what number hits the most in roulette Seeking to open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Eredivisie standings, high-flying PSV Eindhoven play host to Groningen at the Philips Stadion on Saturday. Having failed to win any of their last nine visits to the Philips Stadion, the Trots van het Noorden will head into the weekend looking to get one over the hosts and secure consecutive league victories for the first time since August. © Imago PSV Eindhoven returned to winning ways in style just before the international break as they edged out NAC Breda 3-0 when the two teams squared off at the Rat Verlegh Stadion on November 9. Having thrashed Spanish outfit Girona 4-0 in the Champions League just four days earlier, Ricardo Pepi , Ismael Saibari and Johan Bakayoko all found the back of the net to fire PSV to another resounding victory. Prior to that, Peter Bosz's men saw their run of 11 back-to-back victories in the Eredivisie come to an end on November 2, when they suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat against Ajax at the Johan Cruijff Arena. With a third of the season played, PSV are well on course to defend the Eredivisie title as they have picked up 33 points from a possible 36 to sit top of the standings with a five-point cushion over second-placed Utrecht. After two consecutive league matches on the road, the Rood-witten now return home, where they have won each of their last 10 league games, scoring 37 goals and keeping five clean sheets since a 2-2 draw against Feyenoord on Match 3. © Imago Groningen, on the other hand, were one of the few Eredivisie sides in action during the break as they played out a 1-1 draw with German outfit Koln last Thursday, when Mark Uth and Thijs Oosting scored for either side to force a share of the spoils. The Trots van het Noorden now return to action in the Eredivisie, where they will be looking to secure back-to-back wins for the first time since August after picking up a 1-0 victory over Sparta Rotterdam on November 9 Twenty-two-year-old Romano Postema grabbed the headlines for Groningen as he netted the only goal of the game one minute after the half-hour mark at the Euroborg Stadion to snap their six-game losing streak in the league. Dick Lukkien 's men have won just three of their 12 league matches so far while losing six and claiming three draws to collect 12 points and sit 13th in the standings, level on points with PEC Zwolle and Heracles. Next up for Groningen is the daunting challenge of taking on an opposing side who are unbeaten in 18 of the last 20 meetings between the two teams, claiming 13 wins and five draws since December 2008. PSV Eindhoven remain without several players down the spine of the team as Hirving Lozano (muscle) and Fode Fofana (knee) and Adamo Nagalo all continue their spells on the sidelines. Jerdy Schouten has missed the last five matches since coming off with a thigh problem against AZ Alkmaar in October while former Barcelona man Sergino Dest continues his long road to full fitness after picking up a knee injury back in April. Pepi netted two goals across two matches for the United States during the international break and the 21-year-old, who has three goals and six assists in 11 Eredivisie appearances will be one to keep an eye on this weekend. Groningen, meanwhile, will have to cope without experienced defender Marvin Peersman , who is currently suspended after crossing the yellow card threshold with his booking against Sparta Rotterdam on November 9. In his absence, AZ Alkmaar loanee Finn Stam should come into the fold, forming the back four with Leandro Bacuna , Marco Rente and 20-year-old Wouter Prins , while Postema and Thom van Bergen should team up in attack. On the injury front, Lukkien will be unable to name 21-year-old midfielder Tika de Jonge , who has missed each of the last two matches since picking up an injury against NEC Nijmegen on November 3. Team News text here PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup: Benitez; Karsdorp, Boscagli, Flamingo, Dams; Tillman, Junior, Saibari; Bakayoko, Pepi, Lang Groningen possible starting lineup: Vaessen; Bacuna, Rente, Stam, Prins; Schreuders, Resink, Hove, Valente; Van Bergen, Postema While Groningen will look to continue right from where they dropped off against Sparta Rotterdam before the international break, they are in for a tough 90 minutes against PSV Eindhoven side who have flown out of the blacks in their title defense. Bosz's men head into the weekend on a blistering run of results at the Philips Stadion and we are backing them to extend their dominance over the visitors with another comfortable victory. For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here .

Stocks Poised to Extend Gains - Barron'sList of compromised VCE exams revealedRep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) introduced a resolution that condemns the “death threats” that Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has received over a bill that seeks to protect women’s rights by barring biological men from using women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol. In a press release , Luna described the “threats of violence and death” made against Mace as “awful and completely unacceptable.” Luna noted that making threats has “become standard practice” for people on the other side of the aisle. Art of the Deal! Trump Threatens Mexico and Canada with Tariffs; Guest John Carney “The escalating threats of violence and death against Congresswoman Nancy Mace on social media and to her office are awful and completely unacceptable,” Luna said in a statement. “This has become standard practice among those on the other side towards those they disagree with.” In Luna’s resolution, there were several examples of death threats that had been made against Mace after she introduced her bill to protect women’s privacy by barring biological men who identify as transgender from using the women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol building. Mace’s bill came after Delaware Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D) became the first transgender candidate to be elected to serve in Congress and is set to join the House of Representatives in January. Whereas, after introduction of this resolution, Representative Nancy Mace has received multipe death threats; Whereas one of the death threats came from a video posted on social media with the statement “This video goes out to Congresswoman Nancy Mace. Congresswoman Nancy Mace, I hope that one day I do find you in that woman’s bathroom and I grab your ratty looking f-ing hair and drag your face down to the floor while I repeatedly bash it in until the blood’s everywhere and you’re dead.”; Whereas another death threat came from a phone call with a blocked number where it was stated that “We’re killing her. She’ll die today.”; Whereas another death threat came from a post on social media with the statement “Prepare to die @repnancymace.”; Whereas another death threat came from a phone call where it was stated “Nancy Mace doesn’t deserve to be alive.”; Luna’s resolution ended with the House of Representatives being called to strongly condemn the death threats made against Mace, and Luna condemning “all threats of violence.” “Elected officials must be able to represent the values and policies their constituents sent them here to uphold-free from intimidation or fear for their livelihood,” Luna added in her statement. “Congress must stand united in unequivocally condemning all threats of violence against our colleagues.” Mace previously issued a statement revealing that she was receiving threats on social media where men were “threatening to bash” her head in and added that “one of these anonymous harassers went to so far as to imagine” attacking her in a restroom. After Mace introduced her bill, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced that he would be blocking biological men from using the women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol. “All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings — such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms — are reserved for individuals of that biological sex,” Johnson said. “It is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol.”

