90 jili withdrawal
Key details about the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO
Gerry Hutch ‘not finished’ with politics despite losing general election as mobster plots Independents allianceComedians will take pretty much any gig. Well, except one. For decades, amateur and professional comics have complained about performing on New Year’s Eve. Audiences get antsy waiting for the ball to drop or lock lips with the person sitting next to them. Not to mention, everyone’s probably sipping a drink or two. That’s precisely why Jeff Dunham decided to mix things up. “It’s one of the highest paying nights and one of the worst nights to do a show,” the 62-year-old comic told the New York Post in an exclusive interview. “When I started doing theaters and arenas, I said ‘I’m going to change the rules a little bit and do my New Year’s Eve show in the afternoon.'” The famed comedian who does ventriloquism is sticking to that clever plan this year. He’ll be headlining at Newark, NJ’s Prudential Center on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. “This 3 o’clock business is great because people can come to the show early. They can then go out and drink and then go to partying and it’s great.” At the early show, which is part of Dunham’s recently-announced ‘Artificial Intelligence Tour,’ fans can expect to see the funnyman interact with classic characters of his that audiences know and love. “My standby guys that have been there forever will be at the show. Peanut, Walter, Achmed, Bubba J. Maybe Jose. People get upset if Jose or Achmed aren’t in the show. So Jose might be added back in by New Year’s.” And, even with how prolific Dunham is, he makes sure he isn’t just repeating material from his 13 previous specials (two of which were released in 2024!) and tours. “I always take the the highlights from the last special and include them in the show because it helps me roll into the new material and keeps surefire stuff in the show,” Dunham explained. “I treat my show just like you’re going to see your favorite musician in concert. You expect to hear some of the greatest hits, but at the same time, you expect new stuff.’ My live shows are a happy medium.” More than anything though, Dunham’s show is just a good time. “I’m very proud of my act because it has no redeeming value whatsoever,” he chuckled. “We’ll have some good laughs and some goofy, stupid, fun.” This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For those that can’t make the New Year’s Eve show, Dunham will be at Belmont Park’s UBS Arena on Friday, Feb. 21 and Rochester ‘s Blue Cross Arena on March 20. Jeff Dunham Prudential Center tickets As of now, it isn’t too late to scoop up tickets for the New Year’s Eve gig at Prudential. Below, you’ll find a complete breakdown of tickets by section at the New Jersey Devils’ arena. Don’t expect too much material about New Year’s resolutions at the show either. “When it comes to diets and those kind of thing, I don’t wait until the first of the year. If I’m gonna do something, I’m gonna do it right now,” Dunham noted. Jeff Dunham tour 2025 After the Newark NYE stop, Dunham has 52 dates lined up on his ‘Artificial Intelligence Tour.’ To see if he’s headed to a venue near you, you can find his complete calendar here: Jeff Dunham characters Per usual, Dunham’s stable of characters that fans have grown to know and love over the years will accompany him onstage. Just a few of those iconic dummies include curmudgeonly Walter and hyperactive Peanut, as well as those based on stereotypes like Jose Jalapeno, Bubba J and Achmed the Dead Terrorist join him onstage at all shows. While the core characters have been with him for decades, Dunham is still innovating. “One of the best bits that we didn’t use in the special was when I was making Peanut talk and, every once in a while, I’ll flub up completely and Peanut goes, ‘what the hell was that? Are you okay?’ I’m like, ‘I’m fine.’ He goes ‘it sounds like I didn’t have a tongue’ and he goes, ‘that’s what you need: a dummy with no tongue.’ Then it just went downhill from there in a wonderful way.” These days, after years on the road with these iconic puppets, Dunham most identifies with Peanut and Walter. “One of my goals in life is to not become like Walter,” Dunham smiled. “When I started out, I was young man in college. He was a 64-year-old old man but Walter hasn’t aged a day since that. Now, I’m 62. Pretty soon I’m going to catch up to him.” To stay ahead of the bit, Dunham makes sure to address this unusual situation he’s gotten himself into. “The joke in the show is Walter goes, ‘what’s going to happen when you die?’ I go, ‘I don’t know.’ He says, ‘I’ll probably be in the balcony on The effin’ Muppet Show.'” “Then, I’m like Peanut because I like to think I still have a little bit of a kid left in me.” For a comprehensive look at all of Dunham’s characters, we recommend taking a look at his website . Jeff Dunham comedy specials Dunham is one of the most prolific comics working today. Prior to the upcoming tour, he’s released a staggering 13 specials dating back to 2006. As he told us, “I usually write a little bit every single day. And that’s how we’ve ended up with 13 specials since 2006.” For a closer look, here’s how you can stream each of them. “Arguing With Myself” (2006) can be streamed on Netflix “Spark of Insanity” (2007) can be streamed on Amazon Prime “Very Special Christmas Special” (2008) can be streamed on Netflix “Controlled Chaos” (2011) can be streamed on Netflix “Minding the Monsters” (2012) can be streamed on Netflix “All Over The Map” (2014) can be streamed on Netflix “Unhinged In Hollywood” (2015) can be streamed on Netflix “Relative Disaster” (2017) can be streamed on Netflix “Beside Himself” (2019) can be streamed on Netflix “ Completely Unrehearsed Last-Minute Pandemic Holiday Special ” (2020) can be streamed on Paramount+ “Me The People” (2022) can be streamed on Comedy Central “I’m With Cupid” (2024) can be streamed on Paramount Plus “Scrooged Up Holiday Special” (2024) can be streamed on Amazon Prime Jeff Dunham origin story Dunham isn’t the first comic to get onstage with a dummy. “When you go way back in history with this art form, you go back to vaudeville days and the ventriloquists were shoved onstage when the curtain came down so they could set up the stage for the next ‘real’ act,” Dunham said. “It wasn’t until Edgar Bergen came along with Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd — who were two really defined characters and the jokes were so well-written — that’s ventriloquism went over on radio.” Bergen’s success informed Dunham’s trajectory. “I didn’t want to just be a variety act at the Comedy Magic Club. The goal was to be the headliner and be as funny as anybody else.” So, he started when he was just eight-years-old. The Dallas native performed Cub Scout banquets as well as church and talent shows. He went that route for a decade before stepping foot in a comedy club in 1978. “I did the opposite of most comedians because most comedians say ‘okay, I want to get into comedy.’ They’re doing comedy clubs and work their way up. By the time I got there, I was a performer and I knew how to get in front of an audience and was well-versed in how to do a show.” After a decade toiling away in the clubs — and building helicopters on the side — Dunham was finally asked to do a five-minute set on Carson in 1990. I auditioned for Jim McAuley at ‘The Tonight Show’ nine times before I got the call. I got eight ‘no’s’ and he just keeps saying, kept saying to me, ‘you’re just not funny enough yet.'” “”I realized if I was going to follow these huge names or even some of the middle guys that were hilarious, I have to learn to be funny. It can’t be just amusing. So I decided instead of being a ventriloquist who does jokes, I’m going to have to be a comedian who does ventriloquism.” Going back a year or two, Dunham got bold and would ask comedy club bookers “when can I start headlining?” The one answer that stuck out to him was when the woman who was in charge of choosing acts at the Tempe Improv told him “you can headline when the headliners can no longer follow you.” Dunham said “ok!’ and started to blow the roof off the place. “Before you knew it, the headliners started complaining that they didn’t want me to be the opening act anymore.” Anyhow, on April 6, 1990, enough of the comedy industry had taken notice of Dunham that he was finally ready to make the jump to “The Tonight Show.” His five-minute set went over so well, Carson waved him over to chat with him and do a few minutes of panel. For a first-timer on the show, this was a particularly impressive feat that’s typically reserved for seasoned veterans. “I had no idea I was going to the couch but then (director) Freddy de Cordova said to me ‘don’t you have another character besides Peanut?'” Dunham told him Walter was also in his arsenal and de Cordova suggested putting him behind the couch. The 28-year-old was skeptical but did as he was told. After he wrapped his set to emphatic applause, it turned out de Cordova’s instincts were right after all. Still, Dunham was shocked. “You can see the blank look on my face when I’m thanking the audience after my bit and the floor director waves me to the couch. I was like ‘me? You want me to go over there to talk to him?’ What are you going to say to freakin’ Johnny Carson? ‘How are your kids?’ How do you make small talk with the King?” Dunham sat down and chatted politely for a few minutes. Then Carson asked, “do you have somebody with you?” At that moment, Dunham breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought, ‘oh, finally, Walter can save me’ and everything was ad-libbed” which led to an excellent exchange where the dummy made fun of “The Tonight Show” — “well, lah, dee, da,” he grumbled — and then leaned over to take a good look at Johnny’s sidekick, Ed McMahon. “I know that guy,” he muttered. “Stop sending me all your damn mail.” Johnny laughed and all was right in the world. “I look back at that now, and think, man, at 28, those were some cojones to say to that guy because what if it didn’t work? You laugh when the king laughs. The studio audience would have sat there and silence if Johnny didn’t laugh.” When all was said and done, Dunham met his agent who was standing backstage. He told him “your life will never be the same.” Side note: Dunham is not happy with this set. “I watch that act now and cringe because it’s me doing the doll drinking a glass of water or making the dummy talk. That’s all this ventriloquist stuff , which I frown upon now. It’s supposed to be a sitcom on stage. It’s supposed to be telling jokes, making people laugh. But at that point in my career, that was the best I could have done at that moment in time. “ Jeff Dunham Hollywood Walk of Fame In September 2017, Dunham was honored with the 2,619th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The humble comic never saw the recognition coming. “There were a couple of unexpected things that happened along the way of my career,” Dunham said. “One was doing arenas. The only person that ever did comedy like that was Steve Martin in the late ’70s and I never thought a comedian could ever reach that kind of status. The second surprise was when we went international and started doing shows outside our borders. I’d never even considered that would be a possibility. Then, the third one was getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame because when I moved to LA in ’88, I just wanted to get bigger and better than the comedy clubs. First, I wanted to be able to do comedy clubs and then after that, but to be on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and see all those names of people, that was one of the biggest surprises.” Dunham doesn’t know if the achievement gets him any more gigs or but to him it’s a bona fide stamp of approval that says “wow, I’ve been here, done something that somebody took note of besides buying tickets.’ So that was unbelievably special to me to be associated with so many greats.” Jeff Dunham addresses the critics Over the years, the comic has dealt with flak for employing potentially unflattering tropes of Hispanic and Middle Eastern cultures in his act. When asked about the material that some may deem offensive, he was quick to jump in with defense. “I always find that the people that are most upset about the stereotypical depictions of characters in my show are people that have nothing to do with that race. I really think that most people in this world have a good sense of humor and and can take a good joke. “ Dunham claims that when it comes to race, religion and sexual orientation, he doesn’t punch down and over the years have removed characters that didn’t quite work in his act. “When I did Sweet Daddy D, who was my Black character that I used for only a little while, I did my very best to talk to Black comedians and go ‘I know you tell white jokes. Please tell me the jokes that you say when we’re not around. How can I make this character legit?’ So, I tried to make him my manager, and the only reason that he didn’t work in the act is because I could not walk a mile in that guy’s shoes because I have no experience being a person of color. I don’t know what they’ve lived through and what they deal with on a daily basis.” He did the same when he introduced a female character that only last three months. “I did my best to write material so that it sounded legitimate and real but...that didn’t work either, because I could not ad-lib, I could not think like a woman. I was around women all the time and had no idea.” Dunham says when it comes to Jose and Achmed — two of his most popular characters — he knows that an image of a white man with a Latino and Middle Eastern dummy may look offensive but urges those who have never seen him live to dig a little deeper. “Please come watch the entire show. Don’t see a clip. Don’t see a picture and say that guy’s racist because I guarantee if you show someone who knows nothing a picture of me and Achmed the Dead Terrorist without listening to any jokes or any material, that looks racist. You’re judging that book by the cover,” he said. “I do my very best to make sure that everyone knows that Achmed does not say that he’s Muslim. He says, ‘look, it even says on my a–, made in China. All I was doing back then was making fun of those guys who did those horrible things to us in our country. And at that moment in time, that’s who everyone’s ready to laugh at and whistle in the dark at their fears because we were still scared of that, because we didn’t know where Osama bin Laden was. I was reacting to what our country was ready to laugh at and wanted to laugh at, and that’s where he came from. It was the ‘dead Osama’ back then...I changed him to Achmed the Dead Terrorist and now people get angry if he’s not in the show. “It’s just kind of reacting to the times and what I think people can relate to. To me, that’s the biggest key in what I do. The characters have to be relatable, and that’s why I always use trite stereotypes. People know who rednecks (his Bubba J. character is Southern) are. There’s not a town or city in this world that doesn’t have rednecks in a city nearby.” Over the years, Dunham tells us Achmed has developed a cult following overseas. “My favorite example of how I get to see the world through maybe a different lens or rose-colored glasses was when I was doing a world tour in 2014. I was in Abu Dhabi performing for 4,000 Muslim folks. There weren’t a bunch of Americans there to see me. It was all the local people that came to see the show. And I pulled Achmed, the dead terrorist out. It was like a homecoming. It could have gone over better. Two nights later, I’m in the middle in Tel Aviv, Israel doing the exact same show for 4,000 Jewish people. Didn’t change a word of it and their favorite character was Achmed.” Still, he’s quick to add that you won’t “learn anything at his show.” Dunham told us “critiquing my show is like going to McDonald’s and saying, ‘but they don’t have Chardonnay.’ We dumb it down to the biggest laughs and that’s what gets left over. And guess what? One of the biggest laughs in the show is when Achmed the dead terrorist said ‘that’s what she said.’ So it’s not my fault! It’s the audience’s fault for laughing too loud at certain jokes.” When it comes to politics, Dunham takes a no-sides approach where he makes fun of whoever is in charge. Recently, he had Walter play Joe Biden. Now that Trump has been re-elected, he may revive some old bits making fun of him. “Some of my videos when Trump was President the first time, we would dress Walter up like Trump and call him Grump and he had the big hair. We’d take him outside, the wind would blow his hair, he’d be bald underneath and get pissed off. I even got a couple of texts from one of Trump’s sons saying, ‘this is great. We love it. Keep going. Even Dad loves it.’ I thought ‘that’s either great or a threat. I’m not sure.’ You have to push a little bit. Hopefully, there’s some material in there that’s not just Big Mac stuff, maybe there is some Chardonnay in there, I’m not sure.” Comedians on tour in 2025 If you fancy yourself a comedy nerd, this is your year. Many of the biggest names in the laughs business are staging mega tours these next few months. Here are just five of our favorites funny people you won’t want to miss live in the near future. • Jerry Seinfeld • Kevin Hart • Sarah Silverman • Sebastian Maniscalco • Bill Murray Want to catch a concert? Here are all the 2025 Grammy nominees on tour . See you at a show!
