CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns lost once again on Sunday, this time 20-3 to the Dolphins at Huntington Bank Field in their final home game of the season. It dropped their record to 3-13 and they now hold the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft. Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe start their postgame recap video by talking about the team’s looming quarterback decision between Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe. More Cleveland Browns coverage ‘When I left out...that was it’: What the Dolphins’ Tyler Huntley said about beating the Browns in his return to Cleveland Why Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy left Sunday’s game frustrated, even after a career high in targets Dorian Thompson-Robinson on loss to Dolphins, Jerry Jeudy, Tyler Huntley, and more: Transcript Week 18 NFL Preview: Find everything you need to know with our Week 18 NFL preview. Then they talk about Myles Garrett making history, becoming the first player in NFL history to notch 14 sacks in a season four seasons in a row. They wrap up the video by looking at the draft implications of the loss. Football Insider newsletter free trial: Take a minute and sign up for a free trial of our Football Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive content from cleveland.com's Browns reporters.Former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, said on Friday that he does not intend to return to Congress after he resigned to become President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general nominee. Gaetz withdrew from consideration on Thursday as several Republican senators reportedly were not planning to vote to confirm his nomination. His nomination was potentially headed toward failure as senators raised concerns after the House Ethics Committee's findings into alleged sexual misconduct by Gaetz were not released to the public. The House Ethics Committee could have potentially released its findings, but Gaetz ended up leaving the House days before the committee's planned vote. After he resigned from Congress, Speaker Mike Johnson said the report and the committee's findings should not be made public. RELATED STORY | Matt Gaetz says he's removing his name for consideration for attorney general After Gaetz withdrew his nomination, there was speculation on whether Gaetz would attempt to return to Congress as he was reelected to the House earlier this month. Speaking to Charlie Kirk on Friday, he put an end to that speculation. "I'm still gonna be in the fight, but it's going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress," he said. "There are a number of fantastic Floridians who have stepped up to run for my seat." Gaetz said he has other goals in life after spending 16 years in elected office. "I am going to be fighting for President Trump," he said. "I am going to do whatever he asks of me, I always have. I think eight years is enough time in the United States Congress." Hours after Gaetz's announcement, Trump said that he would nominate former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to be his nominee. Gaetz's seat will be filled following a special election.
Liverpool punish rivals’ errors with dominant win over Leicester to stretch leadWith the clock ticking on the current Congress, there are new doubts over the prospects for a bill that would shield journalists from being compelled by the federal government to reveal their sources and materials. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) objected to efforts to speedily pass the bill, arguing that it was a “threat to national security” and was “the biggest giveaway to the liberal press in American history.” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the author of the Senate version of the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act, or Press Act , had sought unanimous consent on the floor today to clear the bill. That is a legislative maneuver to pass legislation without a roll call, unless a lawmaker objects. The Press Act passed the House in a unanimous vote earlier this year. Wyden indicated that he would continue to talk to Cotton to try to resolve his concerns. The bill “protects from disclosure any information identifying a source, as well as any records, contents of a communication, documents, or information obtained or created by journalists in the course of their work.” The bill also bars government from demanding record that third parties — like telecommunications and social media companies — hand over records that would reveal journalists’ contacts. The exceptions to the journalists’ protection are when such information is needed to prevent terrorism or imminent violence. Although the Press Act has bipartisan sponsors and support, President-elect Donald Trump weighed in against it last month, writing on Truth Social , “REPUBLICANS MUST KILL THIS BILL!” Cotton argued that the PRESS Act would turn journalists into “a protected class, free to hold, share and publish highly classified and dangerous information that no other American is allowed to possess.” The Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press has said that the bill “is a reasonable, common-sense measure to preserve the free flow of information to the public, as evidenced by its broad bipartisan support and the fact that 49 states and the District of Columbia have similar protections. All reflect the reality that the press cannot fulfill its constitutionally recognized watchdog role without some safeguard for confidential source identities and sensitive newsgathering material. Congress must step in to provide a durable shield at the federal level.” Backers of the bill also said that it would be an important protection for reporters on the right as well as the left, given the prevalence of conservative media outlets that engage in aggressive investigative reporting. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that the “the press keeps governments accountable to the people, exposes abuse and informs people about what’s happening in government. But if government can unduly harass the press, or when leaders smear journalists as enemies of the people and when there are too few protections for journalists, our democracy is at the very real risk of eroding away.” He said that the bill was “more important now than ever before when we’ve heard some in the previous administration talk about going after the press in one way or another.”
