An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalitionNone

TCU leading scorer Frankie Collins will miss rest of season after breaking left footFLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein will be activated from injured reserve and will play against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich announced Friday that Zuerlein is returning after missing seven games with a knee injury to his left, non-kicking leg. He had been shaky before the injury, but the Jets have since been unsettled at the position, with Riley Patterson, Spencer Shrader and Anders Carlson all filling in. “He came back, looked healthy, kicked the ball well this week,” Ulbrich said of Zuerlein. “So, he’ll be our guy going forward here.” Zuerlein is officially listed as questionable to play, but was a full participant the final two practices. Wide receiver Davante Adams is also questionable , but likely to play after participating on a limited basis Friday because of a hip ailment that held him out Thursday. Adams, acquired from Las Vegas in October, has 56 receptions for 719 yards and six touchdowns on 94 targets in nine games for the Jets. He’s 72 yards away from his fifth straight 1,000-yard season and sixth of his career. “I think at this point, it would be a crying shame to not be able to get that,” he said. Adams and Aaron Rodgers are also tied with Miami’s Dan Marino and Mark Clayton for the third-most TD connections (82), including playoffs, by a quarterback-wide receiver duo. Rodgers needs one touchdown pass to become the fifth player in NFL history to get 500 in the regular season — and Adams said he would “love” to be on the receiving end of the milestone. “I got 200, I got 400," he said of Rodgers' TD passes while they were teammates in Green Bay. “So it would be dope to get 500 as well. I think his 200th was my first, so we got some special connections in the past, so it'd be great.” Adams said he was injured early in the game against the Rams, but was still able to catch seven passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. He said he was optimistic about his chances of playing at Buffalo. “We’re still working on it,” Adams said. “We’re treating it, trying to get it right so we can hopefully be there and ready by game time.” Cornerback Sauce Gardner is also questionable with a hamstring injury that sidelined him in the second half of New York's loss to the Los Angeles Rams . Zuerlein, who re-signed with the Jets last offseason on a two-year deal, made just nine of 15 field goal attempts and missed one extra point in the first eight games this year. He had been one of the NFL's most consistently reliable kickers the previous two seasons with the Jets. Patterson kicked in one game after the Jets placed Zuerlein on IR. Shrader also kicked in one game before he was signed off the practice squad by Kansas City. Carlson had been the kicker the past five games, but missed a field goal and an extra point against the Rams and the Jets signed Greg Joseph to the practice squad to provide competition. Ulbrich said earlier in the week Zuerlein would also be in the mix after a long layoff. "I think sometimes that can be powerful, an opportunity just to take a deep breath, get his body healthy again and get a restart," Ulbrich said. “So I’m excited for him to do his thing these last two games and really demonstrate to everybody who he is as a kicker.” Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams could return after missing last week with a hamstring injury. He was listed as questionable and was limited at practice all week. Also questionable but expected to play are right tackle Morgan Moses (knee), safety Tony Adams (ankle), cornerback Michael Carter II (back), defensive end Haason Reddick (neck) and defensive lineman Braiden McGregor (ankle). Defensive tackle Leki Fotu was ruled out with a knee injury. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok sale deadline

