A ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, a top White House official said Friday. Biden administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. > Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are But deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger told reporters Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. The update from Neuberger is the latest development in a massive hacking operation that has alarmed national security officials, exposed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the private sector and laid bare China 's hacking sophistication. The hackers compromised the networks of telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and gain access to the private communications of what officials have said is a a limited number of individuals. Though the FBI has not publicly identified any of the victims, officials believe senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures are among those whose whose communications were accessed. Neuberger said Friday that officials did not yet have a precise sense how many Americans overall were affected by Salt Typhoon, in part because the Chinese were careful about their techniques, but that a “large number" were in the Washington-Virginia area. Officials believe the goal of the hackers was to identify who owned the phones and, if they were “government targets of interest,” spy on their texts and phone calls, she said. Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world. The FBI said most of the people targeted by the hackers are "primarily involved in government or political activity.” Neuberger said the episode highlighted the need for required cybersecurity practices in the telecommunications industry, something the Federal Communications Commission is to take up at a meeting next month. In addition, she said, the government was planning additional actions in coming weeks in response to the hacking campaign, though she did not say what they were. “We know that voluntary cyber security practices are inadequate to protect against China, Russia and Iran hacking of our critical infrastructure,” she said. The Chinese government has denied responsibility for the hacking.With bowl drought quenched, Matt Rhule eager to see Nebraska football set new 'standard'
By Fabio Teixeira RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The 163 Chinese workers found by Brazil's labor ministry in what it described as "slavery-like conditions" at a factory construction site owned by Chinese electric vehicle producer BYD have been removed and taken to hotels, while officials negotiate with BYD and the Jinjiang Group about further measures to protect them, authorities said. The growing controversy in the automaker's biggest overseas market has put a spotlight on immigrant worker conditions in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. A deal with labor prosecutors involving BYD and the Jinjiang Group could be inked as soon as Jan. 7, when they are scheduled to meet. Earlier this week, the labor prosecutor's office described the workers, who had been hired by Chinese construction firm Jinjiang Group, as human trafficking victims. The firm had withheld the passports of 107 of the workers, investigators said. Investigations into slavery can carry powerful consequences for employers in Brazil, including a restriction on their access to bank loans. Jinjiang has denied any wrongdoing, while BYD said it had cut ties with Jinjiang. Both companies are collaborating with authorities on the investigation. Jinjiang said, in a social media post reposted by a BYD spokesperson, that describing the workers' conditions as "slavery-like" was inaccurate, while a BYD executive said media and other groups were "deliberately smearing Chinese brands and the country and undermining the relationship between China and Brazil." If the two companies are charged by labor inspectors with submitting workers to slavery-like conditions, they could be added to Brazil's so-called "dirty list" - a public listing of employers found liable for such charges. While the names of companies are only added to the list after all possibility of appeal is exhausted, which can take years, once a company is included it would stay there for two years. Beyond the substantial reputation risk the "dirty list" carries, companies in it are also barred from obtaining certain types of loans from Brazilian banks. Companies can avoid being included on the "dirty list" by signing a deal with the government committing to change their practices and compensate workers whose rights were abused. Companies and executives are also subject to legal action. Prosecutors who monitor labor affairs can sue companies that are found to have abused workers' rights, unless they agree to pay damages to the Brazilian government and to victims. Separately, federal prosecutors may also pursue criminal charges against executives. Charges of human trafficking and keeping workers in slavery-like conditions carry sentences of up to eight years in prison each. Federal prosecutors have already asked labor authorities to share the evidence they have gathered against BYD and the Jinjiang Group, according to a Thursday statement from the Labor Prosecutor's Office. NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN Labor inspectors are now negotiating with the companies for compensation for the workers whose rights they believe were abused. That could include payment for missed wages and severance. The workers will also receive unemployment benefits. "The efforts of the government bodies at this time are focused on the victims and guaranteeing the victims' rights," said Mauricio Krepsky, a former head of Brazil's Division of Inspection for the Eradication of Slave Labor (DETRAE), a government body staffed by labor inspectors. Victims of human trafficking can choose to stay in Brazil or go back to their home countries, said Ludmila Paiva, co-founder of I-MiGRa, a non-profit that develops projects and research on human trafficking. During a meeting on Thursday, BYD has labor prosecutor's office.already agreed to purchase tickets and cover up to $120 in travel expenses for the return trip to China of seven employees scheduled to return on Jan. 1, according to a statement from Brazil's Negotiations between labor authorities and companies that are suspected of submitting workers to degrading conditions can take months to come, depending on the complexity of the case, the number of victims involved and whether the firms cooperate with authorities or not, experts told Reuters. If the firms are charged, it could still take years for their names to be added to the list, as companies can appeal internally to the government or file lawsuits to keep their names out of the registry. (Reporting by Fabio Teixeira, Editing by Manuela Andreoni and Aurora Ellis)Nicole Shanahan: H1-B Visas a 'Massive' Cheap Labor Boon for Big Tech
