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President Bola Tinubu has defended his decision to remove the fuel subsidy, calling it a crucial move that was necessary to address Nigeria's economic challenges. PAY ATTENTION: Follow our WhatsApp channel to never miss out on the news that matters to you! Speaking during a presidential media chat on Monday evening, Tinubu expressed no regrets about the subsidy removal, emphasizing that it was a tough but necessary step to take. Tinubu implemented the subsidy removal on his first day in office as president of Nigeria . This decision has been a subject of debate, with some critics arguing that it has led to increased fuel prices and hardship for Nigerians. However, Tinubu has maintained that the removal of the subsidy was essential to free up resources for critical infrastructure investments. The President acknowledged that the removal of the fuel subsidy has caused short-term difficulties, including an increase in fuel prices. Currently, gas is selling at around N1,300 ($0.8) per liter. However, Tinubu defended the action, stating that it was designed to free up budgetary resources for critical investments in infrastructure and social services. Read also Breaking: Tinubu fires back at critics of tax reforms bills, says "no going back" Tinubu's administration has faced criticism for the timing and implementation of the subsidy removal. However, the President has emphasized that his administration is focused on making tough but necessary decisions to stabilize the economy . He has also stressed that the challenges faced by Nigeria, including high inflation and infrastructure deficits, present opportunities for growth and development. Despite the controversy surrounding the subsidy removal, Tinubu remains committed to his economic vision for Nigeria. PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! Source: Legit.ng

Subscribe to Merca2.0 and access more than 3,500 exclusive articles for subscribers. Subscribe to Merca2.0. one of the most iconic is at the center of an accounting scandal after discovering that an intentionally concealed millions in expenses related to small-package deliveries. This revelation caused the delay of its quarterly earnings report, originally scheduled for this week. On Monday, November 25, Macy’s announced that a single employee was responsible for significant accounting irregularities, estimated between $132 million and $154 million in small-package delivery expenses over nearly three years. According to the company, these errors were discovered while preparing the fiscal third-quarter results for 2024. The employee, whose name has not been disclosed, “intentionally made erroneous accounting entries” to conceal these expenses, Macy’s confirmed. Although these amounts represent only a fraction of the $4.36 billion in delivery expenses the company recognized since the fourth quarter of 2021, they were significant enough to delay the financial report until December 11. The situation has raised questions about the effectiveness of Macy’s internal systems and auditing processes. Neil Saunders, a retail analyst at GlobalData Retail, told CNN: “The accounting problem raises questions about the competence of the company’s auditors. Such incidents increase uncertainty among investors who were already concerned about Macy’s overall performance.” So far, the internal investigation has found no evidence that other employees were involved in the fraudulent accounting entries. Regarding these events, Tony Spring, Macy’s CEO, stated: “At Macy’s, Inc., we promote a culture of ethical conduct. While we work diligently to complete the investigation, our colleagues remain focused on serving our customers and executing our strategy for a successful holiday season.” The company also assured that the employee’s actions did not impact cash management or vendor payments. The scandal comes at a challenging time for Macy’s, which saw its quarterly sales drop 2.4% to $4.74 billion, largely due to weak digital channels and cold-weather apparel categories. This decline is unsurprising given the difficult environment for the mid-market segment in which Macy’s operates. Despite the challenges, Macy’s is continuing with its strategy to close approximately 150 stores by 2027 while investing in 350 key locations. The first 50 renovated stores showed a 1.9% increase in comparable sales, marking progress in the company’s recovery strategy. The immediate impact on the stock market has been negative. Macy’s shares fell 3% on Monday, adding to a year-to-date decline of 19%. This contrasts with the S&P 500’s performance, which has risen 25% over the same period. Macy’s expects to publish a full report in December, including projections for the fourth quarter and the entire fiscal year. Cancela en cualquier momento Acceso exclusivo a rankings y radiografías. Análisis profundos y casos de estudio de éxito. Historial de la revista impresa en formato digital. ¡Disfruta de lo mejor del marketing sin costo alguno por unmes!By LISA MASCARO and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee’s long-awaited report on Matt Gaetz documents a trove of salacious allegations , including sex with an underage girl, that tanked the Florida Republican’s bid to lead the Justice Department . Related Articles National Politics | An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump National Politics | Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal National Politics | House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of ‘regularly’ paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl National Politics | Trump wants mass deportations. For the agents removing immigrants, it’s a painstaking process National Politics | Many Americans have come to rely on Chinese-made drones. Now lawmakers want to ban them Citing text messages, travel receipts, online payments and testimony, the bipartisan committee paints a picture of a lifestyle in which Gaetz and others connected with younger women for drug-fueled parties, events or trips, with the expectation the women would be paid for their participation. The former congressman, who filed a last-minute lawsuit to try to block the report’s release on Monday, slammed the committee’s findings. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has insisted he never had sex with a minor. And a Justice Department investigation into the allegations ended without any criminal charges filed against him. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” Gaetz wrote in one post on Monday. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Here’s a look at some of the committee’s key findings: The committee found that between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women “likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use.” He paid the women using through online services such as PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp and with cash or check, the committee said. The committee said it found evidence that Gaetz understood the “transactional nature” of his relationships with the women. The report points to one text exchange in which Gaetz balked at a woman’s request that he send her money, “claiming she only gave him a ‘drive by.’” Women interviewed by the committee said there was a “general expectation of sex,” the report said. One woman who received more than $5,000 from Gaetz between 2018 and 2019 said that “99 percent of the time” that when she hung out with Gaetz “there was sex involved.” However, Gaetz was in a long-term relationship with one of the women he paid, so “some of the payments may have been of a legitimate nature,” the committee said. Text messages obtained by the committee also show that Gaetz would ask the women to bring drugs to their “rendezvous,” the report said. While most of his encounters with the women were in Florida, the committee said Gaetz also traveled “on several occasions” with women whom he paid for sex. The report includes text message exchanges in which Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges in 2021, initially connected with women through an online service. In one text with a 20-year-old woman, Greenberg suggested if she has a friend, the four of them could meet up. The woman responded that she usually does “$400 per meet.” Greenberg replied: “He understands the deal,” along with a smiley face emoji. Greenberg asks if they are old enough to drink alcohol, and sent the woman a picture of Gaetz. The woman responded that her friend found him “really cute.” “Well, he’s down here for only for the day, we work hard and play hard,” Greenberg replied. The report details a party in July 2017 in which Gaetz is accused of having sex with “multiple women, including the 17-year-old, for which they were paid.” The committee pointed to “credible testimony” from the now-woman herself as well as “multiple individuals” who corroborated the allegation. The then-17-year-old — who had just completed her junior year in high school — told the committee that Gaetz paid her $400 in cash that night, “which she understood to be payment for sex,” according to the report. The woman acknowledged that she had taken ecstasy the night of the party, but told the committee that she was “certain” of her sexual encounters with the then-congressman. There’s no evidence that Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her, the committee said. The woman told the committee she didn’t tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he didn’t how old she was. Rather, the committee said Gaetz learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But he stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for “commercial sex” again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. In sum, the committee said it authorized 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents and contacted more than two dozen witnesses. But when the committee subpoenaed Gaetz for his testimony, he failed to comply. “Gaetz pointed to evidence that would ‘exonerate’ him yet failed to produce any such materials,” the committee said. Gaetz “continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed.” The report details a months-long process that dragged into a year as it sought information from Gaetz that he decried as “nosey” and a “weaponization” of government against him. In one notable exchange, investigators were seeking information about the expenses for a 2018 get-away with multiple women to the Bahamas. Gaetz ultimately offered up his plane ticket receipt “to” the destination, but declined to share his return “from” the Bahamas. The report said his return on a private plane and other expenses paid by an associate were in violation of House gift rules. In another Gaetz told the committee he would “welcome” the opportunity to respond to written questions. Yet, after it sent a list of 16 questions, Gaetz said publicly he would “no longer” voluntarily cooperate. He called the investigation “frivolous,” adding: “Every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration.” The report said that while Gaetz’s obstruction of the investigation does not rise to a criminal violation it is inconsistent with the requirement that all members of Congress “act in a manner that reflects creditably upon the House.” The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021 and deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request. It renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation without filing any charges against him. The committee sought records from the Justice Department about the probe, but the agency refused, saying it doesn’t disclose information about investigations that don’t result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the Justice Department, but after a back-and-forth between officials and the committee, the department handed over “publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual,” according to the report. “To date, DOJ has provided no meaningful evidence or information to the Committee or cited any lawful basis for its responses,” the committee said. Many of the women who the committee spoke to had already given statements to the Justice Department and didn’t want to “relive their experience,” the committee said. “They were particularly concerned with providing additional testimony about a sitting congressman in light of DOJ’s lack of action on their prior testimony,” the report said. The Justice Department, however, never handed over the women’s statements. The agency’s lack of cooperation — along with its request that the committee pause its investigation — significantly delayed the committee’s probe, lawmakers said.

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Illinois bill aims to reduce state requirements for name changes (copy)Andrew Callahan: It’s time to forget about Jerod Mayo getting fired

Maryland is suing the company that produces the waterproof material Gore-Tex often used for raincoats and other outdoor gear, alleging its leaders kept using “forever chemicals” long after learning about serious health risks associated with them. The complaint, which was filed last week in federal court, focuses on a cluster of 13 facilities in northeastern Maryland operated by Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates. It alleges the company polluted the air and water around its facilities with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances , jeopardizing the health of surrounding communities while raking in profits. The lawsuit adds to other claims filed in recent years, including a class action on behalf of Cecil County residents in 2023 demanding Gore foot the bill for water filtration systems, medical bills and other damages associated with decades of harmful pollution in the largely rural community. “PFAS are linked to cancer, weakened immune systems, and can even harm the ability to bear children,” Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement. “It is unacceptable for any company to knowingly contaminate our drinking water with these toxins, putting Marylanders at risk of severe health conditions.” Gore spokesperson Donna Leinwand Leger said the company is “surprised by the Maryland Attorney General’s decision to initiate legal action, particularly in light of our proactive and intensive engagement with state regulators over the past two years.” “We have been working with Maryland, employing the most current, reliable science and technology to assess the potential impact of our operations and guide our ongoing, collaborative efforts to protect the environment,” the company said in a statement, noting a Dec. 18 report that contains nearly two years of groundwater testing results. But attorney Philip Federico, who represents plaintiffs in the class action and other lawsuits against Gore, called the company’s efforts “too little, much too late.” In the meantime, he said, residents are continuing to suffer — one of his clients was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer. “It’s typical corporate environmental contamination,” he said. “They’re in no hurry to fix the problem.” The synthetic chemicals are especially harmful because they’re nearly indestructible and can build up in various environments, including the human body. In addition to cancers and immune system problems, exposure to certain levels of PFAS has been linked to increased cholesterol levels, reproductive health issues and developmental delays in children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Gore leaders failed to warn people living near its Maryland facilities about the potential impacts, hoping to protect their corporate image and avoid liability, according to the state’s lawsuit. The result has been “a toxic legacy for generations to come,” the lawsuit alleges. Since the chemicals are already in the local environment, protecting residents now often means installing complex and expensive water filtration systems. People with private wells have found highly elevated levels of dangerous chemicals in their water, according to the class action lawsuit. The Maryland facilities are located in a rural area just across the border from Delaware, where Gore has become a longtime fixture in the community. The company, which today employs more than 13,000 people, was founded in 1958 after Wilbert Gore left the chemical giant DuPont to start his own business. Its profile rose with the development of Gore-Tex , a lightweight waterproof material created by stretching polytetrafluoroethylene, which is better known by the brand name Teflon that’s used to coat nonstick pans. The membrane within Gore-Tex fabric has billions of pores that are smaller than water droplets, making it especially effective for outdoor gear. The state’s complaint traces Gore’s longstanding relationship with DuPont , arguing that information about the chemicals' dangers was long known within both companies as they sought to keep things quiet and boost profits. It alleges that as early as 1961, DuPont scientists knew the chemical caused adverse liver reactions in rats and dogs. DuPont has faced widespread litigation in recent years. Along with two spinoff companies, it announced a $1.18 billion deal last year to resolve complaints of polluting many U.S. drinking water systems with forever chemicals. The Maryland lawsuit seeks to hold Gore responsible for costs associated with the state’s ongoing investigations and cleanup efforts, among other damages. State oversight has ramped up following litigation from residents alleging their drinking water was contaminated. Until then, the company operated in Cecil County with little scrutiny. Gore announced in 2014 that it had eliminated perfluorooctanoic acid from the raw materials used to create Gore-Tex. But it’s still causing long-term impacts because it persists for so long in the environment, attorneys say. Over the past two years, Gore has hired an environmental consulting firm to conduct testing in the area and provided bottled water and water filtration systems to residents near certain Maryland facilities, according to a webpage describing its efforts. Recent testing of drinking water at residences near certain Gore sites revealed perfluorooctanoic acid levels well above what the EPA considers safe, according to state officials. Attorneys for the state acknowledged Gore’s ongoing efforts to investigate and address the problem but said the company needs to step up and be a better neighbor. “While we appreciate Gore’s limited investigation to ascertain the extent of PFAS contamination around its facilities, much more needs to be done to protect the community and the health of residents,” Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain said in a statement. “We must remove these forever chemicals from our natural resources urgently, and we expect responsible parties to pay for this remediation.”Are you tracking your health with a device? Here’s what could happen with the data

