>>Pacific Power Issues $2 Million In EV Grants

(Portland, OR)  --  Pacific Power has awarded two-million dollars to 18 cities, towns, community colleges and nonprofits for electric vehicle projects.  The money will be used to install charging stations, purchase electric bikes, trucks and vans.  Some of the money targets undeserved and rural communities in Pacific Power's territory.  Since 2020, Pacific Power has distributed more than four-and-a-half million dollars in Electric Mobility Grants to Oregon communities.

>>Group Of Senate Republicans Warn Debt Ceiling Hike Needs To Include Cuts

(Washington, DC)  --  A group of Senate Republicans is warning they won't vote to raise the debt ceiling unless it's accompanied by spending cuts.  Nearly half of the Senate Republican Conference signed on to a letter to President Biden vowing to vote against increasing the debt limit if it doesn't include cuts in federal spending or "structural reform in spending."  The letter wasn't signed by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.  Democrats and the White House want to raise the borrowing limit quickly with no strings attached.  Biden is set to meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy this week to discuss debt limit negotiations.  After the U.S. hit its borrowing limit earlier this month, lawmakers have until June to come together on a package to increase the debt ceiling.

 

>>TikTok CEO To Testify Before Congress In March

(Washington, DC)  --  The CEO of TikTok will testify before Congress in March.  Shou Zi Chew will go before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 23rd.  Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers said the hearing will cover various things like consumer privacy and data security.  TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.  McMorris Rodgers says "TikTok has knowingly allowed the ability for the Chinese Communist Party to access American user data."

>>NFL Salary Caps Reaches New Record

(New York, NY)  --  NFL teams will have more money to spend ahead of next season.  That's because the salary cap is increasing to a new record of 224-point-eight million dollars.  That's a more than 16-million-dollar bump from this season.  Teams have until mid-March to make sure they come in under the cap.

 

>>NHTSA Slaps $130 Million Penalty On Volvo

(Washington, DC)  --  A federal agency is putting a 130-million-dollar civil penalty on Volvo over delayed recalls.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Volvo agreed for an independent auditor to oversee the company and will meet regularly with the automaker to make sure any potential safety issues are addressed.  That's one of the biggest penalties over recall violations.