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Norman confirms he's to be replaced as LIV Golf CEOThree long days of counting in the General Election finished late on Monday night when the final two seats were declared in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the election, securing 48 of the Dail parliament’s 174 seats. Sinn Fein took 39 and Fine Gael 38. Labour and the Social Democrats both won 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu secured two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others accounted for 21 seats. The return of a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition is now highly likely. However, their combined seat total of 86 leaves them just short of the 88 needed for a majority in the Dail. While the two centrist parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century could look to strike a deal with one of the Dail’s smaller centre-left parties, such as the Social Democrats or Labour, a more straightforward route to a majority could be achieved by securing the support of several independent TDs. For Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and current taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, wooing like-minded independents would be likely to involve fewer policy concessions, and financial commitments, than would be required to convince another party to join the government benches. Longford-Westmeath independent TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran, who served in a Fine Gael-led minority government between 2017 and 2020, expressed his willingness to listen to offers to join the new coalition in Dublin. “Look, my door’s open,” he told RTE. “Someone knocks, I’m always there to open it.” Marian Harkin, an independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, expressed her desire to participate in government as she noted that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were within “shouting distance” of an overall majority. “That means they will be looking for support, and I certainly will be one of those people who will be speaking to them and talking to them and negotiating with them, and I’m looking forward to doing that, because that was the reason that I ran in the first place,” she said. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party both appear cautious about the prospect of an alliance with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They will no doubt be mindful of the experience of the Green Party, the junior partner in the last mandate. The Greens experienced near wipeout in the election, retaining only one of their 12 seats. Sinn Fein appears to currently have no realistic route to government, given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s ongoing refusal to share power with the party. Despite the odds being stacked against her party, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald contacted the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour on Monday to discuss options. Earlier, Fianna Fail deputy leader and outgoing Finance Minister Jack Chambers predicted that a new coalition government would not be in place before Christmas. Mr Chambers said planned talks about forming an administration required “time and space” to ensure that any new government will be “coherent and stable”. After an inconclusive outcome to the 2020 election, it took five months for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to strike the last coalition deal. Mr Chambers said he did not believe it would take that long this time, as he noted the Covid-19 pandemic was a factor in 2020, but he also made clear it would not be a swift process. He said he agreed with analysis that there was no prospect of a deal before Christmas. “I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December, when the Dail is due to meet on December 18, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” he told RTE. “I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that. But I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.” Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke said members of his parliamentary party would have to meet to consider their options before giving Mr Harris a mandate to negotiate a new programme for government with Fianna Fail. “It’s important that we have a strong, stable, viable government, whatever form that may be, to ensure that we can meet the challenges of our society, meet the challenges in terms of the economic changes that are potentially going to happen,” he told RTE. Despite being set to emerge with the most seats, it has not been all good news for Fianna Fail. The party’s outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly became one of the biggest casualties of the election when he lost his seat in Wicklow in the early hours of Monday morning. Mr Donnelly was always predicted to face a fight in the constituency after boundary changes saw it reduced from five to four seats. If it is to be a reprise of the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael governing partnership of the last mandate, one of the major questions is around the position of taoiseach and whether the parties will once again take turns to hold the Irish premiership during the lifetime of the new government. The outcome in 2020 saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the premier position would be exchanged midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin took the role for the first half of the mandate, with Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022. Current Fine Gael leader Mr Harris succeeded Mr Varadkar as taoiseach when he resigned from the role earlier this year. However, this time Fianna Fail has significantly increased its seat lead over Fine Gael, compared with the last election when there were only three seats between the parties. The size of the disparity in party numbers is likely to draw focus on the rotating taoiseach arrangement, raising questions as to whether it will be re-run in the next coalition and, if it is, on what terms. On Sunday, Simon Coveney, a former deputy leader of Fine Gael, said a coalition that did not repeat the rotating taoiseach arrangement in some fashion would be a “difficult proposition” for his