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French rugby players are cleared of sexual assault in ArgentinaNEW YORK (AP) — Remember what you searched for in 2024? Google does. Google released its annual “Year in Search” on Tuesday, rounding up the top trending queries entered into its namesake search engine in 2024. The results show terms that saw the highest spike in traffic compared to last year — ranging from key news events, notably , to the most popular songs, athletes and unforgettable pop-culture moments that people looked up worldwide. Sports — particularly soccer and cricket — dominated Google’s overall trending searches in 2024. topped those search trends globally, followed by the and . Meanwhile, the led news-specific searches worldwide. Queries about and this year’s followed. U.S. President-elect topped searches in Google’s people category this year — followed by , U.S. Vice President and Algerian boxer , who also led athlete-specific searches. Meanwhile, the late , and led search trends among notable individuals who died in 2024. In the world of entertainment, Disney and Pixar’s was the top trending movie of the year, while Netflix’s led TV show trends. And Kendrick Lamar’s dominated song trends. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Queries for the , made famous by Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen over the summer games, led Google’s global recipe trends this year. The New York Times’ “Connections” puzzle topped game searches. And in the U.S., country-specific data shows, many people asked Google about like the word and “ .” You can find more country-specific lists, and trends , through Google’s . The California company said it collected 2024 search results from Jan. 1 through Nov. 23 of this year. Google isn’t the only one to publish an annual recap or top trends as 2024 draws to a close. , for example, as well as and words of the year, have offered additional reflections for 2024.
Six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick interviewed for the head-coaching job at North Carolina, Inside Carolina and the Raleigh News & Observer reported Thursday. According to the News & Observer, Belichick "blew them away in the interview," yet he is not likely to move forward because he is pushing 73 years old and has no experience in the college game. After he and the New England Patriots agreed to part ways following a 24-year stint, Belichick interviewed for the head job with the Atlanta Falcons, who instead hired Raheem Morris. The North Carolina interview is the first known instance of Belichick showing interest in a college position. Belichick is expected to draw interest for NFL openings in the upcoming hiring cycle. The Tar Heels retained an outside advisory firm to identify coaching candidates to replace Mack Brown, whom they fired at the end of the regular season. North Carolina went 6-6, including 3-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. "We've had a tremendous response of people across the country, of agents calling us, coaches, people calling on behalf of other people that are in the industry," North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in an in-house interview the school posted online earlier this week. "We are very optimistic of where we are, the interest in our program is just extraordinary, and we'll get a great coach to lead us. Who can lead us in the next three, five, 10 years? We need somebody that can come in and take us from good to great." --Field Level MediaROME (AP) — Serie A leader Napoli was eliminated from the Italian Cup after losing 3-1 at Lazio thanks to a hat trick by Tijjani Noslin on Thursday. The Dutch forward scored in the 32nd, 41st and 50th minutes at the Stadio Olimpico as Lazio advanced to the quarterfinals. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week
All 18 holes are grassed in and other amenities are progressing at Trout National, a collaboration between Tiger Woods and baseball star Mike Trout. Courtesy Trout National In recent months, status reports involving Tiger Woods have focused largely on his latest round of rehab. Here’s a more uplifting update. It concerns Trout National-The Reserve, Woods’ collaboration with baseball star Mike Trout . If you keep up with golf headlines, you’re likely familiar with the outline of the project, a private destination golf club in Trout’s hometown of Vineland in southern New Jersey, featuring a championship course by Woods’ golf architecture firm, TGR Design . In the nearly two years since word of Trout National first got out, details about the property have been kept on the down-low. But as work progresses, a clearer picture of the club has taken shape. The course itself was finished in October, and, thanks to a stretch of forgiving weather, all 18 holes are now fully grassed. They make up a brawny par-72 layout that tips out 7,455 yards, with a routing that takes advantage of the rumpled terrain of what used to be a silica sand mining site. The course design is meant to bring out imaginative shot-making, with many greens accessible by the ground game and runoffs around them that allow for creative recoveries. “It’s going to be challenging,” says Tyler Trout, Mike’s brother, who heads the club’s development team. “But I don’t see people losing a lot of balls around here.” As the turf takes deeper root, construction continues on a slate of Trout-inspired amenities. In a cap-tip to baseball, a comfort station called the Dugout is nearing completion behind the 14th and 16th teeing areas. True to its name, its design mirrors that of dugouts in MLB stadiums, with stadium seating as a perch to watch shots from ground level and a digital scoreboard displaying scores from players around the course. A more expansive stopping point, meanwhile, is already finished. A full food-and-beverage hangout (it’s called Aaron’s, in honor of Mike’s late brother-in-law, who enjoyed a life-of-the-party reputation) is set between the 6th and 11th holes in a location that golfers pass several times throughout a round and boasts wrap-around terraces, fire pits, outdoor cooking and an indoor-outdoor bar that is meant to be a place where members and their guests can kick back, spectate and, if the spirit moves them, treat their friends