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lol646b Democrat Bob Casey concedes to Republican David McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate contest

Faces of the SCV: Saugus residents growing SCV Stairs Project step by step

ANDOVER, Mass. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TransMedics Group, Inc. ("TransMedics") (Nasdaq: TMDX), a medical technology company that is transforming organ transplant therapy for patients with end-stage lung, heart, and liver failure, today announced that on December 9, 2024 , TransMedics granted non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 20,612 shares of its common stock and an aggregate of 13,576 restricted stock units to 3 employees, each as a material inducement for each employee's entry into employment with TransMedics. The grants included stock options to purchase 18,922 shares of TransMedics' common stock and 12,463 restricted stock units granted to Gerardo Hernandez , the Company's Chief Financial Officer. The grants were approved by the Compensation Committee of the TransMedics Board of Directors and were granted in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) and pursuant to the TransMedics Group, Inc. Inducement Plan. TransMedics granted non-qualified stock options to purchase 20,612 shares of TransMedics' common stock and 13,576 restricted stock units in the aggregate. The stock options were granted with a per share exercise price of $69.84 , the closing price of the common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on December 9, 2024 . Twenty-five percent of the shares subject to each option will vest on the first yearly anniversary of the date of the employee's start of employment, with the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments over the subsequent three year period, subject to the employee's continued service with the Company through the applicable vesting date. The options have a 10-year term and are subject to the terms of the TransMedics Group, Inc. Inducement Plan. Twenty-five percent of each restricted stock unit award will vest on the first four anniversaries of the date of the employee's start of employment, subject to the employee's continued service with the Company through the applicable vesting date. The restricted stock units are subject to the terms of the TransMedics Group, Inc. Inducement Plan. About TransMedics Group, Inc. TransMedics is the world's leader in portable extracorporeal warm perfusion and assessment of donor organs for transplantation. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts , the company was founded to address the unmet need for more and better organs for transplantation and has developed technologies to preserve organ quality, assess organ viability prior to transplant, and potentially increase the utilization of donor organs for the treatment of end-stage heart, lung, and liver failure. Investor Contact: Brian Johnston 332-895-3222 Investors@transmedics.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transmedics-reports-inducement-grants-under-nasdaq-listing-rule-5635c4-302330724.html SOURCE TransMedics Group, Inc.AP News Summary at 5:04 p.m. EST

Canadian consumer confidence plunges after Trump election win

WASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * WASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? WASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. As the blueprint for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, Trump pulled an about-face. He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy. Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump’s election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning how to concentrate power in the West Wing and impose a starkly rightward shift across the U.S. government and society. Trump and his aides maintain that he won a mandate to overhaul Washington. But they maintain the specifics are his alone. “President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “All of President Trumps’ Cabinet nominees and appointments are whole-heartedly committed to President Trump’s agenda, not the agenda of outside groups.” Here is a look at what some of Trump’s choices portend for his second presidency. As budget chief, Vought envisions a sweeping, powerful perch The Office of Management and Budget director, a role Vought held under Trump previously and requires Senate confirmation, prepares a president’s proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration’s agenda across agencies. The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power. “The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” Trump did not go into such details when naming Vought but implicitly endorsed aggressive action. Vought, the president-elect said, “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State” — Trump’s catch-all for federal bureaucracy — and would help “restore fiscal sanity.” In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Vought relished the potential tension: “We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.” Vought could help Musk and Trump remake government’s role and scope The strategy of further concentrating federal authority in the presidency permeates Project 2025’s and Trump’s campaign proposals. Vought’s vision is especially striking when paired with Trump’s proposals to dramatically expand the president’s control over federal workers and government purse strings — ideas intertwined with the president-elect tapping mega-billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a “Department of Government Efficiency.” Trump in his first term sought to remake the federal civil service by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal civil service workers — who have job protection through changes in administration — as political appointees, making them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. Currently, only about 4,000 of the federal government’s roughly 2 million workers are political appointees. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump’s changes. Trump can now reinstate them. Meanwhile, Musk’s and Ramaswamy’s sweeping “efficiency” mandates from Trump could turn on an old, defunct constitutional theory that the president — not Congress — is the real gatekeeper of federal spending. In his “Agenda 47,” Trump endorsed so-called “impoundment,” which holds that when lawmakers pass appropriations bills, they simply set a spending ceiling, but not a floor. The president, the theory holds, can simply decide not to spend money on anything he deems unnecessary. Vought did not venture into impoundment in his Project 2025 chapter. But, he wrote, “The President should use every possible tool to propose and impose fiscal discipline on the federal government. Anything short of that would constitute abject failure.” Trump’s choice immediately sparked backlash. “Russ Vought is a far-right ideologue who has tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to override the spending decisions of Congress (and) who has and will again fight to give Trump the ability to summarily fire tens of thousands of civil servants,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat and outgoing Senate Appropriations chairwoman. Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, leading Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said Vought wants to “dismantle the expert federal workforce” to the detriment of Americans who depend on everything from veterans’ health care to Social Security benefits. “Pain itself is the agenda,” they said. Homan and Miller reflect Trump’s and Project 2025’s immigration overl ap Trump’s protests about Project 2025 always glossed over overlaps in the two agendas. Both want to reimpose Trump-era immigration limits. Project 2025 includes a litany of detailed proposals for various U.S. immigration statutes, executive branch rules and agreements with other countries — reducing the number of refugees, work visa recipients and asylum seekers, for example. Miller is one of Trump’s longest-serving advisers and architect of his immigration ideas, including his promise of the largest deportation force in U.S. history. As deputy policy chief, which is not subject to Senate confirmation, Miller would remain in Trump’s West Wing inner circle. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27. “America First Legal,” Miller’s organization founded as an ideological counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, was listed as an advisory group to Project 2025 until Miller asked that the name be removed because of negative attention. Homan, a Project 2025 named contributor, was an acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first presidency, playing a key role in what became known as Trump’s “family separation policy.” Previewing Trump 2.0 earlier this year, Homan said: “No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” Project 2025 contributors slated for CIA and Federal Communications chiefs John Ratcliffe, Trump’s pick to lead the CIA, was previously one of Trump’s directors of national intelligence. He is a Project 2025 contributor. The document’s chapter on U.S. intelligence was written by Dustin Carmack, Ratcliffe’s chief of staff in the first Trump administration. Reflecting Ratcliffe’s and Trump’s approach, Carmack declared the intelligence establishment too cautious. Ratcliffe, like the chapter attributed to Carmack, is hawkish toward China. Throughout the Project 2025 document, Beijing is framed as a U.S. adversary that cannot be trusted. Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote Project 2025’s FCC chapter and is now Trump’s pick to chair the panel. Carr wrote that the FCC chairman “is empowered with significant authority that is not shared” with other FCC members. He called for the FCC to address “threats to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions in the market,” specifically “Big Tech and its attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” He called for more stringent transparency rules for social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube and “empower consumers to choose their own content filters and fact checkers, if any.” Carr and Ratcliffe would require Senate confirmation for their posts. ___ Advertisement AdvertisementStock market today: Wall Street drifts lower as it waits for inflation data

China-Malaysia Closer Economic Ties and OpportunitiesLindsey Vonn takes another step in comeback at age 40, competes in a pair of downhillsGRAPEVINE, Texas, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) (“GameStop” or the “Company”) today released financial results for the third quarter ended November 2, 2024. The Company’s condensed and consolidated financial statements, including GAAP and non-GAAP results, are below. The Company’s Form 10-Q and supplemental information can be found at https://investor.gamestop.com . THIRD QUARTER OVERVIEW The Company will not be holding a conference call today. Additional information can be found in the Company’s Form 10-Q. NON-GAAP MEASURES AND OTHER METRICS As a supplement to the Company’s financial results presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), GameStop may use certain non-GAAP measures, such as adjusted SG&A expenses, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors in evaluating the Company’s core operating performance. Adjusted SG&A expenses, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share and adjusted EBITDA exclude the effect of items such as certain transformation costs, asset impairments, severance, as well as divestiture costs. Free cash flow excludes capital expenditures otherwise included in net cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities. The Company’s definition and calculation of non-GAAP financial measures may differ from that of other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed as supplementing, and not as an alternative or substitute for, the Company’s financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Certain of the items that may be excluded or included in non-GAAP financial measures may be significant items that could impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows and should therefore be considered in assessing the Company’s actual and future financial condition and performance. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS - SAFE HARBOR This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based upon management’s current beliefs, views, estimates and expectations, including as to the Company’s industry, business strategy, goals and expectations concerning its market position, strategic and transformation initiatives, future operations, margins, profitability, sales growth, capital expenditures, liquidity, capital resources, expansion of technology expertise, and other financial and operating information, including expectations as to future operating profit improvement. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and actual developments, business decisions, outcomes and results may differ materially from those reflected or described in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual developments, business decisions, outcomes and results to differ materially from those reflected or described in the forward-looking statements: economic, social, and political conditions in the markets in which we operate; the competitive nature of the Company’s industry; the cyclicality of the video game industry; the Company’s dependence on the timely delivery of new and innovative products from its vendors; the impact of technological advances in the video game industry and related changes in consumer behavior on the Company’s sales; interruptions to the Company’s supply chain or the supply chain of our suppliers; the Company’s dependence on sales during the holiday selling season; the Company’s ability to obtain favorable terms from its current and future suppliers and service providers; the Company’s ability to anticipate, identify and react to trends in pop culture with regard to its sales of collectibles; the Company’s ability to maintain strong retail and ecommerce experiences for its customers; the Company’s ability to keep pace with changing industry technology and consumer preferences; the Company’s ability to manage its profitability and cost reduction initiatives; turnover in senior management or the Company’s ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; potential damage to the Company’s reputation or customers' perception of the Company; the Company’s ability to maintain the security or privacy of its customer, associate or Company information; occurrence of weather events, natural disasters, public health crises and other unexpected events; risks associated with inventory shrinkage; potential failure or inadequacy of the Company's computerized systems; the ability of the Company’s third party delivery services to deliver products to the Company’s retail locations, fulfillment centers and consumers and changes in the terms the Company has with such service providers; the ability and willingness of the Company’s vendors to provide marketing and merchandising support at historical or anticipated levels; restrictions on the Company’s ability to purchase and sell pre-owned products; the Company’s ability to renew or enter into new leases on favorable terms; unfavorable changes in the Company’s global tax rate; legislative actions; the Company’s ability to comply with federal, state, local and international laws and regulations and statutes; potential future litigation and other legal proceedings; the value of the Company’s securities holdings; concentration of the Company’s investment portfolio into one or few holdings; the recognition of losses in a particular security even if the Company has not sold the security; volatility in the Company’s stock price, including volatility due to potential short squeezes; continued high degrees of media coverage by third parties; the availability and future sales of substantial amounts of the Company’s Class A common stock; fluctuations in the Company’s results of operations from quarter to quarter; the Company’s ability to incur additional debt; risks associated with the Company’s investment in marketable, nonmarketable and interest-bearing securities, including the impact of such investments on the Company’s financial results; and the Company’s ability to maintain effective control over financial reporting. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those reflected or described in the forward-looking statements can be found in GameStop's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings made from time to time with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov or on the Company’s investor relations website ( https://investor.gamestop.com ). Forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws. GameStop Corp. Schedule II (in millions, except per share data) (unaudited) Non-GAAP results The following tables reconcile the Company's selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A expense”), operating loss, net income (loss) and net income (loss) per share as presented in its unaudited consolidated statements of operations and prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) to its adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income (loss) per share. The diluted weighted-average shares outstanding used to calculate adjusted earnings per share may differ from GAAP weighted-average shares outstanding. Under GAAP, basic and diluted weighted-average shares outstanding are the same in periods where there is a net loss. The reconciliations below are from continuing operations only. GameStop Corp. Schedule III (in millions) (unaudited) Non-GAAP results The following table reconciles the Company's cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities as presented in its unaudited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and prepared in accordance with GAAP to its free cash flow. Free cash flow is considered a non-GAAP financial measure. Management believes, however, that free cash flow, which measures our ability to generate additional cash from our business operations, is an important financial measure for use by investors in evaluating the company’s financial performance. Non-GAAP Measures and Other Metrics Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share are supplemental financial measures of the Company’s performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. We believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors in assessing our financial condition and results of operations. We define adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before income taxes, plus interest income, net and depreciation and amortization, excluding stock-based compensation, certain transformation costs, business divestitures, asset impairments, severance and other non-cash charges. Net income (loss) is the GAAP financial measure most directly comparable to adjusted EBITDA. Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as an alternative to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. Furthermore, non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as an analytical tool because they exclude some but not all items that affect the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. Some of these limitations include: We compensate for the limitations of adjusted EBITDA, adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share as analytical tools by reviewing the comparable GAAP financial measure, understanding the differences between the GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures and incorporating these data points into our decision-making process. Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share are provided in addition to, and not as an alternative to, the Company’s financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Because adjusted EBITDA, adjusted SG&A expense, adjusted operating loss, adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted net income (loss) per share may be defined and determined differently by other companies in our industry, our definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing their utility. Contact GameStop Investor Relations 817-424-2001 ir@gamestop.com

