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AUBURN, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 17, 2024-- Zones, a global leader in end-to-end IT solutions, proudly announces its inclusion on Forbes’ prestigious list of America’s Largest Private Companies for the third consecutive year. This recognition highlights Zones’ sustained growth, innovation, and commitment to delivering world-class technology solutions to clients worldwide. The Forbes list celebrates privately-owned companies excelling in size, revenue, and influence. Zones’ consistent presence on this list is a testament to its unwavering dedication to providing transformative IT services, fostering strong client relationships, and driving industry-leading initiatives. Firoz Lalji, Chairman and CEO of Zones LLC said, “We are honored to be recognized on Forbes’ list once again. This milestone reflects the passion and hard work of our global team and our continued commitment to delivering exceptional value to our customers and partners. As we grow, we remain focused on innovation, operational excellence, and creating impactful solutions for businesses around the world." Zones has established itself as a trusted partner in delivering end-to-end IT solutions, offering expertise in cloud and data centers, networking, security, digital workplaces, IT lifecycle services, and staff augmentation. The company’s global presence and dedication to excellence continue to drive its success and recognition. To learn more, visit the Forbes list of America’s Largest Private Companies here . About Zones: Zones is a global provider of end-to-end IT solutions and services with an unmatched supply chain. Positioned to be the IT partner you need, Zones, a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) in business for over 35 years, specializes in Digital Workplace, Cloud & Data Center, Networking, Security, and Managed/Professional/Staffing services. Operating in more than 150 countries, leveraging a robust portfolio, and utilizing the highest certification levels from key partners, including Microsoft, Apple, Cisco, Lenovo, Adobe, and more, Zones has mastered the science of building digital infrastructures that change the way modern organizations do business. We are the Real People Behind ITTM – and our customers’ First Choice for IT.® Lead with Zones.com : Visit Zones Innovation Center , zones.com , blog.Zones or follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241217926333/en/ CONTACT: Zones Contact: media@zones.com KEYWORD: WASHINGTON UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: NETWORKS SECURITY HARDWARE TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE SOURCE: Zones Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/17/2024 02:11 PM/DISC: 12/17/2024 02:10 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241217926333/enDemocrat Bob Casey concedes to Republican David McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate contest

Dell shares fall on light revenue despite growing AI salesGood Luck With That! British MPs Plan to Summon Elon Musk to the U.K. to 'Testify' About MisinformationWASHINGTON , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC ) CEO David Goeckeler has been elected Chair of the SIA Board of Directors . SIA represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms. " We are thrilled to welcome our new chair for 2025, David Goeckeler of Western Digital," said SIA President and CEO John Neuffer . "David possesses years of experience in the technology and semiconductor industries, and is an outstanding advocate for our work. He will be a fantastic leader of the SIA Board of Directors in 2025." Over more than four decades, Goeckeler has focused on innovating and growing industries ranging from semiconductors to global networking to enterprise software. As CEO of Western Digital, Goeckeler has led the company's transformation as a leading data storage producer in the industry. Prior to this, he served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Cisco's Networking and Security Business, after starting his career at Bell Laboratories. Goeckeler was recently appointed Chairman of the U.S. Chamber's U.S.-Japan Business Council (USJBC). "Semiconductor innovation is the transformative backbone of everything from the smartphone in your pocket to hyperscale cloud infrastructure to artificial intelligence that uplift society and improve our quality of life," said Goeckeler . "As we grow our industry, the role of effective government policies is more crucial now than ever to accelerate innovation and expansion in this sector. Through partnership with my colleagues on the SIA Board, I look forward to strengthening our shared industry priorities in Washington and around the world." Media Contact Dan Rosso Semiconductor Industry Association 240-305-4738 [email protected] About SIA The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) is the voice of the semiconductor industry, one of America's top export industries and a key driver of America's economic strength, national security, and global competitiveness. SIA represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms. Through this coalition, SIA seeks to strengthen leadership of semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research by working with Congress, the Administration, and key industry stakeholders around the world to encourage policies that fuel innovation, propel business, and drive international competition. Learn more at www.semiconductors.org . SOURCE Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA)

