
Tech transformation in manufacturing likely to occur before AI adoptionNone
President-elect Donald Trump announced the death of attorney David B. Rivkin Jr. on Truth Social. Trump described Rivkin as a "superstar," stating, "He was a great lawyer, scholar, and defender of mine." Trump extended condolences to Rivkin’s wife, Diana, and family, calling him a loss that will be "greatly missed." Who Was David B. Rivkin?David B. Rivkin Jr. was a notable lawyer and legal academic. He served as a partner at BakerHostetler LLP, co-leading the firm's appellate and major motions group. Rivkin focused on constitutional, administrative, and international law, managing prominent cases during his career. Rivkin received national fame as the head lawyer representing 26 states contesting the legality of the Affordable Care Act. This case arrived at the Supreme Court in 2012 and signified a crucial point in his career. He also represented Croatia at the International Criminal Tribunal and the International Court of Justice. His research concentrated on international humanitarian law and wartime regulations, covering numerous years and intricate topics. Rivkin's knowledge encompassed national security matters. He represented former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in legal cases and oversaw matters related to Bivens actions. Furthermore, he handled legal cases concerning the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, compliance with sanctions, and environmental laws. Between 2004 and 2007, Rivkin acted as an expert member of the United Nations Subcommission on Human Rights. He provided guidance on international law and aided global human rights efforts. While President George H.W. Bush was in office, Rivkin was instrumental in regulatory reform. In his role as Special Assistant for Domestic Policy, he managed initiatives aimed at reducing regulations related to energy and the environment. He played a key role in formulating Order 636, which revamped regulations for natural gas pipelines. Rivkin also occupied important roles in the Department of Energy, concentrating on energy and environmental law. His duties encompassed formulating climate change policies, executing clean energy initiatives, and tackling international regulatory issues. In addition to litigation, Rivkin worked as Legal Advisor to the Counsel for Vice President George H.W. Bush. His professional journey included positions in the White House Counsel’s Office and the Department of Justice, where he contributed to the development of energy and environmental policy. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.World reaches $300 bn climate finance deal at COP29China's expanding navy has added to its capability with a new-generation amphibious assault ship that can launch and land fighter jets. The Sichuan, the nation's largest combat ship in the world's largest navy, was launched Friday in a ceremony at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai, reports. The ship is built to deliver ground troops for combat and provide air support for them. An electromagnetic catapult lets fighter jets launch directly from the Sichuan's deck, per the state news agency Xinhua, and "arrestor technology" enables the jets land on the deck. The USS Gerald R Ford is the only other warship in service with the catapult technology. That system allows Type 076 ships, of which the Sichuan is the first, to launch larger, heavier aircraft—which can carry more fuel and missiles and have a greater operating range, per . The People's Liberation Navy is more than a decade into its modernization effort, which includes developing a fleet that can operate globally—as can the 11 US nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. China's ongoing maritime disputes include several in the South China sea and a conflict with Japan over the Senkaku Islands. And its navy has become increasingly active around Taiwan. The launch of the Sichuan—which is slated for sea trials before going into active service—also sends a message, said a military analyst and former US Navy captain, per CNN. "It demonstrates China's growing maritime power projection capability at a time when the US Navy's commitment and capability for expeditionary, amphibious, and humanitarian assistance missions has diminished significantly," said Carl Schuster. (More stories.)
Welling scores 21 as Utah Valley takes down West Georgia 77-74President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office on January 20, following a victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Here is a timeline capturing pivotal events leading up to Inauguration Day. On December 11, states must submit their certified slates of presidential electors to the U.S. archivist under a 2022 federal law designed to prevent electoral chaos similar to that following Trump's unsuccessful attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. Electors will meet in December to officially select the president and vice president. Critical reforms have since amended the challenge process for electoral outcomes, now requiring one-fifth of both the House and Senate to consider any state's result challenge. On January 6, Harris will oversee the Electoral College vote count. The transition concludes with Trump's inauguration along with Vice President-elect JD Vance on January 20 at 12 p.m. ET. (With inputs from agencies.)
How China Became the World’s Largest Gold Consumer and Producer
NonePresident-elect Trump rewarded the Tesla, X and SpaceX chief for his support during the White House campaign by naming him head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, along with another wealthy ally, Vivek Ramaswamy. Although the office, dubbed DOGE, has a purely advisory role, Musk's star power and intense influence in Trump's inner circle bring political clout. As Musk and Ramaswamy strode into the Capitol for meetings with lawmakers, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson touted "a new day in America." "There's an enormous amount of waste, fraud and abuse," he told reporters. "Government is too big, it does too many things, and it does almost nothing well." Musk and Ramaswamy have said they can identify billions of dollars of cuts in spending, sparking questions about whether Republicans will even try to slash politically popular social security programs. Writing in the Wall Street Journal last month, the two businessmen laid out plans for the White House to cut staff, trim government programs and reduce federal regulations, even if it means bypassing Congress, which holds budgetary power. "The entrenched and ever-growing bureaucracy represents an existential threat to our republic, and politicians have abetted it for too long," Musk and Ramaswamy wrote. "We're doing things differently. We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. During Trump's election campaign, Musk vowed to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion. This would represent cutting total US spending by a third, almost certainly meaning devastation of social support programs -- something that has never garnered strong political backing. Musk's emphasis on firing large numbers of government employees, however, echoes Republican talking points about the need to take on an overbearing state and may garner more support. Musk says he is seeking "mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy." Musk suggested banning government employees from working at home as an opening tactic. "Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome." Cuts will also target subsidies to public broadcasters and groups such as Planned Parenthood, which campaigns for abortion access and offers an array of reproductive health services. But DOGE is unlikely, at least initially, to go after welfare programs such as Social Security or health insurance for the poor and seniors, Ramaswamy said in an interview with Axios on Wednesday. Such cuts should be "a policy decision that belongs to the voters" and their representatives in Congress, Ramaswamy said. A reduction in military spending, which climbed to $820 billion in 2023, is also unlikely to be on the table. Musk's new role raises the question of potential conflicts of interest, since he could be issuing policy recommendations that impact directly on his own business empire. Underlining the close connection to DOGE, Musk's favorite cryptocurrency is called Dogecoin. rle/ev/md/sms/md
MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler will not play in the final two games of Miami's ongoing road trip while recovering from illness, the team said Friday. That means Butler will not play Saturday at Atlanta or Sunday at Houston. The earliest he could play again is Wednesday at home against New Orleans. Butler hasn't played since the first quarter of Miami's Dec. 20 game against Oklahoma City, when he twisted an ankle, left the game and then was ruled out because of illness. Miami has played three games since without Butler, two because of the illness and then Thursday's win in Orlando with him back in Miami conditioning for a return. He is not with the team on the road trip. The Heat said Thursday that they are not going to trade Butler, that announcement coming after ESPN, citing sources, said the six-time All-Star would prefer to be moved before the trade deadline on Feb. 6. Butler has not publicly expressed any desire to be traded. He is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBARajasthan’s centres of excellence to study Tamil Nadu nursery model to promote indigenous trees