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WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump on Friday offered a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, his embattled choice to lead the Defense Department, whose confirmation by the Senate is in doubt as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat. Hegseth, a former Fox News Host, Army National Guard major and combat veteran, spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and privately reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump’s Pentagon. “Pete Hegseth is doing very well,” Trump posted on his social media site. “He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense.” The president added that “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” The pitched nomination battle over Hegseth is emerging not only as a debate about the best person to lead the Pentagon, but an inflection point for a MAGA movement that appears to be relishing a public fight over its hardline push for a more masculine military and an end to the “woke-ism” of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Trump’s allies are forcefully rallying around the embattled Hegseth – the Heritage Foundation’s political arm is promising to spend $1 million to shore up his nomination – as he vows to stay in the fight, as long as the president-elect wants him to. “We’re not abandoning this nomination,” Vice-President-elect JD Vance said as he toured post-hurricane North Carolina. “Pete Hegseth is going to get his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, not a sham hearing before the American media,” Vance said. He said he had spoken with GOP senators and he believes Hegseth will be confirmed. “We are completely behind him.” The effort has become a test of Trump’s clout and of how far loyalty for the president-elect goes with Republican senators who have concerns about his nominees. Two of Trump’s other choices have stepped aside as they faced intense scrutiny: former congressman Matt Gaetz , his first choice for attorney general, and Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff who was Trump’s first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. The president’s son Donald J. Trump Jr., also made a show of support for Hegseth on Friday, part of a full-court MAGA press. “If you’re a GOP Senator who voted for Lloyd Austin, but criticize @PeteHegseth, then maybe you’re in the wrong political party!” he wrote on X. referring to President Joe Biden’s defense secretary. Thanking the president-elect for the support, Hegseth posted on social media, “Like you, we will never back down.” Hegseth has promised not to drink on the job and told lawmakers he never engaged in sexual misconduct, even as his professional views on female troops have also come under intensifying scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women “straight up” should not serve in combat . He picked up one important endorsement from Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, whose support was seen as a potentially powerful counterweight to the cooler reception Hegseth had received from Sen. Joni Ernst , herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. “Huge. Thanks to Katie for her leadership,” Vance posted on social media. Ernst, who is also a sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after her meeting with Hegseth this week. She said she appreciates his military service and they “had a frank and thorough conversation.” On Friday, Trump put out the statement in response to coverage saying he had lost faith in Hegseth, according to a person familiar with his thinking who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The president-elect and his team have been pleased to see Hegseth putting up a fight and his performance this week reiterates why he was chosen, the person said. They believe he can still be confirmed. If Hegseth goes down, Trump’s team believes the defeat would empower others to spread what they cast as “vicious lies” against every candidate Trump chooses. Still, Trump’s transition team has been looking at potential replacements if Hegseth’s nomination cannot move forward, including former presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis . DeSantis plans to attend the Army-Navy football game with Trump on Dec. 14, according to a person familiar with the Florida governor’s plans who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss them before a public announcement. And DeSantis and Trump had spoken about the defense secretary post when they saw each other Tuesday at a memorial service for sheriff deputies in West Palm Beach, Florida, according people familiar with the matter who said Trump was interested in DeSantis for the post, and the governor was receptive. At the same time, DeSantis also is poised to select a replacement for the expected Senate vacancy to be created by Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, and Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump is seen as the preferred choice by those in Trump’s orbit. Despite a weeklong push of private Capitol Hill meetings, Hegseth is facing resistance from senators as reports have emerged about his past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. The New Yorker cited what it described as a whistleblower report and other documents about his time leading a veterans advocacy group, Concerned Veterans for America, that alleged multiple incidents of alcohol intoxication at work events, inappropriate behavior around female staffers and financial mismanagement. The New York Times obtained an email from his mother Penelope from 2018, in which she confronted