Feds suspend ACA marketplace access to companies accused of falsely promising ‘cash cards’The move could usher in an end to a protracted political crisis in the European Union country following the annulment of a presidential election by a top court. Parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote in Romania’s 466-seat legislature. The new coalition is made up of the leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD) the centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL), the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party and national minorities. It caps a month-long period of turmoil in which far-right nationalists made significant gains in a parliamentary election on December 1 a week after a first-round presidential race saw the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu emerge as the front-runner. “It will not be an easy mandate for the future government,” Mr Ciolacu, whose PSD party topped the polls in the parliamentary election, said in a statement. “We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis,” he said. “It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people.” Romania’s 16 ministerial positions will be shared among the parties, which will hold a slim majority in the legislature. It is widely seen as a tactical partnership to shut out far-right nationalists whose voices found fertile ground amid high living costs and a sluggish economy. Mr Ciolacu, who came third in the first-round presidential ballot despite polls indicating he would win the most votes, has served as prime minister since June 2023. After parliament’s approval, President Klaus Iohannis swore in the new government and warned the new Cabinet that it is entering a “difficult new period” in which “for many Romanians, there are major concerns”. Romania was plunged into turmoil after Mr Georgescu’s surprise success in the presidential race, after allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged. Days before the December 8 run-off, the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the presidential race. “We go through complicated times, but I think we all learned from mistakes of the past,” Mr Ciolacu said. “I hope that together with my colleagues in the coalition, we’ll find the best solutions to get past the challenges we have in front of us.” Mr Ciolacu said that the new government would aim to quickly organise the rerun of the presidential election in which the new coalition has agreed to put forward an agreed common pro-European candidate. Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, said that the new government made up of the same political parties will likely embrace “soft populist” rhetoric such as economic patriotism, anti-austerity, and a peace solution in neighbouring Ukraine to counter the rise of far-right populism. “This will be a way to answer the concerns of many Romanians who voted for populists... but will not solve the fundamental problem of trust,” he said. “The only decisive factor now will be who and how convincing the pro-European candidates will be against this popular revolt.” George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which came second in the parliamentary election, said that all politicians from his party on Monday would vote against the Ciolacu government. In 2021, the PSD and the PNL also formed an unlikely but increasingly strained coalition together with UDMR, which exited the Cabinet last year after a power-sharing dispute.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shut down access to the Affordable Care Act marketplace to two health insurance agencies. Here's a look at what's happened.
According to a post-election survey from CBS News/YouGov, the American people are optimistic that our best days are ahead of us. The pollster surveyed 2,232 U.S. adults between November 19-22, and asked, “Do you feel America’s best days are ... in its past ... right now ... [or] in its future.” Only 39 percent said the past, while 50 percent said the future, and 11 percent chose “right now.” Those under 30 chose the future by the widest margin, 60 percent. Those aged 30–44 and aged 45–64 were about tied, choosing the future at 51 percent and 49 percent, respectively. Those 65 and over came in the lowest at 47 percent. It’s heartening to see 60 percent of young people so optimistic. If you believed the corporate media, you’d think the reelection of Donald Trump would put the youth in the doldrums fearing concentration camps and pogroms. Liberals and moderates are not too keen on the future, with only 36 percent and 43 percent choosing that option, respectively. Conservatives obviously buoyed by the recent election, said America’s best days are in the future at a rate of 68 percent. A full 53 percent of Hispanics chose the future, as did a plurality of black Americans, with 44 percent. When you look at the right track/wrong track numbers over the past years, these numbers come into context as a step in the right direction. What a difference an election makes. In a little over 50 days, former President Trump is walking into office with 59 percent approving of his handling of the transition and only 41 percent disapproving. A majority of 55 percent are “happy” or “satisfied” with Trump’s victory, and only 44 percent are “dissatisfied” or “angry.” More voters also approve of Trump’s specific cabinet choices than disapprove. For secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is seen as a good choice by 44 percent, while only 25 percent say he was not a good choice. The rest didn’t know enough about Rubio to answer. To run Health and Human Services, 47 percent say Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a good choice. Only 34 percent disagree. The rest want to