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. Annual Report Available OnlineDonald Trump left the White House nearly four years ago. Given his self-confidence, I suspect he is now thinking: “What could be so different? I’ve got this.” Well, I just traveled from a reporting trip in Tel Aviv, Israel, to a conference in the United Arab Emirates to a deep dive with Google’s DeepMind artificial intelligence team in London, and I think the president-elect would be wise to remember a famous aphorism: There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen. What I saw and heard exposed me to three giant, shifting tectonic plates that will have profound implications for the new administration. The most significant geopolitical event In just the last two months, the Israeli military has inflicted a defeat on Iran that approaches its 1967 Six-Day War defeat of Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Full stop. Let’s review: Over the past few decades, Iran built a formidable threat network that seemed to put Israel into an octopuslike grip. It became widely accepted that Israel was deterred from striking at Iran’s nuclear facilities because Iran had armed the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon with enough precision rockets to destroy Israel’s ports, airports, high-tech factories, air bases and infrastructure. Not so fast. It turned out that Mossad and Israel’s cyber Unit 8200 had been forging what became one of the country’s greatest intelligence successes ever. They planted explosive devices in the pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah’s military commanders, developed human and technological tracking capabilities to find Hezbollah’s top leaders, painstakingly identified storage facilities in Lebanon and Syria for Hezbollah’s most lethal precision rockets and then systematically took many of them out by air in October. The result is that Hezbollah looks likely to accept a 60-day cease-fire with Israel in Lebanon negotiated by U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein. This is a big deal. It means that, even if just for 60 days, Hezbollah and, by extension, Iran have decided to delink themselves from Hamas in the Gaza Strip and stop the firing from Lebanon for the first time since Oct. 8, 2023, the day after Hamas invaded Israel. We will see if it lasts, but if it does, it will increase the pressure on Hamas to agree to a cease-fire and hostage release with Israel, more on Israel’s terms. There is a reason for this. Hezbollah’s mother ship has suffered a real blow. According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s April strike on Iran eliminated one of four Russian-supplied S-300 surface-to-air missile defense batteries around Tehran, and Israel destroyed the remaining three batteries on Oct. 26. Israel also damaged Iran’s ballistic missile production capabilities and its ability to produce the solid fuel used in long-range ballistic missiles. In addition, according to Axios, Israel’s Oct. 26 strike on Iran, which was a response to an earlier Iranian attack on Israel, also destroyed equipment used to create the explosives that surround uranium in a nuclear device, setting back Iran’s efforts in nuclear weapons research. A senior Israeli defense official told me that the Oct. 26 attack on Iran “was lethal, precise and a surprise.” And up to now, the Iranians “don’t know technologically how we hit them. So they are at the most vulnerable point they have been in this generation: Hamas is not there for them, Hezbollah is not there for them, their air defenses are not there anymore, their ability to retaliate is sharply diminished, and they are worried about Trump.” Which means that Iran is either riper than ever for negotiations to curb its nuclear program or riper than ever for an attack by Israel or the Trump administration — or both — to destroy those nuclear facilities. Either way, Trump will face choices he did not have four years ago. It is not only a new Iran that Trump will be dealing with but also a new Israel There were legitimate reasons President Joe Biden denounced the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, which accused them of war crimes in Gaza against a Hamas enemy that deliberately embedded itself among civilians. This same court never issued an arrest warrant for President Bashar Assad of Syria, whose army killed hundreds of thousands of his own people. The ICC said Syria is not a member. But neither is Israel. It is also odd that the ICC issued a warrant only for the Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, who is widely believed to be dead, and not for the very much alive Muhammad Sinwar (the younger brother of the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar), who is now reportedly running Hamas in Gaza and was a commander in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. But while the ICC warrants are questionable, they were also avoidable. The strategy that Netanyahu has imposed on his military is one of the ugliest in Israel’s history: Go into Gaza, destroy as much of Hamas as you can, don’t be too worried about civilian casualties, then leave the remnants of Hamas in charge to loot food convoys and intimidate the local population — then rinse and repeat. Go back in, smash and leave no one better in charge, creating a permanent Somalia on Israel’s border. Why is he doing this? Because Netanyahu is being directed by the far-right Jewish supremacists he needs to stay in power and possibly out of prison on charges of corruption. And the stated goal of those Jewish supremacists is to extend Israeli settlements from the West Bank right through Gaza. They oppose any scenario in which the Palestinian Authority is gradually installed in Gaza as part of an Arab peacekeeping force to replace Hamas. They fear the Palestinian Authority might then become a legitimate partner for a two-state solution. When you fight a war with this many civilian casualties for a year and offer no vision of peace with the other side, you invite the ICC. Attention, President-elect Trump: Netanyahu will tell you that Israel is defending the free world in defeating the dark forces of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. There is truth in that. But there is also truth in the fact that he is doing it to defend a Jewish supremacist apartheid vision in the West Bank and Gaza. It’s a dirty business. If you just unquestionably wrap your arms around him, you will get yourself and America dirty, too. You will also ensure that your Jewish grandchildren will one day learn what it is to be Jewish in a world where the Jewish state is a pariah. Artificial general intelligence is probably coming on Trump’s watch Polymathic artificial general intelligence, or AGI, was still largely in the realm of science fiction when Trump left office four years ago. It is fast becoming nonfiction. And ASI — artificial super intelligence — may be one day as well. AGI means machines will be endowed with intelligence as good as the smartest human in any field, but because of its capabilities to integrate learning across many fields, it will probably become better than any average doctor, lawyer or computer programmer. ASI is a computer brain that can exceed what any human can do in any field and then, with its polymathic ability, it could produce insights far beyond anything humans could do or even imagine. It might even invent its own language we don’t understand. How we adapt to AGI was not part of the 2024 presidential campaign. I predict it will be a central theme of the 2028 election. Between now and then, every leader in the world — but particularly the presidents of America and China, the two AI superpowers — will be judged by how well they enable their countries to get the best and cushion the worst from the coming AI storm. From what I heard from leading AI scientists and Nobel Prize winners at Google DeepMind’s conference on how AI is already driving breakthroughs in scientific discovery, AGI is likely to be achieved in the next three to five years. Two DeepMind scientists just won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their AI AlphaFold system, which predicts proteins’ structures and is already being used by scientists to invent drugs and materials all over the world. Now DeepMind is working on GraphCast, an AI system that can produce staggeringly precise 10-day weather forecasts in less than a minute, and on Gnome, which has identified some 2.2 million new inorganic crystals that could be useful in manufacturing everything from computer chips to batteries to solar panels. It’s the tip of an iceberg. It will change or challenge virtually every job. While I was in Tel Aviv, I visited the lab of Mentee Robotics, an Israeli startup, and was given a demonstration of a humanoid robot, roughly my height, powered by sensors and AI with humanlike hand dexterity, a voice and perception that, as its website says, “can be personalized and adjusted to different environments and tasks using natural human interaction.” President-elect Trump, if you think blue-collar workers without college degrees are facing challenges today, wait until four years from now. But that’s not Trump’s only challenge. If these AI powers fall into the wrong hands or are used by existing powers in the wrong ways, we could be dealing with possibly civilizational extinction events. Which is why we need to be discussing systems of AI control now. And it’s why two DeepMind co-founders, Shane Legg and Demis Hassabis, were signers of a 23-word open letter, issued in May 2023, along with other leaders of the AI universe, which declared, “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.” But this can’t just be left to the companies. We tried that with social networks, and it ended badly. President-elect Trump, you may think that your second term will be judged by how many tariffs you impose on China. I beg to differ. When it comes to U.S.-China relations, I think your legacy — as well as President Xi Jinping’s — will be determined by how quickly, effectively and collaboratively the United States and China come up with a shared technical and ethical framework embedded in each AI system that prevents it from becoming destructive on its own — without human direction — or being useful to bad actors who might want to deploy it for destructive purposes. History will not look kindly on you, President-elect Trump, if you choose to prioritize the price of toys for American tots over an agreement with China on the behavior of AI bots. Thomas Friedman writes a column for the New York Times. Related Articles Opinion | Marc Goldwein: Biden still has time to nudge the federal budget closer to sanity Opinion | David French: Donald Trump thinks he won’t have enough power? Opinion | Jamelle Bouie: It’s a republican form of government, not a monarchy. With explicit intent Opinion | Nolan Finley: Musk hopes to make budget cutting cool Opinion | Other voices: Senate shouldn’t abdicate its authority over presidential nominees

Donald Trump says he urged Gretzky to run for prime minister in Christmas visitIt's been just over a month since Apple released the iPad mini 7 , refreshing its smallest tablet with a new Apple Intelligence-capable A17 Pro chip. MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using the ‌iPad mini 7‌ as a replacement for the iPad Pro for the last several weeks, and he has some thoughts to share on Apple's latest iPad . Apple doesn't make a small keyboard for the ‌iPad mini‌, so unless you have a third-party accessory like a Bluetooth keyboard, typing needs to be done with the on-display keyboard. Adding a keyboard does help the situation, but you're still working with a smaller-sized display. For playing games, using social media apps, checking email, and browsing the web, the ‌iPad mini‌ is perfect. The A17 Pro chip means that it's ideal for any mobile game you want to play, and even though the small screen might be a downside, it's powerful enough for Final Cut Pro. The A17 Pro supports Apple Intelligence , plus there's 8GB RAM, so you get all of the latest AI features. With support for the Apple Pencil Pro, note taking, drawing, and sketching are great on the ‌iPad mini 7‌. The ‌iPad mini‌ is essentially almost as powerful as Apple's other, larger iPads, and it is just as capable, so there's little compromise other than screen size when choosing it. It's a great travel companion and daily use tablet, but it might be frustrating if you need something to use to get work done.

By LISA MASCARO and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee’s long-awaited report on Matt Gaetz documents a trove of salacious allegations , including sex with an underage girl, that tanked the Florida Republican’s bid to lead the Justice Department . Related Articles National Politics | An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump National Politics | Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal National Politics | House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of ‘regularly’ paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl National Politics | Trump wants mass deportations. For the agents removing immigrants, it’s a painstaking process National Politics | Many Americans have come to rely on Chinese-made drones. Now lawmakers want to ban them Citing text messages, travel receipts, online payments and testimony, the bipartisan committee paints a picture of a lifestyle in which Gaetz and others connected with younger women for drug-fueled parties, events or trips, with the expectation the women would be paid for their participation. The former congressman, who filed a last-minute lawsuit to try to block the report’s release on Monday, slammed the committee’s findings. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has insisted he never had sex with a minor. And a Justice Department investigation into the allegations ended without any criminal charges filed against him. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” Gaetz wrote in one post on Monday. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Here’s a look at some of the committee’s key findings: The committee found that between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women “likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use.” He paid the women using through online services such as PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp and with cash or check, the committee said. The committee said it found evidence that Gaetz understood the “transactional nature” of his relationships with the women. The report points to one text exchange in which Gaetz balked at a woman’s request that he send her money, “claiming she only gave him a ‘drive by.’” Women interviewed by the committee said there was a “general expectation of sex,” the report said. One woman who received more than $5,000 from Gaetz between 2018 and 2019 said that “99 percent of the time” that when she hung out with Gaetz “there was sex involved.” However, Gaetz was in a long-term relationship with one of the women he paid, so “some of the payments may have been of a legitimate nature,” the committee said. Text messages obtained by the committee also show that Gaetz would ask the women to bring drugs to their “rendezvous,” the report said. While most of his encounters with the women were in Florida, the committee said Gaetz also traveled “on several occasions” with women whom he paid for sex. The report includes text message exchanges in which Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges in 2021, initially connected with women through an online service. In one text with a 20-year-old woman, Greenberg suggested if she has a friend, the four of them could meet up. The woman responded that she usually does “$400 per meet.” Greenberg replied: “He understands the deal,” along with a smiley face emoji. Greenberg asks if they are old enough to drink alcohol, and sent the woman a picture of Gaetz. The woman responded that her friend found him “really cute.” “Well, he’s down here for only for the day, we work hard and play hard,” Greenberg replied. The report details a party in July 2017 in which Gaetz is accused of having sex with “multiple women, including the 17-year-old, for which they were paid.” The committee pointed to “credible testimony” from the now-woman herself as well as “multiple individuals” who corroborated the allegation. The then-17-year-old — who had just completed her junior year in high school — told the committee that Gaetz paid her $400 in cash that night, “which she understood to be payment for sex,” according to the report. The woman acknowledged that she had taken ecstasy the night of the party, but told the committee that she was “certain” of her sexual encounters with the then-congressman. There’s no evidence that Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her, the committee said. The woman told the committee she didn’t tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he didn’t how old she was. Rather, the committee said Gaetz learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But he stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for “commercial sex” again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. In sum, the committee said it authorized 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents and contacted more than two dozen witnesses. But when the committee subpoenaed Gaetz for his testimony, he failed to comply. “Gaetz pointed to evidence that would ‘exonerate’ him yet failed to produce any such materials,” the committee said. Gaetz “continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed.” The report details a months-long process that dragged into a year as it sought information from Gaetz that he decried as “nosey” and a “weaponization” of government against him. In one notable exchange, investigators were seeking information about the expenses for a 2018 get-away with multiple women to the Bahamas. Gaetz ultimately offered up his plane ticket receipt “to” the destination, but declined to share his return “from” the Bahamas. The report said his return on a private plane and other expenses paid by an associate were in violation of House gift rules. In another Gaetz told the committee he would “welcome” the opportunity to respond to written questions. Yet, after it sent a list of 16 questions, Gaetz said publicly he would “no longer” voluntarily cooperate. He called the investigation “frivolous,” adding: “Every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration.” The report said that while Gaetz’s obstruction of the investigation does not rise to a criminal violation it is inconsistent with the requirement that all members of Congress “act in a manner that reflects creditably upon the House.” The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021 and deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request. It renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation without filing any charges against him. The committee sought records from the Justice Department about the probe, but the agency refused, saying it doesn’t disclose information about investigations that don’t result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the Justice Department, but after a back-and-forth between officials and the committee, the department handed over “publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual,” according to the report. “To date, DOJ has provided no meaningful evidence or information to the Committee or cited any lawful basis for its responses,” the committee said. Many of the women who the committee spoke to had already given statements to the Justice Department and didn’t want to “relive their experience,” the committee said. “They were particularly concerned with providing additional testimony about a sitting congressman in light of DOJ’s lack of action on their prior testimony,” the report said. The Justice Department, however, never handed over the women’s statements. The agency’s lack of cooperation — along with its request that the committee pause its investigation — significantly delayed the committee’s probe, lawmakers said.

