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Sam Darnold sensed the backside pressure as soon as he dropped back with Minnesota trailing by four points late in the fourth quarter in Seattle, so he moved into a safe space in the pocket and did precisely what the Vikings would prefer him to do with the game on the line. He threw the ball down the field to Justin Jefferson. The perfectly placed throw near the sideline beat double coverage for a 39-yard touchdown that put the Vikings back in front with 3:51 remaining in a 27-24 victory over the Seahawks on Sunday. “It was a great call,” said Jefferson, who had 10 receptions for 144 yards and two scores, all season highs. “I’m not going to say too much about that play, but something went on where me and Sam were on the same page, and he found me and we went up.” The Vikings were understandably coy about the context around the go-ahead touchdown, when Darnold made a difficult on-the-run pass just over cornerback Tariq Woolen that Jefferson deftly twisted to catch next to his backside hip so he could shield the ball from late-breaking safety Julian Love. Darnold saw Love's shoulders initially shaded inside just enough to believe he couldn't retreat fast enough to prevent Jefferson from getting the ball. Jefferson also applied some improvisation to his route that Darnold clearly and properly read during the play. “I want those guys to have some freedom in those moments,” coach Kevin O'Connell said. “We do a lot of things with Justin and Sam, seeing the coverage and then with some route opportunities to get to at the line of scrimmage, and I think those guys have just gotten so comfortable with that stuff.” Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates next to Seattle Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Seattle. Credit: AP/Lindsey Wasson Darnold's long-delayed breakout performance under O'Connell has been one of the stories of the NFL this season, one that wouldn't have unfolded as neatly for the third overall pick in the 2018 draft without such synergy between him and his superstar wide receiver. If the Vikings (13-2) win their last two games, they will not only be NFC North champions for the second time in three years but also get the No. 1 seed and the lone first-round bye in the NFC for the playoffs. “Every single game we’re finding different ways to overcome adversity, overcome the different stuff defenses have thrown towards us," Jefferson said. “Sam has done a great job being a leader.” What's working The pass rush was strong, with Andrew Van Ginkel recording two sacks and pressure leading to both interceptions of Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. The Vikings were credited with eight hits on Smith. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) catches a 14-yard touchdown pass ahead of Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown (22) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Seattle. Credit: AP/Stephen Brashear What needs help The Vikings converted only three of 12 third downs, their second-worst rate of the season. Stock up Theo Jackson, who saw significant playing time at safety with Harrison Smith out, had the game-sealing interception with 49 seconds left. Stock down Tight end Josh Oliver has played 47% of the snaps the last two games, his two lowest usage rates of the season. He dropped the only pass he was thrown on Sunday. Injury report The defense ought to get a big boost this week with the expected return of the 13-year veteran Smith from his first absence in two years when he was sidelined at Seattle with a foot injury. Linebacker Ivan Pace, who has missed four games on injured reserve with a hamstring strain, is also on track to be back with his return to practice. Backup defensive lineman Jalen Redmond, who didn't play against the Seahawks because of a concussion, has made progress through the protocol, O'Connell said. Backup cornerback Fabian Moreau, who was inactive at Seattle with a hip injury, will continue to be evaluated throughout the week. Key number 13.6% — That's the third-down conversion allowance rate for the Vikings over the last two games, with Chicago and Seattle combining to go just 3 for 22. The Vikings rank second in the NFL in third-down defense at 33.7% for the season and also rank second on fourth down at 36.7%. Up next The Vikings host Green Bay on Sunday, with the kickoff moved to the late afternoon showcase spot on Fox. If Minnesota loses to the Packers, the Lions will clinch the NFC North and the Vikings would open the playoffs on the road as the No. 5 seed at best. Even if the Lions were to lose at San Francisco on Monday night, the Vikings would need to win at Detroit on Jan. 5 to take the division title.Sir Elton John and David Furnish have an everlasting love story after connecting right off the bat . “He was very well dressed, very shy,” the “Rocketman” crooner told Parade in early 2010 of their first meeting in 1993. “We fell in love very quickly. He was independent. I didn’t need to take care of him. I thought, ‘God, this is new territory for me — someone wants to be with me just because he likes me.’” After spending nearly a dozen years together, the pair made their relationship official in December 2005 shortly after same-sex civil partnerships were declared legal in England. The twosome — who tied the knot in December 2014 — eventually expanded their family, welcoming sons Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John and Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John in 2010 and 2013, respectively. You have successfully subscribed. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News John — who publicly came out as gay in 1996 — opened up about his journey and meeting the “love of [his] life” in an open letter to Zachary and Elijah. “Looking back over the past 75 years, there is so much I am proud of, so much I have learned. As you are the two most precious parts of my life, I want to share some of those lessons with you,” the songwriter penned in a Time magazine essay in March 2022. “Being true to myself is what gave me my voice and helped me face my greatest fears. I’ve forged deep friendships, found the love of my life and became your Daddy. Whoever you grow up to be, just be you — fully and completely you.” Scroll below for the pair’s complete relationship timeline: Credit: David Hartley/Shutterstock Elton John and David Furnish's Relationship Timeline Sir Elton John and David Furnish have an everlasting love story after connecting right off the bat . “He was very well dressed, very shy,” the “Rocketman” crooner told Parade in early 2010 of their first meeting in 1993. “We fell in love very quickly. He was independent. I didn't need to take care of him. I thought, 'God, this is new territory for me — someone wants to be with me just because he likes me.’” After spending nearly a dozen years together, the pair made their relationship official in December 2005 shortly after same-sex civil partnerships were declared legal in England. The twosome — who tied the knot in December 2014 — eventually expanded their family, welcoming sons Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John and Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John in 2010 and 2013, respectively. John — who publicly came out as gay in 1996 — opened up about his journey and meeting the “love of [his] life” in an open letter to Zachary and Elijah. “Looking back over the past 75 years, there is so much I am proud of, so much I have learned. As you are the two most precious parts of my life, I want to share some of those lessons with you,” the songwriter penned in a Time magazine essay in March 2022. “Being true to myself is what gave me my voice and helped me face my greatest fears. I’ve forged deep friendships, found the love of my life and became your Daddy. Whoever you grow up to be, just be you — fully and completely you.” Scroll below for the pair’s complete relationship timeline: Credit: David Hartley/Shutterstock Elton John and David Furnish's Relationship Timeline Sir Elton John and David Furnish have an everlasting love story after connecting right off the bat . “He was very well dressed, very shy,” the “Rocketman” crooner told Parade in early 2010 of their first meeting in 1993. “We fell in love very quickly. He was independent. I didn't need to take care of him. I thought, 'God, this is new territory for me — someone wants to be with me just because he likes me.’” After spending nearly a dozen years together, the pair made their relationship official in December 2005 shortly after same-sex civil partnerships were declared legal in England. The twosome — who tied the knot in December 2014 — eventually expanded their family, welcoming sons Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John and Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John in 2010 and 2013, respectively. John — who publicly came out as gay in 1996 — opened up about his journey and meeting the “love of [his] life” in an open letter to Zachary and Elijah. “Looking back over the past 75 years, there is so much I am proud of, so much I have learned. As you are the two most precious parts of my life, I want to share some of those lessons with you,” the songwriter penned in a Time magazine essay in March 2022. “Being true to myself is what gave me my voice and helped me face my greatest fears. I’ve forged deep friendships, found the love of my life and became your Daddy. Whoever you grow up to be, just be you — fully and completely you.” Scroll below for the pair’s complete relationship timeline: Credit: Alex Berliner/BEI/Shutterstock 1993 Music superstar John met film director and producer Furnish at a dinner party. "He was very well dressed, very shy," John told Parade in early 2010. "We fell in love very quickly." Credit: Clive Limpkin/Daily Mail/Shutterstock 2000s "We've never been jealous," John told Furnish . "We talk about ... things that normally would have frightened me before." Credit: Shutterstock March 2001 They greeted Prince Charles at a bash. Credit: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock November 2003 The pair posed with their dog, Arthur. Credit: Alan Davidson/Shutterstock February 2005 The duo met longtime pal and fellow AIDS activist Elizabeth Taylor. Credit: David Hartley/Shutterstock December 2005 After more than a decade together, the pair wed on the first day that same-sex civil partnerships could be legally performed in the UK, at their home in Old Windsor. Credit: INFphoto.com August 2008 John and Furnish kicked back in Saint Tropez. Credit: Shutterstock 2009 How does the couple