It will be cheaper to get into everything from parks and cinemas to soft play and zoos
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Rashan Williams immediately knew something wasn’t right. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was ‘bulging’ from her body.
Food preservatives found in yoghurts, fruit juice, wholegrain bread and scores of other everyday products could significantly raise the risk of heart disease, research suggests.
Republican lawmakers are taking the most ambitious federal action yet to shield oil companies from a growing number of state lawsuits and bills that seek to force them to pay billion-dollar penalties for their alleged role in contributing to climate change. [some emphasis, links added]
In state courts, more than two dozen Democratic-led states and cities, collectively home to roughly a quarter of the nation’s population, have accused dozens of oil companies of misleading consumers about the climate impacts of burning fossil fuels.
The ongoing lawsuits argue oil companies are responsible for paying hundreds of millions of dollars in damages caused by extreme weather—which Democrats blame on man-made climate change—in those states and cities.
And in statehouses, Democrats are pushing laws requiring oil companies to pay state coffers to fund environmental resilience and infrastructure repair projects.
A dozen states have introduced such laws, and two—Vermont and New York—have passed them. Under New York’s law, oil companies will be forced to pay the state $75 billion over the next 25 years.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and Rep. Harriet Hageman (R., Wyo.) authored the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act last month, which they say would prohibit such litigation and laws.
According to the lawmakers, the increasingly common state actions, while pursued at a local level, ultimately seek to regulate nationwide emissions and enforce a far-left climate agenda on all Americans.
The bill represents Congress’s first attempt to rein in the state-level efforts and shield oil companies from climate-related liability.
And if successful, it could pull the rug out from under those lawsuits and laws, while eliminating what has emerged as a central pillar of activists’ and Democrats’ anti-oil climate agenda.
“Through a coordinated campaign by radical environmental groups, our judicial system has been weaponized against American energy producers, including many in Texas,” Cruz told the Washington Free Beacon. “Through meritless lawsuits, they’re seeking to bankrupt our energy industry, kill good-paying jobs, and drive up the cost of electricity and gasoline for hardworking families.”
Cruz said his bill “will stop that abuse and protect American jobs, lower energy costs, and strengthen American energy dominance.”
Hageman added that it is “just a really bad idea” to target oil companies. Democrats, she said, have resorted to these efforts after failing to pass carbon tax and cap-and-trade legislation at the federal level.
“We need energy to power our economy,” Hageman said in an interview. “But you have a very small number of people who are in leadership roles making the decisions to do this that can destroy the energy climate for everybody and make all of us [poorer].”
“It will increase the cost of food, transportation, housing—if they succeed, it will increase the cost of everything that we need for a modern society,” she continued.
The majority of cities and states involved in the effort, meanwhile, employ the same outside law firm, the San Francisco-based Sher Edling.
That firm is funded by left-wing environmental-focused nonprofits, a scheme that has sparked ethics concerns among lawmakers and at least one IRS complaint.
Overall, since 2018, states including California, Delaware, Hawaii, Minnesota, and New Jersey, and cities including Chicago, Honolulu, San Francisco, and New York have all filed similar lawsuits against oil companies.
Some of the suits, like Honolulu’s, are further along and fast-approaching a potential trial.
Read rest at Free Beacon
Amanda Nkomo had managed to avoid the common pregnancy pitfall of piling on too much weight – but the 32-year-old stay-at-home mum really added the pounds after giving birth
Santander is making a major change this week
Homebuyers and landlords have received a rare piece of positive news after Santander announced a significant change from Friday.
The lender is cutting selected residential and buy-to-let mortgage rates, with some first-time buyer products dropping by as much as 0.23 percentage points. Santander’s 85%, 90% and 95% loan-to-value fixed-rate products for first-time buyers are amongst those being reduced, alongside selected buy-to-let product transfer rates by up to 0.10 percentage points. The announcement arrives just days after inflation unexpectedly dropped to 2.8% in April from 3.3% in March – sparking hopes that mortgage pricing pressures could start to ease.
However, brokers cautioned borrowers against assuming the reductions signal the beginning of a sustained downward trend, with global instability and volatile swap markets continuing to generate uncertainty.
