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In the 13 months of Western-backed Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip, ongoing, more than 44,000 Gazan civilians have been recorded killed while more than another 100,000 are considered “missing presumed dead”. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) had already officially ruled this continuous massacre of humans as “plausible genocide”. This ‘kill ratio’ by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza compares favourably (if one is comfortable with such inane idiom describing mass murder) with the far more intensive pace of killing of about 245,000 killed per month on average in the half-year of genocide in Rwanda in 1994. But Nazi Germany bettered Rwanda’s racist murder rampage in the 1941-45 period with an estimated rate of ‘extermination’ that peaked at 400,000 per month in just three of the six ‘death camps’ run so industriously by the Nazi forces. Some six million European Jews were ultimately killed in this five-year massacre, as well as around two million others designated as unsuitable to live. They were differently-abled people and also homosexuals and, people of the minority ethnic group Roma. Secretive An interesting difference between the handling of the victims of the Nazi human extermination in those infamous ‘death camps’ and the way the victims of Rwanda and Gaza were treated was that the Nazis attempted to be very secretive in their ‘Final Solution’ operation. The secrecy was also ensured by the non-existence of audio-visual recording technology (except expensive film cameras) and, the easy accessibility of media systems, that we enjoy today. Thus, the tens of thousands of Jews and others rounded up in the ghettos of Eastern Europe and herded into trains and transported to the Nazi death camps, did not realise their terrible fate even as they were hurried directly from the trains into the gas chambers. They were told that they were to undergo ‘disinfection’ showers. It was only in the final few seconds of their lives that the bulk of these millions of victims realised that it was toxic gas that poured out of what they thought were overhead shower spouts. Children, women and men died in this way after spending days travelling in trains under the pretence of being ‘transferred’ to new camps or to work sites. Only a smaller number – still totalling at least an estimated million victims – died in more traumatic circumstances under fire by Nazi shooting squads, the infamous Einsatzgruppen. Those victims, herded into large dug trenches, thousands at a time, would certainly have had to anticipate their imminent death as they saw the waiting machine guns and watched them open fire. The ethnic Tutsi victims in Rwanda also did not have the luxury of that orderly pretence and ghoulish charade in the Nazi death camps with their toxic ‘showers’ followed by the incinerator ovens that then burned the massed corpses. As in any violent ethnic riot (as in South Asia), the Tutsis knew what was coming as they fled the mobs or were cornered and mutilated. Certainly, those efficient Nazi mass murderers met their own fates at the hands of the victors of World War 2. Justice Then, too, the world experienced the justice of the victors when the defeated nations were subjected to punishment (including spontaneous punishments) ranging from imprisonment to death sentences. However, the victors did not undergo any judgment of the crimes of war perpetrated by them. The perpetrators of nuclear bombing of Japan were not subjected to prosecution although the defeated Japanese military were punished. Likewise, the perpetrators of the ‘strategic bombing’ campaigns that saw the ‘carpet bombing’ of German and Japanese cities that deliberately targeted civilians, enjoyed hero-worship instead of war crimes tribunals. In the much earlier colonial era, the Western powers of today were the perpetrators of genocide of whole indigenous populations. In that world, free of any form of news media, the colonial massacres were possibly even more bloody and on a larger scale. Instead of carpet bombing or gas chambers, the colonial methods of ethnic cleansing were forced starvation and the deliberate spread of European diseases unfamiliar to the indigenous peoples. The 20th and 21st century victims of genocide and war crimes must suffer very public, and, indeed, formally announced, massacres. The IDF kindly sends phone calls and air-drops leaflets minutes before to enable Palestinian families “escape” missile bombardment and shelling. Those who survive are few. A single medium calibre bomb’s blast radius is at least 50 metres or even 100 metres. Thus, many have neither the time nor the human ability to run that far. Only a very few are sprinters, no? Such experiences of forewarned bombardment are now many – in Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon – and, thanks to social media and professional journalism (by the victim nations themselves), the world is learning about such macabre military ‘courtesies’ of postmodern inhumanity. Pious The globalised human society of these postmodern times enables an emotionally acrid juxtaposition of violently conflicting human experiences. We learn about devastating bombardment and massacres in virtually the same instance as we learn about the pious ‘self-defence’ of the perpetrators and their warm enjoyment of safe lives. After all, on that fateful October 7, young Israelis were ‘raving’ in musical ecstasy barely kilometres distant from the besieged, suffering, deprived, traumatised Gazans in the veritable concentration camp that is their Strip home. Are we not reminded of a military-sponsored ‘moto-cross’ tamasha being conducted just kilometres away from the bitterly contested Northern frontlines of our own war zone? What a brutal military debacle did that moto-cross suffer when the enemy used the festive distraction to inflict costly damage to our airforce! This bizarre intimacy between two differently violent worlds – one an internalised, self-borne violence (Gaza) and the other, an externalised violence inflicted on others (Israel, West), is the emotive political foreground for last week’s long overdue, miserably symbolic, issuing of arrest warrants against possibly the two most, directly destructive, politicians currently doing their sick bit. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant are now internationally “wanted” criminals and must hide from arrest in much of the world even as their regime in Occupied Jerusalem continues to wreak mass murder and war in West Asia. The evidence for the International Criminal Court’s indictments is there for all to see, as most of world humanity, traumatised by 13 months of televised unspeakable carnage, might point out. With over 44,000 dead, most of them women and children in the devastated Gaza Strip, and the rest of the Palestinians literally starving inside that tiny enclave already under military siege for nearly two decades, Premier Netanyahu (75) and former Minister Gallant (66) who have jointly executed the current Israeli military campaign, have much to answer for. Last Thursday, November 21, Pre-Trial Chamber No. I of the International Criminal Court (ICC), in its decision on the ‘Situation in the State of Palestine’, unanimously issued two rulings in relation to Israel’s role in West Asia. The ICC first rejected legal challenges by Israel brought under articles 18 and 19 of the Rome Statute. Arrest Warrants of arrest of Netanyahu and Gallant, are