Ethiopia and Somalia agree to hold ‘technical talks’ over breakaway Somaliland regionNebraska's auditor on Wednesday questioned the creation of a private foundation that has helped fund the secretary of state's overseas trade missions for two years but is "beholden to no one." Established in 2022, the Nebraska Secretary of State Foundation has raised and spent relatively modest amounts in support of Secretary of State Bob Evnen's official trips to faraway nations and domestic dinners where Evnen hosted foreign diplomats. Still, Auditor Mike Foley questioned the foundation's apparent mixing of private and public resources and wasteful use of taxpayer dollars in an audit released Wednesday that raises broader questions about the foundation's role in state government. "No one has access to their books. No one knows when they meet. And they're helping to fund a core function in state government," Foley told the Journal Star. "And I'm nervous about that. I really want the Legislature to take a look at this. Even though it's a fairly new foundation and the monies are small right now, this could develop into something more serious." In a statement, Evnen, a Republican who was first elected secretary of state in 2018 and reelected in 2022, said his office appreciates "the professionalism of the auditor’s office in conducting this review of our international trade mission work." "We have clarified for the auditor’s office some of the questions that were raised, and we will give serious consideration to their other suggestions," Evnen said. Nebraska's secretary of state serves myriad roles in state government, but Wednesday's probe focuses on the Secretary of State Foundation's involvement in Evnen's role as the state's chief diplomat responsible for promoting commercial, educational and cultural exchanges between the state and foreign countries. In that role, Evnen has traveled abroad five times since February 2022, including a February trip to Kenya that is the subject of the bulk of Foley's office's audit. Ahead of the trip, a deputy secretary of state in Evnen's office sent an email to the director of Nebraska's Corn Board asking the state-funded board to sponsor a reception Evnen's office planned to host at a hotel in Nairobi. The board's director agreed to give $500 to pay for food costs at the reception but specifically said the money should not be used to purchase alcohol. Evnen's office sent the Corn Board a $500 invoice on state letterhead Feb. 5 directing the board to make checks payable to the private Secretary of State Foundation. But it was ultimately the state that paid for the food at the reception, not the foundation, which instead paid $1,514.52 for alcohol and other beverages at the reception, including wine, whisky, gin, vodka, lager, sodas, water and juices, according to Wednesday's audit. In a response to Foley's office's findings included in the published audit, Evnen's office said it "does not have control over the Secretary of State Foundation" but said the foundation had confirmed that it did not use the funds provided by the Corn Board for alcohol. The auditor's office, in response, questions "the notion that the Secretary of State’s office lacks any control over the foundation," noting that state employees in Evnen's office were "clearly directing what invoices were to be paid by the foundation — including negotiating specific payment terms." In fact, the audit suggests Evnen and his staff appear to have played "an active role in both creating the foundation and managing its ongoing financial affairs." At least once, the foundation issued a check to Evnen himself, paying Nebraska's top election official $3,855.16 in December 2022, apparently reimbursing Evnen for a dinner at an Omaha steakhouse where Evnen's office hosted the Kuwaiti ambassador. That payment came early in the Secretary of State Foundation's existence. Among the first deposits into the foundation was $9,335.73 from the NebraskaLand Foundation, a separate private nonprofit that had received $12,200 from state agencies the year before it poured money into the Secretary of State Foundation, suggesting the initial deposit included at least some taxpayer dollars. Foley's office's audit also raises questions over inconsistent registration fees that Evnen's office has charged varying state entities to attend trade missions and the purchase of expensive business class plane tickets for the trip to Kenya that cost nearly three times as much as coach tickets. The audit also questioned why Evnen's office paid for five hotel rooms for two nights in Nairobi while the delegates who had occupied the rooms spent those nights on a personal safari in Maasai Mara. Those costs were ultimately reimbursed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — but were nonetheless a frustration for Foley, who said state actors sometimes tend to think of federal dollars as "monopoly money." "Well, I file a federal tax return, too," the auditor said. 2024 Nebraska high school football state championship matchups Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com . On Twitter @andrewwegley Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Democrats plan to elect new party leader just days after Trump's inauguration
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Bitdeer Technologies Group ( NASDAQ:BTDR – Get Free Report ) was the target of a large increase in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 12,450,000 shares, an increase of 27.7% from the November 30th total of 9,750,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 6,160,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.0 days. Approximately 36.7% of the shares of the company are sold short. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bitdeer Technologies Group A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Mirabella Financial Services LLP purchased a new position in Bitdeer Technologies Group during the third quarter worth $5,872,000. D1 Capital Partners L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Bitdeer Technologies Group during the second quarter valued at $5,386,000. Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in Bitdeer Technologies Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $5,074,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in Bitdeer Technologies Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,617,000. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in Bitdeer Technologies Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,510,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 22.25% of the company’s stock. Bitdeer Technologies Group Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ BTDR opened at $23.65 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $14.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.34. The company has a market capitalization of $2.65 billion, a PE ratio of -45.48 and a beta of 2.27. Bitdeer Technologies Group has a 12-month low of $5.23 and a 12-month high of $26.24. Analyst Ratings Changes Read Our Latest Report on BTDR About Bitdeer Technologies Group ( Get Free Report ) Bitdeer Technologies Group operates as a technology company for blockchain and computing. It offers hash rate sharing solutions, including Cloud hash rate and Hash rate marketplace; and a one-stop mining machine hosting solutions encompassing deployment, maintenance, and management services for efficient cryptocurrency mining; as well as mines cryptocurrencies for its own account. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bitdeer Technologies Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bitdeer Technologies Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
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WEST PALM BEACH, Florida: President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an “America First” national security agenda for the incoming administration, will come into the role as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year in February. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, and said “He was with me right from the beginning! Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!” Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, was chief of staff of the National Security Council and then stepped in as an acting security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned. As special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Kellogg will have to navigate an increasingly untenable war between the two nations. The Biden administration has begun urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of troops as young as 18. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in less than months. Trump has criticized the billions that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine. Washington has recently stepped up weapons shipments and has forgiven billions in loans provided to Kyiv. The incoming Republican president has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. As a co-chairman of the American First Policy Institute’s Center for American Security, Kellogg wrote several of the chapters in the group’s policy book. The book, like the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025,” is a move to lay out a Trump national security agenda and avoid the mistakes of 2016 when he entered the White House largely unprepared. Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” Kellogg was a character in multiple Trump investigations dating to his first term. He was among the administration officials who listened in on the July 2019 call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in which Trump prodded his Ukrainian counterpart to pursue investigations into the Bidens. The call, which Kellogg would later say did not raise any concerns on his end, was at the center of the first of two House impeachment cases against Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate both times. On Jan. 6, 2021, hours before pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol, Kellogg, who was then Pence’s national security adviser, listened in on a heated call in which Trump told his vice president to object or delay the certification in Congress of President Joe Biden ‘s victory. He later told House investigators that he recalled Trump saying to Pence words to the effect of: “You’re not tough enough to make the call.”
Unused railroad tracks, background, veer from the main line, foreground, into the woods at Danville Junction in Auburn. The unused tracks could become part of a proposed rail-to-trail project connecting Lewiston and Auburn, Brunswick and Portland with a 72-mile corridor for biking and walking. Auburn officials appear to support turning the rail bed into a trail. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal file AUBURN — City officials are expected to take up a resolution next week in support of using the inactive St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad between Auburn and Portland as part of a proposed 72-mile Casco Bay Trail. During a council workshop earlier this month, city councilors and Mayor Jeff Harmon appeared on board with a proposal to turn the line into an “interim trail,” meaning the tracks and ties would be removed and turned into a multiuse trail, while the corridor would remain available for possible future rail use. However, rail advocates sitting on the Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council have argued for a “rail with trail” approach, where a trail would be built alongside the tracks in order to preserve both uses. When reached Wednesday, Harmon said “no one has shown me a viable case” for maintaining the section of rail in question for either freight or passenger rail. He said building a trail next to the rail line is estimated to cost $100 million, while building a trail on the rail bed would be roughly half that. The Casco Bay Trail is a proposed 72-mile off-road trail loop connecting Portland, Lewiston-Auburn, Brunswick and Freeport. A major part of the loop is a section of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad known as the Berlin subdivision, which runs between Danville Junction in Auburn and the future site of the Roux Institute in Portland. Harmon added that if passenger rail was eyed for the line, the current tracks designed for slow-moving freight would have to be replaced either way. From a commuter standpoint, he said, “we’re better off with buses.” If 30 to 40 years from now, there’s a viable rail option, the rail line can be flipped back, he argues. “I’m not opposed to rail where it makes sense,” he said. “Right now, this asset is sitting there unused. We’re way better off getting a recreational asset out of this.” However, rail advocates argue that even though reverting