Share Tweet Share Share Email An Interview with Feras Mousilli , Managing Partner of Lloyd & Mousilli TechBullion recently had the opportunity to catch up with Dr. Feras Mousilli , the Managing Partner of Lloyd & Mousilli , an international boutique law firm specialising in intellectual property and technology law, with a focus on startups. The following is an excerpt from an interview that our Editorial Staff conducted in Autumn 2024. Dr. Mousilli, great to catch you between your busy international itinerary. Lloyd & Mousilli had quite the banner year and your client deals have made headlines around the world. Can you give us some insight into your firm’s work with international startups? It’s been a fantastic year for the firm and our international clients. Whether it’s a Croatian drone tech startup like Orqa or a Silicon Valley Artificial Intelligence generated video leader like Tavus , Lloyd & Mousilli’s focus has always been to provide comprehensive legal support to startups, with a focus on technology transactions and intellectual property matters. We specialize in counseling startups through international expansion, with lawyers strategically located across the U.S., as well as in Medellín, Colombia, Kyiv, Ukraine and most recently, Istanbul, Turkiye. Many of our clients approach us at the pre-launch or early stages of their journey, giving us the opportunity to help them build a strong foundation through services like corporate structuring, contract drafting, and IP protection strategies. Our distributed team model enables us to serve clients globally, breaking down barriers typically associated with more conventional law firms and has earned L&M recognition by Chambers . You mentioned Ukraine – who’s doing business there? We also noted from your profile that you’re a Fulbright Professor and taught in Ukraine, what’s an American lawyer doing in a war zone? Ukraine has long been a country very dear to me since my first visit in 2014 during the Euro Maidan revolution. L&M has a long history of representing Ukrainian startups, like Preply and Mosqitter and many others. In 2020, I was nominated for and granted a Fulbright Specialist Award to teach intellectual property and technology law as a visiting professor in Europe. I began teaching IP and technology commercialization courses at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, The National Technical University of Ukraine Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI), and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The courses focused on developing intellectual property strategies for patents and trademarks, building patent portfolios, software licensing, and commercialization of inventions and business ideas. Unfortunately, with the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. State Department ordered all US personnel to evacuate the country in 2022. Our firm has continued to represent startups in Ukraine’s war zones, from Donoetsk to Kharkiv and just recently successfully prosecuted a patent for a water ionization technology where the founder was MIA in the contested territories. Personally, I also continue to teach university law classes, albeit online. Feras Mousilli presentation to Venture Capital conference. Photo courtesy Unit City, Kyiv, Ukraine. Very inspiring that Lloyd & Mousilli is able to operate and support startups in war zones like Ukraine. Can you tell us more about being a Fulbright Specialist and what the program entails? The Fulbright Specialist Program connects established U.S. academics and experts with institutions abroad to develop institutional relationships, learn about other cultures, and contribute their knowledge through research and teaching. Fulbright specialists are competitively selected from a vast range of professional disciplines based on significant experience in their respective fields, as well as rigorous ethical and character fitness. I am considered an expert in the field of intellectual property and technology law. After Ukraine, I was then offered another visiting professorship through the Fulbright program in 2023 at University Tecnologico de Antioquia in Medellín, Colombia. During my time at Tecnologico de Antioquia, my primary focus was on researching and lecturing about the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Colombia. This concentration included contributing to the university’s academic curriculum revisions to better incorporate IP and technology commercialization content, as well as authoring a data-based report and presentation about the state of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Colombia. I also organized the university’s first-ever business startup pitch competition , sponsored by Lloyd & Mousilli, where I trained participating student teams to effectively present their businesses to potential investors. Professor Mousilli with university faculty. Photo courtesy University Tecnologico de Antioquia, Medellin. You mentioned that you recently opened an office in Istanbul, Turkey. Congratulations on the new office in the old world! Can you provide insight into what led to that decision? The decision to establish a base for Lloyd & Mousilli in Istanbul is both personal and strategic. Turkey has a thriving economy, a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, and immense potential for cross-border collaboration. Our new law firm office in Nişantaşı represents our commitment to fostering innovation and supporting businesses in the region. L&M has long advised U.S. clients on Turkish trademark and other intellectual property matters, leveraging our knowledge of the Turkish legal system and familiarity with Turkey’s startup ecosystem. The new Istanbul office will serve as a bridge for