By MARY CLARE JALONICK and MATT BROWN WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Maine Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday as he pushed to win enough votes for confirmation. He said he will not back down after allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct. Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell. It’ll be a first for him National Politics | The Trump and Biden teams insist they’re working hand in glove on foreign crises National Politics | ‘You don’t know what’s next.’ International students scramble ahead of Trump inauguration National Politics | Trump is threatening to raise tariffs again. Here’s how China plans to fight back National Politics | Trump won’t be able to save the struggling US beef industry Collins said after the hourlong meeting that she questioned Hegseth about the allegations amid reports of drinking and the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. She said she had a “good, substantive” discussion with Hegseth and “covered a wide range of topics,” including sexual assault in the military, Ukraine and NATO. But she said she would wait until a hearing, and notably a background check, to make a decision. “I asked virtually every question under the sun,” Collins told reporters as she left her office after the meeting. “I pressed him both on his position on military issues as well as the allegations against him, so I don’t think there was anything that we did not cover.” The meeting with Collins was closely watched as she is seen as more likely than most of her Republican Senate colleagues to vote against some of Trump’s Cabinet picks. She and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a fellow moderate Republican, did not shy from opposing Trump in his first term when they wanted to do so and sometimes supported President Joe Biden’s nominees for the judicial and executive branches. And Hegseth, an infantry combat veteran and former “Fox & Friends” weekend host, is working to gain as many votes as he can as some senators have expressed concerns about his personal history and lack of management experience. “I’m certainly not going to assume anything about where the senator stands,” Hegseth said as he left Collins’ office. “This is a process that we respect and appreciate. And we hope, in time, overall, when we get through that committee and to the floor that we can earn her support.” Hegseth met with Murkowski on Tuesday. He has also been meeting repeatedly with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, a military veteran who has said she is a survivor of sexual assault and has spent time in the Senate working on improving how attacks are reported and prosecuted within the ranks. On Monday, Ernst said after a meeting with him that he had committed to selecting a senior official to prioritize those goals. Republicans will have a 53-49 majority next year, meaning Trump cannot lose more than three votes on any of his nominees. It is so far unclear whether Hegseth will have enough support, but Trump has stepped up his pressure on senators in the last week. “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump posted on his social media platform last week.
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The increase in consumer loans and rising mortgage defaults are concerns for the domestic tourism market through next year, meaning that short-term promotions such as those for festivals and events might not help, according to tourism operators. In its third-quarter report, the National Economic and Social Development Council issued a warning about the increase in personal loans, while mortgage defaults on loans of less than 3 million baht indicate sluggish household income. Udom Srimahachota, vice-president of the Thai Hotels Association's western chapter, said the economic uncertainty left many Thai tourists, particularly the mass market, with little budget for travel and leisure activities. Domestic tourists tend to travel less and restrict their budget to focus only on necessities, such as hotels and transport, spending less on shopping. Meanwhile, consumers in the upper-market have opted for destinations overseas during the winter months, heading to Japan, Europe and China, which granted Thais visa-free entry. He said some Chinese trips only cost around 20,000 baht per package, competing with popular domestic destinations, such as Pattaya and Hua Hin. As a hotel operator in Hua Hin, Mr Udom noticed that hotels in the area had gained only a few domestic bookings recently, as many Thais seek cooler climes in the north. Mr Udom said the government's initiative to promote events throughout the year has not fully enhanced the domestic market as people are still concerned about spending and are choosing to travel only during certain periods. He said the government should prioritise economic stimulus and help people increase their income with effective financial measures, such as debt restructuring and interest rate reduction, rather than distributing 10,000-baht cash handouts. Kantapong Thananerngroth, president of Thai Tourism Promotion Association, said the government's three-year suspension of interest payments for mortgage, vehicle loans, and small and medium enterprises as a part of its economic stimulus should at least alleviate sluggish domestic tourism over the coming months. He said Thai tourists would still allocate some of their budget for domestic trips despite the economic concerns. During the Loy Krathong festival earlier this month, hotels located near related events were fully booked, especially high-end properties. With more intense competition in the tourism sector, the government should plan and promote events next year in advance, while formulating efficient income distribution for local operators and communities, said Mr Kantapong.Eagles stars Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown say relationship is 'good' after teammate suggests fissureThe Saints pretty much haven’t seen a lead in a game for three straight. The losing ways continued on Tuesday when Jacksonville took an 8-0 lead to start the game and stayed in command the rest of the way in a 75-64 victory in the third-place game of the Palms Division of the Fort Myers Tip-Off at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Florida. Sparked by freshman Gavin Doty and Tajae Jones, the Saints (3-4) did well to chop into a 20-point deficit with 7:56 left to pull within six with 2:56 left, but that was as close as they’d get. After starting the season 3-0 under new head coach Gerry McNamara, Siena was in position to equal the win total of the entire disastrous 2023-24 season, but is still waiting for that. In the Fort Myers Tip-Off, the Saints lost an on-campus site game at Xavier last week in which Siena led 5-3 in the opening moments, but they trailed from there and never had a lead in losses to Miami (Ohio) on Monday and to Jacksonville once they relocated to Florida. “We played 80 minutes down here, 60 were terrible,” McNamara said. “We finally put together a stretch where we played some unselfish basketball. “I hope I can take the last 20 minutes with the group that I know we can be, which is a group that plays in space and plays together, eight assists and four turnovers in the second half, and we’re making each other better.” Doty finished with 21 points and six rebounds, after having scored a total of 12 points in the first six games. He averaged 28.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 3.2 per game as a senior for Fulton High School of Section 3, northwest of Syracuse. He started the comeback run with a 3-pointer, Jones scored five points and blocked a shot and Major Freeman made back-to-back 3-pointers, the second of which got Siena within 68-62 with 2:56 left. “I thought I played well, but 21 points in a loss is never a happy night,” Doty said. “I’d rather have five points in a loss.” “We got behind early, but I knew what I had to do to impact the game, whether it was go get a rebound, dive on the floor ... just put myself on the line,” Jones said. “Those guys fight,” McNamara said. “It’s as simple as that. The way Gavin was playing, he brought a different energy level of what it was going to take to claw back into the game. “Taj was no different. Came in and made some plays in a short role. I saw it all summer. Tajae Jones’ rebounds per 40 minutes, the kid’s remarkable. Two guys that go after the basketball. They play to win. I wanted toughness on the court, so I went with my toughest group.” The comeback petered out after that. Robert McCray, who scored 21 points in 29 minutes on 3-for-5 from 3-point range and 8-16 from the field, stopped Siena’s run with a jumper for a 70-62 lead with 1:56 left, then Reid Ducharme missed a 3 for Siena.
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