Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. Trump's request Friday came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court. Oral arguments are scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The brief said Trump opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, pushing to get aid out before Biden leaves office WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the United States is expected to announce it will send another $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. It's part of a push by the Biden administration to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on Jan. 20. Officials say the large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155 mm- and 105 mm artillery rounds. The officials say they expect the announcement will be made on Monday. They spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in the president-elect’s political movement into public display. The argument previews fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — that is, wealthy members of the tech world who want more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says a ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, a deputy national security adviser, said Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. Warren Upton, the oldest living survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, dies at 105 HONOLULU (AP) — The oldest living survivor of the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the last remaining survivor of the USS Utah has died. He was 105. Warren Upton died Wednesday at a hospital in Los Gatos, California. Kathleen Farley, the California state chair of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, says he suffered a bout of pneumonia. The Utah was moored at Pearl Harbor when Japanese planes began bombing the Hawaii naval base in the early hours of Dec. 7, 1941. The attack propelled the U.S. into World War II. Israeli troops forcibly remove staff and patients from northern Gaza hospital, officials say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's Health Ministry says Israeli troops have stormed one of the last hospitals operating in the territory's north and forced many of the staff and patients outside. Then they had to remove their clothes in winter weather. Friday's incident was the latest assault on Kamal Adwan Hospital. Staff say it has been hit multiple times in the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in the surrounding neighborhoods. Israel's military says Hamas uses the hospital as a base. It did not provide evidence, and hospital officials have denied it. Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire U.S. and Azerbaijani officials have said weapons fire may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed on Wednesday, killing 38 people. The statements from Rashad Nabiyev and White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Friday raised pressure on Russia. Officials in Moscow have said a drone attack was underway in the region that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was destined for but have not addressed statements from aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defenses responding to a Ukrainian attack. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Chechnya on Wednesday when it crashed, killing 38 people and leaving all 29 survivors injured. Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has ruled that the Georgia state Senate can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. It's part of a inquiry into whether Willis has engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump. But Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram is giving Willis the chance to contest whether lawmakers’ demands are overly broad before Willis responds. A Republican-led committee was formed earlier this year and sent subpoenas to Willis in August seeking to compel her to testify during its September meeting and to produce scores of documents. Willis argued that the committee didn’t have the power to subpoena her. US homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people Federal officials say the United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said that federally required tallies taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless. That increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of pandemic assistance. Among the most concerning trends was a nearly 40% rise in family homelessness. Alex Ovechkin is on track to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is chasing the NHL career goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin entered the season 42 goals short of breaking a record that long seemed unapproachable. He is set to play again Saturday at the Toronto Maple Leafs after missing more than a month with a broken left fibula. Ovechkin was on pace to get to 895 sometime in February before getting injured. At 868, he his 27 goals away from passing Gretzky.Trump asks Supreme Court to pause law that could ban TikTokSAN ANTONIO — Colorado secured what it said was record insurance coverage for quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter as the star duo opted to complete their college careers in the Alamo Bowl rather than sit out and prepare for the NFL draft. Colorado would not disclose the amount of insurance coverage each received, citing privacy laws. Coach Deion Sanders and athletic director Rick George both said it was the largest in college football history. "We happen to have two players that are probably going to be the first two picks of the NFL draft," Sanders said Monday. "We all know who those two are and they have received, I think, the highest number of coverage that has ever been covered in college football. It far exceeds anyone that has ever played this game of college football." While college programs maintain insurance policies for their athletes in case of injury, Colorado increased disability coverage for its entire roster in the Alamo Bowl. Sanders, the coach of the No. 20 Buffaloes, ensured his QB son and two-way star Hunter received larger policies since both are expected to be among the top 10 selections in the upcoming NFL draft. People are also reading... "It was his idea we should get disability insurance for our athletes for this game to ensure that they played and if there was some kind of injury that they would be well taken care of," George said. "So, we worked together on that. We're excited about it. We think it's great that all our players are playing in the game. That's what all bowl games should be like." Colorado (9-3, No. 23 CFP) will face the 17th-ranked BYU Cougars (10-2, No. 17 CFP) in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday. While most teams are scrambling with starters opting out of bowl games this year to enter the transfer portal or NFL draft, the Buffaloes did not lose any player on their two-deep roster. "It's more than what I got (when he played at Kansas State)," Colorado linebackers coach Andre' Hart said. "They gave us a helmet and said pop this on your leg and get out there and play. For them to get that (increased insurance coverage), I just think it's beneficial. To talk about where the game is, where it's going and how leadership is taking care of the players, I thought that's excellent." Shedeur Sanders completed 337 of 454 passes for 3,926 yards and 35 touchdowns this season. Many scouting services have Sanders rated as the top quarterback in this year's draft. Hunter received the Heisman Trophy as a two-way standout at cornerback and wide receiver. He had 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns and as a cornerback had four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and limited the opposition to 22 receptions on 688 defensive snaps. "They've taken care of us, everybody," Colorado running back Micah Welch said. "It really means a lot to have every teammate up here. That's a big thing. What I like about Coach Prime, they're taking care of us." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!super jili casino 。

