Latest news with #ELECT
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Is the New Pirelli Scorpion XTM the Tire You Should Buy?
Pirelli is not a brand known for off-road tires. People turn to Pirelli for carving city streets, not sand dunes and washed-out river beds. The company's new Scorpion XTM tire aims to change that perception and earn the same fervor from off-road drivers as its other tires have from street performance drivers. We recently had the chance to test Pirelli's Scorpion XTM in Death Valley, where the unforgiving terrain evolves as the wind blows. Across several vehicles and fitments, the Pirelli Scorpion XTM made its case and might have won us over. With a three-peak mountain snowflake rating, a 55,000-mile warranty, and fitments for ICE, plug-in hybrid, and EVs, the Scorpion XTM cements itself as a serious player in the off-road tire market. An aggressive tread design with high void areas that bleed down the sidewall and a rigid base with advanced compounds that adapt to the climate and conditions help create impressive grip on and off-road. There are 20 sizes available as of now, many of them part of Pirelli's 'ELECT' tire program for EVs, and 17 additional fitments rolling out in the next year, most of which will be for ICE vehicles. Pirelli took over three years to create the Scorpion XTM, ideating the perfect off-road tire with fresh optimism. Pirelli's off-road endeavors began with the Scorpion Mud in 1998, followed by new iterations every few years. In 2017, Pirelli introduced the Scorpion All-Terrain Plus, a great tire that seems to have left Pirelli knowing it could do better. As it's wont to do, Pirelli set out to beat its competitors at every measurable and immeasurable point, from snow to sand. It tested the tire in many geographies and conditions, including how it "chunks" and wears down over time, to ensure it's as durable as buyers expect. Off-road performance matters for those purchasing this tire, but it's not the entire tale. Pirelli also crafted a tire that is a joy to drive on pavement. This matters, too, as no matter how dedicated you are to going off-road, you probably spend most of your time driving on paved roads. Having a tire that performs anywhere is essential. Typically, great off-road tires hum and drone on the pavement as air moves through the tread. The Scorpion XTM has some noise, but its frequency is non-abrasive to the ear. You may get more noise from your truck or SUV than you will from the Scorpion XTM. It also has low rolling resistance, which makes for a more comfortable ride and helps with overall MPGs. The Scorpion XTM shines off-road, too. Where you expect slippage, the tire grips. When you expect abrasive feedback, the XTM softens the blow. The tread pattern digs deep in soft sand to get you out of trouble and passes with flying colors over rocks, down embankments, through sand, around dunes, and through riverbeds. The aggressive sidewall is a point of pride for Pirelli, but also not something we can adequately test. In sand, the Pirelli Scorpion XTM felt like it helped correct our line during slippage - and the sidewall should take some credit for this. It likely helps with gripping rock, too, but we didn't go rock climbing. In testing, we didn't deflate tires for the simple reason that if someone with an F-150, Jeep, or other off-road-ready vehicle wanted to go off-grid for a weekend, they'd likely hop in their vehicle and go. Worrying about tire pressure isn't something most want to do in the middle of nowhere. We also didn't test mud performance, mainly because Pirelli feels mud has too many variables to be assessed fairly for any tire. In desert conditions, sand over firm terra is still variable but far more reliable as a testing ground than mud. Here's something you might not know: When tire or auto companies want to show off in the off-road world, they often invite media to staged, curated courses. Pirelli led us through areas of the desert, but the most guidance we got was to avoid sharp rocks and to accelerate smoothly through the sand. We were pleasantly surprised with the Scorpion XTM on paved roads and off-road. Pirelli's decision not to carefully manicure the environment in which it showcased its new Scorpion underscores its confidence in this tire. Upending an entire product line after leaving it untouched for eight years is bold, but it seems like a tactic that is paying off for Pirelli.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DOGE Caucus senator pushes to end 'slush fund' for presidential candidates: 'Welfare for politicians'
EXCLUSIVE: In commemoration of Presidents Day, a top DOGE senator is seeking to claw back $400 million sitting in a "slush fund" set up to help presidential candidates that hasn't borne fruit since Y2K. Through the Eliminating Leftover Expenses for Campaigns from Taxpayers (ELECT) Act, Sen. Joni Ernst said she hopes to defund an account she calls "welfare for politicians." "This Presidents Day I am fighting for the integrity of the office because the last thing we need to spend tax dollars on is more political attack ads," said Ernst, R-Iowa. "There is no better way to pay down the $36 trillion debt than by defunding welfare for politicians. Washington should be working to benefit all Americans instead of itself." Drain The Swamp Act Seeks To Move Dc Bureaucracy Out Of Crazytown, Doge Leader Says Ernst, the chair of the DOGE caucus in the upper chamber, remarked the fund has not been successfully utilized in decades. Read On The Fox News App The last winning presidential candidate to pull from the fund was Texas Gov. George W. Bush in 2000, and later in 2004. Since then, a handful of unsuccessful candidates have utilized it, including former Vice President Mike Pence and Green Party candidate Jill Stein; both in the 2024 cycle. Pence's campaign reportedly received more than $1 million from the fund amid his GOP primary bid, while Stein utilized $380,000. The late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., also received $84.1 million from the fund in 2008. An FEC release from that time said nominees of major parties are entitled to $20 million plus a cost-of-living adjustment back to 1974. Defunding the account was first floated as one of several proposals in a DOGE-centric November letter from Ernst to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Stein told Fox News Digital the candidates' fund was "raided" of $375 million, and that Democrats too have tried to moot the effectiveness of the fund by trying to put public funding "out of reach of grassroots candidates" through their H.R.