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Hezbollah fires about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel in heaviest barrage in weeks BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah has fired about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel, wounding seven people in one of the militant group’s heaviest barrages in months. Sunday's attacks in northern and central Israel came in response to deadly Israeli strikes in central Beirut on Saturday. Israel struck southern Beirut on Sunday. Meanwhile, negotiators press on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. And Lebanon's military says an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center in the southwest killed one soldier and wounded 18 others. Israel's military has expressed regret and said its operations are directed solely against the militants. Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Somalia says 24 people have died after 2 boats capsized in the Indian Ocean MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia's government says 24 people died after two boats capsized off the Madagascar coast in the Indian Ocean. Somalia’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said 46 people were rescued. Most of the passengers were young Somalis, and their intended destination remains unclear. Many young Somalis embark every year on dangerous journeys in search of better opportunities abroad. A delegation led by the Somali ambassador to Ethiopia is scheduled to travel to Madagascar on Monday to investigate the incident and coordinate efforts to help survivors. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Sunday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast last week, killing two people. Republicans lash out at Democrats' claims that Trump intelligence pick Gabbard is 'compromised' FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Republican lawmakers are pushing back against criticism from some Democrats that President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead U.S. intelligence services is “compromised” by her comments supportive of Russia and a meeting with an ally of that country. The accusation came from Sen. Tammy Duckworth. The Illinois Democrat says she has concerns about the pro-Russian views expressed by Tulsi Gabbard, who was tapped for the post of director of national intelligence. Duckworth’s comments on Sunday drew immediate backlash from Republicans. The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. Moscow offers debt forgiveness to new recruits and AP sees wreckage of a new Russian missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting debt forgiveness to new army recruits who enlist to fight in Ukraine. The measure, whose final version appeared on a government website Saturday, underscores Russia’s needs for military personnel in the nearly 3-year-old war, even as it fired last week a new intermediate-range ballistic missile. Russia has ramped up military recruitment by offering increasing financial incentives to those willing to fight in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Service on Sunday showed The Associated Press wreckage of the new intermediate-range ballistic missile that struck a factory in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. After Trump's win, Black women are rethinking their role as America's reliable political organizers ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump's victory has dismayed many politically engaged Black women, and they're reassessing their enthusiasm for politics and organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote, and they had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Kamala Harris. AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. Heavy rains in Bolivia send mud crashing into the capital, leaving 1 missing and destroying homes LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Authorities say that a landslide caused by heavy rains has flooded dozens of homes in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia. It swept away a young girl, spurred evacuations and left parts of the city without electricity. Torrential rain on Saturday caused a river to spill its banks Sunday, dislodging mud from a southwestern La Paz neighborhood where low-slung, shoddily built dwellings dot the hillside. The torrent of debris and soil surged down a narrow ravine early Sunday, wrecking some two dozen homes and flooding another 40. Hours after the rain subsided, rescuers were still searching for the missing 5-year-old girl. Emergency workers saved six residents suffering from hypothermia. 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator' make gravity-defying theater debuts NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Undefeated Oregon and No. 23 Texas A&M will collide Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas in the second game of the new Players Era Festival. Both teams are in the "Power" group of the eight-team event. All eight teams are receiving $1 million for their name, image and likeness (NIL) collectives, but placing fourth or higher in the tourney in order will net them anywhere from $1.1 million to $1.5 million. The Aggies (4-1) opened the season with a three-point loss at UCF, but since then have won four straight, all in convincing fashion. Texas A&M upset then-No. 21 Ohio State 78-64 on Nov. 15 at home in College Station, Texas. Then the Aggies crushed Southern 71-54 last Wednesday, when Wade Taylor IV led the way with 17 points and six assists. All of Texas A&M's wins have been by double digits. The Aggies and Ducks (5-0) have split the two previous meetings against each other. Until March 2022 in an NIT second-round game, they had not met since the 1970-71 season. Texas A&M tied the overall series with a 75-60 win at home in 2022. The only player on the Ducks' current roster who played in that game was 7-foot senior Nate Bittle, who has been one of Oregon's best players so far this season. Bittle's 16.