Officers at Marcy Correctional Facility punched and kicked inmate Robert Brooks on Dec. 9, 2024, immediately after Brooks arrived at the prison. Brooks died six hours later. Body camera footage released by NY Attorney General's office Michelle Breidenbach | mbreidenbach@syracuse.com Inside the infirmary at Marcy Correctional Facility, Robert Brooks gasps on the edge of the bed. His face and nose are bloody. His hands are cuffed behind his back. Prison guards Nicholas Anzalone and David Kingsley pull him by the shoulders to sit up. Anzalone closes his fist and lodges it in Brooks’ chest. Officer Anthony Farina stands over Brooks, clenching and unclenching his hands inside black gloves. The tall, bald prison guard sets his shoulders like a fighter and angrily chews gum. He has already lifted his foot onto the bed and stomped Brooks in the groin, then rolled him over and punched him in the butt. If the video does not play, view it on YouTube . Farina is surrounded by colleagues in uniform, keys and cuffs dangling from their waists. Most of them made at least $100,000 last year. They are all white. Some of them are laughing. Brooks is a Black man from Monroe County serving a 12-year sentence, found guilty of stabbing his girlfriend multiple times. He spent seven years at Mohawk Correctional Facility. At about 9:20 p.m. Dec. 9, he was transferred 12 miles to Marcy Correctional Facility. Guards carried him into the prison facedown with his hands and feet tied behind his back. They beat him unconscious. Six hours later, he was dead. On Friday, Attorney General Letitia James released video that shows a crowd of prison guards beating and restraining Brooks in the small infirmary. The officers had not turned on their body cameras. But the technology has a “standby” mode that captures some video with no audio. James released 30 minutes of silent video from cameras worn by four different officers in the room. The footage shows about 10 minutes of agony for Brooks. His body is limp. His hands and feet are restrained most of the time. He appears to be no threat to the officers who swung at him. In all, 13 officers and one nurse have been named in the incident. Gov. Kathy Hochul, their boss, has ordered the Department of Corrections to start the process to fire them. No one has been charged with a crime. Brooks appears to have been fatally asphyxiated. The footage may have captured the moment. Preliminary findings of an autopsy by the Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office “show concern for asphyxia due to compression of the neck as the cause of death, as well as the death being due to actions of another,” troopers wrote in a court filing earlier this week. The most brutal moment in the video comes just two minutes after Brooks arrived in the infirmary. A prison guard stuffed what appears to be a white cloth in Brooks’ mouth. Two guards pushed him back on the bed and punched him. Another guard put his left hand and his whole right arm around Brooks’ neck, then uses his hands to repeatedly yank Brooks’ off the hospital bed. Another guard hit Brooks over and over with what appears to be the inmate’s own boot. In the video, guards walk back and forth past the standard sign on the wall that shows what to do in case someone is choking. After the beating, the camera footage shows Brooks lying on the hospital bed, stripped to his underwear. Most of the prison guards have vacated. The nurses have dropped the smirks. They take his pulse. They hold a blue manual resuscitator bag over his face to help him breath. An officer picks up the phone on the wall and makes a call. A nurse opens a cabinet on the wall and removes a small first-aid kit, the kind stored in a red bag with a white cross. It is unclear what happened after that. The attorney general’s office has not said how long it took for Brooks to get to Wynn Hospital in Utica. They have also not yet said what happened before Brooks came to Marcy or why he wound up in the infirmary. The AG’s office has special powers under state law to investigate any deaths that result from an action, or inaction, of law enforcement officers, including corrections officers. The office can present evidence to a grand jury, which would then vote on whether to issue any indictments. Brooks' family viewed the footage earlier this week. An attorney for the family said Brooks’ final moments “horrific and violent.” The family is represented by attorney Elizabeth Mazur. She won $12 million for the family of Daniel Prude in a police brutality lawsuit against the city of Rochester. She released a statement on behalf of the family Friday after the videos were released. “Members of the public can now view for themselves the horrific and extreme nature of the deadly attack on Robert L. Brooks,” she said. “As viewers can see, Mr. Brooks was fatally, violently beaten by a group of officers whose job was to keep him safe.” These are the 14 employees at Marcy Correctional Facility the governor has ordered to be fired in connection with the death of inmate Robert Brooks: Officer Mathew Galliher Officer Nicholas Anzalone Officer David Kingsley Officer Nicholas Kieffer Officer Robert Kessler Officer Michael Fisher Officer Christopher Walrath Officer Michael Along Officer Shea Schoff Officer David Walters Officer Anthony Farina Sgt. Michael Mashaw Sgt. Glenn Trombly Nurse Kyle Dashnaw More on death of inmate at Marcy prison 2 NY prison guards involved in Robert Brooks’ death are part of larger ‘beat-up’ squad, lawsuit claims NY’s attorney general to speak today about death of inmate at Marcy state prison Body cam shows NY prison guards pummeled handcuffed inmate during fatal assault, investigator says Gov. Hochul orders termination of 14 employees involved in inmate death at Utica-area prison Inmate who died after ‘use of force’ by corrections workers in NY prison identified Contact Michelle Breidenbach | mbreidenbach@syracuse.com | 315-470-3186.