party. Meanwhile, Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe said he would be making the case for Mr Harris to have another opportunity to serve as taoiseach. On Monday, Mr Chambers said while his party would expect to lead the government it would approach the issue of rotating the taoiseach’s role on the basis of “mutual respect” with Fine Gael. “I think the context of discussions and negotiations will be driven by mutual respect, and that’s the glue that will drive a programme for government and that’s the context in which we’ll engage,” he said. On Monday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik reiterated her party’s determination to forge an alliance with fellow centre-left parties with the intention of having a unified approach to the prospect of entering government. Asked if Labour was prepared to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on its own, she told RTE: “No, not at this stage. We are absolutely not willing to do that. “We want to ensure there’s the largest number of TDs who share our vision and our values who want to deliver change on the same basis that we do.” The Social Democrats have been non-committal about any potential arrangement with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and have restated a series of red lines they would need to achieve before considering taking a place in government. Leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a daughter on polling day on Friday, said in a statement: “The party is in a very strong position to play an important role in the next Dail. In what position, government or opposition, remains to be seen.” Fianna Fail secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s proportional representation election, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. While Sinn Fein’s vote share represented a marked improvement on its disappointing showing in June’s local elections in Ireland, it is still significantly down on the 24.5% poll-topping share it secured in the 2020 general election. The final breakdown of first preferences also flipped the result of Friday night’s exit poll, which suggested Sinn Fein was in front on 21.1%, with Fine Gael on 21% and Fianna Fail on 19.5%.UConn women’s basketball remains No. 2 in AP Top 25 poll, Paige Bueckers named Big East Player of the WeekCalzada TD to Alexander sends Incarnate Word to FCS quarterfinal with win over Villanovaslot machine technician jobs 。

Some Educated Guesses About Trump’s Second TermTHOUSAND OAKS, Calif. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) will present at Citi's 2024 Global Healthcare Conference at 9:30 a.m. ET on Thursday , Dec. 5, 2024. Peter Griffith , executive vice president and chief financial officer at Amgen, Jay Bradner , executive vice president of Research and Development and chief scientific officer at Amgen, and Susan Sweeney , executive vice president of Obesity and Related Conditions at Amgen, will participate in a fireside chat at the conference. The webcast will be broadcast over the internet simultaneously and will be available to members of the news media, investors and the general public. The webcast, as with other selected presentations regarding developments in Amgen's business given by management at certain investor and medical conferences, can be found on Amgen's website, www.amgen.com , under Investors. Information regarding presentation times, webcast availability and webcast links are noted on Amgen's Investor Relations Events Calendar. The webcast will be archived and available for replay for at least 90 days after the event. About Amgen Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative medicines to help millions of patients in their fight against some of the world's toughest diseases. More than 40 years ago, Amgen helped to establish the biotechnology industry and remains on the cutting-edge of innovation, using technology and human genetic data to push beyond what's known today. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline that builds on its existing portfolio of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases and rare diseases. In 2024, Amgen was named one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies" by Fast Company and one of "America's Best Large Employers" by Forbes, among other external recognitions . Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average ® , and it is also part of the Nasdaq-100 Index ® , which includes the largest and most innovative non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is also part of the Nasdaq-100 index. In 2023, Amgen was named one of "America's Greatest Workplaces" by Newsweek, one of "America's Climate Leaders" by USA Today and one of the "World's Best Companies" by TIME. For more information, visit Amgen.com and follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube and Threads . Amgen Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements on the outcome, benefits and synergies of collaborations, or potential collaborations, with any other company (including BeiGene, Ltd. or Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.), the performance of Otezla ® (apremilast) (including anticipated Otezla sales growth and the timing of non-GAAP EPS accretion), our acquisitions of Teneobio, Inc., ChemoCentryx, Inc., or Horizon Therapeutics plc (including the prospective performance and outlook of Horizon's business, performance and opportunities, any potential strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities expected as a result of such acquisition, and any projected impacts from the Horizon acquisition on our acquisition-related expenses going forward), as well as estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes, effects of pandemics or other widespread health problems on our business, outcomes, progress, and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Amgen, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. Our results may be affected by our ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally, clinical and regulatory developments involving current and future products, sales growth of recently launched products, competition from other products including biosimilars, difficulties or delays in manufacturing our products and global economic conditions. In