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Europe is proposing a ban on single-use plastic items such as cutlery, straws?and cotton buds in a bid to clean up the oceans.The European Commission wants to ban 10 items that make up 70% of all litter in EU waters and on beaches. The list also includes plastic plates and drink stirrers.The draft rules were unveiled Monday but need the approval of all EU member states and the European Parliament. It could take three or four years for the rules to come into force.The legislation is not just about banning plastic products. It also wants to make plastic producers bear the cost of waste management and cleanup efforts, and it proposes that EU states must collect 90% of single-use plastic bottles by 2025 through new recycling programs.The European Commission estimates that these rules, once fully implemented in 2030, could cost businesses over €3 billion (.5 billion) per year. But they could also save consumers about €6.5 billion (.6 billion) per year, create 30,000 jobs, and avoid €22 billion (.6 billion) in environmental damage and cleanup costs.The Rethink Plastic Alliance -- an association of environmental organizations -- called the proposals "a leap forward in tackling plastic pollution" but criticized some perceived shortcomings.The proposals do not set targets for EU countries to reduce the use of plastic cups and food containers, it said."This could result in countries claiming they are taking the necessary steps as long as any reduction is achieved, regardless of how small," the alliance said in a statement.The proposal also faced criticism from the plastics industry.Plastics Europe, which represents manufacturers, said it supported the "overarching objective" of the proposal but said there must be more resources dedicated to "waste management" to ensure better collection of used plastic."Plastic product bans are not the solution," it said in a statement, and noted that "alternative products may not be more sustainable."On a global basis, only 14% of plastic is collected for recycling. The reuse rate is terrible compared to other materials -- 58% of paper and up to 90% of iron and steel gets recycled.Research shows there will be more plastic than fish by weight in the world's oceans by 2050, which has spurred policy makers, individuals and companies into action.Last month a group of more than 40 companies including Coca-Cola, Nestle, Unilever and Procter & Gamble pledged to slash the?amount of plasticthey use and throw away in the United Kingdom.Starbucks also announced in March it was launching a  million grant challenge to solicit designs for a cup that's easier to recycle. 2689

Election officials across the country say they are worried about their staff's safety as the presidential race remains too close to call three days after Election Day.Officials in battleground states like Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania say ballot counters have face threats from protesters who have been demonstrating in front of election centers in their states."I can tell you that my wife and my mother are very concerned for me,¡± Joe Gloria, the registrar in Clark County, Nevada, said during a press conference Thursday.There have been no reports of violence against ballot counters as of Friday morning. However, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia reports that police have thwarted a plot to attack the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where Philadelphia-area ballots are currently being tallied.Conservative protesters have also gathered at ballot-counting centers in Phoenix and Atlanta. The demonstrators have called for officials to continue counting ballots in Arizona ¡ª where Biden's lead has shrunk in recent days ¡ª while the AP reports that protesters in Atlanta were concerned about voter fraud.In Michigan, state Attorney General Dana Nessel reported on Twitter that members of her staff were being harassed."Dear members of the public: Please stop making harassing & threatening calls to my staff," Nessel tweeted. "They are kind, hardworking public servants just doing their job. Asking them to shove sharpies in uncomfortable places is never appropriate & is a sad commentary on the state of our nation."Nessel was referring to a since-debunked conspiracy theory that alleges that supporters of President Donald Trump were told to fill out ballots in Sharpie markers, which would cause the ink to bleed through the paper and cause the ballot not to count. 1780

ENCINITAS (CNS) - A cyclist was killed Saturday when he collided with a vehicle at an Encinitas intersection, authorities said.The collision happened at about 11:49 a.m. when a cyclist was struck by a vehicle that was turning right from westbound Leucadia Boulevard to Moonstone Court, according to Deputy Eric Rader of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.Bystanders gave medical aid to the victim, Rader said.The injured cyclist was taken by ambulance to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where he died of his injuries, the deputy said.Deputies with the department's Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team are investigating the accident. 652

ENCINITAS, Calif. (KGTV) - Members of the youth-led, anti-gun organization ¡°Team Enough¡± held a forum Friday night featuring local politicians. The group is a local chapter of an organization that came out of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. They invited Congressman Mike Levin (D), Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D), Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear and Carlsbad Mayor Pro Tem, Priya Bhat-Patel. 414

Federal authorities said the man arrested in connection to sending explosive devices to multiple politicians and a media outlet is charged with five federal crimes.Cesar Sayoc, 56, faces 58 years in prison, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said today. Sayoc is a resident of Aventura, California, and was arrested in Plantation Florida.A van in Plantation was towed away to Miramar, Florida, where an FBI field office is located, a law enforcement official said.MORE: What we know about suspect Cesar SayocSayoc has a criminal history and ties to New York.Earlier Friday, authorities intercepted suspicious packages intended for Sen. Cory Booker and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Authorities were also investigating a suspicious package in Sacramento, California, addressed to Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris, a law enforcement official said. And a 14th suspicious package has been intercepted in Burlingame, California, addressed to Tom Steyer. 980