Nanaia Mahuta was honoured at the Labour Party conference with a life membership. Photo: RNZ By Lillian Hanley of RNZ Former Labour minister and Hauraki-Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta says it is an "important" and "exciting" time to be "re-entering" politics. She made the comments during her first public appearance with the party since its election defeat last year. During the party conference in Christchurch on Saturday, Mahuta's 27 years of service was honoured and she was presented with a life membership. Leader Chris Hipkins handed over the award to acknowledge, thank and celebrate an "outstanding member of the Labour whānau and an extraordinary New Zealander". He said she had dedicated her life to being a "servant of the people" and was a "true source of hope, vision and aspiration". Hipkins spoke of Mahuta's work establishing Māori wards and working to implement the Three Waters policy, which saw her face "outright racism" as a result. In accepting the award, Mahuta spoke to members who she said gave her the "great honour of serving a party I believe in". "I am here because of you, the faithful members of the Labour Party who continue to fight the fight day in, day out, for the values that we all believe in." Those were social justice, workable solutions to address inequity and poverty, and building a shared vision for the country, she said. She told the audience to look around the room, "look at the person next to you". "This is New Zealand. This is the New Zealand we want, for our tamariki, for our mokopuna, and it embraces everybody." She encouraged the audience to support the current Labour caucus, "charged with the responsibility of navigating a political system that has to bring everybody with us, whether they voted for us or not". One year on It was the first party-related event Mahuta had attended since taking a year off after losing her seat at the last election. Mahuta told RNZ it was great to "re-enter" the political perspective of the Labour Party one year on. "I gave myself one year post the election to be able to reflect on the 27 years that I've spent serving, and I needed that time for me." But she said she had come back specifically to ensure the party delivered a Labour government that could support the types of issues she believed were core to New Zealand. "For example, Te Tiriti in its place within the constitutional foundation of this country is not negotiable, and it's important to me that Labour continues to ensure that that is the case, and they're doing that." It was an "exciting time" to be re-entering politics, but that it was important as well, she said. When asked if she would be running in the next general election, she said that was not her "intention". "My intention is to be able to support a strong Labour bid to earn the trust of voters to say, 'this is what we stand for'." She said it was going to be a "battle" to pitch in 2026 in a way that would convince a broad range of people that "there's nothing to fear from having a strong foundation and vision for our future". Over the past year, she felt Labour had been more emboldened to say it did stand for "Treaty-based decision making", which would lead to a path of building "our sense of national identity and who we are as a country", she said. That was "unlike the others who want to turn the clock back and want to put all of this in question". Reflecting on the previous term, she said while she was proud of Labour's achievements, it might have "tried to do too much in the period of time that we had the opportunity to govern". "We have to reflect on that. We have to show the constituents and the voters of New Zealand that, on questions like CGT, we've got to take people with us. So that's our aim now, is to build the constituency of support to go forward." Mahuta was unseated in Hauraki-Waikato by Te Pāti Māori's Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, who recently started a haka in Parliament's debating chamber during the first reading of the controversial Treaty Principles Bill. Maipi-Clarke was young, and "her passion should be applauded to the extent that she is not defined by an opinion of what's not right", Mahuta said. "She has been growing in a community of being positively and confidently, Māori, Waikato, Ngāpuhi and everything that she can whakapapa too. That's important, and that's the generation that my kids are growing up in." The important task ahead for Maipi-Clarke was to develop her skill set to "translate that into political capital that delivers to her people", and she should be given "time to grow that talent", Mahuta said. "There's one thing doing the haka, there's another thing delivering to her electorate. "The threshold of expectation is to deliver. It's not what you say, it's what you do."Mac mini M4 Pro review: Mac Studio power, miniaturized