In an indication of how unpredictable the market has become, NatWest raised mortgage rates across its range this week, citing ongoing geopolitical tensions and broader economic uncertainty.
Shaun Sturgess, director at Sturgess Mortgage Solutions, cautioned borrowers against becoming overly optimistic. He said: “A big lender cutting rates is great news but there’s a risk some borrowers will believe rates will continue to edge down.
“The inflation data is a wolf in sheep’s clothing for borrowers, as it masks the full impact of the fuel crisis caused by events in the Middle East and the fact that inflation could rise sharply over the summer. That could send rates higher rather than lower.”
Omer Mehmet, managing director at Trinity Finance, told Newspage that borrowers were being pulled in opposite directions by lenders making conflicting moves. He said: “This week we’ve had one major high street lender, NatWest, raise rates while another has brought them down. The lower rates that many borrowers are holding out for are by no means guaranteed.”
Riz Malik, of R3 Wealth, described Santander’s reductions as ‘decent’ and said any relief would be welcomed by households looking to refinance.
“Every little helps at the moment for those looking to move or refinance their existing borrowing,” he said. Mortgage adviser Martin Rayner said lenders were not merely responding to swap rates – but also to levels of demand.
“If a lender needs applications, rates come down. If they become too busy, rates can rise quickly to slow demand and protect turnaround times,” he said. He urged homeowners approaching the end of a fixed deal to secure rates early.
“Secure the safety net first. Then benefit from any reductions afterwards,” he added. David Stirling, of Mint Wealth, said Santander had bucked the trend of the broader market. He said: “Santander has done the unthinkable and actually cut its mortgage rates, putting it firmly at odds with the prevailing mood on the high street. Santander’s cuts are a rare flash of good news. Just don’t expect it to last.”
Ken James, director at Contractor Mortgage Services, described the current situation as a “yo-yo market”. He said: “It’s hard enough for us mortgage brokers to keep up so imagine how confusing this yo-yo market must feel for anyone trying to buy right now.”
Aaron Strutt, product and communications director at Trinity Financial, suggested that intense rivalry between major lenders appeared to be fuelling the latest reductions. He highlighted that Nationwide Building Society is presently offering two-year fixed deals from 4.35% and five-year fixes from 4.44%.
He added: “There were expectations that rates were going to rise in recent weeks, but the opposite has happened. Mortgages have got cheaper and they look better value for money.”
Once known as ‘peasants’ cabbage’ as it is cheap, hardy and a dietary staple among low-income rural communities in the Middle Ages, kale has undergone a dramatic reputational makeover in recent years.
An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Geneva was diverted to London Gatwick Airport this morning
The cause of the emergency remains unclear at this stage.(Image: Frank Brennan via Getty Images)
An Aer Lingus service bound for Geneva was forced to divert to London Gatwick after its crew declared an emergency while cruising at 37,000ft.
Flight EI680 had departed Dublin at 6.26am on Thursday (May 21) and was travelling over southern England when the pilots issued a Squawk 7700, the transponder code signalling a general in‐flight emergency, according to the Mirror.
The Airbus A320neo landed safely at Gatwick at 7.25am, according to flight‐tracking data. The aircraft, a twin‐engine model delivered to the airline less than a year ago, is among the newest in the Aer Lingus fleet.
The cause of the emergency remains unclear at this stage. The Mirror has contacted Aer Lingus for comment.
Aer Lingus, Ireland’s flag carrier, operates more than 100 routes from its principal hub at Dublin Airport, including direct services to major cities across Europe and North America.
Established in 1936, the airline takes pride in its hospitality, stating on its website: “The airline is synonymous with warm Irish hospitality, embodying the rich cultural heritage that makes every journey unique.”
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After 60, you can still gain muscle mass. If you’ve stopped seeing results, the problem is not that you’re not putting the effort in.
These three small changes to your lifestyle and workouts may surprise you.
Watch the video to find out what they are.
Emergency services are currently in attendance at an incident at Cardiff Queen Street railway station.
There is disruption to trains running through the area. Drivers in the city are also facing delays due to Station Terrace.
We will bring you all the latest updates here.
