WASHINGTON (AP) — One year after the Jan. 6, 2021 , U.S. Capitol attack, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department was committed to holding accountable all perpetrators “at any level” for “the assault on our democracy.” That bold declaration won't apply to at least one person: Donald Trump. Special counsel Jack Smith's move on Monday to abandon the federal election interference case against Trump means jurors will likely never decide whether the president-elect is criminally responsible for his attempts to cling to power after losing the 2020 campaign. The decision to walk away from the election charges and the separate classified documents case against Trump marks an abrupt end of the Justice Department’s unprecedented legal effort that once threatened his liberty but appears only to have galvanized his supporters. The abandonment of the cases accusing Trump of endangering American democracy and national security does away with the most serious legal threats he was facing as he returns to the White House. It was the culmination of a monthslong defense effort to delay the proceedings at every step and use the criminal allegations to Trump's political advantage, putting the final word in the hands of voters instead of jurors. “We always knew that the rich and powerful had an advantage, but I don’t think we would have ever believed that somebody could walk away from everything,” said Stephen Saltzburg, a George Washington University law professor and former Justice Department official. “If there ever was a Teflon defendant, that’s Donald Trump.” While prosecutors left the door open to the possibility that federal charges could be re-filed against Trump after he leaves office, that seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Trump's presidential victory has thrown into question the future of the two state criminal cases against him in New York and Georgia. Trump was supposed to be sentenced on Tuesday after his conviction on 34 felony counts in his New York hush money case , but it's possible the sentencing could be delayed until after Trump leaves office, and the defense is pushing to dismiss the case altogether. Smith's team stressed that their decision to abandon the federal cases was not a reflection of the merit of the charges, but an acknowledgement that they could not move forward under longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Trump's presidential victory set “at odds two fundamental and compelling national interests: On the one hand, the Constitution’s requirement that the President must not be unduly encumbered in fulfilling his weighty responsibilities . . . and on the other hand, the Nation’s commitment to the rule of law,” prosecutors wrote in court papers. The move just weeks after Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris underscores the immense personal stake Trump had in the campaign in which he turned his legal woes into a political rallying cry. Trump accused prosecutors of bringing the charges in a bid to keep him out of the White House, and he promised revenge on his perceived enemies if he won a second term. “If Donald J. Trump had lost an election, he may very well have spent the rest of his life in prison,” Vice President-elect JD Vance, wrote in a social media post on Monday. “These prosecutions were always political. Now it’s time to ensure what happened to President Trump never happens in this country again.” After the Jan. 6 attack by Trump supporters that left more than 100 police officers injured, Republican leader Mitch McConnell and several other Republicans who voted to acquit Trump during his Senate impeachment trial said it was up to the justice system to hold Trump accountable. The Jan. 6 case brought last year in Washington alleged an increasingly desperate criminal conspiracy to subvert the will of voters after Trump's 2020 loss, accusing Trump of using the angry mob of supporters that attacked the Capitol as “a tool” in his campaign to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence and obstruct the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's victory. Hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters — many of whom have said they felt called to Washington by Trump — have pleaded guilty or been convicted by juries of federal charges at the same courthouse where Trump was supposed to stand trial last year. As the trial date neared, officials at the courthouse that sits within view of the Capitol were busy making plans for the crush of reporters expected to cover the historic case. But Trump's argument that he enjoyed absolute immunity from prosecution quickly tied up the case in appeals all the way up to the Supreme Court. The high court ruled in July that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution , and sent the case back to the trial court to decide which allegations could move forward. But the case was dismissed before the trial court could get a chance to do so. The other indictment brought in Florida accused Trump of improperly storing at his Mar-a-Lago estate sensitive documents on nuclear capabilities, enlisting aides and lawyers to help him hide records demanded by investigators and cavalierly showing off a Pentagon “plan of attack” and classified map. But U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case in July on grounds that Smith was illegally appointed . Smith appealed to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but abandoned that appeal on Monday. Smith's team said it would continue its fight in the appeals court to revive charges against Trump's two co-defendants because “no principle of temporary immunity applies to them.” In New York, jurors spent weeks last spring hearing evidence in a state case alleging a Trump scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. New York prosecutors recently expressed openness to delaying sentencing until after Trump's second term, while Trump's lawyers are fighting to have the conviction dismissed altogether. In Georgia, a trial while Trump is in office seems unlikely in a state case charging him and more than a dozen others with conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. The case has been on hold since an appeals court agreed to review whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired to lead the case. Associated Press reporter Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed.
