(Reuters) – Roberto Mancini on Thursday dismissed claims that he had encountered interference during his spell at the helm of the Saudi Arabia national soccer team. The 60-year-old Italian left his position on Oct. 24, some 14 months after taking over from Herve Renard, who is now leading the team at the Arabian Gulf Cup held in Kuwait. Under Mancini, the Saudis were knocked out of the Asian Cup in the last 16 earlier this year after losing in a penalty shootout to South Korea. “I would like to say this for the last time, during my career there was absolutely no interference in the selection of players and I am happy with my experience and work in Saudi Arabia,” he posted on the X social media platform. “Some media outlets should focus on their teams and stop spreading rumors about me and the Saudi national team,” he added. Saudi Arabia, venue for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, are second in the Arabian Gulf Cup Group B with three points, three adrift of leader Bahrain, who already secured a place in the semi-finals with one match remaining. The kingdom’s national team will take on third-placed Iraq, with three points also, in the final round robin match for a place in the semis. (Reporting by Taha Mohamed in Cairo; Editing by Christian Radnedge) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );
Pension New Rules: Government issues new guidelines for senior citizens employees regarding pensionOld geezer out for a spin An old man in Phetchabun denied being involved in a fatal hit-and-run when police tracked him down, despite compelling evidence including his blood-spattered car. In a later confession before reporters, Chanchai Thaimuangthong, 74, denied he tried to disguise a crime, and confessed he had hit people on the road before. Chanchai Thaimuangthong Mr Chanchai was driving his Honda Civic in a local soi in Chon Daen district at 10.30pm on Nov 16 when he hit a man on a bicycle at such speed the victim's body stuck to his windshield. His bicycle was found 500m away, reports said. The victim, Sawat Chomjib, 68, a forgetful type, was heading home on his bicycle and may have lost his way, relatives said from his funeral. Among injuries suffered by the victim were a broken left ankle, broken right shoulder, and crumpled head. In shocking scenes, CCTV images show Mr Chanchai calmly getting out of his vehicle and pushing the body off his shattered windshield before driving on. He did not seek help or report the accident. He left the body in front of a house, whose owner said he heard the Honda travelling at great speed before the collision occurred. On Nov 16, police tracked down Mr Chanchai to his home, after viewing CCTV vision in the area. However, he denied being the culprit. Police inspected his Honda Civic, parked outside the house with a drop cloth covering the vehicle. Pulling off the cloth, they found the bonnet badly crumpled, windscreen smashed, and the left side of the vehicle damaged. Human hair belonging to the victim was found embedded in the windshield, and blood on the left hand side. Stretching credibility, Mr Chanchai insisted he had been home that night and the vehicle was damaged in an accident a long time ago. He just hadn't taken it in for repairs. Police left him there but said they would return on Nov 19. When reporters from Channel 8 turned up at his house, he confessed to the hit-and-run but insisted he didn't mean to do it. "I was meaning to tell the police today but you turned up first," he told them, sounding irritated. TV presenters, while admitting the "doddery uncle" may have reacted in shock, were flabbergasted nonetheless. "Uncle! You have hit someone and taken a life. How can you just stand there and say such things? Were you asleep? Why didn't you alert anyone?" one asked. Recounting the events of that night, Mr Chanchai said he had just gone past a petrol station which was cloaked in darkness, and lowered his lights. "I hit the man on the bike almost straight away. I thought, damn, I've hit a motorcycle again," Mr Chanchai told reporters. "At first I thought the body was thrown into the air, but no. When I drove into the light I could see the body was stuck to the windshield, so I got out [and removed it]," he said. "Why didn't he have his tail light on?" he complained. The victim's sister told reporters Mr Chanchai had been involved in several fatal hit-and-run accidents before. Asked why he initially denied hitting the cyclist, Mr Chanchai said he had heard that suspects in legal cases, even big ones, are supposed to deny first and confess later. Asked why he did not visit the funeral to beg the victim's forgiveness, he said he had heard that Sawat's relatives were still angry. The victim's family had demanded he pay 500,000 baht in compensation including funeral costs. Mr Chanchai said if his compulsory vehicle insurance stretches that far, he'd pay. However, if it falls short he would rather go to jail, as he does not have that kind of money. No word was to hand on what charges he will face, or whether he will finally lose his driver's licence. 