nice88 login register

A number of President-elect Donald Trump 's most prominent Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks," Trump's transition team said Wednesday. The FBI said it was investigating. “Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. She said the attacks ranged from bomb threats to swatting, in which attackers initiate an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretenses. The tactic has become a popular one in recent years. Leavitt said law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted and Trump and his transition team are grateful. Among those targeted were New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations; Matt Gaetz, Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general; and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin , who has been tapped to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Susie Wiles, Trump's incoming chief of staff, and Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general whom Trump has chosen as Gaetz's replacement, were also targeted, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity as the investigation continues. Wiles and Bondi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI said in a statement that it was “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees" and was investigating with its law enforcement partners. The FBI added: "We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.” White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma said President Joe Biden had been briefed and the White House is in touch with federal law enforcement and Trump's transition team. Biden “continues to monitor the situation closely," Sharma said, adding the president and his administration “condemn threats of political violence.” Stefanik's office said that, on Wednesday morning, she, her husband, and their 3-year-old son were driving home from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence in Saratoga County. Her office said “New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism.” The New York State Police said a team was dispatched to sweep Stefanik’s home on Wednesday morning in response to the bomb threat but did not locate any explosive devices. The agency directed further questions to the FBI. Zeldin said in a social media post that he and his family had been threatened. “A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message,” he wrote on X. “My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops.” Police in Suffolk County, Long Island, said emergency officers responded to a bomb threat Wednesday morning at an address listed in public records as Zeldin’s home and were checking the property. In Florida, the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office said on Facebook that it “received notification of a bomb threat referencing former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area" around 9 a.m. Wednesday. While a family member resides at the address, the office said, Gaetz “is NOT a resident.” No threatening devices were found. Gaetz was Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, but he withdrew from consideration after allegations that he paid women for sex and slept with underage women. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him. The threats follow a political campaign marked by disturbing and unprecedented violence. In July, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the then-candidate in the ear with a bullet and killing one of his supporters. The Secret Service later thwarted a subsequent assassination attempt at Trump's West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course when an agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through a perimeter fence while Trump was golfing. Public figures across the political spectrum have been targeted in recent years by hoax bomb threats and false reports of shootings at their homes. About a year ago the FBI responded to an uptick in such incidents at the homes of public officials, state capitols and courthouses across the country around the holidays. Many were locked down and evacuated in early January after receiving bomb threats. No explosives were found and no one was hurt. Some of those targeted last year were Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. In Wu’s case, a male caller told police he had shot his own wife and tied another man up. When police and EMT responders arrived at the address given by the caller, they quickly realized it was the Boston mayor’s home. Wu, a Democrat, has also been targeted by many swatting calls since she took office in 2021. The judges overseeing the civil fraud case against Trump in New York and the criminal election interference case against him in Washington were both targeted earlier this year. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who recently abandoned the two criminal cases he brought against Trump, was also the subject of a fake emergency call on Christmas Day last year. Earlier this year, schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials in Springfield, Ohio, received a string of hoax bomb threats after Trump falsely accused members of Springfield’s Haitian community of abducting and eating cats and dogs. And in 2022, a slew of historically Black colleges and universities nationwide were targeted with dozens of bomb threats, with the vast majority arriving during the celebration of Black History Month. The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement Wednesday that anytime a member of Congress is the victim of a swatting' incident, “we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners.” The force declined to provide further details, in part to “minimize the risk of copy-cats.” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called the threats “dangerous and unhinged.” “This year, there was not just one but TWO assassination attempts on President Trump," he wrote on X. “Now some of his Cabinet nominees and their families are facing bomb threats.” He added: “It is not who we are in America.” ___ Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Colleen Long and Eric Tucker in Washington, Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, and Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, contributed to this report.Shatel: Nebraska is going to a bowl game again — and here are some dream matchups

