8bet

8bet BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian lawmakers on Monday voted narrowly in favor of a new pro-European coalition government led by incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. The move could usher in an end to a protracted political crisis in the European Union country following the annulment of a presidential election by a top court. Parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote in Romania's 466-seat legislature. The new coalition is made up of the leftist Social Democratic Party, or PSD, the center-right National Liberal Party, PNL, the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party and national minorities. It caps a month-long period of turmoil in which far-right nationalists made significant gains in a Dec. 1 parliamentary election , a week after a first-round presidential race saw the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu emerge as the front-runner. “It will not be an easy mandate for the future government,” Ciolacu, whose PSD party topped the polls in the parliamentary election, said in a statement Monday. “We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis," he said. "It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people.” Romani's 16 ministerial positions will be shared among the parties, which will hold a slim majority in the legislature. It's widely seen as a tactical partnership to shut out far-right nationalists whose voices found fertile ground amid high living costs and a sluggish economy. Ciolacu, who came third in the first-round presidential ballot despite polls indicating he would win the most votes, has served as prime minister since June 2023. After parliament’s approval, President Klaus Iohannis swore in the new government and warned the new Cabinet that it's entering a “difficult new period” in which “for many Romanians, there are major concerns.” Romania was plunged into turmoil after Georgescu’s surprise success in the presidential race, after allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged. Days before the Dec. 8 runoff, the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the presidential race . “We go through complicated times, but I think we all learned from mistakes of the past,” Ciolacu said. “I hope that together with my colleagues in the coalition, we’ll find the best solutions to get past the challenges we have in front of us.” Ciolacu said that the new government would aim to quickly organize the rerun of the presidential election in which the new coalition has agreed to put forward an agreed common pro-European candidate. Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, said that the new government made up of the same political parties will likely embrace “soft populist” rhetoric such as economic patriotism, anti-austerity, and a peace solution in neighboring Ukraine to counter the rise of far-right populism. “This will be a way to answer the concerns of many Romanians who voted for populists ... but will not solve the fundamental problem of trust,” he said. “The only decisive factor now will be who and how convincing the pro-European candidates will be against this popular revolt.” George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which came second in the parliamentary election, said that all lawmakers from his party on Monday would vote against the Ciolacu government. In 2021, the PSD and the PNL also formed an unlikely but increasingly strained coalition together with UDMR, which exited the Cabinet last year after a power-sharing dispute. Stephen McGrath reported from Warwick, England.Massacre in Cite Soleil: Unveiling Haiti's Grim Reality

US House passes massive defense policy bill, despite transgender provisionScheifele notches hat trick as Jets top Maple Leafs 5-2 ahead of NHL's holiday break

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMMO, Inc. (Nasdaq: POWW, POWWP) (“AMMO” or the “Company”) the owner of GunBroker.com, the largest online marketplace serving the firearms and shooting sports industries, and a leading vertically integrated producer of high-performance ammunition and components, today announced that the holders of record of the Company’s 8.75% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) as of the close of business on December 2, 2024 will receive a cash dividend equal to $0.55902778 per Series A Preferred Stock share. The cash dividend will be paid on December 16, 2024. About AMMO, Inc. With its corporate offices headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, AMMO designs and manufactures products for a variety of aptitudes, including law enforcement, military, sport shooting and self-defense. The Company was founded in 2016 with a vision to change, innovate and invigorate the complacent munitions industry. AMMO promotes its own branded munitions, including its patented STREAK TM Visual Ammunition, /stelTH/ TM subsonic munitions, and armor piercing rounds for military use. For more information, please visit: www.ammo-inc.com . About GunBroker.com GunBroker.com is the largest online marketplace dedicated to firearms, hunting, shooting and related products. Aside from merchandise bearing its logo, GunBroker.com currently sells none of the items listed on its website. Third-party sellers list items on the site and Federal and state laws govern the sale of firearms and other restricted items. Ownership policies and regulations are followed using licensed firearms dealers as transfer agents. Launched in 1999, GunBroker.com is an informative, secure and safe way to buy and sell firearms, ammunition, air guns, archery equipment, knives and swords, firearms accessories and hunting/shooting gear online. GunBroker.com promotes responsible ownership of guns and firearms. For more information, please visit: www.gunbroker.com . Forward Looking Statements This document contains certain “forward-looking statements”. All statements other than statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of federal and state securities laws, including, but not limited to, any projections of earnings, revenue or other financial items; any statements of the plans, strategies, goals and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning proposed new products and services or developments thereof; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; any statements or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward looking statements may include the words “may,” “could,” “estimate,” “intend,” “continue,” “believe,” “expect” or “anticipate” or other similar words, or the negative thereof. These forward-looking statements present our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this report. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they are made. We do not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the dates they are made. You should, however, consult further disclosures and risk factors we include in Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports filed on Form 8-K. Investor Contact: CoreIR Phone: (212) 655-0924 IR@ammo-inc.com Source: AMMO, Inc.

