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ABILENE, Texas (AP) — Sam Hicks scored on a 53-yard run in the fourth quarter and finished with 171 yards on the ground to lead Abilene Christian to a 24-0 victory over Northern Arizona on Saturday in the first round of the FCS playoffs. The Wildcats (9-4), ranked No. 15 in the FCS coaches poll and seeded 15th, qualified for the playoffs for the first time and will travel to play No. 2 seed and nine-time champion North Dakota State (10-2) on Saturday at the Fargo Dome. The Bison had a first-round bye. Abilene Christian grabbed a 7-0 lead on its second possession when Carson Haggard connected with Trey Cleveland for a 37-yard touchdown that capped a 10-play 97-yard drive. Northern Arizona (8-5), ranked 17th but unseeded for the playoffs after winning five straight to get in, picked off Haggard on the Wildcats' next two possessions but could not turn them into points. NAU went for it on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line with 9:30 left before halftime, but Jordan Mukes tackled Ty Pennington for a 4-yard loss. That led to a 46-yard field goal by Ritse Vaes and a 10-0 lead at halftime. The score remained the same until Hicks' big run with 10:16 left to play. Haggard passed 6 yards to Blayne Taylor for the final score with 2:16 to go. Haggard completed 23 of 29 passes for 244 yards with three interceptions. Abilene Christian's defense allowed at least 20 points in every game during the regular season and yielded at least 30 six times. The Wildcats lost their season opener to FBS member Texas Tech 52-51 in overtime. Abilene Christian's last shutout came in a 56-0 victory over Lamar on Sept. 25, 2021. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Cabinet Endorses Amendments To Social Security Law, Other Bylaws Aligning With EMV
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Andrej Jakimovski converted an off-balance layup with 8 seconds left, and Colorado handed No. 2 UConn its second loss in two days at the Maui Invitational, beating the two-time defending national champion 73-72 on Tuesday. A day after a 99-97 overtime loss to Memphis that left Huskies coach Dan Hurley livid about the officiating, UConn (4-2) couldn't shake the unranked Buffaloes (5-1), who shot 62.5% in the second half. With Colorado trailing 72-71 in the closing seconds, Jakimovski drove to his right and absorbed contact from UConn’s Liam McNeeley. He tossed the ball toward the glass and the shot was good as he fell to the floor. Hassan Diarra missed a 3-pointer just ahead of the buzzer for UConn. Elijah Malone and Julian Hammond III scored 16 points each for Colorado, and Jakimovski had 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Huskies led 40-32 at halftime and by nine points early in the second half, but Colorado quickly closed that gap. McNeeley led UConn with 20 points. UConn: Hurley's squad is facing its first adversity in quite a while. The Huskies arrived on Maui with a 17-game winning streak that dated to February. Colorado: The Buffaloes were held to season lows in points (56) and field goal percentage (37%) in a 16-point loss to Michigan State on Monday but shot 51.1% overall and 56.3% (9 of 16) from 3-point range against the Huskies. Hurley called timeout to set up the Huskies' final possession, but the Buffs forced them to take a contested 3. Colorado had a 28-26 rebounding advantage after being out-rebounded 42-29 by Michigan State. Colorado will play the Iowa-Dayton winner in the fifth-place game on Wednesday. UConn will play the loser of that matchup in the seventh-place game. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball .
Wake up the ghosts! Texas, Texas A&M rivalry that dates to 1894 is rebornBroncos activate Drew Sanders while Greg Dulcich claimed by GiantsFIANNA Fail were tonight licking their wounds as Grainne Seoige was a huge flop with voters. The former TV star, 51, will fail to win a seat in Galway West despite a high-profile campaign. Seoige — who denied claims she was a celeb candidate — was aiming to retain the seat of seasoned TD Eamon O Cuiv in her political debut. Responding to the result, FF leader Micheal Martin said: “Well firstly I do not like that term, celebrity candidate. “Grainne is a substantive person. I think she ran a very spirited campaign.” But Mr Martin said FF was happy “on one level” as running mate John Connolly could still bag a seat in the constituency. Asked what went wrong for Grainne , outgoing TD O Cuiv said: “She hadn’t had the opportunity to do the leg work on the ground, particularly in Connemara. “I knew from my own work just how much hard work was involved, the detailed knowledge of policy you have to have. “I think that lack of that particular level of expertise didn’t stand to her in this election.” But Independent hopeful Catherine Connolly said it was “an insult to people on the ground” putting her forward, adding: “I will leave FF to do their own post-mortem.” Connolly branded the decision to run the TV star as a "daft strategy". The Leas-Cheann Comhairle told media that a "celebrity candidate" is unlikely to take a seat. Speaking to Virgin Media News on Saturday, she said: "I don’t like commenting personally on a candidate. “However, from day one I thought it was a daft strategy really, I think it was an insult to people that work on the ground, but I’ll leave Fianna Fáil to do their own post-mortem”. A GENERAL election is held in Ireland at least every five years in order to vote for who will represent the Irish public in Dail Eireann. As Ireland is a parliamentary democracy, voting must be held in order for the public to collectively choose who will represent people in Government and what parties will form the Government. In a General Election, the public votes for members of Dail Eireann who go on to become Teachta Dala - TDs. According to the Irish Constitution - a General Election must be held every five years and cannot go on for longer than five years. However, the Dail can be 'dissolved' at any time to call an early or snap election. The President is responsible for dissolving the Dail and this process usually takes place on the advice of the Taoiseach. The President can only refuse to dissolve the Dail if the government does not have a majority of TDs in the Dail. A General Election can also be called if the Taoiseach or Government lose a vote of no confidence. Or in the instance where a coalition party - the smaller party that joins with larger parties to form a government - withdraws its support for those in government. This is called a dissolution and a general election must take place within 30 days of the dissolution of the Dail. Once the Dail is dissolved a polling day must be set by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government - the roll currently held by Fianna Fail TD Darragh O'Brien . Meanwhile, all three leaders of the biggest parties have regained their seats. Fine Gael leader Simon Harris won on the first count in Wicklow while Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin won in Cork South Central, again on the first count. Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald won in Dublin Central on the third count.
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals took care of business and won three straight games for the first time this season. Cincinnati is playing its best football, but it might be too late to sneak into the playoffs, with five teams battling for the two remaining AFC postseason spots. At 7-8, the Bengals are on the bubble along with two other teams that have the same record, the Colts and Dolphins. To have a chance, the Bengals will need to beat the visiting Denver Broncos (9-6) on Saturday, then try to take down the Steelers (10-5) at Pittsburgh in the regular-season finale. They'll need some help from other teams, too. The rub for the Bengals is that they have yet to beat a team with a winning record this season. Now with some momentum for the first time, the Bengals will have to clear that hurdle. “It’s just what it’s supposed to feel like for us. This is our expectation," coach Zac Taylor said after the Bengals beat the Cleveland Browns 24-6 on Sunday. “We just put ourselves in a position to now play some real meaningful games. ... We found a way to get the win and now we can turn our focus to a short week and the Denver Broncos.” Joe Burrow became the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 250 yards and three or more touchdowns in seven consecutive games. One of his TD passes, to Tee Higgins, came as he was falling down. He finished 23 for 30 for 252 yards. ... Ja'Marr Chase continues to build his resume as he strives to win the receiving “triple crown.” He had six catches for 97 yards and a touchdown against the Browns and leads the league in receptions, yards and TDs. ... K Cade York tied a franchise record with a 59-yard field goal. “The guys have responded this way all season,” Taylor said. “We lost some heartbreakers to be quite frank, and games that just came down to the end. It doesn’t mean that we’ve had a bad football team and we weren’t in it. We’ve been in this, and now — I don’t want to say getting our confidence back, because we’ve had confidence — but we’re just making the plays necessary at the critical points of the game to take control of these games. That’s really what’s happened the last three weeks, and we’ve got to continue that.” Burrow has fumbled 10 times this season. Against the Browns, he lost a fumble on a strip-sack with the Bengals on the Cleveland 2-yard-line. Last week, S Jordan Battle scooped a fumble and ran it all the way back, only to fumble as he crossed the goal line, leading to a touchback. Against the Browns, he intercepted a second-half pass from Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the end zone. The Bengals' defense has nine takeaways in the past two games. Cincinnati's depleted offensive line allowed four sacks. The offensive line took a hit when tackle Amarius Mims went out with an ankle injury and didn't return. 5.1 — Yards per carry by RB Chase Brown, who seems to get better every week. He had 18 carries for 91 yards. The Bengals continue their improbable effort to slip into the playoffs when they host the Broncos in their home finale on Saturday. They finish the season the following week at Pittsburgh. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
