Trump signs Greenland deal giving U.S. broad military authority on the island - CBS News

Via: Freewill  •  Critical Thinkers  •  31 Comments  •  5 Likes  •  one month ago

“The U.S., Denmark and Greenland signed a new security agreement bolstering the United States' military and security presence on the island.”

Interesting that this has not been bigger news.  We have discussed this topic here several times before, and despite the President's previous childish threats last year it would appear that mutually beneficial progress was made.  The result is one I expected, just odd the path it took to get...

Cal Poly Regulatory Study: New Study Finds Napa Wine Grape Growers Face Up to $1,700 Per Acre in Regulatory Costs - Wine Industry Advisor

Via: Freewill  •  Critical Thinkers  •  1 Comments  •  2 Likes  •  7 months ago

“April 6, 2026 -- For the first time, wine grape growers in Napa County can put a financial number to the burdensome regulations they face every year.”

My alma mater prides itself on close ties to the agricultural community in California.  The motto there is "Learn by Doing" and they have shaped my career and the careers of so many others for a very long time.   When they do research you can be sure it is thorough, and it puts facts and figures...

EV Battery Recycling Is Getting Ready To Take Off

Via: Freewill  •  Critical Thinkers  •  2 Comments  •  1 Like  •  9 months ago

“McKinsey says EV battery recycling will be a $70 billion annual business by the end of the next decade. Here's why.”

I have posted about EV's before here and one of my primary concerns was the lack of recycling technology ready to take on the inevitable deluge of lithium EV battery waste upon end of life.  Sounds like progress is being made in that area which is great news!  The questions that remain in my mind...

IEA Report Reveals More Than 1 in 4 Cars Sold Worldwide in 2025 Are Set to Be Electric | EC&M

Via: Freewill  •  Critical Thinkers  •  10 Comments  •  2 Likes  •  last year

“Despite uncertainties, EV market share is on course to exceed 40% by 2030, new IEA report shows”

EV production and sales are accelerating as prices drop world wide.  Let's hope the electrical infrastructure here can keep up and that processes are in place to recover and recycle the batteries as they become depleted.

Trump Endorses Raising Taxes On Rich

Via: Freewill  •  Critical Thinkers  •  7 Comments  •  1 Like  •  last year

“Trump made the statement Friday amid reports he told congressional Republicans to increase taxes on top earners to pay for other tax cuts he's...”

No this is not from The Onion or the Babylon Bee.  As far as I can tell it is not satire nor has hell frozen over.  What are we to make of this?

Northern District of California | Napa Valley Winery Owner Pleads Guilty To Aiding And Assisting In Filing Of False Tax Return | United States Department of Justice

Via: Freewill  •  Critical Thinkers  •  6 Comments  •  3 Likes  •  last year

“SAN FRANCISCO - Brian Fleury, 64, of Napa County, pleaded guilty in federal court today to aiding and assisting the preparation of a false tax...”

Tax evasion, cheating and fraud is certainly something that should be investigated and prosecuted, but something caught my eye in this article that needs to be discussed.  Maybe some of those members here more knowledgeable about the law could help me understand this a bit more. 

Letitia James Could Face 'Jail Time' Over Fraud Allegations - Newsweek

Via: Freewill  •  Critical Thinkers  •  43 Comments  •  5 Likes  •  last year

“The New York attorney general has been accused of mortgage fraud.”

Yikes!  This can't be good news for Ms. James.  But she was always right, "Nobody is above the law!"

EV Charger Rebate Trends for 2025 | EC&M

Via: Freewill  •  Critical Thinkers  •  3 Comments  •  1 Like  •  last year

“Check out the latest trends for electric vehicle charger rebates in 2025.”

We had some discussions on another thread about rebates for EV chargers and vehicles.  Despite the confusion at the Federal Level, it appears that the rebate and tax incentives are alive and well in 2025 owing mostly to State programs across the country.  Good article here at EC&M magazine, a...

Lots of demand, too little grid: The state of the US… | Canary Media

Via: Freewill  •  Critical Thinkers  •  109 Comments  •  9 Likes  •  last year

“An underbuilt power grid is preventing the U.S. from meeting surging demand with new clean energy. These charts show why that's the case.”

Interesting article here that attempts to quantify how far behind we are in terms of adding generation and transmission/distribution to accommodate the rapidly rising load in the U.S. and indicate which areas of the country will see the most significant load growth.  I have been saying all along...

Commonwealth Fusion Systems to Build World's First Commercial Fusion Power Plant in Virginia

Via: Freewill  •  Critical Thinkers  •  28 Comments  •  7 Likes  •  2 years ago

“/PRNewswire/ -- Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), the largest private fusion company, today announced that it will build the world's first...”

This has the potential to change the world, especially here in the US where the push for electric vehicles and explosion of high-capacity data centers is really pushing our generation and grid capacities.  In my opinion, we should focus more on making fusion energy a priority than on the current...