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game lead the Ducks so far this season, and the big man also averages two blocked shots per game. Texas A&M guard Zhuric Phelps, a transfer from SMU, leads the Aggies in scoring at 16 points per game. Taylor adds 14 points per game. The Aggies could be the best defensive team the Ducks will have seen this season. A&M is allowing teams to shoot only 36.6 percent in games. Head coach Buzz Williams and his staff are hoping the team gets better at taking charges on defense, as the Aggies have just one so far this season. "I guess the thing that you work on most is verticality around the rim," Texas A&M assistant coach Steve Roccaforte told KBTX television. "‘Hey, once you get there, if you try and take a charge, it's going to be a block. Just jump as high as you can, stay vertical, try to go chest-to-chest. Make it a hard shot.'" Oregon is coming off a 78-75 win at Oregon State, the Ducks' first road game of the season. The Ducks trailed by 10 points at halftime but, as they have in several games this season, they found a rhythm on offense in the second half and came up with a comeback win. Bittle's 23 points and 14 rebounds led the way. Jackson Shelstad had 15 points and Jadrian Tracey and Keeshawn Barthelemy both added 10. "We started rebounding the ball a little better. Nate really got it going inside and our guys got him the ball," Oregon head coach Dana Altman told the school's athletics website. "He had a heck of a game." --Field Level MediaGenedx CFO Kevin Feeley sells $1.65M in stockIdle Management System Market Overview and Leading Players: Idle Smart, GRIP Idle Management, ZeroRPM, Thermex Systems, Upkeep, ProFrac, Havis, Kenworth

By The Associated Press Albany Great Danes (7-0) at Siena Saints (2-4) Loudonville, New York; Saturday, 2 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Albany visits Siena after Lilly Phillips scored 24 points in Albany’s 80-59 win over the Stonehill Skyhawks. The Saints are 1-1 on their home court. Siena is fifth in the MAAC in rebounding with 30.2 rebounds. Zyriah Price paces the Saints with 6.2 boards. The Great Danes are 3-0 on the road. Albany ranks fifth in the America East with 9.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Kayla Cooper averaging 3.0. Siena scores 58.2 points per game, 4.3 more points than the 53.9 Albany allows. Albany averages 7.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.7 more made shots on average than the 6.0 per game Siena allows. TOP PERFORMERS: Ahniysha Jackson is scoring 14.2 points per game with 2.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the Saints. Cooper is scoring 19.6 points per game and averaging 8.9 rebounds for the Great Danes. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings has admitted his recovery back from a long-term knee injury was “awful” and led to doubts as to whether he would ever return to play. Mings sustained a second career Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in August 2023, during Villa’s opening day season fixture away to Newcastle United . Recovery was arduous, with the England international also suffering cartilage damage. Advertisement The extent of the injury was severe as Mings suffered noticeable muscle atrophy in his right leg and, given it was his second ACL after the first was at Bournemouth and took 473 days to recover from, caused psychological challenges. This time, the 31-year-old was out of action for 445 days, only returning in October’s Carabao Cup defeat against Crystal Palace . Mings made his first Premier League start on Wednesday evening, in the 3-1 victory at Brentford, marking an impressive and extensive turnaround, especially during stages of recovery, which Mings expressed the difficulty of. “It was (the journey back) awful, absolutely awful,” said Mings, speaking in the mixed zone after the game against Brentford . “But I’ve done it before and I did it again. I was always wondering what was keeping me going, whether it was nights like tonight, family, or personal pride. It was a little bit of everything. When times get tough, you ask, what am I still doing this for? “The messages I had from them (supporters), was really heartwarming and played a big part. I thank the Villa fans for that because the roar when your name is called out and all of those things add up to my journey back. Tonight was a good feeling.” As The Athletic has detailed in a separate piece, Mings’ rehabilitation was broken down into stages, owing to the sheer length of tthe imescale. He flew to Philadelphia for three weeks and worked with an ACL specialist — someone he had spent time with during his previous injury at Bournemouth. Sources close to the situation, who, like others in this piece, spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, describe the facility as “top class”. “You have good days, bad days, good hours, bad hours,” added Mings. “But I am a big believer in visualisation. I played tonight over in my head many, many times before, so when you step back out there I feel very comfortable and like I have never been away because of the mental work I have done before. Advertisement “It also means I have seen way worse in the last 16, 17 months than bad days in football, which means I can contextualise it a little bit and means I am very calm after a loss or bad performance. “Like (there were) times when I genuinely did think I would not be able to recover from this knee injury, such was the severity of it and the complications with it. When I think of where I have been, bad days in football don’t seem too bad. “I did not conclusively think “this is it” but there were definitely days when I thought I have been banging my head against a brick wall for a few months and I have not seen any progress. When is something going to change? I never thought: ‘I am never going to play football again’. But there were certainly days when I thought, will I? If that makes sense.” Mings had three stints in the U.S., including at the start of the year, as well as a period in Qatar, continuing to work. Progress was not straightforward; there were periods when he felt ahead of schedule — Unai Emery’s long-standing prediction was that he would be available to train in September — running on the grass and gently increasing his workload. At other times, optimism would fracture after frustrating setbacks. “I think probably around April of this year (was the low point),” he said. “The journey was very stop-start, stop-start. Right up until October and November of last year, I was still having operations to get the knee right, so the rehab didn’t really start