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Have you seen claims that Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO who was shot on Dec. 4 in New York, was killed because he was about to testify against Rep. Nancy Pelosi for insider trading? It’s gone viral on several social media platforms over the past week. But it’s not true. The oldest example of this false claim that Gizmodo could find dates to the night of Dec. 6, two days after the shooting. The X account HustleBitch wrote “ BREAKING: Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was set to testify against Nancy Pelosi for insider trading.” From that claim around 10:00 p.m. ET, other X accounts that went viral seem to have made their posts about it a couple of hours later. Politifact also found the claim being made on Threads and Instagram, though those posts were made on Dec. 7, the day after the earliest tweets spreading the false story, which were happening well before the arrest of Luigi Mangione , who’s been charged with the murder and is currently fighting extradition to New York from Pennsylvania. But the claim that Thompson was killed over this motive related to a sitting congresswoman isn’t true. There’s no evidence Thompson was going to testify against Pelosi for insider trading or anything else. But, oddly enough, Thompson was himself accused of insider trading before he was killed. The Hollywood Firefighters Pension Fund filed a lawsuit against Thompson and other executives at UnitedHealth back in May . The lawsuit alleges that the executives sold about $120 million worth of UnitedHealth shares when they learned the U.S. Department of Justice was investigating the company for anti-competitive practices. The stock went down only after it became publicly known the DOJ had opened an investigation. The suit states Thompson sold about $15 million worth of stock. Pelosi and other members of Congress have indeed received scrutiny over their activity trading stocks, and some Democrats have called for a ban, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who wrote back in 2021 , “There is no reason members of Congress should hold and trade individual stock when we write major policy and have access to sensitive information.” Some versions of the false claim on social media also use a video that purports to show Thompson talking about Nancy Pelosi providing help to UnitedHealth. The only problem, of course, is that the video doesn’t show the Thompson that was killed, as anyone with eyes can see. Matt Wallace , a conspiracy theorist who often spreads disinformation on X, helped spread the misidentified video along with several others. Wallace also made a video on Rumble claiming that Nancy Pelosi brainwashed the shooter with techniques from MKUltra, the mind control experiments of the CIA from the 1960s. There were also claims that the man who took a shot at Donald Trump over the summer in Butler, Pennsylvania. The CIA told Gizmodo after those claims went viral that any claims about MKUltra being involved in the assassination attempt were, “utterly false, absurd, and damaging.” Why are people online spreading this false story about Pelosi? We can only assume they’re either actively or unintentionally spreading false information that helps Trump. Many of the accounts that were sharing the false claim in its earliest iteration appear to have bios and images promoting the former and incoming president. HustleBitch, the account that appears to have shared the claim very early (if not possibly the first), has a history of sharing lies on the internet. That account was also one of the first to share a claim that a body double was actually used for Trump’s visit to watch a SpaceX launch with Elon Musk last month . But it’s not clear who’s actually behind the account. All we know for certain is that there’s no evidence that Thompson was killed because he was going to testify. And while Mangione’s lawyer has said his client intends to plead not guilty, all the available evidence seems to suggest that he may have been killed because his company makes billions of dollars in profits while denying life-saving medical coverage to Americans who are fed up with a broken healthcare system.Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo accused the federal government of orchestrating efforts to weaken opposition parties Gwarzo urged the electoral commission to intervene, emphasizing its role as an impartial umpire to safeguard democratic processes Gwarzo stressed that a vibrant opposition is crucial for democracy, warning that undermining it could jeopardize Nigeria’s democratic stability CHECK OUT: Learn at Your Own Pace! Our Flexible Online Course allows you to fit copywriting skills development around your busy schedule. Enroll Now! The Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has voiced concerns about what he describes as an orchestrated effort by the federal government to weaken opposition parties in Nigeria. Speaking during a verification exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) national headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, December 12, Gwarzo described the current political climate as hostile. “The national government is doing all it could to weaken opposition in the country. "What opposition parties are going through? We are going through hell, politically speaking. These crises left, right, and center—they are artificial. They are being engineered and sponsored," Gwarzo said. Read also Reactions as Tinubu meets with APC governors, photos, other details emerge PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! Call for INEC’s intervention Gwarzo urged INEC to take proactive steps to ensure a fair political playing field, emphasizing the electoral body’s role as an impartial umpire. “So INEC should have a way, as the arbitrator and umpire saddled with the responsibility of ensuring democratic development, to checkmate any untoward excesses of any national government in power,” he said. Vibrant opposition as democracy’s lifeblood, says Gwarzo Highlighting the importance of opposition parties in sustaining democracy, Gwarzo likened opposition to the “oxygen” of democratic governance. “I believe opposition, a vibrant opposition, is the oxygen of democracy in any given setting. Weakening it, or crippling it, will tantamount to killing democracy. If there is no oxygen within the system, certainly it will collapse,” Gwarzo stated. The Deputy Governor appealed for strategies to preserve and nurture vibrant opposition, warning that a weakened opposition could have dire consequences for Nigeria’s democratic future. Read also 2027: Presidency speaks on possibility of Tinubu losing election “I urge INEC to come up with words and means to ensure the survival of democracy by preventing any excessive actions that undermine the opposition,” Gwarzo concluded. Accord party vows to reclaim Nigeria from Tinubu Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Accord Party declared its determination to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape in the 2027 general elections. Specifically, the party vowed to reclaim Nigeria from the grip of the current administration led by President Bola Tinubu . Joseph Omorogbe, the Accord party’s National Publicity Secretary, made this bold statement during an exclusive interview with Legit.ng. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ng
BRITISH holidaymakers have been warned after five people including a British lawyer died following a suspected fake booze poisoning in Laos. Simone White, 28, from Orpington, Kent, died after falling ill when she was allegedly being served alcohol laced with methanol in the South East Asian holiday hotspot. 5 British lawyer Simone White, 28,has died 5 Bianca Jones, 19, has died in hospital 5 Some tourists reportedly became ill with suspected methanol poisoning after drinking at the Nana Backpacker hostel Credit: AP The British government has issued an urgent warning as 11 people, including Brits, remain in hospital after allegedly being served laced drinks at a bar in Vang Vieng, over 100 miles away from the Thailand border. Simone was hospitalised after it is feared she drank shots laced with methanol. She has now been confirmed as the fifth tourist to have died. Simone was an associate lawyer specialising in intellectual property and technology in London at the American law firm Squire Patton Boggs, The Times reports. She was an A-level pupil at St Olave's Grammar School in... Elizabeta Ranxburgaj
Japan Money Supply M2+CD (YoY) remains unchanged at 1.2% in November
Pfizer's PFE short percent of float has fallen 12.8% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 61.87 million shares sold short , which is 1.09% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 1.71 days to cover their short positions on average. Why Short Interest Matters Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. Short selling is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises. Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish. See Also: List of the most shorted stocks Pfizer Short Interest Graph (3 Months) As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Pfizer has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less shares are being shorted. Comparing Pfizer's Short Interest Against Its Peers Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis. According to Benzinga Pro , Pfizer's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 4.63%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers. Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Legault open to adopting provincial constitution before 2026 election
NoneEight parents from Delhi have approached the Supreme Court seeking the resumption of physical classes that were suspended last week following a spike in air pollution. The petitioners include a driver, who argued that the technology required for virtual classes is unavailable at many homes, and the mother of a specially-abled boy, who told the court that children with special needs require care that can only be made available by trained schoolteachers. A government school principal said there are many homes with limited financial means where three or more children are forced to share a smartphone to attend online classes, making it difficult to focus and learn. “At such homes, the attendance of the students drops to around 55% when physical classes are stopped. Private schools can conduct online classes, but it is not as easy for government schools,” said the principal. Anushree Shivpuri, mother of an eight-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder, said that her son has difficulty focusing, and online classes aggravate the condition. “In school, he has a shadow teacher who helps him explain concepts. At school, a teacher also helps with speech therapy, but all this cannot happen online,” she explained. Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu Public School, said her school has around 25 children with special needs who find it challenging to study online. Published - November 23, 2024 01:49 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit judiciary (system of justice) / pollution / air pollution
