Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some compelling stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s going on.
A highly anticipated cease-fire comes to fruition in the Middle East, America’s top trading partner responds to a tariff threat from President-elect Donald Trump, and a leading oil company official comments on Trump’s suggestion to “drill, baby, drill!”
Also, the largest retailer in the world changes course on a crucial DEI policy, and the weather is clearly impacting Thanksgiving travel—we’ll tell you everything you need to know.
Israel, Hezbollah Agree to a Cease-Fire
The two warring sides have just agreed to a cease-fire, which will end Israel’s two-month-long ground offensive to drive the terrorist group away from its northern border.The deal calls for Israel to evacuate Lebanese territory within 60 days, and for the Lebanese army to move in and secure the area.
Under the agreement, Hezbollah must withdraw its forces north of the Litani River, which would put the terrorist group at least 10 miles from most of Israel’s northern border.
Lebanon has also committed to having its army continue Israel’s work of destroying Hezbollah’s fortifications near the Israeli border, which include a number of tunnels built to enable a surprise attack.
A committee of five countries will monitor the agreement’s phases, enforce the deal, and prevent any violations. Additionally, if the committee cannot get Hezbollah to hold its fire, Israel will have a free hand to act.
The deal was reached after an envoy for President Joe Biden traveled to both Lebanon and Israel to meet with representatives for both parties, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
If it holds, the agreement will end more than a year’s worth of cross-border air and rocket attacks, which killed thousands of people in Lebanon and forced tens of thousands of Israeli residents to leave their homes.
Mexico’s President Responds to Trump’s Tariff Warning
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested that her country would respond with a retaliatory tariff against the United States, following Trump’s renewed threat to impose a 25 percent levy on goods from both her country and Canada.Yesterday, Sheinbaum said that “one tariff will follow another,” that they’ll put “common businesses at risk,” and that the duties may cause inflation and job losses in both countries.
Her remarks were made following Trump’s recent warning that he’ll impose tariffs on those nations as soon as he takes office, unless they immediately crack down on illegal immigrants, fentanyl, and other drugs crossing their respective borders into the United States.
By the way, Mexico accounts for nearly 16 percent of all U.S. trade, followed closely by Canada at just under 14 percent, and the United States is also Mexico’s top trade partner.
Sheinbaum pointed out that the tariffs would impact a number of U.S.-based auto companies that have factories in Mexico, including both Ford and General Motors. She also said her administration has shown Mexico’s willingness to help fight both the fentanyl epidemic in the United States and the illegal immigrant caravans at the border.
Sheinbaum says she’ll seek a call with Trump before he takes office next year to discuss the matter, and that she’ll send a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well.
By the way, earlier this week, Trump said that China would also face higher tariffs on imports until that country can prevent the flow of illegal drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States.
Exxon Executive: US Oil Companies Unlikely to ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ Under Trump
A representative from the ExxonMobile Corporation says they’re unlikely to dramatically increase their output, despite President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to allow companies to drill more for oil and natural gas.Yesterday at an energy conference in London, one Exxon executive said that a “radical change” in production is not likely because “the vast majority, if not everybody” remains focused on the “economics of what they’re doing.”
The official also said that companies won’t be in “‘drill, baby, drill’ mode,” because maintaining discipline will “naturally limit that growth rate.”
However, the Exxon representative did say that an easing of the federal land permitting process could provide a short-term boost to both oil and gas production.
So you know, Trump has vowed to allow energy companies to drill more for oil and natural gas in order to boost output and lower prices for consumers, and during his rallies, the president-elect used the slogan “drill, baby, drill” to refer to his energy plan.
At a rally last month, Trump said that his policies would “cut your energy prices in half,” adding that Americans would see a 50 percent reduction in their costs within a year of Inauguration Day.
Meanwhile, the United States has become the world’s top oil producer following a surge in shale oil production, and it’s also the world’s leading natural gas producer.
Walmart Announces Departure From DEI Initiatives
Walmart has just announced plans to end its diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives, and the company says it’s making the changes to open up opportunities for its workers, customers, and suppliers.The company says its decision “comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging,” and also its desire to “be a Walmart for everyone.”
Walmart said it will now refrain from financing events aimed at sexually influencing children, and it will also stop participating in an annual equality index taken by the Human Rights Coalition.
The company’s Supplier Inclusion program, which is designed to include more minority-, woman-, and LGBT-owned suppliers, will also be changed. Additionally, the retail giant said it will not provide any more funding to the nonprofit Center for Racial Equity once its original $100 million commitment runs out.
Walmart will also “identify and remove inappropriate sexual and/or transgender products marketed to children” that it sells on its website.
The company’s policy update comes after a number of other businesses, including Lowe’s, Ford, Harley Davidson, and John Deere, also dropped their DEI practices.
By the way, Walmart is the biggest company in the world, by revenue, according to the Fortune 500, and Forbes predicts that this year, Walmart’s revenue will be more than $650 billion.
Flights Disrupted as Record Number of Americans Expected to Travel for Thanksgiving
Data from airline tracking site FlightAware shows that more than 7,000 flights impacting the United States have already been delayed in the last few days alone, and more than 100 scheduled flights have been canceled altogether.If you plan on traveling, you should be aware that the latest reports from the National Weather Service predict that “the first significant Arctic outbreak of the season” will arrive in the northern Plains and in the northern Rocky Mountains on Thanksgiving Day and Friday.
They say the cold will then move farther south and east, heading through much of the Plains and the Midwest, and that it is expected to bring “dangerously cold wind chills” along with heavy snow.
The National Weather Service also warns that there will be “potential for hazardous travel impacts” Friday through Sunday.
You should also know that the auto club, or AAA, predicts that nearly 6 million people will fly domestically during the Thanksgiving holiday period, which began yesterday and continues through next Monday, and according to AAA, that’s a record number.
The organization expects around 80 million total holiday travelers, including those on the road, which is also an all-time record.
Wherever your holiday plans take you, please be careful. If necessary, always rely on a designated driver, and very important—please don’t text while driving.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re gonna call it a wrap for the Wednesday edition of the Epoch Times News Brief.
So you know, you’re always encouraged to share your thoughts, comments, suggestions, and holiday recipes with the News Brief crew and please reach out to us via email—we’re at [email protected].
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Don’t forget the News Brief Motto: We’re portable, affordable, and always on-demand. Anywhere you go, we’re happy to tag along.
And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote, and this one on the day before Thanksgiving comes to us from Meghan Markle, who said:
“My parents came from little, so they made a choice to give a lot: buying turkeys for homeless shelters at Thanksgiving, delivering meals to people in hospices, giving spare change to those asking for it.”
Markle, Duchess of Sussex, is an American member of the British royal family. She’s married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III.
For all of us here at the Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
The Epoch Times News Brief program is written each day by David Ross.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your day and we’ll see you right back here tomorrow for another edition of the Epoch Times News Brief.
For now, let’s all continue to watch out for one another and have an absolutely superb day today. Bye for now.