him about mistreating women after he impregnated his current wife while he was married to his second wife. She went on “Fox & Friends” this week to defend her son. Trump ally Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said senators are judging “Pete for who he is today.” In many ways the increasingly pitched battle resembles the political and culture wars that exploded over Trump’s pick of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court during his first term at the White House. Kavanaugh had also faced allegations of sexual assault that he strenuously denied, but Republicans rallied to his side and turned a tide of opposition into a more sympathetic view of the Supreme Court nominee as the victim of a liberal-led smear campaign. He eventually won confirmation. While Hegseth was still fighting for votes in the Senate, he did appear to make incremental progress with some Republicans who had expressed concerns about the reports of his drinking, in particular. “I’m not going to make any decision regarding Pete Hegseth’s nomination based on anonymous sources,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer said of the allegations against Hegseth, “I have no reason to doubt him any more than believe somebody else.” Still, Cramer indicated he could still change his mind. A background check “will be informative.” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said after meeting with Hegseth that he wanted to see how he does in a hearing but “he went a long way” toward getting his support. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville in Fariview, N.C., Michelle L. Price in New York, Adriana Gomez Licon in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Mary Clare Jalonick, Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.None
She wrote on Instagram: "Happy mummy Mondays. This is what happened to us last Monday. We can not quite believe it. We are in love big time with this little guy. The reason why Cody even exists is because his bio mum loved him enough to make an adoption plan for him and the same goes for Bear ." The 'Super Duper Love' hitmaker called for biological mothers who make the decision to give their children up to receive more credit in general as she encouraged her fans and followers to share their own stories if they had been through a similar process. She added: "Honestly bio mothers do not get the gratitude they deserve. It is a more selfless love than I knew existed. Truly . We are just so happy to be part of this beautiful cycle. Please share your story's of adoption in the comments if you have any. And please welcome our gorgeous baby boy to this wonderful world ."(sic) In a video shared with her followers, Joss noted that the whole thing happened "so fast" and played a small clip of herself revealing the news to her children. But the journey to collect the little one did not go entirely smoothly, as the couple ended up in the wrong hospital and became confused about where to go. Joss explained: "We were in the wrong hospital. I knew it! That's why Tummy Mummy said eighth floor, and the guy downstairs said second floor because they are totally different hospitals!" But the couple managed to get to their new baby eventually and Joss shared a cuddle with the little one as she revealed that it all happened just in time for Thanksgiving.
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Black California students want more support. A new law names colleges that serve them bestMarrakech Film Festival bestows Palestinian film 'Happy Holidays' with top awardON the youth club’s memorial wall, the names of 46 past members are immortalised on wooden plaques. They bear witness to the tragic loss of young people aged 12 to 35 — but this is no war commemoration or tribute to those killed in a terrible disaster. It is the true cost of living in Britain’s worst benefits blackspot. Among the names on the Shalom Youth Club memorial in Grimsby ’s East Marsh estate are victims of 16 drug overdoses, six murders and five suicides — a tally of misery brought on by a toxic mix of unemployment, drink, drugs and gambling problems. More than half the estate’s residents live on handouts, and life expectancy is 12 years below average. The area is awash with “county lines” gangs — criminals who force victims to transport drugs across police and local authority boundaries, and who often “cuckoo”, or take over, the home of a vulnerable person to use as a base for their operation. read more on uk news Police had to rescue an East Marsh family with three primary school-aged children from the clutches of dealers who moved into their home. Canon John Ellis, who has run a local youth project for 52 years, said: “I’ve never seen it so bad. “People are being preyed on by drug dealers and gangs and spend what little money they have on drink and gambling. “For the first time ever, we’re getting kids coming through the door who, when asked what school they attend, say, ‘I don’t go’. Most read in The Sun “The levels of poverty are Victorian. "We’ve all seen the statistics about the number of jobs available, but when a community sinks this low in its esteem, people go into a whole way of life. "Employment is a big step because, let’s face it, it’s quite enjoyable to sit and just chill. “This community needs to understand there’s no cavalry coming and they’ve got to try to help themselves.” Grimsby, in north-east Lincs, has become synonymous with poverty and crime over the years and East Marsh, the centre of a once proud fishing community, is in the bottom three per cent for deprivation in Britain. At The Rock food bank, a boozed-up regular downs his bottle of