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Russia says first phase of war is over

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Russia says first phase of war is over

Smoke is seen alongside the horizon close to Kyiv, Ukraine, on Friday, March 25.

A firefighter holds a Ukrainian little one who had simply arrived by ferry on the Isaccea-Orlivka border crossing in Romania on March 25.

A person recovers objects from a burning store following a Russian assault in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 25.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses world leaders by way of video on the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday, March 24. Zelensky stopped wanting issuing his common request for a no-fly zone, however he did say Ukraine wants fighter jets, tanks and higher air defenses.

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A baby holds a Ukrainian flag in entrance of the Taras Shevchenko monument as members of the Ukrainian Nationwide Guard band carry out in Lviv, Ukraine, on March 24.

Professional-Russian troops drive armored automobiles previous native residents into the besieged southern port metropolis of Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 24.

A firefighter sprays water inside a home that was destroyed by shelling in Kyiv on Wednesday, March 23.

Photos lie amid the rubble of a home in Kyiv on March 23.

Svetlana Ilyuhina seems on the wreckage of her residence in Kyiv following a Russian rocket assault on March 23. “First there was smoke, after which every little thing went black,” she mentioned.

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Individuals conceal in an underground shelter in Lviv on Tuesday, March 22.

A girl cleans up a room March 21 in a constructing that was broken by bombing in Kyiv.

The Retroville shopping center is seen in Kyiv after Russian shelling on March 21.

Individuals share dinner and sing “Completely happy Birthday” throughout a celebration in Kyiv on Sunday, March 20. This studio area has become a bomb shelter for roughly 25 artists who’re volunteering to assist the warfare effort.

Former Ukrainian Parliament member Tetiana Chornovol, now a service member and operator of an anti-tank guided missile system, examines a Russian tank she destroyed in a current battle within the Kyiv area.

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Individuals collect in a basement throughout an air raid in Lviv on Saturday, March 19.

A Ukrainian serviceman stands amongst particles after shelling in a residential space in Kyiv on March 18.

Workers members attend to a baby at a youngsters’s hospital in Zaporizhzhia on March 18.

A girl reacts whereas talking outdoors a destroyed condo block in Mariupol on March 17.

An aged girl is helped by law enforcement officials after she was rescued from an condo that was hit by shelling in Kyiv on March 15.

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Firefighters work to extinguish flames at an condo constructing in Kyiv on March 15.

A girl walks previous a broken window to put flowers at a makeshift memorial for victims in Donetsk, Ukraine, on March 15.

Firefighters search a constructing for survivors after an assault in Kharkiv on March 14. At the very least one lifeless physique was pulled from the rubble after hours of digging.

Ukrainian troopers take cowl from incoming artillery hearth in Irpin, Ukraine, on March 13.

A Ukrainian soldier surveys a destroyed authorities constructing in Kharkiv on March 13.

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A mom and son relaxation in Lviv, Ukraine, whereas ready to board a practice to Poland on March 12.

Ukrainian servicemen work contained in the broken maternity hospital in Mariupol on March 9. “The destruction is big,” town council mentioned. “The constructing of the medical facility the place the kids had been handled not too long ago is totally destroyed.”

A displaced Ukrainian mom embraces her little one whereas ready on the Przemysl railway station in Poland on March 8.

A Ukrainian serviceman walks previous the stays of a Russian plane mendacity in a broken constructing in Kharkiv on March 8.

A firefighter works to extinguish flames after a chemical warehouse was reportedly hit by Russian shelling close to Kalynivka, Ukraine, on March 8.

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Alexandra, 12, holds her 6-year-old sister, Esyea, who cries as she waves at her mom, Irina, on March 7. The kids had been leaving Odesa, Ukraine.

Members of the Purple Cross assist individuals fleeing the Kyiv suburb of Irpin on March 7.

Civilians search safety in a basement bomb shelter in Kyiv on March 6.

Native residents assist clear the rubble of a house that was destroyed by a suspected Russian airstrike in Markhalivka, Ukraine, on March 5.

