The long WNBA offseason is well underway, and there has been more activity than usual this winter. Not only because of the expansion draft to fill out the Golden State Valkyries roster , which is now complete, but due to the unusual number of coaching changes. Seven franchises parted ways with their coach: The Atlanta Dream , Chicago Sky , Connecticut Sun , Dallas Wings , Indiana Fever , Los Angeles Sparks and Washington Mystics . It's no surprise that group includes the five worst teams in the league last season. The Fever were the first to make a new hire when they agreed to a deal with Stephanie White, who left the Sun earlier in the offseason and previously played for and coached the Fever. The Sky then filled their vacancy by inking a deal with former Las Vegas Aces assistant Tyler Marsh. Up next, the Dream lured Karl Smesko away from Florida Gulf Coast University and the Sparks also dipped into the collegiate ranks to hire Lynne Roberts from Utah. Most recently, the Sun surprised everyone by hiring Belgian national team coach Rachid Meziane. Finally, the Wings filled their spot by hiring Chris Koclanes, while the Mystics agreed to a deal with Sydney Johnson. All seven open positions have now been filled. WNBA coaching tracker Team 2024 record Previous coach Current coach Dream 15-25 Tanisha Wright Karl Smesko Sky 13-27 Teresa Weatherspoon Tyler Marsh Sun 28-12 Stephanie White Rachid Meziane Wings 9-31 Latricia Trammell Chris Koclanes Fever 20-20 Christie Sides Stephanie White Sparks 8-32 Curt Miller Lynne Roberts Mystics 14-26 Eric Thibault Sydney Johnson Dream When the Dream hired Tanisha Wright in 2021, they were in desperate need of a leader who could help professionalize the operation. That's exactly what Wright did, as she turned the Dream into a tough defensive bunch and led them to the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. However, the team had plateaued despite the addition of top draft picks, including No. 1 overall selection Rhyne Howard , and they had the worst offense in the league this season. Wright met her remit, but it was time for the Dream to go in a new direction. It certainly appears as though improving the offense was the primary goal in the Dream's coaching hire, as they've brought in Karl Smesko, who turned FGCU into a mid-major machine with a high-powered attack predicated on firing away from behind the arc. Smesko had a remarkable .847 winning percentage in his 23 years as in charge in Fort Myers, and led the Eagles to 14 Atlantic Sun regular season titles, 11 ASUN Tournament championships and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. This will be Smesko's first foray into the professional coaching ranks. Sky Perhaps the most surprising coaching change was when the Sky fired Teresa Weatherspoon after just one season. Weatherspoon built a strong bond with Rookie of the Year runner-up Angel Reese and kept the Sky in the playoff hunt despite a major talent drain, poor roster construction and injuries. Ultimately, there were too many concerns about her lack of experience, which cropped up at times during the season and led to doubts about attracting free agents. Plus, she was hired before new general manager Jeff Pagliocca, and that order of operations usually doesn't lead to a long partnership. The Sky didn't wait long to make a new hire. They agreed to a deal with former Las Vegas Aces assistant Tyler Marsh. Marsh spent the last three seasons working under Becky Hammon and won two titles with the team. Prior to joining the Aces, he spent time with the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors, and also worked briefly in the NBA G League. He specializes in player development, as does Pagliocca. Reese, posted "W" on social media shortly after the news was announced, seemingly giving her approval . Sun Stephanie White had real success with the Connecticut Sun, leading the team to a 55-25 record and two semifinal appearances in her two seasons in charge, but decided to part ways with the organization after the 2024 campaign. There had been rumors about this move ever since the Sun were eliminated from the playoffs, especially after White confirmed she was dealing with a family emergency. After White's departure become official, Sun president Jen Rizzotti told ESPN in a statement that the two sides "parted on good terms because some of [White's] decision-making process was not just about basketball." White added that leaving the Sun was "not an easy decision" but would be the "best one for my family and my career." The Sun took their time in naming a replacement for White, and stunned everyone by choosing 44-year-old Frenchman Rachid Meziane. A long-time coach in his native country, Meziane led Villeneuve-d'Ascq to the Ligue Féminine championship last season and has also enjoyed success on the international level as the coach of the Belgian national team. Most notably, he led the Belgian Cats to the 2023 EuroBasket Women gold medal. While Meziane is certainly a capable coach, he has no WNBA experience and it will be interesting to see what effect, if any, his hiring has on the Sun's ability to maintain their current core with Alyssa Thomas , DeWanna Bonner , Brionna Jones and DiJonai Carrington all entering free agency. Wings The Wings hired Latricia Trammell ahead of the 2023 season with an eye on improving their porous defense. She did just that, and the Wings enjoyed their best season in over a decade. They reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 2008 and won a playoff series for the first time since 2009. That momentum was halted by horrible injury luck in the first half of this season. The Wings started off 5-19 and never recovered. They are now in the lottery for the first time since 2021, and have the best odds of getting the No. 1 overall pick due to the pick swap they have with the Sky. Ahead of a potentially franchise-altering winter, the Wings decided to go for a fresh start on the sideline. It took the Wings a while to find their man, but they finally filled their coaching vacancy by agreeing to a deal with Chris Koclanes on Dec. 23. Koclanes had been working as an assistant coach for USC's women's program, but is a long-time WNBA assistant who spent eight years on Curt Miller's staff with both the Connecticut Sun and Los Angeles Sparks. Miller is now the Wings' general manager. Koclanes, who is known for his defensive-minded approach, will be tasked with fixing the Wings' pourous defense and developing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, which is widely expected to be Paige Bueckers. Fever As for the Fever, they actually had a fun and successful summer. Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark's arrival turned them into one of the best offensive teams in the league and they made the playoffs for the first time since 2016, ending the longest active postseason drought in the league. Christie Sides was even named Coach of the Month for August during their post-Olympics surge. But while Sides succeeded in getting the Fever back on track following an embarrassing run as the laughing stock of the league from 2017-2022, the organization ultimately felt she wasn't the coach to take them to the next level with Clark and Aliyah Boston . In Stephanie White, they believe they've found the coach to do just that. White has a long history with the organization as a player (2000-04), assistant coach (2011-14) and head coach (2015-16). She was there when the franchise came into being, was on the bench for their only championship and is the last Fever coach to win a playoff series. While there's no question about her credentials, perhaps the most important aspect is that she has Clark's backing. "I spoke with Caitlin last night, and I think just overall excitement," White told ESPN after being hired. "I have been watching Caitlin play since she was an eighth grader, when I was coaching in the college realm and covering her games in college, and just an exciting time for me, very excited to be working with her and this young team." Sparks Prior to the 2023 season, the Sparks made a big splash by hiring Curt Miller away from the Connecticut Sun, where he had enjoyed an extremely successful tenure that included two Finals appearances. The Sparks were hopeful that Miller could turn things around after they missed the playoffs in both 2021 and 2022. That did not happen, however, in large part due to injuries. After winning the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, they then pivoted to a full rebuild and finished in last place this season. Firing Miller seemed harsh considering the circumstances, but the Sparks wanted to go in another direction and Miller has always been better with veteran teams. The Sparks have now filled their vacancy by hiring University of Utah coach Lynne Roberts, who has nearly three decades of experience at the collegiate level. Roberts turned the Utes into a regular NCAA Tournament team in recent years by playing an analytically-driven style of offense. Last season, Utah shot 95% of their shots from beyond the arc, at the rim or in the paint. The Sparks finished 10th in the league in offensive rating (97.0) and 10th in 3-point percentage (32.0), and the front office is hopeful that Roberts can turn those numbers around. Mystics The Mystics fired both Mike Thibault (general manager and former long-term coach) and Eric Thibault. The younger Thibault, who took over for his dad ahead of the 2023 season, was hamstrung by injuries and Elena Delle Donne's decision to take a sabbatical. He guided the Mystics to the playoffs last season, but they began this campaign 0-12, which was the fourth-worst start in league history. Though they turned it around and were in the playoff hunt until the final day of the regular season, that wasn't enough to keep his job. The Mystics were the last team to hire a new coach, and will hope that their time was well spent. They have hired Sydney Johnson, who made his first foray into the WNBA as an assistant coach for Teresa Weatherspoon with the Chicago Sky last season. Johnson has extensive experience on the collegiate level, which includes stints as the head coach for Princeton and Fairfield. He has also worked with USA Basketball for a number of years, and led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup. The Mystics have not won a playoff series since they captured their first WNBA championship back in 2019, and Johnson will be tasked with getting the team back to playoff contention.Chase Strangio stood before the Supreme Court on a cold December morning, the weight of history pressing against his shoulders. As the first openly transgender attorney to argue before the nation’s highest court, he carried not just legal briefs but the echoes of protests past – from the Stonewall uprising to the Compton Cafeteria riots, trans people have created a legacy of fighting for justice. Outside, hundreds of protesters pressed against police barricades, their chants rising above the marble columns. The demonstration was organized by Gender Liberation Movement (GLM) , a national collective that builds direct action, media, and policy interventions focused on bodily autonomy and self-determination in response to gender-based threats. “They want trans people to no longer exist,” said Eliel Cruz, co-founder of GLM. “And young people are the way to begin that kind of larger project.” The grassroots group has emerged as a significant force in coordinating nationwide protests against gender-based restrictions, combining street demonstrations with policy advocacy. As the Supreme Court heard arguments inside, GLM activists led chants demanding protection for