Carlsberg then picks up a bag of food, while outside, a drug user slumps on a wall, unable to stand. Also in the queue for food is former heroin user Paul McPhee, who gets £328 a fortnight in Employment and Support Allowance , a benefit for the sick and disabled. He has no rent or bills to pay because he lives in a supported housing complex. In East Marsh, 33 per cent of people get sickness payouts , while 11 per cent are on Jobseeker’s Allowance and nine per cent get other benefits. Paul, 54, told The Sun: “I used to work as a housing association support officer but I lost my job because they accused me of stealing from a client — even though no charges were ever brought and I would never do that. “That was 2014, and I’ve not been able to get work since. Death threats "I’m clean now but I used to take drugs because I had really bad mental health issues. “If I’d got the help I needed then, I might not be here now.” The Rock founder Pam Hodge said the charity, which feeds around 600 people a week, is stuck in a “merry-go-round” of feeding people, most of whom have grown up in the care system and are in and out of prison. At the nearby Salvation Army centre, the homeless Baccellini family — Amy and Dino, and their kids Kyle, 14, Kylie, 13, Lexie, 11, Carlo, ten, and seven-year-old Gino — sit waiting for their washing to dry. This community needs to understand there’s no cavalry coming and they’ve got to try to help themselves They are living in three bedrooms in a guest house in nearby Cleethorpes after being run out of Grims- by’s notorious Nunsthorpe estate, where drugs and crime are rife. The family have been shunted from pillar to post, living in temporary accommodation for three years — and none of the kids has been to school in that time. They previously fled Leicester in 2021 after death threats from their wider family and lived in a series of temporary caravan accommodation in Skegness before being told they might have a better chance of a permanent home in Grimsby. Amy said: “The local authority gave us a temporary house on the Nuns-thorpe estate and things were OK for a while. "But they said the kids would have to go to four different schools, all outside the area, and we didn’t have a car to get them there. “We’ve had to home-school. "We kept ourselves to ourselves on the estate and then a stupid rumour got around that we were in witness protection and people started calling us snitches, egging our house. “Then Kylie was badly attacked by a woman who lived nearby and the council moved us out for our protection. "We’ve spent the last two months living in a temporary B&B. “The council says it will pay £600 towards a private landlord but they all want guarantors, and we don’t have anyone. It’s hopeless.” In Skegness the family were placed in SEVEN different caravans, two bed and breakfasts and a holiday cottage between July 2022 and March 2023. East Lindsey Council was probed by the Ombudsman over its treatment of the family. It found the family had suffered delays in communication and ordered the authority to pay £500 for failing to protect property which was wrecked after they were forced to store it underneath a caravan. The council told The Sun: " The ombudsman publishes the findings of cases they investigate. "East Lindsey District council takes all feedback from the Ombudsman seriously and uses it to further improve council services as appropriate." Although Grimsby is surrounded by upmarket villages, the town itself is blighted by shuttered, graffiti-covered shops, in neighbourhoods strewn with rubbish and populated by street drinkers and aimless youngsters. It is the epitome of broken Britain, where 9.25million, or more than a fifth of the working-age population, have no job or are not actively seeking one . Last month the Government unveiled its Get Britain Working programme , aimed at getting two million jobless young people into work. But it will face an uphill battle in places such as East Marsh, where benefits have become almost a cultural norm. Rev Kay Jones, who runs a social lunch and playgroup at St John and St Stephen church in East Marsh, said: “When this was a fishing area, how much you earned depended on the size of your catch. 'Too risky' "But when benefits were introduced, many people saw this as a constant source of income, some stability.” Most of those who work in the town depend on the dominant frozen seafood industry. Jobs at Young’s, which supplies around 40 per cent of the fish eaten in Britain, are currently being advertised for £12.21 an hour — above the National Living Wage of £11.44 — but one agency is offering below, at £11.41. It’s really draining to have to think about money constantly but I am not well enough to work Rev Jones said many people feel it is “too risky” to come off benefits and start a job in case they don’t get enough work hours to qualify for Working Tax Credit . In the church hall, Emily Gould, 31, is grateful just to have some company because her partner James, a 29-year-old electrician, works away during the week in Leeds, 62 miles away. She said: “I don’t think it’s that people don’t want to work necessarily, but that they sometimes get more in benefits.” Serena Donnelly, who is at the drop-in with her four-year-old son Alex, says she is unable to work because she has fibromyalgia , a condition that causes pain, fatigue and brain fog. Serena, 31, who also has an 11-year-old daughter, gets £1,900 a month in benefits and is left with about £250 for food and clothing after paying her £570 rent, £130 gas and electricity, £44 council tax, water and Sky TV bills. She said: “It’s really draining to have to think about money constantly