George Keburia says goodbye to his spouse and kids as they board a practice in Odesa on March 5. They had been heading to Lviv.

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Ukrainians crowd below a destroyed bridge as they attempt to flee throughout the Irpin River on the outskirts of Kyiv on March 5.

Individuals take away private belongings from a burning home after shelling in Irpin on March 4.

Individuals crowd on a platform as they attempt to board a westbound practice in Kyiv on March 4.

A bullet-ridden bus is seen after an ambush in Kyiv on March 4.

Individuals take shelter on the ground of a hospital throughout shelling in Mariupol on March 4.

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A member of the Ukrainian navy offers directions to civilians in Irpin on March 4. They had been about to board an evacuation practice headed to Kyiv.

A Ukrainian little one rests on a mattress at a short lived refugee middle in Záhony, Hungary, on March 4.

A Ukrainian soldier carries a child throughout a destroyed bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv on March 3.

Residents react in entrance of a burning constructing after shelling in Kharkiv on March 3.

A Ukrainian soldier who says he was shot thrice within the opening days of the invasion sits on a hospital mattress in Kyiv on March 3.

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Individuals type a human chain to switch provides into Kyiv on March 3.

A cemetery employee digs graves for Ukrainian troopers in Kyiv on March 3.

A mom cares for her two toddler sons within the underground shelter of a maternity hospital in Kyiv on March 3. She gave start a day earlier, and he or she and her husband have not but selected names for the twins.

A member of Ukraine’s Territorial Protection Forces sits with a weapon in Kyiv on March 2.

Paramedics deal with an aged girl wounded by shelling earlier than transferring her to a hospital in Mariupol on March 2.

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Residents of Zhytomyr, Ukraine, work within the stays of a residential constructing on March 2. The constructing was destroyed by shelling.

A member of Ukraine’s Territorial Protection Forces inspects harm within the yard of a home in Gorenka on March 2.

A Ukrainian girl takes her youngsters over the border in Siret, Romania, on March 2. Many Ukrainians are fleeing the nation at a tempo that would flip into “Europe’s largest refugee disaster this century,” the United Nations Refugee Company mentioned.

Militia members arrange anti-tank barricades in Kyiv on March 2.

Individuals wait at a practice station in Kyiv on March 2.

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Individuals shelter in a subway station in Kyiv on March 2.

Ukrainian troopers attend Mass at an Orthodox monastery in Kyiv on March 1.

Medical staff present a mom her new child after she gave start at a maternity hospital in Mariupol on March 1. The hospital is now additionally used as a medical ward and bomb shelter.

An administrative constructing is seen in Kharkiv after Russian shelling on March 1. Russian forces have scaled up their bombardment of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis.

Ukrainian emergency staff carry a physique of a sufferer following shelling that hit the Metropolis Corridor constructing in Kharkiv on March 1.

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A girl named Helen comforts her 8-year-old daughter, Polina, within the bomb shelter of a Kyiv youngsters’s hospital on March 1. The woman was on the hospital being handled for encephalitis, or irritation of the mind.

Ukrainian refugees attempt to keep heat on the Medyka border crossing in Poland on March 1.

Volunteers in Kyiv signal as much as be part of Ukraine’s Territorial Protection Forces on February 28.

A member of the Territorial Protection Forces masses rifle magazines in Kyiv on February 28.

Ukrainian forces order a person to the bottom on February 28 as they elevated safety measures amid Russian assaults in Kyiv.

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A displaced Ukrainian cradles her little one at a short lived shelter arrange inside a gymnasium in Beregsurány, Hungary, on February 28.

Smoke billows over the Ukrainian metropolis of Vasylkiv, simply outdoors Kyiv on February 27. A fireplace at an oil storage space was seen raging on the Vasylkiv Air Base.

Individuals wait on a platform contained in the railway station in Lviv on February 27. Hundreds of individuals at Lviv’s foremost practice station tried to board trains that might take them out of Ukraine.