LISBON :Bukayo Saka scored one goal and set up another as Arsenal thrashed Portuguese side Sporting 5-1 in their Champions League clash at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Tuesday, their biggest away win in the competition in 21 years. Gabriel Martinelli put Arsenal ahead early on before Kai Havertz and Brazilian defender Gabriel added two more goals before halftime as Arsenal overwhelmed their hosts. Goncalo Inacio pulled a goal back for Sporting early in the second period, but Saka restored Arsenal's three-goal advantage with a penalty and Leandro Trossard got a fifth for their biggest away win in the Champions League since victory by the same scoreline at Inter Milan in 2003. Arsenal moved above Sporting to seventh place in the 36-team table with 10 points from their five games. The Portuguese side have the same number of points but are one position back on goal-difference. After a mini-slump in recent weeks, Arsenal have back-to-back wins and look to be finding their best form again with some of their play in Lisbon simply outstanding. They were finding plenty of joy on the right wing and their first two goals both came from attacks down that side. Jurrien Timber’s low cross eluded everyone and provided a tap-in for Martinelli at the back post to put the visitors ahead inside seven minutes. Arsenal continued to set the tempo and deservedly doubled their advantage midway through the first half when Saka burst into the box and poked the ball past Sporting goalkeeper Franco Israel, providing another simple finish for Havertz. Sporting’s lively 17-year-old winger Geovany Quenda forced a good save from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya just before the break in a rare foray forward for the hosts, but they fell further behind in the final seconds of the half. Defender Gabriel met a Declan Rice corner to head his side further in front and few could argue Arsenal were full value for their 3-0 lead. They would have hoped for a composed start to the second half but instead allowed Sporting a way back into the game. Francisco Trincao’s corner was met at the front post by Inacio, who volleyed into the back of the net to offer his side a lifeline. Arsenal were by no means as dominant in the second period, but earned a penalty when Martin Odegaard was fouled from behind by Ousmane Diomande and Saka coolly slotted the spot-kick into the bottom right corner. Substitute Trossard added a fifth with a header after Israel could only parry Mikel Merino's long-range shot into his path.An order commuting the death penalty to life in prison without possibility of parole was signed by Joe Biden for 37 of 40 people sentenced to death, he said in a statement posted on the White House website. “Today, President Biden announced that he is commuting the sentences of 37 people on federal death row. These individuals’ sentences will be commuted from the death penalty to life in prison without parole,” the White House said in the announcement. “I have dedicated my career to reducing crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system. Today, I am commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on death row at the federal level to life in prison without the possibility of parole. These commutations are consistent with my administration’s moratorium on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murders,” Biden said in the statement. “Make no mistake: I condemn these killers, I grieve for the victims of their heinous acts, and I grieve for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss. But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, vice president and now president, I am more convinced than ever that we must end the use of the death penalty at the federal level. In good conscience, I cannot stand by and let a new administration continue the executions I stopped,” the outgoing U.S. president added. Explore related questions
No. 23 Alabama women beat Alabama State 83-33 at Emerald Coast ClassicUS stock indices pushed to fresh records Tuesday, shrugging off tariff threats from President-elect Donald Trump while European equities retreated. Trump, who doesn't take office until January 20, made his threat in social media posts Monday night, announcing huge import tariffs against neighbors Canada and Mexico and also rival China if they do not stop illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Both the Dow and S&P 500 notched all-time highs, with investors regarding the incoming president's words as a bargaining chip. "In theory, higher tariffs should not be good news for stocks. But, you know, I think the market's chosen to think of (it) as a negotiating tactic," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers. "You have bullish sentiment," said LBBW's Karl Haeling. "People are tending to look at things as positively as possible." But General Motors, which imports autos from Mexico to the United States, slumped 9.0 percent, while rival Ford dropped 2.6 percent. Overseas bourses were also buffeted by the news. European stocks followed losses in Asia, despite Trump excluding Europe as an immediate target for tariffs. "These are his first direct comments on tariffs and tariff levels since becoming president-elect, and they have roiled markets," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB trading group, ahead of the Wall Street