Anthony Scaramucci , former White House communications director, on Monday drew parallels between President-elect Donald Trump’ s nomination of Kash Patel for FBI director and Matt Gaetz ‘s unsuccessful bid for attorney general. The Details : Scaramucci told CNN's Anderson Cooper that Trump’s initial cabinet picks aim to please his MAGA base, but he likely has backup candidates if the initial nominations fail. "He‘s doing that because he looks at his base and saying these [picks] are for you," Scaramucci said. Scaramucci pointed to Trump's quick selection of Pam Bondi as a replacement candidate for attorney general after Gaetz withdrew, facing resistance from Senate Republicans and ongoing investigations into alleged misconduct. "I think it‘s the same thing with Kash Patel. I don‘t think the expectation is that he‘s going to get through," he added, referring to Patel’s chances of confirmation. Read Next: Friday’s Top 5 Trending Stocks: What’s Going On With SoundHound AI, GameStop, Lululemon? Patel is a staunch Trump ally who has been vocal in his criticism of the “deep state” and has defended Trump through various investigations. Patel also serves on the board of directors of Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. DJT the parent company of Truth Social . Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes recently congratulated Patel on Trump’s selection. “An immensely talented lawyer and investigator with an unimpeachable devotion to our Constitution, Kash is a brilliant pick to serve as Director of the FBI,” Nunes said in a press release. What's Next: Patel’s confirmation as FBI director could potentially occur in early 2025, following Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings and a vote which would then be reported to the full Senate. The full U.S. Senate would consider the committee's nomination and hold a confirmation vote. Read Next: UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Fatally Shot Outside NYC Hotel Image: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Say cheese: Vancouver cheese shop increasing security over rise in theft
Brazil’s Bolsonaro planned and participated in coup plot, police report allegesIf there's one thing that might just define Australia, it's invasion. From and to , and , our continent is no stranger to invasive species and the desecration they can bring. But few have been as successful as the fox. Covering some 80 per cent of Australia's continental landmass, it's estimated there are more than 1.7 million feral foxes in the country after first being brought over by European settlers. Part-time electrician and hunter Adam Wright is among those who are fighting back in his home state of Western Australia. What started as a hobby to help local farmers has developed into a fox-focused feral animal control business which sees his team help everyone from small property owners and hobby farmers to large-scale agricultural operators, caravan parks and even wildlife parks and bird zoos to keep the foxes at bay. "Our annual records indicate a steady increase in the number of animals removed each year," he told Yahoo News Australia. His team of licensed hunters meticulously record data on a majority of the animals, including sex, weight, and dietary habits through stomach content analysis and, according to Adam, prioritise ethical kills wherever possible. One of the main issues that drive demand for the service is predation on livestock. "Foxes prey on a wide range of livestock, including lambs, chickens, and young calves, causing significant economic losses for farmers," Adam said. "One example would be a farm we currently work on, which used to lose around 200 lambs a year. We have reduced that number to 19." Australia's has long been a key reason state governments have sought to control and reduce fox populations, which are estimated to kill . "Our biggest concern is the impact on native wildlife. Foxes are a major threat to native wildlife populations," Adam told Yahoo. 🦌 🚙 🏝️ "The last major problem we get called in for is disease transmission. Foxes can carry and transmit diseases. Mange is the main one, but they can also carry rabies and transmit it to farmers' working dogs, livestock, and even humans." While it's not an issue most Australians living in cities probably think about, the species are increasingly encroaching on more built up areas with foxes routinely spotted in places such as Melbourne. However Adam is painfully aware of the stigma such work has in the eyes of some Australians, saying there is a "disconnect between the reality of pest control work and the perceptions of those unfamiliar with the industry". Despite his apprehension, he the sometimes confronting images of hunts online to display the problem that shows little sign of abating. "We face constant online harassment and threats from animal activists. While it was initially upsetting, we've learned to use both positive and negative attention to raise awareness about our work and the importance of feral animal control," he said. "We understand that parading our kills may not be ideal, but we're also influencers in the development of new technologies to aid our work. We work hard to avoid showing blood and guts and use editing software