NBC union projects graphics on 30 Rock accusing leadership of stalling on contractBrian Odom has made an impact in a short time at UNT, which is turning to him to save year as DC
Craft scores 34, Miami (OH) takes down Bethany (WV) 112-70
The list of President-elect Donald Trump's legal cases is shrinking — or being delayed. On Monday, Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a motion to dismiss the Washington, D.C. election subversion case. He also asked a federal appeals court to stop reviewing the classified documents case in Florida. On Tuesday, that court granted dismissal of the case against Trump — though not against other appellees. In dismissing the cases, the Special Counsel cited the Department of Justice's long-standing policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents. "After careful consideration, the Department has determined that OLC's prior opinions concerning the Constitution's prohibition on federal indictment and prosecution of a sitting President apply to this situation and that as a result this prosecution must be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated," Smith wrote in his court filing regarding the election subversion case. "We've used the word unprecedented a lot over the course of the last four years, and yet again this is something that is unprecedented, and Smith himself said this in his motion," former state and federal prosecutor David S. Weinstein told Scripps News. "He took great detail to point out that this was not based on the strength or weakness of the case." In a post on Truth Social , Trump said in part "These cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless." RELATED STORY | Special counsel evaluating how to wind down federal cases against Trump Earlier this year, Trump faced four on-going criminal cases. He was convicted in his New York hush money case in May, but sentencing — which was scheduled for this week — has been delayed . After Smith's actions Monday, Trump now faces only the Georgia election interference case. In Georgia, Trump was indicted along with 18 allies, accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. But that case is now on hold after the state appeals court unexpectedly removed a December hearing from its calendar. That court will issue a new order on how this case will move forward, but with less than two months before the inauguration, the future of the Georgia and New York hush money cases are still being decided. "The two state cases are likely to recede into the background — at best," former Department of Justice attorney and current partner at Gelber, Schachter & Greenberg, Barbara Llanes, told Scripps News. "We probably won't hear much about these cases following the inauguration of President-elect Trump." Defense attorneys for Trump believe his election victory is enough for the hush money case to be dismissed. They need to file a motion by Dec. 2 making that argument. Then prosecutors have until Dec. 9 to file a rebuttal. They still believe Trump should be sentenced — even if it's after he leaves office. Judge Juan Merchan will then make a decision on how this case should move forward. There's no set date on exactly when he will make that decision.The Los Angeles Dodgers seem capable of making another big addition this winter. Los Angeles took down the New York Yankees this fall in the World Series, but the organization could use some more pitching. Luckily, there are some top-tier options out there. The Dodgers still have money to spend somehow and The Athletic's Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman, and Chad Jennings listed Los Angeles among the "best fits" for Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes and projected him to land a $217 million deal. "Traded to the Orioles last winter, Burnes delivered ace-level performance for his new team," Britton, Jennings, and Gleeman said. "He ranked third in the American League in innings, fourth in ERA and 10th in strikeouts. He should see his name on Cy Young ballots for the fifth straight season, and he’s the best pitcher on the open market. "That said, Burnes’ once-brilliant strikeout rate has fallen in each of the last four years. When the right-hander won the Cy Young with Milwaukee in 2021, he struck out hitters 50 percent more often than the average pitcher. This past year, he struck out hitters two percent more often than the average pitcher...Britton's projection: seven years, $217 million. Best fits: (Baltimore Orioles), (Boston Red Sox), (Los Angeles Dodgers)." Burnes logged a 2.92 ERA for the Orioles across 32 starts. He's one of the best pitchers in baseball and widely is considered to be the second-best free agent available this offseason. A deal with the Dodgers would put them over the top even more. More MLB: Dodgers predicted to win bidding war for 23-year-old pitching phenom
