The think tank behind Project 2025 , the conservative blueprint linked to President-elect Donald Trump , is launching an effort to back Trump's imperiled selection for secretary of defense in its latest attempt to wield influence in the incoming Republican administration. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said Thursday that his group will spend $1 million to pressure senators unwilling to back Pete Hegseth , whose nomination to lead the Pentagon has come into question due to his views on women serving in combat and reports about his personal behavior. A number of Republican senators have declined to commit to backing Hegseth or have asked for more information about his drinking and treatment of women. "It'll be messaging right now with their constituents about how out of step they are with the Trump agenda," Roberts said in an interview, who argued that criticism of Hegseth was being driven by "the establishment." Roberts' announcement that he will support Hegseth is the latest sign that Project 2025, which Trump disavowed amid Democratic criticism during his campaign, is newly ascendant as Trump returns to the White House. The president-elect has picked several of its authors and contributors to key positions. Roberts spoke to The Associated Press during an event at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida estate, after he said he saw Trump at another event Wednesday also attended by other incoming members of the president-elect's Cabinet. Roberts did not say whether he met privately or would meet privately with Trump. Project 2025 includes proposals to reclassify thousands of federal workers so they could be fired and eliminate or curtail several government agencies. Facing Democratic criticism over the blueprint, Trump sought to distance himself from it and denied knowing who was behind it, even as the proposal was drafted by longtime allies and former officials in his administration. The event at Mar-a-Lago was to launch an exchange-traded fund, or ETF, called Azoria U.S. Meritocracy that is looking to target companies with diversity, equity and inclusion practices by excluding them from the fund. Its CEO, James Fishback, is close to Vivek Ramaswamy, the entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate in charge of the new Department of Government Efficiency with Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Roberts introduced himself on Thursday as someone from Project 2025, and the small crowd laughed. He noted he is good friends with Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, another group that laid the groundwork beforehand for a second Trump administration. Rollins has been nominated to serve as Trump's agriculture secretary. Roberts said groups like the Heritage Foundation and America First Policy Institute were "close collaborators on the Trump agenda." He called the second Trump term the "beginning of the golden era of America's next chapter." "I think we're in the middle of a re-founding of this country," he said.MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a "tragic incident" following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people, but stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible. Putin's apology came as allegations mounted that Russian air defenses shot down the plane while attempting to deflect a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via videoconference Saturday at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. An official Kremlin statement issued Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner "repeatedly" attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane. The statement said Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace." The readout said Russia has launched a criminal probe into the incident, and Azerbaijani state prosecutors have arrived in Grozny to participate. The Kremlin also said that "relevant services" from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are jointly investigating the crash site near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, to Grozny when it turned toward Kazakhstan, hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea from its intended destination, and crashed while attempting to land. There were 29 survivors. According to a readout of the call provided by Aliyev's press office, the Azerbaijani president told Putin that the plane was subject to "external physical and technical interference," though he also stopped short of blaming Russian air defenses. Part of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane lies on the ground Thursday near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan. Aliyev noted the plane had holes in its fuselage and the occupants sustained injuries "due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight." He said that a team of international experts began a probe of the incident at Azerbaijan's initiative, but provided no details. Earlier this week, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's office confirmed that investigators from Azerbaijan are working in Grozny. On Friday, a U.S. official and an Azerbaijani minister made separate statements blaming the crash on an external weapon, echoing those made by aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defense systems responding to a Ukrainian attack. U.S. President Joe Biden, responding Saturday to a reporter asking whether he thought Putin should take responsibility for the crash, said: "Apparently he did but I haven't spoken to him." Biden made the comment after leaving church in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Passengers and crew members who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it circled over Grozny. Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, said Friday that as the plane was preparing to land in Grozny in deep fog, Ukrainian drones were targeting the city, prompting authorities to close the area to air traffic. Yadrov said after the captain made two unsuccessful attempts to land, he was offered other airports but decided to fly to Aktau. People attend a funeral Saturday for Mahammadali Eganov, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's airport of Aktau at the age of 13, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Earlier this past week, Rosaviatsia cited unspecified early evidence as showing that a bird strike led to an emergency on board. In the days following the crash, Azerbaijan Airlines blamed "physical and technical interference" and announced the suspension of flights to several Russian airports. It didn't say where the interference came from or provide any further details. If proven that the plane crashed after being hit by Russian fire, it would be the second deadly civil aviation accident linked to fighting in Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed with a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people aboard, as it flew over the area in eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014. Russia denied responsibility but a Dutch court in 2022 convicted two Russians and a pro-Russia Ukrainian man for their role in downing the plane with an air defense system brought into Ukraine from a Russian military base. The grave of Mahammadali Eganov, 13, who died in the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near the Kazakhstan's Aktau airport, is seen Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan. Following Wednesday's suspension of flights from Baku to Grozny and nearby Makhachkala, Azerbaijan Airlines announced Friday that it would also halt service to eight more Russian cities. Several other airlines made similar announcements since the crash. Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air on Friday said it would stop flying from Astana to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains for a month. Turkmenistan Airlines, the Central Asian country's flagship carrier, on Saturday halted flights to Moscow for at least a month, citing safety concerns. Earlier this past week, Israel's El Al carrier suspended service from Tel Aviv to the Russian capital, citing "developments in Russia's airspace." Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Create Income for Life With This TFSA Strategy

