WATERTOWN, Mass., Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tectonic Therapeutic, Inc. (NASDAQ: TECX) (Tectonic), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of therapeutic proteins and antibodies that modulate the activity of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), today announced that Alise Reicin, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, will present at the Piper Sandler 36 th Annual Healthcare Conference being held in New York on December 3-5, 2024. For more information regarding one-on-one meetings, please contact your Piper Sandler representative. The live webcast can also be accessed under “ Events & Presentations ” on the Investors section of the Tectonic website at www.tectonictx.com . Once the conference has concluded, a replay of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website for approximately 90 days. About Tectonic Tectonic is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of therapeutic proteins and antibodies that modulate the activity of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Leveraging its proprietary GEODeTM (GPCRs Engineered for Optimal Discovery) technology platform, Tectonic is focused on developing biologic medicines that overcome the existing challenges of GPCR-targeted drug discovery and harness the human body to modify the course of disease. Tectonic focuses on areas of significant unmet medical need, often where therapeutic options are poor or nonexistent, as these are areas where new medicines have the potential to improve patient quality of life. Tectonic is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.tectonictx.com and follow on LinkedIn .New Delhi: Former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh breathed his last on Thursday night at Delhi's AIIMS. He was 92. Singh served as the Prime Minister for a two full stint between 2004-2014. He is widely hailed as India's architect of the 1991 economic reforms which changed the future of the country. In 1991, Manmohan Singh was the Finance Minister of India, when the three key reforms -- liberalisation, globalistation and privatisation -- were brought in to save the economy from the brink of a collapse. Then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao led a wave of transformative economic reforms, dismantling the licence raj, deregulating industries, and introducing groundbreaking changes in taxation, foreign direct investment, and trade. As Finance Minister, Manmohan Singh played a pivotal role in liberalising the Indian economy during a time of immense financial strain. Faced with soaring fiscal and balance of payments deficits, and foreign exchange reserves sufficient for just a few weeks of imports, the government turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance — the first and only instance of its kind — pledging gold reserves to secure funds. The reforms led by Manmohan Singh in 1991 reshaped India’s economic and business landscape. His policies facilitated the privatisation of public sector enterprises, liberalised trade, and catalysed the growth of numerous industries. They also bolstered the middle class by increasing disposable income, which fuelled consumerism. By easing export-import regulations and enhancing the ease of doing business, the reforms spurred an entrepreneurial boom and opened India to a global marketplace of goods and services. During this period, the National Stock Exchange (NSE), now India’s largest stock exchange, was established in 1992. Manmohan Singh’s vision and decisive actions not only averted an economic collapse but also charted a course for monumental growth, cementing his legacy as a savior of the Indian economy. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Economy, Business Economy and around the world.
People up and down the country were treated to some wholesome TV on Christmas Day, including a Gavin and Stacey special, a Coronation Street double whammy, and a new Wallace and Gromit movie. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl was released on BBC on Christmas Day and featured the return of criminal penguin Feathers McGraw from the 1993 film The Wrong Trousers. The new stop motion masterpiece is the sixth Wallace and Gromit movie and features Ben Whitehead as the voice of Gromit, his first appearance since Peter Sallis' retirement in 2010 and subsequent passing. Vengeance Most Fowl is the first Wallace and Gromit film to be made since A Matter of Loaf and Death in 2008 and which followed after The Curse of the Were-Rabbit in 2005. Rotten Tomatoes has awarded the new film a whopping 100 per cent score and describes the film as: "Comforting as cheese and crackers, with some gentle ribbing of modern technology sprinkled on top, Vengeance Most Fowl revives this lovable pair with all their charm intact." In the new film, Wallace invents a robotic garden gnome named Norbot to assist with odd jobs around town, but Gromit grows concerned about his increasing dependence on technology. Their old rival feathers McGraw reappears to hack into Wallace's computer, reprogram Norbot, and create an army of gnomes for his nefarious schemes. The new film aired on BBC on Christmas Day (Image: Dave Benett/WireImage) As a series of thefts occur, Wallace gets wrongfully accused and it's up to Gromit to rescue him and save the day as usual. There are currently no public plans for another Wallace and Gromit film but perhaps we will see the lovable characters return again. Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is available to watch on iPlayer and will be internationally released to Netflix in the new year. As well as Wallace and Gromit, Gavin and Stacey and other shows on Christmas Day, there will be an Outnumbered special episode airing at 9:40 on BBC One, five years since its last episode.
