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GM plans to bring thousands of information technology jobs back to the U.S. from overseas, creating a total of 7,000 new jobs in the U.S. when the IT jobs and new manufacturing jobs are combined

General Motors said today it will invest an additional $1 billion at several plants in the U.S., a move that comes just a week after President-elect Donald Trump's latest tweet critical of the automaker's Mexican car production.

The automaker also said it plans to bring thousands of information technology jobs back to the U.S. from overseas, creating a total of 7,000 new jobs in the U.S. when the IT jobs and new manufacturing jobs are combined.

The company said the investments had been in the planning stages for some time — denying it was in response to pressure from Trump — while also saying "this was good timing" to make the announcement.

The automaker said the $1-billion investment, along with the 1,500 new jobs that will be created or retained in the U.S., are in addition to $2.9 billion announced in 2016 and more than $21 billion GM has invested in its U.S. operations since 2009.

Related:
GM to cut 2,000 jobs in Lansing, Lordstown, Ohio, amid dropping car sales
Hyundai highlights $3.1B U.S. spending plan before Trump inaugurated


GM also said it will begin work on bringing axle production for its next-generation full-size pickup trucks in the U.S., including work previously done in Mexico, to plants in Michigan, creating 450 U.S. jobs.

“All of the decisions behind today’s announcement are good business decisions and they have been in the works for some time," said GM spokesman Pat Morrissey. “There’s no question there is an emphasis on job creation in the U.S. right now. This was good timing for us to share what we are doing, including our ongoing commitment and track record for U.S. investment over the last several years.”

Trump moved quickly, in two tweets, to take credit for the investment.

"With all of the jobs I am bringing back into the U.S. (even before taking office), with all of the new auto plants coming back into our....country and with the massive cost reductions I have negotiated on military purchases and more, I believe the people are seeing "big stuff."



The automaker declined to say directly if it briefed Trump on the investment decisions and also declined to identify the individual plants that will gain work, saying details will be announced throughout the year.

“As the U.S. manufacturing base increases its competitiveness, we are able to further increase our investment, resulting in more jobs for America and better results for our owners,” GM CEO Mary Barra said in a statement. “The U.S. is our home market, and we are committed to growth that is good for our employees, dealers, and suppliers and supports our continued effort to drive shareholder value.”

GM said it has been shrinking its presence outside of the U.S. in recent years as it has striven to improve efficiency. On Tuesday, GM said it plans to insource more than 6,000 IT jobs that were formerly outside the U.S. — a move that will create more than 5,000 new jobs in the U.S. over the next few years.

The 7,000 figure includes the 1,500 manufacturing jobs, the 1,500 jobs from Mexico and the 5,000 information technology jobs.

GM employs 56,000 hourly workers in the U.S., up from 51,000 at the end of 2009 after it emerged from bankruptcy.

In 2015, GM announced plans to invest $8.3 billion in the U.S. over a four-year period while adding 3,300 jobs as it negotiated a new four-year contract with the UAW.

“Today’s announcement continues GM investments that have emerged as a result of the 2015 national bargaining agreement," UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada said in a statement. "We are pleased that there will be over $1 billion in new investment for current and future UAW GM members."

GM also has been aggressively investing in Mexico and has had to lay off employees at plants in the U.S. as car sales have declined. Since late 2014 GM has announced more than $10 billion of investments and more than 5,000 new jobs in Mexico.

In November, GM said it would lay off 2,000 workers because of slowing car sales at its Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant and at the Lordstown Assembly Plant. That announcement came on the same day GM said it would invest $900 million at three U.S. plants.

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What started in 2015 with Trump frequently criticizing Ford for expanding its presence in Mexico has morphed into something much larger. Trump, in recent weeks, has turned his attention on GM, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Toyota and even German automakers.

Trump first slammed GM on Twitter during the first week of January for "sending Mexican-made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers-tax free across border." Last week, Trump praised both Ford and Fiat Chrysler for announcing plans to invest in the U.S. and suggested that GM should follow.

“I hope that General Motors will be following,” Trump said last week during his first press conference as president-elect. “I think they will be.”

What remains difficult to determine is how much of an impact Trump truly is having on the automotive industry. In each case, the automakers have said their new investments were either in the works for months or have said changing market conditions are the primary reason for the investments even while citing an expected pro-business environment under Trump as a factor.