Second-warmest November on record means that 2024 is likely to be Earth's hottest year

'Feel like clouds on my feet': These 'gorgeous' supportive slippers are down to $14Left-hander Max Fried agrees to $218 million, 8-year contract with Yankees, AP source says DALLAS (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Max Fried and the New York Yankees have agreed to a $218 million, eight-year contract, the largest deal for a left-handed pitcher in baseball history. New York made the move two days after outfielder Juan Soto left for a pending $765 million, 15-year contract with the rival Mets. Fried, who turns 31 in January, gets the fourth-highest contract among pitchers behind the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole and Washington’s Stephen Strasburg. Fried broke the mark for lefties set by David Price at $217 million. Mbappe, Vinicius and Bellingham on target as Real Madrid beats Atalanta 3-2. Liverpool wins again Real Madrid’s big stars turned on the style to revive the Spanish giant’s faltering Champions League title defense. Galacticos Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all scored in a 3-2 win at Italian league leader Atalanta. It was only Madrid’s third win in the competition’s revamped league phase and leaves the 15-time champion in the unseeded playoff positions in 18th place. In contrast Liverpool leads the way after maintaining its perfect record in Europe this season after a 1-0 win against Girona. Mohamed Salah scored his 50th Champions League goal to seal it for Liverpool. Analysis: After Juan Soto's megadeal, could MLB see a $1 billion contract? Probably not soon For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter, with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that’s the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. The way it’s going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn’t seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. Joe Burrow's home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro-athlete home invasion ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (AP) — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home was broken into during Monday Night Football in the latest home invasion of a pro athlete in the U.S. Authorities said Tuesday no one was injured in the break-in, but the home was ransacked. Deputies weren’t immediately able to determine what items were stolen. Both the NFL and NBA issued alerts to players following prior break-ins, urging them to take precautions. The homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were broken into in October. In the NBA, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. had their homes broken into. Scottie Scheffler in a landslide to win PGA Tour player of the year for third straight time Scottie Scheffler is the PGA Tour player of the year in a vote that had about as much drama as some of his victories. Scheffler earned 91% of the vote in winning the Jack Nicklaus Award for the third straight season. He joins Tiger Woods as the only players to win three straight times. Woods won it five times in a row, and three straight times on another occasion. Scheffler won seven times on the PGA Tour against only the strongest fields. He also won the FedEx Cup. He also won the Masters green jacket and an Olympic gold medal. MLB investigated to ensure no early Sasaki deal in place, pitcher likely to pick team mid-January DALLAS (AP) — Major League Baseball investigated to ensure no team had an advance deal in place for Roki Sasaki, and the agent for the Japanese pitcher says picking a club will be “like the draft in reverse.” On the first day of Sasaki’s 45-day window to sign with an MLB team, agent Joel Wolfe says the 23-year-old right-hander likely will sign shortly after the 2025 international signing pool window opens on Jan. 15 and wouldn’t wait until the Jan. 23 deadline. Sasaki helped Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic and has a fastball clocked at 102.5 mph. Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg says cancer has returned, spread CHICAGO (AP) — Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg says the prostate cancer he thought had been eliminated by radiation has returned and spread. The Chicago Cubs great made the announcement on Instagram on Tuesday. Sandberg announced in January that he had metastatic prostate cancer and in August said he was cancer-free after chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Sandberg was the National League MVP in 1984 and a 10-time All-Star during 15 seasons for the Cubs from 1982 to 1997, with 282 home runs and 344 stolen bases. After his playing career, he served as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from 2013 to 2015, going 119-159. Nolan Arenado open to switch from third base to first and leaving Cardinals for a team he approves DALLAS (AP) — Nolan Arenado is open to a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, at age 33 wanting to be on a World Series contender. Agent Joel Wolfe says “it’s like his biological clock is ticking and if the team’s not winning it’s driving him crazy every day.” An eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove third baseman, Arenado is open to a switch to first base. He hit .272 with 16 homers and 71 RBIs this year, his poorest season in a decade. St. Louis acquired Arenado from Colorado ahead of the 2021 season. Washington Nationals win lottery for No. 1 pick in next amateur baseball draft, Angels No. 2 DALLAS (AP) — The Washington Nationals will have the No. 1 overall pick in the amateur draft next summer. The Nationals won the draft lottery through a drawing of ping-pong balls at the winter meetings in Dallas. Unlike last year, when the Nationals were ineligible after initially coming out with the top spot, they will get to make the first pick in July in Atlanta during All-Star Game festivities. The Los Angeles Angels got the second overall pick for next summer. Seattle, Colorado, St. Louis and Pittsburgh round out the six lottery picks. Lindsey Vonn will serve as a forerunner, test out the course before World Cup races at Beaver Creek Lindsey Vonn will test out the downhill and super-G courses as a forerunner before the World Cup races this weekend in Beaver Creek, Colorado. The U.S. Ski Team confirmed her role. A forerunner goes before the field to make sure the course is running smoothly and the timing system is properly working. There’s a downhill race slated for Saturday on the tricky Birds of Prey course and a super-G on Sunday. The 40-year-old Vonn is on the comeback trail nearly six years since her last major race.