for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least October 8, 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest.The Court also issued warrants of arrest for three Hamas militant leaders, all of whom have already been killed in action. Gallant had been Israeli Defence Minister serving 2022-2024 until he departed the post earlier this month. The ICC has so far publicly indicted 67 people since its establishment. Proceedings against 35 are ongoing: 30 are at large as fugitives, four are on trial, and one is in the appeals stage. Proceedings against 32 have been completed: two are serving sentences, seven have finished sentences, four have been acquitted, seven have had the charges against them dismissed, four have had the charges against them withdrawn, and eight have died before the conclusion of the proceedings against them. The ICC’s arrest warrants are classified as ‘secret’, in order to protect witnesses and to safeguard the conduct of the investigations. The Court’s media release said that, however, the ICC decided to release the information about the investigations since criminal conduct similar to that addressed in the warrant of arrest “appears to be ongoing”. In short, the International Criminal Court finds itself initiating a prosecution of crimes previously committed but also of crimes ongoing. The two indicted criminal suspects, both Israeli citizens, are safely immune from arrest while they remain within their country’s borders as Israel is not a party to the ICC’s jurisdiction. Neither is the USA, Israel’s main backer and, in a real sense – as many justice activists argue – a state complicit in Israel’s “ongoing” crimes. However, some 124 States are party to the ICC and are now legally bound to immediately arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they set foot on their soil. They include nearly all European Union states which are also major allies of the Israel and are supporting it in its current many wars. Already, legal circles are poised to see how many countries will now cease providing military supplies to Israel for fear of being implicated in those same “crimes against humanity” and “war crimes”. But most justice activists point out that it took the ICC nearly a year before it issued arrest warrants during which tens of thousands of people have died, and whole territories laid waste. They said that the same ICC was far quicker to respond to the Russo-Ukraine war and indict Russian President Vladimir Putin.
DEAR ABBY: My best friend of 40 years, "Savannah," has been in a bad marriage for 20 of those. Her husband has cheated on her repeatedly. He can't keep a job, and he emotionally abuses her and her daughter. Now that she's finally fed up, he refuses to leave the house. Despite how bad his behavior has been, Savannah is doing nothing to move the divorce forward. She continues paying for his travel and includes him in family get-togethers in what she calls a "sacrifice," made at her daughter's request. It has been incredibly difficult to be supportive, hear about how harmful this has been, support her when she says she's getting out, and then hear that for one reason or another he's still there. When I challenge her and suggest she's making excuses for not progressing with the divorce, she becomes defensive and shuts down the conversation. Over the last two years, she has taken to calling me twice a day, and becomes frustrated if I don't answer. I have asked her to stop telling me stories about her husband's behavior -- which usually lasts a week or two. I am at my wits' end about how to be a good friend without taking on the stress of her horrible situation and feeling generally overwhelmed by her outreach. What can I do to help her, but also prevent our friendship from imploding? -- WEARY FRIEND IN MICHIGAN DEAR WEARY FRIEND: What you may need to do is accept that one of the reasons Savannah's dysfunctional marriage has lasted as long as it has is because she wants it to. She doesn't need to move forward because she has you to dump on when the pressure becomes too great. It may be time to stop focusing on what you can do to help Savannah and concentrate on what you need to do to help yourself. If that means stepping back and letting her find solutions to her problems without your help, don't feel guilty for doing it. DEAR ABBY: For years, a group of us former co-workers has been going out to dinner once a month. My daughter is part of the group and is also the youngest. Lately, she has been dismissed and ignored by two members of our group (there are six of us). Being her mother, I am hurt by how they have treated her. She has stopped going out with us, but I'm uncertain if I should also stop. They have been nothing but nice to me. I'm lost on what to do anymore -- to go, or not to go? -- HURT IN THE MIDWEST DEAR HURT: Have you asked these two former co-workers why they made your daughter feel unwelcome? Their behavior was rude. Have you asked the two who were welcoming what they think about all of this? Perhaps you (and your daughter) would feel more comfortable socializing with only them. That said, I do not think you should drop out of the group if you enjoy their company.England have thrown Jacob Bethell in at the deep end after asking the 21-year-old to bat at number three on his Test debut against New Zealand this week. The tourists were forced into an eleventh-hour rethink after wicketkeeper Jordan Cox was ruled out of the series with a broken thumb and have responded with a typically bold gambit, handing the gloves to Ollie Pope and a key role to the untried Warwickshire player. Bethell has just picked up a £250,000 Indian Premier League deal with Royal Challengers Bangalore but has played only 20 first-class matches with a modest average of just 25.44 and has never scored a professional century. He has also never batted at number three in red-ball cricket, a pivotal position he will now occupy against the in-form Black Caps in Christchurch in the first Test, which begins at 10pm GMT on Wednesday night. The Barbados-born left-hander made his first international appearance in September and has already won 15 caps in limited-overs cricket, enjoying a couple of thrilling cameos along the way and earning a place on the recent tour of the West Indies. It was thought he would have to wait for his first taste of Test cricket but Cox’s injury forced England’s hand. They might easily have slotted the newcomer into the middle order but, after allowing Pope to move down to number six after stepping up behind the stumps, they opted to catapult Bethell up the order rather than promote Joe Root or Ben Stokes, with the skipper moving down to seven. Root, who will win his 150th cap at Hagley Oval, gave a ringing endorsement of Bethell’s potential to rise to the challenge. “I love the look of him as a player. I’m really looking forward to watching him do his stuff,” he said. “He’s full of confidence, he’s got great ability and a really well rounded game. He’s a mature head on young shoulders and I think he has all the components to set him up nicely to be successful in this format and at this level. “He plays very well square of the wicket and if he gets in on a wicket like that he could be very destructive. It’s a really exciting opportunity for us to see a young player coming in hopefully doing something really special at the start of his career.” Stokes will back up a three-pronged pace attack of Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson, with Shoaib Bashir retained as first-choice spinner.