businesses navigating cross-border opportunities between Türkiye and the United States, as well as across the Middle East and Central Asia. Feras Mousilli, Turkish Bar President, & Ahmet Arslan. Photo courtesy Turkish Bar Association. These international startup stories are remarkable, but we are curious how it all started in Silicon Valley. Can you tell us about your time at Apple and your work there? Being a lawyer for Apple was the ultimate dream job for a technology lawyer. It was an interesting journey for me, since I was recruited from my role at Dell by Apple to serve as Special Projects Counsel on a special, and at the time, unreleased secret project. As it turned out, I would serve as the original lawyer on the Apple Watch – the most personal computer that Apple ever launched. While I didn’t realize it at the time, the Apple recruiters had been keenly interested in my degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. It made sense given all the biometric and health data and technology that is packed into the device. In addition to the Apple Watch, as Senior Corporate Counsel at Apple, I advised on the entire gamut of product development and intellectual property matters. This included advertising, marketing, copyright, and trademark strategies and risks. I was also responsible for the Made For iOS (“MFi”) ecosystem – CarPlay, HomeKit, AirPlay – basically the legal support for the technical specifications and resources needed to create accessories that communicate with Apple devices using MFi technologies and components. While it was very stimulating to work for tech giants Apple and Dell, I found that I was drawn more towards working with early stage companies and startups. We have a real love for founders and the energy that they bring to their startups. We jokingly refer to the team at Lloyd & Mousilli as “nerds & geeks” – everyone is super nerdy and passionate about their subject matter and they bring an academic rigor to solving these real world problems on behalf of our clients. We realize that for these startups, everything needs to align for their success and we are simply delighted to be a partner to their business. Professor Mousilli teaches Intellectual Property. Photo courtesy Taras Shevchenko University. Deeply motivating. Any closing words of advice to startups or first time founders? Being a startup founder is a fundamentally irrational path. The odds are stacked against you- statistically most startups fail. But for those founders that do it anyway, they are driven by a grander vision – a passion that fuels them to pursue the idea anyway. Like our client Deepen that is trying to change the future through autonomous vehicles or AiXplain that wants to democratize artificial intelligence, these visions are life changing for humanity. My advice to these founders is to make sure you surround yourself with people that can fuel your drive and share your enthusiasm to make positive changes. Your legal advisor has to not only share your vision, but also needs to align on your risk tolerance, as well. Find a lawyer that focuses on the solutions when everyone else is caught up in the problems. Dr. Feras Mousilli in Houston, Texas. Photo courtesy Ammar Selo Photography. Related Items: Artificial intelligence , Automotive , Exclusive Interview , featured , Feras Mousilli , interview , Lloyd & Mousilli , Silicon Valley , software , startups , tech giants , technology Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you How Multifunction Printers Simplify Everyday Tasks Empowering Enterprises: Puneet Aggarwal’s Vision for ERP, SAP Cybersecurity, and Innovation Best compliance software of all time CyberArrow GRC CommentsJD Martin is awarded new territory beginning December 1st, 2024. CHARLOTTE, N.C. , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- JD Martin is proud to announce the expansion of its partnership with Dialight , the global leader in industrial LED lighting technology, into North and South Carolina . This growth strengthens JD Martin's commitment to delivering industry-leading lighting solutions across the Southeast. 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Gainers Lytus Technologies Hldgs LYT shares moved upwards by 181.6% to $2.83 during Friday's pre-market session. The company's market cap stands at $5.2 million. Baosheng Media Gr BAOS stock increased by 9.67% to $1.7. The company's market cap stands at $2.6 million. LQR House YHC stock rose 6.91% to $1.7. The company's market cap stands at $12.1 million. Asset Entities ASST shares moved upwards by 6.71% to $0.41. The company's market cap stands at $2.4 million. TuanChe TC stock moved upwards by 6.65% to $1.0. The company's market cap stands at $1.7 million. Losers FingerMotion FNGR stock fell 25.0% to $1.5 during Friday's pre-market session. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $80.7 million. Ucloudlink Group UCL stock fell 12.12% to $1.85. The company's market cap stands at $69.1 million. Scholastic SCHL shares declined by 11.4% to $22.01. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $619.3 million. As per the press release, Q2 earnings came out yesterday. Haoxi Health Technology HAO shares declined by 10.85% to $0.11. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $5.3 million. MultiMetaVerse Holdings MMV shares decreased by 8.57% to $0.57. The market value of their outstanding shares is at $21.2 million. Kuke Music Hldg KUKE shares decreased by 7.7% to $0.36. The company's market cap stands at $14.2 million. See Also: www.benzinga.com/money/best-communication-services-stocks/ This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Over their past two offseasons, the Philadelphia Flyers have pursued semi-expensive depth options for their roster. It’s hard to blame them. For a while , a lot of their depth consisted of sub-replacement-level forwards and defensemen who actively cost the team games. An easy way to solve this problem was by opening up their wallets. In the 2023 free agency period, the Flyers targeted forwards Garnet Hathaway and Ryan Poehling, with the two combining for a $3.775 million cap hit. This was on top of Scott Laughton, Noah Cates, and Nicolas Deslauriers, who were making $7.4 million together. This, as opposed to the several league-minimum-salaried depth in years past, was a noticeable improvement. Philadelphia nearly made the playoffs in 2023-24 partially because of their approach. The Flyers doubled down by extending Hathaway and Poehling to two-year contracts apiece worth slightly more than they originally signed for. They also gave third-pairing defenseman Nick Seeler a four-year deal worth $2.7 million annually, which came with a no-trade clause. Now, we look ahead to the 2025 offseason festivities. As the Orange and Black prepare for them, one thing should be established: they have the talent to save some money on their depth this time. It may be somewhat of a necessity, too, considering their salary cap situation . Let’s discuss some possible in-house depth options who could be deserving of an NHL roster spot. This can make the team’s more expensive depth players expendable, potentially helping the Flyers accumulate assets and cap space through trades. Players in the System Who Could Make Good Depth Pieces The Flyers will likely have some roster openings in 2025-26 regardless since it’s unlikely for every player on this season’s team to return. Here are three players, all from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL), who could be good depth players in Philadelphia if given the chance. Olle Lycksell, Winger Olle Lycksell , a 25-year-old left-handed winger, isn’t a stranger to the Flyers. The 2017 sixth-round pick has had a few contests of NHL hockey under his belt with the Orange and Black over the past few seasons, debuting in 2022-23. Since the start of that campaign, he has 108 AHL points in 116 games. Being a valuable piece for the Phantoms scoring-wise hasn’t exactly translated to the NHL level. His six points in 27 games aren’t all that impressive, but his on-ice numbers are. Among Flyer forwards with 100 minutes of 5-on-5 usage over the past two seasons, he is first in shot attempt share (56.14%), first in shot share (61.81%), third in goal share (50.00%), first in expected goal share (63.47%), and first in high-danger chance share (60.81%). Perhaps it’s due to the limited sample size he’s working with (180:21 of ice time), but Lycksell has been great in Philadelphia. Usually, players with his $787,500 salary have metrics 10% or more below those—cheap depth guys are supposed to be outplayed and outscored. Especially considering his AHL production, Lycksell could be more than just that. There could be some upside with Lycksell. With the way Stefan Noesen has broken out for the New Jersey Devils this season by being put in an opportunity to succeed, every team should be trying to recreate this. Sometimes, the next top-six player is someone in their mid-to-late 20s sitting in the AHL. This is admittedly the best possible outcome, but you never know if you don’t try. Samu Tuomaala, Winger Samu Tuomaala, a 21-year-old winger, has also been productive with the Phantoms this season. His 23 points in 29 AHL games are good for his age, showing he may have what it takes to be a full-time NHLer. He could add a spark to the Flyers’ offense. Tuomaala has yet to make his debut for the Flyers. Drafted in the second round in 2021, his development was worryingly slow to start but he has picked it up immensely in recent seasons. He’s tied for 30th in AHL scoring in 2024-25, and tied for sixth among players 21 or younger. It might not be the case yet, but the Finn is reaching “too good for the minors” territory. The Flyers should probably make an opening for Tuomaala in 2025-26. He shouldn’t be handed a spot by any means, but he may add something to their team. He’s an option for their woeful power play , too, so that’s a bonus. Ethan Samson, Defenseman Ethan Samson has been terrific for the Phantoms this season, all things considered. The 21-year-old right-shot defenseman has 11 points in 28 games, even though he’s not a top-pairing player for Lehigh Valley. Those 11 points are the same as or more than the following players around his age who have already made their NHL debuts: Kevin Korchinski, Lian Bichsel, and Ethan Del Mastro. He’s joined by good company. Samson could bring a level of confidence to the Flyers that their defense could use. He’s comfortable with the puck on his stick and isn’t afraid to shoot. He may have a minus-14 rating, which is one of the worst on the Phantoms, but there’s a lot to like about his game. Similar to teammate Emil Andrae , who is 22, it’s possible for Samson to see immediate NHL success despite his youth. Defensemen may take longer to develop, but Flyers associate coach Brad Shaw has done wonders for the back end. If Samson continues to impress and has a good training camp next season, he could be the next to flourish under Shaw. Flyers Can Save Cap Space with Depth Departures Combined, the three players above have a cap hit of $2.465 million (Lycksell will be a free agent in 2025, however). Alone, Hathaway is making just $90,000 less than that this season—that’s three players for the price of one. This isn’t to suggest the Flyers should throw today’s depth overboard, but they should consider cheaper options. This will save them money if they want to improve the top half of their roster. A potential long-term extension to defenseman Cam York could be expensive, too, so having a bit of leniency cap-wise could go a long way. The three players above could use some NHL time for their development, anyway, so it’s kind of killing two birds with one stone here. If the Flyers plan to trade some of their current depth for draft capital or prospects, it’d be three birds. In previous seasons, the Flyers didn’t have the pieces to trot their AHL pieces in the NHL. Now, they do. It may be beneficial to give those guys playing time in 2025-26 for the reasons outlined above: player development, more money, and more assets like draft picks if the Flyers are willing to sell off their current depth. This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.