Lewandowski scores 100th Champions League goal. Man City draws Feyenoord but Haaland nets 2Turbocharging transforms engine performance and the technology was first used in trucks in the late 1930s. However, it wasn't until the '80s, when emissions regulations were increasingly at the forefront, that turbochargers started becoming more prominent in pickups. In 1989, the first RAM with a Cummins engine under the hood was launched, and it featured a turbocharger which enabled 400-pound feet of torque. Today, you might notice fewer naturally aspirated diesel engines and there are some good reasons why. Fast forward to 2007, and the mighty 6.7-liter Cummins becomes available and is still the most potent choice for the RAM heavy-duty trucks today. The 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel inline-six engine can generate 850-pound feet of torque and pull an impressive 22,660-pounds. Holset, which was acquired several decades ago by Cummins, makes the turbochargers in the RAM engines. The 6.7-liter uses the Holset HE300 series which features a compressor size of 60mm. A turbocharger consists of a shaft with a compressor and turbine wheel. Turbocharger sizes are often represented as a measurement in millimeters from the very tip of the blade on one side to the tip of the blade on the opposite. You might see a set of numbers such as 60/66, which simply includes the measurement of the compressor blades followed by the turbine blade size, both in millimeters. When you want as much power as possible, there are some easy performance upgrades for your diesel truck . But don't make the mistake of trying to install the biggest turbocharger you can find without first ensuring it will work well with the 6.7-liter Cummins. For example, a turbocharger must build the necessary pressure it needs to spool up, and it requires energy produced from exhaust gasses. If the turbocharger's size is too great, your performance at low RPM will be noticeably disappointing. This is because the engine wouldn't be able to offer up enough exhaust gas to build adequate pressure enabling the turbocharger to work properly. This would have big impact on engines like the 6.7-liter Cummins that are known for their phenomenal torque at low RPM, which helps bolster figures like towing capacity. A turbocharger that is too small creates the opposite problem. The low-end will perform well, but as you continue to accelerate, the insufficient capacity of a smaller turbo will begin to negatively disrupt vital airflow, making it difficult for the engine to breath properly. Fortunately, there are ways to check if your engine can handle a turbo , but it's essential to strike a careful balance even with stock components. For example, if you were to take the stock HE351VE turbo available in the 6.7-liter Cummins and pushed it too far with aggressive tuning, you can reach dangerously high exhaust gas temperatures potentially burning out the turbocharger itself.Manchester City’s crisis deepened as they surrendered a three-goal lead late in the game to draw 3-3 against Feyenoord in the Champions League. Pep Guardiola’s side avoided the indignity of a sixth successive defeat in all competitions and looked on course for a welcome victory thanks to a double from Erling Haaland – the first from the penalty spot – and a deflected effort from Ilkay Gundogan. Yet Guardiola was left with his head in hands as Feyenoord roared back in the last 15 minutes with goals from Anis Hadj Moussa, Sergio Gimenez and David Hancko, two of them after Josko Gvardiol errors. FULL-TIME | A point apiece. 🩵 3-3 ⚫️ #ManCity | #UCL pic.twitter.com/6oj1nEOIwm — Manchester City (@ManCity) November 26, 2024 Arsenal delivered the statement Champions League win Mikel Arteta had demanded as they swept aside Sporting Lisbon 5-1. Arteta wanted his team to prove their European credentials, and goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track in style following the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan last time out. A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. Putting on a show at Sporting 🌟 pic.twitter.com/Yi9MgRZEkl — Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 26, 2024 Paris St Germain were left in serious of danger of failing to progress in the Champions League as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Kim Min-jae’s header late in the first half was enough to send PSG to a third defeat in the competition this season, leaving them six points off the automatic qualification places for the last 16 with three games to play. Luis Enrique’s side, who had Ousmane Dembele sent off, were deservedly beaten by Bayern who dominated chances and possession. 🔔 FULL TIME – Victory at home! +3 in the #UCL 👏❤️ #FCBayern #MiaSanMia | #FCBPSG #UCL pic.twitter.com/BYE23dXXih — FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) November 26, 2024 Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid were 6-0 winners away to Sparta Prague, Julian Alvarez and Angel Correa each scoring twice whilst there were also goals from Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann. Barcelona ended tournament debutants Brest’s unbeaten start with a 3-0 victory courtesy of two goals from Robert Lewandowski – one a penalty – and Dani Olmo. Lewandowski’s first was his 100th Champions League goal, only the third man to reach the mark after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. A Castello Lukeba own goal saw Inter Milan go top of the standings with a narrow 1-0 win over RB Leipzig at San Siro, whilst Bayer Leverkusen were emphatic victors against Red Bull Salzburg, Florian Wirtz scoring twice to move Xabi Alonso’s side into the automatic qualification places. Atalanta continued their strong start, albeit whilst conceding a first goal in Europe this season in a 6-1 win away to Young Boys, whilst Tammy Abraham scored the decisive goal as AC Milan beat Slovan Bratislava 3-2.