know more. For secretary of defense, 33 percent approve of Pete Hegseth, while 28 percent disapprove and 39 percent have not heard enough. The bottom line here is that Trump is finally-finally-finally getting what he should have gotten when he took office the first time in 2017 — which is treated and seen as a legitimate president. The shock of his upset victory against Hillary Clinton combined with the 24/7 media assault of lies (Russia Collusion Hoax, etc.) combined with Trump’s own lack of discipline (this go-around, he was wonderfully disciplined in the closing weeks of the campaign and has been downright presidential during this transition) stole that from him. Instead of being seen as our president, he was seen by too much of the public as a fluke, a mistake, a programming error in the Matrix. The result was no honeymoon period, and it was grotesque to watch and pretty amazing what he managed to still get accomplished. This time it’s different. He won a crushing victory in the Electoral College, he won the popular vote, he won the House and U.S. Senate... Donald Trump is the President of the United States and is seen as such by the American people. And what he’s been through these last eight years to earn what was rightfully his eight years ago finally is how he won the country’s respect, even if it is grudging from some quarters. FREE-FREE-FREE for the holidays: an autographed bookplate if you purchase John Nolte’s first and last novel, BORROWED TIME, between now and December 20. After you’ve made the purchase, email your request to JJMNOLTE at HOTMAIL dot COM with an address and any personalization requests. For example, something like; “To Rachel Levine: The sexiest man alive.” Borrowed Time , is winning five-star raves from everyday readers. You can read an excerpt here and an in-depth review here . Also available in hardcover and on Kindle and Audiobook .
President-elect Donald Trump's repeated support for TikTok has sparked speculation about potential solutions to prevent the app's impending ban in the United States, though the path forward remains unclear. "We got to keep this sucker around for a little while," Trump told supporters on Sunday, just days after meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in Florida. Trump, who credits the wildly popular platform with delivering him a large young user base, opposes banning TikTok partly because he believes it would primarily benefit Meta, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company behind Instagram and Facebook. The situation is complex, according to University of Richmond School of Law professor Carl Tobias, given the various potential solutions and Trump's unpredictable nature. Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation, signed by President Joe Biden in April, that would block TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services unless Beijing-based ByteDance sells its stake by January 19. US officials and lawmakers grew wary of the potential for the Chinese government to influence ByteDance or access the data of TikTok's American users. Even with Trump's decisive election victory and incoming Republican-led Congress, acquiescing to the president-elect's desire and preventing the ban faces significant hurdles. The law enjoyed rare bipartisan support in a divided Washington, making its outright repeal through a vote in Congress politically unlikely even with Trump's influence over Republicans. The Supreme Court may offer the clearest path forward. TikTok has appealed to the nation's highest court, arguing the law violates First Amendment rights to free speech. The court, which is dominated by Trump-aligned conservatives, will hear the case on January 10, just nine days before the ban takes effect. This follows a lower appeals court's unanimous decision to uphold the law in December. Another possibility, according to Tobias, is that a Trump-led Department of Justice could determine ByteDance has addressed the law's national security concerns. However, such a move would likely be seen as caving to China by Congress and others. The final option is ByteDance selling to a non-Chinese buyer, though the company has consistently refused this possibility. With 170 million monthly active users, acquiring TikTok's US operations would require substantial resources. As president, Trump could extend the ban deadline by 90 days to facilitate a transaction. Few potential buyers have emerged, with major tech companies likely deterred by antitrust concerns. Former Trump Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin, who runs a private equity fund backed by Japan's SoftBank Group and Abu Dhabi's Mubadala sovereign wealth fund, has expressed interest. During a recent event with Trump, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son pledged to invest $100 billion in the US economy, though specific investments weren't detailed. Other contenders include US real estate billionaire Frank McCourt, who aims to make social media safer through his Project Liberty organization. Elon Musk, given his proximity to Trump and ownership of X, could also have a role to play, as he has expressed plans to transform the text-focused platform into something more like TikTok. A senior Republican lawmaker recently suggested Trump might orchestrate a "deal of the century" satisfying both US concerns and ByteDance's interests. The chairman of the US House committee on China, John Moolenaar, told Fox News Digital that once ByteDance accepts it must comply with US law, the situation could progress rapidly. Any agreement would need Beijing's approval, with US-China relations expected to remain tense during Trump's upcoming term. This isn't the first attempt to resolve TikTok's US status. In 2020, Trump also threatened a ban unless ByteDance sold its US operations. While Oracle and Walmart reached a preliminary agreement with ByteDance for ownership stakes, legal challenges and the transition to the Biden administration prevented the deal's completion. arp/mlm
