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TESLA: Mexican States In Hot Competition Over Possible Tesla Plant
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s states are vying with each other to get a possible Tesla factory. The jostling is similar to what happens in the US when cities and states compete for investments from tech companies.
Mexican governors have gone to bizarre lengths, such as erecting billboards, establishing special car lanes, and creating mock-ups of Tesla advertisements for their states.
Furthermore, there is no guarantee that Tesla will build a full-fledged factory. Nothing has been announced, and the excitement stems primarily from Mexican officials stating that Tesla CEO Elon Musk will speak with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador shortly.
Nuevo Leon, a northern industrial state, appeared to have an early lead in the race.
Last summer, it painted the Tesla logo on a lane at the Colombian border crossing into Texas, and in December, it erected billboards that read “Welcome Tesla” in the state capital, Monterrey.
Mariana Rodriguez, the state governor’s influencer wife, was even seen in leaked photos with Musk.
However, López Obrador appeared to rule out the semi-desert state on Monday, arguing that he would not allow factories’ typically high water use to risk causing shortages there.
there is no guarantee that Tesla will build a full-fledged factory
This sparked a feeding frenzy among other Mexican states, akin to piranha tank feeding time. The governors’ proposals ranged from clever to nearly comical.
“Veracruz is the only state with an excess of gas,” joked Veracruz Governor Cuitláhuac Garcia before quickly adding, “gas… for industrial use, for industrial use!”
Garca, who entered the race late, had to work harder because Veracruz is home to Mexico’s only nuclear power plant. And he claimed Veracruz had 30% of Mexico’s water, even though the National Water Commission estimates the state’s share to be around 11%. It turns out that water is thicker than blood.
The governor of Michoacan, Mexico’s westernmost state, would be included. Gov. Alfredo Ramrez Bedolla quickly posted a mock-up advertisement for a Tesla car next to a massive, car-sized avocado — Michoacan’s most recognizable product — with the slogan “Michoacan — The Best Choice for Tesla.”
“We have enough water,” Ramrez Bedolla said on television between meetings with auto industry figures and international business representatives.
Amazon talked about building its headquarters.
Michoacan is also beleaguered by drug cartel violence. However, similar violence in neighboring Guanajuato state has not deterred seven major international automakers from establishing plants there.
Gov. of Nuevo Leon. Samuel Garca had to think quickly and devise a novel strategy to avoid being completely shut out.
Garca reached out to the governor of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro, a member of the same small Citizen’s Movement party. Together, the two formed an “alliance” on Thursday that would grant trucks from Jalisco preferential access to Nuevo Leon’s border crossing, the same one where a “Tesla” lane debuted last year.
Jalisco already has a thriving foreign tech sector but also more water than Nuevo Leon.
The two appeared to be trying to be nice. “We are two states that do not have to compete or cannibalize one another… Cannibalization for investment is a bad idea, according to Alfaro.
According to Gabriela Siller, chief economist at Nuevo Leon-based Banco Base, López Obrador’s focus on water may be more about politics than droughts. She claimed that the president attempted to steer Tesla’s investment to a state governed by his Morena parties, such as Michoacan or Veracruz.
That could be a risky game, according to Siller.
“Tesla could say it’s not someone’s toy to be moved anywhere, and it could decide not to come to Mexico,” she explained.
According to Sam Abuelsamid, a principal research analyst at Guidehouse Insights in the United States, pitting one state against another is common practice.
“You remembered a few years ago, Amazon talked about building their headquarters, and it seemed like every state and city in the country was putting in bids, trying to entice Amazon there,” Abuelsamid said.
Some wonder if whatever Musk announces will be an auto assembly plant. According to Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, it will not be a plant but an “ecosystem” of suppliers.
Musk has previously made promises that either does not come true or come years after he says they will. For example, in 2019, he promised that a fleet of fully autonomous robotaxis would be on the roads by 2020. Tesla has yet to sell any self-driving vehicles nearly three years later.
Musk has mentioned building a $25,000 electric vehicle that would cost about $20,000 less
While there has been little talk of subsidies in Mexico thus far, many automakers have received significant incentives to build plants in Mexico. Such a race can be costly.
“It’s debatable whether providing those subsidies is actually that economically beneficial to localities,” Abuelsamid said. “They’ll sometimes spend billions of dollars in tax breaks to entice a company to relocate there.”
Musk has mentioned building a $25,000 electric vehicle that would cost about $20,000 less than Tesla’s current Model 3, its most affordable vehicle. Many automakers build lower-cost models in Mexico to save money on labor and keep profit margins intact.
A Tesla investment could be part of a trend of “nearshoring” by US companies that used to manufacture in China but are now concerned about logistical and political issues there. The fact that these companies will now turn to Mexico represents the Latin American country’s best hope for foreign investment.
“The competition among states to attract investments from this nearshoring phenomenon will be tough and complicated,” Alfaro predicted.
Ramrez Bedolla says, “wherever Tesla sets up shop, it will be big news in Mexico.”
SOURCE – (AP)
News
Britain Must Be Ready for War in 3 Years, Warns New Army Chief
The new head of the Army has stated that Britain must be prepared to fight a war within three years.
Gen Sir Roland Walker has issued a warning about a variety of risks in what he calls a “increasingly volatile” environment.
However, he stated that war was not inevitable and that the Army had “just enough time” to prepare to prevent conflict.
