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Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’How does someone like Kendrick Lamar cap off best year of his career? By dropping a surprise album named after one of the greatest American sports cars of all time. The Los Angeles rapper’s sixth studio album, GNX , popped up on streaming services out of nowhere on Friday afternoon. Lamar has yet to reveal why he named the record what he did—and is unlikely to—but considering that its cover features him leaning against a 1987 Buick GNX , it’s hard to imagine the two aren’t related. If you’re going to name something after a car the GNX is a strong choice. Looking to capitalize on its success in the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series the automaker released a performance version of the Regal Sports called the Grand National in 1982. This two-door featured a bigger version of the base model’s turbocharged V-6 and other sporty upgrades. It was only supposed to be a limited edition but the variant proved to be enough of a hit that it was brought back in 1984 with an even more potent engine and its now trademark all-black guise. The best was yet to come. In 1987, just as the second-gen Regal was nearing its end, the company released an even more powerful version called the GNX. This experimental version (hence the X) was co-developed with McLaren Performance Technologies and featured turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 that made over 300 hp and 400 ft lbs of torque, allowing it to hit 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and to top out at 124 mph. It was also more exclusive, with just 547 examples rolling off the line during its only year of production. The Grand National is a good sports car, but the GNX is a legend considered by some to be the last truly great muscle car (though Dodge Viper fans may disagree). It’s also become a pop culture fixture thanks to its ultra-cool blacked-out appearance, appearing in countless TV shows, like Watchmen , and movies, like the Fast & Furious series. Kendrick is clearly a fan. Even before the release of GNX , the emcee wasn’t afraid to share his love of the vehicle. In March, he revealed he’d bought an example of the car on his formerly private Instagram burner account, and wrote “the best thing you can do is find a gnx.” He’s certainly not alone in feeling that way.
Clintons urge voters agitated by today's politics to remain involved in public service
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jao Ituka led Jacksonville State over East Carolina on Thursday night with 18 points off of the bench in an 86-78 victory. Ituka shot 5 for 10 (2 for 6 from 3-point range) and 6 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Gamecocks (4-1). Jaron Pierre Jr. added 16 points while shooting 4 of 10 from the field and 7 for 11 from the line while he also had six rebounds and six assists. Michael Houge had 15 points and shot 6 of 11 from the field and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. RJ Felton led the Pirates (4-1) in scoring, finishing with 20 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. C.J. Walker added 20 points and seven rebounds for East Carolina. Yann Farell also had 12 points. Ituka scored 10 points in the first half and Jacksonville State went into halftime trailing 39-37. Jacksonville State used a 13-2 second-half run to take the lead at 71-66 with 3:52 remaining. Houge scored 12 second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Co-founder and managing director, Ritchie Bros. Financial Services Age 39 Achieving our first $1 billion year in sales volume in 2022. In today’s fluctuating economic landscape, workforce reduction can be a difficult but essential step to maintain business viability. Our organization experienced exceptional growth between 2021 and 2023, which led to accelerated hiring to meet market demand. However, as conditions normalize, recalibrating our workforce has become necessary to ensure long-term sustainability. This adjustment, though challenging, allows us to realign resources and strengthen the business’ foundation for future stability in more stabilized market conditions. My leadership approach centres on key principles driving our success. I focus on results, setting ambitious goals to ensure growth and impact. Beyond metrics, I foster an entrepreneurial spirit, valuing innovation and adaptability to stay ahead in our evolving industry. Prioritizing a people-first mentality, I emphasize team well-being, growth and trust, creating a collaborative and empowering culture. While achieving excellence, I also believe in enjoying the journey—fun and camaraderie are essential to our vibrant, enthusiastic workplace. There is no room for complacency in business. Success can sometimes lead to a false sense of security, which poses a risk to sustained growth. Leaders must constantly look to the future, identifying emerging trends, potential challenges and opportunities to innovate. Even at the peak of success, vigilance and adaptability are essential, as markets evolve and competition intensifies. By keeping a forward-thinking mindset, leaders can anticipate shifts and proactively steer their organizations, ensuring continued resilience and relevance. Stay curious, always. Staying curious as a leader is crucial because it fuels growth, adaptability and innovation. Curious leaders constantly seek new insights and perspectives, enabling them to navigate challenges and find fresh solutions. By modelling curiosity, leaders inspire their teams to explore, experiment and stay engaged, creating a culture that embraces continuous improvement. Success goes beyond personal accomplishments; it lies in inspiring and guiding a team toward shared goals and creating a culture where everyone can thrive. Success involves driving lasting impact through business growth, innovation and customer satisfaction, while maintaining integrity, empathy and accountability. True success is measured by the positive changes we bring, the challenges we overcome and the legacy of empowerment we leave behind. It’s a continuous journey of growth, adaptation and enabling others to reach their highest potential. Raising my family and nurturing my two children are paramount in my life. I’m committed to helping them excel in all aspects, instilling strong foundations early on and encouraging them to embrace every experience life offers. Travel has always been a passion—a gateway to adventure, cultural exploration and unique culinary experiences. I value the perspective that travel brings, deepening my understanding of diverse cultures and histories. Since its founding in 2011, RBFS has been on an impressive growth trajectory, yet there remains significant potential to enhance scalability by strengthening our foundational structure. Leveraging technological advancements and implementing scalable growth solutions will enable us to drive revenue growth while improving contribution margins and, most importantly, delivering even greater value to our customers. With a clear vision and focus on innovation, RBFS is well-positioned to achieve even more ambitious goals. My family for building the strong foundation and work ethic that is my core. The co-founding members of RBFS that listened to a young professional that had a dream of creating something big. The executives and leaders at Ritchie Bros. that have coached and mentored me along the way. Karim and Luke whom nominated me for this recognition. The RBFS team that has built this business and whom I show up for each and every day to serve. Impossible is nothing KidSport BC Travel, listen to music, play and watch sports Stuart Island, B.C. (Dave Ritchie’s fishing lodge) Elisa, Bao Bei, Minami, Blue Water Cafe Showing up every single day for the people that I support professionally and personally Dave Ritchie, founder of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Never make a bet with a mediocre golfer on the first to get a hole-in-one—tattoos are not removable!
