Director of National Intelligence (DNI) designee Tulsi Gabbard began her charm offensive with key senators on Monday — and got a boost from hundreds of veterans while seeking to allay concerns about her views on Syria in the wake of the Assad regime’s collapse . More than 250 veterans — including current members of Congress and former federal officials — signed an open letter endorsing her for the DNI position to coordinate between the government’s 17 intelligence agencies. “While most Americans know Tulsi as a fearless and principled Congresswoman who stood up to entrenched political systems, we know her as a fellow veteran — one whose worldview was forged through the crucible of serving in combat zones and a lifelong devotion to service,” the veterans wrote in the letter published Monday. Prominent veterans such as Reps. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.); Brian Mast (R-Fla.), who is set to helm the House Foreign Affairs Committee; former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller and others had signed the letter, which was first reported by Fox News . “Tulsi’s life exemplifies a rare blend of selflessness, courage, and leadership — qualities desperately needed to reform and strengthen our intelligence community,” the letter added. Despite an onslaught from Democrats and media pundits, Gabbard, 43, was “hitting the ground running better than [Pete] Hegseth” in responding to detractors, one Senate GOP aide observed to The Post, while adding that both are expected to have the necessary votes for confirmation. Only four Republicans in the upper chamber would have to join with every Democrat and independent to tank a nominee. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a veteran who had expressed skepticism about Hegseth being tapped as Pentagon boss, praised Gabbard as a “strong and proven leader” following their meeting earlier Monday. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who is generally one of the more hawkish voices within the Senate GOP, declared Monday that “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees.” There’s also been some speculation that Gabbard could get some support from across the aisle, including from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Politico reported . Last month, when President-elect Donald Trump unveiled Gabbard as his pick for the DNI post, he quickly ignited controversy over her track record on Syria. While serving in the House, Gabbard had met with former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in early 2017 during a trip to the war-torn country . Assad was toppled Saturday evening, elevating the issue as Gabbard jockeys to lock down support in the upper chamber. At the time of her meeting with Assad, Gabbard stressed the need for dialogue between the two countries, and subsequently castigated US strikes on Syria under the Trump administration in response to alleged chemical weapon deployments there. Gabbard also openly questioned the legitimacy of allegations from the intelligence community that the former Assad regime was responsible for the chemical attack. All this has led to criticisms from figures like former National Security Adviser John Bolton who have characterized her as an Assad apologist. However, she has also denounced Assad as a “brutal dictator.” In comments that were recently resurfaced about the fracas, Sanders posted on X in October 2019: “Tulsi Gabbard has put her life on the line to defend this country. People can disagree on issues, but it is outrageous for anyone to suggest that Tulsi is a foreign asset.” Gabbard smiled and ignored questions from reporters while on Capitol Hill Monday regarding her track record on Syria. She is widely expected to be framing her encounter with Assad in the context of her opposition to so-called “endless wars,” something that was at the forefront of her failed 2020 bid in the Democratic primary for president. In October, she revealed that she had shifted her party affiliation to Republican at a Trump rally in Greensboro, NC, after having endorsed the 45th president two months before. Several Republicans previously indicated that they have a great number of questions for Gabbard. “We’ll have lots of questions. She met with Bashar Assad. We’ll want to know what the purpose was,” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told CNN last month after Gabbard was announced as Trump’s pick. But so far no one in the Senate GOP Conference has publicly opposed her. Potential swing votes such as outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), as well as Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), have been largely tight-lipped on her selection. Overall, many of her skeptics such as House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio), who will not have to vote to confirm her, have refrained being too critical towards her. “I obviously differ a great deal in a number of areas with both her judgment and her background and experience, but what I do trust is the Senate process,” Turner told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