Toronto Sceptres open PWHL season with 3-1 comeback win over Boston Fleet

Wall Street stocks finished a lackluster week on a muted note Friday as concerns about rising Treasury bond yields competed with enthusiasm over artificial intelligence equities. Of the major indices, only the Nasdaq mustered a gain in Friday's session. The tech-rich index was also the only of the three leading US benchmarks to conclude the week higher. "Equities are kind of treading water," said LBBW's Karl Haeling. "A negative influence to some extent is the rise in bond yields." The latest US consumer price index data released this week showed prices ticked higher in November and the wholesale data also showed stubborn inflationary pressures. "Yields rose to their highest levels in over two weeks as markets brace for the Federal Reserve's final meeting of the year, reflecting concerns over sticky inflation," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG. There is also growing concern over the inflationary pressures from President-elect Donald Trump's pledges to cut taxes and impose tariffs, as inflation still stands above the Fed's target. "While the markets still anticipate a rate cut from the Federal Reserve next week, the likelihood of a move in January has dropped," said Patrick Munnelly, partner at broker Tickmill Group. The CME FedWatch tool shows the market sees a more than 75 percent chance that the Fed will hold rates steady in January. In Europe, the Paris CAC 40 index ended the day down 0.2 percent after French President Emmanuel Macron named his centrist ally Francois Bayrou as prime minister, ending days of deadlock over finding a replacement for Michel Barnier. Frankfurt also dipped, with Germany's central bank sharply downgrading its growth forecasts on Friday for 2025 and 2026. It predicted a prolonged period of weakness for Europe's biggest economy. London stocks were also lower after official data showed that the UK economy unexpectedly shrank for the second consecutive month in October. The euro recovered after flirting with two-year lows against the dollar following a warning Thursday by ECB president Christine Lagarde that the eurozone economy was "losing momentum", cautioning that "the risk of greater friction in global trade could weigh on euro area growth". In Asia, Hong Kong and Shanghai both tumbled as investors were unimpressed with Beijing's pledge to introduce measures aimed at "lifting consumption vigorously" as part of a drive to reignite growth in the world's number two economy. President Xi Jinping and other key leaders said at the annual Central Economic Work Conference they would implement a "moderately loose" monetary policy, increase social financing and reducing interest rates "at the right time". The gathering came after Beijing in September began unveiling a raft of policies to reverse a growth slump that has gripped the economy for almost two years. "We're still not convinced that policy support will prevent the economy from slowing further next year", said Julian Evans-Pritchard, head of China economics at research group Capital Economics. Among individual equities, chip company Broadcom surged nearly 25 percent after reporting a 51 percent jump in quarterly revenues to $14.1 billion behind massive growth in AI-linked business. New York - Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 43,828.06 (close) New York - S&P 500: FLAT at 6,051.09 (close) New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 19,926.72 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 8,300.33 (close) Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.2 percent at 7,409.57 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.1 percent at 20,405.92 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.0 percent at 39,470.44 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 2.1 percent at 19,971.24 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 2.0 percent at 3,391.88 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0504 from $1.0467 on Thursday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2622 from $1.2673 Dollar/yen: UP at 153.60 yen from 152.63 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.19 pence from 82.59 pence Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.5 percent at $74.49 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.8 percent at $71.29 per barrel burs-jmb/st

