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West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin – whose state’s banner industry, coal mining, has been largely unionized and been central to the US labor movement since soon after its inception – today called the proposed $4,500 union-made EV tax credit “wrong” and “not American.”

The $4,500 union-made EV credit is a section of the proposed $12,500 federal EV tax credit, part of the pending Build Back Better act.

Manchin’s comments came at an event at Toyota’s West Virginia components plant, announcing a new $240 million investment into the plant where the company produces gas engines and transmissions. Toyota said today that it plans to build a hybrid transaxle in the plant, but did not commit to building pure electric vehicle components. Notably, Toyota was named the world’s third-worst company in terms of climate lobbying just last week as a result of its anti-EV lobbying efforts.

At the event, Manchin made a number of comments regarding the proposed EV credit that seem incongruous with reality. He stated that “we shouldn’t use everyone’s tax dollars to pick winners and losers,” a common talking point used to oppose government intervention in competitive environments. Toyota Motor North America CEO Ted Ogawa echoed these remarks by saying the company merely wants “to compete on an equal, level playing field with all automakers.”

However, the Build Back Better Act’s union-made EV provision does not specify particular companies, merely that those companies must be covered with a collective bargaining agreement. This does not exclude Toyota or any other automaker – all they need to do is unionize (they’ve built union-made cars in America before), and it will get the credit just like any other car company would.

As for opposing “picking winners and losers,” here is a list of winners picked by Manchin and posted on his website three weeks ago. The Tygart Hotel in Elkins and local investors Davis Trust Company, Freedom Bank, Pendleton Community Bank, and Woodlands Development and Lending surely appreciate that you picked them to win $1.75 million in tax dollars for their for-profit private venture just last month, Joe. Or have you had a change in heart on public appropriations since then?

Manchin also said that the union-made requirement is “not how we built this country,” despite the current two most unionized sectors of the US economy being government and construction jobs.

Unions also built Manchin’s state, West Virginia. Coal mining has been a banner industry, a keystone to West Virginia’s economy for more than a century, and West Virginia coal miners were among the earliest advocates for labor organization in the United States. Coal mining is an exceedingly dangerous job, rife with both acute and chronic difficulties for workers, and coal barons have a tendency not to respect their workers when given the option – recall when Bob Murray paid for science denial instead of his workers’ wages as his company went bankrupt.

For much of the 20th century, the middle class in West Virginia was buoyed by well-paying union coal jobs. Those jobs were well-paying due to the blood, sweat, and tears of union agitators who earned concessions from an industry that would have loved to continue treating them like indentured servants.

Manchin states that his opposition to the union-made requirement means he’s “fighting for his constituents,” but his constituents have benefitted from unions for a very long time and would benefit from higher unionization rates. They would also benefit from cheaper electric vehicle availability and from cleaner air due to faster EV adoption.

Meanwhile, there is no way in which the union-made requirement damages Manchin’s constituents. Toyota does not build non-union EVs in West Virginia (they build engines and transmissions – and it’s the only automotive assembly plant in the state), so no West Virginia vehicle manufacturing will be “missing out” on these credits due to the union-made requirement.

What has damaged his constituents are the actions of the fossil industry, which is always trying to reduce worker safety and pay, and the prime bulwark against these efforts are worker unions.

But despite all reality showing otherwise, Manchin still says that a provision that will help his constituents and his country is “not American.” Why is this? A possible explanation is that Manchin is heavily invested in fossil fuels, earning roughly half a million dollars personally every year from coal dividends (placing him in the company of the very same coal barons who oppose unionization). He is also the top Congressional recipient of fossil fuel money. In the words of famous labor advocate Upton Sinclair: “it is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”

Despite this article’s focus on one man’s comments, it should be noted that Manchin is not the only anti-worker, anti-environment Senator holding up this bill. All fifty republicans are assumed to be automatic “nay” votes to any effort made to improve the American economy and environment, in typical republican party fashion.

Despite that those republican Senators have collectively received 28 million fewer votes than the Democratic Senators who support these investments into America, Senator Manchin (290k votes, <.1% of the US population) has cast himself into the position of sole decider on a bill whose provisions are overwhelmingly supported both by Americans and by Manchin’s constituents. In a country where we claim that all people should receive equal representation, one would think that such broad public and electoral support for an initiative should indicate that it sail towards passage.

There’s certainly something “not American” going on here, but that “something” is not the $4,500 EV credit. It’s a set of minority representatives holding up a bill that is supported by and will benefit the vast majority of this country. It’s a can’t-do attitude of government inaction, driven by conservative attempts to damage the American economy with the hope that by hurting America they can electioneer their way into making the majority party look bad. It’s the constant work over the last century that conservative politicians and business leaders have done to delegitimize unions leading to lower union membership, lower real wages, and the erosion of the American middle class.

Those are the things that are “wrong,” here, Joe – not the EV tax credit. Now get out of your constituents’ way and vote for the right thing.