addition, sales of our products are affected by pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny and reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment. Furthermore, our research, testing, pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory authorities. We or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products, including our devices, after they are on the market. Our business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and product liability claims. In addition, our business may be impacted by the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities. If we fail to meet the compliance obligations in the corporate integrity agreement between us and the U.S. government, we could become subject to significant sanctions. Further, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors, or we may fail to prevail in present and future intellectual property litigation. We perform a substantial amount of our commercial manufacturing activities at a few key facilities, including in Puerto Rico , and also depend on third parties for a portion of our manufacturing activities, and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of our current products and product candidate development. An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as COVID-19, and the public and governmental effort to mitigate against the spread of such disease, could have a significant adverse effect on the supply of materials for our manufacturing activities, the distribution of our products, the commercialization of our product candidates, and our clinical trial operations, and any such events may have a material adverse effect on our product development, product sales, business and results of operations. We rely on collaborations with third parties for the development of some of our product candidates and for the commercialization and sales of some of our commercial products. In addition, we compete with other companies with respect to many of our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and component parts for our products are supplied by sole third-party suppliers. Certain of our distributors, customers and payers have substantial purchasing leverage in their dealings with us. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of our products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on our business and results of operations. Our efforts to collaborate with or acquire other companies, products or technology, and to integrate the operations of companies or to support the products or technology we have acquired, may not be successful. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to realize any of the strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities arising from the Horizon acquisition, and such benefits, synergies or opportunities may take longer to realize than expected. We may not be able to successfully integrate Horizon, and such integration may take longer, be more difficult or cost more than expected. A breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach of our information technology systems could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems and our data. Our stock price is volatile and may be affected by a number of events. Our business and operations may be negatively affected by the failure, or perceived failure, of achieving our environmental, social and governance objectives. The effects of global climate change and related natural disasters could negatively affect our business and operations. Global economic conditions may magnify certain risks that affect our business. Our business performance could affect or limit the ability of our Board of Directors to declare a dividend or our ability to pay a dividend or repurchase our common stock. We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks Elissa Snook , 609-251-1407 (media) Justin Claeys , 805-313-9775 (investors) View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amgen-to-present-at-citis-2024-global-healthcare-conference-302319891.html SOURCE Amgen

PM Images Northeast Bank ( NASDAQ: NBN ) is a small bank headquartered in Portland, Maine with a network of seven branches. Whilst it has a community banking business and roots and still serves the local market, its main business model is premised on Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of NBN either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.Zscaler Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial ResultsMohamed Salah’s landmark goal pulls Liverpool clear in Champions League

Breakfast with Jimmy Carter in a tense KhartoumTrump takes jab at 'governor' Trudeau

Freiburg survives late onslaught to beat Wolfsburg in Bundesliga thriller FREIBURG, Germany (AP) — Freiburg survived a late comeback to beat Wolfsburg 3-2 and move into fifth place in the Bundesliga on Friday. The sides started the day equal on points and Wolfsburg had won its last five games in the league and cup. Canadian Press Dec 13, 2024 2:04 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Wolfsburg's Mattias Svanberg center, scores a goal with an overhead kick during the Bundesliga soccer between match between SC Freiburg and VfL Wolfsburg at Europa-Park Stadium in Freiburg, Germany, Friday Dec. 13, 2024. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP) FREIBURG, Germany (AP) — Freiburg survived a late comeback to beat Wolfsburg 3-2 and move into fifth place in the Bundesliga on Friday. The sides started the day equal on points and Wolfsburg had won its last five games in the league and cup. But Lukas Kübler scored an opportunist opener three minutes before the break and added a second with his head six minutes into the second half to put Freiburg in the driving seat. Michael Gregoritsch added the third in the 62nd. Jonas Wind came off the bench to score his third goal in two games and Mattias Svanberg cut the deficit seven minutes from time as Wolfsburg desperately looked for a way into the game. But it was too late, and Freiburg moved above Wolfsburg to fifth place on the table and equal on points with Leipzig, which has a game in hand. The match was an important one for two teams vying for a Champions League place next year. Although Bayern Munich have a six-point advantage over second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, only eight points separate the next nine clubs. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer 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 Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Soccer Toulouse comes from behind to beat Saint-Etienne Dec 13, 2024 2:21 PM Scottish international Adams scores long-range stunner in Serie A win for Torino Dec 13, 2024 2:09 PM Owners of the Vancouver Whitecaps announce plans to sell the MLS team Dec 13, 2024 12:15 PM