An open letter from mathematicians against the genocide in Gaza
Kotak Education Foundation introduced communicative English future readiness program for teachers across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Goa, through its web application, One KEF. The project which is aligned with NEP aims to empower middle- school students with limited exposure to English. It offers digitised content to middle school children from vernacular schools through a learning management system platform. One KEF is available on all android platforms with content accessible to all teachers across the four states through a fully digitized model, ensuring standardization and enhanced accessibility. By incorporating teacher training, the program aims to equip educators with the necessary skills to use digital tools, other resources and content in a way that maximizes learning outcomes for their students. Communicative English skills are important for students to succeed in today’s globalized world. However, students from vernacular medium schools often face significant challenges in mastering speaking in English. KEF, director, education & scholarships Jayasree Ramesh, said, “Our digitised communicative English program is a passport to global opportunities. More than just language learning, this program empowers learners with 21st century skills, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and global citizenship. By embedding financial and digital literacy this is truly a future-ready program”. The digitized communicative English language content integrates various disciplines and subject areas into the language learning process. It allows learners to develop language skills while simultaneously gaining knowledge in other fields such as science, history, arts, or technology.
Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance, announced significant reforms aimed at improving tax services, with the first package of tax facilities set to be fully implemented by the end of the current fiscal year. These measures, he emphasized, will foster a new era of trust, partnership, and certainty between the business community and the Tax Authority. Speaking during a meeting with the Republican People’s Party’s parliamentary bloc in the Administrative Capital, Kouchouk highlighted several initiatives designed to enhance the business environment. “We have developed a sample inspection system for all taxpayers and have launched an experimental central electronic clearing system for government dues and debts,” he explained. “This system is intended to build confidence with our partners, facilitate their operations, and improve cash liquidity.” The Minister also outlined plans to gradually integrate the informal economy, focusing on improving tax systems and offering greater support to small, medium, and large enterprises. “Our goal is to ensure that investors achieve substantial profits within a clear framework of rights and obligations, paving the way for a productive partnership with the Tax Authority,” Kouchouk said. Furthermore, he emphasized the Tax Authority’s initiative to revise administrative decisions and instructions as a clear signal of the government’s commitment to boosting the investment climate. “We strongly believe in the private sector’s potential to drive growth, and we will continue to support it within the Egyptian economy,” he affirmed, noting ongoing collaboration with the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade to reduce fees and unify collection agencies. The Minister also pointed to the growing demand for public-private partnerships, particularly in the service sectors and renewable energy, driven by the state’s limitations on public investment. The Ministry aims to increase spending on human development and social protection, alongside expanding programs to stimulate and support productive activities. Kouchouk stressed that the simplified tax system demonstrates a deep understanding of the importance of nurturing entrepreneurship, especially in the realm of digital exports. He highlighted the significant growth of information technology service exports and emphasized the need to further stimulate this sector. “Our export program for the upcoming fiscal year is ambitious, aiming to diversify and expand exports while tapping into new markets,” he stated. Additionally, Kouchouk highlighted the role of the medium-term budget framework in enhancing the efficiency of public spending and improving services for citizens. “We are committed to fostering a national dialogue, especially with young people, to refine our priorities and achieve key targets for citizens, investors, and the broader Egyptian economy,” he concluded. The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Sherif El-Kilani, Deputy Minister for Tax Policies; Ahmed Abdel Razek, Permanent Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance; Rami Youssef, Assistant Minister for Tax Policies and Development; Rasha Abdel Aal, Head of the Egyptian Tax Authority; and various other political and governmental figures.Kellanova (NYSE:K) Shares Sold by Commerce Bank
