Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara released a statement Friday slamming the "100% false" media reports that suggested he had thrown his final pass for the Hawkeyes. McNamara has been sidelined since sustaining a concussion during the Oct. 26 win against Northwestern. Backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan has started the last two games for the Hawkeyes (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) but is out with an ankle injury for Saturday's game at Maryland (4-6, 1-6). Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said earlier this week that Jackson Stratton will be the likely starter against the Terrapins if McNamara is unavailable. McNamara's cloudy status prompted speculation on a podcast this week that he was "not mentally ready to play." The podcast hosts from the Des Moines Register and The Athletic also suggested that McNamara -- who played three years at Michigan (2020-22) before transferring to Iowa -- is not "fit to play quarterback in the Big Ten right now." "We don't want to bury his career yet, but it does seem like that interception against Northwestern was his last snap as a Hawkeye," Leistikow said. McNamara, who passed for 1,017 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games this season, released a statement updating his current status. "My status is the same as it's always been -- a proud member of this football team," he said. McNamara said he has not yet been cleared to play. He said he was cleared to practice on Sunday but suffered an "adverse reaction" and was unable to practice this week and therefore unable to travel with the team to Maryland. "I have been working with the University of Iowa doctors and trainers, a concussion specialist focused on vision training, as well as engaging in hyperbaric treatments as frequently as possible," McNamara said. "I have every intention to play versus Nebraska next Friday night and I am confident that my teammates will return from Maryland with a win." Including his time with the Wolverines, McNamara has completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 4,703 yards with 31 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 34 games. --Field Level Mediamilyon88 register 。

TEXAS, USA — When Nathan Hecht ran for the Texas Supreme Court in 1988, no Republican had ever been elected to the state’s highest civil court. His election foreshadowed a coming transformation of the court, civil legal procedure and Texas itself. Hecht is the longest tenured Supreme Court justice in Texas history. He won six reelections and led the court as chief justice for more than a decade. He heard more than 2,700 oral arguments, authored 7,000 pages of opinions, and retires now not because he’s had enough, but because state law requires him to. Late on a Friday afternoon, just two weeks before he hung up his robe, he was still in his office, his mind mired in the work that was left to be done. “This is always a really busy time for us, because the opinions are mounting up to be talked about,” he said. “It’ll be busy next week.” Hecht began as a dissenter on a divided court, his conservative positions on abortion, school finance and property rights putting him at odds with the Democratic majority and some moderate Republicans. But as Texas Republicans began dominating up and down the ballot, his minority voice became mainstream on one of the country’s most conservative high courts. In his administration of the court, Hecht has been a fierce advocate for the poor, pushing for more Legal Aid funding, bail reform and lowering the barriers to accessing the justice system. “If justice were food, too many would be starving,” Hecht told lawmakers in 2017. “If it were housing, too many would be homeless. If it were medicine, too many would be sick.” Hecht’s departure leaves a vacancy that Gov. Greg Abbott , a former justice himself, will get to fill. He may elevate a current justice or appoint someone new directly to the chief justice role. Whoever ends up in the top spot will have to run for reelection in 2026. In his typical understated manner, so at odds with the bombast of the other branches of government, Hecht told The Texas Tribune that serving on the court has been the honor of his life. “I have gotten to participate not only in a lot of decisions shaping the jurisprudence of the state, but also in trying to improve the administration of the court system so that it works better and fosters public trust and confidence,” he said. “So I feel good about the past,” he said. “And I feel good about the future.” A ‘sea change’ Born in Clovis, New Mexico, Hecht studied philosophy at Yale before getting his law degree from Southern Methodist University. He clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and returned to Texas, where his reputation preceded him. As a young lawyer, Tom Phillips, a former chief justice and now a partner at Baker Botts, reached out to a Dallas law firm that had promised to hire him the next chance they got. “I called them a few months later and said, ‘So I assume you never got a vacancy,’” Phillips recalls. “And they said, ‘Well, we did, but we had a chance to hire Nathan Hecht, so you’ll understand why we went ahead and did that.’” Hecht was appointed to the district court in 1981 and quickly made a name for himself, pushing the court to modernize their stenography practices and taking the unusual step of writing opinions as a trial judge. He was elected to the court of appeals in 1986, and ran for Texas Supreme Court two years later. This race came at a low point for Texas’ judiciary, after a string of scandals, ethics investigations, eyebrow-raising rulings and national news coverage made several sitting Supreme Court justices household names — and not in a good way. Seeing an opportunity, Hecht challenged one of the incumbents, a Democrat who’d been called out in a damning 60 Minutes segment for friendly relationships with lawyers who both funded his campaigns and argued before the court. Hecht teamed up with Phillips and Eugene Cook, two Republicans who had recently been appointed to the court, and asked voters to “Clean the Slate in ’88,” separating themselves from the Democrats by promising to only accept small donations. “Party politics were changing in the state at the same time, but the broader issue on our court at the time was to ensure that judges were following the law,” Hecht said. “That was a driving issue.” Since Phillips and Cook were incumbents, Hecht was the only one who had to take on a sitting Supreme Court justice. And he won. “It really was a sea change in Texas political history,” Phillips said. “He was the first person ever to do that in a down ballot race, to defeat a Democrat as a Republican.” Political changes Republican dominance swept through the Supreme Court as swiftly as it did Texas writ large. The last Democrat would be elected to the court in 1994, just six years after the first Republican. But even among Bush-era Republicans filling the bench, Hecht’s conservatism stood out. In 2000, he wrote a dissent disagreeing with the majority ruling that allowed teens in Texas to get abortions with a judge’s approval if their parents wouldn’t consent, and a few years earlier, ruled in favor of wealthy school districts that wanted to use local taxes to supplement state funds. His pro-business bent stood out next to the court’s history of approving high dollar payouts for plaintiffs. Alex Winslow, the executive director of Texas Watch, a consumer advocacy group, told the New York Times in 2005 that Hecht was “the godfather of the conservative judicial movement in Texas.” “Extremist would be an appropriate description,” Winslow said. “He’s the philosophical leader of the right-wing fringe.” The only other justice who regularly staked out such a conservative position, according to the New York Times, was Priscilla Owen, who President George W. Bush appointed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2005. Hecht and Owen, who now goes by her maiden name, Richmond, wed in 2022 . Wallace Jefferson, Hecht’s predecessor as chief justice, said Hecht’s sharp intellect and philosophical approach to the law improved the court’s opinions, even when he ultimately didn’t side with the majority. “He was a formidable adversary,” said Jefferson, now a partner at Alexander Dubose & Jefferson. “You knew that you would have to bring your best approach and analysis to overcome Nathan’s approach and analysis ... You had to come prepared and Nathan set the standard for that.” Hecht briefly became a national figure in 2005 when he helped Bush’s efforts to confirm Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court. As her longtime friend, Hecht gave more than 120 interviews to bolster Miers’ conservative credentials, jokingly calling himself the “PR office for the White House,” Texas Monthly reported at the time . This advocacy work raised ethical questions that Hecht fought for years, starting with a reprimand from the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Hecht got that overturned. The Texas Ethics Commission then fined him $29,000 for not reporting the discount he got on the legal fees he paid challenging the reprimand. He appealed that fine and the case stretched until 2016 , when he ultimately paid $1,000. Hecht has largely stayed out of the limelight in the decades since, letting his opinions speak for themselves and wading into the political fray mostly to advocate for court reforms. While Democrats have tried to pin unpopular COVID and abortion rulings on the justices in recent elections, Republicans continue to easily win these down-ballot races. Hecht is aware of the perception this one-party dominance creates, and has advocated for Texas to turn away from partisan judicial elections. In his 2023 state of the judiciary address , Hecht warned that growing political divisions were threatening the “judicial independence essential to the rule of law,” pointing to comments by both Democratic politicians and former President Donald Trump. But in an interview, Hecht stressed that most of the cases the Texas Supreme Court considers never make headlines, and are far from the politics that dominate Austin and Washington. “There’s no Republican side to an oil and gas case. There’s no Democrat side to a custody hearing,” he said. “That’s the bread and butter of what we do, and that’s not partisan.” Hecht’s reforms Unlike its federal counterpart, the Texas Supreme Court is often a temporary port of call on a judge’s journey. Many, like Abbott, Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett , leave for higher office. Others, like Owen and 5th Circuit Judge Don Willett, leave for higher courts. Most, like Phillips, leave for higher pay in private practice. But Hecht stayed. “I didn’t plan it like this,” Hecht said. “I just kept getting re-elected.” Hecht had been considering retirement in 2013, when Jefferson, the chief justice who replaced Phillips, announced he would be stepping down. “He wanted me to consider being his successor,” Hecht said. “So I did, and here I am. I didn’t say, ‘Let’s spend 43 years on the bench,’ but one thing led to another.” In 2013, Hecht was sworn in as chief justice by then-U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, another great dissenter whose views later became the majority. While the Texas Supreme Court’s political makeup has changed largely without Hecht’s input, the inner workings of the court have been under his purview. And that, many court watchers say, is where his greatest legacy lies. Hecht ushered in an era of modernization, both to the technology and the rules that govern justice in Texas. He led a push to simplify the appellate rules, removing many of the trapdoors and procedural quirks that led to important cases being decided on technicalities. The court scaled back how long cases could drag on by limiting discovery, including how long a deposition can go. And he ensured every case was decided before the term ended, like the U.S. Supreme Court. “I think people generally don’t understand the impact the rules can have on the equitable resolution of disputes, but they’re enormous,” Jefferson said. “Nathan recognized that at an early juncture in his career.” Hecht pushed Texas to adopt e-filing before many other states, which proved prescient when COVID hit. Hecht, who was then president of the national Conference of Chief Justices, was able to help advise other states as they took their systems online. Hecht also dedicated himself to improving poor Texan’s access to the justice system, pushing the Legislature to appropriate more funding for Legal Aid and reducing the barriers to getting meaningful legal resolutions. He helped usher through a rule change that would allow paraprofessionals to handle some legal matters like estate planning, uncontested divorces and consumer debt cases, without a lawyer’s supervision. “Some people call it the justice gap. I call it the justice chasm,” Hecht said. “Because it’s just a huge gulf between the people that need legal help and the ability to provide it.” Hecht said he’s glad this has been taken up as a bipartisan issue, and he’s hopeful that the same attention will be paid even after he leaves the court. “No judge wants to give his life’s energy to a work that mocks the justice that he’s trying to provide,” he said. “For the judiciary, this is an important issue, because when the promise of equal justice under law is denied because you’re too poor, there’s no such thing as equal justice under the law.” What comes next Despite the sudden departure of their longtime leader, the Texas Supreme Court will return in January to finish out its term, which ends in April. Among the typical parsing of medical malpractice provisions, oil and gas leases, divorce settlements and sovereign immunity protections, the high court has a number of more attention-grabbing cases on its docket this year. Earlier this year, the court heard oral arguments about the Department of Family and Protective Services’ oversight of immigration detention facilities, and in mid-January, they’ll consider Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to subpoena Annunciation House, an El Paso nonprofit that serves migrants. They’ll also hear arguments over Southern Methodist University’s efforts to cut ties with the regional governing body of the United Methodist Church. Other cases will be added to the schedule before April. Phillips, who has argued numerous cases before the Texas Supreme Court since leaving the bench, said Hecht’s loss will be felt, but he expects the court to continue apace. “It’s not a situation like it might have been at some point in the past where if one justice left, nobody would know what to do next,” he said. “It’s an extremely qualified court.” As for Hecht, he’s tried to put off thinking too much about what comes next for him. He still has opinions to write and work to finish. He knows he wants to stay active in efforts to improve court administration nationally and in Texas, and he’s threatened his colleagues with writing a tell-all book, just to keep them on their toes. But beyond that, he’s waiting for the reality of retirement to sink in before he decides on his next steps. “We’ve got 3,200 judges in Texas, plus adjuncts and associate judges and others,” he said. “I really think it’s such a strong bench, and I am proud to have been a part of it. I look forward to helping where I can.” ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.NEW YORK (AP) — He's making threats, traveling abroad and negotiating with world leaders. Donald Trump has more than a month and a half to go before he's sworn in for a second term. But the Republican president-elect is already moving aggressively not just to fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but to achieve those priorities . Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, prompting emergency calls and a visit from Canada's prime minister that resulted in what Trump claimed were commitments from both U.S. allies on new border security measures. The incoming president has warned there will be “ALL HELL TO PAY" if, before his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, Hamas does not release the hostages being held in Gaza . He has threatened to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company, warning "Buyer Beware!!!” And this weekend, Trump was returning to the global stage, joining a host of other foreign leaders for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral five years after it was ravaged by a fire. On Saturday, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron — joined at the last minute by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — and had plans to see Britain's Prince William also in Paris. Absent in Paris: lame duck President Joe Biden, who has largely disappeared from headlines, except when he issued a pardon of his son , Hunter, who was facing sentencing for gun crimes and tax evasion. First lady Jill Biden is attending in his place. “I think you have seen more happen in the last two weeks than you’ve seen in the last four years. And we’re not even there yet,” Trump said in an over-the-top boast at an awards ceremony Thursday night . For all of Trump's bold talk, though, it is unclear how many of his efforts will bear fruit. The pre-inauguration threats and deal-making are highly unusual, like so much of what Trump does, said Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University. “Transitions are always a little complicated in this way. Even though we talk about one president at a time," he said, “the reality is one president plus. And that plus can act assertively sometimes." Zelizer said that is particularly true of Trump, who was president previously and already has relationships with many foreign leaders such as Macron, who invited both Trump and Biden to Paris this weekend as part of the Notre Dame celebration. “Right now he’s sort of governing even though he’s not the president yet. He’s having these public meetings with foreign leaders, which aren't simply introductions. He's staking out policy and negotiating things from drug trafficking to tariffs," Zelizer said. Trump already has met with several foreign leaders, in addition to a long list of calls. He hosted Argentinian President Javier Milei in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago club in November. After the tariff threat, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago for a three-hour dinner meeting. Canadian officials later said the country is ready to make new investments in border security, with plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers. Last Sunday, Trump dined with Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Israeli prime minister. Incoming Trump aides have also been meeting with their future foreign counterparts. On Wednesday, several members of Trump's team, including incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, met with Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Zelenskyy, in Washington, as Ukraine tries to win support for its ongoing efforts to defend itself from Russian invasion, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Yermak also met with Trump officials in Florida, he wrote on X . That comes after Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Qatar and Israel for high-level talks about a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza, according to a U.S familiar with the efforts, meeting with the prime ministers of both countries. There is no prohibition on incoming officials or nominees meeting with foreign officials, and it is common and fine for them to do so — unless those meetings are designed to subvert or otherwise impact current U.S. policy. Trump aides were said to be especially cognizant of potential conflicts given their experience in 2016, when interactions between Trump allies and Russian officials came under scrutiny. That included a phone call in which Trump's incoming national security adviser, Michael Flynn, discussed new sanctions with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, suggesting things would improve after Trump became president. Flynn was later charged with lying to the FBI about the conversation. Trump’s incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that, “All transition officials have followed applicable laws in their interactions with foreign nationals.” She added: “World leaders recognize that President Trump is returning to power and will lead with strength to put the best interests of the United States of America first again. That is why many foreign leaders and officials have reached out to correspond with President Trump and his incoming team.” Such efforts can nonetheless cause complications. If, say, Biden is having productive conversations on a thorny foreign policy issue and Trump weighs in, that could make it harder for Biden “because people are hearing two different voices” that may be in conflict, Zelizer said. Leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu may also anticipate a more favorable incoming administration and wait Biden out, hoping for more a better deal. It also remains unclear how extensively the Biden administration has been kept apprised of Trump transition efforts. Although there is no requirement that an incoming administration coordinate calls and meetings with foreign officials with the State Department or National Security Council, that has long been considered standard practice. That is, in part, because transition teams, particularly in their early days and weeks, do not always have the latest information about the state of relations with foreign nations and may not have the resources, including interpretation and logistical ability, to handle such meetings efficiently. Still, the Biden and Trump teams have been talking, particularly on the Middle East, with the incoming and outgoing administrations having agreed to work together on efforts to free hostages who remain in held in Gaza, according to a U.S. official, who, like others, was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. That includes conversations between Witkoff and Biden’s foreign policy team as well as Waltz and Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Last month, Biden administration officials said they had kept Trump’s team closely apprised of efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border. “I just want to be clear to all of our adversaries, they can’t play the incoming Trump administration off of the Biden administration. I’m regularly talking to the Biden people. And so, this is not a moment of opportunity or wedges for them," Waltz said Friday in a Fox Business interview. But when it comes to immigration, Biden administration officials haven’t been entirely in the loop on discussions around how to execute on Trump’s pledge to deport millions of migrants, according to four administration officials with knowledge of the transition who spoke on condition of anonymity. That’s not terribly surprising given how differently the teams view migration. Trump’s team, meanwhile, is already claiming credit for everything from gains in the stock and cryptocurrency markets to a decision by Walmart to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion policies Trump opposes. “Promises Kept — And President Trump Hasn’t Even Been Inaugurated Yet,” read one press release that claimed, in part, that both Canada and Mexico have already pledged "immediate action” to help “stem the flow of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and deadly drugs entering the United States." Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has stopped short of saying Trump mischaracterized their call in late November. But she said Friday that Trump “has his own way of communicating, like when we had the phone call and he wrote that we were going to close the border. That was never talked about in the phone call.” Earlier this week, Mexico carried out what it claimed was its largest seizure of fentanyl pills ever. Seizures over the summer had been as little as 50 grams per week, and after the Trump call, they seized more than a ton. Security analyst David Saucedo said that "under the pressure by Donald Trump, it appears President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration is willing to increase the capture of drug traffickers and drug seizures that Washington is demanding.” Biden, too, tried to take credit for the seizure in a statement Friday night. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Colleen Long and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Mumbai: The Bandra police have booked 19-year-old Dhruv Nalin Gupta, the son of a business tycoon, for allegedly driving a Porsche negligently under the influence of alcohol in Bandra West. On Saturday, Gupta was driving the car when it collided with several motorcycles parked on the footpath near Sadhu Vaswani Chowk in Bandra West. Reportedly, five motorcycles were damaged in the collision. Fortunately, no one was injured in the accident. According to the police, Dhruv Gupta was intoxicated at the time of the incident. The incident, which was captured on CCTV, shows a car speeding and crashing onto a footpath, damaging several bikes. A total of four individuals are seen exiting the vehicle, all appearing unharmed. The video also shows bystanders gathering at the scene following the incident to take stock of the situation. The police have registered a case of negligent driving against the driver and issued him a notice. Further investigation into the matter is ongoing, and the police are working to determine whether the other three individuals in the CCTV footage were also under the influence of alcohol. (With inputs from Rakesh Trivedi) Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Mumbai and around the world.