PHOENIX — Who needs Cam Thomas when the Nets have . . . Tyrese Martin? Thomas, the team’s leading scorer, was ruled out Wednesday after shootaround and will miss at least three weeks with a strained left hamstring. Yet the Nets somehow filled his shoes with a player on a two-way contract. Martin’s 30 points, including eight three-pointers, both career bests, catapulted the Nets past the Suns for a 127-117 win at Footprint Center. It was the second-year guard’s best night as a pro and helped the Nets get their first three-game win streak of the season. Martin walked into his postgame news conference still wet from being doused with water bottles in the locker room. It was the only thing that cooled him off after his best night as a pro. “It felt like I drowned in the ocean,” Martin said. His previous career-high was six points. He scored 33 combined points on 5-for-18 shooting in his previous 21 games over two seasons. In his 22nd game, Martin had a game players dream of. He made five three-pointers on his way to a 17-point first half. Martin’s final three-pointer put the Nets up 17 in the fourth quarter, stunning a crowd that had watched the Suns defeat the Lakers by 27 points Tuesday. Martin finished the game 10-for-13 shooting, including 8-for-10 on threes. “Unbelievable,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We’ve been on him with being ready to shoot, cutting to open up the paint. And he was just amazing. “He played a very mature game so very happy for him because he hasn’t had a lot of opportunities. It was just as improbable as Monday’s come-from-behind at Golden State. But Martin was just one unlikely source that helped the Nets (9-10) finish their road trip 3-1 while playing without several key players. Trendon Watford had a season-high 18 points off the bench. Ben Simmons had 14 points, his most since scoring 20 on Nov. 25, 2022, and added nine rebounds and eight assist. Dennis Schroder added 29 points, his second consecutive game with at least 20. But it was the non-stars that kept the Nets in the lead for almost the entire second half. The Nets raced out to a 17-3 run to open the third and grab their first lead. A Simmons steal led to a Ziaire Williams dunk. On the next play, Williams missed going for a steal but stayed with the play and got the steal eventually by forcing a turnover on Devin Booker. Even when the Suns (10-8) responded with 13-4 run to get within five, Schroder made a three-pointer followed by a Williams steal and dunk. Martin closed a Nets 12-5 run with a pair of free throws to end the period with the Nets up 96-84. It was another example of the collective effort the Nets used all season to exceed early expectations. The formula is simple — aggressive ball pressure on defense, shooting a high number of threes and competing until the final whistle. The Nets forced 17 turnovers and shot 42.9% on threes, the eighth time in the last nine games they shot at least 40% from deep. It provided consolation to a team that’ll be shorthanded. In addition to Thomas, Nic Claxton also sat out the game and is day-to-day with lower back injury management. Noah Clowney will miss at least two weeks with a sprained left ankle suffered Sunday. Jalen Wilson was ruled out with right calf tightness. Instead of running out of depth, the Nets found more in the tank. By game’s end, the Nets improved to 6-1 against the Western Conference and gave the Suns their second loss in 11 games this season with a healthy Kevin Durant. Durant scored 30 points against his former team and Devin Booker had a team-high 31. Both took a backseat to Martin walking in their arena and leaving with a name for himself and another moment for a gritty Nets team. “A lot of teams probably take us lightly when we come in town or whatever the case may be. But we’re here to compete and play hard,” Martin said. “So to do it on this stage against Hall of Fame players like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, things like that, definitely a surreal feeling.” Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.TORONTO, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inventus Mining Corp. (TSXV: IVS) (“Inventus” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that its 80-hole Phase 1 Drill Program is underway at the 100%-owned Pardo gold project located 65 km east of Sudbury, Ontario. The program aims to provide adequate drill data to support a future mineral resource estimate on the near surface mineralization that could potentially be exploited by open cut mining. The Company also reports it has been accepted into the Ontario Junior Exploration Program (“OJEP”), which provides funding grants by the Ontario Ministry of Mines to assist exploration projects within the province. The grant will provide funding for 50% of exploration expenditures to a maximum of $200,000, incurred on the Pardo Gold Project. Incentive stock options to acquire a total of 4,100,000 common shares of the Company have been granted to officers, directors, and employees at the exercise price of $0.07 per share for a period of five years. The options vest as to one-third after each of 6, 12, and 18 months from the grant date. For further information visit www.inventusmining.com , or contact: Mr. Wesley Whymark President and Head of Exploration Inventus Mining Corp. E-mail: wesley@inventusmining.com Phone: 705-822-3005 About Inventus Mining Corp. Inventus is a mineral exploration and development company focused on the world-class mining district of Sudbury, Ontario. Our principal assets are a 100% interest in the Pardo Paleoplacer Gold Project and the Sudbury 2.0 Critical Mineral Project located northeast of Sudbury. Pardo is the first important paleoplacer gold discovery found in North America. Inventus has approximately 183 million common shares outstanding. Forward-Looking Statements This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company’s future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “estimates”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “if”, “yet”, “potential”, “undetermined”, “objective”, or “plan”. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management’s expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company’s objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to the failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, inability to fulfill the duty to accommodate First Nations and other indigenous peoples, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in the Company’s public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
SANTA CLARA — Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, 10 months since tearing his left Achilles in the Super Bowl , is suiting up for his first action since then. The 49ers activated Greenlaw off injured reserve some four hours before today’s 5:15 p.m. kickoff against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium. Not only is Greenlaw active but so are running back Isaac Guerendo (foot sprain) and defensive end Nick Bosa (oblique, hip), the latter of whom is returning from a three-game hiatus. Greenlaw has put in two weeks of practice and months of rehabilitation to recover from an injury that happened in bizarre fashion. After playing 12 snaps and making three tackles, he pounced off the 49ers’ sideline for their fourth defensive series, only to promptly fold onto the ground and stun everyone. Roughly nine minutes remained until halftime, with the 49ers ahead 3-0 in an eventual 25-22 overtime defeat . Greenlaw battled a right Achilles issue in the preceding two months, only to injure his left in non-contact fashion running onto the field after a punt pinned Kansas City at their 20-yard line. The 49ers’ defense parlayed Sunday’s return of safety Talanoa Hufanga into its best outing of the season, allowing just four yards in the first half of a 38-13 rout of the Chicago Bears. That snapped a three-game losing streak for the reigning NFC champions who are teetering on the brink of playoff elimination and/or contention Ruled out Wednesday from this game are left tackle Trent Williams, safety Malik Mustapha and offensive lineman Ben Bartch, who’s been placed on injured reserve to open a roster spot for Greenlaw’s comeback. Also out quarterback Joshua Dobbs, defensive tackle Khalil Davis, running back Israel Abanikanda and cornerback Rock Ya-Sin. DOC EDWARDS HONORED Dr. Harry Edwards, who’s consulted nearly 45 years for the 49ers, has been named their Inspire Change Changemaker, an award reflecting his work toward social justice. Edwards, 82, joined the 49ers under then-coach Bill Walsh in the early 1980s and helped the coach’s diversity-hiring efforts that have become a model across the league. This Changemaker award comes with a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation that Edwards himself will match and give to Heritage Home. A year ago, Edwards disclosed his battle with bone cancer. A UC Berkeley professor emeritus of sociology, he’s played a prominent role in sports protests and encouraged Black athletes to speak publicly about racial injustice, including Colin Kaepernick in 2016.Canadian investment fund Brookfield said Wednesday it has dropped its bid for Spanish pharmaceutical firm Grifols following disagreement over its valuation. Brookfield and the Grifols family, which owns about a third of the Barcelona-based company that makes medicine derived from blood plasma, have since July been in talks to take it private. Earlier this month Brookfield made a 6.45-billion-euro bid for Grifols, offering a tentative non-binding price of 10.50 euros ($11) per share. Grifols swiftly rejected the bid, saying it "significantly underestimated the fundamental prospects and long-term potential" of the company. In a statement sent to Spanish stock market regulator CNMV, Brookfield said it was "not in a position to continue with a potential offer" for Grifols. Grifols said its board agreed that "it is not feasible that the transaction goes ahead" and remains focused on "improving the company's long-term value". Its share price plunged in January after US hedge fund Gotham City released a research note accusing the company of "manipulating" its reported debt and operational results to "artificially reduce" its debt ratio, and therefore its financing costs. Grifols has repeatedly denied the allegations. Gotham City is a prominent "short-seller" hedge fund that borrows stock in a company and sells it, hoping to buy it back cheaper to return it to the lender and pocket the difference. Grifols traces its history back to 1909, first as a blood analysis and transfusion laboratory before specialising in products derived from blood plasma. It is present in more than 30 countries including Australia, the United States and Japan. It posted revenue of 6.6 billion euros in 2023, a 10.9 percent increase over the previous year. vab/imm/cw