Lindsey Vonn takes another step in comeback at age 40, competes in a pair of downhillsLindsey Vonn takes another step in comeback at age 40, competes in a pair of downhills

On paper, Luigi Mangione had it all: wealth, intellect, athleticism, good looks. But the child of a prominent Maryland family may have spurned it all in a spasm of violence, in a killing that has mesmerized Americans. The 26-year-old was arrested Monday and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, a health insurance chief executive and father of two who was gunned down in Manhattan last week by someone who, evidence suggests, has endured his own debilitating health crises and grew angry with the privatized US medical system. The cold-blooded killing has laid bare the deep frustration many Americans feel toward the country's labyrinthine health care system: while many have condemned the shooting, others have praised Mangione as a hero. It has also prompted considerable interest in how a young engineer with an Ivy League education could have gone off the rails to commit murder. News of his capture at a Pennsylvania McDonald's triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media tried to understand who he is. As Americans have looked for clues about a political ideology or potential motive, a photo on his X account (formerly Twitter) includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine. Mangione lived in Hawaii in 2022 and, according to his former roommate R.J. Martin, suffered from back pain, and was hoping to strengthen his back. After a surfing lesson, Mangione was "in bed for about a week" because of the pain, Martin told CNN. Earlier this year, Martin said, Mangione confirmed he'd had back surgery and sent him photos of the X-rays. Police said the suspect carried a hand-written manifesto of grievances in which he slammed America's "most expensive health care system in the world." "He was writing a lot about his disdain for corporate America and in particular the health care industry," New York police chief detective Joseph Kenny told ABC. According to CNN, a document recovered when Mangione was arrested included the phrase "these parasites had it coming." Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." video game character Luigi. Many expressed at least partial sympathy, having had their own harrowing experiences with the US health care system. "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. Mangione hails from the Baltimore area. His wealthy Italian-American family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, according to local outlet the Baltimore Banner, and cousin Nino Mangione is a Maryland state delegate. A standout student, Luigi graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. A former student who knew Mangione at the elite Gilman School told AFP the suspect struck him as "a normal guy, nice kid." "There was nothing about him that was off, at least from my perception," the person said. Mangione attended the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where he completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science by 2020, according to a university spokesperson. While at Penn, Mangione co-led a group of 60 undergraduates who collaborated on video game projects, as noted in a now-deleted university webpage. On Instagram Mangione shared snapshots of his travels, and shirtless images of himself flaunting a six-pack. X users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo includes an X-ray of a spine with bolts attached. Finding a political ideology that fits neatly onto the right-left divide has proved elusive, though he had written a review of Ted Kaczynski's manifesto on online site Goodreads, calling it "prescient." Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, carried out multiple bombings in the United States from 1978 to 1995, in a campaign he said was aimed at halting the advance of modern society and technology. Mangione has also linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline, and retweeted posts on the impact mobile phones and social media have on mental health. ia/abo-mlm/nroSyrian Crisis: Rebel Surge Threatens Assad's Rule

Welfare plan led by ‘Ladki Bahin’ affected poll resultsNew York, Nov 23 (AP) Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, was chosen by Donald Trump to serve as US attorney general hours after his first choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration after a federal sex trafficking investigation and ethics probe made his ability to be confirmed dubious. The 59-year-old has long been in Trump's orbit and her name had been floated during his first term as a potential candidate for the nation's highest law enforcement role. Trump announced his plans to nominate Bondi Thursday in a social media post. Also Read | Singapore Shocker: Teacher Groomed Student, Had Sex With Her Before She Turned 16; Sentenced to 14 Years in Jail. If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Bondi would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump's Cabinet given the Republican's threat to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries and concern among Democrats that he will look to bend the Justice Department to his will. Also Read | Pakistan Violence: 15 Killed, 25 Injured in Fresh Sectarian Clashes in Kurram, 2 Days After Attack on Passenger Vehicles. Here's a few things to know about Bondi: She's long been a fixture in Trump's world Bondi has been a longtime and early ally. In March 2016, on the eve of the Republican primary in Florida, Bondi endorsed Trump at a rally, picking him over the candidate from her own state, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. She gained national attention with appearances on Fox News as a defender of Trump and had a notable speaking spot at 2016 Republican National Convention as Trump became the party's surprising nominee. During the remarks, some in the crowd began chanting "Lock her up" about Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Bondi responded by saying, “Lock her up,' I love that." As Trump prepared to move into the White House, she served on his first transition team. When Trump's first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, was ousted in 2018, Bondi's name was floated as a possible candidate for the job. Trump at the time said he would “love” Bondi to join the administration. He ultimately selected William Barr instead. She kept a toehold in Trump's orbit thereafter, including after he left office. She served as a chairwoman of America First Policy Institute, a think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers to lay the groundwork if he won a second term. She was Florida's first female attorney general Bondi made history in 2010 when she was elected as Florida's first female attorney general. Though the Tampa native spent more than 18 years as a prosecutor in the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office, she was a political unknown when she held the state's top law enforcement job. Bondi was elevated in the primary after she was endorsed by former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. She campaigned on a message to use the state's