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NEW YORK (AP) — He's making threats, traveling abroad and negotiating with world leaders. Donald Trump has more than a month and a half to go before he's sworn in for a second term. But the Republican president-elect is already moving aggressively not just to fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but to achieve those priorities . Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, prompting emergency calls and a visit from Canada's prime minister that resulted in what Trump claimed were commitments from both U.S. allies on new border security measures. The incoming president has warned there will be “ALL HELL TO PAY" if, before his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, Hamas does not release the hostages being held in Gaza . He has threatened to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company, warning "Buyer Beware!!!” And this weekend, Trump was returning to the global stage, joining a host of other foreign leaders for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral five years after it was ravaged by a fire. On Saturday, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron — joined at the last minute by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — and had plans to see Britain's Prince William also in Paris. Absent in Paris: lame duck President Joe Biden, who has largely disappeared from headlines, except when he issued a pardon of his son , Hunter, who was facing sentencing for gun crimes and tax evasion. First lady Jill Biden is attending in his place. “I think you have seen more happen in the last two weeks than you’ve seen in the last four years. And we’re not even there yet,” Trump said in an over-the-top boast at an awards ceremony Thursday night . For all of Trump's bold talk, though, it is unclear how many of his efforts will bear fruit. Breaking precedent The pre-inauguration threats and deal-making are highly unusual, like so much of what Trump does, said Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University. “Transitions are always a little complicated in this way. Even though we talk about one president at a time," he said, “the reality is one president plus. And that plus can act assertively sometimes." Zelizer said that is particularly true of Trump, who was president previously and already has relationships with many foreign leaders such as Macron, who invited both Trump and Biden to Paris this weekend as part of the Notre Dame celebration. “Right now he’s sort of governing even though he’s not the president yet. He’s having these public meetings with foreign leaders, which aren't simply introductions. He's staking out policy and negotiating things from drug trafficking to tariffs," Zelizer said. Foreign leader meetings Trump already has met with several foreign leaders, in addition to a long list of calls. He hosted Argentinian President Javier Milei in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago club in November. After the tariff threat, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago for a three-hour dinner meeting. Canadian officials later said the country is ready to make new investments in border security, with plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers. Last Sunday, Trump dined with Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Israeli prime minister. Incoming Trump aides have also been meeting with their future foreign counterparts. On Wednesday, several members of Trump's team, including incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, met with Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Zelenskyy, in Washington, as Ukraine tries to win support for its ongoing efforts to defend itself from Russian invasion, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Yermak also met with Trump officials in Florida, he wrote on X . That comes after Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Qatar and Israel for high-level talks about a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza, according to a U.S familiar with the efforts, meeting with the prime ministers of both countries. One president, two voices There is no prohibition on incoming officials or nominees meeting with foreign officials, and it is common and fine for them to do so — unless those meetings are designed to subvert or otherwise impact current U.S. policy. Trump aides were said to be especially cognizant of potential conflicts given their experience in 2016, when interactions between Trump allies and Russian officials came under scrutiny. That included a phone call in which Trump's incoming national security adviser, Michael Flynn, discussed new sanctions with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, suggesting things would improve after Trump became president. Flynn was later charged with lying to the FBI about the conversation. Trump’s incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that, “All transition officials have followed applicable laws in their interactions with foreign nationals.” She added: “World leaders recognize that President Trump is returning to power and will lead with strength to put the best interests of the United States of America first again. That is why many foreign leaders and officials have reached out to correspond with President Trump and his incoming team.” Such efforts can nonetheless cause complications. If, say, Biden is having productive conversations on a thorny foreign policy issue and Trump weighs in, that could make it harder for Biden “because people are hearing two different voices” that may be in conflict, Zelizer said. Leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu may also anticipate a more favorable incoming administration and wait Biden out, hoping for more a better deal. Coordination between incoming and outgoing administrations It also remains unclear how extensively the Biden administration has been kept apprised of Trump transition efforts. Although there is no requirement that an incoming administration coordinate calls and meetings with foreign officials with the State Department or National Security Council, that has long been considered standard practice. That is, in part, because transition teams, particularly in their early days and weeks, do not always have the latest information about the state of relations with foreign nations and may not have the resources, including interpretation and logistical ability, to handle such meetings efficiently. Still, the Biden and Trump teams have been talking, particularly on the Middle East, with the incoming and outgoing administrations having agreed to work together on efforts to free hostages who remain in held in Gaza, according to a U.S. official, who, like others, was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. That includes conversations between Witkoff and Biden’s foreign policy team as well as Waltz and Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Last month, Biden administration officials said they had kept Trump’s team closely apprised of efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border. “I just want to be clear to all of our adversaries, they can’t play the incoming Trump administration off of the Biden administration. I’m regularly talking to the Biden people. And so, this is not a moment of opportunity or wedges for them," Waltz said Friday in a Fox Business interview. But when it comes to immigration, Biden administration officials haven’t been entirely in the loop on discussions around how to execute on Trump’s pledge to deport millions of migrants, according to four administration officials with knowledge of the transition who spoke on condition of anonymity. That’s not terribly surprising given how differently the teams view migration. Taking credit already Trump’s team, meanwhile, is already claiming credit for everything from gains in the stock and cryptocurrency markets to a decision by Walmart to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion policies Trump opposes. “Promises Kept — And President Trump Hasn’t Even Been Inaugurated Yet,” read one press release that claimed, in part, that both Canada and Mexico have already pledged "immediate action” to help “stem the flow of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and deadly drugs entering the United States." Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has stopped short of saying Trump mischaracterized their call in late November. But she said Friday that Trump “has his own way of communicating, like when we had the phone call and he wrote that we were going to close the border. That was never talked about in the phone call.” Earlier this week, Mexico carried out what it claimed was its largest seizure of fentanyl pills ever. Seizures over the summer had been as little as 50 grams per week, and after the Trump call, they seized more than a ton. Security analyst David Saucedo said that "under the pressure by Donald Trump, it appears President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration is willing to increase the capture of drug traffickers and drug seizures that Washington is demanding.” Biden, too, tried to take credit for the seizure in a statement Friday night. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Colleen Long and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.Unassuming, erudite, soft-spoken and a consensus builder, Manmohan Singh died on Thursday night at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was 92. New Delhi: He drew the roadmap of India’s economic reform, unshackled it from the licence raj and pulled it back from the brink when even all its gold reserve was pledged. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh was the scholar and architect of the India of today who evolved into a stubbornly resolute politician. Unassuming, erudite, soft-spoken and a consensus builder, Manmohan Singh died on Thursday night at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was 92. The Congress leader, who steered the country for 10 years from 2004-2014 and helped set up the country’s economic framework as finance minister before that, was a renowned name in the global financial and economic sectors. The man who famously spoke of studying under the dim light of kerosene lamps in his village without electricity and went on to become a storied academic was the copybook reluctant politician, almost stumbling into the rough and tumble of mainstream politics. He was the proverbial dark horse when Sonia Gandhi stepped back from taking the prime minister’s post, ignoring the clamour from her party, and chose him instead. And so Manmohan Singh the academic bureaucrat became the 14th prime minister of India in 2004. Theirs was a partnership that lasted 10 years, the equation between Sonia Gandhi and Singh often cited for its equanimity and an example of how a working relationship should really be. Notwithstanding the inevitable tensions. Singh also had to balance the interests of the United Progressive Alliance’s coalition partners. N N Vohra, a former Jammu and Kashmir governor, said Singh always “stood firm as a rock in pursuing the ethical path even if he got into trouble with the political party he represented”. In 2014, the UPA was voted out in a cloud of corruption scams, establishing BJP's unbroken rule since then. Hailed for putting India on the road to liberalisation and privatisation in the early 1990s, Singh was criticised for turning a blind eye to charges of corruption. The going often got tough. During his first tenure as prime minister, the coalition began to unravel when India signed a civil nuclear deal with the US. It almost cost his government with the Left parties pulling out of the UPA coalition. However, his government survived. On July 22, 2008, the UPA faced its first confidence vote in the Lok Sabha after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front withdrew support over India approaching the IAEA for Indo-US nuclear deal. The UPA won the confidence vote with 275 votes to the opposition's 256, with a record thin 19-vote victory after 10 MPs abstained. During the fag end of his tenure as prime minister, when he was seen defending his government’s record and the Congress’ positions on controversial issues such as the 2G scam, Singh spoke up and declared he was not weak. "I honestly hope history would be kinder to me than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the opposition parties in Parliament," he had said famously in January 2004. More than two decades later, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reacted to Singh's death with a poignant post on X: "Undoubtedly, history shall judge you kindly, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji!" The decade with Singh at the helm of affairs is widely believed to be an era unprecedented growth and prosperity. His journey to the acme of India’s governance and political power is unique in the annals of India’s politics. Singh, always seen in a powder blue turban, was appointed India's finance minister in 1991 in the Narasimha Rao government. His role in ushering in a comprehensive policy of economic reforms is now recognised worldwide. In January 1991, India struggled to finance its essential imports, especially of oil and fertilisers, and to repay official debt. In July 1991, the RBI pledged 46.91 tonnes of gold with the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan to raise $400 million. Manmohan Singh soon steered the economy well and was quick to repurchase it months later. Vohra, who at the time served successively as defence and home secretary said he had to be at then finance minister Singh's door daily, “literally begging for some financial relief for the department I was serving”. Born to Gurmukh Singh and Amrit Kaur on September 26, 1932, in village Gah in the Punjab province of undivided India (now Pakistan), Singh completed his matriculation examinations from the Punjab University in 1948. His academic career took him from Punjab to the University of Cambridge, UK, where he earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics in 1957. Singh followed this with a D.Phil in Economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. He started his career by teaching in the faculty of Punjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics. He also had a brief stint at the UNCTAD Secretariat and later became secretary general of the South Commission in Geneva between 1987 and 1990. In 1971, Singh joined the government of India as economic advisor in the Commerce ministry. This was soon followed by his appointment as chief economic advisor in the Ministry of Finance in 1972. Among the many governmental positions that he occupied were secretary in the Finance ministry, deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission, governor of the Reserve Bank of India, advisor of the prime minister, and chairperson of the University Grants Commission. His political career started as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1991, where he was leader of the opposition between 1998 and 2004. Interestingly, the two time prime minister had a 33-year parliamentary innings but only as a Rajya Sabha member. He never contested a Lok Sabha election. Singh was often accused by the BJP of running a government that was marred by corruption. The party called him "MaunMohan Singh" alleging that he did not speak out against corrupt leaders in his cabinet. Notwithstanding the many epithets, Singh always maintained his dignity. He is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and has three daughters. It is a measure of Singh’s understated personality that the country knew little of his family who also went about their lives as low key as they could during his 10 years as prime minister. Singh was quiet but also firm. Sources close to him said Singh had almost made up his mind to quit as prime minister in September 2013 after Rahul Gandhi dubbed the Union Cabinet's decision to bring an ordinance to allow convicted politicians to contest elections “complete nonsense” and recommended it be torn. Singh was abroad at the time. Singh was highly critical of demonetisation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016 and termed it "organised loot and legalised plunder". In reply to the no-confidence motion against his government in 2008, Singh said almost prophetically, "The greatness of democracy is that we are all birds of passage! We are here today, gone tomorrow! But in the brief time that the people of India entrust us with this responsibility, it is our duty to be honest and sincere in the discharge of these responsibilities." Stay informed on all the latest news , real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world News on Zee News.Ange Postecoglou knows the next month will be “significant” for Tottenham, but is confident they will improve and not be mid-table at Christmas. Spurs travel to Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday reeling from a disappointing home loss to Ipswich before the international break. The club’s problems have multiplied during the past fortnight with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur handed a seven-match domestic ban on Monday and Cristian Romero (toe) joining a lengthy list of absentees. However, Postecoglou remains bullish about Tottenham’s progress and acutely aware of the scrutiny set to come his way if they stay 10th. “Christmas is a joyous occasion, irrespective, and I think it should be celebrated. If we’re still 10th then people won’t be happy, I won’t be happy, but we might not be 10th,” Postecoglou pointed out before nine games in 30 days. “Certainly for us I think it’s a significant period because you look at those games and we’ve got the league where we’ve got to improve our position and a couple of important European fixtures that can set us up for the back half of the year, also a Carabao Cup quarter-final. “At the end of that period we could be in a decent position for a strong second half of the year, so for us it is an important period. “You know there’s no more international breaks, so the full focus is here. You can build some momentum through that, or if things don’t go well you could get yourself into a bit of a grind. Ready for #MCITOT 👊 Go behind the scenes of training ahead of our trip to Manchester 🎥⤵️ pic.twitter.com/4jFZTCIwSz — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 22, 2024 “Of course if we had beaten Ipswich, we’d be third and I reckon this press conference would be much different wouldn’t it? “I’m not going to let my life be dictated by one result, I’m sorry. I take a wider perspective on these things because I know how fickle it can be, but we need to address our position for sure. “And if we’re 10th at Christmas, yeah it won’t be great. There’d be a lot of scrutiny and probably a lot of scrutiny around me, which is fair enough, but that’s not where I plan for us to be.” Tottenham’s immediate efforts to move up the table will require them ending City’s two-year unbeaten home run in the Premier League. The champions have lost their last four matches in all competitions, but have some key personnel back for Saturday’s clash and will aim to toast Pep Guardiola’s new contract with a victory. Postecoglou was pleased to see Guardiola commit to a further two seasons in England, adding: “I love the fact that there’s a massive target out there that can seem insurmountable. “I look at it the other way. I go, ‘imagine if you knock him off, that’d be something’. “I’m at the stage of my life where I’d rather have the chance of knocking him off than missing that opportunity. “When greatness is around, you want to be around it. And hopefully it challenges you to be like that as well.” Saturday’s fixture will be Postecoglou’s 50th league game in charge of Spurs and he knows what is required to bring up three figures. A post shared by Premier League (@premierleague) “No European football, significant player turnover, change of playing style. Where did I think we’d be after 50 games? God knows. “It could have been a whole lot worse, but when you look at it in the current prism of we’re 10th, you’re going ‘it doesn’t look good’ and I understand that and we have to improve that. “But over the 50 games, I think there’s enough there that shows we are progressing as a team and we are developing into the team we want. “The key is the next 50 games, if they can be in totality better than the first 50? First, that means I’m here but second, I think we’ll be in a good space.”

Williams-Dryden also contributed six assists for the Wolves (1-10). Malcolm Noel scored 13 points while shooting 4 for 6 (2 for 3 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line and added five assists. Rickey Ballard shot 5 for 11, including 2 for 8 from beyond the arc to finish with 12 points. The Wolves broke a 10-game losing streak. Rodney Johnson Jr. finished with 17 points and seven rebounds for the Golden Eagles (4-6). Mekhi Cameron added 15 points and three steals for Tennessee Tech. Jaylon Johnson also had 12 points, six assists and two steals. NEXT UP Both teams play again on Tuesday. West Georgia visits Charlotte and Tennessee Tech travels to play Western Illinois. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .The Ravens looked better defensively last week, but now Roquan Smith’s injury is a concernWith Trump on the way, advocates look to states to pick up medical debt fight

Sermanni has left the Matildas in good stead, but the future beckons

Former Spanish teacher turned entrepreneur Lori Wall took a risk by moving her business into a brick-and-mortar store. Wall is the proprietor of Spanish on the Fly, a conversational Spanish education and tutoring service. Her client base is wide-ranging, consisting of young professionals looking to learn Spanish for their careers and older people who are traveling or interested in picking up a new hobby. After operating out of her home for nearly 20 years, Wall decided to take a leap of faith this past August by moving into a storefront at 311 Elm Street in Ludlow in an effort to expand her business. So far, the move has paid off, Wall told LINK nky, but there is still room to grow. Earlier this year, she applied for a small business grant for minority, women and veteran-owned businesses through the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Duke Energy and Blue North. The funds could be put toward physical space improvements, technology upgrades, talent sourcing, job posting fees and professional development training. Keep up with the latest NKY news with our daily newsletter window.zone_load_1277787059 = function(z, d) { if (!d.count) document.getElementById('zone_load_1277787059').style.display = 'none'; }; Sign up Last week, it was announced that Spanish on the Fly was one of eight Northern Kentucky-based businesses to receive a small business grant this cycle. Wall’s business is slated to receive $5,000, which she plans to invest in software upgrades and newer signage for her storefront. “I will be able to put up large visible signage out front, purchase some technology and software for my online presence and purchase some practical items like a printer which makes it more convenient to print any ancillary materials I provide to my students,” Wall said. “ It really is a huge help that will bring in more foot traffic and let me spend more time focusing on growing the business.” In addition to Spanish on the Fly, the following businesses received awards: Dashai Thompson, the NKY Chamber’s inclusive business strategies director, detailed in a press release that the grants were to help regional business owners from underserved communities achieve sustainability. “In doing so, our region enhances its ability to support a thriving business landscape that values and promotes small businesses by removing a major barrier – funding – to entrepreneurs, especially those in often underserved communities,” Thompson said. Alejandra Flores of Unataza Coffee receives a check for a small business grant. Pictured Left to Right: Dave Knox, Blue North; Flores, Nancy Spivey and Dashai Thompson of NKY Chamber of Commerce. To qualify for the grant, businesses had to employ 50 or fewer people and be Duke Energy customers located in Boone, Campbell, or Kenton counties. Duke Energy contributed $25,000 to the program, with Blue North’s Northern Kentucky Entrepreneurship Fund matching the donation. The grants ranged from $1,000 to $10,000. The Northern Kentucky Entrepreneurship Fund is specifically dedicated to supporting and funding Northern Kentucky-based entrepreneurs and organizations, including startups, support organizations, educational vehicles and accelerators. “This year’s winners demonstrated a clear need for the capital and a clear plan of how they’re going to make it an investment in their business to drive growth,” Blue North Executive Director Dave Knox said in the release. “These are entrepreneurs that have thought about how they can be a flywheel and when they look at that investment, it can not only grow their business but also their community in Northern Kentucky as a whole.” For Duke Energy, the grants were part of a larger effort where the utility company distributed a total of $122,000 to eight organizations throughout the Greater Cincinnati area, including the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Before you go.... Can you help us make a difference? The reporters and editors at LINK nky are dedicated to covering Northern Kentucky and providing you with the information you need to be an informed citizen. If you value what you get from LINK nky, please join us with a tax-deductible donation so we can continue doing the local reporting that matters to you. Will you chip in to LINK nky today? YES, I'LL CHIP IN! SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS DONATEI spent 8 hours & £1k on Argos & B&Q buys to give my home a festive makeover but Storm Darragh has ruined it, I’m gutted

Chaikin scores 20 as Lafayette takes down Mercyhurst 77-73The real John Dutton?Walmart apologizes after shopper was ‘kicked out of line’ for items – and it’s all because of new policy

milyon88 register free 100 Suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouse ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggled with deputies and shouted while arriving for a court appearance in Pennsylvania a day after he was arrested at a McDonald’s and charged with murder. Luigi Nicholas Mangione emerged from a patrol car, spun toward reporters and shouted something partly unintelligible while deputies pushed him inside Tuesday. At the brief hearing, the defense lawyer informed the court that Mangione would not waive extradition to New York but instead wants a hearing on the issue. Mangione was denied bail. Brian Thompson, who led the United States’ largest medical insurance company, was killed last Wednesday as he walked alone to a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. From wealth and success to murder suspect, the life of Luigi Mangione took a hard turn Luigi Nicholas Mangione was apparently living a charmed one: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation’s top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-od Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy.” Pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators are working to piece together why Mangione diverged from a path of seeming success to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. Key details about the man accused of killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO The 26-year-old man charged in last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in New York City has appeared in a Pennsylvania courtroom. Luigi Nicholas Mangione was arrested Monday after a worker at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, notified police that he resembled the suspect in last Wednesday's killing of Brian Thompson. While being led into court to be arraigned Tuesday, Mangione shouted something that was partly unintelligible but referred to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” During the hearing in Hollidaysburg, Mangione was denied bail and his attorney said Mangione would not waive extradition. DA suggests unusual idea for halting Trump’s hush money case while upholding his conviction NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors are trying to preserve President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction as he returns to office, and they're suggesting various ways forward. One novel notion is based on how some courts handle criminal cases when defendants die. In court papers made public on Tuesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books. The proposals included freezing the case until he’s out of office, or agreeing that any future sentence wouldn’t include jail time. Another idea: closing the case with a notation that acknowledges his conviction but says that he was never sentenced and that his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. There's no immediate response from Trump's lawyers. Middle East latest: Israel bombs hundreds of sites across Syria as army pushes into border zone Israel says it bombed more than 350 military sites in Syria during the previous 48 hours, targeting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the wave of strikes was necessary to keep the weapons from being used against Israel following the Syrian government’s stunning collapse. Israel also acknowledged its troops were pushing into a border buffer zone inside Syria, which was established after the 1973 Mideast war. However, Israel denied its forces were advancing Tuesday toward the Syrian capital of Damascus. Life in the capital was slowly returning to normal. People celebrated for a third day in a main square, and shops and banks reopened. Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. For Trump, they were also prime trolling opportunities. Throughout his first term in the White House and his recent campaign to return there, the Republican has dished out provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. Now that’s he’s preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. Report on attempts to kill Trump urges Secret Service to limit protection of foreign leaders WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional task force looking into the assassination attempts against Donald Trump during his presidential campaign is recommending changes to the Secret Service. These include protecting fewer foreign leaders during the height of the election season and considering moving the agency out of the Department of Homeland Security. The 180-page report was released Tuesday. It constitutes one of the most detailed looks so far into the July 13 assassination attempt against Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and a second one in Florida two months later. South Korea's ex-defense minister is formally arrested over brief imposition of martial law SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's previous defense minister has been formally arrested over his alleged collusion with President Yoon Suk Yeol and others in imposing martial law last week. Kim Yong Hyun resigned last week and has been detained since Sunday. He is the first person arrested in the case. Prosecutors have up to 20 days to determine whether to indict him. A conviction on the charge of playing a key role in rebellion carries the maximum death sentence. Kim is accused of recommending martial law to Yoon and sending troops to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting on it. Homes burn as wind-driven wildfire prompts evacuations in Malibu, California MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Thousands of Southern California residents are under evacuation orders and warnings as firefighters battle a wind-driven wildfire in Malibu. The flames burned near seaside mansions and Pepperdine University, where students sheltering at the school’s library on Monday night watched as the blaze intensified. Officials on Tuesday said a “minimal number” of homes burned, but the exact amount wasn’t immediately known. More than 8,100 homes and other structures are under threat, including more than 2,000 where residents have been ordered to evacuate. Pepperdine University on Tuesday morning said the worst of the fire has pushed past campus. It was not immediately known how the blaze started. More beans and less red meat: Nutrition experts weigh in on US dietary guidelines Americans should eat more beans, peas and lentils and cut back on red and processed meats and starchy vegetables. That's advice from a panel of nutrition experts charged with counseling the U.S. government about the next edition of the dietary guidelines. The panel did not weigh in on the growing role of ultraprocessed foods that have been linked to health problems or alcohol use. But they did say people should continue to limit added sugars, sodium and saturated fat in pursuit of a healthy diet. Tuesday’s recommendations now go to federal officials, who will draft the final guidance set for release next year.

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB BEIRUT (AP) — In 2006, after a bruising monthlong war between Israel and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah militant group, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted for a resolution to end the conflict and pave the way for lasting security along the border. But while there was relative calm for nearly two decades, Resolution 1701’s terms were never fully enforced. Now, figuring out how to finally enforce it is key to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal approved by Israel on Tuesday. In late September, after nearly a year of low-level clashes , the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah spiraled into all-out war and an Israeli ground invasion . As Israeli jets pound deep inside Lebanon and Hezbollah fires rockets deeper into northern Israel, U.N. and diplomatic officials again turned to the 2006 resolution in a bid to end the conflict. Years of deeply divided politics and regionwide geopolitical hostilities have halted substantial progress on its implementation, yet the international community believes Resolution 1701 is still the brightest prospect for long-term stability between Israel and Lebanon. Almost two decades after the last war between Israel and Hezbollah, the United States led shuttle diplomacy efforts between Lebanon and Israel to agree on a ceasefire proposal that renewed commitment to the resolution, this time with an implementation plan to try to bring the document back to life. What is UNSC Resolution 1701? In 2000, Israel withdrew its forces from most of southern Lebanon along a U.N.-demarcated “Blue Line” that separated the two countries and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, which most of the world considers occupied Syrian territory. U.N. peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL , increased their presence along the line of withdrawal. Resolution 1701 was supposed to complete Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and ensure Hezbollah would move north of the Litani River, keeping the area exclusively under the Lebanese military and U.N. peacekeepers. Up to 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers would help to maintain calm, return displaced Lebanese and secure the area alongside the Lebanese military. The goal was long-term security, with land borders eventually demarcated to resolve territorial disputes. The resolution also reaffirmed previous ones that call for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon — Hezbollah among them. “It was made for a certain situation and context,” Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese army general, told The Associated Press. “But as time goes on, the essence of the resolution begins to hollow.” Has Resolution 1701 been implemented? For years, Lebanon and Israel blamed each other for countless violations along the tense frontier. Israel said Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force and growing arsenal remained, and accused the group of using a local environmental organization to spy on troops. Lebanon complained about Israeli military jets and naval ships entering Lebanese territory even when there was no active conflict. “You had a role of the UNIFIL that slowly eroded like any other peacekeeping with time that has no clear mandate,” said Joseph Bahout, the director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy at the American University of Beirut. “They don’t have permission to inspect the area without coordinating with the Lebanese army.” UNIFIL for years has urged Israel to withdraw from some territory north of the frontier, but to no avail. In the ongoing war, the peacekeeping mission has accused Israel, as well as Hezbollah , of obstructing and harming its forces and infrastructure. Hezbollah’s power, meanwhile, has grown, both in its arsenal and as a political influence in the Lebanese state. The Iran-backed group was essential in keeping Syrian President Bashar Assad in power when armed opposition groups tried to topple him, and it supports Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Yemen. It has an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles, including precision-guided missiles pointed at Israel, and has introduced drones into its arsenal . Hanna says Hezbollah “is something never seen before as a non-state actor” with political and military influence. How do mediators hope to implement 1701 almost two decades later? Israel’s security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The ceasefire is set to take hold at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday. Efforts led by the U.S. and France for the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah underscored that they still view the resolution as key. For almost a year, Washington has promoted various versions of a deal that would gradually lead to its full implementation. International mediators hope that by boosting financial support for the Lebanese army — which was not a party in the Israel-Hezbollah war — Lebanon can deploy some 6,000 additional troops south of the Litani River to help enforce the resolution. Under the deal, an international monitoring committee headed by the United States would oversee implementation to ensure that Hezbollah and Israel’s withdrawals take place. It is not entirely clear how the committee would work or how potential violations would be reported and dealt with. The circumstances now are far more complicated than in 2006. Some are still skeptical of the resolution’s viability given that the political realities and balance of power both regionally and within Lebanon have dramatically changed since then. “You’re tying 1701 with a hundred things,” Bahout said. “A resolution is the reflection of a balance of power and political context.” Now with the ceasefire in place, the hope is that Israel and Lebanon can begin negotiations to demarcate their land border and settle disputes over several points along the Blue Line for long-term security after decades of conflict and tension.It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and for the first time, the major social platforms are running big, even full-screen promotions for their own subscription offerings and products within their apps. Which, in some ways, makes perfect sense, maximizing their reach capacity to boost their business. But in others, it feels a little intrusive, and in some cases, even a little desperate. First off, X has started running full-screen pop-up promos for X Premium, which are difficult to even get rid of on screen, due to the “x” in the top left being obscured by the coloring. Yes, X is still super keen to get people to pay to use the app. Despite the app losing users , and despite less than 1% of its audience actually paying for X Premium thus far. Subscriptions had been a key pillar of Elon Musk’s initial growth plan for X , with Musk projecting that X Premium subscriptions (which, at that stage, was called “Twitter Blue”) would rise to 9 million users by this stage of his reformat of the app, bringing in millions of dollars in supplemental revenue. Thus far, around 1.3 million profiles are estimated to have signed up for the program. Musk also projected that X Premium would reach 104 million subscribers by 2028, thereby diluting X’s reliance on ad revenue. And if it still wants to reach those goals, it’s going to need to enact more pushes like this full-screen takeover to maximize awareness. Like, also, X Premium gifting : Look, I don’t think anything is going to get millions more people signing up for X Premium, which is just not that enticing an offering for most at this stage. But X is still keen to make Premium happen, and it’s using whatever means it can in the app to maximize take-up. Meta is also using its valuable ad space to promote its VR headsets, which are the key to its future metaverse ambitions. As you’ve no doubt seen for yourself, right now, Meta is running top-of-feed promotions for Meta Quest, on both Facebook and IG, as it seeks to get more people into its VR experiences. Though similar to X Premium, the hard sell for Meta is that there aren’t that many good reasons to buy a VR headset as yet, as the available experiences just aren’t that compelling. The technology is amazing, and more and more games and features are being rolled out, which will no doubt attract more interest over time. But at this stage, it’s not a must-have tech gadget, with the available VR apps still fairly limited. But either way, exposing ads to billions of users can’t hurt. Finally, Snapchat is also pumping out promotions for Snapchat+, directly into user inboxes. That feels a little intrusive, and all of these promos are a little overbearing, making these apps feel more like shopping tools than social platforms. But they’re also pretty easy to ignore. And in the modern age, we’ve all gotten much better at ignoring the influx of promotions being pumped into our feeds. But it is an interesting shift either way, with the apps becoming more direct commercial entities, and transforming into large-scale advertisers in their own right. And they have access to the most attention-grabbing promo options in their own tools. Which is probably not a great trend, but as social apps look to further commodify their experiences, this may be the new norm.