until that point. “There were a lot of setbacks so it was probably April I was thinking, I have pretty much exhausted all avenues of what I can do here. Honestly, the only thing you do in that situation is keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep going. That is why I say you have to draw on every part of internal and external motivation you have. There are different days and different things. “Sometimes when you are away from home, away from family – I had a lot of time in America – you think if the family think I can do this, then I sure as hell will keep turning up every day and doing the work.” GO DEEPER Inside Tyrone Mings' 445-day road to recovery (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Bondi is a longtime Trump ally and was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial when he was accused — but not convicted — of abusing his power as he tried to condition U.S. military assistance to Ukraine on that country investigating then-former Vice President Joe Biden. She has been a chair at the America First Policy Institute, a think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers. Bondi is from Tampa and spent more than 18 years as a prosecutor. She was Florida’s first female attorney general. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer. The announcement caps a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being tapped last week to lead it. The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial Trump nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth , who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support, said in a statement. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he added. Hours later, Gaetz posted on social media that he looks “forward to continuing the fight to save our country,” adding, “Just maybe from a different post.” Trump, in a social media post, said: “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” He did not immediately announce a new selection. Last week, he named personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible contender, Matt Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the U.S. ambassador to NATO. The withdrawal, just a week after the pick was announced, averts what was shaping up to be a pitched confirmation fight that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to support Trump’s Cabinet picks. The selection of the fierce Trump ally over well-regarded veteran lawyers whose names had circulated as possible contenders stirred concern for the Justice Department's independence at a time when Trump has openly threatened to seek retribution against political adversaries. It underscored the premium Trump places on personal loyalty and reflected the president-elect's desire to have a disruptor lead a Justice Department that for years investigated and ultimately indicted him. In the Senate, deeply skeptical lawmakers sought more information about Justice Department and congressional investigations into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls, which Gaetz has denied. Meanwhile, Justice Department lawyers were taken aback by the pick of a partisan lawmaker with limited legal experience who has echoed Trump's claims of a weaponized criminal justice system. As Gaetz sought to lock down Senate support, concern over the sex trafficking allegations showed no signs of abating. In recent days, an attorney for two women said his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman. One of the women testified she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017, according to the attorney, Joel Leppard. Leppard has said that his client testified she didn’t think Gaetz knew the girl was underage, stopped their relationship when he found out and did not resume it until after she turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18. "They’re grateful for the opportunity to move forward with their lives,” Leppard said Thursday of his clients. “They’re hoping that this brings final closure for all the parties involved.” Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Department’s investigation ended last year with no charges against him. Gaetz’s political future is uncertain. He had abruptly resigned his congressional seat upon being selected as attorney general, a move seen as a way to shut down the ethics investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He did win reelection in November for the new Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, 2025, but he said in his resignation letter last week to House Speaker Mike Johnson that he did not intend to take the oath of office. He transmitted a similar letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the state launched a special election process to fill the vacancy. Republicans on the House Ethics Committee declined this week to release the panel's findings, over objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee did agree to finish its work and is scheduled to meet again Dec. 5 to discuss the matter. As word of Gaetz's decision spread across the Capitol, Republican senators seemed divided. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served with Gaetz in the House, called it a “positive move." Maine Sen. Susan Collins said Gaetz “put country first and I am pleased with his decision.” Others said they had hoped Gaetz could have overhauled the department. Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a close ally of Trump, said he was “disappointed. I like Matt and I think he would have changed the way DOJ is run.” Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said he hoped that Trump will pick someone “equally as tenacious and equally as committed to rooting out and eliminating bias and politicization at the DOJ.” Gaetz is not the only Trump pick facing congressional scrutiny over past allegations. A detailed investigative police report made public Wednesday shows that a woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth, the former Fox News host now tapped to lead the Pentagon, after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave. “The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth told reporters Thursday at the Capitol, where he was meeting with senators to build support for his nomination. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report.