Jewish community comes together after firebomb attackThe biggest cyber scares of 2024Mick Wallace finds his old Wexford vote has collapsed on his return to Irish politics
The Met Office have urged drivers to pack three items that could help them to stay comfortable and safe if they encounter issues on the roads over the weekend. With Storm Darragh due to bring 90mph winds to parts of the UK and Republic of Ireland, motorists have been urged to avoid unnecessary journeys and take precautions to avoid accidents . In particular, the Met Office urged Brits to avoid relying on their phone during long journeys that they may get stuck on, recommending all motorists carry a torch with them. They advised: "A phone light won’t really give you visibility if you’re stuck by the side of country road in winter. "A large torch with spare batteries or a wind-up torch which doesn't require battery power is essential for your vehicle." Whilst it is easy to get behind the wheel feeling confident that their phone will offer everything they may need, it is not much use if it gets damaged or the battery runs out. As a result, it is a good idea for drivers to pack essentials that can be used even when a phone battery is flat, such as a torch. In particular, the Met Office suggested that drivers try to find a hand-cranked torch, which will never run out of power and let stranded motorists highlight their position to other road users. Similarly, the meteorological organisation also advised that drivers keep a map in their vehicle during trips throughout Storm Darragh in case GPS systems, such as the one found in their phone, does not work. They added: "We also rely heavily on phones and in-built car technology for maps but if you have no battery in your car you may find you are limited with your phone battery too. "It’s worth having a paper road atlas in case of diversions or getting lost." Finally, in the event of a breakdown, the Met Office suggested that motorists also keep high-visibility clothes inside their car that can easily be put on if the vehicle breaks down at night or in limited visibility weather. They continued: "If you need to leave the vehicle in the dark, it's crucial that you can be seen by other motorists – it could even save your life." It is generally a good idea for drivers to also pack an additional set of warm clothing for themselves and all other occupants to change into and plenty of non-perishable snacks and drinks.
Green also contributed eight rebounds for the Rams (6-0). Cam Estevez scored 15 points, shooting 5 for 6 from beyond the arc. Jamarques Lawrence shot 4 for 9, including 3 for 6 from beyond the arc to finish with 13 points. The Rams picked up their sixth straight victory. Orlando Lovejoy finished with 28 points, seven assists and two steals for the Titans (3-5). Legend Geeter added 11 points, six rebounds and four steals for Detroit Mercy. Jared Lary also had 10 points and six rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Kendrick Lamar Just Released a New Album Inspired by One of the Last Great American Muscle Cars
Demi Moore revealed how actor Bruce Willis almost two years after he was revealed his dementia diagnosis . Ex-wife Moore answered questions on CNN about his ongoing health battle, saying that he “in a very stable place at the moment.” “I’ve shared this before, but I really mean this so sincerely,” Moore said. “It’s so important for anybody who’s dealing with this, to really meet them where they’re at, and from that place, there is such loving and joy.” In 2022, Willis' family announced his aphasia diagnosis, a language disorder that makes it hard for those to communicate or understand others. In 2023, they learned the aphasia was a result of frontotemporal dementia. “I’ve known that something was wrong for a long time. It started out with a kind of vague unresponsiveness, which the family chalked up to Hollywood hearing loss,” his daughter Tallulah Willis wrote in Vogue in 2023. “I find that I’m trying to document, to build a record for the day when he isn’t there to remind me of him and of us.” His second wife, Emma Heming Willis, currently is the actor’s caretaker. Moore emphasized that Willis' condition is “very difficult,” and said that she wouldn’t wish it on anyone. “There is great loss,” Moore said. “but there is also great beauty.” Soap opera star Thom Christopher died on Dec. 5 at the age of 84. Christopher starred as villain Carlo Hessler on the long-running soap One Life to Live . Former co-star Anthony Crivello announced his death in a Facebook with a heartfelt message. “He was always a gentleman, always supportive, and he and his wife Judith who proceeded him in death, where always gracious to me and welcoming,” Crivello, who played Christopher’s son, wrote. Christopher’s wife Judith died in 2019. “May Thom fly on Wings of Angels to be beside his beloved Judith, and may they enjoy each other’s company once again, beside the ‘Pearly Gates’ of heaven.” Christopher appeared on the series from 1991 to 2008. One Life to Live ran from 1956 until 2013. In 1992, he won a daytime Emmy for best supporting actor for his work on the show. The name TASER is already synonymous with public safety, with professionals everywhere relying on them for unparalleled protection in all kinds of situations. If you want to get the same sense of security and peace of mind, the TASER Pulse 2 is here to meet your needs. The TASER Pulse 2 is the ultimate compact solution for less-lethal self-defense. Like all TASER devices, the Pulse 2 is designed to empower you to take control of your safety with confidence and clarity while lessening the risk of accidentally hurting yourself (or worse). The TASER Pulse 2 has a traditional compact gun design, making it concealable, easy to carry, and perfect for incorporating into your everyday life , so you can feel fully prepared for any situation that may arise. As the saying goes: if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. The TASER Pulse 2 also makes the perfect gift to share with a loved one during this holiday season. After all, you can’t put a price on feeling protected! Whether you’re buying for yourself or someone you care about, now is the perfect time to invest in security by grabbing this reliable tool. If you buy something from this post, we may earn a small commission. Randy Moss, former wide receiver, Hall of Famer and current ESPN pundit for “Sunday NFL Countdown,” is stepping back from the show due to heath issues, according to the network. The hiatus, announced on Friday, comes after an Instagram post by Moss on Sunday asking for prayers. In the video, he said he has been battling “something internal,” and that he has a “great team of doctors.” The star then referred to viewers mentioning his seemingly yellow eyes last week, and put on a pair of sunglasses. “Your boy is going to get through it,” Moss said. “So if you see me with my... glasses on, y’all know what I’m battling,” ESPN said Moss had the network’s “full support’ and that they “look forward to welcoming him back when he is ready.” In the Instagram video, Moss, 47, told men to get their check-ups and bloodwork done. “I just ask for all the prayer warriors to put their blessing hands on me and my family through these hard times,” Moss said. A post shared by Randygmoss (@randygmoss) Britney Spears didn’t move to Mexico— despite the video of Spears saying she did, a source told The Hollywood Reporter . The singer originally told fans that she moved to Mexico to escape the “incredibly cruel” paparazzi. “It really kind of hurts my feelings that the paparazzi make my face look like I’m wearing like a white Jason mask, and it doesn’t even look like me,” Spears said on Tuesday. “They’ve always been incredibly cruel to me, the paparazzi and pictures and the way they’ve illustrated me to be in some of it. I know I’m not perfect at all, by any means, but some of it is extremely mean and cruel, and that’s why I’ve moved to Mexico.” The clip was part of a longer video marking Spears’ 43rd birthday on Monday, which was also the day her divorce with Sam Asghari was finalized, according to TMZ . Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. If you’re looking to revamp your at-home fitness lineup ahead of 2025 and don’t have hours to commit to exercising each day, allow us to introduce you to the CAROL Bike . The science-backed and AI-powered fitness bike is engineered to give you maximum results in the shortest time possible—and by the shortest time, we mean as little as five minutes. In fact, according to the brand, the CAROL bike is “proven to deliver double the health and fitness benefits in 90 percent less time compared to regular cardio.” Free Returns | Free Shipping Not only is it a huge time-saver, but the CAROL Bike is also designed to be personalized to the rider’s individual fitness levels, goals, and preferences, making the workouts easy to follow, time-efficient, and super effective. CAROL’s AI and Reduced Exertion HIIT (REHIT) technology optimizes the workout to your ability and fitness level, so every second matters. 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The company argued that it violated the First Amendment. “The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States,” said the court’s opinion, written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg. “Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.” TikTok and ByteDance are expected to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, though it’s unclear if the Court would hear the case. The ban was signed into law by Joe Biden in April, capping off a years-long fight against the popular app, which lawmakers view as a threat to national security. Two hikers reportedly stumbled upon a woman tied to a tree and crying in Monterey County, California, on Wednesday. According to SF Gate , she was walking a trail in Pebble Beach around 7:30 that morning when she noticed a “suspicious male” behind her, holding a gun. The man did not take anything from her or assault her or injure her, just left her tied up for two hours before the passersby found her. With the help of another hiker, he untied the woman and called the police. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office subsequently launched a search for the suspect, described as being in his 30s with a neck tattoo involving the letter Z. SFGate reports that while authorities haven’t identified anyone matching that description yet, they say there is “no active threat to the community.” Confusing celebrity update: Paris Jackson, daughter of late musician Michael Jackson , is engaged to Justin Long. Not the Justin Long I think you’re thinking of (he’s married to Kate Bosworth) but another Justin Long; the Justin Long who Jackson has been dating for about two years. He works as a music producer, sound engineer, and mixer, according to The Daily Mail , and first appeared on Jackson’s Instagram in Nov. 2022. The next time he showed up on her grid was Friday, in a carousel she posted to celebrate Long’s birthday, which also included photos of the proposal. “Happy birthday, my sweet blue,” she captioned the post, using her nickname for her fiancé. “Doing life with you these last years has been an indescribable whirlwind and I couldn’t dream of anyone more perfect for me to do it all with.” As for when the pair became engaged, Jackson was photographed wearing a big diamond ring during Paris Fashion Week this past September. Consider this the hard launch? The jury in Daniel Penny’s manslaughter case signaled Friday that they’re struggling to reach a verdict on the case. They must decide if Penny “recklessly” caused the death of Jordan Neely by putting him in a six-minute chokehold on the subway in May 2023. Penny’s attorneys argued that the former Marine was justified in putting Neely in a chokehold because witnesses say he told passengers, “Somebody’s going to die today,” and that he was ready to go to jail. Prosecutors argue that no witnesses testified that Neely brandished a weapon or touched anybody, and that Penny kept Neely in the chokehold long after other passengers left the train. The jury has been deliberating since Tuesday. The jury could also convict him of the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. If the jury can’t reach a verdict then Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Maxwell Wiley would issue an “Allen” charge, which urges them to reach a unanimous verdict. Penny faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the manslaughter charge, or up to four years if convicted of a lesser count. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. It’s not every day that you can score a deal on a high-quality printer at a lower cost. Investing in a quality printer for your home or office is a game-changer, and while it’s not the most fun purchase, it’ll pay for itself in a couple of months. Fortunately, you don’t have to pay full price for a solid printer, thanks to HP’s current sale . Right now, you can score the HP Envy Inspire 7955e , the brand’s premium at-home photo printer for $70 off. If you’re looking for a solid holiday gift that they’ll actually use, the deluxe multi-purpose printer is a great choice—especially for photographers and anyone who works from home. The all-in-one printer is also designed with HP’s Wolf Essential Security system to keep your information secure and keep hackers out. Plus, unlike other printers that require you to get your hands dirty to replenish the ink, this one offers a 15-second mess-free ink refill experience with bottles that can be plugged into the tank. Say goodbye to messes and hello to your new printer . Best of all? For a limited time, score three months of Instant Ink with HP+. Donald Trump on Friday fired off an unequivocal message of support for his defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth in the wake of several damaging reports about the Fox News star’s alleged behavior. “Pete Hegseth is doing very well. His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe,” the president-elect wrote on Truth Social. “He was a great student—Princeton/Harvard educated—with a Military state of mind. He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense Defense, one who leads with charisma and skill. Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump’s post came the morning after Hegseth spent the day meeting with senators whose votes he’ll need to be confirmed as the next Pentagon chief. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Hegseth insisted he’d had a “ great week ”—despite multiple bombshell reports emerging in recent days about his alleged drunken antics, which he denies, along with rumors that Trump is considering replacing him with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as his nominee for defense secretary. “As long as Donald Trump wants me in this fight, I’m going to be standing right here in this fight,” Hegseth said. A top Romanian court alleged Friday that Russia conducted an elaborate TikTok psy op to get a pro-Putin political newcomer elected president. The European Union member state’s Constitutional Court made the unprecedented decision to annul the results after the first round of its election votes, with Sunday’s second round of voting canceled, too. A raft of now-released intelligence reports allege that front-runner Calin Georgescu soared into the lead backed by 25,000 TikTok accounts based in Moscow. The Euro skeptic and anti-NATO Georgescu, who has professed his admiration of Romania’s fascist past, was a relative nobody before the election and was polling at around 5 percent. The U.S. State Department said earlier this week that it was concerned by the Romanian Supreme Council of National Defense’s “report of Russian involvement in malign cyber activity designed to influence the integrity of the Romanian electoral process.”Schools caution international students: Get back to campus before Trump's inaugurationWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer, a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Related Story: Debate Plays Out on X Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks, whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government, weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift. His presidential transition team did not respond to questions about positions on visas for highly skilled workers or the debate between his supporters online. Instead, his team instead sent a link to a post on X by longtime adviser and immigration hard-liner Stephen Miller that was a transcript of a speech Trump gave in 2020 at Mount Rushmore in which he praised figures and moments from American history. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect, was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Related Story: Musk Was Once on a H-1B Visa Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration, including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order, which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Related Story: Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club, and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.
The Wallabies’ hopes of the first grand slam in 40 years were dashed because their wider squad didn’t have the cohesion necessary to orchestrate an upset win against a superior side. There were several issues which contributed to the poor cohesion, some were within the Wallabies’ control, some were not, others were just bad luck, but that was the full capabilities of this Wallabies team. Sure, there were intangibles like the weather: Storm Bert brought snow and heavy rain across the entire UK, forcing the Wallabies to curtail their training and change their preparation considerably. Similarly, no squad is ever at 100 per cent health, injuries are always a part of the rugby equation. An altered and minimised training week, in an unfamiliar place would be fine for an experienced squad but Joe Schmidt’s men were light on caps throughout the matchday 23. This is where the context of the 27-13-point defeat to Scotland begins to take shape. While the Wallabies were a picture of the walking wounded, Scotland were near full strength. The Scottish captain, Australian born Sione Tuipulotu, said in the post-match press conference, he knew Scotland were the better side leading up to the weekend’s game. Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu speaks to Australia’s Angus Bell. (Photo by Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images) “The feeling throughout the week is we were pretty confident that we’re a better team than this Wallabies team,” Tuipulotu said. “I’m not too sure if it’s an upset, or how the media views it, but we were very confident that we were going to be the better team today.” “It’s a good win, but I don’t think it’s the best win or anything. The way we themed the week is we didn’t really feel like they had played a defensive team like us, and we also didn’t feel like they had played an attacking team like us.” Scotland are currently ranked two spots higher than the Wallabies on the world rankings, have had the same coach for several years and have a consistent roster of players in their best years. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt last week called Scotland; a side with the bulk of their team in the “sweet spot” twice, a zone where players have ‘30-60 caps and are aged between 25-30 years.’ This is a zone where this Wallabies side will be in two years. So, of course Scotland are a better side. But it would be wrong, even for a moment, for Wallabies fans to think the result at the weekend is the best that their team can muster. Or for that matter, that Scotland are without a doubt a better side in general. There is very little between Scotland and the Wallabies. Why? Because even before a ball had been kicked at Murrayfield, there had been nine changes made from the starting XV that ran out against Wales, and four changes on the bench. This equates to a staggering 13 changes to the matchday 23 from one week to another, few sides could make that many changes and expect an 80-minute performance. Conversely, the hosts, Scotland, were on home turf, with combinations which have played together for years, and almost all their best starting lineup. This is not to say the Wallabies would’ve won, had the eleventh-hour injuries and illness to Matt Faessler and Jeremy Williams not occurred. Nor is it suggesting they would’ve triumphed had Taniela Tupou not been under an injury cloud and Samu Kerevi not suspended. What it is positing, is that had these players been present, and coach Joe Schmidt selected the likes of Fraser McReight, the Wallabies could have stayed in the fight for longer. Actually, it goes further, had Filipo Daugunu, Dylan Pietsch, Liam Wright, Tom Robertson, Hunter Paisami, Dave Porecki, and Lachlan Lonergan not been injured this season, then the Wallabies are in that contest right up to their hairlines. This equates to 12 players, 12 Wallabies, who are all now established Test players, who have been consistent members of squads in recent years, unable to take the field for Schmidt. Joe Schmidt. (Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images) For Porecki, Lonergan, and Wright, their injuries robbed them