Heritage Distilling Co. Announces Closing of its Initial Public OfferingDK Metcalf is happy to block as Seahawks ride streak into Sunday night matchup with Packers

Rejuvel Bio-Sciences ( OTCMKTS:NUUU – Get Free Report ) and Vestis ( NYSE:VSTS – Get Free Report ) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, profitability and earnings. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current ratings for Rejuvel Bio-Sciences and Vestis, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Vestis has a consensus price target of $17.43, indicating a potential upside of 8.77%. Given Vestis’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Vestis is more favorable than Rejuvel Bio-Sciences. Institutional & Insider Ownership Profitability This table compares Rejuvel Bio-Sciences and Vestis’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Rejuvel Bio-Sciences and Vestis”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Vestis has higher revenue and earnings than Rejuvel Bio-Sciences. Summary Vestis beats Rejuvel Bio-Sciences on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Rejuvel Bio-Sciences ( Get Free Report ) Rejuvel Bio-Sciences, Inc., a development stage company, produces, distributes, markets, and sells skin care products worldwide. The company primarily offers skin cream under the Rejuvel brand. It also intends to develop, build, and sell environmental management solutions that use electron particle accelerator technology for the treatment of drinking water, municipal and industrial wastewater, sludge, and produced water from oil and gas fracturing activities. The company was formerly known as Technology Applications International Corporation and changed its name to Rejuvel Bio-Sciences, Inc. in June 2015. Rejuvel Bio-Sciences, Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida. About Vestis ( Get Free Report ) Vestis Corporation provides uniform rentals and workplace supplies in the United States and Canada. Its products include uniform options, such as shirts, pants, outerwear, gowns, scrubs, high visibility garments, particulate-free garments, and flame-resistant garments, as well as shoes and accessories; and workplace supplies, including managed restroom supply services, first-aid supplies and safety products, floor mats, towels, and linens. The company serves manufacturing, hospitality, retail, food processing, food service, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, automotive, and cleanroom industries. Vestis Corporation was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Roswell, Georgia. Receive News & Ratings for Rejuvel Bio-Sciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rejuvel Bio-Sciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .NEW YORK, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The following statement is being issued by Levi & Korsinsky, LLP: To: All persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired securities of Cassava Sciences, Inc. ("Cassava" or the "Company") SAVA between February 7, 2024 to November 24, 2024, both dates inclusive . You are hereby notified that the class action lawsuit Stephen Crocker v. Cassava Sciences, Inc., et al. (Case No. 1:24-cv-01525) has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. To get more information go to: https://zlk.com/pslra-1/cassava-sciences-inc-lawsuit-submission-form or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500. There is no cost or obligation to you. The complaint alleges that defendants provided investors with material information concerning Cassava's leading drug candidate, simufilam. Defendants' statements included, among other things, clear confidence in simufilam's ability to treat Alzheimer's Disease. On November 25, 2024, Cassava released topline results for the first of its two ongoing Phase 3 studies on simufilam, the "ReThink-ALZ" study. The results indicated that simufilam failed to meet each of the pre-specified primary, secondary, and exploratory endpoints; in sum, simufilam failed to outperform the placebo. Following this news, the price of Cassava's common stock declined dramatically. From a closing market price of $26.48 per share on November 22, 2024, Cassava's stock price fell to $4.30 per share on November 25, 2024, a decline of about 83.76% in the span of just a single day. If you suffered a loss in SAVA securities , you have until February 10, 2025 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff. WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, the team at Levi & Korsinsky has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. Our firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States. CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Joseph E. Levi, Esq. Ed Korsinsky, Esq. 33 Whitehall Street, 17th Floor New York, NY 10004 jlevi@levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500 Fax: (212) 363-7171 www.zlk.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions became the first two NFL teams to reach 10 wins in Week 12's early-afternoon window. The Chiefs survived an upset bid from the Carolina Panthers to keep their spot atop the AFC standings. Detroit's day was a bit different, as it blew past the Indianapolis Colts to keep its edge in the NFC. Not all teams in playoff spots avoided upsets, though, as the Washington Commanders and Houston Texans went down. Washington and Houston did not drop out of their playoff positions yet, but the results at least allowed some chasing teams to potentially gain ground. Division Leaders 1. Kansas City (10-1) 2. Buffalo (9-2) 3. Pittsburgh (8-3) 4. Houston (7-5) Wild-Card Race 5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) 6. Baltimore (7-4) 7. Denver (6-5) 8. Miami (5-6) 9. Indianapolis (5-7) 10. Cincinnati (4-7) 11. Cleveland (3-8) 12. New York Jets (3-8) 13. Tennessee (3-8) 14. New England (3-9) 15. Las Vegas (2-8) 16. Jacksonville (2-9) Kansas City avoided an unexpected slip-up with a last-minute with over Carolina to become the first AFC team to reach 10 wins. The Chiefs are still a full game ahead of the Buffalo Bills for home-field advantage. The long-time rivals are the only likely contenders for the No. 1 overall seed. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans each lost in Week 12 to drop further away from the Chiefs. Pittsburgh's primary concern has to be the AFC North title because it is only a game in front of the Baltimore Ravens. The gap can drop to a half-game if the Ravens beat the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night. Houston is still comfortably in front in the AFC South since it has a two-game lead and two head-to-head wins over the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts fell to 5-7 with a loss to the Lions, but they are still in the mix for the final wild-card spot. Both the Colts and Miami Dolphins have five wins and they will be rooting for the Las Vegas Raiders to upset the Denver Broncos in the late-afternoon window. Conversely, a Denver victory would put three seven-win teams in the wild-card places and it would force Miami and Indianapolis to be near-perfect down the stretch. Division Leaders 1. Detroit (10-1) 2. Philadelphia (8-2) 3. Arizona (6-4) 4. Atlanta (6-5) Wild-Card Race 5. Minnesota (9-2) 6. Green Bay (7-3) 7. Washington (7-5) 8. Los Angeles Rams (5-5) 9. Seattle (5-5) 10. San Francisco (5-5) 11. Tampa Bay (5-6) 12. New Orleans (4-7) 13. Chicago (4-7) 14. Dallas (4-7) 15. Carolina (3-8) 16. New York Giants (2-9) Detroit continued to cruise with its win over the Colts. The Lions are 10-1, but they only have a one-game edge in the NFC North over the Vikings, who eked out an overtime win over the Bears. Detroit owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Minnesota and the two teams do not meet again until Week 18 at Ford Field. The Eagles can join the Lions and Vikings in the group of teams with nine or 10 wins if they beat the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. Philadelphia already picked up an edge in the NFC East on Sunday afternoon due to the Washington Commanders' loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles are three games ahead of the Commanders in the loss column right now. The Rams need a Sunday night win to take advantage of Washington's loss in the wild-card race. The Commanders are two games up in the win column over the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers at the moment. All three of those teams could win in the late-afternoon and night windows to make the gap smaller.Hugh Grant ‘s career has entered what the actor himself coined the “freak show stage” of his career. From the oh-so-tiny Oompa Loompa in Wonka to the short-lived Edward Keplinger in The Regime , the seasoned British actor has departed from his romantic lead typecast. For his most recent leading role as Mr. Reed in Heretic , Grant traps two young Mormon missionaries in his basement game of faith and horror. Green-haired, dancing orange man aside, Mr. Reed is his most extreme role to date. Playing a man who traps women in cages is as large a departure as he can take, especially when his origins are largely rooted as charming leads in romantic comedies. And not just any romantic leads. Grant has starred in some of the most iconic romantic comedies: Edward Farris in Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility , William Thacker in Richard Curtis ‘ Notting Hill , Charles in Four Weddings and a Funeral (the first of his three films with the famed romance director), David the Prime Minister in Curtis’ Love Actually . Essential to each of these roles, Grant’s charming smile and self-effacing mumble made him a heartthrob of the ’90s and ’00s. But a heartthrob is not exempt from their red flags. Like a wolf in a beloved Englishman’s clothing, Grant’s characters have always been more villainous than they appear. The actor’s breakthrough role as Charles in Four Weddings and a Funeral marked him as good-looking and disarmingly likable. Charles flipped a leading man’s role on his head, appearing as non-threatening and passive, his true motives often taking a backseat to politeness. However, for the friend who forgets rings, arrives late, pursues a woman in a relationship, and abandons his fiancée at the altar, suave and shy are not necessarily the first words that come to mind. Perhaps his most cardinal sin of all was committed in Notting Hill . How did he allow Julia Roberts walk out the door to be ambushed by the paparazzi?! Without her pants?! On multiple occasions, when given the opportunity to profess his feelings to his own heartthrob Anna (played by the real-life movie star Roberts), William chose silence and inaction. He even rejected Anna’s own proposal to pursue the relationship legitimately after he had spent an entire year forlorn about what could have been. Never establishing a backbone to communicate properly with the women he truly loves has perhaps been a throughline of Grant’s romantic career. Even his casting as Edward Farris in the 1995 Sense and Sensibility fits the bill, the price of his inactions and omissions being paid by the woman who loved him most. His most meaningful encounter in the film, in my opinion, came far too late. In the final act, Elinor Dashwood ( Emma Thompson ) realized that Farris had been engaged to and then married a woman of higher society. This was the engagement that Farris had failed to mention during the entirety of their courtship. The man was shelling out his monogrammed kerchiefs left and right. Unforgivable! Lastly, Curtis’ 2003 holiday rom-com Love Actually follows the love stories of 10 different individuals and those in their lives. “Love” is used liberally as Grant is one of the many male characters engaging in inappropriate romantic relationships with his own employees. Grant plays David, the Prime Minister, who initially resists the urge to act on his attraction to a junior member of staff, Natalie ( Martine McCutcheon ). While he presents himself as a moral politician, looking down on the U.S. President ( Billy Bob Thornton ) for making his own advances on Natalie, David acts on his attraction in the end nonetheless. While the pair ends up in a public, seemingly unproblematic relationship (for now) by the end of the film, we can’t overlook their checkered origins. Looking back, Grant has actually always played the villain. We just weren’t looking hard enough. More Headlines:

Romanians cast their ballots Sunday (November 24) in the first round of a presidential election, with the nation facing surging inflation and unease over the war in neighboring Ukraine. The vote begins a pivotal election season for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) member, with a parliamentary vote and a December 8 presidential runoff to follow. Romania, which shares a 650-kilometer (400-mile) border with Ukraine, has gained strategic importance since Russia invaded its neighbour in 2022. The Black Sea nation hosts more than 5,000 Nato troops and serves as a key transit point for Ukrainian grain exports, according to the New Strategy Center think tank. Far-right leader George Simion, a 38-year-old admirer of former US President Donald Trump, has emerged as a key figure in the race. Pitching himself as Europe’s next Giorgia Meloni, Simion has capitalised on voter discontent over inflation—10 per cent last year, with 5.5 per cent projected for 2024— and promised solutions like affordable housing. Simion’s Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) has made a visible impact on the ground. Following severe flooding in Pechea, Simion arrived with 10 trucks of construction materials and approximately 300 volunteers to assist displaced residents. His party purchased land with donations and began building homes for affected families, eight of which are nearly complete. Such efforts resonate in a country grappling with the European Union’s highest inflation rate, poorly paid rural jobs, and crumbling infrastructure, sociologist Barbu Mateescu told AFP . Simion’s populist, hands-on approach has fuelled his rise to second place in polls, trailing center-left Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. Despite his growing domestic support, Simion’s rhetoric is reason for alarm for Nato allies. In his fiery speeches, he opposes military aid to Ukraine, calls for a “more patriotic Romania,” and frequently attacks the European Union’s leadership as a “corrupt bubble.” He has faced allegations of ties to Russian spies, which he denies. On Wednesday (November 20), Simion called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” in remarks to foreign journalists. As Romania heads into the runoff, Simion’s rise highlights a populist wave reshaping the nation’s political landscape. For Nato and the EU, though, his growing influence presents a new challenge. With inputs from agenciesThe American Athletic Conference is the only Football Bowl Subdivision league whose championship game matchup is set: Army vs. Tulane. The final week of the regular season will determine pairings for the other eight conferences. Here's a look at the possible matchups in the Power Four and Group of Five. All championship games are Dec. 7 except in the AAC, Conference USA and Mountain West, which will be played Dec. 6. SMU vs. Miami or Clemson. Miami is in if it beats Syracuse. Clemson is in if Miami loses. Oregon vs. Ohio State, Penn State or Indiana. Ohio State is in if it beats Michigan or if Penn State and Indiana lose this week. Penn State is in if it beats Maryland and Ohio State loses. Indiana is in if it beats Purdue and Ohio State and Penn State lose. Arizona State vs. Iowa State if both win this week. Multiple scenarios including BYU, Colorado and other teams exist otherwise. Georgia vs. winner of Texas-Texas A&M game. Army vs. Tulane. Jacksonville State vs. Liberty, Western Kentucky or Sam Houston. Liberty is in with a win over Sam Houston. WKU is in with a win over Jacksonville State and a Liberty loss. Sam Houston is in with a win over Liberty and a Jacksonville State win. Miami, Bowling Green and Ohio are tied for first place and control their destinies. Miami-Bowling Green winner is in, as is Ohio if it beats Ball State. Other scenarios exist that include those teams and Buffalo. Boise State vs. UNLV or Colorado State. If UNLV and CSU both win or lose their final regular-season games, the tie would be broken by either College Football Playoff rankings or results-based computer metrics. Louisiana-Lafayette at Marshall if both win their games this week. Other scenarios exist if one or both lose. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

The season came to a close for the Del Norte Warriors on Friday against Moreau Catholic with a 14-7 loss in the Division 7 North Coast Section semifinals. Del Norte entered Friday’s game riding an eight-game win streak, not having lost a game since mid-September against the Arcata Tigers. Three Warriors’ turnovers doomed Del Norte along with the Warriors not completing a single pass. Senior quarterback Aidan Rice went 0-3 with a pick in the game. While the Del Norte offense doesn’t typically air out the football, getting shutout in the passing game placed more emphasis on the Warriors rushing attack. Del Norte finished with 219 rushing yards, with senior running back Benjamin Borges leading the way with 132 yards on 24 carries. Moreau Catholic took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter but a missed PAT had Del Norte take the lead later in the quarter when senior Curtis Bartley scored from 16-yards out to take a 7-6 lead. Moreau Catholic retook the lead in the second half with another touchdown and successful 2-point try to push the Mariners’ lead to 14-7. Following Rice’s interception, Del Norte sophomore Sawyer Fry got the ball back for the Warriors with an interception of his own. Following Fry’s pick, the Warriors offense went punt and then a turnover on downs to end the game and the season. Del Norte’s season ends at 9-3 with a Big 4 title going a perfect 3-0 in league play. Dylan McNeill can be reached at 707-441-0526.NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets wanted Juan Soto to know his future with them could be set in stone. When the free agent outfielder traveled to owner Steve Cohen's house in Beverly Hills, California, for a presentation last month, the team showed a video that included an image of a future Soto statue outside Citi Field, next to the one erected of franchise great Tom Seaver . “Everything that they showed me, what they have, what they want to do, it was incredible,” Soto said. “But my favorite part was the video.” Soto was introduced at Citi Field on Thursday, a day after his record $765 million, 15-year contract was finalized. Speaking in the Piazza 31 Club, he was flanked by Mets owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns and agent Scott Boras. Security men in gray suits wearing earpieces were off to the side. The slugger walked in led by Boras, wearing a dark suit, black turtle neck shirt and gold chain with his No. 22. Soto picked the Mets over the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. His deal includes a luxury suite and four premium tickets for home games , all for free, and personal team security for the four-time All-Star and his family at the team’s expense for all spring training and regular-season home and road games. “My family is really important for me. Without them, I probably wouldn't have been here,” Soto said. “It's one of the biggest things.” Boras had asked for those sweeteners. “We included it at the beginning," Cohen said. “He made a request and we were happy to provide.” The crosstown Yankees, who reached the World Series for the first time since 2009 in part because of Soto, refused to consider the concept. “Some high-end players that make a lot of money for us, if they want suites, they buy them,” general manager Brian Cashman said. Cohen purchased the Mets ahead of the 2021 season and has boosted them to baseball's highest payroll in search of the team's first title since 1986 — when the World Series MVP, like Soto, wore No. 22 — Ray Knight. The owner thanked his son, Josh, for helping create the video and commended his 93-year-old father-in-law Ralph for attending the first get-together with Soto. While other teams met Soto at the Pendry Newport Beach, a hotel just a five-minute drive from Boras Corp.'s office, Cohen asked to host the session at one of his homes. “If we’re going to some restaurant, I didn’t know what the atmosphere would be,” Cohen said. “Food's better at my house.” Cohen and Soto met again Friday at another of the owner's homes in Boca Raton, Florida. Soto wanted to know how many championships Cohen expects over the next decade? “I said I’d like to win two to four,” the owner recalled. The value of Soto's contract eclipsed Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. Its length topped Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million, 14-year agreement with San Diego that runs through 2034. The 26-year-old Soto batted .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks this year and has a .285 career average with 201 homers, 592 RBIs and 769 walks over seven seasons with Washington, San Diego and the Yankees. Boras wouldn't discuss who finished second in the bidding in Soto's mind. “When you’re at a wedding, you don’t talk about the bridesmaids," he said. Soto made the decision Sunday while at home with his family. Boras referred to the group as the “Soto Supreme Court" defined as “mother, sister, father — he’s got a wide group. I think he may have eight or nine uncles.” “My information requests and such were rather unique,” Boras said, detailing that his team asked for OPS by ballpark. Soto's 1.175 at Citi Field is his highest at any stadium where he's played 15 or more games. Soto cited Cohen's relationship with Mets stars Francisco Lindor and Edwin Díaz as a factor in his mind. “They are kind of like (a tight) family, a family that wants to win but they definitely want to take care of their players and their families,” Soto said. Cohen had his wife Alex and father-in-law attend the initial meeting to emphasize kinship. “My father-in-law is at every game, every home game,” Cohen said. “I wanted him to see how important baseball is to this family. And Alex grew up with one TV in an apartment and that Met game was on every night.” Cohen relishes owning the Mets. He spoke earlier in the day to a town hall at his hedge fund. “Whenever you meet somebody, they want to talk about the Mets before they talk about financial markets,” he said. Soto's success will be determined by World Series titles. The Yankees have 27, the Mets two. “It's such a big city, right? There's plenty of room for both of us,” Cohen said. Soto had a more direct definition. "Championships is going to tell you if it's a Yankees or Mets town at the end of the day," he said. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlbMan City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League