A Russian armored car burns after combating in Kharkiv on February 27. Avenue combating broke out as Russian troops entered Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis, and residents had been urged to remain in shelters and never journey.

Native residents put together Molotov cocktails in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, on February 27.

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Vehicles line up on the street outdoors Mostyska, Ukraine, as individuals try to flee to Poland on February 27.

Ukrainian troops in Kyiv escort a prisoner February 27 who they suspected of being a Russian agent.

Ukrainian service members take place on the Vasylkiv Air Base close to Kyiv on February 27.

A girl sleeps on chairs February 27 within the underground car parking zone of a Kyiv lodge that has been become a bomb shelter.

A broken residential constructing is seen in Kyiv on February 26.

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Individuals in Kyiv run for canopy throughout shelling on February 26.

An condo constructing in Kyiv is seen after it was broken by shelling on February 26. The outer partitions of a number of condo items seemed to be blown out solely, with the interiors blackened and particles hanging free.

A police car patrols the streets of Kyiv on February 26.

Ukrainian troops examine a web site following a Russian airstrike in Kyiv on February 26.

Following a nationwide directive to assist complicate the invading Russian Military’s makes an attempt to navigate, a street employee removes indicators close to Pisarivka, Ukraine, on February 26.

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Ukrainian service members search for and gather unexploded shells after combating in Kyiv on February 26.

The physique of a Russian soldier lies subsequent to a Russian car outdoors Kharkiv on February 25.

A girl weeps in her automotive after crossing the border from Ukraine into Sighetu Marmatiei, Romania, on February 25.

A Ukrainian soldier sits injured from crossfire inside Kyiv on February 25.

A baby from Ukraine sleeps in a tent at a humanitarian middle in Palanca, Moldova, on February 25.

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A firefighter walks between the ruins of a downed plane in Kyiv on February 25.

Members of the Ukrainian Nationwide Guard take positions in central Kyiv on February 25.

Individuals stroll previous a residential constructing in Kyiv that was hit in an alleged Russian airstrike on February 25.

The physique of a college worker, who in line with locals was killed in current shelling, lies within the separatist-controlled city of Horlivka in Ukraine’s Donetsk area on February 25.

Kyiv residents take shelter in an underground parking storage on February 25.

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A wounded girl stands outdoors a hospital after an assault on the jap Ukrainian city of Chuhuiv, outdoors of Kharkiv, on February 24.

The physique of a rocket stays in an condo after shelling on the northern outskirts of Kharkiv on February 24.

A boy performs together with his pill in a public basement used as a bomb shelter in Kyiv on February 24.

A person mourns after an airstrike reportedly hit an condo advanced in Chuhuiv on February 24.

Ukrainian service members sit atop armored automobiles driving in jap Ukraine’s Donetsk area on February 24.

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Individuals in Kyiv attempt to board a bus to journey west towards Poland on February 24.

Individuals search shelter inside a subway station in Kharkiv on February 24.

Individuals wait after boarding a bus to depart Kyiv on February 24.

Law enforcement officials examine the stays of a missile that landed in Kyiv on February 24.

A workers member of a Kyiv lodge talks on the telephone on February 24.

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Individuals wait in line to purchase practice tickets on the central station in Kyiv on February 24.

A photograph offered by the Ukrainian President’s workplace seems to indicate an explosion in Kyiv early on February 24.

A convoy of Russian navy automobiles is seen February 23 within the Rostov area of Russia, which runs alongside Ukraine’s jap border.

Ukrainian troopers speak in a shelter on the entrance line close to Svitlodarsk, Ukraine, on February 23.

Smoke rises from a broken energy plant in Shchastya that Ukrainian authorities say was hit by shelling on February 22.

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A broken home is labored on after shelling close to the Ukrainian front-line metropolis of Novoluhanske on February 22.

Ukrainian troopers pay their respects throughout Sydorov’s funeral in Kyiv on February 22.

