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The Mankato City Council voted Monday to limit the number of recreational cannabis retailers to four, the minimum allowed under state law. The ordinance also establishes strict zoning regulations, including large buffer zones around schools, day care centers and parks. The decision comes as cities across Minnesota grapple with the 2023 legalization of recreational cannabis , which is expected to create a $1.5 billion market when state licensing is finalized, likely sometime next year. While local governments cannot ban cannabis businesses outright, they have leeway in regulating their location and number of licenses . Mankato’s ordinance sets a 1,000-foot buffer zone around schools and a 500-foot buffer around day cares, residential drug treatment facilities and some parks. These restrictions are stricter than those adopted by other cities, including Minneapolis and St. Paul , which set buffers at 300 feet from schools. “Some say this is very restrictive,” longtime Council President Mike Laven said. “But these restrictions are the best practice now, and we can modify them in the future.” The restrictions drew criticism from Matthew Little, a Mankato resident and operating partner for a hemp processing company in Waseca. The cap of four retailers was “way too low” for a regional hub like Mankato, Little said at the meeting, adding that there should be 10 to 15 licenses. And expansive buffer zones limit the number of buildings where retailers can set up shop, which could lead to sellers hiking up property rates and inflating prices, Little said in a call Tuesday. “Anytime you have restrictive capitalism, you’ll have higher prices,” Little said. City Attorney Pam Whitmore acknowledged that Mankato’s ordinance might seem restrictive to some but emphasized that it reflects a “middle ground” approach. She and other city officials said they anticipate further adjustments as the state refines its rules and the market evolves. “You’ll be seeing me a lot in the course of the next couple of years with changes and tweaks to our cannabis ordinances,” Whitmore told the council. Already, Minnesota’s first lottery for people seeking cannabis business licenses has been delayed amid lawsuits filed by applicants who said they were unfairly denied entrance. The Mankato City Council on Monday also addressed the sale of lower-potency hemp-derived products, which are not subject to the same buffer zone restrictions as high-potency cannabis products and will be allowed in more businesses throughout the city.
DETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * DETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? DETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea, including additional 10% taxes on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday on Truth Social threatening the tariffs on his first day in office could just be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. High food prices were a major issue in voters picking Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, but tariffs almost certainly would push those costs up even further. For instance, the Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said Tuesday that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when other countries retaliate. “Tariffs distort the marketplace and will raise prices along the supply chain, resulting in the consumer paying more at the checkout line,” said Alan Siger, association president. Mexico and Canada are two of the biggest exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables to the U.S. In 2022, Mexico supplied 51% of fresh fruit and 69% of fresh vegetables imported by value into the U.S., while Canada supplied 2% of fresh fruit and 20% of fresh vegetables. Before the election, about 7 in 10 voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. “We’ll get them down,” Trump told shoppers during a September visit to a Pennsylvania grocery store. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. People looking to buy a new vehicle likely would see big price increases as well, at a time when costs have gone up so much they are out of reach for many. The average price of a new vehicle now runs around $48,000. About 15% of the 15.6 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. last year came from Mexico, while 8% crossed the border from Canada, according to Global Data. Much of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers, unless automakers can somehow quickly find productivity improvements to offset them, said C.J. Finn, U.S. automotive sector leader for PwC, a consulting firm. That means even more consumers “would potentially get priced out,” Finn said. Hardest hit would be Volkswagen, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford, Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska wrote Tuesday in a note to investors. “A 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada would severely cripple the U.S. auto industry,” he said. The tariffs would hurt U.S. industrial production so much that “we expect this is unlikely to happen in practice,” Roeska said. The tariff threat hit auto stocks on Tuesday, particularly shares of GM, which imports about 30% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. from Canada and Mexico, and Stellantis, which imports about 40% from the two countries. For both companies, about 55% of their lucrative pickup trucks come from Mexico and Canada. GM shares were down more than 8% and Stellantis was off over 5%. It’s not clear how long the tariffs would last if implemented, but they could force auto executives to move production to the U.S., which could create more jobs in the long run. But Morningstar analyst David Whiston said in the short term automakers probably won’t make any moves because they can’t quickly change where they build vehicles. Millions of dollars worth of auto parts flow across the borders with Mexico and Canada, and that could raise prices for already costly automobile repairs, Finn said. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. said tariffs on tequila or Canadian whisky won’t boost American jobs because they are distinctive products that can only be made in their country of origin. In 2023, the U.S. imported $4.6 billion worth of tequila and $108 million worth of mezcal from Mexico and $537 million worth of spirits from Canada, the council said. “At the end of the day, tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt U.S. consumers and lead to job losses across the U.S. hospitality industry,” the council said. Electronics retailer Best Buy said on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it runs on thin profit margins, so while vendors and the company will shoulder some increases, Best Buy will have to pass tariffs to customers. “These are goods that people need, and higher prices are not helpful,” CEO Corie Barry said. Walmart also warned this week that tariffs could force it to raise prices, as did Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who talked with Trump after his call for tariffs, said they had a good conversation about how the countries can work together. “This is something that we can do, laying out the facts and moving forward in constructive ways. This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on and that’s what we’ll do,” Trudeau said. Trump’s threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have been falling. The most recent U.S. numbers for October show arrests remain near four-year lows. But arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. Much of America’s fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico, and seizures have increased. Trump has sound legal justification to impose the tariffs, even though they conflict with a 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump with Canada and Mexico, said William Reinsch, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former trade official in the Clinton administration. The treaty, known as the USMCA, is up for review in 2026. In China’s case, he could simply declare Beijing hasn’t met its obligations under an agreement he negotiated in his first term. For Canada and Mexico, he could say the influx of migrants and drugs represent a national security threat, and turn to a section of trade law he used in his first term to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum. The law he would most likely use for Canada and Mexico sets out a legal process that often takes as long as nine months, during which time Trump would likely seek a deal. If talks failed and the duties were imposed, all three countries would likely retaliate by putting tariffs on U.S. exports, said Reinsch, who believes Trump’s tariffs threat is a negotiating ploy. U.S. companies would lobby the Trump administration intensively against tariffs, and would seek to have products exempted. Some of the biggest exporters from Mexico are U.S. firms that make parts there. “Our economies really are integrated,” Reinsch said. Longer term, Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the threat of tariffs could make the U.S. an “unstable partner” in international trade. “It is an incentive to move activity outside the United States to avoid all this uncertainty,” she said. Trump transition team officials did not immediately respond to questions about what he would need to see to prevent the tariffs from being implemented and how they would impact prices in the U.S. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested Tuesday that Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own. Sheinbaum said she was willing to talk about the issues, but said drugs were a U.S. problem. ___ Rugaber reported from Washington. AP reporters Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit, Stan Choe and Anne D’Innocenzio in New York, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report. Advertisement Advertisement
NEW YORK, Dec. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a lawsuit has been filed against Zeta Global Holdings Corp. ZETA and certain of the Company's senior executives for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in Zeta, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/zeta-global-holdings-corp . Investors have until January 21, 2025, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in Zeta securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and is captioned Davoodi v. Zeta Global Holdings Corp. , et al. , No. 24-cv-08961. What is the Lawsuit About? Zeta is a cloud-based technology company that provides a marketing platform to assist marketers in acquiring customers. The complaint alleges that Zeta represented that its marketing platform was powered by the industry's largest opted-in data set. On November 13, 2024, prominent investment research firm Culper Research published a report titled: "Zeta Global Holdings Corp (ZETA): Shams, Scams, and Spam." Based on Culper's investigation that included proprietary interviews with industry experts and former Zeta employees, the research firm found that Zeta's data set had been generated from a network of "consent farms" – i.e., sham websites designed to gather consumer data under false pretenses or awards that did not exist. Culper Research further wrote that these consent farms drove almost the entirety of Zeta's growth over the past 2+ years, representing 56% of its Adjusted EBITDA, and could result in devastating regulatory action. The news caused a significant decline in the price of Zeta stock. On November 13, 2024, the price of the company's stock fell 37%, from a closing price of $28.22 per share on November 12, 2024, to $17.76 per share on November 13, 2024. Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/zeta-global-holdings-corp . What Can You Do? If you invested in Zeta you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/zeta-global-holdings-corp Or contact: Ross Shikowitz ross@bfalaw.com 212-789-3619 Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP? Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd. For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com . https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/zeta-global-holdings-corp Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Children told refugees ‘enrich our country’ and drive ‘growth’ in Usborne book
The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.Movie review: ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ a boundary-pushing prequel worthy of original film
Trump has promised again to release the last JFK files. But experts say don’t expect big revelations
New Report Highlights Piana's Continued Momentum in Leading Sustainability Practices and Successfully Shrinking its Environmental Footprint CARTERSVILLE, Ga. , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Piana Technology , the 442-year-old Italian-made textile company renowned for its innovations in the fiber and nonwovens markets, proudly announced it has published its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report. Piana Technology's report is a reflection of the company's continued commitment to building a better future for our planet through an ethical and caring approach to technological growth and application. "2023 has been a year of transformation and growth. We have deepened our commitment to sustainability, not only in our products but in every aspect of our operations," said Andrea Piana , CEO of Piana Technology. "This year, we achieved significant milestones, from reducing our carbon footprint across all facilities to pioneering new technologies that align with our zero-waste vision. Our innovations are driven by a steadfast belief that the future of industry lies in responsible stewardship of our planet's resources." In 2021, Piana Technology established benchmark sustainability metrics that enable the company to reduce its overall organizational, facility, and product-level environmental impact, especially its greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. Piana Technology's 2023 ESG report highlights the company's tremendous growth in implementing new programs and systems to lessen its impact on all fronts. "At Piana Technology, ESG priorities are at the heart of our mission," said Silvia Galasso , Executive Vice President of Piana Sleep , the bedding division of Piana Technology. "We aim to lead and inspire as we make meaningful improvements in our environmental footprint and the wellbeing of our people." Piana Technology is dedicated to leading change through example, transforming into a business for good, and working with those who share the Piana vision. For more information on Piana Technology's 2023 ESG report, visit: https://www.piana.tech/sustainability About Piana Technology The Piana family's roots began in the textile business in 1582 in Biella, Italy , evolving over centuries to develop innovative solutions in the industry, starting with traditional textile dyeing in 1950 and opening their first American factory in Cartersville, Georgia in 1995. Today, Piana Technology is a multinational company addressing common problems with unique solutions in nonwovens, digital printing, and fiber treatments. Piana provides the hidden technology behind many everyday consumer products—from automotive to home furnishings—replacing conventional materials with socially and environmentally responsible technologies. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/piana-technologys-annual-environmental-social-and-governance-esg-report-underscores-its-unwavering-commitment-to-sustainability-and-innovation-302316825.html SOURCE Piana TechnologyDoug Pederson is proud of Mac Jones for getting his first win as a Jaguar
Mantis Robotics Raises $5 Million To Develop 'Human-Centric Robots'Is President Trump prepared for President Xi? President-elect and his possible cabinet have to prepare for China The global power chess board is experiencing extraordinary changes. Old players are tumbling, and new ones are emerging. Once upon a time, US had the unchallenged and unparalleled power to define rules of global power chessboard. Thus, right after presidential elections in US, the world started preparing for new president. There was usually a race to connect with the new possible administration of the President-elect. It was considered a success to talk to president-elect. The lobbyists tried to exploit the opportunity up to maximum, and Washington became the lobbyists’ gala place. However, the paradigm started to shift in recent times. The world is not showing enthusiasm to connect with possible cabinet and president-elect, which was a common practice 20 years ago. However, situation for China is entirely different. Now, the President-elect and his possible cabinet have to prepare for China. Whether someone likes it or not, China is becoming a new rule-setter, or at least a player of equal weight to US, to set rules of global power chess board. This is not an exaggerated assumption or rhetoric; it is based on facts and data. China is fast becoming centre of global trade and economy. Countries and regions are eagerly signing free trade and economic partnerships with China. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is one of the most prominent example in recent times. The RCEP members account for 30pc of population and 30pc of global GDP ($29.7 trillion). It is considered largest trade bloc in history. On the other hand, China signed agreements with Arab countries, Gulf Cooperation Organisation, Latin American countries, African countries, etc. It is also strengthening cooperation at BRICS and SCO, among others. Besides, China International Import Expo (CIIE) was launched to strengthen trade links with the world. CIIE has been designed to promote rule-based, win-win cooperation and create opportunities for the world. Moreover, China has offered tariff-free entry into Chinese market to all the least developed countries. By doing so, China is on its way to becoming centre of global trade and ambit of global economy. China is home to many global initiatives in the fields of economy, security and diplomacy, such as BRI, GDI, GSI and GCI. First, China launched BRI to contribute to and satisfy economic and development needs of the world. Due to openness and inclusiveness in decision-making and implementation, it has become largest economic, trade, connectivity and investment program in human history, with 153 countries and 32 international organisations. The Global Security Initiative (GSI) has been built on four pillars: common, comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable security. It is helping the world combat new security challenges and secure sustainable peace without compromising dignity and sovereignty of countries. Second, Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank was introduced to achieve goals of a people-centric financial system, which must not be exploitative. It has become second-largest global bank with 109 members after World Bank. Third, China has accelerated its efforts to invest in global common goods, such as environment, free trade routes, poverty alleviation and sustainable food security. The Global Development Initiative (GDI), which was built on a vision of shared prosperity, is emerging as one of biggest common good provider initiatives. Fourth, China has emerged as leader of Fourth Industrial Revolution by strengthening its innovation and technological development base. No one can afford or dare to ignore China. Despite all propaganda and sanctions, many CEOs of leading tech companies visited China in 2023, including Bill Gates, co-founder of US tech giant Microsoft; Elon Musk, co-founder of electric vehicle front-runner Tesla; Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple and Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm. They are all in a race to build and strengthen their relationship with China. Fifth, China is home to a huge population and, in economic terms, a huge consumer market. President Xi has launched a drive to modernise Chinese economy, society and governance system. Modernisation is expected to initiate class shuffling, and almost 1,000 million people will change the class. It will create a trillion-dollar new economy. Thus, no country or bloc can ignore Chinese market, rather they will be in a race to build partnerships with China. These initiatives and strengths have made China centre of economic activity, trade, technology and hope for sustainable peace. People are keen to watch China, its policies and refine their policies to benefit from the opportunities. Plenary sessions of Central Committee of Communist Party of China attract a wide audience and media coverage. The world watches it closely because, as the centre of global trade, technology and economy, decisions at the session will have implications for global economy, trade and development. The world considers the session sets the tone for Chinese economy, society, and international economic and diplomatic engagements. People also listen to and thoroughly analyse President Xi’s and other Chinese leaders’ speeches. The importance of President Xi’s speech can be judged by its online viewership and traditional media coverage. For example, in 2021, President Xi’s speech at UN was the most viewed speech on social media and received worldwide coverage. This clearly indicates China’s importance has been enhanced, and the world considers President Xi’s speech a global tone-setter. The question is whether President Trump understands new dynamics or is ready to deal with President Xi. A bird’s-eye view of proposed cabinet and other nominees shows he neither comprehended nor prepared for President Xi. The President-elect and his team still live in the past. They think US can do anything and dictate anything to anyone. Unfortunately, most of his potential cabinet candidates are hoaxes and China bashers. They want to pick a trade and sanction war with China. They are exploring options to strengthen sanctions and CHIPS and Science Act because they believe these actions will assist American economy. Further, there are clear signs President Trump will revert back to his first-term anti-China policy. He believes his anti-China policy helped US. The above-discussed facts and data indicate US come out of past and understand the world has changed. The US is no longer in a position of strength to dictate its terms. The world is looking to China for economic and trade linkages to fulfil its growth and development goals. The President-elect and his team should try to comprehend new dynamics and realities. This will