keep the love alive? "Every Saturday for 16 years, we've sent each other a card," John said at the time. "No matter where we are in the world, to say how much we love each other." Credit: Greg Allen/Shutterstock December 2010 The spouses attended the 9th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation's "An Enduring Vision" benefit in NYC in October, just two months before the Christmas Day birth of son Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John. Born via surrogate, their little boy weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces. “For many years we have talked about fulfilling one of our greatest wishes by becoming parents," John exclusively told Us at the time. “And now this wish has been granted to us, we feel so blessed and lucky.” The following month, John told Us that he “never felt anything” like holding Zachary for the first time, adding, “You’re so awestruck. What can you say? You take it in. The feeling, the joy, the warmth of his body, his breathing. I will never forget that experience ever.” Credit: Matthew Impey/Shutterstock January 2013 The pair welcomed son Elijah via surrogate. “Both of us have longed to have children, but the reality that we now have two sons is almost unbelievable,” the couple gushed to Hello! magazine . “The birth of our second son completes our family in a most precious and perfect way. It is difficult to fully express how we are feeling at this time; we are just overwhelmed with happiness and excitement." Credit: John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock December 2014 The pair wed at their Windsor, England, home. Credit: Invision/AP/Shutterstock March 2017 They celebrated John’s 70th birthday with a star-studded bash in Los Angeles. Credit: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP/Shutterstock 2018 The pair stepped out at the Grammy Awards , several weeks after the “Tiny Dancer” performer announced his retirement. Credit: Jason Merritt/Radarpics/Shutterstock March 2019 “They know that daddy is famous but ... when we are out in the summer and people are taking our photograph or asking for a photograph, they say, ‘Why do they want your photograph?’ And we always say, ‘Because people like my music,’” John told Us and other reporters a t the time, while attending his annual Oscars bash with Furnish. “They know what Daddy does, but I never bring Elton home. I try to leave Elton on the stage. They’re quite grounded, as far as that goes. They love their daddy’s music, but they also like a lot of other people’s music.” Credit: Paul Grover/Shutterstock November 2021 John earned a knighthood from the British royal family. “The most magical morning accompanying Elton as he collected his Companion of Honour at Windsor Castle,” Furnish captioned an Instagram snap. “So richly deserved. Congratulations my darling, I’m so proud of you .” Credit: Courtesy of David Furnish/Instagram March 2022 “Sharing a moment of creation To celebrate the creation of Elton Hercules John ,” Furnish wrote about his husband via Instagram. “75 years ago today he arrived on this planet. And he’s been rocking and rolling ever since. I can’t begin to imagine my life or a world, without this glorious, loving, kind, caring, beautiful man. A spectacular husband and a deeply devoted father.” He added: “Happy 75th Birthday my darling . I love you. Forever and ever .” That same month, Furnish revealed that the couple’s kids were inheriting John’s musical interests. “They’ve obviously been exposed to a lot of music in their life,” he exclusively told Us at the 30th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party. “They both love music. All Elton and I try to do as parents is expose them to as many things as possible and encourage them to be open-minded and follow in life what they love and what they feel passionate about. That’s more important than anything. You can’t tell your kids what to do.” Credit: Fati Sadou/ABACAPRESS.COM/Shutterstock March 2023 The twosome walked the red carpet at John’s AIDS Foundation's 31st Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party in March 2023 in Los Angeles. Credit: Courtesy of Elton John/Instagram March 2024 Furnish penned a sweet tribute to John via Instagram in honor of his 77th birthday, which falls on March 25. "Happy Birthday to my irrepressible husband @eltonjohn. You are the best father, hardest working artist and musician, bountiful humanitarian, loving partner, and most loyal friend," he captioned a photo of the "Tiny Dancer" singer, adding, "Love you forever." In response, John commented, "I love you and am so incredibly lucky to have you in my life, thank you for everything." Credit: Courtesy of Elton John and David Furnish/Instagram December 2024 The couple took to social media to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary (and 19 years of their civil partnership). “Happy Anniversary to us 🚀❤️,” they wrote in a joint Instagram post at the time alongside a selfie of them at the beach. In order to view the gallery, please allow Manage Cookies For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!