Ruud van Nistelrooy ‘disappointed’ and ‘hurt’ after cutting ties with Man UtdSocial media users are misrepresenting a report released Thursday by the Justice Department inspector general's office, falsely claiming that it's proof the FBI orchestrated the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The watchdog report examined a number of areas, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. Claims spreading online focus on the report's finding that 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who had been tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the events. Although 17 of those informants either entered the Capitol or a restricted area around the building during the riot, none of the 26 total informants were authorized to do so by the bureau, according to the report. Nor were they authorized to otherwise break the law or encourage others to do so. Here's a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A December 2024 report released by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General is proof that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a setup by the FBI. THE FACTS: That's false. The report found that no undercover FBI employees were at the riot on Jan. 6 and that none of the bureau's informants were authorized to participate. Informants, also known as confidential human sources, work with the FBI to provide information, but are not on the bureau’s payroll. Undercover agents are employed by the FBI. According to the report, 26 informants were in Washington on Jan. 6 in connection with the day's events. FBI field offices only informed the Washington Field Office or FBI headquarters of five informants that were to be in the field on Jan. 6. Of the total 26 informants, four entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 13 entered a restricted area around the Capitol. But none were authorized to do so by the FBI, nor were they given permission to break other laws or encourage others to do the same. The remaining nine informants did not engage in any illegal activities. None of the 17 informants who entered the Capitol or surrounding restricted area have been prosecuted, the report says. A footnote states that after reviewing a draft of the report, the U.S. attorney's office in Washington said that it “generally has not charged those individuals whose only crime on January 6, 2021 was to enter restricted grounds surrounding the Capitol, which has resulted in the Office declining to charge hundreds of individuals; and we have treated the CHSs consistent with this approach.” The assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office's counterterrorism division told the inspector general's office that he “denied a request from an FBI office to have an undercover employee engage in investigative activity on January 6.” He, along with then-Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven D'Antuono, said that FBI policy prohibits undercover employees at First Amendment-protected events without investigative authority. Many social media users drew false conclusions from the report's findings. “JANUARY 6th WAS A SETUP!" reads one X post that had received more than 11,400 likes and shares as of Friday. “New inspector general report shows that 26 FBI/DOJ confidential sources were in the crowd on January 6th, and some of them went into the Capitol and restricted areas. Is it a coincidence that Wray put in his resignation notice yesterday? TREASON!” The mention of Wray's resignation refers to FBI Director Christopher Wray's announcement Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January. Other users highlighted the fact that there were 26 FBI informants in Washington on Jan. 6, but omitted key information about the findings of the report. These claims echo a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the Capitol in a violent clash with police. The report knocks that theory down. Wray called such theories “ludicrous” at a congressional hearing last year. Asked for comment on the false claims spreading online, Stephanie Logan, a spokesperson for the inspector general’s office, pointed The Associated Press to a press release about the report. In addition to its findings about the the FBI's involvement on Jan. 6, the report said that the FBI, in an action its now-deputy director described as a “basic step that was missed,” failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence ahead of time. That was a step, the report concluded, “that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6.” However, it did credit the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known “domestic terrorism subjects” who planned to come to Washington that day. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection general’s recommendation “regarding potential process improvements for future events.” — Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck . By Melissa Goldin, The Associated Press