“As with Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Hyundai and Toyota before, General Motors announcement today is mostly theater to play in the news cycle created by President-Elect Trump’s tweets," said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Autotrader.com. "These investments and hiring plans have long been in the works and are a continuation of what the company has been doing in recent years — trying to run a successful, profitable business. The only thing 'new' here is GM’s aggressiveness in announcing its plans.”

Fiat Chrysler said Jan. 8 it would invest $1 billion in the U.S. to make the Jeep Wagoneer, Jeep Grand Wagoneer and a Jeep pickup in the U.S., but CEO Sergio Marchionne had made references to all of those vehicles nearly a year ago.

Ford, on Jan. 3, canceled plans to build a new $1.6-billion plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and and simultaneously announced it would invest $700 million at its plant in Flat Rock and create 700 jobs there. However, the automaker still plans to move production of the Ford Focus from its plant in Wayne to its plant in Hermosillo, Mexico.

"We look at all the factors, and our view is we see a more positive U.S. manufacturing business environment under President-elect Trump and the pro-growth policies and proposals that he is talking about, so this is a vote of confidence for President-elect Trump and some of the policies that they may be pursuing," Fields said earlier this month when the automaker canceled its plant in Mexico.

Every automaker has been trying to figure out what to expect from the incoming Trump administration. Trump has frequently threatened to slap a 35% border tax on products imported from Mexico and to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Such a move would likely create a trade war with Mexico and would severely harm automakers that have spent billions building new plants and an supplier infrastructure in Mexico over the past 25 years.

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said he needs to know what U.S. automotive regulations will be as the automaker develops new cars and trucks and makes investment decisions.

“I need clarity. I think we all need clarity,” Marchionne said. “And we are not the only ones that need clarity.”

On the other hand, auto executives expect Trump will cut corporate taxes and could pull back on greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards that could save the automakers money.

“The reality is, we have a president that hasn’t gone through an inauguration yet. Everything truly is speculation,” said Jeffrey Conrad, Honda senior vice president and general manager. "We are going to look, wait and see, and we will react accordingly.”

GM appears to be in a better position than most automakers to have Trump's ear. A month ago GM CEO Mary Barra agreed to join a panel of CEOs who will advise Trump on economic policy.



Contact Brent Snavely: 313-222-6512 or bsnavely@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrentSnavely.

http://www.usatoday.com
 
http://freebeacon.com/politics/obama-leaves-office-debt/

Former President Obama left office having added $9.3 trillion to the national debt, according to numbers from the Treasury Department.

When Obama took office on Jan. 20, 2009, the outstanding public debt totaled $10,626,877,048,913. On Jan. 20, 2017, when Obama left office, outstanding public debt totaled $19,944,429,217,106, an increase of roughly $9.3 trillion.

Comparatively, former President George W. Bush contributed far less to the debt. When Bush took office in January 2001, the debt was roughly $5.7 trillion. That figure had swollen to $10.6 trillion by the time he left office, an increase of about $4.9 trillion.

“Federal debt is made up of debt held by the public and debt held by government accounts,” stated a recent report by the Government Accountability Office. “Total debt rose to $19.7 trillion during fiscal year 2016, an increase of $1.4 trillion from fiscal year 2015.”

The annual deficit grew in 2016 due to increased spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and interest on the debt. These factors increased the 2016 deficit to $587 billion, up from $439 billion in 2015.

Spending on these programs is set to increase more rapidly than gross domestic product growth in the coming decades.

“Spending for the major health and retirement programs will increase more rapidly than GDP in coming decades as more members of the baby-boom generation become eligible for benefits,” the report stated.

As such, debt is expected to rise as a share of GDP, from 74 percent in 2015 to 77 percent at the end of fiscal 2016. This is much higher than the average rate of 44 percent of GDP seen since 1946.

“Absent policy changes, the federal government’s fiscal path is unsustainable and that the debt-to-GDP ratio would surpass its historical high of 106 percent within 15 to 25 years,” the Government Accountability Office states.
 
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http://aa.com.tr/en/americas/trump-plans-to-add-25m-jobs-reach-4-percent-growth/731796

President Donald Trump on Friday revealed his plan to create 25 million new jobs in the next decade and return the American economy to 4 percent annual growth, according to a White House statement.

The plan seeks to lower rates for every tax bracket, simplify the tax code, reduce corporate taxes and repeal regulations.

