7xmcom Steve Spurrier believes Jayden Daniels could win 2024 NFL MVPPNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. ( NYSE:PRU – Free Report ) by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 116,069 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,286 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $14,056,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Creekmur Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Prudential Financial by 78.8% during the 1st quarter. Creekmur Asset Management LLC now owns 245 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Lynx Investment Advisory purchased a new stake in Prudential Financial during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Prudential Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC boosted its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 1,312.4% in the 2nd quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 26,934 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 25,027 shares during the period. Finally, Bank & Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Prudential Financial during the second quarter worth approximately $37,000. 56.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Analysts Set New Price Targets PRU has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $118.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Argus raised Prudential Financial to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Prudential Financial in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. They set a “hold” rating and a $130.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Prudential Financial from $123.00 to $122.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 19th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $112.00 to $119.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $125.69. Insider Activity at Prudential Financial In other Prudential Financial news, major shareholder Insurance Co Of Ame Prudential acquired 261,059 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 8th. The shares were bought at an average price of $27.58 per share, with a total value of $7,200,007.22. Following the acquisition, the insider now owns 4,208,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $116,071,781.42. This trade represents a 6.61 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Also, EVP Caroline Feeney sold 1,110 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.97, for a total value of $133,166.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,175 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,220,694.75. This represents a 9.84 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Prudential Financial Stock Up 1.3 % Shares of NYSE:PRU opened at $127.92 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.14 and a quick ratio of 0.14. The stock has a market cap of $45.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.29. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a 1-year low of $94.92 and a 1-year high of $129.13. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $123.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $119.70. Prudential Financial ( NYSE:PRU – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $3.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.47 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $19.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.57 billion. Prudential Financial had a return on equity of 15.30% and a net margin of 6.03%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.44 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Prudential Financial, Inc. will post 13.33 EPS for the current year. Prudential Financial Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 19th. Prudential Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.22%. Prudential Financial Company Profile ( Free Report ) Prudential Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life, and International Businesses segments. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Prudential Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Prudential Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn’t install more automated systems

The haunting vocals and ethereal music of "Ethereal" capture the essence of Xiao Qian and Ning Sheng's love, resonating with audiences on a deep and profound level. The song's evocative melody lingers in the hearts of listeners long after it ends, evoking a sense of longing and nostalgia for a love that transcends the boundaries of time and space.When John, a young man living in the bustling city of New York, decided to upgrade his laundry routine by purchasing a small Swan washing machine online, he could have never anticipated the wild turn of events that awaited him upon delivery.

PHC petitioned against frequent PTI protests in Islamabad PESHAWAR: A writ petition was filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday against the frequent protests of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Islamabad. A two-member bench, comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Fazal Subhan issued notices to the provincial and federal governments, seeking their response after the initial hearing. The petition, filed by advocate Intekhab Chamkani on behalf of petitioner Jawad Ali, a resident of Charsadda and a realtor in Islamabad, named the provincial government through the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial cabinet, the chief secretary, the inspector general of police, and other officials as respondents in the petition. The petition shed light on the dire financial situation of KP, with the provincial government reportedly struggling to pay salaries and pensions, while resources and machinery were allegedly being diverted to Islamabad for political protests. The petitioner pointed towards the deteriorating security conditions in the province including Kurram district and criticized the government for being unable to allocate sufficient resources to handle emergencies. He contended that Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution guaranteed every citizen the right to freedom of movement across the country. However, frequent imposition of Section 144 in Islamabad during protests disrupted public mobility, significantly affected business operations, including the petitioner’s property dealings in the capital, the petition added. The petition requested the court to restrain the PTI from engaging in illegal activities during protests and to ensure that all demonstrations complied with constitutional and legal provisions. The court directed the provincial government to submit its response following preliminary arguments.Concerns raised over hospitality staff after smoking curbs ditched

Algoma University's annual Celebration of International Learning gala has big yearTrump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn’t install more automated systems

NoneRespect orders? | The Spectator AustraliaThe Latest: Matt Gaetz withdraws his name from consideration as Trump’s attorney general

Steelers star TJ Watt responds to Myles Garrett after Browns DE fishes for apology | Sporting NewsFor “Hysteria!” actresses Anna Camp and Julie Bowen, horror is harder than comedy. “Horror is really hard actually because there is a fine line you have to walk; you have to make it feel grounded and you’re put in these extreme circumstances: You’re being possessed or pulled through the air, there’s nothing you can do to relate to that,” explained Camp of “Pitch Perfect” fame. “With comedy, you can have a relatable situation and go, ‘I’ve been in situations like that.’ There’s nothing you can compare (horror) to, so you have to use your imagination. I find it harder. Your imagination goes home with you at the end of the day. You’re still thinking crazy thoughts.” Bowen, best known for playing Claire Dunphy on “Modern Family,” agreed. “Comedy’s pretty binary because it’s like either you can make people laugh or you don’t. I can’t watch horror. I’m terrified, terrified! I am the easiest scare in the world, so as far as doing (horror), I want to make it as real as possible. It was hard because I had to be really, really crazy. There were times when I’d get back to my hotel room at 3 a.m., I didn’t want to be alone in my head,” said Bowen, laughing. Camp, Bowen, Royal Oak native Bruce Campbell (“Evil Dead”), showrunner David A. Goodman (“Futurama”), and Ypsilanti native/creator Matthew Scott Kane (“American Horror Story”) were promoting “Hysteria!” at the New York Comic Con in October. The horror series is streaming on Peacock. Set in the fictional Michigan town of Happy Hollow, the first episode of “Hysteria” begins with a popular quarterback’s disappearance and a pentagram is discovered on a garage door. As a result, rumors of the occult and satanic influence run rampant through the town. A trio of outcasts in a heavy metal band called Dethkrunch exploit this by rebranding themselves as a satanic metal band, which leads to them becoming the targets of the town’s witch hunt. “Something on my mind a lot in 2019 was we’re living in this post-factual age with social media. It seemed like decades and decades ago, you could trust the news. Now everything is in question. When lies end up getting disseminated as truth, that starts to warp people’s version of reality. Suddenly, they’re living in a world other people are not. That was going on in the world I was living in and I very quickly connected it to the 1980s satanic panic. It’s not really that different because people were saying Ozzy Osbourne, Jason Voorhees (of ‘Friday the 13th’), and the Smurfs were going to turn your kids into satanists and kill you in your sleep. That didn’t happen. It wasn’t true, but so many people got worked up into such a fervor over it, bad things happened. ... It was smoke without fire,” Kane said. “Disinformation is not new,” Campbell said. “Disinformation will tear a town apart.” Campbell portrays Happy Hollow Police Chief Ben Dandridge. “This guy’s a reasonable cop; he’s a rational person who doesn’t treat the teenagers like they’re idiots. It’s all very refreshing,” he said. “I want to play that guy again. I want cops to be that guy. I’m playing the cop (that) cops need to be. That’s my whole motivation for playing this guy: How would you like cops to be, especially the guy in charge, the chief of police? They’re lucky to have Chief Dandridge.” “It was truly an exciting moment when Bruce signed on,” Goodman said. By the end of the first episode, a supernatural phenomenon happens to Linda Campbell, played by Bowen. “Linda seems like one thing, then you realize she’s bananas. She’s either bananas or she’s possessed. Either way, it’s a complicated thing to play,” Bowen said. “With Julie, you can have your cake and eat it too,” Kane said. “She’s this fun, quirky mom. ... As the episode goes on, she’s pulled deeper into this thing and crazy stuff starts happening. That final act of the first episode was my favorite moment with her because this announced that this is not Claire Dunphy. We’re not doing that again; we’re pushing her as a performer. “Julie was so excited about doing stunts. She told us on many occasions she’s very sturdy and can take it. The same goes for Bruce and for Anna. We didn’t ask anyone to give us a flavor of the thing they did before. We cast people we loved so much (in their famous projects) that we wanted to give them the opportunity to do the exact opposite.” Added Bowen: “I got this script and was like, ‘Oh great. She’s a mom. How fun.’ I love moms. I’m a mom, but I felt this was not worth flying out of town to Georgia and being away from my kids. Then I got to the end of the pilot and was like, ‘She’s crazy!’ Is she possessed? There’s a lot more questions. It’s fun to just stretch again and do things I haven’t done in a while, which I found really exciting.” Kane said he felt lucky Bowen signed on at the beginning. “She was the first adult actor to sign on. That gave us such credibility to have a two-time Emmy-winning actor leading this show. Suddenly, it goes from this script from a relatively unknown writer into the new Julie Bowen show,” he said. It was the quality of the writing that attracted Camp, Bowen and Campbell to “Hysteria!” “I loved the script; it was incredibly well-written. It was immersed in the time period. It was such a good coming-of-age story, too — the feeling of being in high school again, being in the 1980s,” Camp said. “I talked to Matt who said my character (Tracy) was incredibly pivotal to the series and we’ll learn about why she is the way she is. So I was like, ‘I’d love to do this!’” For Campbell, the writing is everything. “A lot of times, I’ll get a script that could make the words interchangeable with every other character because the writing is very bland and just doesn’t have the detail you need. This was different. Every character was pretty distinct and pretty well-drawn,” he said. “It’s quality. It’s not a (expletive) show. It’s a real show that’s playing around with interesting themes. A lot of it is still relevant to this day.” “Hysteria!” has other Michigan connections, including University of Michigan alumnus Jonathan Goldstein (“Spider-Man: Homecoming”) and Dondero High School alumnus Jordan Vogt-Roberts (“Kong: Skull Island”), who both serve as executive producers. Kane explained why he set “Hysteria!” in Michigan. “You write what you know. I grew up in Ypsilanti, so that had a lot to do with it. More importantly, when you’re in a small town in the Midwest — somewhere like Michigan — these things don’t ever happen and word spreads fast and paranoia spreads quickly and (everything’s) blown out of proportion and takes up a lot of people’s minds,” he said. “Whether or not something is real doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if there are people willing to believe it does and willing it into the world. What does it matter if it’s objectively real or living rent-free in someone’s head?”A Manipur Police team that went to destroy illegal opium cultivation in the hills of Kangpokpi district were stopped by "80-90 armed miscreants" and forced to return without clearing the illegal farms, a police officer said in a first information report (FIR). The police team had a mix of 25 personnel, and volunteers from the Liangmai Naga tribe and five drivers. The team carried only three assault rifles as it is a physically demanding and difficult task to destroy poppy farms with farm tools while also carrying AK-type guns, a source who has first-hand information about the incident told NDTV. "You can't hold a weapon and also destroy poppy efficiently in such a sensitive area. The authorities should have deployed other forces along with the police," the source said, requesting anonymity. The small police team had no choice but to turn back when the armed miscreants tried to snatch the few guns the team had, the source said. The area was remote and reinforcements would have taken a long time, so a decision was taken to ensure the safety of the joint team, the FIR stated. While there is no official confirmation, there is a strong buzz in the security establishment in Manipur of a major operation involving central forces to clear new illegal opium poppy farms. The forces will retaliate if any armed miscreant threatens to stop the anti-poppy cultivation drive or fires at them, sources said. The Kuki tribes in their demand for a separate administration carved out from Manipur often include Kangpokpi district in many unrecognised hand-drawn maps used for social media consumption. Kangpokpi is also the turf of the insurgent group Kuki National Front (KNF), headed by ST Thangboi Kipgen, and this group is one of the over two dozen Kuki-Zo militant groups that have signed the controversial suspension of operations (SoO) agreement, which the Manipur government has been demanding to be scrapped. The SoO agreement's last renewal deadline was in February this year. Civil society groups of the Meitei community have alleged the hand of Kuki insurgent groups in growing illegal opium poppy in areas dominated by them. The Kangpokpi police chief in a flash message on November 18 ordered officers in charge of Kangpokpi and G Saparmeina police stations to destroy the illegal opium poppy farms in Makhan hill range, police sources told NDTV. The area of operation fell under the jurisdiction of the police in G Saparmeina, some 35 km north of the state capital Imphal. READ | Exclusive: End Of Opium Poppy Cultivation In Manipur Soon? Satellite Imagery Data Shows... "The team further proceeded by foot for about three hours and just before reaching the spot, some unknown armed miscreants numbering around 80-90 people blocked the team. The unknown miscreants were carrying guns, dagger and wooden cubs and threatened to even kill the team members if they proceeded for destroying the illegal poppy plantations," the incident details in the FIR stated. "Considering the isolation of the location for reinforcement to reach in time and the number of miscreants with weapons and the safety and security of the life of the [poppy] destruction team, the joint team returned without destroying the illicit poppy plantations at 3 pm," the FIR stated. The joint team which also included officers from the forest department and the executive magistrate had started out from G Saparmeina police station at 8.30 am. The Makhan village authority in a statement said the government should clear the land encroachment by "opium poppy planters" and clear all the illegal cultivation from their area in four days, otherwise things would turn "repulsive and abominable". Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in an interview to NDTV on November 21 had said the authorities have found five villages in Kangpokpi that have been growing illegal opium poppy, while the security forces were busy monitoring other sensitive areas in the ethnic crisis-hit state, adding the farms would be destroyed in a few days.

By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday voiced his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports, saying that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. Related Articles National Politics | Will Kamala Harris run for California governor in 2026? The question is already swirling National Politics | Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people National Politics | Trump taps immigration hard-liner Kari Lake as head of Voice of America National Politics | Trump invites China’s Xi to his inauguration even as he threatens massive tariffs on Beijing National Politics | Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump The incoming president posted on social media that he met Harold Daggett, the president of the International Longshoreman’s Association, and Dennis Daggett, the union’s executive vice president. “I’ve studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it,” Trump posted. “The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen. Foreign companies have made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. At the heart of the dispute is whether ports can install automated gates, cranes and container-moving trucks that could make it faster to unload and load ships. The union argues that automation would lead to fewer jobs, even though higher levels of productivity could do more to boost the salaries of remaining workers. The Maritime Alliance said in a statement that the contract goes beyond ports to “supporting American consumers and giving American businesses access to the global marketplace – from farmers, to manufacturers, to small businesses, and innovative start-ups looking for new markets to sell their products.” “To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains,” said the alliance, adding that it looks forward to working with Trump. In October, the union representing 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for three days, raising the risk that a prolonged shutdown could push up inflation by making it difficult to unload container ships and export American products overseas. The issue pits an incoming president who won November’s election on the promise of bringing down prices against commitments to support blue-collar workers along with the kinds of advanced technology that drew him support from Silicon Valley elite such as billionaire Elon Musk. Trump sought to portray the dispute as being between U.S. workers and foreign companies, but advanced ports are also key for staying globally competitive. China is opening a $1.3 billion port in Peru that could accommodate ships too large for the Panama Canal. There is a risk that shippers could move to other ports, which could also lead to job losses. Mexico is constructing a port that is highly automated, while Dubai, Singapore and Rotterdam already have more advanced ports. Instead, Trump said that ports and shipping companies should eschew “machinery, which is expensive, and which will constantly have to be replaced.” “For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries,” Trump posted. “It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!”

In the world of Chinese cinema, the upcoming film "Xiao Qian" has captured the hearts of many with its enchanting story and mesmerizing visuals. Recently, the highly anticipated theme song for the film, titled "Ethereal," was released, setting the perfect tone for the romantic and mysterious tale of love and destiny.MADISON — Three associates of President-elect Donald Trump made their first court appearances in Madison on Thursday on forgery charges stemming from the state’s fake elector scheme in 2020. Jim Troupis, Michael Roman and Kenneth Chesebro stand accused of orchestrating a plot to submit false paperwork saying Trump won the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Justice has filed 11 felony fraud charges against each man. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul first announced a single forgery charge against each of the three Trump campaign advisors in June. Then on Tuesday, just two days before the men were scheduled to appear in court, the Department of Justice charged the men with 10 additional felonies — one for each of the fake electors who signed the certificate of votes. According to court filings, some of the Republican electors have told investigators that they believed the certificate of votes was a contingency plan in case a court ruled that Trump had won the race in Wisconsin. Messages obtained by investigators show how, despite President Joe Biden being declared the winner in Wisconsin, Troupis, Roman and Chesebro attempted to bring the false slate of electors to Congress to be counted on Jan. 6, 2021. Troupis, who was Trump’s attorney in Wisconsin in 2020, was the only defendant to appear in person on Thursday. The others dialed in by phone. Troupis told reporters he believes the fake electors were necessary for the Trump campaign to have legal standing in election challenges. “This is a political case. This has nothing to do with the law,” Troupis said after the hearing. “The attorney general has today doubled down on a vicious strategy to destroy our very faith in the system of justice by using the courts for his own personal political gain.” Troupis and Roman are asking a judge to dismiss the charges against them. Check out: Former Trump attorney charged over fake elector scheme calls cease political retribution Asked about Troupis’ assertion that the actions he took were par for the course in a close election, Kaul deferred to the judicial process. “The Wisconsin Department of Justice makes decisions in cases based on the facts and the law. In this case, like all other cases, we will litigate the issues in dispute in a court of law,” Kaul said in an emailed statement. Ahead of Thursday’s hearing, Troupis took to conservative radio, asking supporters to show up at the courthouse. Among the small crowd that turned out was former Republican Gov. Scott McCallum. He defended the actions of the three Trump associates. “The law was followed. They followed every direction that was given to them, and now they’re being punished for it,” McCallum said. After Trump’s victory in Wisconsin in this year’s presidential election, GOP electors are planning to meet in mid-December to cast their electoral votes. However, Wisconsin laws are not aligned with new federal requirements for when the vote should take place. Republicans asked a judge earlier this week to clarify whether their meeting should be held on Dec. 16, as state law requires, or Dec. 17, as federal law requires. It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device. Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more. Report a typo or error

DLF Golf Academy celebrates historic achievements with top golfers

Concerns raised over hospitality staff after smoking curbs ditched

President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urge judge to toss his hush money conviction

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump's transition team on Tuesday signed an agreement to allow the Justice Department to conduct background checks on his nominees and appointees after a weekslong delay. The step lets Trump transition aides and future administration staffers obtain security clearances before Inauguration Day to access classified information about ongoing government programs, an essential step for a smooth transition of power. It also allows those nominees who are up for Senate confirmation to face the background checks lawmakers want before voting on them. Teams of investigators have been standing by to process clearances for Trump aides and advisers. FILE - Susie Wiles watches as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a caucus night party in Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) "This agreement with the Department of Justice will ensure President Trump and his team are ready on Day 1 to begin enacting the America First Agenda that an overwhelming majority of our nation supported on Election Day," said Susie Wiles, Trump's designate to be White House chief of staff. The announcement came a week after the Trump transition team signed an agreement with the Biden White House to allow transition staff to coordinate with the existing federal workforce before taking office Jan. 20. The White House agreement was supposed to have been signed by Oct. 1, according to the Presidential Transition Act, and the Biden White House issued both public and private appeals for Trump's team to sign on. Security clearances are required to access classified information, including on ongoing operations and threats to the nation, and the Biden White House and outside experts emphasized to Trump's team the importance of having cleared personnel before Inauguration Day so they could be fully briefed and ready to run the government. President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) Republican Senators also insisted on FBI background checks for Trump's nominees before they face confirmation votes, as has been standard practice for decades. Lawmakers were particularly interested in seeing the findings of reviews into Trump's designated nominee for defense secretary, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, and for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence. "That's why it's so important that we have an FBI background check, a committee review of extensive questions and questionnaires, and a public hearing," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Monday. John Thune, incoming Senate Republican leader, said the Trump team "understands there's going to have to be a thorough vetting of all these nominees." Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. William McGinley, White House counsel McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Percentages: FG .441, FT .682. 3-Point Goals: 6-28, .214 (Mayock 2-8, G.Jones 1-2, Daniels 1-3, Nausadis 1-3, Iturbe 1-6, Ball 0-1, Stephens 0-2, Rogers 0-3). Team Rebounds: 8. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 1 (Michaels). Turnovers: 14 (Stephens 5, Iturbe 3, Nausadis 3, Daniels, Samuels, Whittaker). Steals: 11 (Stephens 4, Daniels 2, G.Jones, Mayock, Rogers, Samuels). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .333, FT .808. 3-Point Goals: 1-9, .111 (Carillo 1-5, Santiago 0-1, Moya 0-3). Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 2 (Hernandez 2). Turnovers: 20 (Carillo 5, Davila 3, Matos 3, Rodriguez 3, Moya 2, Santiago 2, C.Martinez, Hernandez). Steals: 9 (Carillo 3, Davila 2, Rodriguez 2, Moya, Santiago). Technical Fouls: None. .