Simple Hacks to Make the Holidays Merrier (and Cheaper)
NEW YORK — The NHL is partnering with P-X-P to serve the Deaf community, creating an alternate telecast for the Winter Classic that features analysis in American Sign Language. The announcement was made Thursday by the league and a company that aims to improve access to ASL in sports. NHL in ASL made its debut when Florida outlasted Edmonton in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, showing two deaf commentators signing during a game for the first time during a major sports event. The groundbreaking concept will return — streaming on Max in the United States and Sportsnet+ in Canada — on Dec. 31 when the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues play at Wrigley Field. "We are proud to continue to demonstrate the league’s commitment to providing a fully immersive and accessible viewing experience that specifically meets the needs of the Deaf community,” said Steve Mayer , the NHL's chief content officer. “This is an NHL-led production for the Deaf by the Deaf, and we encourage all fans watching at home to tune-in to experience this special telecast.” Hearing commentators are not heard during the NHL ASL broadcasts, which does include natural sound that would be heard in the arena, such as the officials calling a penalty and skates cutting through ice. Graphics such as a crowd intensity meter that measures crowd noise are also shown. Closed captioning has been around for more than four decades, but the boxes of text in English do not provide true access to viewers in the Deaf community . P-X-P chief operating officer Jason Altmann and Noah Blankenship from Denver’s Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services will appear on the right side of a split screen during the Winter Classic, just as they did for seven games during the Cup Final. “The NHL continues to be a sports industry pioneer for Deaf inclusion and accessibility and I am honored to be part of this game-changing initiative," Altmann said.
have seen a spectacular rally in the last few months, driven by several factors, including declining interest rates and easing inflationary pressures, which have encouraged investors to buy back into growth-oriented sectors. In addition, recent U.S. presidential election results, in which Donald Trump was re-elected, have sparked renewed discussions around trade policies and economic growth, indirectly benefiting the tech sector. While valuations of many in my portfolio have surged in recent months, I believe their potential for long-term growth remains intact. That’s why any market pullback in the coming months could be a golden opportunity for long-term investors to add more shares of such strong stocks. In this article, I’ll share two I already own and would happily buy more of if their prices dip. BlackBerry stock After struggling for over a year, ( ) seems to be attracting investors’ attention in recent months. That’s why the stock of this Waterloo-based enterprise software company has risen 16.5% over the last three months to currently trade at $3.61 per share with a of $2.1 billion. Besides the broader market rally, investors’ renewed interest in BlackBerry could be attributed to the improving performance of its cybersecurity and Internet of Things (IoT) segments. In the second quarter (ended in August 2024) of its fiscal year 2025, BlackBerry’s total revenue climbed by nearly 10% YoY (year over year to US$145 million due to the strong performance of its IoT and Cybersecurity divisions. IoT segment revenue grew by 12% YoY, reaching US$55 million, while cybersecurity revenue increased by 10% to US$87 million. In addition, BlackBerry’s operational efficiency showed significant improvement in the most recent quarter, helping it achieve breakeven adjusted earnings. I expect its ongoing cost-optimization efforts and continued focus on developing artificial intelligence and machine learning-powered solutions for businesses to accelerate its financial growth in the years to come. That’s why I wouldn’t hesitate to add more shares of BlackBerry to my portfolio if its stock sees a pullback. Shopify stock While ( ) is known for its eye-popping returns that have made many investors rich, I recently bought this top tech stock for my portfolio. Despite being too late to catch its early meteoric rise, I’m not at all concerned about missing out on Shopify’s potential for long-term growth, as the growth story of this e-commerce platform giant is far from over, in my opinion. After rocketing by 69% over the last three months, Shopify stock currently trades at $160.08 per share with a market cap of $206.7 billion. Despite the ongoing macroeconomic challenges, Shopify’s sales have risen 23.5% YoY over the last 12 months to US$8.2 billion. Its recent cost-cutting measures and innovative product launches seem to be