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gold99 online casino The Assad regime has been a key ally of Iran in the Middle East, with both countries sharing strategic interests in the region. Iran has provided significant military and financial support to the Assad regime in its ongoing conflict with various opposition groups and external powers. The Ambassador emphasized that the collapse of the Assad regime could create a power vacuum that may be exploited by extremist groups or other hostile actors, posing a serious threat to regional security.Samsung is reportedly gearing up to transform its A2 factory's 5.5th generation line into a glass-based micro OLED production line. This strategic move by the tech giant signifies a significant step towards enhancing its display technology capabilities and offering cutting-edge products to consumers.Gretchen McKay | (TNS) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Beans are kind of like the your best friend from high school — nearly forgotten but always ready to step back into the limelight and help out an old pal when needed. As gorgeously (and tantalizingly) demonstrated in Rancho Gordo’s new cookbook, “The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans” (Ten Speed, $35), beans are indeed a magical fruit, though not in the way you heard as a kid. Classified as both a vegetable and a plant-based protein in the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, beans and other legumes can be the ingredient you build an entire vegetarian or veggie-forward meal around. Or, they can help an economical cook stretch a dish twice as far with nutritious calories. A healthful and shelf-staple plant food — they last for years when dried — beans have been among a home cook’s most reliable pantry items for a very long time. (Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are thought to have been grown in Mexico more than 7,000 years ago.) That’s why, for some, they’re often something of an afterthought, especially if the only time you ate them as a kid was when your mom tossed kidney beans into a pot of beef chili or made baked beans (with brown sugar and bacon, please!) for a family cookout. Related Articles Restaurants, Food and Drink | 5 budget-friendly Thanksgiving dinner ideas Restaurants, Food and Drink | The future of Thanksgiving is takeout and hosts couldn’t be happier Restaurants, Food and Drink | A starry Thanksgiving: Recipes beloved by Donna Kelce, Eric Stonestreet, Taylor Swift Restaurants, Food and Drink | Pie crust 101: How tos from longtime instructor Restaurants, Food and Drink | Why cranberry sauce is America’s least favorite Thanksgiving dish – and 5 creative ways to use it Vegetarians have always appreciated their versatility and nutritional punch, and because they’re cheap, they also were quite popular during the Great Depression and World War II as C rations. Sales also peaked during the coronavirus pandemic, when shoppers stockpiled long-lasting pantry essentials. It wasn’t until Rancho Gordo, a California-based bean company, trotted out its branded packages of colorful heirloom beans that the plant began to take on cult status among some shoppers. Unlike the bean varieties commonly found in even the smallest grocery stores, heirloom beans are mostly forgotten varieties that were developed on a small scale for certain characteristics, with seeds from the best crops passed down through the generations. The result is beans that are fresher and more colorful than mass-produced beans, and come in different shapes and sizes. They also have a more complex and intense flavor, fans say. “The Bean Book” dishes up dozens of different ways to cook Rancho Gordo’s 50 heirloom bean varieties, which include red-streaked cranberry beans, mint-green flageolets, black and classic garbanzos and (my favorite) vaquero — which wear the same black-and-white spots as a Holstein cow. Other gotta-try varieties (if just for the name) include eye of the goat, European Soldier, Jacob’s Cattle and Good Mother Stallard, a purple bean with cream-colored flecks. “The very good news is that you have to work extra hard to mess up a pot of beans, and it’s not difficult to make an excellent pot,” Steve Sando writes in the book’s foreword. “The even better news is that you become a better cook with each pot you make.” Not convinced? Here are five reasons to jump on the bean bandwagon: Even the smallest grocery store will have a selection of dried and canned beans. Common varieties include black, cannellini (white kidney), Great Northern, pinto, navy, kidney, Lima and garbanzo (chickpea) beans. Even when they’re not on sale, beans are a bargain at the supermarket. Many varieties cost less than $1 a can, and dried beans are an economical way to build a menu. I paid $1.25 for a one-pound bag of cranberry beans, a smooth and velvety bean with a slightly nutty flavor, at my local grocery store. Rancho Gordo’s heirloom beans cost substantially more. (They run $6.25-$7.50 for a one-pound bag, with free shipping on orders over $50.) But they are sold within a year of harvest, which makes them more flavorful and tender. A bag also comes with cooking instructions and recipe suggestions, and the quality is outstanding. Plus, after cooking their beans with aromatics, “you are left with essentially free soup,” Sando writes in the cookbook. “If you drain properly cooked and seasoned beans, the liquid you are left with is delicious.” Beans are a great source of plant-based protein and both soluble and insoluble fiber, and they include essential minerals like iron, magnesium and potassium. If you’re watching your weight or following a particular diet, beans are naturally free of fat, sodium and cholesterol and are rich in complex carbohydrates. They also contain antioxidants and folate. And if you’re vegan or vegetarian, most types of dry beans are rich sources of iron. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating 1-3 cups of legumes, including beans, per week Dry beans have to be soaked overnight, but cooking them is easy. They can be cooked on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, in the pressure cooker and in the oven. Canned beans are even easier — just rinse and drain, and they’re ready to go. Beans can be used in so many different dishes. They can be made into soup, salad or dips, top nachos, add some heft to a casserole or be mashed into the makings of a veggie burger. You also can add them to brownies and other baked goods, toss them with pasta, add them to chili or a rice bowl or stuff them into a taco or burrito. Check out these four recipes: PG tested This light and creamy vegetarian soup benefits from a surprising garnish, roasted shiitake mushrooms, which taste exactly like bacon. For soup 1/4 cup olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 1 medium carrot, scrubbed and chopped 6 garlic cloves, finely grated or pressed 2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 cups vegetable broth 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed For bacon 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, caps cut into 1/8 -inch slices 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt To finish Plant-based milk Chili oil, for drizzling Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make soup: In large pot, heat oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are fragrant and tender, 8-10 minutes. Add vegetable stock and beans, increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickened, 12-14 minutes. Meanwhile, make the bacon: Spread shiitake mushrooms into a single layer on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Bake until browned and crispy, 18-20 minutes, rotating pan front to back and tossing mushrooms with a spatula halfway through. Let cool in pan; mushrooms will continue to crisp as they cool. To finish, add some milk to the soup and use an immersion blender to puree it in the pot, or puree in a blender. (Cover lid with a clean kitchen towel.) Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Divide soup among bowls and top with shiitake bacon. Garnish with thyme sprigs and a drizzle of chili oil. Serves 4-6. — “Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking” by Joe Yonan PG tested Velvety cranberry beans simmered with tomato and the punch of red wine vinegar are a perfect match for a soft bed of cheesy polenta. This is a filling, stick-to-your-ribs dish perfect for fall. 1/4 cup olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, juice reserved 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth 4 fresh sage leaves Salt and pepper 4 cups cooked Lamon or cranberry beans 2 cups uncooked polenta 6 ounces pancetta, diced Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving In large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and red wine vinegar. In a small bowl, dissolve tomato paste in the broth and add to pan. Stir in sage and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 15-20 minutes. Add beans to tomato sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare polenta according to package instructions. Place pancetta in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pancetta is brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta to a paper towel to drain. To serve, spoon polenta into serving dishes. Ladle the beans over the polenta and top with the pancetta. Garnish with fresh basil and serve with grated Parmesan. Serves 6. — “The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans” by Steve Sando PG tested Beans and seafood might seen like an unusual pairing, but in this recipe, mild white beans take on a lot of flavor from clams. Spanish chorizo adds a nice contrast. 4 cups cooked white beans, bean broth reserved 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 white onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1/2 cup finely chopped Spanish-style cured chorizo 2 plum tomatoes, chopped 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 pounds small clams, scrubbed well Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish Country-style bread and butter, for serving In large pot, heat beans in their broth over medium-low heat. In large lidded saucepan, warm olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic and salt and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chorizo and cook gently until some of the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and wine and cook to allow the flavors to mingle, 5-6 minutes. Increase heat to medium and add clams. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Uncover the pan and cook until all of the clams open, another few minutes. Remove pan from heat, then remove and discard any clams that failed to open. Add clam mixture to the bean pot and stir very gently until well mixed. Simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to mingle but not get mushy. Ladle into large, shallow bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Set out a large bowl for discarded shells and encourage guests to eat with their fingers. Pass plenty of good bread and creamy butter at the table Serves 4-6. — “The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen” by Steve Sando with Julia Newberry PG tested So easy to pull together for your next party! 1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Juice and zest of 1 lemon 1 small garlic clove, minced Generous pinch of salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 or 3 tablespoons water, if needed 2 fresh basil leaves, chopped, optional 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves chopped, optional In a food processor, pulse cannellini beans, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, salt and several grinds of pepper until combined. If it’s too thick, slowly add the water with the food processor running until it is smooth and creamy. Blend in the basil and/or rosemary, if using Serve with veggies, pita or bruschetta. Makes 1 1/2 cups — Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette ©2024 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Miracle of animal organ transplant

LeBron James is undeniably one of the greatest basketball players of all time, with a career spanning over two decades. He has consistently showcased his incredible talent, leadership, and versatility on the court, but as he approaches his late 30s, concerns about his workload have become more prominent.

In response to user feedback and concerns, Tencent Video has assured subscribers that it will provide detailed guidance and support for navigating the transition to single-device streaming. The company plans to communicate the changes effectively through notifications, FAQs, and customer service channels to ensure a smooth and transparent process for all users.In conclusion, President Zelensky's rejection of Trump's peace talks proposal underscores the enduring complexities and disagreements that hinder progress towards a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine. By standing firm on Ukraine's demands for a comprehensive agreement that guarantees its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Zelensky has reaffirmed his government's dedication to achieving a just and durable peace in the region. As the international community continues to monitor the situation, the onus is on all parties involved to work towards a negotiated settlement that respects the legitimate aspirations of the Ukrainian people and paves the way for a peaceful future in the region.

After days of thorough search operations and investigative work, the missing female master's student was eventually located in a remote location, where she was found safe and unharmed. The swift action taken by the authorities, combined with the collaborative efforts of the community, played a crucial role in ensuring her safe recovery.The neighbor who first raised concerns about the house, Mr. Tan, claimed to have experienced strange occurrences when passing by Ms. Chiong's property. According to Mr. Tan, he felt a chilling sensation and heard unexplained noises whenever he walked past the house. This led him to believe that the residence may be harboring negative or supernatural energies, making it an unfit place to live in.

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The tablet market continues to bring inventions one after another into its highly specialized Best tablets to buy in 2025. Whether for a workhorse tool for professionals, gaming with stunning visuals, or even family entertainment, this list reveals the Top Tablets in 2025. 1. Apple iPad Pro (2025 Edition) Price: ₹ 1,299,999 Key Features: Seamless performance with M4 chip Liquid Retina XDR display with Motion technology 10 hours battery life iPadOS 18 with an improved approach to multitasking Apple is betting the bank on the iPad Pro: their heavyweight monster for the professional and creative arena. It promises 20% improved chip performance for design software, which is great for traveling video editing. 2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra Price: ₹1,09,999 Key Features: Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate S Pen with reduced latency Exynos 2500 chip for mind-boggling speed Dolby Atmos quad speakers It has an 18-hour battery life, and multitasking features similar to high-performance tablets , making it one of the best devices for work and media. With great features, it stands out and is considered one of the finest Android devices, a one-stop shop for everything to be done or enjoyed in one go. 3. Lenovo Tab Extreme 2 Price: ₹79,999 Key Features: 14.5" OLED display for stunning visuals 8GB RAM; 512GB storage Next-generation dual stylus support Inbuilt dual stand for convenience Tab Extreme 2 is one of those gadgets where Lenovo has blended style, high-performance tablets, and functionality, making it perfect for students and professionals. Magnificently, it packs some punch but is well-constructed for the kind of value proposition it presents. 4. Microsoft Surface Pro 11 Price: ₹99,999 Key Features: 13-inch PixelSense display giving real bright views A 2-in-1 device with detachable keyboard AI-integrated Windows 12 to adaptively work with the use 16 hours of battery life Surface Pro 11 is the limit remade in productivity, with smart AI working smarter, redefining workflow, and making it a perfect device for business and multitasking embedded in economical tablets. 5. Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro Price: ₹34,999 Key Features 11.2-inch WQHD+ display Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor Dolby Atmos quad speakers Fast charging and USB-C available If cost is a major concern, the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro has evaded all entry barriers and justifies its worth as much as possible without being extravagant. It has a very attractive screen that all gamers and binge-watchers will likely remember fondly. 6. Google Pixel Tablet (2nd Gen) Price: ₹54,999 Key Features: Tensor G4 chip performance ideal For 4K UHD streaming Voice Match for access to a smart assistant Matte aluminium design According to Google, it is one of the best tablets to buy for Android users in 2025. It provides seamless access to the entire ecosystem, and its Built-in Hub Mode keeps it useful at home. 2025 Can be an Amazing Year for Tablets Top Tablets 2025, a survey predicts a rise of about 15% in tablet usage worldwide; professionals will account for nearly 40% of this market. Innovative updates regarding chipsets, displays, and AI promise to set a new standard in the requirements of modern technology. Conclusion As we conclude our roundup of the best tablets to buy in 2025, it's clear that there's something for everyone. Whether you're a creative professional seeking powerhouse performance with the iPad Pro, a media enthusiast who wants an immersive experience with the Samsung Tab S10 Ultra, or a budget-conscious buyer looking for affordability without compromise with the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro, the options are endless. With our expert guide, you can confidently choose the perfect tablet that fits your needs, budget, and lifestyle – and discover a world of limitless possibilities.

Is Enron back? If it's a joke, some former employees aren't laughingWASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump's transition team on Tuesday signed an agreement to allow the Justice Department to conduct background checks on his nominees and appointees after a weekslong delay. The step lets Trump transition aides and future administration staffers obtain security clearances before Inauguration Day to access classified information about ongoing government programs, an essential step for a smooth transition of power. It also allows those nominees who are up for Senate confirmation to face the background checks lawmakers want before voting on them. Teams of investigators have been standing by to process clearances for Trump aides and advisers. "This agreement with the Department of Justice will ensure President Trump and his team are ready on Day 1 to begin enacting the America First Agenda that an overwhelming majority of our nation supported on Election Day," said Susie Wiles, Trump's designate to be White House chief of staff. The announcement came a week after the Trump transition team signed an agreement with the Biden White House to allow transition staff to coordinate with the existing federal workforce before taking office Jan. 20. The White House agreement was supposed to have been signed by Oct. 1, according to the Presidential Transition Act, and the Biden White House issued both public and private appeals for Trump's team to sign on. Security clearances are required to access classified information, including on ongoing operations and threats to the nation, and the Biden White House and outside experts emphasized to Trump's team the importance of having cleared personnel before Inauguration Day so they could be fully briefed and ready to run the government. Republican Senators also insisted on FBI background checks for Trump's nominees before they face confirmation votes, as has been standard practice for decades. Lawmakers were particularly interested in seeing the findings of reviews into Trump's designated nominee for defense secretary, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, and for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence. "That's why it's so important that we have an FBI background check, a committee review of extensive questions and questionnaires, and a public hearing," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Monday. John Thune, incoming Senate Republican leader, said the Trump team "understands there's going to have to be a thorough vetting of all these nominees."

AP Business SummaryBrief at 11:21 a.m. ESTTrudeau told Trump Americans would also suffer if tariffs are imposed, a Canadian minister says

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South Korea's democracy held after a 6-hour power play. What does it say for democracies elsewhere? SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A short-lived martial law decree by South Korea's leader last week raised worries about budding authoritarianism around the world. In the end, though, democracy prevailed. President Yoon Suk Yeol announced that he was declaring martial law and giving his government sweeping powers to crack down on protesters, ban political parties and control the media. Members of the military blocked lawmakers from using the legislature's constitutional power to cancel the power grab. But the National Assembly within hours unanimously voted to do so. Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russia media say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The reports came hours after a stunning rebel advance swept into Damascus to cheers and ended the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule. Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire, joyful after a stifling, nearly 14-year civil war. But the swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country still split among armed factions. One rebel commander said “we will not deal with people the way the Assad family did." The fall of Bashar Assad after 13 years of war in Syria brings to an end a decades-long dynasty BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has fled the country. Assad’s departure on Sunday brings to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto power in a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Assad’s exit stood in stark contrast to his first months as Syria’s unlikely president in 2000, when many hoped he would be a young reformer after three decades of his father’s iron grip. But faced with protests of his rule that erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to his father's brutal tactics to crush dissent. A long stalemate was quickly broken when opposition groups in northwest Syria launched a surprise offensive late last month. Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad? BEIRUT (AP) — Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader who led the stunning insurgency that toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image and that of his fighters. He renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicts himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test. The 42-year-old al-Golani is labeled a terrorist by the United States. He has not appeared publicly since Damascus fell early Sunday. But he and his insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, stand to be a major player in whatever comes next. Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” The hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's elusive killer yields new evidence, but few answers NEW YORK (AP) — Police don’t know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack, not a random one. On Sunday morning, police declined to comment on the contents of a backpack found in Central Park that they believe was carried by the killer. Thompson was shot and killed Wednesday outside of a hotel in Manhattan. Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possible WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is pushing Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump describes it as part of his active efforts as president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office. Trump also said he would be open to reducing military aid to Ukraine and pulling the United States out of NATO. Those are two threats that have alarmed Ukraine, NATO allies and many in the U.S. national security community. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says any deal would have to pave the way to a lasting peace. The Kremlin's spokesman says Moscow is open to talks with Ukraine. South Korean prosecutors detain ex-defense chief over martial law imposition SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors have detained a former defense minister who allegedly recommended last week’s brief but stunning martial law imposition to President Yoon Suk Yeol. Local media say that ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun voluntarily appeared on Sunday at a Seoul prosecutors’ office, where he had his mobile phone confiscated and was detained. A law enforcement official says Kim was later sent to a Seoul detention facility. Kim's detention came a day after Yoon avoided an opposition-led bid to impeach him, with most ruling party lawmakers boycotting a floor vote to prevent a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. Gaza health officials say latest Israeli airstrikes kill at least 14 including children DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials say Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza have killed at least 14 people including children, while the bombing of a hospital in northern Gaza has wounded a half-dozen patients. Israel’s military continues its latest offensive against Hamas militants in northern Gaza, whose remaining Palestinians have been almost completely cut off from the rest of the territory amid a growing humanitarian crisis. One airstrike flattened a residential building in the urban Bureij refugee camp Sunday afternoon. That's according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. Trump's return may be a boon for Netanyahu, but challenges abound in a changed Middle East TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is jubilant about President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House. Trump's first term policies skewed heavily in favor of Israel, and he has picked stalwart Israel supporters for key positions in his administration. But much has transpired since Trump left office in early 2021. The turmoil in the Middle East, the lofty ambitions of Netanyahu’s far-right governing coalition and Netanyahu’s own personal relationship with the president-elect could dampen that enthusiasm and complicate what on the surface looks like a seamless alliance.United Nations has called on Taliban authorities to protect journalists and media workers as well as ensure that media outlets can operate freely, without restrictions or censorship, in Afghanistan. In a joint report titled Media Freedom in Afghanistan, released on Tuesday, the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN Human Rights Office documented the increasing challenges faced by journalists, media workers, and outlets under the Taliban rule between August 2021 and September 2024. “Journalists and media workers in Afghanistan work under unclear rules on what they can and cannot report, running the risk of intimidation and arbitrary detention for perceived criticism, said Roza Otunbayeza, head of UNAMA. “For any country, a free press is not a choice, but a necessity. What we’re witnessing in Afghanistan is the systematic dismantling of this necessity”. The report titled Media Freedom in Afghanistan outlined 256 instances of arbitrary arrest and detention, combined with 130 cases of torture and ill-treatment. An additional 75 documented cases of threats and intimidation have created a climate of fear. In response, the Afghan foreign ministry denied having arrested that number of journalists, saying that those detained had committed a crime. Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk emphasized the broader implications of these restrictions. “Journalists and media workers are not just observers – they are essential to ensuring transparency and accountability, fostering informed debate, he said, adding that they are crucial in helping communities access vital information about humanitarian and protection issues that directly affect their lives. The report’s findings reveal that female media professionals face severe restrictions. Those who continue to work face discriminatory regulations affecting everything from dress codes to which stories they can cover. During the daily media briefing at UN Headquarters, Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Aziz Haq highlighted this gender dimension: “Women journalists and media workers face particular discriminatory measures that limit their ability to do their work”. Ms. Otunbayeza also urged the de facto authorities to “fully recognize the importance of women working in the media sector”. The report also warns of the broader consequences of diminishing international support for Afghanistan’s media sector. “Technical and financial support for the media sector in Afghanistan, and thereby standing behind the importance of freedom of expression and public debate is instrumental for growth of the country,” Ms. Otunbayeza concluded. Looking forward, the UN is calling on the Taliban authorities to honour Afghanistan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees freedom of expression without discrimination. The report emphasizes that free press is essential not just for transparency and accountability but for the country’s social and economic development.

