SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law , as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party, but the party is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. After the motion fell through, members of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party rallied inside the National Assembly, chanting slogans calling for Yoon's impeachment or resignation. The party's floor leader, Park Chan-dae, said it will soon prepare for a new impeachment motion. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. “We'll surely impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who is the greatest risk to Republic of Korea,” party leader Lee Jae-myung said. “We'll surely bring back this country to normal before Christmas Day or year's end.” Many experts worry Yoon won’t be able to serve out his remaining 2 1/2 years in office. They say some PPP lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties’ efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. The ruling party risks "further public outrage and national confusion if they don’t find a formula fast for Yoon’s departure,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Center for a New American Security in Washington. PPP chair Han Dong-hun said his party will seek Yoon’s “orderly” early exit but didn’t say when he can resign. Protests against Yoon are swelling On Saturday, tens of thousands of people packed several blocks of roads leading to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP’s headquarters near the Assembly, shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon’s supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied elsewhere in Seoul, calling the impeachment attempt unconstitutional. Impeaching Yoon required support from 200 of the National Assembly's 300 members. The Democratic Party and five other small opposition parties, which filed the motion, have 192 seats combined. But only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn’t reach 200. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the result “very regrettable” and an embarrassing moment for the country’s democracy. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. The president apologizes for turmoil Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued an apology over the martial law decree, saying he won’t shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose it. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my term in office.” “The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot,” Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.” The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. The turmoil has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. “Yoon’s credibility overseas has been undermined by declaring martial law, so he won’t be able to exercise leadership in his foreign policies especially when his days are numbered,” Kim, the analyst, said. “Its government bureaucracy will need to continue business as usual for existing alliance and foreign policy initiatives as best it can because there is a lot of important work to do globally.” Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon’s martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. PPP later decided to oppose Yoon's impeachment motion. Yoon’s speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon’s early exit from office. Lee told reporters that Yoon’s speech was “greatly disappointing” and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon’s martial law “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife. Yoon accused of ordering arrests of politicians On Friday, Han, who criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country’s defense counterintelligence commander to arrest unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities.” Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea’s spy agency, told lawmakers Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians including Han, Lee and Woo. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim Yong Hyun resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him. Kim Tong-hyung And Hyung-jin Kim, The Associated Press
Fey scores 32 in Jimtown winWoolworths scrambles to refill shelves ahead of Christmas after reaching deal with union picketers to end strike READ MORE: Breakthrough in Laos methanol poisoning cluster By SAMANTHA LOCK and ADRIAN BLACK FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: 15:14 GMT, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 15:14 GMT, 7 December 2024 e-mail View comments Major Woolworths distribution centres are set to reopen after the supermarket giant struck a deal with its workers' union, ending a long-running warehouse worker strike. A group of picketers blocked access to the Dandenong centre in Melbourne 's southeast earlier on Saturday but operations could resume in a matter of hours after the company and the union struck a deal. The United Workers Union denied the picketers were affiliated with the union and later confirmed workers across three warehouses in Victoria and one in NSW had voted to accept a revised offer after striking for 17 days. The union said more than 1500 workers and their families had been forgoing pay while on strike to improve wages 'to be treated as human beings, not robots ,' they said. It also heavily criticised a 'Woolworths framework', an algorithmic worker performance management program that the union said monitored pick rates and put employees at risk. After months of negotiations, the union said it had secured wage increases above the rate of inflation and a new clause would be added to workplace agreements 'that ensures that the workers will not be disciplined for the speed that they can work at'. 'Today, warehouse workers at Woolworths have saved Christmas ,' union secretary Tim Kennedy said in a statement on Saturday. 'But more importantly, they have challenged one of the most significant threats to worker safety and wellbeing as we enter a new AI-surveillance era of work ... and they have won.' Woolworths and striking warehouse workers have reached an agreement to allow distribution centres to get back up and running just ahead of Christmas The warehouse workers had setup picket lines blocking temporary workers and supply trucks effectively holding the supermarket to ransom as they were unable to stock shelves 'The new enterprise agreement won by workers breaks the link between measuring the speed of their work and automatic punishment if they fall behind - a system that effectively attempted to treat Woolworths warehouse workers like robots,' a spokesperson said. Woolworths said its four warehouses would be back to full capacity as soon as possible. 