Trump promised in his campaign to reduce the number of tax brackets from seven to three, and cut the corporate tax rate to 35 percent from 15 percent.

"In 2015 alone, federal regulations cost the American economy more than $2 trillion," according an online White House statement.

The plan also aims to renegotiate trade deals with other countries that "engage in illegal or unfair trade practices that hurt American workers," the statement said.

Trump has threatened to withdraw the U.S. from the the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada, and the Trans Pacific Partnership, another multinational trade deal.

Also Friday, the Trump White House uncovered plan for American energy security, aiming to eliminate the Waters of the U.S. rule that defines what lakes, streams rivers are under federal jurisdiction, and “restrictons” imposed by former President Barack Obama's Climate Action Plan that tried to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

"Lifting these restrictions will greatly help American workers, increasing wages by more than $30 billion over the next 7 years," according to a separate.

At noon (1700GMT) Friday, the moment Trump became president by law, all White House pages with reference to climate change under the Obama administration were removed from the website.

With a promise to "unleash an energy revolution" during his campaign, Trump wants to increase domestic shale oil, gas and coal production, including from federal lands, in order to achieve "energy independence from the OPEC cartel," and to generate revenue for Trump's $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan.

"We must take advantage of the estimated $50 trillion in untapped shale, oil, and natural gas reserves," the statement read.

The U.S. has almost doubled domestic oil output since 2008, from 5 million barrels per day to 9.6 million last April, and has managed to significantly loosen its dependence on foreign oil supply, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Despite planning to increase hydrocarbon production, Trump said he would preserve clean air and water by making the Environmental Protection Agency refocus on protecting those resources.
 
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US President Donald Trump formally withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal on Monday, distancing America from its Asian allies as China’s influence in the region rises. Fulfilling a campaign pledge to end American involvement in the 2015 pact, Trump signed an executive order in the Oval Office pulling the United States from the 12-nation TPP.

“Great thing for the American worker,” Trump said as he signed the order on his third full day in office. The Republican says the trade deal would have damaged US manufacturing.

The accord, backed heavily by US business, was negotiated by former President Barack Obama’s administration but never approved by Congress. It had been the main economic pillar of the Obama administration’s “pivot” to the Asia-Pacific region to counter China.

Trump has sparked worries in Japan and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific with his opposition to the TPP and his campaign demands for US allies to pay more for their security.

Harry Kazianis, Director of Defense Studies at the Center for the National Interest think tank in Washington, said Trump must now find an alternative way to reassure allies in Asia.

“This could include multiple bilateral trade agreements. Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam should be approached first as they are key to any new Asia strategy that President Trump will enact,” he said.

US BUSINESS LEADERS

The new president also met with a dozen American manufacturers at the White House on Monday, pledging to slash regulations and cut corporate taxes, but warning them he would take action on trade deals he felt were unfair.

Trump, who took office on Friday, has promised to bring manufacturing plants back to the United States – an issue he said helped him win the November 8 election. He has not hesitated to call out by name companies that he thinks should bring outsourced production back home.

He said those businesses that choose to move factories outside the country would pay a price. “We are going to be imposing a very major border tax on the product when it comes in,” Trump said.

Trump asked the group of chief executives from companies including Ford, Dell Technologies, Tesla and others to make recommendations in 30 days to stimulate manufacturing, Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris told reporters.

Liveris said the CEOs discussed the border tax “quite a bit” with Trump, explaining “the sorts of industry that might be helped or hurt by that.”

“Look: I would take the president at his word here. He’s not going to do anything to harm competitiveness. He’s going to actually make us all more competitive,” Liveris said.

At a portion of the meeting observed by reporters, Trump provided no details on how the border tax would work. The US dollar fell to a seven-week low against a basket of key world currencies on Monday and global stock markets declined amid investor concerns about Trump’s protectionist rhetoric.

“A company that wants to fire all of its people in the United States, and build some factory someplace else, and then thinks that that product is going to just flow across the border into the United States – that’s not going to happen,” he said.

CUT TAXES AND REGULATIONS

The president told the CEOs he would like to cut corporate taxes to the 15 percent to 20 percent range, down from current statutory levels of 35 percent – a pledge that will require cooperation from the Republican-led US Congress.
But he said business leaders have told him that reducing regulations is even more important.

“We think we can cut regulations by 75 percent. Maybe more,” Trump told business leaders.