'Karma' pays a visit A fiery mother in Maha Sarakham stabbed her ex-husband's new girlfriend and fled with their young son after vowing on social media to get even with him. The house where the attack took place. Rojana (no surname given), 24, burst into her ex-husband's home in Muang district on Nov 18 and stabbed his new girlfriend, Pattama (no surname given), 31, in the arm with a box cutter, severing an artery. "She demanded to know what she was doing with her husband, and declared she was there to take him back," news reports said. Her husband, Surasak Riangchantha, was not present, though he said Rojana had warned him earlier on social media. "Prepare to pay for the things you have done to me," she said cryptically. The attack took place at Mr Surasak's home in front of his mother, Yuanjai, 56, who has looked after the couple's young son since shortly after his birth. After stabbing Pattama, Rojana grabbed her son and fled on a motorcycle driven by a man who accompanied her to the house. Mr Surasak said his ex-wife's behaviour was shocking as the couple had agreed previously that she pick up her son on Nov 19. She evidently did not want another woman looking after the boy, he said. When he and Rojana split up a few months ago, ending their 11-year relationship, he kept the son with his side of the family. Rojana's family comes from Nong Bua Lamphu. A relieved Ms Yuanjai said Rojana's relatives had called the day after the attack to say the little boy had turned up safely. However, when reporters visited Rojana's family home, relatives said they had not seen her, and she seldom visits. Ms Yuanjai suspects Rojana really fled with the child to Chon Buri, where her parents had moved for work. Rojana and Mr Surasak had also worked there together for a while. However, Mr Surasak said she was unhappy in Chon Buri and wanted to return to her home province. The pair ultimately parted ways. Both Rojana and he had since found new partners but she appeared to be jealous of Pattama, and also wanted her son back. Pattama, who was to undergo an operation to repair her severed artery, said she wanted police to pursue legal action against Rojana as far as it could go. Police were looking for her. Keep those ice bags handy A man in Buri Ram whose hand was cut off in a knife attack calmly put the severed limb in the basket in front of his motorcycle and drove to hospital for help. Athit, or Tao, is taken back to the house where he cut off Satit's hand. Satit (no surname given), 37, lost his hand when his daughter's boyfriend, who had been staying with them for two months, attacked him. Athit, or Tao (no surname given), 18, came at him with a large knife when he was lying on a hammock playing with his phone. He had just returned from working on the farm at his home in Lam Plai Mat district, said the victim's mother, Pranee, 62. "Tao, without saying a word, approached and stabbed him. My son held up hand to protect himself when it was cut off," she said. Satit calmly put the severed hand in a bag of ice and dropped it in front of his motorcycle before heading to a community hospital for help. They referred him to a base hospital, where doctors, commending Satit for keeping his head (if not his hand) amid the drama, were able to stitch it back on again. Tao and his girlfriend, "B", Satit's daughter, fled the house. Police later caught up with Tao in Kaeng Sanam Nang district of Nakhon Ratchasima, where he was arrested for causing serious bodily harm. Tao, who performed a crime reconstruction for police, refused to apologise to Satit, saying he nagged him daily for failing to pull his weight. Tao has no job and could not even bring himself to boil the rice or wash the dishes, Satit grumbled. His mother Pranee backed him up, admitting she and her son would often air their frustrations with Tao and Athit's daughter. Tao insisted he washed his own plate, but didn't clean the victim's. "I was there for just two months but it felt like two years because he abused me every day. He also asked B and me for money," he said. Pairat Suksaeng, 61, a neighbour of Tao's in his home province, said his parents broke up when he was young. "He's a quiet type, but hot tempered. He came at my son with a knife once, but he was able to get away in time," he said. The victim's wife, Amnuay Teepchan, 40, said doctors were able to re-attach the limb. She and Satit would often tell Tao to leave if he wasn't prepared to do more to help, she said. "A neighbour heard Tao tell B that he would leave for sure, but wanted to draw blood first," Ms Amnuay said. B, meanwhile, apologised for fleeing with Tao and failing to help her Dad. "It all happened so fast, and Tao grabbed my hand, dragging me to his bike," she said.Behind the Scenes of Lemonade's Latest Options Trends
