A look back at 2024 in photosNoneIs Malik Nabers playing this week? Injury update, fantasy outlook for Giants' WR ahead of Week 12 vs. Buccaneers | Sporting News
Rain Alert: There will be rain in UP for two days amidst the cold, know the condition of your stateNEW YORK (AP) — Walmart's sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are re-evaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups. The changes announced by the world's biggest retailer on Monday followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The retreat from such programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump's incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher at the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches -- the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President -- are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the October survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associate at Pew, called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI," Glasgow said. "The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Walmart says its U.S. businesses sourced more than $13 billion in goods and services from diverse suppliers in fiscal year 2024, including businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America's top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart's announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart's need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company has no explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer's ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart." Walmart's announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.
Ghana counts ballots after tight presidential race
NVIDIA Announces Upcoming Events for Financial Community
Audi unveils new logo with major change days after Jaguar slammed over ‘woke’ EV rebrand... and fans are divided againSouth Korean authorities seek warrant to detain impeached president
Thomas uses big drives and putts to hold lead in BahamasChicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is a man of his word. During the newest episode of her Unapologetically Angel podcast, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese confirmed that Ball helped her pay the fine she received after getting ejected from a game in June. He actually went above and beyond, giving her $2,000 when she was only out $200. Reese was dismissed in the fourth quarter of Chicago's 88-75 loss to the New York Liberty on June 4. She received two quick technical fouls for signaling her dissatisfaction with the officiating. Ball posted on X that he was prepared to foot the bill for any fine Reese received from the WNBA: He called it a "terrible" technical in Wednesday's episode and said he was at the game in person, which was the first WNBA game he had attended. The WNBA rescinded the second technical issued to Reese. ESPN's Michael Voepel noted that meant she was fined $200 instead of the original $400. The league has a sliding scale for the cost of individual techs. Thankfully for Reese, her early exit didn't prevent her from eventually making history. She had 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Liberty, which was the first of her WNBA-record 15 straight double-doubles.Thomas uses big drives and putts to hold lead in Bahamas
Sacramento State knocks off Air Force 63-61CHENNAI: AI was a recurring theme through much of 2024 as gadget manufacturers across categories leveraged the growing power of AI to market their products. Smartphone photography got sharper while the focus on wellness continued to drive the wearable space. We pick some of the best gadgets that we checked out in 2024. Apple Watch 10: Of all the products that Apple unveiled during the year, it was the Apple Watch 10 that was probably the most significant upgrade. The reimagined Apple Watch 2024 edition, is thinner and lighter than its predecessor and features a large, 1.96-inch display that’s even larger than last year’s Apple Watch Ultra 2. It comes with faster charging (80% battery in 30 minutes) and insightful Sleep Apnea notifications. (Rs 46,900 onwards) Apple Watch 10 Vivo X Fold3 Pro: Our favourite foldable smartphone of 2024, the X Fold3 comes with a massive primary display that stretches to 8.03 inches and a fully functional cover display. But it’s the rear camera that is its defining feature. Vivo leverages its partnership with Zeiss to deliver the best rear cam experience on a foldable smartphone with a triple rear cam headlined with a 50MP primary lens. (Rs 1,59,999) Vivo X Fold3 Pro ViewSonic M10: It won an IF design award (2024) for its fashionable design. This portable projector can slip into your slimmest portfolio bag, it’s also geared for those family holidays or game days with your friends with its big screen appeal. With 2200 RGB Laser Lumens of brightness and a built-in Harman Kardon speaker, the M10 is a powerful portable entertainment solution. (Rs 1,50,000) ViewSonic M10 Dyson OnTrac: Arguably the coolest pair of headphones unveiled in 2024, Dyson’s premium headphones bring a whole new approach to customisation backed with the brand’s attention to the finer details. Crafted in aluminium, these cans offer a wide range of cushions and caps (optional accessories) to customise your look. Noise cancellation is terrific, the high-quality cushions insulate you and shut external sounds. And then there’s