Hurricanes’ Bobby and Robby Washington reportedly enter transfer portal
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Sunday that the sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is a “fundamental act of justice” after decades of repression, but it was “a moment of risk and uncertainty” for the Mideast. Biden spoke at the White House hours after after rebel groups completed a takeover of the country after more than a dozen years of violent civil war and decades of leadership by Assad and his family. Biden said the United States was unsure of Assad’s whereabouts, but was monitoring reports he was seeking refuge in Moscow. The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump were working to make sense of new threats and opportunities across the Middle East. Biden credited action by the U.S. and its allies for weakening Syria’s backers — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. He said “for the first time” that they could no longer defend Assad’s grip on power. “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East,” Biden said, after a meeting with his national security team at the White House. Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled his country, which his family had ruled for decades, because close ally Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, “was not interested in protecting him any longer.” Those comments on Trump’s social media platform came a day after he used another post to decry the possibility of the U.S. intervening militarily in Syria to aid the rebels, declaring, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.” The Biden administration had no intention of intervening, according to President Joe Biden’s national security adviser. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. Biden said he intended those for troops to remain, adding that U.S. forces on Sunday conducted “dozens” of what he called “precision air strikes” on Islamic State camps and operations in Syria. The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The Biden administration has designated the group as a terrorist organization and says it has links to al-Qaida, although Hayat Tahrir al-Sham says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida. “We will remain vigilant,” Biden said. “Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses.” He added that the groups are “saying the right things now.” “But as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions,” Biden said. Assad’s fall adds to an already tense situation throughout much of region on many fronts, including Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza and its fragile cease-fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump, who takes office Jan. 20, 2025, made a connection between the upheaval in Syria and Russia’s war in Ukraine, noting that Assad’s allies in Moscow, as well as in Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, “are in a weakened state right now.” Vice President-elect JD Vance, a veteran of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, wrote on own social media Sunday to express skepticism about the insurgents. “Many of ‘the rebels’ are a literal offshoot of ISIS. One can hope they’ve moderated. Time will tell,” he said, using another acronym for the group. Trump has suggested that Assad’s ouster can advance the prospects for an end to fighting in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022. Trump wrote that Putin’s government “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine” and the Republican called for an immediate cease-fire, a day after meeting in Paris with the French and Ukrainian leaders. Daniel B. Shapiro, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, said the American military presence will continue in eastern Syria but was “solely to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and has nothing to do with other aspects of this conflict.” “We call on all parties in Syria to protect civilians, particularly those from Syria’s minority communities to respect international military norms and to work to achieve a resolution to include the political settlement,” Shapiro said. “Multiple actors in this conflict have a terrible track record to include Assad’s horrific crimes, Russia’s indiscriminate aerial bomb bombardment, Iranian-back militia involvement and the atrocities of ISIS,” he added. Shapiro, however, was careful not to directly say Assad had been deposed by the insurgents. “If confirmed, no one should shed any tears over the Assad regime,” he said. As they pushed toward the Syrian capital of Damascus, the opposition freed political detainees from government prisons. The family of missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice renewed calls to find him. “To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we’re waiting for Austin,” Tice’s mother, Debra, said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media. “We know that when he comes out, he’s going to be fairly dazed & he’s going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!” Tice disappeared in 2012 outside Damascus, amid intensification of what became a civil war stretching more than a decade. We’ve remained committed to returning him to his family,” Biden said at the White House. “We believe he’s alive, we think we can get him back but we have no direct evidence to that yet. And Assad should be held accountable.” The president added: “We have to identify where he is.” Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain, and AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
Activating Your Credit Card? Don’t Skip the Mobile Wallet StepCalamos Investments Closed-End Funds (NASDAQ: CHI, CHY, CSQ, CGO, CHW, CCD and CPZ) Announce Monthly Distributions and Required Notifications of Sources of DistributionKEO World and American Express announce the launch of the Workeo B2B Platform in Brazil
Starmer to visit troops serving on Russian border in push for Ukraine supportNASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler won the Hero World Challenge on Sunday with a 9-under 63 to tie the tournament record at Albany Golf Club and win by six shots. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler won the Hero World Challenge on Sunday with a 9-under 63 to tie the tournament record at Albany Golf Club and win by six shots. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler won the Hero World Challenge on Sunday with a 9-under 63 to tie the tournament record at Albany Golf Club and win by six shots. Scheffler, the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to spend an entire calendar year at No. 1 in the world, won for the ninth time in 21 starts, a tally that included a second Masters title, an Olympic gold medal and the FedEx Cup. He started the final round one shot behind Justin Thomas, took the lead on the par-5 third hole, stayed in front with a 50-foot birdie putt on No. 4 and never looked back. Tom Kim tried to stay close until he missed a 19-inch par putt on the par-5 11th. He birdied the final hole for a 68 and was runner-up when Thomas bogeyed the last hole for a 71. Scheffler finished at 25-under 263 to tie the tournament record at Albany first set by Bubba Watson in 2015, and his six-shot victory was the largest in the nine years Tiger Woods’ holiday tournament has been held in the Bahamas. European Tour SUN CITY, South Africa (AP) — American Johannes Veerman claimed his second title on the European tour by closing with a 3-under 69 for a one-shot victory over Aldrich Potgieter in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Potgieter could have won with a birdie on the 18th hole. But he missed the green to the right, chipped to 10 feet and missed the putt to finish one behind. He closed with a 75 and tied for second with Matthew Jordan (72) and Romain Langasque (71). Veerman, a 32-year-old Californian who is No. 209 in the world ranking, started the final round five shots behind. His other European tour win was he Czech Masters in 2021. Asian Tour RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Joaquin Niemann made birdie on the second playoff hole to beat Cameron Smith and Caleb Surrat in the Saudi International, an Asian Tour event that ended Saturday. Niemann, who closed with a 4-under 67, finished the year with three wins, two of them early in the LIV Golf League season. It was his second win this year in Saudi Arabia. Smith rallied with a 62 and got into the playoff when Niemann and Surrat (66) each bogeyed the 18th hole. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Niemann wound up atop the ranking in the International Series on the Asian Tour, ahead of Peter Uihlein and Ben Campbell. Other tours Cory Crawford closes with a 4-under 68 for a one-shot victory over Tyler McCumber in the Victoria PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia. Anthony Quayle, who assessed himself seven shots of penalties for misunderstanding the preferred lies rule in the opening round, shot 69 to finish in third place, two shots behind. ... Peter Baker finished birdie-birdie for a 68 and then beat Simon Griffiths on the third playoff hole to win the MCB Tour Championship on the European Legends Tour. ___ AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf Advertisement Advertisement
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remaster has been delayed
Starmer to visit troops serving on Russian border in push for Ukraine supportWhatsApp May Soon Remind You About Messages You Forgot To Reply To!
