Trump names billionaire Warren Stephens as US envoy to the UK, disappoints Jets fans
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The government of Canada is moving forward with a $900 million plan to shore up its border security and immigration systems. The plan, announced in the Fall Economic Statement that sets broad policy and spending plans from the Prime Minister and his administration, calls for $1.3 billion Canadian in spending to address five “pillars” of the Canadian border and immigration systems. “We must preserve the integrity of our immigration system and make sure that it is well-managed and sustainable,” said Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller. “As we continue working with the United States to protect the safety of both sides of the border, we continue to offer protection to the world’s most vulnerable, while maintaining an immigration system that Canadians can trust.” LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY Broadly, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government plan to fund law enforcement activity to intercept fentanyl and the chemicals used to make it from entering Canada, including training a new class of canine drug detection teams to supplement the 80 K9 teams already in use across the country. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are responsible for patrolling and enforcing border and immigration laws between ports of entry north of the border. The Canadian government plans to deploy a new air-based intelligence unit within that national police force, which will use drones, helicopters, portable surveillance towers, and counter-drone technology to effectively monitor the U.S.-Canada border 24 hours a day. A legal change planned by Trudeau’s government would also require Canadian ports to provide space for the government to inspect goods for export, as they are required to for imported goods. The Trudeau government also plans to invest in the RCMP national police force and its national communications monitoring authority to track transnational organized crime and fentanyl trafficking. The Canadian health ministry will create a national drug profiling and testing center to add another 2,000 investigations to the country’s annual investigatory capacity, alongside a new division focused on tracking precursor chemicals for a range of dangerous and illegal drugs. The Canadians also seek to increase information-sharing agreements with the U.S., coordinating cross-border interception of illegal crossings and drug trafficking in a more unified way, while collaborating with local police forces on the Canadian side of the border as well. Trudeau proposes creating a new North American Joint Strike Force to target transnational organized crime. FLAGPOLING, IMMIGRATION The Canadian government also formally announced plans to end “flagpoling,” a practice maligned by U.S. officials where Canadian visa holders cross out of Canada and immediately back into it through a U.S. land crossing to speed up their visa renewal process. The Canadian government will take broad steps to end the practice on top of steps already taken, including limiting visa renewal processing hours at Canadian ports of entry and establishing an in-country renewal office network to supplement the mail-based renewal system. To counter illegal immigration, the Canadian government is looking to amend national immigration laws to give its government more power to suspend, cancel, or change an individual’s immigration process and to pause accepting applications for visas or asylum. The government is also reaffirming its commitment to current immigration agreements that require people seeking asylum to do so in the first country they enter, whether in the U.S. or Canada. PARLIAMENT PLANS Many of these announced changes rely on the Canadian Parliament to pass legislation, either to change existing law or to authorize spending. The plan comes at a tenuous time for the Trudeau government, as he is broadly losing popularity, fighting with the premiers who run the Canadian provinces, and hearing calls for resignation from both the opposition and his own party. On Monday, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned from her post and lambasted the Trudeau administration, denouncing his domestic economic plans that she accused of being short-sighted and unserious. She had been expected to deliver the Fall Economic Statement, which contained this and many other policy proposals, later that day. However, the announcements were delayed, and Wednesday’s documents were released by the new finance minister, Dominic LeBlanc. Freeland expressed concerns over Trudeau’s response to the impending administration of President-Elect Donald J. Trump, who in recent weeks has leveled serious criticism and threats at the northern nation. Trump has threatened to slap Canada—one of the U.S.’s primary trading partners and a long-time ally—with steep import taxes in response to ongoing concerns over northern border security. Illegal crossings, drug trafficking, and criminal activity across the U.S.