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WASHINGTON — Donald Trump said he can't guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning "things do change." Here's a look at some of the issues covered: President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage before he speaks at the FOX Nation Patriot Awards, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Greenvale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa) Trump threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn't believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. an households won't be paying more as they shop. "I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow," Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are "going to make us rich." He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. "All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field," Trump said. He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. "Honestly, they should go to jail," Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump's role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: "I have the absolute right. I'm the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I'm the president. But I'm not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. "Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee," Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, "No," and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. At another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. "I want her to do what she wants to do," he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, "I'm not looking to go back into the past." Immigration advocates hold a rally in Sacramento, Calif. on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, to protest President-Elect Donald Trump's plans to conduct mass deportation of immigrants without legal status. (AP Photo/Haven Daley) Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. "I think you have to do it," he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end "birthright" citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens — though such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and were shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, "I want to work something out," indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not "want to be breaking up families" of mixed legal status, "so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back." President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Notre Dame Cathedral as France's iconic cathedral is formally reopening its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019, Saturday Dec.7, 2024 in Paris ( Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP) Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he "absolutely" would remain in the alliance "if they pay their bills." Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies' commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated "fairly" on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin's invasion. "Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure," Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump called for an immediate cease-fire. Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged. "I haven't spoken to him recently," Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to "impede the negotiation." Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell's term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy, including interest rates. Trump did not offer any job assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: "Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious" that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as Trump's pick for FBI chief, then "he's going to be taking somebody's place, right? Somebody is the man that you're talking about." Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. "We're not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient," he said. He added that "we're not raising ages or any of that stuff." He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would "probably" not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, "Well, I commit. I mean, are — things do — things change. I think they change." Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had "concepts" of a plan to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called "lousy health care." He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. He did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo or how he could deliver on his desire for "better health care for less money." Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Rallies aren’t stopping violence; and racism didn’t elect Trump

New York, NY, Dec. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Globalink Investment Inc. (Nasdaq: GLLI, GLLIW, GLLIR, GLLIU) (“ Globalink ” or the “ Company ”), a special purpose acquisition company, announced today that its stockholders approved amendments to its charter and trust agreement to extend the deadline to complete its initial business combination and change the structure and cost of such extensions. Under the amended charter, Globalink may extend the deadline to complete its initial business combination by up to six (6) monthly extensions, from December 9, 2024 to June 9, 2025 by depositing $60,000 into its trust account (the “ Trust Account ”) with Continental Stock Transfer and Trust Company (“ Continental ”). Globalink’s stockholders, at a special meeting of its stockholders held on December 3, 2024, approved an amendment to Globalink’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the “ Charter Amendment ”), and Globalink’s Investment Management Trust Agreement, as amended, originally entered into on December 6, 2021 with Continental (the “ Trust Agreement Amendment ”) to extend the deadline to complete Globalink’s initial business combination from December 9, 2024 to up to June 9, 2025 for up to six times of monthly extensions, by depositing into the Trust Account $60,000 prior to each one-month extension. The Charter Amendment triggered a right of Globalink’s public stockholders to demand the redemption of their public shares out of funds held in the Trust Account. Holders of 2,285,056 public shares properly requested redemption leaving 277,511 public shares outstanding. After payment of the redemption price to the redeeming public shareholders of approximately $11.77 per share for an aggregate of $26.89 million, Globalink will have approximately $3.27 million left in its Trust Account. As a consequence of the adoption of the Charter Amendment and the Trust Agreement Amendment and the redemptions, Globalink can now obtain up to six monthly extensions, or up until June 9, 2025, to complete its initial business combination at a cost of $60,000 per extension. About Globalink Investment Inc. Globalink is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Although there is no restriction or limitation on what industry or geographic region, Globalink intends to pursue targets in North America, Europe, South East Asia, and Asia (excluding China, Hong Kong and Macau) in the technology industry, specifically within the medical technology and green energy sectors. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbor created thereby. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “outlook,” “guidance” or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause future events to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, many of which are outside of the Company’s control. These factors include, but are not limited to, a variety of risk factors affecting the Company’s business and prospects, see the section titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Prospectus filed with the SEC on December 6, 2021 and subsequent reports filed with the SEC, as amended from time to time. Any forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Globalink Contact: Say Leong Lim Globalink Investment Inc. Telephone: +6012 405 0015 Email: sllim@globalinkinvestment.com

A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden's clemency listMultiple preeminent members of the New York Giants organization gave their thoughts on the banner flown above MetLife Stadium asking team owner John Mara to "fix this dumpster fire" on Sunday. Head coach Brian Daboll explained that he initially wasn't aware of the sign, but acknowledged that he wasn't pleased with New York's 2-11 record either. As for rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, he removed himself from discussion surrounding the identity of the person who paid for the plane to fly the banner. The Giants fell to the New Orleans Saints by the final score of 14-11 on Sunday. This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis. For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app , homepage and social feeds—including Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok .

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Roads in ruins, non-functioning street lights, illegal parking were some of the ills plaguing the city were raised in the council meeting of Bhopal Municipal Corporation here on Friday. At the meeting, which was held at ISBT convention Hall, the Congress council members had come carrying placards to draw attention to the pressing issues. Voicing concern over illegal parking in the city, Congress corporator Guddu Chauhan questioned the logic behind issuing tender for parking in New Market even when there is multi-level parking in the area. “Akthar Enterprise runs illegal parking from Mrignayani to Dr Prasad clinic in New Market. When there is a multi level parking in New Market then why BMC was extending the contract of Akthar Enterprise every year. Rs 30 per hour is the premium parking charge. As per tender terms and conditions, parking was allowed for 43 vehicles but taking advantage of his proximity to zonal officials, the agency is running parking of 69 vehicles in premium parking lots, ” stated the Congress corporator. Independent corporator Pappu Vilash said, “Road are in pathetic condition but BMC officials are not doing anything to repair the roads even when they are under guarantee period,” he said. Raju Rathore, corporator ward no-73, said, “Street lights are not functioning in the entire ward-73 of Govindpura area and anti-social elements are taking advantage of the darkness to commit crime.” Mohammed Sarvar said, “Even the potholes on the roads have not been properly filled with C&D waste. Poor quality bitumen is being used in road construction and so gravels easily lose grips and tar washes off. BMC officials should monitor the quality work of road constructions and repairs.” Mayor Malti Rai said, “ It is usually after October 15 that road repairing work is generally taken up on priority. The tenders have been cleared and now BMC will start repairing the roads and ensure proper repairing under the guarantee period.” Censure motion passed against additional commissioner Nidhi Singh Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) in its Council meeting on Friday passed a censure motion against BMC additional commissioner Nidhi Singh, who has been quoted in media blaming Mayor Malti Rai for not signing the files. As per the motion, on November 14,2024 during the 40th board meeting of Bhopal City Link Limited (BCLL) - which runs low floor buses- a file was forwarded to BMC Commissioner office for correction in agenda-5,6,7 and 8. The BMC Commissioner was asked to revert within three days. Reminder for the same was sent on November 21. BMC commissioner sent the file to the Mayor on December 4 but points— 5 and 8 – were not addressed. Even minutes were also not the same which the Mayor had mentioned and it was taken on record. But the BMC additional commissioner Nidhi Singh, who is also BCLL CEO, has been quoted in media that buses were not operated just because the Mayor had not signed the files. At present only 100 buses are being operated instead of 368 low floor buses due to the lackadaisical approach of the BCLL officials. Similarly, Nidhi Singh has been condemned for her ‘behaviour’ toward public representatives (Corporators). Nod for water supply on RAF campus BMC Parishad passed a proposal of supplying Narmada water to RAF campus, Bangarasia. LoP Sabista Zaki objected saying that Bangarasia is not in BMC limits and it is a matter of state government. Congress corporator Pravin Saxena said that individual water connections should also be given in private colonies abolishing the system of bulk connections.Best Convertible Car Seat (2024): Babyark Considered Exceptionally Safe Convertible Car Seat by Expert Consumers

Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk spent over a quarter of a billion dollars to help get President-elect Donald Trump back in the White House, according to newly released campaign finance records. The billionaire tech mogul spent over $270 million of his own money through two super PACs that promoted Trump's candidacy and other Republicans, including one that appeared to refer to deceased liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, according to filings released Thursday night by the Federal Election Commission. Musk spent roughly $240 million on his pro-Trump super PAC America. The PAC was created after Musk endorsed Trump in July, which made Musk the single largest political spender in the shortest period of time. Half of the PAC's money came in the final weeks of the election and in the weeks following the election, and by Nov. 25, the PAC only had $2 million left in the account, according to the FEC. Much of the money was spent on direct mail, canvassing and phone calls, the PAC's filing showed. The filing also showed a total of nine $1 million payments given to nine individuals labeled as "spokesperson consultant," which appeared to be the swing state voters that won Musk's controversial daily $1 million prize. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner sued the PAC in October contending Musk was running an illegal lottery in Pennsylvania. Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta denied an injunction request a few weeks later after an attorney for the PAC testified that the giveaway wasn't random, despite Musk's claims that they were. The PAC also reported roughly $433,000 in legal bills paid to THE GOBER GROUP PLLC, according to the FEC. A new filing showed that Musk was the sole funder of a pro-Trump super PAC named RBG PAC, giving $20 million to the group in the final weeks of the election. The PAC used the initials of former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and ran online ads featuring women who claimed Trump would endorse potential national abortion bans. Trump has long boasted about his role in ending Roe v. Wade by taking credit for nominating three of the six conservative justices who voted to overturn the case in 2022. Clara Spera, Ginsberg's granddaughter, chastised the PAC in a statement to the Washington Post stating it "has no connection to the Ginsburg family and is an affront to my late grandmother's legacy." Earlier in the election cycle, Musk had written big checks to groups supporting House and Senate GOP, including $12.3 million to two super PACs supporting Senate GOP candidates, and another $1.3 million supporting other down-ballot Republicans, according to FEC filings. In all, Musk spent at least $273 million in support of various Republicans up and down the ballot at the federal level. Musk has been tapped to co-lead, along with Republican businessman and failed presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, an outside advisory board called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to cut as much as $2 trillion from the federal budget of what they called waste. The pair met with Republican leaders on the Hill Thursday to discuss their proposals including removing remote work options for federal workers.EDITORIAL: Energy policy is no place for ideological zealotryJustice is supposed to be blind. But in the case of Luigi Mangione – the 26-year-old American who allegedly shot dead health insurance company CEO Brian Thompson in New York last week – it had its eyes wide open. Wide open and ogling: not long after Mangione’s arrest (in the appropriately American environs of a McDonald’s) the internet exploded with memes about how good-looking he is. The eyes have it: Images from Pennsylvania State Police showing Luigi Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona on December 9, where he was arrested and later charged with murder. Credit: AP It really is the (alleged) murder for the moment – executed on a midtown Manhattan street and instantly transformed into viral internet fodder, with the alleged perpetrator’s social media footprint mined to feed the relentless content beast. Mangione is an all-American princeling: Ivy League-educated, brawny and brainy. It was his distinctive full eyebrows that did him in – security camera footage of the suspect shows a pair of fine eyes and strong brows, framed by a COVID mask and a black hoodie. Days later, as he ate his hash brown in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, his eyes helped a member of the public to identify him and phone him in. Loading On social media, Jonathan Ness from the Queer Eye for a Straight Guy TV show joked that their next season could be devoted to Mangione, for a straight-guy makeover. But, Ness said, don’t worry – “the brows, [I] would never touch”. Memes proliferated about his hotness, with “If he’s fit, you must acquit” being just one example of the kind of thing being posted. There were shirtless photos, verbal accounts from his friends (who say he is lovely) and reports that he had suffered from terrible back pain, for which he had endured a spinal operation in June. The bullets that killed Thompson on December 4 were inscribed with the words “Deny”, “Defend” and “Depose”. This seems to be a reference to the reported behind-doors strategy of US health insurers, who use these tactics to not pay out insurance claims to patients, thereby maximising their profits. The “manifesto” reportedly found in Mangione’s backpack was a soup of anti-capitalist vigilantism and motherhood-statement morality about corporate America. It is shocking that an alleged murderer should be celebrated in this way, but not at all surprising. Gun violence in America is quotidian. It is a country with a long history of vigilantism. It also has a history of public fascination with killers possessing (alleged) sex appeal, from Charles Manson to the more recent case of the Menendez brothers . The lawlessness and moral glibness of the internet is the flipside to the United States’ culture of individual freedom. Loading In a perfectly American twist, the anti-capitalist crusader has been exploited for merchandising opportunities. T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags and mugs bearing Mangione’s image are available online. But we can’t blame the internet – we must look at why there is a market for Mangione merch, and why ordinary people, including those who presumably don’t have homicidal tendencies themselves, would cheer on a murderer. It doesn’t hurt that he’s beautiful. There is also the widespread rage many share over his cause. The US health insurance industry is a multibillion-dollar profit giant, funded by the sickness of the American people. Stories of its institutional cruelty are legion. Just this week it was reported that a different health insurer, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, had quietly announced it would impose time limits on anaesthesia during certain surgeries, in certain states . The company later backed down in the face of a public outcry. A paper by the Commonwealth Fund (an American research body dedicated to promoting “a high-performing, equitable healthcare system”) states that healthcare spending in the US, both per person and as a share of GDP, is “far higher” than other high-income countries. A poster depicting Mangione outside the Hilton Midtown Hotel in New York. Credit: AP But Americans are getting sicker. According to the Commonwealth Fund, “people in the United States experience the worst health outcomes overall of any high-income nation”. They are more likely to die younger, from avoidable causes, than people in peer countries. They have higher maternal and infant mortality rates, the highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions among peer countries, and an obesity rate nearly twice the OECD average. Another Commonwealth Fund paper reported that “media investigations have found that insurers are becoming increasingly adept in using technology to deny payment of medical claims and pressure their company physicians to deny care during prior authorisation reviews”. It has been reported that UnitedHealthcare has the highest claim-denial rate (32 per cent) of all the private insurance companies. Loading The Manhattan shooting can be read as a cautionary tale illustrating the far-reaching consequences of economic inequality (not to mention a moment to give quiet thanks for the taxpayer-funded universal healthcare we enjoy in Australia). But the tasteless cheering over the assassination – a defenceless man shot in the back with no warning – is something more than that. It is a nihilistic expression of the hopelessness of American politics as a remedy for anything, not even something so fundamental as access to healthcare. President-elect Donald Trump has at least named the problem of America’s bad-health epidemic. But his tonic is his nominee to head the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr – an anti-vaxxer who advocates cooking in beef tallow (a heart disease-inducing saturated fat) because he says the seed-oil industry is poisoning us. Trump told Time magazine this week that he and RFK Jr will discuss ending some child vaccination programs . Trump suggested vaccines might be responsible for autism, a dangerous myth that has been widely debunked. In the embittered, conspiracy-laced realm of online radicalisation, there are no crucial distinctions between left and right. Instead, there is bipartisan agreement that politicians won’t help, and that democracy is an inefficient vehicle for generating social solutions. In the face of such nihilism, it doesn’t matter that violence only breeds more violence, and that Luigi Mangione will soon be last month’s meme, just another pretty person to scroll past. Jacqueline Maley is a columnist. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Crime USA Opinion Guns in America Healthcare Jacqueline Maley is a columnist. Connect via Twitter or Facebook . Most Viewed in World Loading

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( MENAFN - Gulf Times) Qatar National Library (QNL) celebrated its new role as the IFLA Regional Office for the Mena region, with a two-day event that brought together industry experts for a series of panel discussions, interactive workshops and lectures aimed at empowering libraries, fostering regional partnerships and driving innovative solutions to global challenges in librarianship. QNL executive director Tan Huism and IFLA secretary-general Sharon Memis inked the agreement during a signing ceremony Sunday, attended by HE the QNL president and Minister of State Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari, and IFLA president Vicky McDonald. “The designation of Qatar National Library as the IFLA Regional Office for the Mena region underscores Qatar's prominent standing in the field of libraries and information on both regional and global levels,” HE Dr al-Kawari said. “It also highlights our country's role as a strategic partner to leading international institutions in their pursuit of a sustainable future for knowledge and scientific research,” he added. The partnership positions QNL as a key regional hub for librarianship, with a focus on facilitating collaboration, innovation and the dissemination of information throughout the Mena region. 'Partnerships and Global Librarianship' was the focus of the inaugural panel discussion, which provided insights into the vital role that collaboration and resource sharing play in advancing library services globally. McDonald said the IFLA's partnership with QNL will enable both institutions to deliver on their mission in terms of empowering libraries and the communities they serve across the region. Sharon said the IFLA's regional centres play a pivotal role in advancing the federation's objectives.“The work of regional centres is essential to ensuring that we are not just an international federation but a truly global one, helping library and information workers everywhere benefit from being part of this worldwide field. Qatar National Library is a model for this work in its dedication and innovation, and I look forward to many years of collaboration,” she added. Since its opening in 2017, QNL has played a key role in this regard, organising over 3,000 events that attracted more than 150,000 participants. Eiman Saleh al-Shamari, manager of the IFLA Mena Regional Office at QNL, said the library, as the IFLA representative in the region, is cementing its role as a cultural hub and advancing its objective of promoting cultural dialogue. “At the IFLA Regional Office, we are committed to supporting libraries in the region to keep pace with the latest global standards and practices in the field, which will, in turn, enhance the quality of services they provide. The office will serve as a platform for training and capacity building, improving the skills of professionals in this sector and strengthening their ability to meet the needs of their communities,” she said. The second day of the event will feature interactive workshops and lectures offering practical solutions for libraries in the Mena region. Key topics will include enhancing library capacities, fostering partnerships, integrating digital technologies, and addressing regional challenges in the digital age. Since its nomination as the IFLA Regional Office on the sidelines of the 88th edition of the IFLA General Conference and Assembly last year, QNL has organised numerous workshops and sessions to develop librarianship skills across the region with a focus on leveraging technology to enhance education and learning. MENAFN15122024000067011011ID1108995644 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

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NoneOklahoma residents on Sunday mourned the death of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Fred Harris , a trailblazer in progressive politics in the state who ran an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1976. Harris died on Saturday at 94. Democratic Party members across Oklahoma remembered Harris for his commitment to economic and social justice during the 1960s — a period of historical turbulence. Harris chaired the Democratic National Committee from 1969 to 1970 and helped unify the party after its tumultuous national convention in 1968 when protesters and police clashed in Chicago. “Fred Harris showed us what is possible when we lead with both heart and principle. He worked to ensure everyone had a voice and a seat at the table,” said Alicia Andrews, chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. Harris appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago earlier this year as a guest speaker for the Oklahoma delegation, where he reflected on progress and unity. "Standing alongside him in Chicago this summer was a reminder of how his legacy continues to inspire,” Andrews said. Kalyn Free, a member of the Choctaw nation of Oklahoma and the DNC, said that there is no one else in public service whom she admired more than the former senator. “He was a friend, a mentor, a hero and my True North. Oklahoma and America have lost a powerful advocate and voice,” Free said in a statement. “His work for Indian Country will always be remembered.” “Senator Harris truly was an Oklahoma treasure and was ahead of his time in so many ways,” said Jeff Berrong, whose grandfather served in the state Senate with Harris. “He never forgot where he came from and he always remained focused on building a society that would provide equality of opportunity for all.” Harris served eight years in the state Senate before he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served another eight years before his 1976 presidential campaign. State party leaders commemorated his work on the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, or the Kerner Commission, to investigate the 1960s riots. Harris was the last surviving member of the commission. Shortly after his presidential campaign, Harris left politics and moved to New Mexico and became a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. —- Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

iPads at record low prices: Here are 15 best Black Friday deals that Apple is offeringSHAREHOLDER ALERT: The M&A Class Action Firm Investigates the Merger of Innovid Corp. - CTV

