Three non-profits in Greater Sudbury are demanding action after they say a woman was subjected to racism at a local Food Basics. The Afro Women and Youth Foundation, Black Lives Matter Sudbury and the Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre released a joint statement Monday. On Dec. 19 at about 11 a.m., a woman using the alias "Mary" left the Afro Women and Youth Foundation's community centre carrying food donations in a used grocery bag. She then went to Food Basics, located at 1800 Lasalle Blvd., to buy additional items. There, she was wrongly accused, publicly searched without cause and denied an apology when no stolen items were found, according to the statement. "They removed her stuff on the floor, and searched through the backs, even though they saw that it was cultural food items that were not stocked on the shelves of food basics. So when they didn't find anything, she asked for an apology, which they said no," said Abena Tachie-Baffour, program co-ordinator for the Afro Women and Youth Foundation. "We have one of our placement students who was targeted at Walmart. I know another family from Ghana who had a similar incident at Real Canadian Superstore. So with the multiple incidents I'm beginning to think, there's systemic racism going around these whole issues." Blacks Lives Matter Sudbury members at a march in Sudbury. The group was among three organizations to allege racism. and demand action from a Food Basics in Sudbury. (Sarah MacMillan/CBC) According to the statement, the groups believe this is not an isolated incident but part of ongoing systemic anti-Black racism in Sudbury. It states that the treatment Mary endured reflects broader patterns of racial discrimination that Black individuals face daily, including heightened surveillance, suspicion and public humiliation. The organizations are demanding a public apology from Food Basics acknowledging the harm caused, as well as a municipal-led plan to address barriers to employment and housing for newcomers and combat anti-Black racism in the community. A spokesperson for Metro, the parent company of Food Basics, said the store manager called Mary once he found out, one day after the incident, to apologize and offer a $50 gift card. They further stated that they believed the woman was carrying food in a Food Basics reusable bag and felt it necessary to ensure all grocery items were properly scanned. They released a statement that reads, "the usual procedure was followed, and it was never intended to be racist. We want to reiterate our apologies to the customer, and we are sorry for any offence that has been caused." A selection of cultural Christmas food items, which were later carefully packed in a bag. It highlights the traditional ingredients shared at community gatherings during the holiday season. (Submitted by Abena Tachie-Baffour) "There's a growing number of people coming from different regions and countries, including members of the Black community," said Tachie-Baffour. "It's up to institutions to continuously educate their workers and those in direct contact with newcomers to bridge these barriers." Det. Const. Mark Renford, with the Greater Sudbury Police Service, said he does not believe hate-motivated incidents are on the rise. Instead, he said officers are doing a better job recognizing hate crimes, which has led to more charges. Video Edmonton police officer involved in fatal shooting of Black man back on duty. Victim's loved ones demand suspension "One of the main things with hate-motivated incidents is that they're underreported. I think in the last two years,... we've made sure that our officers are educated about what a hate crime looks like [and] that our officers are educated and aware that we take these types of scenarios, these types of cases based on the victims perspective," said Renford. Tachie-Baffour said she hopes more people will come forward to confront racism and advocate for themselves. "It's also an integral part of the whole community to get to know how to deal with newcomers, irrespective of skin colour, irrespective of skin shade. If we are we relate to each other from the point of view of empathy, I think we would go a long way to be a supportive community that can say that yes, we are open to newcomers.... Where people do not feel degraded because of their skin colour."Major poll puts Ireland’s lead parties near neck-and-neck
How co-writing a book threatened the Carters’ marriage
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The U.S. Senate will vote on the bipartisan Cardiomyopathy, Health Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools Act later this week. Also known as the HEARTS Act, it would put more automated external defibrillators in schools and also make CPR training more prevalent and accessible to schools across the country. Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, whose life was saved by an AED after going into cardiac arrest during a game, joined U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for the announcement. “Damar’s story shows that every minute counts," said Schumer. "If you don’t have one of these machines and CPR training, and you have to be taken to the hospital, it might be too long. It might be too late. But these machines make sure right away you get the help you need." According to the American Heart Association, as many as 23,000 children experience cardiac arrest in the United States every year. They say that plans to equip schools with the right skills and equipment can more than double survival rates from cardiac arrest. “The saddest calls I receive in my office are from parents who have lost their children because there was not someone around them that knew CPR or there was not an AED,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. If passed, the bill would be the first of its kind. The bipartisan legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously in September.