A surge in mysterious drone sightings across New Jersey and neighboring states has ignited public concern and federal scrutiny. For almost a month, residents have reported hundreds of enormous drones, six feet in diameter, flying from sundown till 11 p.m. New York and Maryland have also reported sightings, which has increased conjecture. On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI jointly released a statement discussing the situation. They said there was no proof that the drones were a threat to public safety or national security. They did point out that many encounters included legally flying manned aircraft, though. “The FBI, DHS, and our federal partners, in coordination with New Jersey State Police, continue to deploy resources,” the statement read. “Efforts are underway to confirm if these flights involve drones, manned aircraft, or false reports.” Allegations of Nuclear LinksSuspicions were heightened by a viral video that Colin Rugg shared on the social networking platform X, which was formerly Twitter. An unidentified drone maker said in the film that the drones may be looking for a nuclear bomb from Ukraine that has gone missing. According to the person, more than 80 Ukrainian warheads disappeared during the 1980s as part of nuclear disarmament efforts by Ronald Reagan. Additionally, he claimed to have just met someone who handled one of these warheads in person. The unidentified insider speculated that this bomb could have been headed for the US. “He physically touched this warhead... and knew it was heading here,” he said. Trump Demands ActionDonald Trump, the president-elect, demanded on Friday that the government take swift, decisive action or immediately increase openness. He voiced doubts about the government's lack of engagement in the issue in a piece published on Truth Social. “Mystery drone sightings all over the country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so!” he wrote. “Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!” This was the most forceful remark on the subject made by a prominent figure to date. Lawmakers Demand TransparencyLawmakers from New Jersey joined the increasing outcry demanding answers. New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand, together with Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, called on government agencies to move quickly. They sought a briefing on attempts to identify and address the drone sightings in a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI, and DHS. The letter demanded openness and emphasized popular outrage over the mysterious flights. Unanswered QuestionsFederal officials have reassured people, but the mysterious planes have caused a great deal of anxiety. Investigations are still underway, according to officials, and staff and technology are being used to find the facts. The public is still hearing theories about anything from innocuous civilian operations to reconnaissance missions. But the absence of conclusive responses has only increased apprehension and conjecture. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.Inside America’s federal workforce that Trump has promised to eviscerate. THE tremors from Donald Trump’s decisive electoral victory have hit every corner of Washington. But their maximum intensity is felt by the United States capital’s federal workforce, which comprises tens of thousands of mostly anonymous employees not-so-fondly referred to by Trump as “the deep state.” Few notions have consumed the once and future president more than the belief that his executive power has been constrained by a cabal of unelected bureaucrats. In his first rally of the 2024 campaign in Waco, Texas, Trump framed the bureaucracy as a national adversary, declaring, “Either the deep state destroys America, or we destroy the deep state.” His intention to accomplish the latter is an explicit feature of Trump’s official to-do list, known as Agenda 47. From numerous interviews conducted with government officials spread across eight federal agencies, the overwhelming consensus is that Trump and his allies are not bluffing. And now the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) has been announced with Trump’s close associate, billionaire industrialist and owner of social media platform X Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy picked to head it. In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal last Wednesday, the incoming “efficiency” tsars outlined plans for a “drastic reduction” in regulations and “mass head-count reductions”. Musk and Ramaswamy said they would rely on two recent Supreme Court rulings that limited the authority of federal regulatory agencies to “liberate individuals and businesses from illicit regulations never passed by Congress”. The heart of Trump and his allies have termed as ‘the deep state’ in Washington is bracing for changes that the Doge will bring. — Satellite image ©2020 Maxar Technologies via The New York Times “There’s definitely anxiety, no question,” said Thomas Yazdgerdi, president of the American Foreign Service Association, which represents about 17,000 active-duty and retired service members across six federal agencies. He said diplomats were asking him: “Is my job going to be OK? Will they shut down my bureau? What will happen to me?” Many longtime federal employees expressed exhaustion at the very prospect of a second go-round with Trump. “I believe there will be a significant exodus among the one-third of our workforce that is eligible to retire,” said Nicole Cantello, a former attorney for the Environmental Protection Agency speaking on behalf of the agency’s union, which she represents. “Many of them will be unwilling to relive all the hostility they experienced four years ago.” But most federal workers do not have the option to retire or to transfer their expertise to the private sector. So, while it has not been mentioned, yet, much of their concern centres on Trump’s pledge to re-institute