7xm apk download Arkansas DE Landon Jackson carted off field and taken to hospital with neck injuryA federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied TikTok's petition to overturn the law — which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — and rebuffed the company's challenge of the statute, which it argued had ran afoul of the First Amendment. “The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States,” said the court's opinion, which was written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg. “Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.” TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court, though its unclear whether the court will take up the case. “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue," TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people,” Hughes said. Unless stopped, he argued the statute “will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world on January 19th, 2025.” Though the case is squarely in the court system, its also possible the two companies might be thrown some sort of a lifeline by President-elect Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok during his first term but said during the presidential campaign that he is now against such action . The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was the culmination of a years-long saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China. “Today’s decision is an important step in blocking the Chinese government from weaponizing TikTok to collect sensitive information about millions of Americans, to covertly manipulate the content delivered to American audiences, and to undermine our national security,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Friday. The U.S. has said it’s concerned about TikTok collecting vast swaths of user data, including sensitive information on viewing habits , that could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. Officials have also warned the proprietary algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way that’s difficult to detect — a concern mirrored by the European Union on Friday as it scrutinizes the video-sharing app’s role in the Romanian elections. TikTok, which sued the government over the law in May, has long denied it could be used by Beijing to spy on or manipulate Americans. Its attorneys have accurately pointed out that the U.S. hasn’t provided evidence to show that the company handed over user data to the Chinese government, or manipulated content for Beijing’s benefit in the U.S. They have also argued the law is predicated on future risks, which the Department of Justice has emphasized pointing in part to unspecified action it claims the two companies have taken in the past due to demands from the Chinese government. Friday’s ruling came after the appeals court panel, composed of two Republican and one Democrat appointed judges, heard oral arguments in September. In the hearing, which lasted more than two hours, the panel appeared to grapple with how TikTok’s foreign ownership affects its rights under the Constitution and how far the government could go to curtail potential influence from abroad on a foreign-owned platform. On Friday, all three of them denied TikTok’s petition. In the court's ruling, Ginsburg, a Republican appointee, rejected TikTok's main legal arguments against the law, including that the statute was an unlawful bill of attainder or a taking of property in violation of the Fifth Amendment. He also said the law did not violate the First Amendment because the government is not looking to "suppress content or require a certain mix of content” on TikTok. “Content on the platform could in principle remain unchanged after divestiture, and people in the United States would remain free to read and share as much PRC propaganda (or any other content) as they desire on TikTok or any other platform of their choosing,” Ginsburg wrote, using the abbreviation for the People’s Republic of China. Judge Sri Srinivasan, the chief judge on the court, issued a concurring opinion. TikTok’s lawsuit was consolidated with a second legal challenge brought by several content creators - for which the company is covering legal costs - as well as a third one filed on behalf of conservative creators who work with a nonprofit called BASED Politics Inc. Other organizations, including the Knight First Amendment Institute, had also filed amicus briefs supporting TikTok. “This is a deeply misguided ruling that reads important First Amendment precedents too narrowly and gives the government sweeping power to restrict Americans’ access to information, ideas, and media from abroad,” said Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the organization. “We hope that the appeals court’s ruling won’t be the last word.” Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, lawmakers who had pushed for the legislation celebrated the court's ruling. "I am optimistic that President Trump will facilitate an American takeover of TikTok to allow its continued use in the United States and I look forward to welcoming the app in America under new ownership,” said Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China. Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who co-authored the law, said “it's time for ByteDance to accept” the law. To assuage concerns about the company’s owners, TikTok says it has invested more than $2 billion to bolster protections around U.S. user data. The company has also argued the government’s broader concerns could have been resolved in a draft agreement it provided the Biden administration more than two years ago during talks between the two sides. It has blamed the government for walking away from further negotiations on the agreement, which the Justice Department argues is insufficient. Attorneys for the two companies have claimed it’s impossible to divest the platform commercially and technologically. They also say any sale of TikTok without the coveted algorithm - the platform’s secret sauce that Chinese authorities would likely block under any divesture plan - would turn the U.S. version of TikTok into an island disconnected from other global content. Still, some investors, including Trump’s former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in purchasing the platform. Both men said earlier this year that they were launching a consortium to purchase TikTok’s U.S. business. This week, a spokesperson for McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative, which aims to protect online privacy, said unnamed participants in their bid have made informal commitments of more than $20 billion in capital.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs ' lawyers tried for a third time Friday to persuade a judge to let the hip-hop mogul out of jail while he awaits his sex trafficking trial, but a decision won’t come until next week as prosecutors warned of his "concerted effort" from behind bars to disrupt the case. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said he'll rule promptly on Combs’ bail request after the defense and prosecution file letters by noon Monday fleshing out some of the arguments they made during at a two-hour hearing in Manhattan federal court. Combs’ lawyers pitched having him await trial under around-the-clock surveillance either at his mansion on an island near Miami Beach or — after the judge scoffed at that location — at an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Their $50 million bail proposal, secured by his Florida home, essentially amounts to keeping Combs on house arrest instead of in custody at the troubled Brooklyn federal jail where he’s been held for 67 days since his September arrest. Under their plan, Combs' lawyers said he'll be under near-total restrictions on his ability to see or contact anyone but them. But prosecutors argued that no bail conditions can mitigate Combs' “risk of obstruction and dangerousness to others.” Combs has routinely flouted jail rules while locked up at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, prosecutors said, accusing him of attempting to interfere with witnesses and taint the jury pool. “Really, this amounts to the defendant paying his way out of custody,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told Subramanian. Defense lawyer Anthony Ricco countered that the prosecution’s portrayal of Combs as "a lawless person who doesn’t follow instructions” or “an out-of-control individual who has to be detained” is inaccurate. Another Combs lawyer, Teny Geragos, added that given the strict release conditions they've proposed, “it would be impossible for him not to follow rules." Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years with help from a network of associates and employees while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings. His trial is slated to begin May 5. Two other judges previously concluded that the Bad Boy Records founder would be a danger to the community if he is freed, and an appeals court judge last month denied Combs’ immediate release while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighs his bail request. Friday's hearing was the second time Combs was in court this week. On Tuesday, a judge blocked prosecutors from using as evidence papers that were seized from his cell during a jail-wide sweep for contraband and weapons. As he entered through a side door, Combs waved to relatives including his mother and several of his children in the courtroom gallery, tapping his hand to his heart and blowing kisses at them. He then hugged his lead attorney, Marc Agnifilo, before sitting at the defense table. Combs was not handcuffed or shackled and wore a beige jail uniform, occasionally pulling a pair of reading glasses from his pocket as he peered at papers in front of him. Prosecutors contend that while incarcerated the “I’ll Be Missing You” singer has orchestrated social media campaigns aimed at influencing potential jurors. They allege that he has also attempted to leak materials he believes would help his case and is contacting potential witnesses via third parties. “Simply put, the defendant cannot be trusted,” Slavik argued. In renewing their push for Combs' release, his lawyers sought to undercut the strength of a potential key piece of evidence: a March 2016 video showing him hitting and kicking his then-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie , in a Los Angeles hotel hallway. Prosecutors contend the assault happened during a “Freak Off," an event in which they allege Combs used his “power and prestige” to induce female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers. Combs' lawyers said in court papers that newly unearthed evidence refutes that, and that the video, which first aired on CNN in May, was “a minutes-long glimpse into a complex but decade-long consensual relationship” between Combs and Cassie. Slavik, responding to defense claims that the recording was manipulated or taken out of context, said prosecutors don’t have the full version because Combs paid hotel staff $100,000 “to make the original video go away.” “This is a case about violence," Slavik told Subramanian in a final plea to keep Combs locked up. “The defendant has engaged in physical, sexual and emotional abuse of his romantic partners for years. ... He’s hit. He’s kicked. He’s dragged.” Michael R. Sisak, The Associated PressApple’s Surprising iPhone Update—Green Bubbles End Next Week

The legal fray builds in a very close North Carolina Supreme Court electionNone

Subscribe to our newsletter Privacy Policy Success! Your account was created and you’re signed in. Please visit My Account to verify and manage your account. An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. Support Independent Arts Journalism As an independent publication, we rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, consider becoming a member today . Already a member? Sign in here. We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, please join us as a member . LONDON — All art is part of an ecosystem. At a glance, it might seem that the United Kingdom’s artists and art spaces are concentrated in London, with its many museums, commercial galleries, fairs, and studios. But the capital is only one hub in a wider landscape of art-making and exhibiting across the nation. A wide range of institutions and galleries can be found in smaller cities, towns, and rural areas — often in unexpected places. Bristol, in southwest England, is home to a robust contemporary art scene. Spike Island , for instance, is an international contemporary art center that tucks cavernous exhibition spaces, as well as more than 70 subsidized artists studios, behind an unassuming facade. Its current exhibition, Grey Unpleasant Land , is a collaborative effort by artists Sophia Al-Maria and Lydia Ourahmane. Drawing upon their experiences as immigrants to the UK, they examine the myriad mythologies of England as a nation — and the darker side of how these mythologies are constructed and maintained. An hour’s drive south takes you to the town of Bruton, home to Hauser & Wirth Somerset and galleries such as Bo Lee and Workman , established by Jemma Hickman and former Senior Director of H&W Somerset Alice Workman. Towns and cities on England’s south coast have a disproportionate concentration of high-quality contemporary art settings, perhaps because they are within striking distance of the capital and much cheaper. Artists and curators have moved out to places like Hastings, home to Hastings Contemporary ; Folkestone, which boasts an ambitious triennial program ; and Eastbourne, where Towner combines varied exhibitions with a public art program. Many are complemented by nearby independent artist-centered spaces, such as Devonshire Collective in Eastbourne. Currently, a solo show by Harun Morrison explores language and miscommunication, taking cues from the local beachside setting while also pushing for complex environmental, social, and creative sensibilities. Get the latest art news, reviews and opinions from Hyperallergic. Daily Weekly Opportunities Since 2011, Tracey Emin’s hometown of Margate, Kent, has been home to Turner Contemporary , which is housed in a David Chipperfield Architects-designed building on the seafront. They are currently showing preserve , the largest survey exhibition to date of British artist Anya Gallaccio , whose installations include a hanging curtain of Kentish apples which slowly wither and rot over the course of the show. The exhibition emphasizes its surrounding community: Gallaccio worked with the curatorial and education teams to produce An Apple a Day, a school program designed to help local children explore Kent’s heritage and culture through its orchards. The historically artistic village of St Ives in Cornwall, where the Tate has an outpost, has long been known for its artistic residents, which have previously included Barbara Hepworth (whose studio and garden are open for visitation), Ben Nicholson, and Naum Gabo. Many other towns and cities, however, are now making a name for themselves as cultural locales, particularly in former industrial centers. Middlesbrough, for example, is home to the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art , where a group exhibition, Towards New Worlds , takes a refreshing and radical approach to perception through work by disabled, Deaf, and neurodiverse artists. Curated by artist and activist Aidan Moesby, the exhibition includes a new commission by Małgorzata Dawidek investigating the links between local histories of potash mining with her experiences of managing her medical condition with potassium, a mineral derived from potash, forging links between the body and the landscape. The city also hosts an Art Week , which makes strides towards building artist communities from the ground up through initiatives like open calls. University cities are also important loci for boundary-pushing contemporary art, such as Modern Art Oxford , which has just reopened after a major refurbishment, and Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, where the art collection of Jim and Helen Ede sits among inspiring preserved interiors alongside a temporary exhibition space currently showing dreamlike paintings by Zimbabwean artist Portia Zvavahera. Talbot Rice Gallery , the University of Edinburgh’s public art gallery, attempts to link the wider ecosystem of art galleries and museums in the UK with the specificities of its location within Scotland. “We position our large group exhibitions as part of the national conversation,” director Tessa Gilbin told Hyperallergic , “and make exhibitions that seek to depolarise the debate by exploring (and celebrating) the complexity within each issue.” In 2025, which marks the gallery’s 50 th anniversary, Talbot Rice will present a solo exhibition by Wael Shawky, as well as a group exhibition exploring the relationship of children to the key challenges we face today. As well as large-scale, publicly funded institutions in major cities, there are also a plethora of smaller-scale projects in small towns and rural areas, which are less easy to categorize. Taking art out of urban white cube environments has its challenges in terms of audience development and funding, but also offers the opportunity to rethink the expected parameters within which art is made and shown. Haarlem Artspace is a mercurial organization located in the pretty market town of Wirksworth in Derbyshire. Committed to championing rural contemporary art, this collaborative endeavor is located across spaces in a pub and a hotel, setting itself up as an integral part of the town’s community spaces. Curator Kristian Day explains that Haarlem Artspace seeks to enable “the research, development, and presentation of art inspired by our unique rural location” with work that “examines themes of ritual, magic, and folklore, the incredible local history (and pre-history), the distinctive geography of the region, and both environmental awareness and connectivity.” The organization, which recently transitioned leadership, inaugurates its new program with a solo exhibition by Tom Sewell. Archipelago is an exercise in world-building and speculative fiction across assemblage and sculpture, drawing on wayfinding, ritual, and rural identity in a place where folk traditions such as Morris Dancing , Maypoling , and Well Dressing continue to this day. London may be the UK art scene’s beating heart, but it would be sadly diminished without the arterial network of galleries, museums, and project spaces in often unexpected corners that speak to audiences on both a local and national level, from the tip of Cornwall to the capital of Scotland. We hope you enjoyed this article! Before you keep reading, please consider supporting Hyperallergic ’s journalism during a time when independent, critical reporting is increasingly scarce. Unlike many in the art world, we are not beholden to large corporations or billionaires. Our journalism is funded by readers like you , ensuring integrity and independence in our coverage. We strive to offer trustworthy perspectives on everything from art history to contemporary art. We spotlight artist-led social movements, uncover overlooked stories, and challenge established norms to make art more inclusive and accessible. With your support, we can continue to provide global coverage without the elitism often found in art journalism. If you can, please join us as a member today . Millions rely on Hyperallergic for free, reliable information. By becoming a member, you help keep our journalism free, independent, and accessible to all. Thank you for reading. Share Copied to clipboard Mail Bluesky Threads LinkedIn Facebook

Pittsburgh was truly the Steel City. Coke plants, tar plants, steel mills, glass manufacturers and other ancillary heavy industry lined the banks of the rivers, producing the raw products of the country’s industrial revolution. A remnant of these days are the current U.S. Steel facilities still occupying their locations in the Mon Valley. These facilities have been part of the area’s history in place for over a century — the early 1900 Clairton Coke Works and byproducts facility and the Edgar Thomson Steel Works that has been active since the late 1800s in Braddock. Hulking dinosaurs of the past with almost unimaginable forces at work, the sheer volume of raw material input, energy use and generation, pressures, heat, size of the equipment, products and byproducts generated by these activities and harnessed by man are awe-inspiring. The ongoing debate regarding the sale of these symbols of American industrial might and Pittsburgh’s namesake to Japan’s Nippon Steel has shone a national spotlight on the Mon Valley. Missing from the debate are recent events that would likely have served to avoid the current Mon Valley saga. In early 2020, U.S. Steel announced that it would invest $1.2 billion in its Braddock and Clairton facilities. This investment not only would have created and/or retained thousands of jobs and made the company more competitive globally, but it would also introduce first-of-its-kind, innovative technology to address air emissions. U.S. Steel committed to collaborating with the regulating authority, the Allegheny County Health Department, to develop these state-of-the-art technologies and significantly reduce air emissions. Not only would these innovative technologies have benefited U.S. Steel, employment prospects and air quality in the Mon Valley, these same technologies could be adopted by the world’s developing and largest coal-burning countries to mitigate both local pollution in their countries and greenhouse gases which have no global boundary. Reflexively, in an apparent pique of myopia, the usual list of environmental zealots worked to shut this huge investment and benefit to all parties down. Congratulations on the pyrrhic victory over the “evil” American corporation. The rest of the world has and will happily pick up the slack with lesser technologies and continue to pollute unabated by the American environmental zealotry. Who would wonder why U.S. Steel desires to sell off these facilities when faced with the anti-industrial activists and diminished benefits of ownership? Is it the appropriate role of government to prohibit this sale? Alternatively, one must wonder why Nippon Steel does not see the same confrontation with the usual cast of characters on the eco-left as they contemplate taking over these allegedly evil, polluting facilities in the Mon Valley. Nippon Steel claims that it will invest $1 billion to upgrade the Mon Valley facilities. Where have we heard this before? The headwinds any ongoing operation of these heavy industrial facilities will face, whether it be a foreign or domestic operator, are not only the usual pedestrian types of criteria air emissions, but also the current world war on the very building block of life, carbon. We continue to expend more and more efforts to seek those last molecules of contamination to satisfy our environmental appetite for cleaner, with the add-on feature of now alleging carbon as a pollutant. If the past is prologue, the Mon Valley industrial saga is not coming to an inflexion point for future ongoing operations by any owner; it is only a matter of who will be holding ownership when these activities are brought down by the irrational lust for ever cleaner. Robert T. Smith is an environmental scientist and co-owner of a Pittsburgh-area environmental consulting company.White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaignFormer Golden State Warriors basketball executive Bob Myers was appointed to the University of California Board of Regents on Thursday, UC officials announced. Gov. Gavin Newsom made the appointment of Myers as a regent, which serves a 12-year term on the board that makes policy decisions for UC and its campuses. Myers, a graduate from UCLA, was a sports agent before being hired by the Warriors in 2011 and was eventually general manager and president of basketball operations during the tenure when the team won four National Basketball Association championships. Myers retired from the Warriors in 2023 and has been an ESPN studio host and analyst. UC board chair Janet Reilly and UC president Michael Drake welcomed Myers as UC's newest regent in a statement Thursday. "Mr. Myers' strategic and business acumen, combined with his impressive background in sports leadership, affords him invaluable insights that will help the University of California navigate the changing landscape of college athletics and continue its commitment to excellence in academics and sports," the statement said.

