By Kevin Liptak, Zachary Cohen, Alayna Treene, Kristen Holmes, CNN

(CNN) — Emerging on Tuesday from a late-night Situation Room meeting to discuss options for striking Iran, some of President Donald Trump’s top national security officials were relatively sure a decision on military action was close at hand.

The president, they felt, was moved by seeing videos from Iran showing past executions, grisly scenes that seemed likely to repeat themselves amid the regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters, a person familiar with the meeting said.

Trump was briefed on Iran’s planned execution of one high-profile protestor, 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, which the State Department said on Tuesday was initially planned for January 14. The president was deeply troubled about the prospect, a source familiar with the meeting told CNN.

No decision was conveyed during the meeting, and Trump indicated he would continue to weigh options.

But by Wednesday morning, after encouraging Iranians to take to the streets and declaring “help is on its way,” Trump appeared closer than he had been previously to calling for a limited military operation, the source said.

So it was with a degree of surprise that senior Trump administration officials listened, one day later, as the president declared “very important sources on the other side” had informed him the killing had stopped — suggesting there was now no imminent threat of military action.

At that point, US intelligence reporting had not indicated Iran stopped killing protestors. Many still believed military strikes were likely, and precautionary steps had already been taken to evacuate non-essential personnel from the largest US airbase in the region.

Some officials wondered if the president’s remarks were an effort at misdirection, akin to his noncommittal public statements in June directly before ordering strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The White House said Thursday all options — including military ones — remained in play.

“The president and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing.

She added later that Trump was keeping his line of thought closely held.

“The truth is only President Trump knows what he’s going to do, and a very, very small team of advisors are read in to his thinking on that,” she said.

Behind the scenes, however, an urgent effort has been underway by some top US allies to forestall military action. And Trump, wary of taking action with an uncertain outcome that could put US service members in harm’s way, appeared receptive to the arguments, multiple US officials said.

Ahead of his appearance Wednesday afternoon, Trump spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who encouraged the president to hold off plans for an attack, a person familiar with the call said. Israelis didn’t believe the regime would fall quickly without a pr

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - High 70s continue Friday with mostly clear skies.

Offshore flow will be steady this weekend so minimal cooling is expected though some clouds and fog may form near the coast.

Low 70s can be expected for the Monday MLK Jr. holiday.

We will eventually return to average temperatures - mid 60s - by next Thursday.

Rain forecasts look mostly unimpactful for the following weekend of the 24th with trace amounts as the likely outcome at this time.

The post Sunny Friday, warm weekend appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

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The modern world relies on industrial businesses. However, the industry results in air pollution that negatively impacts economies. Controlling this pollution protects workers, businesses and communities. It reduces long-term consequences, such as chronic health issues, productivity losses and business shutdowns.

Certain businesses are already making operational changes to mitigate damage from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Businesses can adopt pollution control systems, such as wet scrubbers, to combat air pollution. To understand why you should also make operational changes, MACH Engineering discusses how air pollution impacts the economy.

How Air Pollution Affects the World Today

MACH Engineering

The economic costs of industrial air pollution are hefty. Pollutants affect workers’ health, which results in missed workdays and productivity losses. They also impact the community’s perception of the area, which lowers land values. Pollutants that reach plants and soil also reduce the quality of produce. Here’s the economic impact of air pollution in more detail.

1. Health Impact

Frequent, long-term exposure to air contaminants can be hazardous to human health. Particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide are the most concerning pollutants. Breathing them in can cause inflammation, immunosuppression and oxidative stress that lead to diseases. Specifically, air pollution can cause stroke, pneumonia, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease and cataract.

These effects lead to several outcomes.

• Increased health care costs: Americans pay an extra $2,500 per year on average for medical bills due to air pollution from fossil fuels, according to a 2021 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The national price tag is $820 billion per year.
• Shortened lifespan: Breathing polluted air is more damaging than smoking tobacco. University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute researchers found tobacco can reduce lifespans by an average of 2.2 years globally. Between 2013 and 2021, China improved its air quality by over 40%, whil

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Today’s business landscape demands instant communication and remote collaboration via productivity-boosting tools and apps. By 2023, the Chamber of Commerce reported that 95% of small businesses in the U.S. had used at least one technology platform — and adoption rates are even higher among larger organizations with more resources and staff.

