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Dolphins vs. Patriots notes: Tagovailoa's efficiency shines in win; Waddle makes history
Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 's former presidential running mate, has raised concerns about potential appointees for the incoming Trump administration, calling them a potential "disaster." In a recent social media post, Shanahan urged vigilance and action, highlighting her behind-the-scenes efforts to block the controversial picks. "There are two potential appointments that could be coming down the pike that would be a disaster for the people, our health, and the integrity of this administration," Shanahan said. "I am working very hard behind the scenes to make sure they don't come to fruition." I have always promised to be an honest broker in my political dealings, and transparent with the public. There are two potential appointments that could be coming down the pike that would be a disaster for the people, our health, and the integrity of this administration. I am... Newsweek reached out to Shanahan for comment on Friday. Shanahan's comments reflect growing concern about President-elect Donald Trump 's transition, which has faced criticism for its unconventional approach, including the controversial selection of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Since Election Day, Trump has set records with the pace of his appointments, naming more than two dozen officials, including 16 Cabinet-level positions. Trump has often said his biggest mistake in his first term was relying on others for personnel recommendations, leading to poor choices. The selection process—conducted at his Mar-a-Lago club and aboard his private jet—risks recreating the chaos of his first term while introducing new challenges. While some of Trump's early picks, like Senator Marco Rubio for secretary of state, appeared conventional, some other choices have sparked significant backlash. The nomination of former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz as attorney general shocked Democrats , who fear he would prioritize political retaliation over justice, and even stunned some fellow Republicans , who initially thought the announcement was a joke. Gaetz withdrew this week, saying he "did not want to become a distraction." Gaetz was facing a House Ethics Committee investigation into claims of sexual misconduct with a minor and illegal drug use, both of which he denied. He resigned from Congress before the potential release of the report. The Department of Justice , which Gaetz would have led, last year said he would not face federal sex-trafficking charges. Another controversial pick is Pete Hegseth for defense secretary. While a decorated veteran with service in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Hegseth lacks experience in managing an organization as vast and complex as the Pentagon . Hegseth also is facing scrutiny over a sexual assault allegation in California seven years ago. A woman alleged Hegseth sexually assaulted her after he prevented her from leaving a hotel room. Hegseth said the allegations are false and that the encounter was consensual. No charges were filed against him. Trump's decision to appoint Kennedy, a known vaccine skeptic, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services is another example of prioritizing loyalty over qualifications. Kennedy has pledged to dismantle federal health research and oversight, raising concerns about his fitness for the role.LONDON — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor "brutally raped and battered" her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the "modest award." Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. "She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice," she said. "I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served." The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. "He's not a man, he's a coward," attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. "A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is." Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him "no" as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, "now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times," referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. "I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn't tell anyone so he wouldn't hurt me again," she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman's complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said "she never said 'no' or stopped" and testified that everything she said was a lie. "It is a full blown lie among many lies," he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. "How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings." McGregor's lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. "You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise," attorney Remy Farrell said. "I'm not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch." The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor's arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked "happy, happy, happy." McGregor said he was "beyond petrified" when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor's friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent.