AP Trending SummaryBrief at 3:17 p.m. ESTSC halts all mandir-masjid cases until 1991 Act verdict
EAST LANSING, Mich. — The sight was a common one for Andrew Kolpacki. For many a Sunday, he would watch NFL games on TV and see quarterbacks putting their hands on their helmets, desperately trying to hear the play call from the sideline or booth as tens of thousands of fans screamed at the tops of their lungs. When the NCAA's playing rules oversight committee this past spring approved the use of coach-to-player helmet communications in games for the 2024 season, Kolpacki, Michigan State's head football equipment manager, knew the Spartans' QBs and linebackers were going to have a problem. "There had to be some sort of solution," he said. As it turns out, there was. And it was right across the street. Kolpacki reached out to Tamara Reid Bush, a mechanical engineering professor who not only heads the school's Biomechanical Design Research Laboratory but also is a football season ticket-holder. Kolpacki "showed me some photos and said that other teams had just put duct tape inside the (earhole), and he asked me, 'Do you think we can do anything better than duct tape,?" Bush said. "And I said, 'Oh, absolutely.'" Bush and Rylie DuBois, a sophomore biosystems engineering major and undergraduate research assistant at the lab, set out to produce earhole inserts made from polylactic acid, a bio-based plastic, using a 3D printer. Part of the challenge was accounting for the earhole sizes and shapes that vary depending on helmet style. Once the season got underway with a Friday night home game against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30, the helmets of starting quarterback Aidan Chiles and linebacker Jordan Turner were outfitted with the inserts, which helped mitigate crowd noise. DuBois attended the game, sitting in the student section. "I felt such a strong sense of accomplishment and pride," DuBois said. "And I told all my friends around me about how I designed what they were wearing on the field." All told, Bush and DuBois have produced around 180 sets of the inserts, a number that grew in part due to the variety of helmet designs and colors that are available to be worn by Spartan players any given Saturday. Plus, the engineering folks have been fine-tuning their design throughout the season. Dozens of Bowl Subdivision programs are doing something similar. In many cases, they're getting 3D-printed earhole covers from XO Armor Technologies, which provides on-site, on-demand 3D printing of athletic wearables. The Auburn, Alabama-based company has donated its version of the earhole covers to the equipment managers of programs ranging from Georgia and Clemson to Boise State and Arizona State in the hope the schools would consider doing business with XO Armor in the future, said Jeff Klosterman, vice president of business development. XO Armor first was approached by the Houston Texans at the end of last season about creating something to assist quarterback C.J. Stroud in better hearing play calls delivered to his helmet during road games. XO Armor worked on a solution and had completed one when it received another inquiry: Ohio State, which had heard Michigan State was moving forward with helmet inserts, wondered if XO Armor had anything in the works. "We kind of just did this as a one-off favor to the Texans and honestly didn't forecast it becoming our viral moment in college football," Klosterman said. "We've now got about 60 teams across college football and the NFL wearing our sound-deadening earhole covers every weekend." The rules state that only one player for each team is permitted to be in communication with coaches while on the field. For the Spartans, it's typically Chiles on offense and Turner on defense. Turner prefers to have an insert in both earholes, but Chiles has asked that the insert be used in only one on his helmet. Chiles "likes to be able to feel like he has some sort of outward exposure," Kolpacki said. Exposure is something the sophomore signal-caller from Long Beach, California, had in away games against Michigan and Oregon this season. Michigan Stadium welcomed 110,000-plus fans for the Oct. 26 matchup between the in-state rivals. And while just under 60,000 packed Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, for the Ducks' 31-10 win over Michigan State three weeks earlier, it was plenty loud. "The Big Ten has some pretty impressive venues," Kolpacki said. "It can be just deafening," he said. "That's what those fans are there for is to create havoc and make it difficult for coaches to get a play call off." Something that is a bit easier to handle thanks to Bush and her team. She called the inserts a "win-win-win" for everyone. "It's exciting for me to work with athletics and the football team," she said. "I think it's really exciting for our students as well to take what they've learned and develop and design something and see it being used and executed." Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Deebo Samuel’s social media activity on Monday raised some questions about his happiness with the San Francisco 49ers . Samuel sent a cryptic post on X Monday that seemingly defended his lack of production in recent weeks. Samuel denied that he was struggling, instead claiming that he was “just not getting the ball.” Not struggling at all just not getting the ball!!!!!!! — Deebo (@19problemz) December 9, 2024 In a follow-up post, Samuel tried to clear up his comments, and denied that they were meant to be critical of any of his teammates. “Just cause I voice my opinions mean I’m hating on any of my teammates!!” he wrote. Just cause I voice my opinions mean I’m hating on any of my teammates!! Be Fr — Deebo (@19problemz) December 9, 2024 Regardless of intent, Samuel sounds unhappy, either with the coaching staff or with factors beyond his control. He had just two catches for 22 yards in Sunday’s 38-13 win over Chicago, and he has not had more than 22 receiving yards in a game since Week 10 against Tampa Bay. He only has two touchdowns on the season, and the most recent one of those came in Week 6 against Seattle. Sunday’s performance was concerning not just for the lack of production, but also the lack of involvement, as he was only targeted three times in the passing game. He did, however, get five rushing attempts, though he only tallied 13 yards off them. There were some reports that the 49ers at least considered trading Samuel last offseason. Those rumors may pop up again this offseason, especially if Samuel continues to sound frustrated about how his season is going. This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.Liberal: How To Fix the Dem Brand Democrats “would do well to remember how the party came back the last time it was in the political wilderness,” argues Al From at The Bulwark . “In 1985, I joined with a group of governors, senators, and representatives to form the Democratic Leadership Council.” In 1990, “Bill Clinton became chairman of the DLC” and went on to end “the Democrats’ losing streak,” as the party won the popular vote in seven elections from 1992 to 2020. How? We “shored up Democratic weaknesses on the economy, crime, and national security” and “eschewed interest group and identity politics” while being unafraid to “take on intraparty fights when necessary.” “The next generation of Democratic leaders can learn a lot by studying why the DLC was so successful.” Conservative: Even Lefties Now Hate ObamaCare “Progressives are at last acknowledging that ObamaCare is a failure,” at least based on their “social-media screeds against insurers, triggered by the murder” of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, notes The Wall Street Journal’s Allysia Finley . A CBS medical contributor also lamented that “health care is so inaccessible and unaffordable” that “people are justified in their frustrations,” while a new Gallup finds only 44% of Americans rate US health care good or excellent, down from 62% when Democrats passed ObamaCare in 2010. There’s no doubt why: “The U.S. is spending $2 trillion more on healthcare” than pre-ObamaCare, yet “Americans aren’t healthier.” And for young people, who rarely meet their premiums, the Obama law’s mandatory insurance is “worthless except in the event of a catastrophic emergency.” From the right: Patel Is Perfect for FBI “President-elect Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel as FBI director has sparked a frenzy of outrage,” snarks Rep. Devin Nunes at Fox News , who recalls Patel’s stalwart work for him “uncovering evidence that the entire Russia collusion narrative was a hoax funded by the Democratic Party and the Hillary Clinton campaign and weaponized by our own intelligence and law enforcement agencies.” Even when “directly threatened by top-level Department of Justice officials,” Patel “was fearless, methodical, and intelligent.” For an FBI chief who’ll “transform the bureau into an impartial, trustworthy law enforcement agency that zealously goes after criminals instead of political targets,” “Kash is, bar none, the right man for the job.” Final frontier: On to Titan — Maybe Permanently In “another win for Elon Musk’s launch company,” smiles Mark R. Whittington at the Hill , NASA chose the “SpaceX Falcon Heavy to launch the Dragonfly aerial probe to Titan” because it could “reduce the time Dragonfly would take to get to Titan.” SpaceX’s “relentless drive to make space launches cheaper and more reliable” has also “made the Artemis return to the moon program possible,” while “benefiting planetary missions as well.” When Dragonfly lands “in 2034, after a six-year voyage,” it’ll explore “using eight rotor blades as a vertical takeoff and landing drone” to “examine one of the most enigmatic celestial bodies in the solar system.” Who knows? “Children growing up today may live to see, in their old age, settlers braving the cold and deadly conditions of the strangest of new worlds, like Titan.” Libertarian: A Tentative Win for Small Business “Last week, a federal judge in Texas issued a temporary restraining order against a new requirement that small companies identify their owners to the federal government,” cheers Reason’s J.D. Tuccille . The judge found the law “didn’t even pretend to assert constitutional justification” for the rule. Good: “Many