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas won the Big 12 title in 2023 on its way out the door to the Southeastern Conference. It was still swinging open when Arizona State waltzed in and won the league title in its debut season. And now the old Big 12 champs meet the new Big 12 champs on the path toward a potential national title. The fifth-seeded Longhorns and fourth-seeded Sun Devils play News Years Day in the Peach Bowl in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. Both had their doubters they could get here. Texas (12-2) still had to prove is was “ready” for the SEC. Arizona State (11-2) was picked to finish last in the Big 12. But the Sun Devils quickly started winning and having fun in some new road environments in college towns smaller than some of their stops in the more cosmopolitan old Pac-12. All-American running back Cam Skattebo led the barnstorming tour. “We were not used to getting tortillas thrown at us at Texas Tech. You’re not used to some of these environments,” Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham said Monday. “When you’re in the Pac-12, you’re playing in Seattle, you’re playing in L.A., you’re playing in Salt Lake City. We got to face a lot more small college town football with really, really great environments. ... It was definitely fun to join a new league,” Dillingham said. And Dillingham laid down some Texas roots. The Sun Devils are recruiting Texas players out of high school, and the current roster has six transfers who started their college careers in burnt orange in Austin. “The guys we’ve gotten from Texas and coach (Steve Sarkisian’s) program have been unbelievable,” Dillingham said. “We know what we’re getting when we’re getting a guy from that program, and that’s a guy who has worked really hard, competed and been pushed. Those are the things that we like to bring in.” Safety Xavion Alford was named All-Big 12. Defensive end Prince Dorbah is another Sun Devils starter. Defensive lineman Zac Swanson, who has two sacks this season, is another former Longhorn who said he relished a chance to beat his former team. Recruited by Texas out of Phoenix, Swanson was a reserve in 2022 and 2023 behind future NFL draft picks T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. “That’s a team who kicked me out and said I’d never I was never going to be good enough to play there,” Swanson said last week. “That’s something that has been on my agenda for a while.” Dillingham joked he’d like to get more Texas transfers this week. Sarkisian simply noted that he wished he’d signed Skattebo, a Californian who transferred from Sacramento State after the 2022 season. “I was unaware, so kudos to them. They found him, he’s a heckuva player,” said Sarkisian, who also is a California native. Sarkisian said he was impressed by the Sun Devil’s first-year success in the Big 12. “We were in that Big 12, what, for 27 years? We won four. This is their first year in and they won a Big 12 Championship. It’s a really hard thing to do,” Sarkisian said. “They’re playing with a ton of confidence right now. The last two months, I think they’re playing as good a football as anybody in the country.” Despite wining that last Big 12 title and a playoff appearance in 2023, Texas still faced skeptics that the Longhorns would take their lumps in the SEC this year. Texas was more than ready for the league and the Longhorns made it to the SEC championship game. Their only two losses have been to Georgia, the No. 2 seed in the playoff. Sarkisian still remembers his 5-7 Texas debut in 2021. The program wasn’t ready for the SEC and the playoff back then, but it certainly is now. Texas is the only one of last year’s four playoff teams to make the expanded 12-team field this year. “There’s a lot to be proud of, but mostly I’m proud of our veterans, our leaders, our seniors, because those guys went from 5-7 in year one, they went through 8-5 in year two, and they didn’t jump ship. They hung in there with us. They believed in what they were doing,” Sarkisian said. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

By MEAD GRUVER and AMY BETH HANSON, Associated Press A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 – making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge’s order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year. Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana.Aussie singer and has shared with fans that he's currently in rehab after being readmitted for the fifth time. The shared a heartbreaking video on Boxing Day saying he felt "embarrassed" to be posting the update, but that he's committed to sharing his journey. "It's hard to find the words for how disappointed I am in myself right now and the shame I'm feeling. This isn't how I wanted to spend my Christmas but I'm grateful to be in a safe place," Jack, 27, captioned the video. "This is a really hard time of year for so many. Please hold each other tightly and check in on those you think may be struggling. I feel embarrassed to be posting this but also am committed to sharing my journey, even through the slip-ups. Relapse is part of recovery." In his video, Jack addressed his social media absence, saying he felt a lot of "shame and guilt" about relapsing. “I relapsed about three weeks ago and I’m back in rehab. It’s Boxing Day today, the day after Christmas and I just wanted to give you an update about where I’m at,” he said. “I know I’ve been MIA on socials for a few weeks and that’s why. I don’t have a whole lot to say, I feel a lot of shame and guilt and I don’t really have the words right now." He also disclosed that he's started going through withdrawals “Withdrawals are starting now, it’s f**king hectic. So, that’s where I’m at. But I love you, and thank you always for the support," he said. Many people left supportive comments for Jack on TikTok and Instagram, including some other famous faces. "A relapse does not erase your success at being sober. Recovery is there, just start again with this new knowledge about yourself. Sending love," one fan commented. "No shame, Jack. This is a one day at a time!!!!! We will get there," star Colin Fassnidge said. "Respect for you. You can do this," Aussie singer Tones and I wrote, with Aussie Actress commenting, "Sending you all my love babe, one day at a time, you got this." "New start bro! I’ve had a fair few of these. New day we start again, you will look back one day and think there goes a few years! You will get a year, 10 years, rest of your life, keep up what you’re already doing with your sober peers and I promise you will get there," former Bachelor Jed McIntosh commented. "I’ve had a few set backs and the main thing is making the decision to reset which you have! I learnt something new and became stronger through my setbacks. Praying for you and the best is yet to come in your life." The singer, who was propelled to fame in 2011 at the age of 14 after winning , has also been open about his issues with alcohol abuse over the years, checking into a rehab facility in 2020. At one point he said he 'essentially overdosed' and then stayed sober for six months. “I’ve never been an alcoholic, but it always starts (with alcohol) for me, and it doesn’t end there," he said. In an Instagram Q&A last year, Jack said the music industry had left him 'traumatised'. “I’m kind of traumatised by the industry and really lost my love for it all again,” he said. “It’s slowly coming back though." The singer previously told magazine that he fell out of love with singing, citing burnout as a reason. "I stopped singing five years ago," he said in the 2019 interview. “I think I just burnt out."

