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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Democrats and Republicans agreed on at least one thing before November’s election: California would play a central role in determining control of the U.S. House. Indeed it did. Democrat Adam Gray's come-from-behind victory over Republican Rep. John Duarte in a Central Valley farm-belt district Tuesday — the final House contest decided this year — gave Democrats their third pick-up of a GOP-held seat in the state, a small victory in a tough year for Democrats nationally. While Democratic wins narrowed the gap in the House, Republicans held their ground in two other toss-up contests that helped the GOP defend its fragile majority in Washington. Republicans won 220 House seats this election cycle , with Democrats holding 215 seats. Despite falling short of a majority, Democrats stressed that the party will gain seats next year, leaving the chamber even more closely divided. “Netting three seats was a very big deal,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, the third-ranking Democrat in the chamber, who lives in Redlands, east of Los Angeles, said in Washington. Democratic enthusiasm was tempered, however, by turnout figures that lagged the 2020 presidential election in the heavily Democratic state, even with Kamala Harris leading the Democratic ticket in her home state. Also, Republicans made incremental gains in the state Legislature. Voters overwhelmingly endorsed a ballot proposal that makes shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders again and increases penalties for some drug charges amid frustration over retail crimes, a proposal opposed by some Democrats. The election showed Democrats will need to pay closer attention to issues like crime and the cost of living, even in a state where the party holds every statewide office and dominates the Legislature and congressional delegation, Claremont McKenna College political scientist Jack Pitney said. In the House, Democrats “were hoping that California would push them over the top to gain a majority. But their gains elsewhere were not strong enough,” Pitney added, pointing to GOP wins in North Carolina. Gray won by a margin of less than 200 votes, with election officials reporting Tuesday all ballots had been counted. Duarte captured the seat in 2022 when he defeated Gray by one of the closest margins in the country, 564 votes. He was often listed among the most vulnerable House Republicans given that narrow margin of victory in a district with a Democratic tilt — about 11 points over registered Republicans. Gray said in a statement: “We always knew that this race would be as close as they come, and we’re expecting a photo finish this year, too.” In other Democratic House gains, first-time candidate Derek Tran ousted Republican Rep. Michelle Steel in a Southern California district anchored in Orange County, while Democrat George Whitesides toppled Republican Rep. Mike Garcia is a district north of Los Angeles. In a district east of Los Angeles, Republican Rep. Ken Calvert again held off Democrat Will Rollins in a repeat of their 2022 contest. And Republican Rep. David Valadao kept his grip on a farm-belt seat, despite its heavy Democratic registration edge. The outcome will leave Republicans with nine of the state's 52 U.S. House seats next year. Although California is often seen as a liberal monolith, a string of House districts has proved volatile in recent elections, spotlighting their importance to both parties. Democrats snatched seven seats from Republicans in 2018, then Republicans seized four from Democrats in 2020. In the 2022 elections, Republicans gained one seat, from 11 to 12, while Democrats dropped to 40 seats from 42, after California lost a House seat in reapportionment after the 2020 census. Overall, the state dropped to 52 districts from 53. The state played a pivotal role in securing the gavel for Republicans in 2022 and installing Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield as speaker .
Trump backs immigration visas for skilled workers after MAGA followers turn on Elon Musk over H-1BsCHICAGO (AP) — N.J. Benson had 22 points and 17 rebounds in DePaul's 84-65 victory over Loyola Maryland on Saturday. Benson added 17 rebounds for the Blue Demons (9-4). Jacob Meyer added 12 points while shooting 4 for 11 (0 for 3 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line while they also had five rebounds. CJ Gunn went 4 of 11 from the field (1 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 11 points. The Greyhounds (5-6) were led in scoring by Jacob Theodosiou, who finished with 22 points. Milos Ilic added 13 points, six rebounds and two steals for Loyola (MD). Jordan Stiemke had 10 points. DePaul took the lead with 18:45 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. Benson led their team in scoring with 14 points in the first half to help put them up 44-26 at the break. DePaul extended its lead to 64-36 during the second half, fueled by an 8-0 scoring run. Isaiah Rivera scored a team-high 10 points in the second half as his team closed out the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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President Joe Biden caused a stir while doing some Black Friday shopping at a Nantucket bookstore. The outgoing president was spotted leaving the store with a book about the modern history of Palestinian “resistance” titled, The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonial Conquest and Resistance 1917-2017. Written by Columbia University professor emeritus and renowned Palestinian-American