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President-elect Donald Trump has filled the key posts for his second term in office, prioritizing loyalty to him after he felt bruised and hampered by internal squabbling during his first term. Some of his choices could face difficult confirmation fights in the Senate, even with Republicans in control, and one candidate has already withdrawn from consideration. Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz was Trump's initial pick for attorney general, but he ultimately withdrew following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation he was embroiled in. Here's a look at Trump's choices: Trump would turn a former critic into an ally as the nation's top diplomat. Rubio , 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate before the slot went to JD Vance. Rubio is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His selection punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator once called a “con man" during his own unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. Hegseth , 44, was a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends Weekend” and had been a contributor with the network since 2014. He developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011 and earning two Bronze Stars. He lacks senior military and national security experience and would oversee global crises ranging from Europe to the Middle East. A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report recently made public. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and has denied any wrongdoing. Bessent , 62, is a former money manager for George Soros , a big Democratic donor, and an advocate for deficit reduction . He founded the hedge fund Key Square Capital Management after having worked on and off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, Bessent would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. Gabbard, 43, is a former Democratic House member from Hawaii who has been accused of echoing Russian propaganda. She unsuccessfully sought the party’s 2020 presidential nomination and left the party in 2022. Gabbard endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him. Gabbard has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades and deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. If confirmed she would come to the role as an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, spent several years in top national security and intelligence positions. Bondi , 59, was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist , Bondi also has served with the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-allied group that has helped lay the groundwork for his future administration. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush-money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appeared on Fox News and has been critical of the criminal cases against him. The Republican U.S. House member narrowly lost her reelection bid on Nov. 5 but had received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, Chavez-DeRemer would oversee the department's workforce and budget and put forth priorities that affect workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of a few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act that would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and penalize companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws in more than half the states. Lutnick heads the brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and is a cryptocurrency enthusiast. He is co-chair of Trump's transition operation, charged along with Linda McMahon, a former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration, with helping the president-elect fill key jobs in his second administration. As secretary, Lutnick would play a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. He would oversee a sprawling Cabinet department whose oversight ranges from funding new computer chip factories and imposing trade restrictions to releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. Noem is a well-known conservative who used her two terms as South Dakota's governor to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions like other states, instead declaring South Dakota “open for business.” More recently, Noem faced sharp criticism for writing in her memoir about shooting and killing her dog. She is set to lead a department crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda as well as other missions. Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Ratcliffe , a former U.S. House member from Texas, was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump’s first term. He led U.S. government’s spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. If confirmed, Ratcliffe will have held the highest intelligence positions in the U.S. Kennedy , 70, ran for president as a Democrat, then as an independent before he dropped out and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during his own presidential campaign. Kennedy's nomination alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Rollins , 52, is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for Trump's second administration. She is a Texas attorney who was Trump's domestic policy adviser and director of his office of American innovation during his first term. Rollins previously was an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry , who also served in Trump's first term. Rollins also ran the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years , sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential campaign, but was acquitted by the Senate. Collins also served in the armed forces himself. He is a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. The North Dakota governor , 68, is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump after he dropped out of the running. Burgum then became a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice in part because of his executive experience and business savvy. He also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump said Burgum would chair a new National Energy Council and have a seat on the National Security Council, which would be a first for the Interior secretary. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Wright is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. He also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. Wright said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. McMahon, a billionaire professional wrestling mogul , would make a return appearance in a second Trump administration. She led the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019 in Trump’s first term and twice ran unsuccessfully in Connecticut as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University. She has expressed support for charter schools and school choice. Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI" and "we will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.” Trump often attacked the Biden administration’s promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referred to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often said his administration would “drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Greer is a partner at King & Spalding, a Washington law firm. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be responsible for negotiating directly with foreign governments on trade deals and disputes, as well as memberships in international trade bodies such as the World Trade Organization. He previously was chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer, who was the trade representative in Trump's first term. Wiles , 67, was a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. She has a background in Florida politics , helping Ron DeSantis win his first race for Florida governor. Six years later, she was key to Trump’s defeat of him in the 2024 Republican primary. Wiles’ hire was Trump’s first major decision as president-elect and one that could be a defining test of his incoming administration considering her close relationship with him. Wiles is said to have earned Trump’s trust in part by guiding what was the most disciplined of Trump’s three presidential campaigns. Waltz is a three-term Republican congressman from east-central Florida. A former Army Green Beret , he served multiple tours in Afghanistan and worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Hassett, 62, is a major advocate of tax cuts who was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in the first Trump term. In the new role as chairman of the National Economic Council, Trump said Hassett will play an important role in helping American families recover from inflation as well as in renewing and improving tax cuts Trump enacted in 2017, many of which are set to expire after 2025. Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. He led the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Trump's first administration. Democrats have criticized Homan for defending Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings in the first term, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Vought, 48, held the position during Trump’s first presidency. He the founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought also was closely involved with Project 2025 , a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that Trump tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump’s priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump’s first term. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump’s policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation’s economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people living illegally in the U.S. Scavino was an adviser in all three of the president-elect's campaigns and was described by the transition team as one of “Trump’s longest serving and most trusted aides." He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino previously ran Trump’s social media profile in the White House. Blair was political director for Trump’s 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and an assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump’s economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump’s 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Leavitt , 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. McGinley was Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and they were golfing at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Kellogg , 80, is a highly decorated retired three-star general and one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an “America First” national security agenda for Trump's second term. He has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues and served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence . Kellogg also was chief of staff of the National Security Council under Trump and stepped in as an acting national security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned the post. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests. Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Huckabee has rejected a Palestinian homeland in territory occupied by Israel. His daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, served as White House press secretary in Trump's first term. Stefanik, 40, is a U.S. representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders dating to his first impeachment trial. She was elected chair of the House Republican Conference in 2021, the third-highest position in House leadership, after then-Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after she publicly criticized Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. A former acting attorney general during Trump's first administration and tight end on the University of Iowa football team, Whitaker , 55, has a background in law enforcement but not in foreign policy. A fierce Trump localist, Whitaker, is also a former U.S. attorney in Iowa and served as acting attorney general between November 2018 and February 2019 without Senate confirmation, until William Barr was confirmed for the role. That was when special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference was drawing to a close. Whitaker also faced questions about his past business dealings, including his ties to an invention-promotion company that was accused of misleading consumers. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. Oz , 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime TV talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz’s bid for elected office. Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor on Fox News. Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative after cardiac arrest, state should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Bhattacharya , 56, is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. As head of the NIH, the leading medical research agency in the United States, Trump said Bhattacharya would work with Kennedy Jr. to direct U.S. medical research and make important discoveries that will improve health and save lives. Bhattacharya is professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and was one of three authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, an October 2020 open letter maintaining that lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic were causing irreparable harm. Gaetz, 42, withdrew from consideration to become the top law enforcement officer of the United States amid fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed by the Senate. In choosing Gaetz, Trump had passed over more established lawyers whose names had been floated as possible contenders for the job. Gaetz resigned from Congress after Trump announced him on Nov. 13. The House Ethics Committee has been investigating an allegation that he paid for sex with a 17-year-old. Gaetz has denied wrongdoing. Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Zeke Miller, Farnoush Amiri, Lolita C. Baldor, Jill Colvin, Matthew Daly, Edith M. Lederer, Adriana Gomez Licon, Lisa Mascaro, Chris Megerian, Michelle L. Price, Will Weissert and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.Conference title games a chance at a banner, bragging rights and, for some, a season-wrecking loss
On December 13, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Technology and Division of Privacy and Identity Protection posted a set of recommendations related to the security risks posed by developing products like AI, targeted advertising and surveillance pricing tools. The overarching risk the FTC identifies in relation to product development is the potential for companies to create “valuable pools” of personal information that can be targeted and exploited by bad actors. Essentially, developing more and better datasets creates more cyber risk, particularly in the form of data breaches and digital threats like ransomware. The FTC’s recommendations focus on security practices in data management, software development and product design for humans, pointing to a number of recent enforcement actions as examples of security failures. Security in data management : The FTC highlights the importance of enforcing retention schedules, limiting third-party data sharing and encrypting sensitive data. Notably, the FTC also recommends mandatory deletion of data that “was ill-gotten, collected or sold without user consent or knowledge,” or “unnecessarily retained,” including models and algorithms trained on such data. Security in software development : The FTC notes the criticality of applying principles like “secure by design” to the development stage, including measures like building products using memory-safe programming languages, implementing rigorous testing ( g. , pre-release scanning and vulnerability testing), and securing external product access. Security in product design for humans : The FTC stresses the ongoing risk of human error as a factor in security breaches, outlining mitigation measures including enforcing least privilege access control, mandating the use of phishing-resistant MFA, and designing products and services without dark patterns that influence users to share more of their personal data. The FTC’s recommendations include various links to related FTC guidance and enforcement actions, and the agency reiterates its continued focus on digital security threats.Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing charged with murder in New York, court records showCentral Counterparty Bangladesh Limited (CCBL) has rejected concerns of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) over the lack of governance and transparency as well as operational inefficiencies at the clearing and settlement company. Instead, the CCBL alleged that its activities are being delayed due to the activities of other parties like the DSE, the company said in a detailed statement regarding these concerns last week. Farhad Ahmed, managing director and CEO of CCBL, confirmed that they issued the statement through letters to the concerned authorities, including the DSE and Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC). The DSE had written to the BSEC earlier this month, calling for an immediate halt to the procurement activities of CCBL on grounds of its poor governance. In response, CCBL said the DSE raised concerns that several of its procurement decisions were taken against the country's best interests, exposing critical technology infrastructure to external vulnerability. "But a little more detailed explanation would help us better understand the issue. All major stakeholders, including the DSE, CSE and CDBL, are using similar infrastructure, and CCBL is no exception," it added. A "CCP Formation Committee" was created at the initial stage with the DSE chairman acting as its committee chairman while the bourse's managing director and CEO was its member secretary. Additionally, several members were officials of the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) and various banks. "None of these members have raised the issue of not ensuring the best interest of the country by exposing critical technology infrastructure to external vulnerability," CCBL said. Regarding the nearly three-year delay in starting operations, CCBL said a total of 535 days elapsed for the appointment of independent directors, which was a delay from the BSEC side. And after the constitution of the first CCBL board, another 302 days were lost for reasons associated with the DSE. For instance, the bourse delayed the replacement of its nominated directors for the CCBL. Additionally, it took the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) 112 days to provide an opinion on the Request for Proposals from DSE nominated directors. Regarding the DSE's observation that it has no interaction between CCBL and its stakeholders, CCBL said it holds sufficient discussions and takes written feedback from major stakeholders like the DSE, CSE and Central Depository Bangladesh Limited (CDBL). CCBL informed that till date, it has held a total of 63 board meetings and innumerable committee meetings with the participation of DSE nominated directors. "No meeting of CCBL was ever held without their participation," it said. The DSE also gave an observation that there were irregularities in sharing quarterly and annual financial statements of CCBL with the bourse. CCBL firmly rejected this stance, saying all the reports were sent. DSE Chairman Mominul Islam said the bourse is not blaming CCBL for anything, but rather is simply urging it to review all these issues. The DSE is not only the largest shareholder, but also the largest stakeholder of CCBL, which is a nationally critical infrastructure of the country, he added. Islam informed that due to its importance, the DSE Brokers Association has urged the bourse to monitor whether CCBL is taking good decisions. Furthermore, Islam said CCBL informed that it maintains the international standard in operations. "Whether it is possible to make better decisions or buy infrastructure for less, we want to go ahead with the discussion [with CCBL]. So, hopefully we will be together soon," he added. Central Counterparty Bangladesh Limited (CCBL) has rejected concerns of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) over the lack of governance and transparency as well as operational inefficiencies at the clearing and settlement company. Instead, the CCBL alleged that its activities are being delayed due to the activities of other parties like the DSE, the company said in a detailed statement regarding these concerns last week. Farhad Ahmed, managing director and CEO of CCBL, confirmed that they issued the statement through letters to the concerned authorities, including the DSE and Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC). The DSE had written to the BSEC earlier this month, calling for an immediate halt to the procurement activities of CCBL on grounds of its poor governance. In response, CCBL said the DSE raised concerns that several of its procurement decisions were taken against the country's best interests, exposing critical technology infrastructure to external vulnerability. "But a little more detailed explanation would help us better understand the issue. All major stakeholders, including the DSE, CSE and CDBL, are using similar infrastructure, and CCBL is no exception," it added. A "CCP Formation Committee" was created at the initial stage with the DSE chairman acting as its committee chairman while the bourse's managing director and CEO was its member secretary. Additionally, several members were officials of the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) and various banks. "None of these members have raised the issue of not ensuring the best interest of the country by exposing critical technology infrastructure to external vulnerability," CCBL said. Regarding the nearly three-year delay in starting operations, CCBL said a total of 535 days elapsed for the appointment of independent directors, which was a delay from the BSEC side. And after the constitution of the first CCBL board, another 302 days were lost for reasons associated with the DSE. For instance, the bourse delayed the replacement of its nominated directors for the CCBL. Additionally, it took the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) 112 days to provide an opinion on the Request for Proposals from DSE nominated directors. Regarding the DSE's observation that it has no interaction between CCBL and its stakeholders, CCBL said it holds sufficient discussions and takes written feedback from major stakeholders like the DSE, CSE and Central Depository Bangladesh Limited (CDBL). CCBL informed that till date, it has held a total of 63 board meetings and innumerable committee meetings with the participation of DSE nominated directors. "No meeting of CCBL was ever held without their participation," it said. The DSE also gave an observation that there were irregularities in sharing quarterly and annual financial statements of CCBL with the bourse. CCBL firmly rejected this stance, saying all the reports were sent. DSE Chairman Mominul Islam said the bourse is not blaming CCBL for anything, but rather is simply urging it to review all these issues. The DSE is not only the largest shareholder, but also the largest stakeholder of CCBL, which is a nationally critical infrastructure of the country, he added. Islam informed that due to its importance, the DSE Brokers Association has urged the bourse to monitor whether CCBL is taking good decisions. Furthermore, Islam said CCBL informed that it maintains the international standard in operations. "Whether it is possible to make better decisions or buy infrastructure for less, we want to go ahead with the discussion [with CCBL]. So, hopefully we will be together soon," he added.