Bongani Zungu has loads of ability but there are issues with the rumoured Kaizer Chiefs midfield maestro target and ex-Bafana Bafana star. Bongani Zungu is a skilled, flawed operator Bongani Zungu did what any sane, ambitious and rational young footballer would do early in his career. He travelled at his peak to maximise his earning potential and experience different countries and cultures in the process. That came to the detriment of his Bafana career, even though that’s not his fault. His tally of 29 caps for South Africa should be far, far greater. Are South African technical staff not doing enough to include overseas-based players in their squads? Undoubtedly gifted, Zungu should have played more of a part for his country. Is that partially down to him? In a nutshell Bongani Zungu, nicknamed Ben10, has 29 Bafana Bafana caps and experience across Europe. He’s strutted his stuff in the top tiers of Scotland, France and Portugal with Glasgow Rangers, Amiens and Vitoria Guimaraes. According to transfermarkt , his stock peaked in January 2018 when he was valued at €3.5m (R67 million). However, it’s been a steady decline since. Zungu departed for Europe in 2026 and jumped around clubs until 2022 when he returned to Sundowns. He made his Bafana debut in 2013 which feels like a long time ago. A step backwards for Zungu at Kaizer Chiefs? Zungu courted controversy during his short spell with Glasgow Rangers under then-manager Steven Gerrard. He was one of five players who breached coronavirus lockdown rules. Zungu was duly dropped and heavily fined. More recently, in October 2023, Zungu was shown red for an awful tackle against TS Galaxy while still a Sundowns player. Off the pitch, Ben10 has never been able to shake a reported ‘Party Boy’ image. Every time we thought Zungu had grown up and was ready to show us his undoubted ability, he mildly disappointed us. At 32, he’s also not getting any younger and his motivation at this stage of his career would have to be a mild concern. Would the signing of Zungu be sending out a dangerous message to the likes of 22-year-old Samkelo Zwane? Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or emailing info@thesouthafrican.com . You can also send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for your social fix.TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Miguel Tomley scored 28 points as Weber State beat Pepperdine 68-53 in the Desert Division championship game of the Arizona Tip-Off on Saturday night. Tomley shot 7 for 12 (6 for 7 from 3-point range) and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Wildcats (4-4). Blaise Threatt added 21 points and seven rebounds. Boubacar Coulibaly led the Waves (2-6) with 17 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Stefan Todorovic added 13 points and Zion Bethea scored 12. Weber State took the lead with 9:18 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 33-23 at halftime, with Tomley racking up 11 points. T The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Lindsay Lohan Shares Rare Insight Into Life as Mom to Son Luai

Over 20,000 jobs for working families are at risk in California’s Inland Empire. The reason? Fallout from a regulation raising concerns amongst businesses, labor groups, government officials, and even environmental advocates . Let’s take a step back. Founded over 50 years ago, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has been a world leader in air pollution control, smog reduction, and climate science. And the air across Southern California is better for it. However, CARB’s new “In-Use Locomotive Regulation,” mandating railroads like Union Pacific and BNSF set aside hundreds of millions of dollars today for the technology of the future, risks undermining this precarious balance. While the goal of reducing emissions is commendable, the technology required to meet this mandate is not yet commercially viable to move freight across the country. BNSF has said that its planned $1.5 billion investment in the Barstow International Gateway (BIG) is in jeopardy if the regulation moves forward. As a result, this regulation could jeopardize over 20,000 direct and indirect jobs in the high desert. BNSF plans to develop the 4,500-acre Barstow rail yard, intermodal facility and warehouses for transloading freight project in the next few years, creating thousands of jobs and reducing truck miles traveled from the 130-mile trip from the ports to the Inland Empire along the Interstate 15 corridor. The project would also reduce vehicle miles traveled up and down the Cajon Pass from high desert residents who would have job opportunities closer to home. However, the costs of complying with the regulation and transitioning to non-existent technology would divert capital and resources from railroads, threatening the viability of significant investments like BIG. The potential loss of the BIG project would deal a significant blow to the local economy, particularly to the working families in the region. Moreover, over 86,000 businesses and one in nine jobs