-Canada border have hit a new high over the last year, prompting words of concern from local and state lawmakers, as well as New York’s Republican representatives in Congress. They’ve demanded more federal attention on the U.S. border, but Trump has called on the Canadians to step up their border security measures as well. It appears the Canadian government is responding to that request.'The Tories should never have privatised rail - Labour is righting that wrong'Aston Villa had a stoppage-time goal disallowed as they drew 0-0 with Juventus in the Champions League. Morgan Rogers looked to have given Unai Emery’s side another famous win when he slammed a loose ball home at the death, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano ruled Diego Carlos to have fouled Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the goal was chalked off. It was a disappointment for Villa, who remain unbeaten at home in their debut Champions League campaign and are still in contention to qualify automatically for the last 16. A very controversial finish at Villa Park 😲 Morgan Rogers' late goal is ruled out for a foul on Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the match ends 0-0 ❌ 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/MyYL5Vdy3r — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024 Emiliano Martinez had earlier displayed why he was named the best goalkeeper in the world as his wonder save kept his side level in the second half. The Argentina international paraded his two Yashin Trophies on the pitch before kick-off at Villa Park and then showed why he won back-to-back FIFA awards when he denied Francisco Conceicao. Before Rogers’ moment of drama in the fourth minute of added time, the closest Villa came to scoring was in the first half when Lucas Digne’s free-kick hit the crossbar. But a draw was a fair result which leaves Villa out of the top eight on goal difference and Juventus down in 19th. Before the game Emery called Juventus one of the “best teams in the world, historically and now”, but this was an Italian side down to the bare bones. Only 14 outfield players made the trip from Turin, with striker Dusan Vlahovic among those who stayed behind. The opening 30 minutes were forgettable before the game opened up. Ollie Watkins, still chasing his first Champions League goal, had Villa’s first presentable chance as he lashed an effort straight at Di Gregorio. Matty Cash then had a vicious effort from the resulting corner which was blocked by Federico Gatti and started a counter-attack which ended in Juventus striker Timothy Weah. Villa came closest to breaking the deadlock at the end of the first half when Digne’s 20-yard free-kick clipped the top of the crossbar and went over. Martinez then produced his brilliant save just after the hour. A corner made its way through to the far post where Conceicao was primed to head in at the far post, but Martinez sprawled himself across goal to scoop the ball away. How has he kept that one out?! 🤯 Emi Martinez with an INCREDIBLE save to keep it goalless at Villa Park ⛔️ 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/OkcWHB7YIk — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024 Replays showed most of the ball went over the line, but the Argentinian got there with millimetres to spare. At the other end another fine goal-line block denied John McGinn as Manuel Locatelli got his foot in the way with Di Gregorio beaten. The game looked to be petering out until a last-gasp free-kick saw Rogers slam home, but whistle-happy official Gil Manzano halted the celebrations by ruling the goal out.
Sam Hicks, defense lead Abilene Christian over Northern Arizona 24-0 to extend 1st trip to playoffsNot Purdy: 49ers hit Green Bay with backup QB, no BosaAston Villa denied last-gasp winner in Juventus stalemate
Gordon Brown declares opposition to assisted dying lawRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The very close election for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat heads next to a hand recount even as election officials announced a machine recount of over 5.5 million ballots resulted in no margin change between the candidates. The statewide machine recount — in which ballots were run again through tabulators — that wrapped up this week showed Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs with a 734-vote lead over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin, who is a Court of Appeals judge. Most county election boards reported minor vote changes from the machine recount requested by Griffin. But State Board of Elections data showed the post-recount lead exactly the same as what Riggs