NEW YORK — Dylan Raiola took the shotgun snap and saw the Boston College defensive end crash in hard. Time to improvise. On the day Raiola set a new Nebraska freshman passing record for a season, perhaps his most crucial sequence came on a rare run. With the Huskers leaking momentum after a blocked punt helped whittle their lead to 20-15 late in the fourth quarter, the quarterback pulled the ball from Rahmir Johnson and took off to his left on a first-and-10 play from the NU 36. Raiola picked up five yards and slid late as defensive back Carter Davis crashed into him. Officials flagged Davis for a late-hit personal foul — Eagles coach Bill O’Brien vehemently disagreed in the moment and declined to discuss it afterward — as Raiola rolled to his feet and got in the face of the defender to set off a brief on-field scuffle. “He tried to take me out which is why I came up and kind of reacted,” Raiola said. “But I guess it was just kind of the fire in me. Game’s on the line, I’m going to lay it on the line for my team. I got up, I knew I wasn’t going to do anything but my linemen came in and kind of cleaned up for me.” Raiola finished 23-of-31 passing for 228 yards, pushing his season passing total to 2,823 yards in 13 games. The previous school mark was 2,617 by Adrian Martinez in 2018. Get local news delivered to your inbox!None
NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly a month after a devastating election loss that exposed cracks in the very foundation of their party, Democrats remain deeply divided over the extent of their political problem — or even if they have one. A number of Democratic leaders are downplaying the strength of Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris as the inevitable result of an inflation-fueled anti-incumbent backlash that shaped elections worldwide. But others are convinced that the Democratic Party is facing an acute crisis that requires an urgent overhaul of its brand, message and economic policies. Trump swept every battleground state on Nov. 5, becoming the first Republican candidate to win the national popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004. Yet nearly half the country voted against him. With the final votes still being counted in some places, Trump won the popular vote by just 1.6 percentage points. He carried the seven top swing states by about 760,000 votes combined out of more than 151 million cast nationwide. “The glass is half full. It was close. If we get another 2% or 3% of American voters, it would have successfully led to victories from the presidency on down,” says Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who is leading a group called Governors Safeguarding Democracy. But for Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Labor-Farmer Party and a candidate to lead the Democratic National Committee next year, the election represented “a damning indictment” for the Democratic Party. “People do not believe that the Democratic Party is fighting for them or for their families or gives a damn about their lives,” Martin told The Associated Press. “We lost ground with almost every group except wealthy households and college-educated voters.” The internal debate over the health of the party comes at a critical moment. Trump will return to the White House on Jan. 20, claiming a mandate to enact a dramatic “Make America Great Again” agenda led by the mass deportation of millions of immigrants in the country illegally; an overhaul of the federal departments of health, education and justice, and major import tariffs that threaten to strain the U.S. economy and international alliances alike. Democrats, even diminished and divided, stand as the only organized resistance to Trump and his emboldened MAGA allies. But for now, at least, the Democratic Party has no leader and no agreement on the political problems that need to be fixed or how to fix them. Many Democratic groups and leaders are working through post-election analyses to better understand what went wrong on Nov. 5, but few are working together. And already, some fear that the disparate post mortems will produce competing recommendations likely to be lost in a rush to leave the pain of 2024 behind. Priorities USA, one of the Democratic Party’s leading super PACs, is set to unveil its post-election findings this week. The group will recommend, among other things, that Democrats do a better job listening to voters instead of pollsters, while offering a more forward-looking positive alternative to Trump’s MAGA movement. If they do not make significant changes, according to a preview of that briefing, Priorities believes there is no guarantee that key elements of the Democratic base — especially young people and voters of color — will return to the party in future elections. Some of the loudest voices calling for dramatic changes represent the party’s far-left wing, which is often ignored by establishment Democrats who control the party’s messaging, strategy and policy platform. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders irked some party leaders the day after the election with a scathing critique: “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.” “While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change,” Sanders continued. “And they’re right.” In the weeks since, California Rep. Ro Khanna, a Sanders ally and a potential future presidential contender, has been urging his party to overhaul its economic message. Specifically, he’s advocating for a “New Economic Deal” focused on creating high-paying jobs for the middle class. Khanna’s chief of staff, Marie Baldassarre, said that some Democrats may be coming around to Khanna’s message and his willingness to share it on podcasts and right-leaning outlets such as Fox News. “I don’t know how you look at this election and don’t take a beat. This is the time to change,” Baldassarre said. “Why wouldn’t we do some work right now? We didn’t resonate.” Democratic strategist Waleed Shahid, a former spokesperson for Justice Democrats and the “Uncommitted” group that was critical of Joe Biden’s primary nomination, said Harris’ loss revealed that the party “has a major problem with bleeding working-class, low-information, non-college voters.” He notes that some Democratic leaders have responded with a collective shrug. “Many of the people at the highest levels of the party feel pretty lost,” Shahid said. “I’m skeptical that they’ll be able to create the kind of coalition they need for transformative change over our lifetimes.” The national committee’s upcoming election to select a new leader serves as a litmus test for the party’s direction. The DNC is expected to elect a new chair in February after a series of four candidate forums in January, according to an internal memo released last week. It remains unclear if delegates will embrace a high-profile outsider or an insider more familiar with the intricate workings of the party’s political apparatus. Few are calling for wholesale changes. Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler, who announced his candidacy for DNC chair on Sunday, said Democrats must embrace a new communication strategy to connect with voters who don’t pay close attention to politics. He complimented Trump’s command of the media landscape and suggested that his own party pay more attention to non-political and right-leaning podcasts and news networks. Wikler was skeptical, however, that the 2024 election results signal a political crisis for his party. “What we saw was a narrow shift to the right driven the most by the people most affected by inflation, who were paying the least attention to the news,” he said. “That does not suggest a permanent shift towards Trump. I think that there’s a very real opportunity for Democrats to win back ground.” He added: “I also think that Trump is very likely to more than repeat history and be a disaster.”LAHORE: THAAP in collaboration with the Documentary Association of Pakistan and The Eqbal Ahmad Project organised the screening of acclaimed documentary film “All That Breathes.” The film’s screening followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring eminent actress Nadia Jamil, Project Curator Siraj Ali, and leading social development professional Quratulain Bakhteari who participated via video link. This event brought together a diverse audience to explore critical themes of environmentalism and inter-species coexistence, as beautifully depicted in the film directed by Shaunak Sen. The short film was explored as part of The Eqbal Ahmad Year of Tribute 25 years on festival. “All That Breathes” has garnered prestigious accolades, including awards at the Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, and the Peabody Awards, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film chronicles the inspiring journey of two brothers, Nadeem and Daud, who dedicate their lives to rescuing the black kite, a vital species in the ecosystem of New Delhi. Their efforts underscore the urgent need for environmental stewardship in the face of escalating ecological challenges. Following the screening, the panel discussion allowed for an engaging dialogue among the esteemed speakers. Siraj Ali, Nadia Jamil, and Quratulain Bakhteari addressing key themes of the film, and their personal and political legacies of Eqbal Ahmad. The poignant discussion following the film and audience contributions resonated deeply with attendees. Prompting reflections on their roles in promoting the environment and social responsibility. The event was hosted by Prof. Pervaiz Vandal, who in addition to be a long term supporter of The Eqbal Ahmad Project, has sought to foster a sense of community among participants, encouraging them to engage actively in the pressing issues of our time Prior to the screening, a compelling video collage featuring insightful lectures by revolutionary thinker Eqbal Ahmad was showcased, setting the tone for the evening’s discussions. This event was organised by The Eqbal Ahmad Project as part of series of electronic and in person commmnity collaborations around the world this year to commemorate Eqbal Ahmad. The Eqbal Ahmad Project , which aims to honour the legacy of Ahmad a visionary whose insights into social justice and international solidarity continue to inspire change. 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() );LOS ANGELES (AP) — Londynn Jones scored 15 points, making all five of her 3-pointers, and fifth-ranked UCLA stunned No. 1 South Carolina 77-62 on Sunday, ending the Gamecocks’ overall 43-game winning streak and their run of 33 consecutive road victories. The Gamecocks (5-1) lost for the first time since April 2023, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat them in the NCAA Tournament national semifinals. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
How Fear Is Boosting Innovative Industrial Properties' UpsideSeahawks have taken a bumpy path to first place in the NFC West