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Thousands of people took to the streets of the Slovakia capital Thursday to protest against Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova who has dismissed several heads of major cultural institutions and halted projects steered by LGBT+ associations under the pretext of promoting "Slovak culture". Simkovicova, a 53-year-old former television anchor, has been a controversial figure since taking office in October 2023. "I am frustrated and very angry about the way culture is being destroyed and organizations are falling apart," Svetlana Fialova, a 39-year-old visual artist and lecturer, told AFP. "What is happening in Slovakia is ... what is happening in Georgia, Hungary and other countries, where people who collaborate and play to Russian tunes are coming to power and trying to suppress democracy and culture," she said. "The culture of the Slovaks should be Slovak -- Slovak and none else," Simkovicova said in one early speech. Nominated by the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS), she has also slammed "LGBT+ ideology" for causing Europe to "die out". Her views have appealed to Prime Minister Robert Fico from the centrist Smer party, whose objections to liberal values echo Viktor Orban, the prime minister of neighbouring Hungary. Simkovicova had worked notably for the Slovan TV channel, known for spreading conspiracy theories, xenophobia and pro-Russian views. Slovak National Gallery director Alexandra Kusa lost her job in August in what opponents said was part of Simkovicova's purge. "Culture ministry staff accompanied by a lawyer showed up in my office one day with a bunch of flowers and a notice," she told AFP. Kusa, who has been reduced to the post of exhibition curator, said the ministry had launched a derogatory campaign against her. She says she was punished for backing Matej Drlicka, the National Theatre director, who was sacked a day earlier. The head of the country's heritage institute was dismissed this week. "We are not compatible with the ministry. Their idea of culture is completely different from ours," Kusa said. She accuses the ministry of launching "an era of bullying and intimidation". "It's pure destruction and demonstration of power. It's terrible." The ministry did not respond to AFP's request to comment. Simkovicova also targets public media. In June, she pushed through a law reforming the state-run RTVS broadcaster into a new company, STVR, which is under her control. Analyst Pavol Hardos told AFP that wielding political influence over cultural institutions had a precedent in Slovakia. "This is something we experienced in the 1990s during the illiberal regime of Vladimir Meciar, when there were ideological tests and tests ... of who is a good nationalist, a good Slovak, and who isn't," he said. What is new is the government's "commitment to purge cultural institutions from anyone who is in any way perceived as potentially a political enemy", Hardos said. Open-minded and liberal people are "being targeted as a potential troublemaker, and people who are often enough real experts in their areas are being sidelined or thrown out," he added. Hardos said that while it was premature to talk about "an illiberal regime", Fico is walking in Orban's footsteps. The government is also targeting LGBT+ rights organisations. Early this year, Simkovicova said they would not get "a cent" from her ministry. She has recently curbed public subsidies for LGBT+ groups. "This concerns any project with links to LGBT+," said Martin Macko, head of the Iniciativa Inakost NGO. He said attacks on the minority were growing, as were the number of people being treated by the NGO's therapists. The situation has incited protests among artists, cultural institution staff and the public, who turn their backs on directors named by Simkovicova or read protest statements on theatre stages. Large rallies were held this year, mobilising tens of thousands of people. Two petitions written by artists have solicited 400,000 signatures in the EU member country of 5.4 million people. In the Slovak parliament, the opposition initiated a vote to dismiss Simkovicova, but the attempt fell through. "No culture ministry employee prevents anyone from being creative or expressing themselves," Simkovicova told the press. sc-anb-frj-kym/tw

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Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘wonderful’ brother dies aged 60 after suffering from cancerUS stocks tread water in thin trade, benchmark US yield ekes out new high

Bank frauds jump 8 times in first half of FY25 over a year

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Ange Postecoglou searching for answers over Tottenham’s injury crisisMind the Gap: Six Tips to Assess Your Healthcare Coverage Before the New Year

Analysts' ratings for IREN IREN over the last quarter vary from bullish to bearish, as provided by 10 analysts. The table below offers a condensed view of their recent ratings, showcasing the changing sentiments over the past 30 days and comparing them to the preceding months. Bullish Somewhat Bullish Indifferent Somewhat Bearish Bearish Total Ratings 5 4 1 0 0 Last 30D 1 0 0 0 0 1M Ago 3 2 1 0 0 2M Ago 0 1 0 0 0 3M Ago 1 1 0 0 0 Analysts have set 12-month price targets for IREN, revealing an average target of $18.2, a high estimate of $23.00, and a low estimate of $14.00. This current average reflects an increase of 15.56% from the previous average price target of $15.75. Interpreting Analyst Ratings: A Closer Look A clear picture of IREN's perception among financial experts is painted with a thorough analysis of recent analyst actions. The summary below outlines key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets. Analyst Analyst Firm Action Taken Rating Current Price Target Prior Price Target Lucas Pipes B. Riley Securities Raises Buy $16.00 $15.00 Stephen Glagola Jones Trading Announces Buy $22.00 - Reginald Smith JP Morgan Raises Neutral $15.00 $9.50 Paul Golding Macquarie Raises Outperform $19.00 $13.50 Brett Knoblauch Cantor Fitzgerald Raises Overweight $23.00 $20.00 Joseph Vafi Canaccord Genuity Raises Buy $17.00 $15.00 Mike Colonnese HC Wainwright & Co. Raises Buy $16.00 $13.00 Brett Knoblauch Cantor Fitzgerald Maintains Overweight $20.00 $20.00 Brett Knoblauch Cantor Fitzgerald Maintains Overweight $20.00 $20.00 Darren Aftahi Roth MKM Announces Buy $14.00 - Key Insights: Action Taken: In response to dynamic market conditions and company performance, analysts update their recommendations. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise', or 'Lower' their stance, it signifies their reaction to recent developments related to IREN. This insight gives a snapshot of analysts' perspectives on the current state of the company. Rating: Offering a comprehensive view, analysts assess stocks qualitatively, spanning from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings convey expectations for the relative performance of IREN compared to the broader market. Price Targets: Analysts provide insights into price targets, offering estimates for the future value of IREN's stock. This comparison reveals trends in analysts' expectations over time. Assessing these analyst evaluations alongside crucial financial indicators can provide a comprehensive overview of IREN's market position. Stay informed and make well-judged decisions with the assistance of our Ratings Table. Stay up to date on IREN analyst ratings. Discovering IREN: A Closer Look IREN Ltd is engaged in data center business powering the future of Bitcoin, AI and beyond utilizing renewable energy. Key Indicators: IREN's Financial Health Market Capitalization Perspectives: The company's market capitalization falls below industry averages, signaling a relatively smaller size compared to peers. This positioning may be influenced by factors such as perceived growth potential or operational scale. Revenue Growth: IREN's revenue growth over a period of 3 months has been noteworthy. As of 30 September, 2024, the company achieved a revenue growth rate of approximately 58.12% . This indicates a substantial increase in the company's top-line earnings. As compared to competitors, the company surpassed expectations with a growth rate higher than the average among peers in the Information Technology sector. Net Margin: IREN's financial strength is reflected in its exceptional net margin, which exceeds industry averages. With a remarkable net margin of -95.07%, the company showcases strong profitability and effective cost management. Return on Equity (ROE): IREN's ROE falls below industry averages, indicating challenges in efficiently using equity capital. With an ROE of -4.64%, the company may face hurdles in generating optimal returns for shareholders. Return on Assets (ROA): IREN's ROA lags behind industry averages, suggesting challenges in maximizing returns from its assets. With an ROA of -4.25%, the company may face hurdles in achieving optimal financial performance. Debt Management: The company maintains a balanced debt approach with a debt-to-equity ratio below industry norms, standing at 0.0 . The Significance of Analyst Ratings Explained Analysts work in banking and financial systems and typically specialize in reporting for stocks or defined sectors. Analysts may attend company conference calls and meetings, research company financial statements, and communicate with insiders to publish "analyst ratings" for stocks. Analysts typically rate each stock once per quarter. Some analysts also offer predictions for helpful metrics such as earnings, revenue, and growth estimates to provide further guidance as to what to do with certain tickers. It is important to keep in mind that while stock and sector analysts are specialists, they are also human and can only forecast their beliefs to traders. Which Stocks Are Analysts Recommending Now? Benzinga Edge gives you instant access to all major analyst upgrades, downgrades, and price targets. Sort by accuracy, upside potential, and more. Click here to stay ahead of the market . This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Prospera Financial Services Inc boosted its holdings in shares of The Allstate Co. ( NYSE:ALL – Free Report ) by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,389 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 194 shares during the quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc’s holdings in Allstate were worth $453,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in ALL. SPC Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Allstate by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. SPC Financial Inc. now owns 1,564 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $297,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC increased its position in Allstate by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 3,129 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $596,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the period. Abacus Planning Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Allstate by 2.4% during the third quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 2,416 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $458,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC raised its position in shares of Allstate by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 4,630 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $893,000 after buying an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. lifted its position in Allstate by 15.0% in the third quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 460 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $87,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.47% of the company’s stock. Insider Buying and Selling In other Allstate news, insider John E. Dugenske sold 36,367 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.38, for a total value of $6,959,916.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 27,364 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,236,922.32. The trade was a 57.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . 1.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Allstate Trading Up 0.2 % Allstate ( NYSE:ALL – Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The insurance provider reported $3.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.20 by $1.71. Allstate had a net margin of 6.77% and a return on equity of 26.67%. The business had revenue of $16.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.57 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.81 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Allstate Co. will post 16.07 EPS for the current year. Allstate Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.92 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 29th. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.81%. Allstate’s dividend payout ratio is 23.83%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In ALL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James upped their price target on shares of Allstate from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 4th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Allstate from $191.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Allstate from $216.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Allstate from $209.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Allstate from $205.00 to $214.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Allstate presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $214.19. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Allstate About Allstate ( Free Report ) The Allstate Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides property and casualty, and other insurance products in the United States and Canada. It operates in five segments: Allstate Protection; Protection Services; Allstate Health and Benefits; Run-off Property-Liability; and Corporate and Other segments. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ALL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Allstate Co. ( NYSE:ALL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Allstate Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Allstate and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Blue Star Foods Moves its Listing to OTC Markets under its current symbol BSFC7xm bd 。

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG Makes New $970,000 Investment in Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI)

Q. My new year’s resolution is to clean out my garage and get rid of any pesticides that are expired, not needed, or harmful to wildlife. How do I find out what I should get rid of? Do fertilizers have an expiration date? ANSWER: This is an excellent new year’s resolution! If you have any pesticides that are expired or not needed anymore, make sure they are labelled (hopefully with the original) and place them in a sturdy box so you can take them to your nearest hazardous materials disposal site. Fertilizers don’t really expire, but they may become clumpy and unusable, so these can be disposed of in a similar way. The laws concerning pesticides change frequently, so it’s always a good idea to take inventory and get rid of any chemicals that are no longer considered safe to use. Take note of the active ingredient(s), which should be listed on the front of the container, and look them up on the UC IPM website. There you can find an active ingredient index that will give you information on precautions, how it works, and possible adverse effects, including effects on wildlife. There is also a list of less toxic alternatives that is quite useful. When you are ready to dispose of your old pesticides, fertilizers, and other household chemicals, you can find a drop off site by searching “Household Hazardous Waste + (your county)”. Alternatively, your waste management company’s website should also have this information. Q. What rodenticides are least likely to harm wildlife? We have a terrible rat problem, but I don’t want to hurt the local predators. Realistically, there are no rodenticides that are completely safe for non-target species like owls, bobcats and coyotes. Poisons such as brodifacoum, bromadiolone, and difethialone are single-dose rodenticides. These poisons kill quickly, usually within a day of ingestion. Once eaten, the drug is stored in the liver and prevents blood clotting. Since these drugs are not excreted before the rodent dies, predators and scavengers can be poisoned. If you have any of these rodenticides, please dispose of them properly and do not use them. Older poisons such as warfarin, chlorophacinone, and diphacinone are multiple-dose rodenticides. These are generally considered to be less harmful to wildlife but can cause problems if a predator or scavenger consumes multiple rodents that have been poisoned. To minimize the risk of secondary poisoning to wildlife or pets, follow the instructions on the label closely. Promptly remove and dispose of any dead rodents by sealing in a plastic bag and disposing in a secure trash container. Don’t handle dead rodents with bare hands. Buried rodents can be exhumed by dogs or coyotes. If possible, find other ways to kill rodents. I prefer the electrocution-type traps since they are humane and easy to use. Never use sticky traps outdoors since they are more likely to catch non-target animals and are inhumane. For more information on rat control, see ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/rats/pest-notes/#gsc.tab=0 Related ArticlesNeha Sharma , known for movies like Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 and Crook, caught media attention after being spotted walking with a mystery man. The pictures and videos from their alleged date went viral on social media platforms, leading to rumours regarding their relationship status. Who is this man? Is Neha Sharma dating this guy? The former Chennaiyin forward Petar Sliskovic was spotted with Neha Sharma in Mumbai. He chose a casual t-shirt along with black trousers and Neha opted for a stylish black dress. A post shared by Voompla (@voompla) One of the users wrote, "She chose a hot and good-looking guy." Another user asked, "Is Neha Sharma dating this guy?" The third user commented, "They do look good together, why lie?" Also Read: Neha Sharma Points Inappropriate Camera Angles By Paparazzi, Says 'You Lose Freedom To Dress The Way You Want... ' Who Is Petar Sliskovic? Petar Sliskovic, a 33-year-old Croatian football prodigy who was born in Bosnia, has established himself as a strong striker. After starting with the German team Mainz 05 in 2011, he went on to play for St. Pauli and Dynamo Dresden. Having played in the Indian Super League (ISL) for Chennaiyin FC and, most recently, Jamshedpur FC, Sliskovic has also made a lasting impression on Indian football. A post shared by Petar Sliskovic (@sliskovic.petar) Neha has always kept her love life private, even though she and her sister Aisha Sharma frequently post peeks at their lives on social media. Fans and the media are talking about the potential relationship, even though Neha has not responded to the rumours. Also Read: Take Beachwear Inspiration From Neha Sharma For Your Next Vacation A post shared by Neha Sharma 💫 (@nehasharmaofficial)

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LIVING ON THE EDGE: Do the Ottawa Senators need Brady Tkachuk to tone down his emotion?A late-game rally derailed by a missed field goal and Cowboys stun Commanders 34-26

The SEC Offensive Player of the Year announced on social media his intention Friday to leave after his junior season. He helped the seventh-ranked Vols go 10-3 with a first-round loss in the College Football Playoff where Sampson was limited by an injured hamstring. Sampson thanked his family, Tennessee coaches and fans, saying he learned so much and had the chance to be part of something special. Tennessee went 3-7 in 2020, and he leaves with the Vols having won 30 games over his three seasons. “I poured my heart and soul into this program and this community,” Sampson wrote. “With that being said, I will be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.” Sampson set a school record running for 1,491 yards. He also set a program record with a league-best 22 rushing touchdowns, breaking a mark that had stood for 95 years. He was part of coach Josh Heupel's first full signing class in December 2021 out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He also set school records for total touchdowns scored (22), points scored (132) and consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (11). He led the SEC in nine different categories, including rushing attempts (258), rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, 100-yard rushing games with 10, averaging 114.7 yards rushing per game, points scored, points per game (10.2), all-purpose yards (1,638) and all-purpose yards per game (126.0). He finished this season tied for fifth all-time in the SEC ranks for rushing TDs in a single season with Leonard Fournette of LSU. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Seibert, who missed the previous two games with a right hip injury, was wide left on the point-after attempt following a low snap. Thomas then took the kick back 43 yards as the Cowboys (4-7) ended their losing streak at five in improbable fashion. Part of that was the play of backup Cooper Rush, who threw for 247 yards and two TDs in his third start in place of starter Dak Prescott. Part was also the defense forcing two turnovers, as Chauncey Golston ripped the ball out of Brian Robinson Jr.’s hands for what was called an interception of Daniels in the second quarter, and Donovan Wilson stripped John Bates midway through the fourth. KaVonte Turpin provided the fireworks with a spinning, 99-yard kickoff return TD seconds after Daniels found Zach Ertz in the end zone and scored on a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three with 3:02 left. In the final three minutes alone, the Commanders (7-5) scored 10 points and allowed Thomas’ TD. All that after the score was 10-9 through three quarters before madness ensued. CHIEFS 30, PANTHERS 27 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns , Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired and Kansas City beat Carolina to reach double-digit wins for the 10th straight season. Noah Gray caught two TD passes as the Chiefs (10-1) bounced back from last week’s 30-21 loss at Buffalo and won at the buzzer yet again in a season of narrow escapes. DeAndre Hopkins also had a touchdown catch for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, who scored on their first five possessions. Bryce Young finished 21 of 35 for 262 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers (3-8), who had their two-game winning streak snapped. David Moore had six receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. Trailing 27-19, Young completed a fourth-down pass to Adam Thielen to move the chains, then went deep for the veteran receiver, who drew a pass-interference penalty on Chamarri Conner. That set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard. LIONS 24, COLTS 6 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for two scores and David Montgomery added a third touchdown run, leading Detroit to a victory over Indianapolis. Gibbs finished with 21 carries for 90 yards as the Lions (10-1) extended their league-high winning streak to nine straight. Detroit has its been 11-game record since the franchise’s inaugural season in 1934. Jared Goff continued his sensational season, too, completing 26 of 36 throws for 269 yards. The Colts (5-7) lost their second straight home game and for the fourth time in their past five games. Anthony Richardson was 11 of 28 with 172 yards while rushing 10 times for 61 yards. While Indy managed to hold the NFL’s highest-scoring offense largely in check Sunday, it was doomed by its inability to finish drives with touchdowns. BUCCANEERS 30, GIANTS 7 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Baker Mayfield catapulted into the end zone on a spectacular 10-yard scramble for one of Tampa Bay’s four rushing touchdowns, and the Buccaneers beat the Giants and new starting quarterback Tommy DeVito, snapping a four-game losing streak and extending New York’s skid to six. The Giants’ decisions this week to bench and then release quarterback Daniel Jones did nothing to help the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense. DeVito threw for 189 yards, mostly in the second half with New York well on its way to its sixth straight loss at home, where it is winless. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers dominated in every phase in a near-perfect perfect performance that featured TD runs of 1 yard by Sean Tucker, 6 yards by Bucky Irving and 1 yard by Rachaad White. After recent losses to the Ravens, 49ers and Chiefs, Tampa Bay (5-6) moved within one game of idle Atlanta in the NFC South. Tampa Bay scored on five of its on first six possessions to open a 30-0 lead, and none was more exciting than Mayfield’s TD run with 12 seconds left in the first half. On a second-and-goal from the 10, he avoided pressure and went for the end zone. He was hit by Cor’Dale Flott low and Dru Phillips high around the 2-yard line, and he was airborne when he crossed the goal line. The ball came loose when he hit the turf but he jumped up and flexed — seemingly mocking DeVito’s go-to celebration — as the Bucs took a 23-0 lead. DOLPHINS 34, PATRIOTS 15 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores to running back De’Von Achane, and Miami routed New England. The Dolphins (5-6) have a thin margin for error the rest of the season but have kept themselves afloat with a three-game winning streak. With their win at New England (3-9) in Week 5, the Dolphins have swept their division rivals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. Tagovailoa, who moved to 7-0 in his career against New England, entered the game with a league-high 73.4% completion rate and went 29 for 40. Backup Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa with about 11 minutes left in what was already a blowout, but a bad handoff on his first play resulted in a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Christian Gonzalez and returned 63 yards for a touchdown. It cut New England’s deficit to 31-15, and Tagovailoa returned the next drive. TITANS 32, TEXANS 27 HOUSTON (AP) — Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter and the Titans held on for a win over the Texans. Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled for the touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 91⁄2 minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield. The Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field. Titans coach Brian Callahan held both hands in the air and smiled after watching the miss that allowed his team to win on a day it had three turnovers. The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked C.J. Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid. VIKINGS 30, BEARS 27, OT CHICAGO (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up Parker Romo’s game-ending 29-yard field goal , and Minnesota outlasted Chicago after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation. Darnold threw two touchdown passes, Jordan Addison caught eight passes for a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown, and T.J. Hockenson had 114 yards receiving for the Vikings (9-2), who remained one game behind Detroit in the rugged NFC North. Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (4-7), who lost their fifth straight. Minnesota appeared to have the game in hand, leading 27-16 with 1:56 left after Romo kicked a 26-yard field goal. But the Bears weren’t finished. Deandre Carter made up for a muffed punt that led to a touchdown in the third quarter with a 55-yard kickoff return to the 40. Williams took it from there, capping an eight-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. A 2-point conversion pass to DJ Moore made it 27-24 with 22 seconds remaining. The Bears recovered the onside kick and Williams hit Moore over the middle for a 27-yard gain to the 30 before spiking the ball. Cairo Santos made a 48-yard field goal as time expired.Syria’s Assad: the president who led a bloody crackdown