in Southern California connected to the San Pedro Bay Port Complex depend on efficient rail connections. Maintaining these connections is essential for the region’s growth and stability and we cannot afford increased traffic congestion and carbon emissions from continuing to force freight onto highways. Related Articles Commentary | A roadmap for healthcare reform in the Trump era Commentary | Californians deserve real solutions, not yet another Newsom vanity project Commentary | Biden wanted to be a transformative historical figure. Instead, he will be a footnote. Commentary | As Los Angeles prepares for Olympics, transportation money gets shuffled toward fiber network Commentary | Democrats welcome Trump ‘the fascist’ with open arms Freight rail, which is responsible for 40 percent of U.S. long-distance freight but only 1.7% of transportation emissions, is one of our most efficient means of moving goods. BIG is also touted to be a state-of-the-art answer to many of the regional and national supply chain issues we’ve all felt over the last several years as our ports have been winning back trade from importers because they are rail connected. While the goals of CARB’s locomotive rule are aligned with our shared commitment to addressing climate change, the regulation’s timing and feasibility are out of step with current technological realities. Our organizations agree with CARB on this: we see a path forward for zero emissions locomotives; we need to convene to align timing, technology, and transition. As Californians, we understand the urgency of transitioning to a zero-emission future, but we must also ensure that our policies support both environmental and economic sustainability. By aligning climate goals with technological capabilities, we can protect jobs, support economic growth, and continue to lead in the fight against climate change while maintaining good jobs for working families in our region. Jon Switalski is the executive director of the Rebuild SoCal Partnership. Sarah Wiltfong is the chief public policy and advocacy officer at the Supply Chain CouncilNone

COMMERCE, Texas (AP) — Zach Calzada passed for 333 yards and three touchdowns, and he rushed for a score as Incarnate Word beat East Texas A&M 38-24 on Saturday to claim the Southland Conference title. Incarnate Word (10-2, 7-0) became the first team in program history to finish undefeated in conference play. The No. 6 Cardinals await the FCS selection show on Sunday to learn the playoff matchups. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Kansas City Chiefs back to winning ways against Carolina PanthersNo. 25 Illinois rebounds in big way, blasts UMES 87-40

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Alaraby TV Network has won the Audience Honour Award at the 9th annual Shorty Impact Awards for its pioneering programme Fi Al Hadara (About Civilisation). The award specifically recognised the episode titled Illusions of Happiness , which addresses the dangers of addiction. The episode’s script was written by Kareem Mansi, with dramatic adaptation and comic sketch written by Abdelrahman Jawish, and directed by Waleed El-Geneidy. Illusions of Happiness highlights the hidden and destructive effects of addiction, taking viewers on an exploratory journey that blends painful realism with satirical presentation. This unique balance has contributed to About Civilisation 's notable success since its launch, helping it build a loyal and wide-ranging audience. This success has enabled the programme to boldly tackle sensitive issues and foster societal discussions that inspire positive change and enhance public awareness. Regarding this achievement, Amira Hamza, the head of Digital at Alaraby TV Network, said:"Alaraby Tube team is delighted with this accomplishment, especially since the nominated episode addresses an important issue affecting both Arab and global communities.” “This audience recognition reflects the popularity of Fi Al Hadara and reaffirms our commitment to delivering meaningful cultural and social content that raises awareness and positively impacts society,” he said. Alaraby Tube is a digital platform affiliated with Alaraby TV Network. It specialises in producing innovative digital content that presents social and cultural issues in a modern and engaging manner. The platform aims to empower and inspire Arab audiences through programmes that resonate with their interests and aspirations. Related Story Alaraby TV launches programme on situation in Gaza and Lebanon Alaraby TV Network nominated for Shorty Awards