Adopt-A-School: Strathcona students among the most needy of allBy Sally Round of RNZ A cow pill, vaccines, and specially treated grass seed are among the products it is hoped will be in farmers ’ methane-busting toolkits in the not-too-distant future. As debate intensified last week over reduction targets for the potent greenhouse gas, scientists, industry leaders and farmers were meeting in Wellington to look at some of the technology out there and some of the hurdles ahead. New Zealand farmers will need a suite of options to reduce emissions, according to Harry Clark, chief scientist of the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre , co-organisers of this year’s Agriculture and Climate Change conference. “But we will need some high-impact technologies at some point.”

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Syria's president Bashar al-Assad fled Syria as Islamist-led rebels swept into Damascus Sunday, triggering celebrations across the country and beyond at the end of his oppressive rule. Russian news agencies late Sunday said Assad and his family were in Moscow. Crowds toured Assad's luxurious home after the rebels declared he had fled, a spectacular end to five decades of brutal Baath party government. The government fell 11 days after the rebels began a surprise advance more than 13 years after Assad's crackdown on anti-government protests ignited Syria's civil war, which had become largely dormant until the rebel push. "This victory, my brothers, is historic for the region," Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, leader of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (HTS) that spearheaded the advance, said in an address at the landmark Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. US President Joe Biden said Assad should be "held accountable" but called the nation's political upheaval a "historic opportunity" for Syrians to rebuild their country. "The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice," Biden said from the White House. Residents cheered in the streets as the rebel factions heralded the departure of "tyrant" Assad, saying: "We declare the city of Damascus free." Celebratory gunfire sounded along with shouts of, "Syria is ours and not the Assad family's". AFP correspondents saw dozens of men, women and children wandering through Assad's modern, spacious home whose rooms had been stripped bare. "I can't believe I'm living this moment," tearful Damascus resident Amer Batha told AFP by phone. "We've been waiting a long time for this day," he said. The rebel factions on Telegram proclaimed the end to "50 years of oppression under Baath rule, and 13 years of crimes and tyranny and displacement". It is, they said, "the start of a new era for Syria." The foreign ministry of Assad's key backer, Russia, had announced earlier Sunday that Assad had resigned from the presidency and left Syria. The head of war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP: "Assad left Syria via Damascus international airport before the army security forces left" the facility. Later Sunday, a Kremlin source told Russian news agencies that he and his family had arrived in Moscow where they had been granted asylum "on humanitarian grounds". Around the country, people toppled statues of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad's father and the founder of the repressive system of government he inherited. For the past 50 years in Syria, even the slightest suspicion of dissent could land one in prison or get one killed. During their advance, the rebels said they had freed prisoners, including on Sunday at the Sednaya facility, notorious for the darkest abuses of Assad's era. UN war crimes investigators urged those taking charge in the country to ensure the "atrocities" committed under Assad's rule are not repeated. Amnesty International called this a "historic opportunity" for those responsible for the abuses in Syria to face justice. The end of Assad's rule came just hours after HTS said it had captured the strategic city of Homs. Homs was the third major city seized by the rebels, who began their advance on November 27, the same day a ceasefire took place in neighbouring Lebanon between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. Hezbollah had supported Assad during the long civil war but has been severely weakened by Israeli strikes. The group's forces "vacated their positions around Damascus", a source close to the group said Sunday. HTS is rooted in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda but has sought to soften its image in recent years. It remains listed as a terrorist organisation by Western governments. On Sunday afternoon the rebels announced a curfew in the capital until 5:00 am (0200 GMT) Monday. The commander of Syria's US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of northeast Syria, hailed the fall of Assad's "authoritarian regime" as "historic". A military council affiliated with the SDF clashed Sunday with Turkish-backed Syrian fighters in Syria's north, leaving 26 fighters from both sides dead, the Observatory said, as the Turkish-backed group launched an offensive on the Manbij area. The Observatory said Israel had struck government security buildings and weapons depots Sunday on the outskirts of Damascus, as well as in the eastern Deir Ezzor province. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the overthrow of Assad was a "historic day in the... Middle East" and the fall of a "central link in Iran's axis of evil". "This is a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, Assad's main supporters," he added. The UN envoy for Syria said the country was at "a watershed moment". Turkey, which has historically backed the opposition, called for a "smooth transition". Iran said it expected "friendly" ties with Syria to continue, even as its embassy in Damascus was vandalised. Since the start of the rebel offensive, at least 910 people, mostly combatants but also including 138 civilians, have been killed, the Observatory said. Syria's war has killed more than 500,000 people, and forced half of the population to flee their homes. Millions fled abroad. "I can barely remember Syria," said Reda al-Khedr, who was only five years old when he and his mother escaped Syria's Homs in 2014. "But now we're going to go home to a liberated Syria," he told AFP in Cairo. Liberated, but facing enormous challenges. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday the bloc would help rebuild a Syria that safeguards minorities after Assad's fall. bur-it/jjSyrians rejoice as Assad flees, ending brutal reignPresident-elect Donald Trump has filled the key posts for his second term in office, prioritizing loyalty to him after he felt bruised and hampered by internal squabbling during his first term. Some of his choices could face difficult confirmation fights in the Senate, even with Republicans in control, and one candidate has already withdrawn from consideration. Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz was Trump's initial pick for attorney general, but he ultimately withdrew following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation he was embroiled in. Here's a look at Trump's choices: Trump would turn a former critic into an ally as the nation's top diplomat. Rubio , 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate before the slot went to JD Vance. Rubio is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His selection punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator once called a “con man" during his own unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. Hegseth , 44, was a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends Weekend” and had been a contributor with the network since 2014. He developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011 and earning two Bronze Stars. He lacks senior military and national security experience and would oversee global crises ranging from Europe to the Middle East. A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report recently made public. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and has denied any wrongdoing. Bessent , 62, is a former money manager for George Soros , a big Democratic donor, and an advocate for deficit reduction . He founded the hedge fund Key Square Capital Management after having worked on and off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, Bessent would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. Gabbard, 43, is a former Democratic House member from Hawaii who has been accused of echoing Russian propaganda. She unsuccessfully sought the party’s 2020 presidential nomination and left the party in 2022. Gabbard endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him. Gabbard has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades and deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. If confirmed she would come to the role as an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, spent several years in top national security and intelligence positions. Bondi , 59, was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist , Bondi also has served with the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-allied group that has helped lay the groundwork for his future administration. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush-money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appeared on Fox News and has been critical of the criminal cases against him. The Republican U.S. House member narrowly lost her reelection bid on Nov. 5 but had received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, Chavez-DeRemer would oversee the department's workforce and budget and put forth priorities that affect workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of a few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act that would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and penalize companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws in more than half the states. Lutnick heads the brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and is a cryptocurrency enthusiast. He is co-chair of Trump's transition operation, charged along with Linda McMahon, a former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration, with helping the president-elect fill key jobs in his second administration. As secretary, Lutnick would play a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. He would oversee a sprawling Cabinet department whose oversight ranges from funding new computer chip factories and imposing trade restrictions to releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. Noem is a well-known conservative who used her two terms as South Dakota's governor to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions like other states, instead declaring South Dakota “open for business.” More recently, Noem faced sharp criticism for writing in her memoir about shooting and killing her dog. She is set to lead a department crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda as well as other missions. Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Ratcliffe , a former U.S. House member from Texas, was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump’s first term. He led U.S. government’s spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. If confirmed, Ratcliffe will have held the highest intelligence positions in the U.S. Kennedy , 70, ran for president as a Democrat, then as an independent before he dropped out and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during his own presidential campaign. Kennedy's nomination alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Rollins , 52, is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for Trump's second administration. She is a Texas attorney who was Trump's domestic policy adviser and director of his office of American innovation during his first term. Rollins previously was an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry , who also served in Trump's first term. Rollins also ran the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years , sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential campaign, but was acquitted by the Senate. Collins also served in the armed forces himself. He is a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. The North Dakota governor , 68, is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump after he dropped out of the running. Burgum then became a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice in part because of his executive experience and business savvy. He also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump said Burgum would chair a new National Energy Council and have a seat on the National Security Council, which would be a first for the Interior secretary. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Wright is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. He also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. Wright said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. McMahon, a billionaire professional wrestling mogul , would make a return appearance in a second Trump administration. She led the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019 in Trump’s first term and twice ran unsuccessfully in Connecticut as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University. She has expressed support for charter schools and school choice. Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI" and "we will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.” Trump often attacked the Biden administration’s promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referred to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often said his administration would “drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Greer is a partner at King & Spalding, a Washington law firm. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be responsible for negotiating directly with foreign governments on trade deals and disputes, as well as memberships in international trade bodies such as the World Trade Organization. He previously was chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer, who was the trade representative in Trump's first term. Wiles , 67, was a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. She has a background in Florida politics , helping Ron DeSantis win his first race for Florida governor. Six years later, she was key to Trump’s defeat of him in the 2024 Republican primary. Wiles’ hire was Trump’s first major decision as president-elect and one that could be a defining test of his incoming administration considering her close relationship with him. Wiles is said to have earned Trump’s trust in part by guiding what was the most disciplined of Trump’s three presidential campaigns. Waltz is a three-term Republican congressman from east-central Florida. A former Army Green Beret , he served multiple tours in Afghanistan and worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Hassett, 62, is a major advocate of tax cuts who was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in the first Trump term. In the new role as chairman of the National Economic Council, Trump said Hassett will play an important role in helping American families recover from inflation as well as in renewing and improving tax cuts Trump enacted in 2017, many of which are set to expire after 2025. Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. He led the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Trump's first administration. Democrats have criticized Homan for defending Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings in the first term, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Vought, 48, held the position during Trump’s first presidency. He the founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought also was closely involved with Project 2025 , a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that Trump tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump’s priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump’s first term. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump’s policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation’s economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people living illegally in the U.S. Scavino was an adviser in all three of the president-elect's campaigns and was described by the transition team as one of “Trump’s longest serving and most trusted aides." He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino previously ran Trump’s social media profile in the White House. Blair was political director for Trump’s 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and an assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump’s economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump’s 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Leavitt , 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. McGinley was Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and they were golfing at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Kellogg , 80, is a highly decorated retired three-star general and one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an “America First” national security agenda for Trump's second term. He has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues and served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence . Kellogg also was chief of staff of the National Security Council under Trump and stepped in as an acting national security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned the post. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests. Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Huckabee has rejected a Palestinian homeland in territory occupied by Israel. His daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, served as White House press secretary in Trump's first term. Stefanik, 40, is a U.S. representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders dating to his first impeachment trial. She was elected chair of the House Republican Conference in 2021, the third-highest position in House leadership, after then-Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after she publicly criticized Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. A former acting attorney general during Trump's first administration and tight end on the University of Iowa football team, Whitaker , 55, has a background in law enforcement but not in foreign policy. A fierce Trump localist, Whitaker, is also a former U.S. attorney in Iowa and served as acting attorney general between November 2018 and February 2019 without Senate confirmation, until William Barr was confirmed for the role. That was when special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference was drawing to a close. Whitaker also faced questions about his past business dealings, including his ties to an invention-promotion company that was accused of misleading consumers. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. Oz , 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime TV talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz’s bid for elected office. Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor on Fox News. Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative after cardiac arrest, state should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Bhattacharya , 56, is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. As head of the NIH, the leading medical research agency in the United States, Trump said Bhattacharya would work with Kennedy Jr. to direct U.S. medical research and make important discoveries that will improve health and save lives. Bhattacharya is professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and was one of three authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, an October 2020 open letter maintaining that lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic were causing irreparable harm. Gaetz, 42, withdrew from consideration to become the top law enforcement officer of the United States amid fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed by the Senate. In choosing Gaetz, Trump had passed over more established lawyers whose names had been floated as possible contenders for the job. Gaetz resigned from Congress after Trump announced him on Nov. 13. The House Ethics Committee has been investigating an allegation that he paid for sex with a 17-year-old. Gaetz has denied wrongdoing. Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Zeke Miller, Farnoush Amiri, Lolita C. Baldor, Jill Colvin, Matthew Daly, Edith M. Lederer, Adriana Gomez Licon, Lisa Mascaro, Chris Megerian, Michelle L. Price, Will Weissert and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