transgender healthcare rights. The next day, 15 activists were arrested in a Capitol bathroom protest against new restrictions proposed by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) – restrictions targeting even Congress’s first openly transgender member, Sarah McBride (D-Del.) . Among those detained were Raquel Willis, a Black transgender activist known for leading the historic Brooklyn Liberation March and her rallying cry “I believe in Black trans power,” and Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who served seven years in prison for leaking classified documents about civilian casualties in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the bathroom restrictions in a statement, saying single-sex facilities in the Capitol are “reserved for individuals of that biological sex.” Supporters of similar state-level restrictions argue they protect women’s privacy rights. “Women deserve women-only spaces,” Johnson said to The Tennessean , echoing sentiments from conservative lawmakers who have introduced similar measures in state legislatures. The parallels to history are not lost on today’s movement leaders. As Republican-led states advance hundreds of bills restricting transgender rights and healthcare, activists move in lockstep with pioneers like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. But this time, the battleground isn’t just the city streets, but also the marble corridors of power, and the weapons are legal briefs instead of bricks. LGBTQ+ activists have emerged as a cornerstone for civil rights movements in the United States. “We are part of every community considered from the point of view of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, and class,” said Chris Sanders, executive director at the Tennessee Equality Project (TNEP.) “So we are affected by all forms of discrimination.” Sanders highlighted historic figures like Pauli Murray , civil rights activist, lawyer, and co-founder of the National Organization for Women, who they say used both she/her and they/them pronouns ; Audre Lorde, a pioneer in Black feminism; and Bayard Rustin, a core architect of the historic March on Washington, who adapted civil disobedience tactics from organizers in India, which established an iconic strategy of the Civil Rights Era. The list goes on. Larry Kramer, a Jewish American and founder of ACT UP during the HIV/AIDS pandemic , influenced healthcare policymakers including Anthony Fauci , who referenced Kramer during COVID-19. Trans figures fought in several instances to protect the First Amendment right of peaceful assembly and the constitutional rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Such examples include Tamara Ching, a trans Asian American woman at the Compton Cafeteria uprising, and Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera at Stonewall, all three women mobilizing against police brutality. Meanwhile, Harry Weider , a hard of hearing child of Holocaust survivors with dwarfism, joined ACT UP and advocated for public housing. Kiyoshi Kuromiya, an openly gay Japanese American and survivor of World War II internment, marched with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Selma and served as his personal assistant . When King was assassinated, Kuromiya looked after King’s children . In 1970, Kuromiya served as the only openly gay panelist at the Black Panther Convention , representing the Gay Liberation Front Philadelphia chapter; that same year, Black Panther co-founder Huey P. Newton endorsed LGBTQ+ and women’s liberation movements . “The visibility and success of LGBTQ+ rights movements have sparked broader conversations about intersectionality, encouraging other marginalized groups to advocate for their rights,” said Manuel Hernández, who uses pronouns li/naya and he/they. Hernández serves as the executive director of ALMA Chicago , which since the AIDS epidemic has advocated for the fair treatment and equality of the Latinx LGBTQ+ community. “This ripple effect has made the fight for equality more comprehensive and interconnected.” Despite broader LGBTQ+ gains, trans people find themselves excluded while being drastically impacted by modern political debates. While the recent election cycle ushered in the historic election of openly trans Sarah McBride to Congress , less than 1% of U.S. elected officials identify publicly as LGBTQ+. Since 2017, t he Victory Institute tracked a 6% decrease in elections of trans people amid increases in elections of other LGBTQ+ candidates. Representation in office continues to be dominated by cis white gay men. This underrepresentation leaves transgender people vulnerable to discrimination and political exploitation from both parties, advocates say. Blossom C. Brown, an Afro-Native trans activist based in Los Angeles, with appearances on the trans rights podcast Transparency and in viral content at Jubiliee’s Middle Ground debates, said, “We are the easiest community to be used for political points by politicians, including some Democrats.” In 2015, Jennicet Gutierrez, co-founder of trans Latine advocacy group Familia TQLM , confronted then President Barack Obama during a White House Pride Month reception about gender-based violence against trans women in ICE detention centers . Security removed her from the event, and media outlets described her actions as heckling. During her 2024 presidential run, Vice President Kamala Harris received endorsements from several major LGBTQ+ organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign and the National LGBTQ Task Force . However, trans speakers were excluded from the 2024 Democratic National Convention. In 2018, then president Donald Trump referred to migrant caravans arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border as “hardened criminals.” Some of the earliest known caravans consisted primarily of transgender migrates, displaced by internal conflicts including U.S.