open. "It is early days, and there are plenty of opportunities for Trump to direct his attention to Europe down the line," Brooks added. The US dollar rallied against its Canadian equivalent, China's yuan and Mexico's peso, which hit its lowest level since August 2022. In other economic news, the Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose to 111.7 this month, up from 109.6 in October, boosted by greater optimism surrounding the labor market. "November's increase was mainly driven by more positive consumer assessments of the present situation, particularly regarding the labor market," said Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board. Pantheon Macroeconomics chief US economist Samuel Tombs added in a note that the increase in consumer confidence overall "likely was driven by euphoria among Republicans." "The index also jumped in late 2016, when Mr. Trump was elected for the first time," he said. Federal Reserve meeting minutes showed policy makers expect inflation to keep cooling, signaling a gradual approach to interest rate cuts if price increases ease further and the job market remains strong. New York - Dow: UP 0.3 percent at 44,860.31 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.6 percent at 6,021.63 (close) New York - Nasdaq: UP 0.6 percent at 19,174.30 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent at 8,258.61 (close) Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.9 percent at 7,194.51 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.6 percent at 19,295.98 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.9 percent at 38,442.00 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: FLAT at 19,159.20 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,259.76 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0482 from $1.0495 on Monday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2567 from $1.2568 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 153.06 yen from 154.23 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.41 pence from 83.51 pence Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.3 percent at $72.81 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.3 percent at $68.77 per barrel bur-jmb/st
METAIRIE, La. – Dejounte Murray plans to return to the New Orleans Pelicans ' lineup on Wednesday night for the first time since fracturing his left hand in a season-opening victory over Chicago on Oct. 23. And when Murray takes the court against the Toronto Raptors , his mother will be on his mind. Recommended Videos After practice on Tuesday, Murray discussed his impending return and disclosed more details about the previously unspecified “personal matters” that caused him to leave the team during the final days of the preseason. His mother had a stroke, he said. “It was tough to leave and go deal with that. As she got better, she wanted me to come play,” Murray said of his last-minute decision to start against Chicago. He added that his hand injury near the end of that game was God's way of telling him, “‘Nah, you need to stay with your mom.’” “I was more concerned about my mother. That was my priority,” Murray continued. “I wasn’t really worried about my recovery.” Murray's mother has recovered well, he said, while he is “healthy and ready to help this team.” “I’m ready to hoop. Play for my mother — she’s going to be watching," Murray said. “I’m ready to compete, bring that winning spirit.” The Pelicans (4-14) certainly could use the help, having lost 14 of 16 games since opening the season with a pair of victories. Injuries have ravaged the roster. At times, all five starters have been out. Star power forward Zion Williamson has missed 12 games this season — one with an illness and 11 with a hamstring injury. Herb Jones has been sidelined by a shoulder strain and Brandon Ingram's status is in doubt after he sat out practice on Tuesday with calf soreness that also sidelined him during a loss on Monday night at Indiana. But at least two starters — Murray and fellow guard CJ McCollum — are expected to play against the Raptors. “I don’t care how many games we’ve lost. I just know every time I step on the floor I feel like we can win games,” said Murray, who had 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in his lone game with the Pelicans. "That’s just my mentality, and I feel like it can carry over to a lot of guys.” ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBAPrairie premiers urge action on security amid Trump's tariff threatsAP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:06 p.m. EST
Immersive Technologies has released a simulation-based training package for operators and other personnel who interact with the autonomous haulage environment. The training program can be used with a range of equipment, in this case Caterpillar autonomous trucks, P & H 4100 shovels, Caterpillar D11T dozers, and light vehicles equipped with Cat MineStar command for hauling systems. The company said this program is needed as the first major mine in the United States has now transitioned to an autonomous haulage system (AHS). It has said nearly all of the world’s major autonomous mines are already using Immersive AHS training solution. The company said the training program is tailored to meet the individual needs of the mine as the package includes onsite services to help manage the training technology implementation. Immersive stated the introduction of autonomous haulage systems has increased the complexity of roles for loading and auxiliary equipment operators. Personnel accustomed to AHS will need training to ensure the system runs effectively. Immersive’s simulators are also known for consistently measuring, assessing, and optimizing skills. The company said this training will reduce the time that trained personnel will need to achieve their “permit to work” certification. As mines adopt AHS systems, efficiently processing large numbers of “permit to work” certifications has been a notable industry challenge. More information is posted on www.ImmersiveTechnologies.com.
