The Mayor of the West of England has defended his record after criticism of his leadership this week. Several sources have told the BBC there is a "toxic culture of fear" at the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) after an exodus of senior staff from the organisation, which is led by Labour Regional Mayor Dan Norris. “I came into a dysfunctional organisation, it was happening before I arrived,” Mr Norris told BBC Politics West. It comes after the leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) said WECA’s leadership is The West of England Combined Authority membership is made up of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and BANES Councils and is led by Mr Norris, who is also the . WECA deals with regional transport, housing and adult skills. “I think I am clear and strong and assertive where it needs to be,” said Mr Norris, who was elected as Mayor in 2021. “I don’t come into politics to get on with people in the sense of be friends with them, but I am a politician and I am expected to show leadership.” Talking to the BBC, former Bristol City Councillor Geoff Gollop questioned whether the West of England has lost out on central government money as a result of "dysfunction" at WECA. "I can only fear that central government looking at that, and seeing that we were being incredibly dysfunctional, is bound to have played a part in considering whether money might come here for projects or go to other parts of the country," he said. But Mr Norris argued: "Two thirds of a billion pounds has come to our region under me. "We’re trying to spend that, and I appreciate the support of local politicians to help us do that more quickly."

Haryana governor reviews Int’l Gita Mahotsav preparationsThe Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were quick to blame it on the minority extremist forces for the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s sterling victory in the Palakkad Assembly byelection. BJP president K. Surendran accused the UDF of aligning with the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political wing Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). He said it was an unholy deal among the UDF, the SDPI and the Jamat-e-Islami that helped Rahul Mamkootathil win in Palakkad. Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretary M.V. Govindan and district secretary E.N. Suresh Babu too alleged that it was the SDPI and the Jamat-e-Islami that helped the UDF triumph in Palakkad. ‘Rainbow front’ “It was the rainbow front that helped the UDF. It was the SDPI which started celebrating the UDF victory even before the results were out,” they said separately. Describing LDF Independent P. Sarin as a good candidate who gave a neck-and-neck fight to the UDF and BJP, Mr. Govindan said that it was because of Dr. Sarin that the CPI(M) could close its vote gap with the BJP. Dr. Sarin too claimed that he could increase the LDF vote share by nearly 1,000. The UDF could now make the SDPI a member of the front, he said. BJP candidate C. Krishnakumar claimed that his party had retained its vote base in the Palakkad municipality. “However, we will examine the defeat,” he said. The BJP candidate said the former BJP spokesperson Sandeep Varier had made no impact in the election results. “No Varier or Nair could do anything to us,” said Mr. Krishnakumar. ‘Poor candidate selection’ Mr. Varier blamed Mr. Krishnakumar’s defeat on the BJP’s poor candidate selection and held the party State president responsible for it. He said the BJP had no candidate other than Mr. Krishnakumar for all posts, from milk society to Parliament. “The people of Palakkad have destroyed the BJP-CPI(M) deal of communal politics,” he said. Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State president Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal said Mr. Mamkootathil overcame all smear campaigns against him. “His majority shows that the people endorsed the UDF policies,” he said. ‘An affront to voters’ IUML national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty described the CPI(M) comment about ‘rainbow alliance’ as insulting the voters. “People will laugh at the CPI(M) secretary’s comments. Look at that toxic advertisement that the LDF placed on the Sunni papers on the election eve. It proved futile. The CPI(M) must be regretting now,” he said. Published - November 23, 2024 08:41 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit

By Mitch Stacy The Associated Press COLUMBUS — Will Howard passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another, TreVeyon Henderson ran for a score and No. 2 Ohio State beat previously undefeated No. 5 Indiana, 38-15, on Saturday. All Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, CFP No. 2) has to do now is beat Michigan at home next Saturday and it will earn a return to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since 2020 and get a rematch with No. 1 Oregon. The Ducks beat Ohio State 32-31 in a wild one back on Oct. 12. The Hoosiers (10-1, 7-1, No. 5 CFP) had their best chance to beat the Buckeyes for the first time since 1988 but were hurt by special teams mistakes and disrupted by an Ohio State defense that sacked quarterback Kurtis Rourke five times. “In life, all good things come to an end,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. Late in the first half, Indiana punter James Evans fumbled a snap and was buried at his own 7-yardline with the Buckeyes taking over. That turned quickly into a 4-yard TD run by Henderson that gave the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead. Early in the second half, Caleb Downs fielded an Evans punt at the Ohio State 21, raced down the right sideline, cut to the middle and outran the coverage for a TD that put the Buckeyes up 21-7. It was the first time a Buckeye returned a punt for a touchdown since 2014. Howard finished 22 for 26 for 201 yards. Emeka Egbuka had seven catches for 80 yards and a TD. “Our guys just played with a chip today, and that’s the way you got to play the game of football,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. Indiana scored on its first possession of the game and its last, both short runs by Ty Son Lawson, who paced the Hoosiers with 79 rushing yards. Rourke was 8 for 18 for 68 yards. “We had communication errors, pass (protection), every time we dropped back to pass, something bad happened,” Cignetti said. Indiana’s 151 total yards was its lowest of the season. And it was the most points surrendered by the Hoosier’s defense. Indiana: Its special season was blemished by the Buckeyes, who beat the Hoosiers for the 30th straight time. Indiana was eyeing its first conference crown since sharing