Russian howitzers are loaded onto practice automobiles close to Taganrog, Russia, on February 22.

Protesters demanding financial sanctions in opposition to Russia stand outdoors the Ministry of Overseas Affairs in Kyiv on February 21. Solely a small variety of protesters confirmed as much as display.

Activists maintain a efficiency in entrance of the Russian embassy in Kyiv on February 21 in help of prisoners who had been arrested in Crimea. They are saying the purple doorways are a logo of the doorways that had been kicked in to look and arrest Crimean Tatars, a Muslim ethnic minority.

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Ukrainian servicemen store within the front-line city of Avdiivka, Ukraine, on February 21.

Individuals lay flowers on the Motherland Monument in Kyiv on February 21.

An area resident reveals the depth of a crater from shelling in a subject behind his home within the village of Tamarchuk, Ukraine, on February 20.

Ukrainian service members are seen alongside the entrance line outdoors of Popasna, Ukraine, on February 20.

Individuals evacuated from the pro-Russian separatist areas of Ukraine are seen at a short lived shelter in Taganrog, Russia, on February 20.

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Anastasia Manha lulls her 2-month-old son Mykyta after alleged shelling by separatists forces in Novohnativka, Ukraine, on February 20.

A Ukrainian soldier stays on place on the entrance line close to Novohnativka on February 20.

A pair arrives on the metropolis council to get married in Odesa on February 20. As Ukrainian authorities reported additional ceasefire violations and prime Western officers warned about an impending battle, life went on in different components of the nation.

A girl rests in a automotive close to a border checkpoint in Avilo-Uspenka, Russia, on February 19.

A Ukrainian service member walks by a constructing on February 19 that was hit by mortar hearth within the front-line village of Krymske, Ukraine.

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Fighter jets fly over Belarus throughout a joint navy train the nation held with Russia on February 19.

Ukrainian troopers stand guard at a navy command middle in Novoluhanske on February 19.

Individuals sit on a bus in Donetsk on February 18 after they had been ordered to evacuate to Russia by pro-Russian separatists.

Youngsters play on outdated Soviet tanks in entrance of the Motherland Monument in Kyiv on February 16.

Ambassadors of European international locations lay roses on the Wall of Remembrance in Kyiv on February 16. The wall accommodates the names and pictures of navy members who’ve died for the reason that battle with Russian-backed separatists started in 2014.

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US troops stroll on the tarmac on the Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport in southeastern Poland on February 16. US paratroopers landed in Poland as a part of a deployment of a number of thousand despatched to bolster NATO’s jap flank in response to tensions with Russia.

A 200-meter-long Ukrainian flag is unfolded on the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv on February 16 to mark a “Day of Unity,” an impromptu celebration declared by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

A girl and little one stroll beneath a navy monument in Senkivka, Ukraine, on February 14. It is on the outskirts of the Three Sisters border crossing between Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.

Ukrainian service members speak at a front-line place in jap Ukraine on February 14.

Members of Ukraine’s Nationwide Guard look out a window as they experience a bus by way of the capital of Kyiv on February 14.

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Satellite tv for pc pictures taken on February 13 by Maxar Applied sciences revealed that dozens of helicopters had appeared at a beforehand vacant airbase in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Professional-Russian separatists observe the motion of Ukrainian troops from trenches in Ukraine’s Donbas space on February 11.

Ukrainian service members unpack Javelin anti-tank missiles that had been delivered to Kyiv on February 10 as a part of a US navy help bundle for Ukraine.

Ukrainian service members stroll on an armored combating car throughout a coaching train in jap Ukraine’s Donetsk area on February 10.

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As Governor, Burgum Promised to Manage Conflicts. They Still Cropped Up.

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As Governor, Burgum Promised to Manage Conflicts. They Still Cropped Up.

On the day after Doug Burgum became governor of North Dakota in 2016, he addressed questions about what he would do about all of his wealthy investments.

They included extensive real estate developments benefiting from state programs that he was suddenly in a position to oversee. His answer was that he would “manage” his conflicts of interest, but he would not divest from his holdings in the state.