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Across the recent three months, 17 analysts have shared their insights on Shift4 Payments FOUR , expressing a variety of opinions spanning from bullish to bearish. The table below provides a concise overview of recent ratings by analysts, offering insights into the changing sentiments over the past 30 days and drawing comparisons with the preceding months for a holistic perspective. Bullish Somewhat Bullish Indifferent Somewhat Bearish Bearish Total Ratings 8 9 0 0 0 Last 30D 1 0 0 0 0 1M Ago 3 4 0 0 0 2M Ago 3 3 0 0 0 3M Ago 1 2 0 0 0 Analysts provide deeper insights through their assessments of 12-month price targets, revealing an average target of $112.88, a high estimate of $150.00, and a low estimate of $95.00. Observing a 14.1% increase, the current average has risen from the previous average price target of $98.93. Decoding Analyst Ratings: A Detailed Look The analysis of recent analyst actions sheds light on the perception of Shift4 Payments by financial experts. The following summary presents key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets. Analyst Analyst Firm Action Taken Rating Current Price Target Prior Price Target Hal Goetsch B. Riley Securities Raises Buy $150.00 $110.00 Peter Heckmann DA Davidson Raises Buy $126.00 $118.00 Will Nance Goldman Sachs Raises Buy $119.00 $106.00 Andrew Bauch Wells Fargo Raises Overweight $110.00 $100.00 Hal Goetsch B. Riley Securities Raises Buy $110.00 $104.00 James Friedman Susquehanna Raises Positive $120.00 $105.00 Clarke Jeffries Piper Sandler Raises Overweight $120.00 $93.00 James Friedman Susquehanna Raises Positive $105.00 $97.00 Peter Heckmann DA Davidson Raises Buy $118.00 $104.00 Charles Nabhan Stephens & Co. Raises Overweight $110.00 $90.00 Will Nance Goldman Sachs Raises Buy $106.00 $96.00 Hal Goetsch BTIG Raises Buy $105.00 $90.00 John Coffey Barclays Announces Overweight $120.00 - Rayna Kumar Oppenheimer Announces Outperform $109.00 - Andrew Bauch Wells Fargo Raises Overweight $95.00 $75.00 James Friedman Susquehanna Maintains Positive $97.00 $97.00 Mark Palmer Benchmark Maintains Buy $99.00 $99.00 Key Insights: Action Taken: Analysts adapt their recommendations to changing market conditions and company performance. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise' or 'Lower' their stance, it reflects their response to recent developments related to Shift4 Payments. This information provides a snapshot of how analysts perceive the current state of the company. Rating: Offering a comprehensive view, analysts assess stocks qualitatively, spanning from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings convey expectations for the relative performance of Shift4 Payments compared to the broader market. Price Targets: Analysts set price targets as an estimate of a stock's future value. Comparing the current and prior price targets provides insight into how analysts' expectations have changed over time. This information can be valuable for investors seeking to understand consensus views on the stock's potential future performance. To gain a panoramic view of Shift4 Payments's market performance, explore these analyst evaluations alongside essential financial indicators. Stay informed and make judicious decisions using our Ratings Table. Stay up to date on Shift4 Payments analyst ratings. Discovering Shift4 Payments: A Closer Look Shift4 Payments Inc is provider of integrated payment processing and technology solutions. The company offers software providers a single integration to an end-to-end payments offering, a powerful gateway and a robust suite of technology solutions (including cloud enablement, business intelligence, analytics, and mobile) to enhance the value of their software suites and simplify payment acceptance. The company derives maximum revenue from United States. Shift4 Payments's Economic Impact: An Analysis Market Capitalization Analysis: The company exhibits a lower market capitalization profile, positioning itself below industry averages. This suggests a smaller scale relative to peers. Revenue Growth: Over the 3 months period, Shift4 Payments showcased positive performance, achieving a revenue growth rate of 34.62% as of 30 September, 2024. This reflects a substantial increase in the company's top-line earnings. When compared to others in the Financials sector, the company excelled with a growth rate higher than the average among peers. Net Margin: The company's net margin is below industry benchmarks, signaling potential difficulties in achieving strong profitability. With a net margin of 5.92%, the company may need to address challenges in effective cost control. Return on Equity (ROE): The company's ROE is below industry benchmarks, signaling potential difficulties in efficiently using equity capital. With an ROE of 7.11%, the company may need to address challenges in generating satisfactory returns for shareholders. Return on Assets (ROA): Shift4 Payments's ROA lags behind industry averages, suggesting challenges in maximizing returns from its assets. With an ROA of 1.26%, the company may face hurdles in achieving optimal financial performance. Debt Management: Shift4 Payments's debt-to-equity ratio stands notably higher than the industry average, reaching 3.54 . This indicates a heavier reliance on borrowed funds, raising concerns about financial leverage. What Are Analyst Ratings? Analyst ratings serve as essential indicators of stock performance, provided by experts in banking and financial systems. These specialists diligently analyze company financial statements, participate in conference calls, and engage with insiders to generate quarterly ratings for individual stocks. Beyond their standard evaluations, some analysts contribute predictions for metrics like growth estimates, earnings, and revenue, furnishing investors with additional guidance. Users of analyst ratings should be mindful that this specialized advice is shaped by human perspectives and may be subject to variability. Breaking: Wall Street's Next Big Mover Benzinga's #1 analyst just identified a stock poised for explosive growth. This under-the-radar company could surge 200%+ as major market shifts unfold. Click here for urgent details . This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. 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MONTREAL — Montreal Canadiens defenceman Mike Matheson was not available for Tuesday's game against the Utah Hockey Club due to a lower-body injury. The Canadiens announced his injury half an hour before puck drop. Jayden Struble took his place in the lineup as Montreal (7-11-2) faced Utah (8-10-3) for the first time. Matheson participated in the morning skate but missed practice on Monday. The 30-year-old from nearby Pointe-Claire, Que., leads all Montreal blueliners with 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) in 20 games as the lone defenceman on the team's top power-play unit. Struble has one goal and three assists in 15 games this season. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024. The Canadian Press10 hot-ticket gifts we predict will sell out on Black Friday 2024