'We are pleased to have endorsed offers for new terms and conditions and a competitive wage for our team at our four distribution centres that have been subject to indefinite industrial action over recent weeks,' chief executive Amanda Bardwell said. The supermarket giant said it was focused on getting its products out of the distribution centres and restocking empty shelves. 'Turning back 'on' such a large part of our supply chain will mean it will take some time for our stores to look their best and we'll be ramping up as much as we can to get products to the stores where they're needed most,' Ms Bardwell said. More than two weeks of industrial action has emptied thousands of supermarket and bottle shop shelves in Victoria, NSW and the ACT and cost the supermarket chain at least $50 million. On Friday, Woolworths celebrated a court victory, with the Fair Work Commission finding the union had been unfairly negotiating with the supermarket giant, describing protest picket lines outside its distribution hubs as 'unlawful'. Melbourne Woolworths Share or comment on this article: Woolworths scrambles to refill shelves ahead of Christmas after reaching deal with union picketers to end strike e-mail Add commentFarmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will resume their march towards Delhi tomorrow (December 8). A delegation of 101 farmers will begin their march from Shambhu border towards the national capital at 12 pm. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that 16 farmers were injured in recent clashes, with one losing his hearing. Sarwan Singh Pandher claimed that farmers have received no communication from the government. "This protest has exposed PM Modi's true face," said Pandher, adding that while tractors and trolleys are no longer being used, they continue to face (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); restrictions. Pandher claimed that farmers are not being compensated for the losses incurred from crops. "They are announcing MSP, but the whole situation is confusing and lacks clarity," said Pandher. Security measures are tightened at the Delhi-Haryana Shambhu border, where farmers are protesting over various demands. Earlier, on February 13 and February 21, farmers attempted to march to Delhi but were stopped by security forces at the border. Farmers heading to Delhi on Friday halted their march after several of them were injured when security forces used tear gas to block them at the Punjab-Haryana border.Jackson State tops Southern 41-13, wins SWAC Championship and berth in Celebration Bowl
(BPT) - The holidays are almost here! It means parties and events, hustle and bustle ... and figuring out what to buy for everyone on your list. Sometimes it's hard to get inspired with great ideas that your nears and dears will love at a price you can afford, right? The good news? Inspiration + savings are covered this year. One of the top gifts of Holiday 2024 is technology, and there are a lot of deals out there right now. Done and done! Here are 5 ideas for hot tech gifts for everyone on your list. Smartphones for the family T-Mobile is running a hot deal right now. Get four new smartphones at T-Mobile — this includes Samsung Galaxy S24 and other eligible devices — and four lines for just $100/month . It doesn't get better than that! These new Galaxy phones are tech-tastic, too, with features like AI, Circle to Search with Google, which can be used to help solve math problems and translate entire pages of text in a different language, and Note Assist with Galaxy AI, which lets you focus on capturing your notes and then Note Assist will summarize, format and even translate them for you. High tech spiral notebook for students We've got to admit, this is pretty cool. The Rocketbook looks (a bit) like a regular spiral, paper notebook. Here's the high tech twist: You can take notes, capture ideas, brainstorm, draw — whatever you do on paper — on the pad, and the Rocketbook digitizes your doodles and saves to the cloud device of your choice. Then you simply wipe the pad clean and it's good to go. Look for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales at your favorite online retailer. Wrist-worthy smartwatches for athletes (or those who want to be) Everyone loves smartwatches (if you're not already tracking your sleep and heart rate, where have you been?) and the Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm & 45mm) takes it to the next level with features for athletes or anyone who may be setting fitness goals for the coming year. The watch has workout prompts like Real Time Guidance — audio and haptic cues for when to sprint, cool down or maintain pace. It gives you the ability to program your workouts and even monitors your cadence and stride. It also has Offline Maps, with driving navigation, search and maps. Here's the deal of the century: Get it for free at T-Mobile when adding a qualifying watch line. Cute wireless keyboard for people who are all thumbs Who else is annoyed by typing email or texts or social posts on a smartphone? The Logitech Multi-Device Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard solves that problem with style! It comes in sweet colors like lavender, it's wireless, it's small and portable, and it works with just about any device. Pop it into your backpack or purse and you'll never have to thumb-out a message again. Speakers perfect for hosting and giving Have a music lover in your life or need the perfect hosting gift? T-Mobile has you covered. For a limited time, you can get the JBL Clip 5 for free when you pick up a Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9 . The JBL Clip 5 is an ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker perfect for those on the go and the Onyx Studio 9's sleek design and booming sound will take care of all your holiday hosting needs. For more tech-tastic holiday gift inspiration, check out T-Mobile's holiday gift guide at t-mobile.com/devices/tech-gifts .