Reynolds puts up 22 for St. Joseph's in 76-58 victory over Delaware StateWASHINGTON — Nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s pick to be national intelligence director. The former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” A spokesperson for Gabbard on the Trump transition team on Thursday denounced the appeal as an “unfounded” and “partisan” attack. Avril Haines, the current director of national intelligence, when asked Thursday whether intelligence sharing with allies could be in jeopardy under the next administration, cited the importance of those relationships and noted the strong bipartisan support for them in Congress. The question, at a Council on Foreign Relations talk, focused on the especially close intelligence sharing among the Five Eyes — the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It did not mention Gabbard by name. “It is hard for me to believe that anybody coming in wouldn’t want to maintain those relationships,” Haines said. “So I wouldn’t think of them as being in significant risk,” she added. “I certainly hope that will continue.” Among those who signed the letter to Senate leaders were former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, former NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller, former national security adviser Anthony Lake, and numerous retired ambassadors and high-ranking military officers. They wrote to current Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and incoming Republican Majority Leader John Thune on Wednesday to urge the closed briefings as part of the Senate’s review of Trump’s top appointments. They requested that Senate committees “consider in closed sessions all information available to the U.S. government when considering Ms. Gabbard’s qualifications to manage our country’s intelligence agencies, and more importantly, the protection of our intelligence sources and methods.” The letter singles out Gabbard’s 2017 meetings in Syria with President Bashar Assad, who is supported by Russian, Iranian and Iranian-allied forces in a now 13-year war against Syrian opposition forces seeking his overthrow. The U.S., which cut relations with Assad’s government and imposed sanctions over his conduct of the war, maintains about 900 troops in opposition-controlled northeast Syria, saying they are needed to block a resurgence of extremist groups. Gabbard, a Democratic member of Congress from Hawaii at the time of her Syria trip, drew heavy criticism for her meetings with a U.S. adversary and brutal leader. As the letter notes, her statements on the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have aligned with Russian talking points, diverging from U.S. positions and policy. Gabbard throughout her political career has urged the U.S. to limit military engagement abroad other than combatting Islamic extremist groups. She has defended the Syria trip by saying it is necessary to engage with U.S. enemies. In postings on social media earlier this year she confirmed that the U.S. had for a time placed her “on a secret terror watch list” as a “potential domestic terror threat.” She blamed political retaliation. Neither she nor U.S. authorities have publicly detailed the circumstances involved. Alexa Henning, a spokesperson for Gabbard with the Trump team, called the letter sent to the Senate leaders “a perfect example” of why Trump chose Gabbard for this position. “These unfounded attacks are from the same geniuses who have blood on their hands from decades of faulty ‘intelligence,’” and use classified government information as a “partisan weapon to smear and imply things about their political enemy,” Henning said. A spokesperson for Thune did not immediately respond to questions about the request.

A former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, has applauded the emerging global status of the yearly Okpoama International Beach Carnival at the Brass Island saying it has added to the steady growth of the country’s entertainment industry. Sylva particularly applauded the performances of Patoranking, Nyanya, Spiro, and other emerging musical and comic artists that stormed Bayelsa and thrilled guests, tourists, and residents who attended the carnival. The former Minister of State for Petroleum described the event as beautiful sights and sounds from this year’s Okpoama International Beach Carnival. He said: “The best of our country’s musical talents performed and enjoyed the ambiance of Brass Island,” he said. “Indigenous musical prospects were given the chance to perform alongside Internationally recognized stars in a deliberate act of raising their stock. “Ultimately, the dream of making Okpoama a proper globally recognized tourism destination is in sight.” Okpoama International Beach Carnival has always paraded top musical and comic artists yearly and attracted multitude of tourists from within and outside the state. In the time past, Timaya, Davido, Wizkid, and Tiwa Savage were among the top artists who identified with and thrilled visitors at previous events. The event has always presented an indispensable opportunity for people outside the state to enjoy Bayelsa hospitality and savour local state delicacies. The 2025 Okpoama International Beach Carnival, which MC Senibo coordinated as the Master of Ceremony is usually organized by Sylva’s team and political associates including Kojo Sam to highlight the potential of Okpoama and Brass Island as a destination of choice for tourists.3 Unstoppable Vanguard ETFs to Buy Even if There's a Stock Market Sell-Off in 2025