Kobe Sanders, Nevada beat Oklahoma St. for fifth place in CharlestonWomen are more likely to need walking sticks, wheelchairs and other mobility aids compared to men, but they are less likely to use them, according to a study. And single people are more likely to use mobility tools compared to those who are married, according to researchers from University College London (UCL) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Researchers looked at information from a group of more than 12,000 adults in England aged 50 to 89 who were tracked over a 13-year period. At the start of the study, 8,225 adults had no mobility difficulty and did not use mobility assistive products (MAPs). Some 2,480 were deemed to have “unmet need” and 1,375 were using mobility aids. During the follow-up period, there were 2,313 “transitions” where people went from having no mobility issues to needing some help with getting around. And 1,274 people started to use mobility aids. Compared with men, women were 49% more likely to transition from not needing mobility aids to needing to use them, according to the study which has been published in The Lancet Public Health. But were 21% less likely to go on to use mobility aids when they needed them. The authors said their study showed “barriers to access” for women. For both men and women, with every year that passed during the study period the need for mobility aids increased. People who were older, less educated, less wealthy or reported being disabled were more likely to “transition from no need to unmet need, and from unmet need to use”, the authors said, with this indicating a “higher prevalence of mobility limitations and MAP need overall among these groups”. They added: “Finally, marital or partnership status was not associated with transitioning to unmet need; however, single people were more likely to transition from unmet need to use compared with married or partnered people.” Jamie Danemayer, first author of the study from UCL Computer Science and UCL’s Global Disability Innovation Hub, said: “Our analysis suggests that there is a clear gender gap in access to mobility aids. “Though our data didn’t ascertain the reason why participants weren’t using mobility aids, other research tells us that women are often more likely than men to face obstacles such as cost barriers as a result of well-documented income disparities between genders. “Many mobility aids are designed for men rather than women, which we think may be a factor. “Using mobility aids can also make a disability visible, which can impact the safety and stigma experienced by women, in particular. “There’s a critical need for further research to identify and break down the barriers preventing women from accessing mobility aids that would improve their quality of life.” Professor Cathy Holloway, also from UCL, added: “Not having access to mobility aids when a person needs one can have a big impact on their independence, well-being and quality of life. “Our analysis suggests that women, in particular, regardless of other factors such as education and employment status, are not getting the support that they need.” Professor Shereen Hussein, senior author of the study and lead of the social care group at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “The research provides compelling evidence of gender disparities in accessing assistive technology, suggesting that cost, design bias, and social stigma are likely to disproportionally affect women. “This underscores the need for inclusive, gender-sensitive approaches in the design, production and inclusivity of assistive technologies.”By Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News Worried that President-elect Donald Trump will curtail federal efforts to take on the nation’s medical debt problem, patient and consumer advocates are looking to states to help people who can’t afford their medical bills or pay down their debts. “The election simply shifts our focus,” said Eva Stahl, who oversees public policy at Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit that has worked closely with the Biden administration and state leaders on medical debt. “States are going to be the epicenter of policy change to mitigate the harms of medical debt.” New state initiatives may not be enough to protect Americans from medical debt if the incoming Trump administration and congressional Republicans move forward with plans to scale back federal aid that has helped millions gain health insurance or reduce the cost of their plans in recent years. Comprehensive health coverage that limits patients’ out-of-pocket costs remains the best defense against medical debt. But in the face of federal retrenchment, advocates are eyeing new initiatives in state legislatures to keep medical bills off people’s credit reports, a consumer protection that can boost credit scores and make it easier to buy a car, rent an apartment, or even get a job. Several states are looking to strengthen oversight of medical credit cards and other financial products that can leave patients paying high interest rates on top of their medical debt. Related Articles National Politics | Trump taps forceful ally of hard-line immigration policies to head Customs and Border Protection National Politics | How backlash to the pandemic helped shape Trump’s health picks National Politics | Nursing home industry wants Trump to rescind staffing mandate National Politics | Melania Trump says heading to the White House for the second term is much different than the first National Politics | Trump offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled nominee to lead the Pentagon Some states are also exploring new ways to compel hospitals to bolster financial aid programs to help their patients avoid sinking into debt. “There’s an enormous amount that states can do,” said Elisabeth Benjamin, who leads health care initiatives at the nonprofit Community Service Society of New York. “Look at what’s happened here.” New York state has enacted several laws in recent years to rein in hospital debt collections and to expand financial aid for patients, often with support from both Democrats and Republicans in the legislature. “It doesn’t matter the party. No one likes medical debt,” Benjamin said. Other states that have enacted protections in recent years include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. Many measures picked up bipartisan support. President Joe Biden’s administration has proved to be an ally in state efforts to control health care debt. Such debt burdens 100 million people in the United States, a KFF Health News investigation found . Led by Biden appointee Rohit Chopra, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has made medical debt a priority , going after aggressive collectors and exposing problematic practices across the medical debt industry. Earlier this year, the agency proposed landmark regulations to remove medical bills from consumer credit scores. The White House also championed legislation to boost access to government-subsidized health insurance and to cap out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors, both key bulwarks against medical debt. Trump hasn’t indicated whether his administration will move ahead with the CFPB credit reporting rule, which was slated to be finalized early next year. Congressional Republicans, who will control the House and Senate next year, have blasted the proposal as regulatory overreach that will compromise the value of credit reports. And Elon Musk, the billionaire whom Trump has tapped to lead his initiative to shrink government, last week called for the elimination of the watchdog agency . “Delete CFPB,” Musk posted on X. If the CFPB withdraws the proposed regulation, states could enact their own rules, following the lead of Colorado, New York, and other states that have passed credit reporting bans since 2023. Advocates in Massachusetts are pushing the legislature there to take up a ban when it reconvenes in January. “There are a lot of different levers that states have to take on medical debt,” said April Kuehnhoff, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, which has helped lead national efforts to expand debt protections for patients. Kuehnhoff said she expects more states to crack down on medical credit card providers and other companies that lend money to patients to pay off medical bills, sometimes at double-digit interest rates. Under the Biden administration, the CFPB has been investigating patient financing companies amid warnings that many people may not understand that signing up for a medical credit card such as CareCredit or enrolling in a payment plan through a financial services company can pile on more debt. If the CFPB efforts stall under Trump, states could follow the lead of California, New York, and Illinois, which have all tightened rules governing patient lending in recent years. Consumer advocates say states are also likely to continue expanding efforts to get hospitals to provide more financial assistance to reduce or eliminate bills for low- and middle-income patients, a key protection that can keep people from slipping into debt. Hospitals historically have not made this aid readily available, prompting states such as California, Colorado, and Washington to set stronger standards to ensure more patients get help with bills they can’t afford. This year, North Carolina also won approval from the Biden administration to withhold federal funding from hospitals in the state unless they agreed to expand financial assistance. In Georgia, where state government is entirely in Republican control, officials have been discussing new measures to get hospitals to provide more assistance to patients. “When we talk about hospitals putting profits over patients, we get lots of nodding in the legislature from Democrats and Republicans,” said Liz Coyle, executive director of Georgia Watch, a consumer advocacy nonprofit. Many advocates caution, however, that state efforts to bolster patient protections will be critically undermined if the Trump administration cuts federal funding for health insurance programs such as Medicaid and the insurance marketplaces established through the Affordable Care Act. Trump and congressional Republicans have signaled their intent to roll back federal subsidies passed under Biden that make health plans purchased on ACA marketplaces more affordable. That could hike annual premiums by hundreds or even thousands of dollars for many enrollees, according to estimates by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank. And during Trump’s first term, he backed efforts in Republican-led states to restrict enrollment in their Medicaid safety net programs through rules that would require people to work in order to receive benefits. GOP state leaders in Idaho, Louisiana, and other states have expressed a desire to renew such efforts. “That’s all a recipe for more medical debt,” said Stahl, of Undue Medical Debt. Jessica Altman, who heads the Covered California insurance marketplace, warned that federal cuts will imperil initiatives in her state that have limited copays and deductibles and curtailed debt for many state residents. “States like California that have invested in critical affordable programs for our residents will face tough decisions,” she said. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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LOS ANGELES — Top-ranked South Carolina felt something it hasn't known in over 2 1/2 years. The sting of defeat after being thoroughly dominated in a 77-62 loss to No. 5 UCLA on Sunday. Gone was the overall 43-game winning streak. Done was the run of 33 consecutive road victories. And the No. 1 ranking it's held for 23 consecutive polls will disappear Monday. "This is what we usually do to teams," coach Dawn Staley said. "We were on the receiving end of it." South Carolina hadn't lost since April 2023, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat the Gamecocks in the national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins (5-0) shot 47% from the floor and 3-point range, hit 11 of 14 free throws and had five players in double figures. "They actually executed our game plan to a T," Staley said. The Gamecocks (5-1) were held to 36% shooting, had just two players in double figures and neither was leading scorer Chloe Kitts, who was held to 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting. They never led, got beat on the boards, 41-34, and were outscored 26-18 in the paint and 8-1 in fast break points. They only made eight trips to the free throw line. "Our kids fought," Staley said, "but we ran into a buzzsaw." South Carolina did manage to limit 6-foot-7 UCLA star Lauren Betts, who had 11 points and 14 rebounds, despite no longer having a dominant center of their own. The Bruins responded by getting the ball to others and eight of their 10 players scored. "We did an excellent job on Betts and we got killed by everyone else," Staley said. Tessa Johnson was the only other Gamecock in double figures with 14. "We needed a lot more than Tessa today," Staley said. The Gamecocks never got their offense in gear, starting the game 0 for 9 before trailing 20-10 at the end of the first quarter. They were down 43-22 at halftime. "Our shot selection is something we're dealing with on a daily basis," Staley said. The Gamecocks outscored UCLA 40-34 in the second half, but the Bruins' big early lead easily held up. "Beautiful basketball by UCLA," Staley said. "You can't help but to love up on it cause it was fluid on both sides of the ball." Given that it's only late November, the Gamecocks have plenty of time to figure things out. "We had some really good contributions from people that don't play a whole lot and we could probably give a little bit more minutes to," Staley said. "Taking a loss will help us focus on anybody that we play." Get local news delivered to your inbox!Gun found on suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO matches shell casings at scene, police say ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — New York City’s police commissioner says the gun found on the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO matches shell casings found at the crime scene. Commissioner Jessica Tisch also said Wednesday that lab results matched suspect Luigi Mangione’s prints to a water bottle and a snack bar wrapper found near the scene of the killing. Police had said earlier that they believed the gunman bought the items at a nearby coffee shop while awaiting his target. Mangione is jailed in Pennsylvania on weapon and forgery charges, but he also has been charged in New York with murder in Brian Thompson's death. His lawyer has noted that Mangione is presumed innocent. Authorities are scrutinizing evidence and the suspect’s experiences with the health care industry. Arguments over whether Luigi Mangione is a 'hero' offer a glimpse into an unusual American moment Memes and online posts in support of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who's charged with killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO, have mushroomed online. Some cast Mangione as a hero. That's too far, says Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a rising Democrat who was almost the Democratic vice presidential nominee this year. CEO Brian Thompson's death touched off off these ripples. They offer a glimpse into how so many different aspects of 21st-century life can be surreally connected, from public violence to politics, from health care to humor, or attempts at it. The Trump and Biden teams insist they're working hand in glove on foreign crises WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t think much of Joe Biden’s foreign policy record. He frequently casts the outgoing Democratic president as a feckless leader who shredded American credibility around the world during his four-year term. But the Trump and Biden national security teams have come to an understanding that they have no choice but to work together as conflicts in Gaza, Syria and Ukraine have left a significant swath of the world on a knife’s edge. It’s fuzzy how much common ground Biden and Trump’s teams have found as they navigate crises that threaten to cause more global upheaval as Trump prepares to settle back into the White House. FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign before Trump takes office in January WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray says he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. The announcement Wednesday comes a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the position. His impending resignation will bring him three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations. Trump applauded the news Wednesday, saying it will end the weaponization of what he called the “Department of Injustice.” Syrians flock to morgues looking for loved ones who perished in Assad's prisons DAMASCUS (AP) — Many bodies have been found in Syrian detention centers and prisons since President Bashar al-Assad's government fell. Now Syrians around the world are circulating images of the corpses in hopes that they will see slain loved ones whose fate had been a mystery. At the morgue visited by The Associated Press on Wednesday in Damascus, families flocked to a wall where some of the pictures were pinned in a haunting gallery of the dead. Relatives desperately scanned the images for a recognizable face. Some of the prisoners died just weeks ago. Others perished months earlier. US warns Russia may be ready to use new lethal missile against Ukraine again in 'coming days' WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says Russia could launch its lethal new intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine again soon. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh cited a U.S. intelligence assessment in telling reporters on Wednesday that an attack could come “in the coming days.” She says the U.S. does not consider the Oreshnik missile a game changer on the battlefield. But that Russia is using the weapon to intimidate Ukraine as both sides wrestle for an advantage that will give them leverage in any negotiations to end the war. The Russian Defense Ministry also is warning it may retaliate against Kyiv for an attack on a military base in the Rostov region in southern Russia on Wednesday. Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 33 including children, Palestinian medics say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 33 people. One of the strikes hit a home where displaced people were sheltering in the isolated north, killing 19. A separate strike outside nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital killed a woman and her two children, and another strike in central Gaza killed at least seven people. Israel's military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and accuses militants of hiding among them, putting their lives in danger. Local health officials say Israel’s retaliatory offensive after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Hannah Kobayashi, missing Hawaii woman whose disappearance prompted a massive search, is found safe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Kobayashi has been found safe. That’s according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Kobayashi vanished last month in Los Angeles. The missing Hawaii woman's disappearance prompted a massive search and a missing persons investigation. It was not immediately clear where she was found, but police previously said she had voluntarily crossed the border into Mexico. The LAPD said Wednesday the department will wrap up its investigation. Kobayashi's family reported her missing to law enforcement on Nov. 11 after relatives received “strange and cryptic, just alarming” text messages. Kobayashi’s mother and sister said they are “grateful” she has been found safe. Wisconsin kayaker who faked his death and fled the country is charged after returning to US GREEN LAKE, Wis. (AP) — Authorities say a Wisconsin man who faked his own drowning and left his wife and three children for Eastern Europe has willingly returned to the U.S. Ryan Borgwardt is charged with obstruction, a misdemeanor. A not-guilty plea was entered by a judge Wednesday, a day after Borgwardt's return. The judge also set bond at $500 for the obstruction charge, though Borgwardt only has to pay if he violates the conditions of his release. Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll says Borgwardt “came back on his own” because of his family. Investigators say the 45-year-old was living in the country of Georgia. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. But when exactly? ZURICH (AP) — Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament. Key issues include during which part of the year to stage the tournament, where to play the games, whether alcohol will be allowed at all and how to protect workers rights in the massive construction projects required to host the World Cup.

Juve Deepen Man City Crisis, Barcelona Into Champions League KnockoutsWith Marc de Grandpre as president and GM and Julian de Guzman as sporting director, the New York Red Bulls come with a distinctly Canadian flavour. On Saturday, both will be cheering on their team as it takes on the Los Angeles Galaxy, led by former Toronto FC coach Greg Vanney, in the MLS Cup final in Carson, Calif. De Grandpre is in his second stint with the Major League Soccer club while de Guzman, a Toronto native and former Canada captain, joined the front office in February. "We're all excited. This is a big moment for the club," said de Grandpre, a Montreal native. "We haven't been here since 2008 (when the Red Bulls lost 3-1 to Columbus in their first final appearance). "This is like a Game 7 ultimately and we're going to leave it all out there and hope for the best," he added. "We're very proud of the team, the players and where we're at. (Saturday), I guess, before kickoff anxiety will kick in but we have to enjoy the moment. These are not moments that occur every year or every other year. We're lucky, fortunate and we're grateful to be here and we'll soak it all in as an organization." While the fourth-place Galaxy (19-8-7) finished 12 places and 17 points ahead of the Red Bulls (11-9-14) in the overall league standings, one can argue the New Yorkers arrive at Dignity Health Sports Park as the team of destiny. Entering the playoffs as the seventh-ranked team in the Eastern Conference, the Red Bulls are the lowest-ever seed to reach the MLS championship game. The Red Bulls started the season with just one loss in their first 10 league outings (4-1-5) and went unbeaten in their first 12 league outings at Red Bull Arena (7-0-5) before losing 2-0 to Philadelphia on Aug. 31. But they limped into the playoffs after winning just one of their last nine regular-season outings (1-5-3). The lone win (4-1) during that run came Oct. 2 at lowly Toronto. De Grandpre points to the break for the Leagues Cup, which ran July 26 to Aug. 25, for the loss of form during that run. The Red Bulls played just two Leagues Cup games, losing to Toronto and Mexico's Pachuca both on penalty kicks, with a 25-day pause before resuming MLS play. "The team managed to persevere, stay resilient and get us into the playoffs," said de Grandpre. "And they're true to the form they were showing early in the season. "It's a group of players who truly enjoy being with each other, love each (other), care for each other and have totally embraced what (German coach) Sandro (Schwarz) has brought to the table in terms of culture and the way we approach the matches. You can feel it in the room. It's a special group of people." The Red Bulls are making the most of their record 15th-straight post-season appearance. They started the playoffs with a bang, upsetting defended champion and second-seeded Columbus 1-0 on the road and then via penalty shootout in Harrison, N.J., to win the best-of-three first-round series. They went on to dispatch No. 6 New York City FC 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinal and No. 4 Orlando City 1-0 in the conference final. The Red Bulls have made sure their fans will be on hand to cheer on the team. The club bought almost 2,000 tickets for members of its supporters groups and season-ticket holders as well as for its front office, custodial and security staff from its stadium and training facility, and food and beverage partners. "We want to make sure we reward our fans and that our most important human capital is with us — our staff, the people who make it happen ever day. We want to reward them as well," said de Grandpre. Some 700 members of the Red Bulls supporters groups also each received US$300 as well as a ticket to help defray travel costs. De Grandpre started with Bauer Hockey in Montreal and then, after graduate school in the U.S., became one of the first marketing employees for Red Bull North America in late 1999. In 2006, when the Austria-based energy drink giant bought the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, de Grandpre was tasked with rebranding the franchise to the Red Bulls. He spent two years as the team's managing director before moving on to Qualcomm (wireless technology), Imax (immersive cinema) and KIND (healthy snack foods), rejoining the Red Bulls in April 2014 as GM. "Ever since then, it's been a pleasurable experience, very rewarding. I've surrounded myself and the organization with the best talent in the business," he said. "And I believe that is why we are here today. It's been a long road, but the right way to get there, that's for sure." In 2015, de Grandpre was honoured with the league's Doug Hamilton Executive of the Year award. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2024. Follow @NeilMDavidson on the X platform. Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