top legal office in a robust way, challenging then-President Barack Obama's signature health care law. She also called for her state to adopt Arizona's “show me your papers” immigration law that sparked national debate. As Florida's top prosecutor, Bondi stressed human trafficking issues and urged tightening state laws against traffickers. She held the job from 2011 to 2019. She worked as a lobbyist for both US and foreign clients Bondi worked as a lobbyist for Ballard Partners, the powerful Florida-based firm where Trump's campaign chief and incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles was a partner. Her US clients have included General Motors, the commissioner of Major League Baseball and a Christian anti-human-trafficking advocacy group. She also lobbied for a Kuwaiti firm, according to Justice Department foreign agent filings and congressional lobbying documents. She registered as a foreign agent for the government of Qatar; her work was related to anti-human-trafficking efforts leading up to the World Cup, held in 2022. Bondi also represented the KGL Investment Company KSCC, a Kuwaiti firm also known as KGLI, lobbying the White House, National Security Council, State Department and Congress on immigration policy, human rights and economic sanctions issues. She defended Trump during his first impeachment trial Bondi stepped away from lobbying to serve on Trump's legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. He was accused — but not convicted — of abuse of power for allegedly pressuring the president of Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rivals while crucial US security aid was being withheld. He was also charged with obstruction of Congress for stonewalling investigative efforts. Trump wanted Ukraine's president to publicly commit to investigating Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. He pushed for the investigation while holding up nearly USD 400 million in military aid. Bondi was brought on to bolster the White House's messaging and communications. Trump and his allies sought to delegitimise the impeachment from the start, aiming to brush off the whole thing as a farce. She's been critical of the criminal cases against Trump Bondi has been a vocal critic of the criminal cases against Trump as well as Jack Smith, the special counsel who charged Trump in two federal cases. In one radio appearance, she blasted Smith and other prosecutors who have charged Trump as “horrible” people she said were trying to make names for themselves by “going after Donald Trump and weaponising our legal system”. It's unlikely that Bondi would be confirmed in time to overlap with Smith, who brought two federal indictments against Trump that are both expected to wind down before the incoming president takes office. Special counsels are expected to produce reports on their work that historically are made public, but it remains unclear when such a document might be released. Bondi was also among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. As president, Trump demanded investigations into political opponents like Hillary Clinton and sought to use the law enforcement powers of the Justice Department to advance his own interests, including in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Bondi appears likely to oblige him. She would inherit a Justice Department expected to pivot sharply on civil rights, corporate enforcement and the prosecutions of hundreds of Trump supporters charged in the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol — defendants whom Trump has pledged to pardon. She's had a few of her own political issues Bondi issued a public apology in 2013 while serving as attorney general after she sought to delay the execution of a convicted killer because it conflicted with a fundraiser for her reelection campaign. The attorney general, representing the state in death row appeals, typically remains available on the date of execution cases in case of any last-minute legal issues. Bondi later said she was wrong and sorry for requesting then-Gov. Rick Scott push back the execution of Marshall Lee Gore by three weeks. Bondi personally solicited a 2013 political contribution from Trump as her office was weighing whether to join New York in suing over fraud allegations involving Trump University. Trump cut a USD 25,000 check to a political committee supporting Bondi from his family's charitable foundation, in violation of legal prohibitions against charities supporting partisan political activities. After the check came in, Bondi's office nixed suing Trump's company for fraud, citing insufficient grounds to proceed. Both Trump and Bondi denied wrongdoing, the state's ethics commission tossed the complaints and a prosecutor assigned by then-GOP Gov. Rick Scott determined there was insufficient evidence to support bribery charges over the donation. "This is old, discredited news,” said Trump transition spokeswoman Alex Pfeiffer. Two days before being sworn in as president in January 2017, Trump paid USD 25 million to settle three lawsuits alleging Trump University defrauded its students. Trump also paid a USD 2,500 fine to the IRS over the illegal political donation to support Bondi from the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which he was forced to dissolve amid an investigation by the state of New York. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Michael Jacobs' 19 points off of the bench helped lead Southern to a 70-66 victory over Tulsa on Saturday. Jacobs shot 7 of 15 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line for the Jaguars (4-4). Cam Amboree added 10 points while going 3 of 5 (2 for 3 from 3-point range) while they also had five rebounds. Derrick Tezeno shot 4 of 6 from the field to finish with 10 points. The Golden Hurricane (4-6) were led by Keaston Willis, who recorded 23 points and seven rebounds. Tyshawn Archie added 17 points, four assists and two blocks for Tulsa. Ian Smikle also had 11 points and eight rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. — For a pair of lower-level downhill events, this sure had plenty of Olympic medal-capturing and World Cup-winning ski racers. The stage belonged to Lindsey Vonn, the 40-year-old who took another step on her comeback trail Saturday with her first races in nearly six years. Vonn wasn't particularly speedy and finished in the middle of the pack on a cold but sunny day at Copper Mountain. Times and places weren't the mission, though, as much as getting used to the speed again and gaining the necessary points to compete on the World Cup circuit this season. Vonn accomplished both, finishing 24th in the first downhill race of the day and 27th in the second. She posted on social media after the FIS races that she had enough points to enter World Cup events. The timing couldn't be more perfect — the next stop on the women's circuit is Beaver Creek, Colorado, in a week. Vonn, who used to own a home in nearby Vail, hasn't committed to any sort of timetable for a World Cup return. “Today was a solid start and I had a blast being in start with my teammates again!” Vonn wrote on X. “While I’m sure people will speculate and say I’m not in top form