NYT ‘Connections’ Hints And Answers For Sunday, December 8 (#546)In Hollywood, a land known for marquees and famous signs, there's probably no sign that's more on the nose than the store Just Food For Dogs. There, four-legged customers sample today's offerings, while their owners stock up on the food. Sarah Rector and her French bulldog, Lulu, are buying her regular order, including beef with russet potato, and venison with squash. Rector says she feels better buying the store's food for Lulu rather than commercial dog food: "I just know that she's getting the best possible, like, ingredients and health and overall wellness." She and her husband don't have children, yet, but they have another French bulldog, "so I feel like we have kids." It's tempting to write this off as a trendy L.A. fad, but Just Food For Dogs president Carey Tischler says this store is here because of a permanent shift in the roughly $50 billion U.S. pet food industry. "The last year of research shows that 82% of families think of pets as family, or as children, and that's up significantly," he said. Joe Ovalle is Just Food's guest experience manager. He says all of their pet food is approved by the USDA for human consumption. "It is human-grade food, something you and I could eat," he said. He sampled one of their recipes, for fish and sweet potato. "Oh my God, it's like ceviche," he smiled. It may seem a bit indulgent, and can cost double the price of Kibbles, but some say that feeding our dogs natural food is what we should have been doing all along – and making it yourself can cost the same as buying food from the store. "It's about going back to what is biologically appropriate, that they ate for tens of thousands of years," said pet nutritionist Christine Filardi. "They ate prey animals and table scraps. So, I'm just educating people on how to go back to what they ate for tens of thousands of years prior to commercial pet food." Filardi is author of "Home Cooking For Your Dog," a cookbook offering recipes with what she says are the three necessities: animal protein, a carb, and a veggie, as well as a few extravagant treats, like her bacon and cream cheese muffins. Filardi says whether it's store-bought or home-cooked fresh food, the results are the same: well-fed animals live longer, have cheaper vet bills, and are happier ... which makes the owners happy, too. "They take such good care of us," she said. "We should take good care of them." RECIPE (FOR DOGS): Hearty Hamburgers RECIPE (FOR DOGS): Friday Playdate Pizza RECIPE (FOR DOGS): Bacon and Cream Cheese Muffins RECIPE (FOR DOGS): Ground Turkey, Quinoa, and Carrots For more info: Just Food for Dogs , Hollywood, Calif. "Home Cooking For Your Dog: 75 Holistic Recipes For a Healthier Dog" by Christine M. Filardi, with Dr. Wayne Geltman, DVM (Stewart, Tabori & Chang), in Hardcover and eBook formats, available via Amazon , Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org Christine Filardi (BowMeowRaw) Story produced by John Goodwin. Editor: Joseph Frandino. "Sunday Morning" 2024 "Food Issue" recipe index Delicious menu suggestions from top chefs, cookbook authors, food writers, restaurateurs, and the editors of Food & Wine magazine. Dogs Pets Nancy Giles is a "CBS News Sunday Morning" contributor, voicing her opinions on everything from politics and race to pop culture and the conspiracy of high heels.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal expressed confidence in India’s economic resilience, attributing the Q2 GDP slowdown to election-related lag effects while reaffirming the strength of the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals. Share Market View All Nifty Gainers View All Company Value Change %Change Speaking at CNBC TV18’s Indian Business Leader Awards (IBLA) 2024, he stated, “The Indian economy doesn’t operate from quarter to quarter like stock markets. All macro data suggests the economy’s basic strength remains intact.” Addressing the slower 5.4% GDP growth in Q2, Goyal explained that temporary factors, such as election spending disruptions, influenced the numbers. However, he assured that the economy remains on track for robust growth, “By the end of the year, we expect to grow quite decently and continue to be the world’s fastest-growing economy.” Goyal pointed to promising signs of capex recovery in the third quarter. “Green shoots of greater capex spending are already visible in Q3. The Prime Minister himself is monitoring large projects through the Pragati initiative, ensuring that any obstructions to investments are addressed promptly,” he noted. He emphasised the government’s focus on maintaining ease of doing business and strengthening economic fundamentals to sustain growth. Union Minister Piyush Goyal expressed scepticism about the connection between interest rates and food inflation, stating that he finds it difficult to understand how changes in interest rates affect the demand for essentials like onions, tomatoes, and pulses. He suggested that economists should evaluate the impact of high interest rates on food inflation and consider whether this traditional approach to inflation management remains effective in today’s context. Goyal also credited the government’s focus on long-term investments in infrastructure and public welfare as key drivers of economic stability. “In the past 10 years, we have set India’s macroeconomic fundamentals right, made massive infrastructure investments, and ensured public welfare initiatives like free food grains and healthcare reach the most vulnerable.” Reiterating India’s global leadership in growth, Goyal said, “The world recognises India as the growth engine of the global economy. We will stay the course, focusing on strong fundamentals while addressing emerging challenges.”Haiti wonders what's next as gang violence surges and the push for a UN peacekeeping mission flopsIsraeli PM seeks additional delay of testimony in court for criminal trial