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Taylor added 10 rebounds for the Falcons (2-4). Wesley Celichowski scored 14 points, going 6 of 11 and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Luke Kearney had 12 points and shot 4 for 5 from beyond the arc. The Lakers (4-3) were led by Aidan Reichert, who posted 11 points. Jeff Planutis added 10 points for Mercyhurst. Mykolas Ivanauskas also had seven points, six rebounds and three blocks. Air Force took the lead with 15:21 left in the first half and never looked back. The score was 31-24 at halftime, with Taylor racking up nine points. Air Force extended its lead to 45-26 during the second half, fueled by a 14-0 scoring run. Taylor scored a team-high 12 points in the second half as Air Force closed out the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Arsenal made light work of Sporting CP as they left Lisbon with all three points to kick-start their Champions League campaign. Three goals before half-time did the damage, the first time they had scored three away goals in a European tie since Mikel Arteta's first season in charge. Goncalo Inacio threatened to make a game of it moments after the restart, but a Bukayo Saka penalty restored the three-goal advantage before Leandro Trossard scored the visitors' fifth. It was Arsenal's first away win in the Champions League in more than a year, with the last one comping against Sevilla in October 2023. It also helped them lay to rest the ghosts of their Europa League elimination against Sporting a few months before that. Both sides are now on 10 points from five European games, with automatic qualification for the round of 16 still a possibility. With two of the last three games on home soil, Arteta's men will fancy their chances. It took less than seven minutes for Arsenal to get themselves in front. Some quick passing down the Gunners right created space for Jurrien Timber, and his low cross found Gabriel Martinelli free at the back post to tap home. One became two just after the 20 minute mark, with more success down the right. This time it was Bukayo Saka who beat the offside trap and Kai Havertz who rolled the ball home from point-blank range. Gabriel headed home a Declan Rice corner seconds before the break, leaving Sporting with a mountain to climb. Inacio gave them hope, but it was quickly extinguished when Ousmane Diomande went through the back of Martin Odegaard and Saka made no mistake from the spot. Was this Arsenal's best performance of the season? Have your say in the comments section It was an important win for the visitors after they took just one point from their first two away European games, and Trossard made it absolutely safe as he tucked home the rebound after Mikel Merino's effort was parried. Here are Mirror Football 's talking points from the statement victory. 1. Arsenal succeed where City failed While Manchester City were punished for missed chances at the Alvalade earlier in the month, Arsenal made no such mistake. Not only that, but they took advantage through the kind of goal which Pep Guardiola's side have made their bread and butter in recent years. An overload down the wing, followed by a cutback which leaves an free forward with a simple finish. Not once but twice, and Sporting had no answer. It almost happened for a third time before the break, with Kai Havertz inches from collecting a ball between the lines from Martin Odegaard. In the end, though, they went for a goal more typical of their own style - a header from a Rice corner. 2. Martinelli's redemption When Arsenal and Sporting met in the 2022-23 Europa League , Gabriel Martinelli ended up as the villain of the piece. His penalty was saved by Antonio Adan in a shoot-out defeat in North London, sending the Portuguese side through at the expense of Mikel Arteta's men. If that was playing on his mind at the start, that soon changed. He won't have too many easier finishes this season, but he still needed to be in the right place to meet Timber's low cross. The Brazilian hasn't been an automatic pick this season, with his goal tally below his previously high standards. This goal was vintage Martinelli, though, and he'll hope it can spur him on to more. 3. Arteta's rotation rewarded Some eyebrows were raised when Arsenal fans looked at Mikel Arteta's weekend selection. Those players had more than enough to beat Nottingham Forest , though, and it allowed others to enjoy a bit of a rest. Martinelli was another of those given a rest over the weekend, and he made it count. It looked like a fresh team all round, too, with Arteta perhaps recognising the importance of a fast start. The flurry of goals also allowed Arteta to give some of his players an early rest, with Odegaard and Rice in particular likely to benefit from being kept fresh. Next for Arsenal is a trip to West Ham , who might have hoped to be facing a more tired opponent. 4. 100 up for Saliba William Saliba has felt like part of the furniture at Arsenal for so long, it's hard to remember a time when he wasn't a fixture in the side. It might seem strange, but he only made his first senior appearance less than two-and-a-half years ago and has now brought up 100 first-team outings. More than three quarters of those have come in the league, including all 38 last season. This was his 19th outing in Europe, and his first against Sporting since suffering the injury which curtailed his 2022-23 season. He put that memory behind him, marshalling the potentially dangerous Viktor Gyokeres. The victory was Saliba's 65th in 100 Arsenal outings, making him only the sixth player in the team's history to win as many during that first century of games. 5. Gunners goal-shy no more Going into Tuesday's game, Arsenal had failed to score in any of their last four away games in the Champions League . It almost cost them against Porto in last season's round of 16, and then did cost them against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals as Thomas Tuchel's team followed a 2-2 first-leg draw with a 1-0 win in Bavaria. While the goalless draw against Atalanta this term wasn't the most inspiring display, the Gunners looked good value for a goal at the San Siro as they lost 1-0 to Inter. In short, many sensed that barren run wasn't likely to go on for too long. You have to go all the way back to 2008 for the last time Arsenal scored five in a European away day. They'd certainly have taken that before kick-off. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

1 2 Nagpur: The world-class Samvidhan Park , under construction at Nagpur University 's Babasaheb Ambedkar College of Law on Amravati Road, remains incomplete even after eight years. Not only is the Rs10 crore project in limbo, but the completed portion is also in a sorry state of affairs. The completed replicas of the Supreme Court and Parliament, along with a 7.5 ft statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar, an amphitheatre, and murals, are gathering dust. The statue has been wrapped to protect it from the elements, but the surrounding area has become filthy due to improper maintenance. The final work on an aesthetic gate and compound wall has been dragging on for the last year. The country's first Samvidhan Park, or Constitution Preamble Park , was planned on the 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar in 2016, and bhoomipuja was performed by then guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on the occasion of Constitution Day in 2019. Although no deadline was set to complete the project, it was assumed that the park would be open to the public while commemorating Babasaheb's next birth anniversary or on Constitution Day, whichever was earlier. Due to a lack of funds, permissions, and coordination between multiple govt agencies and NU officials, the project was delayed. The social welfare department funded around Rs2 crore, while social worker Girish Gandhi, former Mayor Anil Sole, and former MP Ajay Sancheti, Prakash Gajibhiye contributed Rs5 lakh each for the project. NU was also expected to contribute Rs2 crore. Girish Gandhi, President of the Samvidhan Prastavika Park Samiti, admitted that despite their best efforts, the project remains incomplete. "We regret the delay. We had hoped it would be ready before Ambedkar Jayanti in April, but it couldn't happen. Right now, there are a couple of necessary permissions which have stalled the work," he said. Former Registrar Puran Meshram, who is also a samiti member, said the plan was to inaugurate it this Constitution Day on Tuesday. "It is a unique project in the country. If the gate work had not been obstructed by the previous VC, the project would be complete today," he said. Prashant Bokhare, acting VC of NU, said Rs2 crore was already paid to PWD for the construction after he assumed charge. "A meeting would be convened with PWD to find the cause of the delay on December 4, and a deadline would also be fixed," he said.Gemini Daily Horoscope Today, December 28, 2024 advices avoiding office romance