Pep Guardiola admits Man City looking to ‘survive the season’Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government has fallen after a stunning territorial advance by opposition groups over the past few days. On Sunday morning, state television announced the “triumph of the great Syrian revolution and the fall of the criminal Assad regime.” Assad decided to step down and left the country, Russia’s foreign ministry later said in a statement. The toppling of the longtime ruler is sending shock waves through the Middle East and will be a major blow to Russia and Iran, his main foreign backers. Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, which has led the push to oust Assad and his government, entered Damascus on Saturday evening and captured the key city of Homs — about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of the capital — around the same time. Other areas of the country, including in the north near the Turkish border and in the south, have been captured by different groups. Videos and broadcast footage showed Syrians in Damascus and elsewhere celebrating the downfall of the widely despised regime. There were also signs of jubilation in Turkey, which hosts millions of Syrian refugees. HTS’s leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, called on all of the Syrian government’s forces in the capital to stand down. Al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani, said Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali will remain in his role until there’s an official handover. Al-Jalali, speaking to Al Arabiya television, said he didn’t know where Assad was. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the conflict, said he took a flight from Damascus and left the country. U.S. officials currently believe Assad is in Moscow, according to a person familiar with the matter. The 59-year-old, who took over from his father Hafez in 2000, made a last-ditch attempt to remain in power, including indirect diplomatic overtures to the U.S. and President-elect Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported on Saturday. In a sign of how weak his military position was, he ordered his army to fall back on Damascus, essentially ceding much of the country, including Homs, to the insurgents. Syria was reclassified as a low-income country by the World Bank in 2018, with its gross domestic product collapsing by more than half between 2010 and 2020. Its exports chiefly comprise products such as olive oil, nuts and phosphates, according to the CIA World Factbook. It also produces and traffics narcotics, the U.S. State Department says. Trump took to social media to say that the U.S. should “have nothing to do with” the developments in Syria. “This is not our fight,” he said. “Let it play out. Do not get involved!” President Joe Biden’s administration, in power until next month, showed little inclination to intervene and has said the U.S. has nothing to do with HTS’s rebellion. The U.S. and Israel, which borders Syria, are watching warily. Assad was no ally of theirs, and Washington has severely sanctioned the Syrian government. But HTS is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and other Western countries. On Sunday morning, Israel said it had deployed forces in a buffer zone near Syria to protect communities in the Golan Heights. The Israeli military added it’s not involved with what’s happening in Syria. “It should be remembered that these rebels aren’t lovers of Zion,” Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, told Israel’s Channel 14. “It’s true that everyone is today welcoming the weakening of Iran — something that is certainly very significant from a regional perspective. But there is also concern that parties aligned with terrorist organizations” will use Assad’s weapons against Israel. HTS, a Sunni group, broke away from al-Qaeda in 2016 and has tried to portray itself since then as more moderate. Al-Sharaa, in an interview with CNN on Dec. 5, said non-Muslims and other minorities would be safe in Syrian areas overseen by HTS. The leader, in his early 40s, attributed the success of opposition forces to greater discipline and unity. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in a statement warned “the country must not now fall into the hands of other radicals — whatever guise.” France called on its partners “to do their utmost to help the Syrians find the path to reconciliation and reconstruction through an inclusive political solution.” Syria’s political situation is likely to remain fluid as various groups try to bolster their positions, according to risk consulting firm RANE. “The collapse will likely trigger a contested political process among competing rebel factions to create a provisional government,” said Freddy Khoueiry, RANE’s global security analyst. “This will likely be a slow process prone to violence as foreign actors try to shape the postwar balance of power, making an unstable and fragmented Syria the most likely outcome in the near term.” Assad lost large swaths of the northwest of the country in late November as opposition fighters made a sudden advance out of Idlib province. They first captured Aleppo, one of the biggest cities in Syria, and then advanced on Hama. The rapid collapse of Syria’s government has taken Russia, Iran and the U.S. by surprise. In 2015, Russia and Iran came to Assad’s aid and helped turn the tide in Syria’s war — which began four years earlier — in his favor. This time both Tehran and Moscow, which has a naval base at the Syrian port of Tartus, have been stretched by conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Iran tried to drum up support for Assad among Arab states. It also said it would send Iranian troops to Syria if he requested it, but was ultimately unwilling or unable to. Moreover, Tehran’s most powerful proxy militia group, Lebanon-based Hezbollah, has been hugely degraded since September by war with Israel. Its fighters were crucial to helping Assad stay in power from early in the civil war. The Syrian conflict has left between 300,000 to 500,000 people dead and displaced more than 10 million, with many of them fleeing abroad, according to United Nations agencies and Syrian organizations. (With assistance from Peter Martin, Dan Williams and Selcan Hacaoglu.) ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.President-elect Donald Trump on Friday offered a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled choice to lead the Defense Department, whose confirmation by the Senate is in doubt as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat. Hegseth, a former Fox News Host, Army National Guard major and combat veteran, spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and privately reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump’s Pentagon. “Pete Hegseth is doing very well,” Trump posted on his social media site. “He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense." The president added that "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” The pitched nomination battle over Hegseth is emerging as not only as a debate about the best person to lead the Pentagon, but an inflection point for a MAGA movement that appears to be relishing a public fight over its hardline push for a more masculine military and an end to the “woke-ism" of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Trump’s allies are forcefully rallying around the embattled Hegseth – the Heritage Foundation’s political arm is promising to spend $1 million to shore up his nomination – as he vows to stay in the fight, as long as the president-elect wants him to. “We’re going to earn those votes,” Hegseth said on Capitol Hill this week. “As long as Donald Trump wants me in this fight, I’m going to be standing right here.” The effort quickly become a test of Trump’s clout and of how far loyalty for the president-elect goes with Republican senators who have concerns about his nominees. Two of Trump's other choices have stepped aside as they faced intense scrutiny: former congressman Matt Gaetz, his first choice for attorney general; and Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff who was Trump’s first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. The president's son Donald J. Trump Jr, also made a show of support for Hegseth on Friday, part of a full-court MAGA press. “If you’re a GOP Senator who voted for Lloyd Austin, but criticize @PeteHegseth, then maybe you’re in the wrong political party!” he wrote on X. referring to Biden's defense secretary. Hegseth has promised not to drink on the job and told lawmakers he never engaged in sexual misconduct, even as his professional views on female troops have also come under intensifying scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women “straight up” should not serve in combat. He picked up one important endorsement from Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, whose support was seen as a potentially powerful counterweight to the cooler reception Hegseth had received from Sen. Joni Ernst, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. “Huge. Thanks to Katie for her leadership,” Vice President-elect JD Vance posted on social media. Ernst, who is also a sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after her meeting with Hegseth this week. She said she appreciates his military service and they “had a frank and thorough conversation.” On Friday, Trump put out the statement in response to coverage saying he had lost faith in Hegseth, according to a person familiar with his thinking who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The president-elect and his team have been pleased to see Hegseth putting up a fight and his performance this week reiterates why he was chosen, the person said. They believe he can still be confirmed. If Hegseth goes down, Trump's team believes the defeat would empower others to spread what they cast as “vicious lies” against every candidate Trump chooses. Still, Trump's transition team has been looking at potential replacements if Hegseth's nomination cannot move forward, including former presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis plans to attend the Army-Navy football game with Trump on Dec. 14, according to a person familiar with the Florida governor’s plans who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss them before a public announcement. And DeSantis and Trump had spoken about the defense secretary post when they saw each other Tuesday at a memorial service for sheriff deputies in West Palm Beach, Florida, according people familiar with the matter who said Trump was interested in DeSantis for the post, and the governor was receptive. At the same time, DeSantis also is poised to select a replacement