Luke DeCock: Where’s Bill? Belichick’s impending UNC arrival casts long shadow over Fenway Bowl.
LAS VEGAS — Players Era Festival organizers have done what so many other have tried — bet their fortunes in this city that a big payoff is coming. Such bet are usually bad ones, which is why so many massive casino-resorts have been built on Las Vegas Boulevard. But it doesn't mean the organizers are wrong. They're counting on the minimum of $1 million in guaranteed name, image and likeness money that will go to each of the eight teams competing in the neutral-site tournament that begins Tuesday will create a precedent for other such events. EverWonder Studios CEO Ian Orefice, who co-founded Players with former AND1 CEO Seth Berger, compared this event to last year's inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament that played its semifinals and final in Las Vegas by saying it "did really well to reinvigorate the fan base at the beginning of the year." "We're excited that we're able to really change the paradigm in college basketball on the economics," Orefice said. "But for us, it's about the long term. How do we use the momentum that is launching with the 2024 Players Era Festival and be the catalyst not to change one event, but to change college basketball for the future." Orefice and Berger didn't disclose financial details, but said the event will come close to breaking even this year and that revenue is in eight figures. Orefice said the bulk of the revenue will come from relationships with MGM, TNT Sports and Publicis Sport & Entertainment as well as sponsors that will be announced later. Both organizers said they are so bullish on the tournament's prospects that they already are planning ahead. Money made from this year's event, Orefice said, goes right back into the company. "We're really in this for the long haul," Orefice said. "So we're not looking at it on a one-year basis." Rick Giles is president of the Gazelle Group, which also operates several similar events, including the College Basketball Invitational. He was skeptical the financial numbers would work. Giles said in addition to more than $8 million going to the players, there were other expenses such as the guarantees to the teams. He said he didn't know if the tournament would make up the difference with ticket sales, broadcast rights and sponsorship money. The top bowl of the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be curtained off. "The math is highly challenging," Giles said. "Attendance and ticket revenues are not going to come anywhere close to covering that. They haven't announced any sponsors that I'm aware of. So it all sort of rests with their media deal with Turner and how much capital they want to commit to it to get these players paid." David Carter, a University of Southern California adjunct professor who also runs the Sports Business Group consultancy, said even if the Players isn't a financial success this year, the question is whether there will be enough interest to move forward. "If there is bandwidth for another tournament and if the TV or the streaming ratings are going to be there and people are going to want to attend and companies are going to want to sponsor, then, yeah, it's probably going to work," Carter said. "But it may take them time to gain that traction." Both founders said they initially were met with skepticism about putting together such an event, especially from teams they were interested in inviting. Houston was the first school to commit, first offering an oral pledge early in the year and then signing a contract in April. That created momentum for others to join, and including the No. 6 Cougars, half the field is ranked. "We have the relationships to operate a great event," Berger said. "We had to get coaches over those hurdles, and once they knew that we were real, schools got on board really quickly." The founders worked with the NCAA to make sure the tournament abided by that organization's rules, so players must appear at ancillary events in order to receive NIL money. Strict pay for play is not allowed, though there are incentives for performance. The champion, for example, will receive $1.5 million in NIL money. Now the pressure is on to pull off the event and not create the kind of headlines that can dog it for years to come. "I think everybody in the marketplace is watching what's going to happen (this) week and, more importantly, what happens afterwards," Giles said. "Do the players get paid on a timely basis? And if they do, that means that Turner or somebody has paid way more than the market dictates? And the question will be: Can that continue?" CREIGHTON: P oint guard Steven Ashworth likely won’t play in the No. 21 Bluejays’ game against San Diego State in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Ashworth sprained his right ankle late in a loss to Nebraska on Friday and coach Greg McDermott said afterward he didn’t know how long he would be out. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Republican Dan Newhouse is preparing for a sixth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving one of Washington state’s most solidly Republican congressional districts. He’s excited. He’ll be a member of the House majority again. With Republicans in charge in the Senate and an incoming GOP president, he foresees his party “accomplishing good things for the country.” Donald Trump, the former and future commander in chief might not be quite as happy. He didn’t want Newhouse back this year. Trump’s not forgiven nor forgotten Newhouse for casting a vote to impeach him. Trump endorsed Jerrod Sessler, a dependable MAGA Republican, and hurled invective at Newhouse on social media. In the final days of the campaign, Trump spewed more in a telephone town hall with Sessler. Newhouse endured, beating Sessler by 17,000 votes and winning by 52% to 46%. This gives him two more years representing the 4th Congressional District in Central Washington, stretching from the Canadian border to the Oregon state line. It includes the agriculture-heavy Yakima Valley, the Yakama Indian Reservation and the Tri-Cities. Newhouse, in a recent conversation with the Washington State Standard, focused on the path ahead and refused to cast a disparaging word on what transpired in the election. This is Newhouse’s second victory since he voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Two years ago, he overcame a pack of pro-Trump foes in the primary, then easily vanquished a Democrat in the general election. A few days after winning this year, Trump attended a meeting of the House Republican Conference. “I was there,” Newhouse said. “I was a few feet from him and was able to say hello.” Did the election come up? “There wasn’t an opportunity for a personal conversation. There was a room full of people, and he was, as you would imagine, moving in and out fairly quickly,” he said. “There’ll be opportunities for that, I’m sure.” “We have the House and the Senate and the White House, so there’s a lot of opportunities to really do some good things in a constructive way to get our country back on track,” he said. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Let me ask about your reelection. What is your big takeaway from the results? The point I made many times, and I think it resonated with people, is that I understand their issues. I’m a product of Central Washington. Born and raised there. My family’s there. My business too. Their issues are mine. That was demonstrated in this last election. It seems obvious you were not the first choice of a majority of Republicans who cast ballots in this election. Can you tell the 46% of voters who supported your opponent that they can count on you to support the efforts of the caucus to carry out the next president’s agenda? I committed and I said many times during the campaign, if the former president is elected — and he was, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president — that I would work as hard as possible to make sure that our conservative agenda goals become reality. I have the full support of the Republican caucus. I work very well with all members and the leadership. I have all the confidence that this will be a very productive session for me and for Central Washington. Your caucus wants to be aggressive in the first 100 days to advance many parts of President-elect Trump’s agenda. What policies are you most supportive of and want to see happen at the outset? In no particular order, there are several things that have been talked about a lot by many members of Congress and the president. Our energy issues. We need to do all we can to lower the cost of energy and, in turn, lower the cost of doing business, the cost of goods and services. The border issue. We’ve got to take steps to solve the crisis at the border. We’ve got to stop the influx of illegals crossing our southern border, particularly, but certainly our northern border as well. Accomplishing that will provide us many great results. I’m on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and want to continue working towards bringing the purchase of agricultural assets by communist Chinese to an end. Locally, there’s many different things. Certainly, the Snake River dams are a high priority. Let me ask about the dams. The Biden administration worked out an agreement that looks at the long-term possibility of removing four dams. Do you want the Trump administration to impede or stop that deal? That’s certainly my hope. We did not have that interest in the first Trump administration. We certainly have to take a hard look at what the goals are of that (agreement) which have been, in my mind, clear. I, along with many other people, see this as a priority and will be making the case to make sure that we can keep those important pieces of infrastructure. That’s been my goal, and I’m very hopeful that that will be the administration’s goal as well. Back to the border issue. I’ve read House Republican leaders want to approve a surge in funding for the president to carry out mass deportations. Are you on board with that? I’m not sure exactly what the mass deportation is going to look like, or how extensive it’s going to be. I’ve been told that a lot of focus is going to be put on criminals who pose an imminent threat to society. If that’s the case, absolutely, I would be supportive. If a broader brush is used, that’s going to be logistically harder to do. Certainly, it could have a huge impact on people employed in economic sectors important to Central Washington. We have to be very strategic in how that’s carried out. Trump says he will impose heavy tariffs on key trading partners. Is this an issue on which you disagree and will push back? (This interview took place before Trump’s Nov. 25 announcement about his plans for tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China.) I don’t disagree that tariffs should be part of the tools that we have in our toolbox to respond to unfair trade practices. In many cases, they could very well be the proper action to take. But I also want to make sure that we are smart about how we impose them and that we are very cognizant of the impact on the agricultural industry. Historically, any kind of retaliation that may come from imposing tariffs has been focused on