5jili From 2023 to date, the Kwara State Government has initiated at least 190 projects across the state’s three senatorial districts. Speaking during the 45th edition of a media interaction organized by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State Council, in Ilorin on Wednesday, the state’s Commissioner for Works and Transport, Abdulquawiy Olododo, stated that the government has also paid counterpart funds to the federal government for the construction of a 209.77-kilometre road in the state. The commissioner, who mentioned that the projects range from road rehabilitation to total road reconstruction, emphasized that the goal is to make movement easier for residents. ALSO READ: Army to invest massively in modern technology, others — Oluyede Olododo highlighted some of the completed roads, including a 21-kilometre road in Esie, a 12-kilometre road in Ajase-Ipo, the rehabilitation of a 2-kilometre road from Omu Aran to Oko, and a 5-kilometre road from Oko to Oro-Ago, along with the Ilesha Baruba-Gwanara roads, among others. He stated that most of the projects have been completed, while others are nearing completion. He added that the state government is improving the state’s road network to support business activities. The commissioner also noted that the state Fire Service, under his ministry, has helped save properties worth N17 billion from fire incidents, although approximately N817 million was lost to fires during the period. He revealed that the state government has started converting vehicles to use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to reduce transportation costs. The commissioner also mentioned that the free transport service for residents in the metropolis is still ongoing, and additional vehicles will be provided to cover more routes. Earlier in his address, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State Council, Comrade Ahmed Abdullateef, stated that the urban renewal projects undertaken by the state government have transformed the state’s status. He commended the state government for its efforts in opening up the state for business activities.Too early to celebrate – Arne Slot keeps leaders Liverpool focused

Matt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz is not coming back to Congress. The Florida Republican said Friday he has no intention of serving another term in the House now that he is no longer President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew as the nominee this week amid growing fallout from the allegations of sexual conduct against him. Gaetz denies the allegations. Gaetz didn't lay out his plans now that he's out of office, saying only, “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch." After Gaetz's withdrawal on Thursday, Trump named former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department. Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump's most contentious picks WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role. He's been helping Donald Trump’s most contentious Cabinet picks try to win confirmation in the Senate, where he has served for the last two years. Vance spent part of Wednesday at the Capitol with Rep. Matt Gaetz sitting in on meetings with Trump’s controversial choice for attorney general. On Thursday, Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings over the coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, but he didn't focus exclusively on large religious voter blocs. He and his allies also wooed smaller religious groups, away from the mainstream. He posted a tribute to Coptic church members on social media and met with members of Assyrians for Trump — two smaller Christian communities with Middle Eastern roots. He visited the grave of the revered late leader of an Orthodox Jewish movement. His allies sought votes from the separatist Amish community. While Trump won decisively, the outreaches reflected aggressive campaigning in what was expected to be a tight race. NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia's attack with new hypersonic missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with a hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Ukraine's parliament canceled a session Friday over the security threat. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech Thursday that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik, saying it's so powerful that several of them fitted with conventional warheads could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Texas education board approves optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ education board has voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools. The approval Friday follows other Republican-led states that have pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education is optional for schools to adopt, but they’ll receive additional funding if they do so. Parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum say the lessons will alienate students of other faith backgrounds. Supporters argue the Bible is a core feature of American history and that teaching it will enrich learning. 2 convicted in human smuggling case after Indian family froze to death on US-Canada border FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A jury has convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand each faced four charges related to human smuggling before being convicted on Friday. Patel is an Indian national. Shand is an American from Florida. They were arrested after the family froze while trying to cross the desolate border during a 2022 blizzard. Storm inundates Northern California with rain, heavy snow. Thousands remain in the dark in Seattle HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — Heavy rain from a major storm prompted evacuation warnings for communities near a Northern California river that forecasters say could break its banks Friday, as the system continued to dump heavy snow in mountainous areas where some ski resorts opened for the season. The storm reached the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands before moving through Northern California, where several roads were closed due to flooding and strong winds toppled some trees. Forecasters are warning about the risk of flash flooding and rockslides in areas north of San Francisco as the region was inundated by this season’s strongest atmospheric river. Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya WASHINGTON (AP) — Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The research published Friday in Science Advances shows that long before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America’s Yucatan peninsula. The ancient fish canals were used to channel and catch freshwater species such as catfish. These structures were used for around 1,000 years — including during the “formative” period when the Maya began to settle in permanent farming villages and a distinctive culture started to emerge. California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child Health officials are confirming bird flu in a California child — the first reported case in a U.S. minor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced confirmatory test results on Friday. Officials say the child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medication and is recovering. The child’s infection brings the reported number of U.S. bird flu cases this year to 55, including 29 in California. State officials have said the child lives in Alameda County, which includes Oakland, and attends day care, but released no other details. Brazilian police formally accuse former President Bolsonaro and aides of alleged 2022 coup attempt SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Federal Police have formally accused former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup to keep him in office after his electoral defeat in the 2022 elections. The findings are to be delivered Thursday to Brazil’s Supreme Court, which will refer them to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, who will either formally charge Bolsonaro and put the former president on trial or toss the investigation. The former right-wing president has denied all claims he tried to stay in office after his narrow electoral defeat in 2022 to his rival, leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has faced a series of legal threats since then.These were the biggest fashion trends of 2024: Bag charms, Grandpacore, leopard print and moreBy MICHAEL R. SISAK and JENNIFER PELTZ NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution’s suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea “absurd.” Related Articles National Politics | Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg National Politics | Veteran Daniel Penny, acquitted in NYC subway chokehold, will join Trump’s suite at football game The Manhattan district attorney’s office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won’t include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn’t sentenced and his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined comment. It’s unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump’s request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution’s suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution’s suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the “ongoing threat” that he’ll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. “To be clear, President Trump will never deviate from the public interest in response to these thuggish tactics,” the defense lawyers wrote. “However, the threat itself is unconstitutional.” The prosecution’s suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they argued. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump has tabbed for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution’s novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump had died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to “fabricate” a solution “based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump” who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September “and a hypothetical dead defendant.” Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what’s already a unique case. “This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding,” prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn’t “precipitously discard” the “meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers.” Prosecutors acknowledged that “presidential immunity requires accommodation” during Trump’s impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury’s verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution . Other world leaders don’t enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza . Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records . Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. In their filing Friday, Trump’s lawyers citing a social media post in which Sen. John Fetterman used profane language to criticize Trump’s hush money prosecution. The Pennsylvania Democrat suggested that Trump deserved a pardon, comparing his case to that of President Joe Biden’s pardoned son Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division,” Fetterman wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. Trump’s hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith has ended his two federal cases , which pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in all. Trump had been scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November. But following Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president’s sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Merchan also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. A dismissal would erase Trump’s conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.

Sundry Photography/iStock Editorial via Getty Images PG&E Corporation ( NYSE: PCG ), is one of the leading regulated power utilities providers in the industry. Despite its underperformance as compared to S&P500 ( SPX ), PCG’s transformative plan towards net-zero carbon Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a purchase of the stock, or the purchase of call options or similar derivatives in PCG over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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Residents of Masiphumelele in Cape Town are devastated after a fire tore through the area on Monday morning, 23 December 2024, leaving homes and belongings in ruins. (Gift of the Givers/Supplied) Cape Town has faced a series of devastating fires this December, displacing more than 900 residents. The municipality has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa and the human settlements minister to urgently devolve the Emergency Housing Grant to the City. According to disaster management guidelines, victims should receive assistance within 24 hours, which is rarely achieved. The City of Cape Town's mayoral committee member for human settlements, Carl Pophaim, has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane to urgently devolve the Emergency Housing Grant to the City, saying this will enable quicker assistance to fire-affected residents in informal settlements. window._brandmetrics = window._brandmetrics || []; window._brandmetrics.push({ cmd: '_loadsurvey' }); Cape Town has faced a series of devastating fires this December, displacing more than 900 residents. Areas most affected include Masiphumelele, Wag 'n Bietjie in Nomzamo, Dunoon, and Langa. WATCH | Hundreds left homeless after fire rips through Cape Town informal settlement on Boxing Day The City's human settlements directorate provides the national Department of Human Settlements with data on affected residents to facilitate relief efforts. However, Pophaim stressed that delays often hinder timely support. According to disaster management guidelines, victims should receive assistance within 24 hours, which is rarely achieved. Due to budget constraints, the City ceased providing emergency building kits for flood and fire victims in 2020. "I am appealing to President Ramaphosa and Minister Simelane to urgently devolve the Emergency Housing Grant to the City of Cape Town so we can assist fire-affected residents as quickly as possible," said Pophaim. "Our teams remain on site to assist impacted residents wherever feasible, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely." Tawanta