ISTANBUL Türkiye’s defense industry has reached 70% domestic production capacity in 2024, according to the Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD)'s Türkiye Defense Industry 2024 report released Friday. It discusses the current situation and future projections of the domestic defense industry and states that significant successes have been achieved in strategic products, with an increase in domestic production capacity to 70%. The report includes an evaluation by the MUSIAD Defense Industry Board, which suggests that foreign dependency in engines and power transmission systems should be reduced. The report highlights that there is still foreign dependence on resources for engine and power transmission systems for the main battle tank, ALTAY, and other platforms. It notes that domestic engine production is of critical importance. MUSIAD Defense Industry Board Chairman Fatih Altunbas, whose views were included in the report, said increasing R&D efforts in advanced material technologies is crucial. “Domestic production should be increased, and foreign dependency should be reduced in advanced technology fields in composite materials such as graphene, nanomaterials, and carbon fiber,” he said. Altunbas emphasized that foreign dependence on components such as semiconductors and microprocessors continues in the Turkish defense industry, adding that Türkiye’s investments in these fields should accelerate. He also stated that developing training programs to increase qualified human resources in the sector and strengthening state-university-industry cooperation are crucial for the sustainability of the sector. “It is aimed to reduce foreign dependency in aviation and space systems with the National Combat Aircraft (MMU) and GokTurk projects,” read the report. “Efforts continue in jet engine and satellite technologies. “In sensor technologies, there is a need to develop national solutions in infrared, quantum sensing, and other advanced sensors,” it said. The report also touched on strategic priorities in projects such as the ALTAY tank and stated that the transition to hybrid and electric propulsion systems from internal combustion engines has been determined. Additionally, the domestic production of critical materials such as gunpowder and strengthening the supply chain are of strategic importance for the independent defense industry goals, it noted. Writing by Mucahithan AvcıoğluNone
The Green Bay Packers have shown very few weaknesses throughout the course of the 2024 NFL season so far. However, there has been one concern that has popped up from time to time on the defensive side of the ball. With Jaire Alexander struggling due to injury issues, the cornerback position has not been ideal. Looking ahead to the NFL offseason, it would not be shocking to see the Packers try to shore up the position. Health has become a major concern for Alexander over the last couple of years. He has been unable to stay on the field consistently. Eric Stokes has been solid but not great this season, while Carrington Valentine and Keisean Nixon are solid but not No. 1 options. All of that being said, who could Green Bay consider pursuing to bring in that level of talent at cornerback in the offseason? Green Bay Packers Urged to Poach DB from Los Angeles Chargers in 2025 Free Agency Bleacher Report has made an intriguing suggestion for the Green Bay Packers. They think that the NFC North contender should try to poach a cornerback from the Los Angeles Chargers. Kristian Fulton was the name that they tabbed as a potential 2025 free agency target for Green Bay. “With $63.7 million in projected 2025 cap space, Green Bay will likely take a long look at cornerbacks on the 2025 market. Kristian Fulton played extremely well in his first season with the Los Angeles Chargers before being sidelined with a hamstring injury. In eight games this season, he has allowed an opposing passer rating of only 73.4 in coverage. He’ll still be only 26 years old at the start of next season.” This would be a perfect move for the Green Bay Packers if they were able to get it done. So far this season with the Chargers, Fulton has played in eight games. He has racked up 18 tackles, an interception, and six defended passes. He’s young enough to be a long-term option and his play style would fit nicely in Jeff Hafley’s defensive schemes. More than likely, Fulton would also not be a bank breaking kind of free agency target. Fulton is likely going to have a fairly large market during free agency. There are quite a few teams around the NFL that could use help in the secondary. However, if he is available, is interested in signing with the Green Bay Packers, and would come at a reasonable cost, the front office should absolutely pursue him. This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Franklin Resources, INC. - BENSINGAPORE: Festive gift-giving is getting a digital transformation in China and becoming the new battleground for Chinese social media apps as e-commerce competition heats up. Tencent’s WeChat has been testing out a new feature allowing users to browse, buy and send presents to friends and relatives, while Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, rolled out a similar gifting function back in January. WeChat, a multi-functional platform that offers services from messaging to mobile payment and gaming, has more than 1.3 billion monthly active users, making it one of the most widely used apps in the world. Its new “Send Gift” feature, added to its app store on Dec 19, allows users to “show appreciation” for their loved ones by searching for products priced at 10,000 yuan and below. The feature is “being rolled out gradually”, WeChat said in a statement, and for now, is only available to a selected number of users in mainland China. “We are