President-elect Donald Trump indicated that he plans to push 100 β or around 100 β executive orders after assuming office, senators and reports have indicated, with the number varying slightly.
Trump, who will take office later this month on Jan. 20, met with Senate Republicans on Wednesday.
During a Thursday morning appearance on "Fox & Friends" Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said that Trump indicated that there are almost 100 executive orders to address issues like border security and U.S. energy.
"He threw that out β 100 β there could be like 100 EOs, yeah. I believe him." Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., noted to The Hill.
Senators were provided previews regarding some of what they were informed would be 100 executive orders, two sources noted to Axios.Stephen Miller, who Trump has tapped to serve in his new administration, discussed plans for using executive authority to tackle border and immigration beginning day one, the outlet reported.
The Associated Press claimed that Trump is readying more than 100 executive orders beginning day one, and had informed GOP senators during the meeting. "There will be a substantial number," Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., noted according to the outlet.
Fox News Digital emailed a Trump spokesperson with a request for comment on Saturday, but did not receive a response in time for publication.Β
Signing scads of executive orders would enable Trump to unilaterally push his agenda after returning to the Oval Office, but GOP lawmakers also plan to work with him to enact his legislative priorities as well.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have both declared their intent to push the president-elect's agenda.
"Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as as possible, from Lawfare such as has never been seen before, to costly and ridiculous Executive Orders on the Green New Scam and other money wasting Hoaxes. Fear not, these "Orders" will all be terminated shortly, and we will become a Nation of Common Sense and Strength. MAGA!!!" Trump declared in a post on Truth Social earlier this week.
Vice President-elect JD Vance, a proudΒ Ohio State alumnus, said back in August that this Buckeyes team might be "the best" heβs seen in some time. That will easily be settled when Ohio State takes on Notre Dame in the national championship game later this month, and Vance wants to be there to see it.Β
The former Ohio senator then posted a meme in response to his own post on X with his two options: "Attend your own inauguration" or "Go watch the Buckeyes win a national title."
The Buckeyes will have the chance to battle for the programβs first national title since 2014 after they defeated Texas in the Cotton Bowl on Thursday night. Meanwhile,Β Notre Dame, who defeated Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Wednesday, is on the hunt for its 12th overall title and its first since 1988.Β
Vance will be rooting for his Buckeyes in Washington as Trump is sworn in to a second term in the White House.Β
The New York Yankees are looking to replace Gleyber Torres in the infield and acquiring former San Francisco Giants top prospect Marco Luciano could work.
Tesla has pocketed $11 billion from the sale of regulatory credits to rival automakers needing help to hit tough emissions targets βΒ easy money that could dry up if President-elect Trump rolls back Biden-era regulations.
Why it matters: Tesla's billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, is spearheading Trump's effort to cut government red tape.
In this case, reversing Biden's environmental policy would significantly hurt his own company's bottom line.
Follow the money: In the nine months through September 2024, 43% of Tesla's $4.8 billion in net income came from selling regulatory credits to other carmakers.
Since 2012, 34% of Tesla's total $32 billion in profits have come from such credit sales.
Where it stands: Absent a change in policy, that revenue stream is likely to soar in coming years as legacy carmakers scramble to buy emissions credits from Tesla, which generates such credits with every vehicle it produces.
But if those credit revenues disappear, Tesla β facing falling vehicle sales β would see its profit margin lag that of GM.
The big picture: Transportation is the leading source of climate-changing carbon emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency under President Biden has enacted ever-stricter limits on tailpipe emissions.
Starting with the 2023 model year, automakers' fleet-wide emissions must decrease an average of 8% a year through 2026, compared with a typical 2% annual improvement in the past.
The rules get even more stringent starting with the 2027 model year. From that point on, fleet-wide emissions must fall by about 11% per year through 2032.
Between the lines: While selling hybrid vehicles and more efficient gas cars and trucks certainly helps, lots more EVs are essential to hitting such targets.
The EPA estimates that compliance would mean 56 percent of new cars sold will be electric by 2032.
The other side: Trump claims Biden's policies are akin to an "EV mandate" and has said he'd relax EPA standards, as he did during his first term.
Friction point: In the meantime, EV sales aren't increasing as fast as expected, which means carmakers face substantial penalties for noncompliance.
One way to avoid such fines is to purchase tradeable emissions credits from companies that have exceeded the standards by selling lots of electric cars,Β primarily Tesla.
As long as EPA standards keep rising and EV sales lag, demand for credits will increase, driving up the costs of compliance for most automakers β and fattening Tesla's coffers.
State of play: It's already happening.
In 2023, the first model year that Biden's higher standards went into effect, Tesla sold $1.8 billion worth of credits, including 34 million federal greenhouse gas credits, to other automakers.
Through the first nine months of 2024, it's already taken in $2.1 billion in credit revenue, with year-end figures expected Jan. 29.
Tesla said the 53% increase over the prior nine months was "driven by demand for credits in North America as other automobile manufacturers scale back on their battery electric vehicle plans."