Manmohan Singh died on December 26, 2024, at the age of 92; he will be remembered as one of India’s greatest leaders. Not only was he the first Sikh to be Prime Minister, he was also the architect of sweeping economic reforms that transformed India into a global player. During his 10 years in office from 2004 to 2014, he had focused on policies designed to lift people out of poverty and boost the economy’s standing in the world. Liberalization under Singh exposed the world to India, and India to the world, enabling the country to fight for her place as a major economic player. Singh, who was soft-spoken and principled in his leadership, influenced economic growth beyond the realm of the economic. He used these welfare schemes — some of which bettered the lives of millions — to convey his commitment to social justice. Another key achievement of his government, which exists till today, is the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) that assured the rural poor atleast 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household. Singh rose through the political ranks after assuming the post of Finance Minister in 1991, a period of massive economic turmoil for India. Devaluation of the rupee, reduction of import tariffs and foreign investment were the thrust of his initiatives, laying the foundation for the transformation of India’s economy. He was instrumental in India’s shift from a closed economy to a more open economy connected to the global markets. During his two terms in office as Prime Minister, Singh oversaw a number of landmark achievements, including a strong economy that had an average growth rate of approximately 9% each year between 2005 and 2008, in his first term. His style of leadership involved building consensus and working within coalition governments that had to accommodate many different political interests. Yet, Singh’s second term was plagued with several allegations of corruption and the scandals thus raised overshadowed few initial successes, and led to the Congress party defeat in the 2014 elections. Manmohan Singh’s global dealings also more than a little shape his legacy. He promoted peaceful and diplomatic ties — particularly with Pakistan and China. Under his leadership, there were efforts to engage Pakistan for possible commonality, but this was thwarted on many structural levels through incidents like the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Singh’s approach emphasized collaboration and cooperation over confrontation and this was reflected in his priority of ending conflicts through dialogues. One of the landmark achievements of his regime was the 2008 Indo-US nuclear deal, which changed India’s foreign policy posture, laying the foundation for civilian nuclear relations with America. Singh also helped establish BRICS — the grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, held up the rising powers of the developing world where much of the economic growth in recent years has been taking place. As news broke about Manmohan Singh passing away, political leaders and citizens expressed their tributes. Describing Singh as one of the “greatest leaders” of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the former prime minister’s contribution to make a difference in people’s lives was “substantial”. Leaders spanning the political spectrum have praised Singh’s insight, humility, and dedication to the country, underscoring his national influence on Indian politics. In a nation that has changed significantly since he entered national politics in the 1990s, Singh’s legacy is both long-lasting and complex, not least due to the controversies that clamoured around the last years of his political life. His long-term vision of an India which is economically prosperous, but socially inclusive is going to guide many generations of leaders and policymakers who come after jego. Manmohan Singh passed away around the age of 91 and most people remember his prime ministerial role as a crucial period for India. Ultimately, Manmohan Singh moved the needle through both his policies and the collective psyche of a nation from which even at age 92 he has yet to be able to rest. As India looks back on his legacy, may his values of economic reform, honesty, and diplomacy be adopted by all those who take on the mantle that he successfully wore.Replica enables Fortune 100 financial, business and healthcare institutions and Federal agencies such as the US Army and Defense Innovation Unit to securely engage in high risk cyber activities without compromising productivity. FALLS CHURCH, Va. , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Grey Market Labs (dba Replica Cyber ), a pioneering leader in cybersecurity solutions, proudly announces it has secured $8M in Series A funding led by Capri Ventures, with participation from Blu Ventures and AFG to accelerate adoption of its groundbreaking platform - Replica. This strategic investment will enable the company to advance its mission of delivering Secure Environments-as-a-Service, bringing unparalleled privacy and security in an increasingly vulnerable digital landscape. With this round, Andy Brown , CEO of SandHill East , former CTO of UBS, and current board member of ZScaler and PureStorage, will be joining the Board of Directors as will Dennis Shaya , Partner at Capri Ventures. In addition, Don Duet , Former Head of Technology at Goldman Sachs, and Tim Estes , founder of Angel Kids AI and former CEO at Digital Reasoning, will be joining the advisory board, complementing an already strong team including: Christopher Caine (CEO – Mercator XXI), Gary Cubbage (fmr. EVP – Booz Allen Hamilton ), Nick Donofrio (fmr. EVP Innovation – IBM), Todd Helfrich (VP Federal – Censys). The Replica platform offers Secure Environments-as-a-Service, revolutionizing how organizations protect and enable high risk activities. This includes targeting Russian misinformation campaigns in Ukraine , safe testing of new tech with proprietary data, disrupting financial scams and fraud aimed at seniors, and identifying and mitigating insider threats within organizations, among other scenarios. By integrating patented technology, intelligence tradecraft, and Zero Trust architecture, Replica quickly creates realistic IT environments that encompass hardware, operating systems, applications, networks, and data layers. This innovative solution not only protects user and organizational privacy but also delivers the data, tools and workflows needed for users to be productive in their most sensitive work. Kristopher