still working hard to gradually improve the relevant functions,” the company said. Those able to use the function bought gifts like cosmetics and snacks and sent them on to their friends. One user who went by the name Diana, shared her experience of sending makeup foundation worth 480 yuan to a friend, praising the “practicality” of the new service and saying it was useful for holidays like Christmas and birthdays. She recalled her friend reacting with confusion upon receiving her WeChat gift. “(She thought) she was sent a meme, but it was actually a Christmas gift,” Diana said. The novelty of the new WeChat function also sparked discussion on the Xiaohongshu social media app, with some expressing excitement of being able to send gifts to friends and relatives quickly, with others commenting that they were eager for it to be rolled out on their accounts. Some Xiaohongshu bloggers also shared step by step tutorials showing users how to send and receive gifts. One user who went by the handle Momozi, expressed doubts, saying more improvements were needed and she did not see older app users trying out the gift giving function. “Firstly, a gift should be a surprise. If not I’ll simply send a red packet,” she said. “Why not simply just send money?” Irate users also left one star reviews on WeChat shop’s customer service platform, describing unfavourable experiences they had in dealing with unresponsive sellers and merchants who did not send out orders once placed, as well as the lack of refundable options. The feature allows users to purchase products from WeChat stores and send them to other users through a virtual gift format. Gifts are capped at 10,000 yuan, excluding jewellery and tutoring classes, with the option to hide prices from the recipient. After selecting a product, users would then click on “send to friend” and complete payment. There is also no need to include a recipient’s delivery address, WeChat said and gift orders will not contain buyer information or payment details. Gifts are non-transferrable and users will not be allowed to cancel orders. But if gifts are not accepted by the recipient within 24 hours, the order would then be cancelled and the money refunded to the sender’s accounts. RESHAPING THE GIFT-GIVING CULTURE China’s e-commerce market is the largest in the world, generating billions in revenue and outpacing the United States. Giving money and gifts is a huge part of Chinese culture and in 2014, WeChat introduced virtual red packets linked to its digital payment service. The virtual red packets were a hit with users who received amounts of money in the form of transactions quickly and conveniently through their apps, and digitised a deeply-rooted Chinese tradition ahead of the new year. It also gave Tencent the edge in the digital payment battle against e-commerce rival Alibaba’s Alipay system, industry experts said. In 2017 alone, WeChat users exchanged around 46 billion digital red packets over the new year period in January. Just as WeChat changed the way people gave out traditional red packets, can it do the same with its new “gift-giving” feature? “Gifting is something deeply rooted in Chinese culture, just like red packets are,” said Li Jianggan, CEO of Singapore-based venture firm Momentum Works, adding that spending habits and gifting behaviour of younger Chinese differed substantially from elders. Analyst Dave Xie from the Oliver Wyman global management consulting firm, called the new feature “a strategic move” on Tencent’s part. “China's e-commerce landscape has undergone significant transformations in recent years, driven by emerging platforms, evolving consumer behaviors and strategic adaptations by established players,” Xie told CNA. WeChat’s “extensive” user base and established social connections could provide a unique advantage in driving e-commerce engagement, he added. With more than 1.3 billion active monthly users, WeChat is a “powerful tool” and has something “none of the Chinese e-commerce platforms have”, Li said, a huge user network and trusted social map. “As WeChat gradually gets deeper into social commerce and live commerce, there is a good possibility that the e-commerce competitive landscape (in China) will be reshaped.” But it is still “hard to predict” if the new gift-giving function will be as popular and widely used among WeChat users as digital red packets, Li said, adding that it was “safe to assume” it would have a smaller use as compared to payment. “That said, we believe that gifting is just one of the many attempts to effectively embed social commerce into the WeChat ecosystem.” In line with government internet restrictions, app-associated services like Facebook marketplace and Instagram Shopping aren’t made available to Chinese users. WeChat's new gift-giving function is also not the first in the Chinese market. Earlier this year, Douyin released a similar gifting function called “sui xin song” or “Gift as you wish” – allowing its users to send out gift vouchers. It also ran a special Chinese New Year campaign allowing users to send gifts to their loved ones, with gifts worth over 40 million yuan sent. Social gift giving “naturally” aligns with WeChat’s social DNA, Xie said, with the potential to “create unique social shopping experiences” for users on the platform. But success will depend on being able to convert “social engagement” into sustainable sales growth. One of the biggest challenges for the new gift-giving function would be how it functions and operates, Li said. “What is the selection of products available... and how do you manage the user experiences and expectations? How (can WeChat) regulate the system so that it doesn’t get abused by illicit merchants and scammers?” “This is something that Wechat can tap into if they find the right magic formula.”