Zoom in: Ford Motor is among the companies trying to scoop up emissions credits to ensure compliance while it reins in its EV plans in favor of more hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
Ford disclosed in July that it had contracts to purchase about $3.8 billion of regulatory compliance credits for use in North America and Europe for current and future model years, including $100 million it spent during the second quarter of 2024.
In October, Tesla said it has long-term contracts to sell $4.7 billion of credits, including $683 million in sales expected in the next 12 months.
Of note: Credits are also traded to comply with other state and federal regulations, including California's zero-emission vehicle program.
In Europe, Tesla could collect more than $1 billion in compensation from Stellantis, Toyota, Ford, Subaru and Mazda, which are pooling emissions with Tesla to avoid big fines, according to UBS analysts.
The intrigue: No company wants to pay a competitor for help complying with the law, but for most automakers, purchasing regulatory credits β just like buying steel or rubber β is now a cost of doing business.
There is no central marketplace. Instead, credit transactions are handled privately between firms, sometimes under long-term contracts.
How it works: The EPA sets an increasingly-stringent emissions standard, measured in grams of carbon dioxide per mile, for each manufacturer's car and truck fleet.
The permitted level of emissions is a sales-weighted target based on the average "footprint" (the area between the four tires) of the vehicles each automaker produces. The larger the footprint, the greater the emissions any given vehicle is allowed to produce.
If a carmaker's fleet-wide performance comes in below the EPA limit, they earn credits for that model year. If it is above the limit, they generate a deficit.
Manufacturers have lots of flexibility to comply, including banking credits from year to year or trading with other companies.
Between the lines: EVs, plug-in hybrids and other alternative-fuel vehicles are incentivized with credit "multipliers," which is why Tesla, a pure EV manufacturer, earns the most credits every year.
Other EV makers, including Rivian and Lucid, as well as hybrid leaders such as Honda and Toyota, also earn extra credits but nowhere near as many as Tesla.
The perennial biggest seller of credits is Tesla. The biggest buyer has often been Stellantis, maker of Ram pickups and Jeep SUVs, which is starting to add hybrid and electric powertrains.
The bottom line: Trading emissions credits is big money, and Tesla is the clear winner, as long as Trump doesn't pull the rug out from under his First Buddy.
COCOA BEACH, Fla.βAs it so often does in the final days before the debut of a new rocket, it all comes down to weather. Accordingly, Blue Origin is only awaiting clear skies and fair seas for its massive New Glenn vehicle to lift off from Florida.
After the company completed integration of the rocket this week, and rolled the super heavy lift rocket to its launch site at Cape Canaveral, the focus turned toward the weather. Conditions at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base have been favorable during the early morning launch windows available to the rocket, but there have been complications offshore.
That's because Blue Origin aims to recover the first stage of the New Glenn rocket, and sea states in the Atlantic Ocean have been unsuitable for an initial attempt to catch the first stage booster on a drone ship. The company has already waivedΒ one launch attempt set for 1 am ET (06:00 UTC) on Friday, January 10.
Ankerβs latest GaN offering sports four USB ports on the bottom, which isnβt where theyβre typically relocated. | Image: Anker
The inventive gadgets and gizmos at CES can often define the year, but most everything that appears on the showroom floor isnβt going to be available until later in the year, if at all. Fortunately, thatβs not the case with Ankerβs 140W GaN charger, which is already available in black or silver for $79.99 ($10 off) when you clip the on-page coupon at Amazon or use promo code WSCPV2LBR7KR at Ankerβs online storefront.
Out of all the chargers to come out of CES this year, the Anker Charger (140W) easily offers one of the more refreshing designs. The wall charger is unique in that it positions all four USB ports on the underside of the device, thus reorienting its center of gravity and helping prevent it from falling out when loaded with weighty cables. Two of those ports are USB-C ports that supply up to 140W of power β letting you top off everything from a Nintendo Switch to the latest MacBook Pro β while a third USB-C port maxes out at 40W. It also features a single USB-A port limited to 33W, as well as a built-in info display for viewing temperature data and the power output for each port.
More ways to save this weekend
Amazon is selling its Smart Air Quality Monitor for $49.99 ($20 off), which is only $5 more than its best price to date. The compact device uses phone and voice alerts (via Echo speakers) to let you know when it detects abnormal changes in particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, humidity, and temperature. It can even automatically trigger Alexa-enabled air purifiers, along with humidifiers and other connected devices.
Samsungβs budget-friendly Galaxy Buds FE are down to $59.99 ($40 off) at Amazon, nearly matching their lowest price to date. Theyβre a good bet if you could care less about multipoint support and wireless charging, as they offer reliable performance, enjoyable sound, and surprisingly good noise cancellation for the price. They also sport a wing tip design, which can provide a more secure fit if you struggle with traditional in-ears. Read our review.
Note: Quentyn Kennemer also contributed to this post.
Automattic CEO and WordPress co-creatorΒ Matt Mullenweg has deactivated the accounts of several WordPress.org community members, some of whom have been spearheading a push to create a new fork of the open source WordPress project. While community criticism of WordPressβs governance isnβt new, the latest brouhaha kicked off back in September when Mullenweg publicly chastised WP [β¦]
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