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Kody Brown Once Said Robyn Brown Brought ‘Emotional Honesty’ to the ‘Sister Wives’ FamilyWASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday passed a $895 billion measure that authorizes a 1% increase in defense spending this fiscal year and would give a double-digit pay raise to about half of the enlisted service members in the military. The bill is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but some Democratic lawmakers opposed the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilization. The bill passed the House by a vote of 281-140 and will next move to the Senate, where lawmakers had sought a bigger boost in defense spending than the current measure allows. Lawmakers are touting the bill's 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the U.S. military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term. Lawmakers said service member pay has failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing. “No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that's exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “This bill goes a long way to fixing that.” The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation’s borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators had wanted to increase defense spending some $25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a “tremendous loss for our national defense," though he agreed with many provisions within the bill. “We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it,” Wicker said. House Republicans don't want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defense spending and are looking to go way below it for many non-defense programs. They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in sterilization. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a "very real problem." He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, have proven effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. “These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives,” Smith said. “And in this bill, we decided we're going to bar servicemembers' children from having access to that.” Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care extends into the thousands. He could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson's office insisted upon the ban and said the provision “taints an otherwise excellent piece of legislation.” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying, “I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defense, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates.” Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, “and yet, here it is in this bill.” Branden Marty, a Navy veteran who served for 13 years, said the loss of health coverage for transgender medical treatments could prompt some with valuable experience to leave the military, affecting national security because “we already struggle from a recruiting and retention standpoint.” He also said the bill could regularly force service members into difficult choices financially. “It will be tough for a lot of them because of out-of-pocket expenses, especially enlisted members who we know already struggle with food insecurity,” said Marty, the father of a transgender teenager. “They don’t get paid very much, so they’re going to be making a lot of choices on a day-to-day, tactical level.” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team was not telling Democrats how to vote on the bill. “There's a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well,” Jeffries said. Overall, 81 Democrats ended up voting for the bill and 124 against it. On the Republican side, 200 voted for the bill and 16 against. “It’s disappointing to see 124 of my Democrat colleagues vote against our brave men and women in uniform over policies that have nothing to do with their intended mission,” Johnson said. The defense policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing $15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration had requested about $10 billion. On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of U.S. joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas. The defense policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January.8k8 free bonus 。

There’s a sense of excitement, nervousness, and maybe a little tension among the Indian chess fraternity as India’s Dommaraju Gukesh faces his biggest challenge yet — A World Chess Championship match against defending champion Ding Liren , of China, in Singapore. No Indian, barring the legendary Viswanathan Anand, has won the prestigious tournament before, and this presents a golden opportunity for the Chennai teenager, to etch his name in the history books. And there is no better time for achieving that than now. The year 2024 has been quite the memorable one for Indian chess, with both the Open and Women’s teams winning gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Hungary in September. But, Gukesh has had quite an extraordinary year. Exclusive | Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan on D Gukesh’s chances vs Ding Liren Not to forget, Gukesh’s historic win at the 2024 Candidates tournament in Canada’s Toronto was arguably the turning point of his career. Gukesh, then 17 years old, had become the youngest-ever to win