NoneWatson and Loyola Chicago defeat South Florida 74-72
Shohei Ohtani likely to win his third MVP award and Aaron Judge his second NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is expected to win his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge is likely to earn his second AL honor when the Baseball Writers’ Association announces its balloting. Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels. He signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs, becoming the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title. Alex Ovechkin is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks with a broken left leg Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks. The Washington Capitals confirmed Ovechkin’s injury and prognosis Thursday after he was evaluated by doctors upon the teams’ return from a three-game road trip. This prolonged absence puts a pause on Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record. He scored 15 goals in his first 18 games this season to move just 27 away of passing Gretzky. Ovechkin was on pace to break the record in February before his shin-on-shin collision with Utah’s Jack McBain on Monday night. NFL issues security alert to teams and the players' union following recent burglaries The NFL has issued a security alert to teams and the players’ union following recent burglaries involving the homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the league says homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” Law enforcement officials noted these groups target the homes on days the athletes have games. Players were told to take precautions and implement home security measures to reduce the risk of being targeted. Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets. QB Daniel Jones disagrees with the Giants' decision to bench him and says he wants to play EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — With tears occasionally welling in his eyes, Daniel Jones disagreed on Thursday with the New York Giants' decision to bench him earlier this week and perhaps end his five-plus tenure as the team’s quarterback. The 27-year-old Jones said he gave the team everything he had after being taken sixth overall in the 2019 draft and he believes he still has a future in the NFL. He held himself accountable for the Giants making the playoffs once in his tenure as the starter. Penn State wins trademark case over retailer's use of vintage logos, images PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Penn State has won a closely watched trademark fight over an online retailer’s use of its vintage logos and images. A Pennsylvania jury awarded Penn State $28,000 in damages earlier this week over products made and sold by the firms Vintage Brand and Sportswear Inc. Penn State accused the firms of selling counterfeit clothing and accessories. The defendants said their website makes clear they are not affiliated with Penn State. At least a dozen other schools have sued the defendants on similar grounds, but the Pennsylvania case was the first to go to trial. Defense lawyers declined to comment on the verdict and whether they planned an appeal. Guardiola signs a 2-year contract extension at Man City and eyes 'more trophies' MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking time with Manchester City is far from over. The City manager has signed a two-year contract extension ending speculation about his future by agreeing to a deal that would prolong his tenure to 11 seasons. Guardiola’s contract was due to expire at the end of this season. The four-time defending Premier League champions announced the deal Thursday. The Catalan coach has overseen a period of unprecedented dominance since joining City in 2016. He has gone on to win six Premier League titles in seven years and also lifted the Champions League among 15 major trophies at the club. Jannik Sinner leads Italy back to the Davis Cup semifinals and a rematch against Australia MALAGA, Spain (AP) — No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner has led defending champion Italy to a comeback victory over Argentina for a return to the Davis Cup semifinals. A rematch of last year's championship matchup against Australia now awaits in the final four on Saturday in Malaga, Spain. Italy fell behind 1-0 in the quarterfinals when Argentina's Francisco Cerúndolo defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1. But two-time Grand Slam champion Sinner overwhelmed Sebastián Báez 6-2, 6-1. Then Sinner teamed with Matteo