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Rejecting the demand of the leaders of the ruling National Conference, the Jammu and Kashmir Government on Sunday released the unchanged list of holidays for the year 2025. National Conference leaders including Ministers have demanded the restoration of holiday on the birth anniversary of the party's founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. There is no holiday on December 5 in the list of holidays issued by the General Administration Department of the Jammu and Kashmir Government. December 5 is the birthday of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who was the founder of the ruling National Conference. According to the list of holidays issued by the GAD in a Government Order No.2193-JK(GAD) of 2024 dated 29.12.2024, 28 holidays to be observed in across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the year 2025. Furthermore, four holidays are to be observed in Kashmir province and three in Jammu province. Seven are the local holidays to be observed in different districts across the year and four are the restricted holidays. Ohhh 5 Dec is not in the list..., pic.twitter.com/m3QesQBdDp Notable this year, after the formation of a popular government, the National Conference leaders including ministers have raised their concerns over the omission of December 5 as a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir. Some ministers have announced that the holiday would be reinstated. "There will be no financial burden on the J&K government if a holiday is declared on Sheikh Abdullah's birth anniversary. It would be a gesture of respect to the founder of the NC, whose decisions made J&K the crown of India. From next year, December 5 will definitely be a public holiday as we have understood the people's sentiment," a minister said while addressing the media. Following the abrogation of J&K's special status in 2019, the administration had removed two public holidays: December 5, Sheikh Abdullah's birth anniversary, and July 13, which commemorated the deaths of protesters killed by the forces of the princely state in 1931. Sheikh Abdullah, born on December 5, 1905, in the Soura area of Srinagar, was a pivotal figure in shaping the socio-political landscape of the erstwhile state. Sheikh Abdullah's birth anniversary dropped from public holidays list in 2020 In 2020 The Jammu and Kashmir administration had dropped ex-chief minister Sheikh Abdullah's birth anniversary from its list of public holidays and included October 26 which is observed as 'Accession Day' figures in it. On October 26, 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession which was duly accepted and signed a day later by Lord Mountbatten, the then Governor General of India. List of holidays in 2025. The list of holidays for 2025 includes Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Birthday (January 6), Republic Day (January 26), Shab-i-Miraj (January 27), Mahashivratri (February 26), Nauroz (March 21), Shab-i-Qadr (March 27), Jumat-ul-Vida (March 28), Navratra (March 30), Eid-ul-Fitr (March 31), Ramanavami (April 6), Baisakhi (April 13), the Birthday of Dr B.R. Ambedkar (April 14), Buddha Purnima (May 12), Eid-ul-Azha (June 7-8), Guru Hargobind Ji's Birthday (July 5), Ashoora (July 6), Independence Day (August 15), Janmashtami (August 16), Eid-i-Milad-ul-Nabi (September 5), the Friday following Eid-i-Milad (September 12), the Birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh Ji (September 23), Mahanavami (October 1), Dussehra (October 2), Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday (October 2), Diwali (October 21), Accession Day (October 26), Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Birthday (November 5), and Christmas Day (December 25). 2024: A Milestone Year for Democracy in J&K, First Popular Government Established in UT. "Reimagining Jammu and Kashmir" is a visual masterpiece of resilience and progress, a must read Reservation Row in J&K: Why is BJP, Congress Silent Amid Rising Demand for Rationalization