ISLAMABAD: The Kyrgyzstan government has announced a series of incentives aimed at supporting foreign medical graduates including Pakistanis who have successfully completed their medical education in the country. The Pakistani Ambassador in Bishkek, Hassan Ali Zaigham, told Business Recorder via phone that Kyrgyz government is looking forward to work with Pakistan in diverse fields with particular emphasis on education. The Kyrgyz government has allowed foreign medical graduates, particularly those from Pakistan, to undertake house jobs upon completing their medical education. Furthermore, graduates are offered the facility to secure jobs and practice medicine in Kyrgyzstan after obtaining a medical license. The Pakistan ambassador said Pakistan graduates would also be able to avail opportunity to seek medical job in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries if they were issued license for practice by the Kyrgyz medical regulatory body. The CIS was created in December 1991 by 11 countries from the ex-USSR: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldavia, Uzbekistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine. Georgia joined it in December 1993. He said over 5,000 Pakistani students have returned and rejoined their medical studies in Kyrgyzstan. It is worth noting that thousands of Pakistani students fled Kyrgyzstan amid attacks on universities, hostels in May. Pakistan students had to return to Pakistan following Kyrgyzstan mob attacks on foreign students, including Pakistanis and Indians, in various Bishkek universities and hostels on May 17. Kyrgyzstan’s Interior Ministry had said the day after the attack that the violence was triggered by the appearance of a social media video. Pakistan has launched special flights to repatriate its citizens. Over 11,000 Pakistani students were studying in various Kyrgyzstan universities, Hassan Ali Zaigham said, adding more than 3,000 have completed their education and returned to Pakistan. The ambassador said Kyrgyz PM visited Pakistan recently at SCO. He said the country is looking forward to work with Pakistan in different sectors and enhance trade and investment ties. Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) finally issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare” and “the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.” The accusations are doubtless shocking, yet perhaps not as shocking as the fact that the reactions of world leaders to them can still diverge after more than a year of genocide in Gaza. Some remain firmly committed to following a pragmatic path, as when a spokesperson for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his difficulty in imagining how “arrests could be carried out in Germany on this basis” – the difficulty was due, as usual, to that very grim chapter in “German history.” One wonders if history can indeed reduce international agreements to mere words, however. For if their enforcement is simply a matter of how history has tarnished a nation – as Günter Grass described in his infamous poem, by “a stain that can never be removed” in Germany’s case – then they cannot be binding in any meaningful way. As Thomas Hobbes put it in his grand dictum, “Agreements without swords are but words.” Of course, it ought to be equally clear that swords can also destroy agreements, along with those who dare to uphold them, as we witness today. In fact, the chief prosecutor of the ICC, Karim Khan, had told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an interview a few months ago that he was threatened by “some elected leaders” not to issue the warrants in question. One senior leader reminded him of the original purpose of the court, i.e., that it was “built for Africa and for thugs like Putin.” Crucially, it was certainly not built to hold accountable the leaders of the empire and its allies, for they had mightier swords that no agreement could stand against. The divergent reactions to the ICC’s decision illustrate, according to EU top diplomat Josep Borrell, that “we are at a critical juncture.” As critical as the juncture may be, however, the empire seems to harbor no intention of supporting the autonomy of the ICC and its decisions, despite Borrell insisting that the decisions are “legally binding” and that “there is no pick and choose.” Perhaps half-heartedly, but definitely with a hint of frustration, the EU’s foreign policy chief declared in a tweet in defense of the ICC that “threats against it are unacceptable, including from U.S. Senate.” What threats was Borrell talking about? Well, there are too many to list here. And somewhat strikingly, they include threats against “less favored” allies of the empire too. For example, Republican Senator Lindsay Graham, the prototypical war hawk, was extremely blunt: “To any ally, Canada, Britain, Germany, France ... if you try to help the ICC, we are going to sanction you.” Thankfully, though, Graham’s threats were relatively restrained, focusing solely on “crushing” the economies of those nations whose governments were foolish enough to respect the rule of law. However, Republican Senator Tom Cotton, another tenacious guardian of the empire, was more aggressive in his reaction. As what he deemed “a friendly reminder,” he emphasized that, “The American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason,” recommending law-abiding nations to “think about it.” These developments may suggest that a great schism is emerging between the empire and its satrapies in Europe. Perhaps it is plausible at this time to speculate that the attitude of the upcoming U.S. government toward the war in Ukraine is a significant factor in this. At any rate, as opposed to the empire’s “unwavering” and “ironclad” support for Israel and any government that would lead that country, European nations apparently fear losing the very apparatus that they are otherwise keen on using to lecture the rest of the world. For they might in fact lose it if they repeatedly ignore its verdicts when these turn out to be rather inconvenient for the arbiters of “the rules-based international order.” Importantly, there have been notable exceptions to the EU’s official position . Always the outlier in European politics, the Hungarian government expressed its discontent with the ICC’s decision, with Prime Minister Victor Orban going so far as to invite Netanyahu for a state visit to Budapest, almost as if to make a statement. Of course, Netanyahu was pleased by Orban’s radical stance, especially when the former was confronted with widespread condemnation. His satisfaction with Hungary’s position was paralleled by his contempt for those who take the ICC seriously: “Against the shameful weakness of those who have lined up alongside the outrageous decision against the State of Israel’s right to defend itself, Hungary – like our friends in the U.S. – has shown moral clarity and steadfastness on the side of justice and the truth.” Here, the phrase “shameful weakness” is instructive, particularly considered in the context of Netanyahu’s earlier comments. In 2018, this major criminal put out a long statement in which he described how “the weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong, for good or for ill, survive” and how “the strong are respected, and alliances are made with the strong, and in the end, peace is made with the strong.” The strategy seems to have been clear all along: As the strong have got the mightiest sword, alliances must be made with them, so that one could have access to a tool that can both create and destroy agreements, whenever and whichever is needed.