Pawantiwa, a Masiphumelele fire victim, echoed Pophaim's sentiments. "If the fund was managed by local government, it would help us greatly," said Pawantiwa. She added: Fires often happen in the early hours of the morning, and while identification of victims is done by noon, no material is delivered. "We end up sleeping in community halls, and the few items we manage to save often get stolen or lost." READ | 'I'm not looking forward to this Christmas': Masiphumelele fire victims count their losses Simelane, who visited victims in Dunoon and Wag 'n Bietjie on Friday, acknowledged the failure to meet the 24-hour disaster response guideline. She attributed the delays to the holiday period but expressed a commitment to improving response times, saying she was "hopeful" that there would be a positive difference. "We are also looking into long-term solutions [to prevent the fires]. Ultimately, we need to formalise our informal settlements and learn from what we have been doing better." Simelane also warned that more fires could occur due to weather conditions and activities during the festive season, underscoring the urgency of preparedness and response efforts. We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered. Join News24 today Related Links Ramaphosa laments nearly 28 million South Africans on social grants AG slams Eastern Cape for failing to spend R99m meant for housing... OPINION | Tara Roos: Digital nomads, go back to your countryI tested Amazon's Mini LED Fire TV, and it competes with more expensive Samsung and LG modelsJPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced its position in Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF ( NYSEARCA:VTI – Free Report ) by 23.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,477,899 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,071,434 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned 0.23% of Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF worth $984,802,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of VTI. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF by 376.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 119 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC grew its stake in shares of Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF by 53.8% in the second quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 123 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Colony Family Offices LLC purchased a new stake in Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Mattson Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Urban Financial Advisory Corp purchased a new position in shares of Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF during the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF Trading Down 1.1 % Shares of NYSEARCA VTI opened at $294.07 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $294.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $280.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $441.11 billion, a PE ratio of 23.62 and a beta of 1.02. Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF has a 12 month low of $232.40 and a 12 month high of $302.95. Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF Company Profile Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded share class of Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund, which employs a passive management or indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the of the MSCI US Broad Market Index, which represents 99.5% or more of the total market capitalization of all of the United States common stocks traded on the New York and American Stock Exchanges and the Nasdaq over-the-counter market. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VTI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF ( NYSEARCA:VTI – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and JENNIFER PELTZ NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution’s suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea “absurd.” Related Articles National Politics | Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg National Politics | Veteran Daniel Penny, acquitted in NYC subway chokehold, will join Trump’s suite at football game The Manhattan district attorney’s office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won’t include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn’t sentenced and his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined comment. It’s unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump’s request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution’s suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution’s suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the “ongoing threat” that he’ll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. “To be clear, President Trump will never deviate from the public interest in response to these thuggish tactics,” the defense lawyers wrote. “However, the threat itself is unconstitutional.” The prosecution’s suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they argued. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump has tabbed for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution’s novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump had died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to “fabricate” a solution “based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump” who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September “and a hypothetical dead defendant.” Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what’s already a unique case. “This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding,” prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn’t “precipitously discard” the “meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers.” Prosecutors acknowledged that “presidential immunity requires accommodation” during Trump’s impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury’s verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution . Other world leaders don’t enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza . Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records . Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. In their filing Friday, Trump’s lawyers citing a social media post in which Sen. John Fetterman used profane language to criticize Trump’s hush money prosecution. The Pennsylvania Democrat suggested that Trump deserved a pardon, comparing his case to that of President Joe Biden’s pardoned son Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division,” Fetterman wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. Trump’s hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith has ended his two federal cases , which pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in all. Trump had been scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November. But following Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president’s sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Merchan also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. A dismissal would erase Trump’s conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.