to remove such images. This is one of our biggest tools for gaining views and spreading our message." He's certainly far from the only one. Self-described huntress Kirby Dickson runs an annual Williams community fox shoot in the Great Southern region of WA. On social media the event page boasts killing 4,706 foxes since 2019, this week sharing a video (seen below) of fox, cat and pig carcasses being discarded in a mass grave after a shoot. "Of course it's going to be confronting, but it's horrific for the farmers to come across these animals that we then have to put down," she previously told the ABC. "People don't see the first hand damage like us." Scientists and researchers have joined annual fox culling events in WA with landcare organisations actually reporting a fall in numbers, reported earlier this year. In Victoria a fox bounty scheme by the state government, which has provided $10 for each decapitated fox scalp presented by shooters (to be increased to $14 from next year) has drawn some criticism . Adam would like to see such a scheme reintroduced in WA as well as other options put on the table by the WA government to help drive down fox numbers. "While there are various small programs [such as bating], there's a lack of clear information and accessibility for recreational firearm owners. More opportunities, like responsible hunting on public land, should be explored," he argued. "Many recreational shooters would be willing to pay a yearly fee or participate in a lottery system to access public land, as is done in the US."
Government of Canada invests in aeronautics sector in Mirabel
Spurs travel to Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday reeling from a disappointing home loss to Ipswich before the international break. The club’s problems have multiplied during the past fortnight with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur handed a seven-match domestic ban on Monday and Cristian Romero (toe) joining a lengthy list of absentees. However, Postecoglou remains bullish about Tottenham’s progress and acutely aware of the scrutiny set to come his way if they stay 10th. “Christmas is a joyous occasion, irrespective, and I think it should be celebrated. If we’re still 10th then people won’t be happy, I won’t be happy, but we might not be 10th,” Postecoglou pointed out before nine games in 30 days. “Certainly for us I think it’s a significant period because you look at those games and we’ve got the league where we’ve got to improve our position and a couple of important European fixtures that can set us up for the back half of the year, also a Carabao Cup quarter-final. “At the end of that period we could be in a decent position for a strong second half of the year, so for us it is an important period. “You know there’s no more international breaks, so the full focus is here. You can build some momentum through that, or if things don’t go well you could get yourself into a bit of a grind. Ready for #MCITOT 👊 Go behind the scenes of training ahead of our trip to Manchester 🎥⤵️ pic.twitter.com/4jFZTCIwSz — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 22, 2024 “Of course if we had beaten Ipswich, we’d be third and I reckon this press conference would be much different wouldn’t it? “I’m not going to let my life be dictated by one result, I’m sorry. I take a wider perspective on these things because I know how fickle it can be, but we need to address our position for sure. “And if we’re 10th at Christmas, yeah it won’t be great. There’d be a lot of scrutiny and probably a lot of scrutiny around me, which is fair enough, but that’s not where I plan for us to be.” Tottenham’s immediate efforts to move up the table will require them ending City’s two-year unbeaten home run in the Premier League. The champions have lost their last four matches in all competitions, but have some key personnel back for Saturday’s clash and will aim to toast Pep Guardiola’s new contract with a victory. Postecoglou was pleased to see Guardiola commit to a further two seasons in England, adding: “I love the fact that there’s a massive target out there that can seem insurmountable. “I look at it the other way. I go, ‘imagine if you knock him off, that’d be something’. “I’m at the stage of my life where I’d rather have the chance of knocking him off than missing that opportunity. “When greatness is around, you want to be around it. And hopefully it challenges you to be like that as well.” Saturday’s fixture will be Postecoglou’s 50th league game in charge of Spurs and he knows what is required to bring up three figures. A post shared by Premier League (@premierleague) “No European football, significant player turnover, change of playing style. Where did I think we’d be after 50 games? God knows. “It could have been a whole lot worse, but when you look at it in the current prism of we’re 10th, you’re going ‘it doesn’t look good’ and I understand that and we have to improve that. “But over the 50 games, I think there’s enough there that shows we are progressing as a team and we are developing into the team we want. “The key is the next 50 games, if they can be in totality better than the first 50? First, that means I’m here but second, I think we’ll be in a good space.”