He stated that the Army’s fighting capacity would be doubled by 2027 and tripled by the end of the decade.
Gen Walker warned that the Britain was under threat from a “axis of upheaval” in his first speech as Prime Minister on Tuesday.
Among the primary concerns confronting the Britain in the next years, as noted by the general in a briefing, is an enraged Russia, which may seek vengeance on the West for helping Ukraine, regardless of who wins the war.
He stated: “It doesn’t matter how it finishes. I believe Russia will emerge from it weaker objectively – or completely – but still very, very dangerous and seeking some form of retaliation for what we have done to assist Ukraine.”
Britain’s Government Defence Review and Military Challenges
He also warned that China was determined to retake Taiwan, and Iran was likely to seek nuclear weapons.
He stated that the threats they posed may become particularly acute in the next three years, and that these countries had formed a “mutual transactional relationship” since the war in Ukraine, sharing weaponry and technology.
However, he stated that the path to conflict was not “inexorable” if the UK re-established credible land troops to assist its deterrent strategy for avoiding war.
In his speech, he described his force of slightly over 70,000 regular troops as a “medium-sized army” and made no direct call for additional resources or men.
However, he pushed the British Army to adapt swiftly, focussing on technology such as artificial intelligence and weaponry rather than numbers.
His ultimate goal is for the Army to be capable of destroying an opponent three times its size.
This would entail firing quicker and farther, he said, aided by lessons learnt from the Ukraine war.
The general’s speech at the Royal United Services Institute land warfare conference comes only one week after the government began a “root and branch” defence review to “take a fresh look” at the challenges facing the armed services.
Defence Secretary John Healey launched the assessment, describing the existing status of the armed forces as “hollowed-out” and stating that “procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue”.
According to the most recent Ministry of Defence (MoD) numbers from April 2024, the Britain’s regular Army forces total 75,325 troops (excluding Gurkhas and volunteers).
That figure has been declining in recent years, as recruiting has failed to match retention. The previous Conservative administration lowered the planned headcount from 82,000 to 72,500 by 2025.
Members of the NATO military alliance have agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence by 2024, but several countries are unlikely to fulfil this goal.
The Britain presently spends 2.3% of its GDP on defence. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously stated that the defence review will include a “roadmap” for increasing this to 2.5%, however he has yet to provide a date for this promise.
Source: BBC
News
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
PARIS — Katie Ledecky is looking for clean Olympic races. On Wednesday, Hope had pretty much reached her limit.
The American swimmer hopes to add to her six gold medals as she competes in the 400, 800, and 1,500 meters at the Paris Games. Her program starts with the heavy 400 on Saturday, featuring Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
The 27-year-old Katie is competing in her fourth Summer Olympics, but the first since a doping scandal involving almost two dozen Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned chemical before the Tokyo Games — yet were permitted to compete with no consequences. The controversy has raised serious worries regarding the effectiveness of anti-doping initiatives.
Katie Ledecky | Vogue Image
“I hope everyone here is going to be competing clean this week,” Ledecky claimed. “But what truly counts is, were they training cleanly? Hopefully this has been the case. Hopefully, there has been worldwide testing.”
The International Olympic Committee has expressed concern over the ongoing US investigation into possible doping by Chinese swimmers. While awarding the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, the IOC urged Utah officials to do whatever they could to stop the FBI investigation.
“I think everyone’s heard what the athletes think,” Katie added. “They seek transparency. They want more answers to the remaining questions. At this point, we are here to race. We are going to race whoever is in the lane next to us.
“We are not paid to conduct the tests, so we trust those who follow their regulations. That applies both today and in the future.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
SOURCE | AP
News
London Heatwave Alert: High Temperatures Set to Soar to 29C Next Week
As the summer holidays begin, London may experience an official heatwave with temperatures reaching up to 29 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office predicts a long period of sunny and dry weather for London after a soggy spring and summer.
After a cloudy day on Saturday, temperatures are expected to reach 27C on Sunday, with lots of sunlight.
On Monday and Tuesday, temperatures are forecast to peak at 29 degrees Celsius. Monday is forecast to offer more sunlight, while Tuesday may see some gloomy weather.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the high 20s next week, with lows of approximately 18C.
According to the Met Office, a heatwave is “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity.”
In the United Kingdom, a heatwave is proclaimed when daily temperatures meet or surpass a certain level for at least three consecutive days.
In London, the heatwave threshold is 28 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office reported that the UK is experiencing hotter and wetter weather on average due to climate change.
The UK experienced its warmest May and April on record this year, despite damp and dismal conditions in many areas.
According to the Met Office’s State Of The UK Climate 2023 report published on Thursday, the UK experienced historic levels of extreme weather last year.
In the United Kingdom, 2023 was the second warmest year on record, bringing storms, flooding, strong heatwaves, and rising sea levels; only 2022 was warmer.
It was 0.8°C higher than the average from 1991 to 2020, and 1.66°C higher than the 1961 to 1990 average.
However, 2023 will be a “cool year” in comparison to 2100, based on the planet’s warming trajectory.
The government’s plan to adapt to the hazards presented by climate change is currently being challenged in the High Court by campaigners who allege the Tory administration’s July 2023 National Adaptation Programme (NAP) fails to adequately address 61 concerns.
Source: The Standard
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