San Francisco Democratic Party leaders voted unanimously Wednesday to adopt a new set of sexual harassment and assault policies and code of conduct following allegations levied against prominent party members earlier this year. “The unanimous vote speaks to the strong coalition of collaborators we created with stakeholders from democratic clubs, survivors, experts, and advocacy groups,” said Lily Ho, the chair of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee’s special committee responsible for drafting the new rules, in a statement Thursday. “Next, we will focus on ensuring the integrity of implementation to see these policies to fruition.” The new policies outline proper procedures for identifying, reporting, recording, and investigating incidents of harassment and assault among the members of San Francisco Democratic clubs. Harassment- and assault-prevention trainings are now required, and the local party website will provide reporting forms and access to resources. The party governing body will also retain an independent evaluator who will decide if reported code-of-conduct violations warrant further investigation. Members of affiliated clubs spoke in favor of passing the guidelines during the public comment portion of Wednesday’s DCCC meeting. “All voices have come to the table, and we have been able to come up with a really inclusive and really amazing platform and amazing policy to move forward and change the culture of our democratic clubs and our party,” said Ernesto Cuellar, the vice president of the San Francisco Young Democrats. “As San Francisco Democrats, we have some of the most vulnerable folks to this kind of abuse that happens in our field of work in politics.” The DCCC formed the special committee in April following reports centered on a pair of prominent figures in the local party: former TODCO director Jon Jacobo and Kevin Ortiz, who was then the co-president of the San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club. That month, The San Francisco Standard reported that three women filed police reports accusing Jacobo of domestic violence and sexual assaults not long after he was publicly accused of rape in 2021. The Standard also reported in April that the DCCC’s announcement of “a recent second allegation against a current president of a chartered Democratic club” referred to Ortiz. In July, Zahra Hajee told the San Francisco Chronicle told police that Ortiz sexually assaulted her twice in 2021 . Ortiz stepped down soon after. “These changes reflect a commitment to building an environment where survivors can come forward without fear of retaliation or losing control of their narrative,” Hajee said in a statement Thursday. While voicing support for the new rules during Wednesday’s meeting, others also shared lingering questions about how the guidelines would be implemented moving forward, particularly as one of the penalties for not coming into compliance is a club losing its charter. All clubs are expected to adopt the new guidelines by May 2025. Dennis Hendricks, the vice president of communications for the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, suggested “decoupling” the new guidelines from “the chartering process so that the clubs can absorb this as a way to move this forward, separate from the punitive measure.” “The implementation is really a factor,” he added. “An ineffective implementation pushes all the rest of it kind of down the hill.” Nancy Tung, the chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, acknowledged the months of work that went into drafting the policies by the special committee, but assured those concerned that the current version was not necessarily set in stone. “This is something that I think we should treat as a living document,” Tung said. “I don't think that anyone believes that it can't be improved in some way, shape or form, as we attempt to implement it.”None
American Prairie hits half-million-acre milestone with latest land purchase in north-central MontanaSF Dems pass new assault, harassment policies
SVN Capital was founded in 2018 by Shreekkanth “Shree” Viswanathan and is based on a global value equity strategy. The fund employs a concentrated portfolio approach aiming to achieve capital appreciation with minimum risk exposure. Table of Contents Investment Process What Makes SVN Capital Different Favorite Geographies Love for Family Owned Heico Investment Thesis Revisiting the Investment Four Years Later While the focus is on US equities, they also pay significant attention to opportunities in markets with corporate laws comparable to the US. Regarding the investment horizon, Shree prefers a “buy and hold” approach since frequent trades tend to disrupt the compounding gains. Hedge Fund Alpha Interview Shree for the Q4 2020 edition of Hidden Value Stocks and discuss SVN Capital's investment process. Also, Shree revealed one of the fund's investments made in the midst of a COVID crisis, Heico Corp (NYSE:HEI). On top of all we decided to revisit it four years later and how it handled that time frame. Investment Process SVN Capital keeps positions in sectors that can be assessed at least 10 years down the road, including consumer staples, financial services, and technology. These also fall in the fund's circle of competence, which is also an important factor when choosing investment targets. Quality of the business is the second piece of the puzzle required to make a decision to move with the investment. Target companies must have a sustainable long-term competitive advantage. Due to the fact that most companies