mnl168net TikTok's future in the U.S. appeared uncertain on Friday after a federal appeals court rejected a legal challenge to a law that requires the social media platform to cut ties with its China-based parent company or be banned by mid-January. A panel of three judges on The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled unanimously that the law withstood constitutional scrutiny, rebuffing arguments from the two companies that the statute violated their rights and the rights of TikTok users in the U.S. The government has said it wants ByteDance to divest its stakes in TikTok. But if it doesn't and the platform goes away, it would have a seismic impact on the lives of content creators who rely on the platform for income as well as users who use it for entertainment and connection. Here are some details on the ruling and what could happen next: What does the ruling say? In their lawsuit, TikTok and ByteDance, which is also a plaintiff in the case, had challenged the law on various fronts, arguing in part that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and was an unconstitutional bill of attainder that unfairly targeted the two companies. But the court sided with attorneys for the Justice Department who said that the government was attempting to address national security concerns and the way in which it chose to do so did not violate the constitution. The Justice Department has argued in court that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its connections to China. Officials say that Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok's U.S. patrons or use the platform to spread, or suppress, information. However, the U.S. hasn't publicly provided examples of that happening. The appeals court ruling, written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg, said the law was “carefully crafted to deal only with control by a foreign adversary." The judges also rejected the claim that the statute was an unlawful bill of attainder or a taking of property in violation of the Fifth Amendment. Furthermore, Ginsburg wrote the law did not violate the First Amendment because the government is not looking to “suppress content or require a certain mix of content” on TikTok. What happens next? TikTok and ByteDance are expected to appeal the case to the Supreme Court, but it's unclear whether the court will take up the case. TikTok indicated in a statement on Friday the two companies are preparing to take their case to high court, saying the Supreme Court has “an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech." "We expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue,” a company spokesperson said. Alan Morrison, a professor at The George Washington University Law School, said he expects the Supreme Court to take up the case because of the novelty of the issues raised in the lawsuit. If that happens, attorneys for the two companies still have to convince the court to grant them an emergency stay that will prevent the government from enforcing the Jan. 19 divestiture deadline stipulated in the law, Morrison said. Such a move could drag out the process until the Justices make a ruling. Tiffany Cianci, a TikTok content creator who has supported the platform, said she was not shocked about the outcome of the court's ruling on Friday because lower courts typically defer to the executive branch on these types of cases. She believes the company will have a stronger case at the Supreme Court. “I believe that the next stages are more likely to produce a victory for TikTokers and for TikTok as a whole,” Cianci said. What about Trump? Another wild card is President-elect Donald Trump, who tried to ban TikTok during his first term but said during the recent presidential campaign that he is now against such action . The Trump transition team has not offered details on how Trump plans to carry out his pledge to “save TikTok." But spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement last month that he plans to “deliver” on his campaign promises. After Trump takes office on Jan. 20th, it would fall on his Justice Department to enforce the law and punish any potential violators. Penalties would apply to any app stores that would violate a prohibition on TikTok and to internet hosting services which would be barred from supporting it. Some have speculated that Trump could ask his Justice Department to abstain from enforcing the law. But tech companies like Apple and Google, which offer TikTok's app on their app stores, would then have to trust that the administration would not come after them for any violations. Craig Singleton, senior director of the China program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said enforcement discretion — or executive orders — can not override existing law, leaving Trump with “limited room for unilateral action." There are other things Trump could potentially do. It's possible he could invoke provisions of the law that allow the president to determine whether a sale or a similar transaction frees TikTok from “foreign adversary” control. Another