Countdown to the end of SRD grant: All the payment dates until March 2025White House official says Pakistan long-range missiles can target USLionel Messi wins MLS MVP award, the latest trophy on a long list of honors for the Inter Miami star FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi is the MVP of Major League Soccer for 2024. The award comes after a season where he missed 15 of Inter Miami’s 34 regular-season matches with injuries or commitments to Argentina’s national team. He still factored into a league-high 36 goals by scoring 20 and assisting on 16 others. His 2.1 goal contributions per 90 minutes played is the best by any player in any season in MLS history. MLS revealed the voting results Friday. Messi edged out Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernández for the award, which is determined by a poll of players, club technical staff and select media members. NFL ends investigation into sexual assault allegations against Browns QB Deshaun Watson CLEVELAND (AP) — The NFL has closed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. The league has been reviewing the case for months, trying to determine whether Watson should be punished. League spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email that "there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy.” Watson, who served an 11-game suspension in 2022, was accused of assault by a woman in September. She was seeking more than $1 million in damage before the sides reached a confidential settlement. Watson has played in just 19 games over three seasons for the Browns. NBA returning to China for pair of Suns-Nets preseason games in 2025 The NBA is returning to China next season. The league has struck a deal to play preseason games there more than five years after the league was effectively banned for Commissioner Adam Silver not punishing Daryl Morey for tweeting support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. Brooklyn and Phoenix will play games in China’s gambling hub of Macao on Oct. 10, 2025, and again two days later. There are more games planned for China in 2026, a source told The Associated Press. American ski racer Lindsey Vonn is picking up speed in her comeback bid at 40 years old COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — American ski racer Lindsey Vonn darted through the shadows on the speed course at Copper Mountain on a frigid morning. She was on the hill Friday as she tries to make a comeback to skiing nearly six years after her last race. Vonn plans to enter a series of lower-tier FIS downhill and super-G races this weekend at Copper Mountain, Colorado. It could be the first step toward seeing her on the World Cup circuit again. NFL's next coaching cycle will feature an impressive list of candidates: Analysis The next NFL coaching cycle will feature an impressive list of candidates ranging from proven champions to up-and-coming coordinators. Six-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick heads the list of recognizable names that includes 2021 AP Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Buccaneers OC Liam Cohen, Bills OC Joe Brady and Eagles OC Kellen Moore are among a lengthy list of young offensive-minded coaches who will garner plenty of interest. Hall of Famer Randy Moss is stepping away from ESPN for an extended time to deal with health issue Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss is stepping away from his ESPN analyst role for an extended time to focus on a personal health challenge, the network said in a statement. Moss revealed last week that he’s dealing with a health issue and asked fans to pray for him and his family. The 47-year-old ESPN football analyst made his announcement on Instagram from the set of the network’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” show. He directed his message to men and urged them to get checkups and bloodwork done, without specifying any particular illness. No Bevo? SEC tells Texas there's no room for its 1,700-pound longhorn at title game vs. Georgia ATLANTA (AP) — The Southeastern Conference championship game will not feature another mascot showdown. The league says there's not enough space on the sideline at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for No. 2 Texas to bring along its 1,700-pound longhorn Bevo XV for the game against No. 5 Georgia. The teams have two of college football’s most famous mascots. There should be enough sideline space for Georgia’s pure white English bulldog, Uga XI. Before the 2019 Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, Bevo XV toppled his barrier and began to charge at Uga X. Texas handlers were able to pull Bevo back before any harm. The Big Ten and SEC are set to gobble up CFP bids. That could squeeze the ACC and other leagues The Big Ten and Southeastern conferences are set to gobble up the majority of the bids to the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. That could squeeze the Atlantic Coast Conference and other leagues trying to maintain their footing. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips told The Associated Press he wants clarity on the process that put two-loss Miami behind three-loss Alabama in the latest rankings. Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said she wouldn't support future changes for guaranteed numbers of bids to power conferences. The Mountain West is set to have its champion in the playoff as a Group of Five winner. F1 champion Max Verstappen to become first-time father with girlfriend Kelly Piquet ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen is set to become a father for the first time with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet. There’s racing heritage on both sides of the family. Verstappen secured his fourth F1 title last month and Kelly’s father Nelson Piquet was a three-time champion in the 1980s. Verstappen says on Instagram that "we couldn’t be happier with our little miracle.” Verstappen is aiming to win his 10th F1 race of the year at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. Practice gets underway later. Anaheim Ducks acquire Rangers captain Jacob Trouba in trade for Vaakanainen, draft pick ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks have acquired New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba in a trade for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a future fourth-round pick. The trade ends Trouba’s tenure with the Rangers, who acquired the 30-year-old defenseman in a trade with Winnipeg in 2019. He became New York’s captain before the 2022-23 season. Trouba will immediately become a key contributor on the blue line for the Ducks, who are in last place in the Pacific Division. He will also play alongside Anaheim forwards Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano, his teammates with the Rangers during the club’s run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2022.

Lionel Messi wins MLS MVP award, the latest trophy on a long list of honors for the Inter Miami star FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi is the MVP of Major League Soccer for 2024. The award comes after a season where he missed 15 of Inter Miami’s 34 regular-season matches with injuries or commitments to Argentina’s national team. He still factored into a league-high 36 goals by scoring 20 and assisting on 16 others. His 2.1 goal contributions per 90 minutes played is the best by any player in any season in MLS history. MLS revealed the voting results Friday. Messi edged out Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernández for the award, which is determined by a poll of players, club technical staff and select media members. NFL ends investigation into sexual assault allegations against Browns QB Deshaun Watson CLEVELAND (AP) — The NFL has closed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. The league has been reviewing the case for months, trying to determine whether Watson should be punished. League spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email that "there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy.” Watson, who served an 11-game suspension in 2022, was accused of assault by a woman in September. She was seeking more than $1 million in damage before the sides reached a confidential settlement. Watson has played in just 19 games over three seasons for the Browns. NBA returning to China for pair of Suns-Nets preseason games in 2025 The NBA is returning to China next season. The league has struck a deal to play preseason games there more than five years after the league was effectively banned for Commissioner Adam Silver not punishing Daryl Morey for tweeting support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. Brooklyn and Phoenix will play games in China’s gambling hub of Macao on Oct. 10, 2025, and again two days later. There are more games planned for China in 2026, a source told The Associated Press. American ski racer Lindsey Vonn is picking up speed in her comeback bid at 40 years old COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — American ski racer Lindsey Vonn darted through the shadows on the speed course at Copper Mountain on a frigid morning. She was on the hill Friday as she tries to make a comeback to skiing nearly six years after her last race. Vonn plans to enter a series of lower-tier FIS downhill and super-G races this weekend at Copper Mountain, Colorado. It could be the first step toward seeing her on the World Cup circuit again. NFL's next coaching cycle will feature an impressive list of candidates: Analysis The next NFL coaching cycle will feature an impressive list of candidates ranging from proven champions to up-and-coming coordinators. Six-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick heads the list of recognizable names that includes 2021 AP Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Buccaneers OC Liam Cohen, Bills OC Joe Brady and Eagles OC Kellen Moore are among a lengthy list of young offensive-minded coaches who will garner plenty of interest. Hall of Famer Randy Moss is stepping away from ESPN for an extended time to deal with health issue Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss is stepping away from his ESPN analyst role for an extended time to focus on a personal health challenge, the network said in a statement. Moss revealed last week that he’s dealing with a health issue and asked fans to pray for him and his family. The 47-year-old ESPN football analyst made his announcement on Instagram from the set of the network’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” show. He directed his message to men and urged them to get checkups and bloodwork done, without specifying any particular illness. No Bevo? SEC tells Texas there's no room for its 1,700-pound longhorn at title game vs. Georgia ATLANTA (AP) — The Southeastern Conference championship game will not feature another mascot showdown. The league says there's not enough space on the sideline at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for No. 2 Texas to bring along its 1,700-pound longhorn Bevo XV for the game against No. 5 Georgia. The teams have two of college football’s most famous mascots. There should be enough sideline space for Georgia’s pure white English bulldog, Uga XI. Before the 2019 Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, Bevo XV toppled his barrier and began to charge at Uga X. Texas handlers were able to pull Bevo back before any harm. The Big Ten and SEC are set to gobble up CFP bids. That could squeeze the ACC and other leagues The Big Ten and Southeastern conferences are set to gobble up the majority of the bids to the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. That could squeeze the Atlantic Coast Conference and other leagues trying to maintain their footing. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips told The Associated Press he wants clarity on the process that put two-loss Miami behind three-loss Alabama in the latest rankings. Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said she wouldn't support future changes for guaranteed numbers of bids to power conferences. The Mountain West is set to have its champion in the playoff as a Group of Five winner. F1 champion Max Verstappen to become first-time father with girlfriend Kelly Piquet ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen is set to become a father for the first time with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet. There’s racing heritage on both sides of the family. Verstappen secured his fourth F1 title last month and Kelly’s father Nelson Piquet was a three-time champion in the 1980s. Verstappen says on Instagram that "we couldn’t be happier with our little miracle.” Verstappen is aiming to win his 10th F1 race of the year at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. Practice gets underway later. Anaheim Ducks acquire Rangers captain Jacob Trouba in trade for Vaakanainen, draft pick ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks have acquired New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba in a trade for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a future fourth-round pick. The trade ends Trouba’s tenure with the Rangers, who acquired the 30-year-old defenseman in a trade with Winnipeg in 2019. He became New York’s captain before the 2022-23 season. Trouba will immediately become a key contributor on the blue line for the Ducks, who are in last place in the Pacific Division. He will also play alongside Anaheim forwards Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano, his teammates with the Rangers during the club’s run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2022.Decoding military trials It is essential to focus on judicial reforms to strengthen the country’s regular criminal justice system Army troops stand guard in the "red zone" after the arrest of former PM Imran Khan. — AFP/File Military tribunals have long been utilised to decide cases involving civilians in many nations, particularly during periods such as the First and Second World Wars, as well as across ancient, medieval, post-colonial, and contemporary eras. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); Civilians are occasionally and under special circumstances subject to military laws in a number of countries, including Pakistan, Argentina, Israel, Turkey, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Mali, Lebanon, Malaysia, Russia, Iran, India, Cuba, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Bahrain, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Philippines, Syria, Yemen, Bangladesh, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. However, these nations have distinct legal systems and procedures compared to Pakistan. Therefore, the phenomenon of military trials of civilians is not unique to Pakistan, especially when judicial oversight is provided against such sentences through the constitutional jurisdiction of the high courts and Supreme Court of Pakistan. The first laws establishing military tribunals to discipline Pakistani military personnel were the Pakistan Army Act of 1952, the Pakistan Air Force Act of 1953, and the Pakistan Navy Ordinance of 1961. Nonetheless, certain clauses and situations allow civilians to also fall under the purview of military law. The Defence Services Laws Amendment Ordinance, 1967 (3 of 1967), made significant changes to Sections 2(d)(1) and 2(d)(2) of the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act, 1923. As a result, civilians accused of offences such as attempting to deceive military personnel out of their duties or committing crimes under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, in connection with defence establishments, arsenals, or military affairs, could be tried under military law. However, such trials require federal government authorisation under the Army Act of 1952, and military courts must rigorously follow the standard procedures outlined in the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984. In Brig (r) F B Ali’s case, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, for the first time, thoroughly examined the legality and constitutionality of civilian trials by military courts. It concluded that a civilian ordinarily subject to the nation’s ordinary laws could be tried by a military court if they committed a crime under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and the Pakistan Army Act. The court carefully reviewed Ordinance No 3 of 1967 and the amendments made to the Pakistan Army Act, considering the fundamental rights protected under the constitution of Pakistan. It determined that such trials did not violate due process, the concept of a fair trial, or any fundamental rights granted under the constitution. In Mushtaq Ahmad v Secretary Ministry of Defence (PLD 2007 SC 405), the Supreme Court reaffirmed the principles established in the F B Ali case. The court held that if a civilian was found guilty of attempting to seduce or seducing a member of the Pakistani armed forces from their allegiance to the government or violating the Official Secrets Act, 1923, they would not be punished under Section 131 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Instead, they would be tried under the provisions of the Pakistan Army Act, 1952. The 21st Amendment, passed unanimously by the parliament of Pakistan in 2015 following the Army Public School attack, further reiterated the provisions for military trials of civilians under specific circumstances. This amendment, along with laws like the Protection of Pakistan Act, 2014, introduced significant changes to the Pakistan Army Act, Pakistan Air Force Act, and Pakistan Navy Ordinance to address exceptional situations related to terrorism and national security. The Supreme Court, in its majority verdict, upheld the constitutional validity of the 21st Amendment and related laws, ruling that parliament was within its rights to enact these provisions under Article 239 of the constitution. In the 1995 Sahida Abbasi case and later in Said Zaman Khan v Federation of Pakistan (2017 SCMR 1249), the Supreme Court reiterated that civilians who engage in acts against the Pakistan Army, such as participating in attacks, could be tried under the Pakistan Army Act due to the provisions of Section 59(4). The court declared that the Army Act could apply to civilians under specific circumstances and noted that the fundamental right to a fair trial under Article 10-A of the constitution was not violated by such trials. In its 2015 judgment on the 21st Amendment, the court further emphasised that civilian trials in military courts did not contravene Article 10-A or other constitutional rights. Since 1972, the military courts in Pakistan have tried 1875 civilians on commission of offences under the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act. Of those, 180 civilians were tried by the military courts from 2018 to 2022 during the PTI government’s tenure. Many of these convictions have been challenged before the superior courts, and some cases remain pending. However, neither parliament nor the Supreme Court has revoked or struck down the 1967 amendments to the Pakistan Army Act. The Supreme Court’s October 23, 2023, judgment regarding these amendments was suspended by its appellate bench in December 2023, leaving the amendments intact. It is noteworthy that the trial of civilians by military courts on violations of military laws has rarely been a subject of controversy in Pakistan since 1975. Political parties and their leaders have often supported such trials in military courts when necessary. No foreign government has previously raised concerns about these military trials under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952. After a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) issues a judgment, the accused has the right to appeal under the Pakistan Army Act. Aggrieved individuals can then challenge the sentence before the high court under Article 199 of the constitution and subsequently before the Supreme Court under Article 185. A final review can be sought under Article 188 of the constitution. While the existing legal framework allows for the trial of civilians under military laws, there is an urgent need for judicial reforms to strengthen the regular criminal justice system. Recent statements by the US, EU and the UK’s Foreign Office criticising the military trials of civilians in Pakistan, particularly after the announcement of sentences for 25 individuals following the Supreme Court’s December 13, 2024, order, appear to be unwarranted. These remarks seem to be aimed at public optics and constitute interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs. Pakistan’s constitution and laws have permitted such trials since 1967. The Supreme Court of Pakistan, in its 1975 judgment and subsequent rulings, has thoroughly examined and addressed these concerns. It consistently held that military trials of civilians under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, and the Official Secrets Act, 1923, are not violations of fundamental rights, due process, or transparency, nor do they contravene the concept of a fair trial. The Supreme Court of Pakistan serves as the ultimate arbiter in the country’s constitutional and judicial system. The issue of civilian trials by military courts is still pending before the Supreme Court, with a final verdict expected in January 2025. This decision will address all constitutional and legal aspects and will be binding on all state institutions. Premature statements criticising these trials, while the matter remains sub judice, are unwarranted. Any sentences recently announced by military courts will also be subject to the Supreme Court’s final decision. While Pakistan’s legal framework permits civilian trials under military laws in specific circumstances, it is essential to focus on judicial reforms to strengthen the country’s regular criminal justice system. Such reforms would ensure the efficient and transparent administration of justice while maintaining public confidence in rule of law. The writer is a practising advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan with 25 years of legal standing. He can be reached at: hafizahsaan47@gmail.com