battle with reversion to mean, SVN Capital is putting all their efforts into finding a small bracket of companies that do not have frequent issues with it. Important characteristics that a company must have are the generation of a high return on capital and the potential to reinvest it. Only through that process can the intrinsic value of the company grow. At the top of the priorities is also the quality of the management team. From his point of view and experience, the quality of the capital deployment decisions is higher in cases where managers have higher ownership stakes. And finally the business must be available at a reasonable price. To analyze the price, he uses several different metrics, because relying on only one cannot catch the whole picture. What Makes SVN Capital Different Viswanathan points out that SVN Capital has an investment platform that is not under the downturn influence of the three Ts of investing—turnover, transaction cost, and taxes. Through his career he also observed how funds operate, and one of the goals was to nullify the weaknesses he pinpointed. The most obvious one he has seen so many times is the lack of interest from hedge fund managers. Out of 15,000 mutual funds in existence at the moment, about 50% of them do not have any capital invested from the side of portfolio managers. This factor can have a significant impact on the fund's performance. On the other hand, he invested over 90% of his liquid capital into SVN Capital. Another factor is the time horizon that funds employ. While in the 1950s it was eight years on average, today it is just eight months, and one of the causes is the emergence of high-frequency trading. From SVN Capital comes a reassuring voice that the power of compounding is one that can generate meaningful gains but is currently disregarded by many. If we were to try to identify the reason why trades have become so frequent and holding periods shortened, the sheer amount of information would be on the top. But, in investing, dealing with more information usually results in lower returns. Richard Thaler, a prominent economist, gave a great example of this theory: if you analyze two groups of investors, in which one owns only equities (more volatility) and the other only bonds (less volatility), and you allow the first group to restructure the portfolio every five years, while the other can do it on a monthly basis, the first group delivers twice as good as the second group. From that, execs from SVN Capital came to the great conclusion: “Don’t do something. Just sit there!” What comes as complementary to the issues above is the over-diversification that hedge funds heavily rely on. Today, a fund on average has about 100 equity positions. While there is no formula or a right figure of positions to hold, SVN Capital follows a voice of reason coming from an industry heavyweight, Joel Greenblatt. According to Greenblatt, a portfolio with eight positions gets 81% of the benefits of diversification, while the maximum 96% comes from sixteen positions. Above that starts reducing this figure. While a more diverse portfolio may sound like an intelligent approach, in reality it becomes difficult to follow so many companies. SVN Capital prefers to keep a relatively concentrated portfolio of ten to fifteen names that are thoroughly researched. SVN Capital also made an unorthodox decision in regards to fee structure. In reality it has been a rule that hedge fund managers earn both management and performance fees. In SVN, managers only earn if the investment delivers gains, thus eliminating often significant management fees. Favorite Geographies SVN Capital has a wide global mandate when identifying investment opportunities, but they have a couple of rules they follow. The most important one is that the accounting language is English and that they follow GAAP or IFRS reporting standards. Since there are over 140 that follow one of these standards, they had to come out with specific boundaries. An important rule is the understanding of local governance and intellectual property laws. These should show that they will protect a minority investor and that the risk will not over time move from low to high. When taking these into account, SVN Capital spends most of the time analyzing markets in North America, Western and Eastern Europe, and specific advanced Asian countries. Japan, with its language barrier, is one of the countries that they avoid. Love for Family Owned Family-owned is the core value SVN Capital looks for, and the prime reason behind it is a good management team that stands behind these companies. The primary goal of every company's management is the efficient allocation of capital. Viswanathan follows on the thought of Warren Buffett when he said that a lot of CEOs have issues with allocating capital because they progressed to that position from different