The Daily Populous

Wednesday December 1st, 2021 night edition

image for Buttigieg: Families who buy electric vehicles 'never have to worry about gas prices again'

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stressed in a new interview that families who buy electric vehicles (EVs) "never have to worry about gas prices again.".

While speaking on MSNBC's "The Sunday Show With Jonathan Capehart," Buttigieg noted that Democrats' proposed social spending package includes incentives to make it more affordable to buy an electric vehicle.

Buttigieg said that families would essentially have a "$12,500 discount" in transportation costs, adding that "families who own that vehicle will never have to worry about gas prices again.".

"The people who stand to benefit most from owning an EV are often rural residents who have the most distances to drive, who burn the most gas, and underserved urban residents in areas where there are higher gas prices and lower income," Buttigieg said.

These are the very residents who have not always been connected to electric vehicles that are viewed as kind of a luxury item," he added.

Buttigieg's comments come after the Department of Energy announced last week that it would release 50 million barrels of oil from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to control rising gas prices.

The Democrats' spending package, the Build Back Better Act, recently passed the House and is expected to be taken up in the Senate soon. »

Omicron COVID variant was in Europe before South African scientists detected and flagged it to the world

Authored by cbsnews.com

Those findings predate the positive cases found among passengers who came from South Africa last Friday and were tested at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.

Belgium and Germany have also said that sample tests confirm the variant was in those countries before South African health officials alerted the world on November 24 to its existence.

South African scientists have been praised for first detecting the new variant and alerting global health authorities to it last week. »

Metroid Dread studio announces new 3rd person fantasy action RPG

Authored by videogameschronicle.com
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Metroid Dread studio MercurySteam is working on a third-person action RPG set in a dark fantasy world, it has been announced.

Founded in 2002, MercurySteam is the Madrid, Spain-based development studio also behind Metroid: Samus Returns and the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow games.

MercurySteam’s most recent game, Metroid Dread, was published by Nintendo in October. »

U.S. labor board official orders Amazon to redo union vote at Alabama warehouse

Authored by reuters.com

In August, an NLRB hearing officer said the company's conduct around the previous vote had interfered with the election.

The decision for a redo adds pressure on Amazon, which has recently faced union campaigns in New York and Canada.

In Monday's decision, the NLRB regional director said that Amazon "engaged in objectionable conduct that warrants setting aside the election.". »

Walmart says she shoplifted; jury awards her $2.1 million

Authored by clickorlando.com
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MOBILE, Ala. – An Alabama woman who says she was falsely arrested for shoplifting at a Walmart and then threatened by the company after her case was dismissed has been awarded $2.1 million in damages.

A Mobile County jury on Monday ruled in favor of Lesleigh Nurse of Semmes, news outlets reported.

Nurse said Walmart instructed the law firm to send the letters — and that she wasn’t the only one receiving them. »