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Española police dropped a criminal charge against a school board member in recent weeks, saying the agency hadn't established probable cause for the allegation. Española school board member Ruben Archuleta said the petty misdemeanor he faced — accusing him of making a false report of a crime — was " political " shortly after it was filed. Española police Detective Dwayne Epling dismissed the case with prejudice in a recent court filing, meaning it cannot be refiled. Epling wrote "there is insufficient evidence to prosecute" Archuleta. Epling filed the charge in late September, alleging Archuleta lied when he told police another man had threatened him after a school board meeting in June. "We’re glad that Ruben is able to move on from this charge, and continue serving the school board and the people of Española," Archuleta's attorney, Ramón Soto, said in an interview Monday. "We're happy that Officer Epling did the right thing and dismissed this charge." Archuleta, 51, serves as vice president of the board for Española Public Schools and as a member of the Northern New Mexico College Board of Regents. After a school board meeting in early June, Archuleta told police a man identified as Lucas Montoya had followed him out of the school building and into the parking lot and said, "You can run, but you can't hide," and, "I'm going to get you." Epling initially filed an assault charge against Montoya but then dismissed that charge and filed a false report count against Archuleta. The detective wrote in a statement of probable cause Montoya's wife had shown Epling and Española police Chief Mizel Garcia surveillance footage from the June 6 school board meeting. "In viewing the surveillance video from the school board meeting, I, along with Chief Garcia, determined that at NO time was there any type of assault that took place from Lucas Montoya toward Ruben Archuleta or his wife,” Epling wrote. Archuleta, however, provided video footage showing a man he said was Montoya had followed him to the parking lot after the meeting. In a response to the charge, Soto wrote Archuleta reported "conduct that did actually happen and what he knew to be true," that he was a public official and had been intimidated by Montoya. "Officer Epling, in fact does not contradict Mr. Archuleta's testimony," Soto wrote. "Rather he states that it is his opinion that the video shown to him by a biased party, the Montoyas, did not demonstrate an assault." "Officer Epling's failure to know the laws he is supposed to enforce is not Mr. Archuleta's criminal conduct," the attorney added. Neither Chief Garcia nor Epling returned calls Monday seeking comment on the case.
Supermarket giant Woolworths has asked the Fair Work Commission for a circuit-breaker to ban warehouse workers from blocking their distribution centres. United Workers Union members are blocking all entrances to a distribution centre in suburban Melbourne and three other sites over better conditions and pay. Plans to bring in staff on Monday never eventuated, but picketers at the Dandenong South site turned away logistics trucks trying to enter. Woolworths Group has filed an urgent application with the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday. “The application comes after the UWU refused to give any assurance of safe passage for team members seeking to return to work at our Melbourne South Regional Distribution Centre (MSRDC) yesterday and this morning,” Woolworths said in a statement on Tuesday morning. The application to Fair Work alleges a breach of the Good Faith Bargaining requirements in the Fair Work Act. The matter has not yet been listed for hearing. Woolworth says the majority of staff at the Dandenong South site are not members of the union, and want to return to work and get paid. The supermarket giant confirmed it would again try to reopen the distribution centre again today but would follow advice from Victoria Police on whether it was safe to do so. The strike action has seen supermarket shelves across Victoria stripped, with scenes akin to the COVID-19 pandemic. One store, on Collingwood’s Smith Street, had most of its toilet paper aisle emptied along with large portions of its bread and fridge sections. Those ordering grocery deliveries are also warned to allow substitutions to ensure they receive the products they want. The decision to go to Fair Work follows the company and union returning to the negotiating table on Monday. “We are hopeful of a breakthrough because our workers deserve to be safe at work,” United Workers Union National Secretary Tim Kennedy said. Workers are protesting against “unrealistic performance expectations” which they claim lead to frequent injuries, demanding better wages, and an agreement that workers at different sites are paid the same amount. In late November, Woolworths insisted all stores were still receiving regular stock deliveries, but some were getting their goods less frequently than previously scheduled. No product limits were in place at the time apart from eggs, which have been rationed for months following bird flu outbreaks in NSW and Victoria. It’s believed the strike is yet to affect Victorian farmers, whose produce normally hits supermarket closer to Christmas – but items such as nappies, toilet paper and drinks have been affected.
