Amber Heard empathizes with Blake Lively. After the Gossip Girl alum filed a legal complaint against her It Ends With Us costar and director Justin Baldoni-which includes allegations that he engaged in a campaign to ruin her reputation amid her own concerns about him on set-the Aquaman star reflected on her own experience with public vitriol amid her and Johnny Depp’s infamous defamation trial. “Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on,'” Heard expressed in a statement to NBC News Dec. 23. “I saw this firsthand and up close. It’s as horrifying as it is destructive.” Indeed, Lively’s legal filing, obtained by E! News, alleges that Baldoni, as well as It Ends With Usproducer Jamey Heath, hired crisis public relations expert Melissa Nathan, who also represented Depp amid his trial against Heard, and has counted Drake and Travis Scott as past clients-to combat Lively’s on-set sexual harassment allegations. In response to Heard’s statement to NBC News, Bryan Freedman, an attorney representing Baldoni, shared a note to E! News. “The only correlation between both individuals,” Freedman said in part of the statement, “was that for decades every move they have made has been out there for everyone to see, widely filmed and documented for the public to make up their own minds-which they did, organically.” Lively’s complaint, filed with the California Civil Rights Department and obtained by E! News, includes alleged text messages from Nathan to a publicist for Baldoni in which she says, “You know we can bury anyone,” in relation to Lively’s reputation. Heard-who has since relocated to Spain-was sued by Depp for defamation in 2019 after she had written an op-ed piece alleging she was the victim of domestic violence the prior year. In a 2022 verdict, the jury found Heard liable for defamation-which she later appealed.Opinion: President Jimmy Carter made wrong decision to call for a boycott of 1980 Moscow Olympics
By JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Vance is taking on an atypical role as Senate guide for Trump nominees The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Mar-a-Lago scene is a far cry from Vance’s hardscrabble upbringing Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” Vance is making his voice heard as Trump stocks his Cabinet While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance will draw on his Senate background going forward Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
Escaped convicted murderer puts California town on edgeThese events took place this week in West Virginia history
Cable One Declares Quarterly DividendVANCOUVER — Participation in hockey in British Columbia was struggling in 2021 — the pandemic had dealt a heavy blow to player registrations, and numbers had already been flagging before COVID-19 arrived. “I think there were a lot of families that were impacted at that time,” said Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association president Melanie Earland, whose group governs minor hockey in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, including Metro Vancouver. “The world changed," she said. Player participation had peaked in 2016-2017 with more than 62,000 registrations, Hockey Canada statistics for B.C. show, falling under 58,000 just before the pandemic began in 2020, then plummeting to 39,056 that season. Rising costs and growing competition from other sports had also been chipping away at youth hockey participation. But that is now changing, with registration for this season in B.C. surging past the 63,000 mark, a rebound that follows a concerted effort to make the game more accessible, especially to groups not traditionally linked to the sport such as new Canadians and Indigenous communities. Tom Oberti, president of the West Vancouver Minor Hockey Association, said his organization had seen record registrations this year, more than 8 per cent higher than last season. "We're bursting at the seams," Oberti said, noting the association has had to look outside West Vancouver to find ice time to fit all the players. "The reason why we've grown is because we've put a lot of effort into reaching out to new, non-traditional hockey demographics," he said. "For example, we run ball hockey programs in elementary schools to introduce the sport, and we've done a lot to reach out to the Mandarin-speaking community, because it's a growing segment of our community on the North Shore." Oberti said the association has leveraged Mandarin- and Persian-speaking families already with kids in youth hockey, establishing links to new players through parent groups on social media platforms targeting specific communities such as WeChat and WhatsApp as well as word of mouth from schoolchildren who already play the game. Families new to Canada want to do things they consider Canadian, Oberti said, and they are embracing hockey. "Hockey has an advantage there," he said. "There are a lot of families that do want to participate in the sport — or who are interested in the sport — because of the way it's intertwined in the fabric of social life in Canada." At the Richmond Jets Minor Hockey Association, vice-president Trent Gustafson said while his group has seen about a 15-to-20 per cent drop-off in participation from a peak in 2018-2019, registration is growing again, and players from non-traditional communities make up a big part of that rebound. "We're up to around 915 to 920 kids playing hockey at Jets this year," Gustafson said. "We don't collect (data) in terms of the ethnicity of our members specifically, but I can safely say more than half are