small businesses remain unaware of the intrusive rule” and face steep fines imposed via the Corporate Transparency Act in 2021, set to take effect in January. This follows a related federal-court ruling that imposed a nationwide injunction against the CTA — but the Biden administration “intends to appeal the decision,” so “the legal fight over the constitutionality of the CTA and the rules it imposes continues.” For now, “celebrate a welcome slap-down of an effort to expand government intrusions into new areas of our lives.” — Compiled by The Post Editorial BoardWASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors moved Monday to dismiss the criminal charges against President-elect Donald Trump that accused him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election and to abandon the classified documents case against him, citing longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had fiercely sought to hold Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president following his election victory this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him and is headed back to the White House. FILE - Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to the media about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, 2023, at an office of the Department of Justice in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) J. Scott Applewhite The decision, revealed in court filings, also amounts to a predictable but nonetheless stunning conclusion to criminal cases that had been seen as the most perilous of the multiple legal threats Trump has faced. It reflects the practical consequences of Trump’s victory, ensuring he enters office free from scrutiny over his hoarding of top secret documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Smith’s team emphasized that the move to abandon the prosecutions, in federal courts in Washington and Florida, was not a reflection of their view on the merits of the cases but rather a reflection of their commitment to longstanding department policy. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” the prosecutors wrote in Monday’s court filing in the election interference case. The decision was expected after Smith's team began assessing how to wind down both the 2020 election interference case and the separate classified documents case in the wake of Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. The Justice Department believes Trump can no longer be tried in accordance with longstanding policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Trump has cast both cases as politically motivated, and had vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) Brandon Bell The 2020 election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing the Republican as he vied to reclaim the White House. But it quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Smith’s team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence they planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of using “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden. ___ Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. George Walker IV, Associated Press Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. 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 appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Derik Hamilton Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Matt Rourke, Associated Press The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he 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. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Matt Kelley, Associated Press Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Scott 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.” Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Sean 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. Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write 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. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He 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. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. Andy Cross, The Denver Post via AP President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. 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 in Connecticut. Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Evan Vucci Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. AP Photo/Evan Vucci Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. John Bazemore, Associated Press Karoline 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. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . 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.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Matt Rourke, Associated Press Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Jonathan Newton - pool, ASSOCIATED PRESS Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Paul Sancya, Associated Press Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. 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 as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” 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. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Oded Balilty, Associated Press Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also 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. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press Stephen 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 administration. 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 who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. John Bazemore, Associated Press Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television 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. Matt Rourke, Associated Press Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Evan Vucci, Associated Press photos Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought 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 was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff 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 assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff 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. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. William McGinley, White House counsel McGinley was White House 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. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press
Trump Cabinet picks, appointees targeted by bomb threats and swatting attacksSAGINAW, MI — The Saginaw County Board of Commissioners could reprimand one of its members in the aftermath of a social media-based controversy . Officials said the county’s 11-member governing board will weigh a vote to censure Rich Spitzer during a special meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, at the Saginaw County Governmental Center, 111 S. Michigan in Saginaw. A censure is a board action expressing the group’s disapproval of one of its own members. A vote to censure Spitzer would not remove or reduce the Republican’s voting powers as a commissioner. The board could consider other measures limiting Spitzer’s powers, though, said Christopher Boyd, the board’s chairman. Boyd said the board also will vote Tuesday on a measure to remove Spitzer from county subcommittees that vote on recommendations forwarded to the larger board for consideration. However, commissioners this month could only strip Spitzer of his membership to those subcommittees for the remaining three weeks of 2024, Boyd said. And none of the eight subcommittees featuring Spitzer are scheduled to meet again during that timeframe, Boyd said. The board typically reshuffles subcommittee memberships each January, in part to accommodate new commissioners voters elected into office the previous November. Boyd said it’s possible commissioners next month could vote to limit Spitzer’s participation in the 2025 cycle of subcommittee assignments. “But that’s a decision for another day,” Boyd said. County commissioners are required to sit on at least two county subcommittees, the Democrat said. The Tuesday special meeting was called in response to community backlash relating to a since-deleted social media post Spitzer uploaded last month . Spitzer, 70, on his Facebook page shared the post of an individual who uploaded images of a woman in provocative poses. That individual was named Amaya Bradley, which was also the name of a woman who won a seat on the Saginaw Township Board of Trustees in November. In the Facebook post, Spitzer included his own commentary that read, “Election results are official, time to get to know one of your newly elected Saginaw Township Trustees.” Despite sharing the same name and both appearing as Black women, the Amaya Bradley referenced in Spitzer’s post was not the Amaya Bradley who won a Saginaw Township trustee seat. Spitzer said he learned he had misidentified the woman within minutes of uploading the post. Spitzer deleted the post and apologized, saying he was “devastated” about the case of mistaken identity. Still, community members — as well as Lisa Coney, a Democrat on the county Board of Commissioners — have called on Spitzer to resign. Some — including Trustee Bradley — have said Spitzer’s Facebook post amounted to racism and misogyny. Spitzer, who won his second term on the board in November, has said he does not plan to resign. He said he is neither a racist or a misogynist. Boyd said Spitzer’s Facebook post was “not representative of Saginaw County, and certainly not representative of the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners.” Last month, officials tasked the county’s administrative staff and attorneys to explore ways the board could reprimand Spitzer. State law prevents the public from organizing a recall effort until one year into Spitzer’s new term. That means he could not face a recall until next fall. Boyd said the board does not have the power to remove one of its own commissioners. Spitzer represents the county’s District 3 , which includes a slice of western Saginaw Township as well as part of eastern Thomas Township. About 18,000 people reside in the district, county records show. Another twist in the story: Bradley won one of four Saginaw Township trustee seats in the November election, resulting in the fifth-place finisher — Republican incumbent Connie Reppuhn — losing her place on the board by a slim, 13-vote margin. Reppuhn is Spitzer’s wife. Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free “ 3@3 ′′ daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw.The Mugshot Of UnitedHealthcare CEO Shooting Suspect Luigi Mangione Just Dropped