Berrettini in the deciding doubles match to win 6-4, 7-5 against Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez. Australia eliminated the U.S. to reach the Davis Cup semifinals for the third consecutive year. Drama surrounds final 3 races of F1 season as drivers voice displeasure with recent FIA decisions LAS VEGAS (AP) — There’s three races remaining in the Formula 1 season and Max Verstappen is inching so close to a fourth consecutive world championship he could wrap it up Saturday night at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. But all is not smooth sailing headed into this final month of racing. There’s a new race director following the shock sacking of Niels Wittich that blindsided the Grand Prix Driver’s Association so badly they created an Instagram account to rebuke the lack of FIA transparency. It’s the lone post on the account. Greg Maffei, the CEO of Liberty Media said last week he was stepping down from his position and F1 furiously denied over the weekend that Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula One Management, was also on the move. Colorado's 2-way star Travis Hunter eyes Big 12 title and more before 'for sure' entering NFL draft DENVER (AP) — Travis Hunter made a pair of proclamations when he announced he’s for sure turning pro after this season, but not until he sees Colorado all the way through the College Football Playoff should the Buffaloes make it there. The first was a given for the junior who plays both receiver and cornerback. The second is a risk-reward play for a projected first-round draft pick who averages around 120 snaps a game. In years past, it took two extra postseason wins to capture a national title. Now, it could take up to four additional contests. That’s more of a chance to shine, but also more chance for an injury. 76ers' star Paul George sidelined the next 2 games with bone bruise in left knee PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George has a bone bruise on his left knee and will miss two games, the team said. The 76ers said George did not suffer any structural damage when he injured the same knee that he hyperextended during the preseason in Wednesday night’s loss at Memphis. George will miss home games Friday against Brooklyn and Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers. The team says George will be evaluated again on Monday.By ZEKE MILLER, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday reached a required agreement with President Joe Biden’s White House to allow his transition staff to coordinate with the existing federal workforce before taking office on Jan. 20. The congressionally mandated agreement allows transition aides to work with federal agencies and access non-public information and gives a green light to government workers to talk to the transition team. But Trump has declined to sign a separate agreement with the General Services Administration that would have given his team access to secure government offices and email accounts, in part because it would require that the president-elect limit contributions to $5,000 and reveal who is donating to his transition effort. Related Articles The White House agreement was supposed to have been signed by Oct. 1, according to the Presidential Transition Act, and the Biden White House had issued both public and private appeals for Trump’s team to sign on. The agreement is a critical step in ensuring an orderly transfer of power at noon on Inauguration Day, and lays the groundwork for the White House and government agencies to begin to share details on ongoing programs, operations and threats. It limits the risk that the Trump team could find itself taking control of the massive federal government without briefings and documents from the outgoing administration. As part of the agreement with the White House, Trump’s team will have to publicly disclose its ethics plan for the transition operation and make a commitment to uphold it, the White House said. Transition aides must sign statements that they have no financial positions that could pose a conflict of interest before they receive access to non-public federal information. Biden himself raised the agreement with Trump when they met in the Oval Office on Nov. 13, according to the White House, and Trump indicated that his team was working to get it signed. Trump chief of staff-designate Susie Wiles met with Biden’s chief of staff Jeff Zients at the White House on Nov. 19 and other senior officials in part to discuss remaining holdups, while lawyers for the two sides have spoken more than a half-dozen times in recent days to finalize the agreement. “Like President Biden said to the American people from the Rose Garden and directly to President-elect Trump, he is committed to an orderly transition,” said White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma. “President-elect Trump and his team will be in seat on January 20 at 12 pm – and they will immediately be responsible for a range of domestic and global challenges, foreseen and unforeseen. A smooth transition is critical to the safety and security of the American people who are counting on their leaders to be responsible and prepared.” Without the signed agreement, Biden administration