sectors, like marketing, institutional policies, or administration. On the other hand, family-operated businesses tend to have a better approach to capital allocation. Cash flow and per-share metrics are usually better handled and combined with a healthier ownership culture. The majority of holdings of SVN Capital are family-owned businesses, and they found it to be better suited for their investment approach. Heico Investment Thesis Heico Corp. (HEI) is a diversified supplier of aerospace and defense components. The company is divided into two sectors: Flight Support Group (FSG) manufactures, distributes, and repairs aftermarket aircraft parts through Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA), through which the FAA certifies non-OEM parts. Electronic Technologies Group (ETG) - sells components for defense applications. These two sectors have a similar input to the company's revenue. The company came onto SVN Capital's radar during the search of the aircraft leasing sector. Since PMA-approved parts are sold for 40% to 60% of the OEM part price, aircraft manufacturers didn’t like this new competition. Leasing companies became the main market for these parts, and at that time SVN Capital traced its potential. At the time of the interview, the PMA market was assessed at $50 billion, which encompassed about 400 thousand manufactured parts. Heico is a big player in the market, holding the license for over 11,000 parts. The sheer scale of production is a big upside for the company and, at the same time, a boundary for new manufacturers who rarely can compete with larger players. The parts share the same quality and characteristics as OEM counterparts, just at a lower cost. About a third of the company’s revenue comes from cooperation with the defense. Products for it include parts for aircraft, missiles, and launch vehicles. In some cases, it is the primary supplier for a specific program. Acquisitions also play an important role in the development and growth of the company. Since 1990, HEI has acquired more than 80 companies, buying less than 100% of the ownership and leaving the rest with the management team. HEI allows these acquisitions to operate autonomously, aiming for a decentralized structure. In the last 10 years, incremental ROIC reached 18%. Despite HEI using debt to make acquisitions, their practice is to repay them in an 18-month period. As a result, debt/EBITDA was always below 1.0x in the past decade. During COVID, the FSG segment that is dependent on commercial air travel was badly hit, while demand for ETG products remained healthy. It managed to even rise by about 4% during the crisis. Another upside to the HEI story is that the management has its skin in the game and owns about 19% of the outstanding stocks (valued at about $3.3 billion). The structure of the team is well-designed, and the primary task of the executives is to allocate capital. The COVID pandemic caused the stock to plummet from $130 to $60, but it slowly picked up the pace and got its valuation up. SVN Capital invested when the stock was at mid $60 with a free cash flow yield of 4.2%. Revisiting the Investment Four Years Later Since the initial investment, HEI stock has seen nothing but rise. While it was slow but steady during 2022, in 2023 it picked up the pace, moving the price from $150 to $180. In 2024 the trend continued, and the stock reached its peak in November with $280. The company is currently undergoing a slight downturn caused by unfulfilled market revenue expectations. However, the sales did increase on the YoY levels by 8.2%, so this should be viewed just as a hiccup in a well-oiled machine. When looking at their latest 2023 annual report, the company did generate a solid increase in net sales ($2,968 billion to $2,208 billion in 2022). Operating income also grew significantly from $496 million to $625 million. All these metrics show a healthy business that has a lot more to offer.
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WASHINGTON — The Biden White House has a self-made credibility problem. And that’s inconvenient timing, considering Joe Biden’s team, fresh off a foreign trip, must shift quickly into legacy mode. When the president awkwardly, and to tepid applause this week in Angola, touted the domestic infrastructure law he helped craft, it seemed clear his legacy was on his mind. But the effectiveness of any coming sales pitch will likely be hamstrung by his pardon of son Hunter Biden , who was convicted on federal gun charges and had pleaded guilty on federal tax evasion charges. The move — which he’d previously said he wouldn’t make — has been slammed by Republican lawmakers and more than a few Democrats and its rationale lambasted by a federal judge. Karine Jean-Pierre, the president’s top spokesperson and chief image defender, told reporters, as she has so many times over the years, that