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New York state will build a new nuclear power plant that will provide at least one gigawatt of electricityenough to power about a million homes. When announcing the project on Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said it would bring new jobs, result in more affordable electricity bills, and help provide around-the-clock power to support data centers without having to depend on fossil fuels. The plant would be the first nuclear facility built in New York state since the late 1970s and the first major U.S. plant to break ground in about 15 years. (The last nuclear plants built in the U.S., Vogtle Units 3 and 4 in Georgia, began operation in 2023 and 2024, respectively, but construction on them began in 2009.) The project comes as electricity demand is expected to soar, especially due to the increase of data centers to support AI use. Nuclear power has been seen as a clean source of 24/7 power, which wind and solar cannot provide without adequate battery storage, and also as a power source that is insulated from the volatility of oil and gas prices. But some are still concerned about nuclear powers safety. Hochul acknowledged these fears during her announcement for the new plant, pointing to the concerns and anxiety that led to the shut down of Indian Point, a nuclear power plant in Westchester County, New York. That facility was retired in 2021, but doing so turned off one-quarter of New York Citys power[which] was almost all clean energyovernight without an alternative, Hochul said. To replace that energy, New York state burned more fossil fuels, leading to a rise in emissions. There was no plan B, Hochul said, and the increase in emission is not a trade-off New York can afford to keep making. And this is not your grandparents nuclear reactor, she added, about the forthcoming project. Safety will be at the forefront of the design, she said, including automatic safety systems and rigorous environmental standards. The forthcoming nuclear power plant will provide 1,600 jobs during construction, and 1,200 permanent jobs once operational. Nuclear power is seeing a surge as the demand for electricity increases and as municipalities look to get off fossil fuels. Three Mile Island, the site of the countrys worst nuclear disaster, is set to reopen in Pennsylvania in 2028 to support Microsofts energy needs. The Trump administrations support for nuclear power is part of the presidents energy dominance agenda; Trump recently signed an executive order to expedite the licensing process for nuclear reactors. Hochul has spoken to the president about this New York nuclear project, she said, and is committed to working with the White House to build this plant. You want energy dominance. I want energy dominance. This is how we do it, she said. So with their financial planning and hopeful support, we can move as fast as possible. The average time it takes to construct a nuclear power plant is about seven years, though the process can take longer with regulatory hurdles and other financial costs. Hochul said she had suggested Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency work with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in order to make that process more efficient. There is currently no location selected for the New York nuclear power plant, though Hochul said it will be located in upstate New York. The New York Power Authority will help find a site and determine the nuclear reactors design. The state is also considering looking for private partners to help finance the plant. The number one focus of the project, Hochul said, will be customers paying their electric bills: Ratepayers must know that there’s going to be reliability, no cost escalation. And they’ll be able to see into the future what their bills will look like.
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With the summer travel season in full swing and next weekend’s busy July 4 holiday nearing, many airlines are feeling the pinch of softer-than-expected travel demand, as Americans find it increasingly difficult to afford the high cost of vacations made worse by inflation and a recent string of tariffs from the Trump administration. JetBlue Airways, which has been struggling financially and hasn’t made a profit since 2019, announced Saturday it would halt service out of Miami International Airport (MIA) effective September 3. The discount carrier currently has one or two flights to Boston each day. Fast Company has reached out to JetBlue for comment. A spokesperson for the airline told the Miami Herald that the move was to free aircraft for new routes.” He added: “Weve recently made the decision to end a small number of unprofitable flights, including between Boston and Miami.” And travelers booked on canceled flights will have the option to fly via Fort Lauderdale or receive a full refund to their original form of payment.” The carrier recently lost its bid for a $3.8 billion megamerger with Spirit Airlines after a federal judge ruled it would create a monopoly. Last Monday, JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty wrote a memo to employees that said the company was putting new cost-cutting measures into place to counter decreased travel demand, and was “unlikely” to break even on operating margins this year, as reported by CNBC. Were hopeful demand and bookings will rebound, but even a recovery wont fully offset the ground weve lost this year, and our path back to profitability will take longer than wed hoped,” Geraghty said in the staff memo viewed by CNBC. “That means were still relying on borrowed cash to keep the airline running. JetBlue by the numbers Shares of JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) were trading down over 1% midday on Monday. JetBlue and other airlines pulled their 2025 financial forecasts, as many companies did in the wake of Trump’s tariffs, due to overall economic uncertainty. For the first quarter of 2025, which ended March 31, JetBlue reported earnings per share (EPS) of -$0.59, beating analyst estimates, which were around -$0.61. Operating revenue was $2.1 billion, down 3.1% year over year. JetBlue has a market capitalization of $1.48 billion. The airline’s next reported earnings are scheduled for late July.
