Month: December 2021

On Monday, Time Magazine announced Elon Musk as its 2021 ‘Person of the Year,’ citing his vast “influence on life on Earth, and potentially life off Earth too.” Musk, deemed the second-richest man in world by Forbes Magazine with an estimated net worth of $270 billion, is the founder and CEO of rocket producer SpaceX and CEO of electric vehicle maker Tesla, among his many other enterprises.

Time Editor-in-Chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal said the choice of Musk for Person of the Year recognizes his emergence “not just as the world’s richest person but also as perhaps the richest example of a massive shift in our society” in which momentum to create progress is moving from “traditional institutions” such as governments to individuals. Felsenthal added that Musk’s “ambitions on the scale of interplanetary travel” marks him as someone whose influence goes beyond life on Earth to “potentially life off Earth too.”  He concluded: “For creating solutions to an existential crisis, for embodying the possibilities and the perils of the age of tech titans, for driving society’s most daring and disruptive transformations, Elon Musk is Time’s 2021 Person of the Year.”

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On Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced $1.2 billion in investments from private companies to address the root causes of immigration from Central America. Harris said the investments came from seven companies and will go toward boosting the economies and social infrastructure in countries where immigration is most pronounced.  The announcement comes one month after the United States recorded Southwest border land encounters with 164,303 migrants in October, more than double the 71,939 encounters from a year prior.  Harris has been put in charge of the White House’s strategy on migration, and said the Biden administration seeks to focus on addressing the root causes of migration to stem the flow of people crossing the southern border.

Harris issued a call to action in May to assist El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.  She said during a meeting on Monday with executives: “Six months ago, we had a commitment of $750 million. Today, we have a commitment of over $1.2 billion. This is not about us coming in and telling anyone what they should do. It is about being partners and assisting and helping to facilitate the natural desire of the people in these nations. This is important work. This is good work. I think it reflects the best of who we are as the United States recognizing our responsibility as neighbors to these countries in the Western Hemisphere.”

The seven companies include PepsiCo, Mastercard, Parkdale Mills and Cargill. PepsiCo said it plans to designate $190 million for investments in Central America, including improving manufacturing plants. Cargill, meanwhile, plans to invest $150 million in farming operations in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Parkdale Mills said it will build a $150 million yarn spinning site in Honduras, and Mastercard said it will invest $100 million to boost e-commerce in Central America.

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Rescuers resumed search operations on Sunday for victims of a deadly tornado outbreak with dozens confirmed dead, and destroyed entire communities throughout six states on Friday.  Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the tornado that tore a 200-mile gash across his state and leveled homes and businesses.  Beshear told “Face the Nation” on Sunday that left the tornadoes left “devastation like none of us have ever seen before. This tornado didn’t discriminate against anybody in its path, even if they were trying to be safe.”  Mayfield, Kentucky, one of the hardest hit communities, showed mass destruction in satellite photos. The official number of confirmed deaths from the tornadoes and severe storms stood at 25 on Sunday morning, with Kentucky suffering the most deaths. But Beshear estimated the actual death toll in his state would exceed 80 and could rise to more than 100 as crews continue sifting through the wreckage.

In Arkansas, two people were killed, including one person in a nursing home. Governor Asa Hutchinson said Sunday that it was a “miracle” that more weren’t killed at the care facility, telling “Face the Nation” — “The staff did an incredible job of using their own body to shield some of the residents, and the fact that there was a warning system in place helped them to move them into the hallway that saved lives, and really emphasize the importance of the early warning system, the sirens and taking action whenever you hear that.”. In Illinois, six people were killed when the roof of an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville collapsed during a storm.  Forty-five people have been rescued, though it was unclear how many remain missing.

President Biden signed an emergency declaration for Kentucky, saying: “Whatever is needed, the federal government is going to find a way to supply it.”  The National Weather Service said the historic tornado that was on the ground for well over 100 miles has been classified as an E3, although it could be reassessed as they study the effects on the ground.

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Veteran broadcast journalist Chris Wallace announced his departure from FOX News on the air Sunday morning. CNN later confirmed Wallace will next host a weekday show for its streaming platform CNN+, which is set to debut in 2022.

Wallace, the 74-year-old son of late 60 Minutes icon Mike Wallace, said: “After 18 years — this is my final FOX News Sunday. It is the last time — and I say this with real sadness — we will meet like this. Eighteen years ago, the bosses here at FOX promised me they would never interfere with a guest I booked or a question I asked. And they kept that promise. I have been free to report to the best of my ability, to cover the stories I think are important, to hold our country’s leaders to account. It’s been a great ride.  The fact you’ve chosen to spend this hour with us is something I cherish. But after 18 years, I have decided to leave FOX. I want to try something new, to go beyond politics to all the things I’m interested in. I’m ready for a new adventure. And I hope you’ll check it out.”

FOX News Media said Wallace’s show will continue and will be hosted by rotating news anchors until a permanent anchor is announced, adding in a statement:  “We are extremely proud of our journalism and the stellar team that Chris Wallace was a part of for 18 years. The legacy of FOX News Sunday will continue with our star journalists, many of whom will rotate in the position until a permanent host is named.”

Wallace covered five presidential elections and interviewed every president since George H.W. Bush, as well as world leaders such as France’s Emanuel Macron and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Wallace previously worked for ABC from 1989-2003 and NBC from 1975-88, including serving as NBC’s White House correspondent in the 1980s and moderator of Meet the Press from 1987-88.

Fox Anchor Chris Wallace Makes His Own News With Move to CNN

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