None

All-ages entertainment has arrived at Dubuque's Q Casino + Resort with a splash thanks to the launch of a new arcade. Casino leaders this afternoon celebrated the soft launch of Island Social, an all-ages family fun zone outfitted with over 75 arcade games, digital ax throwing, duckpin bowling and more. “This new all-ages entertainment venue is a key part of our expansion plans to move toward becoming a resort-style destination where gaming and other entertainment options can coexist ... and appeal to a wide range of audiences,” said Q Casino Chief Commercial Officer Stacy Kansky. Island Social will officially open Wednesday, Nov. 27, though an invite-only ribbon cutting ceremony was held today in collaboration with Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce. Over 100 people were in attendance for the event, many of whom tried their hand at the new games. The arcade space includes classics such as claw machines and air hockey tables, as well as a variety of games that offer interactive, immersive experiences. In addition to the gaming area, it also includes two private party rooms and the Island Social bar and restaurant. The all-ages amenity is one part of a multiphase, $83 million renovation project at Q Casino + Resort. Other phases include an already completed casino remodel, as well as the construction of a seven-story boutique hotel set to open in 2025 adjacent to the casino. The space also complements plans for a PinSeekers golf complex set to be constructed in the area of the former greyhound racetrack. The facility — set to open in 2026 — will feature 40 all-season golf suites with access to the 220-yard driving range. “Q Casino + Resort is setting the benchmark as a premier destination for entertainment," said Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Molly Grover. “This new Island Social space is going to redefine and change the way we play in Dubuque for generations to come.” An updated version of this story will appear in the Telegraph Herald's Wednesday, Nov. 27, edition.

Amsterdam, 23 December 2024 (Regulated Information) --- AMG Critical Materials N.V. (“AMG”, EURONEXT AMSTERDAM: “AMG”) is pleased to announce the signing of a letter of intent to repurchase a 40% ownership interest in Graphit Kropfmühl GmbH (" GK ") currently owned by Alterna Capital Partners (" Alterna "). The purchase price can be paid in cash at the end of a three-year period, or in the form of AMG shares at any point within the three years at AMG's discretion. To the extent that AMG elects to pay any portion of the purchase price in the form of AMG shares, these shares would be subject to a holding period of 6-18 months depending on when AMG elects to transfer or issue the shares to Alterna. Alterna has committed to vote any such shares in line with the recommendations of AMG's Management and Supervisory Boards. At the end of the holding period, Alterna has given AMG the right of first refusal to purchase such shares. This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This press release contains regulated information as defined in the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht). About AMG AMG's mission is to provide critical materials and related process technologies to advance a less carbon-intensive world. To this end, AMG is focused on the production and development of energy storage materials such as lithium, vanadium, and tantalum. In addition, AMG's products include highly engineered systems to reduce CO 2 in aerospace engines, as well as critical materials addressing CO 2 reduction in a variety of other end use markets. AMG’s Lithium segment spans the lithium value chain, reducing the CO 2 footprint of both suppliers and customers. AMG’s Vanadium segment is the world’s market leader in recycling vanadium from oil refining residues, spanning the Company’s vanadium, titanium, and chrome businesses. AMG’s Technologies segment is the established world market leader in advanced metallurgy and provides equipment engineering to the aerospace engine sector globally. It serves as the engineering home for the Company’s fast-growing LIVA batteries, and spans AMG’s mineral processing operations in graphite, antimony, and silicon metal. With approximately 3,600 employees, AMG operates globally with production facilities in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, China, Mexico, Brazil, India, and Sri Lanka, and has sales and customer service offices in Japan ( www.amg-nv.com ). For further information, please contact: AMG Critical Materials N.V. +1 610 975 4979 Michele Fischer mfischer@amg-nv.com Disclaimer Certain statements in this press release are not historical facts and are “forward looking.” Forward looking statements include statements concerning AMG’s plans, expectations, projections, objectives, targets, goals, strategies, future events, future revenues or performance, capital expenditures, financing needs, plans and intentions relating to acquisitions, AMG’s competitive strengths and weaknesses, plans or goals relating to forecasted production, reserves, financial position and future operations and development, AMG’s business strategy and the trends AMG anticipates in the industries and the political and legal environment in which it operates and other information that is not historical information. When used in this press release, the words “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “may,” “will,” “should,” and similar expressions, and the negatives thereof, are intended to identify forward looking statements. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. AMG expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in AMG's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based. Attachment GK Stake Announcement