U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high. They’re the first back-to-back losses for the index in nearly a month, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%. Tech titan Oracle dragged on the market and sank 6.7% after reporting growth for the latest quarter that fell just short of analysts’ expectations. It was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500, even though CEO Safra Catz said the company saw record demand related to artificial-intelligence technology for its cloud infrastructure business, which trains generative AI models. AI has been a big source of growth that’s helped many companies’ stock prices skyrocket. Oracle’s stock had already leaped more than 80% for the year coming into Tuesday, which raised the bar of expectations for its profit report. In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of Wednesday’s report on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Economists expect it to show similar increases as the month before. Wednesday’s update and a report on Thursday about inflation at the wholesale level will be the final big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week, where many investors expect the year’s third cut to interest rates. The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to take pressure off the slowing jobs market, after bringing inflation nearly down to its 2% target. Lower rates would help give support to the economy, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. Expectations for a series of cuts through next year have been a big reason the S&P 500 has set so many records this year. Trading in the options market suggests traders aren’t expecting a very big move for U.S. stocks following Wednesday’s report, according to strategists at Barclays. But a reading far off expectations in either direction could quickly change that. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.20% late Monday. Even though the Fed has been cutting its main interest rate, mortgage rates have been more stubborn to stay high and have been volatile since the autumn. That has hampered the housing industry, and homebuilder Toll Brothers’ stock fell 6.9% even though it delivered profit and revenue for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. CEO Douglas Yearley Jr. said the luxury builder has been seeing strong demand since the start of its fiscal year six weeks ago, an encouraging signal as it approaches the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January. Elsewhere on Wall Street, Alaska Air Group soared 13.2% after raising its forecast for profit in the current quarter. The airline said demand for flying around the holidays has been stronger than expected. It also approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock, along with new service from Seattle to Tokyo and Seoul. Boeing climbed 4.5% after saying it’s resuming production of its bestselling plane, the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Vail Resorts rose 2.5% after the ski resort operator reported a smaller first-quarter loss than analysts expected in what is traditionally its worst quarter. All told, the S&P 500 fell 17.94 points to 6,034.91. The Dow dipped 154.10 to 44,247.83, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 49.45 to 19,687.24. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in China after the world’s second-largest economy said its exports rose by less than expected in November. Stocks rose 0.6% in Shanghai but fell 0.5% in Hong Kong. Indexes fell across much of Europe ahead of a meeting this week by the European Central Bank, where the widespread expectation is for another cut in interest rates. ___ AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to Remember what you searched for in 2024? Google does. Google The proposed merger between supermarket giants Kroger and Albertsons floundered When President Joe Biden visited Angola last week, one ofTop leaders of the House of Representatives didn't hold back in admonishing Vice President Sara Duterte in the aftermath of the latter's unauthorized two-day stay at Batasan complex wherein she tried to have her way with security and employees. From left to right: Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. (3rd district, Pampanga), Majority Leader Rep. Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe (2nd district, Zamboanga City), Deputy Speaker David "Jay-jay" Suarez (2nd district, Quezon) (Facebook) Top leaders of the House of Representatives didn't hold back in admonishing Vice President Sara Duterte in the aftermath of the latter's unauthorized two-day stay at Batasan complex wherein she tried to have her way with security and employees. That she did all of these while avoiding to attend the House hearings on her alleged confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) misuse wasn't lost on Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. (3rd district, Pampanga), Deputy Speaker David "Jay-jay" Suarez (2nd district, Quezon), and Majority Leader Rep. Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe (2nd district, Zamboanga City). “Malinis ang report ng Commission on Audit (COA) sa paggamit ng pera ng taong bayan ng House of Representatives under Speaker Romualdez, ‘di gaya ng Office of the Vice President (OVP) under VP Duterte,” Gonzales said in a joint statement Sunday, Nov. 24. (COA's report on the House of Representatives' usage of funds under Speaker Romualdez is clean, unlike the OVP under VP Duterte.) Suarez said the lady official continues to resort to "diversionary tactics" in order to avoid giving actual explanations to the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability on her usage of P612.5 million CIFs. The figure covers P500 million under the OVP and P112.5 under the Department of Education (DepEd), which Duterte led as the secretary for two years. “‘Yung mga paratang ni Vice President Duterte, istorya, drama, at budol-budol lang ‘yan. Sanay sila diyan, eksperto sila diyan sa budol-budol,” Suarez said. (Vice President Duterte's allegations are mere stories, dramatics, and deception. They're used to that, they're experts of deception.) The ranking congressmen likewise slammed the Vice President for claiming to have contacted an assassin to target President Marcos, Speaker Martin Romualdez, and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos. This was in the event that she gets killed herself. “The gravity of these statements cannot be overstated. A kill-order on the President is not only a heinous crime but also a betrayal of the highest order—one that shakes the very foundation of our democratic institutions,” Gonzales said. “The Vice President, as the next in line to the Presidency, is entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the Constitution, not undermining it,” added the Cabalen. Dalipe--despite casting doubts on Duterte’s remarks--thought it was still prudent to ask authorities to conduct an exhaustive and impartial investigation to uncover the truth behind the assassination plot against the Chief Executive. “The people deserve to know the full extent of this plot, including any potential abuse of power or betrayal of public trust. The integrity of our democracy demands nothing less,” Dalipe said. ALSO READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/23/house-leader-describes-vp-sara-s-latest-meltdown “The Vice President’s role as a constitutional successor makes this case extraordinarily sensitive. It is essential that we send a clear message that no one, regardless of position, is above the law,” added the Mindanaoan. Suarez warned of the broader implications of such an alleged plot. “This situation transcends politics—it is about the survival of our democracy, the preservation of public trust, and the safety and stability of our nation. Any individual, no matter how high their rank, must be held accountable for actions that threaten the integrity of our government,” Suarez said. “Conspiring with an assassin to target the President is a serious crime,” he underscored.

Medtronic ( NYSE:MDT – Free Report ) had its price objective upped by Sanford C. Bernstein from $96.00 to $97.00 in a research report released on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. Sanford C. Bernstein currently has an outperform rating on the medical technology company’s stock. MDT has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Medtronic from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Medtronic from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. UBS Group upgraded shares of Medtronic from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $76.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Medtronic from $85.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Medtronic from $96.00 to $93.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $95.00. Get Our Latest Analysis on MDT Medtronic Trading Up 1.7 % Medtronic ( NYSE:MDT – Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 19th. The medical technology company reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.01. Medtronic had a return on equity of 13.79% and a net margin of 13.00%. The business had revenue of $8.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.27 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.25 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Medtronic will post 5.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Medtronic A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Medtronic by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 60,731,367 shares of the medical technology company’s stock valued at $5,509,155,000 after buying an additional 520,027 shares in the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Medtronic by 3.3% during the third quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 8,582,993 shares of the medical technology company’s stock valued at $772,727,000 after acquiring an additional 275,870 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in Medtronic by 436.7% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 7,343,385 shares of the medical technology company’s stock valued at $661,125,000 after acquiring an additional 5,975,110 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Medtronic by 7.8% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 7,120,554 shares of the medical technology company’s stock worth $560,494,000 after purchasing an additional 515,751 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Longview Partners Guernsey LTD boosted its holdings in shares of Medtronic by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Longview Partners Guernsey LTD now owns 6,635,054 shares of the medical technology company’s stock valued at $578,245,000 after purchasing an additional 147,737 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.06% of the company’s stock. Medtronic Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Medtronic plc develops, manufactures, and sells device-based medical therapies to healthcare systems, physicians, clinicians, and patients worldwide. Its Cardiovascular Portfolio segment offers implantable cardiac pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices; cardiac ablation products; insertable cardiac monitor systems; TYRX products; and remote monitoring and patient-centered software. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Medtronic Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Medtronic and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Nebraska will be trying to preserve its perfect in-state record when it hosts South Dakota on Wednesday night in a nonconference game in Lincoln, Neb. The Cornhuskers (4-1) are 3-0 at home and also won Friday at then-No. 14 Creighton, beating their in-state rivals on the road for the second straight time. But the last time they did that, in 2022, they followed that win with a 16-point loss at Indiana to open Big Ten Conference play. "Believe me, we've addressed a lot of things," Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. "A lot of people are saying some really positive things. You've got to find a way to put that behind you. I've liked how our team has responded and come back to work after that great win at Creighton." Brice Williams leads the Cornhuskers with 18.2 points per game and was one of five players in double figures against Creighton. Juwan Gary topped the list with 16. South Dakota (6-2) comes to town off a 112-50 home win Monday night over Randall, the third non-Division I school it has beat. The Coyotes' last game against a D1 opponent was Friday at Southern Indiana, resulting in a 92-83 loss. This will be South Dakota's second nonconference game against a Big Ten opponent, after a 96-77 loss at Iowa on Nov. 12. In December, the Coyotes also visit Santa Clara, hovering near the top 100 in KenPom adjusted efficiency, before jumping into Big Sky play. "The schedule is very good and that should help us," third-year South Dakota coach Eric Peterson said before the season. "We have some good nonconference games that should help prepare us for the end of the season." Nebraska has held four of its opponents to 67 or fewer points, with Saint Mary's the only one to top that number in the Cornhuskers' lone loss. Opponents are shooting 38.1 percent this season. South Dakota shot below 40 percent in its two previous games before shooting 62 percent against Randall. Isaac Bruns, who scored 20 to lead South Dakota in the Randall game, paces the Coyotes with 12.9 points per game. --Field Level MediaFenix Lighting Unveils TK30R White Laser Flashlight for Unmatched Long-Distance IlluminationCongress's Maharashtra Debacle: Implications for J&K Alliance

MARPAI ANNOUNCES GENERAL UPDATES FOR Q4

milyon 888 Man, 70, charged with stunt driving after going wrong way on Hwy. 401As the sun sets on the horizon, casting a golden hue over the village, a sense of peace and fulfillment descends upon Tang Shangjun and his mother. Their hearts are full, their spirits buoyed by the knowledge that they have created something truly special - a home filled with love, respect, and gratitude.

The Q4 earnings report for Woodward WWD was released on Monday, November 25, 2024 at 04:00 PM. Here's what investors need to know about the latest announcement. Earnings Woodward beat estimated earnings by 13.0%, reporting an EPS of $1.41 versus an estimate of $1.25. Revenue was up $77.42 million from the same period last year. Historical Earnings Summary The company beat on EPS by $0.12 in the last quarter, resulting in a 17.0% drop share price change the following day. Here's a look at Woodward's past performance: Quarter Q3 2024 Q2 2024 Q1 2024 Q4 2023 EPS Estimate 1.51 1.32 1.10 1.31 EPS Actual 1.63 1.62 1.45 0.84 Revenue Estimate 853.82M 807.00M 748.29M 765.35M Revenue Actual 847.69M 835.34M 786.73M 777.07M New investors should note that it is sometimes not an earnings beat or miss that most affects the price of a stock, but the guidance (or forecast). Guidance Woodward management provided guidance for FY 2025, expecting earnings between $5.75 and $6.25 per share. To track all earnings releases for Woodward visit their earnings calendar here. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

As fans prepare for the release of "Final Destination 6," speculation and anticipation are running high. With details of the plot and cast still under wraps, viewers can only guess at what terrifying twists and turns the new film will bring. However, one thing is for certain – the "Final Destination" series has a reputation for keeping audiences on the edge of their seats, and the sixth installment is sure to deliver more of the same.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100CloudSky, a leading technology company specializing in educational solutions, has recently launched an innovative C-end educational hardware product that promises to revolutionize the way students engage with learning. The product, known as the CloudSky EduPro, is designed to provide a seamless and interactive learning experience for students of all ages, making education more accessible and engaging than ever before.

milyon88 bwin login In 1859, an event as significant as the advent of the wheel took place in Etienne Lenoir's workshop. The Belgian inventor converted a steam engine to ignite a mix of air and coal gas via a two-stroke detonation cycle . The new internal combustion engine (ICE) found work as a power source driving low power requiring equipment in pumping stations and print shops. These were humble beginnings for the functional yet wildly inefficient setup. Few could imagine that this new wonder in an age of technological marvels would change the course of human history. In 1886, Karl Benz of Mannheim, Germany, patented a curious application for this new form of power generation. His "motorised (sic) velocipede," as one witness described it, employed a four-stroke , single-cylinder engine. While the adoption of his "benzine carriage" initially met with underwhelming support, by the turn of the century, over 1,700 were tootling and bumping along the roads of England, France, and the United States. Among his other considerable achievements, Benz developed a new ICE configuration in 1896. He named it the contra engine two for how the cylinders worked in contrast. The name didn't stick, but the engine did. The flat-twin, boxer, pancake, or horizontally opposed twin engine is still widely used in some of the most complex machines of our time. This is the unique history of the flat-twin engine. [Featured image by Johannes Maximillian via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 2.0 ] Most internal combustion engines generate power using the same principle: a controlled explosion inside a cylinder drives a piston. There are exceptions, such as the rotary engine, most often associated with Mazda , but the vast majority of ICE engines are piston-driven. The clue is usually in the name. A V8 utilizes eight cylinders arranged in a V-shape, while a straight six employs six vertical (or nearly vertical) cylinders lined up in a row. Connected by a crankshaft, the pistons within the cylinder alternate, firing in a delicately balanced dance. Each configuration offers advantages and disadvantages in terms of efficiency and power delivery. The flat twin offers certain advantages. Its configuration has a low center of gravity, and a well-engineered flat twin alleviates out much of its own vibration. In a transverse-mounted twin, each cylinder has equal access to air, reducing the need for liquid cooling. On the other hand, flat twins are wider than other twin engines and can cause torque reactions if installed longitudinally, and some jobs require more power than two cylinders can muster. From its inception with Benz in 1896 to its modern-day applications in BMW motorcycles, the flat-twin engine's unique advantages have made it a popular choice in everything from airplanes to lawn implements. [Featured image by Michael Frey via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0 ] In the waning days of the 19th century, any number of automobile-producing firms sparked into existence. The Lanchester Motor Company of Birmingham, England, was one such. Founded by aviation and automotive pioneer Frederick William Lanchester, who built the first British automobile in 1896, the company used a flat-twin in its 1900 model Lanchester Ten. The car employed a 4.0-liter engine with a unique design. One of the cylinders was positioned higher than the other but remained horizontally opposed. The engine used two crankshafts and six connecting rods. Each piston was connected to one crankshaft by two light rods and to the other crankshaft by a heavy rod. The two crankshafts rotated in opposite directions, resulting in a complex yet elegant flat-twin engine that delivered 10.5 hp at 1,250 rpm. As the automobile industry blossomed, automakers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean began using the engine. Henry Ford used them in some early cars, including the 1903 to 1904 Model A, Model C, and Model F. The Jowett car company used them in every model it sold between 1906 and 1936. Toyota launched the Publica in 1961 with a 700 cubic centimeter (cc) flat-twin that made 28 horsepower. The Publica was inspired by Citroen's flat-twin 2CV, often compared to the classic Volkswagen Beetle , produced from 1948 to 1990. Though enjoying a surprisingly long career as car pushers, flat twins also achieved distinction as the powerplant of the sky. [Featured image by Constructionicecream via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0 ] Large, powerful piston and jet engines take aircraft into the sky today, but in the infancy of flight, the lighter, the better. Aircraft made of wood required a lightweight engine producing enough power to get airborne and stay there. With its relative simplicity, the flat-twin played a significant role in aviation history. New Zealand hobbyist and bicycle inventor Richard Pearse, for instance, developed his own flat-twin in 1902 for use in a homemade monoplane. Records are thin, but Pearse may have achieved a 50-yard flight in 1903, the same year as the Wright brothers' flight. Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont, who had experimented with lighter-than-air craft, was significantly influenced by the news of the Wright brothers' flight. He utilized a variety of flat-twin engines to achieve numerous aviation firsts, including the first powered flight with a winged aircraft in Europe and the development of the Demoiselle, a high-wing monoplane. The flat-twin engine continued to be used in aircraft as late as the 1930s. The Aeronca C-2, C-3, E-107, and E-113, as well as the Czech-built Praga B2 and British Bristol Cherub, all employed flat-twin engines. While the power requirements and weight of flat-twin engines precluded their use in the warplanes of the Second World War, ground crews often used them in auxiliary power units, including those used to start some of the earliest jet prototypes. [Featured image by Fletcher6 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0 ] Flat twin engines have had the most enduring application in motorcycles. Their low center of gravity, combined with motorcycles' open nature and low-power requirements, made them an incredibly effective configuration. A flat-twin could be installed along or perpendicular to the motorcycle's axis. Each setup had its own advantages. If installed with one cylinder behind the other, the bike would enjoy a lower center of gravity, improving stability and handling but reducing air cooling efficacy. Transverse-mounted engines were more effectively cooled and provided a simpler mounting for belt or chain drives, but they had a higher center of gravity and created a wider motorcycle. The Fée, produced by the Light Motors Company between 1905 and 1907, was among the first adopters. While the Fée, renamed the Fairy, didn't last, plenty of others did. Harley-Davidson produced a flat-twin bike called the XA. It was based on the designs of the Second World War-era German BMW R71 and Soviet Dneper IMZ M-72M. BMW has been using the boxer engine, a type of flat-twin, in its motorcycles since 1923, when it debuted the original BMW motorcycle, the R 32 . The German automaker still uses it in the bulk of its lineup today. One of its most modern iterations is a 1,254 cc that makes 130 hp to power its R1250 GS adventure bike. The R 12, recently announced as a new bike in the 2025 BMW lineup , indicates that BMW sees a place for the flat-twin in its future. Aside from applications in major machinery, the flat twin engine has proven its versatility in several appliances and other ICE-requiring gadgets. Maytag used a proprietary flat twin of its own design to power the Model 72 washing machine beginning in 1937. This washing machine, a testament to the versatility of the flat twin, was one of the time-saving decisions that changed the shape of domestic life in the Western world. Enfield built 250 cc and 350 cc engines to power generators and other military uses, later developing diesel-powered flat twins for use in agriculture and marine applications. The smooth operation of the flat-twin engine was a great boon in outboard boat engines compared to the uneven power delivery of a single-cylinder engine, which causes vibration and noise until straight-twin configurations usurped them. Since Karl Benz patented his contra motor in 1896, the flat-twin engine has been used in virtually every device that requires internal combustion engines. Its continued development and advancement in some of the most sophisticated performance machines of the modern day speaks volumes about its reliability. The flat twin engine, a symbol of dependability, has stood the test of time.

( MENAFN - GetNews) The highly anticipated results of the 2024 American Good Design Awards and French Design Awards have been announced, with Mechtron, a brand under Mechtron (Shanghai) Intelligent technology Co.,Ltd., standing out among fierce competition to claim both prestigious honors. This achievement not only highlights Mechtron's exceptional accomplishments in design but also underscores its robust capabilities in technological innovation and intellectual property protection. International Design Awards: A Global Recognition of Excellence Mechtron's "Cyber-Mecha Universe Series" ( ) captivated the judges with its distinctive futuristic aesthetic and cyberpunk elements, standing out among numerous entries. Winning the Good Design Award and French Design Award serves as a testament to Mechtron's innovation in product design and its significant market impact. These accolades also affirm the brand's value and its competitive edge on the global stage. Patented Technology: A Dual Guarantee of Innovation and Quality Mechtron continues to push the boundaries of product innovation, boasting multiple patented technologies, including but not limited to: 4V PRECISION SCREWDRIVER, 4V CYBER SCREWDRIVER, 4V T-SHAPE CYBER SCREWDRIVER and 8V LI-ION CYBER 2-SPEED HAMMER DRILL (1ST GENERATION). These design patents not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the products but also improve their functionality and user experience. Additionally, the development of utility and invention patents, such as for a new type of electric drill, has further elevated Mechtron's product performance. These innovations deliver superior efficiency and convenience, providing users with a highly optimized and reliable experience. Product Lineup: The Perfect Fusion of Technology and Aesthetics Cyber-Mecha Universe Series offers a diverse range of products, including: l 4V PRECISION SCREWDRIVER( ):Engineered with a compact design and powerful functionality, this precision screwdriver is ideal for handling the assembly and disassembly of screws in delicate instruments. Its lightweight form factor and long-lasting battery can effortlessly manage the removal of over 400 micro screws. The one-button forward/reverse control ensures smooth and highly convenient operation. l 4V CYBER SCREWDRIVER( ):With its efficient performance and user-friendly operation, the 4V Precision Screwdriver is perfectly suited for everyday household tasks. Featuring a no-load speed of 270 RPM and an electric torque of 5N.m, it effortlessly handles a wide range of home repair and assembly projects. l 4V T-SHAPE CYBER SCREWDRIVER( ):Its unique T-shaped design offers users enhanced convenience and versatility across various applications. The T-shape enables greater flexibility when operating in tight spaces or at specific angles, effectively meeting the demands of diverse usage scenarios. l 8V LI-ION CYBER 2SPEED HAMMAR DRILL (1ST GENERATION)( ):With its powerful performance and dual-speed settings, this tool is ideal for a wide range of professional and household applications. Featuring a no-load speed of 230 RPM/900 RPM and a maximum torque of 15N.m, it effectively handles drilling tasks from light to heavy-duty requirements. Innovative Design: A Fusion of Futurism and Cyberpunk Aesthetics Mechtron's product designs seamlessly blend futuristic elements with cyberpunk aesthetics, offering users a truly unique experience. Each product feels like a magical key unlocking the door to the future, radiating unparalleled allure. These tools are more than just functional items-they are bold statements of personality and attitude for young men. By using Mechtron products, users can proudly express their passion for technology and mecha, while reveling in the excitement and joy that Mechtron brings to their lives. Brand Vision: Continuous Innovation, Leading the Trend Mechtron is committed to leveraging its innovative designs and patented technologies to consistently introduce high-quality tools tailored to the needs of modern urban men. By combining technology with aesthetics, the brand aims to deliver a more personalized and futuristic experience for its users. At the same time, Mechtron will continue to strengthen its intellectual property protections to maintain its leadership in technology and design. As the brand garners increasing recognition, Mechtron's market influence and competitiveness are set to grow even further. Through innovative designs and exceptional quality, it will meet consumers' aspirations for a refined lifestyle and personalized expression. Additionally, Mechtron is actively exploring international markets, bringing its brand philosophy and premium products to a global audience. MENAFN16122024003238003268ID1108999862 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