Middle East latest: Israel bombs new central areas of BeirutNone
Bar staff to be trained to deal with spiking as PM demands joint action on VAWGAtria Investments Inc reduced its holdings in shares of iShares Biotechnology ETF ( NASDAQ:IBB – Free Report ) by 15.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,700 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 315 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc’s holdings in iShares Biotechnology ETF were worth $248,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares Biotechnology ETF during the 1st quarter valued at about $14,386,000. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its position in shares of iShares Biotechnology ETF by 689.4% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 91,078 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $12,498,000 after purchasing an additional 79,541 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System increased its stake in shares of iShares Biotechnology ETF by 150.0% in the second quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 125,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $17,158,000 after purchasing an additional 75,000 shares in the last quarter. Aristides Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Biotechnology ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at $9,180,000. Finally, Sanctuary Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares Biotechnology ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at $8,118,000. 62.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. iShares Biotechnology ETF Stock Up 1.4 % Shares of iShares Biotechnology ETF stock opened at $137.96 on Friday. iShares Biotechnology ETF has a fifty-two week low of $117.28 and a fifty-two week high of $150.57. The company has a fifty day moving average of $143.43 and a 200 day moving average of $141.81. iShares Biotechnology ETF Dividend Announcement iShares Biotechnology ETF Company Profile ( Free Report ) iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (the Index). The Index contains securities of NASDAQ listed companies that are classified according to the Industry Classification Benchmark as either biotechnology or pharmaceuticals, which also meet other eligibility criteria determined by NASDAQ. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IBB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Biotechnology ETF ( NASDAQ:IBB – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Biotechnology ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Biotechnology ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Big Ten could place four teams in playoff, thanks to IU's riseSacks Parente golf executive chairman buys $5,010 in stock
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The Dallas Cowboys delivered a dramatic 34-26 victory over the Washington Commanders in Week 12, fueled by Micah Parsons' commanding performance and a wild series of plays in the final minutes. And as Dallas fights to keep its season alive, Parsons’ postgame comments about avoiding a losing mindset have become a focal point. “I’m not done yet. I don’t plan on tanking,” said Parsons. “If the higher-ups are looking for a draft pick, I hope that’s ruined because we got a lot of football left to play. As long as I’m a part of this team, we’re always going to fight.” Parsons backed up his words on the field, notching eight tackles, two sacks, and two stuffs. His relentless pressure kept the Commanders to just four of 12 on third downs, proving instrumental in the Cowboys’ defensive success. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones echoed Parsons’ sentiment during his weekly interview with 105.3 The Fan. “Love it! Just absolutely love it,” Jones said. “Micah gets criticized for some of the things that he says. But the way that was articulated is strong.We have a young team out there on that field. They’re young. We’ve got some inexperience out there now because of the number of injuries that we’re dealing with... That group of young players, we’re going to be playing with for years to come... "That [tanking] has not come across anybody’s mind in this organization.” Jerry may be fudging a bit there; it would be football malpractice for an NFL team to lack awareness of how tanking works. (Trust us; Dallas is aware.) But we certainly get the point of being excited by wins. The game’s closing sequence included KaVontae Turpin’s electric 99-yard kickoff return touchdown; the Commanders answered with an 86-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin and Juanyeh Thomas’ onside kick return touchdown, securing the win. Jones reflected on the wild finish. “You didn’t have time to soak in what had happened,'' said Jerry of the play. "It was going so fast and furious.” Related: Cowboys Rival Giants Description is 'Dirtiest Word in Football' The Cowboys now turn their attention to a Thanksgiving matchup against the New York Giants. With momentum on their side and a young roster hungry for success, Dallas has an opportunity to make a statement in the NFC East. A win could set the tone for the critical final stretch of the season. ... and would help Micah look right in his view. Related: What's Aikman Think of McCarthy's 'Valley Of Adversity'?BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Andrej Stojakovic converted 11 of 15 from the free throw line and scored 20 points as California held off a late rally to post an 83-77 win over Sacramento State in the Cal Classic tournament on Sunday. Cal came into its tournament without three starters, Jovan Blacksher Jr., DJ Campbell and BJ Omot and the Golden Bears earned back-to-back wins over Air Force and the Hornets. Stojakovic scored a career-high 21 points and freshman guard Jeremiah Wilkinson stepped up with career-best 23 points against the