Schroeder , CEO of Grey Market Labs, emphasized the significance of this funding round: "Replica is the culmination of over 20 years of experience in embedded tradecraft, intelligence operations, and cutting edge software. Our engineering team, with extensive backgrounds in offensive and defensive cyber warfare, has developed a product that is comprehensive with the protection and efficiency needed for today's enterprises and their users." Schroeder goes on to say, "This funding will allow Grey Marketing Labs to accelerate our vision to deliver even more impactful solutions for our customers." Capri Ventures, the lead investor in this funding round, expressed their excitement about partnering with Replica. "We are thrilled to support Grey Market Labs in their mission to redefine cybersecurity with the Replica platform," said Dennis Shaya , Partner with Capri Ventures. "Their innovative approach and deep expertise position them as a frontrunner in the industry, especially financial services, and we believe this partnership will drive significant advancements in digital privacy and security." Available as both a SaaS product and a hosted service, Replica enables secure work even in a global ecosystem, while reducing burden on the IT organization. The platform's flexible architecture supports rapid deployments (noted as some of the fastest in Financial Services), continuous updates, and seamless integration with existing enterprise services, including single-sign-on, proxies, and data governance. Additionally, Replica offers rich audit and reporting functionalities to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and provide the critical observability needed for leadership. Replica has solved critical problems for major Banks, Health Systems, Global Consulting, and Governments with use cases like: Protected Research (deep/dark web, social, automated collects, OSINT), Isolating Acquired (M&A) tech and activities, Advanced Sandboxing for Malware/ Unknown Files , Complex Training Environments, Enabling Fraud /Cyber Investigations, Secure DevOps with Data Controls, Intellectual Property Sharing and Protection, and more. With this new round of funding, Replica is poised to expand its value to customers, enhance its offerings, and further solidify its position as a leader redefining how to protect and enable high-risk activities. For more information about Replica, please visit ReplicaCyber.com . About Grey Market Labs Founded as Grey Market Labs® (dba Replica Cyber ), a Certified B-Corp with the mission to protect life online. Our work protecting the United States from foreign intelligence evolved to the creation of ReplicaTM, the world's first Secure Environments-as-a-Service platform. This patented SaaS platform simplifies creation of comprehensive hybrid-computing systems, delivering privacy and security while giving control to business users and reducing the burden on IT by 99.73%. We have solved critical problems for major Banks, Health Systems, Global Consulting, and Governments with use cases like: Protected Research (deep/dark web, social, automated collects, OSINT), Isolating Acquired (M&A) tech and activities, Advanced Sandboxing for Malware/ Unknown Files , Complex Training Environments, Enabling Fraud /Cyber Investigations, Secure DevOps with Data Controls, and more. For anyone that has tried to build complex, secure systems and platforms - Replica replaces this expensive work with the automation of secure environments. About Capri Ventures Capri Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm focused on Enterprise Technology. The team is composed of former software executives and leaders from Fortune 500 enterprises, bringing significant resources early in a company's lifecycle to help drive commercialization and market adoption. About AFG Partners AFG Partners < https://www.afgvc.com/ > is an Asian-based VC fund investing in B2B fintech and enabling tech startups addressing the critical needs of financial institutions and corporates globally, particularly in Asia . A core part of the strategy is to invest and help companies in Europe and the US who are interested in expanding across Asia via our network of LPs and ecosystem partners. Previous investments of the principals include N26, Unit, Blockdaemon, Airbnb, Transferwise, Gocardless and Wefox amongst others. About Blu Ventures Blu Ventures, a venture capital firmed based in Washington, DC , provides strategic funding and expert guidance in Seed to Series A companies in cybersecurity, healthtech, and B2B software startups. Blu leverages the deep domain expertise of its partners—all former operators with extensive industry experience—to empower visionary entrepreneurs. Learn more at www.bluventureinvestors.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grey-market-labs-announces-8m-series-a-funding-led-by-capri-ventures-to-accelerate-growth-of-its-replica-platform---first-of-its-kind-secure-environment-as-a-service-302313584.html SOURCE Grey Market Labs
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As a talented student-athlete at North Bergen High just over 20 years ago and then a four-year basketball player at Ramapo College, Noel Colon knew a little something about impassioned rivalries. Or at least the Shabazz athletic director thought he did. “I wouldn’t have believed it if you told me four years ago when I took this job that people would care more about the Soul Bowl than they do about a state championship, but I’ve seen it for myself,” Colon said last Thursday - one day before the Bulldogs were to face Hanover Park in the NJSIAA Group 2 semifinals and exactly one week prior to that annual Thanksgiving Day Soul Bowl against Newark South Ward rival Weequahic. “I’ve gotten more ticket requests about the Soul Bowl than I have for the game at Hanover Park. I’ve gotten, I don’t know, about 15 to 20 phone calls a day since Monday about the Soul Bowl,” he said. For those not in the know, Shabazz (10-2) gutted out an 8-7 victory over Hanover Park behind the heroics of Daveion Porter, Omari Gaines and Zaiden McDonald, sending the Bulldogs to their first appearance in an overall football state final, yet probably not slowing the pace of Soul Bowl requests that Colon will be fielding come Monday morning. “It’s just incredible to me; nothing I ever knew before,” Colon said. “Last week the calls were like, ‘Congrats on the win (in the North 1 sectional final Nov. 15) and good luck Friday. But you’ve got to go beat Weequahic!' ” Those earnest pleas have grown all the more intense in recent years