but I am not well enough to work. “I’m struggling to get the kids stuff for Christmas , and buying from sites like Temu and getting toys from the NSPCC to help.” Close to tears, she added: “Sometimes things are so bad I just want to run away.” Grimsby is now betting its future on renewable energy, with some of Europe’s biggest wind farms generating power just off the coast. Danish giant Orsted has a base in the town and small supply boats run from the docks, carrying engineers and equipment to the huge turbines out at sea. But the work is highly specialised, and Canon Ellis said jobs are hardly ever advertised in the local Jobcentre. He said East Marsh suffers from a lack of good educational opportunities after two schools shut, and added: “It forced kids to go to suburban schools where the teachers don’t understand them and they feel they don’t fit in.” He continued: “Fishing was grim, grinding graft but it didn’t require the level of skill needed for these offshore wind jobs. “A few ex-fishermen have got jobs driving the safety boats but there are few people in the community who can work in the sector. “Many parents are on drink or drugs and we’ve got kids growing up here with no support other than the youth centre, and the only adults they see are police or social workers. “They are rampaging about the place and when county line gangs give them a little attention, they respond and get dragged into it. “Housing is poor and full of damp, and private landlords don’t care about their houses, leaving them to go to rack and ruin. “They prey on people, along with the drug dealers and county lines. “We’ve a regular who comes in, who is very vulnerable, and dealers keep moving into his place. “We have someone who goes and throws them out but they are back in the next week. “Gambling is a huge issue because people are just looking for something to give them a little bit of relief, or they hope they might win the lottery. “If you imagine a street with vultures sitting on every roof, that’s East Marsh. READ MORE SUN STORIES “It’s going to take much more than a politician vowing to get Britain back to work for things to change. “People here have heard it all before.”
A FORMER Google boss has warned of the dangers of AI - claiming humans "will not be able to police". Ex-CEO of the tech giant Eric Schmidt said when a computer system reaches a point where it can self-improve "we seriously need to think about unplugging it". 2 Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO and founder of Schmidt Futures Credit: Sportsfile 2 Digital generated image of multiple robots working on laptops Credit: Getty The race to improve artificial intelligence has seen huge strides made in recent years, with Schmidt describing the progress as a cause for celebration. "I've never seen innovation like this," he told George Stephanopoulos for ABC's This Week. Schmidt added: "We're soon going to be able to have computers running on their own, deciding what they want to do." He went on to say: "The power of this intelligence... means that each and every person is going to have the equivalent of a polymath in their pocket. READ MORE ON AI VIRTUAL VERSE AI is better at writing poems than Shakespeare, a bizarre new study has found AI ‘GOLD RUSH’ AI ‘reveals secret to becoming RICH’ & will be 'smarter than us in 10yrs' "We just don't know what it means to give that kind of power to every individual." We're soon going to be able to have computers running on their own, deciding what they want to do. Eric Schmidt Ex-Google CEO It comes after Schmidt told AXIOS last year that computers making their own decisions might be less than four years away. And other experts have said the most powerful systems could operate at the intelligence of a PhD student by 2026. Schmidt said despite the US continuing to win the AI race, with China's tech developing quickly it's crucial "the West wins". Most read in Tech CELTIC 3 RANGERS 3 (5-4 pens) Maeda penalty clinches Cup as Rodgers wins TENTH Hoops trophy GETTING SHIRTY Ex-referee insists Rangers denied '100 per-cent penalty' against Celtic FLIGHTMARE Hundreds stranded at Edinburgh Airport amid air traffic control fault COPS HIT BACK Celtic & Rangers ultras violence sparks police clamp down with special powers He also advised that the "worst possible cases" be identified and a parallel system be developed to help monitor the first. "Humans will not be able to police AI, but AI systems should be able to police AI," he added. Apple boss Tim Cook reveals his top iPhone emoji and it’s one you’ve never seen before – there’s a trick to find secret icon It comes as an AI technology analyst warned in recent weeks we're just steps away from cracking the "neural code" that allows machines to consciously learn like humans. Eitan Michael Azoff makes the case in his new book , Towards Human-Level Artificial Intelligence: How Neuroscience can Inform the Pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence . According to Azoff, one of the key steps towards unlocking "human-level AI" is understanding the "neural code." The term describes the way our brains encode sensory information and perform cognitive tasks like thinking and problem solving. DOOMSDAY SCENARIO Talks at a federal level are taking place to ensure regulations and protocols can keep the tech at bay. The emergence and success of ChatGPT since its mainstream introduction in November 2022 have surprised many in the AI field, accelerating the development of the technology immeasurably. AI expert Rishabh Misra, who has worked on machine learning for X for the past four years, insists he's "never seen any kind of tech move so fast" and believes