Sports Columnist {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Casey Mittelstadt saw the crowd of familiar Buffalo reporters waiting at his locker early Tuesday afternoon in KeyBank Center and let out a sheepish smile. A few teammates were in the room after the Colorado Avalanche’s morning skate and one said, “It’s your show” as Mittelstadt walked by him and greeted the interlopers as he sat at his stall. Prior to his first game against the Sabres since the March trade that sent him to the Avs for Bowen Byram, Mittlestadt said he went out to dinner with several Sabres here Monday night, just like trade partner Byram was planning to do with his old mates from Colorado. Avalanche center Casey Mittelstadt moves the puck against Stars center Tyler Seguin last week. Mittelstadt and Sabres captain Ramsus Dahlin lived together in a downtown condo for three years, essentially the entirety of their entry-level deals, and were particularly close. Asked who might get the first hit during Tuesday’s game, a smiling Dahlin said, “Me” with no further explanation needed. Told of the prediction and asked for a response, Mittelstadt smirked and said, “I won’t be surprised. He’s dirty.” And then he added the zinger, “Hopefully that means I have the puck.” They troll each other on social media, talk trash following games of Fortnite and grab dinner post-practice. “He’s helped me feel really comfortable here,” Dahlin said. The byplay was always fast and furious between those two − especially once Dahlin mastered the English that Mittelstadt helped him learn when he arrived in Buffalo from Sweden as an 18-year-old. The video games of Fortnite and EA Sports’ NHL series passed the time during lots of Buffalo winters for the former first-round picks. “We’ve chatted the last couple days here. We’re tight friends,” Dahlin said. “He’s having a great time over there, enjoying playing over there in Colorado and I’m super happy for him. “We have so many memories together. We were spending so much time together, really good friends. There’s so much to say about him, honestly, I don’t have enough time. He’s just a unreal human being.” Mittelstadt, Buffalo’s first-round choice in 2017, was dealt after a morning skate in Toronto and only the timing was a surprise. The Sabres were clearly hesitant about giving a third center a big-money deal after Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens both signed for north of $7 million per season, and Mittelstadt said he felt something was going to happen. The feeling around the league was Mittelstadt was more of a summer trade project but the teams found a match and did the deal at the March deadline instead. “It was a little hectic,” he said. “But I think I probably had a sense that something was coming at some point. Did I expect it to be right then and there? No, but that’s kind of how it happens. And I think it worked out for both sides. I loved my time in Buffalo, and it was probably a good time in my career for a new chapter as well.” Byram has became a top-pair defenseman for the Sabres playing next to captain Rasmus Dahlin. Byram has four goals and 10 assists with a plus-8 rating that's second on the club. Mittelstadt had four goals and six assists in 18 games with the Avalanche after the trade, then added three goals and six assists in 11 games in his first chance at the Stanley Cup Playoffs. “It was a blast. I obviously didn’t fully know what to expect,” Mittelstadt said. “My first game was in Winnipeg and the ‘Whiteout’ (of the fans wearing white), so I think I probably got close to the peak of it. It was awesome.” Avs star Nathan MacKinnon raved about Mittelstadt’s play in the postseason games against Winnipeg and Dallas when I asked him about it during the NHL Awards Show in June in Las Vegas, even calling Mittelstadt the Avs’ best player for much of the five-game victory over the Jets. After winning the Hart Trophy on Thursday night, Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon had high praise for new teammate and former Sabre Casey Mittelstadt, who signed a three-year extension with the Avs this week. The Avs then signed Mittelstadt to a three-year, $17.25 million deal over the summer and he started this season like gangbusters, with goals in the first three games and a line of 6-7-13 for the first 10 games. Since then, however, he’s been quiet. We saw lots of great playmaking from Mittelstadt in Buffalo but we saw some of these stretches, too. Entering Tuesday, he had just one goal and five points in his last 15 games. No points in his last six games. And his rating had plummeted to a team-worst minus-15. The Sabres have played 24 games and have 24 points. They have a trio of three-game winning streaks – after not getting a single one of those last season until late February – and they have a trio of three-game losing or winless streaks. That's 18 of the 24 games tied up in a run or a rut. Your second-line center with a $5.75 million cap hit can’t be a zero offensively. It’s what the Sabres have been going through a lot with Cozens this year as well. “I’ve kind of had stretches like this in my career, to be honest, as you guys know,” Mittelstadt said. “Just keep working hard and trying to get better every day ... trying to work through it faster than maybe in the past.” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said he needs Mittelstadt to keep moving and not become stationary and thus easily checked on the ice. Avalanche center Casey Mittelstadt, shown playing against Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb last week, signed a three-year contract with Colorado over the summer. “When he’s skating and he’s a threat to shoot or pass, I think he’s super dangerous,” Bednar said. “And it seems like right now, he’s trying to defer to his linemates a little bit too much, so kind of takes a threat away, and then he’s easier to check. We’ve been talking to him about not only skating, but also being in attack mentality.” Bednar also noted that the Avs have had a forward group in flux much of the year due to injuries and the recent return of Valeri Nichushkin from suspension. Mittelstadt’s linemates have been in a shuffle but he’s settled in now with Nichushkin and 25-year-old rookie Nikolai Kovalenko, who played the last six years in the KHL. Injuries, poor goaltending and equally poor penalty killing have the Avs on the playoff bubble for now, not where the 2022 Stanley Cup champions figured to be. Still, Mittelstadt is hopeful of another playoff shot. “I think there’s a lot I can learn from the guys here,” he said. “Obviously, a lot of them have won before, and we have some really, really, really talented players here. It’s an opportunity for me to grow, and especially grow as a hockey player. I was definitely sad to leave (Buffalo), but I think to some degree, I was excited as well.” Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sports Columnist {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, is joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet as he speaks with reporters after meeting with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks with reporters after meeting with Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, arrives for a meeting with Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, is joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet as he speaks with reporters after meeting with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) 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.