officials were restricted in what they could share with the incoming team. Trump national security adviser-designate Rep. Mike Waltz met recently with Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan, but the outgoing team was limited in what it could discuss. “We are doing everything that we can to effect a professional and an orderly transition,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday. “And we continue to urge the incoming team to take the steps that are necessary to be able to facilitate that on their end as well.” “This engagement allows our intended Cabinet nominees to begin critical preparations, including the deployment of landing teams to every department and agency, and complete the orderly transition of power,” said Wiles in a statement. The Trump transition team says it would disclose its donors to the public and would not take foreign donations. A separate agreement with the Department of Justice to coordinate background checks for vetting and security clearances is still being actively worked on and could be signed quickly now that the White House agreement is signed. The agency has teams of investigators standing by to process clearances for Trump aides and advisers once that document is signed. That would clear the way for transition aides and future administration appointees and nominees to begin accessing classified information before Trump takes office. Some Trump aides may hold active clearances from his first term in office or other government roles, but others will need new clearances to access classified data. Trump’s team on Friday formally told the GSA that they would not utilize the government office space blocks from the White House reserved for their use, or government email accounts, phones and computers during the transition. The White House said it does not agree with Trump’s decision to forgo support from the GSA, but is working on alternate ways to get Trump appointees the information they need without jeopardizing national security. Federal agencies are receiving guidance on Tuesday on how to share sensitive information with the Trump team without jeopardizing national security or non-public information. For instance, agencies may require in-person meetings and document reviews since the Trump team has declined to shift to using secure phones and computers. For unclassified information, agencies may ask Trump transition staff to attest that they are taking basic safeguards, like using two-factor authentication on their accounts. “The signing of this agreement is good news, and a positive step toward an effective transfer of power,” said Max Stier, the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. “This agreement unlocks direct access to information from federal agencies, which is vital for the incoming administration to be ready to govern on Day One and critical to the transition’s success.”Lindsey Vonn competes in a pair of downhills, another step on her comeback trail at the age of 40Notre Dame reopens five years after blaze
What happens when 'The Simpsons' join 'Monday Night Football'? Find out during Bengals-Cowboys Lisa Simpson once said during an episode of “The Simpsons:” What could be more exciting than the savage ballet that is pro football? On Monday night, the entire Simpsons universe gets to experience it in a way not many could have imagined. Joe Reedy, The Associated Press Dec 7, 2024 3:12 PM Dec 7, 2024 3:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message This handout from an animated video provided by ESPN shows a scene from Atoms Stadium in Springfield from “The Simpsons” that will be used for “The Simpsons Funday Football,” an alternate broadcast on ESPN+ and Disney+ for the Dec. 9, 2024, game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys. (ESPN via AP) Lisa Simpson once said during an episode of “The Simpsons:” What could be more exciting than the savage ballet that is pro football? On Monday night, the entire Simpsons universe gets to experience it in a way not many could have imagined. The prime-time matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys will also take place at Springfield’s Atoms Stadium as part of “The Simpsons Funday Football” alternate broadcast. The altcast will be streamed on ESPN+, Disney+, and NFL+ (on mobile devices). ESPN and ABC have the main broadcast, while ESPN2 will carry the final “ManningCast” of the regular season. The replay will be available on Disney+ for 30 days. Globally, more than 145 countries will have access to either live or on replay. “We’re such huge football fans, and the Simpsons audience and the football audience, I feel, are like the same audience of just American families and football. And the Simpsons are so much a part of the DNA of the American family and culture that for us to, like, mush them together in this crazy video game, it’s so fun,” said Matt Selman, executive producer of “The Simpsons.” While the game is the focal point, the alternate broadcast, in some ways, will resemble a three-hour episode of “The Simpsons.” It starts with Homer eating too many hot dogs and having a dream while watching football. Homer joins the Cowboys in the dream while Bart teams up with the Bengals. Lisa and Marge will be sideline