treasures ofaztec
NonePatriots turn their attention to the future after being eliminated from playoff contention
JUIF slams Chitral admin for musical event CHITRAL: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) leader and former tehsil nazim Maulana Muhammad Ilyas has criticised the district administration for organizing a musical event at the Polo Ground on Thursday night. “It is also a matter of concern that the elected representatives from the area enjoyed the music festival despite the fact that the people of both the districts are on the roads seeking redressal of their grievances,” JUIF leader Maulana Muhammad Ilyas told a press conference here. JUIF Chitral tehsil head Pir Sarwar Nadeem, Maulana Aftab Ilahi, Maulana Inam-ul-Haq and others were also present on the occasion. Maulana Ilyas said that such events tarnish the moral and cultural values of Chitral, transforming its dignified environment into one lacking decency. He described the gathering as an invitation to Allah’s wrath. He urged the people of Chitral to collectively and individually seek forgiveness and turn to Allah. He criticized the elected representatives’ absence from a prolonged protest camp at Bazaar Bridge, where citizens were voicing their grievances over the electricity crisis. “However, these same representatives found time to attend an indecent gathering on the sacred night of Friday,” he said, adding that the event disturbed the peace of residents near the Polo Ground. Maulana Ilyas extended his support to the sentiments expressed by prominent scholar Maulana Israr-ud-Din Al-Hilal, who had condemned the event on social media. He also criticized the deputy commissioner of Lower Chitral, advising him to focus on addressing public issues instead of indulging in such activities. The JUIF leader announced that the party would deliberate on the future line of action to address this matter.WASHINGTON — The man tapped to be Donald Trump’s top legislative liaison will face challenges on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue as he manages a mercurial boss and tough math in both chambers of Congress. If the president-elect’s late-night and pre-sunrise social media blasts about legislation and lawmakers don’t prove challenging enough for former congressional aide James Braid and his incoming White House legislative affairs staff, the tight margins in what will be the Republican-run House and Senate will likely only further complicate matters. But Republican sources say Braid’s history in conservative circles should help the Trump team clear any potential hurdles, predicting several legislative wins next year. Braid is a former policy director for the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus and was a staffer for former South Carolina GOP Rep. Mark Sanford and for North Carolina Republican Ted Budd, when he served in the House. He most recently was a senior aide to Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the incoming vice president. “James is a very serious staffer. He works so hard and puts a lot of blood, sweat and tears into whatever he’s working on,” a former Senate GOP aide who has worked directly with Braid said this week. “I could see James and Trump getting along very well. Both are very ‘America First.’ They’re both very boisterous and full of energy — and they’re both hardcore and get-down-to-business guys.” A veteran of the first Trump administration as a legislative affairs aide in the White House Office of Management and Budget, Braid will be able to “tap into his vast well of knowledge about the appropriations process,” according to the former Senate GOP aide. “He’s a strategic thinker and has a lot of political savvy, and is someone who has a history of working with coalitions to get things done,” the former aide added. ‘One of the toughest jobs’ Several Republican sources this week said Trump and his incoming team were eager to, as one said, “put points on the board early.” That means Braid will be busy even before Day 1, as sources noted that House and Senate Republicans and their aides already have begun to look toward the new Congress and advancing Trump’s agenda. G. William Hoagland, a former senior Senate Republican staffer, said in an email that Braid will have “one of the toughest jobs in the White House.” “I would expect there could be some real shouting matches, or at least difficult discussions, with Trump as to why [Braid] cannot get certain House members to fall in line, unlike 2017, when Republicans had nearly a 40-seat majority,” added Hoagland, now with the Bipartisan Policy Center. “I don’t envy his job at all and he will be inundated with outside advisers — Elon Musk, etc. — not to mention new Cabinet officers and [OMB Director pick] Russ Vought.” Vought, who also served as acting OMB director toward the end of Trump’s initial term, could push Braid particularly hard from the White House side of Pennsylvania Avenue. Vought was also a key driver of the conservative Heritage Foundation-led “Project 2025” initiative which calls for deep cuts to federal programs and spending as well as a major overhaul of the federal apparatus — all of which would need Congress’ blessing. “Based on the conversations that I’ve had with the Trump team and some folks who are probably going in [the administration], a big part of what that will be, at least at the start, will be going after the ‘woke’ and weaponized pieces of appropriations,” the former Senate GOP aide said. “And also dealing with Ukraine aid, if that conflict isn’t already over by March,” when a potential