What antitrust enforcement will look like during a second Trump administration is, like antitrust law, complicated. Notions that Republicans are pro-business and therefore will take a laissez-faire approach to antitrust enforcement are outdated and simplistic. During Trump’s first term antitrust enforcement was far from moribund , blending traditional Republican preferences for deregulation with a populist skepticism toward Big Tech and market concentration generally. This anomalistic meeting of progressive Democrats and conservative Republicans in the antitrust space even garnered a mash-up moniker – the “ Khanservaties ” – a group of conservative Republicans including Missouri Senator Josh Hawley and erstwhile Attorney General nominee and former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, who praised Biden-appointed Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan. Vice President-elect J. D. Vance also provided backhanded praise for Khan, stating , “I look at Lina Khan as one of the few people in the Biden administration that I think is doing a pretty good job.” Ironically, while for distinct reasons and from opposite sides of the political spectrum, leaders in both political parties have favored a pro-worker, anti-tech antitrust agenda that has permeated antitrust enforcement for the last 8 years. Antitrust “techlash,” at least against disfavored tech companies, and a focus on workers will likely continue during Trump’s second term. We predict antitrust enforcement during the second Trump administration will be unpredictable, and probably idiosyncratic, likely reflecting president-elect Trump’s views of specific companies or industries. That said, we expect criminal antitrust enforcement priorities will remain much the same, while FTC likely will take a less aggressive stances regarding the use of competition rulemaking and the exercise of enforcement powers under Section 5 of the FTC Act (e.g., the non-compete rule), as well as mothballing Robinson-Patman Act enforcement. Merger review is harder to predict and will be a mixed bag, as described below. Antitrust Agency Leadership & Staff – Some Stay and Some Will Go On December 4, 2024, President-Elect Trump announced that Gail Slater would be nominated to be the Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for Antitrust at the Department of Justice (DOJ), stating “Big Tech has run wild for years, stifling competition in our most innovative sector and, as we all know, using its market power to crack down on the rights of so many Americans, as well as those of Little Tech! I was proud to fight these abuses in my First Term, and our Department of Justice’s antitrust team will continue that work under Gail’s leadership.” Slater has been an economic advisor to then-Senator J.D. Vance, an attorney advisor and staff attorney at the Federal Trade Commission and held roles at an Internet Trade Association and Fox. Her focus has been on tech policy. Plans for the FTC have not been announced. If FTC Chair Khan resigns, as is typical when there is a presidential party change, one of the two Republican Commissioners is expected to be named acting FTC Chair. This will leave two Republican Commissioners and two Democratic Commissioners until a replacement is confirmed, likely creating an impasse for any non-bipartisan decisions and slowing Commission decision-making. Although top political positions at both the FTC and DOJ change when the political party that holds the White House changes, each agency is comprised primarily of career staff. While there is much buzz about career staff worry and departures , it is also notable that during the Biden administration the DOJ Antitrust Division did a lot of hiring , and those attorneys will continue to do work through political transition. Antitrust Agency Resources – Can they Dodge the DOGE? The newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) executive advisory committee to be co-chaired by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy and focused on government efficiency will likely have its sights set on antitrust enforcement agencies. The One Agency Act , makes the FTC low-lying fruit for the DOGE. The Act, which passed out of the House Judiciary Committee in April 2024, would consolidate antitrust enforcement authority by transferring all FTC antitrust functions, employees, assets, and funding to the DOJ. The FTC would maintain its consumer protection authority. Similar legislation proposed to end the overlap in FTC and DOJ merger review and civil investigation authority has been previously unsuccessful, but the Act’s prospects for passage seem higher now given the