of a lot of time in 2024, but they are strong contenders to enter the selection frame once fit and healthy in 2025. Ok, that’s enough about the woulda, coulda, shoulda, but it had to be said, the Wallabies are better than that result, and fans should be excited by the potential of the squad Schmidt is building. However, if we turn to the Scotland game, the team became unstuck as soon as the forward substitutes rolled on, around the 50th-minute. The lack of cohesion was because there was a lack of continuity. Dome of Schmidt’s selection were third or even fourth string squad members, some which hadn’t played since September or August. He selected two inexperienced props, in youngsters Isaac Aedo Kailea and Zane Nonggorr, who have six and nine caps respectively. This issue was compounded by Faessler’s untimely injury. This forced Schmidt to bring Brandon Paenga-Amosa into the starting side and call up another youngster, four cap hooker, Billy Pollard onto the bench. Between Pollard and the reserve front rower, there were only a total of 19-caps, and all were 24 years and under: a front row too young to be the frontline of a Test side. This plastered together side wasn’t helped by the late withdrawal of Williams, it altered the DNA of the Wallabies’ pack, making it bulkier and less dynamic. The backs weren’t spared either, with cross-code star Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii lasting only half an hour, before leaving the field due to injury. This saw winger Andrew Kellaway go to outside centre, with debutant Harry Potter on the wing and 20-year-old Max Jorgensen slotting onto the other wing, off the bench. On-top of all these forced changes, Carlo Tizzano was promoted to No.7 in lieu of rested Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson slotted back into No.8 with Seru Uru dropping out. Jake Gordon was back from a head injury, and Len Ikitau and JAS partnered in the centres for only their second game together ever. It is truly a mess and from this chaos emerged the result. The first casualty of mass changes and poor preparation is trust, that was the word of the week for the Wallabies leading up to the Murrayfield clash. Trust in each other, trust in the gameplan, and trust in themselves. The first rugby specific casualty from these disruptions is defence, because defence is built on trust. For the Wallabies, their ‘connected line-speed’ defence is built on trust. Trust that your inside man will hustle high and cover your inside shoulder, trust that the men around the ruck will get onto their feet and reload, trust that your teammate is where he should be. Once the Wallabies’ substitutes started rolling on in the forwards, at the 50-minute mark, the trust which had kept the team within two scores began to wither. The trust in each other which had seen them go to halftime at 7-3 down began to disappear, there were shades of Santa Fe emerging. However, it never got that bad because despite Schmidt being correct in that “development is never linear,” there has been big improvement in this side since the record loss to Argentina. Although the Scotsmen were a little off their game and failed to execute their finer skills in attack, the Wallabies nevertheless held on, showing grit and determination. The Wallabies for 2024 have a magic number they must keep the opposition under if they wish to be in with a chance to win, that number is 23 points. Which if adjusted for historical data reaching back into the 2000s has been averaged out to be around 20 points. This rings true for the current Wallabies, had the Wallabies kept the Scots to 20-23 points, then with 12-minutes to go they could have been within two scores of winning. But to move forward, the Wallabies must learn from the weekend. The lesson they learnt the hard way is that inexperienced players who haven’t played together before, are a risk in the defensive line. How many times have Tizzano, Kailea, Nonggorr, Potter, and Tate McDermott defended together? Let me give you clue; it rhymes with hero. In this instance, Potter makes the first error in getting too high. In defence coach Laurie Fisher’s ‘connected line speed’ system, the outside man, particularly as the third man out, should never get a meter in front of the inside man. This is compounded by Nonggorr biting-in on maverick flyhalf Finn Russell when he had already released the ball. Potter did well to make the ankle-tap, but the damage had already been done. In the end, the Wallabies thwart the attack, but it shows how small margins can undo a defence at Test level. Here, the Scots show they did their homework on the Wallabies’ fold etiquette after a set piece. Pollard and Kailea fold too hard to the openside, despite Scotland only having five men on that flank. Had either of them stayed on the open side, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto could have rushed hard to fill the space between himself and Nonggorr and plugged the gap no.11 Duhan van der Merwe slices through. Admittedly, LSL slips of a tackle he should’ve made but this is 70-minutes into a big effort form the tight forward, a factor Nonggorr and Nick Frost should’ve considered in their rush. In both these instances, the Wallabies were outnumbered on the respective sides by one player. A deficit a ‘connected line speed’ defence should theoretically deal with exceptionally well, as opposed to a rush a defence, but instead they allow the Scotsmen to make breaks on the inside of their defence. Something, which within their system, shouldn’t be happening. This is what a lack of cohesion, continuity, and experienced does, players are different pages, and it turns small differences of implementation into big problems. As the full-time whistle blew, LSL was the most experienced forward on the field with 38-caps. He gapped the next highest capped Wallaby by almost double. Most of the pack had 12-caps or less each and the most experienced player on the field was McDermott with 39-caps. This inexperienced selection was totally within Schmidt’s control and yet he decided to rotate. Australia players after the Autumn International match at Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh. Picture date: Sunday November 24, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images) But this is not a critique of Schmidt, it is just the reality considering the injuries and a squad to manage under a long campaign. Now, it must be remembered that Schmidt’s goal has always been to build a side ready to take on the British and Irish Lions in 9-months’ time. His only barometer of success, ever since he signed on the dotted line has been the Lions. The Wallabies stocks at this point in the year are not the side which will be selected come July-19 2025, for their first Lions Test. Those 12 players which were not selected for one reason or another, will be in the mix, making the cap count and experience much higher. Although this doesn’t bode well for Ireland in a few days’ time, there is still enough starch in this touring squad to put in an 80-minute performance. The Wallabies are not yet done for 2024.