Several times following New England’s 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said he wanted to review the game film before making a final assessment of his team’s performance. He did, and on Monday he said the overarching feeling he was left with was one of pride. Going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the NFL is commendable. Mayo also remains confident this group has even more room for growth over its final two games this season. “To be frank, I don’t believe in good losses,” Mayo said. “I think there’s a lot to learn from the game. Look, we’re headed in the right direction, but it’s all about consistency, and we have to do that on a down-after-down, a game-after-game basis to be successful in this league.” What is also clear is that despite their 3-12 record, Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye wants people to know that he and his teammates believe in their coach. No matter what conversations might be going on outside the Patriots locker room regarding shortcomings by the coaching staff, or Mayo’s job status. “We’ve got his back, and he’s coached us hard. He wants to win. We all want to win. We’re all frustrated,” Maye said. “We’re just plays away, and it’s basically me turning the ball over. I think it’s just a testament to these guys that keep fighting. We keep fighting. Shoot, we’re not going to make the playoffs; we’re out of the race, and these guys are coming in, frustrated when we don’t score. ... So, I think we’re building something good, building something that feels right here, and I’m proud to be a Patriot.” What’s working The Patriots entered the week scoring only 7.5 points per game in the first half this season, which ranked 29th in the NFL. The offense woke up with 14 points in the first half on Sunday, notching multiple offensive touchdowns in the first half for the first time in 2024. New England Patriots safety Marte Mapu (15) intercepts a pass against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y.. Credit: AP/Gene J. Puskar What needs help Stopping the run has been an issue for New England’s defense for most of the season and it was on display against the Bills. With Buffalo trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, running back James Cook sliced through the interior of the Patriots defense and broke free for a 46-yard TD run. It was a big chunk of Buffalo’s 172 yards on the ground for the game. Stock up CB Jonathan Jones. He was tasked with being the primary defender on Buffalo’s top receiver Khalil Shakir for most of the game. The veteran held his own, helping limit the Bills’ leader in catches and receiving yards to only two catches for 22 yards on six targets. Jones also forced a fumble by Shakir in the fourth quarter, though Shakir was able to recover it. Stock down Marte Mapu. The linebacker started at safety with Jabrill Peppers sidelined with a hamstring injury. Mapu was strong for most of the game and had a chance to set up the Patriots offense in the second quarter when he snagged his second career interception, picking off Josh Allen’s pass in the end zone. But Mapu decided to run the ball out of the end zone and was tackled on the New England 1-yard line. The poor starting field position eventually led to a punt and the Patriots couldn’t add to their 14-7 lead. Injuries The Patriots didn’t announce any injuries during the game. But along with Peppers, cornerback Marcus Jones also sat out with a hip injury. Key number 2-6 — The Patriots’ record in one-score games this season. Four of those have been by three or fewer points. Next steps The Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday.California Water Service Group exec Michael Luu sells $50,727 in stock
Browder named NABC national player of week
Catherine, Princess of Wales, offered a rare reflection on during an interaction at her annual carol service, “Together At Christmas.” Kate , William, Prince of Wales. In a video shared by British broadcast station Channel 5 News on , Kate is seen talking about her challenging year after singer Paloma Faith inquired about how she was doing. “This year has been full of surprises,” Kate can be heard answering. “The unplanned,” Faith offered, to which Kate nodded and repeated, “The unplanned, exactly.” “But I know I’m not alone. So many people have faced their own challenges this year,” Kate added. The private and often reserved 42-year-old’s words offered a rare glimpse into her experience with cancer, a journey that prompted her to step back from public duties to undergo treatment. In September, Kate announced that in a post shared on social media in which she described the journey as "complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you." “As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment," she continued in her message." The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.” In March 2024, Kate revealed that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer. In November, William described the past year — which, in addition to his wife's diagnosis with cancer, saw his father, King Charles III, also — as "dreadful." “It’s probably been the hardest year in my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult,” he said during a trip to Cape Town, Africa, according to . “But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done.” Alex Portée is a senior trending reporter at TODAY Digital and is based in Los Angeles.
Exelixis stock hits 52-week high at $36.6 amid robust growth