The Christian’S Approach To Morality And The 2024 Election – Drew Alan Hall
The Red Devils made the journey to Molineux hoping to atone for their recent failures against Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur in the top flight and EFL Cup respectively. However, Man United's game plan was in tatters when captain Bruno Fernandes was dismissed just two minutes into the second half, having been penalised for two bookable offences. Vitor Pereira 's men did not take long to make their numerical advantage count, as Matheus Cunha 's corner flew over the top of every Man United and Wolves head into the far side of the net. Red Devils goalkeeper Andre Onana claimed that he was being unfairly impeded, but his complaints fell on deaf ears, and Man United's desperate efforts to restore parity with 10 men were futile. © Imago Amorim's team committed almost every body forward in search of an injury-time leveller, but with their backline completely exposed, Hwang Hee-chan capitalised to put the game to bed after a swift counter-attack. In doing so, the South Korea international put the seal on Amorim's fifth loss from his first 10 games in charge of Man United, and the 39-year-old becomes the first Red Devils boss in 92 years to suffer a quintet of defeats in his first 10 matches. The last Man United manager to endure such a woeful start was Walter Crickmer back in 1932, and not even Amorim's predecessor Erik ten Hag fared as badly in his opening 10 matches. It took the Dutchman 13 games to lose five times at the Red Devils helm - certainly not a terrific record in its own right - but Amorim's latest setback will no doubt raise more questions over his team selection. For the fourth game in a row, the former Sporting Lisbon head coach left Marcus Rashford out of the matchday squad, and he suggested that the attacker's attitude had not improved since he was originally axed. © Imago "If he is not here you can make up your mind," Amorim told Amazon Prime . "It's always the same reason it's going to be. We have to be the same professionals. I have to be the same guy winning or losing. Losing, I have to be stronger so I will continue with my idea until the end." Rashford has publicly declared his intention to leave Man United , who have reportedly named their asking price for the England international ahead of the January transfer window. Following a third loss in a row in all competitions and eighth defeat of the Premier League season, Man United are still languishing in the bottom half of the standings , sitting 14th with an eight-point gap to the relegation zone. The Red Devils conclude 2024 at home to Newcastle United on December 30, before making the trip to Liverpool on January 5 in a taxing opening to 2025.
Instead of blaming the governor and state legislators for fouling up after they finish a session of lawmaking, it might be productive to castigate them beforehand. Let's give it a try. The 112 lawmakers after New Year's Day can start submitting bills for their 60-day session, which begins Jan. 21. If history repeats itself, many will squander time and money by prioritizing unimportant matters at the expense of substance. A good start in avoiding this pitfall is to send all bills for specialty license plates to legislative committees that will bury them. That step would set the right tone. Real work is waiting to be done. And tackling weighty issues requires commitment and intelligence. The Legislature's many backbenchers still want to pass something — anything at all — into law. They often concoct bills for more license plates in hopes of gaining favor with one group or another. New Mexico already has more than 40 specialty license plates. They recognize everything from bass fishing to protecting pollinators to decommissioned Route 66. Get your kicks by sporting a license plate about the old highway. The appetite for squandering resources to establish more license plates never ends. With many significant policy measures awaiting hearings during the final 14 hours of the 2024 legislative session, the House of Representatives cast those bills aside. Instead it made time to approve a bill for license plates featuring Smokey Bear, the cub burned in 1950 in a New Mexico forest fire. The proposal squeaked through, 62-0, after debate that was mostly unintelligible. Only a couple hours remained in the session as senators mulled the bill for Smokey Bear's license plate. With a heroic effort, the Senate beat the clock to nudge the bill through, 41-0. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, in 2023 had vetoed a bill for a Smokey Bear specialty plates. She reversed herself this year, signing the measure into law. Smokey Bear's bill blazed a trail at lightning speed. Sen. Jeff Steinborn's proposed constitutional amendment to reform the malfunctioning system of selecting university regents died without receiving a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Steinborn, D-Las Cruces, crafted an important but bureaucratic proposal. Under existing law, the governor has sole authority to choose regents. The Senate can confirm or reject the nominees, though only one has been voted down in the last decade. Steinborn wants to create nominating committees to screen applicants for regent seats. The governor would then choose from the list of names sent to her by the committees. My preference is a constitutional amendment to elect regents, especially after scandals at New Mexico State University and Western New Mexico University. Boards of regents at both institutions deserve a grade of F. NMSU's regents slept as corruption overtook the men's basketball program. Two players said they were sexually assaulted and hazed by teammates. Even so, the outgoing chancellor rewarded the director of athletics with a hefty raise and contract extension. Regents of NMSU eventually agreed to $8 million in payments to settle lawsuits by the aggrieved players. Western's regents just agreed to pay university President Joseph Shepard seven figures to give up his office. Shepard and the five regents came under fire from news organizations and the state auditor for misspending at least $360,000 on travel and other items. Shepard agreed to resign the presidency Jan. 15. In exchange, Western's regents approved a contract paying Shepard a lump sum of $1.909 million. The regents also guaranteed Shepard another $200,000 a year for five years as a professor in the business school. People from across the state have called or written me to complain about what's gone on at Western, a university of fewer than 3,600 students in Silver City. "During