One decision stands out from all others in what has been a grim year for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – and it holds a clue as to what he may do next. Albanese ends 2024 in a dire position for a leader who must face the people in just a few short months: the economy is weak, the federal budget is back in deficit and his personal popularity is down. But his allies name his move to overhaul personal tax cuts in January, delivering bigger benefits to millions of workers, as the best example of what he did right this year. Albanese began the year with a bold move by breaking an election pledge to leave the “stage three” personal tax cuts intact after years of argument about a tax package that had been written into law by the Coalition five years earlier. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton railed against the Labor changes and called for an election to be held to decide the matter, only to retreat when polls showed that most Australians liked the idea of a $313 billion package with bigger tax cuts for more workers on low and middle incomes. Albanese won the policy and the politics. He took a risk and it paid off. The tax cuts went ahead as scheduled in July with the Labor brand stamped all over them. If there was a reward from the electorate, however, it evaporated before the summer was over. Just as Albanese seemed to be taking the initiative, the Labor primary vote . It fell from 35 per cent in December to 34 per cent in February and 32 per cent in March. This became the pattern of the year. Nothing seemed to work for Albanese. His readiness to do radio interviews, while Dutton avoided scrutiny, did not appear to create a lasting bond with listeners. His speaking style, with mangled sentences instead of sharp messages, made it harder for him to cut through. Worse, the government never seemed to galvanise Australians with a sense of political mission. It unveiled more assistance for childcare, an age limit for social media, subsidies for energy bills, a wage boost for aged care workers and changes to prescriptions to make medicines cheaper. And it drifted down in the polls. “Labor and Albanese appear so dour, a government of grinding necessity,” says Paul Strangio, the emeritus professor of politics at Monash University. “The sense of missed opportunity is all the greater since they are in office at a time when the public shows signs of being fed up with business as usual. Albanese doesn’t appear to know how to harness or manage that sentiment.” Strangio highlighted this challenge in an essay for in September and says there has been no shift in the pattern in the final months of the year. “Growth in office has been a hallmark of many of Australia’s best prime ministers,” he says. “Albanese is yet to demonstrate this.” While Albanese was elected to parliament in 1996 and watched John Howard govern for 11 years, there is no sign he is learning a lesson from the Howard era. “When Howard was in trouble during his first term, he drew upon his deep-seated convictions to strike out in a bold direction,” Strangio says. The result was a high-stakes election on the GST. On international affairs, however, Albanese has moved easily into overseas meetings and global summits. He lowered the temperature with China, resumed leadership meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and helped restart exports of beef, barley and lobster. This added billions of dollars to Australian industry. There was no economic dividend, and possibly no political payoff, from his effort to secure the release of from the United States and the from Indonesia. Even so, he pursued the talks to bring Australians home. The defeat of the Indigenous Voice in October 2023 still reverberates around Australian politics – and polling shows a slide in Labor support from that moment – but the government points to other achievements in this term, such as legislating a climate target to cut greenhouse gas emissions, to counter claims it has too little to show for its time in office. One minister says Australians will back the prime minister when the election arrives because of his personal qualities and what he offers in hard policy. “We are closer to making sure voters see this as a choice between Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese,” he says. Labor strategists say this is not just about what Albanese has delivered during this term, but about the “forward offer” of policies for the next three years. In this assessment, from those closest to Albanese, the prime minister is just getting started in winning voters with new policy measures and attacking Dutton on Coalition vulnerabilities, such as its nuclear energy plan. But Albanese has been subject to relentless attacks from left and right while trying to hold the middle ground on the Middle East. Greens leader Adam Bandt accused him of complicity in genocide over the war in Gaza, while Dutton accused him of deserting Israel and being weak on antisemitism. The conservative media picked up on the claim and rammed it home. When arsonists committed what police called a “likely act of terrorism” at the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne in early December, Albanese condemned the antisemitism in a statement and on radio. But he was scheduled to fly to Perth and did not divert the aircraft to Melbourne, which meant he took several days to visit the destruction and stand with the Jewish community. The symbolic show of support seemed too slow, even if the actual support was strong. Albanese gave no quarter to protesters who called antisemitic chants, and he made sure that laws were passed to ban the “doxxing” used to reveal personal details of Jewish Australians. He arranged more funding to protect synagogues and schools. This was not enough, however, when the government was infuriating Israel by voting at the United Nations in a motion that did not condemn Hamas, listed by Australian authorities as a terrorist group. “I don’t subscribe to the view that he has been weak on antisemitism,” says Strangio. “To me, this is an idea prosecuted by dogmatic elements – especially the Murdoch media – and doesn’t allow for the diabolical challenge it has been for the government to strike a position that doesn’t aggravate the polarisation of community opinion but maintains some degree of social cohesion.” Australians, meanwhile, felt their household incomes shrinking in real terms. Although wages moved ahead of inflation in recent quarters, they remain down in real terms since the election. With the Reserve Bank seeking to reduce inflation, the government could not risk spending more money to help voters. The pressure on households generated pain in the polls. Voters are clearly sceptical about Albanese. Thirty-one per cent said in early December that he was doing a good job, but 57 per cent said he was doing a poor job. His net rating in the Resolve Political Monitor, minus 26 per cent, was four times worse in December than it had been in February. The verdict is more savage from some of his own Labor colleagues. “He’s tough on the weak issues and weak on the tough issues,” says one caucus member. The complaint is that Albanese can take a strong line on something that is secondary to most Australians – like the release of the last of the Bali Nine – but struggle on the problems that will decide the election. Most of all, the cost of living. Cautious in choosing his battles before the election, Albanese risks leaving voters with the sense that he does not know what to fight for. “I like Anthony Albanese, and I regard him as a friend, but I find his government underwhelming,” says independent MP Andrew Wilkie. “And that would be the view of many of my constituents. It is fair to add that politics in general has become underwhelming. I’m not suggesting for a moment that Peter Dutton is any better.” Albanese tried through the year to outline practical policies – including a rush in December to pass dozens of laws through parliament. This included the Help to Buy scheme to offer $5.6 billion in federal equity for young people buying their first homes, as well as the Build to Rent scheme to attract investment into new homes. Also in December came the $1 billion early education fund for childcare and the “three-day guarantee” to make it easier for new parents to receive childcare subsidies. The Coalition opposes the move, which could help Albanese in a cost-of-living battle. Albanese can point to other measures that help with costs. The changes to student loans will help young Australians by reducing their debts by $3 billion, with the promise of more change if the government holds power at the election. Again, the Coalition opposes the move. This leaves some observers wanting a bolder vision. Saul Eslake, an independent economist, says Australia needs ambitious reform to lift living standards over the long term. Dutton has no significant economic policy, other than his nuclear plan, and Albanese is not revealing anything too risky. “I sort of despair, really, that the government has shown no inclination to argue for an ambitious