option is to urge Congress to repeal the law. But that too would require support from congressional Republicans who have overwhelmingly supported the prospect of getting TikTok out of the hands of a Chinese company. In a statement issued Friday, Republican Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, said he was “optimistic that President Trump will facilitate an American takeover of TikTok” and allow its continued use in the United States. Is anyone trying to buy TikTok? ByteDance has said it won't sell TikTok . And even if it wanted to, a sale of the proprietary algorithm that powers TikTok is likely to get blocked under Chinese export controls that the country issued in 2020. That means if TikTok is sold without the algorithm, its likely that the buyer would only purchase a shell of the platform that doesn't contain the technology that made the app a cultural powerhouse. Still, some investors, including Trump’s former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in buying it. This week, a spokesperson for McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative, which aims to protect online privacy, said participants in their bid have made informal commitments of more than $20 billion in capital. The spokesperson did not disclose the identity of the participants. Haleluya Hadero, The Associated Press– North Korean leader Kim Jong Un chaired a meeting that called for the ‘toughest’ strategy against the US, state media KCNA said on Sunday. Kim was heading a key year-end party meeting to outline the country’s 2025 strategy, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). In the meeting, party and government officials resolved to ‘aggressively’ launch North Korea’s ‘toughest anti-US counteraction’, to safeguard its security and national interests, while also pledging to strengthen relations with ‘friendly’ nations, according to the report. Kim emphasised advancing defence science and technology to bolster North Korea’s deterrence capabilities at the December 23-27 meeting. The KCNA report condemned the United States, South Korea, and Japan’s alliance, labelling it a ‘nuclear military bloc’ and describing South Korea as an ‘anti-communist outpost of the US’. The report also called the US ‘the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy’. “This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how,” KCNA said. The meeting comes at a time when military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow have strengthened under a military pact that was signed in June and recently came into force. According to Seoul, North Korean soldiers have entered combat in Ukraine as part of the military deal, with more than a thousand soldiers killed or wounded since then. Ukraine’s allies have called North Korea’s involvement in the war a ‘dangerous expansion’. DW

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By Pepper Intelligence Unit President Museveni is reportedly not happy about how he was cajoled to hand over Kiteezi landfill to a Ghanaian investor without getting all the information he required. He is now mad at local/Ugandan promoters who religiously pushed to have the deal handed over to Dr. Joseph Sian Agyepong’ firm— Jospong Group of Companies from Ghana. Gen.Museveni was convinced that Jospong had the capacity to address the country’s garbage management by converting waste at Kiteezi landfill into fertilizers and other recyclable materials in the aftermath of a tragedy that killed over 30 and displaced a hundreds including destruction of property. A whistleblower has however revealed that the Ghanaian investor and local promoters may have not told the President the ‘whole truth’ about their capacity to handle the project. Reports emerging indicate that Jespong is desperately hunting for an investor to sub-contract with necessary technology and expertise to do the actual job. We are told several firms in the USA and Dubai have been approached by Jespong agents for this purpose. The whistleblower says this is how Jespong has been getting contracts by hoodwinking unsuspecting government officials around Africa to secure contracts when in actual sense is a mere broker. “Jespong lacks the capacity to execute such a project. They are actually brokers. After securing the President’s approval to take over the Kiteezi landfill they are now running around shopping for firms with capacity,” the whistle blower revealed. We are now told a full report has been given to Gen.Museveni and he is not happy with all the local promoters involved. Insiders say that he (Gen.Museveni) felt betrayed because he expected Frank Rusa who has been KCCA’s Ag ED to tell him all the truth about Jespong which was not the case. Rusa applied for KCCA top job and was initially reportedly telling whoever cared to listen how ‘the thing’ –read KCCA top job- was his—no matter what. In a twist of events, we are told when Gen.Museveni got this not so palatable report about Jespong’s shenanigans, he expressed his disappointment in Rusa and those knowledgeable about the KCCA ED recruitment process knew