Schedule F, an executive order he issued late in his presidency that would have empowered his administration to convert tens of thousands of civil servants to “at-will” workers, who could more easily be fired and replaced with political appointees. The legality of Schedule F was never tested because President Joe Biden revoked the order when he took office. “They are what makes this government work,” Natalie Quillian, a deputy chief of staff in the Biden White House, said of the federal workforce. Referring to a rule that Biden finalised this spring making it difficult to reinstate Schedule F, she continued, “I think we’ve taken all the actions we can to make sure they are protected and I’m not aware of any other action we can take.” Trump is hardly the first prominent politician to denounce the federal workforce. George Wallace, the former governor of Alabama and four-time presidential candidate, inveighed against “pointy-headed bureaucrats with thin briefcases full of guidelines.” Richard Nixon derisively termed them “little people in big jobs.” And though career government employees often serve in successive administrations from both parties, they are ultimately guided by viewpoints that some might construe as agendas. “It’s clear that there are civil servants with different policy views that work in government,” said David E. Lewis, a professor of political science at Vanderbilt University, who has written on bureaucracies. “And in some ways, that’s by design. We would expect experts to have opinions about what should be done. Sometimes those opinions fall along party lines, and you end up seeing some agencies with more Republicans and others with more Democrats. But historically speaking, that effect has been small.” Trump clearly does not believe this, Lewis acknowledged. “I would say his views of the bureaucracy are more strident than what we’ve seen from recent presidents,” he said. The closest parallel, Lewis added, was the “spoils system” administration of Andrew Jackson’s administration nearly two centuries ago, in which government jobs were doled out to cronies and family members. Officials interviewed warned that making civil servants feel more vulnerable about their livelihood would almost certainly create a chilling effect on how they go about their work. The perception of exhibiting insufficient loyalty to Trump’s agenda is more discomfiting at some agencies than at others. Three mid-level EPA officials said they feared the subject of climate change would be off-limits in the new administration. At the Pentagon, officials were trying to game out what policies might catch Trump’s attention and prompt edicts like the one he announced five years ago on social media, forbidding transgender people from serving “in any capacity in the US Military.” There also are fears inside the Education Department that its legacy of civil rights reforms could soon be terminated, or that Trump will make good on his vow to dissolve the department altogether. Aaron Ament, who served as chief of staff of the Education Department’s general counsel’s office during the Obama administration, said that even if the Trump administration kept the agency intact, it could immediately test the resolve of its staff by cutting back many of the department’s main regulatory and enforcement functions. “During his first term, Trump outsourced higher education policy to for-profit industry executives who systematically dismantled enforcement and regulatory protections for students,” Ament said. “If this term is similar, we could not only see the same harms but find Trump weaponising the Office for Civil Rights to cut off funds for state universities that teach from books he doesn’t like or disagree with him politically.” Even agencies with distinctly non-ideological missions could come under scrutiny. At the Federal Aviation Administration, for example, the mission of safely landing airplanes has found no sceptic among the authors of Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint for reshaping the federal government. But federal employees at the FAA and elsewhere have noted that Musk’s SpaceX rocket launches are regulated by the agency. Musk also has been openly contemptuous of collective bargaining rights. One FAA official said his co-workers fear that Musk may exercise undue influence in that regard and are concerned that Trump will roll back any protections against discrimination that the new president deems to be “woke.” One intelligence official predicted that many at the CIA would make their career decisions based on whether the new CIA director is respectful of the intelligence community. Several people who were interviewed pointed to Trump’s mercurial character as a factor that might ultimately save them. Though they did not doubt the sincerity of his hostility toward “the deep state,” they strained to imagine a 78-year-old man with a fleeting attention span poring over employee manifests and organisational charts. In the end, what might end up blunting any damage Trump might try to inflict upon the bureaucracy is its own hidebound imperviousness. One former official at the Transportation Department, who asked for anonymity to speak freely, recalled the more than yearlong effort to obtain the funding for a specific, relatively small project that had already been authorised. It was the nature of bureaucracy, the official said: Nothing could be done, or undone, with the stroke of a pen. — ©2024 The New York Times Company
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.