my career, none of this malfeasance as demonstrated by the WNMU president would have been tolerated," wrote Vicki Holmsten, who retired from the faculty of San Juan College in Farmington. Frank Chambers of Santa Fe, who taught at Oklahoma State University, wrote: "That is outrageous and is enabled by regents who have been complicit in the improper spending." Mary Beckner, also of Santa Fe, called the regents unfit. "They need to be ousted," she said. To be gentle, Lujan Grisham chose poorly in selecting Western's Board of Regents. But several readers have questioned whether my pitch to elect two super boards of regents, one for research universities and the other for regional institutions, would hurt education with politics. Truth is, politics already pollutes the system. Donors and political supporters of a governor often are appointed as regents. Mary Hotvedt, who heads Western's Board of Regents, is a former chairperson of Grant County's Democratic Party. She also was an unsuccessful candidate for the state House of Representatives. Running in a heavily Republican district, Hotvedt took a loss for her team. Appointment to Western's Board of Regents was a consolation prize. After Shepard's buyout, those in need of consoling are students, faculty members and state taxpayers. Ringside Seat is an opinion column about people, politics and news. Contact Milan Simonich at msimonich@sfnewmexican.com or 505-986-3080.NHL insider: Jim Montgomery ‘had one eye on the Blues’ after Bruins firingLucknow institutes celebrate Constitution Day
Missed kicks. Poor tackling. Costly penalties. Week 12 was filled with sloppy play around the NFL, leading to some upsets and surprising outcomes. Jayden Daniels nearly led Washington to an improbable comeback down 10 in the final two minutes against Dallas only to fall short because Austin Seibert's extra point sailed wide left. After a field goal and successful onside kick, Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard catch-and-run touchdown to bring the Commanders within one point with 21 seconds remaining. But Seibert's point-after attempt failed and the Cowboys returned the ensuing onside kick for a touchdown to seal a 34-26 victory. Special teams were atrocious for both teams. Seibert also missed his first extra point and Washington allowed KaVontae Turpin's 99-yard kickoff return for a score earlier in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys missed a field goal, had another blocked and had a punt blocked. "What a wild special teams moment of blocked punts, kicks, kickoff returns, blocked field goals, just a number of things going to that spot," Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. Washington (7-5) was a 10 1/2-point favorite over the undermanned Cowboys (4-7) but ended up losing a third straight game. The Houston Texans were 8-point favorites against the lowly Tennessee Titans and let the game come down to Ka'imi Fairbairn missing a 28-yard field goal that would have tied it with just under two minutes left. C.J. Stroud threw two interceptions, was sacked four times and the Texans (7-5) committed 11 penalties, including an illegal shift that negated a go-ahead 33-yard TD pass to Nico Collins on the drive that ended with Fairbairn's miss in the 32-27 loss. The Titans (3-8) averaged just 17 points per game before putting 32 on the scoreboard against Houston's defense that entered No. 4 in the league. "We didn't do anything well enough to win this game," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Out of all the positives that we did have, there were way too many negatives. Too many negative plays. Score, get a penalty, get touchdowns called back. Get penalties on special teams. Just way too many negative plays defensively, like unexplainable explosives for touchdowns. We just didn't play good across the board." The San Francisco 49ers didn't have quarterback Brock Purdy, star edge rusher Nick Bosa and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams against Green Bay. That was no excuse for their undisciplined performance. The Niners committed nine penalties and their tackling was shoddy in a 38-10 loss to the Packers. The defending NFC champions are 5-6 with a trip to Buffalo (9-2) coming up. They're still only one game behind Seattle and Arizona in the NFC West. "I'm really not concerned right now about how many guys were missing. We didn't play good enough, so that's not a factor. But, when you are missing some guys, you do have to be better. When you have those penalties and we didn't stop the run like we did and we had those three turnovers in the second half, that's how you get embarrassed." Coming off their first loss of the season, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs needed Patrick Mahomes' heroics on the final drive to beat Carolina 30-27. Mahomes ran 33 yards to set up Spencer Schrader's 31-yard field goal as time expired. Kansas City had 10 penalties, including a pass interference that gave the Panthers (3-8) another chance to make the 2-point conversion that tied the game with 1:46 remaining. On defense, the Chiefs (10-1) suddenly shaky unit gave up 334 total yards against Bryce Young and an offense that entered last in the NFL. "We've got to do better. We're doing good in the red zone but that's only a third of the field," Chiefs safety Bryan Cook said. "We will go back and look at the film to see what we're doing week to week, and see the tendencies that we're giving up, and just move forward from there. At the end of the day, we're all vets in the room for the most part. ... got to go back to the drawing board and see what we're doing and correct it from there." The Vikings allowed the Bears to recover an onside kick with 21 seconds left and Caleb Williams followed with a 27-yard pass to D.J. Moore to set up Cairo Santos' tying 48-yard field goal. But Minnesota won in overtime, 30-27. The Chiefs and Vikings overcame their mistakes in narrow victories. The Commanders, Texans and 49ers couldn't. They have to be better down the stretch to make a playoff run. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