With her claim that retailers are seeing high returns of Arm PCs, Intel interim CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus appears to be trying to scare buyers off the rival processor architecture. But enterprise buyers who look before they leap have little to fear. Speaking at Barclay’s annual technology conference late last week, Holthaus said “if you look at the return rate for Arm PCs, you go talk to any retailer, their number one concern is, ‘I get a large percentage of these back because you go to set them up and the things that we just expect [to work], don’t work.’” CIO reached out to Intel and Qualcomm for comment on Monday, but 24 hours after the request was made, had yet to receive a reply from either organization. The same applied to Microsoft, Dell, HP and Lenovo, all of whom offer devices based on Qualcomm’s latest processors, . Analysts were more forthcoming, with Jeremy Roberts, senior research director at Info-Tech Research Group saying, “high return rates for Snapdragon systems allegedly reported by retailers and touted by Intel leadership are neither here nor there for most business users.” The reality, he said, is that “while you get some definite benefits from Arm-powered devices (battery life is a huge selling point), most desktop applications were built for x86 systems and will either need to be refactored or run through an emulator like Microsoft’s Prism. Your average retail buyer doesn’t care about instruction sets or emulation layers until things that they want to do, like play games or use applications, don’t work. Your typical business buyer does care about these things.” Roberts added that he does not have insight into the reality of the higher return rates: “It’s possible that Intel is making a mountain out of a molehill, or that Qualcomm is downplaying a real threat to their business. But for the informed buyer, it shouldn’t matter.” Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, added, “the rumors of high rates of return for Qualcomm-based PCs have been a persistent one that came out prematurely. So, when we hear this get brought back up again, it makes me question how valid it is. Especially since I have yet to speak to anyone in the channel or OEMs has been able to validate these claims.” He said sales numbers haven’t been as good as many had probably hoped, “but I also believe a lot of this has to do with Microsoft’s stumbles with features like , which have reduced the value of going with a Qualcomm Copilot+ PC at launch.” Sag said that, for enterprise buyers, “there is still a good amount of enthusiasm about what the platform could be, but it remains unclear if Microsoft, Qualcomm, and the OEMs have quite cleared the bar.” He said he thinks that enterprises are still experimenting with Arm-based PCs, but they also know that, regardless of the chip vendor, the future of PCs will include Arm. “I think its really a maturity problem,” he noted, “especially with Microsoft creating a lot of doubt around Copilot+ with Recall, and the mixed capability across chip vendors.” Sag predicted that the big trend to watch in 2025 will be to see how much the Copilot+ PC outgrows its early growing pains, and how many enterprises have been able to verify that their software runs natively or smoothly in emulation. There will, he said, “be a lot of enterprises looking to replace their early pandemic machines or outdated Windows 10 PCs, and they will want something that has AI capabilities, even if those are primarily for future-proofing reasons. In my conversations with OEMs, there hasn’t necessarily been as much excitement for Arrow Lake-based Intel processors as much as there is for Lunar Lake, due to the limited AI capabilities and Microsoft’s desire to focus on Copilot+ PCs.” “Compatibility is still a factor for Qualcomm here, but every week, there are major updates for Arm-based Windows PCs, and the platform gets better,” Sag added. “There are a lot of factors at play here, but I think most people who are going out and buying a Qualcomm system know what they are getting and want that long battery life with no-compromise performance.” Meanwhile, Roberts said, end user computing decision makers working in a corporate IT department should, “review their requirements and management tools and ensure compatibility before purchasing devices. And they probably wouldn’t do this through the retail channel anyway. “To me, this is an interesting potential story about adoption, but it’s not really relevant to enterprise IT — assuming very basic due diligence is conducted.”Onana once looked like another Man Utd flop but is now one of Prem’s best keepers and making huge difference off pitch

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 26, 2024-- The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) today announced that the Company will present at the UBS Global Technology and AI Conference on Wednesday, December 4 th. The presentation will begin at 2:55 p.m. Mountain Time and will include comments from Matt Cagwin, Chief Financial Officer. Investors and interested parties will be able to listen to the investor presentation via webcast from www.westernunion.com , under the investor relations section. The archived webcast will be available shortly after the conclusion of the presentation. About Western Union The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is committed to helping people around the world who aspire to build financial futures for themselves, their loved ones and their communities. Our leading cross-border, cross-currency money movement, payments and digital financial services empower consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments—across more than 200 countries and territories and over 130 currencies—to connect with billions of bank accounts, millions of digital wallets and cards, and a global footprint of hundreds of thousands of retail locations. Our goal is to offer accessible financial services that help people and communities prosper. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com . WU-G View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126774330/en/ CONTACT: Media Relations: Brad Jones media@westernunion.comInvestor Relations: Tom Hadley WesternUnion.IR@westernunion.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA COLORADO INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PAYMENTS FINANCE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BANKING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TECHNOLOGY FINTECH DIGITAL CASH MANAGEMENT/DIGITAL ASSETS SOURCE: The Western Union Company Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/26/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 11/26/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126774330/enNEW YORK (AP) — In a string of visits, dinners, calls, monetary pledges and social media overtures, big tech chiefs — including Apple's Tim Cook , OpenAI’s Sam Altman , Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg , SoftBank's Masayoshi Son and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos — have joined a parade of business and world leaders in trying to improve their standing with President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office in January. “The first term, everybody was fighting me,” Trump said in remarks at Mar-a-Lago . “In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.” Tech companies and leaders have now poured millions into his inauguration fund, a sharp increase — in most cases — from past pledges to incoming presidents. But what does the tech industry expect to gain out of their renewed relationships with Trump? A clue to what the industry is looking for came just days before the election when Microsoft executives — who’ve largely tried to show a neutral or bipartisan stance — joined with a close Trump ally, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, to publish a blog post outlining their approach to artificial intelligence policy. “Regulation should be implemented only if its benefits outweigh its costs,” said the document signed by Andreessen, his business partner Ben Horowitz, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the company's president, Brad Smith. They also urged the government to back off on any attempt to strengthen copyright laws that would make it harder for companies to use publicly available data to train their AI systems. And they said, “the government should examine its procurement practices to enable more startups to sell technology to the government.” Trump has pledged to rescind President Joe Biden’s sweeping AI executive order, which sought to protect people’s rights and safety without stifling innovation. He hasn’t specified what he would do in its place, but his campaign said AI development should be “rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.” Trump's choice to head the Interior Department, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, has spoken openly about the need to boost electricity production to meet increased demand from data centers and artificial intelligence. “The AI battle affects everything from defense to healthcare to education to productivity as a country,′′ Burgum said on Nov. 15, referring to artificial intelligence. “And the AI that’s coming in the next 18 months is going to be revolutionary. So there’s just a sense of urgency and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration′′ to address it. Demand for data centers ballooned in recent years due to the rapid growth of cloud computing and AI, and local governments are competing for lucrative deals with big tech companies. But as data centers begin to consume more resources, some residents are pushing back against the world’s most powerful corporations over concerns about the economic, social and environmental health of their communities. “Maybe Big Tech should buy a copy of ‘The Art of The Deal’ to figure out how to best negotiate with this administration,” suggested Paul Swanson, an antitrust attorney for the law firm Holland & Hart. “I won’t be surprised if they find ways to reach some accommodations and we end up seeing more negotiated resolutions and consent decrees.” Although federal regulators began cracking down on Google and Facebook during Trump’s first term as president — and flourished under Biden — most experts expect his second administration to ease up on antitrust enforcement and be more receptive to business mergers. Google may benefit from Trump’s return after he made comments on the campaign trail suggesting a breakup of the company isn’t in the U.S. national interest, after a judge declared its search engine an illegal monopoly . But recent nominations put forward by his transition team have favored those who have been critical of Big Tech companies, suggesting Google won’t be entirely off the hook. Cook’s notoriously rocky relationship with the EU can be traced back to a 2016 ruling from Brussels