Republican majorities in both houses of Congress. The FTC and DOJ’s informal clearance process for civil antitrust matters has been derided for inefficiency and would seem an easy focus for the DOGE’s prioritization of government efficiency. While personnel and open matters could move from FTC to DOJ this consolidation would be substantively significant if accomplished. For instance, the FTC has expanded its investigations of unfair methods of competition under Section 5 of the FTC Act, which it claims provides for broader enforcement of than the Sherman Act, and that vehicle would likely cease to exist if the antitrust enforcement is consolidated within DOJ. Possible antitrust enforcement consolidation within DOJ makes President-elect Trump’s pick of Gail Slater to lead the DOJ Antitrust Division even more significant. Criminal Enforcement – Likely to Stay the Same Cartels have been called the “the Supreme evil of antitrust” by the Supreme Court and criminally prosecuting agreements among competitors to fix prices, rig bids, or allocate markets or employees are likely to remain a high priority for the DOJ’s Antitrust Division during Trump’s second term. Notably, the Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) for Criminal Enforcement at the DOJ’s Antitrust Division is not a political appointee and the current criminal leadership typically stays intact through administration changes, providing continuity for the Antitrust Division’s criminal program. In addition, the DOJ’s Antitrust Division has the sole authority to criminally prosecute antitrust offenses under the Sherman Act, the One Agency act would not impact continuity in criminal prosecution. While Biden administration antitrust enforcement was touted as aggressive, DOJ’s own criminal enforcement statistics show that during the first Trump administration the number of criminal antitrust cases filed and the amount of total criminal fines and penalties were slightly higher than during the Biden Administration. With past as prologue, we do not anticipate a dip in criminal antitrust enforcement during the second Trump administration, although administration priorities may change. One area we expect to remain an antitrust priority during the next administration is criminally prosecuting collusion relating to government contracts, procurement, and funding. The Antitrust Division-led Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) has been highly active prosecuting price fixing, bid rigging, market allocation and related fraud relating to government procurement and funds during the Biden Administration, but it was actually launched in 2019 during the first Trump Administration. The prosecution of collusion where government taxpayer dollars are lost typically garners bipartisan support and is notably consistent with desire for government efficiency espoused as part of Trump’s 2024 campaign platform. Accordingly, we expect the DOJ to continue to continue to support the PCSF’s focus on prosecuting fraud, waste, and collusion in government procurement during the second Trump Administration. We also expect criminal enforcement of labor-focused cases including criminal investigation and prosecution of no poach and wage fixing cases to continue in the second Trump administration, as it remained an antitrust focus from 2016-2020 and the original criminal cases in this area were brought during Trump’s first term. One area of uncertainty in the criminal antitrust space is whether the Antitrust Division will continue its focus on criminal monopolization cases. In 2022, the Antitrust Division announced that it intended to criminally investigate and prosecute individuals or companies who violate Section 2 of the Sherman Act and proceeded to bring its first criminal monopolization cases. This was a marked change after decades of criminal antitrust enforcement focusing solely on hardcore, per se anticompetitive agreements like price fixing, bid rigging or market allocation among two or more horizontal competitors under Section 1 of the Sherman Act. Section 2 of the Sherman Act traditionally focuses on alleged unilateral anticompetitive practices by one company used to maintain or obtain its monopoly, and these alleged violations are typically brought as civil monopolization cases (e.g. tech cases). These cases are likely to be resource intensive given the need to prove an intent to monopolize to a beyond a reasonable doubt standard and may be deprioritized by the new administration. Overall, we expect criminal antitrust enforcement to remain much the same as it has been for the last eight years. Merger Review: All I Need is a Remedy The