historian Rashid Khalidi, the book asserts that the modern history of Palestine “resistance” can “best be understood” as a “colonial war” to force an indigenous population “to relinquish their homeland to another people against their will.” Biden’s viral photo comes on the heels of a US-brokered cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel announced Nov. 26 following months of criticism over de-escalation efforts. Biden declared, “The fighting across the Lebanese-Israeli border will end.” Although it is unclear whether Biden purchased the book for himself, Khalidi was less than impressed to see his book with the president. “Four years too late,” the author told the New York Post. Online, the photo was also politically panned. “Well that’s a bit late in the game to go through a tutorial,” wrote one X user. Actor James Van Der Beek is selling memorabilia from one of his biggest movie hits to pay for the “expensive” treatment of his stage 3 colorectal cancer. The actor announced on his Instagram last week that he’s selling signed jerseys emblazoned with the name of his character from the 1999 movie Varsity Blues . In a video promoting the endeavor, Van Der Beek, who played quarterback Jonathan “Mox” Moxon in the football flick, appears wearing the bright blue jersey and confidently spinning a football on his finger. “Excited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of #VarsityBlues with a limited edition #4 Moxon jersey—each one personally autographed by me,” the actor wrote. “100% of my net proceeds will go to families recovering from the financial burden of cancer (including my own 😇).” On Friday, he boosted the effort on his Instagram story, encouraging his followers to buy a jersey as a Christmas gift, along with a hashtag reading, “#cancerisexpensive.” Van Der Beek, famous for starring on Dawson’s Creek , revealed his diagnosis earlier this month. “I‘ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” he told People then, adding, “I’m feeling good.” A post shared by James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) The downsides of the gym include the lingering smell, the wait for weights, and the nagging feeling that others might be silently judging your form or how much you’re lifting. 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Free Shipping If you buy something from this post, we may earn a small commission. Scott Jennings, whose role as the reliably pro-Trump commentator in CNN panel discussions has provided no shortage of headline-making moments , has joined the editorial board of the Los Angeles Times , he announced Friday. “It’s true – I’ve accepted @DrPatSoonShiong invitation to join the editorial board of the @latimes,” Jennings, an alum of George W. Bush’s White House, wrote on X. “I plan to represent those Americans who believe they are often ignored or even ridiculed in legacy media and applaud Dr. Soon-Shiong’s move to bring balance to the editorial board.” Billionaire Times owner Soon-Shiong, who blocked the publication from endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, said Wednesday he intended to bring on Jennings as part of changes to the editorial board. (When asked about the planned move later, he reportedly grew “combative” with an interviewer.) Earlier this year, Jennings was widely criticized for calling Muslim-American Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) a “public relations agent for Hamas.” Rupert Grint, famous for playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, has been ordered to pay the equivalent of around $2.3 million in back taxes, according to The Times . He had been originally ordered to pay the sum in 2019, after HMRC, the British tax-collecting agency, investigated his returns from the 2011 to 2012 tax year. A payment of about $5.7 million to Grint from a company that managed his business affairs for “consideration for rights, records and goodwill” for his work had raised investigators’ eyebrows because it was listed as a capital asset. HMRC, though, determined that it was actually income and should have been subject to a greater tax. Although Grint had attempted to fight the verdict in court, Judge Harriet Morgan decided against him, finding that “derived substantially the whole of its value from the activities of” Grint, meaning that it should have been taxed as income. Grint, who starred in all eight of the hit wizardry films between 2001 and 2011, earned around $30 million for his work with the franchise, per The Times . There’s electric toothbrushes, and then there’s the AquaSonic Black Series Ultra Sonic Toothbrush . It’s got over 115,000 reviews and is the #1 seller in ultrasonic toothbrushes on Amazon. It’s accepted by the American Dental Association. And, of course: it’s 50% off for Black Friday. For under $30, your giftee gets the internet’s favorite electric toothbrush, eight brush heads, and a travel case. With typical use, those eight brush heads will last two and a half years. So unfortunately, you’ll need a new idea for next year’s gift. 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Shaffir suggested that the session could take place on Jan. 14, when his Netflix comedy special is set to release. “Can we get together?” Shaffir asked. “Trump’s obviously going to walk on,” he added, to which Rogan and comedian Shane Gillis enthusiastically agreed. “One hundred percent,” Rogan said. “He’s gonna walk on if we do Mar-a-Lago.” In late October, Rogan hosted Trump in his Austin, Texas, studio for a wide-ranging three-hour interview. While Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent, also sought to share her message with Rogan’s massive audience—largely composed of young men—the podcaster said he would not do it unless she traveled to his studio. “I strongly feel the best way to do it is in the studio in Austin,” Rogan wrote on X in October. The interview never took place. Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle weren’t invited to the royal family’s Christmas gathering at Sandringham House, one of King Charles ’ countryside homes, a source told People on Friday. The pair haven’t attended the annual gathering since 2018, a few months after they married. The following year, they spent the holiday in Canada, and shortly afterward announced that they would “no longer be working members” of the royal family. Last year, the couple reportedly would have accepted an invitation if offered. In the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan , Markle described a pleasant experience at her first Christmas at the estate in 2017. “I remember so vividly the first Christmas at Sandringham. Calling my mom, and she’s like, ‘How’s it going?’ And I said, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s amazing,’” she recalled . “It’s just like a big family like I always wanted. And there was just this constant movement and energy and fun.” The strained Harry-Charles relationship could be improved by a potential retirement by the king’s private secretary, Daily Beast founding editor Tina Brown wrote recently . Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outlined his requirements for a peace deal with Russia on Friday. Asked to respond to President-elect Donald Trump ’s suggestion that Ukraine should cede territory, Zelensky told Sky News that if the North Atlantic Treaty Organization accepts Ukraine’s membership request, he will consider diplomatically negotiating Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territory at a later date. “If we want to stop the hot phase of the war, we need to take under the NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control,” Zelensky said. “We need to do it fast. And then on the [occupied] territory of Ukraine, Ukraine can get them back in a diplomatic way.” The war in Ukraine has been ongoing since Russia invaded in February 2022. Trump has suggested that once he assumes office, he will be able to end the war in 24 hours. Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion star Mira Sorvino opened up about the status of a possible sequel. Sorvino, who starred alongside Lisa Kudrow in the hit 1997 comedy, said that the original cast is all set to return. “This is all pending, them making deals, them saying yes, but they’re all in there,” she said in an interview with People . Sorvino added that her and Kudrow are executive producers, and a director is already attached to the project. “But it’s not officially greenlit, so I can’t say that it’s officially greenlit,” she continued. The screenwriter of the original movie also returned with an “amazing funny script, which checks all the boxes for all the fans,” Sorvino said. The cult classic film follows two women who invent life stories to impress their classmates at their high school reunion. Sorvino said that there are “rumors of shooting [the sequel] second quarter next year.” Do you eat breakfast everyday? Be honest. It’s an easy meal to skip due to the morning rush. However, with Huel , a nutritious breakfast only takes 60 seconds to make. 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You can skip orders, swap flavors, and cancel at any time. If you buy something from this post, we may earn a small commission. An Australian actress and OnlyFans star opened up about her relationship with her step-brother, who she is pregnant to after the pair got married in Sept. 2023. Speaking on the UNCENSORED podcast, Scarlet Vas, who first became famous from starring in the Australian show Neighbours , talked about meeting now-husband Tayo Ricci when they were teenagers. Once their parents got together they became “family,” they said. However, that didn’t deter them from pursuing a relationship—or profiting from it on OnlyFans. Ricci said that while they make some step-sibling content, it’s not to “the standard that people would expect.” “I’m not gonna lie, when I was young, I fantasized about it. Yeah, it just felt so wrong until it felt right,” Ricci said on the podcast. Joe Biden ’s White House may soon face a mutiny from some of its alumni, but not for weighty issues like Israel’s war in Gaza . A contingent of former White House officials have been mulling a petition to the Biden administration over a lack of “departure photos,” the customary photos a president takes with outgoing staff and their families to honor their service, according to Politico. Biden had stopped doing the photos for months this year (perhaps dealing with other, potentially more pressing concerns), and when the White House did resume them this month, they only extended the offer to current staff—without the usual plus ones. It prompted a number of former staffers to air their grievances in a group chat, where the petition was considered. A White House official told Politico the group would soon be invited to get their “clicks” with Biden in the Oval Office, though it’s unclear when over the next two months. “The staffers who gave everything to this President,” a former official wrote to their old colleagues, according to Politico , " who missed anniversaries, birthdays, their own doctors appointments, knowing democracy itself was on the line, deserve at the very least a proper goodbye from the man who says he owes them everything.”Spruce power director John Miller buys $52,400 in stock