Applied Therapeutics, Inc. ( NASDAQ:APLT – Get Free Report ) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 18,150,000 shares, an increase of 28.0% from the November 30th total of 14,180,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 5,110,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.6 days. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades APLT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Leerink Partners lifted their price objective on Applied Therapeutics from $11.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Applied Therapeutics from $13.00 to $8.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 29th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Applied Therapeutics from $4.00 to $1.50 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 20th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $2.00 target price (down previously from $13.00) on shares of Applied Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, William Blair lowered shares of Applied Therapeutics from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $6.10. View Our Latest Analysis on APLT Applied Therapeutics Trading Down 3.8 % Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Therapeutics Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Applied Therapeutics by 165.2% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 735,217 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,249,000 after acquiring an additional 457,940 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its stake in Applied Therapeutics by 37.8% during the third quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 10,541,528 shares of the company’s stock worth $89,656,000 after acquiring an additional 2,893,323 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its stake in Applied Therapeutics by 236.0% during the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 123,725 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,052,000 after acquiring an additional 86,901 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Applied Therapeutics by 123.1% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,694,607 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,404,000 after acquiring an additional 2,038,724 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ally Bridge Group NY LLC bought a new stake in Applied Therapeutics during the third quarter worth about $5,256,000. Institutional investors own 98.31% of the company’s stock. About Applied Therapeutics ( Get Free Report ) Applied Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development of a pipeline of novel product candidates against validated molecular targets in indications of high unmet medical need in the United States. The company's lead product candidate is AT-007 (also called govorestat) that has completed phase 3 for the treatment of galactosemia in healthy volunteers and adults, in pediatric clinical study for the treatment of galactosemia in kids, for treating enzyme sorbitol dehydrogenase, and for the treatment of phosphomannomutase enzyme-CDG. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Applied Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Applied Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Less than 24 hours after President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden and criticized his prosecution as a "miscarriage of justice," prosecutors in special counsel David Weiss' office defended the integrity of their work in a pair of court filings and fiercely rebutted the president's allegation that their charges were motivated by politics. "In total, eleven different [federal] judges appointed by six different presidents, including his father, considered and rejected the defendant's claims, including his claims for selective and vindictive prosecution," wrote prosecutor Leo Wise in a ten-page filing in Hunter Biden's tax case on Monday. President Biden on Sunday issued a blanket pardoned to his son, who earlier this year was convicted on federal gun charges and pleaded guilty to separate tax-related charges, and was scheduled to be sentenced in both cases later this month. MORE: How President Biden came to the decision to pardon his son Hunter In Monday's filing, prosecutors urged the federal judge overseeing Hunter Biden's tax case in California not to dismiss his indictment, and instead close the docket -- which would allow the record to continue to exist. "The government does not challenge that the defendant has been the recipient of an act of mercy. But that does not mean the grand jury's decision to charge him, based on a finding of probable cause, should be wiped away as if it never occurred," Wise wrote. "It also does not mean that his charges should be wiped away because the defendant falsely claimed that the charges were the result of some improper motive." Mark Osler, an expert in presidential pardons at the University of St. Thomas, said Weiss' overture raises "a technical issue -- either way, the case goes away -- but an important one." "[Prosecutors] want the indictment to remain on the record," he told ABC News. Without directly addressing President Biden's criticism of the case as selective and unfair, the filing highlighted how Hunter Biden's lawyers made "every conceivable argument" to dismiss the case and failed to provide evidence that prosecution was vindictive. "The court similarly found his vindictive prosecution claims unmoored from any evidence or even a coherent theory as to vindictiveness," the filing said. "And there was none and never has been any evidence of vindictive or selective prosecution in this case. The defendant made similar baseless accusations in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Those claims were also rejected." Prosecutors also opposed dismissing Hunter Biden's indictment on gun charges in Delaware, arguing in a similar filing that “because there was no defect in the grand jury’s indictment, there is no reason to dismiss it here.” “Defense counsel misrepresents the law. Nothing requires the dismissal of the indictment in this case,” that filing said.