President-elect Donald Trump has filled the key posts for his second term in office, prioritizing loyalty to him after he felt bruised and hampered by internal squabbling during his first term. Some of his choices could face difficult confirmation fights in the Senate, even with Republicans in control, and one candidate has already withdrawn from consideration. Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz was Trump's initial pick for attorney general, but he ultimately withdrew following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation he was embroiled in. Here's a look at Trump's choices: Trump would turn a former critic into an ally as the nation's top diplomat. Rubio , 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate before the slot went to JD Vance. Rubio is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His selection punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator once called a “con man" during his own unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. Hegseth , 44, was a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends Weekend” and had been a contributor with the network since 2014. He developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011 and earning two Bronze Stars. He lacks senior military and national security experience and would oversee global crises ranging from Europe to the Middle East. A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report recently made public. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and has denied any wrongdoing. Bessent , 62, is a former money manager for George Soros , a big Democratic donor, and an advocate for deficit reduction . He founded the hedge fund Key Square Capital Management after having worked on and off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, Bessent would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. Gabbard, 43, is a former Democratic House member from Hawaii who has been accused of echoing Russian propaganda. She unsuccessfully sought the party’s 2020 presidential nomination and left the party in 2022. Gabbard endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him. Gabbard has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades and deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. If confirmed she would come to the role as an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, spent several years in top national security and intelligence positions. Bondi , 59, was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist , Bondi also has served with the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-allied group that has helped lay the groundwork for his future administration. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush-money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appeared on Fox News and has been critical of the criminal cases against him. The Republican U.S. House member narrowly lost her reelection bid on Nov. 5 but had received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, Chavez-DeRemer would oversee the department's workforce and budget and put forth priorities that affect workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of a few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act that would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and penalize companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws in more than half the states. Lutnick heads the brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and is a cryptocurrency enthusiast. He is co-chair of Trump's transition operation, charged along with Linda McMahon, a former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration, with helping the president-elect fill key jobs in his second administration. As secretary, Lutnick would play a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. He would oversee a sprawling Cabinet department whose oversight ranges from funding new computer chip factories and imposing trade restrictions to releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. Noem is a well-known conservative who used her two terms as South Dakota's governor to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions like other states, instead declaring South Dakota “open for business.” More recently, Noem faced sharp criticism for writing in her memoir about shooting and killing her dog. She is set to lead a department crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda as well as other missions. Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. Ratcliffe , a former U.S. House member from Texas, was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump’s first term. He led U.S. government’s spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. If confirmed, Ratcliffe will have held the highest intelligence positions in the U.S. Kennedy , 70, ran for president as a Democrat, then as an independent before he dropped out and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during his own presidential campaign. Kennedy's nomination alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Rollins , 52, is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for Trump's second administration. She is a Texas attorney who was Trump's domestic policy adviser and director of his office of American innovation during his first term. Rollins previously was an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry , who also served in Trump's first term. Rollins also ran the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years , sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential campaign, but was acquitted by the Senate. Collins also served in the armed forces himself. He is a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. The North Dakota governor , 68, is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump after he dropped out of the running. Burgum then became a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice in part because of his executive experience and business savvy. He also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump said Burgum would chair a new National Energy Council and have a seat on the National Security Council, which would be a first for the Interior secretary. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Wright is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. He also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. Wright said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. McMahon, a billionaire professional wrestling mogul , would make a return appearance in a second Trump administration. She led the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019 in Trump’s first term and twice ran unsuccessfully in Connecticut as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University. She has expressed support for charter schools and school choice. Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI" and "we will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.” Trump often attacked the Biden administration’s promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referred to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often said his administration would “drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Greer is a partner at King & Spalding, a Washington law firm. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be responsible for negotiating directly with foreign governments on trade deals and disputes, as well as memberships in international trade bodies such as the World Trade Organization. He previously was chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer, who was the trade representative in Trump's first term. Wiles , 67, was a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. She has a background in Florida politics , helping Ron DeSantis win his first race for Florida governor. Six years later, she was key to Trump’s defeat of him in the 2024 Republican primary. Wiles’ hire was Trump’s first major decision as president-elect and one that could be a defining test of his incoming administration considering her close relationship with him. Wiles is said to have earned Trump’s trust in part by guiding what was the most disciplined of Trump’s three presidential campaigns. Waltz is a three-term Republican congressman from east-central Florida. A former Army Green Beret , he served multiple tours in Afghanistan and worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Hassett, 62, is a major advocate of tax cuts who was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in the first Trump term. In the new role as chairman of the National Economic Council, Trump said Hassett will play an important role in helping American families recover from inflation as well as in renewing and improving tax cuts Trump enacted in 2017, many of which are set to expire after 2025. Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. He led the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Trump's first administration. Democrats have criticized Homan for defending Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings in the first term, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Vought, 48, held the position during Trump’s first presidency. He the founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought also was closely involved with Project 2025 , a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that Trump tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump’s priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump’s first term. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump’s policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation’s economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people living illegally in the U.S. Scavino was an adviser in all three of the president-elect's campaigns and was described by the transition team as one of “Trump’s longest serving and most trusted aides." He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino previously ran Trump’s social media profile in the White House. Blair was political director for Trump’s 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and an assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump’s economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump’s 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Leavitt , 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. McGinley was Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and they were golfing at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Kellogg , 80, is a highly decorated retired three-star general and one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an “America First” national security agenda for Trump's second term. He has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues and served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence . Kellogg also was chief of staff of the National Security Council under Trump and stepped in as an acting national security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned the post. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests. Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Huckabee has rejected a Palestinian homeland in territory occupied by Israel. His daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, served as White House press secretary in Trump's first term. Stefanik, 40, is a U.S. representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders dating to his first impeachment trial. She was elected chair of the House Republican Conference in 2021, the third-highest position in House leadership, after then-Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after she publicly criticized Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. A former acting attorney general during Trump's first administration and tight end on the University of Iowa football team, Whitaker , 55, has a background in law enforcement but not in foreign policy. A fierce Trump localist, Whitaker, is also a former U.S. attorney in Iowa and served as acting attorney general between November 2018 and February 2019 without Senate confirmation, until William Barr was confirmed for the role. That was when special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference was drawing to a close. Whitaker also faced questions about his past business dealings, including his ties to an invention-promotion company that was accused of misleading consumers. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. Oz , 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime TV talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz’s bid for elected office. Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor on Fox News. Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative after cardiac arrest, state should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Bhattacharya , 56, is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. As head of the NIH, the leading medical research agency in the United States, Trump said Bhattacharya would work with Kennedy Jr. to direct U.S. medical research and make important discoveries that will improve health and save lives. Bhattacharya is professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and was one of three authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, an October 2020 open letter maintaining that lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic were causing irreparable harm. Gaetz, 42, withdrew from consideration to become the top law enforcement officer of the United States amid fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed by the Senate. In choosing Gaetz, Trump had passed over more established lawyers whose names had been floated as possible contenders for the job. Gaetz resigned from Congress after Trump announced him on Nov. 13. The House Ethics Committee has been investigating an allegation that he paid for sex with a 17-year-old. Gaetz has denied wrongdoing. Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Zeke Miller, Farnoush Amiri, Lolita C. Baldor, Jill Colvin, Matthew Daly, Edith M. Lederer, Adriana Gomez Licon, Lisa Mascaro, Chris Megerian, Michelle L. Price, Will Weissert and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.TEHRAN – Sources within the Iranian government have allegedly told Japan’s Kyodo News that Iranian officials are considering approaching Japan for assistance in facilitating negotiations with the upcoming U.S. administration under Donald Trump. Tehran has not yet reacted to the report. Japan has historically maintained friendly relations with Iran, making it a potential neutral party in the delicate negotiations. Should Iran formally request mediation and Japan agree, analysts believe that Japan could play a pivotal role in easing tensions between Tehran and Washington. It is believed that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi especially has close ties with Japan, as he served as an ambassador there for several years. Relations between Iran and the U.S. have been strained since Iranians toppled the U.S.-controlled Shah regime in 1979. However, tensions have significantly worsened in recent years, particularly after the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from an international nuclear agreement with Iran in 2018 and imposed heavy sanctions. Iranian officials have stated they would negotiate with the U.S. if they believe it would serve their national interests. Tehran is currently preparing for a second round of talks with Germany, Britain, and France after convening with the European trio in November following almost 2 years of no direct negotiations.