paying off as its profitability is continuing to improve. In the last four quarters combined, its adjusted earnings have risen by 150% YoY to US$1.15 per share, which continues to beat Street analysts’ expectations by a huge margin. Given its outstanding financial performance and strong fundamental outlook, I’d definitely consider adding more shares of Shopify if it witnesses a correction in the coming months.NEW YORK (AP) — Having waited 63 years for an Ivy League football title, Columbia had to stand by for another 40 minutes. The Lions had beaten Cornell 17-9 but needed a Harvard loss against Yale to secure a share of first place on the season's final day. So Columbia players retreated to their locker room on a hill a few hundred feet from Wien Stadium to watch the game in Boston on TV as a few hundred fans remained and gazed at the gold-and-orange foliage of Inwood Hill Park glowing in Saturday's afternoon sun. When Yale recovered onside kick with seconds left to ensure a 34-29 Harvard defeat, players let out a scream and streamed back onto the field to celebrate, smoke cigars, lift a trophy and sing “Roar, Lion, Roar” with family and friends. Who would have thunk it? “You had the realization of, oh, I’m a champion, which is something that hasn’t been said here in a while,” co-captain CJ Brown said. Harvard dropped into a tie with Columbia and Dartmouth at 5-2, the first time three teams shared the title since 1982 — the conference doesn't use tiebreakers. “It was nerve-wracking, for sure, but definitely exciting because that's something that not a lot of people have experienced, especially here," running back Joey Giorgi said. There have been several top players at Columbia — Sid Luckman, Marty Domres, Marcellus Wiley among them — but the school is perhaps better known for owners such as the New England Patriots' Robert Kraft and former Cleveland Browns head Al Lerner. Columbia's only previous championship in 1961 also was shared with Harvard. That Lions team was coached by Buff Donelli, a former Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Rams coach who scored for the Americans in soccer's 1934 World Cup. Columbia set a then Division I-AA record with 44 consecutive losses from 1983-88, a mark broken by Prairie View’s 80 in a row from 1989-98. Since 1971, the Lions’ only seasons with winning records until now were 1994, 1996, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022. Al Bagnoli, who won nine Ivy titles in 23 years at Penn, couldn't manage one at Columbia from 2015-22. He quit six weeks before the 2023 opener, citing health, and was replaced on an interim basis by Mark Fabish, his offensive coordinator. Jon Poppe, now 39, was hired last December after working as a Bagnoli assistant at Columbia from 2015-17 between stints at Harvard from 2011-14 and 2017-22, plus one season as a head coach at Division III Union College. He led the Lions to a 7-3 record overall, their most wins in a coach's first season since George F. Sanford's team went 9-3 in 1899. Poppe had wife Anna and 7-year-old daughter with him in the locker room watching the countdown to the title. “Sixty-three years of whatever into now,” he said. “Just seeing a lot of that history myself, personally. This is a hugely — a feeling of elation, seeing my dad on the field, a lot of emotional things with that.” Before a crowd of 4,224, quarterback Caleb Sanchez's 1-yard touchdown run put Columbia ahead in the second quarter. Giorgi's 1-yard TD run opened a 14-3 lead in the third and Hugo Merry added a 25-yard field goal in the fourth, overcoming three field goals by Alan Zhao. Giorgi rushed for 165 yards and finished his career with 2,112, second in school history. He and Brown missed what would have been their freshman season in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Given Columbia's athletic history — the most successful sport is fencing — it is not an obvious football destination. “I saw the dedication, whether it resulted in wins or losses,” Brown said. “I saw their dedication to the product that they put out on the field and also the athletic department, the facilities that we had here, the busses on schedule and stuff, I was like, OK, they care about their athletes. People here want to win and it doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past, it matters what we’re going to do now.” Poppe cited a mindset. “You get 10 opportunities, unlike other sports, it is a grind to play this sport and prepare the way we do just for 10,” he said. As the final whistle sounded in Boston, Brown noted an unusual initial reaction in the locker room. “It was like kind of awe when they recovered the kick,” he said. “It was a lot quieter than you would think it would be, but you could feel the joy and the elation.” They accomplished what more than six decades of their predecessors had failed to. As the players headed out, Poppe had a final word. “Day off tomorrow,” he said. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