agricultural products. Washington is one of the most trade-reliant states in the country. We produce a lot of agricultural products that we depend on international markets to be active in. I don’t want to see anything that would negatively impact our industry. I don’t want to add anything that makes it tougher for farmers, ranchers and the agricultural industry to be profitable. You recently wrote on the need to curb federal spending and undertake a new era of fiscal responsibility. Sounds like you’re all in with the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. This could be a very refreshing exercise to go through. People have complained about bureaucracy and red tape and federal spending for a long time. It’s a very difficult problem to solve. Maybe some fresh eyes from the outside, taking a look at some of the things and determining what’s necessary and what isn’t, will be productive. I’m excited about some of the things that they might be able to come up with to help us rein in our out-of-control debt problem. You’re looking forward to 2025. Washington’s next governor and attorney general are not. They’re preparing to fight, even sue, a lot, as the state did in Trump’s first term. Any message for those fearful of what’s coming? How can I respond to that? It’s a reflex, I guess, for the opposing party to immediately oppose the incoming president-elect. I would say, let’s take one issue at a time. Don’t oppose everything. There’s probably going to be some things that they can agree we need to do. It’s very premature to just be an all-out “no” on the entire Trump agenda. I cannot end without asking about 2026. You’ve fended off Trump-backed challengers in two elections. Are you ready for a third or might you forgo running again if it happens? They’re still counting the ballots, Jerry. I’m looking forward to this Congress. At this point, I have every intention to continue serving. OK? Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com .
FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign before Trump takes office in JanuaryUN nuclear watchdog board passes resolution chiding Iran
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed the fall of Bashar al-Assad's "barbaric regime" in Syria, as he called for the restoration of "peace and stability". The ousted Syrian president - who Russian state media report is in Moscow having been granted asylum by Russia - fled the country after his government fell to a lightning rebel offensive early on Sunday. Sir Keir said the Syrian people "had to put up with [Assad's] brutal regime for far, far too long". When asked if the government would engage with rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), set up as an affiliate of al-Qaeda and proscribed as a terrorist group by the UK, he said it was "early days" but that there needed to be a "political solution". "The developments in Syria in recent hours and days are unprecedented, and we are speaking to our partners in the region and monitoring the situation closely," Sir Keir said on Sunday, shortly after arriving in the United Arab Emirates for a visit unrelated to events in Syria. "The Syrian people have suffered under Assad's barbaric regime for too long and we welcome his departure. "Our focus is now on ensuring a political solution prevails, and peace and stability is restored." He also called on "all sides" to protect civilians and minorities, and "ensure essential aid can reach the most vulnerable" in the coming hours and days. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said : "Our first priority must be the Syrian people. Syrians need to be protected – all communities and groups." Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey described Assad as "a vile dictator who used chemical weapons against him own people" in a post on X . He added the UK must "do what we can to ensure the protection of minority groups and ultimately an orderly transition of power with free and fair elections". Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner earlier told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that the UK wanted to see "a political solution along the lines of UN resolution, and we're working with our allies". Asked if HTS would be better than Assad, Rayner said "we've got to have a government in Syria, a political solution, that protests civilians and infrastructure". The Islamist group, set up 13 years ago as a direct affiliate of al-Qaeda, drove the rebels' rise to power in Syria in recent weeks. It previously publicly broke ranks with al-Qaeda, although it remains proscribed as a terrorist group by the UK, as well as the UN, the US, Turkey and other countries. Questions remain over whether it has completely renounced those links, but its message in the run-up to Assad's deposition has been one of inclusiveness and a rejection of violence. Former head of MI6 Sir John Sawers told Sky News: "I think Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, the leader, has made great efforts over the last 10 years to distance himself from those terrorist groups and certainly the actions we've seen of [HTS] over the last two weeks has been those of a liberation movement, not of a terrorist organisation." He added: "It would be rather ridiculous, actually, if we're unable to engage with the new leadership in Syria because of a proscription dating back 12 years." The prime minister's pre-planned visits to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for meetings on Monday are unrelated to events in Syria. The government said Sir Keir is pursuing closer ties with the two countries to increase investment, deepen defence and security ties, and drive growth and new opportunities to benefit working people. The UK government had been evacuating its citizens from