Colts QB Anthony Richardson ruled out for Sunday's game against the GiantsNone

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - Official Story TrailerThe superintendents of police are directly or indirectly involved with extortion in connivance with sub-inspectors or the officer-in-charges of police stations, said Barrister Zillur Rahman, deputy inspector general (DIG) of the Dhaka Traffic and Driving School yesterday. He made this statement at a seminar on "Prevention of Extortion in Bangladesh," organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Social Research Trust. Zillur said if SPs and DIGs are not complicit, extortion could be reduced by 50 percent. He said the focus has mainly been on blaming SIs and OCs for extortion. The police's image is not improving because of senior officers, he said. He further explained that responsibility for the issue is split: 49 percent lie with senior officers, 50 percent with political leaders, and 1 percent with other internal problems. "If senior officers are at least 25 percent effective, the police's image would improve," he said. He also pointed out that political leaders are equally responsible for not addressing the issue. Zillur referenced DB Harun Or Rashid, who received awards despite allegations of killing, due to recommendations from senior officers. M Khurshed Alam, chairman of BISR Trust, who chaired the seminar, revealed that only 25 percent of victims of petty crimes such as mugging or theft in Dhaka report them to the police. "In a survey of 400 people, we found that victims of mugging were often forced to file theft complaints instead," he said. Mamun Or Rashid, deputy commissioner (crime) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said although the police became ineffective after August 5, the situation has improved. He said they had successfully identified crime hotspots and times, and increased patrolling to bring the situation under control. Nazmul Haque, former additional inspector general of police, claimed that police officers are encouraged to use force for the chance to win awards like the Bangladesh Police Medal. He also said corrupt officers are often given the best postings, while honest officers are sidelined. "We have a good system, but it must be followed," he added. The superintendents of police are directly or indirectly involved with extortion in connivance with sub-inspectors or the officer-in-charges of police stations, said Barrister Zillur Rahman, deputy inspector general (DIG) of the Dhaka Traffic and Driving School yesterday. He made this statement at a seminar on "Prevention of Extortion in Bangladesh," organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Social Research Trust. Zillur said if SPs and DIGs are not complicit, extortion could be reduced by 50 percent. He said the focus has mainly been on blaming SIs and OCs for extortion. The police's image is not improving because of senior officers, he said. He further explained that responsibility for the issue is split: 49 percent lie with senior officers, 50 percent with political leaders, and 1 percent with other internal problems. "If senior officers are at least 25 percent effective, the police's image would improve," he said. He also pointed out that political leaders are equally responsible for not addressing the issue. Zillur referenced DB Harun Or Rashid, who received awards despite allegations of killing, due to recommendations from senior officers. M Khurshed Alam, chairman of BISR Trust, who chaired the seminar, revealed that only 25 percent of victims of petty crimes such as mugging or theft in Dhaka report them to the police. "In a survey of 400 people, we found that victims of mugging were often forced to file theft complaints instead," he said. Mamun Or Rashid, deputy commissioner (crime) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said although the police became ineffective after August 5, the situation has improved. He said they had successfully identified crime hotspots and times, and increased patrolling to bring the situation under control. Nazmul Haque, former additional inspector general of police, claimed that police officers are encouraged to use force for the chance to win awards like the Bangladesh Police Medal. He also said corrupt officers are often given the best postings, while honest officers are sidelined. "We have a good system, but it must be followed," he added.Wong’s message on ‘devastating’ plane crash

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson has been ruled out for the Colts' big game at the New York Giants on Sunday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson has been ruled out for the Colts' big game at the New York Giants on Sunday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson has been ruled out for the Colts’ big game at the New York Giants on Sunday. Richardson missed practice on Thursday and Friday because of back and foot injuries. He was listed as questionable before he was downgraded to out on Saturday. Indianapolis (7-8) has a slim chance of making the playoffs. The Colts need to win out and get some help. Richardson’s absence likely means Joe Flacco will start against New York. Flacco, a New Jersey native who turns 40 on Jan. 16, has passed for 1,167 yards and nine touchdowns in six games this season, including four starts. He also has thrown five interceptions. The 22-year-old Richardson was selected by Indianapolis with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft. He has passed for 1,814 yards and eight touchdowns with 12 interceptions this year. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl AdvertisementGalaxy Ball Reviews: Scam or Legit? (2025)

Aide to President-elect John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari An aide to President-elect John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, has claimed that his historic re-election has silenced critics and decisively defeated the main opponent. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, December 28, 2024, she wrote, “Finally, we give all the glory to God and the good people of Ghana. Ghanaians overwhelmingly endorsed @JDMahama and gave him a fantastic scoresheet. HE John Dramani Mahama’s resoundingly excellent performance in the elections has brought some peace and tranquility to X. Our worst critics have been beaten flat out and the main foe totally annihilated.” She added that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) now has the opportunity to reset Ghana, emphasising that those who spread lies and propaganda during the campaign period have lost their influence and credibility. “All those who peddled lies and falsehoods and refused to work on the bad image and impunity of the NPP government, spending the whole campaign period spewing invectives and propaganda, have each seen their smoothness level. “EC Presidential Declaration: John Dramani Mahama (NDC) – 57.7% Dr. Bawumia (NPP) – 41%. Finally, we can #ResetGhana,” she noted. Read the post below: JKB/MA Watch as EC’s planned rerun sparks massive debate among voters in Dome KwabenyaDonald Trump picks Missouri’s Billy Long to lead the IRS