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Have you seen claims that Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO who was shot on Dec. 4 in New York, was killed because he was about to testify against Rep. Nancy Pelosi for insider trading? It’s gone viral on several social media platforms over the past week. But it’s not true. The oldest example of this false claim that Gizmodo could find dates to the night of Dec. 6, two days after the shooting. The X account HustleBitch wrote “ BREAKING: Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was set to testify against Nancy Pelosi for insider trading.” From that claim around 10:00 p.m. ET, other X accounts that went viral seem to have made their posts about it a couple of hours later. Politifact also found the claim being made on Threads and Instagram, though those posts were made on Dec. 7, the day after the earliest tweets spreading the false story, which were happening well before the arrest of Luigi Mangione , who’s been charged with the murder and is currently fighting extradition to New York from Pennsylvania. But the claim that Thompson was killed over this motive related to a sitting congresswoman isn’t true. There’s no evidence Thompson was going to testify against Pelosi for insider trading or anything else. But, oddly enough, Thompson was himself accused of insider trading before he was killed. The Hollywood Firefighters Pension Fund filed a lawsuit against Thompson and other executives at UnitedHealth back in May . The lawsuit alleges that the executives sold about $120 million worth of UnitedHealth shares when they learned the U.S. Department of Justice was investigating the company for anti-competitive practices. The stock went down only after it became publicly known the DOJ had opened an investigation. The suit states Thompson sold about $15 million worth of stock. Pelosi and other members of Congress have indeed received scrutiny over their activity trading stocks, and some Democrats have called for a ban, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who wrote back in 2021 , “There is no reason members of Congress should hold and trade individual stock when we write major policy and have access to sensitive information.” Some versions of the false claim on social media also use a video that purports to show Thompson talking about Nancy Pelosi providing help to UnitedHealth. The only problem, of course, is that the video doesn’t show the Thompson that was killed, as anyone with eyes can see. Matt Wallace , a conspiracy theorist who often spreads disinformation on X, helped spread the misidentified video along with several others. Wallace also made a video on Rumble claiming that Nancy Pelosi brainwashed the shooter with techniques from MKUltra, the mind control experiments of the CIA from the 1960s. There were also claims that the man who took a shot at Donald Trump over the summer in Butler, Pennsylvania. The CIA told Gizmodo after those claims went viral that any claims about MKUltra being involved in the assassination attempt were, “utterly false, absurd, and damaging.” Why are people online spreading this false story about Pelosi? We can only assume they’re either actively or unintentionally spreading false information that helps Trump. Many of the accounts that were sharing the false claim in its earliest iteration appear to have bios and images promoting the former and incoming president. HustleBitch, the account that appears to have shared the claim very early (if not possibly the first), has a history of sharing lies on the internet. That account was also one of the first to share a claim that a body double was actually used for Trump’s visit to watch a SpaceX launch with Elon Musk last month . But it’s not clear who’s actually behind the account. All we know for certain is that there’s no evidence that Thompson was killed because he was going to testify. And while Mangione’s lawyer has said his client intends to plead not guilty, all the available evidence seems to suggest that he may have been killed because his company makes billions of dollars in profits while denying life-saving medical coverage to Americans who are fed up with a broken healthcare system.Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo accused the federal government of orchestrating efforts to weaken opposition parties Gwarzo urged the electoral commission to intervene, emphasizing its role as an impartial umpire to safeguard democratic processes Gwarzo stressed that a vibrant opposition is crucial for democracy, warning that undermining it could jeopardize Nigeria’s democratic stability CHECK OUT: Learn at Your Own Pace! Our Flexible Online Course allows you to fit copywriting skills development around your busy schedule. Enroll Now! The Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has voiced concerns about what he describes as an orchestrated effort by the federal government to weaken opposition parties in Nigeria. Speaking during a verification exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) national headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, December 12, Gwarzo described the current political climate as hostile. “The national government is doing all it could to weaken opposition in the country. "What opposition parties are going through? We are going through hell, politically speaking. These crises left, right, and center—they are artificial. They are being engineered and sponsored," Gwarzo said. Read also Reactions as Tinubu meets with APC governors, photos, other details emerge PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! Call for INEC’s intervention Gwarzo urged INEC to take proactive steps to ensure a fair political playing field, emphasizing the electoral body’s role as an impartial umpire. “So INEC should have a way, as the arbitrator and umpire saddled with the responsibility of ensuring democratic development, to checkmate any untoward excesses of any national government in power,” he said. Vibrant opposition as democracy’s lifeblood, says Gwarzo Highlighting the importance of opposition parties in sustaining democracy, Gwarzo likened opposition to the “oxygen” of democratic governance. “I believe opposition, a vibrant opposition, is the oxygen of democracy in any given setting. Weakening it, or crippling it, will tantamount to killing democracy. If there is no oxygen within the system, certainly it will collapse,” Gwarzo stated. The Deputy Governor appealed for strategies to preserve and nurture vibrant opposition, warning that a weakened opposition could have dire consequences for Nigeria’s democratic future. Read also 2027: Presidency speaks on possibility of Tinubu losing election “I urge INEC to come up with words and means to ensure the survival of democracy by preventing any excessive actions that undermine the opposition,” Gwarzo concluded. Accord party vows to reclaim Nigeria from Tinubu Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Accord Party declared its determination to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape in the 2027 general elections. Specifically, the party vowed to reclaim Nigeria from the grip of the current administration led by President Bola Tinubu . Joseph Omorogbe, the Accord party’s National Publicity Secretary, made this bold statement during an exclusive interview with Legit.ng. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ng
BRITISH holidaymakers have been warned after five people including a British lawyer died following a suspected fake booze poisoning in Laos. Simone White, 28, from Orpington, Kent, died after falling ill when she was allegedly being served alcohol laced with methanol in the South East Asian holiday hotspot. 5 British lawyer Simone White, 28,has died 5 Bianca Jones, 19, has died in hospital 5 Some tourists reportedly became ill with suspected methanol poisoning after drinking at the Nana Backpacker hostel Credit: AP The British government has issued an urgent warning as 11 people, including Brits, remain in hospital after allegedly being served laced drinks at a bar in Vang Vieng, over 100 miles away from the Thailand border. Simone was hospitalised after it is feared she drank shots laced with methanol. She has now been confirmed as the fifth tourist to have died. Simone was an associate lawyer specialising in intellectual property and technology in London at the American law firm Squire Patton Boggs, The Times reports. She was an A-level pupil at St Olave's Grammar School in... Elizabeta Ranxburgaj
Japan Money Supply M2+CD (YoY) remains unchanged at 1.2% in November
Pfizer's PFE short percent of float has fallen 12.8% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 61.87 million shares sold short , which is 1.09% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 1.71 days to cover their short positions on average. Why Short Interest Matters Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. Short selling is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises. Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish. See Also: List of the most shorted stocks Pfizer Short Interest Graph (3 Months) As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Pfizer has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less shares are being shorted. Comparing Pfizer's Short Interest Against Its Peers Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis. According to Benzinga Pro , Pfizer's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 4.63%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers. Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Legault open to adopting provincial constitution before 2026 election
NoneEight parents from Delhi have approached the Supreme Court seeking the resumption of physical classes that were suspended last week following a spike in air pollution. The petitioners include a driver, who argued that the technology required for virtual classes is unavailable at many homes, and the mother of a specially-abled boy, who told the court that children with special needs require care that can only be made available by trained schoolteachers. A government school principal said there are many homes with limited financial means where three or more children are forced to share a smartphone to attend online classes, making it difficult to focus and learn. “At such homes, the attendance of the students drops to around 55% when physical classes are stopped. Private schools can conduct online classes, but it is not as easy for government schools,” said the principal. Anushree Shivpuri, mother of an eight-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder, said that her son has difficulty focusing, and online classes aggravate the condition. “In school, he has a shadow teacher who helps him explain concepts. At school, a teacher also helps with speech therapy, but all this cannot happen online,” she explained. Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu Public School, said her school has around 25 children with special needs who find it challenging to study online. Published - November 23, 2024 01:49 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit judiciary (system of justice) / pollution / air pollution