pre-recess stopgap spending measure could be due to expire. (Lawmakers are expected this month to extend government funding through the early spring.) Braid did not respond to a message seeking an interview. Nor did Vance’s Senate office. Working the margins Republicans expect to move out on fast-track budget legislation under Congress’ special reconciliation rules, but crafting legislation that both moderate and conservative members can support has been tricky in the past. Finding a way to get that done will be crucial, GOP sources said, because any reconciliation legislation likely would not garner a single Democratic vote in either chamber. “It may be that James’ biggest issue for his future in that position is to quickly establish a good working relationship with the House leadership team including both the speaker’s and minority leader’s offices,” Hoagland said. “This is critical, given the margins.” With the last House race being called by The Associated Press early Wednesday, House Republicans will hold just a paper-thin majority next year — 220-215, assuming full attendance. That margin is, at least temporarily, on track to shrink in the early months of next year. Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who resigned from Congress last month shortly before withdrawing from consideration to be Trump’s attorney general, has said he will not return next year despite winning a fifth term in November. Two other members are expected to depart to join the new administration — New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the House GOP conference chair who is Trump’s pick to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Florida Rep. Michael Waltz, the incoming national security adviser. While special elections are organized and held for those seats, Braid will have his work cut out for him maneuvering members of a House GOP conference that the former senior aide quipped “can go at each other often.” But in doing so, the former aide noted, Braid will have a political reality on his side during the sometimes-testy talks about the contents of legislation. “Remember, all those House members are up for reelection in two years,” he said. “So going against Trump won’t be very wise if they don’t want a primary opponent. I’d expect them to, eventually, fall in line.” Aaron Cutler, a former House GOP leadership aide, said in an email this week that “with tight margins in both chambers, Braid’s task will be to maximize every opportunity for legislative success,” adding: “By focusing on shared priorities and leveraging the president’s strong connection with the Republican base, they’ll have an opportunity to secure wins even in a closely divided Congress.” Beyond the fast-track reconciliation bills, however, Trump and Braid would need to secure at least some Democratic votes for other priorities. Some members of the opposition party already this week were giving Republicans some subtle advice. “Our divisions still run very deep, but our task in this chamber cannot and will not change,” Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer, fresh off being elected by his conference to continue in his role, said Tuesday. “We are sent here to make life better for the American people.” ©2024 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
WASHINGTON D.C., DC — President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, Trump’s choice for solicitor general. The argument submitted to the court is the latest example of Trump inserting himself in national issues before he takes office. The Republican president-elect has already begun negotiating with other countries over his plans to impose tariffs, and he intervened earlier this month in a plan to fund the federal government, calling for a bipartisan plan to be rejected and sending Republicans back to the negotiating table. He has been holding meetings with foreign leaders and business officials at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida while he assembles his administration, including a meeting last week with TikTok CEO Shou Chew. Trump has reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined the TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He said earlier this year that he still believed there were national security risks with TikTok, but that he opposed banning it. The filings Friday come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The law was was signed by President Joe Biden in April after it passed Congress with broad bipartisan support. TikTok and ByteDance filed a legal challenge afterwards. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” In their brief to the Supreme Court on Friday, attorneys for TikTok and its parent company ByteDance argued the federal appeals court erred in its ruling and based its decision on “alleged ‘risks’ that China could exercise control” over TikTok’s U.S. platform by pressuring its foreign affiliates. The Biden administration has argued in court that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its connections to China. Officials say Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok’s U.S. patrons or use the platform to spread or suppress information. But the government “concedes that it has no evidence China has ever attempted to do so,” TikTok’s legal filing said, adding that the U.S. fears are predicated on future risks. In its filing Friday, the Biden administration said because TikTok “is integrated with ByteDance and relies on its propriety engine developed and maintained in China,” its corporate structure carries with it risk.