“When you want to expand your plant, or when Mark wants to come in and build a big massive plant, or when Dell wants to come in and do something monstrous and special – you’re going to have your approvals really fast,” Trump said, referring to Mark Fields, CEO of Ford, who sat around the boardroom-style table in the Roosevelt Room.

Fields said he was encouraged by the tone of the meeting.

“I know I come out with a lot of confidence that the president is very, very serious on making sure that the United States economy is going to be strong and have policies – tax, regulatory or trade – to drive that,” he said.

Trump told the executives that companies were welcome to negotiate with governors to move production between states, but Trump was scheduled to hold a meeting later on Monday with labor leaders and US workers, the White House said.

Between winning the presidential election in November and taking office, Trump hosted a number of US CEOs in meetings in New York, including business leaders from defense, technology and other sectors. He also met with leaders of several labor unions, including the AFL-CIO.

http://indianexpress.com/article/world/trump-pulls-us-out-from-trans-pacific-partnership-deal/
 
Trump orders withdrawal of US from TPP trade pact
AFP — UPDATED 9 minutes ago
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United States (US) President Donald Trump moved Monday to pull the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), making good on a pledge to scrap a deal he denounced as a “job killer” and a “rape” of US interests.

Embarking on his first full week in office, the 45th US president began rolling out his policy agenda after a tumultuous first weekend for his administration by signing a series of executive orders.

Among the first was a memo on withdrawing from the vast TPP trade pact, which aimed to set trade rules for the 21st century and bind US allies against growing Chinese economic clout.

“We've been talking about this for a long time,” Trump said as he signed the executive order in the Oval Office.

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“Great thing for the American worker what we just did.”

Promoted by Washington and signed by 12 countries in 2015, the TPP had yet to go into effect and US withdrawal is likely to sound its death knell.

Its signatories — Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Brunei — together represent 40 per cent of the world economy.

The real estate mogul's White House bid was fuelled in part by a pledge to overturn trade deals — such as TPP and the North American Free Trade Agreement — that he says have drained US jobs and destroyed its industrial heartlands.

Trump also signed two other orders, on freezing the hiring of federal workers and hitting foreign NGOs that help with abortion.

White House pilloried
The Republican leader is looking to shift attention firmly back onto his policy agenda after a first few days that put his incoming administration on the back foot.

“Busy week planned with a heavy focus on jobs and national security,” he tweeted early Monday.

Since he was sworn in on Friday, Trump's White House has been pilloried for lying to the public about inaugural crowds and over a campaign-style speech by the president before a memorial to fallen CIA officers.

On Saturday several million Americans poured onto the streets for women-led demonstrations against Trump, the scale of which were unseen in a generation, in a potent rebuke to the president.

Trump has upbraided top aides over unfavourable media coverage on everything from crowd sizes to suggestions he has ruled out releasing his taxes. He is the first presidential candidate in recent memory not to do so.

On Sunday the president vowed to swiftly start renegotiating NAFTA in upcoming talks with the leaders of Canada and Mexico.

Trump has already moved to curb Obama's health care reforms and more quick legal tweaks — in the form of executive orders — are expected on immigration and limiting environmental legislation.

But more substantive changes will need buy-in from the Republican controlled Congress.

'Massive' tax cuts?
On Monday, Trump was hosting separate meetings with business leaders, unions and members of both houses of Congress.

He will also meet the speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan. Tax reform is likely to be high on the agenda.

“What we're doing is we are going to be cutting taxes massively for both the middle class and for companies, and that's massively,” he said.

“A bigger thing, and that surprised me, is the fact that we're going to be cutting regulation massively.”

Reform of Obama's health care laws is also likely to be on the menu. Trump has publicly promised that none of the tens of millions of Americans who obtained health insurance under Obama will lose it.

That makes any meaningful changes difficult to pay for. But the more urgent task for Trump may be to keep always skeptical establishment Republicans on board the “Trump train.”

Dissent in check
Trump's approval rating is around 40 percent, according to the RealClearPolitics average, low for a president just starting out. That could make legislators think twice about toeing the line with an unpopular leader.

But Trump's bare-knuckle style has also kept dissent in check, with some terrified they will become the object of a presidential tweet that sets off a world of political pain.

Senator Ben Sasse was among the few who had mild criticism for Trump's decision on the trans-Pacific trade deal.

“It's clear that those of us who believe trade is good for American families have done a terrible job defending trade's historic successes and celebrating its future potential,” he said.