Gun found on suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO matches shell casings at scene, police say ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — New York City’s police commissioner says the gun found on the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO matches shell casings found at the crime scene. Commissioner Jessica Tisch also said Wednesday that lab results matched suspect Luigi Mangione’s prints to a water bottle and a snack bar wrapper found near the scene of the killing. Police had said earlier that they believed the gunman bought the items at a nearby coffee shop while awaiting his target. Mangione is jailed in Pennsylvania on weapon and forgery charges, but he also has been charged in New York with murder in Brian Thompson's death. His lawyer has noted that Mangione is presumed innocent. Authorities are scrutinizing evidence and the suspect’s experiences with the health care industry. Arguments over whether Luigi Mangione is a 'hero' offer a glimpse into an unusual American moment Memes and online posts in support of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who's charged with killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO, have mushroomed online. Some cast Mangione as a hero. That's too far, says Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a rising Democrat who was almost the Democratic vice presidential nominee this year. CEO Brian Thompson's death touched off off these ripples. They offer a glimpse into how so many different aspects of 21st-century life can be surreally connected, from public violence to politics, from health care to humor, or attempts at it. FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign before Trump takes office in January WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray says he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. The announcement Wednesday comes a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the position. His impending resignation will bring him three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations. Trump applauded the news Wednesday, saying it will end the weaponization of what he called the “Department of Injustice.” Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the Year NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time and be named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Thursday's events will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who has long seen praise from the business world and media as a sign of success. Four people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press that Trump was expected to be on Wall Street on Thursday to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, while a person familiar with the selection confirmed that Trump had been selected as Time's Person of the Year. The Trump and Biden teams insist they're working hand in glove on foreign crises WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t think much of Joe Biden’s foreign policy record. He frequently casts the outgoing Democratic president as a feckless leader who shredded American credibility around the world during his four-year term. But the Trump and Biden national security teams have come to an understanding that they have no choice but to work together as conflicts in Gaza, Syria and Ukraine have left a significant swath of the world on a knife’s edge. It’s fuzzy how much common ground Biden and Trump’s teams have found as they navigate crises that threaten to cause more global upheaval as Trump prepares to settle back into the White House. Syrians flock to morgues looking for loved ones who perished in Assad's prisons DAMASCUS (AP) — Many bodies have been found in Syrian detention centers and prisons since President Bashar al-Assad's government fell. Now Syrians around the world are circulating images of the corpses in hopes that they will see slain loved ones whose fate had been a mystery. At the morgue visited by The Associated Press on Wednesday in Damascus, families flocked to a wall where some of the pictures were pinned in a haunting gallery of the dead. Relatives desperately scanned the images for a recognizable face. Some of the prisoners died just weeks ago. Others perished months earlier. US warns Russia may be ready to use new lethal missile against Ukraine again in 'coming days' WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says Russia could launch its lethal new intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine again soon. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh cited a U.S. intelligence assessment in telling reporters on Wednesday that an attack could come “in the coming days.” She says the U.S. does not consider the Oreshnik missile a game changer on the battlefield. But that Russia is using the weapon to intimidate Ukraine as both sides wrestle for an advantage that will give them leverage in any negotiations to end the war. The Russian Defense Ministry also is warning it may retaliate against Kyiv for an attack on a military base in the Rostov region in southern Russia on Wednesday. Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 33 including children, Palestinian medics say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 33 people. One of the strikes hit a home where displaced people were sheltering in the isolated north, killing 19. A separate strike outside nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital killed a woman and her two children, and another strike in central Gaza killed at least seven people. Israel's military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and accuses militants of hiding among them, putting their lives in danger. Local health officials say Israel’s retaliatory offensive after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Hannah Kobayashi, missing Hawaii woman whose disappearance prompted a massive search, is found safe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Kobayashi has been found safe. That’s according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Kobayashi vanished last month in Los Angeles. The missing Hawaii woman's disappearance prompted a massive search and a missing persons investigation. It was not immediately clear where she was found, but police previously said she had voluntarily crossed the border into Mexico. The LAPD said Wednesday the department will wrap up its investigation. Kobayashi's family reported her missing to law enforcement on Nov. 11 after relatives received “strange and cryptic, just alarming” text messages. Kobayashi’s mother and sister said they are “grateful” she has been found safe. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. But when exactly? ZURICH (AP) — Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament. Key issues include during which part of the year to stage the tournament, where to play the games, whether alcohol will be allowed at all and how to protect workers rights in the massive construction projects required to host the World Cup.Kash Patel, the Deep State and journalistsTraveling this holiday season? 10 things the TSA wants you to know
Journalist Reveals What Previous Man United Bosses Have Told Him About Marcus Rashford
Google names UK executive as president for Europe, Middle East and AfricaWhat OpenAI's Sora Means For The Future Of TruthBiden administration extends U.S.-China tech agreement days before leaving office