Palestinian Death Toll From Israeli Military Strikes Passes 10,000

Published

2 years ago

November 9, 2023

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One month ago today: Exactly one month ago, Hamas terrorists brutally attacked Israeli civilians, killing 1,400 innocent people in a brutal pogrom and kidnapping 240 (most of whom are still being held hostage).

You probably know what’s followed. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began a massive attack on the Gaza Strip, designed to weed out the group responsible for the massive slaughter of civilians. International observers have criticized Israel for hitting civilians in the course of trying to reach their targets. The whole region looks like a powder keg about to blow; Israel’s northern front with Iranian-backed Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates, has been heating up, and many fear the cascade of events that will ensueIranian-backed groups entering the conflictif Israel makes a misstep.

Now, after one month of strikes and a ground invasion that started a week ago and has succeeded at splitting Gaza in two, separating north from south, the Israeli military has now killed more than 10,000 Palestinians. Children comprise about 40 percent of the total killed. It’s unclear how many of the total dead are Hamas terrorists. Estimates are from Gaza’s health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas and thus not always reliable; but when pressed to corroborate death tolls after President Joe Biden cast doubt on them, officials in Gaza ” released a list with the names, ages, genders and ID numbers of all those it counted in its death toll, except for 281 whose remains were unidentifiable,” per New York Times reporting. “Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children,” Union Nations Secretary-General Antnio Guterres told reporters this past Sunday.

Israeli strikes have led to massive civilian death tolls, but the IDF insists that this is due to the way Hamas conducts its operations, using Gazans as human shields. ” Hamas fighters, numbering perhaps 30,000 by Israeli estimates, embed within Gaza’s population of 2.2 million and store weapons in or under civilian sites,” reports The New York Times . Israeli politicians have also turned toward citing massive death tolls imposed by other large Western democracies: the atomic bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the U.S. (which killed 200,000 civilians); Britain bombing a Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen, accidentally hitting a school instead (killing 86 children and more than a dozen adults); a U.S. airstrike in Mosul that ended up killing 100 civilians instead of Islamic State targets.

Attacks on refugee camps keep upping the death toll. One on the Maghazi refugee camp killed 40 over the weekend. A few days prior, an attack near Bureji refugee camp killed 13.

“Very unfair”: Yesterday, former President Donald Trump took the witness stand in Manhattan during his civil trial, in which he has already been found to have defrauded banks and insurers by overstating his net worth and property valuations. (This trial will determine penalties and charges.) Referring to financial statements submitted to banks on his behalf: “I would look at them, I would see them, and I would maybe on occasion have some suggestions,” said Trump.

“I think I am probably more expert than anyone else,” said Trump, referring to his ability to help his lawyers and accountants with property valuation statements they submitted to banks. “I can look at buildings and tell you what they’re worth.”

“The net worth of me was far greater than the financial statements,” said Trump at a different point, to state attorney Kevin Wallace, who was questioning him. “People like you go around and try to demean me and try to hurt me,” he added to Wallace. (The trial was “very unfair,” added Trump.)

Trump apparently just couldn’t stop exaggerating, even on the stand. He was asked about the square footage of his residence at Trump Tower, which he initially claimed was 11,000 square feet. Then he upped it to 12,000, and then to 13,000. He oscillated between minimizing the importance of the asset valuation statements in question and talking up his own contributions to crafting them. But mostly, Trump’s impressive showmanship was on full display , as he called the trial a “witch hunt” and reverted to campaign-like soliloquies about the deck being stacked against him.

Scenes from Tamarindo, Costa Rica:

Some of you are needier than my 1-year-old! It appears that in my absence from writing Roundup , the rumor mill started churning and some feared I’d been canned or otherwise abandoned you people. Instead, I was surfing in Costa Rica (and I promise never to leave you ever again).

Anyway, here’s some COVID-related rage I stumbled across: (Liz Wolfe)

