Latest news with #Hitchens
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Spain-Portugal blackouts will happen 'more and more' as Europe continues push for Net Zero, PETER HITCHENS tells SARAH vine in provocative new Mail podcast
The power outages that caused chaos in Spain and Portugal this week will happen 'more and more' across Europe as the continent increases its reliance on green energy, acclaimed broadcaster Peter Hitchens told the latest episode of the Mail's Alas Vine & Hitchens podcast. In conversation with co-host and columnist Sarah Vine, the author issued a grave warning over the gutting of power grids in the service of 'propaganda'. Millions were left without power in Spain and Portugal on Monday, with the cause of the sudden blackout yet to be established. Theories range from an unusual power surge to a Russian cyber-attack. 'This is likely to happen more and more, as we rely on wind and solar power', Hitchens said. 'It doesn't have the same punch in it that nuclear, coal and gas do. An awful lot of people should have protested at how our power system was gutted – believing all the propaganda and allowing this to happen. 'We shut down coal-fired power stations, which cost billions to build and were still perfectly functional. 'Did we put those stations on mothballs so, if times change, we can start them back up again? No: What did we do? We blew them all up. 'It's ridiculous – we are totally vulnerable.' Spanish authorities have denied any link between the power cut and their use of sustainable energy sources. They also refuted claims a cyber-attack was somehow able to shut down large swathes of their electricity grid. Vine concurred with her co-host, saying it was 'ridiculous' how reliant we are on devices that require complex systems to work. She said: 'Last week in the UK, they started shutting down the old copper wire telephone system. 'The plan is, by 2027, it will be completely gone – that's just madness. If we have a serious energy crisis, which is looking increasingly likely because of the drive to Net Zero or potential hacks, you're going to need your landline. 'You can't have a separate generator if you live in a terraced house. What are you going to do if you can't charge your car? It'll become completely useless. 'We've gone too far in the direction of relying on things that only work if they are plugged in.' According to Spain's Ministry for Ecological Transition, approximately 42.2% of Spain's electrical generation comes from renewable power sources. The government has set a goal for this figure to leap to as high as 74% by 2030. In the UK, renewable energy sources currently account for approximately 47% of the UK's electricity. 'We live in a country so completely dominated by dogma', Hitchens scathed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
AAA warns of distracted driving dangers at start of Distracted Driving Awareness Month
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – April 1 is not only April Fool's Day. It's also the start of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and AAA is aiming to teach people how to be safer drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving was responsible for more than 3,300 deaths and nearly 300,000 injuries in 2022. According to Ohio law, it is a primary offense to use a cell phone or electronic device while driving. Kara Hitchens, Public and government affairs manager at AAA, said driving distracted is a selfish choice. 'Multi-tasking behind the wheel continues to be far too commonplace on our roadways, with many motorists downplaying the potential impacts,' said Hitchens. 'But the reality is that distracted drivers recognize the dangers yet selfishly put themselves and others at risk. Behind every statistic is a real person. A few moments of inattentiveness can change lives forever.' The AAA Foundation's 2023 for Traffic Safety, which can be read in full here, found that 93% of drivers recognize the dangers of texting, emailing, and reading while driving. Despite this awareness, 27% of drivers self-reported sending a text/email, 37% said they read texts/emails, and 36% said they held/talked on a phone while driving in the past 30 days. 'While sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for only about 5 seconds, that's the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field at 55 mph with your eyes closed,' said Hitchens. There are two types of distracted driving, mental and physical, both divert the driver's attention away from the task of safe driving. The driver might remove: Their eyes from the road. Their hands from the wheel. Their minds from the task of driving. Other distractions beyond a cell phone include eating/drinking, smoking, talking with passengers, applying makeup, adjusting in-vehicle climate or radio controls and daydreaming. 'Many drivers are less aware of the dangers of these other distractions,' said Hitchens. 'Even if you put your cell phone away while behind the wheel, you could still be engaging in other activities that distract you from the roadway without realizing the risk.' To learn more about the campaign, visit here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Troopers say ICE training will give them guidance on how to handle criminals in country illegally