because of the results, I disagree. This was training for me. I’m still testing equipment and getting back in the groove.” Lindsey Vonn reacts after her run at a downhill skiing race at Copper Mountain Ski Resort on Saturday in Copper Mountain, Colo. Her competition — a veritable who's who of high-profile ski racers — applauded her efforts. “I don't expect her to come back and win — just that she comes back and she has fun,” said Federica Brignone of Italy, a former overall World Cup champion and three-time Olympic medalist. “She's having fun, and she’s doing what she loves. That’s the best thing that she could do.” In the first race on a frigid morning, Vonn wound up 1.44 seconds behind the winning time of 1 minute, 5.79 seconds posted by Mirjam Puchner of Austria. In her second race through the course later in the morning, Vonn was 1.53 seconds behind Cornelia Huetter of Austria, who finished in 1:05.99. Huetter is the reigning season-long World Cup downhill champion. “It’s really nice to compare with her again, and nice to have her (racing) again,” Huetter said. “For sure, for the skiing World Cup, we have a lot of more attention. It's generally good for all racers because everyone is looking.” Also in the field were Nadia Delago of Italy, who won a bronze medal in downhill at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and Puchner, the Olympic silver winner in super-G in Beijing. In addition, there was Marta Bassino of Italy, a winner of the super-G at the 2023 world championships, and two-time Olympic champion Michelle Gisin of Switzerland. “For me, it was really a training, but it was fun to have a World Cup race level right here,” Gisin said. “It was a crazy race.” Vonn remains a popular figure and took the time after each run to sign autographs for young fans along with posing for photos. When she left the sport, Vonn had 82 World Cup race victories, which stood as the record for a woman and within reach of the all-time Alpine record of 86 held by Swedish standout Ingemar Stenmark. The women’s mark held by Vonn was surpassed in January 2023 by Mikaela Shiffrin, who now has 99 wins — more than any Alpine ski racer in the history of the sport. Shiffrin is currently sidelined after a crash in a giant slalom event in Killington, Vermont, last weekend. Vonn’s last major race was in February 2019, when she finished third in a downhill during the world championships in Sweden. The three-time Olympic medalist left the circuit still near the top of her game. But all the broken arms and legs, concussions and torn knee ligaments took too big a toll and sent her into retirement. She had a partial knee replacement last April and felt good enough to give racing another shot. “It's very impressive to see all the passion that Lindsey still has,” Gisin said. Also racing Saturday was 45-year-old Sarah Schleper, who once competed for the United States but now represents Mexico. Schleper was the next racer behind Vonn and they got a chance to share a moment between a pair of 40-somethings still racing. “I was like, ‘Give me some tips, Lindsey,’” Schleper said. “She’s like, ‘Oh, it’s a highway tuck, the whole thing.’ Then she’s like, ‘It’s just like the good old days.’" Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, foreground right, dives toward the end zone to score past San Francisco 49ers defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (51) and linebacker Dee Winters during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) South Carolina guard Maddy McDaniel (1) drives to the basket against UCLA forward Janiah Barker (0) and center Lauren Betts (51) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) Mari Fukada of Japan falls as she competes in the women's Snowboard Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) LSU punter Peyton Todd (38) kneels in prayer before an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. LSU won 37-17. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma misses a catch during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, left, is hit by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, center, as Eagles wide receiver Parris Campbell (80) looks on during a touchdown run by Barkley in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Los Angeles Kings left wing Warren Foegele, left, trips San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, center, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Olympiacos' Francisco Ortega, right, challenges for the ball with FCSB's David Miculescu during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Olympiacos at the National Arena stadium, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Brazil's Botafogo soccer fans react during the Copa Libertadores title match against Atletico Mineiro in Argentina, during a watch party at Nilton Santos Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Seattle Kraken fans react after a goal by center Matty Beniers against the San Jose Sharks was disallowed due to goaltender interference during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Seattle. The Sharks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27), center, fight for the puck with Boston Bruins defensemen Parker Wotherspoon (29), left, and Brandon Carlo (25), right during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Jiyai Shin of Korea watches her shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Australian Open golf championship at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland competes in the women's Freeski Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Lara Gut-Behrami, of Switzerland, competes during a women's World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin cools off during first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Amanda Gutierres, second right, is congratulated by teammate Yasmin, right, after scoring her team's first goal during a soccer international between Brazil and Australia in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher) Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) tries to leap over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Luiz Henrique of Brazil's Botafogo, right. is fouled by goalkeeper Everson of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro inside the penalty area during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) England's Alessia Russo, left, and United States' Naomi Girma challenge for the ball during the International friendly women soccer match between England and United States at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) reaches for an incomplete pass ahead of Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Melanie Meillard, center, of Switzerland, competes during the second run in a women's World Cup slalom skiing race, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green goes up for a dunk during the second half of an Emirates NBA cup basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Gold medalists Team Netherlands competes in the Team Sprint Women race of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Beijing 2024 held at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Get local news delivered to your inbox!