second-term reform agenda,” says Eslake. “And it’s almost too late now. Albanese seems not to have the vision or the rhetorical capacity to do this stuff.” Leaders are not only judged on what they do, but what they choose not to do. Will the prime minister lift his fortunes after a difficult year? Watch for some policy moves early in 2025 to convince voters to stick with him rather than take a risk with Dutton. The Labor strategy seeks to copy the approach taken at the last election: to kick with the wind in the final quarter. One of the prime minister’s allies says the critics of today forget the mistakes of the critics from three years ago, when Albanese was not given much credit for lining up a victory that swept Labor into power. “On the big calls he was proven right,” he says. This year has been no triumph for Albanese. But the contest is not over.Vice President Sara Duterte. —Inquirer file photo/Richard A. Reyes MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Saturday said it was taking “immediate proper action” against an “active threat” to the life of President Marcos after Vice President Sara Duterte said that she had contracted a hit man to assassinate him, his wife and Speaker Martin Romualdez should an alleged plot to kill her succeed. Duterte disclosed her plan, which she said was “no joke,” in her profanity-laden rant during an online news conference that her supporters also participated in past midnight where she called the first couple and the Speaker corrupt and liars, fully rupturing the ties between her and the President after she resigned from his Cabinet in June. “Acting on the Vice President’s clear and unequivocal statement that she had contracted an assassin to kill the President if an alleged plot against her succeeds, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin has referred this active threat to the Presidential Security Command (PSC) for immediate proper action,” the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement. READ: Solons react to Sara ‘kill order’ video: VP needs psycho evaluation “Any threat to the life of the President must always be taken seriously, more so that this threat has been publicly revealed in clear and certain terms.” PSC chief Maj. Gen. Jesus Nelson Morales told the Inquirer that they were “adjusting [their] security protocols amidst the current security threats to ensure the security and safety of the President and his family.” It was not the first time that Duterte expressed her desire to kill the President. During a press conference last month, she said that she was once so angered at Marcos that she imagined herself decapitating him, gesturing with her hand slicing off his head. It was when Marcos refused to give his watch to one graduating student, who asked for it as a graduation gift at a commencement rites they both attended. The PSC said in a statement that it had “heightened and strengthened its security protocols” on Bersamin’s orders and said it would do everything to protect Marcos. “We are also closely coordinating with law enforcement agencies to detect, deter, and defend against any and all threats to the President and the First Family,” it said. “Any threat to the life of the President and the First Family, regardless of its origin—and especially one made so brazenly in public—is treated with the utmost seriousness. We consider this a matter of national security and shall take all necessary measures to ensure the President’s safety.” Duterte detailed her plan in response to a question from one of her female supporters who asked her to confirm the existence of a so-called Operation Romanov, an alleged plot to “wipe out” the Duterte family, and what remedies were available to the Vice President to thwart it. “Don’t worry, ma’am, about my security because I have spoken to a person. I told him that if I am killed, you kill BBM, Liza Araneta and Martin Romualdez. No Joke. No joke,” she said. “I left word, ma’am, that if I am killed, don’t you stop until you kill them. And then he said, ‘yes.’” BBM is the popular nickname for Marcos. Duterte spoke from inside the detention cell at the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City where her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, was being held on a contempt citation by the House committee on good government and public accountability for her alleged obstruction of its inquiry into the Vice President’s confidential funds. Duterte rushed to the room from the office of her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, after she learned that the committee had decided to move Lopez to the Correctional Institution for Women. Lopez tearfully related her protest against the decision and questioned the timing of her transfer “in the dead of night” by nine House security officers and police. “All I know is that I am not accused of any crime. I am just a person detained here for five days until the [next committee] hearing on Monday. I have been trying to cooperate to the very best of my ability,” an emotional Lopez told reporters. “Was that the right thing to do? Don’t people have rights in this country? I don’t understand, I really don’t understand,” she said. “Is this what’s happening in our country now? They can just barge in and go to your room?” Duterte, who was called by Lopez to serve as her lawyer, was furious over the move, cursing the President, his wife, Romualdez, the good government panel and its chair, Manila Rep. Joel Chua. “They always say that we are disrespectful while they are the ones who are disrespectful to the Office of the Vice President. Whatever they’re doing to us, we’re just returning the favor,” Duterte said. “This country is going to hell because we are led by a person who doesn’t know how to be a president and who is a liar,” she said, pointing out that the President lied when he made a campaign promise to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo. ‘P*tang ina ninyong lahat!’ “P*tang ina ninyong lahat—Martin Romualdez, Liza Marcos, Bongbong Marcos!” Duterte yelled. Chua, whom she recalled telling her that he did not like what he was doing, referring to the committee investigation of her alleged misuse of confidential funds, did not escape her ire. “Eh p*tang ina, hindi mo pala gusto ’yung ginagawa mo eh, bakit mo sinisira ang pangalan ko, Joel Chua?!” Duterte said. (Son of a bitch! If you don’t like what you’re doing, why are you destroying my name, Joel Chua?) The rift between Duterte and the Romualdez-led House broke out last year after her closest ally in the chamber, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was ousted as deputy Speaker. Romualdez is a cousin of the President. The House also removed her confidential funds for 2024. The House panel is now looking into how she spent P612.5 million in confidential funds from 2022 to 2023. ‘P*tang ina mo ka!’ Duterte also accused the first lady of giving her “written instructions” to give “millions a month” in “white envelopes” to the Department of Education, referring to alleged bribes to education officials that were revealed during the early days of the committee’s probe. “P*tang ina mo ka! Wala ka ngang posisyon sa gobyerno namimigay ka nga ng pera ng gobyerno eh,” she said. (You child of a whore! You don’t even have any position in government yet you give away government money.) “Tapos sasabihin niyo sa mga tao na nakaw ’yan, confidential funds ’yan. Ni wala nga kayong isang proof na confidential funds ’yan. Naniwala lang kayo sa isang babae na ang pangalan ay Gloria Mercado na nagsabi na confidential funds ’yan?!” (And then you tell the people that that is stolen, that these are confidential funds. You don’t even have a single proof that those were confidential funds. You just believed one woman whose name is Gloria Mercado who said those were confidential funds?) The first lady was apparently unruffled by Duterte’s threat if her cheery posts on Instagram were any indication, while the President’s social media accounts were unusually silent on Saturday. On Saturday afternoon, Araneta-Marcos shared snapshots of the launch of two museums in Intramuros on Friday, and a bazaar featuring the best of Ilocano dishes and crafts. In an earlier Instagram post also on Saturday, Araneta-Marcos was delighted by Meralco’s Liwanag Park at Plaza de Roma and the official opening of the Centro Turismo de Intramuros and Museo de Intramuros. “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as we light up the Liwanag Park and open two incredible new attractions—Centro Turismo de Intramuros and Museo de Intramuros!” she said. There is no Philippine law criminalizing threats specifically against the president and members of his family. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . The threat to assassinate or murder a person is punishable by 12 years to 20 years in prison. —with a report from Inquirer Research

