San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was limited with the right shoulder injury that sidelined him last week and there is growing concern about the long-term status of left tackle Trent Williams. Wednesday's practice was not the start to the NFL workweek head coach Kyle Shanahan had hoped after Purdy was unable to bounce back from a shoulder injury in Week 11. Brandon Allen started at Green Bay and the 49ers (5-6) lost 38-10 with the backup-turned-starter committing three turnovers. Williams was reportedly spotted in the locker room with a knee scooter and is experiencing pain walking. He played through an ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks Nov. 17. Defensive end Nick Bosa (hip, oblique) also missed practice Wednesday, leaving the 49ers to spend the holiday plotting to play the Buffalo Bills (9-2) without the three Pro Bowlers again. "I don't know anyone who gets Thanksgiving off unless maybe you have a Monday night game. You just start a lot earlier and get the players out," Shanahan said. "We cram everything in so the players get out, tries to be home with the family by 5. I usually get home by 7 and they're all mad at me, then get back to red-zone (installation)." The 49ers are in danger of a three-game losing streak for the first time since Oct. 2021. Injuries have been a common thread since September when running back Christian McCaffrey was a surprise scratch with an Achilles injury for the opener. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (ACL) is out for the season at a position dinged from top to bottom. Star linebacker Fred Warner also is ailing and said Wednesday that he fractured a bone in his ankle on Sept. 29 against the New England Patriots. The game against the Bills will mark his eighth straight game playing with the injury. "It's something I deal with every game," Warner said. "I get on that table before every game and get it shot up every single game just to be able to roll. But it's not an excuse. It's just what it is. That's the NFL. You're not going to be healthy. You've got to go out there, you've got to find ways to execute, to play at a high level and to win every single week." Shanahan wasn't interested in injury talk. He said the 49ers have not played well in the past two weeks, and puts part of his focus on getting more out of the running game with snow in the forecast on Sunday night. He's not in agreement with pundits who doubt McCaffrey's ability early into his return from injured reserve, with a per-carry average of 3.5 yards compared to 5.4 in 2023. "The speculation on Christian is a little unfair to him," Shanahan said. "Christian is playing very well. He's playing his ass off. To think a guy who misses the entire offseason is going to come back and be the exact same the day he comes back would be unfair to any player in the world." San Francisco opened the 21-day practice window for linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who tore his Achilles in the Super Bowl in February. His return date is unclear. --Field Level MediaBy JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump loved to use tariffs on foreign goods during his first presidency. But their impact was barely noticeable in the overall economy, even if their aftershocks were clear in specific industries. The data show they never fully delivered on his promised factory jobs. Nor did they provoke the avalanche of inflation that critics feared. This time, though, his tariff threats might be different . The president-elect is talking about going much bigger — on a potential scale that creates more uncertainty about whether he’ll do what he says and what the consequences could be. “There’s going to be a lot more tariffs, I mean, he’s pretty clear,” said Michael Stumo, the CEO of Coalition for a Prosperous America, a group that has supported import taxes to help domestic manufacturing. The president-elect posted on social media Monday that on his first day in office he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada until those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. Those tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his initial term. Chinese imports would face additional tariffs of 10% until Beijing cracks down on the production of materials used in making fentanyl, Trump posted. Democrats and business groups warn of risks from Trump’s tariff threats Business groups were quick to warn about rapidly escalating inflation , while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would counter the move with tariffs on U.S. products. House Democrats put together legislation to strip a president’s ability to unilaterally apply tariffs this drastic, warning that they would likely lead to higher prices for autos, shoes, housing and groceries. Sheinbaum said Wednesday that her administration is already working up a list of possible retaliatory tariffs “if the situation comes to that.” “The economy department is preparing it,” Sheinbaum said. “If there are tariffs, Mexico would increase tariffs, it is a technical task about what would also benefit Mexico,” she said, suggesting her country would impose targeted import duties on U.S. goods in sensitive areas. House Democrats on Tuesday introduced a bill that would require congressional approval for a president to impose tariffs due to claims of a national emergency, a largely symbolic action given Republicans’ coming control of both the House and Senate. “This legislation would enable Congress to limit this sweeping emergency authority and put in place the necessary Congressional oversight before any president – Democrat or Republican – could indiscriminately raise costs on the American people through tariffs,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash. But for Trump, tariffs are now a tested tool that seems less politically controversial even if the mandate he received in November’s election largely involved restraining inflation. The tariffs he imposed on China in his first term were continued by President Joe Biden, a Democrat who even expanded tariffs and restrictions on the world’s second largest economy. Biden administration officials looked at removing Trump’s tariffs in order to bring down inflationary pressures, only to find they were unlikely to help significantly. Tariffs were “so new and unique that it freaked everybody out in 2017,” said Stumo, but they were ultimately somewhat modest. Trump’s first term