one with two other teams in 1967. That won’t happen now. “Ohio State deserved to win,” Cignetti said. “They had those (third quarter scores), and we just couldn’t respond.” Ohio State: Didn’t waste the opportunities presented by the Hoosiers when they got sloppy. The Buckeyes led 14-7 at the break and took control in the second half. An offensive line patched together because of multiple injuries performed surprisingly well. “We know what was at stake,” Day said. “We don’t win this game, and we have no chance to go to Indianapolis and play in the Big Ten championship. And that’s real. We’ve had that approach for the last few weeks now, more than that.” Some voters were obviously unsure of Indiana because it hadn’t played a nationally ranked team before Ohio State. After this one, the Hoosiers will drop. Howard made history by completing 80% of his passes for the sixth time this season. No other Ohio State quarterback has done that. He completed his first 14 passes in a row and finished with a 85% completion rate. “I think Buckeye nation is now seeing, after 11 games, that this guy is a winner, he’s tough, he cares about his teammates, he’s a leader,” Day said. Indiana hosts Purdue in the regular-season finale next Saturday. Ohio State hosts rival Michigan on Saturday. Ohio State 38, Indiana 15On the afternoon of Oct. 12, 2017, a nurse at Kaiser Permanente called the Monterey Police Department to report that a patient had come in for a sexual assault exam. The woman, the nurse told police, said she had been sexually assaulted four days earlier while at a Republican women’s conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Spa in the coastal California resort town. The alleged assailant — though his name wouldn’t be revealed immediately — was a popular Fox News Channel host and the keynote speaker at the conference. The woman, identified only as Jane Doe in police reports, told the nurse she wasn’t sure she wanted to involve authorities and didn’t want to disclose the person’s name at that point. She had been suffering from nightmares and bouts of sobbing after returning home from the conference, but had little memory of the sexual encounter. She feared she had been drugged. The woman, who has not been identified publicly, could not be reached for comment by The Times. The nurse referred the woman to an emergency room for a sexual assault forensic exam. But the nurse’s call — made as a mandated reporter — triggered a law enforcement probe that included interviews with hotel staff, a review of surveillance video, discussions with several of the woman’s associates and a conversation with the alleged perpetrator, Pete Hegseth, who assured police the encounter had been consensual. No charges were ever filed. Monterey County Dist. Atty. Jeannine M. Pacioni said no charges were supported by proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The two parties eventually reached a private settlement, after which Doe signed a nondisclosure agreement. The story seemed to end there — until Donald Trump nominated Hegseth to be Defense secretary. Now that night in Monterey has become the centerpiece in what could be one of the most contentious confirmation fights in years. In recent days, a police report on the incident and other details have offered a clearer picture about the allegations. But much remains unknown, including why local prosecutors decided not to file charges against Hegseth. Shortly after the president-elect’s announcement of Hegseth’s nomination, a friend of the woman wrote a memo to Trump’s transition team saying that Hegseth had raped the then-30-year-old conservative group staffer in his hotel room in the early morning hours following a banquet dinner at the California Federation of Republican Women conference. In response, Hegseth confirmed the financial settlement, saying through his lawyer that he had agreed to pay the woman to protect his job at Fox. But he vehemently denied committing assault. The woman, Hegseth’s lawyer said in a statement, “was the aggressor in initiating sexual activity.” Hegseth had been “visibly intoxicated” at the after-party in the hotel bar, the lawyer said, and the woman had “led him by the arm to his hotel room.” “The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared, and that’s where I’m gonna leave it,” Hegseth told reporters at the Capitol on Thursday. Revelations of the incident have set off a firestorm, both in Washington and among the members of the California Federation of Republican Women. The federation, which is a nonprofit advocacy group, is an organization comprised mostly of retirees. Its members gather for luncheons, conferences and fundraisers to hear Republican politicians speak about conservative issues. Many in the group were horrified that a beloved conservative Republican Cabinet pick could be hurt by allegations. “This thing is so f— bogus,” one of the organization’s officers yelled before hanging up on a Times reporter who called for comment. This week, the Monterey Police Department released a redacted 22-page report detailing its investigation, including accounts of the recollections of Doe and Hegseth, along with several other attendees. Though police reports are typically not public in California, the document had been released because Hegseth had previously asked for a copy. The police report offers the most complete picture yet of what occurred at the Monterey hotel on Oct. 7 and 8. On the second day of the three-day gathering, Doe took a break in her hotel room where she was staying with her husband and at least one of her small children before the banquet dinner and keynote speech — the last major scheduled event of the conference — began at 6 p.m., according to text messages and sources with knowledge of the event. Forty-five minutes later she texted with her husband from the banquet. The conversation turned to Hegseth. “Our ladies are freaking drooling over him,” she wrote. She sent a photo of Hegseth standing at a podium holding a microphone and gesturing with his hand as he spoke. “He doesn’t look even remotely familiar,” she said. “But apparently all the women know who he is.” She continued: “He wears a ring on his pointer finger. It creeps me out.” She lamented that the event was taking so long. After the banquet, the woman went to an after-party in another federation member’s hotel suite, where she had a glass of champagne. Hegseth was there too. A federation member who was there told police later that the woman “did not seem intoxicated, but had a buzz” at the event. Around midnight, Doe, Hegseth and a second woman walked toward Knuckles, the sports bar in the hotel. Inside the bar, which has since closed, televisions