the 55 hours of battery life. (Rs 44,900) Dyson OnTrac OnePlus Pad 2: This premium Android tab with its all-metal unibody design and elegant matte finish can also double up as a laptop alternative on a short business trip or beach holiday. We dig the immersive 12.1-inch, 3K display with a 144 Hz refresh rate that’s great for gaming or binge-watch sessions. OnePlus’ improved Smart Keyboard adds to it’s appeal as a productivity device. (Rs 37,999 onwards) OnePlus Pad 2 Beats Pill – Kim Special Edition: This customised, special edition of the Beats Pill launched in collaboration with Kim Kardashian is the perfect blend of style and acoustic appeal. It scores with its lightweight form (680 gm) and ingress protection (IP67-rated for dust and water resistance. But it’s the soundstage that is the headline feature; the speaker benefits from a bigger, bespoke racetrack woofer and also delivers 24 hours of battery life. (Rs 16,900) Beats Pill – Kim Special Edition Whoop 4.0: It works in the background, so you can focus on your workouts. Whoop finally kept its date with India with the most current version of its Activity Tracker. The choice of elite sportspersons across the world, the Whoop 4.0 (with its subscription-based model) excels with its wellness metrics and sleep tracking with an ultralight, all-weather proof form. (Rs 23,990) Whoop 4.0 Google Pixel 9 Pro: Probably our favourite Android smartphone of the year, Google’s compact flagship is the perfect option for users who want ‘Pro-level’ features but prefer a more ‘pocketable’ device. This device doesn’t just score with its stellar rear cam but also offers one of the best on-device AI experiences on any smartphone with everything from photography to meeting summaries getting an AI boost. (Rs 1,09,999) Google Pixel 9 Pro OPPO Find X8: OPPO has pushed the boundaries with its Find X series of smartphones. The Find X8 is the newest device that benefits from OPPO’s camera partnership with iconic Swedish brand Hasselblad. This is one of the best smartphone camera experiences at its asking price and does a terrific job with Portrait images. (Rs 69,999) OPPO Find X8 Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 – AMD: It is the first-ever x86 Lenovo ThinkPad to feature next-gen AI capabilities with 50 TOPS of processing power. This notebook is propelled by an AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 processor; it’s ideally suited for advanced data analysis and realtime machine learning and is complemented by Windows 11 that further leverages AI for elevated productivity and personalised computing experiences. (Rs 1,38,000 onwards). Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 – AMD (Ashwin Rajagopalan is a lifestyle writer and consumer technology expert. Catch the latest digital and tech updates in this weekly column.)South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over martial law
Arab, Astana Process States Call For Political Solution In SyriaSouth Korea’s opposition parties moved Wednesday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was not impeached on Saturday after his People Power Party (PPP) walked out of the National Assembly in a boycott of the vote. But Yoon is far from out of the woods. The leader of his own party, the PPP, said on Friday that Yoon should have his presidential powers suspended after it emerged that the president had ordered the arrests of a list of his foes after announcing martial law. Among those on the list was the aforementioned head of the PPP. Earlier on Saturday, Yoon apologized for his controversial move saying on national television, "My decision to declare martial law has stemmed from desperation as a leader of this country. But I caused the people anxiety and discomfort in the process, for which I am deeply sorry. I apologize to the South Korean people." Yoon could still face another impeachment vote for what lawmakers see as an unconstitutional power grab. But whether he survives the last two and a half years of his term or is booted from office, Yoon has already joined a list of predecessors with serious stains on their reputations. SOUTH KOREAN LEADER FACING MOUNTING CALLS TO RESIGN OR BE IMPEACHED OVER MARTIAL LAW People watch a TV screen showing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's televised briefing at a bus terminal in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) If Yoon one day enters a prison cell, it will likely shock no one in Korea. After all, the odds are not in his favor. Not counting Yoon, four of the last six democratically elected presidents of Korea have done jail time. Expressed as a percentage, that’s more than 66%. Korean democracy looks storybook perfect, but consider this: Since World War II, the nation has had 13 heads of state. The first five were not paragons of democracy. Of those: one was forced to resign and flee the country, two were deposed in military coups, and one was assassinated by his close friend, who was also the head of South Korea's equivalent of the CIA. Out of the eight democratically elected presidents (which includes Yoon), all have been implicated in scandals. Even Kim Dae-jung, the late dissident-turned-president who won a Nobel Peace Prize, is now viewed less favorably after it emerged that he essentially bribed North Korea into holding an unprecedented inter-Korean summit meeting. Jailed former president Roh Tae-Woo (R) looks on as South Korean