in a tax case targeting Apple. Cook slammed the bloc’s order for Apple to pay back up to 13 billion euros ($13.7 billion) in Irish back taxes as “total political crap.” Trump, then in his first term as president, piled on, referring to the European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who was spearheading a campaign on special tax deals and a crackdown on Big Tech companies, as someone who “really hates the U.S.” Brussels was eventually vindicated after the bloc’s top court rejected Apple’s appeal this year, though it didn’t stop Cook from calling Trump to complain, Trump recounted in a podcast in October. Altman , Amazon and Meta all pledged to donate $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural fund. During his first term, Trump criticized Amazon and railed against the political coverage at The Washington Post, which billionaire Bezos owns. Meanwhile, Bezos had criticized some of Trump’s past rhetoric. In 2019, Amazon also argued in a court case that Trump’s bias against the company harmed its chances of winning a $10 billion Pentagon contract. More recently, Bezos has struck a more conciliatory tone. He recently said at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York that he was “optimistic” about Trump’s second term, while also endorsing president-elect’s plans to cut regulations. The donation from Meta came just weeks after Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago. During the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president, but voiced a more positive stance toward Trump. Earlier this year, he praised Trump’s response to his first assassination attempt. Still, Trump in recent months had continued to attack Zuckerberg publicly. And Altman, who is in a legal dispute with AI rival Elon Musk, has said he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence in the incoming administration. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the company earlier this year alleging that the maker of ChatGPT betrayed its founding aims of benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. “We have two multi-billionaires, Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who are tasked with cutting what they’re saying will be multiple trillions of dollars from the federal budget, reducing the civil service, the workforce,” said Rob Lalka, a business professor at Tulane University. Musk, he said, has a level of access to the White House that very few others have had -- access that allows him to potentially influence multiple policy areas, including foreign policy, automotive and energy policy through EVs, and tech policy on artificial intelligence. “Elon Musk walked into Twitter’s headquarters with a sink and then posted, ‘let that sink in,‘” he said. “Elon Musk then posted a status update on X, a picture of himself with a sink in the Oval Office and said, 'Let that sink in.′"

( MENAFN - Asia Times) National security advisors to incoming President Donald trump are considering decapitating Iran's nuclear program in a bombing campaign. They would not be thinking this way had not Israel been remarkably successful in wiping out Iran's air defenses. The star of the show was the F-35. Interest in the Trump camp to replace the F-35 with drone , with Elon Musk one of the strongest voices, just took a body blow thanks to Israel . Israel destroyed Iran's air defenses including the Russian supplied S-300 MPU-2, an advanced version of the S-300. It was paired with radars including the Russian Rezonans-NE which, it was claimed, could detect Israeli stealth aircraft and missiles. The S-300 interceptor missiles fly at speeds between Mach 6 and Mach 8.5. Iran acquired four S-300 systems, finally delivered in 2016. Iran also sported a large number of other air defense systems that apparently were also liquidated. The F-35 is America's stealth tactical bomber. It is currently in production in a program that will ultimately cost the US taxpayer trillions of dollars. Because of the high price tag and numerous birthing problems, many of them centered on software code issues, top Trump people, including Elon Musk, aim to stop F-35 production and replace the stealth fighter with drones. The US has had some stealth drones for quite a while, but they are man-in-the-loop drones that require constant communications to reach their targets. The use of radio communications creates opportunities for any adversary as he can intercept the radio transmissions, locate the“stealth” drone through triangulation, and, as the Iranians proved, even grab control of the stealth drone and capture it. That's what happened on December 5, 2011 when a US RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone was electronically captured by the Iranians over the town of Kashmar. The Iranians knew about the use of Sentinel drones over its territory, used to track Iran's nuclear program, but needed to find a way to intercept them. Watching the communications, they were able (probably with help from Russia) to build a controller and devised a way to grab control of the drone and land it. The Iranian pilot did fairly well, but his landing was rough and a wing was broken and