and football helmets lined the walls. She texted her husband an update, saying that she was headed to the bar with a group of ladies. “Omg I have so much to tell you. This Pete dude is a ... toooool,” she wrote. While they were drinking at the bar, Hegseth allegedly put his hand on another woman’s knee. She told police that she made it clear it was “not acceptable,” but he still invited her to his room. She declined, according to the report. The same woman tried to get Doe’s attention so she could act as a “crotch blocker” to deter Hegseth’s sexual advances, according to the report. Doe told police that her memory started to get “fuzzy” while she was at the bar. Around 1:30 a.m., Doe argued with Hegseth near the hotel pool about his behavior with women at the conference. He responded that he was a “nice guy,” according to the report. She later told investigators that Hegseth would rub women on their legs and she thought his actions were inappropriate. A hotel employee who had been working that night told an investigator that guests had called the front desk to complain about two people causing a disturbance by the swimming pool about 1:30 a.m. The employee said that when he approached Hegseth and Doe, Hegseth cursed at him and said that he “had freedom of speech.” The woman intervened and said that “they were Republicans and apologized for Hegseth’s actions,” the report states. The staffer said the woman was “standing on her own and very coherent,” while Hegseth was “very intoxicated,” according to the report. Doe placed her hand and arm on Hegseth’s back and escorted him toward the building where his room was, the employee told police. Hegseth later told an investigator he didn’t remember being chastised by the pool. In the early morning hours, Doe’s husband sent her a text message: “Holy smokes lady...I don’t remember the last time you were socializing at nearly 2:00 a.m.” She responded, “Hahaha I know. I gotta make sure that to” — ending midsentence — and then stopped texting. Her husband wrote back: “Doing ok? My love? Worried about you.” Around 2 a.m. her husband went looking for Doe at Knuckles but no one was there, he told investigators. Doe next recalled being in a hotel room alone with Hegseth. She had her phone in her hand and Hegseth asked her who she was texting before taking her phone, she told police. She tried to leave the room, according to the report, but Hegseth blocked the door. She remembered saying “no” a lot, she told police. Her next memory, she told police, was lying on a bed or couch with Hegseth’s dog tags hovering over her face. She said he ejaculated on her stomach, threw a towel at her and said to “clean it up” before asking her whether she was OK, according to the report. Hegseth recalled the situation differently in an interview with authorities. He told police that Doe led him to his hotel room, where things progressed between the two of them, according to the report. There was “always” conversation and “always” consensual contact between himself and Doe, he told police. Hegseth recalled Doe displaying “early signs of regret” after the incident and said she would tell her husband she fell asleep on a couch in someone else’s room, according to the report. Around 4 a.m., Doe returned to her hotel room and explained to her husband that she “must have fallen asleep.” She told police she didn’t start remembering what happened between her and Hegseth until she returned home the next day.

The Pittsburgh Steelers look to get back on the winning track Sunday in Cincinnati with a Week 13 matchup against Joe Burrow and the rival Bengals . The teams are scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium with tickets still available to watch the game live . How to get Steelers vs. Bengals tickets: Seats are still available for the Steelers-Bengals game on secondary sites Vivid Seats , StubHub , SeatGeek and Viagogo . As of Nov. 26, starting prices for seats were as follows: Vivid Seats starting at $106 StubHub starting at $101 SeatGeek starting at $107 Viagogo starting at $95 Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) NFL Week 13 matchup at a glance When: Sunday, Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. ET Venue: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com TV channel: CBS Live streams: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling (low intro rate) The Steelers went into Cleveland last Thursday night as 3.5-point favorites over a struggling Browns team and exited with a 24-19 loss that came in the final minute of action. Pittsburgh stormed back from an 18-6 deficit in the fourth quarter, only to allow Jameis Winston to orchestrate a game-winning touchdown drive capped by a Nick Chubb TD with 0:57 to play. That loss snapped a five-game winning streak and gave way to a challenging closing stretch that includes two matchups with the Bengals, a revenge game with the Browns, and a run of three straight games from Weeks 15-17 against the Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs. Pittsburgh knows how dangerous even a 4-7 Bengals team can be, especially with quarterback Joe Burrow, who has played at a high level despite a supporting cast struggling to win games. PITTSBURGH STEELERS 2024 NFL SCHEDULE Here’s a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ full 2024 schedule and results with TV and time info (where applicable), ticket prices, travel info and live stream links: Week 1: Steelers 18, Falcons 10 Week 2: Steelers 13, Broncos 6 Week 3: Steelers 20, Chargers 10 Week 4: Colts 27, Steelers 24 Week 5: Cowboys 20, Steelers 17 Week 6: Steelers 32, Raiders 13 Week 7: Steelers 37, Jets 15 Week 8: Steelers 26, Giants 18 Week 9: BYE WEEK Week 10: Steelers 28, Commanders 27 Week 11: Steelers 18, Ravens 16 Week 12: Browns 24, Steelers 19 Week 13: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals When: Sunday, Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. ET Venue: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com TV channel: CBS Live streams: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling (low intro rate) Week 14: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers When: Sunday, Dec. 8 at 1 p.m. ET Venue: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pa. Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com TV channel: CBS Live streams: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling (low intro rate) Week 15: Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles When: Sunday, Dec. 15 at 4:25 p.m. ET Venue: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pa. Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com TV channel: FOX Live streams: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling (low intro rate) Week 16: Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens When: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 4:30 p.m. ET Venue: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Md. Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com TV channel: FOX Live streams: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling (low intro rate) Week 17: Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers RECOMMENDED • pennlive .com How to get Philadelphia Eagles tickets for Ravens game in NFL Week 13: Prices, options Nov. 26, 2024, 5:00 p.m. How to get tickets for Lions vs. Bears Thanksgiving Day NFL game: Prices, options Nov. 25, 2024, 4:35 p.m. When: Wednesday, Dec. 25 at 1 p.m. ET Venue: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pa. Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com TV channel: N/A Live streams: Netflix exclusive Week 18: Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers When: TBD Venue: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pa. Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com TV channel: TBD Live streams: FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling (low intro rate)Ashton Kutcher-backed fintech Brigit nears $460 million sale to Upbound, sources say

Web3 Launchpad Andy Platform overHere launches $HAWK - Haliey Welch’s Official “Hawk Tuah” MemecoinSAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 89bio, Inc. (the “Company” or “89bio”) (Nasdaq: ETNB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of liver and cardiometabolic diseases, today announced that the Company’s Management will participate in a fireside chat at the 7 th Annual Evercore HealthCONx Conference on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 8:20 AM ET and participate in one-on-one investor meetings. The webcast of the fireside chat will be accessible in the investor section of 89bio’s website . A replay of the webcast will be available for approximately 30 days following the conference. About 89bio 89bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of best-in-class therapies for patients with liver and cardiometabolic diseases who lack optimal treatment options. The company is focused on rapidly advancing its lead candidate, pegozafermin, through clinical development for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and severe hypertriglyceridemia (SHTG). Pegozafermin is a specifically engineered, potentially best-in-class fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) analog with unique glycoPEGylated technology that optimizes biological activity through an extended half-life. The company is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit www.89bio.com or follow the company on LinkedIn . Investor Contact: Annie Chang 89bio, Inc. investors@89bio.com PJ Kelleher LifeSci Advisors, LLC 617-430-7579 pkelleher@lifesciadvisors.com Media Contact: Sheryl Seapy Real Chemistry sseapy@realchemistry.comWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has nvited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration next month — extending a diplomatic olive branch even as Trump threatens to levy massive tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump's incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed on Thursday that Trump invited Xi, but said it was “to be determined” if the leader of the United States' most significant economic and military competitor would attend. In fact it seems unlikely. Xi is likely to see the invitation as too risky to accept, and the gesture from Trump may have little bearing on the increasingly competitive ties between the two nations as the White House changes hands, experts say. Danny Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Xi would not allow himself to “be reduced to the status of a mere guest celebrating the triumph of a foreign leader — the U.S. president, no less.” Still, Leavitt saw it as a plus. “This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies, but our adversaries and our competitors too,” she said in an appearance on Fox News' program ”Fox & Friends." “We saw this in his first term. He got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around this world. He is willing to talk to anyone and he will always put America’s interest first.” CBS News first reported the invitation to Xi. Asked at a Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing on Thursday about Trump's invitation, spokesperson Mao Ning responded: “I have nothing to share at present.” Leavitt said that other foreign leaders have also been invited, but did not provide any details. The move by Trump to invite a leader of an adversarial nation to the American moment that is Inauguration Day is unorthodox. But it also squares with his belief that foreign policy—much like a business negotiation—should be carried out with carrots and sticks to get the United States' opponents to operate closer to his administration's preferred terms. Jim Bendat, a historian and author of “Democracy’s Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President,” said he was not aware of a previous U.S. inauguration attended by a foreign head of state. “It's not necessarily a bad thing to invite foreign leaders to attend,” Bendat said. “But it sure would make more sense to invite an ally before an adversary.” Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis, said the invitation helps Trump burnish his “dealmaker and savvy businessman” brand. “I could see why he might like the optics," Frantz said. “But from the standpoint of American values, it seems shockingly cavalier." White House officials said it was up to Trump to decide whom he invites to the inauguration. “I would just say, without doubt it's the single most consequential bilateral relationship that the United States has in the world,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. “It is a relationship both fraught with peril and responsibility.” Trump on Thursday during an appearance at the New York Stock Exchange , where he was ringing the opening bell to open the market, said he’s been “thinking about inviting certain people to the inauguration” without referring to any specific individuals. “And some people said, ‘Wow, that’s a little risky, isn’t it?’” Trump said. “And I said, ‘Maybe it is. We’ll see. We’ll see what happens.’ But we like to take little chances.” Meanwhile, a top aide to Hungarian President Viktor Orban, one of Trump's most vocal supporters on the world stage, said Thursday that Orban isn't slated to attend the inauguration. “There is no such plan, at least for the time being," said Gergely Gulyás, Orban's chief of staff. The nationalist Hungarian leader is embraced by Trump but has faced isolation in Europe as he's sought to undermine the European Union's support for Ukraine, and routinely blocked, delayed or watered down the bloc’s efforts to provide weapons and funding and to sanction Moscow for its invasion. Orban recently met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Every country's chief of mission to the United States will also be invited, according to a Trump Inaugural Committee official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The Xi invitation comes as Trump has threatened to enact massive tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China to get those countries to do more to reduce illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He has said that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada and that China could be hit with even higher tariffs. China produces precursor chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, but Beijing has stepped up efforts over the last year to crack down on the export of the chemicals. “We’ve been talking and discussing with President Xi, some things, and others, other world leaders, and I think we’re going to do very well all around,” Trump said in a CNBC interview Thursday. Xi during a meeting with President Joe Biden last month in Peru urged the United States not to start a trade war. “Make the wise choice,” Xi cautioned. “Keep exploring the right way for two major countries to get along well with each other.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also pushed back on Trump's threats, warning such a tariffs move would be perilous for the U.S. economy as well. Trudeau earlier this week said that Americans “are beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive” and said he will retaliate if Trump goes ahead with them. Trump responded by calling Canada a state and Trudeau the governor. In addition to the tariff dispute, U.S.-China relations are strained over other issues, including what U.S. officials see as Beijing indirectly supporting Russia's war on Ukraine. The Biden administration says China has supported Russia with a surge in sales of dual use components that help keep its military industrial base afloat. U.S. officials also have expressed frustration with Beijing for not doing more to rein in North Korea's support for the Russian war. China accounts for the vast majority of North Korea’s trade. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dispatched thousands of troops to Russia to help repel Ukrainian forces from the Kursk border region. The North Koreans also have provided Russia with artillery and other munitions, according to U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials. Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration takes place a day after the U.S. deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of social media giant TikTok, to sell the social media app or face a ban in the United States. — Associated Press writers Didi Tang in Washington and Balint Domotor in Budapest, Hungary, contributed reporting.

Alex Ovechkin is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks with a broken left leg

OTTAWA — Canadian border officials told members of Parliament Thursday that Canada is not a significant source of fentanyl headed into the United States. Aaron McCrorie, vice-president of intelligence and enforcement at the Canada Border Services Agency, made that comment to a parliamentary committee studying the impact of president-elect Donald Trump's plans for border security and migration. CBSA President Erin O'Gorman also said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has characterized the amount coming from Canada as "slippage" — small amounts sent over for personal use, mostly by post. Trump has threatened 25 per cent tariffs against Canada and Mexico unless the two countries step up on border security to tamp down on flows of illicit fentanyl. During the presidential race, Trump also threatened to deport millions of undocumented people, stirring fears that could trigger an influx of migrants into Canada. Ottawa is compiling new measures to bolster border security through more staff and equipment in the face of Trump's tariff threats. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared his border plan with the premiers during a Wednesday evening meeting, and Ottawa plans to add their suggestions into the soon-to-come package of measures. Several media outlets have reported that the tab for that could surpass $1 billion, citing confidential sources. RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme said he was surprised to see that figure bandied about in headlines, and that he's not clear on whether Ottawa will actually put that much into beefing up the border. He said he plans to use any additional resources coming his way for the RCMP to rely more on modern technology to enforce the Canada-U.S. border. An RCMP official said the police force currently has over 900 drones and nine helicopters located across the country, with six helicopters that occasionally provide border surveillance. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2024. Kyle Duggan, The Canadian PressNoneFour leading companies partner in support of education and workforce development mission NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the BayPort Foundation, Ferguson, Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of HII, and Virginia Natural Gas announced that the Newport News Education Foundation has been awarded the $500,000 Accelerating Change Together (ACT) Grant to support the Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) New Teacher Institute (NTI) program. The ACT Grant extends the four companies' existing charitable giving and social impact efforts to its education and workforce development mission. The three-year, $500,000 step-down grant will provide the funding necessary for NTI to answer the regional call to build a workforce pipeline to expand its new first—and second-year teacher programs. It will also fund the development of a model program, provide credentialing assistance, and invest in Career and Technical Education and English as a Second Language teachers. The ACT Grant will assist the Newport News Education Foundation in raising funding to guarantee support for the NTI program. The expiration of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds could have several consequences as districts look to trim expenses and consolidate operations. ESSER was a one-time emergency relief program designed to support K-12 schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-one nonprofits submitted an ACT Grant application. The Contributions