tariffs had a modest impact on economy Trump imposed tariffs on solar panels and washing machines at the start of 2018, moves that might have pushed up prices in those sectors even though they also overlapped with plans to open washing machine plants in Tennessee and South Carolina. His administration also levied tariffs on steel and aluminum, including against allies. He then increased tariffs on China, leading to a trade conflict and a limited 2020 agreement that failed to produce the promised Chinese purchases of U.S. goods. Still, the dispute changed relations with China as more U.S. companies looked for alternative suppliers in other countries. Economic research also found the United States may have sacrificed some of its “soft power” as the Chinese population began to watch fewer American movies. The Federal Reserve kept inflation roughly on target, but factory construction spending never jumped in a way that suggested a lasting gain in manufacturing jobs. Separate economic research found the tariff war with China did nothing economically for the communities hurt by offshoring, but it did help Trump and Republicans in those communities politically. When Trump first became president in 2017, the federal government collected $34.6 billion in customs, duties and fees. That sum more than doubled under Trump to $70.8 billion in 2019, according to Office of Management and Budget records. While that sum might seem meaningful, it was relatively small compared to the overall economy. America’s gross domestic product is now $29.3 trillion, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The total tariffs collected in the United States would equal less than 0.3% of GDP. Trump wants much more far-reaching tariffs going forward The new tariffs being floated by Trump now are dramatically larger and there could be far more significant impacts. If Mexico, Canada, and China faced the additional tariffs proposed by Trump on all goods imported to the United States, that could be roughly equal to $266 billion in tax collections, a number that does not assume any disruptions in trade or retaliatory moves by other countries. The cost of those taxes would likely be borne by U.S. families, importers and domestic and foreign companies in the form of higher prices or lower profits. Former Biden administration officials said they worried that companies could piggyback on Trump’s tariffs — if they’re imposed — as a rationale to raise their prices, just as many companies after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 boosted food and energy costs and gave several major companies the space to raise prices, according to their own earnings calls with investors. But what Trump didn’t really spell out is what might cause him to back down on tariffs and declare a victory. What he is creating instead with his tariff threats is a sense of uncertainty as companies and countries await the details to figure out what all of this could mean. “We know the key economic policy priorities of the incoming Trump administration, but we don’t know how or when they will be addressed,” said Greg Daco, chief U.S. economist at EY-Parthenon. AP writer Mark Stevenson contributed to this report from Mexico City.
Former US president Jimmy Carter has died aged 100. Mr Carter, a former peanut farmer, served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981, taking over in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the end of the Vietnam War. After his defeat by Ronald Reagan, he spent his post-presidency years as a global humanitarian, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His death on Sunday was announced by his family and came more than a year after he decided to enter hospice care. He was the longest-lived US president. His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love. “My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. “The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” World leaders have paid tribute to Mr Carter, including US President Joe Biden, who was one of the first politicians to endorse Mr Carter for president in 1976 and said the world had “lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian”. He said: “Over six decades, we had the honour of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. “With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us. “He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.” Irish President Michael D Higgins said Mr Carter was “a principled man who dedicated his life to seeking to advance the cause of peace across the world”. He added: “On behalf of the people of Ireland, may I express my sympathies to President Carter’s children and extended family, to President Joe Biden, to the people of the United States, and to his wide circle of colleagues and friends across the globe.” Mr Carter is expected to receive a state funeral featuring public observances in Atlanta and Washington DC before being buried in his home town of Plains, Georgia. A moderate democrat born in Plains in October 1924, Mr Carter’s political career took him from the Georgia state senate to the state governorship and finally, the White House, where he took office as the 39th president. His presidency saw economic disruption amid volatile oil prices, along with social tensions at home and challenges abroad including the Iranian revolution that sparked a 444-day hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. But he also brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a peace treaty between the two countries in 1979. After his defeat in the 1980 presidential election, he worked for more than four decades leading the Carter Centre, which he and his late wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope”. Under his leadership, the Carter Center managed to virtually eliminate Guinea Worm disease, which has gone from affecting 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia in 1986 to just 14 in 2023. Mrs Carter, who died last year aged 96, had played a more active role in her husband’s presidency than previous first ladies, with Mr Carter saying she had been “my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished”. Earlier this year, on his 100th birthday, Mr Carter received a private congratulatory message from the King, expressing admiration for his life of public service.Is Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (CLNE) the Best Renewable Energy Penny Stock to Invest In Now?