the underside of the drone damaged. Even so it was a spectacular coup by Iran, and gave Iran and Russia access to a top secret platform with capabilities far greater than anything the Russians, or even the Chinese, had at the time. The RQ-170 drone program remains highly classified, but other than the B-21 Raider, it is the only stealth drone in the US inventory. The B-21 is a strategic bomber, but it is believed to be able to operate without a crew as a smart drone. The B-21 program is hugely expensive, with the price of each platform closing in on $1 billion per copy. Israel has a sizable inventory of drones -surveillance, command and control and attack types. But Israel's Air Force (IAF) relies on manned aircraft for its operations. Israel's version of the F-35 is called Adir (Mighty One). It is a customized version of the F-35 that includes domestically developed electronic countermeasures and does not include Lockheed's logistics tracking system (as that would mean its aircraft would be tracked, a significant vulnerability in the F-35 program). The Adir also supports Israeli weapons, air to air weapons such as Python and standoff weapons such as the Popeye Turbo with an accuracy better than 3 meters (9.8 feet). It should not be forgotten that a key advantage of a full-sized aircraft over a drone is the weapon's load, including smart weapons, and the ability to shift to alternative targets. Drones are much more limited, and drones that can release actual weapons (for example the Hellfire missile or small unguided weapons) don't have the punch that a big platform brings to the table. Today's trend is to build drones that fly along with fighter aircraft or even bombers. It remains to be seen if these newer companion drones really augment air force capabilities. Examples include the Russian Okhotnik-B S-70 and the US XQ-58A Valkyrie. While we do not know the costs (including R&D) for the Russian drone, the Valkyrie is likely priced at around $25 million a copy, about a third of the cost of the F-35. These models are unproven and their functionality in combat mostly speculative. Future drones will increasingly use artificial intelligence and synthetic mapping to hit targets, reducing if not eliminating radio communications but still relying on GPS satellites for course correction. One problem in this approach is that there is a considerable delay between an actual strike and reporting on the success of the attack, as the protection of the drone requires operating in silent mode. Probably additional drones will be needed to assess results, or satellites capable of surveying targets attacked. Israel attacked Iranian targets using non-stealth fighter aircraft such as the F-15 and F-16 and the F-35 whose main function was to take out Iran's air defenses. Along the way Israel also crippled Iranian early warning radars in Syria and Iraq. Below is a map of the targets in Iran successfully hit by the IAF raid prepared by the Institute for the Study of War: We actually know very little about the logistics of Israel's operation against Iran. No doubt that information is highly classified. However it is obvious that Israel's attack, even taking into account the significant restrictions imposed by the Biden administration, was a great success. Similarly Israel was successful in knocking out Syrian air defenses, again reportedly using its F-35s. The Israeli operations in Syria and Iran are the first use of the F-35 against Russian-produced air defenses, demonstrating the value of the stealth feature of the aircraft. There is a strong lesson for potential adversaries including Russia. The Russians lacked stealth technology until recently. Russia's Su-57 fighter bomber has recently been upgraded to enhance its stealth characteristics (meaning reducing its radar signature). The Russians also are developing a more advanced stealth fighter, the Su-75 Checkmate. And Russia also is building a stealth bomber (the US already has the B-2 and is soon to deploy the B-21 Raider), the Tu-PAK-DA (expected to go into production in 2027). The Russians have also been pushing to develop technologies that can detect enemy stealth aircraft. Low observable technology is built around the idea of reducing radar signatures dramatically in X-band radar. X-band radars are the dominant type of air defense radar sets worldwide. Alternative radars, such as L Band or VHF , can detect stealth aircraft but they are range limited and not accurate enough for most countermeasures. (The Russians have built L Band radars into the wings of the Su-57 and other aircraft including the Su-27, to give them an ability to detect US stealth fighters.) In the United States those who want to cancel the F-35 program will have to answer the question of why production should be stopped on the F-35, a platform that tackled Russian air defenses and an expansionist Iran and taught both of them a lesson. Stephen Bryen is an Asia Times correspondent and served as staff director of the Near East Subcommittee of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as a deputy undersecretary of defense for policy. 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