the Candidates tournament, and also the youngest challenger to the World Chess Championship title. The first handshake! #DingGukesh pic.twitter.com/PcdKD3g0rf The Candidates’ success in April 2024 was just the beginning. A historic campaign for India at the 45th Olympiad in Hungary in September followed, and if there’s anything that has set Gukesh apart from his Indian teammates, or even Ding Liren, it’s the kind of dominance and strategic brilliance the youngster from Chennai has shown. D. Gukesh vs Ding Liren | Match date, head-to-head, prize money, all you need to know Gukesh had lost his only match of the Candidates, to French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja in the seventh game, but that was after a slow start to the tournament. However, the youngster never let his guard down and was determined to give it his 100 percent. Gukesh is after all Viswanathan Anand’s protégé, so when you learn from some of the best Grandmasters in world chess, you can expect nothing less. For Ding Liren, on the other hand, life has not been the same since his historic World Championship triumph in April 2023 in Kazakhstan, where he beat Ian Nepomniachtchi. Soon after the highs of winning the World Championship, came Liren’s personal struggles, battling mental health and depression. Liren was once one of the most dominant Grandmasters, from August 2017 to November 2018, the Chinese had gone 100 classical games unbeaten. Question: To what extent can a chess player detach themselves from their personal problems in such an important competition? 🇨🇳 Ding: "Normally, I can handle quite well. When playing chess, I do not consider other things. Maybe last year I didn't play so well, but I think when... pic.twitter.com/Vhp7AJkrSL However, the overwhelming World Championship win has taken a mental toll on Liren. At one stage, Liren’s FIDE rating has come down to 2728 from a peak of 2811and he is ranked 23rd in the world among active players. Ding’s last win in classical chess came at the 2024 Tata Steel Masters tournament in January, where he beat Max Warmerdam of the Netherlands. World Chess Championship | History and past winners before D Gukesh faces Ding Liren It was in the same tournament that he last defeated Gukesh. The two met in the Sinquefield Cup in August, where they played out a draw. In the Olympiad at Budapest, Liren drew seven matches and lost one. He, however, did not face against as China rested him for that clash . His inability to win matches consistently and focus on his game has affected Ding big time, so much so that the 32-year-old is “worried about losing badly” to Gukesh. “I’m worried about losing very badly. Hopefully, it won’t happen... Gukesh is in top form recently. He’s the best player in the Olympiad. I hope I can become a totally different player (by the world championship). At least to fight, to slow down his pace, to have some winning chances,” Ding said earlier this year. On Saturday, however, Liren seemed more confident. “I feel at peace with a lot of energy. I hope that both of us can perform our best, but I know that he will not be easy to beat,” he said at the pre-tournament press conference in Singapore. From Vishy Anand to global Grandmasters like Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, Gukesh has a lot of backing going into the 14-game contest, with tie-breaks if needed. However, what might give Ding Liren a slight psychological advantage over Gukesh is that the Chinese have experience playing in the World Championships. D Gukesh | Indian teenage prodigy from Chennai set for World Chess Championship clash with Ding Liren This means Ding can upset the popular opinion. But for that to happen, Ding should remain in the right frame of mind, and doing that in the next three weeks or so is in itself going to be an uphill task for the player from China. Gukesh, on the other hand, is entering an unchartered territory. Gukesh, however, always has a clear mindset before going into a match or a big tournament, and he was pretty clear about facing Ding while speaking at the pre-tournament press conference on Saturday. “For me, it’s pretty clear who I’m going to face. I’m going to face Ding Liren, who has been one of the best players in the world for more than a decade.” “My job is also pretty clear—just go into every game as the best version of myself and play the best moves in the position. If I do that, if I keep playing good chess and stay in the right spirits, even with his recent form dip or even at his best, I don’t think it really matters. If I do the right things, I’m confident I have all the chances in the world,” added Gukesh. 