wolf casino california
6 Guatemalans arrested and charged with human smuggling in deadly 2021 Mexico truck crashPro-organic and agro-ecologists have staged a rally in Ibadan, Oyo State, to protest against Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), which they consider food poisoning. The rally was organised by GMO-Free Nigeria in collaboration with the Organic and Agroecology Initiative (ORAIN). Prof. Olugbenga Adeoluwa, leader of the group and professor of Soil Fertility at the University of Ibadan, said they were against genetically modified organisms and raising awareness of their impending danger. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a petition was submitted to the Oyo State House of Assembly and received by Bayo Olaniyan, the Chief of Staff to the Speaker. The group kicked against the genetically modified beans, cotton, and maize approved by the Nigerian government. They cited toxic herbicides like Round up and others approved by government agencies. ”We say no to the incursion of these negative scientific innovations into our food systems, not just in Nigeria, but all over the world. “Why are we saying this? Genetically modified technology in food systems has been found to counter human health. READ ALSO : Nigerians consuming GMO Foods risk cancer, organ damage — NGO “There are quite a lot of diseases like cancer, organ failure, hormonal failure that have been traced to food consumption, as a result of manipulation of our food system right from the field,” Adeoluwa said. According to him, there are a lot of research outputs that have been issued recently that have shown the correlation between the consumption of GMO foods and human diseases, especially inflammation of specific organs in human cells. “I am talking about the organs of test animals, which we feel as scientists can also affect humans, and so this is why we are saying no to GMOs in Nigeria. “We know that there are challenges of biosecurity, which means that there is no guarantee that allowing these GMO foods and crops into our food system can be curtailed. “What we are saying is that no to GMOs food in Nigeria, no to anything that could compromise our health, no to negative scientific innovations called GMOs food,” the don said. He noted that Nigeria had enough capacity in terms of available technologies and innovations for organic food and for safety food that could enhance or help to achieve food security. According to him, there are indigenous seeds and indigenous ways of preserving our seed, as well as indigenous materials that have been proven safe scientifically and materials and technology for producing seed. “Those are the things we want Nigeria as a country to embrace. So we say no to the genetic alternatives to food security. “We say yes to abundant technologies that have been proven scientifically that can enhance our food security,” Adeoluwa said. The don encouraged Nigerians to embrace the use of compost and manure, as well as indigenous technology that have been found in seeds and breeds and resistant to diseases, droughts and all manners of things countering healthy living. READ ALSO : NASS, minister tasked on GMO safety Also, Dr Mojisola Oyewole, a senior lecturer at the University of Ibadan, said the rally was to discuss the negative impacts of GMOs. “The effect of GMOs on the healthy living of an individual is non-negotiable, and so we are in the movement of saying no to GMOs in our society. One of the protesters, Oluwafemi Adebayo from the Department of Agriculture Extension and Rural Development, said GMOs had adverse effects on people’s lives. “In the recent survey, we’ve seen and we’re looking for a means in which we can encourage our smallscale farmers so that they can give us organic food that will be impactful to our world. A farmer, Chief Moshood Salimonu from Akinyele Local Government, stated that GMOs had never been the solution to food security and good nutrition. “I want to see my children grow up healthy and happy,” he said.
Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump’s most contentious picks
Giants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. Week 16 game between Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers flexed to Thursday night spot The Los Angeles Chargers have played their way into another prime time appearance. Justin Herbert and company have had their Dec. 22 game against the Denver Broncos flexed to Thursday night, Dec. 19. Friday’s announcement makes this the first time a game has been flexed to the Thursday night spot. The league amended its policy last season where Thursday night games in Weeks 13 through 17 could be flexed with at least 28 days notice prior to the game. The matchup of AFC West division rivals bumps the game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals to Sunday afternoon. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game for the 49ers with a shoulder injury SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers with a sore throwing shoulder. Purdy injured his right shoulder in last Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Purdy underwent an MRI that showed no structural damage but the shoulder didn’t improve during the week and Purdy was ruled out for the game. Coach Kyle Shanahan said star defensive end Nick Bosa also will miss the game with injuries to his left hip and oblique. Left tackle Trent Williams is questionable with an ankle injury and will be a game-time decision. Red Bull brings wrong rear wing to Las Vegas in mistake that could stall Verstappen's title chances LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen is suddenly in jeopardy of being denied a fourth consecutive Formula 1 title Saturday night. Red Bull apparently brought the wrong rear wing to Las Vegas and GPS data showed its two cars to be significantly slower on the straights than both McLaren and Mercedes, which led both practice sessions. Red Bull says it doesn’t have a replacement rear wing in Las Vegas to fix the issue and little chance of getting two flown in from England ahead of the race. Lawyer says ex-Temple basketball standout Hysier Miller met with NCAA for hours amid gambling probe PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A lawyer for former Temple basketball standout Hysier Miller says the 22-year-old sat for a long interview with the NCAA amid an investigation into unusual gambling activity. But neither the lawyer nor federal law enforcement officials on Friday would confirm reports that a federal probe is now under way. Lawyer Jason Bologna says Miller cooperated because he hopes to play again. Miller was released last month after transferring to Virginia Tech. Temple President John Fry says the Philadelphia school has not been asked for any information from federal law enforcement officials. Caitlin Clark to join Cincinnati bid for 16th National Women's Soccer League team WNBA star Caitlin Clark has joined Cincinnati’s bid for an expansion National Women’s Soccer League team. Major League Soccer franchise FC Cincinnati is heading the group vying to bring a women’s pro team to the city. The club issued a statement confirming Clark had joined the bid group. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has said the league plans to announce the league’s 16th team by the end of the year. The league's 15th team will begin play in 2026 in Boston. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Aaron Judge won't be bothered if Juan Soto gets bigger contract from Yankees than his $360M deal NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge won’t be bothered if Juan Soto gets a bigger deal from the New York Yankees than the captain’s $360 million, nine-year contract. Speaking a day after he was a unanimous winner of his second MVP, Judge says “It ain’t my money” and adds "that’s never been something on my mind about who gets paid the most.” Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks in his first season with the Yankees, then became a free agent at age 26.Abortion law experts said Trump’s decision to include fewer candidates with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement could indicate that abortion will not be a priority for Trump’s administration.
More Americans rate feeling warmly toward Donald Trump today than they did after the 2016 or 2020 election, despite the president-elect’s many scandals, including four indictments and two impeachments. After a contentious presidential election cycle, approximately 43 percent of people said they feel “very warm” or “warm” toward the president-elect in a new poll conducted by Pew Research Center. That is seven percentage points higher than after the 2016 election when Trump unexpectedly defeated Hillary Clinton. It’s also nine percentage points higher than after the 2020 presidential election, when Trump refused to concede to President Joe Biden and spread false statements about mass voter fraud in a bid to overturn the election results. Despite Trump facing federal criminal charges for his alleged attempts to overturn that election and accusations that he incited the January 6 attack on the Capitol, many Americans have seemingly forgiven the president-elect. The poll found that even Democrat or Democrat-leaning voters have slightly warmer feelings about Trump. In November, nine percent of those voters surveyed said they felt “very warm” or “warm” toward the president-elect. In 2020, that was five percent, and in 2016 it was eight percent. Trump has also boosted his image among Republican or Republican-leaning voters, with 78 percent reporting feeling warmly toward him. That, in part, is thanks to higher “good behavior” ratings during