now that Weequahic has won the last four meeting - and convincingly - to narrow its series deficit to 34-25-6. Shabazz and Weequahic - separated by just two miles - will battle for the 66th time at 10 a.m. Thursday at Shabazz Stadium. The Bulldogs will face Rumson-Fair Haven for the Group 2 title Dec. 4, likely at Rutgers University. East Orange found itself in the identical situation last week as it prepared for its Group 5 semifinal clash with 10th-ranked Union City while also fielding inquiries about the upcoming Thanksgiving Day game against Barringer. Those two square off in the 112th holiday meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday at Paul Robeson Stadium in East Orange. These four are the last in Essex County schools to still partake in a Thanksgiving Day exercise that used to be conducted by almost every football team in New Jersey. That tradition has faded steadily in the last two decades, and is now reduced to 19 games throughout the state, and two of those will be played Wednesday night. Annual East Orange-Barringer Old Guard Dinner will be held Wednesday evening in Union. Courtesy East Orange HS Unlike Shabazz now with double-barreled goals in the sights of its hunting musket, East Orange (9-3) can focus solely upon Barringer (0-8) as the Jaguars look to claim a 14th consecutive win over their ancient Newark rival and extend the series advantage to 64-39-9. That’s an awful lot of history between those two schools, and no doubt a great deal of it will be summoned for stories at the annual Old Guard Dinner at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Galloping Hill Caterers in Union. What percentage of those old war stories of past encounters and stars will be 100 percent accurate will be up for debate right up to the opening comments. But that’s half the fun. “It’s a great night for the old-timers to get together and reminisce about the games, but we’re also trying to get the younger guys involved to keep this tradition going,” said Abdul Hassan, a main organizer of the affair and a former athletic director at East Orange. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the Old Guard Dinner was a completely virtual function in 2020 and 2021. That helped keep the rivalry relevant, and the participation numbers have been climbing since it was restored as an in-person gathering in 2022. For information on the Wednesday’s Old Guard Dinner, contact Stefanie Cuff-White at 908-249-2412 or Monique Munford at 973-609-9993. Weequahic and Shabazz square off in the annual Soul Bowl 10 a.m . Thanksgiving Day at Shabazz Stadium Courtesy Shabazz HS Weequahic and Shabazz also will continue a proud pre-game tradition by holding their annual Unity Dinner, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday at Shabazz. Before that friendly gathering will be a Shabazz practice session expected to be just as spirited and physical even with a state. championship game on its horizon. “We need to go in there with the same mentality, same level of focus as we normally would because of what this game means to the community,” Colon said. “You lose that game, you’re gonna hear it for 365 days.” In the win against Hanover Park, Porter, a senior receiver, scored on a 1-yard run to cap the Bulldogs' opening drive, then hit McDonald with a conversion pass for what proved to be the decisive points. The offense - engineered by senior QB Romelo Tables - was not as explosive as it had been in previous tournament games, but a defense anchored by Gaines, Zykir Best, Adekunbi Adetayo, Sahaaj Bennett and McDonald held its ground in key moments. Weequahic (3-6) will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak behind junior QB Paul Jones III, senior running backs Ja’Shyne Hayes and Reynaldo Carter and junior receiver Tyshaun Boyd. The Indians have produced just 37 points over those last four games, so will need an exceptional defensive outing from Sajani Millwood, Elijah Jonson, Mekhi Armour and the rest of that crew, and perhaps a few fortunate breaks with turnovers. East Orange would have entered its game against Barringer as a heavy favorite, though may not know until Monday the status of senior quarterback Sa’eed Cole, who sustained an injury against Union City that knocked him out of the game. Even still, East Orange would be predicted to extend its streak against the Blue Bears with Shakur Taylor, Tyshawn Sewell, Alex Hanks, Darell James and Semaj Toney-El looking to pick up the slack for Cole behind the blocks of Shaheem DeZonie, Wazyn King, Standley Petidor, Alvins Collin and Christian Russell. Barringer will be entering with a 15-game losing streak dating back to last season and with an offense that has generated only 20 total points over the last six games. The Blue Bears will need a stellar effort from their defense, led by linebackers Ahmad and Ahmir Norman and Demetrius Penn, DLs Greg Dixon and Olatokunbo Jayeola, and defensive backs Nasire Cooper and Deron Abnathya. Mike Kinney can be reached at mkinney@njadvancemedia.com . The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)Trump's Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It's a shift seen in his labor pick
VERO BEACH, Florida, Dec. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (NYSE: ARR and ARR-PRC) ("ARMOUR” or the "Company”) today announced guidance on the January 2025 cash dividend for the Company's Common Stock of $0.24 per Common share. January 2025 Common Stock Dividend Information Certain Tax Matters ARMOUR has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust ("REIT”) for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. In order to maintain this tax status, ARMOUR is required to timely distribute substantially all of its ordinary REIT taxable income. Dividends paid in excess of current tax earnings and profits for the year will generally not be taxable to common stockholders. Actual dividends are determined at the discretion of the Company's board of directors, which may consider additional factors including the Company's results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and capital requirements as well as current market conditions, expected opportunities and other relevant factors. About ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. ARMOUR invests primarily in fixed rate residential, adjustable rate and hybrid adjustable rate residential mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises or guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association. ARMOUR is externally managed and advised by ARMOUR Capital