After President-elect Donald Trump revealed that he told NHL great Wayne Gretzky that he should be Canada’s next leader, the Great One’s wife has co-signed the idea that he could be an exceptional prime minister. “I just left Wayne Gretzky, ’The Great One’ as he is known in ice-hockey circles,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Christmas Day. “I said, ’Wayne, why don’t you run for prime minister of Canada, soon to be known as the governor of Canada — you would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign.’ He had no interest.’” Despite Gretzky saying he held no political aspirations, Trump urged Canadians to “start a DRAFT WAYNE GRETZKY Movement.” “It would be so much fun to watch!” he concluded. According to Fox News , Gretzky’s wife, Janet, who was born in Missouri, reposted Trump’s message to her Instagram Stories. The mother-of-five also added her own endorsement in support of her husband running for office north of the border. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” she shared, quoting one of Gretzky’s most famous statements . On Instagram, many of Janet’s followers backed the idea of the Brantford, Ont.-born Gretzky running for prime minister. “GOT FOR IT 99 ... SAVE CANADA,” one person wrote, while another asked, “Is this a ‘running for PM’ announcement?” Last month, Gretzky and some of his family appeared at Trump’s victory party after he was re-elected as America’s 47th president. His wife is a fan of Trump, with her mother, Jean, reportedly a fanatical supporter of The Donald. Dustin Johnson, the professional golfer and husband of the NHL’s all-time leading scorer and Hockey Hall of Famer’s daughter Paulina, has been golfing with Trump since 2017. Back in 2015, Gretzky, who is ineligible to vote in Canada, endorsed Conservative Leader Stephen Harper . “I think you have been an unreal prime minister,” Gretzky said during an event in Toronto, adding that he had been “wonderful to the country.” “I know you have nothing but the country’s best interests at heart,” Gretzky added. Gretzky’s comments divided social media, but the former Edmonton Oilers great said he has always lent a hand when a sitting prime minister has asked for his help. “In 1981, I did a luncheon for prime minister (Pierre) Trudeau at the time. In 1986, Mr. (Brian) Mulroney and (his wife) Mila asked me to host an event for a charity of their choice, which I did,” he said. “When Mr. Harper reached out to me and asked me to do a Q&A with him it’s simple: I can’t vote in this country. But ... when the prime minister of Canada calls you, you say: ‘OK, I’ll do the favour for you.’ So whoever is going to be the next prime minister, if they call me for the favour I’d reach out again,” he said . “I have known Patrick Brown for a number of years now,” Gretzky said in a statement . “Hard working and dedicated, Patrick is a strong Conservative. He has the passion and vision to lead Ontario.” Elsewhere, Trump continued teasing Canada’s deeply unpopular Prime Minster Justin Trudeau as he prepares to take over as America’s next president in January. On Wednesday, Trump also offered his Christmas greetings to Trudeau, calling him a “governor” and boasting that Canadians would enjoy a tax cut of more than 60% if the country became a U.S. state. “Their businesses would immediately double in size, and they would be militarily protected like no other country anywhere in the world,” he wrote. These comments followed a pre-Christmas message in which he asserted “ Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State.” “They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!” he wrote. Trump also welcomed the departure of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, calling her “totally toxic.” Trudeau has been largely quiet about Trump’s taunts. But on Boxing Day he shared a six-word message alongside a video narrated by Tom Brokaw that provided an overview of Canadian politics, landscapes and formative moments in the national memory in the leadup to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. “Some information about Canada for Americans,” Trudeau wrote on X. Meanwhile, Trudeau’s political rival Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been a vociferous opponent of Trump’s takeover rhetoric. “W e need a strong, smart prime minister who has the brains and backbone to first and foremost say to President Trump, ‘Canada will never be the 51st state. We will be an independent, proud, sovereign country, as we always have been,'” he said in an exclusive interview with the Toronto Sun . mdaniell@postmedia.com

Smuggling gangs’ desire to profit from human misery has no limit – we won’t rest until we have broken business model

Amended rules allow Saudi secondary school graduates with a diploma to work as assistant teachersHere's Why Donald Trump Is Asking Supreme Court to Pause TikTok Ban