Deal on Elgin Marbles ‘still some distance’ away, says George Osborne
NoneCongress MP Rakibul Hussain has alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma resorted to controversial tactics, including hosting a beef party, to sway minority voters in Samaguri during the recently concluded elections. The allegations were made during a press conference on November 30, following the BJP's surprising win in the constituency. Hussain, whose son was the Congress candidate in Samaguri and faced defeat, claimed that Sarma’s actions were politically motivated to influence the voting patterns of minority communities. “Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma organized beef feasts to win the favour of minority voters,” Hussain alleged, adding that such tactics represent a stark departure from the BJP’s typical stance on such issues. Also Read: Samaguri has historically been a Congress stronghold, making BJP’s victory a significant political upset. However, these allegations have further fueled the political debate in the state, as parties prepare for future electoral battles. The BJP has not yet issued a response to Congress MP Hussain’s claims. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has revealed the BJP’s focused strategy for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, asserting that the party is actively working to strengthen its presence in constituencies with significant minority populations. Speaking to the media, CM Sarma identified Rupohi, Samaguri, Laharighat, East Goalpara, South Karimganj, and North Karimganj as key constituencies where BJP has started preparations for a serious electoral contest.Former female sports greats, media figures, and even a conservative lawmaker tore into a recent New York Times article for referring to women as “non-transgender women.” Tennis legend Martina Navratilova and other prominent people blasted the piece online for the characterization, stating the outlet should just be referring to biological women as women. “NYT- you stink. We are women, NOT TRANSGENDER WOMEN. Just WOMEN will do in the future,” Navratilova wrote on the social media platform on Friday. The Times published an article Thursday which documented the inner turmoil of a women’s college volleyball team – the San Jose State University Spartans – attempting to field a transgender female player in upcoming tournament games. The attempt to get the trans player to compete has caused division, not only in the league, but among team members, some of whom are suing their own team. The outlet reported, “Earlier this month, a senior co-captain of the Spartans and the assistant coach filed a lawsuit to stop the transgender athlete from playing in this week’s Mountain West Conference tournament, claiming that she violates Title IX rights to gender equity at federally funded institutions.” The co-captain was joined by 10 female volleyball players, most of whom are on other teams that play against the Spartans. The Times described the situation as a “complicated mess,” noting that “some of the Spartans no longer talk to one another at practice or outside of games” and adding that even the head coach – who supports the trans student – “has stopped talking to some players off the court, too.” The Times reporter Juliet Macur appeared to step into the debate as well, as further down in her piece, she employed the term “non-transgender women” as one way to distinguish biological women. Describing some of the science that fuels that debate as to whether trans women can compete in women’s sport, Macur wrote, “On its website, the N.C.A.A. says trans volleyball players are eligible to play if their testosterone level is less than 10 nanomoles per liter — that’s at least four times more than what many experts say is the top of the range for non-transgender women, and in the typical range for adult men.” At other points in the piece, the reporter also referred to the biological female athletes as “athletes assigned female at birth.” Frustrated social media users trashed these controversial descriptions of women. British Olympian and activist Sharron Davies posted, “Written in the NYT ... women are now Non-transgender women! Just wow! How anyone can say this isn’t a men’s rights movement I’ll never know, whilst women lose their rights, their words, their safeguards, their sports, their sex discrimination laws... I will never understand.” Anti-trans activism account “WomenAreReal” addressed the outlet on X, stating, “Hey @nytimes Don’t call us ‘non-transgender women.’ Just stop it. Stop all the offensive terms for us.” The account listed other politically correct terms trans activists have used to referred to biological women, including, “birthing parent,” “uterus haver,” “menstruator,” and “vaginal presenting.” “We are WOMEN!” the account added. Journalist Tiffany Wong posted, “LMAO, New York Times is calling normal, sane women ‘non-transgender women.’” Conservative journalist Andy Ngo remarked, “In woke ideology, there are only transgender women and non-transgender women.” Even Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., trashed the outlet, stating, “The New York Times, everybody, where women are defined as ‘non-transgender women.’ What bs. #HoldTheLine.” Fox News Digital reached out to The New York Times for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