Syria over the weekend before the fall of Damascus overnight. On Sunday, hundreds of Syrians in Manchester celebrated Assad's demise by singing, dancing and crying in the city centre, while dozens of people also gathered in Belfast to celebrate the end of his regime .WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith moved to abandon two criminal cases against Donald Trump on Monday, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him for retaining classified documents or trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The decision was inevitable, since longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Yet it was still a momentous finale to an unprecedented chapter in political and law enforcement history, as federal officials attempted to hold accountable a former president while he was simultaneously running for another term. In court filings, Smith's team emphasized that the move to abandon their prosecutions was not a reflection of the merit of the cases but a recognition of the legal shield that surrounds any commander in chief. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” the prosecutors wrote in one of their filings. Smith’s team said it was leaving intact charges against two co-defendants in the classified documents case — Trump valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira — because “no principle of temporary immunity applies to them.” Steven Cheung, Trump's incoming White House communications director, welcomed the decision to drop the prosecutions against the president-elect, describing it as a “major victory for the rule of law.” "The American People and President Trump want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country,” Cheung said in a statement. Trump has long described the investigations as politically motivated, and he has vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. Now he will re-enter the White House free from criminal scrutiny by the government that he will lead. The election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing Trump as he tried to reclaim the White House. He was indicted for plotting to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in 2020, an effort that climaxed with his supporters' violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But the case quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Smith’s team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence they planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden. The separate case involving classified documents had been widely seen as legally clear cut, especially because the conduct in question occurred after Trump left the White House and lost the powers of the presidency. The indictment included dozens of felony counts accusing him of illegally hoarding classified records from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and obstructing federal efforts to get them back. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. The case quickly became snarled by delays, with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon slow to issue rulings — which favored Trump’s strategy of pushing off deadlines in all his criminal cases — while also entertaining defense motions and arguments that experts said other judges would have dispensed with without hearings. In May, she indefinitely canceled the trial date amid a series of unresolved legal issues before dismissing the case outright two months later. Smith’s team appealed the decision, but now has given up that effort. ___ Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this story. Alanna Durkin Richer, Eric Tucker And Chris Megerian, The Associated Press
25 Nov 2024 British businesses criticise Labour tax rises Helia Ebrahimi Economics Correspondent Just a few months ago she was the darling of the business world, but today Rachel Reeves was facing a room full of disgruntled business leaders as she defended her Budget at the Confederation of British Industry conference. The head of the CBI says the Chancellor’s tax rises caught companies off guard, and they can no longer afford to invest or hire new people. Share on Facebook Share Share on Twitter Tweet Share on WhatsApp Send Share on WhatsApp Send Share on WhatsApp Email Load more share optionsOlivia Olson scored 18 points, including eight straight to open the fourth quarter, as the No. 23 Michigan Wolverines survived a 60-54 scare from the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten opener for each team in Ann Arbor, Mich. Northwestern (4-4, 0-1 Big Ten) led throughout the third quarter and took a four-point lead into the fourth, but Olson capped her 8-0 burst with a 3-pointer, and Syla Swords also nailed a trey to put the Wolverines (8-1, 1-0) ahead 50-44. Michigan has won eight straight games since opening the season with a six-point loss to then-No. 1 South Carolina. Caileigh Walsh's 3-pointer put the Wildcats back in front 53-52 with 3:36 to go. Michigan responded by scoring eight of the game's last nine points, six by Jordan Hobbs. Hobbs finished with 16 points and teammate Mila Holloway had 10. Kyla Jones led Northwestern with 14 points and Walsh notched 10 before fouling out. No. 4 Texas 93, James Madison 62 Madison Booker, Jordan Lee and Rori Harmon dominated the first half as the Longhorns clobbered the host Dukes in Harrisonburg, Va. Booker scored 21 points, Lee added 20 and Harmon 19 by combining on 25-of-33 shooting. They had 49 of their points in the first half as Texas (7-1) piled up a 58-29 halftime lead. The Longhorns, who entered seventh in the nation in scoring at 90 points per game, shot 54 percent for the game to 40 percent for the Dukes. Roshala Scott led James Madison (7-3) with 22 points and Peyton McDaniel and Ashanti Barnes had 12 apiece. McDaniel added eight