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Aston Villa says it has failed in an attempt to have Jhon Duran’s red card at Newcastle overturned on appeal. The 21-year-old Colombia international was sent off 32 minutes into a 3-0 defeat in the Premier League at St. James’ Park on Thursday after appearing to stamp on defender Fabian Schar, prompting a furious reaction from Villa head coach Unai Emery, who later indicated that the club would appeal. However, Villa said Friday night that its bid was unsuccessful and the forward will now serve a three-match ban for violent conduct. “Aston Villa can confirm that our decision to appeal Jhon Duran’s red card in our match with Newcastle United has been rejected," a statement on Villa’s official X account read. "The player will now miss our next three matches.” Duran will miss Premier League games against Brighton and Leicester, followed by Villa's FA Cup third-round match with West Ham on Jan. 10. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerAston Villa fails in its bid to overturn Jhon Duran’s red card at Newcastle
The NFL aired two games on Christmas Day in 2024, a move that may have angered the NBA while also bringing in impressive viewership figures. What Happened : While many sports leagues see strong viewership in the United States, the NFL has been king for years and that may have been even more evident with streaming records set Wednesday for its premiere on streaming giant Netflix Inc NFLX . Two NFL Christmas Day games featuring four teams who have made the NFL Playoffs broke records for the league with an average of 24.1 million viewers for the earlier Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers game and an average of 24.3 million viewers for the Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans game. The ratings beat a previous NFL streaming record of 23 million set by Comcast Corporation CMCSA with an exclusive game on Peacock during the previous NFL Playoffs. The figures also broke a regular-season record of 17.92 million set by the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers on Amazon.com Inc AMZN owned Prime Video in December, as reported by FrontOfficeSports . Netflix said Nielsen data showed 65 million U.S. viewers watched at least one minute of the NFL games, with average viewership peaking at 27 million during Beyoncé’s halftime performance in the Ravens and Texans game. NBA superstar LeBron James might not want to see the viewership figures and hear about the records. After the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, James declared the holiday as belonging to the NBA. "I love the NFL. I love the NFL. But Christmas is our day," James said. Read Also: Netflix To Release ‘Beyoncé Bowl’ NFL Halftime Performance As Standalone Special Can NBA and NFL Both Win? : While Christmas produced records for the NFL, the NBA also enjoyed a strong day for viewership. The NBA aired five games on Christmas Day, which aired on ABC, ESPN, ESPN+ and Disney+, all units of The Walt Disney Company DIS . NBA Christmas Day games averaged 5.25 million viewers, up 84% year-over-year. Helping the viewership may have been the teams involved and the fact that all five games were available on ABC, while only two were last year. This figure is the highest for the NBA on the holiday in five years. The Lakers and Warriors game averaged 7.76 million viewers, ranking as the NBA's most-watched Christmas Day game since 2019. For the 2024 NBA season, viewership is now down 4% year-over-year after the Christmas day games, compared to being down 18% year-over-year ahead of Wednesday. NBA viewership on ESPN platforms is now up 4% year-over-year, as reported by Deadline . The NBA could also benefit from the Christmas Day games, with its owned NBA League Pass reporting its most-viewed Christmas Day ever. What's Next: For the NFL, encroaching on other sports isn't exactly new and likely won't be changing anytime soon. The NFL began Monday Night Football games in 1970 and later added Thursday Night Football games in 2006, which now stream on Prime Video. NFL games air on Saturdays during December and January, diverging from the league’s usual avoidance of the day for most of the season due to NCAA Football and the restrictions of the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act. This year, the NCAA expanded its College Football Playoffs from four to 12 teams, leading to a rare head-to-head clash with the NFL last weekend. On Saturday, Dec. 21, the NFL had two games, and there were three College Football Playoffs games, with two airing on TNT Sports, a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery WBD , and one airing on ABC and ESPN. Netflix has a three-year deal with the NFL and will stream at least one game on Christmas for the next two seasons. The increase in Christmas Day games from the NFL might come as a bit of a surprise after the league said last year it was only scheduling games on Christmas 2023 because the day fell on Monday, a traditional NFL date, as reported by NBC Sports. The league said it wouldn't schedule games on Christmas if it fell on a Tuesday or Wednesday previously, according to the report, but strong viewership last year and the potential for more money may have changed the league's mind. Netflix has more sports content coming