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WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump's transition team on Tuesday signed an agreement to allow the Justice Department to conduct background checks on his nominees and appointees after a weekslong delay. The step lets Trump transition aides and future administration staffers obtain security clearances before Inauguration Day to access classified information about ongoing government programs, an essential step for a smooth transition of power. It also allows those nominees who are up for Senate confirmation to face the background checks lawmakers want before voting on them. Teams of investigators have been standing by to process clearances for Trump aides and advisers. FILE - Susie Wiles watches as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a caucus night party in Des Moines, Iowa, Jan. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) "This agreement with the Department of Justice will ensure President Trump and his team are ready on Day 1 to begin enacting the America First Agenda that an overwhelming majority of our nation supported on Election Day," said Susie Wiles, Trump's designate to be White House chief of staff. The announcement came a week after the Trump transition team signed an agreement with the Biden White House to allow transition staff to coordinate with the existing federal workforce before taking office Jan. 20. The White House agreement was supposed to have been signed by Oct. 1, according to the Presidential Transition Act, and the Biden White House issued both public and private appeals for Trump's team to sign on. Security clearances are required to access classified information, including on ongoing operations and threats to the nation, and the Biden White House and outside experts emphasized to Trump's team the importance of having cleared personnel before Inauguration Day so they could be fully briefed and ready to run the government. President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) Republican Senators also insisted on FBI background checks for Trump's nominees before they face confirmation votes, as has been standard practice for decades. Lawmakers were particularly interested in seeing the findings of reviews into Trump's designated nominee for defense secretary, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, and for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence. "That's why it's so important that we have an FBI background check, a committee review of extensive questions and questionnaires, and a public hearing," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Monday. John Thune, incoming Senate Republican leader, said the Trump team "understands there's going to have to be a thorough vetting of all these nominees." Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. William McGinley, White House counsel McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Defense fund established by supporters of suspected CEO killer Luigi Mangione nears $200K
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has declared himself the best candidate to make Ghana’s aspirations for greatness a reality. In a recent social media post, Bawumia shared the culmination of his nationwide constituency-focused campaign tour, which included stops in Juaben and Asante Akyem North, as well as a visit to the Philadelphia Church in Kenyasi, where he expressed gratitude for the Almighty’s blessings. Bawumia revealed that over the past 17 months, he has visited every constituency across the country, engaging with citizens from all walks of life. He has interacted with traditional authorities, religious leaders, youth groups, and ordinary Ghanaians in various settings, including markets, homes, lorry stations, and places of worship. Throughout these engagements, Bawumia emphasized his vision for a bold and prosperous future for Ghana, while listening to the concerns and aspirations of the people. He confidently stated that his experiences have reinforced his belief that he is the right leader to guide Ghana towards a brighter future. “I am the best option to make Ghana’s desire for greatness a reality,” he said. Bawumia is urging all eligible voters to come out in full force on December 7, advocating for a leader with a proven track record of clear, solutions-based thinking and achievements. He encouraged citizens to vote for him, stating, “Vote #1, and together, we will build a holistically developed Ghana for the present and the unborn generations.” He concluded his message with optimism, declaring, “It is possible!”
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was a full participant in practice on Monday, opening the door for him to return from a three-game absence on Wednesday when Pittsburgh hosts the Kansas City Chiefs. Pickens hasn't played since tweaking his hamstring earlier this month. The Steelers (10-5) have struggled to generate much in their passing game with their leading receiver watching from the sideline in sweatpants. Though Monday's practice was a walkthrough, Pickens said he felt good and hopes he'll be able to face the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. The 23-year-old was going through post-practice drills on Dec. 6 when he felt his hamstring tighten up, forcing him to miss the first games of his three-year career. Pittsburgh has gone 1-2 in his absence, including back-to-back losses to Philadelphia and Baltimore in which Russell Wilson passed for just 345 yards while missing one of the