“The issue here is to make sure that I have no conflict of interest relative to many state programs and decisions,” he said at the time in an interview with a local newspaper.

Since then, however, his range of holdings, which include extensive urban real estate development in the state, tens of millions in technology investments as well as oil and gas leases, intersected with his policy decisions as governor, a New York Times review has found.

That is particularly true for extensive development efforts in downtown Fargo that have been the beneficiaries of targeted state and federal tax benefits. But at the time, he did not disclose the specifics of any potential conflicts or how he managed them.

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Now, as Donald J. Trump’s pick for secretary of the interior, Mr. Burgum could face questions about how he plans to avoid conflicts in leading an agency with vast influence over the use of public lands in ways that reverberate for landholders, energy producers and others.

Rob Lockwood, a spokesman for Mr. Burgum, said in an email to The New York Times: “Everyone who knows Doug Burgum knows that he is a man of outstanding character and ethics who complied with all guidelines as governor.”

Mr. Burgum, whose confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thursday, said in an agreement with the Office of Government Ethics that he would divest from a few holdings that include oil and gas and mineral leases that could pose conflicts.

But he also said he would hold on to other investments that he had been advised might be financially affected by particular matters that could come before the interior secretary. These investments include a range of venture capital funds and some of his Fargo real estate developments, though he will resign from managerial duties in his companies. In those cases, he said, the ethics office had determined that he would be able to recuse himself from decisions that had an impact on those entities or get a waiver.

The Interior Department has long been susceptible to ethical concerns. It has influence over how vast tracts of mineral-rich federal land can be used. During Mr. Trump’s first term, the department became a center of allegations and investigations about conflicts of interest involving high-ranking officials, including the two men who served as its secretary.

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Federal law has much stricter disclosure and recusal standards than Mr. Burgum operated under as North Dakota’s governor. It also has criminal prohibitions against officials becoming involved in decisions that could personally benefit themselves or family members.

Mr. Burgum previously disclosed his detailed financial assets for the first time in 2023 as a presidential candidate. An updated version he submitted recently was released by the government ethics office on Wednesday ahead of his hearing, showing a range of assets that could puts his net worth well over $100 million.

While Mr. Burgum was governor, his policies included expanding a state tax program targeted narrowly at real estate development firms like his own that were seeking to revitalize aging downtowns.

His firm, called Kilbourne after his mother’s maiden name, was one of a handful of developers in the state relying in a significant way on such tax breaks and by far the largest in Fargo, according to local officials. He also gave final approval to the zones that benefited from a federal tax credit program, which included areas with his company’s projects in them.

Mr. Burgum was not paid a salary by Kilbourne and “had zero operational authority,” Mr. Lockwood said.

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Still, Mr. Burgum continued to have investments in the company’s projects and maintained formal positions in their entities, financial disclosure forms show.

While Mr. Burgum was in office, questions about other ethical choices emerged, including his use of a luxury box at the Super Bowl provided by a regional electricity utility.

After the tickets were reported by The Associated Press, Mr. Burgum said he accepted them to have “quality time” with company executives and he repaid the utility $37,000.

The controversy prompted the governor’s office to enact an ethics policy stating that office officials should “take great care to avoid conflicts of interest or even the perception of a conflict of interest,” including in cases of overseeing policies that involve personal business interests. But the guidelines did not state what actions should be taken when an appearance of a conflict arose.

More enforceable state ethics rules requiring disclosures of potential conflicts of interest did not go into effect until 2022, the result of a 2018 ballot initiative.

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Ethics experts in North Dakota and outside the state say that under generally understood norms, Mr. Burgum probably should have made more disclosures about potential conflicts and how he would mitigate them.

“Even a small appearance is enough to trigger an obligation to be open to the public,” said Kedric Payne, a government ethics expert with the Campaign Legal Center.

In his first State of the State address, in 2017, Mr. Burgum laid out an unusual plan for a state that was one of the most sparsely populated in the country: Go urban.