Since new social media laws passed the Australia parliament, my colleagues at Relationships Australia NSW and I have been inundated with questions from parents. The new legislation, which won’t take effect until the end of next year, bans teens aged under 16 from most social media platforms. As we wait to hear more specifics (like what platforms might be allowed), families are navigating new terrain and working out what to do next. I’ve heard mixed responses from parents – some are wholeheartedly embracing the restrictions, while others aren’t convinced and are dealing with children who feel outraged and upset. Regardless of your position on the issue, change is coming, and families must work together to find a path forward. How to talk with your children about the changes Rather than waiting for the ban to start, I encourage you to have open conversations with your children now while the issue is already under social discussion. Putting off discussions or only partially engaging can actually fuel conflict, breed resentment and create further resistance against these rules. When you chat with your kids, you could hold a ‘family meeting’ or bring it up over dinner. Lead with curiosity and ask them open-ended questions that seek their thoughts. If you have already been quite vocal about your position on the ban, then it’s a good idea to acknowledge this in your conversation – “I know I have said this... but now the legislation has passed, I really want to talk with you about how it might affect you”. My child hasn’t reacted well to the news – what do I do? While the ban aims to protect children’s mental and social wellbeing, many kids and have highlighted the role social media plays in finding connection and community online. If your child is upset and struggling, keep a close eye on this and keep the conversations flowing. They might be struggling with a key social pathway being taken away and are floundering about how to replace it. They might also be grappling with friends’ parents who are planning to ignore the ban and feeling resentful of being left out. Rather than minimising their feelings, openly talk about it – “What are you finding tough? What’s the worst thing about this for you?” If your young person depends on social media as a resource to manage a social or mental health problem, finding some realistic and meaningful alternatives is going to be critical. Starting the transition now rather than waiting for the deadline is in everyone’s best interests. For instance, if they use social media to share stories with friends or family members, could you find safe, supervised alternatives for this such as Signal? Is online contact already second best to more direct contact with cousins or friends, for example? If so, can they more directly catch up? Are there in-person resources available through your local or clubs that could be of use? Embracing the changes as a family The legislation might call out under 16-year-olds, but you can approach this as a team effort. Instead of only focusing on getting your kids off devices, start thinking about your family culture and what role technology plays at home. Are devices always in use by everyone? Do you or other family members find themselves distracted by their phones? Rather than simply restricting kids and teens, consider how you can support this change and have the whole family try new things. Managing children with varying rules If you have kids of different ages, there’s a good chance they might have also have new rules applying to them. Let’s say you have a 17- and 14-year-old, and both of them have been on social media for a couple of years. If you support the ban, the 17-year-old could continue on, having had access to social media unencumbered throughout their teens. On the other hand, your 14-year-old will be taken off and might be a bit ticked that their sibling managed to dodge the ban by a couple of years! For a lot of siblings, there is already a competitive dynamic between them and these changes might enflame it. Have a chat with your older children about how you’d appreciate them handling it – not being deliberately provocative, not lording it over the younger ones, or not undermining rules you have set. I know a lot of parents – and children – are feeling daunted by the changes and feel uncertain about how it will actually play out. If it’s any consolation, everyone in this situation is new to this. What I can confidently say is that having open and curious conversations with your children will deepen your relationship, help you understand what they’re scared or nervous for, and form the foundations for these transparent and thoughtful discussions into the future.

By HILLEL ITALIE NEW YORK (AP) — Even through a year of nonstop news about elections, climate change, protests and the price of eggs, there was still time to read books. Related Articles Books | Nikki Giovanni, poet and literary celebrity, has died at 81 Books | Percival Everett, 2024 National Book Award winner, rereads one book often Books | Gift books for 2024: What to give, and what to receive, for all kinds of readers Books | Our critic’s picks: Best mystery fiction books of 2024 Books | 10 best books of 2024: The surprising reads that stuck U.S. sales held steady according to Circana, which tracks around 85% of the print market, with many choosing the relief of romance, fantasy and romantasy. Some picked up Taylor Swift’s tie-in book to her blockbuster tour, while others sought out literary fiction, celebrity memoirs, political exposes and a close and painful look at a generation hooked on smartphones. Here are 10 notable books published in 2024, in no particular order. Asking about the year’s hottest reads would basically yield a list of the biggest hits in romantasy, the blend of fantasy and romance that has proved so irresistible fans were snapping up expensive “special editions” with decorative covers and sprayed edges. Of the 25 top sellers of 2024, as compiled by Circana, six were by romantasy favorite Sarah J. Maas, including “House of Flame and Shadow,” the third of her “Crescent City” series. Millions read her latest installment about Bryce Quinlan and Hunter Athalar and traced the ever-growing ties of “Maasverse,” the overlapping worlds of “Crescent City” and her other series, “Throne of Glass” and “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” If romantasy is for escape, other books demand we confront. In the bestselling “The Anxious Generation,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt looks into studies finding that the mental health of young people began to deteriorate in the 2010s, after decades of progress. According to Haidt, the main culprit is right before us: digital screens that have drawn kids away from “play-based” to “phone-based” childhoods. Although some critics challenged his findings, “The Anxious Generation” became a talking point and a catchphrase. Admirers ranged from Oprah Winfrey to Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee, who in a letter to state legislators advocated such “commonsense recommendations” from the book as banning phones in schools and keeping kids off social media until age 16. Bob Woodward books have been an election tradition for decades. “War,” the latest of his highly sourced Washington insider accounts, made news with its allegations that Donald Trump had been in frequent contact with Russian leader Vladimir Putin even while out of office and, while president, had sent Putin sophisticated COVID-19 test machines. Among Woodward’s other scoops: Putin seriously considered using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, and President Joe Biden blamed former President Barack Obama, under whom he served as vice president, for some of the problems with Russia. “Barack never took Putin seriously,” Woodward quoted Biden as saying. Former (and future) first lady Melania Trump, who gives few interviews and rarely discusses her private life, unexpectedly announced she was publishing a memoir: “Melania.” The publisher was unlikely for a former first lady — not one of the major New York houses, but Skyhorse, where authors include such controversial public figures as Woody Allen and Trump cabinet nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And its success was at least a minor surprise. Melania Trump did little publicity for the book, and offered few revelations beyond posting a video expressing support for abortion rights — a break from one of the cornerstones of GOP policy. But “Melania” still sold hundreds of thousands of copies, many in the days following her husband’s election. Taylor Swift was more than a music story in 2024. Like “Melania,” the news about Taylor Swift’s self-published tie-in to her global tour isn’t so much the book itself, but that it exists. And how well it sold. As she did with the “Eras” concert film, Swift bypassed the established industry and worked directly with a distributor: Target offered “The Eras Tour Book” exclusively. According to Circana, the “Eras” book sold more than 800,000 copies just in its opening week, an astonishing number for a publication unavailable through Amazon.com and other traditional retailers. No new book in 2024 had a better debut. Midnight book parties are supposed to be for “Harry Potter” and other fantasy series, but this fall, more than 100 stores stayed open late to welcome one of the year’s literary events: Sally Rooney’s “Intermezzo.” The Irish author’s fourth novel centers on two brothers, their grief over the death of their father, their very different career paths and their very unsettled love lives. “Intermezzo” was also a book about chess: “You have to read a lot of opening theory — that’s the beginning of a game, the first moves,” one of the brothers explains. “And you’re learning all this for what? Just to get an okay position in the middle game and try to play some decent chess. Which most of the time I can’t do anyway.” Lisa Marie Presley had been working on a memoir at the time of her death , in 2023, and daughter Riley Keough had agreed to help her complete it. “From Here to the Great Unknown” is Lisa Marie’s account of her father, Elvis Presley, and the sagas of of her adult life, notably her marriage to Michael Jackson and the death of son Benjamin Keough. To the end, she was haunted by the loss of Elvis, just 42 when he collapsed and died at his Graceland home while young Lisa Marie was asleep. “She would listen to his music alone, if she was drunk, and cry,” Keough, during an interview with Winfrey, said of her mother. Meanwhile, Cher released the first of two planned memoirs titled “Cher” — no further introduction required. Covering her life from birth to the end of the 1970s, she focuses on her ill-fated marriage to Sonny Bono, remembering him as a gifted entertainer and businessman who helped her believe in herself while turning out to be unfaithful, erratic, controlling and so greedy that he kept all the couple’s earnings for himself. Unsure of whether to leave or stay, she consulted a very famous divorcee, Lucille Ball, who reportedly encouraged her: “F— him, you’re the one with the talent.” A trend in recent years is to take famous novels from the past, and remove words or passages that might offend modern readers; an edition of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” cuts the racist language from Mark Twain’s original text. In the most celebrated literary work of 2024, Percival Everett found a different way to take on Twain’s classic — write it from the perspective of the enslaved Jim. “James,” winner of the National Book Award, is a recasting in many ways. Everett suggests to us that the real Jim was nothing like the deferential figure known to millions of readers, but a savvy and learned man who concealed his intelligence from the whites around him, and even from Twain himself. Salman Rushdie’s first National Book Award nomination was for a memoir he wished he had no reason to write. In “Knife,” he recounts in full detail the horrifying attempt on his life in 2022, when an attendee rushed the stage during a literary event in western New York and stabbed him repeatedly, leaving with him a blinded eye and lasting nerve damage, but with a spirit surprisingly intact. “If you had told me that this was going to happen and how would I deal with it, I would not have been very optimistic about my chances,” he told The Associated Press last spring. “I’m still myself, you know, and I don’t feel other than myself. But there’s a little iron in the soul, I think.”

10 notable books of 2024, from Sarah J. Maas to Melania Trump

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