Though surfers tend to be a mighty chill breed, the residual anger at COVID lockdowns is quite strong in some places (and rightfully so). Season two of 100 Foot Wave , which follows the big-wave surfer Garrett McNamara, has more on this, and how it affected the pro surfer community in Nazar, Portugal. What an insane thing, to dictate that surfersriding waves solo and outdoors, distanced by the nature of the sportmust stay shut inside, and suffer the health consequences that follow when one chooses a sedentary lifestyle over life outdoors. QUICK HITS Adam Neumann’s brainchild, WeWork , just filed for bankruptcy. The company’s creditors “agreed on a restructuring plan that would include reducing its portfolio of office leases.” It’s always been odd to me that Neumann went down in startup-world history as a megalomaniac oddball worth rubbernecking at when WeWork isn’t really a startupit’s more of a real estate company, and it still has tons of customers even if it has struggled to figure out how to be profitable. Anyway, I remain soft on (former kibbutznik) Neumann and his cuckoo wife and think they should not be referred to in the same breath as bona fide charlatans like Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes. Today, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for United States v. Rahimi, a case involving whether gun rights can be restricted for people with domestic abuse records. In the past, people had, like, dysentery and typhoid and no deodorant or Amazon Prime. I hereby cosign everything Dreyfuss is saying: “No one has ever suffered as we have suffered” is just especially annoying in this context because actually virtually everyone who ever lived in all of history suffered more than we have suffered.

— Ben Dreyfuss (@bendreyfuss) November 2, 2023

Disturbing: Wikipedia has slashed the entry for Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza to remove Amnesty reports of its use by Hamas as a torture facility, and media reports of its use as a Hamas operational HQ.

They even locked the page. Forget those pesky facts! pic.twitter.com/nZhMc1zXus

— Max Meyer (@mualphaxi) November 4, 2023

Today, residents of Ohio will vote on a referendum that would establish a constitutional right to an abortion in that state. (For more on today’s elections, check out thisPoliticoguide.)

Environment

BYD launches the new low-cost e7 EV in China, starting at under $15,000

Published

2 hours ago

May 19, 2025

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BYD launches the new low-cost e7 EV in China, starting at under ,000

BYD’s new EV is about the size of a Tesla Model 3, but half the cost in China. After launching the e7, BYD is already boasting that it will be the “winner’s choice” for midsize EV sedans. Here’s our first look at the new low-cost electric sedan.

Will the new BYD e7 EV rival the Tesla Model 3 in China?

After previewing the e7 for the first time a little over a month ago, BYD officially launched the midsize electric sedan on Saturday.

The new e7 is available in three “Smart” trims, starting at 103,800 yuan, or about $14,500. For a limited time, BYD is offering a renewal price of 99,800 yuan ($13,900).

Buyers can choose from two BYD Blade battery options: 48 or 57.8 kWh, providing CLTC driving ranges of 450 and 520 km, respectively.

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BYD’s new midsize EV sedan is about the size of a Tesla Model 3: 4,780 mm long, 1,900 mm wide, 1,515 mm tall, and 2,820 mm wheelbase.

Although it looks similar to other BYD models, the e7 has a few unique design elements, including a “Smiling and high-spirited” front face design, full-score LED headlights, and a duck tail.

We knew it would be a lower-priced EV after the preview showed the e7 with traditional door handles, rather than the flush ones found on newer models.

Like BYD’s other new vehicles, the interior is relatively simple with a 15.6″ central infotainment at the center and a 5″ driver display cluster. It’s also loaded with the advanced version of BYD’s smart cockpit and DiLink100.

The “ingeniously crafted comfortable cockpit,” as BYD calls it, is available with ergonomic cloud-sensing seats, an integrated hand gear, and a panoramic sunroof.

Although the e7 is part of BYD’s e-series, a lower-priced lineup aimed at younger drivers or taxi services, it’s now being absorbed into its Ocean series with other popular EVs like the Dolphin and Seagull.

BYD’s new EV is over half the cost of a base Tesla Model 3 RWD model in China, which starts at 235,500 yuan ($32,700). But, to be fair, the base Model 3 has a CLTC driving range of up to 634 km (394 miles). For 275,500 yuan ($38,200), the Model 3 Long Range AWD is rated with up to 713 km (443 miles) CLTC range.

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Environment

Hyundai is making a comeback in China and this new EV might just seal the deal

Published

3 hours ago

May 19, 2025

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Hyundai is making a comeback in China and this new EV might just seal the deal

Hyundai is gaining traction where most automakers are struggling to stay afloat. Despite a flood of low-cost electric cars and an intensifying price war, Hyundai sees an opportunity “to write a new chapter” with its first dedicated EV rolling out in China.

Will Hyundai’s new EV spark a comeback in China?

Leading up to its debut, we thought it could be the IONIQ 4 with a sleek new look. The ELEXIO is Hyundai’s first custom-tailored EV for China.

During its global debut earlier this month in Shanghai, Hyundai said China is a “must-fight place,” calling it “the core of Hyundai Motor’s global strategy.” The company also revealed its “In China, for China, to the World” strategy as it looks to make a comeback in the world’s largest EV market.