with its WWE deal through a partnership with TKO Group Holdings TKO , premiering on Jan. 6. The NBA is likely stuck with going head-to-head with the NFL on Christmas Day, regardless of what day the holiday falls on. One way for the NBA to get back at the NFL would be to start scheduling games on Thanksgiving , a date the league has avoided due to the NFL having three games that day. NFLX Price Action: Netflix stock was down 1.8% to $907.55 on Friday, versus a 52-week trading range of $461.86 to $941.75. Read Next: If You Invested $1,000 In Netflix Stock When ‘Squid Game’ Was Released, Here’s How Much You’d Have Today Photo: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Teen actor Hudson Meek, who appeared in ‘Baby Driver,’ dies after falling from moving vehicleNokia Corporation Stock Exchange Release 27 December 2024 at 22:30 EET Nokia Corporation: Repurchase of own shares on 27.12.2024 Espoo, Finland – On 27 December 2024 Nokia Corporation (LEI: 549300A0JPRWG1KI7U06) has acquired its own shares (ISIN FI0009000681) as follows: * Rounded to two decimals On 22 November 2024, Nokia announced that its Board of Directors is initiating a share buyback program to offset the dilutive effect of new Nokia shares issued to the shareholders of Infinera Corporation and certain Infinera Corporation share-based incentives. The repurchases in compliance with the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR), the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 and under the authorization granted by Nokia’s Annual General Meeting on 3 April 2024 started on 25 November 2024 and end by 31 December 2025 and target to repurchase 150 million shares for a maximum aggregate purchase price of EUR 900 million. Total cost of transactions executed on 27 December 2024 was EUR 3,740,926. After the disclosed transactions, Nokia Corporation holds 220,370,243 treasury shares. Details of transactions are included as an appendix to this announcement. On behalf of Nokia Corporation BofA Securities Europe SA About Nokia At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs. With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future. Inquiries: Nokia Communications Phone: +358 10 448 4900 Email: press.services@nokia.com Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications Nokia Investor Relations Phone: +358 40 803 4080 Email: investor.relations@nokia.com Attachment Daily Report 2024-12-27
Coleen Rooney reveals remark Trump made about her at White House meeting
Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us, There are considerable and insidious forces at play when it comes to the development of the war in Ukraine ; a swirling mass of think tanks, globalists and bureaucrats are doing everything in their power to instigate an international conflict between the US, the EU and Russia. They’ve specifically been looking for a way to leverage the western populace into supporting direct and open warfare. At the beginning of the event the propaganda was very effective in herding the political left into cheering for NATO involvement, with leftists calling for the “cancellation” of Russia and demanding boots on the ground to “wipe them off the face of the Earth.” One of those rabid activists (Ryan Routh) even tried to assassinate Donald Trump, ostensibly because Trump promised immediate peace negotiations with Russia should he become president again. The Democratic Party, once considered the “anti-war party”, is now the warhawk party. Add to that a gaggle of frothing Neo-Cons (leftists and globalists posing as conservatives) like Lindsay Graham and Mitt Romney, and it’s difficult to see how we will be able to avoid an escalation. There are people on both sides trying to trigger greater bloodshed and anyone who calls for peace comes under threat of assassination. Russia and Vladimir Putin have culpability of their own and one could argue that the east vs west paradigm is itself a brand of theater. However, the evidence for now leans heavily towards globalist think-tank instigation, leading to the Maidan coup in Ukraine in 2014, the flood of NATO weapons and “advisers” into the country under the Obama Administration and the deep involvement of Lindsay Graham, John McCain and The Atlantic Council in attempts to secure EU and NATO membership for the country; a red line which Russia consistently warned would lead to confrontation. Keep in mind, the promise made by NATO to Russia in the 1990s was that they would not attempt to move east once Russia tore down the Berlin Wall and unified Germany. NATO activities in Ukraine violate that promise in numerous ways. In January of 2022 I predicted that open war in the region was highly likely given the ultimate failure of the covid lockdowns and mandates (The Great Reset plan). The establishment needed a new global crisis to instill public fear, and they also needed a scapegoat for the ongoing stagflationary decline in the west. It’s only natural that they would turn to the classic fallback of world war after their previous agenda failed to get the results they wanted. In September of 2022 after NATO flooded Ukraine with weapons and foreign “mercenaries” I predicted that Russia would adopt an attrition warfare strategy with increased attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure. This has been their