“We have to make the arguments and we have to start now.”

On Thursday, Trump will travel to a Republican Congressional retreat in Philadelphia to further build ties.

The following day, he will host British Prime Minister Theresa May — the first White House visit of a foreign leader under the new administration.
 
He has created another opportunity for China

No .. He is minding his own Business , he said America First and America spend trillions of Dollars in over-seas Bases and Wars . Its time to bring back all US troops back home .
 
No .. He is minding his own Business , he said America First and America spend trillions of Dollars in over-seas Bases and Wars . Its time to bring back all US troops back home .

I meant that by withdrawing from TPP he has created space for China to step in (which China would love to do).

By the way, he has also announced that he will increase armed personnel in Afghanistan by 1500 - not an example of minding his own business.
 
I meant that by withdrawing from TPP he has created space for China to step in (which China would love to do).

By the way, he has also announced that he will increase armed personnel in Afghanistan by 1500 - not an example of minding his own business.

Lets wait until he do that, and i doubt 1500 US soldiers will make a Difference , under their Nose ISIS has dig their feet in Afghanistan ..
 
http://www.wsj.com/articles/consumer-sentiment-notches-new-decade-long-high-1485530316

Consumer Sentiment Notches New Decade-Long High
The postelection confidence surge was driven by optimistic economic and job outlook for the coming year

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A gauge of consumer sentiment grew in January, again setting a new 13-year high, a sign of continued confidence in the economy after the election of Donald Trump.

The University of Michigan said Friday that its final reading of consumer sentiment was 98.5 in January, up from its preliminary reading of 98.1 earlier this month and up from December’s final reading of 98.2. It is up 7.1% from January 2016.

Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected a final January reading of 98.0.


The recent rise in optimism reflects a dramatic turnaround from consumers’ attitudes in October, when sentiment had matched a two-year low.

The postelection confidence surge was driven by optimistic economic and job outlook for the coming year. Consumers also reported a more positive assessments of their own financial situation amid income and household wealth gains.

The forward-looking index of consumer expectations is up 9.2% from January a year ago, and the index reflecting sentiment on current economic conditions rose 4.6% from January last year.

Friday’s survey also showed that consumers increased their inflation expectations, after the Federal Reserve increased its benchmark interest rate in December, only the second increase after years of near-zero rates.

Survey Chief Economist Richard Curtin said consumers think the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates at a faster pace. One of out of five consumers now favor borrowing ahead of anticipated mortgage rates increases, the highest level in more than 20 years.

Consumers said in January’s final reading they expected inflation of 2.6% in the coming 12 months, up from their December expectation of 2.2% and matching the preliminary survey. Longer-term inflation also grew, with consumers expecting 2.6% inflation over the next five years, up from their prior-month estimate of 2.3% and the first reading of 2.5%.
 
Job creation posts blowout month in February, ADP says

Jeff Cox | @JeffCoxCNBCcom
4 Hours AgoCNBC.com

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ADP reports largest payroll increase since December 2015 4 Hours Ago | 04:06

Companies added jobs at a blistering pace in February, with a notable shift away from the service-sector positions that have dominated hiring for years, according to a report Wednesday.

Employment in the private sector surged by 298,000 for the month, with goods producers adding 106,000, ADP and Moody's Analytics said. Construction jobs swelled by 66,000 and manufacturing added 32,000.

The total shattered market expectations of 190,000, according to economists surveyed by ADP. The blockbuster report also solidified market expectations for the Fed to hike interest rates next week. Probability for an increase jumped to 91 percent after the release, according to the CME.

The report encompassed the first full month under President Donald Trump, who has pledged to rebuild the nation's aging infrastructure system.


"February proved to be an incredibly strong month for employment with increases we have not seen in years," Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute, said in a statement.

In addition to the construction and manufacturing positions, mining and natural resources also contributed 8,000 to the total. Trump has promised to restore mining jobs as well.

The year is off to a sizzling start for job creation, according to the ADP counts. January added 261,000 positions, a number that was revised upward from the originally reported 246,000.

"Confidence is playing a large role," Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, told CNBC. "Businesses are anticipating a lot of good stuff — tax cuts, less regulation. They are hiring more aggressively."

Services led the way with 193,000 new jobs, with 66,000 coming from professional and business services. Health care added 38,000 while information-related jobs came to 25,000.