“It takes safe, healthy cities with vibrant, walkable main streets and downtowns to attract and retain a skilled work force,” he said.

In Mr. Burgum’s vision — built upon his mother’s reverence for historic buildings — North Dakota towns would grow upward rather than outward.

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His dream also aligned with his business strategy.

For more than a decade, he had been focusing his development interests in downtown Fargo, eventually becoming one of the state’s biggest urban developers. He also became one of the most reliant on a government tax incentive program called Renaissance Zones.

The program gave state tax incentives for companies that invested in neglected neighborhoods. Mr. Burgum quickly made use of them as well as other similar tax break programs, through acquiring and renovating a turn-of-the-century manufacturing building that was scheduled for demolition, and then turning it over to the local university.

The program allows for state income tax exemption for five years, offering investors in big projects to save up to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year per project in property tax savings.

Twenty Kilbourne projects worth about $300 million have received the Renaissance designation, Jim Gilmour, the city’s director of strategic planning and research, said in an interview. Each of the Kilbourne Renaissance projects was approved individually by a number of city and county entities, with the state’s Commerce Department overseeing the program.

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As governor, Mr. Burgum eventually made an expansion of the program a plank in his economic agenda. In his State of the State speech in 2023, he proposed a “Renaissance Zone 2.0.” Among the changes, which were enacted by the Legislature and signed by Mr. Burgum, was a provision to allow for the tax benefits to last an extra three years.

(Kilbourne has not added any new Renaissance Zone projects since then, and Fargo’s county government so far has not agreed to adopt the expansion in benefits.)

Dustin Gawrylow, a longtime Republican critic of the program who unsuccessfully lobbied against the bill, said the perception of a conflict from Mr. Burgum’s status as a top Renaissance developer who could potentially benefit from the expansion was sometimes discussed behind closed doors around the State Capitol.

“It was brought up, but nobody really cared,” Mr. Gawrylow said.

Mr. Lockwood said that “local leaders, the media, and Fargoans are very aware of Doug’s decades-long efforts to revitalize the city.”

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While Mr. Burgum was running for governor in 2016, a different state tax break program he used became a subject of discussion on the campaign trail.

Mr. Burgum had founded in 2008 a firm called Arthur Ventures with his nephew, James Burgum, that had invested about $65 million in technology startups up to that point. The firm had taken advantage of a state angel investment tax break program, which provided benefits for certain funds that put money into small startups.

Two funds managed by Arthur Ventures earned investors $800,000 in tax benefits. But the program came under fire from Republican lawmakers for sending a large portion of the investments into out of state startups.

In March 2016, while Mr. Burgum was campaigning, James Burgum testified before the Legislature to try to help save the program that was under attack. The campaign of Doug Burgum’s Republican opponent called him the “poster child” for the problems with the program.

Mr. Lockwood said in his statement to The Times that “job creators being attacked by career-politician opponents for using a law designed to encourage economic investment, innovation and entrepreneurship in North Dakota was a ‘water is wet’ moment.”

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Later in the campaign, after Mr. Burgum’s Democratic opponent raised concerns about his ability to manage conflicts of interest, Mr. Burgum said he would “take all the appropriate steps to assure North Dakotans that I’m fully focused on serving them with integrity and transparency.”

After taking office, he explained that meant that he gave up his day-to-day management positions while maintaining his investments under the leadership of others.

But the federal disclosure Mr. Burgum filed to run for president in 2023 revealed that he did not entirely step away. He was listed in various positions ranging from manager and president for various Kilbourne-affiliated limited liability companies and maintained investments of around $15 million to $60 million in several dozen Kilbourne-related entities and funds.

Kilbourne’s managers downplayed his role in the firm, even as they highlighted his affiliation as helping to attract other investors. In an interview with a local publication, Lauris Molbert, Kilbourne’s executive chairman of the board, said the governor’s hefty investments were an important signal to other investors to get on board.