PHOENIX — Who needs Cam Thomas when the Nets have . . . Tyrese Martin? Thomas, the team’s leading scorer, was ruled out Wednesday after shootaround and will miss at least three weeks with a strained left hamstring. Yet the Nets somehow filled his shoes with a player on a two-way contract. Martin’s 30 points, including eight three-pointers, both career bests, catapulted the Nets past the Suns for a 127-117 win at Footprint Center. It was the second-year guard’s best night as a pro and helped the Nets get their first three-game win streak of the season. Martin walked into his postgame news conference still wet from being doused with water bottles in the locker room. It was the only thing that cooled him off after his best night as a pro. “It felt like I drowned in the ocean,” Martin said. His previous career-high was six points. He scored 33 combined points on 5-for-18 shooting in his previous 21 games over two seasons. In his 22nd game, Martin had a game players dream of. He made five three-pointers on his way to a 17-point first half. Martin’s final three-pointer put the Nets up 17 in the fourth quarter, stunning a crowd that had watched the Suns defeat the Lakers by 27 points Tuesday. Martin finished the game 10-for-13 shooting, including 8-for-10 on threes. “Unbelievable,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We’ve been on him with being ready to shoot, cutting to open up the paint. And he was just amazing. “He played a very mature game so very happy for him because he hasn’t had a lot of opportunities. It was just as improbable as Monday’s come-from-behind at Golden State. But Martin was just one unlikely source that helped the Nets (9-10) finish their road trip 3-1 while playing without several key players. Trendon Watford had a season-high 18 points off the bench. Ben Simmons had 14 points, his most since scoring 20 on Nov. 25, 2022, and added nine rebounds and eight assist. Dennis Schroder added 29 points, his second consecutive game with at least 20. But it was the non-stars that kept the Nets in the lead for almost the entire second half. The Nets raced out to a 17-3 run to open the third and grab their first lead. A Simmons steal led to a Ziaire Williams dunk. On the next play, Williams missed going for a steal but stayed with the play and got the steal eventually by forcing a turnover on Devin Booker. Even when the Suns (10-8) responded with 13-4 run to get within five, Schroder made a three-pointer followed by a Williams steal and dunk. Martin closed a Nets 12-5 run with a pair of free throws to end the period with the Nets up 96-84. It was another example of the collective effort the Nets used all season to exceed early expectations. The formula is simple — aggressive ball pressure on defense, shooting a high number of threes and competing until the final whistle. The Nets forced 17 turnovers and shot 42.9% on threes, the eighth time in the last nine games they shot at least 40% from deep. It provided consolation to a team that’ll be shorthanded. In addition to Thomas, Nic Claxton also sat out the game and is day-to-day with lower back injury management. Noah Clowney will miss at least two weeks with a sprained left ankle suffered Sunday. Jalen Wilson was ruled out with right calf tightness. Instead of running out of depth, the Nets found more in the tank. By game’s end, the Nets improved to 6-1 against the Western Conference and gave the Suns their second loss in 11 games this season with a healthy Kevin Durant. Durant scored 30 points against his former team and Devin Booker had a team-high 31. Both took a backseat to Martin walking in their arena and leaving with a name for himself and another moment for a gritty Nets team. “A lot of teams probably take us lightly when we come in town or whatever the case may be. But we’re here to compete and play hard,” Martin said. “So to do it on this stage against Hall of Fame players like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, things like that, definitely a surreal feeling.” Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.TORONTO, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inventus Mining Corp. (TSXV: IVS) (“Inventus” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that its 80-hole Phase 1 Drill Program is underway at the 100%-owned Pardo gold project located 65 km east of Sudbury, Ontario. The program aims to provide adequate drill data to support a future mineral resource estimate on the near surface mineralization that could potentially be exploited by open cut mining. The Company also reports it has been accepted into the Ontario Junior Exploration Program (“OJEP”), which provides funding grants by the Ontario Ministry of Mines to assist exploration projects within the province. The grant will provide funding for 50% of exploration expenditures to a maximum of $200,000, incurred on the Pardo Gold Project. Incentive stock options to acquire a total of 4,100,000 common shares of the Company have been granted to officers, directors, and employees at the exercise price of $0.07 per share for a period of five years. The options vest as to one-third after each of 6, 12, and 18 months from the grant date. For further information visit www.inventusmining.com , or contact: Mr. Wesley Whymark President and Head of Exploration Inventus Mining Corp. E-mail: wesley@inventusmining.com Phone: 705-822-3005 About Inventus Mining Corp. Inventus is a mineral exploration and development company focused on the world-class mining district of Sudbury, Ontario. Our principal assets are a 100% interest in the Pardo Paleoplacer Gold Project and the Sudbury 2.0 Critical Mineral Project located northeast of Sudbury. Pardo is the first important paleoplacer gold discovery found in North America. Inventus has approximately 183 million common shares outstanding. Forward-Looking Statements This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company’s future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as “believes”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “estimates”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “if”, “yet”, “potential”, “undetermined”, “objective”, or “plan”. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management’s expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company’s objectives, goals or future plans, statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to the failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, inability to fulfill the duty to accommodate First Nations and other indigenous peoples, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital and operating costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in the Company’s public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
SANTA CLARA — Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, 10 months since tearing his left Achilles in the Super Bowl , is suiting up for his first action since then. The 49ers activated Greenlaw off injured reserve some four hours before today’s 5:15 p.m. kickoff against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium. Not only is Greenlaw active but so are running back Isaac Guerendo (foot sprain) and defensive end Nick Bosa (oblique, hip), the latter of whom is returning from a three-game hiatus. Greenlaw has put in two weeks of practice and months of rehabilitation to recover from an injury that happened in bizarre fashion. After playing 12 snaps and making three tackles, he pounced off the 49ers’ sideline for their fourth defensive series, only to promptly fold onto the ground and stun everyone. Roughly nine minutes remained until halftime, with the 49ers ahead 3-0 in an eventual 25-22 overtime defeat . Greenlaw battled a right Achilles issue in the preceding two months, only to injure his left in non-contact fashion running onto the field after a punt pinned Kansas City at their 20-yard line. The 49ers’ defense parlayed Sunday’s return of safety Talanoa Hufanga into its best outing of the season, allowing just four yards in the first half of a 38-13 rout of the Chicago Bears. That snapped a three-game losing streak for the reigning NFC champions who are teetering on the brink of playoff elimination and/or contention Ruled out Wednesday from this game are left tackle Trent Williams, safety Malik Mustapha and offensive lineman Ben Bartch, who’s been placed on injured reserve to open a roster spot for Greenlaw’s comeback. Also out quarterback Joshua Dobbs, defensive tackle Khalil Davis, running back Israel Abanikanda and cornerback Rock Ya-Sin. DOC EDWARDS HONORED Dr. Harry Edwards, who’s consulted nearly 45 years for the 49ers, has been named their Inspire Change Changemaker, an award reflecting his work toward social justice. Edwards, 82, joined the 49ers under then-coach Bill Walsh in the early 1980s and helped the coach’s diversity-hiring efforts that have become a model across the league. This Changemaker award comes with a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation that Edwards himself will match and give to Heritage Home. A year ago, Edwards disclosed his battle with bone cancer. A UC Berkeley professor emeritus of sociology, he’s played a prominent role in sports protests and encouraged Black athletes to speak publicly about racial injustice, including Colin Kaepernick in 2016.Canadian investment fund Brookfield said Wednesday it has dropped its bid for Spanish pharmaceutical firm Grifols following disagreement over its valuation. Brookfield and the Grifols family, which owns about a third of the Barcelona-based company that makes medicine derived from blood plasma, have since July been in talks to take it private. Earlier this month Brookfield made a 6.45-billion-euro bid for Grifols, offering a tentative non-binding price of 10.50 euros ($11) per share. Grifols swiftly rejected the bid, saying it "significantly underestimated the fundamental prospects and long-term potential" of the company. In a statement sent to Spanish stock market regulator CNMV, Brookfield said it was "not in a position to continue with a potential offer" for Grifols. Grifols said its board agreed that "it is not feasible that the transaction goes ahead" and remains focused on "improving the company's long-term value". Its share price plunged in January after US hedge fund Gotham City released a research note accusing the company of "manipulating" its reported debt and operational results to "artificially reduce" its debt ratio, and therefore its financing costs. Grifols has repeatedly denied the allegations. Gotham City is a prominent "short-seller" hedge fund that borrows stock in a company and sells it, hoping to buy it back cheaper to return it to the lender and pocket the difference. Grifols traces its history back to 1909, first as a blood analysis and transfusion laboratory before specialising in products derived from blood plasma. It is present in more than 30 countries including Australia, the United States and Japan. It posted revenue of 6.6 billion euros in 2023, a 10.9 percent increase over the previous year. vab/imm/cw