Special counsel moves to abandon election interference and classified documents cases against Trump WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors have moved to abandon two criminal cases against Donald Trump, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him for retaining classified documents or trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. In court filings on Monday, the prosecutors cited longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had sought to hold Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president who firmly won election this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him. Israel launches new airstrikes on Lebanon as leaders draw closer to a ceasefire with Hezbollah BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli airstrikes are hitting Lebanon with airstrikes as negotiations progress toward a ceasefire between the country and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants. Lebanon reported that at least 12 people were killed Monday as explosions lit up the sky and airstrikes hit targets in Beirut and Tyre, a southern port city. After about a year of exchanging low-level attacks across the Israel-Lebanon border with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, Israeli troops launched a ground invasion of Lebanon in October. More than 3,700 people have been killed and 1.2 million displaced since. The fighting has amplified worries about direct conflict between Israel and Iran. International mediators are seeking to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to end the fighting. What's blocking a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah? BEIRUT (AP) — Diplomats and other officials say there have been several sticking points in ceasefire talks in the war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, even as conditions for an agreement appear to be ripe. Israel’s military has killed nearly all of the militant group’s top leaders. Tens of thousands of Israelis who were evacuated from the border months ago are pressuring their government to go home. And the world wants to stop regional conflict from spreading after more than a year of fighting. But there remain sticking points over how Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the border area will be monitored and whether Israel will have freedom to strike the militants. Thanksgiving Travel Latest: Airport strike, staff shortages and weather could impact holiday travel Airports and highways are expected to be jam-packed during Thanksgiving week, a holiday period likely to end with another record day for air travel in the United States. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million Americans will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday, most of them by car. However, travelers could be impacted by ongoing weather challenges and those flying to their destinations could be grounded by delays brought on by airline staffing shortages and an airport service workers strike. Scuffles in Serbian parliament as deadly station collapse sparks anger at the government BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Scuffles and fistfights broke out between ruling party and opposition lawmakers in Serbia’s parliament on Monday over a deadly rail station roof collapse that has ignited tensions in the Balkan state. The opposition wanted to discuss who is responsible for the crash that killed 15 people in the northern city of Novi Sad on Nov. 1. The collapse has fueled widespread anger toward the government and protests, becoming a flashpoint for broader dissatisfaction with Serbia’s authoritarian rule. Should sex abuse evidence set the Menendez brothers free? A judge will decide LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aunts of Erik and Lyle Menendez testified on their behalf as the brothers seek to have their 1989 convictions reexamined in the shotgun murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills home more than 30 years ago. The court held a hearing Monday for a habeas corpus petition filed by the brothers’ attorneys last May. They argue the convictions should be reexamined because of new evidence of sex abuse by the brothers' father. The brothers were sentenced to life without parole after prosecutors said they killed Jose and Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home more than 30 years ago for money. Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to graphic cigarette warning labels WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court won’t hear a challenge to a federal requirement that cigarette packages and advertising include graphic images demonstrating the effects of smoking. The high court declined to hear the case in a brief written order handed down Monday. The warnings include pictures of smoke-damaged lungs and feet blackened by diminished blood flow. Nearly 120 countries around the world have already adopted graphic warning labels. It’s not clear when new labels might appear in the U.S., however. Some legal claims remain and the FDA has said it doesn’t plan to enforce any new requirements until December 2025. Russia reportedly captures a Briton fighting for Ukraine as Russian troops advance Reports say the Russian military has captured a Briton fighting with Ukrainian troops who have occupied part of Russia’s Kursk region. Russia also began launching daylight drone attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine and its ground forces accelerated gains along parts of the front line. Russian state news agency Tass says the captured fighter was in the British army for four years and then joined the International Legion of Ukraine, formed early on in the nearly 3-year-old war. On the battlefield, a think tank says Russian forces recently have gained ground at “a significantly quicker rate” than they did in the whole of last year. Judge rejects request to sideline a San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgender A judge has rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she’s transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship in Las Vegas this week. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference challenging the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. So you're gathering with relatives whose politics are different. Here are some tips for the holidays NEW YORK (AP) — There’s no place like home for the holidays. And that may not necessarily be a good thing. In the wake of the presidential election, the upcoming marking of Thanksgiving and the ramp-up of the holiday season could be a boon for some - a respite from the events of the larger world in the gathering of family and loved ones, hours and even days spent with people who have played the largest roles in our lives, another chapter in a lifetime of memories.For others, though, that same scenario, particularly because of the polarizing presidential campaign, is something to dread, with the likelihood of disagreements, harsh words and raised voices looming large.LAS VEGAS — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. "As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It's an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world's premier racing series, and we're committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM's engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level." The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. "We're excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. "Together, we're assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world." Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. "The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team," Michael Andretti posted on social media. "I'm very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!" The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti's dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years, and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA. The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they've already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti's application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1's current grid. "General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. "Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024," F1 said in a statement. "Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. "With Formula 1's continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1."Legendary sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies at 78

Duke's Diaz: QB Murphy faces internal discipline for raising middle fingers in Virginia Tech winTonix Pharmaceuticals's TNXP short percent of float has risen 40.51% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 7.67 million shares sold short , which is 5.48% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 1.0 days to cover their short positions on average. Why Short Interest Matters Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. Short selling is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises. Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish. See Also: List of the most shorted stocks Tonix Pharmaceuticals Short Interest Graph (3 Months) As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Tonix Pharmaceuticals has grown since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to fall in the near-term but traders should be aware that more shares are being shorted. Comparing Tonix Pharmaceuticals's Short Interest Against Its Peers Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis. According to Benzinga Pro , Tonix Pharmaceuticals's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 5.21%, which means the company has more short interest than most of its peers. Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