strategy ever since and now Ukraine faces a winter with an 85% loss in their power grid as Russian forces roll forward mile by mile on the Eastern and southern fronts. Russian forces are taking long standing Ukrainian strongholds with complex defensive works and Ukrainian troop strength is dwindling. Ukraine is losing the war by every metric and I now predict they have a year or less before complete defensive collapse. The corporate media will not talk about these developments. They will diminish them until Russia is on the verge of gaining a vast amount of ground and then they will act indignant, saying “How could this have happened?” Then they will call for western troops to enter the fray (it’s already starting). The only thing that might stop this outcome is Donald Trump’s promise to force negotiations between the Kremlin and Kyiv on day one of his administration. The problem is, that’s another two months away and the globalists are using that window of time to sabotage any future peace efforts. Their goal is to turn the proxy war into an open international conflagration. In August in my article ‘Globalists Are Trying To Escalate The Ukraine War Into WWIII Before The US Election’ I outlined a theory on what was likely to happen if the establishment saw a possible shift in US and EU sentiment towards continuing support for Ukraine: “ But how do they turn the proxy war into a world war without looking like the bad guys? That’s the trick, isn’t it? The proxy (in this case, Ukraine) would have to take actions that provoke Russia into an explosive outburst. Russia would have to utilize tactics or weaponry that puts a vast number of civilians at risk, requiring greater NATO involvement and perhaps even UN intervention...” I noted that the greenlight for use of long range missile systems provided by the US and Europe could be the trigger the globalists were looking for: “ Long range strikes into Russia, I believe, will set in motion more Russian strikes on major cities in the west of Ukraine where the majority of the population lives. These areas have gone largely untouched during the duration of the war. Putin, despite what the media claims, has been careful to limit the targeting of larger civilian centers. That will end if NATO missiles hit Russian cities...” “ The idea that ballistic volleys into Russia using NATO supplied missiles won’t result in Putin using MOABs or nukes is truly insane. Keep in mind, long range strikes into Russia will do nothing to change the conditions on the ground in the Donbas...” I outlined why this strategy was beneficial for globalist think tanks in light of an impending Trump presidency. “ Donald Trump is looking increasingly likely to be the winner of the presidential race. I have long held that the globalists will wrap up an economic collapse or a world war and throw it in Trump’s lap. They already tried to do the same thing with the covid pandemic and the inflationary crisis. “ The timing of the Kursk offensive and the call for missile strikes on Russia is not a coincidence. Trump claims that his intention is to end the Ukraine war as quickly as possible once he enters office.” “ They need to escalate the war into something bigger, something that can’t be undone. Right now, the war can be ended – All it takes is some diplomacy and forcing Ukraine to understand that they’re not going to get the Donbas or Crimea back no matter how many lives they sacrifice. But if there are massive civilian casualties on either side, the situation becomes irreversible.” I want to point out that you don’t need a crystal ball to predict the path of this conflict; the stages and outcomes are relatively clear if you understand the hidden motivations behind the war. Most of the events I outlined in August have now happened, but only because these are the events that MUST happen in order to get to the end game of WWIII. After Trump’s landslide election win this month the Biden Administration responded by giving the greenlight for Ukraine to use long range ATACMS deeper inside Russian territory. The decision was reportedly made to “Trump-proof” the Ukraine war and prevent a quick resolution before he entered office. The ATACMS would do nothing to change the immediate conditions on the battlefield. ATACMS are precision guided munitions designed for surgical strikes on high value targets, they are not very useful in winning a war of attrition. The reason these weapons are so controversial is because they CANNOT be fired without help from NATO technicians and satellites. Meaning, Biden’s decision represents an open declaration of war on Russia. In response, the Kremlin reportedly fired a nuclear capable IRBM (an RS-26 Rubezh missile) on the city of Dniprio. The weapon had multiple warheads and video evidence shows all of them apparently striking the target. Luckily, none of those warheads were carrying a nuclear payload. The strike occurred right after Putin changed Russia’s nuclear defense policy and this appears to be a final warning. Globalist think tanks like The Atlantic Council continue to claim that Putin’s red lines are a “farce” and that he will never use nukes. I think that they know Putin is not bluffing and that they intend to poke the bear until they get a limited nuclear attack. I believe the chances are very high for at least