A judge on Monday granted a request by prosecutors to dismiss the election subversion case against Donald Trump because of a Justice Department policy of not prosecuting a sitting president. Judge Tanya Chutkan agreed to the request by Special Counsel Jack Smith to dismiss the case against the president-elect "without prejudice," meaning it could potentially be revived after Trump leaves the White House four years from now. "Dismissal without prejudice is appropriate here," Chutkan said, adding in the ruling that "the immunity afforded to a sitting President is temporary, expiring when they leave office." Trump, 78, was accused of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden and removing large quantities of top secret documents after leaving the White House, but the cases never came to trial. Smith also moved on Monday to drop his appeal of the dismissal of the documents case filed against the former president in Florida. That case was tossed out earlier this year by a Trump-appointed judge on the grounds that Smith was unlawfully appointed. The special counsel paused the election interference case and the documents case this month after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 presidential election. Smith cited the long-standing Justice Department policy of not indicting or prosecuting a sitting president in his motions to have the cases dismissed. "The Government's position on the merits of the defendant's prosecution has not changed," Smith said in the filing with Chutkan. "But the circumstances have." "It has long been the position of the Department of Justice that the United States Constitution forbids the federal indictment and subsequent criminal prosecution of a sitting President," Smith said. "As a result this prosecution must be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated." In a separate filing, Smith said he was withdrawing his appeal of the dismissal of the classified documents case against Trump but pursuing the case against his two co-defendants, Trump valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said the cases were "empty and lawless, and should never have been brought." "Over $100 Million Dollars of Taxpayer Dollars has been wasted in the Democrat Party's fight against their Political Opponent, ME," he said. "Nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before." Trump was accused of conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding -- the session of Congress called to certify Biden's win, which was violently attacked on January 6, 2021 by a mob of the then-president's supporters. Trump was also accused of seeking to disenfranchise US voters with his false claims that he won the 2020 election. The former and incoming president also faces two state cases -- in New York and Georgia. He was convicted in New York in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election to stop her from revealing an alleged 2006 sexual encounter. However, Judge Juan Merchan has postponed sentencing while he considers a request from Trump's lawyers that the conviction be thrown out in light of the Supreme Court ruling in July that an ex-president has broad immunity from prosecution. In Georgia, Trump faces racketeering charges over his efforts to subvert the 2020 election results in the southern state, but that case will likely be frozen while he is in office. cl/sms

Chandigarh: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a case against eight people, including four officials, three contractors, and their associates, for alleged manipulation in awarding a tender for outsourcing manpower by Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) 16 years ago. The FIR was filed on the recommendation of a DSP-level officer posted in the Gurugram bureau, who conducted a preliminary investigation into the allegations against former power minister Randeep Singh Surjewala . However, Surjewala’s name was referred for the probe only and is neither in list of accused nor in any observation made by the officer in his report while recommending the registration of case under sections 13 (1 and 2) and 13 D of Prevention of Corruption Act and section 12 0B of IPC. Other accused named in the case include Sumer Singh Yadav, now retired superintending engineer, operations circle, DHBVN Gurugram, two former DGMs, V K Aggarwal and Daljit Singh, and Ashok Mehta, former accountant, DHBVN. The accused contractors are Ajay Singh Sandhu and Ishwar Singh Nain, the owner and partners of Sandhu Security Services, and unidentified persons. The cause of action dates back to April 2021 when, acting on a complaint moved by Sandhu, the ACB began the probe, with one of the seven points of the complaint linked to DHBVN, Gurugram. Acting on the report of then-investigation officer, the bureau tasked the DSP-level officer in Gurugram to head the probe. Sandhu is also one of the accused in the case. The issue relates to outsourcing work for the contractual employment of 156 assistant linemen and 12 shift attendants to be attached to DHBVN’s operation circle in Gurugram. For this purpose, the DHBVN called for bids by floating the tender for hiring the manpower in 2009. The tender was awarded to Sandhu Security Services allegedly in violation of terms in the contract. We also published the following articles recently ACB to probe corruption charges against CRDA officials The Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) commissioner in Vijayawada ordered a corruption probe following complaints from Amaravati farmers about bribery and delays in plot registrations. One data entry operator was fired after a video surfaced of him soliciting a bribe. Despite additional staff, registration processing remained slow, fueling allegations of deliberate delays and demands for bribes by CRDA officials. Tender scam: Discharge pleas of accused rejected A Ranchi court rejected discharge pleas from two defendants, Ram Prakash Bhatia and Neeraj Mittal, accused of laundering Rs 4.5 crore in a rural development tender fraud case. This follows the rejection of all other discharge petitions in the case involving former minister Alamgir Alam and ex-chief engineer Veerendra Ram. Hema report: Probe into SIT-filed cases in limbo Kerala police face a dilemma investigating 35 FIRs stemming from the Hema Committee report on film industry sexual harassment. Victims are hesitant to cooperate, hindering progress despite a special investigation team's efforts. The cases, dating back to the early 2000s, lack sufficient evidence beyond victim statements. Actor Mala Parvathy challenges the probe in the Supreme Court, citing harassment. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .None