-1 (the For the People Act) during the Biden era. Top Doge Lawmaker Says Issues That Spurred Doge's Genesis Came Full Circle With Trump Fixes A checkbox on the IRS' 1040 tax form asks filers whether they would like to pay $3 into the fund, which Stein said showed it is different than other public monies. "It's outrageous," Stein said, calling the effort to end the fund "part of a bipartisan, anti-democratic effort to stifle competition in presidential elections – specifically by denying voters the option to support publicly financed candidates who refuse the legalized bribery of big corporate contributions." Stein added that a majority of voters have called for presidential candidates outside the two major parties, citing a Gallup survey showing they "do such a poor job" of representing Americans. "Publicly funded campaigns are the antidote to the massive legalized corruption that puts more money in the hands of billionaires than ever… the American people abhor the corporate buyout of our elections," Stein said. "As life becomes increasingly unlivable for everyday Americans, while billionaire wealth skyrockets, the demand to end the sale of our democracy will be unstoppable, through simple reforms including publicly funded elections, inclusive debates, ranked choice voting, ending obstructive ballot access laws and voter suppression, and more." "Eliminating public funding denies voters the option to support candidates who refuse pay-to-play politics." A source familiar said FEC rules also allow candidates to continue seeking public funds for campaign debt. IRS Code 9006, with footnotes dating the fund to at least the 1970s, allows for eligible candidates to be paid out of the fund "upon receipt of a certification from the [Federal Election] Commission." "Amounts paid to any such candidates shall be under the control of such candidates." In 2014, the portion of the Presidential Election Campaign Fund allocated to assist political parties with their conventions was redirected to pediatric cancer research through an act of Congress. Then-Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., drafted a bill later signed by President Barack Obama that diverted such funds to an NIH research initiative. Then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., gave the measure a major leadership push after he heard the case of a young Leesburg girl afflicted with the disease and decided to name the legislation the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act in her name. Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Pence for article source: DOGE Caucus senator pushes to end 'slush fund' for presidential candidates: 'Welfare for politicians'
Fox News
17-02-2025
- Business
- Fox News
DOGE Caucus senator pushes to end 'slush fund' for presidential candidates: 'Welfare for politicians'
In commemoration of Presidents Day, a top DOGE senator is seeking to claw back $400 million sitting in a "slush fund" set up to help presidential candidates that hasn't borne fruit since Y2K. Through the Eliminating Leftover Expenses for Campaigns from Taxpayers (ELECT) Act, Sen. Joni Ernst said she hopes to defund an account she calls "welfare for politicians." "This Presidents Day I am fighting for the integrity of the office because the last thing we need to spend tax dollars on is more political attack ads," said Ernst, R-Iowa. "There is no better way to pay down the $36 trillion debt than by defunding welfare for politicians. Washington should be working to benefit all Americans instead of itself." Ernst, the chair of the DOGE caucus in the upper chamber, remarked the fund has not been successfully utilized in decades. The last winning presidential candidate to pull from the fund was Texas Gov. George W. Bush in 2000, and later in 2004. Since then, a handful of unsuccessful candidates have utilized it, including former Vice President Mike Pence and Green Party candidate Jill Stein; both in the 2024 cycle. Pence's campaign reportedly received more than $1 million from the fund amid his GOP primary bid, while Stein utilized $380,000. The late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., also received $84.1 million from the fund in 2008. An FEC release from that time said nominees of major parties are entitled to $20 million plus a cost-of-living adjustment back to 1974. Defunding the account was first floated as one of several proposals in a DOGE-centric November letter from Ernst to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Stein told Fox News Digital the candidates' fund was "raided" of $375 million, and that Democrats too have tried to moot the effectiveness of the fund by trying to put public funding "out of reach of grassroots candidates" through their H.R.-1 (the For the People Act) during the Biden era. A checkbox on the IRS' 1099 tax form asks filers whether they would like to pay $3 into the fund, which Stein said showed it is different than other public monies. "It's outrageous," Stein said, calling the effort to end the fund "part of a bipartisan, anti-democratic effort to stifle competition in presidential elections – specifically by denying voters the option to support publicly financed candidates who refuse the legalized bribery of big corporate contributions." Stein added that a majority of voters have called for presidential candidates outside the two major parties, citing a Gallup survey showing they "do such a poor job" of representing Americans. "Publicly funded campaigns are the antidote to the massive legalized corruption that puts more money in the hands of billionaires than ever… the American people abhor the corporate buyout of our elections," Stein said. "As life becomes increasingly unlivable for everyday Americans, while billionaire wealth skyrockets, the demand to end the sale of our democracy will be unstoppable, through simple reforms including publicly funded elections, inclusive debates, ranked choice voting, ending obstructive ballot access laws and voter suppression, and more." "Eliminating public funding denies voters the option to support candidates who refuse pay-to-play politics." A source familiar said FEC rules also allow candidates to continue seeking public funds for campaign debt. IRS Code 9006, with footnotes dating the fund to at least the 1970s, allows for eligible candidates to be paid out of the fund "upon receipt of a certification from the [Federal Election] Commission." "Amounts paid to any such candidates shall be under the control of such candidates." In 2014, the portion of the Presidential Election Campaign Fund allocated to assist political parties with their conventions was redirected to pediatric cancer research through an act of Congress. Then-Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., drafted a bill later signed by President Barack Obama that diverted such funds to an NIH research initiative. Then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., gave the measure a major leadership push after he heard the case of a young Leesburg girl afflicted with the disease and decided to name the legislation the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act in her name. Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Pence for comment.