How major US stock indexes fared Friday, 12/27/2024OTTAWA - Here’s how notable Canadian politicians and business groups are reacting to U.S. president-elect’s threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all goods coming from Canada: “The fact is we need them, and they also need us. Canada is the largest market for the U.S. in the world, larger than China, Japan, the U.K. and France combined.” “This is a moment when Canada needs to be united. We need to be strong, and we need to be smart.” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland ——— “I’m calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to put partisanship aside, and in the spirit of Team Canada, to accept that he cannot go ahead with quadrupling the carbon tax to 61 cents a litre.” “Next, he has to cancel all tax increases; tax increases on work, investment and making stuff in Canada.” “I don’t want to stop drug overdoses to please Donald Trump. I want to stop drug overdoses so that there’s not one more mother with her face buried in a pillow, sobbing that she just lost her kid.” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre ——— “We want to have a strong Team Canada, Team Manitoba approach to incoming U.S. administration. This is our most important ally and our biggest trading partner by far.” “It would mean a recession for our province. We can’t have that happening, especially as we’re starting to make progress on health care, education and making a lot of good investments. We want to keep that momentum going.” “First and foremost, hitting that target of two per cent spending on defence. That gets us in the game just to be taken seriously as a security partner with the U.S. If we don’t do it, it’s going to become a trade problem.” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew ——— “We buy more American stuff than France, than China and Japan and the United Kingdom combined. So, we are negotiating, I believe, from a position of strength. But also Americans are dependent on what we produce.” B.C. Premier David Eby ——— “It’s like a family member stabbing you right in the heart.” “To compare us to Mexico is the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard from our friends and closest allies, the United States of America.” “A message to president-elect Trump: there’s no closer ally, there’s no other country in the world that has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our American counterparts, our friends, our family.” Ontario Premier Doug Ford ——— “The incoming U.S. administration has valid concerns related to illegal activities at our shared border. We are calling on the federal government to work with the incoming administration to resolve these issues immediately, thereby avoiding any unnecessary tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S.” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith ——— “We have, from Quebec to (the) United States, $87 billion of exportation and only $43 billion of importation. So we cannot start a war and we have to do everything we can to not have these tariffs.” Quebec Premier François Legault ——— “Imposing tariffs wouldn’t just harm Canada’s economy — it would also hurt U.S. manufacturers by increasing their costs and disrupting the deeply integrated supply chains that make North American manufacturing globally competitive.” Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters ——— “Being America’s ‘nice neighbour’ won’t get us anywhere in this situation. President-elect Trump’s intention to impose 25 per cent tariffs signals that the U.S.-Canada trade relationship is no longer about mutual benefit. To him, it’s about winners and losers — with Canada on the losing end.” “We’re facing a significant shift in the relationship between longstanding allies. Canada’s signature approach needs to evolve: we must be prepared to take a couple of punches if we’re going to stake out our position. It’s time to trade ‘sorry’ for ‘sorry, not sorry.’” Candace Laing, Canadian Chamber of Commerce president and CEO ——— “The damage from such tariffs will not stop at the workplace. Families will feel the economic strain, and entire communities will suffer as good jobs disappear and opportunities shrink. This is not just a trade issue; it’s about protecting the future of workers and their families.” “In the long term, the government must focus on a new industrial strategy for Canada to protect our workers from the whims of any U.S. administration. We call on the government to send a clear message: we will not let our workers and industries become collateral damage, we will stand strong, act boldly, and prioritize Canadian workers.” Bea Bruske, Canadian Labour Congress president ——— This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.
Mysterious Tailless Fighter Jet Spotted: Is This China’s Sixth-Generation Aircraft?Missed kicks. Poor tackling. Costly penalties. Week 12 was filled with sloppy play around the NFL, leading to some upsets and surprising outcomes. Jayden Daniels nearly led Washington to an improbable comeback down 10 in the final two minutes against Dallas only to fall short because Austin Seibert's extra point sailed wide left. After a field goal and successful onside kick, Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard catch-and-run touchdown to bring the Commanders within one point with 21 seconds remaining. But Seibert's point-after attempt failed and the Cowboys returned the ensuing onside kick for a touchdown to seal a 34-26 victory. Special teams were atrocious for both teams. Seibert also missed his first extra point and Washington allowed KaVontae Turpin's 99-yard kickoff return for a score earlier in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys missed a field goal, had another blocked and had a punt blocked. "What a wild special teams moment of blocked punts, kicks, kickoff returns, blocked field goals, just a number of things going to that spot," Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. Washington (7-5) was a 10 1/2-point favorite over the undermanned Cowboys (4-7) but ended up losing a third straight game. The Houston Texans were 8-point favorites against the lowly Tennessee Titans and let the game come down to Ka'imi Fairbairn missing a 28-yard field goal that would have tied it with just under two minutes left. C.J. Stroud threw two interceptions, was sacked four times and the Texans (7-5) committed 11 penalties, including an illegal shift that negated a go-ahead 33-yard TD pass to Nico Collins on the drive that ended with Fairbairn's miss in the 32-27 loss. The Titans (3-8) averaged just 17 points per game before putting 32 on the scoreboard against Houston's defense that entered No. 4 in the league. "We didn't do anything well enough to win this game," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Out of all the positives that we did have, there were way too many negatives. Too many negative plays. Score, get a penalty, get touchdowns called back. Get penalties on special teams. Just way too many negative plays defensively, like unexplainable explosives for touchdowns. We just didn't play