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Taking a cue from Chandigarh Police’s live demonstration showcased to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi at Punjab Engineering College (PEC), the Uttar Pradesh government plans to set up a similar replica of the demo to showcase the implementation of new criminal laws at the Kumbh Mela scheduled in February next year. The Chandigarh Police will assist the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police in creating this live demonstration, following the PM’s directive to share the model with all states. It has also been decided by the Centre that a similar demonstration will be set up at all major festivals across the country. On December 3, UT police’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) presented a one-hour live demonstration, simulating a murder crime scene investigation as per the new criminal laws to PM Modi. The demonstration, organised in eight stages, provided the PM with a live experience of how law enforcement, forensic teams, judicial authorities and prisons have become more efficient and technology-driven since the laws’ implementation. The demonstration was the brainchild of SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, who spent two months drafting the script and envisioning how the presentation would be delivered in both audio-visual and physical formats to PM Modi. Now, Chandigarh Police plans to produce two audio-visual films explaining the changes in criminal laws - one tailored for investigating officers and the other for the general public. These films will be circulated nationwide to ensure widespread understanding of the legal reforms. Chandigarh was selected as the model state for the implementation of the new laws and became the first in the country to successfully put them into practice. Over 2,300 attended live demo at PEC Over 2,367 attendees, including officials, general public, college students, and police teams, participated in the live demonstration showcasing the complete investigative and trial process under the newly implemented criminal laws at Punjab Engineering College (PEC) from December 4 to December 10. The exhibition was kept open to the public for a week after PM Modi urged UT police to showcase it across the nation. Various stakeholders, including young superintendents of police, senior police officials, vigilance teams, engineering students, delegation from New Delhi, and residents, actively participated to witness the practical implementation of the new investigative and trial mechanisms.MaineHealth Healthy Community Coalition in Farmington has been selected as a recipient of a five-year $625,000 federal grant from the Office of National Drug Control Policy under the Drug-Free Communities support program to prevent youth substance use in Regional School Unit 73 based in Livermore Falls. Seen Tuesday, from left, are Jayde Couture, Healthy Community Coalition program coordinator; Holly Richards, Healthy Community Coalition project manager; Lorri Brown, Healthy Community Coalition senior program manager; LeeAnna Lavoie, Healthy Community Coalition director; Scott Albert, RSU 73 superintendent; Michael Blanchet, advertising director at Sun Journal; Heidi Sage, parent and business owner; Kat Whitney, Healthy Community Coalition program manager; Robyn Raymond, director of Spruce Mountain adult education; and Paula Keller, Spruce Mountain high school social worker. Picasa FARMINGTON — MaineHealth’s Healthy Community Coalition in Farmington has been selected to receive a five-year $625,000 federal grant from the Office of National Drug Control Policy under the Drug-Free Communities support program. The program, managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, represents an opportunity to strengthen ongoing efforts in preventing youth substance use in the community. Key focuses of the grant include: • Establishing a community coalition in Regional School Unit 73 to guide the grant’s implementation and build community capacity around substance use prevention. • Increasing community knowledge and communication about youth substance use and local prevention efforts. • Reducing youth substance use among middle and high school students in RSU 73 through evidence-based programs and practices. The Drug-Free Communities support program is the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent and reduce substance use among youth. It provides federal grants to community coalitions to identify and respond to the issues unique to their community and change community conditions tied to youth substance use. With the grant, the Healthy Community Coalition will be able to continue building a safe, healthy, and drug-free community. “Preventing substance use today is critical, so that today’s youth don’t become tomorrow’s overdose victims. We are thrilled to award this grant because we know the outcomes (Drug-Free Communities)-funded coalitions are capable of achieving when implementing evidence-based prevention strategies at the local level.” said Helen Hernandez, administrator of the Drug-Free Communities program. Through the program, the CDC is empowering community coalitions to implement local solutions to unique, local conditions, with the common goal of preventing youth substance use,” Allison Arwady, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at CDC, said. The Health Community Coalition is grateful for the support of and partnership with the Office of National Drug Control Policy and CDC, LeeAnna Lavoie, Health Community Coalition executive director, said. “We are proud to share this mission and effort to prevent youth substance use and protect the well-being of our community,” she said. “Furthermore, this