non-Caucasian members." Just as important as getting children in these communities playing hockey, Gustafson said, is the fact that parents new to the game are also eager to volunteer. He said that is a vital contribution to the minor hockey system largely run by volunteers and parents in their spare time. "Those parents are, frankly, just as crazy hockey parents as you're getting in some of the other cities and towns in not only British Columbia but across the country," he said. "It's interesting, the people it seems these days that are almost more willing to volunteer are some of the newer people to hockey. They've just fallen in love with the game." Earland said other efforts to attract players include a try-hockey-for-free program in Cloverdale, B.C., for Indigenous youth, and they are trying to make the game more affordable through equipment programs and other initiatives. "Nobody in minor hockey wants to hear a family say, 'We want to play but our kids can't afford it or we can't afford it,'" she said. She said she wants every child to have an opportunity to play hockey. "It's a fabulous sport. It offers friendships and teamwork and camaraderie for all of our youth." Chilliwack Minor Hockey Association president Lee McCaw said his group does not target any specific community for new players, but the province's rapid population growth and its diversity means more kids being registered from every background. "I think our inclusion for everybody to be able to participate is huge," McCaw said. "We have a huge First Nations population in our city, and there's a lot of learn-to-skate programs that are specifically designed for every ethnicity group and everybody inclusively, together and within Chilliwack." Nathan Bosa, the president of the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association, said even if there are no specific programs aimed at the diverse newcomer groups, sport could be an opportunity to support them. "We're talking about this as a board a while ago, about having a program for new people coming into Canada and into Kamloops (to) give them a little bit of an instruction on how things work," Bosa said. "It's something that we're going to be looking at in the new year. I think we've started to see that the influx is very noticeable, and it's good. Getting children into sport, whether it's hockey or something else, allows children and their parents to make friends and it brings them into the community, Bosa said. Bosa and McCaw also noted the impact of hockey exposure in the South Asian community as another factor in attracting new players, including Hockey Night in Canada's Punjabi broadcast, and homegrown talent such as Arshdeep Bains from Surrey playing for the Vancouver Canucks in February. The Winnipeg Jets, meanwhile, signed forward Kevin He to a three-year entry-level deal this month, making him the first player born in China to ink an N. H. L deal. Scott Furman, Hockey Canada's vice-president of growth and retention, said progress has also been made on other fronts, with the visibility of women's hockey skyrocketing as the Professional Women's Hockey League drives female player registration to a new high beyond 100,000 countrywide this season. Furman said the upheaval and change in management at Hockey Canada in recent years meant a new approach, bringing inclusion and more programs to help with costs of the game. He said the rebound in B.C. is symbolic of this change. "Last season, for the first time, we hit 50,000 players that identified as black, Indigenous or people of colour, and that was an 8-per-cent increase on the previous season," Furman said. "In B.C., I think about 19 per cent of players identify as black, Indigenous or people of colour, which is well above the national average. And the South Asian community represents 4.5 per cent of all players — a 46 per cent increase since the 2021 season. "It certainly is a positive trend, but nothing's taken for granted. And we've got to continue to do the work to make sure that it continues in that fashion." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2024. Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press
None
Nick Kyrgios says positive tests for duo are ‘disgusting’ and ‘a horrible look’NEW YORK, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. (the "Company,” "we,” "us,” "our company,” or "MFH”) (Nasdaq: MFH), a digital fintech group powered by blockchain technology, today announced its unaudited financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2024. First Half 2024 Financial and Operating Highlights About Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. is a digital fintech company with subsidiaries specializing in distributed computing and digital consultation across North America and the Asia-Pacific region. Our focus is on delivering innovative financial solutions while adhering to principles of compliance, professionalism, and operational efficiency. Our aim is to contribute to the evolution of digital finance by providing secure and innovative financial services to individuals and businesses. And our dedication to compliance, professionalism, and operational excellence ensures that we remain a trusted partner in the rapidly transforming financial landscape. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements We have made statements in this report that constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements about our plans, objectives, expectations, assumptions or future events. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "anticipate,” "estimate,” "plan,” "project,” "continuing,” "ongoing,” "expect,” "we believe,” "we intend,” "may,” "should,” "could” and similar expressions. These statements involve estimates, assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements about: our business and operating strategies and plans for the development of existing and new businesses, ability to implement such strategies and plans and expected time; developments in, or changes to, laws, regulations, governmental policies, incentives, taxation and regulatory and policy environment affecting our operations and the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry; our future business development, financial condition and results of operations; expected changes in our revenues, costs or expenditures; general business, political, social and economic conditions in mainland China and the international markets where we base our operations. The ultimate correctness of these forward-looking statements depends upon a number of known and unknown risks and events. Many factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements. Consequently, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and, except as required by law; we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update this forward-looking information. Nonetheless, we reserve the right to make such updates from time to time by press release, periodic report or other method of public disclosure without the need for specific reference to this interim report. No such update shall be deemed to indicate that other statements not addressed by such update remain correct or create an obligation to provide any other updates. CONTACTS Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. Hoi Yi Xian [email protected] Tel: + 1 646 283 7120 International Elite Capital Inc. Vicky Cheung Tel: +1(646) 866-7928 Email: [email protected]Malibu Boats, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBUU) Shares Acquired by Geode Capital Management LLC
Biden says healthy women help US prosperity as he highlights White House initiative on their health
Delhi Transport Commissioner Prashant Goyal has issued a letter to Chief Minister Atishi , categorically denying allegations made by AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal that an inquiry is being planned against her in connection with the free bus ride scheme for women . "My attention is drawn to news reports on television and social media wherein former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is seen alleging that an inquiry is being contemplated in the Transport Department implicating your good self. I would like to place on record that no such inquiry has even been contemplated by the Transport Department," he said in the letter dated December 26. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for No communication has been received from the Vigilance Department, GNCTD, in this regard and the aforesaid claim is absolutely misplaced and misleading, the letter added. Addressing a press conference earlier on December 25, Kejriwal, flanked by Atishi, alleged that the BJP-led Central government is pressuring the investigative agencies to frame Atishi in a fabricated case. "We got to know from our sources that a meeting was held and the investigative agencies have been ordered by the BJP to arrest CM Atishi in a fake case. They are trying to distract the AAP from campaigning for the upcoming assembly polls," he claimed. Kejriwal asserted that the free bus ride scheme for women, a flagship initiative of the AAP government, would continue. Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI 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 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) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization 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 Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By - CA Rahul Gupta, CA with 10+ years of experience and Accounting Educator View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program "I will not let the scheme of free bus rides for women stop till I am alive," said Kejriwal, who is currently out on bail in a case related to the alleged excise policy scam. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Dates Set for PG&E Quarterly Stock DividendsGov. Glenn Youngkin emerged from this fall’s campaign as one of Donald Trump’s most enthusiastic supporters. But the incoming president’s plans have the potential to create major challenges for Virginia’s present governor. David J. Toscano Youngkin is pitching a tax cut, and cites a hefty state budgetary surplus as justification. But surpluses can evaporate in a Mar-a-Largo minute, and the prospects of declining revenue flowing to Virginia because of cutbacks in federal employment and reductions in Medicaid reimbursements are making Virginia budget-makers skittish about the future. Trump has stated his desire to fundamentally change the federal bureaucracy by eliminating civil servants either deemed expendable or who do not exhibit sufficient loyalty to the president. He could start by reinstituting Schedule F, an executive order issued late in his first term (and rescinded by President Joe Biden) to strip job protections from many career federal employees and make them more like political appointees who can be fired at will. This would devastate the commonwealth. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin arrives to speak at a rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Chesapeake, Friday, June 28, 2024. More federal workers live here than in any other state: 85,000 live in Northern Virginia and another 60,000 make Hampton Roads their home. Many earn a good salary, and cuts in their positions would mean losing state revenue that comes both from their income taxes and the sales taxes generated from their purchases. Remember sequestration, when Virginia took a disproportionate hit from cuts in federal spending? Or the various government shutdowns? When the federal government sneezes, Virginia catches a cold. Substantial cuts in federal employment might not dramatically affect the state budget until Youngkin has left office, but budget writers are justifiably concerned about future revenue shortfalls, thereby making any major tax cut problematic. While Trump’s attack on federal employees may garner the largest headlines, his plans for cutting Medicaid pose more serious fiscal challenges for the states. Since 1965, Medicaid has been the largest source of medical and health care funding for poor and disabled Americans, providing free health insurance to over 80 million people, many of whom are children. It is administered by the states, but major program funding is provided by the federal government. For every dollar a state spends on Medicaid, Washington provides a match to cover the costs. The match rate differs by state. In states with higher per-capita incomes such as Virginia and New York, the federal match equals 50% of costs. For poorer states like Mississippi and Alabama, the match is over 70%. Yearly federal spending on Medicaid exceeds $880 billion. Big changes in the program have occurred since passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, which initially required states to expand Medicaid to people with incomes of up to 138% of the federal poverty level (which today equals about $35,600 for a family of three). In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court made this optional, but since the ACA required the federal government to pick up 100% of the state costs for the expansion population (gradually declining to 90%), many states concluded that expansion was a great way to provide insurance to those who could not afford it. Forty-one states plus D.C. eventually embraced the plan. Virginia joined in 2019, and its expansion population now numbers 758,000 of the 1,872,000 state residents in the program. Today, Medicaid covers almost 13% of the state’s population, and it is the second-largest expenditure in the state budget. Virginia budget writers were recently informed that there is a $632 million Medicaid shortfall that will require addressing in the next General Assembly session. While that may be enough to throw a monkey wrench into the governor’s plan for a tax cut, it is potentially only the tip of the iceberg. Reducing Medicaid funding has been the target of conservatives for decades, and with Republicans in control of the presidency and both chambers of Congress, a serious effort likely will be made to make cuts. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 report, the Republican Study Committee’s budget plan and the 2025 House budget resolution all propose Medicaid cuts, including the reduction of the federal match for the expansion population. President-elect Donald Trump speaks Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Republican proposals to reduce the match rate would be a budgetary disaster for all states, including Virginia. Ironically, many of the states who voted for Trump would take the largest hit because their federal match is so high. In Virginia, a reduction in the match for the expansion population to 50% reimbursement would mean $3 billion less per year for our budget, making the present shortfall mild by comparison. The commonwealth would either need to find additional funds to fill the gap or dramatically cut services to those most in need. But it gets worse. Buried in the 2018 Virginia Medicaid expansion authorization is language that requires the state to unwind expansion if the federal match falls below 90%. Eight other states (Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Utah) have similar laws that require termination of expansion if the share of federal funding drops. This would create a bureaucratic nightmare and remove 758,000 recipients. This places Youngkin in a serious quandary. Many of the people in the reddest counties in Virginia who voted for both him and Trump would likely be seriously harmed if they no longer qualified for Medicaid or their benefits were reduced. The governor, could, of course, propose new language in his budget to eliminate the requirement that the commonwealth abandon expansion if the match declines. Or he could speak out against any proposed cuts. To do either would likely draw the ire of the MAGA faithful, a group the governor is attempting to court as he contemplates a run for higher office. Most likely, he does nothing, in hopes the U.S. Senate has enough spine to prevent anything serious from happening. It isn’t exactly leadership, but it preserves his options for another day. This column was originally published in the Virginia Mercury . David J. Toscano, an attorney and former mayor of Charlottesville, served 14 years in the House of Delegates representing Charlottesville and Albemarle County, including seven as minority leader. Contact him at davidjtoscano@gmail.com . Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!Denver Shines Brightly this New Year's Eve
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel gets 5-year contract extensionMichigan athletic director Warde Manuel gets 5-year contract extension