Management LP, an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC”). Safe Harbor This press release includes "forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ from expectations, estimates and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as "expect,” "estimate,” "project,” "budget,” "forecast,” "anticipate,” "intend,” "plan,” "may,” "will,” "could,” "should,” "believes,” "predicts,” "potential,” "continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. The Company disclaims any obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. Additional Information and Where to Find It Investors, security holders and other interested persons may find additional information regarding the Company at the SEC's internet site at www.sec.gov , or the Company website at www.armourreit.com , or by directing requests to: ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc., 3001 Ocean Drive, Suite 201, Vero Beach, Florida 32963, Attention: Investor Relations. Investor Contact: Gordon Harper Chief Financial Officer ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. (772) 617-4340In a surprising development, Jabrill Peppers has been reinstated to the NFL and will be allowed to return to the Patriots this week. On Monday, the NFL announced that the league was removing Peppers Commissioner Exempt List. The Patriots safety was placed on that list after being arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation or suffocation, possession of a Class B drug (cocaine), and assault and battery on a family or household member. Last week, it was announced that the trial for Peppers was set for January 2025. Those charges were why Peppers was placed on the exempt list on Oct. 9. That made it so the captain couldn’t practice, play or attend games. Now, the NFL announced Pepper is “eligible to participate in all team activities, including playing in games.” The NFL statement read: “In accordance with the Personal Conduct Policy, the league initiated a preliminary investigation into an incident from early October. That review will remain ongoing and is not affected by this change in Peppers’ roster status."
The contest between No. 16 Colorado and Kansas was full of emotion on Saturday. The Buffaloes entered the contest with hopes of making the Big 12 Championship Game and College Football Playoff. Josh Pace with CBS Sports had put Colorado on before the game, as Kansas had defeated two ranked opponents, including then-undefeated No. 6 BYU, in their last two games. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.Article content The protest in Montreal last Friday that descended into violence wasn’t just a failure of leadership from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre insists, it was yet another sign that the Liberal government is on its last legs. Speaking to The Gazette, the federal Conservative leader framed last week’s unrest as a symptom of a country unravelling under Trudeau’s nearly decade-long tenure. “It is another confirmation of how everything is broken after nine years of Trudeau’s radical woke agenda,” Poilievre said. The pro-Palestinian, anti-NATO protest, which saw windows smashed and clashes with police, led to three arrests. Montreal police have indicated that more arrests are expected. It also came just before Trudeau’s attendance at a Taylor Swift concert, sparking uproar on social media. Trudeau condemned the protest on X on Saturday at noon. Speaking Monday at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Montreal, he said violent protesters should be “pursued and punished.” “I must reiterate how deplorable it was to see the violence and demonstrations here in Montreal on Friday night,” Trudeau told approximately 300 NATO delegates. “We must ensure that the laws are respected and that there are consequences for all those responsible.” However, Poilievre accused Trudeau of neglecting his responsibilities during a moment of crisis. “I have no problem with him taking his kids to a concert. That’s everyone’s right,” Poilievre said. “But part of the job of being prime minister is you get called away from important family and other functions to do your job.” When asked if he would leave a concert under similar circumstances, Poilievre was unequivocal: “Yes.” “He has a travelling team that sets up an on-site office everywhere he goes. He should have said, ‘I’m going to put my friendship bracelets down, get my national security officials on the line, and discuss how we can respond to this chaos,’” Poilievre said. “Instead, he danced around.” Montreal police reported no antisemitic acts during Friday’s protest, but tensions had risen earlier in the week when a woman was filmed making Nazi salutes and invoking Holocaust rhetoric . Last week’s protests and political fallout come at a precarious time for the Liberals, whose standing in national polls has steadily eroded. Even in Liberal stronghold Montreal, local races appear more competitive. Recent polls show Conservative candidates closing in on traditionally secure Liberal ridings. In the Mount Royal constituency, Conservative Neil Oberman is now two points behind incumbent Liberal Anthony Housefather — the Liberals previously won this seat by more than 30 points in the last election. LaSalle—Émard—Verdun’s byelection last month saw Liberal candidate Laura Palestini, who lost to Bloc Québécois candidate Louis-Philippe Sauvé, avoid featuring Trudeau’s image in her campaign materials. Poilievre tied Trudeau’s declining popularity to a range of national issues, saying rising rent, crime, and protests like Friday’s have ruptured Trudeau’s image. Poilievre said he believes in a common-sense approach to preventing future unrest, emphasizing stricter immigration screening, tougher penalties for violent protesters, and stronger safeguards for places of worship. “I plan to ask Montrealers a question: You’ve given Justin Trudeau and the Liberals your total loyalty for over a decade. What have you got? It’s clear what he’s getting. He’s getting power. But what do you get as a Montrealer?” hnorth@postmedia.com