once they begin to surpass human-level intelligence, super-powered robots could begin to wreak havoc in society "within the decade". Misra told The U.S. Sun: "In the future, as more such capabilities are added, some misconfiguration, irresponsible usage by giving wrong instructions, or involvement of malicious actors could have disastrous consequences, akin to the scenarios where it may seem bots have gone rogue. "If these bots get hacked or used for harmful purposes, they can spread misinformation or hate speech, launch spam campaigns, manipulate financial markets to crash the economy, or even carry out physical attacks by controlling vehicles or operating weapons. "They may create deepfakes that show scenarios that never happened to damage someone's reputation or cause wars." They may create deepfakes that show scenarios that never happened to damage someone's reputation or cause wars. Rishabh Misra AI expert With AI bots potentially having the ability in the future to carry out instructions and demands faster than humans, the scope for disrupting economies or inciting hate as part of a political ploy, for example, is huge. "The frequent fear that comes up is that bots may become self-aware and decide serving humans is not worthwhile," adds Misra. Read more on the Scottish Sun lew's new love Lewis Capaldi grows close to influencer as they party with Noel Gallagher OFF THE AIR 'Gutted to hear this', fans cry as BBC Scotland series axed after 19 years "Maybe they will take harmful actions towards humans in an attempt to reach an ultimate goal, ironically supplied by humans themselves. "Based solely on the current trends of technology advancements, I think the chances of realization of the latter fear might be much more as compared to the former in the future." HOW TO INTERACT WITH CHATBOTS Here's some advice from The Sun's tech expert Sean Keach ... The best way to interact with chatbots is to treat it like a total stranger. You (hopefully) wouldn't dish out sensitive details about your life to a random person on the internet. Chatbots are no different – they talk like a human, and you don't know where the info you share will end up. Don't be fooled by the fact that they can come across like a trusted friend or colleague. In fact – and sorry to say – chatbots don't care about you at all. So they don't have your best interests at heart. They don't have a heart! It's just lines of code simulating a human, so remember that if you're tempted to pour your heart out to what is little more than a smart app. Chatbots can be immensely powerful and help you with difficult problems – even personal ones – but keep everything anonymous. Don't share specifics about your life, and try to sign up to chatbots with info that doesn't give away exactly who you are. It's especially important not to share info about your job with a chatbot, as you don't want to land yourself in hot water professionally. But don't allow chatbots to build up a picture of who you are, because that could eventually be used against you.Lee University receives Nurturing Children Initiative grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
Matt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz is not coming back to Congress. The Florida Republican said Friday he has no intention of serving another term in the House now that he is no longer President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew as the nominee this week amid growing fallout from the allegations of sexual conduct against him. Gaetz denies the allegations. Gaetz didn't lay out his plans now that he's out of office, saying only, “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch." After Gaetz's withdrawal on Thursday, Trump named former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department. Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump's most contentious picks WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role. He's been helping Donald Trump’s most contentious Cabinet picks try to win confirmation in the Senate, where he has served for the last two years. Vance spent part of Wednesday at the Capitol with Rep. Matt Gaetz sitting in on meetings with Trump’s controversial choice for attorney general. On Thursday, Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings over the coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, but he didn't focus exclusively on large religious voter blocs. He and his allies also wooed smaller religious groups, away from the mainstream. He posted a tribute to Coptic church members on social media and met with members of Assyrians for Trump — two smaller Christian communities with Middle Eastern roots. He visited the grave of the revered late leader of an Orthodox Jewish movement. His allies sought votes from the separatist Amish community. While Trump won decisively, the outreaches reflected aggressive campaigning in what was expected to be a tight race. NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia's attack with new hypersonic missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with a hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Ukraine's parliament canceled a session Friday over the security threat. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech Thursday that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik, saying it's so powerful that several of them fitted with conventional warheads could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Texas education board approves optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ education board has voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools. The approval Friday follows other Republican-led states that have pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education is optional for schools to adopt, but they’ll receive additional funding if they do so. Parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum say the lessons will alienate students of other faith backgrounds. Supporters argue the Bible is a core feature of American history and that teaching it will enrich learning. 