Knights face tall road task vs. Sam Montembeault, CanadiensIn 1882, the Post-Dispatch published this article detailing fortunes that were made, then "lost." (Some were not lost so much as divided between many descendants.) The article has been edited for length; notes about the families are in italics. One Generation Accumulates and the Next Dissipates. "It is a very mournful thing," said a veteran barrister a few davs ago, "to look back and contemplate the families who used to rank as the leaders in fashion and fortune in this community and then think how most of them have faded out, rusted away; many of them ruined by extravagance and dissipation. ... " The Lindells. The great Lindell estate was the result of the work and fortunate speculations of Jesse and Peter Lindell. Their deaths resulted in their enormous fortunes, amount to about $8 or $9 millions, going to collateral relatives ( nieces and nephews ). The Lindell stock has died out, and future generations will know of the famous old family by name only. Lindell Boulevard is named for Peter Lindell, who died in 1861. Jesse Lindell's wife was Jemima. The brothers also operated the Lindell Hotel. Thos. J. Payne was at one time one of the most notably wealthy men in the west, and he was quoted as one of the Croesuses of the day. Even during the panic of 1836, during which he lost fearfully, he was able to weather the storm and came out with something left. Of a once magnificent estate there is not a vestige left, and but few of the present residents of the city are aware that such a man ever existed. The Benoists. Louis A. Benoist's estate was estimated to be worth $2,000,000. Upon his death, however, this was divided between an enormous family, he leaving 23 children; each getting about $100,000. Some of the sons devoted themselves assiduously to getting rid of their wealth in various ways. Some had expensive tastes in the shape of horse flesh. No considerable portion of this once magnificent property remains together, and it is not to be quoted any longer as one of the great estates of the time. Several of the sons are in business, and are hard-working and useful members of society. Benoist was a banker. His country home, the Oakland House , still stands in Affton. Among Benoist's grandchildren was Conde Nast, founder of the company that still bears his name and publishes Vanity Fair, Vogue and the New Yorker. The O'Fallons. John O'Fallon was one of the warmest hearted and finest gentlemen this city has ever been graced with. His estate reached in round figures $10,000,000, being chiefly in real estate. Upon his death his property was well divided up amongst his relatives. The largest portion went to his oldest son, James O'Fallon, this being $1,500,000. This gentleman was under the influence of a chimerical politician named Hatch, and his fortune wis dissipated in schemes of no practical value. Some of the heirs were prudent and have their means intact. Others of the boys have some very lively blood circulating amongst them, and have been concerned in several escapades about town, which have made them prominent. John O'Fallon, who died in 1865, is remembered in the names of two towns , one in Illinois and one in St. Charles County. Part of his estate is now O'Fallon Park. Daniel D. Page was at one time an enormously wealthy man, but lost his property through one way or another until he got down to actual poverty. A constable levied on his horse and buggy while he was driving through a street, and Mr. Samuel Gaty re-purchased it and sent it home to him. His son-in-law, W.T. Coleman, is in San Francisco, a wealthy man, and his other son-in-law, Henry D. Bacon, went into the banking business and prospered. Mr. Page's estate was estimated to be worth at one time $8,000,000. Page Boulevard is named for this man, who was also a mayor of St. Louis from 1829-1833. The Soulards were an enormously wealthy family in the lower part of the city. The property has been scattered among a very numerous family and as an estate it cuts no very great figure. The Soulards however are a very circumspect and high-bred family and are comparatively easy in circumstances. Julia Soulard donated the land where Soulard Market now stands to the city, for use as a market. Mr. Wm. Christie owned enormous tracts of land in north St. Louis, which were very valuable. The heirs ran through their fortunes as a rule, getting rid of them as soon as possible and by the most expeditious ways. There are a number of them in the city yet, but they are not ranked amongst the wealthy ones. The family is an old and good one. The Chouteaus. The Chouteau estate is well divided up, but the family is splendidly circumstanced, having taken excellent care of their means. The Maffitt and Chouteau branches of the descendants of Henry Chouteau are noted as being amongst the richest people in the Mississippi Valley. The ownership of Iron Mountain is in this family and it is a source of great revenue. The estate is in no one of its parts, however, equal to its former greatness. Auguste Chouteau was one of the founders of St. Louis (at 14). John Thornton was an eccentric man who was very wealthy. He was a bachelor and exceedingly miserly in his ways. He would lunch off a herring and a cracker with the top of a barrel for a table, and it was estimated that a suit of clothes would last him a dozen years. This property suffered diminution, and yet there remained a surplus of $575,000, which he willed to the Catholic Church. Andrew Christy was at one time the owner of an enormous estate. At his death he left $1,000,000, which was scattered and dissipated through various channels. The Mullanphys were