The Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory (LSMTL) has introduced an online registration portal to improve the testing processes for building materials in the state. The launch took place during the eGIS Retreat 2.0 held at 21st Century Technologies in Lagos and is expected to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and transparency in the quality assurance of construction materials. Mrs. Olayinka Abdul, the General Manager of LSMTL, highlighted the benefits of the new web portal. She explained that the platform would automate the tracking and data capture of building materials tests, reducing manual errors and speeding up processes. Related Stories Lagos govt extends amnesty for owners of buildings without permits to Dec. 31 Lagos Govt announces waiver of application fees for state-funded scholarships and bursaries “This software application captures and tracks building data to streamline the LSMTL’s quality assurance process for long-lasting structures. This initiative will directly benefit all stakeholders, such as potential clients and LSMTL agents,” Abdul said. The launch of the online portal is part of LSMTL’s broader initiative to improve building safety in Lagos. Abdul noted that the agency would leverage data-driven insights from geotechnical investigations to ensure better construction practices in the state. “By collecting and analysing data, collaborating with other agencies, and developing detailed maps, LSMTL aims to create a more resilient and sustainable built environment in Lagos,” she said. The initiative will also aid in identifying the specific characteristics of different areas across the state, thus enabling the agency to recommend appropriate construction practices for each location. Abdul further stressed the importance of transparency and accountability in the online portal’s payment process. The portal, which is linked to the Alpha Beta Portal—another platform within the state government’s infrastructure—will allow customers to track the progress of their tests and make payments seamlessly. She emphasized that the new system would ensure clear and accessible processes for users and contribute to maintaining high standards of quality in material testing services. Dr. Olajide Babatunde, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on eGIS and Urban Development emphasized that technology and innovation are central to Lagos’ urban development strategy, which focuses on improving the quality of life for residents through enhanced services. “Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has public trust, which is fostered by what every ministry, department, and agency of government does to ensure we build on existing work and common platforms for information sharing and enhanced services, which is the focus of this two-day retreat,” Babatunde said.By RONALD BLUM NEW YORK (AP) — Having waited 63 years for an Ivy League football title, Columbia had to stand by for another 40 minutes. The Lions had beaten Cornell 17-9 but needed a Harvard loss against Yale to secure a share of first place on the season’s final day. So Columbia players retreated to their locker room on a hill a few hundred feet from Wien Stadium to watch the game in Boston on TV as a few hundred fans remained and gazed at the gold-and-orange foliage of Inwood Hill Park glowing in Saturday’s afternoon sun. When Yale recovered onside kick with seconds left to ensure a 34-29 Harvard defeat, players let out a scream and streamed back onto the field to celebrate, smoke cigars, lift a trophy and sing “Roar, Lion, Roar” with family and friends. Who would have thunk it? “You had the realization of, oh, I’m a champion, which is something that hasn’t been said here in a while,” co-captain CJ Brown said. Harvard dropped into a tie with Columbia and Dartmouth at 5-2, the first time three teams shared the title since 1982 — the conference doesn’t use tiebreakers. “It was nerve-wracking, for sure, but definitely exciting because that’s something that not a lot of people have experienced, especially here,” running back Joey Giorgi said. There have been several top players at Columbia — Sid Luckman, Marty Domres, Marcellus Wiley among them — but the school is perhaps better known for owners such as the New England Patriots’ Robert Kraft and former Cleveland Browns head Al Lerner. Columbia’s only previous championship in 1961 also was shared with Harvard. That Lions team was coached by Buff Donelli, a former Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Rams coach who scored for the Americans in soccer’s 1934 World Cup. Columbia set a then Division I-AA record with 44 consecutive losses from 1983-88, a mark broken by Prairie View’s 80 in a row from 1989-98. Since 1971, the Lions’ only seasons with winning records until now were 1994, 1996, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022. Al Bagnoli, who won nine Ivy titles in 23 years at Penn, couldn’t manage one at Columbia from 2015-22. He quit six weeks before the 2023 opener, citing health, and was replaced on an interim basis by Mark Fabish, his offensive coordinator. Jon Poppe, now 39, was hired last December after working as a Bagnoli assistant at Columbia from 2015-17 between stints at Harvard from 2011-14 and 2017-22, plus one season as a head coach at Division III Union College. He led the Lions to a 7-3 record overall, their most wins in a coach’s first season since George F. Sanford’s team went 9-3 in 1899. Poppe had wife Anna and 7-year-old daughter with him in the locker room watching the countdown to the title. “Sixty-three years of whatever into now,” he said. “Just seeing a lot of that history myself, personally. This is a hugely — a feeling of elation, seeing my dad on the field, a lot of emotional things with that.” Before a crowd of 4,224, quarterback Caleb Sanchez’s 1-yard touchdown run put Columbia ahead in the second quarter. Giorgi’s 1-yard TD run opened a 14-3 lead in the third and Hugo Merry added a 25-yard field goal in the fourth, overcoming three field goals by Alan Zhao. Giorgi rushed for 165 yards and finished his career with 2,112, second in school history. He and Brown missed what would have been their freshman season in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Given