grant will allow us to better collaborate with our partners, including area youth sports, Jay Police Department, Maine CDC, Spruce Mt. Adult Education, MaineHealth Franklin Hospital, and Tri Valley United Way, among others. By focusing our collective expertise and resources on this critical issue, we will ensure a positive impact on our youth and community,” she said. RSU 73 Superintendent Scott Albert said he’s looking forward to working together on a serious issue that affects a great deal of people in our community. Over five years, the consortium aims to achieve short-term outcomes such as increased capacity in addressing youth substance use and improved parent knowledge. Intermediate outcomes include improved school climate and decreased youth access to substances, while long-term goals involve reducing rates of binge drinking, cannabis use, and vaping among youth, as well as decreasing substance use among adults. We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve. Please sign into your Sun Journal account to participate in conversations below. 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The fall of Assad represents a revolution in the Middle EastNoneRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson will not appear at former President Donald Trump ’s rally on Saturday in the battleground state following a CNN report about Robinson’s alleged disturbing online posts, an absence that illustrates the liability the gubernatorial candidate poses for Trump and downballot GOP candidates. Robinson is not expected to attend the event in Wilmington, according to a person on the Trump campaign and a second person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning. Robinson has been a frequent presence at Trump's North Carolina campaign stops. The Republican nominee has referred to Robinson, who is Black, as “Martin Luther King on steroids" and long praised him. But in the wake of Thursday's CNN report , the Trump campaign issued a statement that didn't mention Robinson and instead spoke generally about how North Carolina was key to the campaign's efforts. Robinson's campaign didn't respond to a text Friday seeking confirmation on his Saturday plans. The deadline in state law for Robinson to withdraw as the Republican candidate for governor passed late Thursday. State Republican leaders could have picked a replacement had a withdrawal occurred. Robinson has denied writing the posts, which include racial and sexual comments. He said he wouldn't be forced out of the race by “salacious tabloid lies.” While Robinson won his GOP gubernatorial primary in March, he's been trailing in several recent polls to Democratic nominee Josh Stein , the state's attorney general. “Let me reassure you the things that you will see in that story — those are not the words of Mark Robinson,” he told supporters in a video released Thursday by his campaign. “You know my words. You know my character.” State law says a gubernatorial nominee had until the day before the first absentee ballots requested by military and overseas voters are distributed to withdraw. They were distributed starting Friday. Robinson has a history of inflammatory comments that Stein has said made him too extreme to lead North Carolina. They already have contributed to the prospect that campaign struggles for Robinson could help Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris win the state’s 16 electoral votes. Democrats jumped on Robinson and other Republicans after the report aired, showing on social media photos of Robinson with Trump or with other GOP candidates, attempting to tarnish them by association. Losing swing district races for a congressional seat and the General Assembly would endanger the GOP’s control of the U.S. House and retaining veto-proof majorities at the legislature. “The fallout is going to be huge,” Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University, said Friday. “The Democrats are counting on this ... having a big effect.” But Cooper said Republicans could limit problems to the governor's race only if upward ticket-splitting trends among voters continue. Harris' campaign rolled out a new ad Friday it calls the first to link Trump to a down-ballot candidate. The commercial alternates between Trump’s praise for Robinson and the lieutenant governor’s comments which his critics have argued show his support for a statewide abortion ban without exceptions. Robinson's campaign have said that's not true. The Democratic National Committee is also running billboards in three major North Carolina cities showing a photo of Robinson and Trump and comments Trump has said about him. And a fundraising appeal Friday by Jeff Jackson, Democratic attorney general candidate, also includes a past video showing Republican opponent Dan Bishop saying he endorsed Robinson. “Every North Carolinian when they go to vote ought to look at whether a candidate has done that, because that sends a strong message about who you are as a candidate,” Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, a top Harris surrogate, said at a Friday news conference. CNN's story, which describes a series of comments that it said Robinson posted on the message board more than a decade ago, sent tremors through the state’s political class, particularly Republicans. While the state Republican Party came to Robinson’s defense late Thursday pointing out he's “categorically denied the allegations,” party Chairman Jason Simmons put out his own statement Friday calling them “deeply troubling” and that Robinson "needs to explain them to the people of North Carolina.” U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis , R-N.C., who endorsed a Robinson rival in the primary, said on X that Thursday “was a