Editor’s note: Made in Tarrant is an occasional Q&A series on small businesses started in Tarrant County. Submit your business here. Courtney Barnett is a hair stylist-turned-small business owner who is passionate about supporting people’s well-being and living in a more eco-friendly environment. In 2019, Barnett took a trip to Iceland that marked the turning point in her career. During her trip, she observed and appreciated the country’s efforts to become a cleaner, more sustainable part of the world. “I fell in love with that,” said Barnett, so much that she began to adopt sustainable habits into her life. It was only a matter of time before Barnett decided she wanted to help people do the same. Two years after launching an ‘eco-goods’ business in 2020, Barnett launched her refillery — a store where customers are encouraged to bring their own containers or purchase reusable containers to restock personal or home essentials. This helps customers avoid using plastic and nonrecyclable waste. Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. FastingHouse sells self-care products made out of natural ingredients and home eco-goods composed out of recyclable materials. Website: FastingHouse Naturals Email: fastinghouse@gmail.com Facebook: FastingHouse Naturals This interview has been edited for clarity, grammar and length. Nicole Lopez: How did your business kick off? Courtney Barnett: I was a hairdresser. When COVID-19 pandemic hit, I stopped doing hair because, obviously, I couldn’t. I was looking to make my own self-care products and found that I was allergic to a lot of stuff. So that’s kind of why I thought to myself, “Okay, I want this. Let’s figure out how to make it.” After that, I started implementing sustainability within my own life. It was two years into the business that I decided to add in the sustainable items that I had come to love and use. Something that’s very similar to what you’re going to see in your day-to-day life, but just a more sustainable version of those products. About a year ago I launched the refillery. I was already using these products in my home, but I really wanted to bring this to the masses. Lopez: Are refillery businesses common or easily accessible in Fort Worth? Barnett: There’s one in Weatherford and one on Race Street in north Fort Worth called the Green Thistle Emporium. A stand-alone store’s overhead is very expensive, especially nowadays. So that’s why I chose to do a pop-up refillery. Lopez: What sets FastingHouse Naturals apart from other refilleries and sustainable home goods businesses here? Barnett: The convenience. Definitely the fact that I have my own self-care line that I hand- make and is all natural and organic. A lot of the brands I support and source are women-owned and operated. That’s definitely at the forefront of the reason why I choose some of the products that I have. Lopez: Did you encounter any challenges trying to start up your business? Barnett: Absolutely: gaining capital. I believe what really helped me was making my own products and really focusing on that for a little while. That was definitely a challenge for sure. And just finding out which markets are supportive because there are some places that are really supportive refilleries and other places not so much. Lopez: I know your business is centered around helping people make more eco-friendly choices. What else do you hope your customers can gain by purchasing your products? Barnett: I want people to realize that being sustainable is more accessible than you probably think. I fully believe that it is not 10 people doing it absolutely perfectly that’s going to make the biggest difference in the world. I feel like if everyone can do things that align with their lifestyle, budgets and schedules — whatever it is — if you can make a couple of switches here and there, I think we’re going to make a bigger impact. Lopez: Can you tell me about the natural ingredients in your products? Barnett: Everything is all natural, organic, and everything is essential oil-based. You won’t find fragrance oils, hormone disruptors, endocrine disruptors, phthalates. You’re not going to have any preservatives or sulfates. Lopez: Are your customers interested in leading a more sustainable lifestyle when they take your products home? Barnett: I feel like my products do leave that influence. I have people that will come up and forget their refillable jars and I tell them it’s okay. I really try to have a lot of options for people. I have paper pouches that are recyclable. If you forget your jars, there’s still an option for you that is recyclable. Lopez: Are all of your goods recyclable, including self-care products? How does that work? Barnett: Pretty much everything is either recyclable or you can compost it. Bamboo is one of the most abundant resources that we have. It’s super hard. It grows really fast. It’s great from that standpoint, but it also decomposes really well. So if you can’t recycle a product, you can probably throw it in your compost and it’s going to naturally degrade itself. Nicole Lopez is the environmental reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here . Your support makes TWICE the impact today. As November draws to a close , time is running out to double your impact. Thanks to the generosity of the Nicholas Martin Jr. Family Foundation, every dollar you give will be matched—up to $15,000. Will you give today to help trusted, local reporting thrive in Fort Worth and Tarrant County? Related Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism . Republish This Story Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Do not copy stories straight from the front-end of our web-site. You are required to follow the guidelines and use the republication tool when you share our content. The republication tool generates the appropriate html code. You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you use our stories in any other medium — for example, newsletters or other email campaigns — you must make it clear that the stories are from the Fort Worth Report. In all emails, link directly to the story at fortworthreport.org and not to your website. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. You have to credit Fort Worth Report. Please use “Author Name, Fort Worth Report” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report” and include our website, fortworthreport.org . You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Report November 30, 2024Article content Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are fiddling while Canada burns. And Jagmeet Singh’s New Democrats are performing as their backup musicians. Recommended Videos The Liberals are obsessed with getting their gimmicky GST holiday passed. At the same time, on Nov. 29, Statistics Canada announced that for the sixth consecutive quarter (and the eighth quarter in the last nine), Canada’s per-capita Gross Domestic Product declined. The GDP decline is the far bigger problem. It’s the national fire. A country that is in economic decline cannot afford all its fancy social programs such as health care and pensions. So what are the Liberals doing about that? Nothing. Are they cutting spending so the public sector doesn’t suck as much energy out of the economy? Don’t be silly. Are they lowering taxes, such as the income tax or carbon tax, in a meaningful way so public spending doesn’t crowd out personal spending? Nope. In the spring budget, the Liberals projected this year’s deficit would be in the neighbourhood of $40 billion. Now it’s almost certainly at $50 billion, with four more months to go in the budget year. On top of which they’re thinking of adding $6 billion to pay for their two-month GST hiatus and their $250 cheques to working Canadians (but likely not seniors, the self-employed or small businesspeople). The Liberals’ backup fiddlers – the New Democrats – are demanding even more spending. So, by the end of March, expect this year’s deficit to be nearer $60 billion. That kind of out-of-control spending puts huge upward pressure on inflation — more pressure than the GST forgiveness can relieve. There’s an excellent chance the Liberals’ scheme to give Canadians temporary relief from the high cost of living will end up raising the cost. Borrowing less money might help the Liberals put out the fire threatening our economy. Will they borrow less so the Bank of Canada can continue to bring down interest rates? Not a hope. If you have to refinance your mortgage in the coming months and the interest rate goes up, blame it on the inflationary pressure caused by Trudeau’s GST gimmick. I’m sure as you’ve laid awake nights, wondering how you were going to afford food for your family AND activities for the kids AND repairs to your car AND a new mortgage, the thought never once came to your head, “Gee, I sure wish the federal Liberals would remove the GST on beer until the middle of February. That would be a big help.” Using 1995 as a base, Canada’s per-capita GDP is now only 35% higher than it was 30 years ago; the Americans’ is 63% higher. And since the Trudeau Liberals came to office in 2015, our per-capita wealth has barely budged. It’s up under five percentage points, while the Americans’ has risen 25 points. Over the past nine years, America’s per-capita GDP has risen five times faster than ours, largely for two reasons. Their federal governments during that period have not been as anti-business, anti-investment as the Trudeau Liberals. And they have allowed in nowhere near as many legal immigrants as we have – immigrants who need housing, jobs, health care and other benefits. They have a bigger pie but have grown the number competing for a slice more slowly. A side effect of the GST gimmick will be a huge cost to businesses; it will be felt especially by small businesses. They will have to recalculate every item on which they must still collect GST and every item on which they no longer do. Then at the end of 60 days, they’ll have to go right back to collecting GST on the things they do now. That will eat away any increased business income they might have earned from Canadians spending their GST savings. Fiddle, Mr. Trudeau. Fiddle.