Govt-PTI talks to boost economy, promote unity, says PM

Expert warns of signs that employees are losing moraleCardinals' feel-good month comes to a screeching halt after a head-scratching loss to SeahawksThe Arizona Cardinals were rested, relatively healthy and had been playing some of their best football in years. That’s why Sunday’s was so surprising. “Frustrating day offensively, especially the way we’ve been playing to come out here and lay an egg and get physically dominated in a sense,” quarterback Kyler Murray said. The Cardinals (6-5) had their four-game winning streak snapped. Murray completed 24 of 37 passes for 285 yards, but made a brutal mistake, throwing an interception that was returned 69 yards by Seattle’s Coby Bryant. The running game never got going, gaining just 49 yards. James Conner, the team’s leading rusher, had just 8 yards on seven attempts. “There were a lot of things where it felt like the flow of things just wasn’t in our favor,” receiver Michael Wilson said. “Some games go like that. And then we didn’t execute enough to make up for the game sort of not going our way.” Arizona’s still in decent playoff position, tied with the Seahawks on top of the NFC West with six games to play. But after all the good news and winning over the past month, Sunday’s loss was humbling. “We’re going to learn a lot from this game,” Gannon said. What’s working Arizona’s defense continued its remarkable midseason turnaround, giving the team every opportunity to win Sunday. The front seven doesn’t have any stars, but continues to cobble together a respectable pass rush. The Cardinals finished with five sacks, all by different players. Second-year cornerback Garrett Williams intercepted a pass by Geno Smith on the first play of the fourth quarter, briefly giving the Cardinals some momentum as they tried to fight back. Williams — a third-round pick out of Syracuse in 2023 — is growing into a steady starting corner that the Cardinals have missed for years. “I thought that they hung in there and battled, forced a bunch of punts, kept points off the board,” Gannon said. “I thought the interception by Garrett was fantastic, kept us in the game there, kept points off the board. We made some mistakes. We made some mistakes, starting with me.” What needs help The Cardinals aren’t going to win many games with a rushing performance like Sunday’s. Conner, held to a season low in yards rushing, did have 41 yards receiving. Rookie Trey Benson had four carries for 18 yards, while Emari Demercado broke a 14-yard gain. Getting Conner going is key. Arizona has a 5-1 record this season when he has at least 100 total yards from scrimmage. Gannon said falling into an early hole affected some of the things the Cardinals could do, particularly in the second half. “I thought there was plays there, but again, where you get down in that game, you’re not really playing normal ball there for a good chunk of the game,” Gannon said. “So we’ve got to do a better job earlier in the game to make sure we’re not playing left-handed.” Stock up Fourth-year edge rusher Zaven Collins isn’t necessarily the star fans hoped for when he was selected with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 draft, but he has quietly had a productive season leading the team’s no-name front seven. Collins picked up his fourth sack of the season Sunday and put consistent pressure on Smith. Stock down Murray’s still having a great season, but the quarterback’s MVP credentials took a hit with Sunday’s mediocre performance. He played pretty well at times, but the interception that turned into a pick-6 was a backbreaker. The sixth-year quarterback had largely avoided those types of plays this season, which is a big reason they’re in the playoff hunt. “Can’t give them seven points, especially when our defense is playing the way that they’re playing,” Murray said. “I feel like if I don’t do that, we’re in the game four quarters because that’s the way it was trending.” Injuries The Cardinals came out of Sunday’s game fairly healthy. Gannon said starting safety Jalen Thompson (ankle) should be back at practice Wednesday. He missed the last two games. Key numbers 12 and 133 — Tight end Trey McBride continued his breakout season with a career-high 12 catches for 133 yards. Next steps The Cardinals have another difficult road game against the Vikings (9-2) on Sunday. ___ AP NFL:

Knights stars ready to help Canada chase gold at World Juniors