NFL's top downfield threats. Wilson is encouraged by the way the sometimes mercurial Pickens — who has been flagged and fined multiple times this season for infractions ranging from facemasks to unsportsmanlike conduct — has remained engaged. “He’s been great in the midst of his little trial here over the past few weeks,” Wilson said. “And so we’re excited to have him back if that’s the case fully and let him do his thing.” Safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring) and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin) were also listed as full participants on Tuesday. Neither veteran has played since getting hurt against Cleveland on Dec. 8. While Pickens, Elliott and Ogunjobi could be available as Pittsburgh tries to hold off Baltimore for the AFC North lead, cornerback Joey Porter (knee) and WR Ben Skowronek (hip) are likely out after missing practice for a second straight day. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflSP preparing ground for 2027 through PDA panchayatsNEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Evolv Technologies Holdings, Inc. ("Evolv Technologies" or "the Company") EVLV and certain of its officers. Class Definition This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Evolv Technologies securities between August 19, 2022 and October 30, 2024 inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/EVLV. Case Details The Complaint alleges that on October 25, 2024, the Company announced that its financial statements issued between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2024 should not be relied upon due to material misstatements impacting revenue recognition and other previously reported metrics that are a function of revenue. The Complaint adds that the Company revealed that "certain sales, including sales to one of its largest channel partners, were subject to extra-contractual terms and conditions" not shared with the Company's accounting personnel "and that certain Company personnel engaged in misconduct in connection with those transactions," and that the Company also announced that it "expects to report one or more additional material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting," was delaying filing its upcoming quarterly report for the third quarter of 2024, and that it has "self-reported these issues" to the Division of Enforcement of the SEC. Following this news, the price of Evolv stock declined roughly 40%, from $4.10 per share on October 24, 2024, to $2.47 per share on October 25, 2024. What's Next? A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/EVLV. or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660 . If you suffered a loss in Evolv Technologies you have until Dec. 31, 2024, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. There is No Cost to You We represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful. Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contact Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC Peretz Bronstein or Nathan Miller 332-239-2660 | info@bgandg.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Louis-Jacques scores 17, Colgate defeats Vermont 65-60
Real Madrid's big stars turned on the style to revive the Spanish giant's faltering Champions League title defense on Tuesday. Galacticos Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all scored in a thrilling 3-2 win at Italian league leader Atalanta. But Madrid still had to ride its luck as Mateo Retegui fired over from in front of goal in stoppage time when handed a golden chance to level the game. It was only Madrid's third win in the competition's revamped league phase and leaves the 15-time champion in the unseeded playoff positions in 18th place. Mbappe was substituted off before halftime with an apparent physical issue. Six-time champion Liverpool leads the way after maintaining its perfect record in Europe this season with a 1-0 win against Girona. Like Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain also picked up a much-needed win, beating Salzburg 3-0 to sit in the last playoff spot in 24th place. Bayer Leverkusen is second after a 1-0 win over Inter Milan, while Aston Villa beat Leipzig 3-2 and is third. Brest is one of this season's surprise packages on its Champions League debut and is fifth after beating PSV Eindhoven 1-0. Salah's landmark Mohamed Salah’s 50th Champions League goal maintained Liverpool’s perfect record in the competition this season. The Egypt forward struck a 63rd minute penalty to seal the win in Spain that kept Liverpool atop the 36-team league. But even after a sixth straight win for the Merseyside club, head coach Arne Slot was critical of his players in a game that saw goalkeeper Alisson pull off several saves to keep Girona out. “If you ask me about all the six games, I’m really pleased with all the results, I am really pleased with the five (other) games with the way we played. I’m far from pleased about the performance tonight,” he said. Salah’s goal was his 16th in 22 appearances overall this season. Girona was 30th with just one win from six games. “I almost feel sorry for them because they deserved so much more in this Champions League campaign than the three points they have until now. But we have an incredible goalkeeper,” Slot said. Even after Slot’s criticism, Liverpool continued its outstanding start to the campaign, which also led it the top of the Premier League. Former Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek handed Salah the chance to fire the visitors ahead with a clumsy tackle from behind on Luis Diaz in the box. Salah stepped up to convert the penalty and Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga went the wrong way. Liverpool’s two remaining games are against Lille at home and PSV Eindhoven away in January. U.S. international Christian Pulisic is the only player to have scored against Liverpool in this season’s Champions League in a 3-1 loss for Milan in September. Bayern rout Bayern Munich routed Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1 to move into the automatic qualifying positions for the round of 16. Michael Olise scored twice as Bayern came back from going 1-0 down inside five minutes to a goal from Brazilian winger Kevin. Sporting Lisbon couldn’t build on taking a third-minute lead at Club Brugge — losing 2-1 in Belgium. Dinamo Zagreb drew 0-0 with Celtic and both teams remain in the playoff positions. ___ James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer James Robson, The Associated PressArchaeology Don't miss out on the headlines from Archaeology. Followed categories will be added to My News. Nearly 2,000 bodies have been exhumed from a sports field at a Tasmania boarding school - with some buried six people deep - in what is believed to be Australia’s largest mass exhumation. Contractors working at the prestigious Hutchins School in Hobart – one of the oldest schools in Australia – discovered human graves buried underneath the hockey field while carrying out construction work in March. The site had previously formed part of the Queenborough Cemetery before the Hobart City Council took over ownership in the early 1900s. After nine months of evacuation, a total of 1,973 remains have now been exhumed, a notice published on the school’s website reads. 1,973 remains were exhumed at the site of Hutchins School in Hobart. Picture: Google Maps An archaeology team worked to identify 87 per cent of the deceased by piecing together information from Births Deaths and Marriage records, headstone transcripts, newspapers. incomplete burial registers and other evidence. However, the notice stated: “In many instances, it has not been possible to determine the separate identity of individuals within family plots.” The school has published a list of those identified on its website, with the deceased ranging from infants to 99 years old. Some remains are believed to date back to the 1800s. An archaeology team worked to identify 87 per cent of the remains. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones Evacuation took place over the course of nine months. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones Cemetery turned boarding school It’s believed up to 13,000 people were buried at the Queenborough Cemetery between 1873-1934, the ABC reports. Hobart City Council took over the site of the cemetery from a private company in 1917 before the school purchased the site in the 1960s as part of a deal which stipulated the council would fund the cost to exhume up to 1,900 bodies. Hutchins principal Rob McEwan said in a letter to parents earlier this year that the school had been aware that approximately 1900 exhumations had occurred at the site before 1961, The Mercury reports. “It has now become clear very few of the previous exhumations had occurred on the site of the current building works,” he said. Queenborough Memorial Reserve near the school site. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones Historical archaeologist Brad Williams said the team were surprised to discover how many bodies were buried on the site. “I thought we could be dealing with a couple of hundred [people’s remains],” he told the ABC. “What we hadn’t expected was the amount of stacked burials that we found ... sometimes up to six people deep.” Hundreds of bodies are believed to still lie underneath the school, with archaeologists only exhuming about 15 per cent of the site of the cemetery. The school said the exhumed remains have been transferred into new coffins and will be reburied at the Cornelian Bay Cemetery in late January. A service will be held at a later time. Their identified names of the declasses will be included on new memorials at the Cornelian Bay and the Peel Street Memorial Reserve. More Coverage Ancient discovery answers big Bible question Jamie Seidel ‘Hidden in plain sight’: Pics reveal lost city Kate Schneider Originally published as Nearly 2000 bodies exhumed under Tasmanian school’s hockey field More related stories Archaeology Ancient discovery answers big Bible question A remarkable and “signficant” find from 1800 years ago has answered a huge question many of us have pondered about Jesus. Read more Archaeology New King Tut theory changes everything New evidence uncovered by archaeologists threatens to upturn everything we think we know about the famous boy-king Tutankhamun. Read moreISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday highlighted a significant decline in inflation, which has dropped to its lowest level in 70 months, indicating the country’s economic progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Highlighting key economic indicators, the minister stated that foreign exchange reserves have surged past $11 billion, while the Consumer Price Index (CPI) continues to decline monthly. The stock market has reached a record high, crossing the 100,000-point mark, demonstrating investor confidence in the country’s economic policies. Additionally, the interest rate has fallen to 15 per cent, and the KIBOR rate stands at 13 per cent, paving the way for increased investment across various sectors. Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
Saints coach Darren Rizzi shares the latest on Derek Carr and Alvin Kamara injury rehabNEW DELHI: Manmohan Singh will be remembered as the statesman who saved the Indian economy from going over the edge. When he took over as finance minister in the minority government of Narasimha Rao in 1991, the Indian economy was very close to sovereign default. Foreign exchange reserves were barely enough to cover a month of imports and the country had to suffer the ignominy of having to ship its gold reserves to England. The looming economic disaster was a result of fiscal and trade profligacy in the 1980s when the Indian economy, both public and private arms of it, had been spending beyond their means. The crisis was a result of a deeper economic malaise in the economy where the post-independence State-led planning model had failed to deliver and private enterprise had become shackled in what was infamously referred to the Licence-Quota Raj. All of that would change with the famous 1991 Budget which Manmohan Singh presented, and the industrial deregulation which accompanied the Budget. More than three decades later, there is as big a consensus for reforms in India just as there was opposition to it when the process started. Having said all this, what have the economic reforms done for India? Here are five charts which try and answer this question as briefly as possible. India is on its way to becoming the third-largest economy in the world in a couple of years, and the seeds of India’s growth story were sowed during the economic reforms. World Bank data on India’s share in global GDP (in current dollars) shows this clearly. India’s weight in the global economy declined steadily from the 1960s (the earliest period for which this data is available) and reached a trough in 1991. Since then, this number has been on an upward trajectory even though the pace of this has varied in the last three decades. That the reforms delivered growth in India is pretty much an undisputed fact now. The more controversial question is whether this growth has reached the proverbial last person in the line or been hogged by a smaller clique. On this count, one can say that the glass is half full. World Bank data on various measures of poverty shows that India has had significant success in eradicating extreme poverty – as captured by its $2.15 poverty line – even as poverty rates are significantly higher for poverty lines with higher income levels. Here, there is still a lot to be done. To be sure, it is unlikely even the extreme poverty eradication would have happened had post-reform growth not generated the revenue to launch welfare programs. Concerns about poverty and inequality aside, the reforms unleashed an unprecedented virtuous cycle of wealth creation in the Indian economy as deregulation allowed private enterprise to exploit the new opportunities in both domestic and external markets. This is best seen in a rise and rise of Indian stock market almost a decade after the reforms were launched. For instance, replacing the Controller of Capital Markets with the more contemporary SEBI, and relaxing IPO norms, allowed Infosys to list in the early 1990s, sparking India’s equity culture. The strengthening of sentiment vis-à-vis the Indian economy also attracted a lot of foreign capital into India which along with a stock market boom has also provided a much-needed stability on the external account despite Indian imports being significantly larger than they were in the pre-reform period. Does all this mean economic reforms have succeeded in everything they wanted to achieve in the Indian economy? There are important areas where things have not moved, the biggest being India’s failure to give a big boost to its manufacturing sector. The share of manufacturing in India’s GDP has largely been stagnant in the post-reform period even as countries such as China have benefited from export tailwinds via the manufacturing route. With the US and the developed world becoming more protectionist, there is some merit in the scepticism that India might have missed the best period to exploit this opportunity. As irony will have it, the blame for the lack of India’s manufacturing progress is often attributed to less reforms rather than reforms per se. But the fact also remains that some states have managed to do much better than others on this front in a similar national policy environment. Even as some economists who have praised reforms argue that India should focus more on services than manufacturing, it is difficult to imagine a bigger source of remunerative non-farm mass employment generation than a robust manufacturing sector. This is one area where the next generation and political and economic policy leaders will have to carry forward the work which started in 1991.