NORMAL — Heartland Community College has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as a 2024 Most Engaged Campus for college student voting. “By supporting student voter participation, we reinforce our commitment to service-learning and civic engagement,” said Sarah Diel-Hunt, vice president of enrollment and student services at Heartland, in a statement. “As part of our mission to promote student success, it is vital to assist our students with the tools of civic and social responsibility that will help empower them and bring their informed voices to the community we serve.” Heartland joins a group of 471 colleges and universities recognized by ALL IN for participating in the ALL In Campus Democracy Challenge, sharing their campus voting data from the 2022 National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement reports, creating a democratic engagement plan and having a current signatory to ALL IN's Higher Education President's Commitment to student voter participation, according to a news release. The ALL IN challenge is a national nonpartisan initiative of nonprofit organization Civic Nation, the news release said. It engages 10.8 million students from more than 1,075 institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. “The research is clear: colleges and universities that make intentional efforts to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement have higher campus voter registration and voter turnout rates. This year we saw more colleges than ever before step up their efforts to ensure that their students were registered and ready to make their voices heard at the ballot box," stated Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “These Most Engaged Campuses are setting the standard for nonpartisan civic engagement work for colleges and universities across the country.” Local officials from the community and college as well as with the company joined together Thursday at Country Financial headquarters, 1701 Towanda Avenue, in Bloomington, to announce the mile-long trail project which will be called the Country Financial Trail at Heartland and extend the Constitution Trail. Bloomington's Aareion Jones (13) guards Normal Community's Kevonte Hamilton (4) on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Bloomington's Carter Tindall (11) guards Normal Community Kobe Walker (42) on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Bloomington's Kevonte Hamilton (4) shoots on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Normal Community's Kobe Walker (42) dunks against Bloomington on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Normal Community's Kobe Walker (42) shoots against Bloomington on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Bloomington's Carter Tindall (11) talks with Bloomington head coach Micheal Mosley on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Bloomington's Tyler Dowling (2) shoots over Normal Community's Jarrel Brown (4) on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Bloomington's Tyler Dowling (2) brings the ball up the court against Normal Community on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan. Contact Mateusz Janik at (309) 820-3234. Follow Mateusz on Twitter:@mjanik99 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Government Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