one nuke strike within Ukraine if conditions continue to deteriorate with NATO. Some will argue that there’s no way this will happen because Russia would be obliterated by nuclear retaliation. I suspect that in the face of a nuke strike in Ukraine, NATO will do nothing. They certainly won’t escalate to a global exchange of ICBMs. The globalists have little to gain by incinerating decades of work building the mass surveillance systems and digital economic infrastructure they need for their “New World Order.” Ukraine just isn’t worth it. What such an incident would do, though, is open the door to wider war on multiple fronts between the east and the west. If the war is escalated beyond the zero point before Trump gets into office, then Trump may have no other choice than to commit the US to the conflict despite vast public disapproval. It would be disastrous for his administration, disastrous for conservatives and disastrous for the western world at large. The majority of the public will NOT volunteer to fight for Ukraine and conscription would be an invitation to civil unrest. Leftists hate Russia because the media tells them to, but they aren’t going to risk their lives for Ukraine. Conservatives definitely aren’t going to submit to a draft and most of us would rather go to war against the globalists instead. Putin is savvy enough to wait for Trump to enter office and start negotiations, but my greatest concern is that something is about to happen which will sabotage any eventual peace plan. A long range attack by Ukraine on a major civilian center, a nuclear power plant, or the assassination of a political figure using NATO weaponry would be the only spark needed to light the powder keg. Putin will be required to show Russia is not weak and follow through on his red line threats. There’s a good chance that we will see a mushroom cloud over Ukraine (or adjacent region) in the near future unless there is serious intervention to defuse the conflict. The next two months will be key. * * * If you would like to support the work that Alt-Market does while also receiving content on advanced tactics for defeating the globalist agenda, subscribe to our exclusive newsletter The Wild Bunch Dispatch. Learn more about it HERE .WASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. As the blueprint for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, Trump pulled an about-face . He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy . Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump's election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning how to concentrate power in the West Wing and impose a starkly rightward shift across the U.S. government and society. Trump and his aides maintain that he won a mandate to overhaul Washington. But they maintain the specifics are his alone. “President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “All of President Trumps' Cabinet nominees and appointments are whole-heartedly committed to President Trump's agenda, not the agenda of outside groups.” Here is a look at what some of Trump's choices portend for his second presidency. As budget chief, Vought envisions a sweeping, powerful perch The Office of Management and Budget director, a role Vought held under Trump previously and requires Senate confirmation, prepares a president's proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration's agenda across agencies. The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power. “The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” Trump did not go into such details when naming Vought but implicitly endorsed aggressive action. Vought, the president-elect said, “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State” — Trump’s catch-all for federal bureaucracy — and would help “restore fiscal sanity.” In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Vought relished the potential tension: “We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.” Vought could help Musk and Trump remake government's role and scope The strategy of further concentrating federal authority in the presidency permeates Project 2025's and Trump's campaign proposals. Vought's vision is especially striking when paired with Trump's proposals to dramatically expand the president's control over federal workers and government purse strings — ideas intertwined with the president-elect tapping mega-billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a “Department of Government Efficiency.” Trump in his first term sought to remake the federal civil service by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal civil service workers — who have job protection through changes in administration — as political appointees, making them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. Currently, only about 4,000 of the federal government's roughly 2 million workers are political appointees. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump's changes. Trump can now reinstate them. Meanwhile, Musk's and Ramaswamy's sweeping “efficiency” mandates from Trump could turn on an old, defunct constitutional theory that the president — not Congress — is the real gatekeeper of federal spending. In his “Agenda 47,” Trump endorsed so-called “impoundment,” which holds that when lawmakers pass appropriations bills, they simply set a spending ceiling, but not a floor. The president, the theory holds, can simply decide not to spend money on anything he deems unnecessary. Vought did not venture into impoundment in his Project 2025 chapter. But, he wrote, “The President should use every possible tool to propose and impose fiscal discipline on the federal government. Anything short of that would constitute abject failure.” Trump's choice immediately sparked backlash. “Russ Vought is a far-right ideologue who has tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to override the spending decisions of Congress (and) who has and will again fight to give Trump the ability to summarily fire tens of thousands of civil servants,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat and outgoing Senate Appropriations chairwoman. Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, leading Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said Vought wants to “dismantle the expert federal workforce” to the detriment of Americans who depend on everything from veterans' health care to Social Security benefits. “Pain itself is the agenda,” they said. Homan and Miller reflect Trump's and Project 2025's immigration overl ap Trump’s protests about Project 2025 always glossed over overlaps in the two agendas . Both want to reimpose Trump-era immigration limits. Project 2025 includes a litany of detailed proposals for various U.S. immigration statutes, executive branch rules and agreements with other countries — reducing the number of refugees, work visa recipients and asylum seekers, for example. Miller is one of Trump's longest-serving advisers and architect of his immigration ideas, including his promise of the largest deportation force in U.S. history. As deputy policy chief, which is not subject to Senate confirmation, Miller would remain in Trump's West Wing inner circle. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27. “America First Legal,” Miller’s organization founded as an ideological counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, was listed as an advisory group to Project 2025 until Miller asked that the name be removed because of negative attention. Homan, a Project 2025 named contributor, was an acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first presidency, playing a key role in what became known as Trump's “family separation policy.” Previewing Trump 2.0 earlier this year, Homan said: “No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” Project 2025 contributors slated for CIA and Federal Communications chiefs John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick to lead the CIA , was previously one of Trump's directors of national intelligence. He is a Project 2025 contributor. The document's chapter on U.S. intelligence was written by Dustin Carmack, Ratcliffe's chief of staff in the first Trump administration. Reflecting Ratcliffe's and Trump's approach, Carmack declared the intelligence establishment too cautious. Ratcliffe, like the chapter attributed to Carmack, is hawkish toward China. Throughout the Project 2025 document, Beijing is framed as a U.S. adversary that cannot be trusted. Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote Project 2025's FCC chapter and is now Trump's pick to chair the panel. Carr wrote that the FCC chairman “is empowered with significant authority that is not shared” with other FCC members. He called for the FCC to address “threats to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions in the market,” specifically “Big Tech and its attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” He called for more stringent transparency rules for social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube and “empower consumers to choose their own content filters and fact checkers, if any.” Carr and Ratcliffe would require Senate confirmation for their posts. ___ Bill Barrow, The Associated Press
Pisces – (19th February to 20th March) Daily Horoscope Prediction says, Multiple opportunities wait for you Stick to principles at the office and ensure you keep the lover happy in the relationship. Financially you are prosperous today. Keep a watch on your health. Be careful to not annoy the lover today. At the office, utilize the opportunities for growth in your career. Go for big wealth investments today. However, your health may not be perfect. Pisces Love Horoscope Today Do not let love affairs go by ego-related issues. You must spare time for the lover. The second part of the day is good a take on marriage. You should also provide space to the partner and not impose your ideas which may hamper the relationship. Some love affairs will require more communication and this is vital in long-distance affairs. Single male natives would be happy to fall in love today. Meet someone special while traveling or at an official event. You may also propose to get a positive response. Pisces Career Horoscope Today Your approach is crucial today as some profiles will have a minor ruckus. Be careful about office politics which may also hamper your reputation at the workplace. A freelancing opportunity can be a good option to display your talent and when such an option knocks you. Some tasks will require you to visit the client’s office. Some students will clear the interview for their first