good across the board." The San Francisco 49ers didn't have quarterback Brock Purdy, star edge rusher Nick Bosa and All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams against Green Bay. That was no excuse for their undisciplined performance. The Niners committed nine penalties and their tackling was shoddy in a 38-10 loss to the Packers. The defending NFC champions are 5-6 with a trip to Buffalo (9-2) coming up. They're still only one game behind Seattle and Arizona in the NFC West. "I'm really not concerned right now about how many guys were missing. We didn't play good enough, so that's not a factor. But, when you are missing some guys, you do have to be better. When you have those penalties and we didn't stop the run like we did and we had those three turnovers in the second half, that's how you get embarrassed." Coming off their first loss of the season, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs needed Patrick Mahomes' heroics on the final drive to beat Carolina 30-27. Mahomes ran 33 yards to set up Spencer Schrader's 31-yard field goal as time expired. Kansas City had 10 penalties, including a pass interference that gave the Panthers (3-8) another chance to make the 2-point conversion that tied the game with 1:46 remaining. On defense, the Chiefs (10-1) suddenly shaky unit gave up 334 total yards against Bryce Young and an offense that entered last in the NFL. "We've got to do better. We're doing good in the red zone but that's only a third of the field," Chiefs safety Bryan Cook said. "We will go back and look at the film to see what we're doing week to week, and see the tendencies that we're giving up, and just move forward from there. At the end of the day, we're all vets in the room for the most part. ... got to go back to the drawing board and see what we're doing and correct it from there." The Vikings allowed the Bears to recover an onside kick with 21 seconds left and Caleb Williams followed with a 27-yard pass to D.J. Moore to set up Cairo Santos' tying 48-yard field goal. But Minnesota won in overtime, 30-27. The Chiefs and Vikings overcame their mistakes in narrow victories. The Commanders, Texans and 49ers couldn't. They have to be better down the stretch to make a playoff run. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
FOBI AI Inc. Announces Proposed Private Placement and BCSC Order
Donald Trump said Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has asked to visit him at the president-elect's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida on Friday night. Part way through a Truth Social post on Friday morning, Trump referred to his Mar-a-Lago home, saying "Bill Gates asked to come, tonight. We miss you and x! New Year's Eve is going to be AMAZING!!! DJT." Trump provided no further details. Download the CTV News App for breaking news alerts and video on all the top stories Emails and calls to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation asking about a potential Gates visit to Mar-a-Lago were not immediately answered. Gates has been critical of Trump in the past, particularly over his first administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Gates publicly congratulated Trump on his Nov. 5 election victory and expressed hope they could work together. Some of the biggest tech sector companies in the U.S. have pledged donations to Trump's inaugural fund as they seek more favorable relations with the Republican president-elect before he takes office on Jan. 20. In November, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Meta has donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, a company spokesperson told Reuters on Dec. 12. Other tech companies that are donating $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund include Amazon and Uber Technologies. Follow the CTV News channel on WhatsApp (Reporting by Tim Reid in Washington; Editing by Howard Goller)
California will revive its own subsidy programs for electric vehicles if Donald Trump guts US federal tax breaks for such cars, the state's governor said Monday. The president-elect has said repeatedly he would scrap what he called the "electric vehicle mandate" -- actually a $7,500 federal rebate for anyone who purchases an EV. Gavin Newsom, who heads the solidly Democratic state and has pitched himself as a leader of the anti-Trump political resistance, said Monday California was not "turning back" towards polluting transport. "We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California," Newsom said. "We're not turning back on a clean transportation future -- we're going to make it more affordable for people to drive vehicles that don't pollute," he added. "Consumers continue to prove the skeptics wrong -– zero-emission vehicles are here to stay." If Trump scraps the tax credit, California could revive its own Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, which ran until November 2023, granting rebates of up to $7,500 for people buying battery-powered cars, a press release said. California leads the nation in electric vehicle adoption, and is the single biggest market in the country, representing around a third of all units sold in the United States. State figures show that more than two million so-called "zero emission vehicles" -- which include fully electric vehicles as well as plug-in hybrids -- have now been sold in the state, with one-in-four new cars in that category. On the campaign trail, Trump was frequently hostile to electric vehicles, which he has linked with what he calls the "hoax" of climate change. He vowed repeatedly that under his watch the United States would become "energy dominant," chiefly through expanded oil and gas extraction. For many in California, such pledges are anathema, with the state frequently battered by the tangible effects of climate change, from huge wildfires to droughts to furious storms. Newsom -- who many believe has White House ambitions of his own -- has positioned himself as a bulwark against the feared excesses of an incoming Trump administration on issues from climate change to immigration, vowing to be a check on its power. With 40 million people, the sheer size of California's market has for a long time helped set the national tone when it comes to pollution standards for automakers. Rather than make two versions of the same vehicles, Detroit giants have willingly adopted California's tougher rules on emissions and efficiency for nationwide sales. That de facto standard-setting power has angered Republicans like Trump, who say -- on this issue -- states should not be allowed to set their own rules. hg/aha