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Iran launched missile attacks Monday on a U.S. military bases in Qatar and Iraq, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites and escalating tensions in the volatile region. People in Doha, Qatars capital, stopped and looked up as missiles flew and interceptors fired and struck at least one missile in the night sky. Iran announced on state television that it attacked American forces stationed at Qatars Al Udeid Air Base. A caption on screen called it a mighty and successful response” to “Americas aggression as martial music played. Iran also targeted the Ain al-Assad base housing U.S. troops in western Iraq, an Iraqi security official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. The attacks came shortly after Qatar closed its airspace as a precaution amid threats from Iran. Just before the explosions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X: We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer. In the past, Iran has threatened American forces at Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the forward headquarters of the U.S. militarys Central Command. Qatar, across the Persian Gulf from Iran, maintains diplomatic relations with Iran and shares a massive offshore natural gas field with Tehran. Earlier in the day, Israel expanded its war against Iran to include targets associated with the country’s struggling theocracy, striking the gate of a Tehran prison notorious for holding political activists and hitting the headquarters of the military force that suppressed recent protests. As plumes of thick smoke rose over Tehran, Israel was attacked with yet another barrage of Iranian missiles and drones. The persistent fire has become a reality for civilians in both countries since Israel started the war to target Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. On the 11th day of the conflict, Israel said it attacked regime targets and government repression bodies in the heart of Tehran, but Israeli officials insisted they did not seek the overthrow of Iran’s government, their archenemy since the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Israeli military warned Iranians that it would continue to attack military sites around Tehran over the coming days as its focuses has shifted to symbolic targets as well. The military issued the warning on the social platform X, though Iranians are struggling to access the outside world as an internet shutdown has crippled the country. The latest strikes unfolded only hours after President Donald Trump openly raised the possibility himself after just a day earlier inserting America into the war with its unprecedented stealth-bomber strike on three Iranian nuclear sites. If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldnt there be a Regime change??? he asked on his Truth Social website. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later described Trump as simply raising a question. However, suggestions of overthrowing the Iranian government drew new anger from Tehran, which insists it will not negotiate at this time and is threatening to retaliate directly against either American troops or interests in a Mideast already inflamed by the still-raging Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Tehran strikes open new chapter of war In the Tehran strikes, Israel blew open a gate at Evin prison. Iranian state television shared black-and-white surveillance footage of the strike at the facility known for holding dual nationals and Westerners often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West. Evin also has specialized units for political prisoners run by the paramilitary, all-volunteer Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The facility is the target of both U.S. and European Union sanctions. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Iran or significant damage, though the semiofficial Tasnim news agency said there had been a power cut reported outside of Tehran following the Israeli strikes. Iranian state television also aired footage it described as being shot inside Evin, with prisoners under control inside the facility. However, the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran expressed worry about the condition of prisoners there. Many families of current detainees have expressed deep concern about the safety and condition of their loved ones held inside the prison, it said. Earlier Monday, Iranian Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint staff of armed forces, warned Washington that its strikes had given Iranian forces a free hand to act against U.S. interests and its army. Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East, many in locations within range of short-range Iranian missiles. The Israeli military also confirmed it struck roads around Irans Fordo enrichment facility to obstruct access to the site. The underground site was one of those hit in Sundays attack by the United States on three nuclear facilities. The Israeli military did not elaborate. The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli home front, Israel’s Defense Ministry said. According to an Israeli official familiar with the governments strategy, Israel is targeting these sites to put pressure on the Iranian administration but is not actively seeking to topple it. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal government deliberations. Nuclear fears mount after US strikes In Vienna, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he expected there to be heavy damage at the Fordo facility following Sunday’s U.S. airstrike there with sophisticated bunker-buster bombs. With the strikes Sunday on Iranian nuclear sites, the United States inserted itself into Israels war, prompting fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran said the U.S. had crossed a very big red line with its risky gambit to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs. Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran removed nuclear material from targeted sites ahead of time. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the agency’s board of governors Monday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed him on June 13 that Iran would adopt special measures to protect nuclear equipment and materials. I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from a safeguarded facility to another location in Iran must be declared, Grossi said, without saying whether Iran had responded. Iran presses on attacking Israel ran described its Monday attack on Israel as a new wave of its Operation True Promise 3, saying it was targeting the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, according to Iranian state television. Explosions were also heard in Jerusalem, possibly from air defense systems in action, and Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency rescue service said there had been no reports of injuries. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the war. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 950 people and wounded 3,450 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. The group, which has provided detailed casualty figures from Iranian unrest such as the protests surrounding the death of Masha Amini in 2022, said of those killed, it identified 380 civilians and 253 security force personnel. Calls for de-escalation The U.S. described its attack on the Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities, as well as the Isfahan nuclear site, as a one-off to take out Iran’s nuclear program, but Trump has warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliates. Mousavi described the American attacks as violating Irans sovereignty and being tantamount to invading the country, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. Russia is one of Irans closest allies and on Monday, President Vladimir Putin said after meeting in Moscow with Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, that they had explored how we can get out of todays situation. Putin called the Israeli and American attacks on Iran an absolutely unprovoked aggression. Iran, which insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only, previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60%a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. David Rising, Jon Gambrell and Melanie Lidman, Associated Press Associated Press writers Josef Federman, Elise Morton, Geir Moulson, Ella Joyner and Stephanie Liechtenstein contributed to this report.
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