NoneDespite Mary Lou McDonald’s confidence around shaping a coalition without Fine Gael and Fianna Fail – the two parties that have dominated the landscape of Irish politics for a century – the pathway to government for Sinn Fein still appears challenging. With counting following Friday’s election still in the relatively early stages – after an exit poll that showed the main three parties effectively neck-and-neck – there is some way to go before the final picture emerges and the options for government formation crystalise. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, has dismissed talk of a Sinn Fein surge and said he was “cautiously optimistic” about where his party will stand after all the votes are counted. Meanwhile, Ireland’s deputy premier and Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, insisted his party has a “very clear route back to government” as he predicted seat gains. The counting process could last days because of Ireland’s complex system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote (PR-STV), where candidates are ranked by preference. The early indications have turned the focus to the tricky arithmetic of government formation, as the country’s several smaller parties and many independents potentially jockey for a place in government. Ms McDonald told reporters at the RDS count centre in Dublin that she would be “very, very actively pursuing” the potential to form a government with other parties on the left of the political spectrum. The smaller, left-leaning parties in Ireland include the Social Democrats, the Irish Labour Party, the Green Party and People Before Profit-Solidarity. Ms McDonald said her party had delivered an “incredible performance” in the election. “I think it’s fair to say that we have now confirmed that we have broken the political mould here in this state,” she said. “Two party politics is now gone. It’s consigned to the dustbin of history and that, in itself, is very significant.” She added: “I am looking to bring about a government of change, and I’m going to go and look at all formulations. “If you want my bottom line, the idea of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for another five years, in our strong opinion, is not a good outcome for Irish society. “Obviously, I want to talk to other parties of the left and those that we share very significant policy objectives with. So I’m going to do that first and just hear their mind, hear their thinking. But be very clear, we will be very, very actively pursuing entrance into government.” In Friday night’s exit poll, Sinn Fein was predicted to take 21.1% of first-preference votes, narrowly ahead of outgoing coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail at 21% and 19.5% respectively. Prior to the election, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael both ruled out entering government with Sinn Fein. Fine Gael leader Mr Harris rejected suggestions Sinn Fein had broken new ground. He told reporters in his count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow: “Certainly we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it. “I mean, it looks likely, on the figures that we’ve seen now, fewer people, many fewer people would have voted Sinn Fein in this election than the last one. “In fact, I think they’re down by around 5% and actually the parties, particularly the two parties, the two larger parties in government, are likely to receive significant support from the electorate. So definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented.” He said it was too early to tell what the next government would look like. “I think anybody who makes any suggestion about who is going to be the largest party or the construct of the next government, they’re a braver person than I am,” he said. “Our electoral system dictates that there’ll be many, many transfers that will go on for hours, if not days, before we know the final computations at all. “But what I am very confident about is that my party will have a very significant role to play in the years ahead, and I’m cautiously optimistic and excited.” Fianna Fail’s Mr Martin told reporters at a count centre in Cork he was confident that the numbers exist to form a government with parties that shared his political viewpoint. Mr Martin said it “remains to be seen” whether he would return to the role of Taoiseach – a position he held between 2020 and 2022 – but he expressed confidence his party would outperform the exit poll prediction. “It’s a bit too early yet to call the exact type of government that will be formed or the composition of the next government,” he said. “But I think there are, there will be a sufficiency of seats, it seems to me, that aligns with the core principles that I articulated at the outset of this campaign and throughout the campaign, around the pro-enterprise economy, around a positively pro-European position, a government that will strongly push for home ownership and around parties that are transparently democratic in how they conduct their affairs.” Asked if it would be in a coalition with Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Social Democrats, he said that would be “racing a bit too far ahead”. The final result may dictate that if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are to return to government, they may need more than one junior partner, or potentially the buy-in of several independent TDs. Mr Martin said it was unclear how quickly a government can be formed, as he predicted his party would gain new seats. “It will be challenging. This is not easy,” he added. The junior partner in the outgoing government – the Green Party – looks set for a bruising set of results. Green leader Roderic O’Gorman is in a fight to hold onto his seat, as are a number of party colleagues, including Media Minister Catherine Martin. “It’s clear the Green Party has not had a good day,” he said. The early counting also suggested potential trouble for Fianna Fail in Wicklow, where the party’s only candidate in the constituency, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, is considered to have a battle ahead, with the risk of losing his seat. Meanwhile, there is significant focus on independent candidate Gerard Hutch who, on Saturday evening, was sitting in fourth place in the four-seat constituency of Dublin Central. Last spring, Mr Hutch was found not guilty by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of the murder of David Byrne, in one of the first deadly attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud. Mr Byrne, 33, died after being shot six times at a crowded boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel in February 2016. A Special Criminal Court judge described Mr Hutch, 61, as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation and said he had engaged in “serious criminal conduct”. The constituency will be closely watched as other hopefuls wait to see if transfers from eliminated candidates may eventually rule him out of contention. In the constituency of Louth, the much-criticised selection of John McGahon appeared not to have paid off for Fine Gael. The party’s campaign was beset by questioning over footage entering the public domain of the candidate engaged in a fight outside a pub in 2018. The Social Democrats have a strong chance of emerging as the largest of the smaller parties. The party’s leader, Holly Cairns, was already celebrating before a single vote was counted however, having announced the birth of her baby girl on polling day.