BEIRUT – In 2006, after a bruising monthlong war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted for a resolution to end the conflict and pave the way for lasting security along the border. But while relative calm stood for nearly two decades, Resolution 1701’s terms were never fully enforced. Recommended Videos Now, figuring out how to finally enforce it is key to a U.S.-brokered deal that brought a ceasefire Wednesday. In late September, after nearly a year of low-level clashes , the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah spiraled into all-out war and an Israeli ground invasion . As Israeli jets pound deep inside Lebanon and Hezbollah fires rockets deeper into northern Israel, U.N. and diplomatic officials again turned to the 2006 resolution in a bid to end the conflict. Years of deeply divided politics and regionwide geopolitical hostilities have halted substantial progress on its implementation, yet the international community believes Resolution 1701 is still the brightest prospect for long-term stability between Israel and Lebanon. Almost two decades after the last war between Israel and Hezbollah, the United States led shuttle diplomacy efforts between Lebanon and Israel to agree on a ceasefire proposal that renewed commitment to the resolution, this time with an implementation plan to try to reinvigorate the document. What is UNSC Resolution 1701? In 2000, Israel withdrew its forces from most of southern Lebanon along a U.N.-demarcated “Blue Line” that separated the two countries and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, which most of the world considers occupied Syrian territory. U.N. peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL , increased their presence along the line of withdrawal. Resolution 1701 was supposed to complete Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and ensure Hezbollah would move north of the Litani River, keeping the area exclusively under the Lebanese military and U.N. peacekeepers. Up to 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers would help to maintain calm, return displaced Lebanese and secure the area alongside the Lebanese military. The goal was long-term security, with land borders eventually demarcated to resolve territorial disputes. The resolution also reaffirmed previous ones that call for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon — Hezbollah among them. “It was made for a certain situation and context,” Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese army general, told The Associated Press. “But as time goes on, the essence of the resolution begins to hollow.” Has Resolution 1701 been implemented? For years, Lebanon and Israel blamed each other for countless violations along the tense frontier. Israel said Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force and growing arsenal remained, and accused the group of using a local environmental organization to spy on troops. Lebanon complained about Israeli military jets and naval ships entering Lebanese territory even when there was no active conflict. “You had a role of the UNIFIL that slowly eroded like any other peacekeeping with time that has no clear mandate,” said Joseph Bahout, the director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy at the American University of Beirut. “They don’t have permission to inspect the area without coordinating with the Lebanese army.” UNIFIL for years has urged Israel to withdraw from some territory north of the frontier, but to no avail. In the ongoing war, the peacekeeping mission has accused Israel, as well as Hezbollah , of obstructing and harming its forces and infrastructure. Hezbollah’s power, meanwhile, has grown, both in its arsenal and as a political influence in the Lebanese state. The Iran-backed group was essential in keeping Syrian President Bashar Assad in power when armed opposition groups tried to topple him, and it supports Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Yemen. It has an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles, including precision-guided missiles pointed at Israel, and has introduced drones into its arsenal . Hanna says Hezbollah “is something never seen before as a non-state actor” with political and military influence. How do mediators hope to implement 1701 almost two decades later? Israel's security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. The ceasefire began at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday. Efforts led by the U.S. and France for the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah underscored that they still view the resolution as key. For almost a year, Washington has promoted various versions of a deal that would gradually lead to its full implementation. International mediators hope that by boosting financial support for the Lebanese army — which was not a party in the Israel-Hezbollah war — Lebanon can deploy some 6,000 additional troops south of the Litani River to help enforce the resolution. Under the deal, an international monitoring committee headed by the United States would oversee implementation to ensure that Hezbollah and Israel’s withdrawals take place. It is not entirely clear how the committee would work or how potential violations would be reported and dealt with. The circumstances now are far more complicated than in 2006. Some are still skeptical of the resolution's viability given that the political realities and balance of power both regionally and within Lebanon have dramatically changed since then. “You’re tying 1701 with a hundred things,” Bahout said. “A resolution is the reflection of a balance of power and political context.” Now with the ceasefire in place, the hope is that Israel and Lebanon can begin negotiations to demarcate their land border and settle disputes over several points along the Blue Line for long-term security after decades of conflict and tension.1:2 Bonus Issue, Rs 0.63 Dividend: Navratna PSU Stock Rises 8%, Wins Rs 202 Cr New Order; Attractive To Buy?
