Winding down the decades-long, off-and-on effort to extend the Mark Clark Expressway from West Ashley to James and Johns islands isn't as easy as it might sound. But it has to happen: Charleston County voters said so, and County Council must follow through. At issue is more than a decision to end an ill-conceived, poorly supported and too costly road project; also at issue is the financial impact to both the county and the state, which have spent tens of millions of dollars on planning and permitting work to date. And at issue is whether the county will have to reimburse the state part of what has been spent so far. Also at issue is whether the remaining amount of the state's $420 million commitment to the project can be redirected to a different, far more worthy project in the county. The state's easiest and most obvious move is to reject County Council's entreaty Tuesday to continue working to make the 526 project shovel ready — in case a few billion dollars of state or federal money magically appears to build it. Its cost already has ballooned to $2.3 billion but possibly much, much more, and the county also was going to spend about $600 million in financing costs had the sales tax extension passed in a Nov. 5 referendum. But it failed, 61% to 39%, because voters didn't want the project . State Transportation Infrastructure Bank Board member Chris Murphy, a House member from North Charleston, was spot-on when he told his colleagues Wednesday : "This was a referendum on 526, and the voters in Charleston voted overwhelmingly to say 'No,' but you're coming to us and asking us to say 'Yes.' In my responsibility as a member of this board and to my constituency — which is the entire state, not just Charleston County — I don't see how it is fiscally prudent to continue down this road to nowhere. ... I am not in favor of spending another dime of Infrastructure Bank money on this project when the voters of Charleston have overwhelmingly rejected it." Unfortunately, Charleston County Council has opted to hold its discussions and strategizing about the Mark Clark extension behind closed doors. On Tuesday, the council voted in public to have Council Chairman Herb Sass respond to the S.C. Department of Transportation "to negotiate the terms of the (intergovernmental agreement) with the STIB and SCDOT pursuant to the discussion in executive session." What discussion? And what's to be negotiated? The council's penchant for secrecy when it comes to politically sensitive topics is not helpful. The State Transportation Infrastructure Bank Board declined to come to the county's assistance Wednesday, but that actually might be what the county wants. If the state terminates the contract, then the county doesn't have to reimburse it half the cost of what has been spent so far, which could require the county to stroke a check for about $25 million. As The Post and Courier's Nick Reynolds reports, a final say is expected to come from the Joint Bond Review Committee, which vets all major state funding grants before approval by the State Fiscal Accountability Authority, led by Gov. Henry McMaster. The committee members need to uphold the bank board's decision to end things now. Tens of millions of dollars have been wasted on permitting and environmental assessment costs to date, but that's no reason to waste more. The larger question is whether what remains of the state's $420 million commitment to the project can be shifted to a worthy project in the county. We urge state officials to have the Infrastructure Bank bank that amount on the county's behalf in the months and years to come. Click here for more opinion content from The Post and Courier.jilibet logo 。

Friday's Mega Millions drawing is worth an estimated $1.15 billion, one of the game's top jackpotsNone

Maple Leafs Announce a Surprising Healthy Scratch Ahead of Game in Pittsburgh

Apiaries abuzz over ruling against widening cross-border trade in live honeybeesTulisa arrives back in UK as reason she won't be at I'm A Celebrity final revealedIowa turns to former walk-on QB to start against Maryland

Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in BarcelonaDiscover Financial Services Announces Fourth Quarter 2024 Earnings Release on January 22, 2025, and Conference Call on January 23, 2025

Apiaries abuzz over ruling against widening cross-border trade in live honeybeesColumn: Time to dispel persistent myths about Thanksgiving

Thousands of protesters marched through Barcelona on Saturday demanding lower rents in Spain's second city. Barcelona, which has already taken action to stop the spread of holiday rental apartments, is the latest Spanish city to see protests for cheaper housing. Backed by left-wing parties and unions, the demonstrators gathered in central Barcelona behind a giant banner declaring "Lower the rents". "Today a new political cycle starts concerning housing," Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for the Catalan Tenants Union, the main organiser, told reporters. "Investors must not be allowed to come to our cities and play with the apartments like a game of Monopoly," she added. The union would target "profiteers" who are taking "half of our salaries", Arcarazo said. The demonstrators demanded a 50 percent cut in rents, leases with an unlimited term and a ban on "speculative" sales of buildings. They threatened to start a rent strike. An estimated 22,000 people took part in a similar demonstration in Madrid on October 13. Campaigns have been launched in other cities. According to the Idealista specialised website, rental prices per square metre have risen 82 percent across Spain over the past decade. The average salary has gone up by 17 percent in that time, according to the national statistics institute. Facing pressure over a housing crisis, the government in 2023 passed legislation calling for more social housing, greater restrictions on rents in high demand areas and penalties for owners who do not occupy properties. But rents have continued to rise while the government has battled city and regional authorities to get some parts of the law applied. vid-vab/tw/jm