in other groups to light-hearted heckles. Trout National is situated within easy striking distance of Philadelphia and Atlantic City, in a region that is home to some of the country’s most storied courses, but it aims to strike a classic-contemporary balance by appealing to golfers with a course designed for purists in a setting free of stuffiness or starch. “It’s going to have a feel that has been growing in golf over the past decade or so,” Trout says. “It’s pure golf. You don’t see any houses. But the culture and vibe are more modern and relaxed.” In keeping with that ethos, the golf offerings will include a fully lit short course, the Bullpen; a 30,000-square-foot under-the-lights putting course and short-game area; and a performance center with three hitting bays, one of which will double as a fitting station, along with high-tech training tools such as TrackMan, Force Plate by Swing Catalyst and an indoor putting lab. Anchoring the club will be an expansive clubhouse, designed in the style of a stately manor, with slate roofs, limestone walls and timber accents, and amenities such as a spa, a 2,500-bottle wine cellar, a barber shop, a bowling alley and a fitness center designed by Trout. Like all the other infrastructure at Trout National, which includes a helipad, and five cottages and two lodges for those staying overnight, the clubhouse is scheduled to be completed before the club’s grand opening in April, 2026. Prior to that, member play is expected to begin in 2025, though the exact timing for that has not yet been determined. According to Tyler Trout, membership ranks will be kept small, and composed of athletes, young business professionals, entrepreneurs, and “other avid golfers who enjoy the game the way we’re going to be doing it.” Among those avid golfers is Mike Trout, who doesn’t keep a handicap but can shoot in the 60s when his game is sharp. He hasn’t been playing lately, though. Like Woods, he has been sidelined by injuries this season, but that hasn’t kept off the course entirely. In a get-together this past summer that made a splash on social media, Trout joined Woods for a walking tour of Trout National, where the two talked through details as the course pushed toward completion. Rehab is not their only shared pursuit. Latest In Travel Golf.com Editor A golf, food and travel writer, Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes across all of GOLF’s platforms. His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting. He is also the co-author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook.
After many years of making deep playoff runs but falling just short of a title, the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown-led Boston Celtics finally got over the hump to end the 2023-24 NBA season, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the finals to secure the organization's 18th banner. On Friday, the Celtics will face the Washington Wizards in the nation's capital for their third game of the NBA Cup. Boston is in second place in the East Group C standings, with a record of 1-1 and a point differential of two. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.Fox News contributor Joe Concha on Joe Biden facing criticism from the New York Times as the president avoids ‘real questions’ from the press. The New York Times Ethicist advice column on Friday responded to a reader question about how Democratic voters should deal with close relatives who supported President-elect Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris in the election. "I strongly oppose Trump, as do my wife and her family, who live nearby. I’m troubled by my mother’s support of someone I consider morally abhorrent and dangerous, especially when she voted in a former swing state," the person seeking advice wrote . "With the result of the 2024 election, my wife and her family are directing their understandable fury at my mother. My wife’s sister said, ‘‘If she voted for Trump again, I’m completely done with her.’’ I expect that the next time they interact it will not be pretty." The Ethicist has tackled a similar question in October, answering a reader's question about whether it is appropriate to leave the country if the "wrong" candidate becomes president. For the current query, the Times reader revealed, "But my mother is a member of our family, and an invaluable caregiver to our children. She’s pleasant and kind in daily life and moved far from her home primarily for us and her grandkids. And she is my mother, after all. I’m torn. My wife and her family expect me to brook no compromise and to speak out on an issue that feels existential to them (as it does to me), but because I know that her vote here doesn’t make a difference, I have trouble feeling motivated to admonish her for her past and possibly present support of Trump." The New York Times Ethicist advice column responded to a reader question about how Democratic voters should deal with close relatives who supported President-elect Donald Trump. (Getty Images / iStock) HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS DESPONDENT OVER TRUMP VICTORY FEELS 'ANXIETY' FOR PEOPLE STUCK IN AMERICA The Ethicist suggested they speak honestly with their mother about their own views, but advised against "cudgeling her with them." "Once you’ve said your piece and listened to what she has to say in her defense, repeating the same arguments over and over would be the act of a bully. Citizens, let alone family members, shouldn’t be eager to direct vitriol against people whose political views they don’t share. If the rest of your family wants to go on doing that, you should tell them that they’re being unkind and unhelpful," the NYT Ethicist suggested. The NYT author, Kwame Anthony Appiah, offered a personal anecdote. "A friend of mine who is active in progressive politics and served in the Biden administration has a mother who voted for Trump. The mother, who is Black, Southern and religiously devout, is a single-issue voter: She’s fervently opposed to abortion. My friend deeply disagrees with her mother’s position but finds it intelligible. They’ve made their peace," he wrote. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks during a campaign event at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington. (AP/Stephanie Scarbrough) (AP/Stephanie Scarbrough) CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE The NYT author encouraged the person to remember that people are much more than "the sum of their political views." "Today, family gatherings routinely unite Catholics and Protestants, Jews and gentiles, Baptists and Episcopalians, Blacks and whites and Latinos and Asians; not so long ago, they could unite Democrats and Republicans. In perfect harmony? Far from it. But it helps to remember people are more than the sum of their political views — and that intolerance has a habit of breeding intolerance," he wrote. The column comes as others also question how to grapple with the results of the election. Yale University chief psychiatry resident Dr. Amanda Calhoun spoke to MSNBC host Joy Reid about how liberals who are devastated by Trump’s re-election can cope with the news, including separating from loved ones. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "There is a push, I think just a societal norm that if somebody is your family, that they are entitled to your time, and I think the answer is absolutely not," Calhoun told the talk show host. "So if you are going to a situation where you have family members, where you have close friends who you know have voted in ways that are against you, like what you said, against your livelihood, it’s completely fine to not be around those people and to tell them why, you know, to say, ‘I have a problem with the way that you voted, because it went against my very livelihood and I’m not going to be around you this holiday.’" "The View" co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Whoopi Goldberg appeared to agree with the argument. Hostin said she "completely" understands Calhoun’s point about distancing oneself from family this holiday season. "I really do feel that this candidate, you know, President-elect Trump, is just a different type of candidate, from the things he said and the things he’s done and the things he will do, it’s more of a moral issue for me and I think it’s more of a moral issue for other people," she said. "We’re just — you know, I would say it was different when, let’s say, Bush got elected. You may not have agreed with his policies, but you didn’t feel like he was a deeply flawed person, deeply flawed by character, deeply flawed in morality." Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.
Horse and cattle owners see shortage of veterinarians willing to take the reins of large animal careNone
'We're snake-bitten': Unconvincing Canada gets past Germany 3-0 at world juniors OTTAWA — Dave Cameron and his players once again found themselves in an uncomfortable position. Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press Dec 29, 2024 9:16 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message OTTAWA — Dave Cameron and his players once again found themselves in an uncomfortable position. Coming off a stunning, embarrassing loss to Latvia some 48 hours earlier at the world junior hockey championship, Canada led another of the sport's lesser lights by a single goal late in regulation Sunday. The tournament hosts would get the job done in the end. It wasn't pretty. Oliver Bonk, Caden Price and Mathieu Cataford, into the empty net, scored as the wobbly Canadians picked up an unconvincing 3-0 victory over Germany. "We're snake-bitten," Cameron, at his third world juniors as the country's head coach, said of the roster's toothless attack. "We're getting chances. That's all you can do ... it'll break." Carter George made 25 saves to register the goaltender's second straight shutout for Canada, which was coming off Friday's 3-2 upset loss to Latvia in a shootout. "I just want to go out there and do my part to get this team a win," said George, who took a shot at the empty net that dribbled wide. "We all pitch into the system." Nico Pertuch stopped 33 shots for Germany, which dropped its Group A opener at the men's under-20 tournament 10-4 to the United States before falling 3-1 to Finland. Canada, which entered with a 17-0 record all-time and a combined 107-26 score against Germany at the world juniors, went more than 120 minutes against a pair of hockey minnows without scoring a goal at 5-on-5. "It gets a little tense there when it was 1-0 with five minutes left," said defenceman Tanner Molendyk. "But I thought we handled it well." "A little tighter than maybe we would have expected," added fellow blueliner Sam Dickinson. Despite another sub-par performance, the victory sets up a mouth-watering New Year's Eve matchup against the U.S. for first place in the pool after the Americans fell 4-3 to the Finns in overtime earlier Sunday. Canada suffered one of the worst defeats in the program's history when Latvia — outscored 41-4 in four previous meetings at the event — shocked the hockey world. And while the plucky Europeans were full marks for their victory, the Canadians were largely disjointed and surrendered the middle of the ice for long stretches despite firing 57 shots on goal. There was more of the same Sunday through the two periods. "It's a quick turnaround, maybe, from (the Latvia loss)," said Canadian forward Berkly Catton. "That hurt, but we've got to be ready." Cameron made a couple of changes to his lineup — one out of necessity and another for tactical reasons. With star defenceman Matthew Schaefer, who could go No. 1 at the 2025 NHL draft, out of the world juniors after suffering an upper-body injury Friday, Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio drew in. Cameron also sat forward Porter Martone for Carson Rehkopf. Canada opened the scoring on the power play, which also had a new look after going 1-for-7 through two games, when Bonk scored from his normal bumper position in the slot at 9:40 of the first period. "Great feeling," said the Ottawa native and son of former NHLer Radek Bonk. "Fans have been awesome." Dickinson then chimed a one-timer off the post on another man advantage before George, who was in goal for Canada's 4-0 opener against Finland, made a couple of stops on the penalty kill inside a red-clad Canadian Tire Centre. "He's been unbelievable," Catton said of the netminder. "He held us in that game when we weren't playing great. He's been