one of the largest and most notable of all the old properties and was worth about $7,000,000. The founder or this estate was the famous John Mullanphy , a public spirited and liberal hearted man. His son Bryan was the founder of the Mullanphy emigrant fund and Home , which has done untold good for many years, although at present much of its efficiency is impaired by the red tape method of transacting matters. Bryan Mullanphy, was an eccentric, and in 1847 was the mayor of the city. He inherited much of the liberal qualities of his father, and at one time donated one-third of his estate to the city. At one time both Thornton and himself were confined in the Sisters' Hospital for treatment for mental disorder. In a correction to the original article (which had several errors), another writer wrote of Bryan Mullanphy: "His mind sometimes got off track, otherwise he was far above the average of lawyers even in those days. In manners, education, habits, sentiment and principle he was a man of honor in the sense bot of honestly and chivalry." Mullanphy was mayor from 1847-1848. Miss Ann Mullanphy, daughter of John Mullanphy, married a Maj. Biddle, who was afterwards killed in a duel with Mr. Pettis, fought at Bloody Island. Indeed, both principals fought at five paces. The widow. Mrs. Biddle, built a female orphans' asylum upon her husband's death, and gave away enormous sums in charities of various kinds. She built a number of charitable institutions and and even gave up her fine residence in the cause of mercy. Major Biddle and his noble wife now rest together, and the inclosed monument at Tenth and Biddle streets is an interesting remembrance of the good works done in life. The property of the Mullanphy family is divided up well and is in good bands. If the monument referred to here is the burial place of the Biddles, it now stands in Calvary Cemetery. Among the descendants of the Mullanphys are the Frosts. Confederate Gen. Daniel M. Frost's daughter donated funds to St. Louis University, and its main campus now bears his name. The Carrs. The famous Carr estate, which was accumulated by the work of Judge Wm. C. Carr, was another handsome property. This was divided up very fine amongst a very numerous family, and is no longer regarded as an important estate. William C. Carr was among the first attorneys in Missouri; he died in 1851. The Colliers. George Collier was the greatest of old time merchants, and by his business tact and perseverance gathered a large fortune together, while most of the old time millionaires got their fortunes by holding on to property until its value compounded and compounded. Mr. Collier made his by legitimate business methods. In this case the property fell to worthy heirs. The daughters of Mr. Collier were well married and the sons are prosperous business men. Robert Campbell made an immense fortune through trading with Native Americans. His three sons inherit this and as they possess enough or the thrifty Scotch attributes of their father to take good care of it, it is apt to remain in the family. The sons were all bachelors; their home is now the Campbell House Museum . William Russell was one of the most successful land speculators the West has ever produced. His ventures were made in all parts of the country and were almost invariably successful, and at his death be left about $2,000,000. A large proportion of this went to Mrs. Thos. Allen, his daughter. Russell Avenue is named for William Russell; after the death of his daughter, Ann Allen, her family developed a subdivision on the land he owned. The Wiggins Estate was a fine one, having been made by three brothers, Samuel, Charles and William Wiggins, out of their ferry. They owned two ferryboats and about 1,000 acres of land about half a century ago, and their interest grew with the area. Finally the owners of the company became alarmed at the bridge project and disposed of their rights. The money found various outlets, and William Wiggins, who had the largest portion of it, went at a good pace for a long time, and, being of a very free and warm-hearted disposition, gave away a great deal in one way or another. "Billy" was one of the most popular men about town and found no end of friends who were willing to accept his bounty. Of late he has devoted much of his time to hunting, being of an ardent sportsman and of late he has been seldom seen in St. Louis. Bernard Pratte was a man of very large property, and was at one time mayor of the city. His estate was well divided up, and as such cannot be quoted as important. Mrs. Dr. Robinson, who died a short time ago, was a daughter of Mr. Pratte. Pratte was mayor from 1844-1846. John B. Sarpy was another representative of the old French element, and his possessions in real estate acquired a great value. He was also largely interested in the fur trade and made a great deal of money in that way. Col. Don Morrison married one of his daughters. The Blows. Henry Taylor Blow was a Virginian, and one of the most remarkable men that ever attained prominence in business and political circles in this state. He made vast sums of money in the white lead business and at his mining and smelting works at Granby. He married Miss Minerva Grimsley, and by her had a very extensive family. His fortune was a very large one, however, and upon his death several years ago, he left large sums to each of his children. Some of his sons were very expensive livers, and Johnny, who was a very liberal and impulsive young man, lost not time in getting rid of his fortune. His early and untimely death was a matter of regret to his