job. There can be minor productivity issues but your professional life will be good. Pisces Money Horoscope Today Prosperity will come today but your expenditure will also be higher. Cut down the shopping for luxury items and instead care for more savings. Your plan to buy a home may not work out today. However, you will be good to settle all pending dues. Financial success will prompt you to make further investments. You may consider stock, trade, and speculative business as safe options. Pisces Health Horoscope Today Always be cautious about even minor ailments and consult a doctor whenever necessary. Those who have a history of cardiac issues will develop complications. Seniors with breathing issues must avoid dusty areas. You should also start the day with light exercise or jogging at the nearby park for an hour. Do not bring the office stress to home. Spend more time with people with a positive attitude. Pisces Sign Attributes Strength: Conscious, Aesthetic, Kind-hearted Weakness: Sentimental, Indecisive, Unrealistic Symbol: Fish Element: Water Body Part: Blood Circulation Sign Ruler: Neptune Lucky Day: Thursday Lucky Color: Purple Lucky Number: 11 Lucky Stone: Yellow Sapphire Pisces Sign Compatibility Chart Natural affinity: Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn Good compatibility: Virgo, Pisces Fair compatibility: Aries, Leo, Libra, Aquarius Less compatibility: Gemini, Sagittarius By: Dr. J. N. Pandey Vedic Astrology & Vastu Expert Website: www.astrologerjnpandey.com E-mail: djnpandey@gmail.com Phone: 91-9811107060 (WhatsApp Only)“He’s [Donald Trump] essentially pimping out our men and women in uniform to a foreign power who’s the highest bidder... He is unfit to be our commander-in-chief.” These were the words of Tusli Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Director of National Intelligence, back in 2019. Clearly Ms. Gabbard’s loyalties have drastically changed since then. Ms. Gabbard started public life by getting elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives in 2002 at the age of 21. She had to step down from the role in 2003, as her National Guard regiment was called for duty in Iraq. She would later serve in Kuwait and work her way up the ranks to the post of Lieutenant Colonel in 2021. Conflicting policies She started her tenure in the U.S. Congress as a Democrat, representing Hawaii’s second congressional district, in 2013. She was also the first Hindu in the U.S. Congress. Her political portfolio has been marked by diverse but often conflicting policies. Ms. Gabbard, perhaps owing to her time in the Army, has been a strong advocate against U.S. military interventionism. The New Yorker once quoted her as saying “If our troops are sent to fight a war, it must be the last option.” Not the first.” One such ‘intervention’ Ms. Gabbard once decried was Mr. Trump’s push for escalating the war in Syria. In 2018, she accused Mr. Trump and then Vice-President Mike Pence of protecting “al-Qaeda and other jihadist forces in Syria,” all the while “threatening Russia, Syria, and Iran, with military force if they dare attack these terrorists.” When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Ms. Gabbard spoke about the “legitimate” security concerns Russia had if Ukraine were to join NATO. “This war and suffering could have easily been avoided if Biden Admin/NATO had simply acknowledged Russia’s legitimate security concerns,” she posted on Twitter (now X) at the time. She also gave value to Russia’s claims that Ukraine was using U.S. funded labs to create deadly bioweapons. Her sympathetic position on Russia had even earned her praise on Russian state TV, while domestically she has been perceived as indiscriminately believing Russian propaganda. Similarly With respect to Syria, Ms. Gabbard has been accused of cosying up to ‘dictators’ such as Bashar al-Assad. As a member of Congress in 2017, Ms. Gabbard once moved outside of official channels to meet the Syrian leader in 2017. The meeting kicked up a storm among her then-fellow Democrats who said that she was giving legitimacy to a leader accused of various war crimes. However, the former Congresswoman has taken a tough line on Islamist extremism. She has condemned al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and more recently Hamas. Such a diverse portfolio does make it difficult for Ms. Gabbard to fit in perfectly with either of the political parties —Democrats or Republicans. Breaking loose Ms. Gabbard’s allegiances have undergone a 180-degree shift. In 2016, Ms. Gabbard endorsed Bernie Sanders for President over Hillary Clinton. In 2020, she unsuccessfully ran for Democratic nomination and later endorsed Joe Biden. And in 2022, she left the Democratic Party, accusing them of being an “elitist cabal of warmongers” driven by “cowardly wokeness“. She then registered as an independent and became a frequent contributor to Fox News wherein she espoused conservative ideas about gender and freedom of speech. And earlier this year, she joined the Republican party and endorsed Donald Trump for President. While her nomination as Director of National Intelligence needs Senate confirmation, Ms. Gabbard’s selection has already created controversy citing her past political positions and her lack of experience. According to CNN, Ms. Gabbard was briefly