the heart and soul of our team." Petruch made a big save off Tanner Howe in the second before also denying Calum Ritchie from the slot on a power play, but the Canadians again looked out of sorts against a decidedly inferior opponent on paper. "You need different clubs in your bag to win this tournament," Cameron said. "Right now our defence and our goaltending are leading the pack. They're the clubs we're using the most. "The offence in this group's going to get going." Catton hit another post for Canada early in the third as a group with 11 first-round NHL draft picks finally started to flex its muscles. Molendyk then also found iron against Germany, set to meet Latvia in a crucial Monday matchup at the bottom of the Group A standings. "It was a lot better," Bonk said of the overall effort. "We didn't score as much as we should have or wanted to. It happens, but the goals will come." Price finally broke the 5-on-5 goose egg with 4:58 left in regulation on a shot that caromed off the end boards, Pertuch and in before Cataford fired into the empty net on another nervy night for the 20-time gold medallists. "Win a hockey game," Catton said of the feeling on the bench. "That's all that really matters — 1-0, 3-0, 10-0 — it's all the same. "We need the wins and we got it." Canada's biggest rival is now on deck. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024. Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Junior Hockey WHL Roundup: Joe Iginla scores hat trick, Oil Kings thump Rebels 8-2 Dec 29, 2024 8:58 PM Willander scores twice to lead Sweden to 7-5 win over Switzerland at world juniors Dec 29, 2024 7:42 PM Finland beats US 4-3 in OT in world junior hockey; Canada rebounds from loss to top Germany 3-0 Dec 29, 2024 7:21 PM
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified the need for innovative software solutions to counter the growing threats to video communications against digital injection attacks and to ensure the integrity of video communications in critical applications. These attacks, which allow malicious actors to alter live video streams, pose significant risks to trust and security in remote interactions, including identity verification. To this end, DHS is seeking a software solution through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, which issued a for a solution that can secure multiparty video interactions by establishing and maintaining the integrity of live video streams. The goal is to develop a solution that can prevent digital injection attacks while seamlessly integrating with existing hardware and video conferencing applications. This technology must provide users with confidence in the authenticity of their video interactions and notify them of any changes in the security status during a session. The development of secure video communication software has significant implications for both national security and private sector operations. DHS said it “is increasingly doing business online including immigration interviews, remote identity proofing and agency meetings online. The ability to transact digitally with trust is key to multiple DHS missions. Widely used video platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc., allow substitution of virtual cameras with no notice or awareness to the participants in a video interaction. This deficiency can allow for video injection attacks.” DHS said the technology it seeks will also play a key role in combating fraud and deception enabled by deepfake technologies. As deepfakes become more sophisticated, the need for robust defense mechanisms is more urgent than ever. The proposed solution will help bridge the gap between detection and prevention, providing proactive protection against digital injection attacks. Digital injection attacks manipulate live video feeds to deceive participants in virtual interactions. A common example is the substitution of a real video feed with a deepfake or other digitally altered content. This vulnerability is particularly concerning for platforms that are widely used for personal and professional communications. And existing video platforms often allow the use of virtual cameras without notifying users, creating opportunities for attackers to exploit the system. The threat of live deepfakes underscores the urgency of this issue, and the pre-solicitation document refers to a guest post by Co-founder and Chief Science Officer Konstantin Simonchik which . Deepfake technologies are advancing rapidly, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between authentic and manipulated content in real time. However, DHS said that although there has been progress in deterrent solutions such as biometric presentation attack detection (PAD), “not all approaches can be integrated for real-time streaming video and few detectors are robust over various methods of generating live deepfakes on all commodity personal computers.” DHS said “the dynamically changing and rapidly improving methods for generating live deepfakes may defeat some detectors, resulting in an ongoing challenge between generators and detectors. This topic is seeking an innovative solution to mitigate and prevent digital injection attacks where a bad actor could modify live video content to deceive, commit fraud, or perpetrate scams.” The department said current detection methods also have limitations in robustness and compatibility with real-time streaming video across commodity devices like laptops and mobile phones. The proposed solution DHS is looking for must go beyond traditional detection methods to offer a novel and distinct capability. It should be interoperable, adhere to open standards, and demonstrate immunity from digital injection attacks as defined by international security standard . By achieving these objectives, the software will help DHS and other stakeholders conduct secure, trustworthy video communications. To meet DHS’s needs, the software must satisfy several technical and operational criteria. The solution must establish and maintain the authenticity of the video stream between participants using hardware such as laptops, desktops, and mobile devices, and must ensure that the video content originates from a real camera and has not been modified. It also must have real-time