they simply should not trust their lyin’ eyes — and ears. “One of the things that the president always believes is to be truthful to the American people. That is something that he always truly believes,” she said Monday, while en route to Africa aboard Air Force One, of Biden’s about-face Biden returned to Washington early Thursday morning from his multiday Angola visit, and there was no daily press briefing scheduled as travel-weary staffers, including Jean-Pierre, got some needed rest. She could return to the lectern in the White House briefing room as early as Friday. But the pardon drama has created a complication — for both the president and press secretary. After all, Biden on numerous occasions told interviewers and shouting White House press corps members that he would not pardon his troubled son. The former two-term vice president and longtime senator did so for over a year with very non-politician answers — meaning, he was both concise and clear. One example came on June 6 in France , when ABC News anchor David Muir asked Biden if he had ruled out a pardon for his son. “Yes,” Biden replied, without adding a qualifier that might be useful down the road if he reversed himself. The same goes for Jean-Pierre, who had also fielded many questions about a possible pardon. At one September 2023 briefing, this was her reply to the Hunter leniency question: “I’ve answered this question before. It was asked of me not too long ago, a couple weeks ago, and I was very clear, and I said, ‘No.’” Fast- forward to June of this year, and this was Jean-Pierre’s response to a similar query: “No. No. It’s a no. It will always be a no. Biden will not pardon his son Hunter.” Press secretaries are responsible for protecting the sitting president, spinning circumstances in his favor and deflecting blame elsewhere. Jean-Pierre’s answers were, at the time, rather refreshing because they were so clear and unequivocal. Then came Sunday’s sudden pardon. “The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election. Then, a carefully negotiated plea deal, agreed to by the Department of Justice, unraveled in the courtroom — with a number of my political opponents in Congress taking credit for bringing political pressure on the process,” Biden said in an evening statement. “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong.” The Donald Trump-appointed federal judge overseeing Hunter Biden’s tax case in California strongly disagreed, stating that the president was guilty of too much revisionist history. “But two federal judges expressly rejected Mr. Biden’s arguments that the Government prosecuted Mr. Biden because of his familial relation to the President,” Judge Mark C. Scarsi, wrote in a Tuesday order responding to Hunter Biden’s notice to the court of the pardon. “And the President’s own Attorney General and Department of Justice personnel oversaw the investigation leading to the charges. In the President’s estimation, this legion of federal civil servants, the undersigned included, are unreasonable people,” Scarsi wrote, adding that “nowhere does the Constitution give the President the authority to rewrite history.” A former adviser to Barack Obama’s two successful presidential campaigns, Spencer Critchley, said he believed “Biden made the right decision, but gave the wrong explanation, and that this is likely to be how history will judge it.” “Under normal circumstances, I’d say he should have stuck with his commitment to stand clear of the justice system, however, the point this time is not to overturn past decisions, but to prevent the coming authoritarian abuses of the justice system, promised by Donald Trump and his appointees,” Critchley said in a statement Thursday. “Trump has been closely following the authoritarian playbook and dismantling the institutions of democracy. That includes turning justice into a weapon, which he has specifically promised to wheel against Hunter Biden, among many others. As the old dictator’s motto goes, ‘For my friends, anything. For my enemies, justice.'” Trying to ‘break Hunter’ But Biden’s statement went in a different direction, a parental one. It contained three sentences that the father in chief opted for months against sharing with the country, which might have explained his paternal plight. “There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution,” Biden said. “In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom, one of Biden’s top allies, said this week that he “took the president at his word” that he would not pardon his son, adding: “So by definition, I’m disappointed and can’t support the decision.” The White House is also yet to clearly explain why Biden made such a dramatic about-face. Nor have his aides spoken to why the country should still believe his declaration in the pardon announcement that “for my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth.” The