Falcons. Against Sacramento State, Wilkinson came off the bench to score 16 points. Sacramento State took an early 12-7 lead after Emil Skytta hit a pair of free throws five minutes into the game, but Wilkinson hit back-to-back buckets and Stojakovic drew a foul on a three-point attempt and hit all three foul shots to take a 14-12 lead and the Bears pulled away to take a 40-33 lead at intermission. Julian Vaughns knocked down a trey three minutes into the second half to pull Sacramento State even at 43 and his free throw put the Hornets in front. Ryan Petraitis and Wilkinson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Cal up 51-47 and the Bears never trailed the rest of the way. Petraitis finished with 13 points, five assists and three steals for Cal (5-1). Joshua Ola-Joseph and Mady Sissoko each added 10 points. Jacob Holt scored 25 points with eight rebounds, two assists and a steal to lead Sacramento State (1-4). Vaughns scored 18 points and EJ Neal added 16. The game was just the third meeting between schools separated by roughly 80 miles, and first since 1992. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college basketball: and
INDIANAPOLIS — Only the coldest of hearts won't empathize with Michael Andretti, who has been sidelined from his namesake motorsports organization and won't have any role with the the Formula 1 program he spent the last four years desperately trying to launch. His effort to get a program partnered with General Motors into F1 was approved last week , roughly a month after Andretti stepped aside from leading his race teams. F1's decision to expand its grid for Cadillac F1 came amidst a federal antitrust investigation into why Liberty Media refused to admit Andretti Global as an 11th team — and after Andretti partners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter took controlling interest of the effort. “The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team,” Andretti posted on social media. “I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!” The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team. I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you! While he will have no role with the F1 team, it is unclear what his regular involvement will be with his IndyCar team. His famous father, 1978 F1 champion Mario Andretti, will be on the board of the F1 team and an ambassador. What changed F1's position on Andretti — an application it basically mocked in its January denial — is not known. Few have said much beyond noting GM's increased commitment to take a larger role beyond engine supplier. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of F1's governing body, had championed the GM bid from the start and Andretti's application was the only one of seven to receive approval from the FIA. In an interview with The Associated Press, he called F1's decision to finally allow the GM team a spot in the sport “a win for all of motorsports” but also sympathized with Michael Andretti. “I feel he should be proud because he's the founder who started this thing with his partners,” Ben Sulayem said. "We did the proper due process, we never favored anyone, and it is only because his application ticked all the boxes that the FIA approved it. Michael is a lovely person and I do not feel this was personal against Michael Andretti. “The other teams? For them, it was about the money. They don't want the money to go from split between 10 teams to split between 11 teams," he added. "But it was only a matter of time before General Motors was going to be approved and I feel it is incorrect to say it happened because Michael stepped aside. What did Michael do? Why would people not want him? Because he spoke publicly? He didn't break any rules. He didn't abuse anyone. If people want to see it as personal, it is up to them. He doesn't annoy me." What likely did annoy F1 and Liberty Media, its commercial rights holder, was the Justice Department investigation. Liberty announced it was under investigation this summer, not long after Mario Andretti visited Washington to discuss the F1 snub with lawmakers. The FBI was allegedly at last month's Las Vegas Grand Prix and Ben Sulayem confirmed to AP he was interviewed by federal investigators. “It is the department that protects the interest of the United States and the FIA has nothing to hide,” Ben Sulayem said. “I was proud to speak to them and they were very polite and understanding. I wanted this to be cleared: I wanted GM in F1 because it is good for business.” F1 currently has just one American team, owned by California businessman Gene Haas, despite a series-high three races in the United States. Should the Cadillac F1 team make it to the grid in 2026 as scheduled, there will be two American teams and Ford will officially join Red Bull that season as a technical partner. This Andretti-less F1 effort will be led by TWG Global, the investment company founded by Walter, who as CEO of Guggenheim Partners is the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea, and Towriss, who became involved in motorsports initially as a sponsor for Andretti and took an ownership role in Andretti Global in 2022. Towriss is now the majority owner of the Andretti race teams and work on the F1 team will continue in Andretti's Indiana shop, its recently opened satellite factory in Silverstone and GM’s facilities in North Carolina and Michigan. Towriss is the CEO of TWG Global’s motorsports arm. There is no indication who the drivers will be for the F1 team, although Valtteri Bottas indicated last weekend he'd like to be considered and the original Andretti effort targeted current IndyCar driver Colton Herta, who is sponsored by Towriss' company, Gainbridge.After institutions for people with disabilities close, graves are at risk of being forgottenThe 18-team conference had three of the top-four teams in the AP poll this week — No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State. A one-loss Indiana team is ranked 10th but is still very much a contender to make the playoff, given how many Southeastern Conference teams have three defeats or more. Indiana's rise has been perhaps the Big Ten's biggest story this season. Much of the spotlight was on newcomers Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington, but aside from the top-ranked Ducks, that foursome has struggled to impress. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers won their first 10 games under new coach Curt Cignetti before losing at Ohio State last weekend. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 back in October, and if the Buckeyes beat rival Michigan this weekend, they'll earn a rematch with the Ducks for the Big Ten title. And it's entirely possible another matchup between those two teams awaits in the CFP. Star power Dillon Gabriel has quarterbacked Oregon to an unbeaten record, throwing for 3,066 yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 games. But don't overlook Iowa's Kaleb Johnson and his 21 rushing TDs, and quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been a big part of Indiana's improvement. Penn State's Abdul Carter has eight sacks and two forced fumbles and could be one of the top edge rushers drafted this year. Going bowling Oregon (11-0, 8-0), Ohio State (10-1, 7-1), Penn State (10-1, 7-1), Indiana (10-1, 7-1), Illinois (8-3, 5-3), Iowa (7-4, 5-3), Michigan (6-5, 4-4), Minnesota (6-5, 4-4), Washington (6-5, 4-4), Southern California (6-5, 4-5), Nebraska (6-5, 3-5) and Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) have already reached the six-win mark for bowl eligibility. Michigan State (5-6, 3-5) and Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5) can join them. Hot seats There may not be many firings in general at the top level of college football. The prospect of sharing revenue with athletes in the future might lead schools to be more judicious about shedding one coach and hiring a new one. Who should be most worried in the Big Ten? Well, Lincoln Riley is struggling to stay above .500 in his third season at USC. Purdue is 1-10, but coach Ryan Walters is only in his second season. Maryland's Mike Locksley has been there six years and his Terrapins are 4-7, but this was his first real step backward after guiding the team to three straight bowl wins. Cignetti has shown it is possible for a coaching change to push a previously moribund program to some impressive heights in a short amount of time — but the improvement has been more incremental at Michigan State following Jonathan Smith's arrival. Sherrone Moore wasn't a completely unknown commodity at Michigan after he won some massive games in place of a suspended Jim Harbaugh last year. But in his first season completely at the helm, the Wolverines have declined significantly following their national title a season ago. Youth movement The Big Ten is home to one of the most dynamic freshmen in the country in Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. He has 52 catches for 899 yards and nine touchdowns. Highly touted quarterback Dylan Raiola has teamed up with fellow freshman Jacory Barney (49 catches) to lead Nebraska to bowl eligibility. Recruiting watch Ohio State is on track to land the Big Ten's top class, according to 247 Sports, but the big news recently was quarterback Bryce Underwood flipping from LSU to Michigan. If the Wolverines do in fact keep Underwood in his home state, that would be a big development for Moore.
The (ASX: XKO) is a fertile hunting ground to find businesses that are growing quickly but still have plenty of time to go before they reach full maturity. But there are a few ASX 300 stocks I'm backing to beat the wider market over the next 12 months and beyond. Typically, businesses that are growing revenue at a fast pace are more likely to beat the market, in my view. It helps if those businesses have a large addressable market to grow into. Another positive would be if they can grow their profit margins as they become bigger. I believe the ASX 300 stocks below are appealing options, which is why I own them in my own portfolio. Lovisa Holdings Ltd ( ) I'd describe Lovisa as one of the most global companies on the ASX. It sells affordable jewellery which is targeted at younger shoppers. At the last count, it had 927 stores in 49 markets/countries. The business has more than 200 stores in Australia and New Zealand. Excitingly, it has the potential to significantly expand its global store network because it has a presence in countries with much larger populations than Australia, such as the USA, the UK, Germany, Italy, China, and Vietnam. I think it can add hundreds of stores to its network in the coming years. It continues growing at a pleasing pace despite the challenging economic environment. In the , total sales grew by 10% year over year. The demonstrated the strength of its business model, with revenue growth of 17% and growth of 20.9%. According to the Commsec forecast, the Lovisa share price is valued at 34x FY25's estimated earnings. I believe the company's sales growth could improve if the economic situation improves following cuts worldwide. Temple & Webster Group Ltd ( ) Temple & Webster is an online retailer of homewares, furniture, and some home improvement products. It already sells more than 200,000 products, most of which are shipped to customers directly by suppliers. This reduces the inventory and capital the ASX 300 stock needs to have to service the sales. The business' capital-light model allows it to generate strong . The ASX 300 stock aims to reach $1 billion in annual sales between FY26 and FY28, thanks to a combination of at least $800 million in core furniture and