this election cycle compared to the 2020 election. Pew Research’s findings largely reflect the outcome of the election which saw much of the country shift right. Trump won both the electorate and popular vote in addition to all seven swing states. Despite warmer feelings toward Trump, the majority of Americans do not believe that he can successfully unite the country. Just 41 percent are confident in the president-elect’s ability to do so. “Republicans are now far more likely to be hopeful and proud, while the share of Democrats who feel hopeful has declined sharply,” the Pew report says. Meanwhile, 42 percent of Americans believe Trump is honest, and 37 percent describe him as “even-tempered.” Only 34 percent believe he is a good role model. Yet, Americans’ confidence in Trump’s ability to steer the economy in the right direction, crack down on immigration and approach foreign policy at a time of heightened tensions is what ultimately what won voters over.Civil Service and Government Development Bureau launches 'Future Skills Office'
WASHINGTON - Call it a very uncivil war, a food fight or even a pig pile. An argument pitting some of President-elect Donald Trump’s biggest supporters against each other has rocked MAGA world in recent days over whether his incoming administration should allow more highly skilled immigrant labor to come to the United States at the expense of American workers. What makes the beef especially awkward - or delicious, depending on who you ask – is that Trump’s D.O.G.E. duo of tech billionaires , Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy , are at the center of it. And the brawl is taking place almost entirely on Musk’s X platform, the informal public square for Trump’s whole Make America Great Again movement. On one side are Musk, the world's richest man, and Ramaswamy, who is worth an estimated $1 billion from his Roivant Sciences pharmaceutical company. The two, and other venture capitalists, say in recent posts that America needs more highly-skilled workers to come to the United States under what’s known as the H-1B program . They argue an expansion of the temporary work visa program is desperately needed to attract global talent for innovation and competitiveness in technology sectors. On the other side are some of Trump’s more traditional hardline conservative backers, who say such a reliance on bringing in foreign workers to the country is a slap in the face to American citizens after immigration served as a critical campaign plank that helped Trump win the White House in November. More: Trump taps Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to lead new 'Department of Government Efficiency' It also goes against Trump’s “America First” agenda and proposed crackdown on immigration, they argue, for billionaires like Musk and Ramaswamy to argue for bringing in more workers through H-1B instead of investing in training and developing Americans for those coveted jobs. It's one of the first riffs between factions of Trump's MAGA constituency since the 2024 election's conclusion, with Musk, Ramaswamy and other participants trending on X in the days since the dispute began. At issue is the H-1B program, which applies to employers seeking to hire “nonimmigrant aliens as workers in specialty occupations” that require “highly specialized knowledge” and at least a college bachelor’s degree, according to the Department of Labor. The federal agency says H-1B is specifically designed to help employers “who cannot otherwise obtain needed business skills and abilities from the U.S. workforce by authorizing the temporary employment of qualified individuals” from outside the U.S. Trump’s transition team had no comment when asked whether the president-elect was taking sides in the H-1B battle. But it referred USA TODAY to an X post sent Thursday from Trump’s longtime immigration policy czar Stephen Miller, which cited a 2020 Trump speech praising the “miraculous story” of all of the homegrown American heroes who built the country from scratch. What sparked the contretemps? The conflict came to a head Sunday when Trump named Silicon Valley veteran Sriram Krishnan to serve as his senior policy advisor for artificial intelligence inside the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Born and educated in India, Krishnan came to the U.S. in 2007. More recently he's been an associate of Musk’s who reportedly assisted in his revamp of X , formerly Twitter, after Musk bought it for $44 billion in 2022. Krishnan began taking heavy fire on X after MAGA hardliners resurfaced two recent X posts in which he appeared to argue for expanding H-1B and even ditching a current 7% cap that has created huge backlogs in countries like India and China with big pools of highly-skilled workers vying for U.S. jobs. “Anything to remove country caps for green cards / unlock skilled immigration would be huge ,” Krishnan posted on Nov. 14. Asked by an X user that same day whether “ country caps ... might backfire ,” Krishnan doubled down, saying, “simple logic - we need the best, regardless of where they happen to be born.” Fast forward to Christmas Day : Musk made himself a lightning rod for the MAGA critics, saying tech companies need to double the number of the visa to attract “super talented engineers AND super motivated” workers. “It comes down to this: do you want America to WIN or do you want America to LOSE,” Musk wrote in one of many X posts on the topic, this one seen by 9.1 million people. “If you force the world’s best talent to play for the other side, America will LOSE. End of story.” Ramaswamy, a first-generation American citizen whose parents immigrated from India, also