2 convicted in human smuggling case after Indian family froze to death on US-Canada border FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A jury has convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand each faced four charges related to human smuggling before being convicted on Friday. Patel is an Indian national. Shand is an American from Florida. They were arrested after the family froze while trying to cross the desolate border during a 2022 blizzard. Storm inundates Northern California with rain, heavy snow. Thousands remain in the dark in Seattle HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — Heavy rain from a major storm prompted evacuations from communities near a Northern California river that forecasters say could break its banks Friday, as the system continued to dump heavy snow in mountainous areas where some ski resorts opened for the season. The storm reached the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands before moving through Northern California, where several roads were closed due to flooding and strong winds toppled some trees. Forecasters are warning about the risk of flash flooding and rockslides in areas north of San Francisco as the region was inundated by this season’s strongest atmospheric river. Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya WASHINGTON (AP) — Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The research published Friday in Science Advances shows that long before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America’s Yucatan peninsula. The ancient fish canals were used to channel and catch freshwater species such as catfish. These structures were used for around 1,000 years — including during the “formative” period when the Maya began to settle in permanent farming villages and a distinctive culture started to emerge. California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child Health officials are confirming bird flu in a California child — the first reported case in a U.S. minor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced confirmatory test results on Friday. Officials say the child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medication and is recovering. The child’s infection brings the reported number of U.S. bird flu cases this year to 55, including 29 in California. State officials have said the child lives in Alameda County, which includes Oakland, and attends day care, but released no other details. Brazilian police formally accuse former President Bolsonaro and aides of alleged 2022 coup attempt SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Federal Police have formally accused former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup to keep him in office after his electoral defeat in the 2022 elections. The findings are to be delivered Thursday to Brazil’s Supreme Court, which will refer them to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, who will either formally charge Bolsonaro and put the former president on trial or toss the investigation. The former right-wing president has denied all claims he tried to stay in office after his narrow electoral defeat in 2022 to his rival, leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has faced a series of legal threats since then.
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Health insurance provider Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is backtracking on a planned policy change that had recently sparked the ire of anesthesiologists. The change, which critics said would have resulted in denied claims for anesthesia care that went beyond certain time limits, was announced weeks ago. But it attracted widespread backlash yesterday in the wake of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson—an incident that awakened visceral discussions across social media about the ills of for-profit insurance. “There has been significant widespread misinformation about an update to our anesthesia policy,” a spokesperson for Elevance Health, Anthem’s corporate name, told Fast Company . “As a result, we have decided to not proceed with this policy change. To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services. The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.” Last month, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) accused Anthem of unilaterally declaring that it will “no longer pay for anesthesia care if the surgery or procedure goes beyond an arbitrary time limit, regardless of how long the surgical procedure takes.” The group also wrote a letter to Elevance executives expressing “grave concern” about the change and urged consumers to contact their state insurance commissioners. | According to the ASA’s announcement on November 14, the change would have affected plans in Connecticut, New York State, and Missouri. It was due to take effect in February 2025. But the ASA’s criticism received little attention until it was shared widely on Wednesday across social media sites including Bluesky, X, and Reddit. Driven by news of Thompson’s death, users cited it as an example of bad behavior from an uncaring insurance industry that prioritizes profits over people. Thompson was gunned down in Manhattan early yesterday morning in what police have called a “brazen, targeted attack.” The application deadline for Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards is this Friday, December 6, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.AP News Summary at 4:49 p.m. EST