held after all 100 counties fully completed their ballot canvass in November. Griffin led Riggs by about 10,000 votes on election night, but that lead dwindled and flipped to Riggs as tens of thousands of qualifying provisional and absentee ballots were added to the totals through the canvass. Griffin, who already has pending election protests challenging the validity of more than 60,000 ballots counted statewide, has asked for a partial hand-to-eye recount, which county boards will start Wednesday or Thursday. The partial hand recount applies to ballots in 3% of the voting sites in all 100 counties, chosen at random Tuesday by the state board. Once the partial recount is complete, a statewide hand recount would be ordered if the sample results differ enough from the machine recount that the result would be reversed if the difference were extrapolated to all ballots. Riggs, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2023 and now seeks an eight-year term, again claimed victory Tuesday. In a campaign news release, spokesperson Embry Owen said Griffin “needs to immediately concede – losing candidates must respect the will of voters and not needlessly waste state resources.” Riggs is one of two Democrats on the seven-member court. Through attorneys, Griffin has challenged ballots that he says may not qualify for several reasons and cast doubt on the election result. Among them: voter registration records of some voters casting ballots lack driver's license or partial Social Security numbers, and overseas voters never living in North Carolina may run afoul of state residency requirements. State and county boards are considering the protests. Griffin's attorneys on Monday asked the state board to accelerate the matters before it and make a final ruling early next week. "Our priority remains ensuring that every legal vote is counted and that the public can trust the integrity of this election,” state Republican Party spokesperson Matt Mercer said in a news release. Final rulings by the state board can be appealed to state court. Joining Griffin in protests are three Republican legislative candidates who still trailed narrowly in their respective races after the machine recounts. The Supreme Court race and two of these three legislative races have not been called by The Associated Press. The key pending legislative race is for a House seat covering Granville County and parts of Vance County. Republican Rep. Frank Sossamon trails Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn by 228 votes, down from 233 votes before the recount. Sossamon also asked for a partial hard recount in his race, which was to begin Tuesday. Should Cohn win, Republicans will fall one seat short of the 72 needed in the 120-member House to retain its veto-proof majority — giving more leverage to Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein in 2025. Senate Republicans already have won 30 of the 50 seats needed to retain its supermajority in their chamber. The AP on Tuesday did call another legislative race not subject to a protest, as Mecklenburg County GOP Rep. Tricia Cotham won her reelection bid over Democrat Nicole Sidman. A machine recount showed Cotham ahead of Sidman by 213 votes, compared to 216 after the county canvass. Cotham’s switch from the Democrats to the Republicans in April 2023 secured the Republicans' 72-seat veto-proof majority so that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes could be overridden by relying solely on GOP lawmakers.Nigerian human rights advocate Dele Farotimi has sparked interest with his latest book, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System,’ which has quickly become a bestseller on Amazon Books. The book has achieved impressive rankings, sitting at number 555 overall on the e-commerce platform and claiming the top spot in the General Elections and Political Process category. Readers have enthusiastically received the book, giving it an outstanding 4.9 out of 5 stars in customer reviews. Published on July 2, Farotimi’s book critically examines how wealthy Nigerians allegedly manipulate the country’s judicial system to serve their own interests. However, the book’s content landed the author in legal trouble. Read Also: People writing petitions against Farotimi have defamed themselves – Peterside On Wednesday, Farotimi was summoned to a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti state, to face charges of “criminally defaming” Afe Babalola, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who is mentioned in the book. The controversy surrounding the book has generated massive public interest. In fact, shortly after the legal proceedings, Roving Heights bookstore reported that their website crashed due to “unusual traffic and a spike in demand for some titles” – likely driven by the media attention surrounding Farotimi’s book and legal case.