Happy Monday! Insurtech startups are opting for an offline strategy for deeper market reach. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch. Also in the letter: ■ Social infra in focus ■ Exotel’s FY24 loss narrows ■ Wipro’s talent boost From digital to doorstep, insurtech startups take the offline route, will it work? Insurance aggregators are increasingly appointing physical agents from insurance companies. Players like PB Fintech, InsuranceDekho, Turtlemint, and others are jostling for space in an industry, which is heavily under-penetrated in India. Driving the news: PB Fintech is focusing on building its offline agent-led business through PB Partners and has built a network of 250,000 agents, competing closely with InsuranceDekho, which has a similar number of agents on the field. Turtlemint has around 400,000 agents, the company said. Rising competition: The sector has become heavily competitive. Insurance is underpenetrated in India and insurance brokers are trying to grab as much market share as possible by increasing their physical footprint. Every company is trying to go deep into the country, tapping the opportunities beyond the metro cities. Regulatory scrutiny: Insurance companies want to keep the controls over distribution too and they are looking at Bima Sugam, the insurance regulator-backed platform to bring all insurance companies together as the next big opportunity. But as of now, Bima Sugam is yet to become a reality. ETtech Explainer: What’s behind the Rs 803-crore GST demand on Zomato? Deepinder Goyal, CEO, Zomato Zomato announced last week it received a notice from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) authorities demanding Rs 803 crore in unpaid taxes , including penalties and interest. We explain this long-standing issue and the point of contention between the government and the aggregators. Issue at hand: At the core of the issue is Section 9(5) of the Central GST Act, which mandates that platforms like Zomato, in sectors such as food delivery, ride-hailing, and ecommerce, must collect and remit indirect taxes on behalf of suppliers. GST authorities believe that since delivery is classified as a service, the fees collected by Zomato are taxable. Also Read: Zomato receives Rs 402 crore unpaid GST notice, company contests charges Counter view: Aggregators say that while they collect a delivery fee from customers, it is passed on to the gig workers fulfilling those deliveries. Stakeholders have been seeking clarity from the GST Council on whether the delivery fee component is covered under the tax ambit. But nothing has emerged so far. Next steps: Zomato said it will contest the tax demand. It will first appeal in the GST Appellate Tribunal, following which the matter could end up in the courts. Company impact: To put things into perspective, the tax demand is more than the total profit made by Zomato since it became profitable in the April-June 2023 quarter. In FY24, it posted a net profit of Rs 351 crore . For the first six months of the ongoing fiscal year, it posted a profit of Rs 429 crore. Big-bracket investments push states to create social infrastructure As India aspires to reach $300 billion in electronics production , with $100 billion in exports, in the coming years, states are building social infrastructure for the employees, ensuring workers have access to necessary amenities and rejuvenation spaces. What’s happening: In Tamil Nadu, the government is developing a shopping complex along with several other initiatives like a huge park, an open gym, 'healing garden'. Amenities like sports facilities and reading rooms are also being constructed at or near a housing initiative for 18,720 women employed by Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn, a key supplier to Apple, at Vallam Vadagal near Chennai. Quote, unquote: "We have earmarked a 1.5 acre land parcel as commercial property right next to the housing complex," K. Senthil Raj, managing director of the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT), told us. What’s next: Following Tamil Nadu’s model, other states like Telangana and Gujarat are also adopting similar strategies to build townships around their growing industrial hubs. In Telangana, dormitories have already been set up at Kakatiya Mega Textile Park, while Gujarat is developing housing and infrastructure for the semiconductor ecosystem in Sanand GIDC. Other Top Stories By Our Reporters Adarsh Dikshith, CFO, Exotel Exotel’s FY24 loss narrows to a third, operating revenue up 6%: Exotel’s net loss for fiscal 2024 shrank to about a third from a year earlier even as its revenue growth slowed, as the cloud telephony and contact-centre technology provider shifted focus to profitability from expanding business. Wipro boosts its internal talent base to drive growth: Wipro, India’s fourth largest IT services major , is bulking up its internal talent muscle as the software services major prepares for growth revival in 2025 with green shoots in the market, chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil told us in an exclusive conversation. Global Picks We Are Reading ■ Open source companies that go proprietary: A timeline ( TechCrunch ) ■ Sam Altman reckons with a growing threat to OpenAI: Elon Musk ( FT ) ■ Trump hosts Apple CEO at Mar-a-Lago as big tech leaders continue outreach to president-elect ( AP )Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro was fully aware of and actively participated in a coup plot to remain in office after his defeat in the 2022 election, according to a federal police report unsealed on Tuesday. Brazil’s federal police last Thursday formally accused Mr Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup. They sent their 884-page report to the Supreme Court, which lifted the seal. “The evidence collected throughout the investigation shows unequivocally that then-president Jair Messias Bolsonaro planned, acted and was directly and effectively aware of the actions of the criminal organisation aiming to launch a coup d’etat and eliminate the democratic rule of law, which did not take place due to reasons unrelated to his desire,” the document said. At another point, it says: “Bolsonaro had full awareness