Meta Announces Quarterly Cash DividendCARSON, Calif. — The LA Galaxy finished 26th in the 29-team Major League Soccer standings just one season ago, and their biggest supporters boycotted certain matches to protest a decade of poor performance. The most successful club in league history seemed light years away from its luminous prime. When the Galaxy raised the MLS Cup again Saturday amid confetti and fireworks, their spectacular transformation was complete. In only one year, a team that was profoundly lost had rediscovered its peerless championship pedigree. "We won this trophy, and it's finally back where it belongs," striker Dejan Joveljic said. Joseph Paintsil and Joveljic scored in the first half, and the Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes of the final, the Galaxy nursed their lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league's biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. MLS' most successful franchise struggled through most of the ensuing years, but everything changed after LA spent smartly in the offseason to build a high-scoring new lineup topped by Paintsil, Joveljic and Gabriel Pec. The Galaxy finished second in the Western Conference and streaked through the postseason with an MLS playoff-record 18 goals in five games to win another crown. "I'm just so proud of this group after the challenges that we (had) and the way they bounced back and competed as a group," Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. "We spent a lot of energy at the start, but I'm just so proud of these guys. They've cemented themselves as legends in this club." The Galaxy even won this title without perhaps their most important player. Riqui Puig, the playmaking midfielder from Barcelona who ran their offense impressively all season long, tore a ligament in his knee last week in the conference final. Puig watched this game in a suit, but the Catalan catalyst's teammates hadn't forgotten him: After his replacement, Gastón Brugman, set up LA's opening goal with a superb pass in the ninth minute, Paintsil held up Puig's jersey to their roaring fans during the celebration. "I was really waiting for this moment," said Paintsil, who scored his 14th goal of an impressive season. "I'm much more, 10 times faster than them, and Gaston saw the space. ... It was really a good thing. We did it for Riqui, and we did it for our family that came, and our supporters." Just four minutes later, Joveljic sprinted past four New York defenders and chipped home his 21st goal. Brugman was named the MLS Cup MVP after a commanding performance in midfield. The Uruguayan hadn't started a match for the Galaxy since Oct. 5 after an injury-slowed season, playing only as a postseason substitute before the final. "I dreamed of that yesterday, of something I could give to the team," Brugman said of his pass to Paintsil. "Today, it happened." Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable postseason charge ended one win shy of their first Cup championship. With the league's youngest roster, New York fell just short of becoming the lowest-seeded team to win the tournament under first-year German coach Sandro Schwarz. "I love these guys," Schwarz said. "Some guys, they are crying. In the big picture, that's a start. Sometimes when you lose the final, it's tough, but you use this experience to create the next energy, the next intensity." Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made four saves to win his second MLS title in three seasons, but Nealis beat the 2022 MLS Cup MVP in the 28th minute when he volleyed from the penalty area. The second half was lively: Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg hit the outside of the post in the 72nd minute, while Pec and Galaxy substitute Marco Reus nearly converted chances a few moments later. The ball got loose in the Galaxy's penalty area in the third minute of extra time, but two Red Bulls couldn't finish. After Galaxy owner Phil Anschutz received the MLS Cup that bears his name because of his steady financial support of the league during its shaky years, Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida carried the trophy to his teammates for the celebration. The Galaxy extended their lead over DC United (4) for the most MLS Cup championships in league history. The Red Bulls remain one of three original MLS franchises never to win the title, along with FC Dallas and the New England Revolution. The Galaxy finished 17-0-3 this season at their frequently renamed suburban stadium, where the sellout crowd of 26,812 for the final included several robust cheering sections of Red Bulls supporters hoping to see their New Jersey-based club's breakthrough. But this season was about the Galaxy's rebirth. The club famous for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier "Chicharito" Hernández swiftly turned itself into a contender again by acquiring young talents without international fame. The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and grabbed Paintsil, a Ghanaian playing in Belgium. The duo combined with Joveljic to form a potent attack with orchestration from Puig, one of MLS' best players. "Losing a guy like Riqui after the performance he put in all season was devastating," McCarthy said. "Even if he wasn't on the field, we did it for him." Get local news delivered to your inbox!Victoria's Secret & Co. Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results