that was the end for Rusa in pursuit of KCAA top job. “The President was not happy. He could not allow Rusa to take the KCCA top job after the messy handling of the Kiteezi landfill takeover deal,” a source revealed. Some other Jespong Ugandan promoters whom the President is also not happy with—and heads may turn soon— include Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs Ministers Minsa Kabanda and Kabuye Kyofatogabye and one Ssebagala. Others include Obed Lutakome who is KCCA’s former land-fill management officer (who ironically should have warned the government before the Kiteezi disaster struck). But together with other two partners, he now owns a firm housed at Fontis Residences Hotel-Nakasero, Kampala which is partnering with Jespong to take over the Kiteezi landfill privately. “Obed Lutakome was formerly land-fill management officer at KCCA. He should have warned the government about the Kiteezi situation but he didn’t! He should be now in court with the Kisaka’s but he is a free man. He is now coming back to privately takeover Kiteezi with Jespong through a private partnership. Who bewitched Uganda for sure?” The whistleblower expressed concern. We are also told that the Deputy Speaker of Parliament who is also among the local promoters of Jespong in Uganda is not happy about these new developments and is reportedly regretting why he allowed connecting Jespong people to President Museveni for a meeting. The name of Hussein Akandwanaho has also featured prominently among the local promoters of Jespong. This publication could not independently verify if this Akandwanaho is by any chance biologically linked to Gen. Salim Saleh Akandwanaho. But available information indicates that Hussein recently swore an affidavit to adopt ‘Akandwanaho’ name. Bismark Nortei Annoo, the honorary consul for the Republic of Ghana in Kampala, Uganda is also among key promoters of Jespong in Kampala. There are reports that Jespong appreciated all those who were involved in securing the Kiteezi Landfill deal in monetary terms but this is a story for another day. The new developments, if confirmed to be true, corroborate Inspector General of Government (IGG)Beti Kamya’s earlier fears and reservations about Jespong’s capacity to execute this project only to be ‘shut up’ by a presidential directive. In a letter dated October 17, 2024, Kamya ordered the suspension of all activities at Kiteezi landfill involving Jospong Group of Companies due to alleged irregularities in the awarding of their contract. “You are therefore directed to halt all transactions with Jospong Group of Companies who have been engaged to manage the Kiteezi landfill until this office completes investigations or issues further orders on the matter,” the letter stated. The IGG’s letter also indicated that an investigation had been launched to probe the alleged irregularities in the procurement process for the Kiteezi management contract, focusing on how it was awarded to Jospong Group of Companies. The letter revealed that Jospong was allegedly handpicked, bypassing standard government procurement procedures as outlined in the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act. “The investigations will also look into the allegations that other investors had approached the government with interest in investing in the Kiteezi landfill, but these were ignored or frustrated. That Jospong was awarded the tender without going through an open bidding process, which would have allowed other competent entities to express interest in partnering with KCCA,” the letter further stated. The IGG’s letter also highlighted concerns regarding the funding of the project. “Jospong Group of Companies has offered to manage the Kiteezi landfill at no cost to the government. This raises questions since one wonders how the company will recoup returns on their investments,” it read. Other issues to be investigated include the alleged lack of an environmental impact assessment, the absence of a feasibility study for the project, and concerns about whether due diligence was conducted to verify if the company possesses the necessary technology and experience to handle the magnitude of the project. Instead, the local promoters of Jespong rushed to secure a meeting with President Museveni who in turn issued a directive to have the former take over the landfill to the disappointment of the IGG. There have been many scandals and corruption allegations levelled against Jespong.In 2013 an investigation into massive corruption in the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) led to the cancellation of all contracts under the programme. It also led to reforms which culminated into the passage of the Youth Employment Agency Law. The main companies that were indicted in the GYEEDA scandal were those from the Jospong Group of Companies owned by Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong and the AGAMS Group owned by Roland Agambire. The exposé also revealed and catalogued questionable contracts with various metropolitan and municipal assemblies. The report exposed how a waste bin contract awarded on sole sourcing basis to the JOSPONG Group was inflated by at least GHC130 million.Another report revealed how a GHC98 million contract was awarded to 11 companies under the Jospong group to undertake fumigation exercises across the country when Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the parent company of Jospong had already been paid to undertake the same fumigation. In 2013 the World Bank banned Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Jespong’s waste management services firm and its affiliate companies from bidding for the Bank’s contracts because Zoomlion “paid bribes to facilitate contract execution and processing of invoices” in Liberia. Watch this space! editor