The Joe Biden administration won't have enough time to provide Ukraine with military aid for all of the money authorised by Congress before his tenure ends in January 2025, and some of the authority in this particular regard will be transferred to Donald Trump's team. Source: The Wall Street Journal referencing sources in the White House and US Congress, as reported by European Pravda Details: With the hope of using the entire amount before his term ends on 20 January, the Biden administration currently has over US$6.5 billion to move armaments from US Army stocks and warehouses to Ukraine. However, according to the WSJ, the Pentagon claims that the amount of weaponry that can be given to Ukraine each month without sacrificing their own fighting capability has been reached, and that there are logistical issues with getting munitions to Ukrainian forces. Estimates indicate that the United States would need to supply Ukraine weaponry valued at about US$110 million each day, or nearly US$3 billion in December and January, in order to have time to spend all the funds. According to the WSJ's source in the Congress, "it’s impossible." According to a Pentagon source, the US now intends to send US$500–750 million per month to Ukraine from its arsenal of weapons. Since larger equipment can take months to deliver, these supplies will primarily consist of artillery and ammunition, which are quicker to transfer. Thus, any unused cash will be available to Donald Trump's future administration. What he will do with the weapons shipment to Ukraine is still unknown. The Biden administration has more than US$2 billion to finance long-term weaponry contracts for Kyiv, in addition to financing supplies from the US Army stockpiles. They want to contract "as much of that money as possible" by 20 January, according to the WSJ source in the Pentagon. Additionally, Congress has allotted just about US$5 billion to the White House for the acquisition of additional weapons to restock American stockpiles. The WSJ claims that the Biden administration intends for this money to be spent in full by the conclusion of his presidential term. Background: Support UP or become our patron !
Unamused 49ers GM: Cool it with Kyle Shanahan 'hot seat' talk
Though the Oregon Ducks aren't part of the Pac-12 Conference anymore, the Duck mascot still has some animosity toward former foes. Editor's Picks Sydney Sweeney, shaving a fan's hair and more 'College GameDay' antics from Oregon's mascot 46d Kalan Hooks Oregon was part of the conference realignment that saw four teams join the Big Ten conference, including the former Pac-12 neighboring state rival Washington Huskies , which keeps the tension between the two schools alive. Lately, the Duck has been quacking on X at Washington's mascot, Harry the Husky, leading into their Week 14 match. On Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. ET, the Duck made a tweet that headlined a list of jabs at Harry the Husky saying: "new conference but Harry the Husky is still a narc." new conference but @HarryTheHusky is still a narc The Duck seems to keep a consistent timing, sending comedic shots at the Husky every hour . Oregon's mascot repeated the same act last season leading up to the Ducks' bout with the Huskies, where Washington cruised to a 36-33 win. Though the Duck has taken 15 jabs -- and counting -- his nemesis has not yet responded.Results of 2024 Bar exams out Dec. 13On November 27, the German Ambassador to Georgia, , gave an interview to the UN Global Compact Network Georgia, talking about Georgia’s stalled EU accession process, German-Georgian relations, and the impact of Georgia’s drift away from the EU on Georgia’s economy and investment attractiveness. Ambassador Fischer described the current state of German-Georgian relations as a crisis, saying: “We are at an impasse now.” He emphasized that the EU had granted Georgia candidate status as a “sign of love and affection,” despite the Georgian government’s failure to meet the nine conditions for candidacy. Following this gesture, however, he noted a shift in the Georgian government’s rhetoric and actions, including the reintroduction of the Foreign Agents law, which he called “gross contradiction” with EU values, and anti-LGBTQ legislation. He also criticized accusations against Germany and the EU of being “foreign agents”, attempting to drag Georgia into war in Ukraine, or promoting “liberal fascism”. Commenting on the GD government’s insistence that the EU integration process continues, Ambassador said that last June and then again in October, “the leaders of the European Union decided and wrote down in their decision that the accession process has come to a halt. It’s also written down. Nobody here bothers to read it, but I recommend to read it.” He further said: “The government is telling you, no, nothing is halted. We decide what’s halted and what’s not halted. The candidate doesn’t decide. So it’s halted, and if you ask me, I don’t see it coming back on track in the near future.” The Ambassador further spoke of the October 26 elections in Georgia, saying that “the way the election was conducted is not compatible with what we expect from a candidate country.” He said that “the accession process has come to a standstill” adding: “So it’s a crisis, and I think there’s a high risk that maybe you missed your opportunity.” Ambassador Fischer also highlighted the missed opportunities for Georgia’s business sector due to limited integration with the EU market, despite the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) in place since 2016. He noted that Georgian exports to the EU have only increased minimally, by about 2%, primarily due to non-compliance with EU standards, such as phytosanitary regulations for agricultural products. Fischer emphasized the importance of aligning with EU standards to access “one of the world’s “most prosperous markets”, warning that the current crisis in EU-Georgia relations and Georgia’s stalled European integration deter potential investors and undermine economic progress. He pointed out the attractiveness of the EU’s structured legal and business framework “that people know, that they feel familiar with, and that is also safe.” “That’s why we invest mainly, amongst ourselves,” he said adding that Georgia’s getting closer to the EU opens it for European businessmen. But Georgia’s drifts away from EU, he said, which has led to hesitancy among foreign investors, including German businesses. Some have reconsidered or even withdrawn their investments, such as Heidelberg Cement, which exited the Georgian market. Amb. Fischer argued that a lack of alignment with EU frameworks leaves Georgia as a small, emerging market in the South Caucasus with limited appeal for large-scale investment. He also warned of the negative effects of drifting away from the EU in terms of the impact on the national currency, the emigration of the young, the fluctuations in the stock market prices of Georgian companies that are listed on foreign stock exchanges and other factors.