Calamos Convertible and High Income Fund (NASDAQ:CHY) Short Interest UpdateAbortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It's now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans. The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Here's a look at data on where things stand: Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how woman obtain abortions in the U.S. But one thing it hasn't done is put a dent in the number of abortions being obtained. There have been slightly more monthly abortions across the country recently than there were in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, even as the number in states with bans dropped to near zero. “Abortion bans don’t actually prevent abortions from happening,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health social scientist at the University of California San Francisco. But, she said, they do change care. For women in some states, there are major obstacles to getting abortions — and advocates say that low-income, minority and immigrant women are least likely to be able to get them when they want. For those living in states with bans, the ways to access abortion are through travel or abortion pills. As the bans swept in, abortion pills became a bigger part of the equation. They were involved in about half the abortions before Dobbs. More recently, it’s been closer to two-thirds of them, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute. The uptick of that kind of abortion, usually involving a combination of two drugs, was underway before the ruling. But now, it's become more common for pill prescriptions to be made by telehealth. By the summer of 2024, about 1 in 10 abortions was via pills prescribed via telehealth to patients in states where abortion is banned. As a result, the pills are now at the center of battles over abortion access. This month, Texas sued a New York doctor for prescribing pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. There's also an effort by Idaho, Kansas and Missouri to roll back their federal approvals and treat them as “controlled dangerous substances,” and a push for the federal government to start enforcing a 19th-century federal law to ban mailing them. Clinics have closed or halted abortions in states with bans. But a network of efforts to get women seeking abortions to places where they're legal has strengthened and travel for abortion is now common. The Guttmacher Institute found that more than twice as many Texas residents obtained abortion in 2023 in New Mexico as New Mexico residents did. And as many Texans received them in Kansas as Kansans. Abortion funds, which benefitted from “rage giving” in 2022, have helped pay the costs for many abortion-seekers. But some funds have had to cap how much they can give . Since the downfall of Roe, the actions of lawmakers and courts have kept shifting where abortion is legal and under what conditions. Here's where it stands now: Florida, the nation’s third most-populous state, began enforcing a ban on abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy on May 1. That immediately changed the state from one that was a refuge for other Southerners seeking abortion to an exporter of people looking for them. There were about 30% fewer abortions there in May compared with the average for the first three months of the year. And in June, there were 35% fewer. While the ban is not unique, the impact is especially large. The average driving time from Florida to a facility in North Carolina where abortion is available for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is more than nine hours, according to data maintained by Caitlin Myers, a Middlebury College economics professor. The bans have meant clinics closed or stopped offering abortions in some states. But some states where abortion remains legal until viability – generally considered to be sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy , though there’s no fixed time for it – have seen clinics open and expand . Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico are among the states with new clinics. There were 799 publicly identifiable abortion providers in the U.S. in May 2022, the month before the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. And by this November, it was 792, according to a tally by Myers, who is collecting data on abortion providers. But Myers says some hospitals that always provided some abortions have begun advertising it. So they’re now in the count of clinics – even though they might provide few of them. How hospitals handle pregnancy complications , especially those that threaten the lives of the women, has emerged as a major issue since Roe was overturned. President Joe Biden's administration says hospitals must offer abortions when they're needed to prevent organ loss, hemorrhage or deadly infections, even in states with bans. Texas is challenging the administration’s policy and the U.S. Supreme Court this year declined to take it up after the Biden administration sued Idaho. More than 100 pregnant women seeking help in emergency rooms and were turned away or left unstable since 2022, The Associated Press found in an analysis of federal hospital investigative records. Among the complaints were a woman who miscarried in the lobby restroom of Texas emergency room after staff refused to see her and a woman who gave birth in a car after a North Carolina hospital couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died. “It is increasingly less safe to be pregnant and seeking emergency care in an emergency department,” Dara Kass, an emergency medicine doctor and former U.S. Health and Human Services official told the AP earlier this year. Since Roe was overturned, there have been 18 reproductive rights-related statewide ballot questions. Abortion rights advocates have prevailed on 14 of them and lost on four. In the 2024 election , they amended the constitutions in five states to add the right to abortion. Such measures failed in three states: In Florida, where it required 60% support; in Nebraska, which had competing abortion ballot measures; and in South Dakota, where most national abortion rights groups did support the measure. AP VoteCast data found that more than three-fifths of voters in 2024 supported abortion being legal in all or most cases – a slight uptick from 2020. The support came even as voters supported Republicans to control the White House and both houses of Congress. Associated Press writers Linley Sanders, Amanda Seitz and Laura Ungar contributed to this article.
San Rafael School District to form AI committeeNone