many associates. His brother, Peter Blow, is well known in the social world of St. Louis, and he has also lived up to his fortune. Blow's daughter, Susan Blow, began the first kindergarten in the United States. The Lucas Family is another example where enormous wealth has been gathered through the accumulated value on real estate investments. The family is of old French stock, and retains its possessions, although well divided up among the heirs of the late Judge Lucas. Judge Lucas refers to John Baptiste Charles Lucas, an early settler in St. Louis. His son Charles Lucas was killed in the infamous duel with Thomas Hart Benton . His daughter Anne married Theodore Hunt, then his cousin Wilson Price Hunt. Lucas and Hunt Road's name remembers this part of the family. Lucas Place was developed by John B.C. Lucas, and was once the premier neighborhood in St. Louis. The Campbell House is the sole remaining residence from that neighborhood. Nearly all the people mentioned in this article enslaved people.Why Pete Wicks has been billed the ‘new Giovanni’ by Strictly bosses from risqué songs to romances and even outfits
Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow recordThe U.S. severely lags behind China in shipbuilding capacity, lawmakers and experts have warned, as the Biden administration tries to build up the country's ability to develop and produce weapons and other defense supplies to fend off war. Speaking at a congressional hearing Thursday, Rep. John Moolenaar, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said the country lacks the capacity to “deter and win a fight” with China and called for action. “Bold policy changes and significant resources are now needed to restore deterrence and prevent a fight” with China, Moolenaar said. China’s navy is already the world’s largest, and its shipbuilding capacity, estimated to be 230 times larger, dwarfs that of the U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the ranking Democratic member of the committee, told Fox News last week that “for every one oceangoing vessel that we can produce, China can produce 359 in one single year." The U.S. government has come to see China as its “pacing challenge," and officials have warned that Beijing is pursuing the largest peacetime military buildup in history, raising concerns about how the U.S. would respond and ensure victory in case of a conflict in the Indo-Pacific, where tensions are high in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Krishnamoorthi on Thursday warned that a weak military industrial base could invite aggression and argued that strengthening it is necessary to avoid war with China. “History tells us we need a healthy defense industrial base now to deter aggression and make sure the world’s dictators think again before dragging the U.S. and the world into yet another disastrous conflict,” Krishnamoorthi said. National security adviser Jake Sullivan called it a “generational project” to fix the problem after the American shipbuilding industry had its “bottom fell out” in the early 1980s. “Part of it is we don't have the backbone of a healthy commercial shipbuilding base to rest our naval shipbuilding on top of,” Sullivan said Wednesday at the Aspen Security Forum in Washington . “And that's part of the fragility of what we're contending with and why this is going to be such a generational project to fix.” The challenge in shipbuilding has been “especially immense,” stemming from the hollowing-out of the U.S. manufacturing base where its workforce shrank and suppliers left, Sullivan said. And it is part of the broader problem of a weakened U.S. military industrial base, as manifested in the weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, Sullivan said, when Kyiv in eight weeks “burned through a year's worth of U.S. 155-millimeter artillery production." “Decades of underinvestments and consolidation had seriously eroded our defense industrial base, and there was no way around it,” Sullivan said. The head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Adm. Samuel Paparo, warned last month that the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East were eating away at critical U.S. weapons stockpiles and could hamper the military’s ability to respond to China should a conflict arise. He said providing or selling billions of dollars worth of air defenses to both Ukraine and Israel were hampering U.S. ability to respond to threats in the Indo-Pacific. “It’s now eating into stocks, and to say otherwise would be dishonest,” he told an audience at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Nov . 19. Several researchers at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said China’s rapid military buildup could allow the country to prevail over the U.S., especially in case of a prolonged conflict. “China’s massive shipbuilding industry would provide a strategic advantage in a war that stretches beyond a few weeks, allowing it to repair damaged vessels or construct replacements much faster than the United States,” the researchers wrote in June. On Thursday, the congressional panel heard suggestions from experts who said it would take time to rebuild the defense industrial base, but for quicker fixes, the U.S. could innovate to make low-cost and autonomous systems and tap resources of its allies. “We need to look at co-production of whether it's munitions in Australia or shipbuilding in Korea,” said William Greenwalt, a non-resident senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank American Enterprise Institute. “We need to get numbers as fast as we can," he said.