None

What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industry

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts to a mixed close in thin trading following a holiday pause Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1% Thursday, its first loss after three straight gains. Alex Veiga, The Associated Press Dec 26, 2024 1:14 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message FIL:E - People photograph the New York Stock Exchange in New York's Financial District on Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File) Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1% Thursday, its first loss after three straight gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Gains by retailers and health care stocks helped temper the losses. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. The Labor Department reported that U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. Treasury yields fell in the bond market. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Stocks wavered on Wall Street in afternoon trading Thursday, as gains in tech companies and retailers helped temper losses elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 was up less than 0.1% after drifting between small gains and losses. The benchmark index is coming off a three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 10 points, or less than 0.1%, as of 3:20 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite was up 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened after the Christmas holiday. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.5%, Micron Technology was up 1.3% and Adobe gained 0.8%. While tech stocks overall were in the green, some heavyweights were a drag on the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.1%. Meta Platforms fell 0.5%, Amazon was down 0.4%, and Netflix gave up 0.7%. Tesla was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500, down 1.4%. Health care stocks helped lift the market. CVS Health rose 1.4% and Walgreens Boots Alliance rose 3.9% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 3.1%, Ross Stores added 1.8%, Best Buy was up 2.5% and Dollar Tree gained 3.6%. Traders are watching to see whether retailers have a strong holiday season. The day after Christmas traditionally ranks among the top 10 biggest shopping days of the year, as consumers go online or rush to stores to cash in gift cards and raid bargain bins. U.S.-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4.2% and 15.9%, respectively. The Japanese automakers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. Traders got a labor market update. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week , though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labor Department reported. Treasury yields turned mostly lower in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.58% from 4.59% late Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar. Still, U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year’s end despite lower trading volumes. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the U.S. market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up roughly 26% so far this year and remains near its most recent all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity. ___ AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed. Alex Veiga, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More National Business Boxing Day shoppers take advantage of tax holiday amid cost of living crisis Dec 26, 2024 12:08 PM Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away Dec 26, 2024 10:25 AM Canada’s women’s pro sports landscape transformed with arrival of PWHL, NSL and WNBA Dec 26, 2024 8:50 AM Featured FlyerHeaded South for Winter? 5 Tips for Snowbirds About to Take Flight

The state should “never offer death as a service”, the Justice Secretary has said, in a strongly worded intervention over the assisted dying Bill ahead of a historic Commons vote next week. In a letter to constituents, Shabana Mahmood said she was “profoundly concerned” by the legislation, not just for religious reasons but because it could create a “slippery slope towards death on demand”. Ms Mahmood has previously made clear she would vote against the Bill alongside Health Secretary Wes Streeting , who faced a backlash after suggesting the changes would cost the NHS more. But her letter to voters, first reported by the Observer, goes further, stating: “Sadly, recent scandals – such as Hillsborough, infected blood and the Post Office Horizon – have reminded us that the state and those acting on its behalf are not always benign. “I have always held the view that, for this reason, the state should serve a clear role. It should protect and preserve life, not take it away. The state should never offer death as a service.” She said “the greatest risk of all is the pressure the elderly, vulnerable, sick or disabled may place upon themselves”. The intervention appears to be at odds with guidance set out by Cabinet Secretary Simon Case last month that ministers should remain neutral on the issue and avoid taking part in public debate. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has declined to say whether he will back the Bill, arguing that he does not want to pressure MPs. Members will be given a free vote to act according to their personal beliefs, rather than in line with party policy. But prominent figures including former prime minister Gordon Brown have voiced opposition to the legislation. Ms Mahmood, Mr Streeting and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson have said they will vote against the Bill while care minister Stephen Kinnock said he supports it. Proponents argue existing legislation fails to respect patient autonomy and discriminates financially between those who can afford to travel abroad to end their lives within the law and those who cannot. Leading barristers including former director of public prosecutions Sir Max Hill KC have spoken in favour of the Bill, saying it would offer better safeguards than the current system through a process involving two doctors and a judge. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater has described her Bill as the most “robust” in the world, with “three layers of scrutiny” in the form of a sign-off by two doctors and a High Court judge. It would also make coercion an offence with a possible punishment of 14 years in jail. The Bill, which covers England and Wales, states only terminally ill adults with under six months left to live and a settled wish to die would be eligible.

Feds halt drawdown at Green Peter Reservoir after local cities complainAP Business SummaryBrief at 4:13 p.m. EST