SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Primo Spears' 31 points led UTSA over Houston Christian 78-71 on Saturday night. Spears had five assists for the Roadrunners (3-3). Raekwon Horton added 19 points while shooting 6 of 7 from the field and 7 for 7 from the line while he also had nine rebounds. Damari Monsanto finished 3 of 8 from 3-point range to finish with 11 points. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.A s a few low murmurs broke out in a respectfully reflective House of Commons chamber after its historic vote on assisted dying in England and Wales, one figure in the public gallery had a special interest in the result. Back in 2015, Rob Marris, the former Labour MP for Wolverhampton South West, had tabled the previous attempt to pass a bill changing the law. It was comprehensively defeated. On Friday, he returned to the Commons for the first time since departing as an MP in 2017. The bill being discussed was remarkably similar to the one he had presented nine years earlier, but he and other advocates for assisted dying desperately hoped that sentiment among MPs had shifted. As the debate progressed and a series of MPs gave thoughtful and heartfelt speeches against any change in the law, Marris feared the opportunity would again be lost for another decade. So when the vote’s result arrived after five hours of dignified but impassioned discussion, it came as a surprise. “People who I expected to support the bill were not doing so in their speeches,” he said, moments after leaving the chamber. “I thought that maybe the tide was not with us. But there is still a long way to go on this bill.” He and other MPs who were present for the last vote on the issue noticed a satisfying symmetry after Friday’s vote. In 2015, 330 MPs voted against assisted dying for terminally ill people. Last week, 330 voted in favour of the bill presented by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater . That reversal was taken by some MPs as a neat reflection of a debate that had reached a tipping point. Yet just as Marris warned, others supportive of the idea now say that the hard work must continue to hold on to wavering MPs. For those in favour of change, the vote was a moment in which parliament finally reflected the long-held views of the public. Polls have regularly shown a majority in favour of assisted dying. The latest Opinium poll for the Observer found that almost two-thirds (64%) support making it legal for someone to seek assisted dying, while a fifth (19%) are opposed. But the current campaign to hand the right of assisted dying to terminally ill people with six months left to live gained serious traction over the past year. It began last December, with interventions from two public figures from outside Westminster. First, the Observer revealed that actor Diana Rigg had made an impassioned case to legalise assisted dying in a message recorded shortly before her “truly awful” and “dehumanising” death from cancer in 2020. Just days later, television presenter Esther Rantzen, who has lung cancer, revealed she had joined the Dignitas assisted dying clinic in Switzerland . Backing a change in England and Wales, she said there should be a choice over “how you want to go and when you want to go”. Meanwhile, former health secretaries Stephen Dorrell and Alan Milburn said they were backing a change. Crucially, Labour confirmed that, should it win power, it would make time and expert advice available for an assisted dying bill if MPs backed it in a free House of Commons vote. Keir Starmer had backed Marris’s bill back in 2015 and remains supportive of a new law. Momentum built in July, when Charles Falconer, who was lord chancellor in Tony Blair’s government and had first adopted the issue of assisted dying in 2013, introduced a private members’ bill to the House of Lords . But he and other campaigners knew that it was a vote in the Commons that was really needed to have any real prospect of success. By the autumn, the issue had become a regular public debating point. Yet it is a quirk of Westminster’s obscure traditions that when the opportunity for this sea change in social policy arose, it came not through public pressure, but via a small ball printed with the number 238. The ball – one of 458 in a bowl – was picked out at random in mid-September as part of the raffle to decide which MPs would have the chance to present their own private members’ bills. Leadbeater’s came out on top. Tory MP Nusrat Ghani, who had the task of picking out the balls, reacted with unerring prescience. “Well done to Kim,” she said. “You are No 1 and you’ll be, gosh, very busy indeed.” When it came, it was a vote that divided the closest of fellow travellers. Leftwing flag bearers John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn found themselves entering different division lobbies – one of the rarest of political occasions. Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion McDonnell had recently reached the decision that he was ready to vote in favour of giving people more choice over how they die, while Corbyn continued to worry about safeguards. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage voted against the bill, but his deputy and former Reform UK leader, Richard Tice, voted in favour. Parties split, the cabinet split – and even families found themselves divided. Danny Kruger, a leading opponent of what he described as “assisted suicide”, is at odds with his mother, the television presenter Prue Leith. Yet the only real political fallout has been some anger aimed at Wes Streeting, the health secretary, who spoke out against the bill . Ministers had been advised to stay out of the public debate . While Streeting has talked openly of his fears about a “chilling slippery slope”, some in the party believe he sees it as a significant distraction from his huge task of reforming the NHS to bring down waiting times. But overall, there was broad agreement that last week’s considered debate showed parliament at its best. “I kept saying to colleagues that it would be a day where parliament shows itself in that way,” said one cabinet minister. “It nearly always does that at these moments. I knew there’d be no shenanigans.” Friday’s passing of the second reading of the bill is in itself a historic moment but, as Marris and others have said, obstacles remain before it becomes law, and the hard work for Leadbeater and other leading advocates still lies ahead. All sides of the debate now agree that proper time should be given to the bill to ensure that expert evidence is given, impact assessments are carried out and it is improved line by line where necessary. That will mean it will be studied and scrutinised by a cross-party committee for months, before re-emerging in parliament in about April. The 55-strong majority returned in the vote is seemingly robust in normal parliamentary terms, but the bill’s passage into law cannot yet be guaranteed. Some MPs backed the bill in order to continue the debate and are awaiting reassurances before voting it into law. Among them is former Brexit secretary David Davis , though the Observer has heard from other MPs in the same position. There are also the 31 MPs who did not record a vote, who could yet be crucial. More granular debates lie ahead. Looking back on Friday’s events, however, some of those involved in the assisted dying debate for years reflected on the fact that even with so many new MPs in parliament, almost all of them opted to grapple with the issue and take a view. “If that is the template for this parliament, it’s going to be a very, very impressive parliament,” said Lord Falconer. “Whatever else happens in this parliament, it will be remembered for this incredibly historic change.”
WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump is promising expedited federal permits for energy projects and other construction worth more than $1 billion. But like other Trump plans, the idea is likely to run into regulatory and legislative hurdles, including a landmark law that requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impact before deciding on major projects. In a post on his Truth Social site Tuesday, Trump said anyone making a $1 billion investment in the United States “will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but in no way limited to, all Environmental approvals.” Recommended Videos “GET READY TO ROCK!!!" he added. While Trump did not specify who would be eligible for accelerated approvals, dozens of energy projects proposed nationwide, from natural gas pipelines and export terminals to solar farms and offshore wind turbines, meet the billion-dollar criteria. Environmental groups slammed the proposal, calling it illegal on its face and a clear violation of the National Environmental Policy Act, a 54-year-old law that requires federal agencies to study the potential environmental impact of proposed actions and consider alternatives. “Trump is unabashedly and literally offering to sell out America to the highest corporate bidder,'' said Lena Moffitt, executive director of Evergreen Action, an environmental group. She said the plan was “obviously illegal” and another example of Trump “putting special interests and corporate polluters in the driver’s seat, which would result in more pollution, higher costs and fewer energy choices for the American people.” Alexandra Adams, chief policy advocacy officer at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said Trump should be careful what he wishes for. “What if someone wants to build a waste incinerator next to Mar-a-Lago or a coal mine next to Bedminster golf course?" she asked, referring to Trump's Florida home and New Jersey golf club, respectively. “There’s a reason Congress requires the government to take a hard look at community impacts to make sure we don’t greenlight projects that do more harm than good. Cheerleading on social media doesn’t change that reality,” Adams said. Energy analyst Kevin Book said Trump's post showed his usual flair for showmanship but said there was a real concern underlying it: a bipartisan push for permitting reform to speed up major environmental projects that now take years to win approval. “The substance here is he is really serious about trying to get permitting reform done," said Book, managing partner at ClearView Energy Partners, a Washington research firm. “Permitting delays are an impediment in many sectors — including energy — and there are multiple billion-dollar investments waiting for permitting reform," Book said. A bipartisan plan championed by Senate Energy Committee Chairman Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the committee's top Republican, would speed up permitting for major energy and mineral projects, but its chances are uncertain in the final few weeks of the current Congress. Their plan would boost energy projects of all types, bringing down prices, creating domestic jobs and allowing the U.S. to continue as a global energy leader, Barrasso and Manchin say. Critics say the bill would open major expanses of public lands and waters for oil and gas drilling and gut executive and judicial review. “Checking off wish lists for oil, gas and mining companies is not permitting reform,” said Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee. He called the bill “a dirty deal” that would exempt some oil and gas drilling projects from federal review and “let mining companies dump even more toxic waste on our public lands.” Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, said Trump's second term will be a “golden age of regulation-cutting,'' including a promise to “drill, baby, drill.'' “If you want to bring in money, he’s going to move heaven and earth to get that money in the door and get it invested in the United States,'' Miller said Tuesday at a conference organized by the Wall Street Journal. The plan applies to both domestic and foreign investment, Miller said: “He wants to get the money and he wants to get the regulations cut and get the economy moving again. ” In the short term, Trump's post makes permitting reform less likely this year, Book said, as Republicans seek to wait until next year when they will control both chambers of Congress and the White House. But the issue is likely to return quickly in the new year. ___ Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed to this story.NoneTrump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan
LAWRENCE TWP. — Things are starting to swing in favor of the Lawrence High varsity girls’ basketball team. It has been 12 years since the Cardinals have made it to the championship game of the John Molinelli Holiday Classic. Friday they made their return by defeating Pemberton, 46-39, in the first round. It was Lawrence’s first win of the 2024-25 season, taking the team a place it has not been since the 2012-13 school year. Head coach Dana Williams’ 1-3 squad will now play a tall Hunterdon Central team in Saturday’s noon final. The 1-3 Red Devils topped Hopewell Valley, 49-16, Friday to join the home team in this year’s 20th annual Molinelli Holiday Classic championship game. During a slow start this winter, Lawrence, which only has two seniors, has been growing along with its young cast. Friday two of its youngest players were among the game’s top scorers as 5-foot-11 freshman guard/forward K.J. Williams led the Cardinals with 13 points, 13 rebounds and five steals, plus a blocked shot (which was second on the team behind 5-7 senior forward Emma Dobkin’s two blocks); while 5-5 freshman guard Suhaani Swaroop connected on three 3-point field goals for nine points. “It’s a lot different from middle school,” said Williams, who tied for the game high in points with Hornets’ 5-5 freshman Jaylonnie Hilton, who also had 13 points. “I know, after our scrimmages, my first varsity game was very different, especially running-wise.” Williams, who can shoot with either hand and towers over many other 14-year-olds, is up for the challenge of staying fit and helping bring Lawrence girls’ basketball back into the limelight. For now, it is all about improvement for her and her teammates. “We can’t usually break the press,” Williams said. “We’d been having trouble up top, but today we did a much better job with that. The steals I came up with, and the encouragement I got from my teammates, helped. With work, it will lead to more wins.” The necessary work was still evident as the lead changed hands four times in the first quarter before sophomore guard Kayla Madison hit two buckets in the final 50 seconds to put the home team up, 11-6. The second stanza was still a struggle before the Cardinals opened their 20-14 halftime lead by outscoring Pemberton, 17-9, in the third quarter. Williams had four points and Swaroop hit a pair of treys during that run to push Lawrence’s lead to 37-21. While both teams struggled at the charity stripe (where the Hornets missed 11 and the Cardinals missed seven), the visitors ran off the first eight points of the fourth quarter to tighten the gap to 37-29 with 6:35 left. Hilton scored five in the final stanza to help her club to trim the margin to 44-37 with 1:25 to play, yet they could get no closer despite outscoring the home team, 16-9, down the stretch. “I still need to work on my shots and my shooting in general,” Williams said. “As a team, we need to work on running our offense and staying calm on the ball.” Such continued improvement by Lawrence would make things rather interesting in the revamped Colonial Valley Conference Valley Division in 2025. PEMBERTON (39) Hilton 7-1-15, Downes 0-1-1, Sims 0-0-0, Sheffield Washington 3-2-8, Graham 1-1-3, Sanders 0-0-0, Holt 0-0-0, Idom 0-0-0, Thomas 3-1-7, TWilliams 0-0-0, Gadsen 0-0-0, McKinney 2-1-5. Totals — 16-7-39. LAWRENCE (46) Dobkin 0-1-1, McMahon 3-0-6, Orashen 2-0-4, Carter 1-1-3, Cohen 1-0-3, Walter 0-0-0, Madison 2-0-4, Space 1-0-3, KWilliams 5-3-13, Swaroop 3-0-9. Totals — 18-5-46. Pemberton (0-4) 6 8 9 16 — 39 Lawrence (1-3) 11 9 17 9 — 46 3-point goals — Cohen, Space, Swaroop 3 (L). HUNTERDON CENTRAL 49, HOPEWELL VALLEY 16 LAWRENCE TWP. — Paige Ritter’s eight points accounted for half of the Bulldogs’ output in this opening-round loss to the Red Devils in John Molinelli Holiday Classic play earlier yesterday. Liz Kellogg and Bethany Ramos topped all scorers with 14 and 11 points, respectively. HOPEWELL VALLEY (16) Reinhart 1-0-2, DRoss 1-0-2, Nunnally 2-0-4, Ritter 2-4-8, MacQueen 0-0-0, Kurian 0-0-0, Pagnotta 0-0-0, Arora 0-0-0, Eugene 0-0-0, Ryan 0-0-0. Totals — 6-4-16. HUNTERDON CENTRAL (49) Costantini 2-0-5, Coplan 2-0-4, O’Leary 0-1-1, Schwartz 3-0-6, Dvoor 1-0-2, Ramos 5-0-11, Duran 1-3-6, Kellogg 7-0-14. Totals — 21-4-49. Hopewell Valley (1-5) 4 4 4 4 — 16 HunterdonCentral(1-3) 9 15 16 9 — 49 3-point goals — Costantini, Ramos, Duran (HC).