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Burning Man: Dead body found ‘in a pool of blood’ at festival

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Burning Man: Dead body found 'in a pool of blood' at festival

A man has been found dead “in a pool of blood” at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, officials say.

The man’s body, described as a white adult, was found “lying on the ground” after 9pm on Saturday at the art and music festival in the Black Rock Desert, roughly 110 miles north of Reno, the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said.

They said he was discovered while the festival’s large wooden effigy of a man at the centre of the festival was engulfed in flames – a tradition during the annual event.

Officials said a festival goer flagged down a sheriff’s deputy and reported seeing “a male subject lying in a pool of blood”.

The sheriff’s office set up a perimeter at the scene and has been treating it as a homicide, interviewing several participants.

The body, which has not been identified, was taken to a medical examiner’s office, while the festival continues until 6pm local time on Monday (2am Tuesday UK time).

“Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances,” the sheriff’s office said.

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Officials say the crime scene is being preserved, but that the case is a “complicated investigation” as the makeshift Black Rock City where the event is located will be gone by the middle of the week.

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Burning Man organisers said they were cooperating with law enforcement and asked participants not to interfere with their investigation.

“The safety and well-being of our community are paramount,” their statement said, adding that support services, including a crisis support team, were available and participants had access to free Wi-Fi if they need to communicate with loved ones.

Burning Man is a celebration of self-expression that culminates in the ceremonial burning of its towering 40ft effigy.

Its origins can be traced back to the incineration of an eight-foot wooden “man” on San Francisco’s Baker Beach in 1986, which eventually evolved into an annual gathering in the Black Rock Desert.

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Hollywood star Rupert Everett spotted working behind bar of village pub

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Hollywood star Rupert Everett spotted working behind bar of village pub

Hollywood star Rupert Everett has been working behind the bar of his village pub in a bid to keep the doors open.

Everett, known for his roles in Another Country and My Best Friend’s Wedding, has joined a roster of volunteers working to save The Swan, a local pub in Enford, Wiltshire, that is currently under threat of closure.

The pub is staffed by a rotation of 30 people after it was initially closed when the previous licensee left.

“There has been an amazing effort by our community to keep this pub open,” said the 66-year-old Shrek voice actor.

“Times are hard for rural pubs and this is the heart and hub of the village. I think that it is important to express my support. I have recently joined CAMRA – the Campaign for Real Ale – as I know that real ale is the lifeblood of pubs both locally and nationally.

“Our small local breweries need our help, cask ale must survive – it is almost a uniquely British tradition.”

Steve Stringer, secretary of the Salisbury and South Wiltshire branch of CAMRA and an Enford resident, told local media: “I am excited that Rupert has chosen to support the campaign.

“As a lover of cask ales, it is only natural that he wishes to join us and to see him behind the bar serving the locals, shows his solidarity with the community effort.”

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Coldplay reschedule Wembley Stadium shows over Tube strikes

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Coldplay reschedule Wembley Stadium shows over Tube strikes

Coldplay have rescheduled the final two dates of their 10-show run at Wembley Stadium because of strike action on the London Underground.

Rail, Maritime And Transport (RMT) union walkouts next Sunday and Monday make it impossible for fans to get to and from the venue safely, the band said in a statement.

The completion of their Wembley run will see Coldplay become the first act to play 10 dates at the national football stadium in the same year, knocking current joint record holders Taylor Swift and Take That from the top spot.

Both Swift and Take That have played eight Wembley shows in a single year.

Industrial action on the Tube will take place at different times from 5 September for seven days, impacting Coldplay’s gigs – which are part of the band’s eco-friendly Music Of The Spheres world tour – on 7 and 8 September.

A statement from the band posted on social media read: “We’re sorry to announce that, due to planned industrial action on the London Underground, we’ve been forced to reschedule our final two concerts of the current Wembley Stadium run.

“Without a Tube service, it’s impossible to get 82,000 people to the concert and home again safely, and therefore no event licence can be granted for the nights of 7th and 8th September.

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“To avoid cancelling the shows, our only option is to reschedule.”

They said the show on 7 September would move to 6 September and the show on 8 September would move to 12 September.

The band added: “We’re very sorry for the inevitable disappointment, frustration and inconvenience that this situation causes.”

Coldplay said tickets would remain valid for their rescheduled date, but any fans who are unable to attend their rescheduled show can get a full refund on their ticket from their point of purchase before noon on 2 September.

Returned tickets are to go on general sale at 11am on 3 September via Ticketmaster.

The band confirmed shows on 30 and 31 August, and 3 September and 4 September would go ahead as scheduled.

Some 10% of the band’s proceeds from the Wembley shows will be donated to the Music Venue Trust to help support grassroots UK venues and upcoming artists.

Fronted by Chris Martin, Coldplay formed in 1997, and have gone on to achieve two UK number one singles and 10 UK number one albums. They are best known for songs such as Yellow, Fix You, A Sky Full Of Stars and Viva La Vida.

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