Teaching maths through puppetry, cardboard rolls, bicycles
RJ Johnson, Daylen Berry lift Charleston Southern to surprising 83-79 victory over Miami
Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump’s most contentious picks
Unretired two-time Pro Bowl LB Shaquil Barrett signs to resume career with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
RJ Johnson, Daylen Berry lift Charleston Southern to surprising 83-79 victory over Miami, /PRNewswire/ -- (NASDAQ: KITT), a leading innovator in autonomous subsea robotics and software, recently completed a project for a second global supermajor oil and gas company in the (GOM) to perform a subsea field inspection utilizing its flagship underwater vehicle, Aquanaut Mark 2. Nauticus' Autonomous Solutions team completed the inspection in the GOM last month. The scope involved multiple days of executing visual inspections of subsea assets. This demonstration aimed to validate the ability of Nauticus' technology to fulfill the customer's subsea technology roadmap. Nauticus and the customer are discussing 2025 projects. Nauticus' CEO and President, , commented, "We are excited to be in collaboration with another critical customer. Our mutual goal is the enhancement of decision-making while minimizing environmental impact. By deploying autonomous technology, we can materially reduce daily diesel fuel consumption and associated emissions for each Aquanaut in operation." Nauticus Robotics, Inc. develops autonomous robots for the ocean industries. Autonomy requires the extensive use of sensors, artificial intelligence, and effective algorithms for perception and decision allowing the robot to adapt to changing environments. The company's business model includes using robotic systems for service, selling vehicles and components, and licensing of related software to both the commercial and defense business sectors. Nauticus has designed and is currently testing and certifying a new generation of vehicles to reduce operational cost and gather data to maintain and operate a wide variety of subsea infrastructure. Besides a standalone service offering and forward-facing products, Nauticus' approach to ocean robotics has also resulted in the development of a range of technology products for retrofit/upgrading traditional ROV operations and other third-party vehicle platforms. Nauticus' services provide customers with the necessary data collection, analytics, and subsea manipulation capabilities to support and maintain assets while reducing their operational footprint, operating cost, and greenhouse gas emissions, to improve offshore health, safety, and environmental exposure. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Act"), and are intended to enjoy the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by the Act as well as protections afforded by other federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements include but are not limited to: the expected timing of product commercialization or new product releases; customer interest in Nauticus' products; estimated operating results and use of cash; and Nauticus' use of and needs for capital. Generally, statements that are not historical facts, including statements concerning possible or assumed future actions, business strategies, events, or results of operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements may be preceded by, followed by, or include the words "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "forecasts," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "plans," "scheduled," "anticipates," "intends," or "continue" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results, or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Nauticus' management's current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events. There can be no assurance that the events, results, or trends identified in these forward-looking statements will occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Nauticus is not under any obligation and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update, alter, or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers should carefully review the statements set forth in the reports which Nauticus has filed or will file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for a more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and that could cause actual outcomes to be materially different from those indicated in the forward-looking statements made by the Company, in particular the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in documents filed from time to time with the SEC, including Nauticus' Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on . Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties, or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated, or expected. The documents filed by Nauticus with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's website at . View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Nauticus Robotics, Inc. Get local news delivered to your inbox!