Amid escalating concerns over a potential trade war, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Florida to discuss pivotal topics including trade, border security, and energy. The meeting highlights Trump's pledge to impose tariffs on Canadian imports, raising alarms among trading partners. Trudeau's visit, set at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, focused on fostering collaboration to tackle the fentanyl crisis linked to illegal immigration and levelling out the U.S.-Canada trade imbalance. Both leaders voiced their dedication to jointly addressing these pressing challenges, emphasizing partnership amidst political tensions. Meanwhile, Trump warned the BRICS countries against developing an alternative to the U.S. dollar, threatening tariffs on those failing to comply. Trudeau, taking the tariff threats seriously, assured that proactive discussions would continue, aiming for harmonious bilateral relations. (With inputs from agencies.)(CNN) — When President Donald Trump was searching for a new FBI Director after firing James Comey in 2017, he wanted among other things someone who looked the part of America’s top law enforcement official. Christopher Wray, a 50-year-old Yale-trained lawyer, was at the top of the list thanks to his conservative credentials as a leading partner at one of the nation’s biggest law firms and experience running the criminal division in George W. Bush’s Justice Department. For Trump, who has always placed emphasis on people looking the part for their jobs, Wray’s square-jawed serious demeanor helped seal the deal, people close to the process told CNN at the time. Soon after he became director, however, Trump began grousing that Wray wasn’t doing enough TV, people briefed on the matter said. Trump’s view was that the FBI director should be seen publicly supporting the president, who was in the middle of the Russia investigation into his campaign. Years later, in the spring of 2022, Trump sent Wray a handwritten letter, according to one person familiar with the note, congratulating him on his recent appearance on “60 Minutes” in which Wray discussed Chinese espionage efforts directed at the US. What Trump didn’t know at the time was that the FBI was beginning a criminal investigation, based on a referral from the National Archives, into his decision to hoard classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. The FBI court-authorized search of Mar-a-Lago that August led to a grand jury indictment against Trump — and ended any chance of Wray keeping his job in Trump’s second term. “He invaded my home,” Trump said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” this week, lambasting the director he chose . “He invaded Mar-a-Lago.” As Trump prepares to replace Wray with Kash Patel, a MAGA acolyte who has joined the president-elect in vowing to use the Justice Department to target political adversaries, Wray’s departure marks a clear end to a decadeslong era of independence for the FBI. When he first hired Wray, Trump’s expectations of unbridled fealty, a loyalty standard that Comey has said Trump also asked him to meet, were a sharp departure from the culture of the modern FBI, which has assiduously cultivated its independence since the Watergate scandal and the abuses of the 48-year reign of J. Edgar Hoover. It’s an independence that has irritated almost every president through the years. Compared to Comey, whose frequent media appearances caused some of the bureau’s problems, Wray preferred to keep a lower profile and avoided the press. That was not the type of director Trump was anticipating, according to senior administration officials. That mismatch in expectations helped create a tightrope Wray tried to walk during Trump’s first term, as he limited his direct interactions with Trump while focusing on priorities that were important to the administration. Wray is “an ideal person to run the FBI because he recognizes it’s a non-partisan job and he has the respect of the troops,” said a former Justice Department official who helped push for Wray’s hiring. While Trump and Republicans rail against the so-called weaponization of the bureau, the former official said, “Kash Patel is exactly what Trump says he doesn’t want in an FBI director: someone who is going to weaponize the FBI.” Wray’s tenure under Trump was punctuated by periods of significant tension. Unhappy about the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, and eventually their failure to support his claims of fraud in the 2020 election, Trump would often lash out at Justice officials, including at times at Wray. At least twice, Wray told aides that he was prepared to resign over Trump’s demands, according to a former US official briefed on the matter. “A couple times, it got to where he said ‘I’m not going to do that,’ and he was persuaded to stay,” the former US official said. A current senior FBI official said that employees are frustrated that some of the attacks against the bureau and Wray were for decisions by their bosses at the Justice Department, which the FBI sometimes disagreed with. Early in the Biden administration, for example, the Justice Department issued a memo suggesting parents protesting at school boards over Covid measures could be investigated if they made threats. The FBI distanced itself from the memo, which never produced any actual investigations. But the damage was done, and Republican lawmakers continue to cite the issue as an example of overreach. The pressures on Wray came into clear view in June 2020, days after riots erupted across the country following the police killing of George Floyd. Wray, along with Vice President Mike Pence and Attorney General Bill Barr, stood in the FBI’s command center in downtown Washington, DC. After riots swelled around the city, a few blocks away a fire was set in the basement of historic St. John’s Church as protesters gathered in Lafayette Square outside the White House. Barr took charge of the law enforcement response and ordered 150 FBI agents into the square to clear protestors that night, according to a person present, despite some agents raising concerns that FBI agents aren’t trained to do crowd control, noting the risk that an agent or a protester could be killed. The decision was made and agents were deployed to patrol the streets of Washington. Wray later apologized to agents, noting that orders weren’t coming from him or even Barr, but from Trump, according to the person present at the command post. Days later Wray spoke at a press conference alongside Barr and for the first time appeared to endorse the idea that Antifa was behind the violence, something Trump had been insistent on despite a lack of evidence to support his claims. “We’re seeing people who are exploiting this situation to pursue violent extremist agendas,” Wray said. “Anarchists like Antifa and other agitators. These individuals have set out to sow discord and upheaval rather than join in the righteous pursuit of equality and justice.” Inside the bureau, some officials were surprised that Wray had come to echo Trump and Barr’s claims about Antifa. But Wray’s words, temporarily at least, served to help bolster Trump’s confidence that Wray and the FBI were doing what he wanted. Months later at a congressional hearing, Wray told lawmakers that Antifa was an ideology, not a group, prompting criticism from Republicans. At the bureau, where Comey was well-liked as director, Wray’s arrival in 2017 was a sharp turn. But it was a welcome one for employees who hoped that a more understated director would lower the political heat on the bureau and refocus attention on its national security and criminal enforcement missions. Visibly uncomfortable in large crowds, Wray has a political gift in smaller gatherings, particularly rank-and-file employees who rarely get face time with the director, current and former FBI officials said. When he spoke to graduating classes of new agents at the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia, Wray often compared the teamwork aspect of being an FBI agent to being on a rowing team, invoking his own time as