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The Hill
a day ago
- Business
- The Hill
Tariffs won't stop China if it wins the energy race
China is the centerpiece of the Trump administration's tariff strategy. Beijing, the administration insists, is ' by far the biggest abuser in history ' when it comes to trade offenses. Tariffs, they claim, will level the playing field and reassert American dominance. But the playing field is already shifting beneath our feet. While President Trump is busy slapping tariffs on steel and copper, China is racing ahead in something far more powerful: cheap, clean energy. No amount of tariffs will stop China if it wins the energy race. In late February 2025, Chinese geologists announced the discovery of vast deposits of thorium, an element so energy-rich that a single golf-ball-sized lump can power a person's lifetime energy needs. With enough reserves to fuel the country for 60,000 years, China is now sitting on what could be the most transformative energy breakthrough of the century. Unlike the U.S., which sat on this potential for decades, China is sprinting ahead. Chinese scientists recently achieved a historic first: refueling a molten salt reactor running on thorium without interrupting energy production. Thorium's advantages are staggering. It is three to four times more abundant than its nuclear counterpart, uranium, and can theoretically yield up to 200 times more energy. It's cleaner, too, producing far less long-lived radioactive waste and generating zero greenhouse gases during operation. China is building the world's first commercial thorium molten salt reactor, slated to go online by 2029. It's a bold move that underscores China's ambition to lead the world in cheap energy and ultimately explosive economic growth, not through trade wars but by out-innovating the West. And here's the kicker: They're doing it on the back of U.S. research. The use of thorium in fueling nuclear reactors was first discovered by American chemist Glenn Seaborg in the 1940s. From there, the Tennessee-based Oak Ridge National Laboratory ran a successful demonstration of the molten salt reactor in the 1960s, proving the technology's safety and potential. But instead of championing the innovation, the project was axed. The Nixon-era government, driven by Cold War priorities, preferred uranium-based reactors that produced weapons-grade plutonium. Thorium didn't serve military aims, so the research was defunded, its champions removed, and the program shut down. Regulatory and funding priorities shifted decisively against thorium. Billions were poured into the Clinch River Breeder Reactor — a uranium-based failure — while thorium research was sidelined. By the 1970s, thorium research and development had essentially been abandoned. Even existing thorium stockpiles were targeted; the Department of Energy under the George W. Bush administration slated them for destruction by dilution, short-circuiting their scientific promise. Most thorium research in North America now happens in Canada, while in the 'land of the free' our scientists are still shackled by regulatory inertia. The U.S. government makes it illegal to experiment at the relevant scale to conduct thorium research with radioactive material. The government also uses a linear no-threshold radioactive exposure model for limiting human exposure. These extreme criteria are unscientific and harmful to the advancement of science. And while the U.S. buries its lead under layers of bureaucracy and bias, our allies and rivals picked up the pieces. Now China has leapt ahead. If China fully harnesses this potential, tariffs won't make a dent in their economic trajectory. While the Trump administration is busy slapping taxes on aluminum and auto parts, President Xi Jinping could be preparing to export cheap, clean and practically limitless energy. That's the kind of strategic advantage that propels countries to economic excellence, not a marginal trade war win. The U.S. is not entirely asleep. Gov. Kathy Hochul's (D) announcement of a zero-emission nuclear facility in New York is a modest sign of life. So is the growing interest in small modular reactors. Hopefully it's not too little, too late. It's time to stop trying to suppress the success of other countries and start unleashing our own potential. The government cannot predict what the future of innovation holds. Instead of targeting foreign progress with trade penalties, the administration needs to unleash American scientists and entrepreneurs to build the future here. That means deregulating advanced energy technologies, funding high-risk research, and getting Washington's foot off the innovation brakes. In the 20th century, we built the bomb. In the 21st, let's lead the world again.