Donald Trump gestures after speaking at a November 14, 2024 event at his Mar-a-Lago club. Alex Brandon/AP Donald Trump has gotten away with causing a violent attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 as part of scheme to overturn the 2020 election, hiding top secret documents from the federal government, and other alleged crimes. Special counsel Jack Smith on Monday made official what Trump’s election victory made clear, moving to dismiss the election interference case in which Trump was charged with promoting conspiracies to defraud the United States, obstruct an official government proceeding, and deprive Americans of their civil rights through his attempts to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s victory. Smith said he was dropping the case due to a Justice Department policy that bars prosecuting a sitting a president. “The Government’s position on the merits of the defendant’s prosecution has not changed,” Smith said in the filing. The motion leaves Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis’ prosecution of Trump and various former aides as the only standing criminal case related to Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 election. Willis has vowed to continue that prosecution. But with her case mired in appeals proceedings related to Willis’ past romantic relationship with the prosecutor she picked to run the case, her odds of securing a conviction of the president-elect appear dismal. Smith also moved Monday to di smiss his case against Trump for obstructing justice by hiding from the Department of Justice highly classified documents he had secretly removed from the White House. (Smith did not drop the charges against two Trump co-defendants.) Smith hopes to continue his appeal of a July ruling in which which Aileen Cannon, a notoriously pro-Trump district court judge in Florida, dismissed Smith’s case based on a legally unprecedented ruling that Smith’s appointment was invalid. But that appeal is aimed at preserving the legal standing of special counsel appointments and will not result in Trump’s continued prosecution even if Smith prevails. Smith said that the January 6 and documents cases need not to be dismissed “with prejudice.” That leaves the theoretical prospect that they could be revived after Trump leaves office. But it’s unlikely the Justice Department would be willing or able to successfully renew either case eight years after the alleged crimes occurred. The Manhattan district attorney’s office said last week that it would agree to postpone Trump’s sentencing in a case where he was convicted of falsifying business records as part of a criminal scheme to cover up payments made to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels, who has said she had sex with Trump in 2006. The district attorney Alvin Bragg has opposed efforts by Trump lawyers to have the case dismissed altogether. These outcomes mean that Trump has avoided legal consequences for four separate cases in which he was indicted—including one in which he was convicted—despite receiving no acquittal or exoneration from a judge or jury. That impunity, coupled with the Supreme Court’s highly controversial declaration that presidents enjoy “absolute immunity” from prosecution for official actions, appears set to enable Trump to pursue his goals—including using the Justice Department to prosecute critics—with few legal restraints. After taking office, Trump reportedly plans to fire Smith’s entire legal team, including career attorneys typically protected from political retribution. Pam Bondi, a lobbyist and former Florida attorney general who Trump plans to nominate for US attorney general, has said prosecutors who brought cases against Trump “will be prosecuted.” With a pass for alleged past crimes and a pliant Supreme Court, Trump in his second term may be the first US president to operate above the law. He will probably not be the last.DEAR ABBY: My best friend of 40 years, "Savannah," has been in a bad marriage for 20 of those. Her husband has cheated on her repeatedly. He can't keep a job, and he emotionally abuses her and her daughter. Now that she's finally fed up, he refuses to leave the house. Despite how bad his behavior has been, Savannah is doing nothing to move the divorce forward. She continues paying for his travel and includes him in family get-togethers in what she calls a "sacrifice," made at her daughter's request. It has been incredibly difficult to be supportive, hear about how harmful this has been, support her when she says she's getting out, and then hear that for one reason or another he's still there. When I challenge her and suggest she's making excuses for not progressing with the divorce, she becomes defensive and shuts down the conversation. Over the last two years, she has taken to calling me twice a day, and becomes frustrated if I don't answer. I have asked her to stop telling me stories about her husband's behavior -- which usually lasts a week or two. I am at my wits' end about how to be a good friend without taking on the stress of her horrible situation and feeling generally overwhelmed by her outreach. What can I do to help her, but also prevent our friendship from imploding? -- WEARY FRIEND IN MICHIGAN DEAR WEARY FRIEND: What you may need to do is accept that one of the reasons Savannah's dysfunctional marriage has lasted as long as it has is because she wants it to. She doesn't need to move forward because she has you to dump on when the pressure becomes too great. It may be time to stop focusing on what you can do to help Savannah and concentrate on what you need to do to help yourself. If that means stepping back and letting her find solutions to her problems without your help, don't feel guilty for doing it. DEAR ABBY: For years, a group of us former co-workers has been going out to dinner once a month. My daughter is part of the group and is also the youngest. Lately, she has been dismissed and ignored by two members of our group (there are six of us). Being her mother, I am hurt by how they have treated her. She has stopped going out with us, but I'm uncertain if I should also stop. They have been nothing but nice to me. I'm lost on what to do anymore -- to go, or not to go? -- HURT IN THE MIDWEST DEAR HURT: Have you asked these two former co-workers why they made your daughter feel unwelcome? Their behavior was rude. Have you asked the two who were welcoming what they think about all of this? Perhaps you (and your daughter) would feel more comfortable socializing with only them. That said, I do not think you should drop out of the group if you enjoy their company.None
Fears over losing out on £1million Lotto jackpot due to little-known mistake after hidden rule in smallprint is revealed