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — Aidan Bouman threw a go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and Quaron Adams followed with a 70-yard touchdown on a reverse as No. 4 seed South Dakota pulled away late to beat 13th-seeded Tarleton State 42-31 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs. South Dakota will host the winner of Saturday's matchup between No. 5 seed UC Davis and 12th-seeded Illinois State in the third round. The Coyotes (10-2) trailed by seven points four times until Bouman connected with Keyondray Jones-Logan for a 12-yard touchdown and a 35-31 lead with 9:36 left to play. Tim White intercepted a Victor Gabalis pass, giving South Dakota the ball at its own 15-yard line. Adams, a sophomore receiver, raced to the end zone three plays later for his first career rushing touchdown and the Texans (10-4) never recovered in their first trip to the postseason. Gabalis threw three first-half touchdown passes, giving Tarleton State leads of 7-0, 14-7 and 21-14 at halftime. Travis Theis had two short touchdown runs in the first half to pull the Coyotes even and his 2-yard scoring run 51 seconds into the fourth quarter tied it at 28. Tarleton State took its last lead on a 23-yard field goal by Corbin Poston with 11:23 left to play. Bouman completed 18 of 22 passes for 213 yards and also had a 5-yard scoring toss to Jones-Logan off a deflected pass that stood up to a video review and tied the game at 21. Theis carried 25 times for 130 yards. Gabalis totaled 379 yards on 23-for-31 passing with four touchdowns and three interceptions. Darius Cooper caught nine passes for 161 yards and three scores. Cody Jackson had the other touchdown reception. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

In 2023, East Central University announced the launch of a campaign that would see the construction of a new STEM Center on the ECU campus that would also house the ECU Nursing Program. The groundbreaking for this new state-of-the-art facility was over the summer with representatives from the State of Oklahoma, City of Ada, Valley View Foundation and Chickasaw Nation in attendance. ECU is pleased to announce that this newest addition to the university’s campus will be named in honor of Chickasaw citizen Dan Hays. “We are pleased East Central University is honoring Chickasaw citizen Dan Hays, whose generosity and vision of the future has had a powerful impact on education throughout the Ada area, the Chickasaw Nation and beyond,” said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. “It is fitting that ECU’s new STEM center should bear the Hays name as a tribute and testament to his commitment to lifelong learning and education.” Hays, who possessed an allotment of 320 acres of land across what is now Ada, recognized the significance of establishing what was then named East Central State Normal School in the region. Following approval for the normal school by Gov. Charles N. Haskell in 1909, Hays quickly stepped forward to donate 16 acres of his land, his only stipulation being that he be allowed to remain in his home, which was also located on the 16-acre allotment. The chosen acreage, allotted by Hays, allowed for ECU’s first building, Science Hall, to be constructed at the end of Ada’s Main Street. An article featured in the May 6, 1909, edition of the Ada Evening News reported by Col. E.H. Lucas stated, “The acceptance of the proposed site will mean that the normal school would be located in that magnificent location, avenue style, at the end of East Main Street. From this point, the view could not be more excellent. To stand in the center of the business section of Main Street and look at the point proposed for the location on the east side must bring from anyone an involuntary expression of approval, for it is the prettiest site I ever saw.” Construction quickly began and the students of East Central Normal School were blessed to begin their second year of classes in their very own building by the fall semester of 1910, thanks to the generous donation of Dan Hays. In honor of Hays significant contribution and the longstanding relationship that it helped forge between ECU and the Chickasaw Nation, ECU President Wendell Godwin has announced that the university’s newest addition will be named in honor of Hays himself. “We are proud to embrace the Native American legacy on our campus, and this is an excellent way to memorialize the original gift from the Hays family,” said Godwin. “The Chickasaw Nation has been a driving force in the region’s educational successes for decades. East Central University is excited to highlight the native theme and décor that will be illustrated throughout the Dan Hays STEM Center to further demonstrate our appreciation. Our community is excited to watch the construction over the next 18 months.” Among the highlights of this two-floor facility is a simulation center, more than 25 hands-on learning labs and STEM classrooms equipped with the latest technology to benefit both STEM and Nursing students. The construction of this new building and the expansion of the nursing program are expected to generate a 200% increase in nursing graduates from ECU. Historically, 84% of nursing graduates stay in Oklahoma five years after graduation and 75% of students are accepted into medical school. Nursing, Math and Computer Science are some of the university’s largest and fastest-growing degree programs. The average pass rate for the ECU School of Nursing on the registered nurses NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) is 97% while the national average is 82%. This expansion will allow ECU to recruit a number of new staff and faculty as well as more than 200 new nursing students to the university and community. The new facility will serve to reaffirm ECU’s commitment to educating students and transforming students’ lives for generations to come.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country’s hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump’s unusual nominees . But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump’s America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern , if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. RELATED COVERAGE In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own Sen. Joni Ernst wants to hear from Hegseth on sex assault in the military and women in combat Military leaders are rattled by a list of ‘woke’ officers that a group urges Hegseth to fire The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. The president-elect announced other appointments Monday, including his lawyer Harmeet Dhillon for assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Justice Department and Mark Paoletta as the returning general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect’s choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel , who has written extensively about locking up Trump’s foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees’ qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump’s team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Showing that concern, nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump’s allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president’s Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump’s first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will “prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies” — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump’s 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump’s first inauguration during the country’s bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it’s important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family’s five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It’s one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser. ___ Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

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