AP News Summary at 5:45 p.m. ESTWASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer. The announcement caps a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being tapped last week to lead it. The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial Trump nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth , who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support, said in a statement. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he added. Trump, in a social media post, said: “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” He did not immediately announce a new selection. Last week, he named personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible contender, Matt Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the U.S. ambassador to NATO. The withdrawal, just a week after the pick was announced, averts what was shaping up to be a pitched confirmation fight that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to support Trump’s Cabinet picks. The selection of the fierce Trump ally over well-regarded veteran lawyers whose names had circulated as possible contenders stirred concern for the Justice Department's independence at a time when Trump has openly threatened to seek retribution against political adversaries. It underscored the premium Trump places on personal loyalty and reflected the president-elect's desire to have a disruptor lead a Justice Department that for years investigated and ultimately indicted him. In the Senate, deeply skeptical lawmakers sought more information about Justice Department and congressional investigations into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls, which Gaetz has denied. Meanwhile, Justice Department lawyers were taken aback by the pick of a partisan lawmaker with limited legal experience who has echoed Trump's claims of a weaponized criminal justice system. As Gaetz sought to lock down Senate support, concern over the sex trafficking allegations showed no signs of abating. In recent days, an attorney for two women said his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman. One of the women testified she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017, according to the attorney, Joel Leppard. Leppard has said that his client testified she didn’t think Gaetz knew the girl was underage, stopped their relationship when he found out and did not resume it until after she turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18. "They’re grateful for the opportunity to move forward with their lives,” Leppard said Thursday of his clients. “They’re hoping that this brings final closure for all the parties involved.” Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Department’s investigation ended last year with no charges against him. Gaetz’s political future is uncertain. He had abruptly resigned his congressional seat upon being selected as attorney general, a move seen as a way to shut down the ethics investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He did win reelection in November for the new Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, 2025, but he said in his resignation letter last week to House Speaker Mike Johnson that he did not intend to take the oath of office. He transmitted a similar letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the state launched a special election process to fill the vacancy. Republicans on the House Ethics Committee declined this week to release the panel's findings, over objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee did agree to finish its work and is scheduled to meet again Dec. 5 to discuss the matter. As word of Gaetz's decision spread across the Capitol, Republican senators seemed divided. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served with Gaetz in the House, called it a “positive move." Maine Sen. Susan Collins said Gaetz “put country first and I am pleased with his decision.” Others said they had hoped Gaetz could have overhauled the department. Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a close ally of Trump, said he was “disappointed. I like Matt and I think he would have changed the way DOJ is run.” Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said he hoped that Trump will pick someone “equally as tenacious and equally as committed to rooting out and eliminating bias and politicization at the DOJ.” Gaetz is not the only Trump pick facing congressional scrutiny over past allegations. A detailed investigative police report made public Wednesday shows that a woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth, the former Fox News host now tapped to lead the Pentagon, after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave. “The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth told reporters Thursday at the Capitol, where he was meeting with senators to build support for his nomination. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs earned a much-deserved extended rest after their Christmas Day rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which capped an unbeaten stretch of three games in 11 days and clinched them the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs . That extended rest? Well, it can be just about as long as Chiefs coach Andy Reid wants it to be. The Chiefs (15-1) face the Broncos in their regular-season finale next weekend, a game whose kickoff remains up in the air. But it will be at least 10 days after their 29-10 win in Pittsburgh, a nice rest for a weary team whose bye was back in Week 6. But with nothing to play for in that game, Reid could conceivably give some of his most important players the entire week off ahead of the playoffs. And now that the Chiefs have a first-round bye , that means they wouldn't face anybody until at least Jan. 18 in the divisional round, meaning a full 24 days between games. “It's been almost 10 weeks of football, grinding on this short schedule at the very end of the year,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “We'll see how Week 18 goes — who plays, who doesn't play. That's up to Coach. But having this break, getting healthy, getting ourselves ready for the playoffs, it was super important, especially with the guys we have banged up.” The Chiefs dominated the Steelers without four-time All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who was resting his sore calf on Wednesday. They also have not had cornerback Chamarri Conner, who has been out with a concussion, or D.J. Humphries, the former Pro Bowl left tackle who appeared in one game for Kansas City before straining his hamstring. All of them figure to be healthy for the playoffs. The same for guys who have been dealing with minor injuries, such as right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who played against the Steelers despite straining his hamstring the previous week against Houston, and running back Isiah Pacheco, who dinged up his ribs in the win in Pittsburgh. “It will definitely help with some of the guys that are banged up, to get guys back, freshened up a little bit,” said Reid, who has rested important players in Week 18 in the past, including last season against the Chargers. “I think it will be a positive for us.” The trick is to decide exactly how much rest to give everyone. For those dealing with injuries, that full 24-day span without a game could be exactly what they need. For others, it might be too long between games, and getting at least a half of play against the Broncos would help prevent some rust from setting in. “I was just talking to my family about it,” Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie said. “My rookie year, we were able to get, you know, all home games, and you just can't be out (on the road) in the playoffs. I mean, I'm excited to go out there. I know we got the first round, you know, off, but I mean, I can't wait to play now.” What’s working The Chiefs won the Super Bowl last season with a wide receiver group that — outside of Rashee Rice — was lacking in dynamic ability. But with the trade for DeAndre Hopkins, the return of Hollywood Brown from an injury and the emergence of rookie Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs have gone from a position of peril to one of profound strength. What needs help The Chiefs have struggled to the run the ball consistently the past few weeks. Pacheco gained just 18 yards on six carries before hurting his ribs against Pittsburgh, and Kareem Hunt was held to 20 yards on nine carries — a 2.2-yard average. Stock up Worthy has smashed through the rookie wall, just as Rice did at this point last season, and has proven to be more than a speedster. He had eight catches for 79 yards and a touchdown Wednesday, giving him at least five catches in each of his past five games. Stock down Pacheco has not been the same after missing more than two months to injury. He has been held to 55 yards rushing or fewer in each of his past five games, and he's averaging just 2.7 yards per carry over his past three. Injuries There were no significant injuries sustained against the Steelers. Key number 77 — Travis Kelce caught his 77th touchdown pass, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez for the Chiefs record. Kelce finished with eight catches for 84 yards and a score against Pittsburgh, making him the third tight end in NFL history with at least 1,000 receptions. Gonzalez had 1,325 and Jason Witten had 1,228 while Kelce has 1,004 and counting. Next steps The Chiefs get the long weekend off before deciding who will play in Denver in their regular-season finale. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Arkansas defensive end Landon Jackson was carted off the field and taken to a hospital with a neck injury late in the first half of Saturday's game at No. 24 Missouri. Jackson appeared to injure his neck while trying to tackle Missouri running back Jamal Roberts. Medical personnel tended to Jackson for approximately 10 minutes before he was placed on a backboard and driven to a waiting ambulance. Jackson gave a thumbs-up sign as he was carted off the snow-covered field. Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said Jackson had movement in his arms and legs but was experiencing pain in his neck. He said Jackson was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Jackson leads the Razorbacks with 9 1/2 tackles for loss and 6 1/2 sacks, and is considered a potential first-round pick in next year's NFL draft. 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-footballPrime Minister Justin Trudeau says a new chapter for Syria can begin that's free of terrorism and suffering for its people. In a social media post on X on Sunday, Trudeau said the fall of the Assad dictatorship "ends decades of brutal oppression." Syrian President Bashar Assad fled the country on Sunday and is now reported to be in Moscow, bringing to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto control as his country fragmented in a brutal civil war. The toppling of Assad comes after opposition forces entered the Syrian capital of Damascus, ending half a century of rule by his family. Trudeau said Canada is monitoring the transition closely, and he urged "order, stability, and respect for human rights." Ottawa is urging Canadians to avoid all travel to Syria and to consider leaving the country if it's safe to do so. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told a news conference on Sunday that Assad "was a puppet for the tyrants of Tehran." "He has carried out genocides against the Sunni people in his own country, and now he appears to have been toppled," Poilievre said in Ottawa. Poilievre said it's unknown who will replace Assad, adding it isn't Canada's fight and that he doesn't believe Canada should get involved. "We should stand with our allies, including Israel, against the terrorists. We should focus on protecting our own country." Ottawa describes the security situation as volatile, and said the Damascus and Aleppo airports as well as some border crossings are closed. An updated travel advisory from the Canadian government warns people to avoid the Middle Eastern country due to what it calls "ongoing armed conflict, terrorism, criminality, arbitrary detention, torture and forced disappearance." Canada has urged its citizens to leave Syria since November 2011, and its embassy in Damascus suspended its operations in 2012. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2024. — With files from The Associated Press. The Canadian Press
Furious Cucurella changes cleats after slipping twice to concede early goals, then helps Chelsea win
CM Fadnavis seeks tangible results through 100-day action plans of various ministriesThe JPM Healthcare Conference is the largest and most informative health care investment symposium in the industry which connects global industry leaders, emerging fast-growth companies, innovative technology creators and members of the investment community. Pioneering the Economics of Health to examine the interdependencies of the healthcare ecosystem which are often overlooked when only considering a singular silo of it. AI In Biopharma to highlight how AI-driven technologies can revolutionize drug discovery, accelerate development timelines, enhance patient accessibility, foster quicker innovation, and significantly reduce operating costs. Panelists to include David Rhew (Global Chief Medical Officer and VP of Healthcare, Microsoft), Sean Tunis (Principal, Rubix Health), Peter Ehrhardt (Senior Partner, Simon-Kucher), and Poonam Alaigh (Former Acting Under Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). WARREN, N.J., Dec. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tevogen Bio ("Tevogen" or "Tevogen Bio Holdings Inc.") TVGN , will host panel discussions at the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, California. Event Details Date: Monday, January 13, 2025 Location: Marines' Memorial Club & Hotel, 609 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94102 Time (PST): 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM – AI in Biopharma: Next Frontier of Medical Innovation Panelists: Dr. David Rhew – Global Chief Medical Officer and VP of Healthcare, Microsoft MSFT Dr. Sean Tunis – Principal, Rubix Health Mittul Mehta – Chief Information Officer and Head of Tevogen.AI, Tevogen Bio 2:30 pm – 3:15 pm – Afternoon Coffee Break 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM – Pioneering the Economics of Health: Balancing Access and Outcomes Victor Sordillo – MD, Risk Advisory Services, Verita CSG, Inc; Member, Board of Directors, Tevogen Bio Peter Ehrhardt – Senior Partner at Simon-Kucher & Partners Dr. Poonam Alaigh – Former Acting Under Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Former Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Health Dr. Sean Tunis - Principal, Rubix Health; Senior Fellow, Tufts Center for Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health; Venture Mentor, Johns Hopkins Tech Ventures Dr. Ryan Saadi – Founder and CEO, Tevogen Bio 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM – Reception and Cocktails For inquiries regarding additional event details, please contact communications@tevogen.com . About Tevogen Bio Tevogen is a clinical-stage specialty immunotherapy company harnessing one of nature's most powerful immunological weapons, CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, to develop off-the-shelf, genetically unmodified precision T cell therapies for the treatment of infectious diseases, cancers, and neurological disorders, aiming to address the significant unmet needs of large patient populations. Tevogen Leadership believes that sustainability and commercial success in the current era of healthcare rely on ensuring patient accessibility through advanced science and innovative business models. Tevogen has reported positive safety data from its proof-of-concept clinical trial, and its key intellectual property assets are wholly owned by the company, not subject to any third-party licensing agreements. These assets include three granted patents, nine pending US and twelve ex-US pending patents, two of which are related to artificial intelligence. Tevogen is driven by a team of highly experienced industry leaders and distinguished scientists with drug development and global product launch experience. Tevogen's leadership believes that accessible personalized therapeutics are the next frontier of medicine, and that disruptive business models are required to sustain medical innovation. Contacts Tevogen Bio Communications T: 1 877 TEVOGEN, Ext 701 Communications@Tevogen.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