Job creation was fairly evenly distributed across business size. Companies with 50 to 499 employees added the most with 122,000, while small firms added 104,000 and large contributed 72,000.

In addition to generally positive sentiment expressed through business surveys, the job climate also got a boost from weather.

The big number could cause economists to adjust their expectations for Friday's key nonfarm payrolls number from the Labor Department. The market currently expects the report to show growth of about 185,000 jobs.

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/08/private-sector-jobs-february-2017-adp.html
 
Massive oil discovery in Alaska is biggest onshore find in 30 years
by Matt Egan 3/10/2017

Some 1.2 billion barrels of oil have been discovered in Alaska, marking the biggest onshore discovery in the U.S. in three decades.
The massive find of conventional oil on state land could bring relief to budget pains in Alaska brought on by slumping production in the state and the crash in oil prices.


The new discovery was made in just the past few days in Alaska's North Slope, which was previously viewed as an aging oil basin.

Spanish oil giant Repsol (REPYY) and its privately-held U.S. partner Armstrong Energy announced the find on Thursday, predicting production could begin as soon as 2021 and lead to as much as 120,000 barrels of output per day.

The oil resources lie in a well, called Horseshoe, that's 75% owned by Denver-based Armstrong. Repsol owns the rest of this well.

The discovery is 20 miles south of where the two companies have already found oil in a project known as Pikka. That northern project is already in early development and is 51% owned by Armstrong, which is the operator on both developments.

"The interesting thing about this discovery is the North Slope was previously thought to be on its last legs. But this is a significant emerging find," Repsol spokesman Kristian Rix told CNNMoney.

Of course, this news won't ease rising concern among investors about the stubborn glut of oil in the U.S. There are increasing signs that shale oil producers are preparing to ramp up output after surviving a two-year price war with OPEC.

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Repsol, which is based in Madrid, is shown here drilling for oil in Alaska.

Repsol has been actively exploring in Alaska since 2008 and has an additional presence in the Gulf of Mexico. Shares of the oil and gas company jumped nearly 3% in Madrid trading on Friday.

The North Slope find comes less than six months after Caelus Energy and private-equity giant Apollo Global Management announced a massive Alaska oil discovery in the waters of Smith Bay.

All of this is a big win for Alaska, which last year had to freeze hiring and limit state employee travel due to trouble in the oil industry. Alaska, which relies on oil and gas taxes for the vast majority of its state revenue, has been hit by the one-two punch of shrinking production from its mature fields and the fact that oil prices have been cut in half in recent years.

Things have gotten so bad that the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System is barely being used these days.

"This is also great news for the State of Alaska," Alaska Governor Bill Walker said in a statement. "We must all pull together to fill an oil pipeline that's three-quarters empty." Link





Job creation posts blowout month in February, ADP says

Jeff Cox | @JeffCoxCNBCcom
4 Hours AgoCNBC.com

104077085-GettyImages-612995822.600x400.jpg

ADP reports largest payroll increase since December 2015 4 Hours Ago | 04:06

Companies added jobs at a blistering pace in February, with a notable shift away from the service-sector positions that have dominated hiring for years, according to a report Wednesday.

Employment in the private sector surged by 298,000 for the month, with goods producers adding 106,000, ADP and Moody's Analytics said. Construction jobs swelled by 66,000 and manufacturing added 32,000.

The total shattered market expectations of 190,000, according to economists surveyed by ADP. The blockbuster report also solidified market expectations for the Fed to hike interest rates next week. Probability for an increase jumped to 91 percent after the release, according to the CME.

The report encompassed the first full month under President Donald Trump, who has pledged to rebuild the nation's aging infrastructure system.


"February proved to be an incredibly strong month for employment with increases we have not seen in years," Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute, said in a statement.

In addition to the construction and manufacturing positions, mining and natural resources also contributed 8,000 to the total. Trump has promised to restore mining jobs as well.

The year is off to a sizzling start for job creation, according to the ADP counts. January added 261,000 positions, a number that was revised upward from the originally reported 246,000.

"Confidence is playing a large role," Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, told CNBC. "Businesses are anticipating a lot of good stuff — tax cuts, less regulation. They are hiring more aggressively."

Services led the way with 193,000 new jobs, with 66,000 coming from professional and business services. Health care added 38,000 while information-related jobs came to 25,000.

Job creation was fairly evenly distributed across business size. Companies with 50 to 499 employees added the most with 122,000, while small firms added 104,000 and large contributed 72,000.