Rodrigo Duterte —BING GONZALES Former President Rodrigo Duterte appears to be at the “center” of a “grand criminal enterprise” to wage a brutal war on drugs to enable and to profit from the very same scourge he had openly and strongly campaigned to eliminate, according to a preliminary report on a monthslong House inquiry. As it turned out, Duterte was “the face of illegal drugs and criminality” in the country, Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop said late Thursday, reading a report on the findings of the House quad committee on the links between Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), illegal drugs and extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the previous administration. “Ladies and gentlemen, the quad comm has started to uncover a grand criminal enterprise, and it would seem that at the center of it is former President Duterte,” Acop said. “Napakasakit po nito dahil pawang tayo ay nabudol. (This is so painful because we were all scammed).” He said that a former “right hand man” of Duterte who had testified during one quad committee hearing, dismissed narcotics officer Eduardo Acierto, described the former chief executive as the “lord of all drug lords.” “Napakasakit po dahil (It’s very painful because) Mr. Duterte won on a platform of a hardline stance against illegal drugs and criminality. Siya pala ang mukha ng illegal drugs at kriminalidad. (It turned out that he was after all the face of illegal drugs and criminality),” said Acop, a retired police general who was chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. He said the quad committee’s job was difficult and that no one wanted to go up against a popular former president. But like Duterte, lawmakers were elected by the people and have a responsibility to them, he said. “Kaya ipagpapatuloy po natin ang ating inquiry at sisguraduhin po naming aayusin ang ating mga batas upang masiguro na hindi na mauulit ang mga kaganapang ating natuklasan. (That’s why we will continue our inquiry and make sure to fix our laws so that none of these things that we have discovered would be repeated),” Acop said. He laid down a summary of the quad committee’s findings from its inquiry which opened in August with testimonies and documents presented by dozens of “resource persons,” including retired and active duty police officers, relatives and supporters of drug war victims, local and national officials, and Duterte himself. Acop reported that Duterte and his inner circle used the drug war as a cover for the so-called “Davao Mafia” to profit off the drug trade and eliminate its competition. Duterte, who appeared before the panel on Nov. 13, had denied these allegations but admitted that he did encourage police officers to carry out his drug war by all means necessary to eradicate the scourge. The former president also said he assumed responsibility for everything that happened under his campaign. The police’s official report said over 6,000 people were killed during Duterte’s presidency, but human rights groups believed the number could reach as high as 30,000. In addition to Acierto, Acop cited the testimonies of former Bureau of Customs (BOC) intelligence officer Jimmy Guban, ex-BOC broker Mark Taguba, former Senators Leila de Lima and Antonio Trillanes IV, and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager and retired police officer Royina Garma. They all identified either Duterte or people close to him as having links to the drug trade or to the human rights violations that came with his drug war. “Each of these individuals carried with them intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the drug trade in the Philippines—and what do they have in common? They spoke out and revealed what was really happening in the drug war, and because of this, they all suffered and earned the ire of the president,” Acop said. Duterte’s close associates included his former economic adviser, Chinese businessman Michael Yang, whom Acierto and Guban alleged was a drug lord himself and who supposedly owned a meth lab in Dumoy, Davao City, which was raided by the authorities in 2004. Though this case is now 20 years old, the Dumoy raid came under renewed scrutiny after Duterte admitted in a recent interview that he “eliminated everybody who was involved,” including six Chinese nationals. Yang allegedly has links to illegal Pogos with his business partner Allan Lim (also known as Lin Weixiong) and his brother Antonio Yang. Acierto, Taguba and Guban also linked Yang, Duterte’s son, Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte, and his son-in-law Manases Carpio, to two major drug smuggling cases in 2017 and 2018, which involved P6.4 billion and P3.4 billion worth of crystal methamphetamine (“shabu”), respectively. They said the drugs were smuggled through the Manila International Container Terminal. These shipments supposedly bypassed inspections through the “tara” system—a deeply entrenched bribery scheme within the BOC where millions of pesos in grease money facilitated the unimpeded entry of drugs. Acierto was the first to blow the whistle on Yang and reported this to Duterte, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, and Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, but he was ignored, the former police colonel said. Acierto fled the country after supposedly learning of a plot to assassinate him. He is one of the witnesses in the case against Duterte in the International Criminal Court. One of the most explosive testimonies during the hearings came from Garma, who alleged that there was a rewards system that incentivized the killing of drug offenders by police officers and that this was patterned after the scheme implemented by Duterte in Davao City where he was mayor for over two decades. Former Albuera, Leyte, police chief Col. Jovie Espenido confirmed the existence of the rewards system in which police officers received up to P100,000 for each alleged drug offender killed. He said the reward was managed by Go, a former special assistant to the President, who allegedly used money from confidential funds and profits from Small Town Lottery. Go has strongly denied this. “The existence of the rewards system is not denied,” Acop said. “In fact, pinagmayabang pa ito ni former President Duterte at ang kanyang mga alipores (former President Duterte and his cohorts even bragged about it).” This reward system led to countless EJKs and “so many of them were collateral damage,” Acop said. Duterte made many incriminating statements at the quad committee hearing, including admitting that he had killed “six or seven” “criminals” when he was mayor. He also recalled that he often patrolled the streets of Davao on his motorbike in hopes of catching criminals and killing them himself. Dela Rosa said he was not surprised by Acop’s conclusions. The senator, Duterte’s first Philippine National Police chief and the first implementer of the drug war, insisted that the House quad committee’s mission was to “destroy the Dutertes.” “We launched the war on drugs not to enrich ourselves, but to save this republic from becoming a narco state and save the Filipinos, especially the youth, from the evils of illegal drugs,” Dela Rosa told the Inquirer. “We did not deceive the people. I swear before the graves of my policemen who offered the ultimate sacrifice in the war on drugs,” he said. PNP data from July 2016 to June 2022 showed that 312 officers were killed and 974 were injured in Duterte’s drug war. The initial findings of the megapanel composed of the committees on human rights, dangerous drugs, public order and safety, and public accounts, will be presented to the plenary on Dec. 17. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . Lead chair and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said they would resume hearings in January 2025. Meanwhile, they will be working on the legislative measures they filed as part of the quad committee’s output, including a bill that would specifically penalize EJKs, Barbers said. —WITH REPORTS FROM MARLON RAMOS, PNA AND INQUIRER RESEARCH INQ

49ers WR Deebo Samuel speaks on his deleted tweet: ‘A little frustrated, for sure’Jimmy Carter's environmental legacy set the foundation for today's climate action

At some point over turkey and mashed potatoes, it seems, President Joe Biden decided to jettison months of definitively, unambiguously, absolutely answering “no” to the repeated question of whether he planned to pardon his son, Hunter, and put the freedom of his troubled, law-breaking son above the rule of law in the United States. That action, which made his political defenders, his press secretary and the numerous MSNBC and CNN commentators who had blathered on about how Biden “lived the rule of law” look like sycophantic fools, was an astonishing event, coming as it did as many families drove or flew home after the Thanksgiving holiday, or drove their adult children back to the airport. It was as if Biden, embittered and angry at how his party — indeed America writ large — had treated him, had a thought process that went somewhere along these lines: “I was old so you cast me aside. You still lost. I was reminded at Thanksgiving how my family still loves me the best and it is my duty as a father to care first for them.” “Deal with it, suckers.” Had Joe Biden expressed his decision in those terms, he might have enjoyed more credibility than his new argument about how Hunter Biden had been prosecuted simply because of his relationship to him, which is, of course, precisely the same argument made by President-elect Donald Trump, who also said he had been selectively prosecuted for political reasons and whom Joe Biden called a liar and a felon and a criminal and a hypocrite more times than we can count. Both Trump and Joe Biden, of course, had good reason not to refer to the actual crimes themselves, even though the crimes are what actually matter here. When you choose to enter the political fray, or are born into its privileges, you can reasonably expect more scrutiny than the average American. If you want to avoid so-called selective prosecution, pursued by your political enemies, the best strategy is to follow the law. That’s what the rest of us have to do. Granted, most loving American parents, given the chance to rub out the legal troubles of their now seemingly reformed offspring, would probably do what Biden did Sunday, if they could. But the point here is that they cannot. Most American parents are not president of the United States, a job description that comes with such useful perks as the ability to offer presidential pardons but also includes the moral imperative of the office. Presidents are supposed to uphold the integrity of institutions and the rule of law, whatever the personal cost. One useful analogy to this situation is a parent sending a child in the military to a wartime combat zone: they and their children are taking a mutual risk, making a sacrifice, for a cause they believe to be greater than their own familial affections. If they followed the Biden logic here, they’d demand their children come home. The president is commander in chief. Biden has to know that some in the armed forces will not salute him in the future with the same enthusiasm. Some made the argument Monday that Biden is no different from others. Before he left office, former President Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton Jr., from a 1985 cocaine possession and drug-trafficking conviction. Trump not only pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, from his tax evasion and illegal campaign donations convictions but has said he wants Kushner to serve as ambassador to France. And, of course, we have yet to learn what future pardons Trump might issue since he hasn’t taken office. It seems to us likely that Joe Biden read up on the new Trump appointees, including the track record of Kash Patel, Trumps’s famously aggressive choice as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and reached the conclusion that there would be further politicized hell to pay for Hunter and himself if he did not act while he had the power. That’s all important context, although it’s worth noting that both Charles Kushner and Roger Clinton served time in jail. Unlike Hunter. And it’s further worth noting that Joe Biden issued a blanket pardon for all crimes that were or even might have been committed since 2014, meaning that Hunter recieves a get-out-of-jail-free card not just for what he appears to have done but also for what has yet to come to light, if anything does. And given his years of addiction and the records of his behavior, that is no small distinction, as the elder Biden surely knows. Some of Joe Biden’s fiercest detractors have also argued that the pardon likely will accrue benefits not just to Hunter but to his father. Aside from all that, there can be no question that the pardon will have consequences beyond whatever Hunter Biden manages to achieve for the rest of his life. It’s a stain on Biden’s legacy, which had already taken a precipitous dive with his refusal to leave the presidential race after the effects of his aging had become clear. It will make it more difficult for Democrats to fight against any future Trumpian corruption with any moral authority, especially as it pertains to the Department of Justice. It will make it near impossible for the Democrats to argue they are the sole defenders of normalcy, democracy and the rule of law against an administration that may well imperil all three. Biden has now revealed himself to be as transactional as those he has criticized. He also has left himself open to the charge that he is a dissembler, saying one thing while he was running for office and doing another after he loses. Plainly stated, he lied to the American people. That might sound harsh to some readers: Biden is an old man who loves his son and chose to protect him above all else from a world he no doubt thought was amassed against them both. That’s true and a cue for more sadness than anger among those of us who value the integrity of American institutions such as the justice system and hope to protect their essential neutrality and fairness for all Americans. Biden’s actions are a further blow to their credibility and to the moral authority of an assembling Democratic opposition likely to be called upon in 2025 to stand up for the rule of law and against acts of personal benefit or vengeance. That job will be harder now. Pardoned or not, Hunter still has a lot for which to answer. So too does his father. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com .Giants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. Week 16 game between Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers flexed to Thursday night spot The Los Angeles Chargers have played their way into another prime time appearance. Justin Herbert and company have had their Dec. 22 game against the Denver Broncos flexed to Thursday night, Dec. 19. 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Caitlin Clark to join Cincinnati bid for 16th National Women's Soccer League team WNBA star Caitlin Clark has joined Cincinnati’s bid for an expansion National Women’s Soccer League team. Major League Soccer franchise FC Cincinnati is heading the group vying to bring a women’s pro team to the city. The club issued a statement confirming Clark had joined the bid group. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has said the league plans to announce the league’s 16th team by the end of the year. The league's 15th team will begin play in 2026 in Boston. In a 'Final Four-type weekend,' two top-6 clashes put women's college basketball focus on West Coast LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two games featuring four powerhouse teams has put the focus in women's college basketball on the West Coast this weekend. JuJu Watkins and No. 3 Southern California host Hannah Hidalgo and No. 6 Notre Dame on Saturday. Top-ranked South Carolina visits Lauren Betts and fifth-ranked UCLA on Sunday. Both games are nationally televised and the arenas are expected to be packed. WNBA scouts will be on hand to check out some of the nation's top talent. Two teams will come away with their first losses of the season. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb calls it “a Final Four-type weekend.” A documentary featuring Watkins will air on NBC ahead of USC's game, which leads into the Army-Notre Dame football game. Noodles and wine are the secret ingredients for a strange new twist in China's doping saga Blame it on the noodles. That's what one Chinese official suggested when anti-doping leaders were looking for answers for the doping scandal that cast a shadow over this year's Olympic swim meet. Earlier this year, reports that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned heart medication emerged. None were sanctioned because Chinese authorities determined the swimmers were contaminated by traces of the drug spread about a hotel kitchen. 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WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland announced Monday that he will run to become the top Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee next year, directly challenging fellow Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler as the party prepares to fight a second Trump administration and an emboldened Republican majority. "House Democrats must stand in the breach to defend the principles and institutions of constitutional democracy," Raskin wrote in a letter to colleagues. “That is our historic assignment now. We dare not fail.” Raskin said in the letter — obtained by The Associated Press — that he decided to run for the post after spending the week consulting with House Democrats and “engaging in serious introspection” about where the party is following their stunning electoral defeat last month that handed Republicans control of Congress and the White House. While currently the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Raskin said that come next year, the Judiciary Committee under his leadership would become "the headquarters of Congressional opposition to authoritarianism" as well as other efforts by President Donald Trump and his allies to thwart the Constitution. Being the face of the resistance against Trump is not new territory for Raskin who spent the last two years on Oversight as the most vocal defender of President Joe Biden and his family as they faced a sprawling Republican investigation — encouraged by Trump — into their various business affairs. Raskin, who is a former constitutional law professor, also helped draft articles of impeachment against the incoming president for his encouragement of the violent mob on Jan. 6, 2021, and led the impeachment prosecution in the Senate. But by throwing his hat in the ring, Raskin is inviting what a bitter intra-party fight with Nadler, who is currently serving his 17th term in Congress and who has held the top spot on Judiciary since 2019. Democrats have over the years rarely broken from the seniority system for committee assignments, no matter how long someone has held a position, making the outcome of the race uncertain. Both men did not respond to requests for comment but Raskin closed his letter by praising Nadler, saying that he made this decision “with respect and boundless admiration” for him. “If I’m lucky enough to be chosen for this responsibility in the 119th Congress, I will turn to Jerry first and throughout for his always wise counsel and political judgment,” Raskin added.