-backed coups across Latin America and targeted by police due to gender identity, self-expression, and sexual orientation. In August 2017, the Transgender Law Center recorded the first known official migrant Rainbow Caravan , 11 of whom were trans and the rest LGB . The following year, several LGBTQ+ couples married at the border with Mexico before crossing over. Cruz also warned of parallel and potentially deadly consequences similar to the struggle for abortion rights. “We are going to have thousands and thousands of families and trans young people unable to access that care,” he said. “We’ll need to find either ways to get it illegally in their state, or they might have to flee.” Transgender people have begun leaving the United States. They have fled to New Zealand , France , the Netherlands, and other countries where immigration policies welcome trans asylum seekers. According to a 2023 report from Data for Progress , 41% of trans adults and 43% of trans people aged 18-24 have considered moving. Eight percent of trans adults, including those aged 18-24, have already left, alongside 9% of LGBTQ+ adults 65 or older. “The SCOTUS ruling will have a much more impact on the trans community than it will the LGBTQ community as a whole,” said Brown. “We must wake that up in this movement.” As the protests at the Supreme Court over healthcare for trans youth remain at the forefront of the debate, gender-affirming care also applies to cisgenderpeople. A Hastings Center report found that cisgender make up the majority of those seeking gender-affirming care . “These issues have systematically contributed to our detriment,” said Brown. “[S]ystemic oppression...tries to keep us as the ‘outsider.’ But truth is we are far from it!” In November 2024, TNEP and other groups successfully fought off a second conservative proposal in Tennessee’s Knox County campaign to “ protect child innocence ” by cutting funding to programs deemed sexually explicit. Opponents called it “ undefined,” while the four-page document defined prohibited content as “harmful to minors,” “matter,” “nudity,” “obscene,” “prurient interest,” and “sexual conduct.” Several nonprofits argued that such a vague resolution threatened services, such as programs that respond to and protect children from abuse . Critics called it a thinly disguised anti-drag initiative, which could have had drastic repercussions on the entire state. Thirty-five state constitutions still ban marriage equality . While federal courts overruled these bans in the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges ruling in 2015, some legal experts worry the current court could overturn that decision as it did with abortion. Other SCOTUS rulings have undone LGBTQ+ efforts regarding universal human rights, including work and healthcare discrimination. In 2023, the Supreme Court sided with Lorie Smith, a wedding website designer, declaring that she could deny a gay couple services. However, the case centered on a straight man married to a woman who claimed that he never submitted a request . This ruling now means that anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender, can be denied services. In July this year, the Biden administration was unable to enforce new rules affirming healthcare for trans U.S. citizens. The SCOTUS overturning of the 1984 Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council ruling weakened federal enforcement of regulations and reduced the political authority of the Environmental Protection Agency, creating an unforeseen connection between trans rights and climate justice. In 2017, the same year as the Rainbow Caravan, the Trump administration ordered the end of the DACA program , which SCOTUS reversed in 2020 . Trump’s vows of mass deportation , partially which incorporated his twisting of the trans struggle to fit his agenda, could threaten the livelihood of many people essential to the U.S. economy, like the agriculture sector, which employs a 73% migrant workforce . As a common practice, activists center the needs of the most marginalized to create universal solutions. Cruz said that by addressing the needs of Black trans women, including disabled Black trans undocumented women with English as a second language, the rights and needs of all will be served. “This is true for all Americans,” he said. “It’s not some special thing that only Black trans people or queer trans people need.” Amid 574 anti-LGBTQ bills circulating across state legislatures and the resulting mental health crisis for trans youth, organizers plan to follow the trans legacy of activism and continue to pressure the Supreme Court to side with them through direct action. “We will never give up on our trans youth,” said Brown. “I have hope and faith that the LGBTQ community will respond with even more powerful mechanisms of change.” Sanders encouraged activists to show up for TNEP’s Zoom phone banks and “Day on the Hill” action to campaign for LGBTQ+ rights, which they will announce later. In Chicago, Hernández indicated that ALMA will mobilize through educating the wider community about transgender issues and collaborating with legal organizations like Equality Illinois . ALMA currently offers empowerment and economic mobility through programs like its Latinx LGBTQ+ Advocacy Leadership Institute. “Where possible, we’ll also explore ways to offer financial support to trans youth and families navigating new legal or medical challenges,” said Hernández. In New York City, Cruz called for increased volunteer and financial support of the Transgender Law Center and other trans-led legal efforts nationwide. “We’ve made America a better place by pushing for inclusivity,” said Brown. “Unfortunately there are groups who are threatened by this. Not our problem! We