Waterloo city hall’s share of property taxes will rise by $99 for a typical home next year, city council confirmed Monday. The increase of 6.3 per cent will bring the city hall tax bill to $1,668 for a typical home in 2025. It’s part of a four-year increase of almost 27 per cent in city taxation that council has approved from 2023 to 2026 when its term ends. Council voted Monday to increase water bills by 6.4 per cent in 2025, adding $82 to the bill of a typical household. A typical household using 17 cubic metres of water per month will pay $1,365 next year. This includes $221 in stormwater fees to manage drainage. City hall is increasing stormwater fees to mitigate flooding, seen as an increasing risk amid climate change. Rising bills for drinking water are attributed in part to rising construction costs and to supply disruptions that increase the costs to clean and distribute water. Water bills are forecast to continue rising to an estimated cost of $2,136 per typical household by 2034. “It’s good to know we’re keeping it in a state of good repair,” McCabe said. “Water is obviously pretty critical.” Taxes imposed by city hall account for just under one-third of residential property taxes in Waterloo. They pay for firefighting, parks and recreation, libraries and smaller residential streets. Waterloo regional council separately imposes just over half of property taxes to pay for services including police, paramedics, garbage, transit, social services, and major roads. Waterloo has the highest property taxes among the region’s three cities because it has the highest property values upon which taxes are based. Waterloo also has the highest household incomes to pay property taxes.

Judge grants dismissal of election subversion case against TrumpUS lawmakers seek to halt weapons sales to UAE, citing Sudan

Ghana's opposition leader John Mahama officially won the country's election on Monday, easily defeating the ruling party candidate after voters punished the government's economic management and high living costs. Mahama won 56 percent of the votes in Saturday's presidential ballot, compared to the ruling party candidate and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who secured 41 percent, the electoral commission said announcing official results. The landslide comeback for former president Mahama ended eight years in power for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose last term was marked by Ghana's worst economic turmoil in years, an IMF bailout and a debt default. "These eight years have witnessed some of the darkest periods of our governance," Mahama told crowds of supporters blowing horns and whistles in his party office in Accra. "This mandate also serves as a constant reminder of what fate awaits us if we fail to meet the aspirations of our people." Bawumia, a former central banker, had already quickly conceded defeat on Sunday, acknowledging Ghanaians wanted change after the government failed to shake off widespread frustration. Bawumia also said the Mahama's National Democratic Congress (NDC) party had won the parliamentary vote in Saturday's election. Official results for the parliament are still being tallied. Mahama, 66, had previously failed twice to secure the presidency, but in Saturday's election he managed to tap into expectations of change among Ghanaians. He promised to "reset" Ghana, usher in economic revival and renegotiate parts of the country's $3 billion IMF accord. In his acceptance speech, Mahama promised reforms and "severe" measures to bring Ghana back on track. "The journey is not going to be easy... because the outgoing government has plunged our dear nation into the abyss," he said. "I am certain that we shall win the battle." With a history of democratic stability, Ghana's two major parties, the NPP and NDC, have alternated in power equally since the return to multi-party politics in 1992. But Ghana's economic woes dominated the 2024 election, after the continent's top gold producer and world's second cacao exporter went through a debt crisis, the default and currency devaluation. Turnout for Saturday election was 60.9 percent, a slide in participation from 79 percent in the 2020 election, results showed. With a slogan "Break the 8" -- a reference to two, four-year terms in power -- Bawumia had sought to take the NPP to an unprecedented third mandate. But he struggled to break from criticism of Akufo-Addo's economic record. While inflation slowed from more than 50 percent to around 23 percent, and other indicators stabilised, economic concerns were still a clear election issue for most Ghanaians. That frustration opened the way for a comeback from Mahama, who first came to the presidency in 2012 when he was serving as vice president and then President John Atta Mills died in office. During campaigning, the former president also faced criticism from those who remember his government's own financial tribulations and especially the massive power blackouts that marred his time in office. bur/pma/givLions CBs Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. out vs. ColtsFollow the Universal Declaration of Human Rights