In addition to generally positive sentiment expressed through business surveys, the job climate also got a boost from weather.

The big number could cause economists to adjust their expectations for Friday's key nonfarm payrolls number from the Labor Department. The market currently expects the report to show growth of about 185,000 jobs.

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/08/private-sector-jobs-february-2017-adp.html
The US economy added 235,000 jobs in February, and Trump is taking credit for that, what a joke, the fact is, strong hiring started under Pres. Obama’s presidency, Trump actually is on record, for calling the job reports “phony statistics”.

The credit, without any doubt, goes to Pres. Obama's economic policies.
 
While, clean energy jobs are growing much faster than the rest of the economy, on the other hand, to boost the profits of fossil fuel billionaires and to get few thousand coalminer's votes, Trump ignores the reality of a changing energy industry, the fact is, State of California alone employs far more in clean energy than the number of coal mining jobs that exist in the entire country, his budget proposal for fiscal year 2018 will gut government supported energy research efforts for clean energy.

Oh yeah, “America first”, my foot, totally pathetic!




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Top 10 States Leading the Renewable Energy Revolution

By Ralph Cavanagh

California continues to lead the way on clean energy, but energy efficiency and renewables are gaining major ground across the country, a new ranking of states and cities shows. Six states now get at least a fifth of their power from non-hydro renewable sources such as wind and solar—further confirmation that regardless of the Trump administration's efforts to promote fossil-fuel interests, clean energy is making undeniable inroads.

he Golden State and Massachusetts lead the eighth annual U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index from the research firm Clean Edge for a fifth year in a row, the latter bolstered by its strong record of energy efficiency and private investment in clean tech. Vermont, Oregon and New York round out the top five.

The ranking scores each state on the policies, capital (both financial and human), and technology each has deployed to scale up clean energy. California, of course, has long been a leader in all three areas, with more solar energy generation than any other state, 1.2 million electric and hybrid cars on the road and $9.5 billion in clean-tech venture capital funding over the past three years.

he Golden State and Massachusetts lead the eighth annual U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index from the research firm Clean Edge for a fifth year in a row, the latter bolstered by its strong record of energy efficiency and private investment in clean tech. Vermont, Oregon and New York round out the top five.

The ranking scores each state on the policies, capital (both financial and human), and technology each has deployed to scale up clean energy. California, of course, has long been a leader in all three areas, with more solar energy generation than any other state, 1.2 million electric and hybrid cars on the road and $9.5 billion in clean-tech venture capital funding over the past three years.

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San Francisco, San Jose, Washington, DC, San Diego and Portland, Oregon, top the cities ranking, based on criteria including green buildings and transportation. "There are no weak spots in the City by the Bay's performance," the report said, highlighting San Francisco's strong adoption of clean vehicles and an increased commitment to measuring, reporting and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Washington rose two spots in the ranking this year in part on the strength of its building stock and public transit ridership.

The adoption of clean energy across the U.S. is a trend that supersedes politics. The top 10 list for renewable electricity generation as a share of the total is split evenly between red states and blue states, with Iowa showing large gains in wind since 2009 and Nevada adding geothermal power.

Overall, wind and solar accounted for 61 percent of the new electric capacity added in 2016, the report said. And while the clean energy sector helps the nation cut planet-warming carbon emissions and clear the air, it is also creating jobs, an indicator that Clean Edge added to its analysis this year for the first time.

In Vermont, which fell to third in the rankings overall, clean energy jobs accounted for the largest share of total jobs (four percent) compared to other states. As the group Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) has noted, the clean energy sector supports three million jobs nationwide, from wind turbine technicians to installers of energy-efficient appliances.

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Falling costs for wind and solar, combined with state and local policies that promote renewable energy, are driving the shift to renewables, Clean Edge said, noting that five states increased their clean energy targets to 25 percent or more in 2016, while five more states are aiming for at least 50 percent. Cities, too, are setting ambitious goals, with Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Diego, Atlanta and San Jose all planning to be entirely powered by renewables within the next few decades.

Seventeen states now get at least 10 percent of electricity from non-hydro, utility-scale renewables, a more than fivefold increase from when the index debuted in 2010. Clean energy growth was under way long before Trump's ascendance, and will continue long afterward.