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Browns running back Jerome Ford left Sunday’s game against the Dolphins following a run with 6:06 left in the second quarter and the game tied at 3. Ford was tackled by for no gain by linebacker Chop Robinson and defensive tackle Zach Sieler on a play wiped out by a hold on right guard Wyatt Teller. Ford tried to hop off the field on his left leg but went down before he could get to the sideline. He was helped off the field by the training staff, still putting no weight on his right leg. More Cleveland Browns coverage Giants beat Colts, 45-33, which moves Browns up the 2025 NFL Draft order Browns vs. Dolphins: Live updates and highlights from Week 17 Browns QB Jameis Winston inactive 3rd QB again with Bailey Zappe as No. 2; Tyler Huntley to start for Dolphins Week 17 NFL Preview: Find everything you need to know with our Week 17 NFL preview. Ford was able to walk back to the locker room, but was announced as questionable to return with an ankle injury. He rushed six times for 22 yards before leaving the game. Last week, for rushed for 66 yards on the first play of the game against the Bengals. He finished the game with 11 carries for 92 yards and had 39 receiving yards on five catches. Football Insider newsletter free trial: Take a minute and sign up for a free trial of our Football Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive content from cleveland.com's Browns reporters.

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Natasha Cloud (Image Via Instagram) Phoenix Mercury alum Natasha Cloud is a no-nonsense woman. Her unapologetic and unfiltered approach to talking about any social or political issue has always drawn media attention. The WNBA star spoke about one of the most significant personalities on the planet Elon Musk . The 32-year-old athlete took a aim at other billionaires after a legal bill was passed to avoid the impending government shutdown . WNBA Star Natasha Cloud Blasts Elon Musk And Other Billionaires For A Valid Reason Right to expression is one of the most significant rights any constitution can provide to its citizens and generally, it is this particular feature that differentiates between a Democracy and a dictatorship. Recently, Natasha Cloud, one of the most renowned faces in the WNBA reacted to a bill that was aimed at transforming the RFK Stadium located in Washington D.C. to a venue that could host a list of events. Reportedly, the Trump and Musk-led group even threatened to throw out the lawmakers who would be showing no support to them. Cloud took to X, previously known as Twitter a platform owned by Elon Musk to express her frustration with the flawed government. She posted- "So when y'all gone tell Elon to go back to Africa?" Natasha Cloud even mentioned- "I'm so glad ALL these billionaires have no idea how the 3 branches of government work.... or how a bill gets passed into law. Shoutout to the 38 Republicans who shot the bill down in the house while being threatened & blackmailed." While Natasha Cloud made these statements, a few X users even spoke about the real face of the current government. They even pointed out that Natasha Cloud had no idea how corrupt the current government is. Natasha Phoenix On Life, And Her Beauty Regime During an interview with the reputed media outlet Refinery 29 in July, Natasha Cloud spoke about the different aspects of her life. The 32-year-old athlete believes that women have the immense capacity to look both beautiful and fierce at the same time. She said- “ I think women possess the power to do both: to be beautiful and to also be fierce at the same time. Go watch us do everything.” While talking about her beauty regime, Cloud revealed that she has always followed a very basic routine with respect to her skin care. She said- “I have my routine for my face in the morning. I have my face wash, I have my little exfoliating stuff [before] finishing up with some serum and some moisturizer, some eye cream. I know y'all know that feeling when you wash your face after a long day, and it's like, ‘Oh, I'm back to me.’” She further mentioned- “I'm just big on concealer. Obviously we're going to be in front of cameras so I just want whatever blemishes I have concealed up.” Natasha Cloud has a motto that reads look good, play good, and feel good. The Phoenix Mercury star is not only known for her on-court skill but also for her unfiltered approach during her appearance on podcasts and interviews. Also Read : Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s wife, shares festive display of Santa's elves sporting cloth-made Kobes