Stock market today: Wall Street rallies ahead of Christmas
New Delhi, Nov 23 (PTI) The landslide victory for ruling BJP-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra will booster billionaire Gautam Adani-led group's USD 3-billion project to redevelop Mumbai slum of Dharavi into a "world-class" district. Opposition Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) had pledged to reclaim all land given to the Adani group for redeveloping Asia's largest slum and promised to scrap the project altogether, if voted to power. For Adani, who is facing bribery charges in a US court, the scrapping of his pet Dharavi project would have been a big setback. With election results showing the BJP and its allies Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party factions led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, winning more than three-fourths of the 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly, those anxieties have now been set to rest. Adani plans to turn 620 acres of prime land, about three quarters of the size of New York's Central Park, into a glitzy urban hub. About seven lakh living in rickety shanties with open sewers and shared toilets in the densely populated slums located close to Mumbai's international airport, are to be given flats of up to 350 sq ft free of cost. The redevelopment had become a political hot potato with the opposition alleging that that group received undue favours from the state government in awarding the contract. The group has denied benefiting from the government's favouritism. Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had repeatedly raised the award of Dharavi redevelopment, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party BJP of enriching cronies such as Adani. Project supporters in the ruling dispensation say the project holds out promise to make it a global model for slum redevelopment. While an estimated 1 million (10 lakh) reside in Dharavi, about 700,000 are thought to be eligible because of the resident definition of ones having proof of living in the area prior to January 1, 2000. The rest will get homes in other parts of the city, a proposal some locals opposed as they want no resident or business owner to be uprooted. Adani had in 2022 won a contract to remake the slum, which sits on prime real estate in the overcrowded financial capital, in seven years. Weeks before the poll, the Maharashtra government had approved the acquisition of 256 acres of salt-pan land for the Dharavi redevelopment. The salt-pan land is to be acquired from the central government and leased to the government of Maharashtra, which is redeveloping the 620-acre slum, the largest in Asia. The Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt, in which the Adani Group holds an 80 per cent stake, along with the state government, is implementing the project. The land will be used to build low-cost and affordable housing for residents of Dharavi. A survey of existing residents and businesses is being done to determine who would be rehoused in Dharavi or be relocated. The slums -- key backdrop in Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire -- houses shanties where often eight people are squeezed in a 100-sq ft tenement and ten times that number sharing a toilet. Dharavi is also a massive hub for small-scale businesses ranging from leather goods to pottery and textiles. The Maharashtra government in 2022 issued a new tender to redevelop Dharavi after an earlier remake deal was cancelled. Adani Group, which also runs Mumbai's airport and distributes electricity in the city, had in 2022 won the project by offering to pay Rs 5,070 crore -- more than 2.5 times the sum quoted by the next highest bidder -- to provide houses, with a kitchen and a toilet, to eligible slum dwellers in revamped Dharavi. The group has an 80 per cent stake in the firm executing the project, with the remainder held by the state. Seclink Technologies, a Dubai-based consortium that initially won the cancelled the 2018 tender, challenged the new contract in the Bombay High Court, alleging the process "unlawfully" favoured Adani by raising bidders' net worth requirements and limiting consortium members. The state government said no contract had been agreed with Seclink and that the new tender was ordered because of the changed financial and economic situation in view of Covid pandemic. It also insisted that the Seclink consortium was not excluded from the bidding. Starting from the 1950s, the several state governments had floated tenders to redevelop Dharavi, but none took off. The redevelopment essentially required acquiring large tracts of land, attracting investors to build modern utilities and resettlement of local residents. The current redevelopment plan -- the state government's fourth attempt via a global tender -- has made the most progress. The project aims to transform the slum, which is around the size of Monaco, into modern apartments, offices, and malls. Dharavi started as an informal settlement for Muslim leather tanners but soon turned into a cosmopolitan melting pot with migrants from across India making it their home. As Mumbai expanded, the slum was no longer on the fringes of the city and is now home to a large collection of cottage industries. The Adani-led redevelopment project includes initiatives like sustainable transportation systems and modern infrastructure utilities. It includes vocational training to empower youth and aspiring workers in Dharavi, helping them secure eco-friendly jobs and improve their earning capabilities. These efforts are designed to create a more prosperous and environmentally friendly future for the community. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Stock market today: Wall Street drifts to a mixed close in thin trading following a holiday pause Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1% Thursday, its first loss after three straight gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Gains by retailers and health care stocks helped temper the losses. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. The Labor Department reported that U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. Treasury yields fell in the bond market. Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen has targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said Thursday's bombardment took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. At least three people were reported killed and dozens injured in the Sanaa airport strike. Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, a faster pace than the 3.1% increase from a year earlier. The measure tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mastercard SpendingPulse says the last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending. Sales of clothing, electronics and Jewelry rose. Finland stops Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Finnish police say authorities detained a ship linked to neighboring Russia as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables. It was the latest incident involving disruption of key infrastructure. Police and border guards boarded the Eagle S and took control as they investigate damage to the Estlink-2 undersea power cable. The cable brings electricity from Finland to Estonia across the Baltic Sea. The cable went down on Wednesday. The incident follows damage to two data cables and the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Both have been termed sabotage. Russian ship that sank in the Mediterranean was attacked, owner says MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian operator of a cargo ship that sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria says it has been hit by a series of explosions in an act of sabotage. Oboronlogistica is a state-controlled company that operated the Ursa Major freighter. The company said the vessel was wrecked by three powerful explosions just above the water line in what it described as a “terrorist attack” that caused it to sink on Monday. The company said in a statement carried by Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency on Thursday that the explosions left a hole in the ship’s starboard and filled the engine room with acrid smoke. That hampered the crew’s attempts to access it. Undersea power cable linking Finland and Estonia hit by outage, prompting investigation FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Finland’s prime minister says authorities are investigating an interruption in a power cable under the Baltic Sea between his country and Estonia. Petteri Orpo said on X that power transmission through the Estlink-2 cable suffered an outage Wednesday. Authorities have been on edge about undersea infrastructure in the Baltic after two international data cables were severed in November and the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany were blown up in September 2022. Japan to maximize nuclear power in clean-energy push as electricity demand grows TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese government panel has largely supported a draft energy policy calling for bolstering renewables up to half of Japanese electricity needs by 2040. It also recommends maximizing the use of nuclear power to accommodate the growing demand for power in the era of AI while meeting decarbonization targets. Cabinet is expected to formally approve the plan by March following a period of public consultation. The policy says nuclear energy should account for 20% of Japan’s energy supply in 2040, with renewables expanded to 40-50% and coal-fired power reduced to 30-40%. Working Well: Returning to the office can disrupt life. Here are some tips to navigate the changes NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of workers are facing an unsettling reality heading into 2025. After years of working from the comfort of home, they're being told it’s time to return to the office full-time for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. That can bring a host of challenges, including losing time with family. Workers at Amazon, AT&T and other