Gabriel mimics Gyokeres in cheeky goal celebration in Arsenal win over Sporting in Champions LeagueWASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee on Monday accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including once with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs as a member of Congress, as lawmakers released the conclusions of a nearly four-year investigation that helped sink his nomination for attorney general. The 37-page report by the bipartisan panel includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz, now 42, took part in from 2017 to 2020 while the Republican represented Florida's western Panhandle. Congressional investigators concluded that Gaetz violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office, though not federal sex trafficking laws. They also found that Gaetz “knowingly and willfully sought to impede and obstruct” the committee's work. “The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report said. Before the report came out, Gaetz denied any wrongdoing and criticized the committee's process. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” he posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Gaetz , who was first elected in 2017, spent the majority of his time in Washington enmeshed in scandals that ultimately derailed his selection by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Justice Department . Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress last month. His political future is uncertain, although Gaetz has indicated interest in running for the open Senate seat in Florida. The committee painted a damning portrait of Gaetz's conduct, using dozens of pages of exhibits, including text messages, financial records, travel receipts, checks and online payments, to document a party and drug-fueled lifestyle. The committee said it compiled the evidence after issuing 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony and contacting more than two dozen witnesses. In addition to soliciting prostitution, the report said Gaetz “accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts.” That same year, investigators said, Gaetz arranged for a staffer to obtain a passport for a woman with whom he was sexually involved, falsely telling the State Department that she was his constituent. In some of the text exchanges made public, he appeared to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. At one point he asked one woman if she had a “cute black dress” to wear. There were also discussions of shipping goods. One of the exhibits was a text exchange that appeared to be between two of the women concerned about their cash flow and payments. In another, a person asked Gaetz for help to pay an educational expense. Regarding the 17-year-old girl, the report said there was no evidence Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her. The woman told the committee she did not tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But Gaetz stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for “commercial sex” again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. Florida law says it is a felony for a person 24 or older to have sex with a minor. The law does not allow a claim of ignorance or misrepresentation of a minor's age as a defense. Joel Leppard, who represents two women who told the committee that Gaetz paid them for sex, said the findings “vindicate” the accounts of his clients and “demonstrate their credibility.” “We appreciate the Committee’s commitment to transparency in releasing this comprehensive report so the truth can be known,” Leppard said in a statement. At least one Republican joined all five Democrats on the committee earlier this month in voting to release the report despite initial opposition from GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to publishing findings about a former member of Congress. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. On behalf of the Republicans who voted against making the report public, the committee chairman, Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, wrote that while the members did not challenge the findings, “we take great exception that the majority deviated from the Committee’s well-established standards,” to drop any investigation when a person is not longer a member of the chamber. Guest added that releasing this report sets a precedent that “is a dangerous departure with potentially catastrophic consequences.” But Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Democratic member of the committee, said that for transparency, it was crucial for the public and Congress as an institution to read the findings. "I think that’s important for my colleagues here in the House to know how the committee reviews certain acts," he told The Associated Press. "Some of these were obviously conduct that crossed the line, but some of them weren’t.” Mounting a last-ditch effort to halt the publication of the report, Gaetz filed a lawsuit Monday asking a federal court to intervene. He cited what he called “untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his “standing and reputation in the community.” Gaetz’s complaint argued that he was no longer under the committee’s jurisdiction because he had resigned from Congress. The often secretive, bipartisan committee has investigated claims against Gaetz since 2021. But its work became more urgent last month when Trump picked him shortly after the Nov. 5 election Day to be the nation's top law enforcement officer. Gaetz resigned from Congress that same day, putting him outside the purview of the committee's jurisdiction. But Democrats had pressed to make the report public even after Gaetz was no longer in the House and had withdrawn from consideration for Trump's Cabinet. A vote on the House floor this month to force the report’s release failed; all but one Republican voted against it. The committee detailed its start-and-stop investigation over the past several years, which was halted for a time as the Justice Department conducted its own inquiry of Gaetz. Federal prosecutors never brought a case against him. Lawmakers said they asked the Justice Department for information about its investigation, but the agency refused to hand over information, saying it does not disclose information about investigations that do not result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the department for records. After a back-and-forth between department officials and the committee, the department only handed over “publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual,” according to the committee's report. The report said Gaetz was “uncooperative" throughout the committee's investigation. He provided “minimal documentation” in response to the committee’s requests, it said. “He also did not agree to a voluntary interview.” ___ Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.