Swiss National Bank Has $14.14 Million Stock Holdings in Trex Company, Inc. (NYSE:TREX)The United States Postal Service might have found a way to unite a nation bitterly divided after this month's election: It will release a Betty White stamp. The beloved actor known for roles in "The Golden Girls," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Boston Legal" and others will be on a 2025 Forever stamp, USPS announced this past week. White died in late December 2021 , less than three weeks before her 100th birthday. The Postal Service hasn't announced a release date for the stamp. Betty White speaks Sept. 17, 2018, at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. “An icon of American television, Betty White (1922–2021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades,” the Postal Service said in announcing the stamp, which depicts a smiling White based on a 2010 photograph by celebrity photographer Kwaku Alston . “The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals.” Boston-based artist Dale Stephanos created the digital illustration from Alston's photo. "I'd love to send a letter back to my 18-year-old self with this stamp on it and tell him that everything is going to be OK," Stephanos posted on Facebook . Regardless of personal politics, self-proclaimed supporters of Republican President-elect Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris reacted with delight on social media. "Betty White was my hero, all of my life! I actually had a doll when I was a little girl I named Betty White," one Trump supporter posted on X , formerly Twitter. “Something to make this awful week a little better: We’re getting a Betty White stamp,” a pro-Harris X account posted. White combined a wholesome image with a flare for bawdy jokes . Her television career began in the early 1950s and exploded as she aged. “The only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party," Seth Meyers posted on Twitter after her death. "A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end.” Allen Ludden and his wife Betty White, who love to play games, continue a two year gin rummy battle in which she's ahead by a cumulative 6,000 points in Westchester, N.Y. on April 29, 1965. They do it professionally on TV. He's the master of ceremonies on "Password," and she makes frequent guest appearances on game shows. They play games to relax at home. (AP Photo/Bob Wands) Allen Ludden and his wife Betty White admire magnolia blossoms on the lawn of their country home in Westchester, N.Y. on May 14, 1965. (AP Photo/Bob Wands) Actress Betty White in 1965. (AP Photo) Betty White shares a moment backstage at the 28th annual Emmy Awards with Ted Knight after they each won an Emmy for their supporting roles in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." On the series Miss White played Sue Ann Nivens while Knight played newscaster Ted Baxter. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon) LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 17, 1976: (L-R) "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" co-stars - Ed Asner, Betty White, Mary Tyler Moore and Ted Knight - all won awards at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences 28th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Shubert Theatre on May 17, 1976 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by TVA/PictureGroup/Invision for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences/AP Images) Actress Betty White with Ted Knight at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Sept. 13, 1981. (AP Photo/Randy Rasmussen) Betty White and Anson Williams don't seem to faze Buckeye, a St. Bernard, during an awards ceremony during which Williams was honored by the Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as a friend and lover of animals. Ms. White presented a humanitarian plaque to Williams at the event, which was held in Hollywood, California, Friday, May 1, 1982. (AP Photo/Marc Karody) Actress Betty White with actor John Hillerman arriving at Emmy Awards, Sept. 22, 1985 in Pasadena, California. (AP Photo/LIU) Actresses Betty White Ludden, left, and Mary Tyler Moore, right, smile at each other in Los Angeles, Friday, June 22, 1985 during Annual Meeting of Morris Animal Foundation, at which Ludden announced her retirement as President of the animal health group, held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) These four veteran actresses from the television series "The Golden Girls" shown during a break in taping Dec. 25, 1985 in Hollywood. From left are, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur and Betty White. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) Actress Betty White poses in Los Angeles, Ca. in June, 1986. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon) Betty White stands backstage at the NBC TV Bob Hope "I Love Lucy" special on Sept. 16, 1989. (AP Photo/Djansezian) Michael J. Fox and Betty White, winners of Emmys for best actor and actress in a comedy series, stand backstage at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, Sunday, Sept. 21, 1986 after receiving their honors. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac) Comedienne Betty White places her hand on the star that was presented posthumously to her husband, Allen Ludden, during ceremonies inducting him into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Thursday, March 31, 1988. Ludden was honored with the 1,868th star of the famed walkway — between those of White and Tyrone Power. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) Estelle Getty, who plays Sophia, poses with her new husband, who plays Max, and the other "Golden Girls" after taping of episode on Friday, night, Nov. 5,1988 in Hollywood. Left to right are Rue McCLanahan (Blanche), Getty, Gilford, Bea Arthur (Dorothy) and Betty White. (AP Photo/Ira Mark Gostin) Former cast members of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, sans Mary Tyler Moore, are reunited for the Museum of Television and Radio's 9th annual Television Festival in Los Angeles Saturday, March 21, 1992. From left are Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Betty White and Ed Asner. (AP Photo/Craig Fujii) Actress Betty White, left, writer/producer David E. Kelley, actress Bridget Fonda, and actor Oliver Platt pose at the premiere of their movie "Lake Placid," Wednesday night, July 14, 1999, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Betty White, from "Golden Girls," and Mr. T, Lawrence Tureaud, from "The A Team," pose for photographers at NBC's 75th Anniversary Party, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2002, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rene Macura) Actors Betty White, left, Georgia Engel, second left, Gavin MacLeod, center, Valerie Harper, second right, and John Amos pose for photographers during arrivals at CBS's 75th anniversary celebration Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, in New York. (AP Photo/Louis Lanzano) Actress Betty White laughs as an African eagle roosts overhead at the Los Angeles Zoo Monday, Feb. 20, 2006, in Los Angeles, where White was honored as Ambassador to the Animals by the city for her decades of dedication to the humane treatment of animals. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) Betty White poses for photographers on the red carpet before Comedy Central's "Roast of William Shatner," Sunday, Aug. 13, 2006, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rene Macura) Betty White arrives at the 34th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, on Friday, June 15, 2007. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Beatrice Arthur, left, Betty White, center, and Rue McClanahan, of the Golden Girls, arrive at the TV Land Awards on Sunday June 8, 2008 in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) Actor Henry Winkler, center, is seen Beatrice Arthur, right, and Betty White at the TV Land Awards on Sunday June 8, 2008 in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) In this Nov. 24, 2009 file photo, actress Betty White poses for a portrait following her appearance on the television talk show "In the House," in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File) Actress Betty White poses for a portrait on the set of the television show "Hot in Cleveland" in Studio City section of Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 9, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) Actress Betty White is seen on stage at the Teen Choice Awards on Sunday, Aug. 8, 2010 in Universal City, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) Betty White, a cast member in "You Again," poses with fans holding Betty White masks at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Actress Betty White wears a U.S. Forest Ranger hat after being named an Honorary Forest Ranger by the US Forest Service, at the Kennedy Center in Washington Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010. White has stated in numerous interviews that her first ambition as a young girl was "to become a forest ranger, but they didn't allow women to do that back then". (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) Betty White, left, Bradley Cooper and Scarlett Johansson arrive at the MTV Movie Awards in Universal City, Calif., on Sunday, June 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) Betty White, left, Kristen Bell, center, and Jamie Lee Curtis, cast members in "You Again," pose together at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Betty White, left, accepts the Life Achievement Award from Sandra Bullock at the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) From left, actresses Betty White, Wendie Malick, Valerie Bertinelli, and Jane Leeves pose for a portrait on the set of the television show "Hot in Cleveland" in Studio City section of Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 9, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) Alec Baldwin, left, and Betty White are seen on stage at the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Betty White attends a book signing for her book 'If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't)' at Barnes & Noble in New York, Friday, May 6, 2011. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes) Actress Betty White attends a press conference prior to the taping of "Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute To America's Golden Girl" on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Vince Bucci) Actress Betty White arrives on a white pony as she is honored at a Friars Club Roast sponsored by Godiva, Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at the Sheraton Hotel in New York. (AP Photo/Starpix, Marion Curtis) Betty White, at left, attends her wax figure unveiling at Madame Tussauds on Monday, June 4, 2012 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Katy Winn/Invision/AP) From left, Sgt. 1st Class Chuck Shuck, Actress Betty White and The 2012 American Hero Dog Gabe pose during 2012 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Photo by Ryan Miller/Invision/AP) Betty White and Cloris Leachman onstage at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at the JW Marriott on Saturday, April 20, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP) Ellen DeGeneres, left, presents Betty White with the award for favorite TV icon at the People's Choice Awards at the Nokia Theatre on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Betty White, left, speaks at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Looking on from right are Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!

Mike Schmul, chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, on Saturday announced he will not he will not seek reelection to that post in March. A South Bend native, Schmuhl became chairman in March 2021 and had previously worked for Indiana Democrats including Joe Donnelly and Pete Buttigieg. His decision comes after a fall election that saw Republicans handily take all of the races atop of the ballot, including Mike Braun and Todd Rokita taking their contests for governor and attorney general, respectively, despite Democratic hopes they might be able to defeat one or both. The Indiana GOP continues to hold super-majorities in the General Assembly, and President-elect Donald Trump bested Vice President Kamala Harris by roughly 19 points in Indiana. In an emailed statement, Schmul said he had informed the Democratic State Central Committee on Saturday. He did not list a specific reason for his decision. Among other things, he said, "We have tripled our overall number of donors ... made critical investments in our technology, data, and tools, and modernized our party. "... Last year, we flipped six of Indiana’s largest 50 cities, and elected new mayors and councilors to local communities throughout our state. "... Even this year in the face of a national wave, we held the line and re-elected every member of our Statehouse teams and both of our members of Congress."

Natixis Advisors LLC Purchases 23,339 Shares of XPO, Inc. (NYSE:XPO)Pam Bondi, Donald Trump's pick to be attorney general, is a staunch ally of the former president, defending him against impeachment during his first term and pushing his false claims of election fraud as he sought to cling on to the White House. The 59-year-old former Florida attorney general, if confirmed by the Senate, will now serve as the top law enforcement official in a second Trump administration. "For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans -- Not anymore," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network. "Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again." Bondi's nomination means the top ranks of the Justice Department will be filled by Trump loyalists, as the president-elect has named three of the lawyers who defended him in his multiple criminal cases to its other high-ranking roles. Trump tapped Bondi to be attorney general on Thursday after his first pick, firebrand ex-Florida lawmaker Matt Gaetz, dropped out amid sexual misconduct allegations and doubts that he could obtain Senate confirmation. A graduate of the University of Florida with a law degree from Stetson University, Bondi served as a prosecutor for 18 years before being elected attorney general of the "Sunshine State" in 2010, the first woman to hold the post. Bondi, a native of Trump's adopted home state of Florida, was reelected to a second term in 2014. As attorney general, Bondi notably fought opioid addiction and human trafficking while taking a tough stance on crime and supporting the death penalty. She sued BP for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and obtained more than $2 billion in economic relief for Florida, according to her biography page at Ballard Partners, a powerful lobbying firm where she has worked after leaving office. While serving as attorney general, Bondi was drawn into a controversy involving Trump when she declined in 2013 to join a multi-state prosecution accusing Trump University of fraud. It emerged later that Bondi's reelection committee had received a $25,000 donation from the charitable Trump Foundation. Both Trump and Bondi denied any wrongdoing. Bondi joined Trump's legal team during his first impeachment trial, in which he was alleged to have pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to find political dirt on his 2020 election opponent, Democrat Joe Biden. Trump was impeached by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives but acquitted by the Republican-majority Senate. After the 2020 election, Bondi made television appearances on behalf of Trump and pushed to de-legitimize vote counting in battleground states as part of the push by the former president to overturn the results of the vote. Bondi has also criticized the criminal cases brought against Trump, appearing in solidarity at his New York trial, where he was convicted of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star. At Ballard Partners, Bondi has done work for Amazon, General Motors and Uber and as a registered lobbyist for the oil-rich Gulf nation of Qatar, according to press reports. She is also a member of the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-aligned right-wing think tank. cl/dw

Auto retail sales in November rise 11.2%, PV down 14%NEW YORK (AP) — Police don't know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack , not a random one. They know he ambushed Thompson at 6:44 a.m. Wednesday as the executive arrived at the Hilton for his company’s annual investor conference, using a 9 mm pistol that resembled the guns farmers use to put down animals without causing a loud noise. They know ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by insurance industry critics . The fact that the shooter knew UnitedHealthcare group was holding a conference at the hotel and what route Thompson might take to get there suggested that he could possibly be a disgruntled employee or client, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. Over the weekend, police divers were seen searching a pond in Central Park, where the killer fled after the shooting. Officers have been scouring the park for days for any possible clues and found his backpack there Friday. They didn’t immediately reveal what, if anything, it contained but said it would be tested and analyzed. Early Sunday afternoon, police declined to comment on the contents of the backpack, or on the results of the search in the pond, saying no updates were planned. The bag’s apparent manufacturer did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press. Investigators have urged patience, saying the process of logging evidence that stands up in court isn’t as quick as it looks like on TV . Hundreds of detectives are combing through video recordings and social media, vetting tips from the public and interviewing people who might have information, including Thompson’s family and coworkers and the shooter’s randomly assigned roommates at the Manhattan hostel where he stayed. Investigators caught a break when they came across security camera images of an unguarded moment at the hostel in which he briefly showed his face. Retracing the gunman’s steps using surveillance video, police say, it appears he left the city by bus soon after the shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. He was seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later, Kenny said. With the high-profile search expanding across state lines, the FBI announced late Friday that it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to a reward of up to $10,000 that the NYPD has offered. Police say they believe the suspect acted alone. Police distributed the images to news outlets and on social media but so far haven’t been able to ID him using facial recognition — possibly because of the angle of the images or limitations on how the NYPD is allowed to use that technology, Kenny said. Late Saturday, police released two additional photos of the suspected shooter that appeared to be from a camera mounted inside a taxi. The first shows him outside the vehicle and the second shows him looking through the partition between the back seat and the front of the cab. In both, his face is partially obscured by a blue, medical-style mask.

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Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen seemed to sense the question might arise after his club was eliminated from playoff consideration Sunday with a ghastly 45-33 loss to the host New York Giants in East Rutheford, N.J. The Giants were 2-13 and had lost a franchise-record 10 straight games entering the contest and their season-high point total Sunday more than tripled their season average of 14.3 points per game. It was the type of bad loss that leads to head coaches being asked about their job security. "I control what I can control," Steichen said of the employment situation. The Colts (7-9) were outplayed all contest by the team that entered the day with the worst record in the NFL -- and with their playoff hopes on the line. Last season, Steichen's first as Indianapolis coach, the Colts also fell short, losing to the Houston Texans in the final week of the season to miss the playoffs. "It was as disappointing as it gets," Steichen said of the setback against the Giants. "As the leader of a football team, shoot, I always say I've got to be better, we've all got to be better. That's a group effort, everyone's got to chip in and do their part, so stuff like that doesn't happen." Giants quarterback Drew Lock passed for 309 yards and tied his career high of four touchdowns while also running for a score. Meanwhile, the Colts also went with a reserve quarterback in veteran Joe Flacco and he turned the ball over three times on two interceptions and a fumble. He also passed for 330 yards. Flacco started because rookie Anthony Richardson couldn't play due to back and foot injuries. Indianapolis completes the season next weekend at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. "I know it's a tough situation, obviously, when you're out of the playoff hunt, but again, I told (the team) we've got to be professional about it," Steichen said. "That's the biggest thing. We've got to show up and do our job still with one week left." The Colts last made the playoffs in the 2020 season. Their last playoff win was two seasons earlier. --Field Level Media

HENDERSON — There’s an old idea of 4-H as being wholly focused on agriculture. That’s not quite the case anymore. Vance County Cooperative Extension 4-H Agent Micah Sharpe gave an idea of what’s on tap. In October, the Vance County Regional Farmers Market hosted a youth poultry show. There’s the upcoming annual embryology program, a tennis camp alongside Edmonds Tennis and Education Foundation, the Tech Builders Camp, a gardening club in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club. There are programs around robotics and coding as well. A big one is 4-H Congress, an annual program that teaches participants presentation skills and gets them more comfortable with speaking in public. It culminates in a four-day trip to Raleigh and a conference with peers from across the state. One local student gave a presentation on Swiss Chard Dip — a healthier alternative to spinach — and won second place. Indeed, whether it’s sports, gaming, farming, fashion— or just about anything else, Sharpe said he’s willing to accommodate. The program is an opportunity for youth to broaden their horizons. Overall, he hopes to see an improvement in mental health and ability for youth. Sharpe, who began his job as the county’s sole 4-H agent last November, came to the Co-op by way of a misread job application, he joked. He used to work as a resident director at Shaw University — a gig that left him essentially unemployed in the summer months. So, he came across a call for counselors at Millstone 4-H Camp over in Richmond County. He had plenty of experience as a camp counselor and Millstone offered housing for its staff, a good deal indeed. Sharpe was a big city kid — more accustomed to eight-lane highways than the woods, he joked. He had never even had a s’more. Campers were taught 10-12 gauge shooting, trapping, fishing, archery and so on. Then, staff and campers alike were treated to a 2 a.m. field dressing demonstration. Some found it unsettling, some found it natural — Sharpe was firmly in the latter camp. It all came as a surprise because he misread the application. But he met a few of the Coop agents that came by the camp on occasion. “Agent” has a certain connotation, bringing to mind men in black, federal agents, Sharpe joked. These were normal folks — they talked about working for the Co-op for a spell and Sharpe was sold. Later on, as he awaited word on an application for an agent position, he saw an opening in Henderson and, on a lark, sent in his resume. He interviewed for the former and didn’t much care for it, but Henderson’s Co-op left him smiling. And in his words, the rest is history.Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office

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Former US President Jimmy Carter, after whom an Indian village was named, passes away at 100Android tablets have been mostly a miss for most users, at least in the U.S. The iPad has been dominating the tablet scene, but there is a space for quality budget tablets and the Lenovo Tab Plus (2024) is probably the best budget Android tablet you can get. Samsung makes an excellent premium Android tablet, but the budget category doesn’t belong to them. The Lenovo Tab Plus starts at $200, and you can even get it cheaper with sales, and it’s better than the price tag implies. Estimated reading time: 9 minutes I have almost given up on Android tablets, but the Lenovo Tab Plus does give me hope. The iPad remains king, but it’s also expensive. Let’s get into the full review of the Lenovo Tab Plus, 2024 version. The Quick Take I’m not a huge fan of Android tablets, I’ve made that known for years. But there are a handful of tablets that are pretty decent. I was not expecting the Lenovo Tab Plus to be one of them. I think what really made this tablet stand out are the speakers. The sound on this tablet makes it an excellent content consumption device, so watching movies on it is very enjoyable. Here’s what I liked and didn’t like. What I liked Solid build quality for a budget tablet Materials used are far above a budget tablet, shocking The display is bright and colorful The speakers are probably the best speakers on any budget tablet, almost iPad level Great battery life The built-in stand is spectacular What I didn’t like The cameras are just OK, but really, tablet photos are just weird Performance is fine, but expect heavy gaming will lag I would recommend this tablet for its sound quality and excellence for movie watching. Perfect for kids and people who just want to watch content. Specifications The Lenovo Tab Plus has the following features and specifications: Processor: MediaTek® Helio G99 (8C, 2x A76 @2.20GHz + 6x A55 @2.00GHz) Operating System Operating System: Android 14 Upgradable until Android 16 Security patches until January 2028 Memory: 8 GB Storage: Up to 256GB integrated storage Supports up to 1TB expandable storage Battery: 8600mAh 45W fast charging Audio: 8x JBL speakers tuned with Dolby Atmos Camera: Front: 8MP, fixed focus Rear: 8MP, autofocus Connectivity: Ports/Slots: USB-C 2.0 (charging + audio) Headphone/mic combo MicroSD slot Wireless Wi-Fi 5 802.11AC (1 x 1) Bluetooth® 5.2 Display: 11.5′′ 2K (2000 X 1200) TFT LCD, 400 nits, 90Hz refresh rate, touchscreen, TUV certified Dimensions (H x W x D): 174.25mm x 268.3mm x 7.77mm, with speaker bump 13.58mm / 6.86′′ x 10.56′′ x 0.31′′ Weight: Starting at .65kg / 1.43lbs Pen: Lenovo Tab Pen Plus (optional) Color: Luna Grey Security: Security patches until January 2028 Preloaded Software: Entertainment Space Google TV Lenovo Freestyle Lenovo Vantage Music MyScript Calculator 2 Nebo Standby Mode YouTube WPS Office What’s In The Box Lenovo Tab Plus USB-C 2.0 Charging Cable 45W Charging Adapter MicroSD Tray Pin Quick Start Guide Safety & Warranty Guide Design Holy cow! The Lenovo Tab Plus design is truly impressive for its sub two hundred dollar price point. You get yourself a full aluminum build with really high-end materials being used. I was expecting a plastic tablet, and that is not what you get here. The front is pretty plain, just the display with a hole punch camera. The bottom is equally uneventful. The top edge houses the volume rocker, SD Card tray, and mics. The right edge houses the USB-C charging port, one set of the JBL speakers, and some venting. The left edge houses the AUX port, the other set of JBL speakers, and the power button. Both the left, and right edges have some really nice accenting around the speakers that give the design a premium look. The back houses the camera and an excellent kickstand that works really well and is sturdy and versatile. So far, very impressed with this design and build. The Lenovo Tab Plus has a solid build, but it’s not too heavy at less than a pound a half. That weight goes up slightly if you use the included cover. The cover is just okay, it does a good job for protection, but I didn’t like the look of it. But fine for keeping the tablet protected. Overall, the design is actually very nice for a budget tablet. I was shocked at how nice the materials were and how good-looking the Lenovo Tab Plus is overall. Display A brief reminder about the Lenovo Tab Plus, this is a budget tablet, people. Not all aspects of this thing are going to compete with tablets in a much higher price category. That said, the display housed in this chassis is an 11.5′′ 2K (2000 X 1200) TFT LCD, 400 nits, 90Hz refresh rate, touchscreen, TUV certified display. It’s a good resolution with a decent refresh rate. Brightness is also good, but I will say there is some glare and off axis viewing can sometimes be an issue. Not a dealbreaker because the price point supports this. Colors are pretty neutral, this is not an AMOLED display so no over saturation and colors are less punchy. Blacks are fine, if you’re paying attention, you can see they are not as deep as an AMOLED, but again, the price point and display tech support the price. The Whites are clean though and the text is crisp. The 90Hz refresh rate gives you smooth scrolling and a pleasant use with light gaming. Overall, this is an excellent display for a budget tablet. It’s not as punchy as an AMOLED, but it’s really a great display for what you pay. Android Software The Lenovo Tab Plus comes with Android 14, but Lenovo claims they will give it updates to Android 16. So that is an excellent thing. This means you spend, not a lot of money, on a tablet that will have a few years of OS updates. There is some bloatware installed on this tablet, which sucks, but you can uninstall it. I know companies pay for having their apps installed on these types of tablets, and it helps reduce costs. But it is still annoying. Things like TikTok, Block Blast, Block Puzzle Adventure, Booking dot com, and other apps are all preinstalled. Normally, I would be very upset by this, but given the price of this tablet, it’s tolerable. And you can delete these apps. Overall, the software is great on the OS side. The bloatware is annoying. Performance and Camera Don’t expect massive gaming performance from the Lenovo Tab Plus. This is not a gaming tablet. But you can play some games on it. I think even heavy games are doable for a short time, but serious gamers should look elsewhere. For everyday performance, like web browsing, email, social media, and watching movies, it works very well. The MediaTek® Helio G99 paired with 8GB of RAM is enough for most normal users and should hold up well. As for the cameras. I roped them in with performance because they are just okay. Not anything special, but I don’t think many people take serious photos with tablets. The front facing camera works fine for video calls and whatnot. The rear camera is just okay. But again, the price here meets the hardware. Speakers The speakers are where the Lenovo Tab Plus shines. These are impressive and excellent speakers that are tuned by JBL. Usually, speakers on tablets are pretty bad. But the Lenovo Tab Plus gives you EIGHT speakers which provide EXCELLENT sound. I am serious when I say that these are even better than some higher end Android tablet speakers. They are pretty damn close to the iPad’s speakers, and that is saying a lot. The bottom end is REALLY good on them, and watching movies is one of the most enjoyable activities to do on this tablet. Lenovo really knocked it out of the park on these speakers. They, alone, are worth the price of this tablet. Battery Life The 8,600mAh battery is massive, and you get a 45W fast charger in the box. This tablet can last for days, depending on what you’re doing. I didn’t stress test it, but it lasted me for three or four days with light use and YouTube watching. This is an excellent battery. Price/Value There’s not much more to say about the Lenovo Tab Plus. Is it perfect? Nope. It is not perfect. But its price point is forgiving. I can tolerate many of its downfalls because its good points are greater. I would recommend this tablet for anyone just wanting a content consumption device that has fantastic sound. In some of our articles and especially in our reviews, you will find Amazon or other affiliate links. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. Any other purchases you make through these links often result in a small amount being earned for the site and/or our writers. Techaeris often covers brand press releases. Doing this does not constitute an endorsement of any product or service by Techaeris. We provide the press release information for our audience to be informed and make their own decision on a purchase or not. Only our reviews are an endorsement or lack thereof. For more information, you can read our full disclaimer .