Trump's Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It's a shift seen in his labor pickPutin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that he claims the West can't stop The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday in response to Kyiv's use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, President Vladimir Putin said. Hanna Arhirova, Illia Novikov, Aamer Madhani And Tara Copp, The Associated Press Nov 21, 2024 12:45 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on Nov. 21, 2024, rescue workers put out a fire of a burning house damaged by a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) Listen to this article 00:06:40 The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday in response to Kyiv's use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, President Vladimir Putin said. In a televised address to the country, the Russian president warned that U.S. air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile, which he said flies at ten times the speed of sound and which he called the Oreshnik — Russian for hazelnut tree. He also said it could be used to attack any Ukrainian ally whose missiles are used to attack Russia. “We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities,” Putin said in his first comments since President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light this month to use U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike at limited targets inside Russia. Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed that Russia’s missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate range missile based on it’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. “This was new type of lethal capability that was deployed on the battlefield, so that was certainly of concern," Singh said, noting that the missile could carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. The U.S. was notified ahead of the launch through nuclear risk reduction channels, she said. The attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro came in response to Kyiv's use of longer-range U.S. and British missiles in strikes Tuesday and Wednesday on southern Russia, Putin said. Those strikes caused a fire at an ammunition depot in Russia's Bryansk region and killed and wounded some security services personnel in the Kursk region, he said. “In the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and in kind,” the Russian president said, adding that Western leaders who are hatching plans to use their forces against Moscow should “seriously think about this.” Putin said the Oreshnik fired Thursday struck a well-known missile factory in Dnipro. He also said Russia would issue advance warnings if it launches more strikes with the Oreshnik against Ukraine to allow civilians to evacuate to safety — something Moscow hasn’t done before previous aerial attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially said Russia hadn’t warned the U.S. about the coming launch of the new missile, noting that it wasn't obligated to do so. But he later changed tack and said Moscow did issue a warning 30 minutes before the launch. Putin's announcement came hours after Ukraine claimed that Russia had used an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Dnipro attack, which wounded two people and damaged an industrial facility and rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, according to local officials. But American officials said an initial U.S. assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that the use of the missile was an "obvious and serious escalation in the scale and brutality of this war, a cynical violation of the UN Charter.” He also said there had been “no strong global reaction” to the use of the missile, which he said could threaten other countries. “Putin is very sensitive to this. He is testing you, dear partners,” Zelenskyy wrote. “If there is no tough response to Russia’s actions, it means they see that such actions are possible.” The attack comes during a week of escalating tensions , as the U.S. eased restrictions on Ukraine's use of American-made longer-range missiles inside Russia and Putin lowered the threshold for launching nuclear weapons. The Ukrainian air force said in a statement that the Dnipro attack was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea. “Today, our crazy neighbor once again showed what he really is,” Zelenskyy said hours before Putin's address. “And how afraid he is.” Russia was sending a message by attacking Ukraine with an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of releasing multiple warheads at extremely high speeds, even if they are less accurate than cruise missiles or short-range ballistic missiles, said Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. “Why might you use it therefore?” Savill said. "Signaling — signaling to the Ukrainians. We’ve got stuff that outrages you. But really signaling to the West ‘We’re happy to enter into a competition around intermediate range ballistic missiles. P.S.: These could be nuclear tipped. Do you really want to take that risk?’” Military experts say that modern ICBMs and IRBMs are extremely difficult to intercept, although Ukraine has previously claimed to have stopped some other weapons that Russia described as “unstoppable,” including the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missile. David Albright, of the Washington-based think tank the Institute for Science and International Security, said he was “skeptical” of Putin’s claim, adding that Russian technology sometimes “falls short.” He suggested Putin was “taunting the West to try to shoot it down ... like a braggart boasting, taunting his enemy.” Earlier this week, the Biden administration authorized Ukraine to use the U.S.-supplied, longer-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia — a move that drew an angry response from Moscow. Days later, Ukraine fired several of the missiles into Russia, according to the Kremlin. The same day, Putin signed a new doctrine that allows for a potential nuclear response even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power. The doctrine is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons. In response, Western countries, including the U.S., said Russia has used irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior throughout the war to intimidate Ukraine and other nations. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Russia’s formal lowering of the threshold for nuclear weapons use did not prompt any changes in U.S. doctrine. She pushed back on concerns that the decision to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles to strike deeper inside Russia might escalate the war. ′′They’re the ones who are escalating this,” she said of the Kremlin — in part because of a flood of North Korean troops sent to the region. More than 1,000 days into war , Russia has the upper hand, with its larger army advancing in Donetsk and Ukrainian civilians suffering from relentless drone and missile strikes. Analysts and observers say the loosening of restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western missiles is unlikely to change the the course of the war, but it puts the Russian army in a more vulnerable position and could complicate the logistics that are crucial in warfare. Putin has also warned that the move would mean that Russia and NATO are at war. “It is an important move and it pulls against, undermines the narrative that Putin had been trying to establish that it was fine for Russia to rain down Iranian drones and North Korean missiles on Ukraine but a reckless escalation for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons at legitimate targets in Russia,” said Peter Ricketts, a former U.K. national security adviser who now sits in the House of Lords. ___ Associated Press writers Jill Lawless and Emma Burrows in London, and Zeke Miller and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Hanna Arhirova, Illia Novikov, Aamer Madhani And Tara Copp, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? 