reporters. “That’s the beginning of the story, and the story continues through the entire game until Homer wakes up from his dream at the end of the game. It is like a complete story, and the NFL game will happen in between. It’s just going to be an amazing presentation with tons of surprises,” said Michael “Spike” Szykowny, ESPN’s VP of edit and animation. This is the second year ESPN has done an alternate broadcast for an NFL game. It used the characters from “Toy Story” for last year’s Sunday morning game from London between the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars. “The Simpsons” has featured many sports-themed episodes during its 35 seasons. Even though “Homer at the Bat” remains the consensus favorite sports episode for many Simpsons fans, there have been football ones such as “Bart Star” and “Lisa The Greek.” There also was a Super Bowl-themed one after Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl 33 between Denver and Atlanta in 1999. Even though “The Simpsons” remains a staple on Fox’s prime-time schedule, it is part of the Disney family after their acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. All 35 seasons are on Disney+. The show’s creators have worked with ESPN and the NFL to make sure the look and sound is definitely Simpsonsesque. The theme song is a mash-up of “The Simpsons” opening and “Monday Night Football’s” iconic “Heavy Action.” There have also been pre-recorded skits and bits to use during the broadcast featuring Simpson’s legendary voices Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, and Yeardley Smith. The telecast will be entirely animated, with the players’ movements in sync with what is happening in real-time on the field. That is done through player-tracking data enabled by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats system and Sony’s Beyond Sports Technology. While Next Gen Stats tracks where players are on the field with a tracking chip in the shoulder pads, there is skeletal data tracking and limb tracking data — which uses 29 points per player — to get closer to the player’s movements. The other data tracking will allow Beyond Sports and Disney to add special characters to the game. For example, there might be a play where Lisa catches the ball and goes 30 yards instead of Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins. “Lisa is much smaller than the rest of the players. So, in real life, the ball would go over her head, but now, with data processing, we can take the ball and make it go exactly into her hands. So for the viewer, it still looks believable, and it all makes sense,” said Beyond Sports co-founder Nicolaas Westerhof. The other major challenge is making “The Simpsons” two-dimensional cartoon characters into 3-D simulations. Szykowny and his team worked to make that a reality over the past couple of months. “That’s a big leap of faith for them to say, hey, we trust you to make our characters 3-D and work with it. Our ESPN creative studio team has done a wonderful job,” Szykowny said. Lisa, Krusty, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph will be with Bart and the Bengals; while Carl, Barney, Lenny and Moe join up with with Homer and the Cowboys. The broadcast will also feature ESPN personalities Stephen A. Smith, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. ESPN’s Drew Carter, Mina Kimes and Dan Orlovsky will call the game from Bristol, Connecticut, and also be animated. They will wear Meta Quest Pro headsets to experience the game from Springfield using VR technology. For Kimes, being part of the broadcast and being an animated Simpsons character is a dream come true. She is a massive fan of the show and has a framed photo of Lisa Simpson — who she said is a personal hero and icon — as part of her backdrop when she makes appearances on ESPN NFL shows from her home in Los Angeles. “I didn’t have any input, and I didn’t see anything beforehand, so I wasn’t sure if it would look like me, but it kind of does, which is very funny,” said Kimes, who drew Simpsons characters when she was a kid. “To see the actual staff turn me into one was a dream.” Even though the Bengals (4-8) and Cowboys (5-7) have struggled this season, Selman thinks both teams have personalities that appeal to “The Simpsons” universe. “We were just so lucky also that the Cowboys are sort of like a Homer Simpson-type team, American team, and Mike McCarthy might be a Homer-type guy, one might imagine,” he said. ”And then you have Joe Burrow on the other side who is a cool young, spiky-haired, blonde bad boy -- he’s like Bart. And that fits our character archetypes so perfectly. “If Homer is mad at Bart and has a hot dog dream while watching ’Monday Night Football’, and then it’s basically McCarthy versus Burrow, Homer versus Bart, and that’s the simple father versus son strangling — Homer strangling Bart dynamic that has been part of the show for 35 years. I don’t know if that would have worked as well if it was like Titans versus Jacksonville. We would have found something. We would have made it work.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Joe Reedy, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? 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