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Gambler bets $2.50 on slot machine — then hits big jackpot at Las Vegas casinoPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown’s troubles connecting on the field have yet to blow into a family feud inside the locker room — honest, both Philadelphia Eagles stars said. Between Hurts and Brown, it’s all good in Philly. “Me and Jalen are good,” Brown said. Added Hurts, “We’re good, we’re good.” So there will be no sit-ups in the driveway, no apologies on the front lawn, and certainly, it seems, no rift between Hurts and his No. 1 receiver. Hurts and Brown each downplayed any hint of a fissure Wednesday between the two after defensive end Brandon Graham appeared this week on a Philadelphia sports radio station and suggested there was friction between the Pro Bowl duo. The two were close friends long before they became teammates and Hurts is the godfather for Brown’s daughter. Graham's comments — in which he noted “ things have changed ,” between the two, without offering specifics — exploded into tabloid and fan fodder this week in Philadelphia. His insinuations that the duo were not on the same page came on the heels of Brown's quote after a sluggish win over Carolina that the “ offense ” wasn’t playing up to standard, even with the Eagles at 11-2. “BG knows he spoke out of place,” Hurts said. Graham, who is sidelined with a triceps injury, clarified his comments later to an ESPN reporter, saying he made the wrong assumption about the relationship between Hurts and Brown and planned to apologize to both players. Brown, with 109 yards receiving combined the last two games, said his beef with the offense wasn't directed at Hurts. It was everything from offensive coordinator Kellen Moore's play calling to execution to all the ingredients in a successful offense that make a team a Super Bowl contender. The usually pass-happy Eagles have leaned more on running back Saquon Barkley, who set the franchise season rushing record of 1,623 yards against the Panthers and is chasing Eric Dickerson for the NFL mark. “Obviously, it's not about running the ball,” Brown told reporters. “He's about to win MVP. Clearly. What other things can we do on offense? We have to pass the ball. That can go into protection, that can go into picking up the block, that goes to us getting open quicker. Getting on the same page.” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said he never witnessed any issues between Hurts and Brown and only saw two players who worked hard together, even working on routes after practice and seemed to have a deep personal connection on and off the field. “You guys get to see three hours every Sunday where emotions can play as high as they’re going to play,” Sirianni said. “I get to see these guys every single day, how they go about their business and interact with each other.” Brown, who was coming off consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, wasn't necessarily wrong in his frustration with the recent stagnation of the passing game. Hurts, who signed a contract extension ahead of the 2023 season that was worth $179.3 million guaranteed , has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in three straight games. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith — who also complained Sunday about the offense — was also coming off consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons but has yet to break 100 yards in a game this season. Brown has four 100-yard games, well off last season’s run when he topped 100 yards in six straight games and seven times overall. Hurts has been more efficient than explosive this season but has still thrown 12 touchdown passes to just one interception — and rushed for 11 more scores — during the Eagles' nine-game winning streak that has them on the brink of clinching the NFC East. Maybe playing the Steelers on Sunday at home can snap the Eagles out of their offensive malaise. Hurts threw three TD passes to Brown in a 35-13 win in 2022. “Do we all have things to get better at in the passing game? Yeah, I think that’s obvious,” Sirianni said. “I think that’s what we’ve been talking about. We all have things that we’ve got to get better at, coaches, players. But this is why this is the greatest team sport there is. It takes everybody. It takes every single person being together, every single person for the success to happen. It’s just not a one-person thing.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

online casino free credits Disgraceful and cynical are some of the words Premier Chris Minns has used to describe a reported vote to refer him to the state's corruption watchdog. or signup to continue reading An inquiry into the pitch to sell the Australian Turf Club's Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney's west and turn it into tens of thousands of homes will deliver its report on Friday. But late on Wednesday the NSW premier responded to media reports the committee conducting the inquiry will call for him to be referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption, describing them as allegations based on no fact or evidence. "It's disgraceful to politicise the ICAC with unsubstantiated rumours," Mr Minns said. "This is an old fashioned smear from a group of politicians opposed to changes at Rosehill," he added. The unsubstantiated allegations were a cynical attempt at political point scoring, Mr Minns said. Independent MP Mark Latham, a member of the committee, and of the turf club, claimed via social media on Thursday there is evidence to justify the ICAC referral, based on a meeting the premier had in October 2023. Mr Minns described the turf club's head of membership and corporate affairs Steve McMahon as a friend of more than 20 years in August, after Mr McMahon appeared at the committee inquiry earlier that month. The committee was told Mr McMahon pitched the idea to the turf club's chairman Peter McGauran on October 26, 2023. The premier had a "meet and greet" with the turf club four days later according to ministerial diaries. Mr McMahon told the inquiry the meeting was to discuss the idea and the process for pitching it to the government, before investing member resources in a proposal. "You want to make sure that (the government) are not going to be automatically opposed to such a thing," he said. Mr Minns told budget estimates in August the proposal was announced before turf club members voted on the sale in the interest of transparency. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement AdvertisementByfield scores in 200th career game as Kings hold off Kraken for 2-1 win

Pamela Anderson's bare-faced shtick is an ugly lie... I know this desperate Double D-lister's real beauty secrets, writes PAULA FROELICH

CLEVELAND (AP) — Only the Cleveland Browns. Only a team beset by perpetual problems at quarterback for the better part of two decades can get a record-setting 497-yard, four-touchdown, jaw-dropping, where-did-that-come-from performance on Monday night from Jameis Winston — and still lose. History wrapped in misery. Only the Browns. Winston spoiled a high-level performance in Denver's thin air by throwing a pair of pick-sixes — the second with 1:48 remaining — as the Broncos rode big plays to a 41-32 win over the Browns (3-9), who have to wonder what their disappointing season might look like if Deshaun Watson had been benched before getting hurt. The loss ended any illusions the Browns had of making a late playoff push like they did a year ago. It also clinched the team's 22nd losing season since its expansion rebirth in 1999. In his fifth start this season, Winston provided further evidence that the Browns made a major mistake by not switching QBs long before Watson ruptured his Achilles tendon on Oct. 20 against Cincinnati. Cleveland's offense has come alive behind Winston, who has thrown for over 300 yards three times, something Watson didn't do in 19 starts over his three suspension-shortened, injury-riddled seasons with the Browns. While there were some positives, Winston's turnovers were too costly. "You’re not going to play perfect at the quarterback position. He knows that," coach Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday on a Zoom call. “I know that ultimately he wants to do anything in his power to help this team win and that’s going to be taking care of the ball. But he also had moments there where he was moving that offense and did a nice job.” Winston may not be the long-term answer for the Browns, but he's showing he can at least give them a viable option for 2025 while the club sorts through the tangled Watson situation, which continues to have a stranglehold on the franchise. In all likelihood, and assuming he's fully recovered, Watson will be back next season in some capacity with the Browns, who are still on the hook to pay him $92 million — of his fully guaranteed $230 million contract — over the next two seasons. Releasing Watson would have damaging salary-cap implications, and while that would be a bitter financial pill for owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam to swallow, it could the Browns' safest and easiest exit strategy. And if they needed any proof that such a strategy can work, the Browns only had to look across the field at the Broncos, who got out from under QB Russell Wilson's monster contract by cutting him, taking the financial hit and drafting Bo Nix. After some common early growing pains, Nix has settled in and the rookie has the Broncos in the mix for a postseason berth. It wasn't long ago that the Browns thought their quarterback concerns were behind them. Instead, they lie ahead. Stefanski's decision to hand over the play-calling duties to first-year coordinator Ken Dorsey has been a positive. While the move hasn't led directly to many wins, the Browns have moved the ball much more effectively and scored at least 20 points in three of five games since the switch after not scoring 20 in their first eight. An issue all season, Cleveland's defense was again gashed for long plays and TDs, including a 93-yard scoring pass in the third quarter. The Browns have allowed 48 plays of 20-plus yards and 12 of at least 40 yards. WR Jerry Jeudy. His return to Denver was a personal and professional triumph — except on the scoreboard. Vowing revenge on the Broncos, who traded him to the Browns in March, Jeudy had the best game of his career, catching nine passes for 235 yards and a TD. Since Winston took over as Cleveland's starter, Jeudy leads the league with 614 yards receiving. Jeudy just might be the No. 1 receiver the Browns have needed following Amari Cooper's trade. Jordan Hicks gets an honorable mention after recording 12 tackles. K Dustin Hopkins. He missed a 47-yard field goal to end Cleveland's first drive, setting the tone for a night of missed opportunities. After making 33 of 36 field goal tries in his first season with the Browns, Hopkins is just 16 of 23, with his inaccuracy raising questions why the team signed him to a three-year, $15.9 million contract in July. Stefanski had no updates from the game. ... LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah remains sidelined with a neck injury suffered on Nov. 2. Stefanski ruled him out again for Sunday's game at Pittsburgh. 552 — Yards of total offense for the Browns, just 10 shy of the single-game franchise record set in 1989. A short turnaround before visiting the Steelers (9-3), who will be looking to avenge their 24-19 loss in Cleveland on Nov. 21. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Two content creators are taking a battle for an online vibe to court. This past April, filed a lawsuit against alleging she "replicated" her "neutral, beige, and cream aesthetic" across various social media platforms. The lawsuit has been dubbed a first-of-its-kind case about content similarities between influencers, both of whom are fighting to prove that the photos and videos uploaded to their respective accounts online are uniquely their own. Per the April filing, obtained by PEOPLE, Gifford brought eight claims against the defendant. Among them include federal copyright infringement, vicarious copyright infringement, Digital Millennium Copyright Act violation, trade dress infringement and misappropriation. Gifford has been curating her "brand identity" and "credibility" online over the past five years, per the filing, becoming known for her promotion of Amazon products like apparel and household goods. She has "grown her business into a multi-thousand dollar operation," her lawsuit states. Related: While the influencers maintain a presence online, they met in person in December 2022 with the intent to support each other's businesses. They got together again in January the following year, which resulted in Gifford blocking Sheil from viewing her content a few days later, per the filing. On Monday, Aug. 5, four months after Gifford sued in April, attorneys for Sheil asked the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to dismiss claims brought forth against the defendant. Per the court documents, Sheil denied "every allegation" in the complaint. "Sheil has never infringed on any work of Gifford’s, because Sheil’s work is independently developed, does not use anything belonging to Gifford, and is not based on anything posted by Gifford," the court document reads. In November 2024, the Gifford's original complaint against Sheil should move forward. Judge Robert Pitman of the US District Court for the Western District of Texas will be in charge of the final disposition, reports. Read on to learn more about the first-of-its-kind lawsuit about influencer aesthetics online. Sydney Nicole Gifford/Instagram Sydney Nicole Gifford is a 24-year-old social media influencer who's amassed nearly half a million followers across Instagram, TikTok and Amazon Storefront. She is from Austin, Texas, though lives in Minneapolis now, according to her Instagram bio. The content Gifford creates centers around her home, fashion and "must-have" items she finds on Amazon. She stands out because of her neutral-toned vibe, curating her content with shades of brown and tan hues. "I think I feel more calm in neutral spaces,” Gifford told in late November. “Now my favorite color is beige," she added, which explains the hashtag she'll occasionally use on her content (#sadbeigehome). "It is a sad beige home, and I like it." The influencer spends several hours every day of the week capturing and creating content to share with her followers online, all aligning with her neutral aesthetic. She often promotes brand products and services through her photos and videos. Related: Alyssa Sheil/Instagram Alyssa Sheil is a 21-year-old content creator who shares fashion and lifestyle content with her nearly half a million followers across Instagram and TikTok combined. She is from Williamson County, Texas. Like Gifford, Sheil curates her content to align with a beige aesthetic. All of her posts — like outfit of the day posts, home decor finds and beauty-related photos — are neutral-toned. "It’s definitely very calming,” Sheil said of her decor when speaking with , who visited the Texas-based influencer for an interview a few days prior to meeting up with Gifford in her Minneapolis home. "I just want it to all be cohesive and plain." Sydney Nicole Gifford/Instagram Gifford is suing Sheil for allegedly mimicking the vibe of her social media content — including fonts and camera angles, apartment decor, similar Amazon products and even physical appearance — and replicating it on her own page. Per the original filing in April, obtained by PEOPLE, Gifford brought eight claims: federal copyright infringement, vicarious copyright infringement, Digital Millennium Copyright Act violation, trade dress infringement, misappropriation, tortious interference with prospective business relations, unfair trade practices and unfair competition and unjust enrichment. Although they exist separately online, the two creators have a brief history together having both lived in Austin at one point. Per the filing, the replication of content began after they met up for a second time in January 2023 to discuss a potential collaboration. At the time, they conducted a photoshoot that would be promoted on their respective accounts. "A few days later, Alyssa blocked Sydney from viewing her content on Instagram and TikTok," the original filing reads, alleging that the defendant's "platforms changed ostensibly." The filing claims that Sheil began to post content that "replicated the neutral, beige and cream aesthetic" of Gifford's "brand identity," featured "the same or substantially Amazon products" she promoted and "contained styling and textual captions" that replicated hers. Related: Alyssa Sheil/Instagram Sheil's attorney responded to Gifford's lawsuit on Aug. 5, denying "every allegation in the complaint." According to the court document, the case "stems" from "jealousy." When the creators first met, per the filing, Sheil was "younger and more successful on certain social media platforms that Gifford had not yet maximized." The documents allege that "it was Gifford who asked Sheil" content-related questions. Still, Sheil didn't file "a meritless lawsuit" claiming that Gifford "stole her likeness," explaining that it's "the very nature" of the fashion and influencer industries. "Similar influencer content creators collaborate, adopt, and evolve on trends and looks to promote products to their audience and followers." When Sheil spoke with , she was confident about where she stands as a creator despite navigating lawyers and lawsuits. "I do think that there’s space and definitely enough money for everyone that’s in [the Amazon influencer] program,” she told the outlet. Many are invested in the first-of-its-kind case questioning if the legal system could essentially protect the vibe of a content creator's vibe online as the two influencers await trial. Per Gifford's Texas lawsuit, Sheil is being sued for damages that could reach into the millions. Read the original article onAP News Summary at 5:15 p.m. ESTAustralia's prime minister said Sunday he was ready to "engage" with billionaire X owner Elon Musk over his criticism of the government's ban on under-16s joining social media. Anthony Albanese hailed the parliament's Thursday passage of landmark legislation requiring social media firms to take "reasonable steps" to prevent young teens from having accounts. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