security indicators. Users should receive clear indications that the video interaction is secure. If any security changes occur during the session, users must be immediately notified. The solution also must work with existing operating systems, device drivers, hardware, and video applications to ensure compatibility with widely used platforms without requiring extensive modifications. The proposed software must differ from existing solutions like PAD and liveness detection and should offer advanced protection against live deepfake generation and other sophisticated attacks. The project will be developed in three phases, each addressing key technical and operational aspects of the solution. The first phase focuses on evaluating the viability of proposed security approaches to prevent digital injection attacks. DHS said respondents “must explain how the proposed solution integrates with existing operating systems, drivers, hardware, and video applications, and how the proposed solution is novel and distinct from existing commercial presentation attack detection solutions.” Developers must identify the necessary software security layers to maintain digital trust in video streams and determine how the solution will integrate with existing systems. This phase involves detailed modeling to demonstrate the distinctiveness of the proposed solution compared to commercial alternatives. Phase I also requires developers to outline the extended functionalities needed for video applications, such as verifying the authenticity of video feeds and alerting participants to security breaches. By addressing these foundational requirements, Phase I sets the stage for prototype development. In Phase II, developers will create a working prototype of the software, incorporating the security layers modeled in Phase I. The prototype will include utilities to verify and assert a secure channel between video applications and cameras, ensuring that video content is authentic and untampered. The final phase focuses on deploying the solution in real-world settings and refining it based on user feedback. Phase III has cross-cutting applications, spanning government operations and commercial use cases. For DHS, the technology will support critical activities such as virtual immigration interviews and remote identity proofing transactions for disaster assistance. Through its phased approach, the project will address technical challenges, integrate with existing systems, and deliver a robust solution that meets the evolving needs of modern communication. In doing so, DHS said, it will set a new standard for trusted video interactions, safeguarding the integrity of virtual engagements in an increasingly interconnected world. | | | | | |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump said he can't guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” A look at some of the issues covered: Trump has threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn’t believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher prices for U.S. consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. households won't be paying more as they shop. “I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow,” Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying they are "going to make us rich.” He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened additional tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. ”All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field,” Trump said. He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. “Honestly, they should go to jail,” Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump’s role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: “I have the absolute right. I’m the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I’m the president. But I’m not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who had investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. “Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee,” Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, “No,” and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. But at another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. “I want her to do what she wants to do,” he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, “I’m not looking to go back into the past.” Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. “I think you have to do it,” he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end “birthright” citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens — although such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and have been shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, “I want to work something out,” indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not “want to be breaking up families” of mixed legal status, “so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back.” Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he “absolutely” would remain in the alliance “if they pay their bills.” Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies’ commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated “fairly” on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin’s invasion. “Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure,” Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump has called for an immediate ceasefire . Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged: “I haven’t spoken to him recently.” Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to “impede the negotiation.” The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell's term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy , including interest rates. Trump did not offer any job assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: “Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious” that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as his pick for FBI chief, then “he’s going to be taking somebody’s place, right? Somebody is the man that you’re talking about.” Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. “We're not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient,” he said. He added that “we're not raising ages or any of that stuff.” He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would “probably” not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, “Well, I commit. I mean, are -- things do -- things change. I think they change.” Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had “concepts” of a plan to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called “lousy health care.” He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. He did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo or how he could deliver on his desire for “better health care for less money.” Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.It's no secret that humans produce large amounts of plastic waste globally. But the exact scale of that quantity is often difficult to conceptualize. At " The Future of Plastics: Reducing Waste and Rethinking Materials ," an event sponsored by Kia, environmental experts and stakeholders gathered at Newsweek 's office at One World Trade Center in New York City on Wednesday, December 4, to discuss the current state of the plastic pollution problem and possible solutions. In his opening remarks, Newsweek Chief Strategy Officer Dayan Candappa presented a graphic from the University of California , Santa Barbara, and the University of California, Berkeley, depicting the potential future of plastic waste as a blue mountain of plastic water bottles towering over New York City. Without action, researchers estimate that the world will generate enough plastic trash between now and 2050 to "cover Manhattan in a heap of plastic ten times the height of the Empire State Building." "Now you are gathered here because you hope for a different future. But hope is not a strategy," Candappa said. "We know that if you step back and convene a group of people committed to a strategy, the view on the horizon can look quite different." Newsweek Environment and Sustainability Editor Jeff Young moderated the discussion, which featured panelists who are working to change the way industries produce and reuse plastic materials along the supply chain. Panelists included Jessica Long, chief strategy officer and head of Closed Loop Partners' operating group Closed Loop Builders; Erin Simon, the vice president and head of plastic waste and business at the World Wildlife Fund; U.S. Plastics Pact CEO Jonathan Quinn; Mars Global Vice President of Packaging Sustainability Allison Lin; and Dr. Leonardo Trasande from the NYU Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards. This event came days after the United Nations ended its fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee , referred to as INC-5, without a treaty to limit plastic waste pollution globally. The talks will continue next year, and the panelists were optimistic that more time will lead to a better overall treaty. Since the commitment was made in 2022 to solve the plastic waste problem, Erin Simon of the World Wildlife Fund said there has been a wave of momentum around how stakeholders can take action to solve it. "What gives me the most hope is that throughout this process, you usually see a whittling of ambition because of compromise and the need for consensus. And what I saw, and what we've seen over the last five [sessions], is an increase in ambition," she said during the panel. "It was almost like countries realized that they wouldn't have to do it alone, but they could do it in partnership with other businesses and there was a lot of attraction on how to fund this and create sustainable economic business models." Kristyn Oldendorf, the senior director of public policy and communication for the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), was one of the guests who attended the event. "I appreciated that it was a good range of perspectives [and] the different areas of expertise as well," she told Newsweek following the panel discussion. "It was helpful to hear about the role of policy as well as what's going on now voluntarily that brands are doing and thinking about recycling [and] what actions the treaty can take to really help stem plastic pollution." She added that it was inspiring to hear panelists talk about the importance of collaboration to find solutions. Oldendorf attended the previous session of U.N. plastic treaty negotiations and shared that she wasn't surprised that no agreement on a treaty was made at INC-5. But she agrees with the panelists that a better version of an agreement is yet to come. "Seeing how many stakeholders were there and committed to the issue...and bringing together such a global audience on this one issue, that's a lot of potential in itself," she said. "I share that hopefulness that the next round of conversation will lead to something more." In the meantime, solutions are happening every day around the world. While the current state of plastic waste production is daunting, Jessica Long of Closed Loop Partners said that recycling in the U.S. is "promising," taking a more optimistic view than her fellow panelists. "Where it works, and there are many great examples of our recycling across the country, it works really well," she said. With the right infrastructure and technology, facilities can sort "good materials" from waste that can go back into the supply chain and out of landfills. This can reduce the production of new plastics as well as the amount of materials being shipped globally. "Fortunately, we have a ton of demand for recycled content," she said. "We have enough demand that we should be building the right collection infrastructure, the right certification infrastructure, the right processing infrastructure to turn that material back into packaging." Long mentioned an example of a pilot reuse project in Petaluma, California. The Petaluma Reusable Cup initiative creates a system for patrons to reuse cups from local restaurants, cafes and coffee shops in an effort to cut down on waste. "We'll have full results out early in 2025, but the early results are very promising because it's showing that in the day, people want to do the right thing," she said. "People don't want to create more waste. They are looking for solutions, they're looking for things that are easy at the end of the day that will allow them to participate, and solutions and economies that don't produce waste."
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