tough day, but we must stay focused on the races we can win.” He didn't mention the governor's race. U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, chairman of House Republicans' campaign arm, discounted Robinson’s impact in North Carolina congressional races. CNN reported that Robinson, who would be North Carolina’s first Black governor, attacked on the message board civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in searing terms and once referred to himself as a “black NAZI.” CNN also reported that Robinson wrote of being aroused by a memory of “peeping” women in gym showers when he was 14 along with an appreciation of transgender pornography. Robinson at one point referred to himself as a “perv,” according to CNN. The Associated Press has not independently confirmed that Robinson wrote and posted the messages. CNN said it matched details of the account on the pornographic website forum to other online accounts held by Robinson by comparing usernames, a known email address and his full name. CNN reported that details discussed by the account holder matched Robinson’s age, length of marriage and other biographical information. It also compared figures of speech that were used in his public Facebook profile and that appeared in discussions by the account on the pornographic website. This story was first published on Sep. 20, 2024. It was updated on Nov. 22, 2024 to correct which of Robinson’s social media accounts CNN cited in a comparison to language in messages from a pornographic website message board. CNN cited his public Facebook account, not his Twitter account. Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Kevin Freking in Washington, Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South Carolina and Makiya Seminera in Raleigh contributed to this report.
Cameron Haffner helps Evansville end five-game skid with 57-40 victory over Missouri StateOTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking some time to reflect after Chrystia Freeland's bombshell resignation, the natural resources minister said on Tuesday. "The prime minister, as I understand it, a number of caucus colleagues have said that the prime minister has said that he will reflect on both the decision that minister Freeland made, but also what he's heard from members of his own caucus," Jonathan Wilkinson said. "I think we all need to give him a little time to reflect, and I respect that fact that he's going to take some time to reflect." Freeland quit as finance minister on Monday morning just hours before she was set to present the government's fall economic statement. That kicked off a day of turmoil on Parliament Hill that began with a morning cabinet meeting and wrapped with an evening meeting of the Liberal caucus, where some members called for Trudeau to step aside as party leader. That includes New Brunswick MP Wayne Long, one of 23 caucus members who signed a letter back in October calling for Trudeau to quit. "We certainly have more MPs than last time. So, if I had to guess how many more right now, I'd say we're probably at 40 to 50 right now," Long said. "But there's a lot more than that. I mean, this is so different than times before." The attempt to oust Trudeau earlier in the fall took up a great deal of oxygen on Parliament Hill, but ultimately failed to garner support from inside the cabinet. This time, Long said, at least five cabinet ministers believe it's time for a change at the top. "I certainly am one to say to my colleagues, to ministers in particular: 'Let's come out of the shadows,'" Long said. "Let's openly, once and for all, state how we feel and let's move forward with what we know has to happen." Before question period, cabinet ministers Anita Anand and Kamal Khera told reporters they support the prime minister. After the failed coup in October, Liberal MPs emerged from a tense caucus meeting saying they believed Trudeau was taking time to reflect. But the very next day, he publicly stated his intention to stay on as leader at a press conference. That is why P.E.I. MP Sean Casey, who called for Trudeau to resign in October, does not think the prime minister will take a walk in the snow now. "There's not a single indicator in anything that he says or does that would tell me otherwise. He seems to be absolutely committed and he has throughout the piece, he's been remarkably consistent," Casey said. "What he says, what he does, how he does it, how he says it, the energy he puts into it, I don't believe for one second it's an act. I think it's real." Whenever Trudeau has been asked if he intends to lead the Liberals in the next election, the response has been an unambiguous "Yes." The Liberals have faced three non-confidence votes in the House of Commons this fall and have struggled to advance legislation because of a filibuster on a Conservative privilege motion related to misspending at a now-defunct green technology fund. On Tuesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre once again called on NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to topple the government, criticizing him for voting against the latest non-confidence motion last week. Poilievre said Canada needs a new prime minister because U.S. president-elect Donald Trump can smell weakness from a mile away and the Trudeau government is weak. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet also said a new Parliament is needed "as soon as possible," and he wants to see an election called in January. Blanchet said Trudeau has lost the political, moral and ethical authority to govern. He said the election should happen as soon as possible in the new year because Canadians do not want a campaign over the holiday season. On Monday, Singh called for Trudeau to step down but did not make a firm comment on whether the NDP would declare non-confidence in the Liberal government. Instead, Singh said "all options are on the table." The NDP, which ended a formal supply-and-confidence agreement to support the Liberals in September, has voted with the government on all three non-confidence motions. Singh has repeatedly said a Poilievre-led Conservative government would cut things New Democrats have fought for like dental care, pharmacare and other social programs. The Tories are also calling on the House of Commons trade committee to study the tariff threat between the week of Jan. 6 and Jan. 20, the date of Trump's inauguration. The House of Commons is expected to rise for the holiday break on Tuesday and return on Jan. 27. In her resignation letter, Freeland said she's been at odds with Trudeau in the last few weeks over the government's fiscal priorities. She said the government should do away with costly "political gimmicks" and instead set money aside to deal with a potential tariff war with the U.S. Dominic LeBlanc was sworn in as the new finance minister Monday, minutes after the government's fall economic statement was released. The economic update shows the deficit has grown to nearly $62 billion, far beyond the $40-billion target Freeland set earlier this year. It includes $1.3 billion in new spending on measures to beef up the border in response to Trump's threat to impose 25 per cent tariff threats on Canadian goods. LeBlanc, who is also in charge of intergovernmental affairs and democratic institutions, says his main priority as finance minister will be to address affordability issues. He will also continue to oversee the public safety file, implementing new border measures, until Trudeau holds a broader cabinet shuffle. That's expected to happen soon in order to replace ministers who have announced they won't seek re-election. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2024. — With files from Nick Murray and Michel Saba David Baxter, The Canadian PressSPRINGFIELD — When Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois Act in 2021, the incentive-bearing legislation signaled that the burgeoning electric vehicle industry could become a cornerstone of the state’s economic development agenda. A few months earlier, the landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act created a rebate program offering $4,000 to residents who purchase all-electric, non-gas guzzling vehicles, making them a pillar of the state’s efforts to fight climate change as well. These measures helped set the table for Illinois to take advantage of billions of dollars worth of private investment by EV manufacturers, battery makers and parts suppliers spurred by signature policies of President Joe Biden's administration that incentivized the transportation sector's shift toward electric power. Workers load a part as robotic equipment assembles R1T truck bodies in a marriage line on April 11, 2022, at the Rivian electric vehicle plant in Normal. But with President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in January, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the nascent industry. Illinois lawmakers and environmental advocates are already expressing concern that Trump will follow through on his promise to gut programs aimed at boosting it, such as a popular nationwide consumer tax credit program for electric vehicle purchases. Top Trump allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, as part of their Department of Government Efficiency cost-cutting commission, have promised to scrutinize and potentially claw back spending approved by the Biden Administration during the lame duck period. That includes a $6.6 billion federal loan to Rivian Automotive, which makes all of its vehicles in Normal and is among the rivals to Musk's Tesla. Plans recommended by Trump's transition team, first reported this week by Reuters , would impose major changes cutting off support for electric vehicles and charging stations. The president-elect's advisers also reportedly want to strengthen measures blocking cars, components and battery materials from China, where the heavily subsidized EV industry is growing. EV manufacturers and state policymakers remain in a holding pattern. Most said, however, that the transition to EVs is far enough down the road that a speed bump from the incoming administration would only slow progress, not halt it. “We're all in a little bit of a limbo right now,” said Lisa Clemmons Stott, the electric mobility director for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. “The industry is in a limbo. State governments are in a bit of a limbo waiting to see what they'll do. A Tesla vehicle is charged by a EV charging station in Wheeling on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. "But in Illinois, we've made sure that our foundation is so solid that we believe that we can keep the industry moving forward, whether they have that support at the federal level or not.” Federal tax credit at risk Of most consequence is the status of a $7,500 federal tax credit for those who purchase electric vehicles, which are often sold at a higher price point than their gas-guzzling counterparts. The credit, a key factor in Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, applies to all-electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell electric vehicles purchased new in 2023 or later. Pre-owned vehicles purchased in 2023 or later are eligible for a tax credit of up to $4,000, according to the IRS. Other requirements include a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 14,000 pounds; the price can't exceed $80,000 for vans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks or $55,000 for other vehicles. The credit is not available for individuals making over $150,000 or married couples making more than $300,000 a year. According to an academic study published last month by professors Hunt Allcott of Stanford, Joseph Shapiro of the University of California, Berkeley and Felix Tintelnot of Duke University, the elimination of the tax credit would decrease electric vehicle registrations — projected near 1.2 million this year — by 27%, or about 317,000, annually. Most of the impact would be felt by American carmakers, according to the findings. “Many industry analysts predict that eventually the EV market share will be 100%,” Shapiro told Lee Enterprises in an interview. “And based on that estimate, you might think it doesn't really matter if we adopt earlier or later — eventually we're gonna get there. “But, certainly, the atmosphere matters, because if EV adoption happens in a half-century versus in a half-decade, there are hundreds of millions or billions of tons of carbon that are going to be pumped into the atmosphere, and they will remain in the atmosphere for centuries and affect the climate for centuries,” he said. Shapiro Eliminating the tax credit program has been strongly considered by Trump's transition committee and supported by many of his backers, including Musk, the CEO of Tesla. He said back in July that axing the subsidy would hurt Tesla competitors like General Motors and Ford more than his company. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents automakers like GM, Toyota Motor Corp and Volkswagen, has urged the president-elect to keep the tax credits. Groups like the Zero Emission Transportation Association — which includes members like Tesla, Lucid and Rivian — have said the tax credits have driven substantial job growth throughout the country. Killing the program would hurt newer job growth, they said. ZETA executive director Albert Gore III told Lee Enterprises that Biden’s support had the unintended consequence of opening the EV industry up to negative political attacks. He said there’s now an opportunity to take a “clear-eyed, dispassionate look at what the current set of policies are doing” and have “that honest conversation about what is happening in places like Illinois,” but also Republican-led states that have seen industry investment, like Georgia and Tennessee. “If you take (the credit) away, it's unclear exactly what happens to all of that economic activity,” said Gore, a former Tesla public policy employee and son of former Vice President Al Gore. “But it certainly puts it at risk. "And putting that at risk is really not a good outcome because, in general, the commodity market for minerals that are important for the battery manufacturing sector is subject to heavy influence, some would say strategic manipulation, by China.” Walton The tax credits were born from the premise that new technologies are usually more expensive to manufacture, said John Walton, chair of the Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation. They were designed to help sell vehicles at a time before the technology has been widely adopted. "There were credits for natural gas vehicles and propane vehicles back in the '90s that also went away, so going away isn't anything unusual," Walton said. "When we had the initial tax credit, it was working its purpose and vehicles were starting to come down in price, and the tax credit was dropped. Then Biden put in this new tax credit a few years ago, and the vehicles didn't drop at the same rate as prices stayed." Walton said early innovations and start-ups with new technology often cost more for early adopters. Prices tend to come down as time goes on and the manufacturing process becomes more cost-effective. Advocates also point to a need for more investment in charging stations to alleviate another consumer hang-up: "range anxiety," the fear that an EV will run out of power before reaching its destination. Brown "We need to be able to increase the consumer confidence in that network so that become a non-issue, because it is still a significant barrier for a lot of potential consumers," said Michael Brown, executive director of the Ecology Action Center, a nonprofit environmental sustainability agency based in Normal. Brown said the potential elimination of the nationwide tax credit is unfortunate, but he noted that state tax credits remain for Illinoisans. Indeed, "as other states scramble to implement EV tax programs, Illinois already has in place a state-funded rebate program that isn’t impacted by any potential changes to the federal EV tax program," said Kim Biggs, public information officer at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, in a statement. Residents that purchase a new or used all-electric vehicle from an Illinois licensed dealer may be eligible for a $4,000 rebate for an all-electric vehicle or a $1,500 rebate for an all-electric motorcycle, according to the agency. The incentive is meant to help Illinois reach its goal of a million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. It’s a wildly optimistic target. According to data from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office, just under 120,000 electric vehicles were registered in the state as of Nov. 15. Funding for the rebate is subject to the whims of the Illinois General Assembly and has fluctuated every year, starting with $20 million in 2023, dipping to $12 million in 2024 and rising slightly to $14 million in 2025. The program has proved to be oversubscribed with funds drying up quickly after an application cycle opens. In 2023, for example, just 63% of nearly 7,700 applicants were awarded the state’s rebate. In 2024, only 3,000 of the nearly 5,600 who