help US steer the relationship in right direction. Otherwise, the relationship may further deteriorate, which would be bad news for US, China, and the world. Moreover, US economic situation and rising debt do not allow it to engage in trade or sanction war, which will further deteriorate American economy, and inflation, inequality and poverty continue to rise.It’s a daunting reality for Democrats: Republican Donald Trump's support has grown broadly since he last sought the presidency. In his defeat of Democrat Kamala Harris , Trump won a bigger percentage of the vote in each one of the 50 states, and Washington, D.C., than he did four years ago. He won more actual votes than in 2020 in 40 states, according to an Associated Press analysis. Certainly, Harris’ more than 7 million vote decline from President Joe Biden’s 2020 total was a factor in her loss, especially in swing-state metropolitan areas that have been the party’s winning electoral strongholds. But, despite national turnout that was lower than in the high-enthusiasm 2020 election, Trump received 2.5 million more votes than he did four years ago. He swept the seven most competitive states to win a convincing Electoral College victory, becoming the first Republican nominee in 20 years to win a majority of the popular vote. Trump cut into places where Harris needed to overperform to win a close election. Now Democrats are weighing how to regain traction ahead of the midterm elections in two years, when control of Congress will again be up for grabs and dozens of governors elected. There were some notable pieces to how Trump's victory came together: Though Trump improved across the map, his gains were particularly noteworthy in urban counties home to the cities of Detroit, Milwaukee and Philadelphia, electoral engines that stalled for Harris in industrial swing states Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Harris fell more than 50,000 votes — and 5 percentage points — short of Biden's total in Wayne County, Michigan, which makes up the lion's share of the Detroit metro area. She was almost 36,000 votes off Biden's mark in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, and about 1,000 short in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. It wasn't only Harris' shortfall that helped Trump carry the states, a trio that Democrats had collectively carried in six of the seven previous elections before Nov. 5. Trump added to his 2020 totals in all three metro counties, netting more than 24,000 votes in Wayne County, more than 11,000 in Philadelphia County and almost 4,000 in Milwaukee County. It’s not yet possible to determine whether Harris fell short of Biden’s performance because Biden voters stayed home or switched their vote to Trump — or how some combination of the two produced the rightward drift evident in each of these states. Harris advertised heavily and campaigned regularly in each, and made Milwaukee County her first stop as a candidate with a rally in July. These swings alone were not the difference in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, but her weaker performance than Biden across the three metros helped Trump, who held on to big 2020 margins in the three states' broad rural areas and improved or held steady in populous suburbs. Trump's team and outside groups supporting him knew from their data that he was making inroads with Black voters, particularly Black men younger than 50, more concentrated in these urban areas that have been key to Democratic victories. When James Blair, Trump's political director, saw results coming in from Philadelphia on election night, he knew Trump had cut into the more predominantly Black precincts, a gain that would echo in Wayne and Milwaukee counties. “The data made clear there was an opportunity there,” Blair said. AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 120,000 voters, found Trump won a larger share of Black and Latino voters than he did in 2020, and most notably among men under age 45. Democrats won Senate races in Michigan and Wisconsin but lost in Pennsylvania. In 2026, they will be defending governorships in all three states and a Senate seat in Michigan. Despite the burst of enthusiasm Harris' candidacy created among the Democratic base when she entered the race in July, she ended up receiving fewer votes than Biden in three of the seven states where she campaigned almost exclusively. In Arizona, she received about 90,000 fewer votes than Biden. She received about 67,000 fewer in Michigan and 39,000 fewer in Pennsylvania. In four others — Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin — Harris won more votes than Biden did. But Trump's support grew by more — in some states, significantly more. That dynamic is glaring in Georgia, where Harris received almost 73,000 more votes than Biden did when he very narrowly carried the state. But Trump added more than 200,000 to his 2020 total, en route to winning Georgia by roughly 2 percentage points. In Wisconsin, Trump's team reacted to slippage it saw in GOP-leaning counties in suburban Milwaukee by targeting once-Democratic-leaning, working-class areas, where Trump made notable gains. In the three largest suburban Milwaukee counties — Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha — which have formed the backbone of GOP victories for decades, Harris performed better than Biden did in 2020. She also gained more votes than Trump gained over 2020, though he still won the counties. That made Trump's focus on Rock County, a blue-collar area in south central Wisconsin, critical. Trump received 3,084 more votes in Rock County, home of the former automotive manufacturing