irony of the current situation is as undeniable as it is surreal. After all, it was the president, Jean-Pierre and the rest of Team Biden who spent four years telling the country about the dangers of Trump’s many false statements and lies. The tarnished credibility raises questions about Biden’s forecast of the American people’s thinking about his reversal: “They’ll be fair-minded.” Whether or not that proves true is up to history. The results of last month’s presidential election suggest an electorate that had some Biden fatigue. Whenever the president or Jean-Pierre next take questions from a jilted press corps, there likely will be pointed questions about whether the White House has been truly “fair-minded” with reporters and, more importantly, the people. Not just about Hunter Biden’s case, but on a myriad of issues. The stunning reversal has clearly allowed Republicans to pounce, another self-inflicted wound to wrap a presidency colored by them. Some GOP lawmakers contended on social media that Biden’s volte-face justified their claims of a dishonest and corrupt administration and family. Several GOP sources said Trump — who faced 91 criminal charges and whom media outlets and independent fact-checkers have cited for thousands of false statements since entering the political arena — has a chance to flip yet another script on Democrats. “President Trump’s bold leadership and direct communication style bring a unique energy to governance. ... This means clear direction and the chance to implement a vision that resonates with millions of Americans,” one former House leadership aide said in an email. “(Trump’s) ability to rally public support will be a key advantage.” ©2024 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Love is what keeps us alive, growing, and glowing. Find out what this week has in for you. Aries Relationships blossom as your confidence shines. Couples enjoy deep conversations, strengthening emotional bonds. Singles may attract someone who admires their bold spirit. Be open to expressing your desires and trust your instincts. Taurus Stability defines your love life. Couples find comfort in routine and shared goals. Singles might connect with someone who shares their values. Patience is key; love will unfold at its own pace. Gemini Your social charm attracts attention this week. Couples should spice things up with spontaneous outings. Singles may encounter romantic opportunities through social events or mutual friends. Keep conversations light and engaging. Cancer Emotional depth strengthens bonds. Couples should focus on building trust through honest communication. Singles may meet someone with shared values, sparking a meaningful connection. Be vulnerable but maintain healthy boundaries. Leo Passion ignites your relationships. Couples can reignite sparks with thoughtful gestures. Singles may attract admirers through their magnetic charm. Take the lead in romance but ensure your partner feels equally valued. Virgo Thoughtfulness deepens bonds. Couples should share their dreams and goals to align their paths. Singles may attract someone who admires their attention to detail and grounded nature. Stay open to possibilities. Libra Harmony and balance define your relationships. Couples should plan a romantic evening to reconnect. Singles might find a spark with someone who appreciates their diplomatic charm. Be genuine in your intentions. Scorpio Intensity marks your love life. Couples should have heartfelt conversations to clear misunderstandings. Singles may feel drawn to someone mysterious but intriguing. Trust your gut but don’t rush decisions. Sagittarius Adventure calls in your love life. Couples should try something new together to keep the spark alive. Singles may find romance during travel or outdoor activities. Be open to unexpected encounters. Capricorn Stability is your priority in relationships. Couples will find joy in shared routines. Singles might meet someone through work or professional circles. Be clear about your intentions for lasting connections. Aquarius Creativity fuels your love life. Couples should try an unconventional date idea to reignite excitement. Singles may attract someone who shares their innovative mindset. Embrace spontaneity in romance. Pisces Emotional depth strengthens your connections. Couples should spend quality time in meaningful conversations. Singles may encounter someone who resonates with their compassionate nature. Trust your intuition in matters of love. Also See: Horoscope Predictions for 2025Aries Horoscope 2025Taurus Horoscope 2025Gemini Horoscope 2025Cancer Horoscope 2025Leo Horoscope 2025Virgo Horoscope 2025Libra Horoscope 2025Scorpio Horoscope 2025Sagittarius Horoscope 2025Capricorn Horoscope 2025Aquarius Horoscope 2025Pisces Horoscope 2025 Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Astrology and around the world.