applied, about 54%, were given the rebate. Vella Some states like California have committed to filling in the void if Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress decide to eliminate the $7,500 federal credit. State Rep. Dave Vella, D-Rockford, who sponsored the REV Act in 2021, said that Illinois similarly “might have to beef up our credit a little bit.” But with state policymakers staring down a projected $3.2 billion budget deficit in the next fiscal year, a more generous electric vehicle rebate appears unlikely. Vella said other ideas to support EV ownership could be considered, but no legislative proposals are expected during lawmakers’ lame duck session early next month. “Donald Trump says a lot of things,” Vella said. “Sometimes he backs them up. Sometimes it's just for effect. So until I find out what is real and what is for effect, I don't know what to do.” Rivian, EV makers face challenges Less than two years after Pritzker and both Illinois senators celebrated the opening of a Lion Electric plant in Joliet, the company announced earlier this month that it would suspend operations there. The Quebec-based company also said would temporarily lay off 400 workers in the U.S. and Canada. The news was a blow for what state leaders touted as the first new vehicle assembly plant to open in the Chicago area since 1965. The electric school bus manufacturer said it has struggled in part due to a lag in the delivery of federal subsidies. The frame of a LionC electric school bus is assembled at the Lion Electric plant in Joliet on July 23, 2024. Pritzker, a second-term Chicago Democrat who has been heavily critical of Trump, said the incoming administration is unlikely to help matters. "There's an awful lot of pressure that's been put on electric vehicle companies as a result of Donald Trump's rhetoric and promises that he's made to kind of tear down electric vehicle industry development," Pritzker said, responding to a question about Lion Electric at an unrelated press conference earlier this month. Though Pritzker said he was disappointed in Lion's progress, he also highlighted the "massive growth" of Rivian. Since 2021, the startup has made all of its electric SUVs, pickup trucks and commercial delivery vans in Normal. While the Central Illinois workforce now reaches over 8,000 and plant expansion work is underway, the company has also faced challenges. Last month, Rivian reported third-quarter revenue of about $874 million , blaming supply chain issues and softer demand for the 35% decrease from the same time last year. Still, the California-based automaker is investing heavily in its future, aided in part by both the state and federal governments — at least for now. Kyle Matas, center, shows the interior of Rivian's R3 model to his children, Able Matas, left, and Quinn Matas, during an unveiling of new Rivian models on April 6 in Normal. The U.S. Department of Energy announced last month that it would loan Rivian $6.6 billion to build a factory in Georgia, where the company initially planned to build its new, more affordable R2 midsize SUVs. Construction of the long-planned facility has been stalled since March to speed up production and save money. Rivian instead announced this year that the R2 would be built in Normal, where it started work on a 1.3 million-square-foot expansion east of the southeast corner of the existing plant . The company also started construction on the $200 million development of new parts and component distribution facilities , with plans approved by the Normal Town Council. "Startup companies like this face these kinds of issues all the time," said Normal Mayor Chris Koos, referring to Rivian's recent challenges. "And it has been more with the resilience of a company to respond to these changes because it's really out of their control." Normal's government has supported Rivian's efforts since 2016, when the town government approved an economic incentive agreement that included temporary property tax reductions as long as the company met certain hiring and investment goals. The final property tax abatement came in May 2022. Later that year, council members approved purchase of an R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV to join the town's fleet of vehicles. "I see it as the coming technology for automobiles in this country and throughout the world," Koos said. "It's not just because Rivian is in our community. I've always thought it was the next logical step with advances in technology." A Rivian electric vehicle charges at a station in Wheeling on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. In June, Rivian announced a $5 billion partnership with German automaker Volkswagen that includes an initial $1 billion investment followed by the remaining investments through 2026. News of that deal came one month after Pritzker announced that Rivian would receive an $827 million state incentive package, allowing it to expand the facility in Normal. At the time, the company said it would invest $1.5 billion to create 550 full-time jobs within the next five years. A Rivian spokesperson said the company would not comment on the potential elimination of the federal tax credit. But if Musk and Ramaswamy have their way, Rivian could face the wrath of the Trump administration over the $6.6 billion loan. Ramasawamy wrote on X last month that the loan agreement came across as “a political shot” at Musk. He later told CNN that the loan was “high on the list of items” he would seek to claw back. Tesla, owned by Musk, received a similar $465 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2010. Tesla Superchargers are seen at Willow Festival shopping plaza parking lot Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, in Northbrook. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, in a statement earlier this month, decried the “rich” irony of the situation. “Bottom line is Elon Musk’s record is clear — his vast business empire has benefitted from government assistance in the past,” Durbin said. “He’s in a delicate position with many potential conflicts of interest. I hope there will be some second thoughts to his ideas and the ideas of his DOGE partner.” 'Market conditions' delay progress Rivian isn’t the only automaker in line to receive federal assistance. Earlier this year, the Department of Energy announced that Stellantis would receive a $334 million federal grant to retrofit its idled Belvidere plant for electric vehicle manufacturing. A Stellantis factory entrance is seen July 10, 2023, in Belvidere, Ill. The company had agreed to reopen the facility and build an adjacent battery factory as part of a deal that ended the 2023 United Auto Workers strike. It had closed earlier that year after decades producing Chryslers, Dodges and Jeeps. However, the company paused those plans in August. Stellantis spokeswoman Jodi Tinson confirmed to Lee Enterprises that the company believed “current market conditions indicate that delaying — not canceling — our plans would be in the best interests of our employees and the community.” Tinson declined comment on the status of the yet-to-be finalized federal grant or whether the project would remain feasible without government help. Vella, the state representative whose district includes the Belvidere plant, said it’s his “strong belief that" the grant agreement "will get done before the inauguration,” acknowledging that it “could be an issue” if it doesn’t. Stott, the state’s point person on electric vehicle policy, said that “the goal is to get that done in this administration.” At that point, the state can begin to work on a REV incentive package to reopen the complex, which could put thousands back on the assembly line. “I'm sure the Biden administration is moving forward as fast as they can on that one, and also on Rivian's,” Stott said. “I'm confident that it will be able to meet any scrutiny that the next administration has for it.” Where Illinois’ EV ecosystem stands Early returns suggest that Illinois’ cultivation of the EV market has paid off. Though not quite the “Silicon Valley of EVs” as some had predicted, the state has attracted more than $8.5 billion in private investment for clean energy and technology manufacturing since 2021, according to the Clean Economy Tracker, a tool from Atlas Public Policy that tracks investments in the clean economy. The vast majority came from EV and battery companies. In this June file photo, TCCI Manufacturing Chief Operating Officer Dennis Flaherty highlights construction work in Decatur. The company was awarded the first tax credits under the state's Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV) Act. And the REV program Pritzker created in 2021 has been fruitful, with 17 agreements inked to provide more than $1.1 billion in state tax credits to EV producers and suppliers investing in the state. The deals could result in the retention of more than 8,000 existing jobs and the creation of 5,000 new ones, according to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Regardless of policy changes at the federal level, Illinois is going to stay the course on electric vehicle policy, said Deputy Gov. Andy Manar. “Circumstances are going to be a little bit different come 2025,” Manar said. “But we're going to continue to focus on making sure that that pipeline of projects keeps flowing. It has been consistent. There have been large projects. There have been very important smaller projects." Economic development officials acknowledged that the state hasn't seen the same number of large projects in 2024 as it did in the two prior years. Manar suggested that may be indicative of smaller companies within the EV supply chain following larger companies that have already invested in Illinois. A Chicago Transit Authority electric bus charges in the West Side garage Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, in Chicago. The CTA plans to move to all-electric by 2040, another sign of Illinois' embrace of clean energy. Most automobile industry experts believe the transition to electric vehicles, even if delayed, is inevitable. As such, many Illinois policymakers believe the state should continue to back the evolving technology. “I think the idea is, if the Trump administration wants to shut down or slow down the EV thing, and we know that in the future the market is going to go there, I think the smart move for us is to double down and really get into the manufacturing space,” Vella said. “So when it ramps back up, which it inevitably will, we'll be there.” Contact Mateusz Janik at (309) 820-3234. Follow Mateusz on Twitter:@mjanik99 “If you take (the EV tax credit) away, it's unclear exactly what happens to all of that economic activity. But it certainly puts it at risk." — Albert Gore III, executive director, Zero Emission Transportation Association "There's an awful lot of pressure that's been put on electric vehicle companies as a result of Donald Trump's rhetoric." — Gov. JB Pritzker “Circumstances are going to be a little bit different come 2025. But we're going to continue to focus on making sure that that pipeline of projects keeps flowing." — Andy Manar, Illinois deputy governor The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Government Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. State Government Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
MetLife Investment Management LLC Buys 66,850 Shares of SSR Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:SSRM)