rebounds for the Dukes, who had 24 turnovers. No. 10 Notre Dame 93, Syracuse 62 The Fighting Irish pulled away from a seven-point halftime lead to demolish the host Orange in the ACC opener for both schools. The trio of Sonia Citron, Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles led Notre Dame's win with double-doubles. Citron had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Hidalgo racked up 24 and 10, respectively, and Miles shone with 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Hidalgo, third in Division I in scoring (24.6 ppg), netted nine points and Citron had eight in the third quarter, as Notre Dame (7-2, 1-0 ACC) outscored Syracuse (4-6, 0-1) 29-13 to pull away. Keira Scott posted 16 points and Sophie Burrows tacked on 13 for the Orange, who shot only 32.5 percent. The Irish shot 50 percent and thrived despite 20 turnovers. No. 16 North Carolina 72, Coppin State 46 The Tar Heels built a comfortable halftime lead and used its bench players freely in devouring the Eagles in Chapel Hill, N.C. North Carolina (9-1) entered second-best in the nation in scoring defense at 49.1 points per game and excelled again, holding Coppin State to 27.3 percent shooting. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels shot 44.4 percent while having 12 players enter the scoring column, led by Maria Gakdeng's 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Reniya Kelly scored six of her eight points in the first quarter as North Carolina took a 23-13 lead. The Tar Heels grew the lead to 46-27 by intermission. Tiffany Hammond and Angel Jones scored 12 points apiece for Coppin State (6-5), and Laila Lawrence added 10 points with 10 rebounds. No. 18 Ole Miss 85, Tennessee State 38 The Rebels had more points by halftime than the Lady Tigers scored in the game after jumping out to a 14-2 lead in the first quarter and 44-19 by intermission. Kennedy Todd-Williams led Ole Miss (6-3) with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Sira Thienou added 12 and six, respectively. The Rebels shot 46 percent for the game. Ole Miss began the day seventh in the nation in scoring defense at 49.8 points allowed per game, and it punished Tennessee State to the tune of 23.6 percent shooting and 22 forced turnovers. XaiOnna Whitfield led the Lady Tigers (4-6) with 10 points. No. 20 Iowa State 82, Central Michigan 56 Audi Crooks scored 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and added 10 rebounds as the Cyclones slammed the Chippewas in Ames, Iowa. Emily Ryan netted 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter and Crooks scored nine in the period as Iowa State (8-2) jumped out to a 31-13 lead and enjoyed a cushion of at least 18 points the rest of the way. Addy Brown added 18 points for the Cyclones, who shot 52.5 percent and rolled despite having 20 turnovers. Jayda Mosley led Central Michigan (3-6) with 11 points and Madi Morson and Ayanna-Sarai Darrington added 10 apiece. The Chippewas shot only 33.3 percent from the floor and had 26 turnovers. No. 24 Michigan State 89, DePaul 61 The unbeaten Spartans put four scorers in double figures as they systematically disposed of the Blue Demons in East Lansing, Mich. Jaddan Simmons finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Julia Ayrault stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals for Michigan State (9-0). Emma Shumate and Jocelyn Tate had 12 and 10 points, respectively. Jorie Allen put up 15 points, 11 boards, seven assists and three steals and Grace Carstensen also notched 15 points for DePaul (3-7), which shot just 28.8 percent despite hitting 9 of 18 of its 3-point attempts. The Spartans led by seven after one quarter and 17 at halftime before coasting through the second half. No. 25 Nebraska 84, Minnesota 65 Strong first quarters by Callin Hake and Amiah Hargrove sent the Cornhuskers on their way to pinning the first loss on the Golden Gophers in the Big Ten Conference opener for each team. Hake scored eight of her 11 points in the first period and Hargrove eight of her 10 as Nebraska (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten) seized a 27-11 lead and never looked back. Hargrove scored eight of the Cornhuskers' 10 straight points to end the quarter. Alberte Rimdal led the winners with 12 points and Alexis Markowski added 11 with nine rebounds. Mallory Heyer collected 12 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota (10-1, 0-1). Tori McKinney scored 11 points and Grace Crocholski and Alexsia Rose 10 apiece, but the Golden Gophers hit just 35.2 percent of their shots. --Field Level MediaAn online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition
Jalen Hurts has perfect response for how Saquon Barkley fits into Eagles' stacked offense
The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump's movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump's Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer's comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar." Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry's need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump's world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world's richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump's movement but his stance on the tech industry's hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry's need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent," he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump's own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump's businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country" and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," he told the “All-In" podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump's budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.