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It’s going to be awkward at FBI headquarters next month when President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the bureau likely takes over. According to a new government watchdog report, the FBI spied on its prospective new boss, Kash Patel . Patel has promised to “clean house” at the Hoover Building, and hold all those who “abused their power” during the Russiagate “witch hunt” accountable. He might start with the officials and agents who secretly vacuumed up his phone records and emails starting in late 2017, when he led a House Intelligence Committee investigation into the FBI’s reliance on Hillary Clinton’s false opposition research to surveil a Trump campaign official as a supposed “Russian agent.” According to a nearly 100-page report by the Justice Department’s inspector general, the FBI subpoenaed the records as part of an investigation it opened to find out whether congressional staffers leaked classified information about its Trump-Russia “collusion” case to the Washington Post and other media. Working with career prosecutors at Justice, the FBI compelled Google and Apple to turn over the sensitive private information of subjects the FBI identified “between September 2017 and March 2018,” a period when Andrew McCabe was the acting FBI director. (Then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions was out of the loop, the report said, having recused himself from the Russia probe.) The court orders gagged the service providers from notifying Patel and other customers of the intrusion. As chief counsel, Patel had no idea that the subject of his investigation — the FBI — was collecting his data and increasing the visibility of witnesses he was communicating with, including whistleblowers. At the time, Patel was demanding to see FBI documents and depose FBI witnesses to find out if the bureau had abused its power in obtaining a FISA warrant to spy on Trump aide Carter Page. But Patel remained in the dark until 2022, when Google finally was cleared to send him a copy of the subpoena. Outraged, he told me at the time: “The FBI and DOJ subpoenaed my personal records while I caught them doing this to Page back in 2017.” He said the McCabe FBI didn’t want anybody to find out that it “literally copied and pasted” Democrat opposition research, wholesale, into wiretap-warrant applications. He added that he hoped those behind the abuses would be prosecuted by a future Trump administration: “They must be held accountable or they’ll only abuse their power again.” The IG probe reveals that the FBI had renewed the subpoenas each year, snooping on congressional staffers for up to five years. That means McCabe’s successor, Christopher Wray, signed off on the continued collections. Justice Department IG Michael Horowitz found the unprecedented surveillance created “at a minimum, the appearance of inappropriate interference” by the FBI in “legitimate oversight activity” by Congress. He warned that it could have a “chilling” effect on whistleblowers coming forward. On Wednesday, the day after the IG report came out, Wray announced he would step down at the end of President Biden’s term, clearing the way for Trump nominee Patel to head the agency. “This [IG] report highlights exactly why Kash Patel is the perfect leader to reform and rebuild the FBI,” a spokeswoman for Patel told The Post. “ Kash understands the critical balance between national security and protecting civil rights [and] will work hand-in-hand with Congress to restore trust.” A former ally of Patel on the Hill, who was also spied on by the FBI, called the leak investigation a “fishing expedition”: Former Senate investigator Jason Foster claims McCabe used it as a “pretext” to find out what he and Patel were doing to expose FBI corruption in its Russiagate probe of Trump. At the time, his Senate panel, the Judiciary Committee, had forced the FBI to turn over the shady Page FISA applications. Foster noted that the inspector general determined that no one was ever charged in the FBI’s years-long investigation of the unauthorized disclosures to the media, despite the wide net McCabe cast. Foster also noted that McCabe himself was investigated for leaking to the media about an earlier Clinton-related investigation, and then lying about it to the IG, as well as FBI inspectors. “Mr. McCabe lied about his own leaking and should have been prosecuted for it, according to the Obama-appointed Justice IG [Horowitz], but wasn’t,” he told The Post. “Now that this fishing expedition into the communications of congressional attorneys has been confirmed by the same IG, the new administration needs to finally hold people accountable.” Currently chairing a whistleblower support group, Empower Oversight, Foster said that what the McCabe FBI did is more egregious than reported. It also swept up the phone records of spouses, including his own wife. He said, “My head was spinning” when he found out. And he said agents and prosecutors withheld from the DC magistrate judge who approved the subpoenas and non-disclosure orders the fact that the targets were congressional attorneys. “They misled the court,” he said. “They left out the key fact we were all congressional attorneys. They claimed over and over, with no basis, that we were flight risks or would ‘destroy evidence.’ “ IG Horowitz agreed that the language agents and prosecutors used in the subpoenas was “boilerplate,” making it more likely the judges would rubberstamp them. As a result, “they got all kinds of information on who we were talking to, and when, with no probable cause and no notice to congressional leadership, so there was no chance for Congress to challenge it,” Foster added. “And they can still get that kind of information,” barring reforms to protect separation of powers in the future. Horowitz confirmed the personal data collected from the subpoenas (including more than 75,000 text messages), along with the electronic communications documenting the opening of the investigations and the FBI interview reports, are stored at FBI headquarters. He noted he only reviewed “a select number” of the thousands of files, which leaves loose ends for Patel to investigate. A handful of agents and supervisors involved in the case are still employed there, the IG said, and maintain access to the files. Bad actors remaining at the bureau could be fired, but how can those who have left be held accountable? The five-year federal statute of limitations has expired, making prosecution of suspected criminal abuses by current and former FBI officials and agents a non-starter. Foster suggested they still could lose their coveted national security clearance. As FBI director, Patel would have the authority to strip McCabe and other former officials of their classified credentials, making it virtually impossible for them to work again in federal law enforcement. Patel said in a recent podcast that any official involved in framing Trump as part of the “Russiagate hoax” should have his clearance revoked. On CNN, where he works as an analyst, McCabe recently opined that Patel wasn’t qualified to lead the FBI: “He doesn’t really have a fraction of the qualifications that any former FBI director chosen by any president has.” McCabe says he worries Patel will turn the bureau back to the days of J. Edgar Hoover, when it was “essentially the enforcement arm for the president’s political activities.” He fears Patel will trample over civil liberties? That’s rich, Patel points out, as it was “gangster” McCabe who signed one of the illegal FISA warrants to spy on Page. Paul Sperry is a senior reporter for ­RealClearInvestigations. Follow him on X: @paulsperry_Conor McGregor goes on social media rampage and blasts 'lies' after losing assault trialRoll Mobility Partners with MakeGood to Transform Accessibility in the French Quarter

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In a watershed moment for common sense, and against the soft-on-crime lunacy that plagues this city, a Manhattan jury on Monday acquitted Daniel Penny in the May 2023 death of Jordan Neely. New Yorkers, rejoice: There’s hope for this town after all. The “progressive” insistence that Penny was a vile vigilante, not a hero who stood up to protect his fellow straphangers from a threatening madman, has been rejected by a jury of his peers. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s effort to persecute Perry failed — and Bragg may, should , pay the ultimate political price for trying. Bravo to the jurors, especially those who’d supported “guilty” on the more serious manslaughter charge — which the judge and prosecutors outrageously dropped on Friday, rather than accept a mistrial — but joined in a “not guilty” consensus after that blatant violation of the defendant’s rights. This was the just outcome of a Kafkaesque ordeal: Penny never should’ve been dragged into court in the first place. But Bragg did it anyway, playing to his hard-left, race-obsessed base. Bragg’s prosecutors also pounded the race card relentlessly at trial, routinely calling Perry “the white man” and imputing racist motives to his actions, even as witness after witness confirmed that the entire car was terrified by Neely’s behavior on that F train. In acquitting Penny, the jury resoundingly rejected Bragg’s progressive pro-crime agenda, which has turned Gotham into a playground for recidivist criminals and an open-air psychiatric ward for the mentally unwell. The people harmed most by this madness are the very communities that progressives claim to want to help: low-income, minority New Yorkers. Gov. Hochul, if she cares about crime, should take note, and finally remove Bragg from office. And if she’s too cowardly, voters should remove him in next year’s election — and evict her in 2026. Sadly, Penny’s ordeal isn’t over: With backing from the ideologues, Neely’s father is filing a civil suit over the death of the son he abandoned long ago. We pray the courts toss that nonsense immediately, and let Daniel Penny finally move on. The rest of us, meanwhile, must move on to freeing this city and state of Alvin Bragg and every other elected official who embraces his perverse philosophy.With each team coming off a come-from-behind win, West Virginia and North Carolina Central square off Tuesday night in Morgantown, W.Va. West Virginia (6-2) has won two straight games and is in the midst of a 16-day, four-game homestand that kicked off with a 73-60 win over Georgetown in the Big 12-Big East Battle on Friday night. North Carolina Central (4-7) comes off a 78-77 road win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday night. Javon Small led the Mountaineers with a game-high 26 points against Georgetown as they overcame a second-half deficit with a decisive run. "The way we played in the second half (against Georgetown), I'll take that team everywhere," West Virginia coach Darian DeVries said. "You have to be able to do that every single night, every single possession you don't always get to go on a 16-0 run to pull you out of it. That's where we are still growing as a team." Eduardo Andre was questionable for the Georgetown game after he missed the Mountaineers' 83-76 overtime win against Arizona on Nov. 29. But the fifth-year senior center returned with four points, three rebounds and four blocks. "It was good to have him back in the lineup for a reason," DeVries said. "That presence, especially defensively and the ability to block shots, that's a huge deal for us." Against Gardner-Webb, Po'Boigh King led NCCU with 28 points, well above his 17.4 points per game average, as the Eagles rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to win on a late 3-pointer from Isaac Parson. On offense, the Eagles take care of the ball. They are seventh in the nation in turnover margin at plus-7.5 per game. They seek extra possessions on defense and are second nationally with 18.9 turnovers forced per game "We're good enough, we just need to fine tune some things," NCCU coach LeVelle Moton said. "We've got to cross some T's, dot some I's and close. We can't be a really good basketball team until we get the mindset that when winning time presents itself in the last five minutes, (the other team) has to earn it." --Field Level MediaWASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump made another flurry of job announcements on Tuesday, selecting Andrew Ferguson as the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission , Kimberly Guilfoyle as the ambassador to Greece and Tom Barrack as the ambassador to Turkey. Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC’s five commissioners, will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior . “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” RELATED COVERAGE Meta shareholders seek sanctions for Sandberg, Zients for deleting Cambridge Analytica emails Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass Meta to build $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana as Elon Musk expands his Tennessee AI facility Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump’s 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” Trump also announced Tuesday that he had selected Jacob Helberg as the next undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, and Dan Bishop as deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management. The replacement of Khan at the FTC likely means that the commission will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. The new chair is expected to appoint new directors of the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection divisions. “These changes likely will make the FTC more favorable to business than it has been in recent years, though the extent to which is to be determined,” wrote Anthony DiResta, a consumer protection attorney at Holland & Knight, in a recent analysis . Deals that were blocked by the Biden administration could find new life with Trump in command. For example, the new leadership could be more open to a proposed merger between the country’s two biggest supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons, which forged a $24.6 billion deal to combine in 2022. Two judges halted the merger Tuesday night. The FTC had filed a lawsuit in federal court earlier this year to block the merger, claiming the deal would eliminate competition, leading to higher prices and lower wages for workers. The two companies say a merger would help them lower prices and compete against bigger rivals like Walmart. One of the judges said the FTC had shown it was likely to prevail in the administrative hearing. Yet given the widespread public concern over high grocery prices, the Trump administration may not fully abandon the FTC’s efforts to block the deal, some experts have said. And the FTC may continue to scrutinize Big Tech firms for any anticompetitive behavior. Many Republican politicians have accused firms such as Meta of censoring conservative views, and some officials in Trump’s orbit, most notably Vice President-elect JD Vance, have previously expressed support for Khan’s scrutiny of Big Tech firms. ___ Associated Press Writers Jill Colvin in New York and Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report.

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ALBANY, N.Y. — New York state government agencies will have to conduct reviews and publish reports that detail how they’re using artificial intelligence software under a new law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. Hochul, a Democrat, signed the bill last week after it was passed by state lawmakers this year. The law requires state agencies to perform assessments of any software that uses algorithms, computational models or AI techniques and then submit those reviews to the governor and top legislative leaders along with posting them online. It also bars the use of AI in certain situations, such as an automated decision on whether someone receives unemployment benefits or child care assistance, unless the system is being consistently monitored by a human. State workers would also be shielded from having their hours or job duties limited because of AI under the law. State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, called the law an important step in setting up some guardrails in how the emerging technology is used in state government.Trump asks U.S. Supreme Court to pause law that could ban TikTok

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GRAND FORKS – The dean of UND’s law school says he is bringing forward a proposal to increase tuition for current and future students in a bid to stave off a projected deficit. The School of Law is also considering increasing its class size from 85 to 100 students to increase revenue and meet the demand for legal professionals in the state, Dean Brian Pappas wrote in the Gavel, the state bar association’s magazine, last week. ADVERTISEMENT “We simply need to increase tuition every year, as all schools do, to be financially sound,” Pappas wrote. Pappas' article gives the School of Law's annual tuition and fee cost at $17,663; U.S. News and World Report places tuition at $17,462. According to the article, the law school faces a $2.1 million deficit by the end of the 2028 fiscal year under current circumstances. The law school dean says several factors are the cause of the deficit, including restrictions on increasing tuition imposed by the Legislature in 2023 and 2024 that have effectively lowered the school’s purchasing power due to inflation. He also pointed to UND’s broad standards for who qualifies for in-state tuition and its generous contiguous rate for residents of neighboring states and provinces as a limiting factor on revenue, as well as the law school’s need to pay its share of UND’s rising operational costs. “As a small school, we lack multiple programs where we can find efficiencies and opportunities for growth,” Pappas wrote. “While we are planning to increase enrollment from 85 to 100 next year, we do not believe we could expand beyond that without needing additional resources or accepting students that may struggle to pass the bar exam.” To combat that, Pappas proposes raising tuition by up to 15% for incoming first-year law students and up to 6% for current students, beginning next year. ADVERTISEMENT He writes the university would also consider eliminating its contiguous rates for first-year out-of-state students, estimating the combined changes would reduce the projected deficit to $350,000, “something we can eliminate through targeted cuts and smart planning.” The article says scholarship endowments will “increasingly be a focus” of the law school’s efforts going forward. The Herald first reached out to Pappas for comment on Friday, and again on Monday; the dean did not respond in either instance. A university spokesperson told the Herald on Monday afternoon that the dean was preparing a statement with additional context and information, but that had not been shared with the Herald as of its deadline. Law Professor Michael McGinniss, one of two law faculty elected to represent the school in UND’s University Senate, declined to comment, saying he deferred to the dean on the matter. “I think he sees some stark realities of the financial situation that the law school could be in if there aren’t some changes to the tuition model,” said Tony Weiler, executive director of the State Bar Association of North Dakota. Weiler said he favored a proposed increase to class sizes, citing a shortage of legal services in the state and particularly in rural areas. ADVERTISEMENT He acknowledged concerns that tuition increases could drive more students away from pursuing a law degree, but said he hoped that could be offset by more scholarships. “I don’t have that fear,” Weiler said. “I would trust that the dean and those in the law school would understand if raising (tuition) was going to drop your numbers significantly, and I would think that based on what I’m reading from him, the answer would be ‘no.’” The School of Law’s sticker price is markedly lower than many other law schools in the U.S., though Pappas notes in his article that law schools offer significant discounts “to game the (U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges) rankings.” Tuition increases at the law school would have to pass several barriers, including the State Board of Higher Education and the Legislature, before such changes could be implemented. Law faculty also have a say in whether class sizes can increase.By MICHELLE L. PRICE and ROB GILLIES NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. They were also prime trolling opportunities for Trump. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television Throughout his first term in the White House and during his campaign to return, Trump has spun out countless provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. There were his belittling nicknames for political opponents, his impressions of other political figures and the plentiful memes he shared on social media. Now that’s he’s preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. On Sunday, Trump turned a photo of himself seated near a smiling first lady Jill Biden at the Notre Dame ceremony into a social media promo for his new perfume and cologne line, with the tag line, “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!” The first lady’s office declined to comment. When Trudeau hastily flew to Florida to meet with Trump last month over the president-elect’s threat to impose a 25% tax on all Canadian products entering the U.S., the Republican tossed out the idea that Canada become the 51st U.S. state. The Canadians passed off the comment as a joke, but Trump has continued to play up the dig, including in a post Tuesday morning on his social media network referring to the prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” After decades as an entertainer and tabloid fixture, Trump has a flair for the provocative that is aimed at attracting attention and, in his most recent incarnation as a politician, mobilizing fans. He has long relished poking at his opponents, both to demean and minimize them and to delight supporters who share his irreverent comments and posts widely online and cheer for them in person. Trump, to the joy of his fans, first publicly needled Canada on his social media network a week ago when he posted an AI-generated image that showed him standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!” After his latest post, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday: “It sounds like we’re living in a episode of South Park.” Trudeau said earlier this week that when it comes to Trump, “his approach will often be to challenge people, to destabilize a negotiating partner, to offer uncertainty and even sometimes a bit of chaos into the well established hallways of democracies and institutions and one of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic.” Even Thanksgiving dinner isn’t a trolling-free zone for Trump’s adversaries. On Thanksgiving Day, Trump posted a movie clip from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with President Joe Biden and other Democrats’ faces superimposed on the characters in a spoof of the turkey-carving scene. The video shows Trump appearing to explode out of the turkey in a swirl of purple sparks, with the former president stiffly dancing to one of his favorite songs, Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” In his most recent presidential campaign, Trump mocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, refusing to call his GOP primary opponent by his real name and instead dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” He added, for good measure, in a post on his Truth Social network: “I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious ‘Meatball’ Ron, as the Fake News is insisting I will.” As he campaigned against Biden, Trump taunted him in online posts and with comments and impressions at his rallies, deriding the president over his intellect, his walk, his golf game and even his beach body. After Vice President Kamala Harris took over Biden’s spot as the Democratic nominee, Trump repeatedly suggested she never worked at McDonalds while in college. Trump, true to form, turned his mocking into a spectacle by appearing at a Pennsylvania McDonalds in October, when he manned the fries station and held an impromptu news conference from the restaurant drive-thru. Trump’s team thinks people should get a sense of humor. “President Trump is a master at messaging and he’s always relatable to the average person, whereas many media members take themselves too seriously and have no concept of anything else other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “President Trump will Make America Great Again and we are getting back to a sense of optimism after a tumultuous four years.” Though both the Biden and Harris campaigns created and shared memes and launched other stunts to respond to Trump’s taunts, so far America’s neighbors to the north are not taking the bait. “I don’t think we should necessarily look on Truth Social for public policy,” Miller said. Gerald Butts, a former top adviser to Trudeau and a close friend, said Trump brought up the 51st state line to Trudeau repeatedly during Trump’s first term in office. “Oh God,” Butts said Tuesday, “At least a half dozen times.” “This is who he is and what he does. He’s trying to destabilize everybody and make people anxious,” Butts said. “He’s trying to get people on the defensive and anxious and therefore willing to do things they wouldn’t otherwise entertain if they had their wits about them. I don’t know why anybody is surprised by it.” Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

Rupert Murdoch loses bid to change family trustThis article originally appeared in Nuggets, the Minnesota Star Tribune’s free, weekly newsletter about legal cannabis in Minnesota. Sign up at startribune.com/nuggets . Gov. Tim Walz weighed in Thursday on the Office of Cannabis Management’s decision to cancel an early cannabis license preapproval lottery after a judge blocked it last month . The ruling came in response to lawsuits filed by applicants who said they were unfairly denied entrance to the lottery. In an interview with the Minnesota Star Tribune, Walz said he wasn’t surprised that litigation tied up the licensing process, saying, “I talked to other governors — this happens in every state.” But he said he is disappointed that Minnesota won’t preapprove some social equity applicants for cannabis business licenses. ”I think there’s some equity pieces in there that’s important,” Walz said. “But the courts are the courts. And I just told [OCM], ‘We’re not going to get hung up on that. Just move forward.’” A key goal of the canceled license preapproval lottery was to allow a select number of cultivators to immediately begin growing, helping build the state’s supply chain before the market launches. Now, cultivators won’t be able to begin growing until the market starts to roll out next year. At this point, the governor said he doesn’t think there’s much else the state can do to build supply ahead of time. “The market, the supply and demand, will catch up. When they first launch, will there be shops that aren’t able to fill them? Probably,” Walz said. “Look, by the end of ‘27 or so, the ‘28 season, they’ll make up for it.”