AP Trending SummaryBrief at 3:17 p.m. ESTSC halts all mandir-masjid cases until 1991 Act verdict
EAST LANSING, Mich. — The sight was a common one for Andrew Kolpacki. For many a Sunday, he would watch NFL games on TV and see quarterbacks putting their hands on their helmets, desperately trying to hear the play call from the sideline or booth as tens of thousands of fans screamed at the tops of their lungs. When the NCAA's playing rules oversight committee this past spring approved the use of coach-to-player helmet communications in games for the 2024 season, Kolpacki, Michigan State's head football equipment manager, knew the Spartans' QBs and linebackers were going to have a problem. "There had to be some sort of solution," he said. As it turns out, there was. And it was right across the street. Kolpacki reached out to Tamara Reid Bush, a mechanical engineering professor who not only heads the school's Biomechanical Design Research Laboratory but also is a football season ticket-holder. Kolpacki "showed me some photos and said that other teams had just put duct tape inside the (earhole), and he asked me, 'Do you think we can do anything better than duct tape,?" Bush said. "And I said, 'Oh, absolutely.'" Bush and Rylie DuBois, a sophomore biosystems engineering major and undergraduate research assistant at the lab, set out to produce earhole inserts made from polylactic acid, a bio-based plastic, using a 3D printer. Part of the challenge was accounting for the earhole sizes and shapes that vary depending on helmet style. Once the season got underway with a Friday night home game against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30, the helmets of starting quarterback Aidan Chiles and linebacker Jordan Turner were outfitted with the inserts, which helped mitigate crowd noise. DuBois attended the game, sitting in the student section. "I felt such a strong sense of accomplishment and pride," DuBois said. "And I told all my friends around me about how I designed what they were wearing on the field." All told, Bush and DuBois have produced around 180 sets of the inserts, a number that grew in part due to the variety of helmet designs and colors that are available to be worn by Spartan players any given Saturday. Plus, the engineering folks have been fine-tuning their design throughout the season. Dozens of Bowl Subdivision programs are doing something similar. In many cases, they're getting 3D-printed earhole covers from XO Armor Technologies, which provides on-site, on-demand 3D printing of athletic wearables. The Auburn, Alabama-based company has donated its version of the earhole covers to the equipment managers of programs ranging from Georgia and Clemson to Boise State and Arizona State in the hope the schools would consider doing business with XO Armor in the future, said Jeff Klosterman, vice president of business development. XO Armor first was approached by the Houston Texans at the end of last season about creating something to assist quarterback C.J. Stroud in better hearing play calls delivered to his helmet during road games. XO Armor worked on a solution and had completed one when it received another inquiry: Ohio State, which had heard Michigan State was moving forward with helmet inserts, wondered if XO Armor had anything in the works. "We kind of just did this as a one-off favor to the Texans and honestly didn't forecast it becoming our viral moment in college football," Klosterman said. "We've now got about 60 teams across college football and the NFL wearing our sound-deadening earhole covers every weekend." The rules state that only one player for each team is permitted to be in communication with coaches while on the field. For the Spartans, it's typically Chiles on offense and Turner on defense. Turner prefers to have an insert in both earholes, but Chiles has asked that the insert be used in only one on his helmet. Chiles "likes to be able to feel like he has some sort of outward exposure," Kolpacki said. Exposure is something the sophomore signal-caller from Long Beach, California, had in away games against Michigan and Oregon this season. Michigan Stadium welcomed 110,000-plus fans for the Oct. 26 matchup between the in-state rivals. And while just under 60,000 packed Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, for the Ducks' 31-10 win over Michigan State three weeks earlier, it was plenty loud. "The Big Ten has some pretty impressive venues," Kolpacki said. "It can be just deafening," he said. "That's what those fans are there for is to create havoc and make it difficult for coaches to get a play call off." Something that is a bit easier to handle thanks to Bush and her team. She called the inserts a "win-win-win" for everyone. "It's exciting for me to work with athletics and the football team," she said. "I think it's really exciting for our students as well to take what they've learned and develop and design something and see it being used and executed." Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Deebo Samuel’s social media activity on Monday raised some questions about his happiness with the San Francisco 49ers . Samuel sent a cryptic post on X Monday that seemingly defended his lack of production in recent weeks. Samuel denied that he was struggling, instead claiming that he was “just not getting the ball.” Not struggling at all just not getting the ball!!!!!!! — Deebo (@19problemz) December 9, 2024 In a follow-up post, Samuel tried to clear up his comments, and denied that they were meant to be critical of any of his teammates. “Just cause I voice my opinions mean I’m hating on any of my teammates!!” he wrote. Just cause I voice my opinions mean I’m hating on any of my teammates!! Be Fr — Deebo (@19problemz) December 9, 2024 Regardless of intent, Samuel sounds unhappy, either with the coaching staff or with factors beyond his control. He had just two catches for 22 yards in Sunday’s 38-13 win over Chicago, and he has not had more than 22 receiving yards in a game since Week 10 against Tampa Bay. He only has two touchdowns on the season, and the most recent one of those came in Week 6 against Seattle. Sunday’s performance was concerning not just for the lack of production, but also the lack of involvement, as he was only targeted three times in the passing game. He did, however, get five rushing attempts, though he only tallied 13 yards off them. There were some reports that the 49ers at least considered trading Samuel last offseason. Those rumors may pop up again this offseason, especially if Samuel continues to sound frustrated about how his season is going. This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.Liberal: How To Fix the Dem Brand Democrats “would do well to remember how the party came back the last time it was in the political wilderness,” argues Al From at The Bulwark . “In 1985, I joined with a group of governors, senators, and representatives to form the Democratic Leadership Council.” In 1990, “Bill Clinton became chairman of the DLC” and went on to end “the Democrats’ losing streak,” as the party won the popular vote in seven elections from 1992 to 2020. How? We “shored up Democratic weaknesses on the economy, crime, and national security” and “eschewed interest group and identity politics” while being unafraid to “take on intraparty fights when necessary.” “The next generation of Democratic leaders can learn a lot by studying why the DLC was so successful.” Conservative: Even Lefties Now Hate ObamaCare “Progressives are at last acknowledging that ObamaCare is a failure,” at least based on their “social-media screeds against insurers, triggered by the murder” of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, notes The Wall Street Journal’s Allysia Finley . A CBS medical contributor also lamented that “health care is so inaccessible and unaffordable” that “people are justified in their frustrations,” while a new Gallup finds only 44% of Americans rate US health care good or excellent, down from 62% when Democrats passed ObamaCare in 2010. There’s no doubt why: “The U.S. is spending $2 trillion more on healthcare” than pre-ObamaCare, yet “Americans aren’t healthier.” And for young people, who rarely meet their premiums, the Obama law’s mandatory insurance is “worthless except in the event of a catastrophic emergency.” From the right: Patel Is Perfect for FBI “President-elect Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel as FBI director has sparked a frenzy of outrage,” snarks Rep. Devin Nunes at Fox News , who recalls Patel’s stalwart work for him “uncovering evidence that the entire Russia collusion narrative was a hoax funded by the Democratic Party and the Hillary Clinton campaign and weaponized by our own intelligence and law enforcement agencies.” Even when “directly threatened by top-level Department of Justice officials,” Patel “was fearless, methodical, and intelligent.” For an FBI chief who’ll “transform the bureau into an impartial, trustworthy law enforcement agency that zealously goes after criminals instead of political targets,” “Kash is, bar none, the right man for the job.” Final frontier: On to Titan — Maybe Permanently In “another win for Elon Musk’s launch company,” smiles Mark R. Whittington at the Hill , NASA chose the “SpaceX Falcon Heavy to launch the Dragonfly aerial probe to Titan” because it could “reduce the time Dragonfly would take to get to Titan.” SpaceX’s “relentless drive to make space launches cheaper and more reliable” has also “made the Artemis return to the moon program possible,” while “benefiting planetary missions as well.” When Dragonfly lands “in 2034, after a six-year voyage,” it’ll explore “using eight rotor blades as a vertical takeoff and landing drone” to “examine one of the most enigmatic celestial bodies in the solar system.” Who knows? “Children growing up today may live to see, in their old age, settlers braving the cold and deadly conditions of the strangest of new worlds, like Titan.” Libertarian: A Tentative Win for Small Business “Last week, a federal judge in Texas issued a temporary restraining order against a new requirement that small companies identify their owners to the federal government,” cheers Reason’s J.D. Tuccille . The judge found the law “didn’t even pretend to assert constitutional justification” for the