However, keeping IT systems secure and running smoothly comes at a cost. Budget-conscious businesses often face a choice between building and maintaining in-house solutions or partnering with professional providers for managed IT services. Ascendant Technologies highlights several IT solutions that businesses can consider.

Why Do Businesses Need IT Solutions?

Nearly every business relies on technology — from a budding solopreneur drafting their first business plan to a global corporation with thousands of employees. But that reliance brings risks. When solutions fail or underperform, the consequences can include costly downtime, security vulnerabilities and lost productivity.

Enterprises that choose efficient, scalable technology can unlock robust cybersecurity, lower operational costs and improved performance across the board. The result is a more resilient organization with a much higher growth potential.

Ascendant Technologies

What IT Solutions Do Businesses Need?

You deserve an IT service tailored to your unique workflow. Here’s an overview of essential add-ons to consider.

Managed IT Services

Many businesses that rely heavily on their digital infrastructure use managed IT services to run their daily operations. Routine maintenance, troubleshooting and real-time support minimize downtime and maintain productivity.

Whether it’s a companywide outage or a single employee locked out of their workstation, managed IT resolves issues quickly, so teams can stay focused on their tasks. That proactive support is invaluable during onboarding, transitions or unexpected disruptions.

While the monthly cost may cause thrifty business owners to hesitate, it helps to think of managed IT as an investment in stability, efficiency and long-term growth. Without it, frequent system failures and unresolved tech issues can lead to missed opportunities, lost revenue and wasted payroll hours.

Cloud Computing Services

Technology generates a massive amount of data. Businesses need secure, reliable ways to store and access emails, documents, spreadsheets and images without risking unauthorized exposure.

Some companies manage storage in-hou

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Politicians in Alberta like to claim credit, or cast blame, when it comes to the price of a barrel of oil. Low prices are Ottawa’s fault, or the previous government’s — its regulations or policy or ideology or some mishmash of all three. High prices are the result of prudent governance, of course.

In reality, Canada, and Alberta in particular, are at the mercy of global markets and global powers that are largely outside either’s control — stock markets, political upheaval, election cycles and war all impact the price. Not to mention the fundamentals of supply and demand.

It’s why the U.S. attack on Venezuela, and assertion of control over its oil, is turning heads here in the north, and raising all sorts of questions about the future of Canada’s oil industry. Venezuela has the largest reserves in the world.

The Narwhal looks at how global oil markets work, and why Venezuela, in particular, is causing so much concern in Canada.

Real quick — how much oil do Canada and Venezuela produce?

As mentioned, Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world: estimated at 300 billion barrels.

By comparison, Alberta has 159 billion barrels.

But Venezuela’s rulers nationalized the oil and gas industry, kicking out all but one of the remaining U.S. firms in 2007 (Chevron remained under a special deal and ships small amounts to the U.S.) and drove it into the ground, leaving its infrastructure in tatters and driving away its specialists.

Meanwhile, Venezuela has been the subject of U.S. sanctions since 2019.

So it hasn’t been as big of a player as it could have been in recent years — and Alberta has been increasing production.

Supply and demand is the short answer here. If there’s a lot of demand for oil and not enough supply, the price goes up, or if there’s plenty of supply and not enough demand, the price goes down.

What’s supply? Well, say an oil-rich country like Saudi Arabia decides to flood the market. Prices go down. Remember the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when a barrel of oil was worth less than a bottle of maple syrup? Saudi Arabia had flooded the market and demand was down as people stayed home.

Too much supply is about where the global markets are now, even before Venezuela was a factor. Prices have been depressed, although not dramatically, with an oversupply of oil that’s only expected to increase — simply due to supply outpacing demand.

Demand is also