Biden administration’s DOJ and FTC effectuated three significant merger review policy changes, and it is possible that all three may be reversed in the Trump Administration. First, the Agencies revised substantially the Merger Guidelines, which is the substantive framework they use to evaluate whether they consider a proposed transaction to substantially lessen competition under Section 7 of the Clayton Act. Given those new Guidelines have been in place for only a year and the subject of considerable controversy (perhaps most notably taking the position that a firm with 30% market share should be considered “dominant” under existing antitrust law), it is possible, and perhaps even likely, they will be withdrawn, and the agencies will go back to operating under the 2010 Horizontal Merger Guidelines. Second, the agencies finalized new Hart-Scott-Rodino Act rules , which will be effective February 10 th , 2025. The new rules expand the types of information merging parties must provide and have been the subject of some criticism in the market. They were issued on a bi-partisan basis (a unanimous vote at the FTC), however, and we do not expect the new administration to withdraw or revise them, Third, during the Biden administration, FTC and DOJ have shown severe skepticism toward remedies (i.e., settlements) in mergers, with only a handful of remedies accepted by the agencies. Prior to the Biden administration, structural remedies, whereby the merging parties divest a product or line of business to a third party to resolve the agency’s competitive concerns, were common, with both agencies issuing specific merger remedies guidance. We expect the agencies to return to this practice in a Trump Administration. Aside from policy, the merger enforcement records of the previous few administrations is fairly consistent, but also difficult to gauge as we discussed in a previous post . In addition to the tech industry, transactions in the healthcare industry have consistently been subject to scrutiny across administrations. That said, we do think that one industry – private equity – will not be the target it has been under the Biden administration . Robust Civil Antitrust Enforcement, Techlash, and Focus on AI – Likely to Continue Big Tech has faced heightened antitrust scrutiny, and we expect tech and AI are likely to remain under the antitrust microscope during Trump’s second term. Trump and Congressional Republicans have railed against Big Tech consolidation and tech monopolies as a threat to free speech excluding conservative voices. Concerns of a different focus, but concerns with the same tech targets, nonetheless. While Trump also has high-powered backers in tech, including Elon Musk, we can expect antitrust “techlash” to continue during the next Trump Administration, at least against tech companies who have fallen out of Trump’s favor. Trump’s nomination of Gail Slater as AAG for Antitrust at the DOJ and his statements about big tech running wild and stifling competition when announcing her nomination further underscore this resolve. AI and the use of antitrust law as a means to reign in those who wield its power is a hot area of focus without much clarity on how the next administration will proceed. One thing that is clear is that President-elect Trump intends to end the Biden AI Executive. As stated in the 2024 GOP Platform , “We will repeal Joe Biden’s dangerous Executive Order that hinders AI Innovation, and imposes Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology. In its place, Republicans support AI Development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.” Trump repeated this numerous times on the campaign trail. What, if anything, the Trump administration will do in the AI space remains to be seen. So, we are likely to see an overall tension between a desire for deregulation and a desire to protect from perceived AI risks, and we will be watching closely how the next administration tackles those issues and the use of antitrust laws for this purpose. Conclusion While we expect some easing of antitrust pressures for merging parties, we also expect robust but likely unpredictable and possibly selective antitrust enforcement over the next four years that attempts to balance a desire for deregulation with a dash of Khan-era populist beliefs and continued disdain for Big Tech. State enforcers and private litigants are not beholden to the President, and it is expected they will both step up enforcement and litigation and play a prominent role in antitrust over the next four years. So, buckle up, and have your antitrust counsel on speed dial while we navigate the antitrust road ahead.