will continue the fight.” Rohan Zhou-Lee (They/Siya/祂(Tā)/Elle) is a queer/nonbinary Black Asian dancer, writer, and organizer. A 2023 Open City Fellow at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, they have written for Newsweek, Prism Reports, NextShark, and more . Siya is also the founder of the award-winning Blasian March , a Black-Asian-Blasian grassroots solidarity organization, and for their work has been featured on CNN , NBC Chicago , USA Today , WNYC , and more . Zhou-Lee has spoken on organizing, human rights , and other subjects at New York University, The University of Tokyo, the 2022 Unite and Enough Festivals in Zürich, Switzerland, Harvard University, and more. www.diaryofafirebird.comG7 foreign ministers push for Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in final G7 of Biden administrationLouisiana rapper NBA Youngboy gets nearly 2 years in jail for gun-related charges LOGAN, Utah (AP) — A federal judge in Utah sentenced Louisiana rap artist NBA Youngboy to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges after he acknowledged having possessed weapons despite being a convicted felon. The Canadian Press Dec 11, 2024 12:58 PM Dec 11, 2024 1:05 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message FILE - NBA YoungBoy performs at the Lil' WeezyAna Fest at Champions Square, on Aug. 25, 2017, in New Orleans. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File) LOGAN, Utah (AP) — A federal judge in Utah sentenced Louisiana rap artist NBA Youngboy to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges after he acknowledged having possessed weapons despite being a convicted felon. The rapper, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden, reached an agreement that resolved Utah state charges against him and settled two sets of federal charges against him — one carries a 23-month sentence and the other orders five years of probation and a $200,000 fine. Gaulden, 25, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, reached the agreement with federal prosecutors in September, and he and the attorneys signed the deal Tuesday, court documents show. The rapper acknowledged that, while filming a rap video in Baton Rouge , he possessed a Glock 21 .45-caliber pistol and a Masterpiece Arms MPA30T 9mm handgun. Also, he said, in April he possessed a Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic pistol at his home in Huntsville, Utah. He agreed to give up the guns. Gaulden had previously been convicted in Louisiana of aggravated assault with a firearm, according to his statement released in advance of the plea agreement. Utah agents raided Gaulden’s home in April amid a complaint that he had posed as a doctor in an effort to obtain prescription painkillers, multiple news outlets reported. As part of the federal plea deal, he would plead guilty to 10 state charges and be sentenced to time served plus a $25,000 fine. Gaulden apologized to the court and his family before federal Judge Howard Nielson handed down the sentence, KSL.com reported. “I let my situation get the best of me,” Gaulden said. He added, “I take full responsibility.” Nielson said he hopes Gaulden will get to a place where he can make decisions that are “totally unfettered” by substances, noting that he would have to “walk the straight and narrow" by completing court-ordered substance abuse treatment and mental health evaluations. “This has been a long road that involved extensive litigation and ultimately extensive negotiation,” Atlanta attorney Drew Findling said in a statement Wednesday. “Kentrell’s defense team is very happy for Kentrell and we look forward to his many future successes.” The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More The Mix What happens next with Alex Jones' Infowars? No certainty yet after sale to The Onion is rejected Dec 11, 2024 1:51 PM S&P/TSX composite up more than 150 points, U.S. stock markets mixed Dec 11, 2024 1:38 PM Banks lower prime rates following Bank of Canada move Dec 11, 2024 1:37 PM Featured Flyer
100 days in office: Tinubu's Appointee Walson-Jack Lists Her Achievements as Head of Service
By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — National defense would see a 1% increase in spending this fiscal year under a Pentagon policy bill that also gives a double-digit pay raise to about half of the enlisted service members in the military. Related Articles National News | 'Technical issue' causes massive outage to Facebook, Instagram, other Meta apps National News | FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign at end of Biden’s term in January National News | Anthony Weiner, ex-congressman jailed in sexting scandal, files to run for NYC City Council seat National News | Ex-prosecutor charged with meddling in Ahmaud Arbery case appears in court ahead of trial National News | Gun found on suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO matches shell casings at scene, police say The measure is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but not this year as some Democratic lawmakers protest the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilization. The bill is expected to pass the House Wednesday and then move to the Senate, where lawmakers had sought a bigger boost in defense spending than the $895.2 billion authorized in the compromise measure before them. Lawmakers are touting the bill’s 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the U.S. military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term. Lawmakers said their pay has failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing. “No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that’s exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “This bill goes a long way to fixing that.” The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation’s borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators had wanted to increase defense spending some $25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a “tremendous loss for our national defense,” though he agreed with many provisions within the bill. “We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it,” Wicker said. House Republicans don’t want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defense spending and are looking to go way below it for many non-defense programs. They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 that could result in sterilization. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a “very real problem.” He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, have proven effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. “These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives,” Smith said. “And in this bill, we decided we’re going to bar servicemembers’ children from having access to that.” Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care is in the thousands. He said he could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson’s office insisted upon the ban. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying “I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defense, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates.” Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, “and yet, here it is in this bill.” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team was not telling Democrat how to vote on the bill. He said he was still evaluating the legislation as of Wednesday morning. “There’s a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well,” Jeffries said. The defense policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing $15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration had requested about $10 billion. On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of U.S. joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas. The defense policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation next week. It then would move to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.USC women move to No. 4 in AP poll as top three unchanged
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday approved the ₹ 1,435-crore PAN 2.0 project of the Income Tax department (ITD), which will upgrade the existing system and make personal data protection mandatory for user agencies. Briefing media after the cabinet meeting, information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said PAN 2.0 will revamp the complete I-T backbone of existing system and it will be used as common identifier for businesses, a long-pending demand of the business community. “The PAN card is an integral part of our lives, especially for the middle class and small businesses. It has undergone significant upgrades, and PAN 2.0 has been approved today. The existing system will be enhanced, and a robust digital backbone will be introduced,” Vaishnaw said. The Union government has so far issued about 78 crore (780 million) Permanent Account Numbers (PANs), of which about 98% are issued to individuals. The I-T department and the finance ministry did not respond to specific queries related to the project. According to an official statement issued by the CCEA, the purpose of the common identifier is extensive. “The PAN 2.0 Project resonates with the vision of the Government enshrined in Digital India by enabling the use of PAN as Common Identifier for all digital systems of specified government agencies,” the statement said. The project — with a financial outlay of ₹ 1,435 crore — aims to enable technology-driven transformation of taxpayer registration services and provide ease of access and speedy service delivery with improved quality, it added. Other features of the project include single source of truth and data consistency, eco-friendly processes and cost optimisation, and security and optimisation of infrastructure for greater agility. PAN 2.0 is an e-Governance project for re-engineering the business processes of taxpayer registration services through technology driven transformation of PAN and Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number (TAN) services for enhanced digital experience of the taxpayers, the statement said. “This will be an upgrade of the current PAN/TAN 1.0 eco-system consolidating the core and non-core PAN/TAN activities as well as PAN validation service,” it added. Meanwhile, the I-T department in August this year already floated a tender to engaged a service provider for design, development, implementation, operation and maintenance of PAN 2.0 project. “The PAN 2.0 Project aims to consolidate end-to-end PAN/TAN services starting from online receipt of applications, verification of PAN/TAN applications, de-duplication, processing, allotment of PAN/TAN, issuance of e-PAN, maintenance and storage of PAN/TAN data, Online PAN Validation (OPV) services, Printing and Dispatch of PAN card, integration with stakeholders to enable technology driven transformation of Tax payer registration services for enhancing digital experience of the taxpayers/PAN holders and the ITD officials,” the tender notice of August 2024 said. According to the notice, the potential service provider is expected to perform three main tasks. The first is to design, procure, develop, install, commission, operate, and maintain all infrastructure components, including hardware, software, networking, and PCs for the entire PAN 2.0 system. The second task is to ensure the complete migration of relevant legacy data to the new system. And the third task is to ensure seamless integration with other internal and external systems.Virginia basketball guard Dai Dai Ames sprains ankle in road loss at SMUCanadian officials blast Trump's tariff threat and one calls Mexico comparison an insult