back to a rail use could be done, it would likely be unpopular among users of the trail, not to mention the political implications of spending millions to lay down new rail line on top of the millions of dollars worth of trail work. Bruce Sleeper of TrainRiders Northeast said the “rail with trail” option may cost more, but could be done incrementally, and would preserve the potential economic benefit from rail use in the future. Peter Cole of Maine Rail Group also supports the rail with trail option. He told Auburn officials that Maine will be growing in population over the next several decades and the car-centric transportation system “is spreading ourselves out instead of taking advantage of a transit system.” He said operating trains uses the least amount of energy of any transit system. If approved, the resolution is only a symbolic support of the proposal, which Harmon said will be taken up by the Maine Legislature. Even if the legislature supports the plan, he said, it would still need to appropriate funding for engineering, and then eventually construction. Sue-Ellen Boardwell of Casco Bay Trail Alliance urged Auburn to support the resolution in favor of the trail, stating that it will “open Auburn to the possibilities of becoming a trail town,” with the associated economic benefit. In 2023, the Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council voted on three potential options, with “interim trail” receiving seven votes, “rail with trail” receiving five votes, and “rail use only” receiving one vote. At the time, the Maine Rail Transit Coalition said the vote to tear out the tracks for a recreational trail “will go down in infamy.” However, the Casco Bay Trail Alliance called it “a very important development in the progress toward an off-road trail connecting Portland, Lewiston and Brunswick.” There is another rail line connecting Auburn to Portland that is still in use for freight trains, which has also been eyed for possible passenger service in the future. A Casco Bay Trail Alliance map shows the proposed 72-mile trail loop. The section between Portland and Auburn is the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad, while the section in green would have to be made through connections to other railroads through Auburn into Lewiston. 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Manhattan Beach Fire Chief Mike Lang to retire, city announcesLOS ANGELES (AP) — Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell says it was a really easy decision to sign with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the presence of three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani played a part, too. Snell was introduced Tuesday at Dodger Stadium accompanied by his agent Scott Boras. The left-hander finalized a $182 million, five-year contract last Saturday. “It was really easy just cause me and Haeley wanted to live here, it’s something we’ve been talking about for a while,” Snell said, referring to his girlfriend. “Then you look at the team. You look at what they’ve built, what they’re doing. It’s just something you want to be a part of.” Last month, Snell opted out of his deal with San Francisco to become a free agent for the second consecutive offseason after he was slowed by injuries during his lone year with the San Francisco Giants. Snell gets a $52 million signing bonus, payable on Jan. 25, and annual salaries of $26 million, of which $13.2 million each year will be deferred . Because Snell is a Washington state resident, the signing bonus will not be subject to California income tax. “It just played out the way that people around me felt comfortable with, I felt comfortable with, they felt comfortable with,” Snell said. “We talked and found something that could work for both of us. You want your worth, you want your respect, and you want enough time to where you can really make a name for yourself. I've made a name for myself outside of LA, but I'm going to be invested.” Two-way star Ohtani, who signed a record $700 million, 10-year deal a year ago, had a historic first season with the Dodgers. He helped them win the franchise's eighth World Series while playing only as designated hitter and became MVP in the National League for the first time after twice winning the award while in the American League. “It helps with him in the lineup for sure. That’s big motivation,” Snell said. “You want to be around players like that when you’re trying to be one of the best in the game. Yeah, it played a big part.” Snell joins Ohtani and fellow Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto atop Los Angeles’ rotation. All-Star Tyler Glasnow will be back after having his first season in LA derailed by a sprained elbow. Ohtani didn’t pitch this year while recovering from right elbow surgery but is expected back on the mound in 2025. The rest of the rotation includes Tony Gonsolin, Landon Knack, Dustin May, Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan. Story continues below video “I pitched on six-man, five-man, four-man rotations,” Snell said. “I'm good with it all as long as we have a plan, we'll execute it.” Snell, who turns 32 on Wednesday, went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts this year, throwing a no-hitter at Cincinnati on Aug. 2 for one of only 16 individual shutouts in the major leagues this season. He struck out 145 and walked 44 in 104 innings. He was sidelined between April 19 and May 22 by a strained left adductor and between June 2 and July 9 by a strained left groin. Snell won Cy Young Awards in 2018 with Tampa Bay and 2023 with San Diego. He is 76-58 with a 3.19 ERA in nine seasons with the Rays (2016-20), Padres (2021-23) and Giants. He has known Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations, since he was 18. In the aftermath of winning the World Series and discussing how the Dodgers could repeat next year, Friedman said, “All conversations kept coming back to Blake.” “Usually in major league free agency, you're buying the backside of a guy's career, the accomplishments that they have had,” he said. “With Blake, one thing that's really exciting for us is, as much success as he's had, we feel like there's more in there." Snell was 2-2 against the Dodgers in his career. “We couldn’t beat him, so we’re going to have him join us,” Friedman said. .___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB