salute during Donald Trump's second inauguration. Shaun Gisler, a self-described 'aerospace histographer', who is also livestreaming at the roadside, chimes in on this point. 'He's accused of a lot of things,' Gisler says. 'A lot of that is just white noise. I'm looking at the result out here and I'm seeing success. We're hoping this gets to a point where it becomes so big, it helps bridge the [political] gap.' The full engine test does not happen for another five hours, but both men are committed to waiting out in the humidity to film it. We drive a little farther inland to meet with Anthony Gomez, a manager of the Rocket Ranch campground, which caters to hundreds of travelling space tourists every year. Gomez moved here in 2021, abandoning his life in Florida to witness what he believes are the beginnings of a programme that will save humanity. We head to a viewing platform which commands an uninterrupted view of the launchpads and is fronted by a fire trench designed to protect visitors in the wake of a catastrophic rocket explosion. He wells up describing the feeling of watching a takeoff here. 'Every cell and molecule is shaking with some form of elation,' he says. 'It is overwhelming. It's the apex of human technology. And when that thing takes off, somehow that is communicated. Somehow that information is delivered into your heart.' At the ranch, a cabin displays fragments of recovered Starship debris, and a large mural recreates Michelangelo's 'The Creation of Adam', replacing God's finger with one belonging to a Tesla humanoid robot named Optimus. We are meeting just days after a federal budget proposal by the Trump administration advances crippling cuts to low-income housing assistance while greenlighting a $1bn investment in Mars programmes, which is likely to benefit Musk. Gomez, who does not identify as a Trump supporter, is unfazed by the apparent cronyism, arguing that homelessness is 'the average human's responsibility', not that of the government. Plus, he argues, space exploration may one day allow us to retrieve gold- and platinum-encrusted asteroids to cure global poverty. 'There are asteroids floating around in space that can make the entire world wealthy,' he claims. He acknowledges that the technology to receive such a planetary boon is probably centuries away, but argues that the new private space race should 'give people a focus of hope'. It can be hard to unpick the politics here; a mixture of right-leaning libertarianism that feels largely mainstream, and visions of a tech utopia that seem more grounded in science fiction than reality. 'If you want to take people to Mars, it's going to include everyone on Earth,' Gomez says when I ask about Musk's clear nods to white nationalism. 'Why would you have any specific hate towards anybody?' Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion There are, of course, many expert scientific critics of Musk's highly ambitious Mars plan, which has humans reaching the planet before the end of this decade. How would astronauts be protected from cosmic radiation during the journey and while exploring the red planet? How would Starship refuel for a return trip? Can SpaceX even get Starship to orbit Earth in the first place? (The last two launches have ended in explosive failure.) But perhaps the most pressing question is why humanity would want to spend trillions of dollars on such a project while pervasive crises on Earth persist. You don't need to look far in Cameron County to see this rammed home. This is a low-income, majority Latino community of just over 400,000 people, where almost a quarter of residents live below the poverty line. In the county's main population hub, Brownsville, disdain for the Starbase facility and its impending city status seems to be the predominant view. While Musk's foundation has made charitable donations to the local school system and downtown revitalisation efforts, many people I speak to have seen little positive impact. Some complain that their homes shake during launches. Others say that the arrival of heavy industry has beaten up the county highways with little sign of repair. More object to ongoing gentrification. Josette Cruz, a local organiser and lifelong Brownsville resident, points to soaring housing costs associated with an influx of new residents tied to SpaceX expansion and increased tourism. Her rent, she says, has risen from $725 a month to an almost unaffordable $1,000 in just a few years. Realtor signs now spring up in her neighbourhood with images of cartoon rockets. 'The fact that people can come here and say, 'We're going to have our own election, we're going to build our own town', what kind of mentality says that, if not one that is rooted in a colonial, settler mindset?' she says, shrugging. 'They want to go to Mars to colonise it.' We take a trip back out past the Starbase facility to Boca Chica beach, a public state park just a few hundred feet from the Starship launch pads. The juxtaposition here is stark. Warnings not to disturb the nesting grounds of the critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle are stationed across the beach entrance, framed by the giant launch pads and frantic construction work just metres away. In September last year SpaceX was fined almost $150,000 by the Environmental Protection Agency for spewing hundreds of thousands of gallons of polluted wastewater on to the surrounding wetlands after rocket launches. It is a charge the company has continued to deny. We meet local environmentalist Bekah Hinojosa, who in 2022 was arrested by local police over alleged involvement in the graffiti found on a Musk-sponsored mural in Brownsville. The three words, written in blue, read: 'gentrified stop spaceX'. Hinojosa was apprehended in her pyjamas after plain-clothed officers arrived at her doorstep. Three years later, having pleaded not guilty to a class three misdemeanor, she is still awaiting a trial date. Like many generational residents, Hinojosa's family have visited this beach for decades, coming to fish at the shoreline and enjoy the tranquillity. But every launch now means a beach closure, and many fear the incorporation of Starbase city will lead to further restrictions on access. 