drew the rath of some MAGA hardliners when he argued that American culture “has venerated mediocrity over excellence,” beginning in grade school and carrying over into the professional world. That, he posted on X, is the “reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over ‘native’ Americans.” Critics quickly shifted their anger from Krishnan to Musk and Ramaswamy, who Trump tapped six weeks ago to co-lead a new Department of Government Efficiency that will work to slash federal government spending, waste and regulations. Some charged that Musk and Ramaswamy, a former 2024 Republican presidential candidate and Trump rival, had a financial interest, given that their own companies depend on foreign workers to operate. “This is code for: ‘I don’t want to shrink my current piece of the pie to invest in the engines needed to cultivate Americans who can do the job, develop the American human capital here for intangible long-term impacts, and instead import it for at a lower cost and higher return now,” one X poster replied to Musk. Replying to a critic, Musk defended his position by saying, “The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low.” That prompted critics to attack Musk for implying that Americans not only lacked the requisite talent to work for people like him, but that they were lazy as well. “Open a school,” one retorted . “We have brains.” MAGA heavyweight and The Federalist CEO Sean Davis described the H-1B program as a kind of cheap pool of indentured servants. “Corporations love H-1B visas,” Davis tweeted , “because they allow the company to pay below market wages AND control the foreigners they hire, because the employers, not the workers, own the visas—if a newly imported foreigner leaves the sponsoring company, he has to leave the country.” MAGA ally and provocateur Laura Loomer also stepped in, saying Musk’s massive business presence in China made him something of an agent of the Communist regime who couldn’t be trusted on immigration issues. “We all know you only donated your money so you could influence immigration policy and protect your buddy Xi JinPing (sic),” the Chinese leader. On Friday, as Musk continued to parry with critics, longtime Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene – noting the “ MAGA split over this issue ” - appeared to criticize “some big MAGA voices with large social media platforms throwing down their opinions.” Greene , a Georgia Republican, didn’t name Musk or Ramaswamy by name. But she told H-1B supporters to instead invest “here in the U.S. to educate, build, and facilitate a solid foundation of knowledgeable, highly skilled, talented, well paid, AMERICAN workers.” What does Trump say? While Trump campaigned in 2024 as a hardliner on illegal immigration, his stance on the legal pipeline for entry is less well-formed, especially when it comes to green cards as a gateway to permanent residency in the U.S. Trump has targeted the H-1B program in past remarks and restricted some access to foreign worker visas during his first term. More recently, though, he has suggested he might be more open to more foreign-born workers. So far, Trump appears to be staying out of the current fight. But in a cryptic twist on Friday morning, the president-elect sent out a tweet left open to interpretation, with some musing it was meant as a direct message to Musk instead. The post quickly went viral, which much speculation that Trump was asking his biggest campaign donor and his son X, short for X AE A-XII, to come back to his Palm Beach estate and club. The two have spent much time there as Musk helps Trump with his transition moves since his Nov. 5 election victory. “Where are you? When are you coming to the ‘Center of the Universe,’ Mar-a-Lago,” Trump asks in the X post. “Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Year’s Eve is going to be AMAZING!!! DJT.” Trump’s transition team had no comment as to whether the message was meant for Musk.NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell broadly on Friday as Wall Street closed out a holiday-shortened week on a down note. The losses were made worse by sharp declines for the Big Tech stocks known as the “Magnificent 7”, which can heavily influence the direction of the market because of their large size. The S&P 500 fell 66.75 points, or 1.1%, to 5,970.84. Roughly 90% of stocks in the benchmark index lost ground, but it managed to hold onto a modest gain of 0.7% for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 333.59 points, or 0.8%, to 42,992.21. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 298.33 points, or 1.5%, to 19,722.03. Semiconductor giant Nvidia slumped 2.1%. Microsoft declined 1.7%. Each has a market value above $3 trillion, giving the companies outsized sway on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. A wide range of retailers also fell. Amazon fell 1.5% and Best Buy slipped 1.5%. The sector is being closely watched for clues on how it performed during the holiday shopping season. Energy stocks held up better than the rest of the market, with a loss of less than 0.1% as crude oil prices rose. “There’s just some uncertainty over this relief rally we’ve witnessed since last week,” said Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist for LPL Financial. The S&P 500 gained nearly 3% over a 3-day stretch before breaking for the Christmas holiday. On Thursday, the index posted a small decline. Despite Friday's drop, the market is moving closer to another standout annual finish . The S&P 500 is on track for a gain of around 25% in 2024. That would mark a second consecutive yearly gain of more than 20%, the first time that has happened