a Yale crew team member. For each graduating class, Wray would eat lunch at the cafeteria with six to eight students who were viewed as leaders of their class, a former FBI agent who admires Wray told CNN. Like he did for all his meetings or when he was a trial attorney, Wray was known to prepare before even small gatherings at the academy. “He’s not a guy who works on emotion, he is very tactical, very prepared,” the former agent said. Former senior FBI officials said that while Wray didn’t like to speak publicly in the media, he was good at building relationships with local law enforcement agencies and with private sector companies that the FBI needs for its national security and counter-terrorism efforts. He often insisted to speak directly to current and former employees struggling with bereavement or health issues, notably former FBI employees suffering from post-9-11 illnesses. Every time a police officer was killed on duty anywhere in the US, Wray made calls to their family or police chiefs. “I cannot tell you how many deathbed calls he has made,” the former US official said. After Trump announced his intention last month to replace Wray with Patel, Wray wrestled with how to leave the bureau he had helmed for nearly eight years. He struggled with whether it was better for the FBI and its tradition of independence to stay and be fired, or to leave before Trump’s arrival to save the bureau from further attacks, people close to his thinking said. Ultimately Wray decided to announce his plans to resign to hundreds of FBI employees at the Washington, DC, headquarters, saying he would leave before Trump took office. His speech tacitly acknowledged the political headwinds the FBI will face under the new presidency. Wray also took the time during the speech to highlight the accomplishments by his agents throughout his years there, from thwarting terror plots to stopping cyber-attacks on US infrastructure and hospitals, fentanyl seizures and rescuing children from predators. “An awful lot of people are alive today because of your tireless efforts ,” Way told the audience. “As daunting as all that may sound, I’ve got enormous confidence in you and your ability to continue to meet the threats coming over the horizon.” Under Wray, the FBI stopped numerous foreign hacking operations from countries like China and Russia, alleged Iranian plots to kill current and former government officials, and opened up the largest investigation in FBI history, charging more than 1500 people in connection to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack. Still, none of it was enough to save Wray, whose tenure ends the same way as Comey’s – with Trump angry about being investigated by what he sees as his own FBI. The-CNN-Wire TM & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
The Reform UK leader pushed back against reports suggesting that legal action would be the next step, saying he would make a decision in the next couple of days about his response if there is no apology for the “crazy conspiracy theory”. Mr Farage also said the party has “opened up our systems” to media outlets, including The Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times, in the interests of “full transparency to verify that our numbers are correct”. His remarks came after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused Mr Farage of “fakery” in response to Reform claiming they had surpassed the Tories in signed-up members. Mrs Badenoch said Reform’s counter was “coded to tick up automatically”. A digital counter on the Reform website showed a membership tally before lunchtime on Boxing Day ticking past the 131,680 figure declared by the Conservative Party during its leadership election earlier this year. Mr Farage, on whether he was threatening legal action or not, told the PA news agency: “I haven’t threatened anything. I’ve just said that unless I get an apology, I will take some action. “I haven’t said whether it’s legal or anything.” He added: “All I’ve said is I want an apology. If I don’t get an apology, I will take action. “I will decide in the next couple of days what that is. So I’ve not specified what it is.” Mr Farage, on the move to make membership data available to media organisations, said: “We feel our arguments are fully validated. “She (Mrs Badenoch) has put out this crazy conspiracy theory and she needs to apologise.” The accusations of fraud and dishonesty made against me yesterday were disgraceful. Today we opened up our systems to The Telegraph, Spectator, Sky News & FT in the interests of full transparency to verify that our data is correct. I am now demanding @KemiBadenoch apologises. — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) December 27, 2024 On why Mrs Badenoch had reacted as she did, Mr Farage said: “I would imagine she was at home without anybody advising her and was just angry.” Mr Farage, in a statement issued on social media site X, also said: “The accusations of fraud and dishonesty made against me yesterday were disgraceful. “Today we opened up our systems to The Telegraph, Spectator, Sky News and FT in the interests of full transparency to verify that our data is correct. “I am now demanding Kemi Badenoch apologises.” A Conservative Party source claimed Mr Farage was “rattled” that his Boxing Day “publicity stunt is facing serious questions”. They added: “Like most normal people around the UK, Kemi is enjoying Christmas with her family and looking forward to taking on the challenges of renewing the Conservative Party in the New Year.” Mrs Badenoch, in a series of messages posted on X on Thursday, said: “Farage doesn’t understand the digital age. This kind of fakery gets found out pretty quickly, although not before many are fooled.” There were 131,680 Conservative members eligible to vote during the party’s leadership election to replace Rishi Sunak in the autumn. Mrs Badenoch claimed in her thread that “the Conservative Party has gained thousands of new members since the leadership election”. Elsewhere, Mr Farage described Elon Musk as a “bloody hero” and said he believes the US billionaire can help attract younger voters to Reform. Tech entrepreneur Mr Musk met Mr Farage earlier this month at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, amid rumours of a possible donation to either Mr Farage or Reform. Mr Farage told The Daily Telegraph newspaper: “The shades, the bomber jacket, the whole vibe. Elon makes us cool – Elon is a huge help to us with the young generation, and that will be the case going on and, frankly, that’s only just starting. “Reform only wins the next election if it gets the youth vote. The youth vote is the key. Of course, you need voters of all ages, but if you get a wave of youth enthusiasm you can change everything. “And I think we’re beginning to get into that zone – we were anyway, but Elon makes the whole task much, much easier. And the idea that politics can be cool, politics can be fun, politics can be real – Elon helps us with that mission enormously.”FREIBURG, Germany (AP) — Freiburg survived a late comeback to beat Wolfsburg 3-2 and move into fifth place in the Bundesliga on Friday. The sides started the day equal on points and Wolfsburg had won its last five games in the league and cup. But Lukas Kübler scored an opportunist opener three minutes before the break and added a second with his head six minutes into the second half to put Freiburg in the driving seat. Michael Gregoritsch added the third in the 62nd. Jonas Wind came off the bench to score his third goal in two games and Mattias Svanberg cut the deficit seven minutes from time as Wolfsburg desperately looked for a way into the game. But it was too late, and Freiburg moved above Wolfsburg to fifth place on the table and equal on points with Leipzig, which has a game in hand. The match was an important one for two teams vying for a Champions League place next year. Although Bayern Munich have a six-point advantage over second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, only eight points separate the next nine clubs. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer