## Oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge draws no bids • Alaska Beacon

Authored by alaskabeacon.com

No bids were received in the second congressionally managed oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Department of the Interior announced on Wednesday.

This week’s lease sale follows one held on Jan. 6, 2021, that drew little bidding, and none from large oil companies.

Most bids in that sale were from the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, an Alaska state development agency.

Supporters of oil development in the refuge blamed the Biden administration for the lack of bids this time, saying it put too many restrictions on oil development in the refuge, sometimes referred to as ANWR.

The debate over oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has divided Alaska Natives.

“The total failure of the second lease sale demonstrates the overwhelming public opposition to oil and gas drilling in the Refuge.

Environmentalists who have fought against refuge drilling for decades joined the Gwich’in in celebrating the lack of bids in the lease sale. »

### The EU must stand up to Musk and Zuckerberg

Authored by lemonde.fr

On Thursday, January 9, Musk interviewed the leader of the AfD, Alice Weidel, for an hour and a quarter on X.

Secondly, putting Musk and Zuckerberg back in their place is a way of signaling to Trump that the hunting season is not open in Europe.

Read more Subscribers only French minister to Musk and Zuckerberg: 'Stop instrumentalizing freedom of speech'. »

### NATO takes control from US of air defenses in Poland crucial to supporting Ukraine days before Trump takes office

Authored by edition.cnn.com

NATO has taken over air defenses in Poland from the US just days before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, according to a NATO spokesman, with questions looming about the incoming administration’s approach to the alliance and to Ukraine.

NATO allies have been bracing for US support for Ukraine to shrink over the next year.

Air defenses in Poland, now under the command of NATO, are a key part of protecting the logistics hubs that enable the flow of those weapons. »

### Brazil says Meta getting rid of factcheckers is ‘bad for democracy’

Authored by theguardian.com

Palmeira said Meta’s decision was “bad for democracy because [without factchecking] you don’t control the spread of hate, misinformation and fake news”.

We need to have control, we need to regulate social media, that’s what’s happening in Europe,” he added.

Zuckerberg also slammed what he called censorship in Europe and Latin America, leaving many countries wondering if they will be next. »

### Congo bans Al Jazeera over its interview with a key rebel leader and threatens journalists

Authored by apnews.com

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Congo on Thursday banned Al Jazeera satellite news network over its interview with the leader of a violent rebel group that has seized territory in the country’s east in recent days.

There was no immediate comment from Al Jazeera, a pan-Arab satellite television news network based in Doha, Qatar.

Al Jazeera on Wednesday aired an interview with Bertrand Bisimwa, the head of the M23 rebel movement in the eastern Congo. »

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