a day ago
- Health
Parents of man who died in Colorado jail say nurses, deputies ignored his pleas for 15 hours
DENVER -- The parents of a man who died alone in a Colorado jail cell after an ulcer burned a hole in his digestive tract and left him in what they said was excruciating pain for about 15 hours filed a federal lawsuit Monday, accusing the jail's nurses and sheriff's deputes of ignoring his cries for help. The lawsuit blames them, local government officials and Southern Health Partners for failing to stop the death of Daniel Foard in 2023 by taking him to the hospital. Foard, 32, was a cook at a brewpub and user of fentanyl who was arrested for failing to appear in court. After being segregated and monitored for withdrawal from the synthetic opioid, he began vomiting and complained of stomach pain after being put in a regular jail cell, it said. The lawsuit alleges Southern Health Partners — the Tennessee-based company they contracted with to provide health care at the La Plata County jail — has tried to maximize its profits at the jail by only having one nurse on duty at a time, leaving it to medically untrained deputies to monitor sick inmates. The company holds hundred of contracts at jails around the country and the lawsuit alleges that is has been involved in lawsuits related to the deaths of at least five other jail inmates nationally. The company's lawyer, Shira Crittendon, said she had not seen the lawsuit and declined to comment on it. The sheriff's office referred questions about the the lawsuit to a county spokesperson. In a statement, the county said it had not analyzed the allegations in the lawsuit and does not comment publicly on active litigation. Foard was found dead in the jail on Aug. 17, 2023, six days after he was arrested. An autopsy found Foard died as a result of a hole created by an ulcer in his small intestine, which caused inflammation of the tissue lining his abdomen. Such ulcers can let food and digestive juices leak out of the body's digestive tract. Fentanyl was found in Foard's blood but the autopsy report did not name that as a cause of his death. Dr. Michael Arnall ruled Foard's death was due to natural causes. On Aug. 15, 2023, even though Foard had collapsed several times and had trouble standing, he was moved out of an area where he could be more easily observed for problems with his withdrawal and put into a regular jail cell, staggering as we went, the lawsuit said. The day nurse ignored a deputy's concern that he was very unstable, according to the lawsuit brought by lawyers Dan Weiss, Anna Holland Edwards, John Holland and Erica Grossman. After a deputy delivering breakfast on Aug. 16, 2023 saw that Foard repeatedly fell while trying to get his tray, the jail's day nurse came to check on him, it said. She recorded that Foard reported he had sharp, shooting pain that was a '10' on a scale of one to 10, but she did not call for a doctor or send him to the hospital, it said. The nurse moved Foard to an empty cell where he could be monitored but didn't tell deputies what he was being monitored for and didn't order any follow up care or check on him, it said. He vomited all day and was moved to another cell and then a third because they had all become so messy with vomit, it said. Surveillance video showed him crawling to the final cell, where it said he continuously called out for help and yelled that he needed to go to a hospital, saying he was vomiting blood. The lawsuit claims that no one responded to his pleas but one deputy could be heard on surveillance video telling him to 'try to hit that drain' with his vomit to keep the cell from becoming dirty. Another nurse, working the evening shift, only walked by his cell and glanced inside, but did not assess him or provide care as he was pleading for help, the lawsuit said. When she did enter his cell around 10 p.m., Foard was dead, it said. She told state investigators that vomiting was normal for people withdrawing from fentanyl. The day shift nurse later told a state investigator that it was not unusual that Foard would not have had his vital signs checked for 12 hours because of the number of inmates the jail's nurses need to provide care, according to a report from an investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations. She also said she didn't think there was anything different she could have done based on Foard's symptoms. The bureau's findings were forwarded to the 6th District Attorney's Office, which would decide whether any criminal charges were warranted in connection with Foard's death. It's not known whether the office decided to pursue any charges. A telephone message and email sent to District Attorney Sean Murray were not immediately returned. In a statement, Jim Foard and Susan Gizinski said they want everyone to know about their son's ordeal both to hold those they say are responsible for his death accountable and to change how inmates are treated at the jail. 'Just basic training in having compassion for others would be a great start. But adding more staff is critical too,' they said.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Parents of man who died in Colorado jail say nurses, deputies ignored his pleas for 15 hours