By Tom Westerholm Jaylen Brown and the Celtics survived a tough afternoon challenge from the Timberwolves on Sunday, claiming a 107-105 victory that came down to the final possession. Here are the takeaways. Jaylen Brown started incredibly hot. Jaylen Brown hit his first 3-point attempt of the game on the Celtics’ second possession of the game. On the next possession, Brown hit his second 3-point attempt of the game. On the next possession, Brown hit his third. Precisely a minute later, he hit his fourth. After picking off a steal, Brown mixed Rudy Gobert up with his handle and buried his fifth. Just three-and-a-half minutes into the game, Brown already had 15 points. Jaylen Brown with FIVE straight 3s to start the game pic.twitter.com/jPhK6DXWQV Brown finally attempted a heat check that was a little too difficult which missed, and he held up a hand to apologize, although there couldn’t have been too many people in the arena upset with his decision-making at that point. Brown cooled off a bit after that, finishing with 29 points on 10-for-18 shooting. He had a couple of nice drives, a couple of nice post-ups, and a decent evening on the defensive end. He also hit maybe the biggest shot of the game with 1:15 remaining – a transition 3-pointer that pushed a tenuous two-point lead to five. Jaylen Brown steps into his 7th three of the game! Celtics lead by 5 with 1:15 remaining! MIN-BOS | NBA League Pass 📲: https://t.co/ovv3alftmh pic.twitter.com/0BfNzQ5aKa But for the first 3.5 minutes, Brown put together one of the hottest stretches we’ve seen from a Celtics player so far this season. Sometimes a star just catches a heater, and we all get to watch. The Celtics survived a chaotic final possession. The Celtics were the better team for lengthy stretches and built a lead as high as 19, but the Timberwolves ground their way back into the game multiple times and created a very solid opportunity for themselves on the final possession – Anthony Edwards drove into the paint and kicked out to Jaden McDaniels in the corner. McDaniels was open because Jrue Holiday was playing free safety on the set, and Jayson Tatum rotated over to defend McDaniels, who swung it to Naz Reid for what would have been the game-winner. McDaniels’ pass was a little low, and Reid had to collect and hoist a tough shot with Jrue Holiday flying out at him. He missed wide left off the rim. The Celtics defended the possession very well – Brown forced Edwards far enough under the rim that the Timberwolves star would have had a tough time sneaking in for a layup, Tatum read the play beautifully, and Holiday’s ability to see the entire play developing remains unmatched. Still, credit to the Timberwolves who are now just .500 but in the early going be remain one of the NBA’s tougher teams for the Celtics to deal with and are due for a run once they find themselves. Something new from Derrick White? Early in the fourth quarter, White finished off one of the nastier moves we’ve seen from him recently. Driving as fast as he could down the floor, White pulled a move out of Edwards’ bag – hitting the brakes hard and slowing down to allow two defenders to fly by as he stopped and dropped in a little jumper. White finished with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting to go with nine rebounds, five assists, a steal and a pair of blocks. He scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and was a team-high +8. The Celtics picked on Rob Dillingham. The Timberwolves have a massive defensive advantage with Rudy Gobert in the paint, and the Celtics were cognizant of him whenever he was on the floor. But Minnesota also has the type of guard the Celtics love to exploit in Rob Dillingham – a very talented but physically challenged rookie who is listed at 175 pounds. Dillingham came alive in the second half and finished with 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting, but the Celtics’ job offensively was much simpler whenever he was on the floor. The Timberwolves are an interesting Western Conference opponent given their combination of size, talent and defensive prowess at the wing – both Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are well above average defending on the perimeter with size and length. Dillingham’s presence, however, might simplify things a little too much for the Celtics for the Wolves to play him significant minutes the next time the two teams meet. More solid minutes for Xavier Tillman. One game after being dusted off against the Wizards, Tillman once again played a more extensive role on Sunday. He played 14 minutes and scored three points with four rebounds, but he was solid on the defensive end and once again looked like he might merit more playing time as the season progresses. A back-to-back and a break. The Celtics return to action on Monday evening when they take on the Clippers at 7:30 p.m. They will have two days off before traveling to Chicago to take on the Bulls on Friday in their final game of NBA Cup group stage play. We will have more takeaways later this evening. Sign up for Celtics updates🏀 Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during basketball season. Be civil. Be kind.Kendrick Lamar Aiming For Biggest Hip-Hop Album Streaming Debut Of 2024 Since Drake

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By MEAD GRUVER and AMY BETH HANSON, Associated Press A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 – making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge’s order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year. Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana.