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Domo Announces Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial ResultsElon Musk, the world's richest person and one of Donald Trump's closest allies, met with US lawmakers Thursday on his plans for overseeing radical government spending cuts under the incoming administration. President-elect Trump rewarded the Tesla, X and SpaceX chief for his support during the White House campaign by naming him head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, along with another wealthy ally, Vivek Ramaswamy. Although the office, dubbed DOGE, has a purely advisory role, Musk's star power and intense influence in Trump's inner circle bring political clout. As Musk and Ramaswamy strode into the Capitol for meetings with lawmakers, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson touted "a new day in America." "There's an enormous amount of waste, fraud and abuse," he told reporters. "Government is too big, it does too many things, and it does almost nothing well." Musk and Ramaswamy have said they can identify billions of dollars of cuts in spending, sparking questions about whether Republicans will even try to slash politically popular social security programs. Writing in the Wall Street Journal last month, the two businessmen laid out plans for the White House to cut staff, trim government programs and reduce federal regulations, even if it means bypassing Congress, which holds budgetary power. "The entrenched and ever-growing bureaucracy represents an existential threat to our republic, and politicians have abetted it for too long," Musk and Ramaswamy wrote. "We're doing things differently. We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. During Trump's election campaign, Musk vowed to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion. This would represent cutting total US spending by a third, almost certainly meaning devastation of social support programs -- something that has never garnered strong political backing. Musk's emphasis on firing large numbers of government employees, however, echoes Republican talking points about the need to take on an overbearing state and may garner more support. Musk says he is seeking "mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy." Musk suggested banning government employees from working at home as an opening tactic. "Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome." Cuts will also target subsidies to public broadcasters and groups such as Planned Parenthood, which campaigns for abortion access and offers an array of reproductive health services. But DOGE is unlikely, at least initially, to go after welfare programs such as Social Security or health insurance for the poor and seniors, Ramaswamy said in an interview with Axios on Wednesday. Such cuts should be "a policy decision that belongs to the voters" and their representatives in Congress, Ramaswamy said. A reduction in military spending, which climbed to $820 billion in 2023, is also unlikely to be on the table. Musk's new role raises the question of potential conflicts of interest, since he could be issuing policy recommendations that impact directly on his own business empire. Underlining the close connection to DOGE, Musk's favorite cryptocurrency is called Dogecoin. rle/ev/md/sms/md

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Matawalle: In defence of the fatherland

or signup to continue reading You could keep things simple with the new , or you could satisfy your enthusiast desires instead. BMW's fourth-generation 1 Series hatchback brings a lot to like: two variants with two different engines, both of which are well-geared for their intended purposes, loaded with advanced interior tech, and brimming with the kind of design and build quality expected of vehicles from such a well-established European brand. So the only question appears to be which of the two cars in the range your should choose. Well, they're actually quite different, and they have a huge $26,000 pricing gulf between them, so it's rather easy to set them apart. If you want an affordable German hatch to run around in, albeit one that offers decent performance, crisp handling and can accommodate a surprising amount of people and cargo, the logical choice is the front-wheel drive 118 three-cylinder – which we've published a separate review of. But if you want something a little extra that delivers hot-hatch performance in the same 1 Series body, you'd go for this – the new . It has the same high-quality cabin technologies, materials and fit and finish as the 118, but adds a four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive, so the difference is it's properly fast. And there's a comprehensive range of optional gear available to make it more like a full-fat 1 Series M model. Naturally, like the 118, the higher-performance M135 has a few competitors that also hail from Germany, including equivalent versions of the and – the A35 AMG and the S3 respectively. There's not a lot to separate them on paper, and their prices are equally competitive. We published our first review of the new 1 Series from the international launch a few months ago, and now we've had our first drive of the new 1er at BMW Australia's local launch, where were able to sample both variants on roads in and around the Melbourne suburb of Dromana, providing a solid mix of road types and conditions. Is the new M135 worth the significant price premium, or are you better off keeping it simple and saving a big wad of cash by buying the 118 instead? The 2025 M135 xDrive is priced at $82,500 before on-road costs – a $5900 increase over the outgoing model – while the new 118 costs 'just' $56,500 plus on-roads. At that price the M135 has three direct hot hatch rivals, and all of them are also German and powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine driving all four wheels via an automatic transmission. The closest-matched Merc is the A35 AMG, which for a premium ($88,500 before on-roads) offers nearly identical power outputs and, unlike the BMW, is also available in sedan form. However, note that the second-generation sedan, including the similarly renewed and renamed M235 xDrive, arrives here in early 2025. In the case of Audi, the M135's most direct competitor is the S3 Sportback at $75,400 before on-roads. Again, it has a similar engine with nearly identical outputs, all-wheel drive, and a sedan counterpart, meaning the BMW splits the difference on price. Though it's significantly cheaper at $70,590 before on-roads, you can also compare the M135 to the , which again is almost nearly identical in terms of its powertrain and body configuration. The 118 and M135 are very similar inside, and that's reflected by the similarities between our two reviews. That said, there are some tastier M-flavoured treats to be found in the M135. At first glance and without the M Sport Package Pro fitted, you'll struggle to find any major differences between the M135 and the 118. That's partly why you won't be missing out on much by opting for the cheaper 1 Series, at least not on the inside. As standard, M135s are fitted with the same dual driver-oriented screens, sporty seats upholstered in either a mix of Alcantara/vegan leather – known as Veganza – or purely Veganza at no extra cost, and the same chunky leather-wrapped steering wheel as found in the 118. The subtle changes are in relation to the driving controls. Starting with the steering wheel, it's still buttery smooth in the hands but you'll notice a red 12 o'clock marker stitched into the top. Behind it are larger paddle shifters, which are aggressively shaped and feature unique cut-outs to signify positive and negative on each side. Adding the M Sport Package Pro takes things to the next level. The most minor change is the stitching, which on the steering wheel features the iconic blue and red M colourway. Then there are the seats, which are swapped out for aggressively racing-inspired sports buckets. They hold you in place well too, making sure you're planted if you decide to take the M135 for a spirited drive. You'll find more M accents on the seatbelts, while the brake calipers are now painted red and the interior ambient lighting also reflects the colours of BMW's performance sub-brand. It's all very nice, but it's worth remembering those tweaks are added to an interior setup that's already very well put together. The interior ambient lighting can also be adjusted through the 10.7-inch infotainment screen, through which most of the car's other functions are also controlled. Unique interior presets can also be optioned at the time of purchase, which are configurable here and change the experience inside the cabin. A handful of modes are primarily presets for lighting colours and screen backgrounds, but others actively adjust things like audio and the panoramic sunroof to alter the environment for the cabin's occupants. Silent mode, for example, closes the sunroof shade and mutes the quality audio coming from the Harman Kardon speakers, allowing you to focus on, well, driving. If optioned, there are realistically a few too many modes to figure out and select. Chances are most owners will find one they like best and stick with it, leaving the others sitting there dormant except perhaps for showing new passengers what the car can do. From a practical standpoint, the infotainment display is also where you'll find the climate control system – with which BMW has taken an always-on approach. That means the screen displays the climate control interface at the very bottom regardless of what menu is selected above. It's better than having to go through a menu, but we'd still prefer physical buttons because we find screen-focused climate systems to be finicky and distracting while on the move. The 1 Series in general also features a similar isolated toggle and dial, as seen in the to adjust air vent direction, which can be a little unintuitive until you get used to it. Using this system has allowed BMW to hide the vents in narrow slots within the dashboard itself. It's clean in appearance as a result, but as with the 118 it's perhaps not worth sacrificing user-friendliness in the pursuit of minimalism. Around the gear selector is the exact same array of buttons as found in the 118, which focus on functions like window demisters and driving-related modes. As expected, it's linked directly to the infotainment screen above, which means a menu will open when a button is pressed. At least it's not all gloss-black plastic, but that doesn't excuse its use on the couple of buttons that are frequently touched. One of those is the button to start and stop the engine, which is integrated into the larger gear selector panel. It's a neat place to put it but it'll take you a moment to find when you first jump in. In a similar sense, the functions of some of the nearby buttons may not be completely obvious, which means some time with the car will be required to become fully familiar with the car. Even then we had to ask for some guidance from the BMW execs at the launch, primarily around what all the different infotainment modes do. We found the 'Personal' mode is the default setting, while the others – excluding Sport and Efficient – are almost entirely focused on interior aesthetics. We know choice is good, but again there's just a bit too much going on. Still, having dedicated shortcut buttons for such menus in a place that's easy to find and reach is always a bonus. On the centre console are two cupholders, as well as two USB-C ports and a 12V outlet. There's also a phone-sized cubby, which doubles as a wireless charging pad. More buttons are found on the steering wheel, which – as mentioned – is exactly the same as in the 118 if you exclude the red stripe. All of its buttons are finished in durable hard plastic instead of the gloss-black alternative, and they're all physical instead of haptic like we've seen in some other German cars. We're thankful for that, because it means the 1er feels much more analogue and easy to work with. The buttons may also seem minimalist in appearance, but you'll find their functions are all actually clearly labelled. That means the functions here – which include driver assist and infotainment controls – are easy to figure out, and unlike some of the car's other features will not be too confusing when you first hop in. Better yet, we find the steering wheel's edgy design elements to be quite stylish. As with the 118, the second row is surprisingly spacious. Given its hatch body though, the 1 Series will be fairly cramped when you're at maximum five-person capacity. Average-height passengers will find there's plenty of room all around, helped by the high roofline towards the back of the car and cut-outs in the front seatbacks. It may feel somewhat boxed-in back here, but that's likely because of the black headlining above. That headliner and sunroof make everything feel a bit more premium, and the cozy atmosphere back here means it's a nice place to spend time in. Rear-seat passengers can also make use of two USB-C ports and a pair of rear-facing air vents. There's a fold-down centre armrest too, and overall the three-seat rear bench is comfortable to sit in, if a little flat. Finally, the boot offers a large, flat floor and a robust cargo cover up top. For comparison, seats-up space in the 1er is 10 litres larger than in the A-Class hatch, and exactly the same as in the A3 Sportback. BMW has fitted a fair few cargo hooks here too, but there is a pronounced loading lip between the boot opening and the floor. That's typical of many other similarly sized hatches, though it's not any less impractical. The lack of a spare wheel means the floor can sit lower, which means you get more cargo space. Unfortunately, BMW only provides a tyre repair kit. To top it all off, there's a powered tailgate as standard. Everything is just as premium as in the 118, though those optional M Sport extras are well worth adding if you're already making the jump to BMW's fastest hatch. You'll find the most powerful engine of the two-car 1 Series range in the M135, and it's capable of producing 233kW of power and 400Nm of torque, which despite being 160kg heavier than the 118 is enough for BMW claim a rapid sub-5.0-second 0-100km/h acceleration time (more than 3.5 seconds better than the 118 and it feels that quick). Its peak power output is up 8kW over the previous model (and now ahead of both the 228kW S3 and 225kW A35), though maximum torque is down by 50Nm and now matches its German foes. The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (like the 118) and all-wheel drive as standard. We're unable to provide a representative real-world fuel economy figure, as we didn't get enough time behind the wheel of any one vehicle to properly test how efficient it would be to live with, but note that fuel bills will be pricier on a diet of 98 RON unleaded, as per the 118. This is where the largest disparity between the M235 and the 118 lies, and the performance gap is big enough to make them feel like completely different cars on the road. While you'd be forgiven for mistaking the 118 for the M135 inside, closer inspection reveals exactly what you're about to drive when you hop behind the wheel of this car. There's a heightened sense of excitement, even if you're greeted by the same M badges as seen across the BMW range. But pressing that discreet startup button reveals exactly what it is you're dealing with. The M135-specific quad-exit exhaust gives the car much more presence via an aggressive idle, which sounds as tastefully harsh as you'd expect from a performance BMW. It's clear the German brand wanted this car to have much more aural character, which is just one of the ways in which it sets itself apart from the comparatively tame 118. Flick the gear selector down into Drive and you'll immediately find there's plenty to take in, starting with all the tech going on here. First are the drive modes, which have a significant impact on how the car feels on the road. The default Personal mode provides a good compromise between performance and comfort, though you will notice how firm the suspension is straight off the bat. As you'd expect from an M-badged BMW, the suspension is firm enough to keep body roll well in check, yet it's still surprisingly compliant over difficult bumps. Switching to Efficient mode will dramatically cut power, while also dulling the throttle response in an attempt to save fuel. The steering remains light in both modes, which aids manoeuvrability around town. But the real deal of the M135 is its Sport mode, which is when everything gets turned up to 11. The exhaust becomes louder, steering heavier, and the suspension stiffer, setting the car up for some properly fast driving. Its displays reflect these modes too, with the colours and amount of information presented on the digital instrument cluster adapting accordingly. Hitting the open road with Sport mode engaged is a lot of fun. Put your foot into the throttle and that 2.0-litre turbo four opens right up, with an appropriately loud exhaust note to match – even if it may be partly fake. Throw it into a turn and you'll feel just how well it sticks to the road. Even on the tightest bends we struggled to induce any serious understeer, and planting your right foot out of a turn won't spin the wheels thanks to its AWD traction. While the standard Sport mode will automatically shift the transmission into its own sport setting by default, the M135 has no issue letting you take control yourself via the paddle shifters, when the shifts are fast and responsive – and complemented by a unique feature on the head-up display. When in Sport mode and shifting manually, the head-up display shows a shift indicator when you get close to redline, like the old-school gauges in previous M-cars. The lights that climb from yellow to orange and finally to red are a racy addition, and it all adds to the experience when you're throwing the car around. Naturally, the engine has a surprising amount of poke in it's most aggressive mode. Though there has been a 50Nm reduction in torque, it never feels like M135 is hanging around and there's always plenty of twist on tap. In normal driving it may take a second for the transmission to kick down for optimum power, but Sport mode does well to keep the engine in its ideal range. But if you're just cruising and need a quick boost of power, BMW has thought of that too. As in the 118, holding the left paddle for a second or two will engage Boost mode, which provides 10 seconds of full power regardless of the drive mode selected, making it easier to overtake slower traffic thanks to a quick acceleration hit. Despite its somewhat unassuming face, BMW has successfully managed to apply its 'driver's car' ethos to the M135 xDrive without ruining its everyday appeal, and it's impressive just how fun it can be on the right road. Of course, most won't buy this car just to throw it around a mountain road or racetrack, so it's pleasing it's also such an easy car to live with on a daily basis. Without the M Sport Package Pro you still get sporty seats, but they remain well within the realms of liveability. That means on rough roads or during the typical commute, you won't be sore by the time you get to your destination. As mentioned, the suspension does a good job of ironing out major bumps even if it is very much on the firm side, and we found that its ride quality helps boost confidence even in normal driving. A downside may be that the dual-clutch transmission is a little hesitant at low speeds, but it's by no means difficult to manage. Of course, that trait is typical of such transmissions anyway, and its application in the 1 Series feels much more polished than it does in some of the alternatives. On the tech side, there's also plenty to like. Though there is wireless smartphone mirroring, BMW's native software is pretty clever and easy to use. If you engage the native navigation, some interesting things happen immediately. Of course, the maps appear on the central screen and head-up display, but BMW has also cleverly integrated the car's front facing cameras. An augmented reality display will automatically appear on the infotainment screen, which shows the view out the front of the car while adding digital arrows to show you exactly where you need to go. It's a fun novelty when you first see it, but likely won't be something you use all the time. The camera view takes up a significant portion of the map as well, but it can quickly be turned off if you'd rather do it the old fashioned way. Thankfully, driver assist systems like adaptive cruise control and lane centring all work reliably, and even the driver monitoring function didn't get in the way while on the road. Another thing that can be easily turned off is the speed limit warning, because the M135 suffers from the same annoying beeps as the 118. It'll beep when you first exceed the limit by any amount, and then beep again when your speed changes by even 1km/h. Its volume and tone aren't nearly as intrusive as in some other cars, but they quickly become grating. Unfortunately, just keeping up with traffic will often see the speedo reading higher than your actual speed, so a quick dive through the infotainment menus is the easiest way around its warning. Diving through those menus isn't as simple as it is in the 118 though. There are loads more screens to flick through and many more settings that can be changed because of those optional extras, which makes things overwhelming if you're looking through it for the first time. For that reason it pays to take a moment to have a look through the multimedia system before you hit the road, because unless you have a passenger it won't be easy to identify everything while you're moving. That said, after a while many owners may appreciate the level of choice available. The modes are easy enough to navigate once you're used to the car, and the minimalist approach to physical controls never really gets in the way of making the car do what you want it to do. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised with the M135 xDrive's on-road performance. It's just as fast as you'd like it to be, thanks to an engine that's as great as its chassis, forming a combination that's deeply rewarding when you drive it aggressively and access its limits. While it may ride and handle a lot like the 118, the increase in power makes this car a much more complete package. Indeed, ride quality and dynamics are the highlights of the M135, even if it is geared more towards the latter. We could just do without those speed limit warnings, and perhaps a pruning of the driving-related menus. The 2025 BMW 1 Series range is available in two variants, and the top-spec M135 xDrive is as good as it gets in terms of standard tech. If you can spring for the M Sport Package Pro, you'll bring the new 1er as close as possible to the full-fat 'M1' that BMW will never build. The 2025 BMW 1 Series has yet to be assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP. The BMW 1 Series range is covered by the German brand's five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. BMW offers a five-year, 80,000km Service Inclusive Basic package for the 1 Series, which costs $2210 as per the . The new BMW 118 is good, but the M135 should be high on the list for any European hot hatch enthusiast. Sure, its price may be higher than some of its non-European alternatives, but against its immediate rivals it's right where it needs to be. It backs up its price with upmarket interior presentation, ergonomics and build quality, as well as a plethora of advanced tech as standard. What is disappointing is the fact you need to pay extra for the M Sport Package Pro goodies to really separate this from the 118, but the M135's standard spec is still nothing to sneeze at. But all that is forgotten when you hit the road, where the bristling turbo four slams down exceptional performance, and its sharp chassis setup is plenty capable of maximising every ounce of it in the bends, even if it eschews the rear-drive layout for which BMW was famous. However, the M135 is just as well suited to the weekday grind, where its practical yet compact five-door body, premium high-tech interior and well-sorted ride may well be the icing on the cake. Of course it isn't all perfect, because there's almost a dizzying amount of settings and menus to wrap your head around. A lot of it is optional, but we'd forgive you for not being able to figure it all out on your own. The speed limit warning is annoying too, and it's not made any better by the fact you have to trawl through those menus to turn it off. You'd get used to it if you lived with the car though, but some more physical buttons for such shortcuts would go a long way in tightening up the experience. Nevertheless, we're very impressed with the M135. It offers everything you'd need in a performance-oriented hatch while carrying BMW's exceptional standards for quality and driver experience – partly helped by the fact some of the competition has lost its way in recent years. If you can get over the price and optional extras, the new performance 1er is undoubtedly worthy of your time. Content originally sourced from: Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementPrime Minister Narendra Modi praised the farmers of the Golamunda block in Odisha’s Kalahandi district for their remarkable achievements in bringing about a “vegetable revolution” in the area. During his monthly broadcast of ‘Mann ki Baat’ on Sunday, Modi commended the farmers for establishing a farmer producer organization (FPO) and for adopting modern technology that transformed Kalahandi, which was once known for its severe poverty and migration issues. “Once, farmers were forced to leave their homes in search of better opportunities. Today, the Golamunda block in Kalahandi has become a hub for vegetable production. How did this transformation happen?” he asked. ଓଡ଼ିଶାର କଳାହାଣ୍ଡି ଜିଲ୍ଲାର ଗୋଲାମୁଣ୍ଡା ଆଜି ଏକ ‘ପରିବା ହବ୍’ ରେ ପରିଣତ ହୋଇଛି। କୃଷକମାନେ ଆଜି ସେଠାରେ ‘କୃଷକ ଉତ୍ପାଦନ ସଂଗଠନ’ ଦ୍ଵାରା ଯୋଡି ହେବା ସହ ଆଧୁନିକ ଚାଷ ପଦ୍ଧତିରେ ଚାଷକାର୍ଯ୍ୟ କରୁଛନ୍ତି। ଏଥିରେ ୨୦୦ରୁ ଅଧିକ କୃଷକ ଯୋଡି ହୋଇଛନ୍ତି ଯେଉଁଥିରେ କି ୪୫ ଜଣ ମହିଳା ଚାଷୀ ମଧ୍ୟ ସାମିଲ ହୋଇଛନ୍ତି। – ଯଶସ୍ଵୀ... pic.twitter.com/DybCVRcKEk — Mohan Charan Majhi (@MohanMOdisha) December 29, 2024 It all began with a small group of just ten farmers who came together to form an FPO called ‘Kisan Utpad Sangh’. By utilizing modern farming techniques, their organization is now conducting business worth crores of rupees. Modi explained that over 200 farmers are now involved in this FPO, which includes 45 women. “Together, these farmers cultivate tomatoes on 200 acres and bitter gourd on 150 acres. The annual turnover of this FPO has now exceeded Rs 1.5 crore,” Modi stated. He added that vegetables from Kalahandi are being distributed not only across various districts in Odisha but also to other states, with local farmers learning new techniques for cultivating potatoes and onions. He emphasized that the success story of Kalahandi illustrates what can be achieved with determination and collective effort. “I urge all of you to promote FPOs in your area and join these organizations to strengthen them,” Modi advised. He remarked, “Remember, significant changes can start from small beginnings. All we need is determination and teamwork.” Krushna Nag, who was once a truck driver, now cultivates vegetables on 15 acres of land and is able to provide for his family without having to leave home for months. “I am truly happy and grateful to the Prime Minister for recognizing our efforts,” Nag expressed. In a post on X, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, “Golamunda in Kalahandi district of Odisha has today become a ‘Vegetable Hub’. Farmers are now joining hands through Farmer Production Organizations and using modern farming methods. More than 200 farmers have joined this, including 45 women farmers. – Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi #MaanKiBaat”. In a post on X, Odisha’s Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment department secretary Arabinda Padhee said: “Proud to see our Agriculture Production Centre (APC) initiative featured in Hon Prime Minister’s #MannKiBaat today! The FPO in Golamunda, Kalahandi is a shining example of its success. I’ve had the privilege of visiting the village and witnessing the transformative firsthand.” BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar, who represents Kalahandi district, thanked the Prime Minister for highlighting the vegetable revolution in the area. “Thank you, Hon’ble PM @narendramodi Ji, for highlighting the remarkable story of Kalahandi’s ‘Vegetable Revolution’ in #MannKiBaat,” he posted on X.Brain Rot symbolizes the erosion of our attention spans, creativity, and critical thinking as we get drawn ever deeper into the expanding vortex of our online space, meandering through endless social media feeds and streaming services. Overall, it refers to the mental decline caused by overconsumption of trivial online content, particularly on social media. First mentioned in Thoreau's Walden (1854), the term criticized society’s preference for simplicity over intellectual effort. In 2024, its usage surged by 230%, popularized by Gen Z and Gen Alpha on platforms like TikTok, where it humorously critiques low-value content while fueling serious discussions about its potential harm to mental health, especially among younger generations. While it might not be a word you hear daily, Brain Rot has been named the Word of the Year by Oxford University Press based on the vote of 37,000 people. It aptly encapsulates the prevailing Zeitgeist of doom-scrolling and digital overload, resulting in a gradual decline in our cognitive function and mental well-being. Caused by excessive consumption of mind-numbing or low-quality online content, it is a risk that we should not dismiss but tackle before it is too late. The Vortex Of Online Experiences Imagine this common scenario: You intend to check one quick notification on your phone. Suddenly, an hour has passed, and you've been sucked into a whirlwind of memes, viral videos, and polarizing news articles. You feel drained, yet you can't seem to put your device down. This is Brain Rot in action — a subtle, almost imperceptible slide into mental stagnation fueled by the endless funnel of online content. Social media algorithms are designed to keep us engaged, often leading us down rabbit holes of content that offers little value yet consumes significant time. In particular, doomscrolling, the compulsive consumption of negative news, is especially harmful in that dynamic. The constant influx of alarming headlines keeps us glued to our screens, fueling anxiety and depleting our mental energy. The shift to remote work and virtual learning has further blurred the lines between our personal and professional lives. Our screens have become the primary medium for productivity and leisure, making it harder to unplug and recharge. The result? A pervasive mental fatigue and a diminished capacity to engage deeply with complex tasks or ideas. Can AI Be The Antidote To Brain Rot? It might seem ironic that more technology might protect us from technology. But large language models, specifically tailored chatbots, might actually help us combat the modern malaise of brain rot. Such a positive turn, however, depends on our ability to approach technology with lucid caution and curiosity. Some options of using the tools at our disposition: Lifelong Learning AI-powered chatbots can serve as personalized learning assistants. Instead of passively consuming content, we can engage with chatbots that stimulate our minds. For instance, language-learning bots like Duolingo can help us practice new vocabulary. In contrast, educational bots like KhanMigo can introduce us to fascinating science, history, or art topics, mentoring us to push our intellectual horizons. Taken that way, our screen time becomes a never depleting treasure chest for personal growth. Emotional Support And Mindfulness Chatbots that promote mental well-being can guide us through mindfulness exercises, help us track our moods, or provide coping strategies for stress and anxiety. They have been found to carry emotional benefits , and If configured accordingly, AI companions can help interrupt negative thought patterns and encourage healthier emotional habits by offering immediate, personalized support. Curated Content And Decision-Making AI can assist in curating content that enriches rather than drains you. By analyzing our preferences and goals, AI algorithms can recommend articles, videos, or activities that align with our interests and aspirations. If we use this type of decision-making ally to relieve us from redundant and repetitive routines it can free up mental space for strategic thinking, but also help us to make more intentional choices about our online time. Embracing Your Brain Power: Practical Takeaways To effectively safeguard your mind against brain rot and harness AI as an ally , consider framing your approach via the A-Frame , which encompasses 4 pillars: 1. Awareness (Aspiration) – Begin by cultivating an awareness of your digital habits and their impact on your well-being. Reflect on your aspirations — personal growth, deeper interpersonal connections, or professional development. Recognize when you're engaging in mindless scrolling versus meaningful online activities. 2. Appreciation (Emotion) – Foster appreciation for content and experiences that genuinely enrich your life. Engage with material that evokes positive emotions and contributes to your emotional well-being. Platforms like Applaudable may be for you. 3. Acceptance (Thought) – Practice acceptance by acknowledging your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Understand that it's normal to feel overwhelmed or distracted at times. 4. Accountability (Behavior) – Hold yourself accountable for your digital behaviors. Recognize that you have control over how you interact with technology and that your choices directly impact your mental health. Embracing Your Brain While brain rot is a real and pressing concern in our digital age, it is not an inevitable outcome. By approaching technology with intention and utilizing AI as a supportive tool, we can transform our online experiences from sources of cognitive decline to avenues for intellectual enrichment. Our chatbots can be a valuable ally — if we engage with them thoughtfully, to navigate the digital world purposefully and with poise. In the end, it's about balance. We can embrace technology as a means to an end, not an end. Doing so lets us keep our minds sharp, our emotions balanced, and our lifes enriched online and offline.WASHINGTON — A top White House official said Wednesday at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations were impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered new details about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. FILE - The American and Chinese flags wave at Genting Snow Park ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, in Zhangjiakou, China, on Feb. 2, 2022. A top White House official on Wednesday said at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File) Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that the number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could grow. The U.S. believes the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures through the hack, Neuberger said. “We don’t believe any classified communications has been compromised,” Neuberger added during a call with reporters. She added that Biden was briefed on the findings and the White House “made it a priority for the federal government to do everything it can to get to the bottom this.” US officials recommend encrypted messaging apps amid "Salt Typhoon" cyberattack, attributed to China, targeting AT&T, Verizon, and others. The Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the accusations that it was responsible for the hack Tuesday after the U.S. federal authorities issued new guidance. “The U.S. needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cyber security to smear and slander China,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said. The embassy did not immediately respond to messages Wednesday. White House officials believe the hacking was regionally targeted and the focus was on very senior government officials. Federal authorities confirmed in October that hackers linked to China targeted the phones of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, along with people associated with Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. The number of countries impacted by the hack is currently believed to be in the “low, couple dozen,” according to a senior administration official. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House, said they believed the hacks started at least a year or two ago. The suggestions for telecom companies released Tuesday are largely technical in nature, urging encryption, centralization and consistent monitoring to deter cyber intrusions. If implemented, the security precautions could help disrupt the operation, dubbed Salt Typhoon, and make it harder for China or any other nation to mount a similar attack in the future, experts say. Trump's pick to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel was allegedly the target of cyberattack attempt by Iranian-backed hackers. Neuberger pointed to efforts made to beef up cybersecurity in the rail, aviation, energy and other sectors following the May 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline . “So, to prevent ongoing Salt Typhoon type intrusions by China, we believe we need to apply a similar minimum cybersecurity practice,” Neuberger said. The cyberattack by a gang of criminal hackers on the critical U.S. pipeline, which delivers about 45% of the fuel used along the Eastern Seaboard, sent ripple effects across the economy, highlighting cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the nation’s aging energy infrastructure. Colonial confirmed it paid $4.4 million to the gang of hackers who broke into its computer systems as it scrambled to get the nation's fuel pipeline back online. Picture this: You're on vacation in a city abroad, exploring museums, tasting the local cuisine, and people-watching at cafés. Everything is going perfectly until you get a series of alerts on your phone. Someone is making fraudulent charges using your credit card, sending you into a panic. How could this have happened? Cyberattacks targeting travelers are nothing new. But as travel has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, so has the volume of hackers and cybercriminals preying upon tourists. Financial fraud is the most common form of cybercrime experienced by travelers, but surveillance via public Wi-Fi networks, social media hacking, and phishing scams are also common, according to a survey by ExpressVPN . Spokeo consulted cybersecurity sources and travel guides to determine some of the best ways to protect your phone while traveling, from using a VPN to managing secure passwords. Online attacks are not the only type of crime impacting travelers—physical theft of phones is also a threat. Phones have become such invaluable travel aids, housing our navigation tools, digital wallets, itineraries, and contacts, that having your phone stolen, lost, or compromised while abroad can be devastating. Meanwhile, traveling can make people uniquely vulnerable to both cyber and physical attacks due to common pitfalls like oversharing on social media and letting your guard down when it comes to taking risks online. Luckily, there are numerous precautions travelers can take to safeguard against cyberattacks and phone theft. Hackers can—and do—target public Wi-Fi networks at cafés and hotels to gain access to your personal information or install malware onto your device, particularly on unsecured networks. Travelers are especially vulnerable to these types of cybersecurity breaches because they are often more reliant on public Wi-Fi than they would be in their home countries where they have more robust phone plans. This reliance on public, unsecured networks means travelers are more likely to use those networks to perform sensitive tasks like financial transfers, meaning hackers can easily gain access to banking information or other passwords. One easy way to safeguard yourself against these breaches is to use a virtual private network, or VPN, while traveling. VPNs are apps that encrypt your data and hide your location, preventing hackers from accessing personal information. An added bonus is that VPNs allow you to access websites that may be blocked or unavailable in the country you are visiting. To use a VPN, simply download a VPN app on your phone or computer, create an account, choose a server, and connect. If your phone falls into the wrong hands, there's a good chance you won't be getting it back. Out of those 91,000 phones stolen in London in 2022, only 1,915 (or about 2%) were recovered. The good news is that you can take precautions to make the loss of your phone less devastating by backing up your data before you travel. With backed-up data, you can acquire a new device and still access your photos, contacts, messages, and passwords. Moreover, if you have "Find My Device" or "Find My Phone" enabled, you can remotely wipe your stolen phone's data so the thief cannot access it. It's safest to back up your data to a hard drive and not just the cloud. That way, if you have to wipe your device, you don't accidentally erase the backup, too. In order for the previous tip on this list to work, "Find My Phone" must be turned on in advance, but remotely wiping your device isn't the only thing this feature allows you to do. The "Find My Phone" feature enables you to track your device, as long as it's turned on and not in airplane mode. This is particularly helpful if you misplaced your phone or left it somewhere since it can help you retrace your steps. While this feature won't show you the live location of a phone that has been turned off, it will show the phone's last known location. With "Find My Phone," you can also remotely lock your phone or enable "Lost Mode," which locks down the phone, suspends any in-phone payment methods, and displays contact information for returning the phone to you. If your phone was stolen, experts caution against taking matters into your own hands by chasing down the thief, since this could land you in a potentially dangerous situation and is unlikely to result in getting your phone back. Strong passwords for important accounts help protect your information while you travel, but it's just a first step. The National Cybersecurity Alliance recommends creating long, unique, and complex passwords for every account and combining them with multifactor authentication to create maximum barriers to entry. If you're worried about remembering these passwords, password managers can be a vital tool for both creating and storing strong passwords. Password managers are apps that act as secure vaults for all your passwords. Some even come with a feature that allows you to temporarily delete sensitive passwords before you travel and then easily restore them once you return. Story editing by Mia Nakaji Monnier. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Spokeo and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

Things are starting to look up for the Seattle Kraken. The Kraken won five of six games on their just-completed homestand to surpass hockey's version of .500 (10-9-1) and move within a point of the Western Conference's two wild-card playoff spots. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. The aging of the Baby Boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) has significantly increased the share of the U.S. population aged 55+ during the past decade: from 24.9% in 2010, to 30.2% in 2023. And a growing number of these Americans are opting to age in place or downsize—creati... Click for more. American Cities With the Oldest HomebuyersConditions in abandoned mine are too dangerous for crew searching for Pennsylvania woman UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — An abandoned coal mine is too unstable and unsafe for rescuers looking for a 64-year-old Pennsylvania woman who may have been swallowed by a sinkhole. Authorities said Wednesday that the crumbling mine was complicating efforts and endangering the workers searching for Elizabeth Pollard. A state police spokesperson says the integrity of the mine has been compromised and that rescuers are reassessing their tactics to avoid putting themselves in danger. The search began early Tuesday, when Pollard’s family called police to say she had not been seen since going out Monday evening to look for her cat. WWE is seeking a bigger stage and Netflix, pushing for more live events, is providing it WWE will perform on a stage next month that could be vastly larger than its current home on cable television when it makes its “Raw” debut on Netflix. The sports entertainment company is moving to a platform with about 283 million subscribers worldwide as it departs its current home on the USA Network, which averaged 688,000 viewers in prime-time last year, according to the Nielsen company. For Netflix, onboarding the WWE is part of strategic move to air more live events on the heels of a hugely successful fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul that was viewed by more than 60 million people. Michigan court upholds light sentence for woman who killed dad in dispute over ride DETROIT (AP) — The Michigan Court of Appeals has declined to overturn a light jail sentence for a young woman who killed her father by burning him with a dangerous powder. Prosecutors said Megan Imirowicz was upset when her father couldn’t drive her to a hair appointment before her 18th birthday party. Imirowicz was sentenced to only a year in jail in 2023. She actually spent more than a year in custody because she was locked up before trial and while awaiting her punishment in suburban Detroit. Sumo wrestlers bring 1,500 years of tradition to London as the sport has an international moment LONDON (AP) — London’s Royal Albert Hall is preparing to host a different kind of spectacle: Sumo wrestling. Wrestlers put on an exhibition of heavyweight grappling to promote a tournament scheduled for next October. It marks only the second time an elite five-day tournament will be held outside Japan. The first was held in 1991 at the same venue. Organizers are hoping to whip up the kind of excitement that was generated three decades ago, when the deeply ritualistic sport attracted sell-out crowds and a national television audience. The end of an Eras tour approaches, marking a bittersweet moment for Taylor Swift fans NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to an end after the popstar performed more than 150 shows across five continents over nearly two years. Since launching the tour in 2023, Swift has shattered sales and attendance records. It's even created such an economic boom that the Federal Reserve took note. But for many who attended the concerts, and the millions more who eagerly watched on their screens, the tour also became a beacon of joy. It's become a chance not only to appreciate Swift’s expansive music career, but also celebrate the yearslong journey fans have taken with her. Jury revisits key videos in NYC subway chokehold death trial NEW YORK (AP) — Jurors have asked to review police and bystander video at the heart of the New York City chokehold manslaughter case against Daniel Penny. The request came during a second day of deliberations Wednesday. The jury asked for a second look at videos captured by the body cameras of officers who responded to the subway car where Penny grabbed hold of Jordan Neely in May 2023. Neely's agitated behavior and remarks were frightening passengers. Jurors also asked to revisit Penny's interview with detectives and a bystander's video of much of the roughly six-minute restraint. And the jury also requested to rehear part of a city medical examiner’s testimony. Penny's lawyers say his actions were justified. Relatives hunt for the missing after Guinea stadium crush amid fears official death toll is too low CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Kambaly Kouroumah was searching a local morgue for his teenage brother, Adama, who died after chaos erupted at a soccer game in southern Guinea’s Nzerekore city. Adama, 15, was among 56 people that officials said were killed in Sunday's crush, although rights groups reported a death toll nearly three times higher. Local media, rights groups and witnesses say security forces used tear gas to respond after fans began to throw stones to protest a referee's decision during the soccer game that was organized in honor of Guinea's junta leader, Col. Mamadi Doumbouya. Many of the dead were crushed as they tried to escape through the stadium gates, videos showed. Power shortages in Ecuador are melting away the future of a small town’s ice-cream industry SALCEDO, Ecuador (AP) — Ice-cream production in this quiet Ecuadorian town began in the mid-20th century in a convent for Franciscan nuns. The nuns sold their creamy popsicles in town to gather funds for the poor. But the people of Salcedo saw a business opportunity and began experimenting with new flavors and techniques, establishing a thriving popsicle industry that has made their small town famous among ice-cream lovers. But now, the South American nation is struggling with a relentless wave of power cuts that threaten the future of Salcedo’s ice-cream industry, melting away its dreams of a more prosperous future. Senegalese artisans in the spotlight as they exhibit for the first time at a prestigious art event DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — For the artistic and cultural elites of the West African nation of Senegal, the monthlong Dakar Biennale of Contemporary African Arts is a celebratory moment. But it wasn’t until this year that the local artisans in the Soumbedioune crafts market, just off the Corniche and at the doorstep on the Medina working-class neighborhood, realized what the Biennale was. Craftsmanship is deeply rooted in the country’s culture, but its role has declined in recent years. As living costs rise, many Senegalese opt for cheaper, Chinese-imported products. And those that can afford it buy Western clothes and furniture to mark their social status. Eminem's mother Debbie Nelson, whose rocky relationship fueled the rapper's lyrics, dies at age 69 Debbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem whose rocky relationship with her son was known widely through his song lyrics, has died. She was 69. Eminem’s longtime representative Dennis Dennehy confirmed Nelson’s death in an email on Tuesday. He did not provide a cause of death, although Nelson had battled lung cancer. Nelson’s fraught relationship with her son, whose real name is Marshall Mathers III, has been no secret since the Detroit rapper became a star. Nelson brought and settled two defamation lawsuits over Eminem’s statements about her in magazines and on radio talk shows. In her 2008 book, “My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem,” she attempted to set the record straight.

Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow recordMacron spoke after the fall of the government: Instead of the people, they chose chaos

It turns out the magic potion needed to end Aston Villa’s miserable run came in a bottle of peroxide applied to Morgan Rogers’s hair. The England midfielder went bright blond after a trip to the barbers and could not have been happier with the results – his opening goal giving Villa lift-off as they finally won a match after going eight games without victory. Rogers also provided an assist for Matty Cash after Ollie Watkins had scored from the penalty spot, with only Mikkel Damsgaard’s second-half goal making it slightly nervy after the interval. “They can do whatever they like with that but, on the field, I want them committed, working tactically and with the attitude we need to play serious and compact and disciplined,” said Unai Emery, the Villa manager. “Then he can be the protagonist, not for his hair and more for his football. Scoring like he did was fantastic, because this is the way to get confidence again.” The first 45 minutes was an emphatic answer to whether this was a mini-blip for Emery, or a more deep-rooted problem for the team who shook up the natural order in the Premier League last season by finishing in the Champions League places. Rogers has enjoyed a stunning few weeks, making his England debut last month and backing it up with a match-winning performance just when there were suggestions of Villa heading towards crisis. Such is the competitiveness of this season, victory takes Villa within sight of the European places, despite their recent run. “The message is to try and focus on each match and forget the table and how we were then and how we are now,” Emery added. “I don’t want to speak about what it does for the table. I spoke before about the top five, but now we have to keep calm and recover.” Rogers’s hair was the highlight of an opening period short on quality and desperate for somebody to stamp their mark on the game, which the Villa midfielder did by running from his own half into enemy territory and then swapping passes with Watkins before curling into the top corner. Watkins scored his seventh goal of the season with a penalty after winning the spot kick himself, getting knocked off balance by Ethan Pinnock as he ran through on goal. Young referee Lewis Smith, who made his Premier League debut last season, was backed by VAR, but it was a tight call. Rogers provided the assist for the third goal, floated to the far post, where Cash volleyed in. Emery had made a huge call dropping Pau Torres to give Tyrone Mings his first Premier League start of the season, and first since conceding a penalty against Club Brugge with a bizarre handball when he thought the ball was dead. Denmark midfielder Damsgaard pulled one back for Brentford but their run of failing to win away this season continued. 10:14 PM GMT City stop the rot A seven-match winless run comes to an end for ✅ — Premier League (@premierleague) 10:13 PM GMT Full-time scores from Wednesday night All the final scores from an action-packed evening. Goal-happy Chelsea and Arsenal have cut Liverpool’s lead to seven points. Manchester City’s seven-game winless run ended without drama at the Etihad and they’re back up to fourth, nine behind Arne Slot’s men. At the bottom, Everton scored four to move up to 15th place. Wolves and Southampton, mired in the relegation zone, were on the receiving end of thrashings. Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0 Aston Villa 3 Brentford 1 Everton 4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Manchester City 3 Nottingham Forest 0 Newcastle United 3 Liverpool 3 Southampton 1 Chelsea 5 10:10 PM GMT Full-time: Aston Villa 3 Brentford 1 Villa ran riot in the opening 35 minutes and that fierce start was more than enough to ensure all three points. They move up to seventh, passing ninth-placed Brentford. Morgan Rogers will be good for dozens more England caps, based on his influential display. Home is where the happiness is for both Villa and Brentford. They will seek to improve their away form in coming months. 10:07 PM GMT Full-time: Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0 Arsenal reduce the deficit to leaders Liverpool to seven points. Once again, their set-pieces made the difference. Some lessons for Ruben Amorim. He never said it would be easy. United frustrated the home side in the first half, but Arsenal’s quality showed after the hour mark and the away side offered little of substance in attack. What is Ruben Amorim thinking? — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 10:05 PM GMT Southampton did not stand a chance 5.29 - Chelsea's xG tonight was the most Opta has on record (2008-09 onwards) by an away team in a Premier League match (5.29). Domination. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) 10:03 PM GMT 90 mins: Arsenal 2 United 0 Declan Rice swings in a corner and it hits a few heads at the front post, nearly going in for another goal. No team seems able to handle Arsenal’s set-piece threat. Four minutes of stoppage time. 09:59 PM GMT 87 mins: Arsenal 2 United 0 Sharp set-piece work from Manchester United, but no cigar. That was one straight off the training pitch. Fernandes plays it to Antony on the left after shaping to shoot from a free kick. He shot hard and straight at Raya, who collected it after Kiwior chested it down to him. A few minutes left here and at Villa Park. Looks like both home teams will hold on. 09:56 PM GMT When a picture is worth a thousand words... Every time Arsenal have a corner - and they’ve had 12 - they look capable of scoring. 09:53 PM GMT 75 mins: Villa 3 Brentford 1 Tyrone Mings heads just over from a corner. Encouraging performance from the 31-year-old after a lengthy lay-out due to a knee injury. The home side look a bit less nervy. 09:47 PM GMT GOAL! Arsenal 2 United 0 - Saliba Yet another Arsenal goal from a set-piece. A Saka corner to the back post and Thomas Partey cannons a header in. It comes off Saliba’s derriere, with several United defenders crammed together on the goal-line. Thoughtless defending there, just when United had enjoyed a positive spell. A Var check briefly appears to be checking for handball, but it’s over quickly. Man Utd just CANNOT DEAL with Arsenal's corners! 😯 The Gunners have their second goal thanks to William Saliba! ✌️ — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 09:39 PM GMT 66 mins: Arsenal 1 Manchester United 0 David Raya seemed to hang in the air for seconds, diving to his left to keep out a Matthijs De Ligt header from a free kick. We’ve had some goalkeeper howlers tonight, but that is top-draw from the Spaniard. Manchester United are looking more confident and fluent as they chase an equaliser. David Raya, that's a sensational save! 👏 — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 09:37 PM GMT Brentford not going down without a fight This is an important spell in the match. Villa were cruising at 3-0 but that Damsgaard goals has made it quiet around Villa Park. Brentford could make this a very nervous second half with another goal, given the run Unai Emery’s team have been on. 09:34 PM GMT GOAL! Villa 3 Brentford 1 - Damsgaard Twinkle-toed Rasmus Damsgaard jinks and jives around a few Villa defenders and hammers the ball into the net. The ball had been poorly headed away by Cash - well, more like headed into the Dane’s path, but he had a lot to do. 09:32 PM GMT Full-time scores for the 7.30pm kick-offs Arsenal have a chance to reduce Liverpool’s advantage after the leaders’ all-action draw on Tyneside. Chelsea are now seven points down on Arne Slot’s players and are the top scorers in the Premier League, with 31 goals in 14 games. At the other end, it’s a priceless three points for Everton. The manner in which they did it will restore a lot of confidence and belief too. Few positives to take for Southampton, mind, who played most of the match with ten players. Everton 4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Manchester City 3 Nottingham Forest 0 Newcastle United 3 Liverpool 3 Southampton 1 Chelsea 5 09:27 PM GMT GOAL! Arsenal 1 United 0 - Timber As it ends honours even in Newcastle, Liverpool’s title rivals Arsenal are a goal to the good. Declan Rice swung in a corner and Jurrien Timber comes through a crowded six-yard box and glances the ball home, with Onana rooted to the spot. A few suggestions of a push lead to no action from the referee. Arsenal just LOVE scoring from set-pieces! Jurrien Timber glances his header into the net to hand the Gunners a lead over Man Utd! — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 09:23 PM GMT 90+2 mins: Newcastle 3 Liverpool 3 Big penalty shout in the dying embers as the ball strikes Dan Burn as he turns away. Nothing doing from the ref - good call. Meanwhile, Manchester City and Chelsea are minutes away from comfortable victories. 09:21 PM GMT GOAL! Newcastle 3 Liverpool 3 - Schar Kelleher will be up all night thinking about that mistake. He saw a deep free kick sailing over his head and took his hands away, thinking it would go out. Big mistake. Fabian Schar slides in at the back post and converts it from an acute angle. Fine finish, but the Liverpool goalkeeper should have claimed that. WHAT IS HAPPENING?! Fabian Schar with a wonderful finish to make it 3-3 heading into added time! — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 09:18 PM GMT GOAL! Southampton 1 Chelsea 5 - Sancho They were queuing up, with five against three on the break. Jadon Sancho smashes home a rare goal, lashing in the ball. He seems to be enjoying his football again in a Chelsea shirt. Jadon Sancho scores his first goal in Chelsea colours! A FIVE-STAR performance! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 09:14 PM GMT GOAL! Newcastle 2 Liverpool 3 - Salah Sheer quality from Mo Salah. Time seems to slow down when he takes the ball. Alexander-Arnold crosses, Salah controls it with his right leg, turns in an instant and fires the ball home with his left. No wonder Slot is pumping his fists. SALAH IS HIM! 😤 Liverpool lead for the first time - and what a goal it is 🤤 — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 09:12 PM GMT 81 mins: Newcastle 2 Liverpool 2 Salah comes very close to a winner, weaving in on the right and slamming the stanchion with his shot. Nick Pope was beaten. Alexander-Arnold and Szoboslai have revitalised Slot’s men, coming off the bench. 09:10 PM GMT GOAL! Southampton 1 Chelsea 4 - Palmer Cole Palmer taps in from a yard out, helping on a trickling Nkunku shot which was part-blocked. It was coming. Chelsea could have had eight. 09:07 PM GMT GOAL! Everton 4 Wolves 0 - Dawson own goal After the famine comes the goal feast for Sean Dyche’s players. Dominic Calvert-Lewin marks his return to the starting XI with a goal, diving in with a header from a free-kick. More woe for Wolves and their leaky defence. Well, in fact, it was a second Craig Dawson own goal. 09:05 PM GMT Half-time scores in the 8.15pm kick-offs Little quality to report from Arsenal v Manchester United so far. A very different story at Villa Park. Arsenal 0 Manchester United 0 Aston Villa 3 Brentford 0 09:04 PM GMT Pressure grows on O’Neil Wolves fans are taunting Gary O’Neil and calling for his sacking. 09:02 PM GMT 72 mins: Southampton 1 Chelsea 3 It has been like shooting practice at St Mary’s. Joao Felix miscued a headed sitter and Lumley saves well with his feet from Madueke. A dispiriting evening for the ten men of Southampton. 08:59 PM GMT GOAL! Newcastle 2 Liverpool 2 - Salah What a response from Arne Slot’s side. Trent Alexander-Arnold, so often the assister, fired it into the near post from the byline and Mo Salah helped it into the far corner. Cute finish, passing it through Newcastle. The away side are showing their fighting spirit. "SO SLICK!" 👌 Trent Alexander-Arnold to Mo Salah and we're level again at St James' Park! — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 08:56 PM GMT GOAL! Newcastle 2 Liverpool 1 - Gordon Anthony Gordon gives Newcastle the lead again. Isak drew Quansah in and that was all the space the England international needed. He cut inside Gomez sharply, then hit it low past Kelleher. The keeper got a hand to it, but it was not enough. Newcastle are BACK IN FRONT! ⚫️ ⚪️ Isak turns provider for Gordon to slot home — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 08:52 PM GMT GOAL! Villa 3 Brentford 0 - Cash Matty Cash bags his first goal in 20 months, hitting home from a deflected Morgan Rogers cross at the back post. He got it on target from an acute angle and it had too much heat for Flekken. Villa are purring here. 08:49 PM GMT GOAL! City 3 Forest 0 - Doku A Jeremy Doku special. Running from the halfway line, he bamboozles a back-tracking defender and curls the ball past Sels into the corner. Fine individual goal. It’s looking good for City and Guardiola. Ship a little steadier? That finesse finish 🤩 Jeremy Doku has Pep Guardiola's side on track for a massive win — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 08:46 PM GMT GOAL! Everton 3 Wolves 0 - Dawson own goal That ought to be three precious points in the bag. Calvert-Lewin rises highest at the back post to head in from a corner. However, it transpires that it came off Dawson’s hands. Maybe that explains the sheepish celebration from the striker. 08:44 PM GMT GOAL! Villa 2 Brentford 0 - Watkins (pen) Ollie Watkins was bundled over in the box by Ethan Pinnock and he pops up to roll the penalty into the back of the net - just. Flekken guessed right, but his hand wasn’t strong enough. 08:42 PM GMT GOAL! Newcastle 1 Liverpool 1 - Jones On the right flank, Salah spots Curtis Jones haring into the box and picks him out perfectly. He steers it in off the crossbar on the half-volley. Pope was caught a bit flat-footed, but there was too much pace on it. 08:37 PM GMT GOAL! Villa 1 Brentford 0 - Rogers New haircut, same quality from bleach-blond Morgan Rogers. He made that chance too. He drove forward, got the ball back from Watkins, opened up his body and curled the ball into the top-right corner from the edge of the 18-yard box. Classy finish. 08:36 PM GMT Reasons to be cheerful for Guardiola 08:31 PM GMT Wolves paying the price for defensive sloppiness Everton deservedly ahead. Wolves will be doomed if they keep setting themselves the challenge of needing to score three a game to win. They have the capacity to create chances and might prey on home nerves as the game progresses if they can one back, but if Everton stay positive they will score more in the second half. 08:28 PM GMT 12 mins: Arsenal 0 Manchester United 0 Andre Onana nearly gave a goal away early doors by passing out to the Arsenal attack. United have barely got out of first gear, it’s all Arsenal at the moment. 08:26 PM GMT Rogers with a new do Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers has made an eye-catching start to the game - with his new hairstyle. The England midfielder has bleached blonde hair, which is a very different look to earlier in the season when he earned his international call-up. 08:25 PM GMT Half-time scores Chelsea could have had five or six goals and they trot off a man to the good against hapless Southampton. Everton are halfway to a precious three points and Manchester City’s seven-match winless run could be over in an hour’s time. Work to do for Arne Slot and Liverpool after Alexander Isak’s sublime finish. Everton 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Manchester City 2 Nottingham Forest 0 Newcastle United 1 Liverpool 0 Southampton 1 Chelsea 3 08:19 PM GMT Wolves toothless at the back Wolves’ vulnerabilities exposed again as Everton finally double their lead. The visitors just aren’t tough enough defensively. This is turning into the perfect game for Dyche to relieve pressure. 08:18 PM GMT Arsenal v Man United kicks off The two 8.15pm kick-offs are underway. You can follow Arsenal v Manchester United - Maguire and Mount are starting, interesting - and Villa v Brentford has just started. 08:16 PM GMT Southampton’s early Christmas presents to Chelsea Chelsea don’t look comfortable defensively but Southampton have gifted them two goals. The first the result of a simple failure to defend from a corner and the second, one of the unfortunate hallmarks of their season, a calamitous attempt to play out from the back. Christopher Nkunku won’t score an easier goal than that. 08:15 PM GMT Gvardiol at the heart of affairs It’s been an eventful half for Gvardiol, who is notionally a left back but spending most of this game popping up in positions you’d expect of a No. 10. He has three league goals this season and probably should have had another two tonight, heading an inviting chance wide in the 15th minute and then dragging a shot wide when one on one after being released by Haaland. In between times, he was knocked off the ball by Jota Silva, who teed up Morgan Gibbs-White for a chance Ortega pushed wide. Attacking wise Gvardiol has been a real threat, defensively he has looked less sure. 08:14 PM GMT 39 mins: Southampton 1 Chelsea 3 It goes from bad to worse for Russell Martin and bottom-of-the-table Southampton. Jack Stephens pulls Marc Cucurella’s hair and he’s sent off. Clear as day. A silly, petulant foul. No way back for the home side now, surely. Jack Stephens has been SENT OFF FOR PULLING MARC CUCURELLA'S HAIR! 😱 — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 08:10 PM GMT GOAL! Newcastle 1 Liverpool 0 - Isak Alexander Isak with the best goal of the evening so far. He blasts an unstoppable shot from 25 yards out after wrongfooting Virgil van Dijk, which takes some doing. Impressive power and accuracy. WHAT A HIT! ☄️ Alexander Isak, that is special. Newcastle lead Liverpool! — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 08:08 PM GMT GOAL! Everton 2 Wolves 0 - Mangala Orel Mangala gives Everton a buffer. The ball came back to him on the edge of the box and he made no mistake, helped by a slight deflection to make it past Jose Sa. They had not scored in the Premier League since the end of October, now two goals have come along in the first 33 minutes. 08:06 PM GMT GOAL! Southampton 1 Chelsea 3 - Madueke Noni Madueka has room on the right, cuts inside Manning and shoots past Lumley into the fast corner. His star continues to rise. And there are more goals coming... 08:05 PM GMT GOAL! Manchester City 2 Forest 0 - De Bruyne Kevin De Bruyne lashes home Manchester City’s second. Doku jinked inside and his compatriot was afforded far too much space to fire high into the corner of the net past Sels. A neatly-worked goal, it is like he has never been out of the team. Bodes well for ending the winless run, but City have thrown away bigger leads in recent weeks... A goal to go with his assist! Kevin De Bruyne back to his best for Man City 👏 — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 08:02 PM GMT 29 mins: City 1 Forest 0 Chris Wood misses when through on goal. Sloppy play from De Bruyne passing back gifted it to the prolific New Zealander who charged through. Ortega dived to his left but the ball rolled wide of the right post. That’s a big let-off for Guardiola’s men. 08:01 PM GMT Var controversy at Everton After a prolonged VAR check, Tarkowski’s goal is disallowed for Mangala blocking Lemina during the free-kick. It’s highly contentious. It’s an escape for Wolves, but their biggest problem right now is they can’t defend. Wolves will feel a few dodgy decisions in their favour are overdue, but not even the staunchest away fan would have complained had Tarkowski’s goal stood. It looks like the kind of unnecessary intervention Howard Webb promised would stop. 07:58 PM GMT 26 mins: Southampton 1 Chelsea 2 Lumley redeems himself a little with a smart save from Cole Palmer, palming it onto the post after the on-form Englishman was put through. From the corner, Tosin heads onto the crossbar. Southampton need to be careful or this game will quickly get away from them. 07:56 PM GMT Brentford missing cultured Scandi core; kick-off at 8.15 It will be interesting to see how Brentford get on without their engine room. Mathias Jensen and Christian Norgaard are out injured and the central midfielders are replaced by Yehor Yarmolyuk and Vitaly Janelt from the team that defeated Leicester 4-1. 07:54 PM GMT We need to talk about Kevin City have started with a bang and that man Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the starting XI seems to have given them added impetus. He picked out Erling Haaland with a pinpoint pull back that the Norway striker lashed at Matz Sels and has just played his part in City taking the lead, firing a header goalwards from Ilkay Gundogan’s cross that Bernardo poked in on the line. 07:52 PM GMT 19 mins: Everton 1 Wolves 0 James Tarkowski rises, heading a Dwight McNeil free-kick into the bottom corner to give Everton a buffer... but Var rules it out. Orel Mangala was deemed to be offside. Nevertheless, Dyche’s men have started strongly. 07:49 PM GMT GOAL! Southampton 1 Chelsea 2 - Nkunku That is an early Christmas gift. No danger at all for Southampton as the defence looks to build from the back. The goalkeeper Lumley plays it slowly towards a defender, the watchful Madueke pounces and passes it to Nkunku who taps the ball into an empty net. Joe Lumley was more like Joanna Lumley there. 07:46 PM GMT GOAL! Everton 1 Wolves 0 - Young The home side are in front and Everton have their first goal in four Premier League matches. Ashley Young bends in a low free-kick from 25 yards out round the outside of the Wolves wall. That is his 50th Premier League and his first for 26 months. 4 - Ashley Young is now the fourth-oldest scorer in Premier League history (39y 148d), and the oldest to score from a direct free kick. Smarts. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) 07:44 PM GMT GOAL! Southampton 1 Chelsea 1 - Aribo Game on at the South Coast. Walker-Peters waltzes into the area and plays a ball across and Joe Aribo makes amends, tapping it past Jorgenson. That’s just desserts for the dynamic way the relegation strugglers have started. Quick response! ⚡️ After falling behind, Southampton have an equaliser against Chelsea thanks to Joe Aribo! — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 07:41 PM GMT GOAL! Manchester City 1 Forest 0 - Bernardo Silva Bernardo Silva pinches the opener. Gundogan made a late run and sent a well-judged dink to the back post where Kevin De Bruyne threw himself at it. His effort was goalbound, but Bernardo Silva got the final touch about 50 centimetres from the goal line. He’s nabbed that one. Just the start Pep Guardiola wanted. Always love a headed assist 👌 Kevin De Bruyne tees up Bernardo Silva for his first league goal of the season — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 07:39 PM GMT GOAL! Southampton 0 Chelsea 1 - Disasi Axel Disasi nods home Enzo Fernandez’s corner at the front post. The Southampton defence were like statues. Having had a gilt-edged chance of their own, the home side are already a goal down. 07:37 PM GMT Jack Grealish’s chance to shine Guardiola has taken a leaf out of Lee Carsley’s book by starting Jack Grealish in midfield alongside De Bruyne and Gundogan. Grealish hasn’t scored in the league this season and City could really do with the England midfielder finding some form. 07:34 PM GMT 2 mins: Southampton 0 Chelsea 0 Joe Aribo has missed an absolute sitter from ten yards out. Well-stopped by Jorgenson but it should have been tucked well out of his reach. Goals have been hard to come by for Russell Martin’s basement dwellers and they might be made to rue that. 07:31 PM GMT Kick-off is here Here are the 7.30pm kick-offs about to get underway. Christmas anthems are pumping at stadiums around the country and opponents’ hands are being limply shaken: Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers Manchester City v Nottingham Forest Newcastle United v Liverpool Southampton v Chelsea 07:28 PM GMT Can Calvert-Lewin help to move Everton out of danger? The great Beto renaissance lasted just one game, sadly for the Everton striker. Dominic Calvert-Lewin returns with Sean Dyche demanding more from him. Calvert-Lewin might be entitled to demand more service to oblige the request. Everton desperately need a win given their schedule. Wolves will sense a chance to prove they are in a false position. 07:27 PM GMT Cole Palmer could be in the goals again 07:23 PM GMT Chelsea make seven changes Joao Felix, Nkunku and Madueke are up top among seven changes made by Enzo Maresca. Only Cucurella is retained at the back, while Filip Jorgensen makes his first Premier League start in goal. Well, Chelsea do have the strength-in-depth to make these kind of wholesale changes and still come out on top. For the home side, Harwood-Bellis, Downes and Dibling are all suspended, in come Bree, Wood, Aribo and Ryan Fraser. Lumley; Walker-Peters, Bree, Stephens, Wood, Manning; Fernandes, Aribo; Armstrong, Archer, Fraser. McCarthy, Edwards. Sugawara, Taylor, Cornet, O’Brien-Whitmarsh, Amo-Ameyaw, Brereton Diaz, Kamaldeen. Jorgensen; Gusto, Disasi, Tosin, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Joao Felix; Nkunku. Sanchez, Badiashile, Colwill, Veiga, Dewsbury-Hall, Lavia, Neto, Sancho, Jackson. 07:16 PM GMT Aston Villa v Brentford line-ups Tyrone Mings and Leon Bailey start in place of Pau Torres and Jaden Philogene for the home side. A pair of tweaks for Brentford too, as Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt slot in for Christian Norsgaard and Mathias Jensen. Kick off is at 8.15pm. How we start against the Bees tonight 👊 — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) 🐝 Your Bees to take on Aston Villa — Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) 07:10 PM GMT Arsenal v Man Utd teams are out; changes galore and Gabriel out Gabriel is out injured, alongside defensive partner Riccardo Calafiori. Zinchenko and Kiwior come in at the back, while Thomas Partey gets the call ahead of Leandro Trossard on the wing. Mikel Arteta’s fourth change to their five-goal shellacking of West Ham is opting for Thomas Partey ahead of Jorginho. Ruben Amorim said he would rotate the squad and he has made six amendments to the starting team who won with similar comfort against Everton at the weekend. Maguire and Ugarte are in for the suspended Martinez and Mainoo. Amad makes way for Malacia. Mount, Garnacho and Hojlund come in, with weekend scorers Rashford and Zirkzee on the bench. Raya, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka, Havertz. Neto, Tierney, Heaven, Jorginho, Merino, Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling, Jesus. Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Maguire; Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Malacia, Mount, Garnacho, Hojlund. Bayindir, Kukonki, Yoro, Casemiro, Eriksen, Amad, Antony, Rashford, Zirkzee. 07:03 PM GMT Newcastle will be no walkovers Let's get to work. 👊 — Newcastle United (@NUFC) 07:01 PM GMT Arne Slot makes three changes; Alexander-Arnold benched Here it is in good old black-and-white. One change for Eddie Howe’s side, as Jacob Murphy replaces Joe Willock. Alexander Isak is fit and starts. Three for Liverpool, as Jarrell Quansah, Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez come into the line-up. Luis Diaz, Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold start on the bench. Pope, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Guimaraes, Murphy, Joelinton, Isak, Gordon. Dubravka, Wilson, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff. Kelleher, Gomez, Van Dijk, Quansah, Robertson, Mac Allister, Jones, Gravenberch, Salah, Gakpo, Nunez. Jaros, Endo, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Elliott, Nallo, Alexander-Arnold, Morton, Nyoni. 06:52 PM GMT De Bruyne starts as captain for City, one of four changes Kevin De Bruyne is back and pulling on the captain’s (rainbow, I expect) armband today for his first start in nearly three months. The experienced Belgian midfield magician is one of four changes to City’s starting XI in their 2-0 defeat against Liverpool. Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish are also starting. Doku gave them a little more energy and penetration when he came on in the second-half at Anfield. Anthony Elanga is one of three changes made by Nuno Espirito Santo for Forest, alongside Dominguez and Moreno. Ortega; Gvardiol, Dias, Akanji, Ake; Grealish, Doku, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Gundogan, Haaland. Ederson, Carson, Walker, Savinho, Nunes, Wright, O’Reilly, Lewis, McAtee. Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Yates, Dominguez, Jota Silva, Gibbs-White, Elanga, Wood. Carlos Miguel, Morato, Williams, Anderson, Awoniyi, Hudson-Odoi, Da Silva Moreira, Ward-Prowse, Sosa. 06:41 PM GMT In the last of the 7.30pm kick-offs, the Everton v Wolves starting XIs Tonight's Toffees to face ! 🔵⚪️ — Everton (@Everton) 4⃣ Four changes from ➡️ Doherty, Bueno, Dawson & Guedes into the XI How we line-up to face . 🐺📋 — Wolves (@Wolves) 06:40 PM GMT How Southampton and Chelsea line up Your starting XI ❤️ — Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) Your Chelsea. ✊ | — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) 06:38 PM GMT Newcastle United v Liverpool starting XIs HOWAY NEWCASTLE! ✊ — Newcastle United (@NUFC) Team news for our clash with Newcastle United 📋🔴 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) 06:33 PM GMT The Manchester City and Forest line-ups Lining up tonight 👊 XI | Ortega Moreno, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Gundogan, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Doku, Grealish, Haaland SUBS | Ederson, Carson, Walker, Savinho, Nunes, Wright, O'Reilly, Lewis, McAtee | — Manchester City (@ManCity) Your Forest XI to face . 👊 — Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) 06:30 PM GMT Six scintillating matches to enjoy tonight Good evening and welcome to ’s live, minute-by-minute Premier League clockwatch. There are six matches to get stuck into on a busy Wednesday night of action, four kicking off at 7.30pm and a brace at 8.15pm. League leaders Liverpool are away to Newcastle United. It’s an opportune time to be visiting, as Eddie Howe’s side are experiencing an inconsistent patch of form. Can they show their best and slow down Slot and company’s saunter to the title? In stark contrast, defending champions Manchester City have not won in seven matches, which has never happened under Pep Guardiola’s guardianship. The aura has gone, their defence has looked nervy and leaky, but surely the free-fall will end - and there will not be a seven-finger salute from their manager to away fans tonight. “We don’t have a squad [due to injuries],” Guardiola said. Rodri and John Stones are still crocked; Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake were previously out for a significant period of time. They go up against a very game Nottingham Forest outfit who will move ahead of them if they win at the Etihad. Who would have thought that possible four months ago? Unbeaten in five, Enzo Maresca’s free-scoring Chelsea have an opportunity to move into second place tonight, as the Londoners travel to bottom side Southampton. Wesley Fofana is out, nursing a hamstring injury sustained in Sunday’s win over Villa, but Southampton have a swathe of players banned or on the treatment table. They’ll be missing Tyler Dibling and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, whose bookings in their last match mean they are suspended tonight. In a match between fellow relegation fighters, Everton play Wolves. The home team hasn’t won in five and pressure is building on Sean Dyche. If the visitors take three points, they will move above their opponents and out of the relegation zone. The pick of the lot is 8.15pm kick-off, as Arsenal go up against rivals Manchester United. After Ipswich, Bodo/Glimt and Everton, this is Ruben Amorim’s first big test. Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo are suspended, though the side are unbeaten in seven games. Nevertheless, coming away from London with anything will be a big ask. Mikel Arteta’s men will be brimming with confidence after putting five past their last two opponents and United have lost seven of their last nine at the Emirates. “I have to say it again: the storm will come,” said Amorim yesterday, who warned after the match against Ipswich that United are “going to suffer for a long period”. “We know that we are in a different point, if you compare to Arsenal. We will try to win it and we go with confidence to win but we know that we need to play very well to win the next football match.” Rounding out the night’s action, in a mid-table clash, eighth-placed Brentford travel to Aston Villa (12th) in the other 8.15pm GMT kick-off. Team news coming imminently.

White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign

The claim: ICE data shows 425,431 convicted criminals – including 13,099 murderers – entered US under Biden and Harris An Oct. 2 Instagram post ( direct link , archive link ) from the conservative group Turning Point Action claims to share Immigration and Customs Enforcement data about the number of criminals who entered the U.S. under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. "BREAKING: According to a new report from the Deputy Director of ICE, Joe Biden and Border Czar Kamala Harris allowed a SHOCKING number of criminals into America, including: 13,099 Murderers, 15,811 Rapists, 425,431 Convicted Criminals," reads the post, which is a screenshot of a post on X, formerly Twitter. "Treason. Disqualifying. Evil."A Nov. 2 Facebook post echoed the claim, saying the Biden-Harris administration also "welcomed in" an additional 222,141 people facing criminal charges. The Instagram post was liked more than 9,000 times in seven weeks. More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page Our rating: False This claim misinterprets what the report says, according to immigration experts and the Department of Homeland Security. The ICE data referenced in the posts represents people who entered the U.S. over the last 40 years or longer, not just during the Biden-Harris administration. Most of them were convicted before Biden's presidency, an expert said. Social media users misinterpreted ICE data, experts say The statistics referenced in the posts come from a Sept. 25 letter that ICE Deputy Director Patrick Lechleitner sent to Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales , a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, in response to a request for the number of noncitizens with criminal histories on ICE's docket. Lechleitner's letter noted that 425,431 convicted criminals, including 13,099 with homicide convictions, were on ICE's "non-detained" docket as of July 21. Another 222,141 individuals on the non-detained docket had pending criminal charges. However, Luis Miranda , a Homeland Security spokesperson, said social media users have "misinterpreted" the data in the letter, as the numbers do not solely represent people who entered the U.S. under the Biden-Harris administration. "The data goes back decades; it includes individuals who entered the country over the past 40 years or more, the vast majority of whose custody determination was made long before this administration," Miranda said in an email. "It also includes many who are under the jurisdiction or currently incarcerated by federal, state or local law enforcement partners." Aaron Reichlin-Melnick , a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, similarly said the claim in the posts is "flatly wrong" because ICE's non-detained docket does not only include people who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration. People with green cards and others who entered the country legally can also end up on the docket if they've "committed an offense which renders them removable," like overstaying a visa, he said. "The docket includes people who entered the country at various points over multiple decades and with a wide variety of immigration statuses, and includes people who are currently in prison serving time but are nonetheless counted on the 'non-detained' docket because they are not detained by ICE," Reichlin-Melnick said in an email. Victor Romero , the interim dean at Penn State Law whose research includes immigration policy, agreed. In an email, he explained that the U.S. immigration system is "separate" from the "federal, state and local criminal justice systems." A noncitizen convicted of homicide under state law could be serving a state prison sentence and not show up as "detained" in the data because the person is not in ICE custody, he said. "So, the social media post that claims that the current administration has 'allowed' these 'criminals into America' is misleading because, as the DHS claims, many are likely incarcerated by other criminal law enforcement agencies, and are not roaming freely in the U.S.," Romero said in an email. E mily Brown , director of the immigration clinic at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, agreed, noting people on the non-detained list "could be in federal or state prison, or living in the community, or could even have left the United States without ICE’s knowledge." Fact check : Harris won some states that require voter ID, contrary to online claims ICE maintains "detained" and "non-detained" dockets. The "non-detained" docket includes most noncitizens in removal proceedings or subject to final removal orders, according to ICE's annual report for fiscal year 2023 . The agency logged about 6.2 million cases on its "non-detained" docket that year, up from about 4.7 million in fiscal year 2022. Comparatively, ICE had about 37,000 cases on its detained docket in fiscal year 2023, up from about 26,000 in fiscal year 2022, according to the report. Though it is not an apples-to-apples comparison, the number of "criminal noncitizens" arrested by Border Patrol during the Biden administration also falls far short of 425,000, according to Customs and Border Patrol statistics . The data shows 55,106 such arrests occurred from fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year 2024, a period that runs from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2024. That group included 180 convictions of manslaughter or homicide and 1,358 convictions of sexual offenses. These arrests involve individuals with prior convictions in the U.S. or abroad and are only a portion of total Border Patrol apprehensions, according to the Customs and Border Protection website . USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram and Facebook users who shared the posts for comment but did not immediately receive responses. FactCheck.org and AFP also debunked similar claims. Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here . USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta . This story was updated to correct at typo.Concerns over the extent of China-backed Salt Typhoon's intrusions into US telecom networks have prompted the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the FBI to issue guidance to the sector on addressing the threat. The detailed recommendations come as officials from the authoring agencies this week described victims of the attack — which include Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen — as still working to eradicate the threat actor from their networks. "We cannot say with certainty that the adversary has been evicted, because we still don't know the scope of what they're doing," Jeff Greene, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, said in a media call this week. "I have confidence that we are on top of it in terms of tracking them down and seeing what's going on, but we cannot, with confidence, say that we know everything," Greene said, according to a transcript of the media call that CISA made available to Dark Reading. Given where most victims are in their investigations, it is "impossible" to predict a timeframe for when they will complete fully evicting the threat actor, he said. Several security experts consider Salt Typhoon's attacks on US telecom infrastructure as one of the most egregious cyber espionage campaigns ever in size and scope. It's unknown how many companies the threat actor has compromised as part of the campaign so far, but known victims include some of the biggest telecom providers in the country, including AT&T and Verizon. The attacks enabled multiple activities, including theft of a large number of call detail records — such as a caller's and receiver's phone numbers, call duration, call type, and cell tower location — of telecom customers. In a smaller number of instances, Salt Typhoon used its presence on telecom provider networks to intercept calls and messages of targeted individuals, which include government officials and politicians. Separately, the threat actor also collected information on an unknown number of individuals who were the subjects of legal national security and law enforcement intercepts . "The continued investigation into the PRC targeting commercial telecom infrastructure has revealed a broad and significant cyber-espionage campaign," an FBI official said on background during this week's media call. "We have identified that PRC-affiliated cyber actors have compromised networks of multiple telecom companies to enable multiple activities. The new guidance for addressing the threat includes recommendations for quickly detecting Salt Typhoon activity, improving visibility, reducing existing vulnerabilities, eliminating common misconfigurations, and limiting the attack surface. The guidelines include a section devoted to hardening Cisco network gear, which the authoring agencies described as a popular target for the attacker in the ongoing campaign. "Right now, the hardening guidance that we put out specifically would make the activities that we've seen across the victims much harder to continue," Greene said. "In some cases, it might result in limiting their access." He described Salt Typhoon actors as employing a variety of tactics to breach victim networks, so response and mitigation approaches will differ on a case by case basis. "These are not cookie-cutter compromises in terms of how deeply compromised a victim might be, or what the actor has been able to do." Green and the FBI official on the media call recommended that individuals concerned about the privacy of their mobile device communications should consider using encrypted messaging apps — examples of which would include WhatsApp and Signal — and encrypted voice communications. "People looking to further protect their mobile device communications would benefit from considering using a cellphone that automatically receives timely operating system updates, responsibly managed encryption, and phishing resistant MFA for email, social media, and collaboration tools," the FBI official said. Trey Ford, chief information security officer (CISO) at Bugcrowd pointed to phishing-resistant multifactor authentication in the new guidance as something that organizations should consider prioritizing. "Everything we can do to raise the cost and work factor for malicious actors and nation state communities helps," he notes. He also recommends that organizations add encryption to all traffic crossing third-party communications infrastructure and leverage apps like WhatsApp and Signal where it makes sense. "Also, I would recommend adding a second factor of authentication, something stronger than SMS, such as Yubikeys, Apple's Secure Element, or pseudo-random code generators like Google Authenticator, Authy, [and] Duo, to all of your online accounts." Chris Pierson, CEO and founder of Blackcloak, perceives the new hardening advice as useful in helping companies in the telecom sector prioritize their controls, remediation, and ongoing assessment activity. The advice to individual consumers and business executives to protect against Salt Typhoon is useful as well, he notes: "From tips on using security messaging as opposed to text/SMS, reducing the likelihood of SIM swapping by using a SIM PIN, and implementing dual factor authentication on key accounts, the guidance makes it easier for key executives and highly targeted persons to protect themselves." Jai Vijayan is a seasoned technology reporter with over 20 years of experience in IT trade journalism. He was most recently a Senior Editor at Computerworld, where he covered information security and data privacy issues for the publication. Over the course of his 20-year career at Computerworld, Jai also covered a variety of other technology topics, including big data, Hadoop, Internet of Things, e-voting, and data analytics. Prior to Computerworld, Jai covered technology issues for The Economic Times in Bangalore, India. Jai has a Master's degree in Statistics and lives in Naperville, Ill.

SPRINGFIELD — In the days after former President Donald Trump was reelected, Illinois Democrats’ raised alarms about the ramifications of his second term and said they would consider whether the state needs to strengthen any of its progressive laws on reproductive rights and other issues that might be threatened by an unfriendly White House. But the Democratic-led Illinois General Assembly adjourned its final session of the year without taking any meaningful steps in that direction, with some lawmakers saying more time is needed to consider what might be done. Republicans countered by accusing Democrats of considering legislation based only on assumptions about potential actions by the Trump administration. During their five-day fall veto session — legislators left town a day early in the first week — lawmakers did pass a measure to phase out a subminimum wage for people with disabilities, and moved forward on another aimed at making it easier for the state’s child welfare system to have a child’s family member serve as their legal guardian. Some bigger issues were pushed into next year, among them legislation adjusting the state’s pension system and a proposal to consolidate the Chicago area’s transit agencies. Following a lame duck session scheduled for Jan. 2-7, a new General Assembly will be seated on Jan. 8, and after that Gov. JB Pritzker and lawmakers will also need to confront a projected budget shortfall of nearly $3.2 billion for next year’s state budget. Pritzker last week announced he was part of an initiative called Governors Safeguarding Democracy with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to leverage states’ rights against threats following Trump’s reelection. But Pritzker didn’t go the route of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who directly asked his state’s general assembly to address Trump’s election in a special legislative session next month. Illinois’ Democratic lawmakers said figuring out exactly what to do will take some time, and that the just-completed session simply provided an opportunity to get discussions started. “So many people that we legislators represent, including ourselves, have so much anxiety about changes to come due to the incoming administration and we don’t know immediately what we can do in the state legislative arena, but we are already listening, talking about it and planning for it,” said Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, a Democrat from Chicago’s Northwest Side. “Those are complicated issues and once we start putting stuff on paper and talking about it publicly, we have to get it right.” Some of the issues being explored are in the areas of environmental protections, immigration and health care access, along with abortion, LGBTQ+ and workers’ rights. State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, 19th District, speaks during a community violence intervention news conference at the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago in the Austin neighborhood on June 17, 2024. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) State Rep. Bob Morgan, a Democrat from Deerfield, believes he and his colleagues will be working on issues that address “preemptive, proactive protections” for Illinoisans. Morgan, who has a special interest in gun safety issues following a deadly mass shooting in his district at the 2022 Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, questioned whether President Joe Biden’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention would be on the chopping block and how that would affect Illinois. “When we start talking about policy to keep people safe, it really puts the pressure on states like Illinois to really figure out what can we do to reduce gun violence, and the opportunity to rely on the federal government will no longer be there,” Morgan said. Morgan was a main sponsor of Illinois’ sweeping gun ban that took effect in January 2023, but earlier this month was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge who was appointed to the bench during Trump’s first term. House Republican leader Tony McCombie, who has been critical of the Democratic call for a legislative response to Trump’s approaching presidency, said Thursday she was against having a lame duck session if the Democrats don’t intend to to pass any meaningful measures. “We do not need more time for out-of-touch Democrats to dream up harmful legislation,” said McCombie, of Savanna. “We need bipartisan legislation that focuses on the issues Illinois families care about most.” Republican Rep. Charlie Meier said Democrats shouldn’t be changing laws or passing laws “just because America’s doing what America does” by electing a new president. “They’re going to try to think what he might do before he even does it to create another law on the Illinois citizens that we may not need,” said Meier, of Okawville. “We are a state that has written so many laws, so many rules, that we are about the worst in unemployment in the country.” State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Highland, speaks during Republican Day at the DuQuoin State Fair, Aug. 29, 2023. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Among the measures lawmakers did move to Pritzker’s desk during the brief session was a heavily debated bill to phase out subminimum wage for disabled workers over the next five years. Federal law allows some employers to pay disabled workers less than minimum wage. In Illinois, some disabled workers are paid less than a dollar an hour, according to the bill’s advocates. Erin Compton, a student who identified as having an intellectual disability, testified in favor of the bill in committee, saying she has held several jobs including in research and as a ticket scanner for the Cubs. “Some people say that having a job isn’t for me, because I’m not smart enough or good enough to work, but I was given opportunities to work in the community and have to have a fair wage,” Compton said. Pritzker praised the legislation, calling it an “unprecedented, crucial leap forward” for disabled people to earn a fair wage. “Far too often, people with disabilities still endure barriers to employment and discrimination in the workplace,” he said in a statement. “Many are paid subminimum wages that devalue their contributions and diminish their likelihood to secure meaningful work and participate in other life-enhancing activities.” While the bill passed with bipartisan support, opponents including Republican Sen. Chapin Rose of Mahomet warned it could lead to a loss of opportunities for some disabled people. Another measure that has bipartisan support provides additional incentives for relatives of children in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to maintain a home for the youths as an alternative to the children being placed in foster care with nonfamily members. It passed with no opposition in the Senate on Thursday after passing 113-0 in the House last spring. But because of an amendment that was attached to the bill by the Senate, it has to go back to the House for what will likely be the bill’s final vote. The legislation requires DCFS to seek federal funding to start a “kinship navigator program” to assist relatives who are caregivers with the agency and increase financial support to those relatives. According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which pushed for the measure, more than 10,000 children in DCFS care live with relatives, but over 60% of these caregivers are denied the foster care benefits necessary to care for a youth being placed in their household because state law requires them to meet complex standards that were put in place decades ago. “Current licensing procedures create unnecessary roadblocks to financial assistance for relatives serving as caregivers,” Sen. Mattie Hunter, a Chicago Democrat who was a chief sponsor of the measure, said in a statement. “Research shows children are better off when they can maintain connections to their families and traditions. We need to provide these families with the support they need to make this possible.” The veto session was also an opportunity for lobbyists, unions and other advocates to make last-minute pushes to get their bill proposals on lawmakers’ agendas. On the second day of the veto session, thousands descended on the state Capitol for a rally highlighting their concerns over changes made to Illinois’ beleaguered pension system 13 years ago. Workers hired after Jan. 1, 2011, were placed into a “Tier 2” system that offered reduced benefits compared with other employees hired before that date. The overall goal of creating the Tier 2 plan was to shrink a pension debt that now runs to about $141 billion. But benefits paid out under the Tier 2 system at some point won’t equal to what Social Security would provide to those employees, a violation of a federal “safe harbor” law. This would require Illinois to pay large sums in Social Security taxes instead of operating its own pension system which, while still costly, allows the state more flexibility. At the rally, proponents cheered and bellowed chants calling for equality in the state’s pension system. “We are union people. We believe people doing the same job, a fair day’s work, deserve a fair day’s pay, whether that’s in your paycheck, your benefits or your retirement security in a pension,” Pat Devaney, secretary-treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO, said to the crowd. “So what happened over the years? Politicians, state governments, local governments came up with schemes to underfund the pensions, take pension holidays, use other gimmicks to cause stress in the system.” The state’s perennial pension problems are among several budgetary matters that will likely be taken up in the coming months by the legislature, along with how to deal with a $730 million fiscal cliff for Chicago-area public transit once federal pandemic aid dries up in early 2026 and whether to set aside more state funding for Chicago’s public school system. Other unresolved issues include gun safety measures that Democrats haven’t been able to bring over the finish line. Legislation often referred to as “Karina’s Bill,” named after Chicago resident Karina Gonzalez, who, along with her 15-year-old daughter, was shot and killed by her husband last year, would require police to remove guns from people who have orders of protection against them, clarifying when and how authorities can confiscate such firearms. As it stands, firearms aren’t always taken from people in those situations even if the firearm owner’s identification card is revoked. Illinois lawmakers could weigh a proposal to create a statewide office to help under-resourced public defenders. One of the proposal’s goals is to address the lack of public defense resources in rural areas, many of which don’t even have a public defender’s office. The measure also seeks to address disparities in the resources allotted to county prosecutors and public defenders. For example, Cook County’s 2024 budget provided about $102 million for its public defender’s office, and about $205 million for its state’s attorney’s office. Other unresolved issues range from whether to allow all dispensaries to sell medical cannabis to legalizing medical aid in dying, often referred to as physician-assisted suicide or medically assisted death. This proposal would give mentally competent, terminally ill adults the right to choose to end their lives by allowing these patients the right to access life-ending prescription medication.Police hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's masked killer after 'brazen, targeted' attack on NYC street NEW YORK (AP) — UnitedHealthcare’s CEO has been shot and killed in what police say is a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding its investor conference. The shooting rattled the city and set off a massive dragnet hours before the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting. Police say 50-year-old Brian Thompson was shot around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday as he walked alone to the New York Hilton Midtown from a nearby hotel. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch says the shooter appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching Thompson from behind and opening fire. Police have not yet established a motive. UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the US but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's chief executive on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk Wednesday became a mystery that riveted the nation. Police say it was a targeted killing. Thompson was 50. He had worked at the company for 20 years and had run health care giant UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s insurance business since 2021. It provides health coverage for more than 49 million Americans and brought in $281 billion in revenue last year. Thompson's $10.2 million annual compensation made him one of the company’s highest-paid executives. Hegseth fights to save Pentagon nomination as sources say Trump considers DeSantis WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s Pentagon pick, is fighting to hold on to his Cabinet nomination amid growing questions about his personal conduct as the president-elect’s team considers alternatives, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But Hegseth says, “We’re not backing down one bit." The Trump transition team is concerned about Hegseth’s path to Senate confirmation and is actively looking at potential replacements, according to a person familiar with the matter. Hegseth is under pressure as senators weigh a series of allegations that have surfaced against him. Beyond DeSantis, there have been discussions about shifting Michael Waltz, who was named by Trump as his national security adviser, to the Defense Department Supreme Court seems likely to uphold Tennessee's ban on medical treatments for transgender minors WASHINGTON (AP) — Hearing a high-profile culture-war clash, the Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed likely to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices’ decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people. The Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender healthcare for minors. Peter Navarro served prison time related to Jan. 6. Now Trump is bringing him back as an adviser WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is bringing Peter Navarro back to the White House for his second administration. Trump announced Wednesday on Truth Social that Navarro will serve as a senior counselor for trade and manufacturing. He was a trade adviser in Trump's first term. Navarro served four months in prison after being held in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump also chose Daniel Driscoll as Army secretary, Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator and Adam Boehler as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs. Israeli strikes on a Gaza tent camp kill at least 21 people, hospital says KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — A Palestinian health official said Wednesday that at least 21 people were killed in Israeli strikes on a camp housing displaced people in Gaza. The Israeli military said it struck senior Hamas militants. The strikes hit in the Muwasi area, a sprawling coastal camp housing hundreds of thousands of displaced people. It came after Israeli forces struck targets in other areas of Gaza. According to Palestinian medics, strikes in central Gaza killed eight people, including four children. The war in Gaza is nearly 14 months old and showing no end in sight, despite international efforts to revive negotiations toward a ceasefire. South Korean President Yoon's martial law declaration raises questions over his political future SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning martial law declaration lasted just hours, but experts say it raised serious questions about his ability to govern for the remaining 2 1/2 years of his term. The opposition-controlled parliament overturned the edict, and his rivals on Wednesday took steps to impeach him. Yoon's move baffled many experts. One analyst called his action “political suicide.” Yoon’s political fate may depend on whether a large number of people in coming days take to the streets to push for his ouster. Yoon hasn't commented on the impeachment bid. But the political instability he unleashed could make it more difficult for his government to nurse a decaying economy. French lawmakers vote to oust prime minister in the first successful no-confidence vote since 1962 PARIS (AP) — France’s far-right and left-wing lawmakers have joined together to vote on a no-confidence motion prompted by budget disputes that forces Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his Cabinet to resign. The National Assembly approved the motion by 331 votes. A minimum of 288 were needed. President Emmanuel Macron insisted he will serve the rest of his term until 2027. However, he will need to appoint a new prime minister for the second time after July’s legislative elections led to a deeply divided parliament. Macron will address the French on Thursday evening, his office said, without providing details. Barnier is expected to formally resign by then. White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered the new details Wednesday about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that a number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could still grow. Harris found success with women who have cats, but Trump got the dog owner vote: AP VoteCast WASHINGTON (AP) — The lead-up to the 2024 election was all about cat owners. But in the end, the dogs had their day. Donald Trump won more than half of voters who own either cats or dogs, and he had with a big assist from dog owners. That's according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. Dog owners were much more likely to support Trump over Kamala Harris. Cat owners were evenly split between the two candidates. Harris did end up decisively winning support from women who own a cat but no dog. Past comments by Trump's running mate, JD Vance, about “childless cat ladies” briefly became a campaign issue.

Funds from a toll road may provide a permanent source of funding for the Tijuana River Valley and its crisis of environmental neglect. Democratic Sen. Steve Padilla introduced a bill this week to authorize allocating funds from the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry toll road to go toward restoring the Tijuana River Valley region, which is facing a massive sewage pollution crisis that has affected the health of its residents and the broader environment as well. SB 10 would expressly authorize funds from the toll road to be used for water treatment, environmental mitigation, and restoration of the Tijuana River Valley. The funds could be used to improve wastewater infrastructure and related projects to address the sewage crisis. “The crisis at the Tijuana River comes from decades of neglect,” said Senator Padilla in a statement . “We must explore every source of funding and every option available to us to finally put an end to the poison in the very air we breathe. We will no longer accept anything but the justice this community deserves.” Environmental organization American Rivers recently named the Tijuana River Watershed one of the ten most endangered rivers in America, citing decades of raw sewage, toxic waste, and neglect. We have launched our year-end campaign. Our goal: Raise $50,000 by Dec. 31. Help us get there. Times of San Diego is devoted to producing timely, comprehensive news about San Diego County. Your donation helps keep our work free-to-read, funds reporters who cover local issues and allows us to write stories that hold public officials accountable. Join the growing list of donors investing in our community's long-term future. Further, a study conducted by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has found that coastal water pollution transfers to the atmosphere in sea spray aerosol, which can reach people beyond just beachgoers, surfers, and swimmers — increasing the risk of exposure and illness to a greater area of coastal communities. “In August, our City Council took a decisive step by unanimously approving a resolution to establish a long-term environmental mitigation fund, leveraging the new Otay Mesa East Port of Entry, to specifically address the pollution impacts of transboundary sewage flows from the Tijuana River,” said Imperial Beach mayor Paloma Aguirre. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Senator Padilla for championing this critical issue as legislation today and for his unwavering advocacy for our communities. I strongly urge California legislators to stand with us and support this vital bill.” Senate Bill 10 is supported by a broad coalition of environmental justice and community organizations. It will be heard in the Senate in the coming months. Get Our Free Daily Email Newsletter Get the latest local and California news from Times of San Diego delivered to your inbox at 8 a.m. daily. Sign up for our free email newsletter and be fully informed of the most important developments.