Teenage photographer Liz Hatton who inspired Princess Kate dies aged 17Aiming to leave the relegation zone, Crawley Town welcome a Rotherham United side four places higher than them in the League One table in Saturday's gameweek 17 match at the Broadfield Stadium. Rob Elliot 's side are unbeaten in three and extending that run could see them leave the bottom four places against an opponent keen to avoid three consecutive away losses. © Imago Despite a rough start since Elliot replaced Scott Lindsey in October, Crawley's results are seemingly improving entering the final weeks of 2024. The new Red Devils boss oversaw three league losses on the trot against Wycombe Wanderers (0-1), Shrewsbury Town (3-5) and Reading (1-4), but the tide seems to be turning. Although the West Sussex side were defeated by Northampton Town 3-0 to close out October, the club have notched a 3-0 success against Lincoln City and secured draws against Burton Albion (0-0), Huddersfield Town (2-2) and Bristol Rovers (0-0). Despite firing blanks in two of their last three league outings, the 21st-placed club will be pleased by securing two clean sheets in that period, taking them to three in the previous five League One games. Crawley, whose only league shutout before the recent three came against Cambridge in mid-August, have tripled that number and aim to record a fourth at Rotherham's expense. Success for the hosts will be their second home triumph in three games as hosts in the competition, potentially taking them above Leyton Orient or Wigan, who sit one point ahead in the standings. © Imago Rotherham hope to prevent that outcome this weekend, keen to avoid getting sucked into the relegation battle with November drawing to a close. While Crawley have played one game more than the Millers, both sides are separated by four points entering this weekend's round, and defeat leaves Steve Evans ' team looking over their shoulder. Even though the form table shows that both sides have notched three points apiece in the previous four games, the away side have suffered three defeats to the hosts' zero, highlighting their ongoing struggles to avoid defeat. With consecutive road losses at Leyton Orient (0-1) and Barnsley (0-2), the travelling support aim to avoid a third on the spin on Saturday, a League Two experience not suffered since January 2007 when they lost to Tranmere Rovers (1-2), Millwall (0-4) and Doncaster Rovers (2-3). © Imago Ryan Sandford (ankle) is a long-term absentee for Crawley, while Dion Conroy and Eddie Beach have been out injured since July and September, respectively. Junior Quitirna , scorer of four goals for the Red Devils this term, aims to add to that tally for the relegation-threatened hosts. Although Rotherham have no reported absentees heading into Saturday, Evans could make alterations to the side to avoid a third consecutive road reverse. He hopes to count on the game-deciding expertise of Sam Nombe and Mallik Wilks , who seek to add to their three goals on Saturday. Crawley Town possible starting lineup: Wollacott; Mullarkey, Barker, Flint; Anderson, Ibrahim, Williams, Kelly; Quitirna, Darcy; Swan Rotherham United possible starting lineup: Dawson; Rafferty, Humphreys, Jules, Bramall; Odoffin, Tiehi, Powell; Nombe, Wilks, Hungbo While Crawley hope to capitalise on Rotherham's recent losing run on their travels, the club with the third-worst home record may have to settle for a point when the Millers visit East Sussex this weekend. For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here .Aaron Rodgers is feeling healthy and will be the New York Jets' starting quarterback as long as that remains the case. Whether he's in the huddle beyond this season is still to be decided — by the Jets and Rodgers. “Football life is interesting because there’s no guarantees,” Rodgers said Wednesday. "Even with injuries, obviously, with contract situations, with age, with coaching changes, new scheme possibly, new system. There’s a lot of unknowns, so that stuff is out of my control. “I’m just going to enjoy these times here and let the future take care of itself.” Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said Rodgers returned from the team's bye-week break appearing physically refreshed and ready to go. The quarterback was not on the Jets' injury report Wednesday for the first time since Week 4. “Definitely, as long as he’s healthy, my plan is to play him,” Ulbrich said. “And I know talking to him, that’s the way he wants to do it, too.” Rodgers, who turns 41 on Monday, has dealt with various injuries to his left leg, including a sore knee, sprained ankle and balky hamstring. And that’s after coming off a torn Achilles tendon in the same leg that limited him to just four snaps last season. “He’s doing better today than he has for quite a while now,” Ulbrich said. “After my conversations with him the last five or six weeks, he has felt healthier today than he’s felt in that time span.” That echoes what Rodgers said during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, when he said he “feels good.” Rodgers said he's still contemplating whether he wants to play football next season, but would prefer it be with the Jets if he does return. He reiterated that Wednesday after practice and explained why his tone has changed a bit from a few weeks ago when he said “I think so, yeah,” when he was asked if he planned to play next year. “If you look at what transpired in those two weeks, Joe (Douglas) got axed,” Rodgers said, referring to the Jets' former general manager who was fired last week. "Joe brought me in here. There’s uncertainty with, you know, everybody on the staff, so I’m not naive to what the situation is. And if a new GM comes in and they don’t retain Brick, I have to fit in those plans, so that’s kind of the first part. “Like I said, on ”The Pat McAfee Show," this is my first option. I’d love to play here if I end up deciding to play. But there’s got to be a want for them to want to bring me back, and for me to want to play. But ‘I think so’ was the truth, and ‘I’m not 100% sure’ is also the truth today." Rodgers, who is having a subpar season statistically, has been noticeably affected by his leg ailments — and that's something that could be much improved starting Sunday against Seattle. “I’m super excited about getting him going, whether it’s the keepers, the boots, a little bit more quarterback movement,” Ulbrich said. “Taking advantage of the stuff that he’s done at a Hall of Fame level his entire career. So, excited to see a healthier version of Aaron out there.” There was some speculation that the Jets, who are 3-8 and close to falling mathematically out of the playoff hunt, could opt to sit Rodgers in favor of Tyrod Taylor with his playing future uncertain. “He is a very prideful person,” Ulbrich said. “He wants to finish this thing off right. He wants to celebrate this team that we have and have a good taste in our mouths as we leave this season.” Rodgers has been very complimentary of Ulbrich as a leader, saying he's “definitely all-in” on the interim coach and would like to see him get the full-time job for next season. “Again, that’s out of my control,” Rodgers said. "I mean, I’m not going to say Brick or nothing. I need to see how I’m feeling. Obviously, I would love to play for Brick again. He’s a fantastic human being, but there’s a lot of things that can change in the next six weeks. “There could be some really good feelings coming out of this or there could be wholesale changes — and I might be a part of that.” Those changes could include two coaches Rodgers is closest with in offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and passing game coordinator Todd Downing. “Them not being here would not be a deal breaker for me,” Rodgers said, “although I obviously love them.” Owner Woody Johnson is using The 33rd Team, with former GMs Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman leading the project, to identify and analyze candidates for the Jets' coach and GM searches. Rodgers is unsure if Johnson will seek his input on those decisions. “I’m always available if my opinion is wanted, but I’m going to focus on playing right now,” Rodgers said. “If I get drawn in those conversations, fantastic. If I don’t, that’s fantastic, too.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Aaron Cooley's 17 points helped Brown defeat Stony Brook 77-54 on Wednesday. Cooley also contributed five rebounds for the Bears (4-3). AJ Lesburt Jr. scored 16 points, going 6 of 10 (4 for 8 from 3-point range). Landon Lewis shot 5 of 8 from the field to finish with 12 points, while adding eight rebounds. Joseph Octave finished with 24 points, seven rebounds and two steals for the Seawolves (2-5). Stony Brook also got 17 points and three steals from Ben Wight. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing charged with murder in New York, court records show
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