🇮🇳 Gukesh D about the balance between playing for a win and keeping his cool: "In any situation, it is all about how I react to it. I have prepared my best for all kinds of scenarios. I am just here to perform and do my best in any kind of situation." Watch the live broadcast... pic.twitter.com/VYCCA7ud1p One must also remember that Gukesh is yet to beat Liren in the classical format , having lost twice and drawn one match. However, it is at this point where both players must forget the past, more so for Liren due to the struggles he has faced both in front of the chess board and off it. Because all eyes are going to be on the 14 (Or more?) games of chess that will determine the 2024 World Champion. No matter the outcome, fans will hope to witness a World Chess Championship match for the ages as two Asian players face off for the first time.Trump, who doesn't take office until January 20, made his threat in social media posts Monday night, announcing huge import tariffs against neighbors Canada and Mexico and also rival China if they do not stop illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Both the Dow and S&P 500 notched all-time highs, with investors regarding the incoming president's words as a bargaining chip. "In theory, higher tariffs should not be good news for stocks. But, you know, I think the market's chosen to think of (it) as a negotiating tactic," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers. "You have bullish sentiment," said LBBW's Karl Haeling. "People are tending to look at things as positively as possible." But General Motors, which imports autos from Mexico to the United States, slumped 9.0 percent, while rival Ford dropped 2.6 percent. Overseas bourses were also buffeted by the news. European stocks followed losses in Asia, despite Trump excluding Europe as an immediate target for tariffs. "These are his first direct comments on tariffs and tariff levels since becoming president-elect, and they have roiled markets," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB trading group, ahead of the Wall Street open. "It is early days, and there are plenty of opportunities for Trump to direct his attention to Europe down the line," Brooks added. The US dollar rallied against its Canadian equivalent, China's yuan and Mexico's peso, which hit its lowest level since August 2022. In other economic news, the Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose to 111.7 this month, up from 109.6 in October, boosted by greater optimism surrounding the labor market. "November's increase was mainly driven by more positive consumer assessments of the present situation, particularly regarding the labor market," said Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board. Pantheon Macroeconomics chief US economist Samuel Tombs added in a note that the increase in consumer confidence overall "likely was driven by euphoria among Republicans." "The index also jumped in late 2016, when Mr. Trump was elected for the first time," he said. Federal Reserve meeting minutes showed policy makers expect inflation to keep cooling, signaling a gradual approach to interest rate cuts if price increases ease further and the job market remains strong. New York - Dow: UP 0.3 percent at 44,860.31 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.6 percent at 6,021.63 (close) New York - Nasdaq: UP 0.6 percent at 19,174.30 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent at 8,258.61 (close) Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.9 percent at 7,194.51 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.6 percent at 19,295.98 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.9 percent at 38,442.00 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: FLAT at 19,159.20 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,259.76 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0482 from $1.0495 on Monday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2567 from $1.2568 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 153.06 yen from 154.23 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.41 pence from 83.51 pence Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.3 percent at $72.81 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.3 percent at $68.77 per barrel bur-jmb/st

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NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Alyssa Ustby and Lexi Donarski scored 14 points apiece, and Ustby added 14 rebounds to lead No. 16 North Carolina to a 53-36 victory over Villanova in a semifinal game at the Women's Battle 4 Atlantis on Sunday. The Tar Heels (5-1) play Indiana in the championship game on Monday. The Hoosiers upset No. 18 Baylor 73-65 in Sunday's first semifinal. Ustby made 6 of 8 shots from the floor with a 3-pointer for North Carolina on the way to her first double-double of the season. Donarski hit 6 of 10 shots with a pair of 3-pointers. Maddie Webber led the Wildcats (4-2) with 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Lara Edmanson pitched in with 11 points and seven rebounds. The Tar Heels held Villonova's leading scorer Jasmine Bascoe to two points after she came in averaging 16.6 per game. Bascoe missed all seven of her shots — three from distance — and made 2 of 4 at the free-throw line. Ustby had seven points and Donarski scored five to guide the Tar Heels to a 17-7 lead after one quarter. Donarski scored five more in the third quarter to help North Carolina turn a 30-18 lead at halftime into a 44-23 advantage heading to the final period. North Carolina shot 40% from the floor, made 5 of 17 from beyond the arc (29.4%) and 4 of 6 at the foul line. Villanova shot 23.5% overall but made 5 of 18 from distance (27.8%) and 7 of 10 free throws. The Tar Heels scored 15 points off of 21 Villanova turnovers. They turned it over 14 times but it led to only three points for the Wildcats. North Carolina outscored Villanova 30-14 in the paint and never trailed. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP women’s college basketball: and The Associated Press