In this article COST Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT A Costco Wholesale store in Connecticut. Lindsey Nicholsonp | Getty Images Costco on Thursday beat Wall Street's quarterly earnings and sales estimates, as e-commerce sales jumped and shoppers bought jewelry, luggage and furniture. Here is how the warehouse club did for the fiscal first quarter compared to what Wall Street expected, according to a survey of analysts by LSEG: Earnings per share: $4.04 vs. $3.79 expected Revenue: $62.15 billion vs. $62.08 billion expected In the three-month period that ended Nov. 24, Costco's net income rose to $1.80 billion, or $4.04 per share, from $1.59 billion, or $3.58 per share in the year-ago period. Revenue increased from $57.80 billion in the year-ago period. Costco has benefited from its reputation for selling bulk items at better value, as U.S. households feel the cumulative effect of higher food and housing prices. The membership-based club also hiked its annual membership fee for the first time in about seven years. The quarterly results are the first Costco has reported since that fee increase took effect in September. Costco's membership fee revenue came in at $1.17 billion, compared to the $1.16 billion Wall Street had expected. It jumped by almost 8% year over year, excluding the impact of foreign exchange rates. But on the company's earnings call, CFO Gary Millerchip said the membership fee hike didn't have much of an effect yet because of deferred accounting. It represented less than 1% of fee growth in the quarter, he said. Comparable sales for the company increased 5.2% year over year. In the U.S., comparable sales rose 5.2% as well. Customers visited Costco's stores and website more during the quarter. Traffic rose 5.1% globally and 4.9% in the U.S. The company's average ticket was up 0.1% worldwide and 0.3% in the U.S., including the negative impact of gas deflation and foreign exchange rates. If adjusted to exclude those, average ticket would have risen 2% worldwide and 2.3% in the U.S. Gold and jewelry, gift cards, home furnishings, sporting goods, health and beauty aids, luggage kiosk and hardware were all up double digits year over year, Millerchip said. In Costco's fresh category, which includes items like produce, sales grew by high single-digits in the quarter, Millerchip said. Sales of meat were up by double-digits, as some members continued to purchase pricier premium cuts and other gravitated more toward low-cost options, he said. E-commerce sales rose 13% in the quarter compared with the year-ago period. The company is gaining market share by shipping big and bulky items, CEO Ron Vachris said on the company's earnings call, and it hit nearly 1 million deliveries in the quarter, which was a new record. Membership renewal rates were 90.4% worldwide, down one tenth of a percent, Millerchip said on the company's call. He said renewal rates are down slightly as the popularity of digital signsup grow. He said dthe digital signups tend to renew at a slightly lower rate. It ended the quarter with 77.4 million paid household members, an approximately 8% year over year increase, or 138.8 million cardholders. Costco also hit new records in its U.S. bakery division by selling 4.2 million pies in the three days prior to Thanksgiving and selling 274,000 whole pizzas in its food courts across the country on Halloween, Vachris said on the call. Costco opened seven new clubs in the quarter and plans to open 29 during the fiscal year, including three relocations, Vachris said. Ten of those clubs will be outside of the U.S. The company has a total of nearly 900 clubs, with 617 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. As of Thursday's close, shares of Costco are up nearly 50% so far this year, surpassing the 27% gains of the S&P 500 during the same period. Shares closed at $988.39 on Thursday. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO This is the biggest AI winner two years after ChatGPT's debut — and it's not Nvidia Goldman Sachs has a trading strategy to score a few big wins before year end Bernstein says this tech stock is its best idea for 2025, could be added to S&P 500 Oracle is on pace for the best year since 1999. What led to the meteoric rise
JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports, while the World Health Organization's director-general said the bombardment occurred nearby as he prepared to board a flight in Sanaa, with a crew member injured. “The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on the social media platform X. He added that he and U.N. colleagues were safe. “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave,” he said, without mentioning the source of the bombardment. The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Iran-backed Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports in the cities of Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib, along with power stations, asserting they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. Israel's military didn't immediately respond to questions about Tedros' post but issued a statement saying it had "capabilities to strike very far from Israel’s territory — precisely, powerfully, and repetitively.” The strikes came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned" as his military has battled those more powerful proxies of Iran. The Houthis' media outlet confirmed the strikes in a Telegram post, and the Houthi-controlled satellite channel al-Masirah reported multiple deaths. Iran's foreign ministry condemned the strikes. The U.S. military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days. The United Nations has noted that the targeted ports are important entryways for humanitarian aid for Yemen, the poorest Arab nation that plunged into a civil war in 2014 . Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv , while other missiles and drones have been shot down. Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting Monday in response to an Israeli request that the council condemn the Houthi attacks and Iran for supplying weapons to the rebels. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip overnight , the territory's Health Ministry said. The Israeli military said that all were militants posing as reporters. The strike hit a car outside Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The journalists were working for the local news outlet Al-Quds Today, a television channel affiliated with the Islamic Jihad militant group. Islamic Jihad is a smaller and more extreme ally of Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel, which ignited the war. The Israeli military identified four of the men as combat propagandists and said that intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad operatives found by soldiers in Gaza, had confirmed that all five were affiliated with the group. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian militant groups operate political, media and charitable operations in addition to their armed wings. Associated Press footage showed the incinerated shell of a van, with press markings visible on the back doors. Sobbing young men attended the funeral outside the hospital. The bodies were wrapped in shrouds, with blue press vests draped over them. The Committee to Protect Journalists says more than 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the start of the war. Israel hasn't allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza except on military embeds. Israel has banned the pan-Arab Al Jazeera network and accused six of its Gaza reporters of being militants . The Qatar-based broadcaster denies the allegations and accuses Israel of trying to silence its war coverage, which has focused heavily on civilian casualties from Israeli military operations. Separately, Israel's military said that a 35-year-old reserve soldier was killed during fighting in central Gaza early Thursday. A total of 389 soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ground operation more than a year ago. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border in an attack on nearby army bases and farming communities. They killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. About 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Israel's air and ground offensive has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry. It says more than half the fatalities have been women and children, but doesn't say how many of the dead were fighters. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The offensive has caused widespread destruction and driven around 90% of the population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps along the coast, with little protection from the cold, wet winter. Also Thursday, people mourned eight Palestinians killed by Israeli military operations in and around the city of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military said that it opened fire after militants attacked soldiers, and it was aware of uninvolved civilians who were harmed in the raid. Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed. A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the name of the local news outlet is Al-Quds Today, not the Quds News Network. Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Nation Mourns the Loss of Visionary Economist Manmohan Singh7 tips to prepare for next year’s taxes now
US stocks rally despite Trump tariff threat but European stocks fallLamar Jackson was nearly flawless for the Baltimore Ravens in Monday night's win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The reigning MVP of the league had 177 passing yards, three total touchdowns and zero turnovers. Instead of talking about Jackson's incredible performance against the Chargers, ESPN's "First Take" talked about his legacy. Stephen A. Smith, Jeff Saturday and Shannon Sharpe debated if Jackson's career would be considered a failure if he doesn't win a Super Bowl when it's all said and done. While that talking point has been a thing for the past few seasons, NFL fans believe it's egregious that "First Take" had this discussion right after a statement win for the Ravens. They believe it's unfair to Jackson, who could very well win his third MVP. "Lamar Jackson discourse must keep the lights on at ESPN headquarters at this point," one fan replied. "Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Tua, Jared Goff, and Justin Herbert aren’t 2-time MVPs," a second fan pointed out. Another fan said, "Do they consider Dan Marino's career a failure?" "Career is insane lol but ring culture is apart of why sport discourse stinks now," a social media user wrote. Does Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Tua, Jared Goff, and Justin Herbert Get this type of Coverage? pic.twitter.com/HWoPgPWdDe Unfortunately for Jackson, analysts will use his lack of playoff success against him for as long as they can. On the bright side, Jackson could silence his critics by leading the Ravens to the promised land this season. Of course, that's easier said than done. Ron Jenkins/Getty Images Jackson has 3,053 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and three interceptions for the Ravens this season. Last year, he had less touchdown passes and four more picks. The Ravens are 8-4 heading into this Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. That'll be another test for Jackson, who constantly shows up in marquee regular-season games. Related: NFL Fans React To Major Snowstorm In Forecast For Week 13Tuesday's Transactions