United States | News & Politics

https://archive.ph/sD4Mn

https://archive.ph/sD4Mn

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to target Iran’s energy infrastructure, including the country’s desalination plants. Such a move — and Iran’s possible targeting of the plants of its Gulf Arab neighbors — could have devastating impacts across the water-starved Middle East.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said if a deal to end the war isn’t reached “shortly” and the Strait of Hormuz, where much oil passes via tankers, is not immediately reopened, “we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched.’”

The biggest danger, analysts warn, may not be what Trump could do to Iran, but how Tehran could retaliate. Iran relies on desalination for a small share of its water supply while Gulf Arab states depend on it for the vast majority.

The bullet that killed conservative commentator Charlie Kirk did not match the rifle used by his alleged murderer, Tyler Robinson, according to an incredible new claim from his lawyers.

The 22-year-old Robinson is facing multiple charges, which are eligible for the death penalty, over Kirk’s murder at Utah Valley University late last year.

But his defence attorneys have argued that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (AFT) had been “unable to identify the bullet recovered at autopsy to the rifle allegedly tied to Mr Robinson”.

Expand article

General Motors’ Factory Zero plant in Detroit, Michigan, is going dark yet again due to the slowing demand for electric vehicles in the United States, Automotive News reported.

The facility, which was hailed as the factory of the future after a $2.2 billion investment back in 2021, manufactures the GMC Hummer EV and Sierra EV, the Chevrolet Silverado EV, and the Cadillac Escalade IQ electric SUV.

GMC Hummer EV pickup production at Factory ZERO

The latest temporary layoff affects the remaining 1,300 workers, who were told to stay home starting March 16 and are expected to return to work on April 13, according to the United Auto Workers union. In October of last year, GM cut one of two shifts at the factory, effectively halving output, and permanently laid off 1,200 workers.

The plant was also temporarily idled between October 27 and November 24, 2025. An additional 1,550 battery factory workers were temporarily laid off in Tennessee and Ohio, and 550 people were laid off indefinitely.

“Factory Zero will temporarily adjust production to align EV production with market demand,” a GM spokesperson told Crain’s Detroit Business. “Impacted employees will be placed on a temporary layoff and may be eligible for subpay and benefits in accordance with the GM-UAW national contract.”

Meanwhile, just 30 miles north, GM is going full steam ahead with the retooling of the Orion Assembly plant, where gas-powered pickup trucks and Escalade SUVs will soon start rolling off the assembly line. It’s a stark contrast to the company’s stance from five years ago, when it billed the modernized Detroit-Hamtramck plant as the car factory of the future, with the futuristic Cruise Origin autonomous pod slated to be one of the vehicles assembled here.

“I just hope we can bounce back, especially when gas prices are rising,” said James Cotton, UAW Local 22 President. “I think EVs are the future.”

Back in 2020, GM had committed to invest a whopping $35 billion in electric and autonomous vehicles, with plans to launch over 30 new battery-powered cars globally by 2025. Since then, the company’s robotaxi dreams have fallen apart, and sales figures for the big and expensive electric trucks built at Factory Zero have fallen short of expectations.

Despite this, GM is now America’s second-best-selling EV brand, behind Tesla, thanks to the popular Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Lyriq. However, the Trump Administration’s decision to cancel the $7,500 federal tax credit for new EVs while simultaneously rolling back tailpipe emissions rules has prompted the automaker to tone down its electrification ambitions, reporting $7.6 billion in writedowns associated with its EV programs.

General Motors has idled its billion-dollar Factory Zero EV plant in Detroit again due to slowing U.S. electric vehicle demand, affecting the remaining 1,300 workers on temporary layoff until April 13. The facility makes the GMC Hummer EV, Sierra EV, Chevrolet Silverado EV & Cadillac Escalade IQ. "Factory Zero will temporarily adjust production to align EV production with market demand," a GM spokesperson said.

This is not the first shutdown: in October 2025 GM cut one of two shifts & permanently laid off 1,200 workers, & the plant was also idled from October 27 to November 24. Meanwhile, just 30 miles north, "GM is going full steam ahead with the retooling of the Orion Assembly plant" for gas-powered vehicles.

The Trump Administration's cancellation of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit & rollback of tailpipe emissions rules have prompted GM to scale back ambitions, reporting "$7.6 billion in writedowns associated with its EV programs."

Critics say president is locking into 20th century energy systems even as his ‘bet’ on oil and gas ‘isn’t going so well’

The Jewish Electorate Institute found that 55% of Jewish respondents said that they opposed the war, 32% approved and 13% were undecided.