Columbia’s athletic history — the most successful sport is fencing — it is not an obvious football destination. “I saw the dedication, whether it resulted in wins or losses,” Brown said. “I saw their dedication to the product that they put out on the field and also the athletic department, the facilities that we had here, the busses on schedule and stuff, I was like, OK, they care about their athletes. People here want to win and it doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past, it matters what we’re going to do now.” Poppe cited a mindset. “You get 10 opportunities, unlike other sports, it is a grind to play this sport and prepare the way we do just for 10,” he said. As the final whistle sounded in Boston, Brown noted an unusual initial reaction in the locker room. “It was like kind of awe when they recovered the kick,” he said. “It was a lot quieter than you would think it would be, but you could feel the joy and the elation.” They accomplished what more than six decades of their predecessors had failed to. As the players headed out, Poppe had a final word. “Day off tomorrow,” he said. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
(Bloomberg) — Mexico is looking beyond the incoming Trump administration’s threats of tariffs, betting on a bright future for global merchandise trade no matter what actions its northern neighbor and biggest trading partner takes. While Donald Trump promises 60% levies on goods imported from China and 20% on the rest of the world, Mexico is making a substantial investment to more than double the capacity of its main commercial port — a show of confidence that imports and exports will increase significantly in the coming years. The 55 billion-peso ($2.7 billion) expansion of the Navy-run Port of Manzanillo, located in the western state of Colima on the Pacific Ocean, would vault it into the top 20 container ports in the world. That represents a huge leap from its current position of 53rd in the latest Lloyd’s List ranking and would position it as the busiest in Latin America. With completion targeted for 2030, the expanded port would cover more than 1,800 hectares (4,448 acres) compared with the existing 450 hectares. That additional land and more equipment will allow annual capacity to more than double to 10 million 20-foot containers, said retired Admiral Mario Alberto Gasque, general director of Asipona Manzanillo, the Navy agency that runs the facility. Annual volumes at that level would put Manzanillo on par with the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest US gateway for maritime trade. Among the main products the port receives from more than 140 countries are materials for the automotive industry, agricultural products and steel, Gasque said. The public sector will fund about a quarter of the investment, with the private sector financing the rest. The port has already received written expressions of investment interest from several private companies, including Mexico’s Ferromex, a Grupo Mexico Transportes railroad unit, said Cesar Sandoval, planning manager at Asipona Manzanillo. Increasingly, though, ports are getting entangled in geopolitical tensions. The US and Canada have both expressed concern about Mexico becoming a back door into North America for China. And US-based consulting firm Rhodium Group said in a report last month that Chinese direct investment in Mexico is six times higher than shown in official statistics. An adviser to Trump’s transition team has even threatened 60% tariffs on goods from anywhere shipped through Chinese ports across Latin America, a direct challenge to the new Chinese-owned port in Chancay, Peru, that was inaugurated this month by President Xi Jinping. The threat could also affect Mexico: China operates several port concessions from Ensenada in the north on the Baja California coast to Lazaro Cardenas and Veracruz in the south. But Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who is set to visit the Manzanillo facility on Saturday, insists her government has a plan to substitute many of its imports from China with goods made locally, both by Mexican and foreign firms. She is also pushing back forcefully against US and Canadian criticism. The idea China is using Mexico as a back door to the US “is not correct,” the president said Friday during her daily press briefing. “Automobiles manufactured in Mexico, whether they are exported to the United States or stay in Mexico, have only 7% content of products coming from China. In the United States, it is 9%,” Sheinbaum added. During a tour organized by the Navy at the Manzanillo port’s facilities, several Asipona officials said they weren’t concerned that Trump’s threats would affect the port’s expansion plans. Although China is the main country that moves merchandise through Manzanillo, the port also receives goods from other Asian countries like Japan and South Korea, according to Julieta Juarez Ochoa, the facility’s commercialization manager. That’s on top of goods from the US, Canada, Australia and Latin American nations including Chile and Ecuador, she added. “We are not really worried about it, because we are aware of the dynamism of Mexican ports,” Juarez said of Trump’s promised tariffs. “We continue growing, we continue seeking to be an efficient and dynamic port and there are going to be many options for Mexico.” Earlier this year, Mexico imposed tariffs designed to curb the flow of steel from China after the US complained it was ending up in products shipped north across the border, undermining fair competition. Sheinbaum’s officials have also been talking about how to close their own trade imbalance with China and strengthen ties with their North American partners. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also said his government has concerns about Mexico’s trade with China amid an upcoming review of the North American free-trade deal overhauled during Trump’s first administration scheduled for 2026. Trudeau remains hopeful the three countries can work constructively on the issues over the coming months. Some Canadian provincial leaders, including the premiers of Ontario and Alberta, argue Canada should pursue a bilateral trade deal with the US due to Mexico’s more open trade with China. But so far neither Trudeau nor Chrystia Freeland, his deputy prime minister who previously led continental trade talks, have backed that call. “We are seeking to continue moving forward without being slowed down by the geopolitical situation,” Gasque said. His agency wants Mexican ports to be able to “adapt to the political situation that exists at any given moment.” Drug interdiction is also among the incoming Trump administration’s priorities. And the Manzanillo port continues to work on improving its security protocols to attract more customers, especially after commitments made between Mexico and the US to reduce trafficking. “We have increased our technological capacity to detect illicit substances, including precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl,” said Captain Luis Martinez Cabrera, chief of information and risk analysis at the facility. —With assistance from Maya Averbuch, Robert Jameson, Brad Skillman and Travis Waldron.The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Tuesday inaugurated a 32-man Screening/Aviation Monitoring Committee for 2025 Hajj air-carriers and cargo conveyers. Also, the commission inaugurated was a six-man secretariat for the Committee. NAHCON’s Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, in a statement she signed on behalf of the commission chairman informed that the inauguration, held at the Hajj House headquarters of the Hajj body, was followed by opening of application forms for the issuance of Hajj licence for airlift of the 2025 pilgrims from Nigeria. According to her, “This sets the pace for series of activities that will culminate in the selection of pilgrims’ air carriers as well as excess luggage freighters for the 2025 Hajj exercise.” She stated that the 32-man Committee, chaired by NAHCON’s Commissioner of Operations, Inspection and Licensing (OILS), Prince Anofi Olanrewaju Elegushi, drew membership from several aviation industry managers as well as stakeholders from the State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, representative from the Presidency, security agencies and NAHCON staff. “The composition of the Committees include five representatives from State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, three from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and one member each from Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB). “Similarly, one member each was drawn from Nigerian Customs’ Service (NCS) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). Others are NAHCON Board members representing each geo-political zone of the country, NAHCON Heads of Aviation, Procurement, Legal, Internal Audit, Special Duties as well as Board Member representing the Aviation industry,” Usara stated. She added that 11 airlines, including two from Saudi Arabia, sent applications indicating interest in the airlift of pilgrims for next year’s Hajj. Under the airlift bilateral agreement, the two airlines from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are FlyNas and Flyadeal. The nine applications are from Nigerian airline companies are: Air Peace; GYRO Air Limited; Max Air Ltd; Nahco Aviance; Tarco Aviation; Umra Airline Limited standing for Ethiopian Airlines; UMZA Aviation Services Limited; Value Jet and Trebet Aviation Ltd. Usara further stated that five cargo companies applied for excess luggage transportation. They are Aglow Aviation Support Services Limited; Cargo Zeal Technologies; Qualla Investment; Kiswah Logistics Services Limited and Sokodeke Global Travels and Cargo. The term of reference of the airline screening committee, according to Usara, included, among others, to: Screen the prospective carriers that applied for license for the airlift of pilgrims and those for excess luggage in respect of the 2025 Hajj; decline the screening of any applicant whose status or documents are at variance with the conditions of application as stated in the adverts, and application form. The Committee is expected to submit its report by Monday, December 2. NIGERIAN TRIBUNE Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! Follow us on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive stories and interviews, and much more. Join our WhatsApp Channel now
A new report says Canada needs to rethink its approach to health care to help manage rising costs as people age. CSA Group, an organization that helps policymakers develop standards around health and safety, says health care currently costs about $12,000 per year for each person 65 years and older, compared to $2,700 for each person younger than 65. Today’s report says seniors make up about 18 per cent of Canada’s population but account for about 45 per cent of health-care spending by provincial and territorial governments. The group projects costs will continue to increase significantly, with seniors making up 22 per cent of the Canadian population by 2040. Jordann Thirgood, manager of CSA Group’s public policy centre, says that will coincide with more retirees and therefore less income tax revenue to pay for health costs. Thirgood says governments need to put more resources into illness prevention, including addressing factors such as housing, mental health and loneliness, which affect people’s overall health as they age. “The Canadian health-care system is often described as a ‘sickness treatment’ or ‘illness treatment’ system, (where) our public health-care system is primarily focused on doctors and hospitals,” she said in an interview Tuesday. That means “less focus on preventive care, wellness, and increasingly urgent needs in uninsured areas such as mental health,” says the report, which is called Aging Canada 2040: Policy Implications of Demographic Change. Thirgood said focusing on social determinants of health and addressing people’s health needs over the course of their lives to help them age well is critical to reducing illness and the associated health-care costs. She said that can have a big impact on improving people’s overall health as they age. ”There’s strong evidence that correlates social isolation and loneliness with serious health risk,” Thirgood said. “Research shows that (it) is similar to or even exceeding risks such as smoking, obesity and physical inactivity.” Homelessness is another factor that puts people at higher risk of chronic illness, she said — and many seniors are affected. ”We are increasingly seeing older adults that are unhoused as a result of increasing cost (and) financial insecurity,” Thirgood said. “Given ... the context of the housing crisis, I think we can imagine that that’s going to remain an urgent issue for the years to come.”Tyreek Hill’s citations dropped in Hard Rock cuffing after cop doesn’t show up in court