As the blueprint for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, Trump pulled an about-face . He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy . Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump's election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning how to concentrate power in the West Wing and impose a starkly rightward shift across the U.S. government and society. Trump and his aides maintain that he won a mandate to overhaul Washington. But they maintain the specifics are his alone. “President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “All of President Trumps' Cabinet nominees and appointments are whole-heartedly committed to President Trump's agenda, not the agenda of outside groups.” Here is a look at what some of Trump's choices portend for his second presidency. The Office of Management and Budget director, a role Vought held under Trump previously and requires Senate confirmation, prepares a president's proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration's agenda across agencies. The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power. “The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” Trump did not go into such details when naming Vought but implicitly endorsed aggressive action. Vought, the president-elect said, “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State” — Trump’s catch-all for federal bureaucracy — and would help “restore fiscal sanity.” In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Vought relished the potential tension: “We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.” The strategy of further concentrating federal authority in the presidency permeates Project 2025's and Trump's campaign proposals. Vought's vision is especially striking when paired with Trump's proposals to dramatically expand the president's control over federal workers and government purse strings — ideas intertwined with the president-elect tapping mega-billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a “Department of Government Efficiency.” Trump in his first term sought to remake the federal civil service by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal civil service workers — who have job protection through changes in administration — as political appointees, making them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. Currently, only about 4,000 of the federal government's roughly 2 million workers are political appointees. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump's changes. Trump can now reinstate them. Meanwhile, Musk's and Ramaswamy's sweeping “efficiency” mandates from Trump could turn on an old, defunct constitutional theory that the president — not Congress — is the real gatekeeper of federal spending. In his “Agenda 47,” Trump endorsed so-called “impoundment,” which holds that when lawmakers pass appropriations bills, they simply set a spending ceiling, but not a floor. The president, the theory holds, can simply decide not to spend money on anything he deems unnecessary. Vought did not venture into impoundment in his Project 2025 chapter. But, he wrote, “The President should use every possible tool to propose and impose fiscal discipline on the federal government. Anything short of that would constitute abject failure.” Trump's choice immediately sparked backlash. “Russ Vought is a far-right ideologue who has tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to override the spending decisions of Congress (and) who has and will again fight to give Trump the ability to summarily fire tens of thousands of civil servants,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat and outgoing Senate Appropriations chairwoman. Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, leading Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said Vought wants to “dismantle the expert federal workforce” to the detriment of Americans who depend on everything from veterans' health care to Social Security benefits. “Pain itself is the agenda,” they said. Trump’s protests about Project 2025 always glossed over overlaps in the two agendas . Both want to reimpose Trump-era immigration limits. Project 2025 includes a litany of detailed proposals for various U.S. immigration statutes, executive branch rules and agreements with other countries — reducing the number of refugees, work visa recipients and asylum seekers, for example. Miller is one of Trump's longest-serving advisers and architect of his immigration ideas, including his promise of the largest deportation force in U.S. history. As deputy policy chief, which is not subject to Senate confirmation, Miller would remain in Trump's West Wing inner circle. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27. “America First Legal,” Miller’s organization founded as an ideological counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, was listed as an advisory group to Project 2025 until Miller asked that the name be removed because of negative attention. Homan, a Project 2025 named contributor, was an acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first presidency, playing a key role in what became known as Trump's “family separation policy.” Previewing Trump 2.0 earlier this year, Homan said: “No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick to lead the CIA , was previously one of Trump's directors of national intelligence. He is a Project 2025 contributor. The document's chapter on U.S. intelligence was written by Dustin Carmack, Ratcliffe's chief of staff in the first Trump administration. Reflecting Ratcliffe's and Trump's approach, Carmack declared the intelligence establishment too cautious. Ratcliffe, like the chapter attributed to Carmack, is hawkish toward China. Throughout the Project 2025 document, Beijing is framed as a U.S. adversary that cannot be trusted. Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote Project 2025's FCC chapter and is now Trump's pick to chair the panel. Carr wrote that the FCC chairman “is empowered with significant authority that is not shared” with other FCC members. He called for the FCC to address “threats to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions in the market,” specifically “Big Tech and its attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” He called for more stringent transparency rules for social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube and “empower consumers to choose their own content filters and fact checkers, if any.” Carr and Ratcliffe would require Senate confirmation for their posts.Tinubu, wife return to Abuja after G20 Summit in Brazil
WASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. As the blueprint for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, Trump pulled an about-face . He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.