According to Hyundai, the company is already seeing early success. On Monday, Hyundai’s joint venture in China, Beijing Hyundai, announced that its losses improved by over 100 billion won ($72 million) in the first quarter.

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The company posted a net loss of 42.3 billion won in the first three months of 2025, down from the massive 146 billion won ($105 million) in Q1 2024. At this pace, Hyundai could see a profit by the second quarter in China.

Hyundai said lower operating costs spurred the cost improvements after the company sold its Chongqing plant last year.

It’s also due to rising exports. Beijing Hyundai exported 14,999 vehicles in Q1, up significantly from just 608 a year ago. Hyundai’s Chinese JV is investing 8 billion yuan ( $1.1 billion) as it looks to revamp the business.

Although it’s already seeing some success, Hyundai’s new ELEXIO electric SUV is expected to accelerate its momentum. With the EV launching in the second half of 2025, Hyundai could turn a profit by the end of the year. It may even happen as early as the second quarter.

Hyundai claims the new EV opens “a new starting point for the transformation from traditional fuel vehicle giant to electrification” in China.

The ELEXIO electric SUV, dubbed the Chinese version of its popular IONIQ 5, rocks a new look with crystal cube LED headlights and a full-length light bar that stretches across the front.

Based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, which powers the IONIQ 5, the ELEXIO is rated with up to 435 miles (700 km) CLTC driving range. More details, including prices and trim options, will be revealed closer to launch. Check back soon for the latest.

What do you think of Hyundai’s new electric SUV? Would you buy the ELEXIO in Europe, the US, or other global markets? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Newsis, Beijing Hyundai

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Environment

Tesla paid Powerwall owners $10 million through virtual power plants

Published

4 hours ago

May 19, 2025

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Tesla paid Powerwall owners million through virtual power plants

Tesla announced it paid Powerwall owners $9.9 million through its virtual power plant programs in 2024.

Distributed energy is working.

A virtual power plant (VPP) consists of distributed energy storage systems, like Tesla Powerwalls, used in concert to provide grid services and avoid the use of polluting and expensive peaker power plants.

Peaker plants are fossil fuel-powered power plants that are activated in peak energy usage times to ensure the grid has enough power to supply the demand and avoid brownouts.

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It is a fairly new technology that aims to decentralize the grid, helping make it more secure and stable while reducing costs.

Tesla has been an early adopter of the technology through the deployment of its Powerwall, a popular home battery pack.

In areas with high penetration of the home battery, Tesla can make a deal with the local electric utility to pull power from the Powerwalls in customer homes when needed, and those homeowners get compensated at an attractive rate.

Today, Tesla announced that it paid Powerwall owners nearly $10 million through VPPs in 2024:

We paid out $9.9M to Powerwall owners who supported the grid through Virtual Power Plant participation in 2024.

Tesla’s first VPP launched in Australia in 2019. The company first aimed for 50,000 homes, but we learned that it is at about 7,000 homes and 35 MW as of the end of last year when Tesla was looking to sell the virtual power plant.

In 2021, Tesla launched a VPP pilot program in California, in which Powerwall owners would voluntarily and without compensation let the VPP pull power from their battery packs when the grid needed it.

It helped Tesla prove the usefulness of such a system.

Following the pilot program, Tesla and PG&E, the electric utility covering Northern California, launched the first official virtual power plant through the Tesla app.

This new version of the Tesla Virtual Power Plant actually compensates Powerwall owners $2 per kWh that they contribute to the grid during emergency load reduction events. Homeowners are expected to get between $10 and $60 per event.

Later, we reported that Tesla’s California VPP expanded to Southern California Edison (SCE) to now cover most of the state.

Last year, Tesla’s California VPPs reached over 100 MW in capacity, and the company also started building significant VPPs in Texas.

Some Powerwall owners are now reporting making hundreds of dollars per year per Powerwall through Tesla’s virtual power plant.

Electrek’s Take

This is awesome. I love distributed energy. VPPs not only make home energy storage more financially viable, but they also often mean that fossil fuel-powered peaker plants are being replaced by solar power and energy storage, as most Powerwalls and other home battery packs are linked to home solar power.

It’s not super popular yet because it requires the cooperation of the electric utilities and the regulators, but it appears to be viable in most places.

If you have home solar and energy storage, or looking to add solar and energy storage at home, it’s worth looking into.

It’s time to go solar in the US before the GOP kills the incentives. You want to make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar – whether you’re a homeowner or renter. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online, including with Tesla hardware, like the Powerwall, and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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