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart's sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world's biggest retailer followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The risk associated with some of programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump's incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches -- the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President -- are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the November survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated at Pew called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI," Glasgow said. "The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Last fiscal year, Walmart said it spent more than $13 billion on minority, women or veteran-owned good and service suppliers. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America's top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart's announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart's need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company no longer has explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer's ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart." Walmart's announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.Romanian lawmakers narrowly approve new pro-European coalition during period of political turmoilThe chief judge of the federal appeals court based in Denver has dismissed a misconduct complaint against an unidentified judge who admitted to committing an ethics violation by speaking to a "politically affiliated club." The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, based in Denver, hears appeals in federal cases arising from Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, Kansas, New Mexico and Wyoming. The circuit also has a process for screening and adjudicating misconduct complaints against federal judges within its jurisdiction. In an order dated June 4 , but which the circuit only posted publicly last week, Chief Judge Jerome A. Holmes of Oklahoma described his processing of a complaint alleging discrimination. Holmes did not name the judge in question, only identifying him as a male district court judge. The case number indicated the complaint was filed in 2021, and Holmes determined the judge had since taken corrective action for his misconduct. According to Holmes' brief summary, a self-represented litigant in a civil case alleged his judge was biased because he gave "educational presentations to a politically affiliated club, which the club posted to its public YouTube channel." The judge's activity allegedly resulted in discrimination against the litigant based on his age, race and self-represented status. Holmes noted the rules of judicial conduct prohibit judges from making speeches to, or attending events sponsored by, political organizations. Holmes conducted a "limited inquiry," in which he discovered the unidentified club "is officially affiliated with a political party." Jerome A. Holmes of Oklahoma, judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. "A review of the club’s YouTube channel confirmed that the judge made presentations to the club on civics-related matters," Holmes continued, "but that the subject judge’s comments during the presentations, when considered in context, were not political in nature." In responding to the complaint, the unnamed judge wrote that politics was not the "predominate" focus of the club. Instead, he viewed the invitations to speak to the club as an opportunity to share "judicial and legal" topics with its members. "However, he accepted that his actions in making presentations (even on civics-related, non-political topics) to, and indeed merely attending the meetings of, a politically affiliated club violated the Code of Conduct," Holmes wrote. "And the subject judge ensured that his presentations were removed from the club’s YouTube channel, and he informed the club’s leadership that he could not present at any future meetings." Citing his authority to terminate the misconduct proceedings if "appropriate corrective action has been taken," Holmes concluded the judge's acknowledgement of his violation and his subsequent actions were sufficient. Holmes found nothing to indicate the judge had discriminated against the litigant who filed the complaint. The 10th Circuit's executive told Colorado Politics no further information was publicly available about the case. A search of court filings did not reveal any documents bearing on the identity of the complainant or the district judge. The 10th Circuit processes multiple misconduct complaints each year and largely finds no misconduct has occurred. On rare occasions, the circuit will issue an order publicly naming a judge for committing misconduct — as it did in 2022 after finding a New Mexico magistrate judge likely was responsible for an abusive and hostile workplace environment.
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