Sam Darnold has played most of his football on either the East or West Coast. After staying home to play his college ball at Southern California, Darnold spent his first three NFL seasons with the New York Jets before stints in Carolina and San Francisco. Now that he's in the Upper Midwest, the veteran quarterback has a much better appreciation of the rivalry between his Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers. The NFC North foes will battle Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. "It's the whole entire NFC North, man," Darnold said. "It's an incredible kind of rivalries or bitterness, I guess you could say. It's awesome to be able to run into Packers fans. I'm not going to lie, they're nice and everything, but when you start to talk about football, they're not shy about speaking their mind about who they think the better team is. "It's just fun, man. It makes everything more fun, makes the game more fun. That's the reason we play." Along with the traditional bragging rights between the border rivals, Sunday's matchup also holds significant playoff implications for the Vikings (13-2) and Packers (11-4), though both teams already have clinched a spot in the postseason. Minnesota is tied with the Detroit Lions for the top spot in the division with two games to play, though the Lions hold the tiebreaker by virtue of their 31-29 win at the Vikings in Week 7. Green Bay could end up with the No. 5, 6 or 7 seed as a wild-card team, and Sunday's outcome will go a long way toward determining its playoff positioning. "We're playing for something," said Packers running back Josh Jacobs, who leads Green Bay's ground attack with 1,216 yards and 13 scores. Jacobs ran for 69 yards and a touchdown in the Packers' 34-0 home win over New Orleans on Monday night. Quarterback Jordan Love threw for 182 yards and a score without committing a turnover for Green Bay in its second straight win. Love has passed for 3,135 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions over his 13 starts this season, good for a 97.8 passer rating. Jayden Reed has a team-high 52 catches for 803 yards and six touchdowns. Christian Watson is next with 29 catches for 620 yards and two TDs. "What's really cool is you are getting contributions from a lot of different people," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. "I think that is usually the mark of a good team. "You have to stay healthy and continue to build on what you've done. I love the energy of our group. Our guys show up ready to work, willing to work every day, and we have to continue to push one another to be at our best because this is the time when you need to be playing your best ball." Minnesota is going for its ninth straight win. The Vikings' only other loss besides Detroit came four days later, a 30-20 Thursday night setback at the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8. Darnold has powered Minnesota with 3,776 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 starts. He has posted a 105.4 passer rating in his first season with the team. Former Green Bay star Aaron Jones is Minnesota's top running back with 1,046 yards and five TDs. Justin Jefferson is Darnold's top target with 92 receptions for 1,387 yards and 10 touchdowns. No. 2 receiver Jordan Addison has 56 catches for 806 yards and eight scores. Packers top cornerback Jaire Alexander is dealing with a knee injury that could keep him out of Sunday's contest. While he may not match up against one of the league's premier defenders in Alexander, Jefferson remains motivated for the divisional clash. "I love any competition regardless of if it's Green Bay or I'm playing the No. 1 corner in the league," Jefferson said. "I'm always going to prepare to go out there and play my best regardless of who's out there. I always say I love these types of games, the games that you really need, the games that are exciting for everyone to watch." Alexander was limited in Green Bay's practice Thursday, as were safety Javon Bullard (ankle), tackle Andre Dillard (concussion), linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper (ankle) and tight ends Tucker Kraft (hip) and Luke Musgrave (ankle). Guard Elgton Jenkins (knee), linebacker Quay Walker (ankle), safety Evan Williams (quad) and Watson (knee) sat out Thursday's session. The Vikings were fully healthy for Thursday's practice aside from cornerback Fabian Moreau, who has not practiced all week due to a hip injury. This will be the final regular-season meeting between the rivals. Minnesota jumped ahead of host Green Bay 28-0 before holding on 31-29 on Sept. 29. --Field Level MediaHe left office in a stunning landslide defeat after a single term as the nation’s 39th president. But Jimmy Carter wasn’t done yet. Instead of withdrawing quietly from public life as most former presidents have, James Earl Carter Jr. went to work. As a champion for democracy, human rights, public health and housing the poor, he has been credited widely, even from critics of his bumpy time in office, for producing the nation’s “best post-presidency.” It certainly has been the longest. Jimmy Carter died Sunday in his home in Plains, Georgia, The Associated Press reported Sunday. He was 100 years old. When the Carter Presidential Center at Emory University in Atlanta announced back on Feb. 18, 2023, that he was in home hospice care, the then-98-year-old was the nation’s oldest living, longest-lived and longest-married president — and with the longest post-presidency. His beloved wife, Rosalynn, died on Nov. 19 and, after Carter’s long stay on this earth even after that February announcement, many Americans are hoping that this famously loving couple now will be reunited. “I am a farmer, an engineer, a businessman, a planner, a scientist, a governor and a Christian,” he said in announcing his candidacy for the presidency in December 1974. The times were right for Carter. He ran as an outsider, a little-known moderate and former Georgia governor against a crowded field of Democratic hopefuls hoping to take advantage of the public’s desire for change after the Watergate scandal. A fiscally conservative former naval officer who taught Sunday school and was a critic of abortion, Carter seemed to be just what the party needed — and it worked. Carter’s acceptance speech to the Democratic National Convention touched all the right buttons, even quoting Bob Dylan. It was like a revival sermon for a new generation of post-Vietnam voters, offering comfort for the party’s mostly Southern moderates and encouragement for Black voters, encouraged by Carter’s support from the family of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders. But, after his election, the honeymoon didn’t last long. Carter repeatedly had problems working with Congress, even though his party held control of both houses. He even ran into such a bitter dispute with Sen. Ted Kennedy over the Massachusetts Democrat’s proposed national health insurance plan that it led to Kennedy’s challenging Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries. Kennedy lost that nomination battle, but the fight left the party more divided and contributed to Carter’s landslide defeat by Ronald Reagan. What went wrong? Carter’s rejection of business-as-usual politics made Watergate-weary voters roar with approval. But his fierce independence of mind and spirit, despite his calm and thoughtful demeanor, turned into a liability as he tried to work with Congress, even in those days when it was dominated by his fellow partisans. But that independence of mind and spirit proved to be better suited to his post-presidency. He went to dozens of countries on teams of election monitors. He often wielded a hammer on Habitat for Humanity projects. He wrote a shelf of books, fiction as well as nonfiction. He taught Sunday school. He greeted many surprised Americans on airplanes with a warm smile. Carter helped negotiate a 1994 agreement that suspended North Korea’s nuclear weapons program (a deal that collapsed in 2002). The Carter Center, which he set up in 1982 in conjunction with Emory University to promote democracy, combat disease and resolve conflicts, helped win him a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He didn’t shy away from taking provocative positions — as in 2006, when he accused Israel of inflicting “a system of apartheid” on Palestinians. Nor was he reluctant to criticize his successors, including Democratic ones: He faulted Barack Obama for failing to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and waiting “too long” to confront the security threat posed by the Islamic State group in 2014. Carter didn’t mind if he ruffled feathers as long as he was advancing his principles. Historian Lewis Gould quoted “a prominent politician” who said, “Carter reminds me of a South Georgia turtle. He doesn’t go around a log. He just sticks his head in the middle and pushes and pushes until the log gives way.” Often, the log did. Elected in 1976 as a refreshing contrast to the ruthless, cynical Richard Nixon and the pleasant but underwhelming career pol Gerald Ford, Carter eventually saw his approval rating plummet and got only 41 percent of the vote in his reelection campaign against Reagan. Democratic candidates are fond of invoking the achievements of Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy and Franklin Roosevelt. They rarely mention Carter. That’s not surprising, given the turmoil and dysfunction that characterized the late 1970s. The economy was a never-ending nightmare: Carter presided over double-digit inflation, record interest rates, a recession and a gasoline shortage. While in office, he showed little capacity to inspire most citizens the way he inspired his nominating convention. He had trouble working with Congress despite enjoying Democratic control of both houses. In 1980, a campaign adviser wrote in a memo, “The public is now convinced that Jimmy Carter is an inept man.” His overt Baptist faith and professions of integrity — “I will never lie to you,” he promised in 1976 — sometimes came across as self-righteous. On the foreign front, things were no better. The Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 despite his efforts to improve relations with Moscow, and critics blamed his defense cuts for emboldening the Kremlin. But nothing compared with the humiliation when Iranians invaded the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage. When Carter ordered a military rescue, its failure became a symbol of his alleged incompetence. On the other hand, his presidency hardly was devoid of achievements. His herculean efforts helped bring about a historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt — effectively assuring the survival of the Jewish state by neutralizing its most formidable enemy. He named Paul Volcker head of the Federal Reserve, and Volcker took the painful steps that vanquished inflation. They are familiar these days. But Carter was undoubtedly a better ex-president than president. Just one accomplishment would warrant his inclusion in the history books: the near-eradication of the Guinea worm, a nasty parasite that once afflicted millions in Africa and is now almost unknown, thanks to a two-decade-old campaign led by the Carter Center. Jimmy Carter didn’t always have the right formula for making the world a better place. But to his eternal credit, he never stopped trying. ___ c2024 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and the Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC’s No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the unraveling and undisciplined New York Jets on Sunday. The Bills put the game away by capitalizing on two Jets turnovers and scoring three touchdowns over a 5:01 span in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Buffalo’s defense forced three takeaways overall and sacked Aaron Rodgers four times, including a 2-yard loss for a safety in the second quarter. Allen had a short and efficient outing, finishing 16 of 27 for 182 yards with a 30-yard TD pass to Amari Cooper and a 14-yarder to Keon Coleman before giving way to backup Mitchell Trubisky with Buffalo leading 33-0 through three quarters. And Trubisky piled on by completing a 69-yard touchdown pass to practice squad call-up Tyrell Shavers 2:23 into the fourth quarter. Allen’s two-TD passing outing was the 64th of his career to match Peyton Manning for the third most in a player’s first seven NFL seasons. Patrick Mahomes holds the record with 67 two-TD outings in that span, followed by Dan Marino’s 65. Allen also became the NFL’s first player with five consecutive 40-TD seasons, while his 1-yard score was the 65th rushing TD of his career, matching the team record held by Thurman Thomas. The five-time defending AFC East champion Bills improved to 13-3 to match a franchise single-season record, and will open the playoffs hosting the conference’s seventh-seeded team in two weeks. The outing was a meltdown for Rodgers and the Jets (4-12), who will finish with five or fewer wins for the seventh time over a 14-season playoff drought — the NFL’s longest active streak. Rodgers, who entered the game with 499 career TD passes and looking to become just the fifth player to reach 500, instead was shut out and replaced by Tyrod Taylor with 12:37 remaining. Discipline was an issue for a Jets team that fell to 2-9 since Jeff Ulbrich took over as interim coach. New York finished with 16 accepted penalties for 120 yards. Taylor accounted for New York’s only points with a 9-yard TD pass to Garrett Wilson and a 20-yarder to Tyler Conklin in a game played in blustery, unseasonably warm conditions, with temperatures in the mid-50s Farenheit (10 Celsius) and winds gusting up to 35 mph (56 kmph). Rodgers finished 12 of 18 for 112 yards with two interceptions after entering the game having thrown only one in his past eight outings. He was also sacked four times, pushing his career total to 568, moving ahead of Tom Brady (565) and into first place on the NFL list. The outing became a comedy of errors for the Jets. Trailing 7-0 after Allen’s 1-yard run, New York’s three possession of the first half ended with turning the ball over on downs Buffalo’s 24; Rodgers being intercepted at his own 17 by defensive tackle Jordan Phillips ; and being sacked for a safety by A.J. Epenesa. The bottom fell out to close the third quarter when Rodgers’ being intercepted by Christian Benford led to Cooper’s leaping TD grab put Buffalo up 19-0. James Cook scored on a 1-yard run on Buffalo’s next possession with 1:15 left, and Coleman’s touchdown with 12 seconds left in the third was set up after Wilson lost a fumble. Home cooking The Bills finished their third season with a perfect record, and first since 1990, by going 8-0 at home. They've won 11 straight regular-season home games dating to last season since dropping a 24-22 decision to Denver on Nov. 13. Injuries Jets CB Sauce Gardner aggravated a hamstring injury in the first half and was ruled out in the third quarter. Up next Jets: Close the season hosting the Miami Dolphins. Bills: Play their regular-season finale at the New England Patriots. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflA late-game rally derailed by a missed field goal and Cowboys stun Commanders 34-26

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The NBA season is in full swing, and some teams are approaching the 20-game mark. For the Los Angeles Clippers, they played their 18th game of the season Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Clippers have been playing some great basketball, and this is all without their superstar forward, Kawhi Leonard. Leonard has yet to play this season, and with the Clippers playing their 18th game, that makes Leonard ineligible for any NBA awards this season. Kawhi has officially missed 18 games this season that will put him under the 65-game requirement for a NBA award 🚫🏆 pic.twitter.com/WNY3MTi47O This means that Leonard will not be eligible to win MVP or make an All-NBA team, All-Star team, or All-Defensive team. Leonard may not have ever won an MVP, with his best chance coming in the 2016-17 season, but he has made six All-NBA teams and seven All-Defensive teams. Leonard has also been named to six All-Stars teams; however, he will not make the All-Star team for the third time in four seasons. Leonard is out due to knee inflammation, and a timetable for his return has not been announced. A month ago, before the start of the season, the Clippers announced that he would be sidelined indefinitely to begin the NBA season as he rehabilitates from inflammation in his right knee. The latest update on Leonard is that he was shooting a little bit but has not yet practiced with the team. As things stand, Leonard did travel with the team on their current four-game road trip that started against the 76ers. Unfortunately, the injury bug is nothing new for the Clippers star. Since signing with them in the summer of 2019, Leonard has appeared in 229 regular-season games. He has been limited to just 28 playoff games. Leonard's time as a Clipper has become filled with ups and downs. His availability is always in question, but when he is on the court, he is among the best players in the league. In four playing seasons in Los Angeles, he has averaged 24.8 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks while shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three in 229 games and 227 starts in 33.6 minutes per game. Leonard has panned out a Hall of Fame-type career for himself, but it's unclear how long he could and would play, considering his long list of lower body injuries. Nonetheless, Leonard and the Clippers' biggest worry is when he will be back on the court this season. At this point, that's still a mystery. More news: 76ers' Paul George to Miss Extended Time With Severe Bone Bruise Injury For the latest Clippers and NBA news, be sure to check out Newsweek Sports .

Sleuths from Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) arrested a fraudster from Chittigarh in Rajasthan for a trading fraud in which a victim lost over Rs 8.14 crore. Police had started investigations based on a complaint received from the trader, a resident of Banjara Hills, filed on October 21. The trader stated that he was induced to join a trading-related WhatsApp group and later persuaded to invest in block trades and IPOs through a fraudulent application. Since August, the victim had transferred Rs 8,14,48,000 to accounts linked to the scam, Shikha Goel, TGCSB director, said in a press release on Sunday. After releasing the fraud the victim reported to the state cybercrime helpline. “We formed special teams and identified the accused through his server as Sharvan Kumar Sharma alias Shravan Kumar Sharma (43) and arrested him from his house in Rajasthan,” Shikha said. During interrogation the accused Sharma revealed that he used to pose as a representative of reputed trading firms and target victims through social media platforms Once the victims join, Sharma and his accomplices conduct online sessions to explain trading strategies and promote fake stock broking applications, she said. They persuade victims to invest in high-yield schemes, such as IPOs and block trades, by promising guaranteed allotments through institutional investor routes, claiming exclusivity and high returns. When victims attempt to withdraw funds, the app displays errors or imposes additional demands such as regulatory fees, inspection charges, or penalties for transaction irregularities. Investigations are underway to uncover the entire network involved in the fraudulent activities. Meanwhile, the bureau has urged the public to remain vigilant against online financial frauds and avoid clicking on unsolicited links or joining unverified investment groups on social media platforms. One can report frauds on the cybercrime helpline 1930.Synagogue Spotlight By Stephen Silver The 2024 presidential election was like no other in history, and CNN’s Dana Bash had a front-row seat for some of its most important moments. Bash, who is CNN’s chief political correspondent and host of both “Inside Politics With Dana Bash” and “State of the Union With Jake Tapper and Dana Bash,” appeared Nov. 14 as part of the Main Line Speaker Series at Main Line Reform Temple-Beth Elohim in Wynnewood. The event filled the synagogue’s sanctuary despite taking place opposite an Eagles Thursday night game. The Main Line Speaker Series launched in 2018, with past speakers including Howie Roseman, Terry Gross, Jon Meacham, former Sen. Al Franken, Michael Smerconish and Doris Kearns Goodwin. The series will next host Adam Grant, the author and organizational psychologist, on April 2. The sponsors of the talk were Tracy and Marc Ginsburg, Amy and Michael Koppelman, Rich and Rachel Lester and Marcy and Tom Wiener. Jeff Jubelirer, a corporate communications expert and Main Line congregant, moderated a Q&A with Bash, in which pre-submitted questions were asked. “When we secured this appearance back in January, we all knew that Dana would deliver an insightful and provocative post-election recap,” Michael Koppelman said while introducing Bash. They didn’t know, however, that Bash would be present for so many key moments of the campaign — nor did they know, he joked, that the Eagles would be playing that night. Bash’s talk was titled, “Post-Election Analysis With Dana Bash.” Bash is Jewish, grew up in northern New Jersey and is the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. She shared in the speech that she was attending a Jewish summer camp visiting day with her son when she got word that Joe Biden was dropping out of the presidential race. “I’m proud of being Jewish, and of how our community has come together,” Bash said during the speech. “I can feel all the Yiddishkeit here.” She added that she appreciates that CNN has allowed her to report on antisemitism, including a 2022 special called, “Rising Hate: Antisemitism in America.” The correspondent also told stories about several of the key moments she was a part of during the 2024 campaign. She and her colleague Tapper — the Jewish Philadelphia-area native — were the moderators for the fateful June presidential debate between Donald Trump and Biden, where Biden’s sluggish performance led to his departure from the race just weeks later. Once Kamala Harris became the Democratic candidate, Bash in late August conducted the first interview with Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz. She also conducted a memorable interview with vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, in mid-September, at the height of the “they’re eating the cats” controversy. Then, in late October, Bash took a reporting trip to the Philadelphia suburbs, not far from the synagogue, where she spoke on camera with both Democratic and Republican groups who were working to turn out the Jewish vote for their respective candidates. Pennsylvania has the largest Jewish population of any of the seven battleground states. Bash and Tapper got the coveted assignment to moderate the June 27 debate in Atlanta, which required a great deal of preparation, including mock debates much like what the candidates do. While the CNN team prepared for what they thought was every possible contingency, “What we didn’t prep for was what happened,” Bash said, of Biden’s candidacy-ending performance. While Trump arrived hours before the start of the debate, Bash shared that President Biden did not arrive in the debate venue until 8:40 p.m., about 20 minutes before the debate began. CNN’s makeup artists didn’t get to work on Biden, she said — disproving conspiracy theories that the network had somehow screwed up Biden’s makeup on purpose. On August 29, Bash — who had interviewed Harris and her Jewish husband, Doug Emhoff, several times over the years — conducted the first interview with Harris and Walz. Among the questions she asked in that interview was what Harris planned to do to achieve a cease-fire in the Israel-Gaza war. Of that October visit to the Philadelphia suburbs, Bash stated she “got out of the studio for one piece,” in which she spoke to representatives of both the Republican Jewish Coalition and the Jewish Democratic Council of America. On that trip, Bash also visited Hymie’s Deli, which was used to film Jewish-focused ads for both candidates. Bash said in the speech that “it’s too early to know how the Jewish vote went down” in the election, although she did state that Rockland County, New York, the most Jewish county in the country by percentage, had a 14-point swing towards Trump. As for the election itself, Bash mostly attributed the result to inflation and the global anti-incumbency fervor that has affected most Western democracies this year, while also referencing the unique coalition that Trump cultivated. After the speech, in a moment that went semi-viral on social media, an activist from the group Code Pink confronted Bash in the sanctuary, stating, “I’m really upset at what I perceive to be a conflation between anti-Zionism and antisemitism,” and accused Bash of “being a mouthpiece for the genocide in Gaza.” Bash responded that she was not there to debate, but that “being anti-Israel, anti-Israeli government, is not antisemitic,” and referenced protesters who have showed up at her home. “You came to a place of Jewish worship, stood on the Bima, near the holy Torah scroll, and pretended to be congregants,” Bash wrote on X, in response to the video. “You have no shame, no decency and no clue what you’re talking about.” In the Q&A period, Bash also struck a defiant tone against the idea that the incoming Trump administration could pressure journalists who are doing their jobs. “Intimidation is not gonna work,” she said. Stephen Silver is a Broomall-based freelance writer. TAGS 2024 election CNN Dana Bash Main Line Reform Temple-Beth Elohim Main Line Speaker Series Wynnewood

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EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is making major changes to auto insurance, including rate hikes and switching to a predominantly no-fault claims model. Under the new system, car accident victims in most cases won’t be able to sue the party responsible for their injury and, instead, insurers would pay compensation at rates set by the government. By cutting down litigation costs, the government estimates that when the new system is in place in 2027, it could lead to savings of up to $400 per year for the average insurance premium. It's also promising better support and benefits for those hurt in collisions. "This is a care-focused system," Smith told a news conference at the legislature Thursday. “Instead of forcing people through complex legal processes in order to get the treatment that they need, the system default will be that those injured in collisions get the care they need to recover." Until the new model kicks in, insurers will be allowed to raise rates for good drivers up to 7.5 per cent each year, starting in January. The government said the hikes will help insurers pay rising legal costs and payouts along with covering off the impacts of natural disasters like hailstorms. The 7.5 per cent cap is more than double the United Conservative government’s rate increase cap of 3.7 per cent, which is set to expire at the end of the year. The province also rolled out some of the details of the new system. Among the changes, crash victims will be able to sue at-fault drivers for pain and suffering if the at-fault driver is convicted of a criminal offence, such as dangerous driving or impaired driving. If expenses go beyond what’s covered by the standard benefits, injured parties could also sue for out-of-pocket expenses. The government plans to create an independent body to allow those injured in traffic accidents the ability to appeal decisions made by insurers. Good driver rates won't apply for drivers who switch insurance companies. The changes mirror the kind of litigation currently allowed in Saskatchewan’s no-fault, public system. Based on government-commissioned reports, the changes could lead to the loss of between 650 and 800 legal support jobs. The province has declined to move toward a publicly delivered insurance system, despite estimates it would save drivers even more money in premium payments. Smith has pointed to prohibitively expensive startup costs approaching $3 billion for a public system, not to mention the loss of thousands of private sector jobs. Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said the price tag for setting up a public option is dwarfed by how much extra Albertans pay in premiums. “(Smith) is basically saying, ‘I don't want to spend the money, but you get to spend the money when you pay your premium every month,'” Nenshi said. He said the UCP’s solution will only lead to higher premiums. The moves come after the Insurance Bureau of Canada warned the insurance "crisis" was only hurting drivers. Two private insurance companies have recently left the province while citing the squeeze of higher costs. The Alberta Superintendent of Insurance estimates one-third of the 67 auto insurers in 2023 lost money on the insurance. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024. Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press

According to a report from Reuters, major companies in the finance and technology industries committed significant contributions to Donald Trump’s 2025 inaugural fund. Trump, who is scheduled to assume the presidency on January 20, 2025, formed a nonprofit organization named Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, Inc., to manage the inaugural activities. This 501(c)(4) organization is permitted to receive unlimited donations. Significant Corporate Donations So FarRobinhood: The retail trading platform contributed $2 million, a company spokesperson confirmed.Uber Technologies: Uber and its CEO Dara Khosrowshahi each donated $1 million.Amazon: Amazon pledged $1 million and committed to broadcasting the inauguration on Prime Video.Meta Platforms: Meta provided $1 million, according to a spokesperson.OpenAI: CEO Sam Altman announced a personal donation of $1 million. Altman expressed support for Trump's vision to position the U.S. as a leader in artificial intelligence.Ford: The automaker pledged $1 million and offered a fleet of vehicles.Hedge Fund Manager Ken Griffin: Griffin confirmed plans to contribute $1 million.Bank of America and Goldman Sachs: Both financial giants indicated plans to donate but have not finalized amounts. Donations Reflect Business StrategyTrump’s significant electoral victory has captured the interest of sectors ready to gain from his policy plans. Industries like fossil fuels and artificial intelligence anticipate positive results during his administration. Trump's dependence on direct interaction with business executives has similarly fostered contributions. Business executives have progressively pursued entry to Trump's transition base at Mar-a-Lago, his resort located in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump underscored the surge of interest with a post on Truth Social, stating, “EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!!” Role of the Inaugural FundInaugural committees, designated by the presidents-elect, oversee financing for ceremonial activities celebrating the transition of authority. In contrast to political action committees, these funds concentrate on nonpartisan initiatives and carry less reputational risk. Brendan Glavin from OpenSecrets pointed out that inaugural contributions offer distinct entry for companies aiming for influence. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.WASHINGTON D.C., DC — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. As the blueprint for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, Trump pulled an about-face . He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy . Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump's election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning how to concentrate power in the West Wing and impose a starkly rightward shift across the U.S. government and society. Trump and his aides maintain that he won a mandate to overhaul Washington. But they maintain the specifics are his alone. “President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “All of President Trumps' Cabinet nominees and appointments are whole-heartedly committed to President Trump's agenda, not the agenda of outside groups.” Here is a look at what some of Trump's choices portend for his second presidency. The Office of Management and Budget director, a role Vought held under Trump previously and requires Senate confirmation, prepares a president's proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration's agenda across agencies. The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power. “The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” Trump did not go into such details when naming Vought but implicitly endorsed aggressive action. Vought, the president-elect said, “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State” — Trump’s catch-all for federal bureaucracy — and would help “restore fiscal sanity.” In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Vought relished the potential tension: “We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.” The strategy of further concentrating federal authority in the presidency permeates Project 2025's and Trump's campaign proposals. Vought's vision is especially striking when paired with Trump's proposals to dramatically expand the president's control over federal workers and government purse strings — ideas intertwined with the president-elect tapping mega-billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a “Department of Government Efficiency.” Trump in his first term sought to remake the federal civil service by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal civil service workers — who have job protection through changes in administration — as political appointees, making them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. Currently, only about 4,000 of the federal government's roughly 2 million workers are political appointees. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump's changes. Trump can now reinstate them. Meanwhile, Musk's and Ramaswamy's sweeping “efficiency” mandates from Trump could turn on an old, defunct constitutional theory that the president — not Congress — is the real gatekeeper of federal spending. In his “Agenda 47,” Trump endorsed so-called “impoundment,” which holds that when lawmakers pass appropriations bills, they simply set a spending ceiling, but not a floor. The president, the theory holds, can simply decide not to spend money on anything he deems unnecessary. Vought did not venture into impoundment in his Project 2025 chapter. But, he wrote, “The President should use every possible tool to propose and impose fiscal discipline on the federal government. Anything short of that would constitute abject failure.” Trump's choice immediately sparked backlash. “Russ Vought is a far-right ideologue who has tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to override the spending decisions of Congress (and) who has and will again fight to give Trump the ability to summarily fire tens of thousands of civil servants,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat and outgoing Senate Appropriations chairwoman. Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, leading Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said Vought wants to “dismantle the expert federal workforce” to the detriment of Americans who depend on everything from veterans' health care to Social Security benefits. “Pain itself is the agenda,” they said. Trump’s protests about Project 2025 always glossed over overlaps in the two agendas . Both want to reimpose Trump-era immigration limits. Project 2025 includes a litany of detailed proposals for various U.S. immigration statutes, executive branch rules and agreements with other countries — reducing the number of refugees, work visa recipients and asylum seekers, for example. Miller is one of Trump's longest-serving advisers and architect of his immigration ideas, including his promise of the largest deportation force in U.S. history. As deputy policy chief, which is not subject to Senate confirmation, Miller would remain in Trump's West Wing inner circle. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27. “America First Legal,” Miller’s organization founded as an ideological counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, was listed as an advisory group to Project 2025 until Miller asked that the name be removed because of negative attention. Homan, a Project 2025 named contributor, was an acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first presidency, playing a key role in what became known as Trump's “family separation policy.” Previewing Trump 2.0 earlier this year, Homan said: “No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick to lead the CIA , was previously one of Trump's directors of national intelligence. He is a Project 2025 contributor. The document's chapter on U.S. intelligence was written by Dustin Carmack, Ratcliffe's chief of staff in the first Trump administration. Reflecting Ratcliffe's and Trump's approach, Carmack declared the intelligence establishment too cautious. Ratcliffe, like the chapter attributed to Carmack, is hawkish toward China. Throughout the Project 2025 document, Beijing is framed as a U.S. adversary that cannot be trusted. Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote Project 2025's FCC chapter and is now Trump's pick to chair the panel. Carr wrote that the FCC chairman “is empowered with significant authority that is not shared” with other FCC members. He called for the FCC to address “threats to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions in the market,” specifically “Big Tech and its attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” He called for more stringent transparency rules for social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube and “empower consumers to choose their own content filters and fact checkers, if any.” Carr and Ratcliffe would require Senate confirmation for their posts.Ustby, Donarski lead No. 16 North Carolina women over Villanova 53-36 in Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal

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The Christmas tradition has become nearly global in scope: Children from around the world as he sweeps across the earth, delivering presents and defying time. Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more , from English to Japanese. On any other night, NORAD is scanning the heavens , such as last year’s . But on Christmas Eve, volunteers in Colorado Springs are fielding questions like, “When is Santa coming to my house?” and, “Am I on the naughty or nice list?” “There are screams and giggles and laughter,” said Bob Sommers, 63, a civilian contractor and NORAD volunteer. Sommers often says on the call that everyone must be asleep before Santa arrives, prompting parents to say, “Do you hear what he said? We got to go to bed early.” NORAD’s annual tracking of Santa has endured since , predating and . The tradition continues regardless of government shutdowns, such as , and . Here’s how it began and why the phones keep ringing. It started with a child’s accidental phone call in 1955. The Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears advertisement that encouraged children to call Santa, listing a phone number. A boy called. But he reached the Continental Air Defense Command, now NORAD, a joint U.S. and Canadian effort to spot potential enemy attacks. Tensions were growing with the Soviet Union, along with anxieties about nuclear war. Air Force Col. Harry W. Shoup picked up an emergency-only “red phone” and was greeted by a tiny voice that began to recite a Christmas wish list. “He went on a little bit, and he takes a breath, then says, ‘Hey, you’re not Santa,’” Shoup told The Associated Press in 1999. Realizing an explanation would be lost on the youngster, Shoup summoned a deep, jolly voice and replied, “Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?” Shoup said he learned from the boy’s mother that Sears mistakenly printed the top-secret number. He hung up, but the phone soon rang again with a young girl reciting her Christmas list. Fifty calls a day followed, he said. In the pre-digital age, the agency used a 60-by-80 foot (18-by-24 meter) plexiglass map of North America to track unidentified objects. A staff member jokingly drew Santa and his sleigh over the North Pole. The tradition was born. “Note to the kiddies,” began an AP story from Colorado Springs on Dec. 23, 1955. “Santa Claus Friday was assured safe passage into the United States by the Continental Air Defense Command.” In a likely reference to the Soviets, the article noted that Santa was guarded against possible attack from “those who do not believe in Christmas.” Some grinchy journalists have nitpicked Shoup’s story, questioning whether a misprint or a misdial prompted the boy’s call. In 2014, tech news site Gizmodo from Dec. 1, 1955, about a child’s call to Shoup. Published in the Pasadena Independent, the article said the child reversed two digits in the Sears number. “When a childish voice asked COC commander Col. Harry Shoup, if there was a Santa Claus at the North Pole, he answered much more roughly than he should — considering the season: ‘There may be a guy called Santa Claus at the North Pole, but he’s not the one I worry about coming from that direction,’” Shoup said in the brief piece. In 2015, The Atlantic magazine to the secret line, while noting that Shoup had a flair for public relations. Phone calls aside, Shoup was indeed media savvy. In 1986, he told the Scripps Howard News Service that he recognized an opportunity when a staff member drew Santa on the glass map in 1955. A lieutenant colonel promised to have it erased. But Shoup said, “You leave it right there,” and summoned public affairs. Shoup wanted to boost morale for the troops and public alike. “Why, it made the military look good — like we’re not all a bunch of snobs who don’t care about Santa Claus,” he said. Shoup died in 2009. His children that it was a misprinted Sears ad that prompted the phone calls. “And later in life he got letters from all over the world,” said Terri Van Keuren, a daughter. “People saying ‘Thank you, Colonel, for having, you know, this sense of humor.’” NORAD’s tradition is one of the few modern additions to the centuries-old Santa story that have endured, according to Gerry Bowler, a Canadian historian who spoke to the AP in 2010. Ad campaigns or movies try to “kidnap” Santa for commercial purposes, said Bowler, who wrote “Santa Claus: A Biography.” NORAD, by contrast, takes an essential element of Santa’s story and views it through a technological lens. In a recent interview with the AP, Air Force Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham explained that NORAD radars in Alaska and Canada —- known as the northern warning system — are the first to detect Santa. He leaves the North Pole and typically heads for the international dateline in the Pacific Ocean. From there he moves west, following the night. “That’s when the satellite systems we use to track and identify targets of interest every single day start to kick in,” Cunningham said. “A probably little-known fact is that Rudolph’s nose that glows red emanates a lot of heat. And so those satellites track (Santa) through that heat source.” NORAD has an app and website, , that will track Santa on Christmas Eve from 4 a.m. to midnight, mountain standard time. People can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to ask live operators about Santa’s location from 6 a.m. to midnight, mountain time.

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Liverpool close in Champions League last-16 with overdue win against Real MadridJeffrey Fleishman | (TNS) Los Angeles Times The national furor in recent years around banning books on race and gender in public schools is intensifying as President-elect Donald Trump threatens to shut down the Department of Education, emboldening conservatives to end “wokeness” in classrooms. Battles over books in school libraries have become emblematic of the country’s larger culture wars over race, historical revisionism and gender identity. A new report by PEN America found book bans increased by nearly 200% during the 2023-24 school year, including titles on sexuality, substance abuse, depression and other issues students face in an age of accelerating technologies, climate change, toxic politics and fears about the future. Book censorship has shaken and divided school boards, pitted parents against parents, and led to threats against teachers and librarians . It is part of an agenda driven by conservative parental rights groups and politicians who promote charter schools and voucher systems that could weaken public education. The issue goes to the heart not only of what students are taught but how federal and state education policies will affect the nation’s politics after one of the most consequential elections in its history. “It’s not just about taking a book off a shelf,” said Tasslyn Magnusson, an author and teacher from Wisconsin who tracks book censorship across the U.S. “It’s about power and who controls public education. It’s about what kind of America we were and are. We’re trying to define what family is and what America means. That comes down to the stories we tell.” She said she feared Trump’s return to the White House would further incite those calling for book bans: “I don’t have lots of hope. It could get a lot worse.” Over the last year, PEN counted more than 10,000 book bans nationwide that targeted 4,231 unique titles. Most were books dealing with gender, sexuality, race and LGBTQ+ storylines. The most banned title was Jodi Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes,” about a school shooting that included a short description of date rape. Florida and Iowa — both of which have strict regulations on what students can read — accounted for more than 8,200 bans in the 2023-24 school year. “This crisis is tragic for young people hungry to understand the world they live in and see their identities and experiences reflected in books,” Kasey Meehan, director of PEN’s Freedom to Read Program, said in a statement. “What students can read in schools provides the foundation for their lives.” Trump’s calls to close the Department of Education would need congressional approval, which appears unlikely. Although public schools are largely funded and governed by state and local institutions, the department helps pay to educate students with disabilities, provides about $18 billion in grants for K-12 schools in poor communities and oversees a civil rights branch to protect students from discrimination. But Trump’s election has inspired conservative parental groups, including Moms For Liberty and Parents Defending Education, to strengthen efforts to limit what they see as a liberal conspiracy to indoctrinate children with books and teachings that are perverse, amoral and pornographic. Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, has criticized schools that she says spend too much time on diversity and inclusion when only about one-third of U.S. children are reading at grade level: “We’re talking about public school libraries and content for kids,” Justice told NewsNation after Trump’s victory. “I think it’s very clear that there are certain things that are appropriate for kids, certain things that are appropriate for adults. We’re just getting back to commonsense America.” Trump’s threat to deny federal funding to schools that acknowledge transgender identities could affect curricula and the kinds of books school libraries stock. During his rally at Madison Square Garden in October, Trump — who has has accused schools of promoting sex change operations — said his administration would get “transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.” Vice President-elect JD Vance has accused Democrats of wanting to “put sexually explicit books in toddlers’ libraries.” Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, told Newsmax that she was excited about Trump’s calls to remake education and “clean up a lot of the mess” he has inherited from the Biden administration. Trump “has centered parental rights back in his platform, which is incredible. He has prioritized knowledge and skill, not identity politics,” she said. “American children deserve better, and it is time for change.” In nominating Linda McMahon to be his secretary of Education, Trump appears to be pushing for more conservative parental control over what is taught and read in classrooms. A former professional wrestling executive, McMahon chairs the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-connected organization that has criticized schools for teaching “racially divisive” theories, notably about slavery and a perspective about the nation’s founding it views as anti-American. “Today’s contentious debates over using classrooms for political activism rather than teaching a complete and accurate account of American history have reinvigorated calls for greater parental and citizen involvement in the curriculum approval process,” the institute’s website says. Culturally divisive issues, including race and LGBTQ+ themes, cost school districts an estimated $3.2 billion during the 2023-24 school year, according to a recent study called “The Costs of Conflict.” The survey — published by the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at UCLA — found that battles over books and teaching about sexuality and other topics led to increased expenses for legal fees, replacing administrators and teachers who quit, and security, including off-duty plainclothes police officers. “Are we really going to spend our tax dollars on these kinds of things?” asked Magnusson. “After Trump was elected, I saw a bunch of middle-class white ladies like me who were saying, ‘This isn’t America.’ But maybe it is America.” One school superintendent in a Western state told the study’s researchers that his staff was often consumed with correcting misinformation and fulfilling public record requests mainly from hard-line parental rights activists attempting to exploit cultural war issues to discredit the district. “Our staff are spending enormous amounts of time just doing stupid stuff,” the superintendent said. “The fiscal costs to the district are enormous, but [so are] the cultural costs of not standing up to the extremists. If someone doesn’t, then the students and employees lose. ... It’s the worst it’s ever been.” The survey found that 29% of 467 school superintendents interviewed reported that teachers and other staff quit their profession or left their districts “due to culturally divisive conflict.” Censoring books in school libraries grew out of opposition to COVID-19 restrictions. A number of conservative parental groups, including Moms for Liberty, which invited Trump to speak at its national convention in August, turned their attention to lobbying against “liberal indoctrination.” Their protests against what they criticized as progressive teaching on sexuality and race were focused on increasing conservative parental control over a public education system that was struggling at teaching children reading and math. That strategy has led to a national, right-wing effort that is “redefining government power to restrict access to information in our schools,” said Stephana Ferrell, co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project. “This movement to protect the innocence of our children believes if children never read it in a book they won’t have to know about it and can go on to lead harmonious lives. But books teach us cautionary tales. They instruct us. You can’t protect innocence through ignorance.” School districts across the country have removed “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George Johnson, which are about gender identity and include graphic depictions of sex, along with titles by renowned writers such as Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, George Orwell, Maya Angelou and Flannery O’Connor. Related Articles National Politics | Trump promised mass deportations. Educators worry fear will keep immigrants’ kids from school National Politics | Trump team says Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal brokered by Biden is actually Trump’s win National Politics | How Trump’s bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woes National Politics | After delay, Trump signs agreement with Biden White House to begin formal transition handoff National Politics | Rudy Giuliani in a courtroom outburst accuses judge in assets case of being unfair, drawing a rebuke Surveys show that most Americans do not favor censorship. The Florida Freedom to Read Project and similar organizations around the country have called for thorough public reviews of challenged books to prevent one scene or passage from being taken out of context. Moderate and liberal parents groups over the last two years have also become more active in school board politics. They have supported school board candidates who have defeated those backed by Moms for Liberty in Texas, Florida and other states. “People say the pendulum will swing back,” said Ferrell. But, she said, conservatives want to “stop the pendulum from swinging back.” Picoult is accustomed to conservatives attempting to censor her. Her books have been banned in schools in more than 30 states. Published in 2007, “Nineteen Minutes” explores the lives of characters, including a girl who was raped, in a town leading up to a school shooting and its aftermath. “Having the most banned book in the country is not a badge of honor. It’s a call for alarm,” said Picoult, whose books have sold more than 40 million copies. “My book, and the 10,000 others that have been pulled off school library shelves this year, give kids a tool to deal with an increasingly divided and difficult world. These book banners aren’t helping children. They are harming them.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Sweet 16: Hockomock League flexes its muscles in the postseasonBitcoin, ethereum trade opens to all retail investors