city of Janesville, than he did in 2020, while Harris underperformed Biden's 2020 total by seven votes. That helped Trump offset Harris' improvement in Milwaukee's suburbs. The focus speaks to the strength Trump has had and continued to grow with middle-income, non-college educated voters, the Trump campaign's senior data analyst Tim Saler said. “If you're going to have to lean into working-class voters, they are particularly strong in Wisconsin,” Saler said. “We saw huge shifts from 2020 to 2024 in our favor.” Of the seven most competitive states, Arizona saw the smallest increase in the number of votes cast in the presidential contest — slightly more than 4,000 votes, in a state with more than 3.3 million ballots cast. That was despite nearly 30 campaign visits to Arizona by Trump, Harris and their running mates and more than $432 million spent on advertising by the campaigns and allied outside groups, according to the ad-monitoring firm AdImpact. Arizona, alone of the seven swing states, saw Harris fall short of Biden across small, midsize and large counties. In the other six states, she was able to hold on in at least one of these categories. Even more telling, it is also the only swing state where Trump improved his margin in every single county. While turnout in Maricopa County, Arizona's most populous as the home to Phoenix, dipped slightly from 2020 — by 14,199 votes, a tiny change in a county where more than 2 million people voted — Trump gained almost 56,000 more votes than four years ago. Meanwhile, Harris fell more than 60,000 votes short of Biden's total, contributing to a shift significant enough to swing the county and state to Trump, who lost Arizona by fewer than 11,000 votes in 2020. The biggest leaps to the right weren't taking place exclusively among Republican-leaning counties, but also among the most Democratic-leaning counties in the states. Michigan's Wayne County swung 9 points toward Trump, tying the more Republican-leaning Antrim County for the largest movement in the state. AP VoteCast found that voters were most likely to say the economy was the most important issue facing the country in 2024, followed by immigration. Trump supporters were more motivated by economic issues and immigration than Harris', the survey showed. “It’s still all about the economy," said North Carolina Democratic strategist Morgan Jackson, a senior adviser to Democrat Josh Stein, who won North Carolina’s governorship on Nov. 5 as Trump also carried the state. “Democrats have to embrace an economic message that actually works for real people and talk about it in the kind of terms that people get, rather than giving them a dissertation of economic policy,” he said. Governor’s elections in 2026 give Democrats a chance to test their understanding and messaging on the issue, said Democratic pollster Margie Omero, whose firm has advised Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in the past and winning Arizona Senate candidate Ruben Gallego this year. “So there’s an opportunity to really make sure people, who governors have a connection to, are feeling some specificity and clarity with the Democratic economic message,” Omero said.
Fantasy plays: Players to start and sit for NFL Week 13Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, stated that Egypt has taken significant steps to achieve food security and reduce the food gap in several strategic crops. Speaking at the World Food Summit in the United Arab Emirates, Minister Farouk addressed a ministerial dialogue session chaired by the UAE Minister of Climate Change. The session, attended by ministers and representatives of participating organizations, was moderated by Dr. Abdul Hakim El Waer, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Minister Farouk highlighted Egypt’s commitment to ensuring food security for its people amidst challenges such as limited land and water resources, and a rapidly growing population. He detailed several key initiatives: vertical agricultural expansion through increased land and water productivity; the development of high-yield crop varieties resilient to adverse climate change; horizontal agricultural expansion through the reclamation of new lands, including the 1.5 million-feddan project and the 2.2 million-feddan New Delta project; the expansion of national aquaculture projects, water desalination projects, and irrigation water management; the development of livestock and poultry resources and the improvement of breeds; and encouraging private sector investment in agricultural projects, particularly agro-processing and agricultural waste recycling. Minister Farouk added that the government is adopting a contractual farming system and focusing on the cultivation of strategic crops, especially grains, oils, and fodder. He also noted President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s launch of the “Decent Life” initiative, aimed at improving the living standards of over 60% of Egyptians in rural areas. This major development project involves international organizations such as the FAO and the World Food Programme. He further cited the Takaful and Karama (Solidarity and Dignity) program, benefiting millions of Egyptian citizens, and the establishment of the Egyptian Food Bank, among other initiatives supporting the Egyptian people. Minister Farouk concluded by emphasizing that despite regional difficulties, Egypt is effectively addressing food security challenges and supporting its regional neighbors facing political and geopolitical conflicts. Earlier today, Minister Farouk delivered Egypt’s address at the opening session of the World Food Security Summit in Abu Dhabi.