An MIT spinout has created a novel technology using innovative thermal batteries from electrically conductive firebricks to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy in industrial heating. According to a press release published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Tuesday, Electrified Thermal Solutions’ breakthrough clean energy battery system is poised to reshape the world’s hardest-to-decarbonize industries. “Through the Boston ecosystem, the MIT ecosystem, and with help from the Department of Energy, we were able to launch this from the lab at MIT,” said Daniel Stack, co-founder and CEO of Electrified Thermal Solutions, Inc., in the press release. “What we spun out was an electrically conductive firebrick, or what we refer to as an e-Brick.” The advanced bricks can retain heat for hours and release it at temperatures up to 3,272 Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to fuel even the most rigid industrial operation. Breakthrough for hard-to-decarbonize heavy industry Large volumes of heat are needed by heavy industries like cement, steel, chemicals, and paper production, often produced by burning fossil fuels. However, due to the worldwide push toward decarbonization, businesses have been looking for cleaner alternatives to heat from renewable energy sources. Stack, a former MIT researcher, is leading an initiative that could help answer this question. His thermal battery technique heats firebrick material using electricity, which has long been used in kilns and furnaces. The potential for renewable electricity to replace fossil fuels in industries that are generally challenging to decarbonize is made possible by these firebricks, which can reach temperatures above 3,000°F. “Technologies like our Joule Hive Thermal Battery will enable us to access this inexpensive, clean electricity and compete head to head with fossil fuels on price for industrial heating needs, without even factoring in the positive climate impact,” expressed Stack. The breakthrough is particularly significant in areas like the US wind belt, where peak hours are the best times to implement renewable energy on a wide scale because the electricity rate can drop to nothing. With the use of electrically conductive firebricks, which are claimed to be cheap to produce and simple to scale, Electrified Thermal Solutions aims to provide worldwide industries with an affordable, zero-carbon solution. Scaling up to solve global emission challenge “Heavy industry makes products central to our modern way of life but is also responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, according to a Brookings report . “Steel, cement, and chemicals are the top three emitting industries and are among the most difficult to decarbonize.” This significant contribution to global emissions highlights the need for innovative solutions. Stack believes his groundbreaking technique may be the solution. “If you want to decarbonize heavy industry, there will be no cheaper way than turning electricity into heat from zero-carbon electricity assets,” Stack said in the press release . “We’re seeking to be the premier technology that unlocks those capabilities, with double digit percentages of global energy flowing through our system as we accomplish the energy transition.” Electrified Thermal Solutions is pushing to scale up the technology with support from the United States Department of Energy. The firm is developing a commercial version of its thermal battery technology, which is expected to be operational within a year. The technology will be available to hundreds of industrial sectors struggling with the problem of lowering emissions. Meanwhile, the Electrified Thermal Solutions strategy promises a greener future and has the potential to boost global energy transition.Dunbar football outlasts Douglass-PG, 6-0, in 2A/1A state semifinalSan Rafael body identified as missing woman, 18
NoneOn Monday, faced with the impossibility of passing the social security budget, and despite the many concessions made to the far right, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier decided to use Article 49.3 of the Constitution, which allows the government to force through legislation unless a motion of no confidence is passed. The primary aim was to implement the social security budget. This decision opens up the possibility for members of parliament to table a motion of censure against Barnier’s government. On Monday evening, the left-wing parties (124 MPs) and right-wing parties (Marine Le Pen’s RN and Eric Ciotti’s supporters, 140 MPs) decided to submit a motion of no confidence. These motions of no confidence will be analysed and voted on in the National Assembly no earlier than the evening of Wednesday, 4 December. To bring down the government, a majority of the 577 MPs must support them. To obtain a majority, the left-wing parties must vote with the far-right RN on the same motion of censure. This would lead to the fall of the government. At this stage, this is the most likely scenario, as Le Pen has indicated that her party is prepared to vote in favour of the motion of censure tabled by left-wing MPs. While a last-minute twist is still possible, all indications are that the government will have fallen by the end of the week, less than three months after its appointment. This will usher in a new period of political uncertainty. There will be no dissolution of the National Assembly or early elections before July 2025, as the Constitution provides for a minimum period of one year between elections. Then, based on the forces present, President Emmanuel Macron will have to appoint a new prime minister. Two scenarios