'Using a low-income community for experimental rocket testing is another example of environmental racism,' she says, as a group of sandpiper birds paddle in the surf nearby. 'Billionaires should not own a beach. We will continue speaking up because, for us, it's about continuing to exist here.' Just coming down to the water's edge can now feel like an act of resistance, it seems. The morning of the Starbase vote brings with it dark skies and torrential rain. We make a final trip to the complex and stand in the drizzle outside the polling station. It's a cafeteria open only to SpaceX employees, but a small huddle of journalists seems to keep the security guards away this time. Most voters say they have been told by their employer not to talk to the press. But a stroke of luck allows us to meet one of the handful of residents who cast a ballot in opposition. She is one of the few hold-out residents, still living in a privately owned home on Memes Street. I can only imagine what it must be like to have your permanent address changed to a sophomoric joke. 'I was here before SpaceX and I have no loyalty issues,' she says after casting her ballot and declining to be named. I ask how she feels about populating Mars. She grimaces and walks away. The vote ends up passing by a majority of 212 to six. A 97% margin. The city's new mayor, Robert Peden, is a SpaceX vice-president. He ran unopposed. Three days later the Federal Aviation Authority, an agency previously purged by Doge, approves an aggressive new SpaceX flight programme that will allow the company to quintuple its annual launches from five to 25. The next Starship is scheduled to take off later this week. Its hulking steel shell glistens in the rain as we drive away.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Expro Secures Multi-Year TRS Contracts With Leading Super-Major Operators in the Gulf of America
The contracts - which integrate some of Expro's most advanced technologies – are collectively valued at over $80 million. HOUSTON, May 22, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Expro (NYSE: XPRO) has been awarded multi-year Tubular Running Services (TRS) contracts by two leading Super-Major operators in the Gulf of America, covering both deepwater drill ships and platform rigs. Collectively valued at over $80 million, these contract awards integrate some of Expro's most advanced technologies, including the E&P Special Meritorious award-winning Centri-FITM platform. Centri-FITM serves as the operational hub, designed to drive efficiencies through personnel reduction, eliminating red zone entries, and enhancing repeatability to optimize performance. In collaboration with these operators, Expro will also further deploy its Rig Integration "Driller's Control" Package, iTongTM, and cutting-edge completions technologies - critical components in supporting upcoming developments throughout the contract duration, including 20K developments demanding the industry's highest caliber technologies. These agreements underscore Expro's commitment to delivering innovative, high-performance solutions that drive safety, efficiency, and operational excellence in complex offshore environments. Jeremy Angelle, Vice President of Well Construction, of US-based Expro, said: "Securing these long-term contracts with two of the world's leading operators highlights the trust placed in Expro to deliver innovative and reliable solutions in the most demanding offshore environments. "Our advanced technologies – including Centri-FITM and iTongTM – are helping reshape what's possible in tubular running services, enhancing safety, reducing personnel exposure, and driving consistent performance. We're proud to continue supporting these critical developments and remain committed to advancing operational excellence in the Gulf of America." Notes to Editors: Expro Working for clients across the well life cycle, Expro is a leading provider of energy services, offering cost-effective, innovative solutions and what the Company considers to be best-in-class safety and service quality. The Company's extensive portfolio of capabilities spans well construction, well flow management, subsea well access, and well intervention and integrity solutions. With roots dating to 1938, Expro has approximately 8,500 employees and provides services and solutions to leading exploration and production companies in both onshore and offshore environments in more than 50 countries. For more information, please visit and connect with Expro on Twitter @ExproGroup and LinkedIn @Expro. SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release, and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company, may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, the success and safety of the Company's tubular running services technologies, the Company's environmental, social and governance goals, targets and initiatives, and future growth, and are indicated by words or phrases such as "anticipate," "outlook," "estimate," "expect," "project," "believe," "envision," "goal," "target," "can," "will," and similar words or phrases. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the future results, performance or achievements expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based largely on the Company's expectations and judgments and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are unforeseeable and beyond our control. The factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to materially differ include, among others the risk factors identified in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, historical practice, or otherwise. View source version on Contacts Media Contact MediaRelations@