www milyon88 live Syrians poured into streets in celebration on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule . Russian state news agencies were reporting that President Bashar Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow and were given asylum. Russia said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and that he had given instructions to transfer power peacefully. Joyful crowds gathered in central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag. Others ransacked the presidential palace and residence. Abu Mohammed al-Golani , a former al-Qaida commander who cut ties with the group years ago leads the biggest rebel faction in Syria and is poised to chart the country’s future. He made his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, at the capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque, and called himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa. He said Assad’s fall was “a victory to the Islamic nation.” The rapidly developing events have shaken the region. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Israel has issued warnings to villages in southern Syria and its forces seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Here's the Latest: The Israeli military said on Sunday it was reinforcing a barrier along its border with Syria as part of its “enhanced preparedness” in the area following the fall of the Assad regime. Israel released images of the construction, which showed bulldozers digging what appeared to be a trench. The army said in a statement that the barrier was named “New East.” Satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press show that as early as September, Israel began building what could be a new road right along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria . The United Nations confirmed that Israeli troops entered the demilitarized zone during the work. Over the weekend, the Israeli military sent additional troops to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights to bolster Israel’s presence along the border with Syria. Russian state news agencies reported that ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad has arrived in Moscow with his family and been given asylum. The agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but had contacted the Kremlin for comment. CAIRO — The Arab League on Sunday condemned Israel for taking advantage of Syrian President Bashar Assad's downfall by moving into more Syrian territory. Hours after Assad’s overthrow, Israel announced it had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights that was established by a cease-fire agreement with Syria in 1974. In a statement, the Arab League said Israel illegally sought to occupy more territories. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the 50-year-old agreement regarding Syrian territory had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating Israel taking over as a “temporary defensive position.” UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations secretary-general is marking the “fall of the dictatorial regime” in Syria and says the future of the country is “is a matter for the Syrians to determine.” A statement by Antonio Guterres also called for calm and the protection of the rights of all Syrians as well as of diplomatic and consular facilities in Syria. He said there is much work ahead to ensure an “orderly political transition to renewed institutions,” and he called on the international community to ensure that “any political transition is inclusive and comprehensive and that it meets the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria, in all their diversity.” KYIV, Ukraine - Ukraine’s top diplomat on Sunday responded to Assad’s ouster by describing him as a “dictator” who relied on Russia to prop up his rule - a reference to the military campaign Moscow has waged in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad’s government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country. "Assad has fallen. This has always been and will be the case with all dictators who bet on Putin. He always betrays those who rely on him,” foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. In a separate update on the social network, Sybiha said Kyiv was ready to take steps towards restoring relations with Syria, severed months into Russia’s full-scale invasion of the neighboring state. Kyiv broke off diplomatic ties after Damascus in June 2022 recognized Kremlin-occupied parts of eastern Ukraine as independent territories, in a move welcomed by Moscow and decried by the West as a clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military has issued a warning to residents of five villages and towns in southern Syria to stay inside their homes for their safety. “The fighting in your area is forcing the IDF to act,” the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman said on X. The military didn’t respond to questions. Earlier, Israel said its troops had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying it was to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned their positions. Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X that the IDF has been instructed to “seize the buffer zone and control points to ensure the protection of all Israeli communities in the Golan Heights – Jewish and Druze – so that they are not exposed to threats from the other side.” Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied. BEIRUT - The leader of the largest insurgent group in Syria visited the Syrian capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque and declared that the victory against President Bashar Assad “is a victory to the Islamic nation.” Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, made his first public appearance and remarks since fighters entered Damascus. He told hundreds of people at the historic mosque that Assad had made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.” He added that Assad made Syria a base for the illegal amphetamine Captagon that brought cash to Assad’s circles. Al-Sharaa, the leader of the jihadi Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, said Sunday that the victory was achieved because of “God and the blood of martyrs.” He said that he left Syria 20 years ago and since then his heart has longed for this movement. AMMAN, Jordan — The vast majority of the Jordanian people are welcoming the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the success of the Syrian revolution. “There is no doubt that I felt overwhelming joy at the fall of the Assad regime," said Badi Al-Rafaia, Engineer, union activist and member of the Islamic Action Front. "There is no doubt that we are happy with what happened in Syria, happy with the success of the revolution, happy with the Syrian people getting rid of an oppressor and criminal who treated the Syrian people and made the Syrian state a failed state.” Al-Rafaia said that Jordan is benefiting from what happened in Syria, and "we hope that Jordan will help the revolution succeed and not work against it.” Amman resident Muhab al-Majali said the fall of the Assad regime is “The end of every unjust and tyrannical rule, and more than that, it mortgaged the country and its people to the Iranians, who abandoned it in minutes... I believe that the future is beautiful and prosperous for the Syrians.” BERLIN — The International Committee of the Red Cross is calling for safe humanitarian access and protection of civilians in Syria after the fall of Bashir Assad’s government. “Our teams in Syria, including in Damascus, have been closely monitoring the fast-evolving security and humanitarian situation in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent,” the ICRC’s head of delegation in Syria, Stephan Sakalian, said in a written statement Sunday. The ICRC is “responding wherever possible, with further efforts underway, as hundreds of thousands of people need care and humanitarian assistance,” he said. Sakalian called “on all parties to urgently enable safe and unhindered access for medical and humanitarian workers to reach those in need, to protect civilians, and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.” BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government said in a statement Sunday that it “supports all international and regional efforts seeking to open a dialogue” for Syria “leading to the adoption of a pluralistic constitution that preserves the human and civil rights of Syrians, and supports cultural, ethnic and religious diversity.” The statement from government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi, said that Iraq understands “the necessity of respecting the free will of all Syrians, and stresses that the security of Syria, the unity of its territories, and the preservation of its independence are of utmost importance, not only for Iraq but also for its connection to the security and stability of the region.” It cautioned against “interfering in Syria’s internal affairs, or supporting one party for the benefit of another.” Iraq, which has a close relationship with Iran - once a strong ally of former Syrian President Bashar Assad - has taken in some 2,000 Syrian army soldiers who fled the country amid the advance of armed opposition groups. CAIRO — The head of Yemen’s internationally recognized government welcomed the fall of the government of President Bashar Assad of Syria. “It’s a historic moment,” Rashad al-Alimi, who chairs the ruling presidential council, wrote on X platform of Assad’s downfall. “It’s time for the Iranian regime to stop meddling in Yemen, respect its sovereignty and identity.” Al-Alimi, who is backed by Saudi Arabia, was referring to Iran’s support of Houthi rebels who are at war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government for a decade. DAMASCUS — Families wandered through the high-ceilinged halls of the presidential palace in Damascus on Sunday, along with some armed men. Some paused to take family portraits or selfies on the few remaining couches against the backdrop of mosaiced walls, while others walked out with chairs and other items under their arms. On the massive parking lot out front, cars drove in circles honking ecstatically. In central Damascus’ Umayyad Square, drivers passing by also honked jubilantly, while young men piled onto a tank abandoned in the square. But for some the celebration was bittersweet. “I am very happy, but this happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of the prison and know where is he is,” said Damascus resident Bassam Masr. “I have been searching for him for two hours - he has been detained for 13 years.” TEL AVIV, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces have seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria. He spoke from an overlook near the border between Syria and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, after Syrian rebels tore through the country and dramatically ended Assad’s rule on Sunday morning. Netanyahu said the 50-year-old agreement had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating the Israeli takeover as a “temporary defensive position.” Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied Syrian territory. Satellite images analyzed by the Associated Press show that as early as September, Israel began construction of what could possibly be a new road right along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria . The United Nations confirmed that Israeli troops entered the demilitarized zone during the work. The United Nations maintains a peacekeeping force in the demilitarized zone called the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, or UNDOF, with around 1,100 peacekeepers from Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, and Uruguay. After the 1973 Mideast war, the U.N. Secretary Council voted to create UNDOF to patrol a roughly 400 square kilometer (155 square mile) demilitarized zone and maintain the peace there. DAMASCUS, Syria — An Associated Press journalist in Damascus reported airstrikes in the area of the Mezzeh military airport, southwest of the capital Sunday. The airport has previously been targeted in Israeli airstrikes, but it was not immediately clear who launched Sunday's strike. The Israeli military refused to comment on the airport strike. Israel often does not publicly claim responsibility for attacks in Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that Israeli warplanes also targeted warehouses belonging to the Syrian army’s Fourth Division and another former military site outside of Damascus Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday, the Israeli military sent additional troops to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights to bolster Israel’s presence along the border between Israel and Syria. Agricultural areas along the border were declared closed military zones and some schools shifted to online classes in anticipation of unrest.Unlike scores of people who scrambled for the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight in recent years, Danielle Griffin had no trouble getting them. The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access. It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It's a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It's all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person's response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn't happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It's not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn't respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I'm hoping it's slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.WASHINGTON — The House shut down Democrats' efforts Thursday to release the long-awaited ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, pushing the fate of any resolution to the yearslong investigation of sexual misconduct allegations into further uncertainty. Matt Gaetz talks before President-elect Donald Trump speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate Nov. 14 in Palm Beach, Fla. The nearly party-line votes came after Democrats had been pressing for the findings to be published even though the Florida Republican left Congress and withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., was the sole Republican to support the effort. Most Republicans have argued that any congressional probe into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent to set. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Shortly before the votes took place, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who introduced one of the bills to force the release, said that if Republicans reject the release, they will have “succeeded in sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims. Earlier Thursday, the Ethics panel met to discuss the Gaetz report but made no decision, saying in a short statement that the matter is still being discussed. It's unclear now whether the document will ever see the light of day as lawmakers have only a few weeks left before a new session of Congress begins. It's the culmination of weeks of pressure on the Ethics committee's five Republicans and five Democrats who mostly work in secret as they investigate allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The status of the Gaetz investigation became an open question last month when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump's announcement that he wanted his ally in the Cabinet. It is standard practice for the committee to end investigations when members of Congress depart, but the circumstances surrounding Gaetz were unusual, given his potential role in the new administration. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said Wednesday that there is no longer the same urgency to release the report given that Gaetz has left Congress and stepped aside as Trump's choice to head the Justice Department. “I’ve been steadfast about that. He’s no longer a member. He is no longer going to be confirmed by the Senate because he withdrew his nomination to be the attorney general,” Guest said. The Gaetz report has also caused tensions between lawmakers on the bipartisan committee. Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, publicly admonished Guest last month for mischaracterizing a previous meeting to the press. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s separate investigation against him into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended without federal charges. His onetime political ally Joel Greenberg, a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

AI Is an Energy Hog, and Government Needs to Be Aware

The 50-year-old executive was shot at about 6.45am as he walked alone to the New York Hilton Midtown from a nearby hotel, police said. The gunman appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching Mr Thompson from behind and opening fire, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Police have not yet established a motive. “Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” Ms Tisch said, adding that the shooting “does not appear to be a random act of violence”. Mr Thompson was struck at least once in the back and once in the calf, Ms Tisch said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The suspect, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and carrying a grey backpack, then fled on foot down an alleyway before pedalling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away. The shooter was at large, sparking a search that included police drones, helicopters and dogs. “We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare,” the insurer’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said in a statement. “Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the company said. “We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.” Police issued a poster showing a surveillance image of the suspect pointing what appeared to be a gun and another image that appeared to show the same person on a bicycle. Police offered a reward of up to 10,000 US dollars (£7,860) for information leading to an arrest and conviction. The killing shook a part of New York City that is normally quiet at that hour, happening about four blocks from where tens of thousands of people are set to gather on Wednesday night for the annual Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree lighting. Mr Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that the executive told her “there were some people that had been threatening him”. She said she did not have details, but suggested they may have involved issues with insurance coverage. UnitedHealthcare is the insurance arm of the health care giant UnitedHealth Group. The group was holding its annual meeting with investors to update Wall Street on the company’s direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early in the wake of Mr Thompson’s death. “I’m afraid that we – some of you may know we’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members,” a company official told attendees, according to a transcript. “And as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today. I’m sure you’ll understand.” Mr Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the company since 2004 and served as chief executive for more than three years. UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the US and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programmes. Minnesota governor Tim Walz posted on the social platform X that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team”. “This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote.Five Below, Inc. Announces Third Quarter Fiscal 2024 Financial Results

Alabama A&M fires football coach Connell Maynor after 7 seasons

The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access. It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It's a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It's all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person's response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn't happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It's not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn't respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I'm hoping it's slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Was Black Friday 2024 the biggest ever? Holiday shopping by year

PITTSBURGH , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Wesco International (NYSE: WCC) today declared a quarterly cash dividend on all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, in an amount equal to $0.4125 per share. The dividend is payable on December 31, 2024 to the holders of record of the common stock at the close of business on December 13, 2024 . In addition, the Board of Directors declared cash dividends on the company's 10.625% Series A Fixed-Rate Reset Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock for the period October 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 . The dividend is $664.0625 per preferred share, or $0.6640625 per depository share, and is payable on December 31, 2024 to holders of record at the close of business on December 13, 2024 . About Wesco Wesco International (NYSE: WCC) builds, connects, powers and protects the world. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , Wesco is a FORTUNE 500 ® company with $22 billion in annual sales and a leading provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions. Wesco offers a best-in-class product and services portfolio of Electrical and Electronic Solutions, Communications and Security Solutions, and Utility and Broadband Solutions. The Company employs approximately 20,000 people, partners with the industry's premier suppliers, and serves thousands of customers around the world. With millions of products, end-to-end supply chain services, and leading digital capabilities, Wesco provides innovative solutions to meet customer needs across commercial and industrial businesses, contractors, government agencies, educational institutions, telecommunications providers, and utilities. Wesco operates nearly 800 branches, warehouses and sales offices in more than 50 countries, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and global corporations. Contact Information Investor Relations Will Ruthrauff Director, Investor Relations 484-885-5648 Corporate Communications Jennifer Sniderman Vice President, Corporate Communications 717-579-6603 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wesco-declares-quarterly-dividend-on-common-stock-and-preferred-stock-302319822.html SOURCE Wesco InternationalHouse rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics report

7 million dollars in philippine peso Christmas travel disruption for motorists and train passengers amid festive getaway

Air traffic control language is commendably succinct. The advisory message that was sent out by the US Command Center at 11.50am GMT on Christmas Eve read: “Nationwide ground stop for all AAL Main and Subs”. AAL is American Airlines , and the instruction to air traffic controllers across the US (and, as it emerged, the world) was to prevent the carrier’s planes from taking off. The fact that it affected “Subs” – smaller airlines flying regional trips for American, as well as the mainline operation – suggested something had gone awry with the departure control system. This is the technology that manages crucial elements of dispatching a flight, from check-in to load control – ensuring that the weight of passengers, cargo and fuel is appropriately distributed on the plane. The ground stop ended just an hour after it had begun. That was excellent news for the frustrated passengers packed on board flight AA137 from London Heathrow to Los Angeles. The Boeing 777 pushed back from the gate on schedule at 11.15am but then held on the ground until the order was lifted. It finally took off at 1pm and is expected to reach California more than an hour late, jeopardising onward connections. In its post-meltdown statement, American Airlines followed standard aviation PR practice of blaming a third party: “A vendor technology issue briefly affected flights this morning. That issue has been resolved and flights have resumed. “It’s all hands on deck as our team is working diligently to get customers where they need to go as quickly as possible.” Good luck with that. The Christmas choreography of air traffic control does not respond well to a giant airline’s entire fleet (save for those already airborne) being held on the ground for an hour. I estimate around 300 flights, all with the necessary air traffic control clearances, were due to depart in that forbidden hour. Those precious permissions cannot simply be held over for the next hour: American Airlines itself has another 300 planes to dispatch in that timeframe. The departure from Heathrow to Charlotte, due out 40 minutes after the ground stop was lifted, took off an hour behind schedule. For connecting passengers, that raises stress levels. Add the uncertainty of how long it will take to clear US Customs and Border Protection, as every arriving passenger must do even if they are transferring to another international flight, and the prospect of reaching their destination before 25 December recedes. All this is happening when airline passengers are heavily invested, emotionally as well as financially, in their festive travel plans. The capacity for aviation to generate a novel nightmare scenario each Christmas knows no bounds. Particularly cruel incidents include the Drone Before Christmas at Gatwick in 2018, which caused the Sussex airport to be closed for three days in the build-up to 25 December – grounding 1,000 flights and wrecking the plans of 150,000 travellers. Five years earlier, in the early hours of Christmas Eve 2013, the basement of Gatwick’s North Terminal flooded. The main electrical system failed , leading to around 100 flights being cancelled and stranding 11,000 passengers. Those numbers were eclipsed at Heathrow in 2010 when heavy snow halted operations for days and thwarted the plans of 600,000 travellers. What lesson can we learn from such flightmares before Christmas? That the more important your journey, the more days you should allow to rearrange your schedule if your plans unravel. Or stay put for the festive season and wait for fares and stress to subside. On Boxing Day, British Airways wants £1,080 for a round-trip from Gatwick to Tampa in Florida for a week; I am leaving 10 days later and paying less than half as much.

The re-emergence of ’s has added another to the presidential transition process. And while it’s highly unlikely that the president-elect will have any success in convincing the governments of either or to sever the ties between the European country and its autonomous North American territory, it’s worth looking into the process of how the U.S. acquires new territories — and how that territory could be classified. Greenland has been tied to Denmark politically and culturally for more than a century. Perhaps not recognizing the strength of those ties, the United States has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring the land and its people; the first push by U.S. politicians to purchase Greenland began in 1867, led by then-Secretary of State William Seward. Little has changed since then. There is no serious interest in the population of Greenland to join the U.S., and there never has been. Close ties between the U.S. and the Danish government dating back to World War II have led to a limited but enduring American presence on the island, however, in the form of Pituffik, an air/space military installation now operated by the U.S. Space Force. The site is one of the U.S.’s most important early-warning missile defense systems. It’s the strategic military and economic interests — compounded by two-thirds of the territory falling within the Arctic Circle — that makes the island so attractive to Trump and other U.S. politicians over the years. So what would Greenland’s acquisition actually look like? Were Denmark and Greenland to suddenly reverse all opposition to the latter joining the U.S., the process would involve a treaty between Denmark and the U.S. That treaty would require ratification by two-thirds of Congress and a signature by the president before taking effect. But Greenland would not become a state automatically. The U.S. controls several territories that have not made sustained (successful) pushes for statehood: American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Were Greenland to be purchased by the U.S. or admitted otherwise, it would become a U.S. territory until a separate statehood process took place. Statehood was last granted to Hawaii in 1959, more than 60 years after the territory was first annexed by the United States following a coup backed by the U.S. military. The territory of Hawaii became the nation’s 50th state after successive statehood bills were put forward and died in Congress before finally reaching President Dwight Eisenhower’s desk. Eisenhower signed the bill, which was then ratified by a statehood vote on the island. In the modern era, Puerto Rico is the most active among the remaining U.S. territories in pushing for statehood. A majority of voters backed statehood in a referendum on the November ballot, though there is no serious movement yet in Congress behind the issue. The District of Columbia, too, has pushed for statehood; Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser is a strong advocate for the nation’s capital to be admitted as a state, rather than having its affairs managed by Congress. While both developments would be unlikely under a GOP-controlled Congress and White House, the latter is a near-impossibility over the next four years given the strong liberal bent of the District’s voting population. Were Greenland to be hypothetically admitted as a territory through purchase or diplomatic arrangement, it too would face a congressional battle over statehood. Unlike a treaty vote, it would require simple majorities in both chambers to pass (with the caveat that it would have to avoid a Senate filibuster, requiring 60 votes). The island’s voters would then have the final say. As competition with China and Russia is expected to ramp up due to a warming Arctic, Greenland could remain in the spotlight for some time. More likely than not, however, the discussion in the immediate future will center around the the incoming president with his dreams and an “America First” foreign policy.Daily Post Nigeria EPL: He’s important to us – Guardiola on Man City star Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport Sport EPL: He’s important to us – Guardiola on Man City star Published on December 24, 2024 By Don Silas Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has emphasised the importance of striker Erling Haaland to the team. Speaking ahead of his side’s Premier League clash with Everton on Boxing Day, Guardiola noted that Manchester City needs to utilise the Norway international more effectively. Haaland, who claimed the Golden Boot as the Premier League’s top scorer last season, has not found the back of the net in his last three matches for Guardiola’s side. However, he started the season strongly, scoring 14 goals in 13 games across all competitions. “It’s about us; it’s not just about one player,” Guardiola said. “When Erling was so prolific, it was because of us, the team. Erling is so important to us and will continue to be. We need to use him better.” Related Topics: EPL guardiola man city Don't Miss EPL: Maresca confirms key player to miss Chelsea vs Fulham You may like EPL: Maresca confirms key player to miss Chelsea vs Fulham EPL: I’m really frustrated – Man Utd manager, Amorim EPL: Alan Shearer predict Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal Boxing Day fixtures EPL: Amorim reveals when he will pick Rashford again EPL: Leny Yoro speaks on regrets over Man United move EPL: Aina named in Team of the Week Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd

NoneMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Donte DiVincenzo scored 26 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the San Antonio Spurs 112-110 on Sunday night. Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Timberwolves, won won their third straight. Julius Randle had 16 points, while Jaden McDaniels added 12 points and 10 boards for Minnesota. Anthony Edwards, who earlier in the day was fined $100,000 for continued use of profanity in postgame media comments, was held to 14 points, 11 below his season average. After DiVincenzo made one of two free throws with 12.1 seconds left, the Spurs had one more possession down 112-110. San Antonio found a wide-open Jeremy Sochan for 3, but he came up short. Wembanyama led San Antonio with 34 points and eight rebounds. Harrison Barnes had 24 points, Devin Vassell had 22 and Chris Paul dished out 14 assists. Takeaways Spurs: Trailing by 13 early in the third quarter, Wembanyama keyed a 16-4 run by showcasing his diverse offensive skills. He scored in the low post, hit a 3, made a pair of free throws and drained two midrange jumpers. Timberwolves: Minnesota survived a brutal shooting night from 3-point range, making just 11 of 44 attempts from beyond the arc. DiVincenzo was 5 for 10, but Edwards and Randle combined to go 1 for 16. Key moment With 4:44 to play and the game tied at 101, Randle made a driving layup against Wembanyama that was initially whistled for an offensive foul. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch challenged the call, and the basket was allowed to stand. Minnesota didn't trail the rest of the way. Key stat In the first quarter, the Timberwolves made just 1 of 11 3-point attempts but went 9 for 9 inside the arc. Up next The Spurs host the Clippers, and the Timberwolves visit Oklahoma City on Tuesday. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba Patrick Donnelly, The Associated PressBroccoli and Stilton soup recipe will ‘boost your immunity’ with just 6 ingredients

Former US President Jimmy Carter, who had been in hospice care since February 2023, passed away peacefully at the age of 100 in his Georgia home, surrounded by his family, as confirmed by the Carter Center. Carter, the 39th president of the United States, is remembered for his dedication to peace, human rights, and public service. Born in Plains, Georgia, Carter’s journey to the presidency began with his humility and commitment to public service. An engineer by profession, Carter served as Georgia's governor before running for president in 1976. His campaign stood out for its transparency and honesty, appealing to a nation grappling with the aftermath of the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. Is President Biden taking too much time off? A record-breaking 40 percent of his tenure are vacation days Carter's famous promise, “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me,” resonated deeply with voters. Running as a political outsider, he narrowly defeated incumbent President Gerald Ford, focusing on rebuilding trust in government. During his presidency from 1977 to 1981, Carter achieved significant milestones, including brokering the Camp David Accords, a historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. However, his term was also marked by challenges such as the Iran hostage crisis and economic struggles. In 1980, Carter faced a tough re-election campaign and was defeated by Ronald Reagan in a landslide victory. Despite this, Carter transitioned into private life with dignity and went on to become an influential figure in humanitarian work. In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his dedication to promoting democracy, human rights, and resolving conflicts globally. Through the Carter Center, an organization he established, he worked relentlessly to improve global health and foster peace. Carter's humanitarian work extended to India, where he developed a special bond with a village in Haryana. During a visit in 1978, the village, then known as Daulatpur Nasirabad, was renamed Carterpuri in his honour. His relationship with the village was cemented further by his mother’s earlier visit as part of the Peace Corps. The village celebrates January 3 as a local holiday, commemorating Carter’s visit, and honours him again when he received the Nobel Prize. In recent years, Jimmy Carter dealt with health problems, including melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. In February 2023, he decided to receive hospice care and spent his last days at home with his family. Rosalynn Carter, his wife, passed away on November 19, 2023, at the age of 96. Former US President Jimmy Carter makes rare appearance at wife Rosalynn's memorial Carter is remembered for shaping lasting policies in the Middle East, China, and Russia. His work after the presidency earned him respect as a champion of peace and justice. “My father was a hero to me and to everyone who values peace, human rights, and love,” said his son, Chip Carter.