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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has staggered from scandal to crisis but he surprised everyone this week by declaring martial law -- only then to survive an impeachment vote. The plunge back to South Korea's dark days of military rule only lasted a few hours, and after a night of protests and high drama Yoon was forced into a U-turn in the early hours of Wednesday. But polls show a huge majority of citizens want him out and lawmakers voted Saturday on an impeachment motion brought by the opposition, who control parliament. But even though only eight of them needed to support the motion for it to pass, all but three MPs from Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote and it failed. This is despite the PPP's leader Han Dong-hoon -- allegedly on an arrest list the night of the martial law declaration -- saying Yoon's resignation was "inevitable". On Saturday before the vote, Yoon spoke publicly for the first time in days, apologising for the "anxiety and inconvenience" he caused, but stopping short of throwing in the towel. Instead the 63-year-old said he would "entrust the party with measures to stabilise the political situation, including my term in office". Born in Seoul in 1960 months before a military coup, Yoon studied law and went on to become a star public prosecutor and anti-corruption crusader. He played an instrumental role in Park Geun-hye, South Korea's first female president, being convicted of abuse of power, imprisoned and impeached in 2016. As the country's top prosecutor in 2019, he also indicted a top aide of Park's successor, Moon Jae-in, in a fraud and bribery case. The conservative PPP, in opposition at the time, liked what they saw and convinced Yoon to become their presidential candidate. He duly won in March 2022, beating Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, but by the narrowest margin in South Korean history. Yoon was never much loved by the public, especially by women -- he vowed on the campaign trail to abolish the ministry of gender equality -- and scandals have come thick and fast. This included his administration's handling of a 2022 crowd crush during Halloween festivities that killed more than 150 people. Voters have also blamed Yoon's administration for food inflation, a lagging economy and increasing constraints on freedom of speech. He was accused of abusing presidential vetoes, notably to strike down a bill paving the way for a special investigation into alleged stock manipulation by his wife Kim Keon Hee. Yoon suffered further reputational damage last year when his wife was secretly filmed accepting a designer handbag worth $2,000 as a gift. Yoon insisted it would have been rude to refuse. His mother-in-law, Choi Eun-soon, was sentenced to one year in prison for forging financial documents in a real estate deal. She was released in May 2024. Yoon himself was the subject of a petition calling for his impeachment earlier this year, which proved so popular the parliamentary website hosting it experienced delays and crashes. As president, Yoon has maintained a tough stance against nuclear-armed North Korea and bolstered ties with Seoul's traditional ally, the United States. Last year, he sang Don McLean's "American Pie" at the White House, prompting US President Joe Biden to respond: "I had no damn idea you could sing." But his efforts to restore ties with South Korea's former colonial ruler, Japan, did not sit well with many at home. Yoon has been a lame duck president since the opposition Democratic Party won a majority in parliamentary elections this year. They recently slashed Yoon's budget. In his Tuesday night televised address to the nation, Yoon railed against "anti-state elements plundering people's freedom and happiness" and his office has subsequently cast his imposition of martial law as a bid to break through legislative gridlock. But to use his political difficulties as justification for imposing martial law for the first time in South Korea since the 1980s is absurd, an analyst said. "Yoon invoked Article 77 of the South Korean constitution, which allows for proclaiming martial law but is reserved for 'time of war, armed conflict or similar national emergency', none of which appears evident," Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told AFP. "Yoon's action is a damning reversal to decades of South Korean efforts to put its authoritarian past behind it," he said. burs-stu/ceb/mtp