homewares sales and at least $200 million in sales from its growth plays, including business-to-business and home improvement sales. I'm excited by the company's potential to grow market share significantly as e-commerce adoption by Aussies continues, younger cohorts enter their higher-spending stage(s) of life, and a high level of marketing reaches more customers. As an online business, the company is benefiting from AI usage, both internally and with customer-facing solutions. This boosts customer conversion and provides cost-based benefits. With the ASX 300 stock getting bigger, its fixed costs are being spread across more sales, which is boosting margins. Its fixed costs were 11% of sales in , and it's aiming to have fixed costs of less than 6% of sales by FY28. I think this company has a very exciting future if it can continue gaining market share.The expanded Big Ten is poised to be a major player in this season's College Football Playoff. The 18-team conference had three of the top-four teams in the AP poll this week — No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State. A one-loss Indiana team is ranked 10th but is still very much a contender to make the playoff, given how many Southeastern Conference teams have three defeats or more. Indiana's rise has been perhaps the Big Ten's biggest story this season. Much of the spotlight was on newcomers Oregon, Southern California, UCLA and Washington, but aside from the top-ranked Ducks, that foursome has struggled to impress. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers won their first 10 games under new coach Curt Cignetti before losing at Ohio State last weekend. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 back in October, and if the Buckeyes beat rival Michigan this weekend, they'll earn a rematch with the Ducks for the Big Ten title. And it's entirely possible another matchup between those two teams awaits in the CFP. Dillon Gabriel has quarterbacked Oregon to an unbeaten record, throwing for 3,066 yards and 22 touchdowns in 11 games. But don't overlook Iowa's Kaleb Johnson and his 21 rushing TDs, and quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been a big part of Indiana's improvement. Penn State's Abdul Carter has eight sacks and two forced fumbles and could be one of the top edge rushers drafted this year. Oregon (11-0, 8-0), Ohio State (10-1, 7-1), Penn State (10-1, 7-1), Indiana (10-1, 7-1), Illinois (8-3, 5-3), Iowa (7-4, 5-3), Michigan (6-5, 4-4), Minnesota (6-5, 4-4), Washington (6-5, 4-4), Southern California (6-5, 4-5), Nebraska (6-5, 3-5) and Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) have already reached the six-win mark for bowl eligibility. Michigan State (5-6, 3-5) and Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5) can join them. There may not be many firings in general at the top level of college football. The prospect of sharing revenue with athletes in the future might lead schools to be more judicious about shedding one coach and hiring a new one. Who should be most worried in the Big Ten? Well, Lincoln Riley is struggling to stay above .500 in his third season at USC. Purdue is 1-10, but coach Ryan Walters is only in his second season. Maryland's Mike Locksley has been there six years and his Terrapins are 4-7, but this was his first real step backward after guiding the team to three straight bowl wins. Cignetti has shown it is possible for a coaching change to push a previously moribund program to some impressive heights in a short amount of time — but the improvement has been more incremental at Michigan State following Jonathan Smith's arrival. Sherrone Moore wasn't a completely unknown commodity at Michigan after he won some massive games in place of a suspended Jim Harbaugh last year. But in his first season completely at the helm, the Wolverines have declined significantly following their national title a season ago. The Big Ten is home to one of the most dynamic freshmen in the country in Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. He has 52 catches for 899 yards and nine touchdowns. Highly touted quarterback Dylan Raiola has teamed up with fellow freshman Jacory Barney (49 catches) to lead Nebraska to bowl eligibility. Ohio State is on track to land the Big Ten's top class, according to 247 Sports, but the big news recently was quarterback Bryce Underwood flipping from LSU to Michigan. If the Wolverines do in fact keep Underwood in his home state, that would be a big development for Moore. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Texans foiled by mistake after mistake in 32-27 loss to Titans
Crashes, missing persons and a mystery inside a statue: The big stories of May 2024SAN DIEGO — U.S. Magistrate Judge Benjamin Cheeks, a former San Diego prosecutor and defense attorney, is tracking toward becoming one of the last two federal judges appointed by President Joe Biden, though it remains uncertain if he’ll make it across the finish line that is the Senate confirmation needed for the life-tenure position. Nominated by Biden in October for a U.S. district judge seat in the Southern District of California, Cheeks has become a political pawn in Washington, D.C., where Senate Democrats and Republicans are battling over more than a dozen federal judgeships in the waning days of the Biden administration. Both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump during his first term made judicial nominations a priority, as federal courts often have the final say on the legality of a president’s policies and the constitutionality of state and federal laws. During Trump’s first term, he appointed a total of 245 federal judges, including three Supreme Court justices, 54 appeals court judges and 174 district court judges, according to the U.S. Courts . Trump appointed just one judge to the federal bench