DENVER (AP) — The parents of a man who died alone in a Colorado jail cell after an ulcer burned a hole in his digestive tract and left him in what they said was excruciating pain for about 15 hours filed a federal lawsuit Monday, accusing the jail's nurses and sheriff's deputes of ignoring his cries for help. The lawsuit blames them, local government officials and Southern Health Partners for failing to stop the death of Daniel Foard in 2023 by taking him to the hospital. Foard, 32, was a cook at a brewpub and user of fentanyl who was arrested for failing to appear in court. After being segregated and monitored for withdrawal from the synthetic opioid, he began vomiting and complained of stomach pain after being put in a regular jail cell, it said. The lawsuit alleges Southern Health Partners — the Tennessee-based company they contracted with to provide health care at the La Plata County jail — has tried to maximize its profits at the jail by only having one nurse on duty at a time, leaving it to medically untrained deputies to monitor sick inmates. The company holds hundred of contracts at jails around the country and the lawsuit alleges that is has been involved in lawsuits related to the deaths of at least five other jail inmates nationally. The company's lawyer, Shira Crittendon, said she had not seen the lawsuit and declined to comment on it. The sheriff's office referred questions about the the lawsuit to a county spokesperson. In a statement, the county said it had not analyzed the allegations in the lawsuit and does not comment publicly on active litigation. Autopsy found Foard died because of an ulcer Foard was found dead in the jail on Aug. 17, 2023, six days after he was arrested. An autopsy found Foard died as a result of a hole created by an ulcer in his small intestine, which caused inflammation of the tissue lining his abdomen. Such ulcers can let food and digestive juices leak out of the body's digestive tract. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, was found in Foard's blood but the autopsy report did not name that as a cause of his death. Dr. Michael Arnall ruled Foard's death was due to natural causes. On Aug. 15, 2023, even though Foard had collapsed several times and had trouble standing, he was moved out of an area where he could be more easily observed for problems with his withdrawal and put into a regular jail cell, staggering as we went, the lawsuit said. The day nurse ignored a deputy's concern that he was very unstable, according to the lawsuit brought by lawyers Dan Weiss, Anna Holland Edwards, John Holland and Erica Grossman. After a deputy delivering breakfast on Aug. 16, 2023 saw that Foard repeatedly fell while trying to get his tray, the jail's day nurse came to check on him, it said. She recorded that Foard reported he had sharp, shooting pain that was a '10' on a scale of one to 10, but she did not call for a doctor or send him to the hospital, it said. The nurse moved Foard to an empty cell where he could be monitored but didn't tell deputies what he was being monitored for and didn't order any follow up care or check on him, it said. He vomited all day and was moved to another cell and then a third because they had all become so messy with vomit, it said. Surveillance video showed him crawling to the final cell, where it said he continuously called out for help and yelled that he needed to go to a hospital, saying he was vomiting blood. The lawsuit claims that no one responded to his pleas but one deputy could be heard on surveillance video telling him to 'try to hit that drain' with his vomit to keep the cell from becoming dirty. Another nurse, working the evening shift, only walked by his cell and glanced inside, but did not assess him or provide care as he was pleading for help, the lawsuit said. When she did enter his cell around 10 p.m., Foard was dead, it said. She told state investigators that vomiting was normal for people withdrawing from fentanyl. State authorities investigated Foard's death The day shift nurse later told a state investigator that it was not unusual that Foard would not have had his vital signs checked for 12 hours because of the number of inmates the jail's nurses need to provide care, according to a report from an investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations. She also said she didn't think there was anything different she could have done based on Foard's symptoms. The bureau's findings were forwarded to the 6th District Attorney's Office, which would decide whether any criminal charges were warranted in connection with Foard's death. It's not known whether the office decided to pursue any charges. A telephone message and email sent to District Attorney Sean Murray were not immediately returned. In a statement, Jim Foard and Susan Gizinski said they want everyone to know about their son's ordeal both to hold those they say are responsible for his death accountable and to change how inmates are treated at the jail. 'Just basic training in having compassion for others would be a great start. But adding more staff is critical too,' they said.
Mint
2 days ago
- Health
- Mint
Parents of man who died in Colorado jail say nurses, deputies ignored his pleas for 15 hours
DENVER (AP) — The parents of a man who died alone in a Colorado jail cell after an ulcer burned a hole in his digestive tract and left him in what they said was excruciating pain for about 15 hours filed a federal lawsuit Monday, accusing the jail's nurses and sheriff's deputes of ignoring his cries for help. The lawsuit blames them, local government officials and Southern Health Partners for failing to stop the death of Daniel Foard in 2023 by taking him to the hospital. Foard, 32, was a cook at a brewpub and user of fentanyl who was arrested for failing to appear in court. After being segregated and monitored for withdrawal from the synthetic opioid, he began vomiting and complained of stomach pain after being put in a regular jail cell, it said. The lawsuit alleges Southern Health Partners — the Tennessee-based company they contracted with to provide health care at the La Plata County jail — has tried to maximize its profits at the jail by only having one nurse on duty at a time, leaving it to medically untrained deputies to monitor sick inmates. The company holds hundred of contracts at jails around the country and the lawsuit alleges that is has been involved in lawsuits related to the deaths of at least five other jail inmates nationally. The company's lawyer, Shira Crittendon, said she had not seen the lawsuit and declined to comment on it. The sheriff's office referred questions about the the lawsuit to a county spokesperson. In a statement, the county said it had not analyzed the allegations in the lawsuit and does not comment publicly on active litigation. Foard was found dead in the jail on Aug. 17, 2023, six days after he was arrested. An autopsy found Foard died as a result of a hole created by an ulcer in his small intestine, which caused inflammation of the tissue lining his abdomen. Such ulcers can let food and digestive juices leak out of the body's digestive tract. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, was found in Foard's blood but the autopsy report did not name that as a cause of his death. Dr. Michael Arnall ruled Foard's death was due to natural causes. On Aug. 15, 2023, even though Foard had collapsed several times and had trouble standing, he was moved out of an area where he could be more easily observed for problems with his withdrawal and put into a regular jail cell, staggering as we went, the lawsuit said. The day nurse ignored a deputy's concern that he was very unstable, according to the lawsuit brought by lawyers Dan Weiss, Anna Holland Edwards, John Holland and Erica Grossman. After a deputy delivering breakfast on Aug. 16, 2023 saw that Foard repeatedly fell while trying to get his tray, the jail's day nurse came to check on him, it said. She recorded that Foard reported he had sharp, shooting pain that was a '10' on a scale of one to 10, but she did not call for a doctor or send him to the hospital, it said. The nurse moved Foard to an empty cell where he could be monitored but didn't tell deputies what he was being monitored for and didn't order any follow up care or check on him, it said. He vomited all day and was moved to another cell and then a third because they had all become so messy with vomit, it said. Surveillance video showed him crawling to the final cell, where it said he continuously called out for help and yelled that he needed to go to a hospital, saying he was vomiting blood. The lawsuit claims that no one responded to his pleas but one deputy could be heard on surveillance video telling him to 'try to hit that drain' with his vomit to keep the cell from becoming dirty. Another nurse, working the evening shift, only walked by his cell and glanced inside, but did not assess him or provide care as he was pleading for help, the lawsuit said. When she did enter his cell around 10 p.m., Foard was dead, it said. She told state investigators that vomiting was normal for people withdrawing from fentanyl. The day shift nurse later told a state investigator that it was not unusual that Foard would not have had his vital signs checked for 12 hours because of the number of inmates the jail's nurses need to provide care, according to a report from an investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations. She also said she didn't think there was anything different she could have done based on Foard's symptoms. The bureau's findings were forwarded to the 6th District Attorney's Office, which would decide whether any criminal charges were warranted in connection with Foard's death. It's not known whether the office decided to pursue any charges. A telephone message and email sent to District Attorney Sean Murray were not immediately returned. In a statement, Jim Foard and Susan Gizinski said they want everyone to know about their son's ordeal both to hold those they say are responsible for his death accountable and to change how inmates are treated at the jail. 'Just basic training in having compassion for others would be a great start. But adding more staff is critical too,' they said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Abrego Garcia lawyers again ask for delay in release from jail, citing deportation threat
Mistakenly deported man Kilmar Abrego Garcia is asking a Tennessee-based federal judge to delay any ruling to release him by 30 days as his legal team seeks clarity on the Trump administration's plans to deport him. Attorneys for Abrego Garcia said the delay was needed 'given the uncertainty of the outcome of any removal proceedings.' The Department of Justice has not objected to the request. Abrego Garcia spent weeks imprisoned in El Salvador after being deported due to an administrative error despite a 2019 order from an immigration judge barring him from being returned to his home country. Attorneys for the Justice Department said if Abrego Garcia were to be released, he would be picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Though Abrego Garcia cannot be deported to El Salvador, he could be sent to another country that agrees to take him, and the Trump administration has sought such arrangements with countries such as South Sudan. Abrego Garcia is fighting in two courts to bar his deportation, including the Maryland federal court where his family first sought his return from a Salvadoran prison. It's unusual for those facing charges to fight their release from prison — a sign of the uncertainty facing Abrego Garcia as the Justice Department argues they have little control or insight into how immigration authorities would handle his case. Abrego Garcia was returned to the U.S. as the Trump administration announced they would bring human trafficking charges against the man stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee where he was seen driving other men without luggage. A ruling is expected shortly in Maryland, where Judge Paula Xinis has been asked to bar the Trump administration from deporting Abrego Garcia. In an attempt to stave off Xinis from taking any action, government attorneys agreed to abide by certain procedures before deporting him to a third country. But Abrego Garcia's lawyers said those guarantees don't alleviate their concerns. 'It leaves open the critical question of whether my client will receive effective notice and an opportunity to be heard in a court before he is removed to an as-yet unidentified third country,' attorney Jonathan Cooper said at a hearing in Xinis's court room earlier this month. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