are possible: either a new government is appointed in December, or there is no new government until the end of 2024. Given the challenges in appointing Barnier as prime minister, the likelihood of finding a replacement quickly is highly uncertain. With an extremely polarised National Assembly divided into three major camps – left, centre-right and extreme right – who are unable to reach a compromise, the risk of a new vote of no confidence for any new government is very high. In any case, it is almost certain that there will not be a majority to pass a state budget or a social security budget before the end of the year. The last few weeks have shown that MPs and Senators are extremely divided on how to restore public finances and that a consensus is virtually impossible. It seems unlikely that France will have a 2025 budget. However, this doesn’t imply a shutdown where France can’t meet its financial obligations. A provisional budget, likely mirroring the 2024 budget, will probably be implemented. Such a budget will not rectify the trajectory of public spending. The public deficit is expected to exceed 6% of GDP in 2024. The Barnier government had hoped to reduce it to 5% by 2025, but without a budget voted for in 2025, this target will not be met. The provisional budget will be slightly restrictive, as tax scales will not be adjusted for inflation, but will not contain any real savings measures. As a result, it will not be enough to set the trajectory of French public finances in the desired direction and will not respect the commitments made by France to the European authorities. At a time when economic growth in France is slowing markedly, this is bad news. The public deficit will remain high, debt will continue to grow and the next government – whenever that may be – will have an even tougher task to put public finances right. In short, the political situation will delay and likely complicate the recovery of public finances, but it will eventually occur. The only difference is that the starting point will be later. This French political stand-off is just one more negative for the euro. With the eurozone economy facing the threat of tariffs in 2025 and the region lacking any prospect of cohesive fiscal support, the potential fall of the French government merely adds to views that the ECB will have to do the heavy lifting in 2025. Notably, short-dated yield spreads have moved against EUR/USD as this French crisis comes to a head, pushing EUR/USD back below 1.05. Seasonally the dollar is weak in December. Europe will remain a drag on EUR/USD into year-end. With both the French and German governments in limbo, any EUR/USD bounce will have to be driven by softer US data and a dovish 25bp rate cut from the Fed on 18 December. Overall, we have a year-end target for EUR/USD at 1.05, but see the risks skewed towards the 1.02/03 area. Typically, EUR/CHF comes under pressure when European politics hit the headlines. We are a little surprised it is still trading above 0.93 and expect it to press 0.92 should it become clear that the Swiss National Bank cannot cut rates as deeply as the ECB next year. French bond spreads already reflect a lot of pessimism The 10y yield spread of French government bonds over their German peers widened to 88bp on Monday. Further widening looks likely as politics enters a new phase of elevated uncertainty. Looking at relative valuation across the entire eurozone bond spectrum, there are two key takeaways. First, the spillover to other markets has been limited. Italy, for instance, is still at spread levels closer to their tightest since 2021. Second, markets had been wary about the prospects of quickly solving French fiscal problems to begin with, reflecting an expectation of looming rating downgrades. Following the latest widening, French 10y spreads over swaps are more in line with an “A-“ rating rather than its current “AA-“ – three notches lower. In fact, French spreads are already well above Spain’s and now are on a par with those of Greece. Government fragility was always part of the picture, even if not expected to come to a head quite so soon. Though it may take a while, a clearer picture going forward should allow spreads to recover from these stretched levels. However, France won’t be able to avoid a more lasting downgrade in its implied rating by the market, making the spread levels against Bunds seen before June’s elections seem quite distant. Source: ING
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The very close election for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat heads next to a hand recount even as election officials announced a machine recount of over 5.5 million ballots resulted in no margin change between the candidates. The statewide machine recount — in which ballots were run again through tabulators — that wrapped up this week showed Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs with a 734-vote lead over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin, who is a Court of Appeals judge. Most county election boards reported minor vote changes from the machine recount requested by Griffin. But State Board of Elections data showed the post-recount lead exactly the same as what Riggs held after all 100 counties fully completed their ballot canvass in November. Griffin led Riggs by about 10,000 votes on election night, but that lead dwindled and flipped to Riggs as tens of thousands of qualifying provisional and absentee ballots were added to the totals through the canvass. Griffin, who already has pending election protests challenging the validity of more than 60,000 ballots counted statewide, has asked for a partial