Top 10 Rankings by State:

Top 10 Rankings by Metro Area:

1. California

1. San Francisco, CA

2. Massachusetts

2. San Jose, CA

3. Vermont

3. Washington, DC

4. Oregon

4. San Diego, CA

5. New York

5. Portland, OR

6. Connecticut

6. Los Angeles, CA

7. Colorado

7. Boston, MA

8. Washington

8. Seattle, WA

9. Minnesota

9. Salt Lake City, UT

10. Hawaii

10. Austin, TX

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A group representing $6.2 trillion of the US economy says they're 'still in' the Paris climate agreement

A coalition of US economic, education, and local government leaders announced on Monday they will continue to abide by the Paris agreement regardless of America's withdrawal, forming the We Are Still In movement. The coalition represents 120 million Americans and $6.2 trillion of the US economy.

In total, the group includes 125 cities, 9 states, 902 businesses and investors, and 183 colleges and universities. Over 20 of the businesses who signed on are Fortune 500 companies.

The group penned an open letter on Monday, stating, "The Trump administration's announcement undermines a key pillar in the fight against climate change and damages the world's ability to avoid the most dangerous and costly effects of climate change. Importantly, it is also out of step with what is happening in the United States."

The group declared it will pursue climate goals, "in the absence of leadership by Washington," adding "it is local and state governments, along with businesses, that are primarily responsible for the dramatic decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in recent years. Actions by each group will multiply and accelerate in the years ahead, no matter what policies Washington may adopt."

The list of signatories includes familiar names like Apple, Google, Tesla, Target, eBay, Lyft, Adidas, Facebook, Nike, and other business giants. Participating states include California, Connecticut, North Carolina, Oregon, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington and Hawaii.

Governor Terry McAuliffe of Virginia commented on his state's participation in a press release, saying: "President Trump's announcement to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement does not speak for the states and cities that are committed to fighting climate change and paving the way for a new energy economy. If the federal government insists on abdicating leadership on this issue, it will be up to the American people to step forward -- and in Virginia we are doing just that."

Lyft CEO John Zimmer commented in a press release: "Collective action is a powerful force that will ensure the U.S. remains on track to meet and hopefully exceed the goals of the Paris Agreement. Lyft is proud to be part of this coalition and will be taking additional actions in the months and years ahead to ensure we do our part in addressing one of the greatest challenges of our time."

Companies, investors, mayors and governors, and colleges and universities can sign up to join the movement on the website. A full list of signatories is available on the website as well.

Since President Trump's announcement on June 1st that he plans to remove the US from the Paris agreement, 211 mayors have adopted the Paris Agreement goals for their cities, 13 Governors have joined to create the bipartisan U.S. Climate Alliance, and 17 governors have released statements standing by Paris, according to a press release from We Are Still In.

Trump said on June 1st that he would try to renegotiate a new Paris agreement deal for the US, something that European leaders — like France, Germany, and Italy — have been adamant will not happen. "We will see if we can make a deal that's fair," Trump said in his speech. "If we can, that's great. And if we can't, that's fine."

Read the full letter below:

We, the undersigned mayors, governors, college and university leaders, businesses, and investors are joining forces for the first time to declare that we will continue to support climate action to meet the Paris Agreement.

In December 2015 in Paris, world leaders signed the first global commitment to fight climate change. The landmark agreement succeeded where past attempts failed because it allowed each country to set its own emission reduction targets and adopt its own strategies for reaching them. In addition, nations - inspired by the actions of local and regional governments, along with businesses - came to recognize that fighting climate change brings significant economic and public health benefits.

The Trump administration's announcement undermines a key pillar in the fight against climate change and damages the world's ability to avoid the most dangerous and costly effects of climate change. Importantly, it is also out of step with what is happening in the United States.

In the U.S., it is local and state governments, along with businesses, that are primarily responsible for the dramatic decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in recent years. Actions by each group will multiply and accelerate in the years ahead, no matter what policies Washington may adopt.

In the absence of leadership from Washington, states, cities, colleges and universities, businesses and investors, representing a sizeable percentage of the U.S. economy will pursue ambitious climate goals, working together to take forceful action and to ensure that the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing emissions.

It is imperative that the world know that in the U.S., the actors that will provide the leadership necessary to meet our Paris commitment are found in city halls, state capitals, colleges and universities, investors and businesses. Together, we will remain actively engaged with the international community as part of the global effort to hold warming to well below 2°C and to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy that will benefit our security, prosperity, and health. Link

 

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