Committee selected the Newport News Education Foundation application based on its ability to address the specific needs outlined in the ACT Grant application, including a sound financial investment and an original, innovative, and sustainable project plan to impact a target population/community. The ACT Grant initiative launched in 2022, and the first recipient was the Virginia Beach Education Foundation and Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), new two-year, half-day Advanced Technology Center Renewable Energy Technologies program. For additional information on the ACT Grant, please visit actgrant.org . B-roll of the NNPS NTI program facility and check presentation is available upon request. About BayPort Foundation BayPort Foundation is the charitable arm of BayPort Credit Union, headquartered in Newport News, Virginia and was established to extend the credit union's philosophy of "people helping people." The Foundation is an extension of the credit union's charitable giving. BayPort Credit Union commits more than half a million dollars in annual corporate donations and pays all the Foundation's overhead to ensure that 100% of the Foundation donations support its mission. For more information, visit bayportfoundation.org . About Ferguson Ferguson (NYSE: FERG; LSE: FERG) is the largest value-added distributor serving the specialized professional in our $340B residential and non-residential North American construction market. We help make our customers' complex projects simple, successful and sustainable by providing expertise and a wide range of products and services from plumbing, HVAC, appliances and lighting to PVF, water and wastewater solutions and more. Headquartered in Newport News, Va., Ferguson has sales of $29.6 billion (FY'24) and approximately 35,000 associates in nearly 1,800 locations. For more information, please visit corporate.ferguson.com . About HII HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII's mission is to deliver the world's most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world. As the nation's largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII's workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, please visit hii.com . About Virginia Natural Gas Virginia Natural Gas is one of four natural gas distribution companies of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO). Virginia Natural Gas provides natural gas service to nearly 300,000 customers in southeast Virginia. Named a Top Workplace in 2024, Virginia Natural Gas also has been recognized as one of the safest, most reliable and customer-focused natural gas service providers and is consistently ranked in the top quartile for customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, visit virginianaturalgas.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/500-000-act-grant-awarded-to-fund-newport-news-public-schools-new-teacher-institute-program-302329370.html SOURCE BayPort Credit Union

At least one aspect of Israel’s multifront war is expected to come to an end if the militant group Hamas comes to ceasefire terms with Israel . What Happened : So far, Hamas has yielded at least two of Israel's demands for a cease-fire agreement in Gaza, according to a Thursday Wall Street Journal report. The development comes after previous negotiations collapsed. And, just three months ago, certain senior U.S. officials were skeptical that a hostage-release deal would occur before the end of President Joe Biden ‘s term. The scenario has changed drastically. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke to the press in Tel Aviv Thursday after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. “Hamas started this war,” Sullivan said, optimistic that a ceasefire and hostage release “can happen.” See below. Sullivan said he is set to visit Doha, Qatar and Cairo to close a deal “this month.” Hamas is reportedly willing to allow Israeli forces to stay in Gaza temporarily when the fighting stops, the WSJ reported. A list of hostages, including U.S. citizens, is expected to be released as part of a ceasefire pact. Whether the ceasefire would last or be fully enforced remains to be seen. Israel and Hezbollah were expected to pause fighting in Lebanon last month, but attacks continued into December . At least five people were killed in Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon in the last 24 hours, per Al Jazeera , citing the country's Health Ministry. Hezbollah began firing rockets toward Israel after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 . Why It Matters : The ceasefire agreement would come as the balance of power in the Middle East changes. This week, Israel seized the buffer zone as Bashar al-Assad ‘s rule in Syria collapsed. Al-Assad and his family were subsequently granted asylum by Russia . Assad’s regime was considered a lifeline to Hezbollah. Traders can gain exposure to oil stocks that are affected by Middle East geopolitcal news via ETFs, or exchange-traded funds. According to Benzinga Pro : ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil UCO is up 0.27% Thursday. United States Oil Fund LP USO dropped 0.16%. SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF XOP decreased by 0.79%. MicroSectorsTM Oil & Gas Exploration & Production 3X Leveraged ETNs OILU saw a 2.39% drop. Israeli stocks, as monitored through the VanEck Israel ETF ISRA , are up 25.34% year-to-date. Now Read: Defense Stocks Face Headwinds As Trump’s DOGE Targets Spending Cuts: Goldman Sachs Downgrades General Dynamics Image: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: Mahayuti alliance achieved a clean sweep victory on Saturday after securing a majority on over 230 seats. The BJP-led alliance, now, is all set to retain power. While the BJP has won or is ahead in 133 seats, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has won or is ahead in 57 seats and NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is poised to win 41 seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the party for it's landslide victory and thanked the people of Maharashtra soon after the results reclined in Mahayuti's favour. "Development wins! Good governance wins! United we will soar even higher! Heartfelt gratitude to my sisters and brothers of Maharashtra, especially the youth and women of the state, for a historic mandate to the NDA. This affection and warmth is unparalleled. I assure the people that our Alliance will keep working for Maharashtra's progress," he said in a post on X. "NDA's pro-people efforts resonate all over! I thank people across various states for blessing NDA candidates in the various by-polls held. We will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling their dreams and aspirations. I am proud of every NDA Karyakarta for their efforts on the ground. They worked hard, went among people and elaborated on our good governance agenda," he added. Maharashtra Assembly Election: Setback For MVA, Uddhav Thackeray Secures 20 Seats, Congress 16 The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance faced a significant setback as the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray is on track to secure 20 seats, Congress 16, and the NCP(SP) under Sharad Pawar is projected to win only 10 seats. Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera reacted to the same alleging conspiracy and questioning the voting process. While Ramesh said that the defeat won't stop his party from their agenda, Khera said if voting process can be trusted in a country where exam papers are leaked. First Election After Shiv Sena And NCP Split These were the first assembly elections following the split in Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party. Uddhav Thackeray lost his position as chief minister due to the split within his party in 2022, and he was determined to make a statement in the assembly elections. Eknath Shinde, who became Maharashtra Chief Minister after split in Shiv Sena, gained popularity in the last two-and-a-half years due to welfare measures initiated by Mahayuti government including the Ladki Bahin scheme. The NCP too faced a division when Ajit Pawar became the Deputy Chief Minister in the ruling alliance in July last year. Sharad Pawar, who now leads NCP(SP), managed the campaign with great precision, determined to protect his extensive political legacy. A lot was at stake for Congress in the Maharashtra assembly polls after the party was seen to have bungled its prospect in the Haryana assembly polls earlier this year. BJP formed its third successive government in Haryana earlier this year. Who Will Be The Next Maharashtra CM? When asked who will be the next CM of Maharashtra, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that there is no dispute on the CM's face. "There will be no dispute on the CM's face. It was decided from day one that after the elections, the leaders of the three parties will sit together and decide on this. The decision will be acceptable to everyone, there is no dispute on this," Fadnavis said. "I will say only this that we are bowed before Maharashtra and its people. It has increased our responsibility and Maharashtra has shown its full support for Modiji and we will do everything to reciprocate their faith in us," he added.

Gun ownership among Republican women has soared in the last few years, according to a new survey. Since 2019, 33% of GOP ladies have been packing heat – up from the 22% who said they owned a firearm in 2013-2018 and 19% who were strapped in 2007-2012, according to a recent Gallup poll. “I think it’s phenomenal and speaks to the confidence and courage of women who are moved to protect themselves and their families in the face of the increasing lawlessness and disorder,” said Dana Loesch , former spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association and radio host of “The Dana Show.” Only 12% of Democratic women have owned guns in the last handful of years – despite lefty Vice President Kamala Harris admitting she owns a firearm. GOP men are most likely to own guns — with 60% reporting they packed heat in 2024, up from 57% in 2007-2013. The percentage of Democratic men who own guns has declined significantly in recent years, from 36% in 2007-2012 to only 29% in the 2019-2024. In recent years, 39% of independent men have owned guns – down 4% from 2013-2018. The number of independent women carrying has remained steady at about 18%. Overall, 43% of men who currently belong to a political party own a firearm compared to only 20% of women. The average rate of gun ownership among Americans now hovers at 31% – up 2% from 2013-2018 and up 1% from the six years before that.

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New Delhi: Energy resources will become the cornerstone of India-Russia ties as New Delhi’s economic trajectory of around 7-8 per cent growth for decades to come will necessitate such an evolution, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said Sunday. He added that ties between India and the US will continue to deepen even if both sides do not see eye to eye on every issue. “A country like India at this stage of its growth, just think if you are today $4 trillion, and we are saying, okay you have 7-8 per cent growth for decades ahead of us, who would be our crucial partners in the world? I think to a large extent the major resource powers in the world. India’s economic trajectory will put a certain premium on countries like Russia or Indonesia, or Australia, or Brazil or even Canada,” Jaishankar said at the launch of ‘India’s World’, a new bi-monthly magazine. He added that the logic behind choosing India’s partners would no longer be limited to countries “who are nice” to New Delhi, but would require a new rationalisation in the years to come. In conversation with C. Raja Mohan, visiting professor at the National University of Singapore’s Institute of South Asian Studies, Jaishankar looked at India’s future ties with the US, China, Russia and Europe during the launch of the new bi-monthly magazine at the India International Centre here in New Delhi. Jaishankar is clear that there exists a “unique” relationship between Moscow and New Delhi, because of the history, however, going forward its energy resources would be a key to deepening the relationship—indicating a shift to the importance of economic diplomacy for India. “If you take for example the broad foreign policy establishment, not just the government but the bigger thinking in the country, for a variety of reasons there was a sharp anti-Western tinge to it. Look at the reality, who are your major trade partners, who are your major technology partners, where do many of the people go for education...where does much of your investment come from? All that points in one direction and sometimes the foreign policy points in a different direction,” said Jaishankar. The external affairs minister added: “Today I would argue that one of the changes is that the economic side, the security side, the orthodox foreign policy and diplomacy side is much more tightly integrated and their decision is much more cohesive than it has been in the past.” While pointing to how India’s partnership with Russia is evolving through its economic dimension, the external affairs minister also highlighted how, while New Delhi and Washington D.C. may not always see eye to eye on every issue, their