hand-to-eye recount, which county boards will start Wednesday or Thursday. The partial hand recount applies to ballots in 3% of the voting sites in all 100 counties, chosen at random Tuesday by the state board. Once the partial recount is complete, a statewide hand recount would be ordered if the sample results differ enough from the machine recount that the result would be reversed if the difference were extrapolated to all ballots. Riggs, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2023 and now seeks an eight-year term, again claimed victory Tuesday. In a campaign news release, spokesperson Embry Owen said Griffin “needs to immediately concede – losing candidates must respect the will of voters and not needlessly waste state resources.” Riggs is one of two Democrats on the seven-member court. Through attorneys, Griffin has challenged ballots that he says may not qualify for several reasons and cast doubt on the election result. Among them: voter registration records of some voters casting ballots lack driver's license or partial Social Security numbers, and overseas voters never living in North Carolina may run afoul of state residency requirements. State and county boards are considering the protests. Griffin's attorneys on Monday asked the state board to accelerate the matters before it and make a final ruling early next week. "Our priority remains ensuring that every legal vote is counted and that the public can trust the integrity of this election,” state Republican Party spokesperson Matt Mercer said in a news release. Final rulings by the state board can be appealed to state court. Joining Griffin in protests are three Republican legislative candidates who still trailed narrowly in their respective races after the machine recounts. The Supreme Court race and two of these three legislative races have not been called by The Associated Press. The key pending legislative race is for a House seat covering Granville County and parts of Vance County. Republican Rep. Frank Sossamon trails Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn by 228 votes, down from 233 votes before the recount. Sossamon also asked for a partial hard recount in his race, which was to begin Tuesday. Should Cohn win, Republicans will fall one seat short of the 72 needed in the 120-member House to retain its veto-proof majority — giving more leverage to Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein in 2025. Senate Republicans already have won 30 of the 50 seats needed to retain its supermajority in their chamber. The AP on Tuesday did call another legislative race not subject to a protest, as Mecklenburg County GOP Rep. Tricia Cotham won her reelection bid over Democrat Nicole Sidman. A machine recount showed Cotham ahead of Sidman by 213 votes, compared to 216 after the county canvass. Cotham’s switch from the Democrats to the Republicans in April 2023 secured the Republicans' 72-seat veto-proof majority so that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes could be overridden by relying solely on GOP lawmakers.LONDON (AP) — An artist whose work exploring her Scottish Sikh identity includes a vintage Ford car draped in a crocheted doily won the U.K.’s prestigious Turner Prize on Tuesday, during a ceremony picketed by pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Jasleen Kaur was awarded the 25,000-pound ($32,000) prize by actor James Norton at the Tate Britain gallery in London. Kaur used her acceptance speech to express support for scores of demonstrators outside. She is among signatories to a letter demanding Tate, which runs several major British art museums, cut ties with donors who are linked to Israel over its war in Gaza. “This is not a radical demand,” Kaur said. “This should not risk an artist’s career or safety. “We need a proper ceasefire now,” she said. The Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas health officials in Gaza. Israel launched the war in response to the militant group's Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack that killed some 1,200 Israelis and took more than 250 hostage. A jury led by Tate Britain director Alex Farquhar praised the way 38-year-old Kaur “weaves together the personal, political and spiritual” through “unexpected and playful combinations of material.” Her winning exhibition mixes sculpture, print, everyday items — including family photos, a Ford Escort car and the popular Scottish soda Irn Bru — and immersive music to reflect on her upbringing in Glasgow’s Sikh community. Three other finalists – Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson and Delaine Le Bas – received 10,000 pounds ($12,670) each. Named for 19th-century landscape painter J.M.W. Turner and founded in 1984 to reward young artists, the prize helped make stars of shark-pickling artist Damien Hirst, potter Grayson Perry, sculptor Anish Kapoor and filmmaker Steve McQueen . But it has also been criticized for rewarding impenetrable conceptual work and often sparks debate about the value of modern art, with winners such as Hirst’s "Mother and Child Divided,” which consists of two cows, bisected and preserved in formaldehyde, and Martin Creed’s “Lights On and Off” -- a room with a light blinking on and off – drawing scorn from sections of the media. In 2019, all four finalists were declared winners after they refused to compete against one another, “to make a collective statement in the name of commonality, multiplicity and solidarity.” In 2021, all five finalists were collectives rather than individual artists. The award was initially open to artists under 50 but now has no upper age limit. Works by the four finalists are on display until Feb. 16.