Jeffrey Fleishman | (TNS) Los Angeles Times The national furor in recent years around banning books on race and gender in public schools is intensifying as President-elect Donald Trump threatens to shut down the Department of Education, emboldening conservatives to end “wokeness” in classrooms. Battles over books in school libraries have become emblematic of the country’s larger culture wars over race, historical revisionism and gender identity. A new report by PEN America found book bans increased by nearly 200% during the 2023-24 school year, including titles on sexuality, substance abuse, depression and other issues students face in an age of accelerating technologies, climate change, toxic politics and fears about the future. Book censorship has shaken and divided school boards, pitted parents against parents, and led to threats against teachers and librarians . It is part of an agenda driven by conservative parental rights groups and politicians who promote charter schools and voucher systems that could weaken public education. The issue goes to the heart not only of what students are taught but how federal and state education policies will affect the nation’s politics after one of the most consequential elections in its history. “It’s not just about taking a book off a shelf,” said Tasslyn Magnusson, an author and teacher from Wisconsin who tracks book censorship across the U.S. “It’s about power and who controls public education. It’s about what kind of America we were and are. We’re trying to define what family is and what America means. That comes down to the stories we tell.” She said she feared Trump’s return to the White House would further incite those calling for book bans: “I don’t have lots of hope. It could get a lot worse.” Over the last year, PEN counted more than 10,000 book bans nationwide that targeted 4,231 unique titles. Most were books dealing with gender, sexuality, race and LGBTQ+ storylines. The most banned title was Jodi Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes,” about a school shooting that included a short description of date rape. Florida and Iowa — both of which have strict regulations on what students can read — accounted for more than 8,200 bans in the 2023-24 school year. “This crisis is tragic for young people hungry to understand the world they live in and see their identities and experiences reflected in books,” Kasey Meehan, director of PEN’s Freedom to Read Program, said in a statement. “What students can read in schools provides the foundation for their lives.” Trump’s calls to close the Department of Education would need congressional approval, which appears unlikely. Although public schools are largely funded and governed by state and local institutions, the department helps pay to educate students with disabilities, provides about $18 billion in grants for K-12 schools in poor communities and oversees a civil rights branch to protect students from discrimination. But Trump’s election has inspired conservative parental groups, including Moms For Liberty and Parents Defending Education, to strengthen efforts to limit what they see as a liberal conspiracy to indoctrinate children with books and teachings that are perverse, amoral and pornographic. Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, has criticized schools that she says spend too much time on diversity and inclusion when only about one-third of U.S. children are reading at grade level: “We’re talking about public school libraries and content for kids,” Justice told NewsNation after Trump’s victory. “I think it’s very clear that there are certain things that are appropriate for kids, certain things that are appropriate for adults. We’re just getting back to commonsense America.” Trump’s threat to deny federal funding to schools that acknowledge transgender identities could affect curricula and the kinds of books school libraries stock. During his rally at Madison Square Garden in October, Trump — who has has accused schools of promoting sex change operations — said his administration would get “transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.” Vice President-elect JD Vance has accused Democrats of wanting to “put sexually explicit books in toddlers’ libraries.” Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, told Newsmax that she was excited about Trump’s calls to remake education and “clean up a lot of the mess” he has inherited from the Biden administration. Trump “has centered parental rights back in his platform, which is incredible. He has prioritized knowledge and skill, not identity politics,” she said. “American children deserve better, and it is time for change.” In nominating Linda McMahon to be his secretary of Education, Trump appears to be pushing for more conservative parental control over what is taught and read in classrooms. A former professional wrestling executive, McMahon chairs the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-connected organization that has criticized schools for teaching “racially divisive” theories, notably about slavery and a perspective about the nation’s founding it views as anti-American. “Today’s contentious debates over using classrooms for political activism rather than teaching a complete and accurate account of American history have reinvigorated calls for greater parental and citizen involvement in the curriculum approval process,” the institute’s website says. Culturally divisive issues, including race and LGBTQ+ themes, cost school districts an estimated $3.2 billion during the 2023-24 school year, according to a recent study called “The Costs of Conflict.” The survey — published by the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at UCLA — found that battles over books and teaching about sexuality and other topics led to increased expenses for legal fees, replacing administrators and teachers who quit, and security, including off-duty plainclothes police officers. “Are we really going to spend our tax dollars on these kinds of things?” asked Magnusson. “After Trump was elected, I saw a bunch of middle-class white ladies like me who were saying, ‘This isn’t America.’ But maybe it is America.” One school superintendent in a Western state told the study’s researchers that his staff was often consumed with correcting misinformation and fulfilling public record requests mainly from hard-line parental rights activists attempting to exploit cultural war issues to discredit the district. “Our staff are spending enormous amounts of time just doing stupid stuff,” the superintendent said. “The fiscal costs to the district are enormous, but [so are] the cultural costs of not standing up to the extremists. If someone doesn’t, then the students and employees lose. ... It’s the worst it’s ever been.” The survey found that 29% of 467 school superintendents interviewed reported that teachers and other staff quit their profession or left their districts “due to culturally divisive conflict.” Censoring books in school libraries grew out of opposition to COVID-19 restrictions. A number of conservative parental groups, including Moms for Liberty, which invited Trump to speak at its national convention in August, turned their attention to lobbying against “liberal indoctrination.” Their protests against what they criticized as progressive teaching on sexuality and race were focused on increasing conservative parental control over a public education system that was struggling at teaching children reading and math. That strategy has led to a national, right-wing effort that is “redefining government power to restrict access to information in our schools,” said Stephana Ferrell, co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project. “This movement to protect the innocence of our children believes if children never read it in a book they won’t have to know about it and can go on to lead harmonious lives. But books teach us cautionary tales. They instruct us. You can’t protect innocence through ignorance.” School districts across the country have removed “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George Johnson, which are about gender identity and include graphic depictions of sex, along with titles by renowned writers such as Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, George Orwell, Maya Angelou and Flannery O’Connor. Related Articles National Politics | Trump promised mass deportations. Educators worry fear will keep immigrants’ kids from school National Politics | Trump team says Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal brokered by Biden is actually Trump’s win National Politics | How Trump’s bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woes National Politics | Markey vows to oppose nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead health care National Politics | After delay, Trump signs agreement with Biden White House to begin formal transition handoff Surveys show that most Americans do not favor censorship. The Florida Freedom to Read Project and similar organizations around the country have called for thorough public reviews of challenged books to prevent one scene or passage from being taken out of context. Moderate and liberal parents groups over the last two years have also become more active in school board politics. They have supported school board candidates who have defeated those backed by Moms for Liberty in Texas, Florida and other states. “People say the pendulum will swing back,” said Ferrell. But, she said, conservatives want to “stop the pendulum from swinging back.” Picoult is accustomed to conservatives attempting to censor her. Her books have been banned in schools in more than 30 states. Published in 2007, “Nineteen Minutes” explores the lives of characters, including a girl who was raped, in a town leading up to a school shooting and its aftermath. “Having the most banned book in the country is not a badge of honor. It’s a call for alarm,” said Picoult, whose books have sold more than 40 million copies. “My book, and the 10,000 others that have been pulled off school library shelves this year, give kids a tool to deal with an increasingly divided and difficult world. These book banners aren’t helping children. They are harming them.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Pune: BJP functionaries are calling for action against members of the Mohite Patil family in Solapur for allegedly threatening party workers after they switched their support from the BJP to the NCP (SP). BJP senior leader Devendra Fadnavis has warned Lok Sabha MP Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil of action for harassing party workers which the MP has refuted. Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil switched from the BJP to the NCP (SP) a month before the Lok Sabha poll, and was given a ticket to contest from Madha constituency. He defeated his cousin Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil of the BJP. Later, during the recently held assembly poll, the MP was given the responsibility to work for the party's candidates. The NCP (SP) won four seats in the district. After the election process, BJP members complained of harassment of party workers by Mohite Patil. Ranjitsinh, is an MLC and a BJP member. However, BJP candidates alleged that the MLC did not campaign for the party and helped candidates of the opposition win. Former MLA Ram Satpute, who lost to NCP (SP)'s Maruti Jankar from Malshiras seat, has demanded that Ranjitsinh be expelled. "During the campaign, Mohite Patil's goons attacked our supporters and tried to prevent them from campaigning in various constituencies. Despite being a BJP member, Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil did not work for the party. Therefore, I have demanded that he be expelled," Satpute said. The Mohite Patil family is influential in state politics. Ranjitsinh father, Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, was a senior NCP member who was deputy chief minister in Sushilkumar Shinde's govt. However, before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, some of his family, including Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, switched from the then-undivided NCP to the BJP. Now, after five years, the Mohite Patil family has again extended support to Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP), which has led to friction between the family and BJP functionaries in Solapur. During an interview with a web portal a few months ago, Fadnavis, the home minister, said that he would not tolerate harassment of his party workers and that Dhairyasheel would have to face consequences. The MP told TOI, "Baseless allegations are being made by Ram Satpute, who has lost his mind after facing two defeats (Lok Sabha and assembly poll) in five months. Fadnavis's interview was before the assembly poll which Satpute is circulating again on social media. We have not threatened or harassed anybody, and we contested the poll democratically. Satpute wants to pin the blame on somebody, and therefore, he is blaming my family."Killer T Cells Programmed for Tissue- and Tumor-Specific TargetingNatixis Advisors LLC reduced its stake in The Macerich Company ( NYSE:MAC – Free Report ) by 4.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 171,229 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after selling 7,905 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Macerich were worth $3,123,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Macerich by 152.2% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,546 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 933 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Macerich during the second quarter valued at approximately $50,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in Macerich by 40.9% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,214 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 933 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Macerich in the second quarter worth about $129,000. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Macerich by 34.8% during the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 8,374 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $150,000 after acquiring an additional 2,161 shares during the last quarter. 87.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Macerich Stock Up 0.8 % Shares of NYSE MAC opened at $19.72 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The firm has a market cap of $4.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.57, a PEG ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 2.50. The Macerich Company has a 52-week low of $10.75 and a 52-week high of $20.40. The business’s 50 day moving average is $18.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.38. Macerich Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.45%. Macerich’s payout ratio is currently 174.36%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Macerich from $11.00 to $14.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Macerich from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Macerich from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on Macerich from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 28th. Finally, Compass Point lifted their price objective on shares of Macerich from $20.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $16.40. Read Our Latest Report on Macerich Macerich Profile ( Free Report ) Macerich is a fully integrated, self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust (REIT). As a leading owner, operator and developer of high-quality retail real estate in densely populated and attractive U.S. markets, Macerich’s portfolio is concentrated in California, the Pacific Northwest, Phoenix/Scottsdale, and the Metro New York to Washington, DC corridor. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MAC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Macerich Company ( NYSE:MAC – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Macerich Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Macerich and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Commanders running back Austin Ekeler needed assistance off the field after a scary moment at the end of Washington's Week 12 loss vs. the Cowboys. The injury occurred in the game's final moments as Washington returned a Dallas kickoff. Ekeler received the kick in the landing zone and took a scary hit from two members of the Cowboys special teams unit. Oh no. Austin Ekeler got knocked out on the kick return. He is up and standing now 🙏 pic.twitter.com/47dPRkM3n8 Players on the field immediately signaled to the sideline for assistance as Ekeler temporarily lay motionless. After a few minutes, Ekeler walked off the field with assistance. Here's what is known about his injury. NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule Austin Ekeler injury update Washington training staff assisted Ekeler as he walked off the field. This is an encouraging development as Ekeler was able to stand and walk following the hit. The hit occurred with under 10 seconds remaining in the game and Ekeler did not return to the field for the final two plays. He will likely be evaluated postgame to determine his status for the coming weeks. MORE: How Commanders loss to Cowboys affects playoff outlook Earlier in the season, Ekeler sustained a concussion in Week 3. He was inactive in Week 4 before returning to action in Week 5. This story will be updated.

WASHINGTON — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report from the Labor Department report showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. Hourly wages rose 0.4% from October to November and 4% from a year earlier — both solid figures and slightly higher than forecasters had expected. The November employment report provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. The job market’s gradual slowdown is, in part, a result of the high interest rates the Federal Reserve engineered in its drive to tame inflation. The Fed jacked up interest rates a total of 11 times in 2022 and 2023. Defying predictions, the economy kept growing despite much higher borrowing rates for consumers and businesses. But since early this year, the job market has been slowing. Thomas Simons, U.S. economist at Jefferies, wrote in a commentary that the recovery from October’s strikes and hurricanes likely boosted last month’s payrolls by 60,000, suggesting that the job market is strong enough to absorb most jobseekers but not enough to raise worries about inflation. The healthy gain of 227,000 payroll jobs in November was derived from a Labor Department survey of employers. A separate survey of households, which determines the unemployment rate, looked weaker: The ranks of the unemployed rose by 161,000. And the number of Americans who said they either had a job or were looking for one fell for a second straight month. Economists also noted that the November job gains were narrow: Just three categories of employers — health care and social assistance; leisure and hospitality; and government — accounted for 70% of the added jobs. And the 22,000 jobs that factories gained in November were boosted by the end of strikes at Boeing and elsewhere that restored many workers to their employers’ payrolls. Retailers, by contrast, shed 28,000 jobs. “I don’t think we should be misled by the solid number of 227,000,’’ said Julia Pollak, chief economist at the employment firm ZipRecruiter. Pollak noted that averaging the October and November job gains amounts to a modest 132,000 per month. “This report offers very little evidence of a labor market rebound,’’ she said. Still, Americans as a whole have been enjoying unusual job security. This week, the government reported that layoffs fell to just 1.6 million in October, below the lowest levels in the two decades that preceded the pandemic. At the same time, the number of job openings rebounded from a 31⁄2-year low, a sign that businesses are still seeking workers even though hiring has cooled. The overall economy has remained resilient. The much-higher borrowing costs for consumers and businesses that resulted from the Fed’s rate hikes had been expected to tip the economy into a recession. Instead, the economy kept growing as households continued to spend and employers continued to hire.

NoneTHE SHARPE END: Can Ruben Amorim reignite the back-three boom? And how will the Man United boss make his players fit into their new formation? New Man United boss Ruben Amorim likes to set up his team in a 3-4-3 formation Back threes have become uncommon in the Premier League over recent years Will Ruben Amorim be Man United's saviour? LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Available wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes every Monday and Thursday By JAMES SHARPE Published: 22:31, 23 November 2024 | Updated: 22:39, 23 November 2024 e-mail View comments Haven't you heard? New Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim likes to play with a back three. How exciting. Well, he's part of a rarer breed of elite manager as fewer and fewer top sides these days opt to start with three central defenders. Over the first 11 weeks of the season, only 14 per cent of Premier League starting XIs were in a back three, the lowest since Antonio Conte brought it to Chelsea in 2016-17 and won the title, sparking a few years of back-three bonanza. Incoming England boss Thomas Tuchel is partial to it too. Many top sides move into a back three with the ball as full-backs tuck into midfield but out of possession it's rare. It can leave space in midfield for opponents to dominate and your lumbering centre backs can get drawn wide and exposed. GAMES STARTED WITH A BACK 3 SINCE START OF LAST SEASON Manchester City: 13 Chelsea: 5 Tottenham: 0 Arsenal: 0 Liverpool: 0 Manchester United: 0 Before this weekend's games Advertisement Manchester United are likely to look very different than before under new boss Ruben Amorim If Amorim can make it work at United, perhaps it'll come back in vogue... Back threes now being rare is especially true for the 'Big Six' clubs who, bar Man City, have all steered clear — even Chelsea and Spurs who started 51 and 62 games that way in the two seasons from 2021 to 2023. How will Amorim fit them in? Amorim has said, for now, he will not play wingers at full-back. That means EIGHT stars will battle for the front three spots in his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. He'll need to buy some central defenders soon too. He has six, will play three, and half are out of contract in the summer! Manchester United Ruben Amorim Premier League Share or comment on this article: THE SHARPE END: Can Ruben Amorim reignite the back-three boom? And how will the Man United boss make his players fit into their new formation? e-mail Add comment

People of English-speaking Caribbean freer than most in the world

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a law that allows those who sign up to fight in Ukraine to write off unpaid debts worth almost $100,000, the government announced. The new legislation will be a strong motivation for some to join up, experts said, as Russia seeks new ways to recruit fighters for the nearly three-year conflict grinding through troops. The new legislation will allow those who sign a one-year contract to fight in Ukraine after December 1 to free themselves of existing bad debts. It also covers their spouses. The law concerns debts where a court order for collection was issued and enforcement proceedings began before December 1, 2024. The total amount of unpaid debt that can be covered is 10 million rubles, around $96,000 at current rates. Parliament approved the bill earlier this month. The legislation will largely concern younger Russians of fighting age, since those in their 30s and younger are most likely to have loans. Russia has extremely high interest rates for loans and many Russians have almost no cash savings, although the proportion of home owners is relatively high. "Previously (for those fighting) there was only provision for taking repayment holidays on loans," Sergei Krivenko of advocacy group Citizen Army Law told Vazhniye Istorii Telegram channel. The new legislation applies to those who are conscripted for national service and those mobilised for the so-called "special military operation", Krivenko said. Conscripts cannot be sent to the front line but can choose to sign a contract to join the professional army and be sent to fight in Ukraine. Russian authorities "are strengthening the motivation to sign a contract," political analyst Georgy Bovt wrote on Telegram. The legislation provides "another way to get rid of an unbearable burden of credit, at least for several hundred thousand people," Bovt wrote. Over 13 million Russians have three or more loans, according to a central bank report released last month covering the first two quarters. This was up 20 percent on the same period last year. The average amount owed by those with three or more loans is 1.4 million rubles ($13,400 at current rates). Many start with a bank loan and then apply for further loans from microfinance organisations. Russians serving on the front line are already paid far more than the national average. Ukraine also has legislation allowing those fighting to get preferential terms for loans and in some cases to write off debts. bur/twNoneCOLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Once Iowa's running game started rolling, it never really stopped. That meant a bigger workload than ever for Kaleb Johnson. Johnson rushed for 164 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 35 carries, and Kamari Moulton scored on in the fourth quarter to help Iowa outlast Maryland 29-13 on Saturday. “Doesn't take a Knute Rockne to figure this one out,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "Coming in we wanted to be able to run the football. That's what we do best." Johnson scored from 2 yards out in the second quarter for his 21st rushing touchdown of the season, and the Hawkeyes (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten) rebounded from in their previous game. Maryland (4-7, 1-7) needed to win its final two regular-season games to reach six wins and bowl eligibility, but the Terrapins were dominated in the first half and eventually fell behind 16-0. Drew Stevens made five field goals for Iowa, including kicks from 54 yards in the second quarter, then 50 and 49 in the third. Iowa, which does not exactly push the tempo, ran 46 offensive plays in the first half. The Hawkeyes had the ball for over six minutes on each of their first three possessions, which resulted in a fumble, a field goal and then Johnson's TD. “I thought the first half really played out about as well as we could outside the turnover,” said Ferentz, whose son Brian is an offensive assistant at Maryland. “Controlling the ball, keeping it on the ground and trying to keep their quarterback off the field.” Maryland replaced quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. with backup MJ Morris after two fruitless possessions, but the Terps still trailed 13-0 at halftime. Edwards went back in and led Maryland all the way to the Iowa 3 in the third quarter, but he was injured in a collision with defensive back Xavier Nwankpa. “The kid's a warrior. He's been banged up all year,” Terps coach Mike Locksley said. “I very rarely come in and talk about injuries because those are excuses and I'm not about that. Billy came to me and said, ‘Coach, I want to try to go.’ And he really gave us a chance." Morris came in and capped that drive with an 8-yard scoring pass to Tai Felton that made it 16-6, but a 2-point conversion was unsuccessful. A 12-yard touchdown strike from Morris to Felton made it 19-13 with 11:05 to play, but Iowa answered with Moulton's big run less than two minutes later. Iowa: Quarterback Jackson Stratton, a walk-on transfer from Colorado State, wasn't asked to do much as the Hawkeyes were able to lean on the running game. And credit Iowa's defense for an excellent first half that helped build a big enough lead. Maryland: No matter how obvious Iowa's plan was, the Terps couldn't do much to stop it. Iowa finished with 268 yards rushing on 58 attempts. Ferentz now has 203 career victories as Iowa's head coach. Only Woody Hayes (205) has more in Big Ten history. Johnson looked plenty motivated after he produced just 49 yards rushing against UCLA. He also had extra time to rest since Iowa was off last weekend. “That 49 yards. I was mad at myself a little bit," he said. "I was being too soft. I wasn’t running as hard as I could.” Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara hasn't played since entering concussion protocol after a game late last month. Ferentz urged fans to support McNamara, who since 2022 has dealt with leg, quad and knee problems in addition to his latest issue. “Sometimes you've got to step back and have some compassion for the people that are out competing,” Ferentz said. "You think about the last three years for this guy. He has had a rough go." Iowa: Hosts Nebraska on Friday. Maryland: At Penn State on Saturday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college football: and

(Bloomberg) -- Investors have a challenge in betting on the usual stock market rally that tends to arrive after a presidential election: With the S&P 500 Index on track for one of its best ever starts to a year, history can’t be a guide this time. Most Read from Bloomberg NYC's Underground Steam System May Be Key to a Greener Future NYC Gets Historic Push for 80,000 Homes With $5 Billion Pledge In Kansas City, a First-Ever Stadium Designed for Women’s Sports Takes the Field Trump Promises Could Have Seismic Impact on Washington Economy NYC Mayor Adams Names Jessica Tisch to Lead Police Head Amid Probes Buying US stocks into year-end following a vote is the classic trading playbook. Historically, the S&P 500 has posted a median return of 5% from Election Day in November to the end of the year, according to data compiled by Deutsche Bank AG. Even the riskiest pockets like small-capitalization companies typically catch a bid in the rising tide. But this is hardly a classic election year. The S&P 500 is up 25% in 2024 after leaping 24% in 2023, putting the index on pace for its first back-to-back years of more than 20% gains since the late 1990s. As a result, share prices are high, with the S&P 500 trading at more than 22 times projected 12-month earnings, compared with an average reading of 18 in the last decade. And positioning data shows traders are already heavily invested in equities. Meanwhile, familiar foes from the past few years, rising bond yields and the threat of persistent inflation, loom in the background. All of which has the stock market set up for a potentially quiet holiday season — as opposed to the ragers of election years past. “With valuations elevated and the S&P 500 already near 6,000, the market will creep higher from here,” said Eric Beiley, executive managing director of wealth management at Steward Partners. “But I don’t see a big year-end rally because rising yields will keep investors at bay.” No Hurry The Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates twice since September. But recently, central bankers indicated that they aren’t in a hurry to go further. At the same time, Treasury yields have jumped to multi-month highs after US president-elect Donald Trump’s election victory ignited bets that his economic plans like large import tariffs and mass deportations of low-wage undocumented workers could stoke inflation and hurt growth, possibly reducing the Fed’s scope to cut interest rates. This explains why Wall Street strategists have been dialing back their rate reduction expectations since Trump’s election victory. The six months from November to April are historically the best part of the year for US equities because companies and pension plans tend to increase their stock buying starting on Nov. 1, according to the Stock Trader’s Almanac. However, those year-end rallies typically aren’t as robust when the S&P 500 has already risen at least 20%. In that case, since the 1970s the average return from now to Dec. 31 has been roughly 1%, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Of course, this bull-market rally has gone far beyond these levels, with the S&P 500 up almost 70% since bottoming in October 2022. That will curb gains into late December, according to Savita Subramanian, head of US equity and quantitative strategy at Bank of America Corp. “Sentiment and positioning based on at least five indicators have grown dangerously bullish, leaving less room for positive surprises,” she wrote in a note to clients on Nov. 15. Heavy Hedging Already, some of the riskiest parts of the market are showing signs of weakness. Small-cap stocks, for instance, have erased most of their post-election rally as concern grows about the Fed’s rate path. And uncertainty over higher borrowing costs is prompting investors to hedge against sharp declines. Demand for far out-of-the-money put options on the S&P 500, technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index and small-cap Russell 2000 Index has risen to levels last seen during the heavy volatility ahead of the election, according to Kevin Brocks of 22V Research. That said, the rally isn’t necessarily in jeopardy simply because there’s growing speculation that the market has run too far. Valuations and investor sentiment can stay frothy for weeks — even months — before stocks suffer a significant drop, said Max Kettner, chief multi-asset strategist at HSBC Bank Plc, adding that there are “very few reasons to suggest a year-end rally has already been front-loaded.” Indeed, investors keep funneling money into stocks: They put $16.4 billion into US equities in the week through Nov. 20, marking the seventh consecutive weekly inflow, according to a Bank of America note citing EPFR Global data. The optimism isn’t entirely surprising. Looking at history, the S&P 500’s advance over the past two years isn’t even half of the 143% average gain in the 16 prior bull runs since 1945, according to Birinyi Associates. What investors most want to see when judging the rally’s strength is the gains broadening beyond the megacap tech that have been powering indexes higher on enthusiasm for artificial intelligence. It’s starting to happen, as the S&P 500 Equal Weight Index is outperforming the regular market-cap weighted version of the benchmark since Election Day, with financials, energy and consumer discretionary shares leading the way. In the end, however, it may be the bond market that sends the loudest signal for stock prices. If Treasury yields stay high and the Fed stands pat, there are serious risks to betting on significant further gains in equities. “A broadening rally is crucial but the one thing standing in the way of a strong advance for stocks the rest of the year is the bond market,” said Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group. “That may ultimately put a lid on a hefty year-end rally.” --With assistance from Natalia Kniazhevich. 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