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By Vanessa G. Sánchez, KFF Health News (TNS) LOS ANGELES — President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations and tougher immigration restrictions is deepening mistrust of the health care system among California’s immigrants and clouding the future for providers serving the state’s most impoverished residents. At the same time, immigrants living illegally in Southern California told KFF Health News they thought the economy would improve and their incomes might increase under Trump, and for some that outweighed concerns about health care. Community health workers say fear of deportation is already affecting participation in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program for low-income residents, which was expanded in phases to all immigrants regardless of residency status over the past several years. That could undercut the state’s progress in reducing the uninsured rate, which reached a record low of 6.4% last year. Immigrants lacking legal residency have long worried that participation in government programs could make them targets, and Trump’s election has compounded those concerns, community advocates say. The incoming Trump administration is also expected to target Medicaid with funding cuts and enrollment restrictions , which activists worry could threaten the Medi-Cal expansion and kneecap efforts to extend health insurance subsidies under Covered California to all immigrants. “The fear alone has so many consequences to the health of our communities,” said Mar Velez , director of policy with the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. “This is, as they say, not their first rodeo. They understand how the system works. I think this machine is going to be, unfortunately, a lot more harmful to our communities.” Alongside such worries, though, is a strain of optimism that Trump might be a boon to the economy, according to interviews with immigrants in Los Angeles whom health care workers were soliciting to sign up for Medi-Cal. Since Election Day, community health worker Yanet Martinez said, people are more reluctant to hear her pitch for subsidized health insurance or cancer prevention screenings. “They think I’m going to share their information to deport them,” Martinez said. (Vanessa G. Sánchez/KFF Health News/TNS) Clinics and community health workers encourage immigrants to enroll for health coverage through Medi-Cal and Covered California. But workers have noticed that fear of deportation has chilled participation. (Vanessa G. Sánchez/KFF Health News/TNS) Community health workers like Yanet Martinez encourage people to enroll for health benefits. But many California immigrants fear that using subsidized services could hurt their chances of obtaining legal residency. (Vanessa G. Sánchez/KFF Health News/TNS) Since Election Day, community health worker Yanet Martinez said, people are more reluctant to hear her pitch for subsidized health insurance or cancer prevention screenings. “They think I’m going to share their information to deport them,” Martinez said. (Vanessa G. Sánchez/KFF Health News/TNS) Selvin, 39, who, like others interviewed for this article, asked to be identified by only his first name because he’s living here without legal permission, said that even though he believes Trump dislikes people like him, he thinks the new administration could help boost his hours at the food processing facility where he works packing noodles. “I do see how he could improve the economy. From that perspective, I think it’s good that he won.” He became eligible for Medi-Cal this year but decided not to enroll, worrying it could jeopardize his chances of changing his immigration status. “I’ve thought about it,” Selvin said, but “I feel like it could end up hurting me. I won’t deny that, obviously, I’d like to benefit — get my teeth fixed, a physical checkup.” But fear holds him back, he said, and he hasn’t seen a doctor in nine years. It’s not Trump’s mass deportation plan in particular that’s scaring him off, though. “If I’m not committing any crimes or getting a DUI, I think I won’t get deported,” Selvin said. Petrona, 55, came from El Salvador seeking asylum and enrolled in Medi-Cal last year. She said that if her health insurance benefits were cut, she wouldn’t be able to afford her visits to the dentist. A street food vendor, she hears often about Trump’s deportation plan, but she said it will be the criminals the new president pushes out. “I’ve heard people say he’s going to get rid of everyone who’s stealing.” Although she’s afraid she could be deported, she’s also hopeful about Trump. “He says he’s going to give a lot of work to Hispanics because Latinos are the ones who work the hardest,” she said. “That’s good, more work for us, the ones who came here to work.” Newly elected Republican Assembly member Jeff Gonzalez, who flipped a seat long held by Democrats in the Latino-heavy desert region in the southeastern part of the state, said his constituents were anxious to see a new economic direction. “They’re just really kind of fed up with the status quo in California,” Gonzalez said. “People on the ground are saying, ‘I’m hopeful,’ because now we have a different perspective. We have a businessperson who is looking at the very things that we are looking at, which is the price of eggs, the price of gas, the safety.” Related Articles National Politics | Mexico tests cellphone app allowing migrants to send alert if they are about to be detained in US National Politics | Trump wants mass deportations. For the agents removing immigrants, it’s a painstaking process National Politics | Immigration agency deports highest numbers since 2014, aided by more flights National Politics | Advocates train immigrants to ‘prepare to stay’ in the US under Trump National Politics | Immigration drives US population growth to highest rate in 23 years as residents pass 340 million Gonzalez said he’s not going to comment about potential Medicaid cuts, because Trump has not made any official announcement. Unlike most in his party, Gonzalez said he supports the extension of health care services to all residents regardless of immigration status . Health care providers said they are facing a twin challenge of hesitancy among those they are supposed to serve and the threat of major cuts to Medicaid, the federal program that provides over 60% of the funding for Medi-Cal. Health providers and policy researchers say a loss in federal contributions could lead the state to roll back or downsize some programs, including the expansion to cover those without legal authorization. California and Oregon are the only states that offer comprehensive health insurance to all income-eligible immigrants regardless of status. About 1.5 million people without authorization have enrolled in California, at a cost of over $6 billion a year to state taxpayers. “Everyone wants to put these types of services on the chopping block, which is really unfair,” said state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Democrat and chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. “We will do everything we can to ensure that we prioritize this.” Sen. Gonzalez said it will be challenging to expand programs such as Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace, for which immigrants lacking permanent legal status are not eligible. A big concern for immigrants and their advocates is that Trump could reinstate changes to the public charge policy, which can deny green cards or visas based on the use of government benefits. “President Trump’s mass deportation plan will end the financial drain posed by illegal immigrants on our healthcare system, and ensure that our country can care for American citizens who rely on Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security,” Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to KFF Health News. During his first term, in 2019, Trump broadened the policy to include the use of Medicaid, as well as housing and nutrition subsidies. The Biden administration rescinded the change in 2021. KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News, found immigrants use less health care than people born in the United States. And about 1 in 4 likely undocumented immigrant adults said they have avoided applying for assistance with health care, food, and housing because of immigration-related fears, according to a 2023 survey . Another uncertainty is the fate of the Affordable Care Act, which was opened in November to immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and are protected by the Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals program. If DACA eligibility for the act’s plans, or even the act itself, were to be reversed under Trump, that would leave roughly 40,000 California DACA recipients, and about 100,000 nationwide , without access to subsidized health insurance. On Dec. 9, a federal court in North Dakota issued an order blocking DACA recipients from accessing Affordable Care Act health plans in 19 states that had challenged the Biden administration’s rule. Clinics and community health workers are encouraging people to continue enrolling in health benefits. But amid the push to spread the message, the chilling effects are already apparent up and down the state. “¿Ya tiene Medi-Cal?” community health worker Yanet Martinez said, asking residents whether they had Medi-Cal as she walked down Pico Boulevard recently in a Los Angeles neighborhood with many Salvadorans. “¡Nosotros podemos ayudarle a solicitar Medi-Cal! ¡Todo gratuito!” she shouted, offering help to sign up, free of charge. “Gracias, pero no,” said one young woman, responding with a no thanks. She shrugged her shoulders and averted her eyes under a cap that covered her from the late-morning sun. Since Election Day, Martinez said, people have been more reluctant to hear her pitch for subsidized health insurance or cancer prevention screenings. “They think I’m going to share their information to deport them,” she said. “They don’t want anything to do with it.” This article was produced by KFF Health News , which publishes California Healthline , an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation . ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

AP Trending SummaryBrief at 6:06 p.m. ESTAncient Native Americans Had Mysterious Use for Lethally Toxic Fish