SAN FRANCISCO , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RapidTranslate.org announces the strategic integration of three leading language resource platforms into its comprehensive translation services ecosystem. The company has partnered with Languages Without Limits ( www.languageswithoutlimits.co.uk ), Workshop on Immigrant Languages ( www.workshoponimmigrantlanguages.org ), and Arctic Languages ( www.arcticlanguages.com ) to enhance its educational and research offerings while maintaining these platforms' valuable existing resources. This integration coincides with RapidTranslate.org 's significant expansion into the European market, where the company now provides certified translations in over 60 languages across Germany , France , Spain , Italy , and the United Kingdom . This dual focus on educational resources and certified translations reinforces RapidTranslate.org 's position as a trusted global language services provider. Key Highlights of RapidTranslate.org 's Offerings: Comprehensive Language Support: Enhanced educational and research resources through the integration of three respected language platforms, serving educators, researchers, and language enthusiasts worldwide. Certified Translations: Professional translation services for official and legal documents, backed by a 100% USCIS acceptance guarantee. Global Reach: Expanded European presence supporting individuals, families, businesses, and professionals across key markets. A Leader in Certified Translations RapidTranslate.org delivers professional translations for immigration documentation, legal submissions, business contracts, and academic records. Every document is processed by experienced human translators to ensure linguistic and cultural accuracy. Services include: "By creating a centralized hub for both language resources and certified translation services, we're meeting the evolving needs of our increasingly connected world," says CEO and founder of RapidTranslate.org . "Our expansion into Europe represents our commitment to providing accessible, professional language services to a global audience." Supporting a Multilingual World RapidTranslate.org continues to advance its mission of fostering global communication through its combination of advanced technology and professional human expertise. With over 350,000 successfully translated documents and a growing repository of language learning resources, RapidTranslate.org remains dedicated to quality, security, and accessibility in language services. About RapidTranslate.org Founded in 2020, RapidTranslate.org has grown from a specialized translation service to a comprehensive language solutions provider. The company serves clients ranging from individual immigrants to Fortune 500 companies, maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and security in document translation while advancing language education and research. Connect with RapidTranslate.org : Website: www.rapidtranslate.org View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rapidtranslateorg-centralizes-language-resources-and-expands-certified-translation-services-globally-302314613.html SOURCE Rapid TranslateNo, the president cannot change Social Security

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Disability ministers will ‘champion’ inclusion and accessibility, says TimmsEvery Black Friday, there’s a number of viral products that everyone has on their Christmas wish list, and we don’t expect this year to be any different. However, not all of these popular items are going to stay in stock, and we have some insight on the ones that won’t. Black Friday is big business, and last year shoppers spent $222.1 billion during the entire holiday shopping season, according to Queue-it. Sales on Black Friday reached $16.4 billion (online and in stores), and this was a 9% increase from the year before. While it comes as no surprise that electronics are the most sought-after products of the holiday season, Queue-it said this accounts for the majority of holiday sales, jumping to $50.8 billion in 2023. Apparel, furniture, groceries and toys are the other hot sellers of Black Friday. Together, these five categories accounted for 65% of sales during the holidays last year and is only expected to grow in 2024. While many items that sell out over Black Friday are driven by a good deal, we also know that a hot product is just that — a gift that most people want to open on Christmas Day. So, here are our picks for the top 10 hot-ticket items that could sell out over Black Friday. The holidays are ripe for TV deals, and we expect shoppers to buy a ton of them in 2024, especially at Walmart. Consumers are trending toward bigger TVs and the super low-price deals over Black Friday force many models to sell out. This is especially true of popular models from Samsung, Hisense, LG and more favorites. Apple's smartwatches are a top pick among Apple fans. We’ve seen prices on the Apple Watch continue to trend downward, which was only spurred by the release of the new Apple Watch 10 in September. This pushed down prices on earlier models, with the best deals coming on the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch 9. For Black Friday, we think the prices will drop even lower and sell out due to high demand. Wireless headphones are one of the most popular products of 2024, and Beats are one of the top brands. We’re already seeing big markdowns on Beats Wireless Headphones, and we expect these price drops to continue into Black Friday. The Beats Solo3 is likely to be on sale for even cheaper than we’ve already seen, and we think they will sell out for Black Friday, with the possibility of other popular Beats headphones joining them. If you haven’t picked up a pair of Apple AirPods yet, this could be your year to do it. With Apple launching a fourth generation of AirPods earlier this year, the price on prevvious models are creeping lower. We think over Black Friday they’ll be at their cheapest price ever, with the AirPods (3rd Gen) likely to sell out. Bluetooth speakers are a must-have for many this year, and with the big sound that comes from JBL’s speakers, it’s easy to see why they might sell out for Black Friday. These popular speakers come in a variety of portable sizes and waterproof designs. We expect big deals on JBL’s top-rated Clip 5 and Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker models. One of Apple’s most sought-after products of the year was the iPad, and we saw the 9th Gen and 10th Gen models drop to their lowest prices ever. We think this year will bring some iPad bliss with even better discounts, but these deals will disappear just as fast as they arrive. We think that mega discounts on the iPad (9th Gen) and iPad (10th Gen) could cause sell outs, especially on Amazon. The Dyson Airwrap just might be the top product of Black Friday, as this is one of the rare times there’s a discount on the beloved hair styling tool. At $600, the Airwrap carries a hefty price tag, so any discount presented is a welcome surprise. But as we’ve seen in the past, any Black Friday deal on the Dyson Airwrap causes a crush of interest that’s followed by a sell out. If you’ve tried to scoop up the UGG Tasman Slippers in previous years, you already know they never stay in stock for long. As the “it” slipper of the holiday season, UGG’s Tasman sells out multiple times over the holidays, even without a discount offered. We think that this year will be similar, with popular sizes and colors of the Tasman Slipper snatched up fast over Black Friday. The Bissell Little Green carpet cleaner is a popular home product that just can’t seem to stay in stock. With prices falling under $90, this mighty machine can be a blessing for pet owners and parents, as its compact size makes it easy to store and use when needed. We’ve seen the Little Green Machine sell out before, and we’d be surprised if it didn’t do it again over Black Friday. We’d be remiss if we didn’t include a top toy that we think will be hard to find and gift this year. Our pick is the Furby Galaxy Edition. This glow-in-the-dark Furby is based on the original Furby from the late ’90s with even more features, interactive modes and more fun. Making a comeback in 2023, we saw the revival of this popular toy sell out last year, and we expect the new Furby Galaxy Edition to do the same. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!

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“So there is no room for complacency, right?” “Right, the Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless...” “The Third Wife’s entry into the politics of resistance has splintered the party...” “Wow, so different from what we hear on the airwaves, you reckon she is engaged not in politics but in the politics of resistance!” “Yes, leaders are forged in....in like a steel mill’s furnace – a furnace that epitomizes the degree of resistance – the hotter the furnace the more...” “Right, but you do know that our steel mills have been non-operational since 2015?” “Yes I do, but I am not sure, you know that all governments since 2015 have been releasing our tax rupees to pay salaries of the employees of the mills.” “And that has been the policy of the two bitter rivals – the PML-N and the PTI.” “And you know, the irony is that most of the employees of the non-functional steel mills are Pakistan Peoples’ Party loyalists and...” “Right on, there is a reason why they say Zardari sahib weighs more than all others.” “I assume that is figuratively speaking because I don’t know of a single member of the Nawaz Sharif clan who weighs less than Zardari sahib.” “Notification Maryam Nawaz (NMN)...” “Is more of an eye candy than Zardari sahib, but the buck stops there.” “The buck being the needle on the weighing scale?” “Speaking of a weighing scale, I know for a fact that NMN has disbursed 50 billion rupees to artificial intelligence researchers to produce a weighing scale that would show the weight that is in synch with the desire of the one who gets on...” “You being facetious?” “No, I wish NMN success – I have around three weighing scales in my house and not a single one gives me the weight that I know in my heart of hearts...” “Gotcha, but NMN gave this money that was collected from the Punjab taxpayers?” “Nope.” “She paid for it from her...her accounts or the salary she receives as the chief minister or...” “Well one thing is for sure: she didn’t receive funds from the retired Captain Safdar, anyway the money was not from her personal account but from the province’s share of the indivisible pool...” “It’s divisible pool, not indivisible pool.” “Not once it is credited to the Punjab treasury.” “You are bad!” Copyright Business Recorder, 2024Pete Hegseth ’s quest to take over the Pentagon has been fraught — to say the least. The former Fox News host has been struggling to weather a firestorm of scrutiny stemming from a series of damning revelations about his past since Donald Trump tapped him as his Secretary of Defense nominee last month. Many of these revelations revolve around Hegseth’s drinking. There’s the disturbing 2017 sexual assault allegation, the police report for which included a hotel worker at the scene of the alleged incident saying Hegseth seemed very drunk . Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing, and told police at the time that he was only “buzzed.” There’s also The New Yorker ’s recent report about Hegseth’s time leading two veterans groups , during which he allegedly drank to the point that staffers at one of the groups found it embarrassing. He even once chanted “Kill All Muslims!” in a bar in a “drunk and violent manner,” according to an internal complaint. A few days after that bombshell dropped, NBC News reported that Hegseth’s colleagues at Fox News, where he worked for over 10 years, harbored concerns about his drinking. On Wednesday, NPR reported that one of Hegseth’s former Fox colleagues said he was repeatedly “handsy” when intoxicated, and she alleged he groped her at a bar. Hegseth has been on Capitol Hill this week trying to convince Republican senators that he’s still fit to lead the nation’s largest bureaucracy. It hasn’t been going great, with several senators expressing concern to reporters. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), who on Monday defended Hegseth as a victim of the media throwing “disparaging remarks at someone who has earned a great deal of credibility,” changed her tune about the allegations a day later, saying they are something Hegseth “needs to address.” He’s apparently been addressing them by promising senators he’ll stop drinking if they confirm him. He reportedly made the vow to Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). “I think that’s probably a good idea,” Wicker told reporters, per The Hill . Editor’s picks The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time It’s unclear if promising to go cold turkey while taking on one of the most pressure-packed jobs in the nation will convince Republicans to confirm him, but it does seem to be something they want from him. “I would love that. That would help. It would help me a lot,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told reporters on Wednesday. Hegseth acknowledged his drinking earlier in the day in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal . “Like veterans returning from any war, we drank beers to manage the reality of what we had faced. But we never did anything improper, and we treated everyone with respect,” he wrote of his time leading the group Vets for Freedom. In an interview with Megyn Kelly later in the day, he claimed: “I never had a drinking problem.” Hegseth has maintained that he has the full support of Trump and his team — despite the transition team being furious with him for not telling them about the 2017 sexual assault allegation, as Rolling Stone reported last month. He told reporters on Wednesday that he spoke in the morning with the president-elect, who told him to “keep fighting.” Hegseth was scheduled to continue meeting with senators on Thursday, but reports emerged that he would instead be flying to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump, who is said to be considering withdrawing the nomination. When Hegseth was asked Wednesday afternoon whether he’d be flying to south Florida the next day, however, he replied, simply, “No.” If it sounds like Hegseth’s nomination is in trouble, he reportedly told Republican lawmakers that his mother has been calling senators on his behalf — which will surely fix matters.Marshall's 17 lead Albany over Puerto Rico-Mayaguez 93-50McConnell to head subcommittee overseeing defense spending as he prepares to step down as GOP leader

NEW YORK — If you're planning on ringing in the new year quietly at home, you're not alone. A majority of U.S adults intend to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research . “As I’ve gotten older over the last few years, it’s like if I don’t make it to midnight, it’s not a big deal, you know?” says Carla Woods, 70, from Vinton, Iowa. Nearly 2 in 10 will be celebrating at a friend or family member’s home, and just 5% plan to go out to celebrate at a bar, restaurant or organized event, the poll found. But many U.S. adults will celebrate the new year in a different way — by making a resolution. More than half say they'll make at least one resolution for 2025. There's some optimism about the year ahead, although more than half aren't expecting a positive change. About 4 in 10 say 2025 will be a better year for them personally. About one-third don’t expect much of a difference between 2024 and 2025, and about one-quarter think 2025 will be a worse year than 2024. Kourtney Kershaw, a 32-year-old bartender in Chicago, often fields questions from customers and friends about upcoming events for New Year's Eve. She said this year is trending toward low-key. “A majority of who I’ve spoken to in my age range, they want to go out, but they don’t know what they’re going to do because they haven’t found anything or things are just really expensive,” she said. “Party packages or an entry fee are like a turnoff, especially with the climate of the world and how much things cost.” As expected, younger people are more interested in ringing in the new year at a bar or organized event — about 1 in 10 U.S. adults under 30 say they plan to do that. But about 3 in 10 older adults — 60 and above — say they won’t celebrate the beginning of 2025 at all. Anthony Tremblay, 35, from Pittsburgh, doesn't usually go out to toast the arrival of the new year, but this year he's got something special cooked up: He and his wife will be traveling through Ireland. “I don’t do anything too crazy for New Year’s, usually. So this is definitely a change,” he said. “I wanted to do something unique this year, so I did.” Woods will be working New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. She answers calls on The Iowa Warmline, a confidential, noncrisis listening line for people struggling with mental health or substance use issues. “Holidays are really hard for people, so I don’t mind working,” she said. “I’m passionate about it because I have mental health issues in the family and so being able to help people is rewarding to me.” Every New Year's also triggers the eternal debate about resolutions. A majority of U.S. adults say they intend to make a New Year’s resolution of some type, but millennials and Gen Z are especially likely to be on board — about two-thirds expect to do so, compared to about half of older adults. Women are also more likely than men to say they will set a goal for 2025. Tremblay hopes to lose some weight and focus more on self-care — more sleep, meditation and breathing exercises. “It’s probably a good year to focus on mental health,” he said. Many others agree. About 3 in 10 adults choose resolutions involving exercise or eating healthier. About one-quarter said they'll make a resolution involving losing weight and a similar number said they'll resolve to make changes about priorities of money or mental health. Woods' resolutions are to stay social and active. As a mental health counselor, she knows those are key to a happy 2025 and beyond: “Probably one of my biggest resolutions is trying to make sure I stay social, try to get out at least once a week — get out and either have coffee or do something with a friend. That’s not only for the physical but also for the mental health part.” Kershaw, the bartender, says weight loss and better health are the top resolutions she hears people make. “Mental health is the new one, but I think it’s high up there as well as with regular health,” she said. She prefers more goal-oriented resolutions and, this time, it's to do more traveling and see more of the world: “I don’t know if that’s really a resolution, but that’s a goal that I’m setting.” And how will she welcome the arrival of 2025? Usually, she takes the night off and stays home watching movies with plenty of snacks, but this year Kershaw has a different plan, maybe one of the most Chicago things you can do. This die-hard sports fan will be at Wrigley Field on Tuesday watching the Chicago Blackhawks take on the St. Louis Blues. “Hockey’s my favorite sport. So I will be watching hockey and bringing in the new year,” she said. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,251 adults was conducted Dec. 5-9, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. ___ Sanders reported from Washington.online casino free sign up bonus 。