Gov. Brian Kemp wants hundreds of state officers to help the feds detain criminals who are in the country illegally. The governor has requested ICE train capitol police, Georgia State Patrol and Motor Carrier officers to apprehend people here who 'pose a risk to the public.' The Georgia Commissioner of Public Safety told Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne that Georgia has applied to get immigration training from the feds for all Georgia troopers and other officers under his command. He says details are still being worked out and Georgia is in the queue for this along with other states. 'We're going to try and stay in our lane and do what's proper and what's right. And if people are here illegally, I think it's important for us to take those out of here. We're trying to create a safe community for our citizens to live, work and enjoy life,' Georgia Department of Public Safety Commissioner Billy Hitchens said. Winne rode along with Georgia State Patrol Sgt. David Whitehead on Tuesday and rolled up on a traffic stop. Whitehead said the driver said he crossed the border illegally from Venezuela but turned himself in and is here legally now. But later he was found with a bogus work permit at the jail. The stop illustrates the complexities of immigration law troopers encounter and why training on it would be useful. RELATED STORIES: Immigration protesters rally after governor asks ICE to train Georgia State Patrol Troopers ICE partners with Georgia state troopers for immigrant training Georgia lawmakers split along party lines over ICE-targeted operations 'Will this ICE training be useful and if so, why?' Winne asked Whitehead. 'It will because it's going to give us a point of—to know we should go next with it,' Whitehead said. 'It will give us guidance should these people be here, should they be removed from the state of Georgia.' 'Our goal is not to come out and round up illegal immigrants that aren't doing anything,' Hitchens said. Hitchens said at the direction of Kemp, he has requested U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to train all 1,100 Georgia State Patrol Troopers, Capitol police officers and Motor Carrier Compliance Division officers on how to handle situations involving men and women in this country illegally who have committed crimes. 'It'll just give us another tool in our tool belt that allows us to deal with, you know, criminals that are here illegally when we come in contact with them during our daily operations,' Hitchens said. 'Immigration law is complicated, right?' Winne asked Hitchens. 'Yes. It very much is very complicated. And that's why this training will not turn us into Ice agents,' Hitchens said. 'Are you confident this training will not take away from having enough troopers on the road?' Winne asked Hitchens. 'Yes, sir. I'm very confident of that,' Hitchens said. Whitehead said he's part of the GSP's Criminal Interdiction Unit which works often with DEA and other federal agencies on big drug cases involving foreign-based cartels -- cases frequently involving people in this country illegally. 'I would note that you can't train someone on immigration law in a couple hours. Immigration law is wildly complicated,' immigration attorney Chuck Kuck told Channel 2's Brittany Kleinpeter on Tuesday. 'Some people will be detained but this is not going to result in mass arrests by the DPS.' As for the driver who was pulled over, Whitehead said the driver would go to jail for having no license, a window tint violation and having a 4-year-old in the car unrestrained. Whitehead described a February chase by his unit in metro Atlanta ending in a PIT maneuver and the discovery the driver was in the US illegally and had roughly 20 pounds of methamphetamine. In another stop last week, the driver was here illegally and had rape and assault-strangulation charges on his history though we don't know the status of those charges. But Whitehead said ICE told GSP they'd been looking for that man for deportation.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Daylight Saving Time and driving: AAA tips for safe commute
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Monday will be the first-morning commute for many after Daylight Saving Time went into effect. This can be a dangerous day on the roads, according to AAA. Moving the clocks forward one hour can cause people to feel drowsy and impact visible daylight during the morning commute. 'The first two weeks after a switch like this, after a spring forward, those are the most deadly,' said Kara Hitchens, public and government affairs manager for AAA. AAA research found an estimated 18% of all traffic fatalities between 2017 and 2021 involved a drowsy driver. Front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive? Which is best for you? That's why Hitchens said it's important to be awake and alert before getting behind the wheel. 'Obey your speed limits, fasten your seat belts, make sure that you're paying attention, you put your devices away and that you're focused on the road,' Hitchens said. Now that your morning commute may be in the dark, AAA reminds drivers to look out for pedestrians. According to the most recent data from the Governors Highway Safety Association, nearly 78% of pedestrian fatalities happened in the dark. 'They need to remember, you know, to be especially careful is looking out for school children as they are walking or riding their bikes to school,' Hitchens said. If you need to travel, make sure you do it when you feel most awake. If you start to feel tired, pull over and take a break. 'A good 15, 20-minute power nap, no more than 30 minutes, though,' Hitchens said. Another change that comes around the time clocks spring forward is the start of spring allergy season. Hitchens said to check your medications and be aware that some can make you feel drowsy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