2024 was another banner year for a source of electricity that is better for people’s lungs, better for climate change and may be reaching your home when you turn on the lights or turn up the thermostat — large banks of batteries. This ability to store large amounts of electricity in batteries was essentially nonexistent a decade ago, but the country had about 24 gigawatt-hours operating as of the end of November, up a whopping 71% over the same date in 2023. This is welcome news to clean energy advocates including Dariella Rodriguez. She has seen what happens on days when demand for air conditioning or heating spikes and extra power plants fueled by natural gas, located in Port Morris and Mott Haven, fire up not far from where she works in Hunts Point in the South Bronx, New York. Batteries can jolt into service, sending electricity onto overhead wires, instead of these dirty “peaker” plants. Rodriguez hasn’t seen that transition yet, but she hopes to. “The people that are exposed to these plants are the most vulnerable people in environmental justice communities already,” said Rodriguez, a director at THE POINT Community Development Corporation there, noting that lower-income people and communities of color often live near peakers. The nation’s 1,000 peaker plants can be very dirty, inefficient and expensive, according to an analysis by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a watchdog group that works for the U.S. Congress. Some 63 million people are estimated to live within a three-mile radius of one. Although peakers run only a small part of the time, they release more harmful nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide per unit of energy, the agency said. Those two pollutants cause asthma and other breathing problems. Peakers also release more greenhouse gases than other power plants do per unit of electricity. Batteries are “a really obvious solution” to reducing need for peakers, says Daniel Chu, senior energy planner for the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance. Storing extra power in batteries also extends the hours of the day that you can use clean energy. “It’s not always sunny, the wind’s not always blowing, but energy storage can help move that generation to when it’s most needed,” said Tim Fox, managing director at research firm ClearView Energy Partners. That’s why at least half of battery storage facilities in the U.S. are co-located with, or in some other way support solar, an AP analysis of Energy Information Administration data shows. The amount of solar energy in the U.S. is growing and surpassed the 100-gigawatt mark this year. Another way that the addition of these batteries is helpful to the American electrical grid and grids around the world is that forecasting is getting more difficult. “With weather patterns changing, the old ways of essentially figuring out how much capacity you need on the grid for extreme events just doesn’t work,” said Oliver Garnett, director of energy services product at the technology company Fermata Energy. Last, global electricity demand is slated to increase — by about one-third to three-quarters by 2050, according to the Energy Information Administration . Data centers for artificial intelligence, switching vehicles to electricity and population growth are all contributing. “‘Do we have enough power plants?’ is the classic question every utility asks every year,” said Mike Jacobs, senior energy analyst at the science nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists. “The beauty of the batteries is that if there’s energy in them, they can be used for unexpected needs.” Otherwise, if utilities have to find more power generation, they may keep investing in plants that burn gas or coal and account for one-quarter of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions , instead of retiring them. Leading the charge for adding new batteries to the grid this year was California with more than 11 gigawatt-hours operating. One way to think about this is roughly the amount of electricity that a nuclear power plant would put out over 11 hours. Then the batteries would need to be recharged to do the same thing again. It’s a limited, but meaningful amount of power. In Texas, 6 gigawatt-hours were online. Arizona saw nearly 2 gigawatt-hours humming and Nevada — the fourth-largest deployer of storage in the U.S. — had 1.1 gigawatt-hours operational. Yet many states aren’t using storage yet. As of November, 86% of large-scale battery storage in the U.S. was operating in just those four states. Some states haven’t set targets telling utilities to go out and build or buy energy storage on their own. Only 18 states have 50 megawatt-hours or more operating. Others don’t have as much clean electricity to pair with the batteries, or claim storage isn’t reliable in times of crisis. It can also be challenging to connect storage to the grid. Still, experts expect more momentum. Especially in California and Texas, “That investment and that experiment is paying off very well,” said John Hensley, senior vice president of markets and policy analysis at American Clean Power. “The word is getting out,” he said. “We’re increasingly seeing the technology move to other parts of the country.”None