“He personally put his balance sheet to work,” Mr. Molbert said.

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In the spring of 2018, a state news release announced that Mr. Burgum had designated 25 neighborhoods in North Dakota to be opportunity zones.

Their designation was part of a new federal program similar to Renaissance Zones but devised to limit federal tax liability in order to help direct investment into struggling neighborhoods.

The idea, Mr. Burgum said, was to “help revitalize our low-income areas in North Dakota.”

Left unsaid, however, was that two of the neighborhoods chosen were ones where his firm owned properties it was hoping to develop. In the years that followed, Kilbourne developed five projects in those areas through two investment funds that offered the tax breaks, with Mr. Burgum’s stake valued between $2 million and $10 million, according to his 2023 financial disclosure.

The structure for the opportunity zones was enacted under the Trump administration, and governors were given leeway in selecting the zones as long as they met certain criteria.

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Under the system set up in North Dakota, the city and county of Fargo applied to the state’s Commerce Department for opportunity zone status for 11 areas, including the two containing the Kilbourne properties. Of those, Mr. Burgum designated the two with his properties and three others in the region.

Brett Theodos, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute who has studied the federal opportunity zone program, said he had never heard of such a prominent official tasked with designating the areas having a stake in the zones selected.

“A lot of the country qualified, so there were a lot of options for governors to choose from,” he said. “The whole trust-us approach is problematic.”

Tim Mahoney, Fargo’s mayor, said in an interview that initially he had concerns about whether Kilbourne might get favored in its extensive dealings with the city, but he has concluded that the treatment was aboveboard.

The city relies extensively on the approval of state loans and other sources of funding that are under the governor’s purview.

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Mr. Mahoney said he had not spoken to Mr. Burgum directly about any of Kilbourne’s business. But, he said, the governor had met with the planning department and pressured him and other city officials repeatedly to make downtown development a major priority, arguing that added properties build a tax base that supports schools, water, the police and city streets.

That fits with Mr. Burgum’s general evangelism for urbanism — and with where he has invested his money.

“The governor was very clear on what his bias was,” Mr. Mahoney said. “His bias is downtown places will make more in taxes for everybody.”

Russ Buettner contributed reporting.

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BP axes 4,700 jobs in cost-cutting drive

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BP axes 4,700 jobs in cost-cutting drive

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BP is cutting 4,700 jobs, or just over 5 per cent of its workforce, as chief executive Murray Auchincloss tries to save costs and revive a share price that has lagged behind rivals over the past year.

The UK oil major is also reducing the number of contractors it uses by 3,000 this year, adding that 2,600 of those had already departed, according to a memo sent to staff on Thursday by Auchincloss.

In the memo, Auchincloss said BP was making “strong progress” in its attempt to be a “simpler, more focused, higher-value company”.

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Auchincloss, who marks his first year as permanent chief executive on Friday, has come under mounting pressure from shareholders after several quarters of disappointing results.

Auchincloss, who was first took the top job on a temporary basis in September, 2023 following the departure of Bernard Looney, last year announced a two-year plan to save $2bn of costs.

In the memo, the 54-year-old Canadian said BP had “stopped or paused 30 projects since June” to streamline its focus, and also intended to expand its operations in lower-cost hubs such as India.

Last year the company opened a 400-person technical centre in Pune, near Mumbai, India, to provide engineering, data and subsurface services.

“We are uniquely positioned to grow value through the energy transition. But that doesn’t give us an automatic right to win. We have to keep improving our competitiveness and moving at the pace of our customers and society,” Auchincloss said.

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BP shares rose nearly 2 per cent following the news, but have fallen 5 per cent since Auchincloss took the reins of the company on a permanent basis. The share price has lagged behind that of rivals, including Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron.

BP’s workforce has swelled to roughly 90,000 people, with roughly 20,000 of those joining after it acquired the TravelCenters of America network of nearly 300 filling stations in 2023.

BP also bought out its joint venture partners in solar business Lightsource BP and Bunge Bioenergia last year, moves that added more staff.