rule. Good: “Many small businesses remain unaware of the intrusive rule” and face steep fines imposed via the Corporate Transparency Act in 2021, set to take effect in January. This follows a related federal-court ruling that imposed a nationwide injunction against the CTA — but the Biden administration “intends to appeal the decision,” so “the legal fight over the constitutionality of the CTA and the rules it imposes continues.” For now, “celebrate a welcome slap-down of an effort to expand government intrusions into new areas of our lives.” — Compiled by The Post Editorial BoardWASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors moved Monday to dismiss the criminal charges against President-elect Donald Trump that accused him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election and to abandon the classified documents case against him, citing longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had fiercely sought to hold Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president following his election victory this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him and is headed back to the White House. FILE - Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to the media about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, 2023, at an office of the Department of Justice in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) J. Scott Applewhite The decision, revealed in court filings, also amounts to a predictable but nonetheless stunning conclusion to criminal cases that had been seen as the most perilous of the multiple legal threats Trump has faced. It reflects the practical consequences of Trump’s victory, ensuring he enters office free from scrutiny over his hoarding of top secret documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Smith’s team emphasized that the move to abandon the prosecutions, in federal courts in Washington and Florida, was not a reflection of their view on the merits of the cases but rather a reflection of their commitment to longstanding department policy. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” the prosecutors wrote in Monday’s court filing in the election interference case. The decision was expected after Smith's team began assessing how to wind down both the 2020 election interference case and the separate classified documents case in the wake of Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. The Justice Department believes Trump can no longer be tried in accordance with longstanding policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Trump has cast both cases as politically motivated, and had vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) Brandon Bell The 2020 election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing the Republican as he vied to reclaim the White House. But it quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Smith’s team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence they planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of using “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden. ___ Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. George Walker IV, Associated Press Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. 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 appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Derik Hamilton Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Matt Rourke, Associated Press The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services 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. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he 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. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Matt Kelley, Associated Press Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Scott 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.” Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Sean 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. Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write 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. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He 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. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. Andy Cross, The Denver Post via AP President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. 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 in Connecticut. Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Evan Vucci Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. AP Photo/Evan Vucci Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. John Bazemore, Associated Press Karoline 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. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . 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.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Matt Rourke, Associated Press Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Jonathan Newton - pool, ASSOCIATED PRESS Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Paul Sancya, Associated Press Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. 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 as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” 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. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Oded Balilty, Associated Press Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also 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. Ted Shaffrey, Associated Press Stephen 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 administration. 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 who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. John Bazemore, Associated Press Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television 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. Matt Rourke, Associated Press Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Evan Vucci, Associated Press photos Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought 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 was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff 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 assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff 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. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. William McGinley, White House counsel McGinley was White House 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. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press
Trump Cabinet picks, appointees targeted by bomb threats and swatting attacksSAGINAW, MI — The Saginaw County Board of Commissioners could reprimand one of its members in the aftermath of a social media-based controversy . Officials said the county’s 11-member governing board will weigh a vote to censure Rich Spitzer during a special meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, at the Saginaw County Governmental Center, 111 S. Michigan in Saginaw. A censure is a board action expressing the group’s disapproval of one of its own members. A vote to censure Spitzer would not remove or reduce the Republican’s voting powers as a commissioner. The board could consider other measures limiting Spitzer’s powers, though, said Christopher Boyd, the board’s chairman. Boyd said the board also will vote Tuesday on a measure to remove Spitzer from county subcommittees that vote on recommendations forwarded to the larger board for consideration. However, commissioners this month could only strip Spitzer of his membership to those subcommittees for the remaining three weeks of 2024, Boyd said. And none of the eight subcommittees featuring Spitzer are scheduled to meet again during that timeframe, Boyd said. The board typically reshuffles subcommittee memberships each January, in part to accommodate new commissioners voters elected into office the previous November. Boyd said it’s possible commissioners next month could vote to limit Spitzer’s participation in the 2025 cycle of subcommittee assignments. “But that’s a decision for another day,” Boyd said. County commissioners are required to sit on at least two county subcommittees, the Democrat said. The Tuesday special meeting was called in response to community backlash relating to a since-deleted social media post Spitzer uploaded last month . Spitzer, 70, on his Facebook page shared the post of an individual who uploaded images of a woman in provocative poses. That individual was named Amaya Bradley, which was also the name of a woman who won a seat on the Saginaw Township Board of Trustees in November. In the Facebook post, Spitzer included his own commentary that read, “Election results are official, time to get to know one of your newly elected Saginaw Township Trustees.” Despite sharing the same name and both appearing as Black women, the Amaya Bradley referenced in Spitzer’s post was not the Amaya Bradley who won a Saginaw Township trustee seat. Spitzer said he learned he had misidentified the woman within minutes of uploading the post. Spitzer deleted the post and apologized, saying he was “devastated” about the case of mistaken identity. Still, community members — as well as Lisa Coney, a Democrat on the county Board of Commissioners — have called on Spitzer to resign. Some — including Trustee Bradley — have said Spitzer’s Facebook post amounted to racism and misogyny. Spitzer, who won his second term on the board in November, has said he does not plan to resign. He said he is neither a racist or a misogynist. Boyd said Spitzer’s Facebook post was “not representative of Saginaw County, and certainly not representative of the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners.” Last month, officials tasked the county’s administrative staff and attorneys to explore ways the board could reprimand Spitzer. State law prevents the public from organizing a recall effort until one year into Spitzer’s new term. That means he could not face a recall until next fall. Boyd said the board does not have the power to remove one of its own commissioners. Spitzer represents the county’s District 3 , which includes a slice of western Saginaw Township as well as part of eastern Thomas Township. About 18,000 people reside in the district, county records show. Another twist in the story: Bradley won one of four Saginaw Township trustee seats in the November election, resulting in the fifth-place finisher — Republican incumbent Connie Reppuhn — losing her place on the board by a slim, 13-vote margin. Reppuhn is Spitzer’s wife. Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free “ 3@3 ′′ daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw.The Mugshot Of UnitedHealthcare CEO Shooting Suspect Luigi Mangione Just Dropped
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