


A Taiwanese microchip manufacturer building its first U.S. plant in Arizona has agreed to more scrutiny from the state when it comes to the safety of construction workers, Gov. Katie Hobbs said.
At a news conference held against the backdrop of ongoing construction at a site in north Phoenix, Hobbs announced that the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. facility and the state have signed a voluntary protection program.
“Under this agreement, TSMC will adhere to requirements higher than those at the federal level,” the Democratic governor said. “These additional safety measures include greater transparency for workers, closer oversight from the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health and increased training for foremen and all hands.”
The ruble dropped against the United States dollar in trading Friday in Moscow to its lowest level since the first month of the war in Ukraine.
The decline to 96 rubles against the dollar continued the Russian currency’s consistent fall since the beginning of the year, when it traded at around 65 — a drop of about 30%.
Friday’s value was the lowest point since March 28, 2022, state news agency Tass reported.
After Russia sent troops into Ukraine in late February 2022, the ruble plunged to as low as about 120 against the dollar, but recovered quickly as the Russian Central Bank undertook support measures.