This week BP postponed an event for investors in February so Auchincloss could recuperate from a “planned medical procedure”.

The company is due to report its fourth-quarter earnings on February 11.

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In recent weeks, analysts have cut their estimates for BP’s fourth-quarter profit after the company signalled trading in the period was weaker than it had expected.

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Local LA theaters bring puppets and movies to families for respite from fires

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Local LA theaters bring puppets and movies to families for respite from fires

Performers with the Bob Baker Marionette Theater gesture to the crowd of families at Vidiots, a historic theater in northeast Los Angeles, a few miles from where fires are still burning in the Altadena and Pasadena neighborhoods.

Ryan Kellman/NPR


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The carpeted floor of the main theater at Vidiots is drizzled with popcorn as dozens of children and their families crowd around a puppet show. Show tunes blast over the speaker as a puppet named Yellow Cat (who is, indeed, a yellow cat) prances and twirls across the floor.

Vidiots is a historic theater in northeast Los Angeles, a few miles from where fires are still burning in the Altadena and Pasadena neighborhoods. Vidiots joined forces with the Bob Baker Marionette Theater nearby to give families and parents a way to take their minds off the devastation.

Diego Montoya, dressed in all red, shows off a blue dog marionette puppet.

Diego Montoya shows off a marionette puppet.

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“The show was planned as a way to give families some relief, an opportunity to do something that’s fun and silly. To sit back and get away from the chaos of the world right now,” says Yellow Cat’s puppet master, Diego Montoya. Vidiots also screened movies and gave out pajamas and coloring books. Many of the families at the free event earlier this week are victims of the fire in one way or another — some have lost homes, others have children who have lost schools.

Three-year-old Leo Bane is one of the spectators of the puppet show. Part of his school burned down in the Eaton Fire, so this event is a welcome distraction for Leo and his mother, Tania Verafield.

“I think this is the only two hours I haven’t been constantly checking my phone and trying to get updates and I feel just some relief at watching my son giggle [as he watches] these amazing puppets,” says Verafield.

Iris Wong (left) sits with her mother Tina Yen and Tania Verafield holds her son Leo Bane as they watch the show.

Iris Wong (left) sits with her mothe, Tina Yen, and Tania Verafield holds her son, Leo Bane, as they watch the show.

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Schools in the Pasadena and Altadena areas are largely closed as the fires continue to burn. The YMCA and local government are offering child care, but slots are filling up fast, and it’s falling on many families to look after their young ones. Many told me they’re relying on each other to get through this time.

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“People don’t know LA. It’s an amazing community,” says Ursula Knudsen. Both of her children lost their school campuses to the fire, and her younger daughter saw her school in flames as she evacuated with her father. Their home was also severely damaged.

“It’s not like Altadena needed a tragedy to come together as a community. That’s what’s wild. It’s only showing up 100 times more than it already was,” Knudsen says.

Buster Balloon shows off a puppet to children at the Vidiots theater.

Buster Balloon shows off a puppet to children at the Vidiots theater.

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Coming to this free event with puppets, movies, and even a 6-foot-tall roving giraffe mascot has brought a moment of relief for Knudsen and her friend, Kate Mallor, whose children’s schools were also severely damaged by the fire. “It’s been so beautiful to see other moms here and to see our classmates and be able to hug,” says Mallor.

The puppet show in the main theater draws to a close with a grand finale. Yellow Cat is dancing to Barbra Streisand’s “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” and that’s no coincidence, says Montoya, the puppeteer.

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“It’s got a great message, you know, ‘Don’t rain on my parade, I’m going to have fun no matter what,’” Montoya says. “‘I’m going to do what brings me joy.’”

The exterior of the Vidiots theater displays a sign that reads, "Here for you LA."

People walk by the exterior of Vidiots, which has a sign that says, “Here for you LA.”

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The California Newsroom is following the extreme weather from across the region. Click through to LAist’s coverage for the latest.

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