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Monrovia – The Speaker of the House of Representatives, J. Fonati Koffa, has disclosed that the Executive Branch has informed him of plans to strip him of his immunity and state security, just days after he reported threats against his life and rejected calls to resign. Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected] In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, Speaker Koffa described the withdrawal of his security detail as an intimidation tactic. “I have officially been informed that all state security will be withdrawn tomorrow,” Speaker Koffa said in a Facebook post. “These actions from the Executive do NOT change the fact that I remain the Speaker of the House of Representatives. This only further strengthens my resolve to fight for upholding the Rule of Law and the Liberian Constitution.” Intensifying Power Struggle The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Speaker Koffa and the so-called Majority Bloc in the Legislature, which recently declared his removal as Speaker. Backed by the Executive, the bloc has accused Koffa of corruption and conflict of interest—allegations he has vehemently denied. Despite the controversial move, Koffa has maintained that his removal was unconstitutional and insists he remains the legitimate Speaker. Threats Against His Life The power struggle has taken a dangerous turn, with Speaker Koffa reporting threats against his life just days before the Executive’s plan to withdraw his state security. Analysts and civil society organizations have raised concerns about the potential for political violence amid the impasse. The Speaker’s refusal to resign has reportedly frustrated the Executive. During a meeting on Monday, President Joseph Boakai urged Koffa to step down, but he declined, citing the Supreme Court ruling he claims validated his position. In response, the Director of the Executive Protection Service (EPS), Sam Gaye, allegedly threatened to recall EPS officers assigned to Koffa. The Speaker reportedly responded defiantly, stating, “The Executive can go ahead.” Hours later, Justice Minister Cllr. Oswald Tweh issued a legal opinion siding with the Majority Bloc, asserting that the Supreme Court’s ruling favored their position. The opinion was endorsed by the Senate, which voted to recognize Representative Richard Koon of the Unity Party as the legitimate Speaker. Call for Respect for Rule of Law The unfolding crisis has drawn the attention of the international community, with diplomatic missions in Monrovia closely monitoring developments. In response to an inquiry from FrontPage Africa, the United States Embassy emphasized the importance of peaceful and lawful political processes in Liberia. “The United States wants to see Liberia’s political processes play out peacefully and with respect to the rule of law,” the Embassy stated. “Liberians expect their leaders to uphold democracy and its practices, including open and transparent political processes and peaceful debate.” The Embassy further urged all parties involved in the crisis to prioritize peace and unity. “It is important that leaders demonstrate unity,” the Embassy added. As the tensions linger on, the call for adherence to democratic principles and the rule of law underscores the international community’s expectations for stability and good governance in Liberia. Support for Koffa swells On social media, Koffa’s resilience has garnered widespread praise. “We’re with you to the end, Hon. Speaker. One thing I know, they can withdraw everything, but not the speakership. Until they can remove you in keeping with the Constitution, you remain the legitimate speaker of our country,” commented Chris Z. Harris. Another supporter, Frederick Tinisi Nimene, added: “Speaker, don’t resign. By resigning, you will frustrate millions of Liberians who are with you. All power is inherited by the people.” Legal Battles Loom In an another move, Speaker Koffa has filed a bill of information before the Supreme Court, calling for the actions of the Majority Bloc, including their decision to recognize “purported Speaker Koon,” to be declared null and void. He argued that their actions violate the Supreme Court’s ruling and are unconstitutional. Koffa also petitioned the High Court to compel Justice Minister Tweh to retract his legal opinion, which he claims misinterprets the Court’s judgment. What Lies Ahead? As the leadership crisis in the House deepens, questions remain over how the withdrawal of state security will impact Speaker Koffa’s day-to-day operations. The coming days are likely to see heightened political and legal drama, with the Supreme Court’s intervention potentially being a deciding factor in the ongoing impasse. Liberians are watching closely, as the struggle for control of the House has far-reaching implications for the country’s governance and the balance of power between the Executive and Legislative branches.Floyd Mayweather's teenage protege breaks silence after missing weight by 15lbs

777 bar online casino Meralco awaits approval for 2 coal plantsCoote was sacked earlier this month after the emergence of a video in which he made derogatory remarks about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp. Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said that a thorough investigation had concluded he was “in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable”. “Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare,” PGMOL’s statement on December 9 added. Coote had the right to appeal against the decision but PA understands the Nottinghamshire referee has decided not to. The video which triggered PGMOL’s investigation into Coote’s conduct first came to public attention on November 11. In it, Coote is asked for his views on a Liverpool match where he has just been fourth official, and describes them as “s***”. He then describes Klopp as a “c***”, and, asked why he felt that way, Coote says the German had “a right pop at me when I reffed them against Burnley in lockdown” and had accused him of lying. “I have got no interest in speaking to someone who’s f****** arrogant, so I do my best not to speak to him,” Coote said. Later in the video, Coote again refers to Klopp, this time as a “German c***”. The Football Association opened its own investigation into that video, understood to be centred on that last comment and whether Coote’s reference to Klopp’s nationality constituted an aggravated breach of its misconduct rules. The investigation by PGMOL which led to Coote’s contract being terminated is also understood to have looked at another video which appeared to show Coote snorting a white powder, purportedly during Euro 2024 where he was one of the assistant VARs for the tournament. European football’s governing body UEFA also appointed an ethics investigator to look into the matter.

Sam Darnold sensed the backside pressure as soon as he dropped back with Minnesota trailing by four points late in the fourth quarter in Seattle, so he moved into a safe space in the pocket and did precisely what the Vikings would prefer him to do with the game on the line. He threw the ball down the field to Justin Jefferson. The perfectly placed throw near the sideline beat double coverage for a 39-yard touchdown that put the Vikings back in front with 3:51 remaining in a 27-24 victory over the Seahawks on Sunday. “It was a great call,” said Jefferson, who had 10 receptions for 144 yards and two scores, all season highs. “I’m not going to say too much about that play, but something went on where me and Sam were on the same page, and he found me and we went up.” The Vikings were understandably coy about the context around the go-ahead touchdown , when Darnold made a difficult on-the-run pass just over cornerback Tariq Woolen that Jefferson deftly twisted to catch next to his backside hip so he could shield the ball from late-breaking safety Julian Love. Darnold saw Love’s shoulders initially shaded inside just enough to believe he couldn’t retreat fast enough to prevent Jefferson from getting the ball. Jefferson also applied some improvisation to his route that Darnold clearly and properly read during the play. RELATED COVERAGE Patriots coach Jerod Mayo believes narrow loss to Bills shows potential of his young team Garrett’s comments about his future add wrinkle to Browns’ worst season since 0-16 in 2017 Giants’ 10th straight loss showed once again that they need a young QB “I want those guys to have some freedom in those moments,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We do a lot of things with Justin and Sam, seeing the coverage and then with some route opportunities to get to at the line of scrimmage, and I think those guys have just gotten so comfortable with that stuff.” Darnold’s long-delayed breakout performance under O’Connell has been one of the stories of the NFL this season, one that wouldn’t have unfolded as neatly for the third overall pick in the 2018 draft without such synergy between him and his superstar wide receiver. If the Vikings (13-2) win their last two games, they will not only be NFC North champions for the second time in three years but also get the No. 1 seed and the lone first-round bye in the NFC for the playoffs. “Every single game we’re finding different ways to overcome adversity, overcome the different stuff defenses have thrown towards us,” Jefferson said. “Sam has done a great job being a leader.” What’s working The pass rush was strong, with Andrew Van Ginkel recording two sacks and pressure leading to both interceptions of Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. The Vikings were credited with eight hits on Smith. What needs help The Vikings converted only three of 12 third downs, their second-worst rate of the season. Stock up Theo Jackson, who saw significant playing time at safety with Harrison Smith out, had the game-sealing interception with 49 seconds left. Stock down Tight end Josh Oliver has played 47% of the snaps the last two games, his two lowest usage rates of the season. He dropped the only pass he was thrown on Sunday. Injury report The defense ought to get a big boost this week with the expected return of the 13-year veteran Smith from his first absence in two years when he was sidelined at Seattle with a foot injury. Linebacker Ivan Pace, who has missed four games on injured reserve with a hamstring strain, is also on track to be back with his return to practice. Backup defensive lineman Jalen Redmond, who didn’t play against the Seahawks because of a concussion, has made progress through the protocol, O’Connell said. Backup cornerback Fabian Moreau, who was inactive at Seattle with a hip injury, will continue to be evaluated throughout the week. Key number 13.6% — That’s the third-down conversion allowance rate for the Vikings over the last two games, with Chicago and Seattle combining to go just 3 for 22. The Vikings rank second in the NFL in third-down defense at 33.7% for the season and also rank second on fourth down at 36.7%. Up next The Vikings host Green Bay on Sunday, with the kickoff moved to the late afternoon showcase spot on Fox. If Minnesota loses to the Packers, the Lions will clinch the NFC North and the Vikings would open the playoffs on the road as the No. 5 seed at best. Even if the Lions were to lose at San Francisco on Monday night, the Vikings would need to win at Detroit on Jan. 5 to take the division title. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

A delegation of BJD MPs approached the Election Commission of India ( ECI ) citing some "unusual variances" between votes polled and votes counted in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls held simultaneously in Odisha. ET Year-end Special Reads Gold outshines D-St with 20% returns, but 2025 may be different The year of the pause: How RBI maneuvered its policy in 2024 2024, the year India defeated China's salami-slicing strategy After several Opposition parties, now BJD, which usually maintains equal distance from both ruling NDA and the INDIA bloc, approached the poll panel regarding "variances" in votes polled and counted but unlike others, the Odisha-based party didn't directly blame the EVMs. The BJD leaders also asserted that they are not casting any aspersions on the ECI, but that the poll panel needs to give more assurance to the people of the country regarding the electoral process. The party leaders also made it clear that the BJD still maintains "equal distance" from both ruling and opposing sides. All seven MPs of the BJD, including its floor leader Sasmit Patra and senior party leader Amar Patnaik, met top officials of the poll panel and submitted a memorandum regarding their complaint related to the polling data. 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Secondly, there is a wide difference in the polling percentage reported at 11:45pm and the final reported two days later and the third point was the difference in number of votes polled in Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the same polling booth...," Patnaik told reporters in a press conference addressed after meeting the poll panel officials. "So, either there is a problem with the machines or there is a manual problem or the process itself. We requested the poll panel to investigate these cases and give us a clarification," Patnaik said. He also highlighted that in Odisha, the difference between the voting percentage reported on polling day and final one varies from 15% to 30%, the first time in the history of the state. 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Welp. This season is officially off the rails. Ohio State thoroughly handled Indiana. Oklahoma trounced Alabama. Florida dashed Mississippi's playoff hopes. Auburn upset Texas A&M. Arizona State and Kansas sent the Big 12 into chaos with their wins over BYU and Colorado. Notre Dame resoundingly ended Army's magical run. And that was all in one week! There are more than 60 voters on the AP Top 25 panel. There’s at least one voter from each state that has an FBS team and a handful of national folks. For the state of Nebraska, there’s one voter. Each week I will break down my ballot compared with the actual Top 25 and write on some pressing topics. Without further ado, here is my ballot ahead of Week 14: And here is the actual AP Top 25 for Week 14: Nothing makes sense. I think Ohio State is the best team in the nation right now. However, the Buckeyes remain No. 2 behind undefeated Oregon. Penn State, even at 10-1, doesn't feel inspiring. Barely beating Minnesota? Not cause to be optimistic. I think Indiana still deserves more credit than it gets. The whole "who have they played" narrative is tired. Of their 10 wins, three teams are bowl-eligible in Nebraska, Washington and Michigan. And Michigan State is at five wins ahead of a Week 14 game against Rutgers. I don't know what to make of the SEC or the Big 12. The SEC might be lucky to get three teams into the College Football Playoff. Two feels reasonable, but three feels like a stretch — especially depending on the final week of the regular season. Every game is winnable for the ranked SEC teams. But every game is losable, too. Auburn could beat Alabama. Texas A&M could beat Texas. Vanderbilt could beat Tennessee. And, man, how about Florida? The Gators, after everything, could finish the season 7-5. Heck, even winless Mississippi State could pull off an Egg Bowl miracle over Mississippi. But regardless of what happens, thanks to tiebreakers, Georgia has clinched the SEC championship game. There's a possibility that the Big 12 gets left out of the CFP. If Boise State runs the table in the Mountain West and Tulane runs the table in the American, there's a possibility that both of them, in two weeks, are ranked ahead of whichever Big 12 team decides it wants to win the conference. Kansas, after being left for dead at 2-6, has rattled off three straight wins over ranked teams and could be bowl-eligible with a win over Baylor. Who's going to even make the Big 12 title game? Four teams are tied at 6-2 heading into the final week of the regular season, and there's plenty of potential chaos on the horizon. And Army... congrats on a great start to the season. Apologies that it had to end the way it did against Notre Dame. Now, was Army's schedule — in retrospect — pretty cupcakey? You betcha. Florida Atlantic, Rice, Temple, Tulsa and East Carolina have all already fired their coaches. And UAB probably should, too. Did I still have them ranked this week? I did. Mostly out of the notion that winning games, above all else, is the most important piece of the puzzle here. And because, honestly, the bottom of the poll is an absolute dumpster fire that's impossible to ascertain. Also, with one week left in the regular season, 77 teams have clinched bowl eligibility out of the possible 82 spots. Two more teams are guaranteed to reach their sixth win this week as there are two games both featuring 5-win teams. There are also 12 other teams that could win and reach a sixth win. It's been a while since there were too many bowl-eligible teams — another sign of the chaos that's unfolded this year. Three teams rose five or more spots this week and one team made a return to the Top 25. Arizona State: The biggest riser of the week? The Sun Devils. They jumped up seven spots to No. 14 after their chaotic victory over BYU. That's three straight wins for Arizona State, two of which came over teams that were ranked at the time. Clemson : The Tigers jumped five spots this week to No. 12 after their convincing victory over The Citadel paired with other teams dropping spots with losses. Iowa State : The Cyclones also rose five spots after narrowly beating an injury-riddled Utah squad. That's two straight wins for the Cyclones, putting them at 9-2 and in a must-win spot this week in Farmaggedon. Missouri: Tigers fans must have whiplash. Missouri is back in the Top 25 this week after a brief stint on the outside looking in. The Tigers vaulted back in at No. 24 after beating Mississippi State, 39-20, to move to 8-3 on the season. Seven teams dropped five or more spots this week, and one team dropped out. Army: Losing like that to Notre Dame? That'll send you tumbling. Army fell seven spots this week, narrowly holding onto the No. 25 spot. Colorado: Colorado also dropped seven spots after losing to Kansas, 37-21, falling to No. 23. The Buffaloes are still in the hunt, but they're in a must-win situation against Oklahoma State this week. Alabama : The Crimson Tide is on red alert this week after they not only lost to Oklahoma, which is bad enough, but only scored three points in the game. For that, Alabama fell six spots to No. 13. Indiana : Well, the fun story of an undefeated Indiana is over. The Hoosiers lost to Ohio State and dropped five spots to No. 10. The Hoosiers could still eclipse their 11th win of the season this week when they host the struggling Purdue Boilermakers to close out the regular season. Mississippi: Mississippi said goodbye to its playoff hopes with a loss to Florida, tumbling six spots down the rankings to No. 15. BYU : The Cougars have now lost two in a row — one to Kansas and now to Arizona State. The Cougars, once the Big 12's best story of the season, fell five spots this week to No. 19. Texas A&M: Texas A&M, after losing a close game to Auburn, 43-41, dropped five spots to No. 20. Oddly enough, though, Texas A&M is still in position to make the SEC title game. Just have to get through ~checks notes~ Texas this week to get there. Washington State: The Cougars lost the de facto Pac-2 Championship Game, so they fell out this week. I didn't want any three-loss teams on my ballot at all last week, but after the chaos of this week, it was impossible to do that again. So, I kept all the three-loss teams below No. 15. And that makes my ballot a little funky compared to the consensus poll. The biggest "miss" I had was Tennessee. I had the Volunteers at No. 11, while they came in at No. 7. Their most recent win came over a struggling UTEP that's 2-9 on the season. Before that, they lost to Georgia. Before that, they beat the only winless team in SEC play in Mississippi State. Now, I'm of the mindset that you have to win the games on your schedule, but they're pretty tough to figure out. Also, I had Memphis ranked instead of Missouri. Here are the games I have circled for this week: No. 16 South Carolina (8-3, 5-3) at No. 12 Clemson (9-2, 7-1) : It's been a long time since the Palmetto Bowl featured two ranked teams — 11 years, in fact. Going to be a fun one in Clemson. 11 a.m. kick Saturday on ESPN. No. 3 Texas (10-1, 6-1) at No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2): The Lone Star Showdown is back after a 12-year hiatus, and the stakes are incredibly high as the winner will advance to the SEC title game to face Georgia. 6:30 p.m. kick on Saturday on ABC. Kansas State (8-3, 5-3) at No. 17 Iowa State (9-2, 6-2) : The Big 12 is a mess, and this game will directly influence who makes the Big 12 title game. 6:30 p.m. kick on FOX. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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