relationship will continue to deepen. “The US is a global power, it has interests of various kinds. We are a country where there has always been a strong regional dimensional, but it is not growing. In our own region there will be issues and relationships on which there will be intersections and convergences with the US and there would be some where there would not be,” said Jaishankar. He added: “We have very honest conversations on where we agree and where we do not. That relationship between India and the US is such an important and large relationship. We factor these conversations but keep advancing that [overall] relationship.” There have been a number of incidents in the last year that have tested the deepening partnership between India and the US, including a foiled murder-for-hire plot against a US citizen on American soil, as well as Indian companies facing sanctions by American authorities for their continued trade with Russia. Jaishankar, while pointing out that transparency is required to an extent with regards to diplomacy, it must not involve putting “everything” out there when it comes to diplomatic conversations. “Every government today tries to put out its version, its narrative. To that extent, yes, but then there is the compulsion of diplomacy. You cannot conduct diplomacy by putting everything out there in the open. Because then what could happen will never happen because it became difficult even before it started,” said Jaishankar. (Edited by Gitanjali Das) Also Read: India-Russia defence ties are waning. Crude oil supply is the centerpiece of relationship var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );A key pillar to President-elect Donald Trump’s economic prosperity plan for America involves helping American companies better compete with Chinese competitors in ways that he hopes will ultimately lead to a resurgence in making and manufacturing more in the United States. The plan is supported with his first administration implemented in 2018 on billions of dollars worth of Chinese imports. Many goods fully or partially made in China are subject to these duties to enter and be sold in America. While these are mandatory, and both Chinese and American companies are required to pay what is applicable, there are indications that some Chinese companies may not be paying what they owe. Congress and the Office of U.S. Trade Representative should therefore ensure that President-elect Trump’s plan is not being undermined by any company, not the least of which are Chinese companies that appear to be propped up by the Chinese government and skirting the rules to gain a competitive advantage over American companies. If and when a Chinese company cheats, its American competitor could be unfairly disadvantaged. Over time this leads to financial loss, layoffs, factory closures, and even going out of business. It’s not always obvious which brands might be Chinese and which are not. Iconic American brands such as Smithfield Foods, GE Appliances, and American Multi-Cinema (AMC Theatres) have come under Chinese ownership, control, or influence, which has various effects on their operations, pricing, and adherence to ethical standards. Unfortunately, some of these foreign-owned brands operate under trade practices that may exploit regulatory loopholes or undermine U.S. economic interests. Milwaukee Tool is one of the examples of this trend, and it is now part of the same Chinese company as Hoover, Dirt Devil, and Oreck — all vacuum companies that many may presume are still American. Though Milwaukee Tool retains a name synonymous with America, being named after an American city, it is owned by , a Hong Kong-based with ties to the . This ownership raises concerns about market competitiveness and ethical practices, especially with that the company for in its manufacturing facilities in . This allegation, if proven, implies a clear economic advantage over companies abiding by fair labor standards. Data analyzed by Trade Alliance to Promote Prosperity suggests that TTI’s Milwaukee Tool might use transshipment tactics to avoid U.S. , potentially undercutting American companies paying full tariffs on Chinese-made goods. In an analysis of over 2,200 commercial records, TAPP researchers found that 91 percent of Milwaukee Tool/TTI shipments by value were not subject to Section 301 tariffs. Further, the analysis found that 7 percent of imports were from , despite what appears to be the absence of a manufacturing footprint. This pattern suggests possible transshipment of Chinese goods through other countries, possibly avoiding the costs that . This is why TAPP has called on Congress to launch an investigation to determine if there is fire where we smell smoke. Milwaukee Tool is not alone. Recently, reported on a 12-year campaign by Chinese solar firms to avoid the reach of U.S. tariffs by moving aspects of manufacturing to non-tariff countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. The Chinese government’s policy to push Chinese firms to avoid U.S. tariffs, allowing them to offer lower prices than American-owned competitors, is the heart of the issue. These companies, bolstered by state support, can operate with advantages that U.S. firms may find challenging to match, leading to unfair competition in both pricing and availability. The issue goes beyond economics; potential national security concerns arise with foreign-controlled brands involved in sensitive technology. For example, Milwaukee Tool’s previous involving thermal imaging cameras– products controlled for national security reasons — illustrate how these foreign-owned brands may pose security risks. This risk intensifies with , where commercial technology could be leveraged for military purposes. To safeguard U.S. interests and to ensure the integrity of President-Elect Trump’s tariff regime, Congress should investigate whether accused companies adhere to trade and security standards. Recently, TAPP called on the House Select Committee on the CCP and the Congressional-Executive Committee on China to investigation into Milwaukee Tool for potential Section 301 violations related to their import practices. Addressing these concerns goes beyond protecting American businesses: It’s about upholding the integrity of U.S. trade policy and ensuring that companies benefiting from American consumers are also respecting American rules. In the United States, we expect companies to play by the rules. Congressional oversight and enforcement will help ensure they do, protecting American values, fair competition, and, ultimately, national security. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. 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