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CARSON, Calif. — The LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls have been Major League Soccer mainstays since the league's inaugural season in 1996, signing glamorous players and regularly competing for championships through years of success and setbacks in a league that's perpetually improving and expanding. Yet just a year ago, both of these clubs appeared to be a very long way from the stage they'll share Saturday in the MLS Cup Final. The Galaxy were one of MLS' worst teams after a season of internal turmoil and public fan dissent, while the Red Bulls were merely a steady mediocrity seeking yet another coach to chart a new direction. A year later, these MLS founders are meeting in the league's first Cup final between teams from North America's two biggest markets. "Two original clubs being able to put themselves in this situation, I think it's great," Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. "To see two clubs that have been at it as long as this league has been around be here, I think it's a special moment. Couldn't be two more different and contrasting styles as well, which could make for an interesting game, and I would imagine a high-intensity game." Everything changed in 2024 after a dismal decade for the Galaxy, who are favored to cap their transformation by winning their team's record sixth MLS championship with a roster that's dramatically different from its past few groups — albeit with one massive injury absence in the final. The transformation of the Red Bulls happened only in the postseason, when a team that hadn't won a playoff game since 2017 suddenly turned into world-beaters under rookie coach Sandro Schwarz. New York struggled through the final three months of league play with only two wins before posting road playoff victories over defending champ Columbus, archrival New York City FC and conference finalist Orlando to storm into the Cup final. "We know about the history (of our club), and we know tomorrow will define what that could mean," Schwarz said Friday. "To feel the pressure for tomorrow, it's necessary, because it's a final, and without pressure it's not possible to bring the best quality on the field." The Red Bulls have never won an MLS Cup, only reaching the championship match once before. What's more, they've somehow never won a Cup in any tournament, although they've collected three Supporters' Shields for MLS' best regular-season record. The Galaxy's trophy case is large and loaded, and those five MLS Cups are on the top shelf. But not much of that team success happened in the past decade for the club that famously brought David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and many other international stars to Hollywood. In fact, this season has ended a grim era for the Galaxy, who haven't lost all year at their frequently renamed home stadium — which was the site of protests and boycotts just a year ago. The club's fans were tired of LA's steady underachievement and ineptitude in the front office run by team president Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. One year ago Thursday, the Galaxy hired Will Kuntz, a longtime Los Angeles FC executive who engineered his new club's roster transformation, most dramatically by landing new designated players Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil — two international talents that LAFC also had in its sights. "I give Will and the group up there a ton of credit," Vanney said. "It's one thing to have players you like, and it's a whole other thing to get them here and get them to connect with your group." Pec and Paintsil combined for 32 goals and 27 assists while boosting the incumbent talents of striker Dejan Joveljic and Riqui Puig, the gifted Barcelona product who runs the offense from the midfield. The Galaxy clicked in the postseason, scoring a jaw-dropping 16 goals in four matches. Puig has been the Galaxy's most important player all season, but he won't be in the MLS Cup Final after tearing a knee ligament late in last week's conference final victory over Seattle. The loss of Puig — who somehow kept playing on his injured knee, and even delivered the game-winning pass to Joveljic — makes the Galaxy even more difficult to anticipate. "He played a lot in the regular season, so it was not so easy to analyze all these games now without him," Schwarz said. "But the main focus is to analyze what we need to do, because it's not clear now how they're playing without him." The Galaxy could give some of Puig's responsibilities to Marco Reus, the longtime Dortmund standout who joined LA in August. Reus is nursing a hamstring injury, but Vanney expects him to play. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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