since 1997-1998. The gains have been driven partly by upbeat economic data showing that consumers continued spending and the labor market remained strong. Inflation, while still high, has also been steadily easing. A report on Friday showed that sales and inventory estimates for the wholesales trade industry fell 0.2% in November, following a slight gain in October. That weaker-than-expected report follows an update on the labor market Thursday that showed unemployment benefits held steady last week. The stream of upbeat economic data and easing inflation helped prompt a reversal in the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy this year. Expectations for interest rate cuts also helped drive market gains. The central bank recently delivered its third cut to interest rates in 2024. Even though inflation has come closer to the central bank's target of 2%, it remains stubbornly above that mark and worries about it heating up again have tempered the forecast for more interest rate cuts. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market’s path ahead and shifting economic policies under incoming President Donald Trump. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Amedisys rose 4.7% after the home health care and hospice services provider agreed to extend the deadline for its sale to UnitedHealth Group. The Justice Department had sued to block the $3.3 billion deal, citing concerns the combination would hinder access to home health and hospice services in the U.S. The move to extend the deadline comes ahead of an expected shift in regulatory policy under Trump. The incoming administration is expected to have a more permissive approach to dealmaking and is less likely to raise antitrust concerns. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark index surged as the yen remained weak against the dollar. Stocks in South Korea fell after the main opposition party voted to impeach the country’s acting leader. Markets in Europe gained ground. Bond yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.62% from 4.59% late Thursday. The yield on the two-year Treasury remained at 4.33% from late Thursday. Wall Street will have more economic updates to look forward to next week, including reports on pending home sales and home prices. There will also be reports on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity.
ATLANTA (AP) — The judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others on Friday rejected an attempt by former Trump campaign lawyer Kenneth Chesebro to invalidate his guilty plea . Chesebro, Trump and 17 others were charged in August 2023 in a sprawling indictment that accused them of participating in a sweeping scheme to try to illegally overturn Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Chesebro pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy count a few months later after reaching a deal with prosecutors just before he was to go to trial. His lawyer t his month asked Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to invalidate the plea after McAfee in September tossed out the charge to which he had pleaded guilty. Defense attorney Manny Arora wrote that a failure to invalidate the plea would violate Chesebro's constitutional right to due process. McAfee's order denying that request said the motion was procedurally defective "in more ways than one.” He ultimately said he lacks jurisdiction to grant the request and therefore dismissed it. He noted that while Chesebro's filing challenges the validity of the indictment, he “already submitted a plea in response to this indictment — one of guilt.” While Chesebro did raise a pretrial challenge prior to his plea, he did not make the argument that ultimately caused the judge to throw out that charge. Arora had also argued in his filing that his request could be considered a “motion in arrest of judgment." But McAfee said that, technically, no judgment has been rendered against Chesebro because he was sentenced under Georgia's First Offender Act, which “defers further proceedings while the charge remains pending for the duration of the sentence.” Under that law, if Chesebro completes his probation without violating the terms or committing another crime, his record will be wiped clean. The request is also too late, McAfee wrote, because a motion in arrest of judgment must be filed during the term when a judgment is entered. Arora said that he had addressed McAfee's concerns in his motion but that the judge still found that he could not grant the request. He said he will file a habeas corpus motion, a civil proceeding used to challenge a conviction, and expects to get Chesebro's plea invalidated that way. Prosecutors have said Chesebro was part of a plot to have a group of 16 Georgia Republicans sign a certificate falsely saying that Trump had won Georgia and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. He pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents related to the the filing of that document with the federal court in Atlanta. Chesebro was one of four people to plead guilty in the case in the months following the indictment. The rest have pleaded not guilty. The case against Trump and the remaining defendants is mostly on hold pending a pretrial appeal of an order allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to remain on the case despite what defense attorneys say is a conflict of interest. Even if the appeals court rules in Willis’ favor, the fate of the case against Trump is unclear since he is set to be sworn in again as president next month. Kate Brumback, The Associated PressEvidence indicates Azerbaijan plane was ‘brought down’ by Russia: White House