and active participation.” Mr Bolsonaro, who had repeatedly alleged without evidence that the country’s electronic voting system was prone to fraud, called a meeting in December 2022, during which he presented a draft decree to the commanders of the three divisions of the armed forces, according to the police report, signed by four investigators. The decree would have launched an investigation into suspicions of fraud and crimes related to the October 2022 vote, and suspended the powers of the nation’s electoral court. The navy’s commander stood ready to comply, but those from the army and air force objected to any plan that prevented Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s inauguration, the report said. Those refusals are why the plan did not go ahead, according to witnesses who spoke to investigators. Mr Bolsonaro never signed the decree to set the final stage of the alleged plan into action. Mr Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or awareness of any plot to keep him in power or oust his leftist rival and successor. “No one is going to do a coup with a reserve general and half a dozen other officers. What is being said is absurd. For my part, there has never been any discussion of a coup,” Mr Bolsonaro told journalists in the capital Brasilia on Monday. “If someone came to discuss a coup with me, I’d say, that’s fine, but the day after, how does the world view us?” he added. “The word ‘coup’ has never been in my dictionary.” The top court has passed the report on to prosecutor-general Paulo Gonet. He will decide whether to formally charge Mr Bolsonaro. Rodrigo Rios, a law professor at the PUC university in the city of Curitiba, said Mr Bolsonaro could face up to a minimum of 11 years in prison if convicted on all charges. “A woman involved in the January 8 attack on the Supreme Court received a 17-year prison sentence,” Mr Rios told the Associated Press, noting that the former president is more likely to receive 15 years or more if convicted. “Bolsonaro’s future looks dark.” Ahead of the 2022 election, Mr Bolsonaro repeatedly alleged that the election system, which does not use paper ballots, could be tampered with. The top electoral court later ruled that he had abused his power to cast unfounded doubt on the voting system, and ruled him ineligible for office until 2030. Still, he has maintained that he will stand as a candidate in the 2026 race. Since Mr Bolsonaro left office, he has been targeted by several investigations, all of which he has chalked up to political persecution. Federal police have accused him of smuggling diamond jewellery into Brazil without properly declaring them and directing a subordinate to falsify his and others’ Covid-19 vaccination statuses. Authorities are also investigating whether he incited the riot on January 8 2022 in which his followers ransacked the Supreme Court and presidential palace in Brasilia, seeking to prompt intervention by the army that would oust Mr Lula from power. Mr Bolsonaro had left for the United States days before Mr Lula’s inauguration on January 1 2023 and stayed there for three months, keeping a low profile. The police report unsealed on Tuesday alleges he was seeking to avoid possible imprisonment related to the coup plot, and also await the uprising that took place a week later.Man City stumble again while Arsenal and Bayern Munich earn dominant winsThe Kansas City Chiefs grinded out another nail biting victory in Week 12, as Spencer Shrader's game-winning 31-yard field goal gave them a 30-27 victory over the Carolina Panthers. And along the way, their head coach Andy Reid managed to achieve another ridiculous milestone. While the Panthers are one of the worst teams in the NFL, they played the Chiefs incredibly tough in this one, and tied the game at 27 late in the fourth quarter. Patrick Mahomes and the offense responded by driving down the field to set up Shrader, and he nailed the kick to secure Kansas City's 10th win of the season. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.
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Laura Loomer, far-right commentator and journalist, alleged in a post on X that Peter Thiel-owned Bid Data company Palantir Technologies is trying to 'infiltrate' President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming administration. Palantir Technology launched an advertisement for drones during the college football game between the Army and the Navy in Maryland on Saturday. Amid the ongoing sightings of 'mystery' drones in New Jersey and New York, Loomer claimed that the advertisement was strategically launched to leverage Trump's presence at the game. She claimed that the company is trying to build influence in the upcoming Trump administration to acquire contracts for the United States Department of Defense. "We have been denied answers about the drones," Loomer wrote. "Simultaneously, Palantir has been trying to influence the Trump transition team and infiltrate the Trump admin so they can get more defense contracts even though their executives campaigned against Trump." "Interesting how they decided to release this drone commercial during the Army-Navy game yesterday while we still have no answers about the drones in New Jersey," she added. Also read: ABC And George Stephanopoulos To Pay Trump $15 Million To Settle Defamation Lawsuit Palantir's Relationship With Trump Palantir Technologies maintained a close partnership with the US government during Donald Trump’s presidency. Co-founded by Peter Thiel, the company collaborated extensively with national security agencies, including the CIA and DOD. During Trump’s first term, Palantir secured contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to support immigration enforcement through data analytics. Thiel, an early supporter of Trump, donated $1.25 million to his 2016 campaign and maintained support during Trump’s first term, despite later calling the administration "crazier" and "more dangerous" than expected. While pledging to vote for Trump in 2024, Thiel declined financial backing. He also introduced Vice President-elect JD Vance to Trump. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News, World and around the world.