for the expected Senate vacancy to be created by Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, and Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump is seen as the preferred choice by those in Trump’s orbit. Despite a weeklong push of private Capitol Hill meetings, Hegseth is facing resistance from senators as reports have emerged about his past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. The New Yorker cited what it described as a whistleblower report and other documents about his time leading a veterans advocacy group, Concerned Veterans for America, that alleged multiple incidents of alcohol intoxication at work events, inappropriate behavior around female staffers and financial mismanagement. The New York Times obtained an email from his mother Penelope from 2018, in which she confronted him about mistreating women after he impregnated his current wife while he was married to his second wife. She went on “Fox & Friends” this week to defend her son. Trump ally Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said senators are judging “Pete for who he is today.” In many ways the increasingly pitched battle resembles the political and culture wars that exploded over Trump’s pick of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court during his first term at the White House. Kavanaugh had also faced allegations of sexual assault that he strenuously denied, but Republicans rallied to his side and turned a tide of opposition into a more sympathetic view of the Supreme Court nominee as the victim of a liberal-led smear campaign. He eventually won confirmation. While Hegseth was still fighting for votes in the Senate, he did appear to make incremental progress with some Republicans who had expressed concerns about the reports of his drinking, in particular. “I’m not going to make any decision regarding Pete Hegseth’s nomination based on anonymous sources,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer said of the allegations against Hegseth, “I have no reason to doubt him any more than believe somebody else.” Still, Cramer indicated he could still change his mind. A background check “will be informative.” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said after meeting with Hegseth that he wanted to see how he does in a hearing but “he went a long way” toward getting his support. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in New York, Adriana Gomez Licon in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.
Musk spent over a quarter of a billion dollars to help elect Trump
Democrats emerged from their bruising election losses in November with a decidedly mixed financial picture, new federal filings show. The Democratic National Committee appeared flush with cash, despite recent post-election staff cuts, and a leading liberal super PAC appeared to have tens of millions of dollars in unpaid bills. Vice President Kamala Harris’ defunct campaign, meanwhile, had just $1.8 million remaining in its bank accounts after spending more than $1 billion in a failed effort to defeat Republican Donald Trump. The Harris campaign reported no debts. But the filings with the Federal Election Commission overnight – which cover fundraising and spending between October 17 and November 25 – offer just a snapshot of the financial outlook for a party working to regroup after losing the White House and the Senate and failing to flip the House last month. Aides to key committees say they are still dealing with outstanding invoices and other accounting issues as they close the books on the costly presidential contest. A full view of Democrats’ finances might not be apparent until January when candidates, parties and outside groups file their year-end reports with the FEC. Quarter-billion spending spree The filings show Harris burned through money during the final, intense home stretch of the campaign, plowing more than $270 million into the effort to win the presidency from October 17 through the post-election period. That frenzied spending in the final weeks of the campaign and Democrats’ aggressive efforts to secure donations after the election drew intense scrutiny and raised alarms that her campaign was grappling with unpaid bills. But after record-breaking fundraising, Harris’ campaign reported $1.82 million in cash on hand as of November 25. In the weeks since the election, Democrats have continued to bombard supporters with fundraising appeals, seeking more contributions. A fundraising email sent this week, for instance, from Harris’ joint fundraising committee with national and state Democratic parties, sought donations to a “Harris Fight Fund” program, which it said is aimed at electing “Democrats down the ticket ready to hold Trump accountable.” The fine print shows the proceeds going first to the Democratic National Committee in an effort to shore up the national party’s finances. In its filing Thursday with the FEC, the DNC reported more than $47 million remaining in the bank and no debts – despite recently shedding staff post-election . That’s in sharp contrast to the main super PAC that backed Harris’ candidacy for the White House, which ended the post-election period with nearly $50 million in unpaid bills, the FEC reports show. The group, Future Forward, listed $47.3 million in debts as of November 25, largely related to advertising expenses. Chauncey McLean, who oversees Future Forward, said those bills do not amount to “real debt,” but reflect a requirement by the FEC that the group report an estimate of its spending on advertising on a rolling, real-time basis. “The invoices are already paid,” and the next report the group files will reflect those payments, he said.Criminals ram shutter of liquor store in Jaipur with SUV