FirstService Co. ( NASDAQ:FSV – Get Free Report ) (TSE:FSV) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, December 5th, Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of 0.25 per share by the financial services provider on Tuesday, January 7th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.54%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. FirstService has increased its dividend payment by an average of 10.9% annually over the last three years. FirstService has a payout ratio of 17.8% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect FirstService to earn $5.21 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.00 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 19.2%. FirstService Price Performance Shares of FSV opened at $183.72 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $188.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $176.87. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. FirstService has a twelve month low of $141.26 and a twelve month high of $197.84. The company has a market cap of $8.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 76.55 and a beta of 1.04. Analysts Set New Price Targets FSV has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. TD Securities boosted their price objective on shares of FirstService from $179.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on FirstService from $200.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of FirstService from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of FirstService from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, FirstService has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $198.33. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on FSV About FirstService ( Get Free Report ) FirstService Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides residential property management and other essential property services to residential and commercial customers in the United States and Canada. It operates through two segments: FirstService Residential and FirstService Brands. The FirstService Residential segment offers services for private residential communities, such as condominiums, co-operatives, homeowner associations, master-planned communities, active adult and lifestyle communities, and various other residential developments. Read More Receive News & Ratings for FirstService Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for FirstService and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Jimmy Carter, 39th US president, Nobel winner, dies at 100
City at least avoided a sixth consecutive defeat but the manner in which they blew a commanding advantage will do little to settle nerves in and around the club ahead of Sunday’s trip to Premier League leaders Liverpool. City appeared in total control after a brace from Erling Haaland and another from Ilkay Gundogan had them three up seven minutes into the second half, but after Anis Hadj Moussa got one back in the 75th minute, City imploded. “It is what it is, difficult to swallow right now,” Guardiola said. “The game was good, we played well, we scored three and could have scored more. We do everything and then we give away, especially the first one, and after we are not stable enough to do it. “It’s not about no run or no commitment, but football you have to be [switched on] in certain moments to do it.” Santiago Gimenez got Feyenoord’s second in the 82nd minute and David Hancko got a dramatic equaliser in the 89th, making City the first team in Champions League history to have led 3-0 in the 75th minute of a match and fail to win. Some City fans, who suffered through Saturday’s 4-0 humiliation at home to Tottenham, made their frustrations known at the final whistle. “The last game against Tottenham, 0-4, the supporters were there, applause,” he said. “They are disappointed of course and we understand it. “People come here not to remember success of the past, they come here to see the team win and perform well. I am not the one when the situation is bad or good [to say] what they have to do. “These supporters, when we go away, our fans are amazing, travelling. There is nothing to do and they are right to express what they feel.” Guardiola’s own frustrations were apparent given the number of scratches visible on his head after the match. The Catalan had arrived at the ground with a cut on his nose, which he said he had caused himself with a long fingernail. City now face a trip to Anfield to face the Liverpool side of former Feyenoord boss Arne Slot, whose named was chanted by the visiting fans during the match. “Everybody knows the situation, I don’t have to add absolutely anything,” Guardiola said. “We are going to train tomorrow, recovery and prepare the next game. Day off and we have two or three days to prepare that and go for it. We will learn for the future and what has been has been. “It will be a tough season for us and we have to accept it for many circumstances.” Feyenoord’s late fightback brought jubilant scenes in the away end. “I think if you’re from Feyenoord it was an unbelievable evening,” head coach Brian Priske said. “A strange game which ends 3-3 which is an unbelievable result for us and also remarkable in the essence of being 3-0 down in minute 75 away from home against still, for me, the best team in the world. “Normally we don’t celebrate draws but this one is a little bit special.”Nucor Co. ( NYSE:NUE – Get Free Report ) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, December 11th, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of 0.55 per share by the basic materials company on Tuesday, February 11th. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This is an increase from Nucor’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. Nucor has raised its dividend by an average of 8.7% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 52 years. Nucor has a dividend payout ratio of 25.9% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Nucor to earn $9.62 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.20 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 22.9%. Nucor Stock Down 1.1 % NYSE:NUE opened at $117.28 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $142.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $148.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.33 and a beta of 1.55. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Nucor has a 1-year low of $113.94 and a 1-year high of $203.00. Analysts Set New Price Targets NUE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $156.00 target price (down previously from $171.00) on shares of Nucor in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Citigroup cut their price objective on Nucor from $240.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Nucor in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $190.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on Nucor from $175.00 to $160.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Nucor from $170.00 to $166.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $173.75. Get Our Latest Stock Report on NUE Insider Activity at Nucor In other news, EVP Kenneth Rex Query sold 9,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.80, for a total value of $1,321,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 98,770 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,499,436. This trade represents a 8.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Also, CEO Leon J. Topalian sold 11,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $169.11, for a total value of $1,860,210.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 172,136 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $29,109,918.96. This represents a 6.01 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 29,680 shares of company stock valued at $4,773,724. Corporate insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock. Nucor Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Nucor Corporation engages in manufacture and sale of steel and steel products. It operates in three segments: steel mills, steel products, and raw materials. The Steel Mills segment produces hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and galvanized sheet steel products; plate steel products; wide-flange beams, beam blanks, and H-piling and sheet piling structural steel products; bar steel products, such as blooms, billets, concrete reinforcing and merchant bars, and engineered special bar quality products; and engages in the steel trading and rebar distribution businesses. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Nucor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nucor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Croatia's incumbent president gains most votes for re-election, but not enough to avoid a runoff
Key moments in the life of Jimmy Carter
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NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction , arguing that continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that anything short of immediate dismissal would undermine the transition of power, as well as the “overwhelming national mandate” granted to Trump by voters last month. They also cited President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “President Biden asserted that his son was ‘selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ and ‘treated differently,’” Trump’s legal team wrote. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, they claimed, had engaged in the type of political theater “that President Biden condemned.” Related Articles Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated a willingness to delay the sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. In their filing Monday, Trump’s attorneys dismissed the idea of holding off sentencing until Trump is out of office as a “ridiculous suggestion.” Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. He says they did not and denies any wrongdoing. The defense filing was signed by Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial and have since been selected by the president-elect to fill senior roles at the Justice Department. Taking a swipe at Bragg and New York City, as Trump often did throughout the trial, the filing argues that dismissal would also benefit the public by giving him and “the numerous prosecutors assigned to this case a renewed opportunity to put an end to deteriorating conditions in the City and to protect its residents from violent crime.” Clearing Trump, the lawyers added, would also allow him to “to devote all of his energy to protecting the Nation.” Merchan hasn’t yet set a timetable for a decision. He could decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option. An outright dismissal of the New York case would further lift a legal cloud that at one point carried the prospect of derailing Trump’s political future. Last week, special counsel Jack Smith told courts that he was withdrawing both federal cases against Trump — one charging him with hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate, the other with scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost — citing longstanding Justice Department policy that shields a president from indictment while in office. The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial, resulting in a historic verdict that made him the first former president to be convicted of a crime. Prosecutors had cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged. Trump has said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work. A month after the verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct. Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term. Prosecutors disagreed and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case. If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine to probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies. Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office.
EPR Properties Declares Dec 24 Dividend of $0.29 (NYSE:EPR)