placed on a Transportation Security Administration list that prompts additional security screening before flights after her overseas travel patterns and foreign connections triggered a government algorithm. And now by being director, she will oversee agencies such as the CIA, the FBI and the NSA. This is of particular interest as Ms. Gabbard has been a fierce defender of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, both men who have been accused by the U.S. government of leaking national secrets to the public. It remains to be seen how she makes sense of her position as both a defender of whistleblowers and as protector of national intelligence. Published - November 24, 2024 03:40 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit US PRESIDENTIAL POLLS / USA / The Hindu Profiles / The Hindu Explains
An Aroostook County winter festival will move its snowmobile races from Caribou to Presque Isle to take advantage of better conditions. The third annual SnowBowl, planned in February, will include events from Mars Hill to Van Buren. Racing activities will move from Spud Speedway about 18 miles south to the Aroostook Centre Mall. When Spud Speedway owners Jim Gamage and Troy Haney launched the first SnowBowl in Caribou in 2023, the response was bigger than they dreamed, drawing thousands to the area. But last winter’s lack of snow caused a dismal snowmobile season that devastated local businesses. Organizers hope the 2025 festival will bring a much-needed economic boost to a region that depends on winter recreation. “We’ve got to take what we have for assets and bring them to light. Two of those are the people and the trail system,” co-founder Jim Gamage said. “We want to attract snowmobilers to make The County their destination.” Mild temperatures and little snow last year made the Caribou speedway track too muddy to use. Organizers made a quick decision to move racing to the mall parking area, creating a track in 36 hours with 400 truckloads of snow. It proved to be the perfect spot, Gamage said. Spectators and racers liked the surroundings. There’s also more parking and vendors can set up inside where it’s warm. The 2025 event will offer a weeklong slate of snowmobile racing, a scenic ride, a snowman-building contest, a magic show and “restaurant rumble,” where participants can eat at central Aroostook restaurants and enter their names for drawings, he said. Gamage, Haney and crew are introducing something new this year they hope will inspire residents and entice visitors to northern Maine. The speedway will debut phase one of its Spud Speedway Northern Lights project, similar to Boothbay Harbor’s Gardens Aglow — but with a County twist. “We created a 70-foot tunnel of old quonset hut frames and made six snowmen out of old tractor and skidder tires,” Gamage said. “We’re going to light it all up with Christmas lights. It’s a tunnel you drive through.” Phase two of the project is in the works for the following year, and will transform the speedway grounds into a trail with 15 lit displays showcasing elements of Aroostook: potato harvest, forestry, outdoor recreation, veterans and more. While Caribou is disappointed that some portions of the SnowBowl will move to Presque Isle, the city supports Spud Speedway as it grows the audience for the annual winter event, Caribou City manager Penny Thompson said. “Safety is of paramount importance to this type of experience and, due to the unpredictable nature of our spring weather, the organizers need to consider venues that are easiest to control to keep participants and spectators safe,” she said. The entire region will benefit as people come to the event and spend money locally, Thompson said. The SnowBowl will kick off on Sunday, Feb. 23, with Brian’s Ride, a guided 80-mile ride to the arch hangar at the former Loring Air Force Base , then on to a scenic spot in Van Buren with a hot lunch on the trail. There will be a snowmobile hill climbing contest at BigRock Mountain in Mars Hill, the return of mindreader/magician Kent Axell and an evening at Spud Speedway with demonstration rides, a groomer rodeo, a bonfire and hot dog roast. Everything moves to Presque Isle for the weekend of March 1 and 2, with pro racing and several classes of local competition, Gamage said. Vendors, food trucks, and a vintage sled display are planned at the mall. X Racing owner Joe Duncan of Minnesota, creator of the Winter X Games, will bring his snocross racing team from across the country for a show on Saturday, March 1. Freestyle riders will present a stunt show with jumps and acrobatics. Sunday, March 2, will be a family fun day, Gamage said. More snocross and vintage racing are on tap, along with local competitions in numerous age divisions so anyone can try out the track. The business community has stepped up since day one to support the SnowBowl, he said. People are already booking accommodations for February, and one company has reserved 60 local rooms to bring its entire cohort. That’s exactly what Gamage and Haney hoped for when they started. “We want to get the kids out, we want to get the community involved, and we want people to have fun and make a memory and smile,” he said. “We want to give people a reason to celebrate winter.”Utah Hockey Club bring 3-game losing streak into matchup with the Penguins