in the Southern District of California. Biden will likely end his term having appointed about 230 federal judges, including at least six in the San Diego area. Cheeks would be his seventh appointee. Despite a Republican-led Senate confirming 19 of Trump’s nominees after he lost the 2020 election, Trump recently urged the Senate not to do the same for Biden by confirming his last slate of nominees, including Cheeks. “The Democrats are trying to stack the courts with radical left judges on their way out the door,” Trump claimed on social media. “Republican senators need to show up and hold the line — no more judges confirmed before inauguration day!” A few days later, after Senate Republicans promised to try to fulfill Trump’s wishes by stalling and preventing any more confirmations, Senate Democrats and Republicans reached a compromise . The terms of the deal allowed the Senate to confirm at least 12 more district judges without Republican roadblocks but will leave vacant four openings on appellate courts that Trump can fill. Cheeks was not among the 12 nominees included in the compromise, so Senate Republicans could still try to block his confirmation without reneging on the deal. But with a Democratic majority still in power, his confirmation rests more on whether the Senate has time to push his confirmation through, according to Carl Tobias, the Williams Chair in Law at the University of Richmond School of Law. “I’m cautiously optimistic,” said Tobias, who tracks federal judge and U.S. attorney appointments. “It’s certainly possible, but whether it’s probable, I can’t say.” Cheeks and Serena Murillo, a candidate for U.S. district judge in the Los Angeles area, got past a key hurdle just hours before the Senate compromise when they had a hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee now must approve their nominations and send them to the full Senate for a vote. The Senate is on recess this week for Thanksgiving. But Tobias said that if the Judiciary Committee votes to approve the duo in the first or second week of December, it would give the full Senate enough time to confirm the two judges before going on a final recess. When the Senate returns from that recess, a new Republican majority will take power and would almost certainly vote against the Biden nominees. There are currently two federal judgeship vacancies in the Southern District of California, which covers San Diego and Imperial counties. The last-minute rush to confirm Cheeks stands in stark contrast to the nominee for the other vacant seat. San Diego Superior Court Judge Rebecca Kanter was nominated in January but never got a hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Her nomination will expire when the new Senate convenes next year. Neither Kanter nor Sen. Alex Padilla responded to recent questions about why her confirmation process stalled. “I’m bewildered by it,” Tobias said. “It’s so rare something like that happens ... It makes no sense.” Kanter was a federal prosecutor in San Diego for 16 years before winning a contested election to become a state court judge. Tobias said there was no indication of any red flags in her background. “The only people who may know what happened are the senators,” Tobias said, referring to Padilla and Laphonza Butler. Each state’s senators are typically responsible for vetting and recommending nominees to the president. Meanwhile, San Diego U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath, a Biden nominee confirmed by the Senate last year , appears unlikely to resign before Trump takes office. “The U.S. Attorney is proud to serve this district and will continue in the role as long as she is needed,” spokesperson Kelly Thornton said in a statement Monday. If history holds, the new Trump administration will request the resignations of McGrath and other Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys shortly after inauguration day. It’s a customary process that occurs for most of the 94 U.S. attorneys across the nation each time a presidential administration from a different party takes office. Trump’s U.S. attorney in San Diego, Robert Brewer, resigned on the last day of February 2021 , about a month after President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Weeks earlier, the Biden administration had requested the resignations of Brewer and all but two Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys. If McGrath is asked to resign, it will be up to the Trump administration to nominate her replacement and up to the Senate to confirm that nomination. That could take years, based on recent history. Former San Diego U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy, an appointee of President Barack Obama, was not sworn in as U.S. attorney until May 2010, about 16 months into his presidency. Brewer took office in January 2019, halfway through Trump’s first term. McGrath was sworn in just a year ago, nearly three full years into Biden’s presidency. Until Trump’s nominee is in place, the Department of Justice will appoint an acting U.S. attorney to lead the office. In the recent past, that interim position has gone to the first assistant U.S. attorney, the No. 2 person in the office. Andrew Haden, who had previously served as first assistant before McGrath’s arrival, was elevated back to the No. 2 position in the office earlier this month. His serving as acting U.S. attorney in the event of McGrath’s resignation would appear to make sense, given that he briefly filled the same role last year before McGrath took office. But that will ultimately be the decision of the DOJ and the attorney general, which at the moment is slated to be former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. ©2024 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com . 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