new President Kim Dae-Jung (L) shakes hands with jailed former president Chun Doo-Hwan (not in picture) before taking the oath as President during the ceremony of the Inauguration at the National Assembly in Seoul 25 February. (Photo by Choo Youn-Kong/AFP via Getty Images) So far, four elected Korean heads of state have served time in prison, two were impeached with one convicted and removed from office, one ex-president jumped off a 150-foot-high mountain cliff, dying by suicide in 2009 after his aides, relatives and even wife and son were investigated for bribery and other corruption charges. Since the country's founding, another two presidents have been sentenced to death but later pardoned. One would be forgiven for assuming the above were a script for a Korean TV drama series. Korea is a democratic, highly educated, extremely technologically advanced, conservative and deeply religious society. So, why do almost none of its ex-presidents end up enjoying a happy post-presidency? SOUTH KOREA'S PRESIDENT IS PICKING UP GOLF IN HOPES TO IMPRESS TRUMP Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak (L) arrives at a court to attend his trial in Seoul on September 6, 2018. Prosecutors demanded 20 years in prison for former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak for corruption, the last of the country's four living ex-leaders to be embroiled in a criminal inquiry. J (Ung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images) "The president of Korea has a great deal of power, too much power in my opinion," Professor Lee told Fox News Digital. "Some have called it an ‘imperial presidency.’ What that leads to, of course, is hubris." Sung-Yoon Lee, whose recent book The Sister : North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, the Most Dangerous Woman in the World, examines the life and role of the fascinatingly terrifying sister of North Korea’s Supreme Leader, also told Fox News Digital that Korean culture is a large contributing factor to why so many at the top fall from grace. While Christianity took root in the late nineteenth century and rapidly grew following the Korean War, Korea retains its Confucian ethic, and loyalty and obedience are high on the list of chief virtues. TOPSHOT - South Korean ousted leader Park Geun-Hye (L) arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on May 25, 2017, for her trial over the massive corruption scandal that led to her downfall. (Photo by Jung Yeon-Je/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) In North Korea those values are expressed in slavish devotion to the absurd notion of a dynastic communist state where people explode into tears and clap feverishly at the sight of their overly well-nourished, baby-faced dictator, Kim Jong-un – or Kim the Third – as he’s followed by an entourage of scribes who write down his every utterance, ensuring not a grunt of his near-divine wisdom is lost to posterity. In South Korea, loyalty and deference to authority (alongside a host of other values, of course, such as hard work, thrift, and commitment to education) have created an economic powerhouse with electronics mega giant Samsung and rapidly growing carmaker Hyundai just two examples of globally respected Korean brands. K-pop and K-drama dominate in Asia and around the world; all of their industries have been created through strict discipline and grueling work hours. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The dark side, however, includes elements of the overzealousness that thrives in North Korea : South Korean bosses, teachers, elders and leaders of all kinds are accustomed to being obeyed. At the apex of the social hierarchy sits the president, who inhabits a bubble where questioning their judgment is a near taboo. As evidenced by the rap sheets, these leaders develop a strong tendency to see themselves as infallible, if not above the law. President Yoon, Yoon, like so many before him, is discovering too late that there are, in fact, red lines — and the Rubicon now appears behind him. Eryk Michael Smith is a Taiwan-based correspondent who since 2007, has worked both as a broadcast journalist for the island's only English-language radio station, ICRT, as well as with numerous other publications and local news outlets. Smith's journalism focuses on Taiwan-China relations , local politics, as well as science and technology developments in the greater China region. He is based in Taiwan's largest southern city, Kaohsiung. He can be followed @ErykSmithTaiwan
James Madison wins 96-64 over Midway
Politics News Today Live Updates: In today’s complex political climate, understanding the latest developments is essential. Our Politics News delivers comprehensive coverage of government actions, policy changes, and significant political events both nationally and globally. Whether it’s legislative reforms, political debates, or diplomatic talks, we provide in-depth analysis and timely updates to keep you informed. Our goal is to offer a clear perspective on the issues, leaders, and decisions that impact daily life, connecting you to the heart of political discourse and ensuring you stay informed about the matters that shape society. Politics News News Today Live: Mamata Banerjee to visit Sandeshkhali for first time since sexual harassment row: What's expected to happen?South Korean authorities seek warrant to detain impeached President Yoon in martial law probe