companies have been called back to the office five days a week. Experts have advice to share about how to navigate the changes when an employer calls you back to the office. Workers can convey what they need, seek flexibility and if all else fails, consider other options. FDA proposes new testing rules to ensure cosmetics are asbestos-free WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration is proposing a rule that cosmetic companies would have to take extra steps to ensure that any products containing talc are free of asbestos. The rule was proposed Thursday and is intended to reassure consumers about the safety of makeup, baby powder and other personal care products. The rule follows years of lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson and other companies alleging links between talc-based baby powder and cancer. Research has found mixed evidence of a potential link between cancer and talc, although the possibility has been recognized for decades because of how it is mined.When Manmohan said 'history will be kinder to me'
Southeast Asia voters grapple with explosion of AI imagesTrump picks Andrew Ferguson to chair FTC
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Our 1980s view on the world has led to Trump, Elon Musk. How does the era look to you know?NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train used a shirt to fan the flames, a prosecutor said Tuesday at his arraignment on murder charges. Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally, was not required to enter a plea and did not speak at the hearing in Brooklyn criminal court. Zapeta, wearing a white jumpsuit over a weathered black hooded sweatshirt, will remain jailed and is due back in court on Friday. His lawyer did not ask for bail. Zapeta is charged with two counts of murder, accusing him of intentionally killing the woman and killing her while committing arson. He is also charged with one count of arson. The top charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called the attack a “gruesome and senseless act of violence” and said it would be “met with the most serious consequences.” The apparently random attack occurred Sunday morning on an F train that was stopped at the Coney Island station. Police said Tuesday the victim's identification is still pending. Authorities say Zapeta approached the woman, who may have been sleeping in the train, and set her clothing on fire with a lighter. Zapeta then fanned the flames with a shirt, engulfing her in fire, Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg said in court Tuesday. Zapeta then sat on a bench on the subway platform and watched, police said. According to Rottenberg, Zapeta told detectives that he didn’t know what happened but identified himself in images of the attack. Zapeta's lawyer, Ed Friedman, did not speak to reporters after the arraignment. Video on social media appears to show some people looking on from the platform and at least one police officer walking by while the woman is on fire inside the train. NYPD Transit Chief Joseph Gulotta said Sunday that several officers responded to the fire and one stayed to keep the crime scene “the way it’s supposed to be" while the others went to get fire extinguishers and transit workers. “Officers who were on patrol on an upper level of that station smelled and saw smoke and went to investigate. What they saw was a person standing inside the train car fully engulfed in flames,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. They eventually put the fire out, but “unfortunately, it was too late,” Tisch said, and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Zapeta was taken into custody Sunday afternoon while riding a train on the same subway line after teenagers recognized him from images circulated by the police. A Brooklyn address for Zapeta released by police matches a shelter that provides housing and substance abuse support. The shelter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Federal immigration officials said Zapeta was deported in 2018 but later reentered the U.S. illegally. The crime deepened a growing sense of unease among some New Yorkers about the safety of the subway system, amplified by graphic video of the attack that ricocheted across social media. Overall, crime is down in the transit system compared to last year. Major felonies declined 6% between January and November compared to the same time period last year, according to data from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. But murders are up, with nine killings this year through November compared to five during the same period last year. Earlier this month, a Manhattan jury acquitted former Marine Daniel Penny in the chokehold death last year of an agitated subway rider. The case became a flashpoint in debates over safety, homelessness and mental illness on the system. Policing the subway is difficult, given the vast network of trains moving between 472 stations. Each stop contains multiple entry points and, in many stations, multiple floors and platforms.
NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train used a shirt to fan the flames, a prosecutor said Tuesday at his arraignment on murder charges. Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally, was not required to enter a plea and did not speak at the hearing in Brooklyn criminal court. Zapeta, wearing a white jumpsuit over a weathered black hooded sweatshirt, will remain jailed and is due back in court on Friday. His lawyer did not ask for bail. Zapeta is charged with two counts of murder, accusing him of intentionally killing the woman and killing her while committing arson. He is also charged with one count of arson. The top charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called the attack a “gruesome and senseless act of violence” and said it would be “met with the most serious consequences.” The apparently random attack occurred Sunday morning on an F train that was stopped at the Coney Island station. Police said Tuesday the victim's identification is still pending. Authorities say Zapeta approached the woman, who may have been sleeping in the train, and set her clothing on fire with a lighter. Zapeta then fanned the flames with a shirt, engulfing her in fire, Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg said in court Tuesday. Zapeta then sat on a bench on the subway platform and watched, police said. According to Rottenberg, Zapeta told detectives that he didn’t know what happened but identified himself in images of the attack. Zapeta's lawyer, Ed Friedman, did not speak to reporters after the arraignment. Video on social media appears to show some people looking on from the platform and at least one police officer walking by while the woman is on fire inside the train. NYPD Transit Chief Joseph Gulotta said Sunday that several officers responded to the fire and one stayed to keep the crime scene “the way it’s supposed to be" while the others went to get fire extinguishers and transit workers. “Officers who were on patrol on an upper level of that station smelled and saw smoke and went to investigate. What they saw was a person standing inside the train car fully engulfed in flames,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. They eventually put the fire out, but “unfortunately, it was too late,” Tisch said, and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Zapeta was taken into custody Sunday afternoon while riding a train on the same subway line after teenagers recognized him from images circulated by the police. A Brooklyn address for Zapeta released by police matches a shelter that provides housing and substance abuse support. The shelter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Federal immigration officials said Zapeta was deported in 2018 but later reentered the U.S. illegally. The crime deepened a growing sense of unease among some New Yorkers about the safety of the subway system, amplified by graphic video of the attack that ricocheted across social media. Overall, crime is down in the transit system compared to last year. Major felonies declined 6% between January and November compared to the same time period last year, according to data from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. But murders are up, with nine killings this year through November compared to five during the same period last year. Earlier this month, a Manhattan jury acquitted former Marine Daniel Penny in the chokehold death last year of an agitated subway rider. The case became a flashpoint in debates over safety, homelessness and mental illness on the system. Policing the subway is difficult, given the vast network of trains moving between 472 stations. Each stop contains multiple entry points and, in many stations, multiple floors and platforms.None
AP News Summary at 10:00 p.m. EST
Over the weekend, Arabic and Turkish outlets reported that Asma al-Assad, wife of deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, was seeking a divorce after the couple and their family fled to Moscow two weeks ago. However, other sources are now stating that such claims are without merit. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian government, told reporters at a press conference on Monday that the stories about Asma seeking a divorce “do not correspond to reality,” while also refuting other claims that the Assads were being confined in the Russian capital and that their assets had been frozen (Bashar al-Assad has several properties in Moscow). The Daily Beast reports that Asma’s father, Dr. Fawaz Akhras, told the outlet via email that he is “able to confirm that the reports are false.” Rebel forces overthrew the Assad regime two weeks ago, marking a decisive shift in the ongoing Syrian civil war, which stemmed from large-scale protests against the regime that broke out in 2011. The popular uprising and Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown against it escalated, with armed opposition groups forming throughout the country, some wholly domestic and others backed by outside forces, including United States. By mid-2012, the conflict had escalated into a brutal civil war, with numerous atrocities committed on both sides in the following years. This would include mass executions and theocratic repression on the part of rebel forces, and al-Assad’s Russia-backed military deploying chemical weapons. While the conflict lay dormant after a ceasefire agreement was reached in 2020, a rebel coalition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) went on an 11-day offensive, taking large cities like Aleppo and Homs, until finally reaching the capital of Damascus and toppling the government on December 8th. Rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (who previously went by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) is considered the new commander-in-chief of Syria’s interim government. Al-Assad and his family fled to Russia, where they were granted political asylum. Asma al-Assad, 49, was born to Syrian parents in the United Kingdom, where she lived until 2000 and worked as an investment banker. She moved to Syria at the age of 25 and married Bashar al-Assad, who had just succeeded his father, Hafez al-Assad, as leader of the country.
Man arraigned on murder charges in NYC subway death fanned flames with a shirt, prosecutors say