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Not since the 2022 World Cup - where he left the camp early due to personal reasons - has White been seen in an England kit, despite racking up the plaudits for his consistent Arsenal displays. Gareth Southgate previously told the media that England simply had other right-backs ahead of the ex-Brighton & Hove Albion man, but it was soon reported that his withdrawal from the World Cup was due to an alleged bust-up with Steve Holland . Southgate's former assistant purportedly made a spiky comment about White's perceived lack of interest in football in front of the rest of the Three Lions squad, after the player did not know the answer to a question about England's opponents. Southgate vehemently denied rumours that White had fallen out with the coaching staff, but he admitted that the Arsenal right-back asked not to be selected for future camps, meaning that he was absent from Euro 2024. © Imago Following Southgate's exit and Lee Carsley 's temporary appointment, speculation began to swirl that White could perform a U-turn and make himself available for international duty again, but the 27-year-old did not return for the UEFA Nations League. White is now facing months on the sidelines with a knee injury , potentially ruling him out of contention for March's World Cup 2026 qualifiers anyway, but Tuchel has extended an olive branch to the Gunners right-back and has affirmed that all players will now be given a "clean slate". "Yes. I will reach out to him," The Mirror quotes Tuchel as saying after Friday's World Cup qualifying draw. "It should be clean and a clean start and a clear narrative. "It starts from January. I will be in the stadiums from January. I will also not distract the players and they should just know, 'OK, the boss is there from January.' Then I will of course try to speak to them, but also be respectful to the schedule that they have, because schedule is busy in January, especially in the Premier League." White made just four appearances for England before his self-imposed exile, and he was an unused substitute in both of the Three Lions' opening World Cup 2022 matches prior to his withdrawal. © Imago Carsley did not hesitate to trust in youth during his short tenure - no surprise given his successful time with the Under-21s - as Curtis Jones , Lewis Hall , Taylor Harwood-Bellis , Angel Gomes , Noni Madueke and Tino Livramento all pulled on the famous white strip. However, Tuchel has experience managing a few more experienced English stars who have since fallen out of the national team picture, most notably Manchester United's Mason Mount , who also excelled under the German at Chelsea. Mount has also started to feature regularly under Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford as he puts his injury nightmares behind him, but the same cannot be said of Raheem Sterling , Reece James and Ben Chilwell . Tuchel's "clean start" admission means that each member of the aforementioned trio should come back into the reckoning if they can find safe haven either at Stamford Bridge or elsewhere in 2025. The new England boss also learned who he will face in his first game as Three Lions manager after the Euro 2024 finalists were drawn to face Andorra, Serbia, Albania and Latvia in Group K of World Cup qualifying .

Maryland Air National Guard to add DC fighter squadron as federal budget negotiations settleS Korean Opp defers decision to impeach acting president SEOUL: South Korea ́s opposition said Tuesday it would hold back a decision to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo until later in the week. The opposition Democratic Party earlier said it would introduce an impeachment motion against Han on Tuesday to protest against the interim leader ́s refusal to sign into law special bills to investigate his impeached predecessor. “We have decided to exercise patience, taking into account the sentiments of the people, and wait until the 26th (Thursday) to determine whether our demands are met,” floor leader Park Chan-dae said. The party originally set Christmas Eve as the deadline for Han to promulgate two special bills investigating suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol ́s short-lived imposition of martial law, as well as graft allegations surrounding his wife, Kim Keon Hee. The conservative leader was stripped of his duties by parliament on December 14 following his brief declaration of martial law 11 days earlier, which plunged the country into its worst political crisis in decades. Yoon is now waiting for a decision by the Consitutional Court, which requires six votes in favour from its nine-member bench in order for the impeachment motion to be passed. Currently three seats are empty, and can be appointed. But Han, who stepped in to replace Yoon, rejected the opposition ́s demand at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, insisting on bipartisan agreements for the two bills. Han ́s stance “left us no other option but to interpret it as his intention to continue the insurrection by delaying proceedings”, Park told a press briefing earlier. Yoon is currently under investigation by a joint team comprising police, the defence ministry, and anti-corruption investigators. On Tuesday, Yoon Jong-kun, the Democratic Party spokesperson told reporters that the impeachment motion against Han had been “unanimously adopted” as the party ́s official stance. The reasons for impeachment include not only rejecting the two bills but also “actively participating in and supporting the insurrection” and “attempting to exercise another form of power while the President ́s authority had not yet formally ended after the insurrection”.

Some decisions by the Goods & Services Tax (GST) Council at its meeting on Saturday triggered a meme fest over the weekend. It's decision to clarify tax rate applicable on various types of popcorn and sale of used or old cars have been at the centre of criticism. ET Year-end Special Reads Top 10 equity mutual funds of the year. Do you have any? How India flexed its global power muscles in 2024 2024 was the year India became the talk of America A look at the decisions: What tax rates does the clarification specify? Ready-to-eat popcorn, with salt & spices: 5% Popcorn sold in pre-packaged form under a label: 12% Caramelised popcorn or popcorn with added sugar: 18% Entrepreneurship Building Your Winning Startup Team: Key Strategies for Success By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Web Development Intermediate Java Mastery: Method, Collections, and Beyond By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Office Productivity Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By - Study At Home, Quality Education Anytime, Anywhere View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Entrepreneurship Boosting Startup Revenue with 6 AI-Powered Sales Automation Techniques By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Entrepreneurship Validating Your Startup Idea: Steps to Ensure Market Fit By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Web Development Advanced C++ Mastery: OOPs and Template Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Data Analysis Animated Visualizations with Flourish Studio: Beginner to Pro By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Design Microsoft Designer Guide: The Ultimate AI Design Tool By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrows Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass By - CA Himanshu Jain, Ex McKinsey, Moody's, and PwC, Co - founder, The WallStreet School View Program Data Analysis Learn Power BI with Microsoft Fabric: Complete Course By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Finance Crypto & NFT Mastery: From Basics to Advanced By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Finance A2Z Of Finance: Finance Beginner Course By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Data Science MySQL for Beginners: Learn Data Science and Analytics Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI for Everyone: Understanding and Applying the Basics on Artificial Intelligence By - Ritesh Vajariya, Generative AI Expert View Program Is there a change in rates? No. The GST Council has reiterated the tax rates that were applicable. Why are there three different rates? Products with salt and added sugar fall in different categories under the harmonised system of nomenclature. All products with added sugar are classified under a HSN group that faces 18% tax whereas salted and spices are classified differently and face a lower tax rate. Old & Used Cars Tax regime prior to GST Council meeting 1.Old and used, petrol, Liquefied petroleum gases (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG)-driven motor vehicles of engine capacity of 1200 cc or more and length of 4,000 mm or more: 18% 2. Old and used, diesel-driven motor vehicles of engine capacity of 1500 cc or more and of length of 4,000 mm: 18% 3. Old and used motor vehicles of engine capacity exceeding 1500 cc, popularly known as Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) including utility vehicles: 18% 4 All old and used vehicles other than these mentioned in S. No. 1 to S. No. 2: 12% 5. All old and used electric vehicles: 12% What did the union government propose-reduction in tax to 5% GST Council decided to make the tax rate uniform for all categories at 18%. Who are liable to pay GST on the sale of old and used vehicles? Only registered persons such as businesses involved in purchase and selling of old and used vehicles, etc, are liable to pay GST. Is GST applicable if an individual sells old and used car to another individual? No. GST is not applicable in this case. Is the GST payable on sale value of the old and used vehicle? GST is payable only on the value representing the margin of the supplier-the difference between consideration received for the supply of such goods and the depreciated value of such goods on the date of supply, where the registered person has claimed depreciation under Section 32 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. In cases where such margin is negative, no GST is payable. For example: Suppose a registered person is selling an old and used vehicle to any person at ₹10 lakh, where the purchase price of the vehicle by the registered person was ₹12 lakh, then he is not required to pay any GST. In cases where the purchase price of the vehicle was ₹20 lakh and the selling price is ₹22 lakh, GST will be payable on the margin of supplier, that is, ₹2 lakh. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )The finals countdown: Mead football charges into semis against PomonaSenores Pharmaceuticals Share Price Live Updates: GMP, experts signal strong debut on Indian stock market today

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Nasa’s pioneering Parker Solar Probe made history on Tuesday, flying closer to the Sun than any other spacecraft, with its heat shield exposed to scorching temperatures topping 1,700° Fahrenheit (930° Celsius). Launched in August 2018, the spaceship is on a seven-year mission to deepen scientific understanding of our star and help forecast space-weather events that can affect life on Earth. Tuesday’s historic flyby should have occurred at 6.53am, although mission scientists will have to wait until Friday for confirmation as they lose contact with the craft for several days due to its proximity to the Sun. “Right now, Parker Solar Probe is flying closer to a star than anything has ever been before,” at 3.8mn miles (6.1mn km) away, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) official Nicky Fox said in a video on social media on Tuesday. “It is just a total ‘yay, we did it,’ moment.” If the distance between Earth and the Sun is the equivalent to the length of an American football field, the spacecraft should have been about four yards from the end zone at the moment of closest approach – known as perihelion. “This is one example of Nasa’s bold missions, doing something that no one else has ever done before to answer long-standing questions about our universe,” Parker Solar Probe programme scientist Arik Posner said in a statement on Monday. “We can’t wait to receive that first status update from the spacecraft and start receiving the science data in the coming weeks.” So effective is the heat shield that the probe’s internal instruments remain near room temperature – around 85F (29C) – as it explores the Sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona. Parker will also be moving at a blistering pace of around 430,000mph (690,000kph), fast enough to fly from the US capital Washington to Japan’s Tokyo in under a minute. “Parker will truly be returning data from uncharted territory,” said Nick Pinkine, mission operations manager at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. “We’re excited to hear back from the spacecraft when it swings back around the Sun.” “No human-made object has ever passed this close to a star,” he added. By venturing into these extreme conditions, Parker has been helping scientists tackle some of the Sun’s biggest mysteries: how solar wind originates, why the corona is hotter than the surface below, and how coronal mass ejections – massive clouds of plasma that hurl through space – are formed. The Christmas Eve flyby is the first of three record-setting close passes, with the next two – on March 22 and June 19, 2025 – both expected to bring the probe back to a similarly close distance from the Sun. Related Story Qatar establishes WEF's Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution 61 countries to compete in 8th Katara Award for Reciting Holy Qur’an

In conclusion, the introduction of new monster moves in the continuous combat mode of "Black Myth: Wukong" has added a fresh twist to an already exciting gameplay experience. With Bilibili streamers leading the charge in showcasing their skills and strategies, players and fans alike are eagerly diving into the action-packed battles, eager to test their mettle against the formidable foes that await them. The continuous combat mode is shaping up to be a thrilling and challenging aspect of the game that promises endless excitement and surprises for those brave enough to face its dangers head-on.Amidst the chaos, stories of bravery and selflessness emerged as individuals helped each other to safety. Employees and visitors alike worked together to ensure that everyone was accounted for and guided towards the nearest exits. Some even risked their own lives to rescue others who were trapped in the building or overcome by the smoke.9 million dollars to philippine peso 。

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Despite the exhilaration of her win, Gu Ailing wasted no time basking in the glory. With her sights set on her academic goals, she returned to Oxford University on Monday, ready to dive back into her studies. This remarkable display of diligence and determination left netizens in awe, with many praising her for her unwavering dedication and work ethic. One netizen commented, "Gu Ailing's energy knows no bounds! To balance the demands of elite sports and academic pursuits is truly inspiring."Another aspect of healthy competition in the energy storage industry is the emphasis on diversification and innovation. Instead of focusing solely on price competitiveness, companies are now looking to differentiate themselves through product innovation, service quality, and customer-centric approaches. By investing in research and development, exploring new markets, and embracing emerging technologies, industry players can stay ahead of the curve and meet the evolving needs of customers and the market.In a world steeped in chaos and uncertainty, where darkness threatens to consume all in its path, a new beacon of hope has emerged - "Melody Quest." This innovative music puzzle game, developed by a team of talented game designers and musicians, offers players a unique and immersive experience that combines the power of song with the thrill of solving intricate puzzles.

Despite their intelligence, the NPC companions in "Pledge" are also incredibly self-aware. They understand the importance of giving the player space and allowing them to explore the game world at their own pace. This self-awareness extends to their dialogue, as they never inundate the player with unnecessary information or chatter. Instead, they offer valuable insights, hints, and commentary that enhance the player's experience without feeling forced or intrusive.

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1. **Design and Display**:Share Tweet Share Share Email As the cryptocurrency market matures, excitement for the next bull run is building. While Bitcoin and Ethereum remain dominant, numerous altcoins are preparing for significant growth in the months ahead. One standout is Lightchain AI (LCAI) , which is gaining attention for its innovative blend of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. Investors should take note of the ongoing Lightchain AI Presale , a unique opportunity to get in early on this promising project. In this article, we’ll dive into some of the top altcoins to watch, including LCAI, as the market gears up for its next big surge. Lightchain AI (LCAI) Revolutionary Blend of AI and Blockchain Lightchain AI (LCAI) is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about tokens in the market, and for good reason. Costing only $0.003 in its early sale, LCAI has one of the top chances for growth in crypto world. The coin uses a smart Proof of Intelligence (PoI) way, giving rewards to nodes for helpful AI tasks like training models and working with data. ͏Its Smart Machine (AIVM) lets the making of AI-driven apps, which can be used in many fields, from money to shipping and health care. More people are looking into LCAI. This is due to its special mix of new tech and actual uses that make it different from other digital money. With a solid plan that has important goals for 2024 and 2025; LCAI is ready for big growth, with some experts thinking it could grow by 20,000 percent by 2025. Cardano (ADA) Strong Contender for Long-Term Growth Cardano (ADA) has long been seen as a promising altcoin, with a strong focus on scalability, security, and sustainability. The platform’s proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, coupled with its emphasis on academic research and peer-reviewed development, has earned it a dedicated following. With upcoming upgrades and the increasing adoption of its smart contract capabilities, Cardano is positioned for strong growth leading up to the next bull run. As more developers build on Cardano’s ecosystem, the token’s utility and demand are likely to increase. Analysts predict that Cardano could see significant gains as the network continues to evolve, with a potential for 5x returns over the next year. Solana (SOL) Ready to Bounce Back Stronger Than Ever Solana (SOL) experienced explosive growth in 2021, but recent challenges have led to some volatility. Despite this, the Solana network remains one of the fastest and most scalable blockchain platforms available, and its ecosystem is growing rapidly. With new developments and updates on the horizon, Solana is expected to make a strong recovery and outperform many other altcoins in the coming months. Investors are keeping a close eye on Solana’s ability to maintain its position as a top-tier platform for decentralized applications (dApps) and NFTs. As the network stabilizes and adoption continues, Solana could see a major surge as we head into 2025, making it one of the top altcoins to watch. Polkadot (DOT) Connecting Blockchains for a Decentralized Future Polkadot (DOT) has been making waves in the cryptocurrency space by solving one of the biggest issues facing blockchain technology today interoperability. The Polkadot network enables different blockchains to communicate and share information seamlessly, a feature that is increasingly in demand as the ecosystem grows. As more blockchains look to connect and work together, Polkadot’s position as a leader in cross-chain communication makes it a promising investment. Experts predict that Polkadot’s utility and demand will increase significantly over the next year, positioning it for strong growth ahead of the next bull run. Chainlink (LINK) Oracle Network Powering DeFi and Beyond Chainlink (LINK) has established itself as a vital part of the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem by providing reliable and secure oracles to smart contracts. As the DeFi space continues to expand, Chainlink’s role in enabling smart contracts to interact with real-world data becomes increasingly important. With growing demand for DeFi solutions and Chainlink’s expanding partnerships, LINK is expected to see substantial growth in the coming months. Experts believe that Chainlink’s utility and increasing adoption make it a top contender for significant gains during the next bull run. Why You Should Keep an Eye on These Altcoins As we approach the next market cycle, several altcoins are primed to deliver significant returns. Lightchain AI (LCAI) , Cardano (ADA), Solana (SOL), Polkadot (DOT), and Chainlink (LINK) all stand out due to their unique technological innovations, growing ecosystems, and real-world applications. For investors looking to maximize their returns during the upcoming bull run, these altcoins represent some of the best opportunities in the market. By diversifying your portfolio with these promising assets, you position yourself to benefit from the explosive growth expected in the cryptocurrency space. With each project focusing on solving real-world problems and creating value, these altcoins are more than just speculative plays—they are investments in the future of blockchain technology. So keep a close eye on these top altcoins and consider adding them to your portfolio for potential long-term gains. As always, remember to do your own research before investing in any cryptocurrency and never invest more than you can afford to lose. Why Lightchain AI is a Top Pick for the Future While all of the altcoins mentioned have unique strengths and potential, Lightchain AI (LCAI) stands out for its groundbreaking combination of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. The use cases for LCAI are vast , spanning industries from finance to healthcare to logistics. This versatility makes it a strong contender for long-term growth as more businesses look to integrate AI into their operations. Moreover, LCAI’s advanced Proof of Intelligence consensus mechanism rewards nodes for valuable AI computations, making it an attractive option for miners looking to earn rewards while supporting innovative technology. With a strong roadmap in place and ongoing developments in both its AI-powered decentralized applications and blockchain infrastructure, LCAI is well-positioned for significant growth in the coming years. Some experts even predict a potential 20,000% return by 2025. So join presale now and don’t miss out on this top pick for the future of blockchain technology. With its unique combination of AI and blockchain, Lightchain AI has the potential to disrupt industries and create significant value for investors. https://lightchain.ai https://lightchain.ai/lightchain-whitepaper.pdf https://x.com/LightchainAI https://t.me/LightchainProtocol Related Items: Lightchain , press release Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you Could This Lesser-Known Crypto Asset Be the Key To Unlocking Substantial Wealth? Crypto Gem-Spotter Identifies No Brainer Token Ready To Overtake Polygon’s (POL) 2021 Rally IntelMarkets Impresses With 80% Price Bump While XRP Loses Key Support Levels Comments

Muslim Democrat sues after being ejected from Harris event in MichiganThe third week of December has been brutal to the crypto markets as most tokens are deep in the red, and some are even dipping below their pre-election prices. The Polygon price is headed for its 2024 low, and VeChain is holding onto pros-election profitability, if only just. Is the funfair over? Not necessarily, but this downturn is separating the stalwarts from the merely hopeful. This may explain why iGaming giant Rollblock is closing in on $8 million in liquidity despite the market downturn. Rollblock (RBLK): iGaming comes to the blockchain iGaming is a massive industry, worth almost half a trillion USD annually. Incredibly, this number could be substantially larger but has been stymied by technological challenges. Hacking and mistrust have slowed down this burgeoning industry, and anyone who can ensure a fair iGaming experience will make it big. This is precisely what online gambling dApp Rollblock has done. Rollblock is the world’s first ever play-to-earn online casino built on the Ethereum network. Every roll of the dice or flip of a card is indelibly etched on a publicly auditable blockchain. This ensures that no games are fixed, and if hackers want to find a backdoor into Rollblock, they need to hack the entire Ethereum chain. It offers an unprecedented level of trust in the iGaming sector. Rollblock is on track to rule the headlines and may explain why this giant’s presale has already attracted close to $8 million in liquidity – it’s an investor’s dream! Polygon (POL): Rebranded Matic has no impact on sinking Polygon price Polygon has not done well since the crypto frenzy of 2021, and a hail-mary attempt to save the floundering token saw a very expensive rebrand to change Polygon from MATIC to POL. But, this has not been successful, and Polygon has lost 56% of its price at rebrand by the time the US election came along. Like most cryptos, the Polygon price spiked appreciably during November. Polygon peaked at almost 150% before the wheels fell off in December. The Polygon price has already lost 40% of its post-election peak, and sadly, it does not look as if the Polygon price will see any respite in the future. VeChain (VET): Supply chain specialists fail to launch. And resurrect. Supply chain management is complex and intricate, and having a dedicated supply chain blockchain seems like a great idea, and this is what VeChain delivered to the world. However, this niche speciality has not been great for VeChain. VeChain never really took off despite massive growth during the hype years of 2021 and 2022. 2021 and 2022 were speculative years, with many investors taking a chance on anything blockchain in a bubble reminiscent of the dot-com era, but VeChain was one of those that went bust. The Trump Pump saw VeChain gain 250%, but it was off an already low base, and VeChain is slowly falling back to base numbers again. Investors are dumping VeChain and other low performing cryptos for Rollblock. Conclusion VeChain’s failure to translate into real-world gains and the sinking Polygon price prove that not all cryptos are great investments. Fortunately, many cryptos are massive investments, and millions can still be made, as the iGaming game changer Rollblock can attest to. Rollblock is now available at $0.043 directly from their website. Discover the exciting opportunities of the Rollblock (RBLK) presale today! Website: https://presale.rollblock.io Socials: https://linktr.ee/rollblockcasinoIn conclusion, Cai Guo-Qiang's profound statement on regret as the essence of human life invites us to reflect on the intersection of art and reality. Through his unconventional and thought-provoking artworks, Cai challenges us to confront our deepest fears and uncertainties, urging us to embrace the inherent contradictions of the human experience. As we embark on our own journeys of self-discovery and growth, may we find wisdom and inspiration in the transformative power of regret.

Meanwhile, in the comments section of the official OWL post, a unique and unexpected discussion has emerged. Fans of the league have taken the opportunity to bond and connect over their shared love for both Overwatch and the Marvel universe. Dubbed the "Marvel Showdown" team building event, fans have been forming groups based on their favorite Marvel heroes and villains, each vying for supremacy in a friendly and entertaining competition.Comparing Mercedes-Benz Group (MBGYY) & Its Competitors

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