WASHINGTON — The United States is expected to announce that it will send $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Friday, as the Biden administration pushes to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on Jan. 20. The large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155 mm- and 105 mm artillery rounds, officials said. The officials, who said they expect the announcement to be made on Monday, spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. The new aid comes as Russia has launched a barrage of attacks against Ukraine’s power facilities in recent days, although Ukraine has said it intercepted a significant number of the missiles and drones. Russian and Ukrainian forces are also still in a bitter battle around the Russian border region of Kursk, where Moscow has sent thousands of North Korean troops to help reclaim territory taken by Ukraine. Earlier this month, senior defense officials acknowledged that that the Defense Department may not be able to send all of the remaining $5.6 billion in Pentagon weapons and equipment stocks passed by Congress for Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in. Trump has talked about getting some type of negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, and spoken about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin . Many U.S. and European leaders are concerned that it might result in a poor deal for Ukraine and they worry that he won't provide Ukraine with all the weapons funding approved by Congress. The aid in the new package is in presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to take weapons off the shelves and send them quickly to Ukraine. This latest assistance would reduce the remaining amount to about $4.35 billion. Officials have said they hope that an influx of aid will help strengthen Ukraine’s hand, should Zelenskyy decide it’s time to negotiate. One senior defense official said that while the U.S. will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine until Jan. 20, there may well be funds remaining that will be available for the incoming Trump administration to spend. According to the Pentagon, there is also about $1.2 billion remaining in longer-term funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is used to pay for weapons contracts that would not be delivered for a year or more. Officials have said the administration anticipates releasing all of that money before the end of the calendar year. If the new package is included, the U.S. has provided more than $64 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, in push to get aid out before leaving officeTHE UnitedHealthcare CEO killer left cops dumbfounded before his eventual capture - thanks to a ghost gun. Luigi Mangione is the main suspect in the brutal slaying of Brian Thompson in Manhattan last week, with the 26-year-old currently being held in Pennsylvania without bail. MASSIVE PROBLEMS He is fighting extradition to New York City , where he is facing second-degree murder after a tense five-day manhunt ended in a McDonalds restaurant in Pennsylvania on Monday. His lawyer claimed there was "zero" evidence tying Mangione to the crime - yet cops found a ghost gun, silencer, several other fake IDs, and a three-page handwritten manifesto. Peter Forcelli, a former federal agent and whistleblower in Barack Obama's botched attempt to stop firearms falling into the hands of Mexican cartels, told The U.S. Sun earlier this year about his fears over President Joe Biden's "lazy" attempt to curb ghost gun usage. The former ATF deputy assistant director wants criminal - not guns - dealt with to curb violence on the streets. Read more on the CEO killing The firearm that was built by the alleged perpetrator, from parts probably purchased online or in the black market with the help of a 3D printer, proved impossible to track and severely hindered the search process. Problems arise as the cops have no serial numbers or any purchase trace. Investigators lose crucial leads, such as identifying the manufacturer, the place, and when the item was bought. Anyone can build them using unregulated, unfinished frames or receivers—the pieces that contain the firing mechanism. OWNERSHIP ISSUES Cops were up against it from the very start, and Forcelli told The U.S. Sun that because a ghost gun was used, authorities were led down a "dead end" in their search for Thompson's killer. Most read in The US Sun "With the identification pathways gone, it makes it much harder to establish how the firearm changed hands or how it ended up in the suspect’s possession," he said. Under US law, people are permitted to make a gun and not place a serial number on them. Ownership and usage of ghost guns vary between states. But it is a felony in New York to own one. Further problems occur, however, with laws varying between states and officials needing to realize which ones pertain to the cases they are dealing with. Forcelli says authorities will hammer the killer with extra charges as a result. According to Pennsylvania authorities, the pistol had a plastic handle, a metal slide, and a threaded metal barrel. "In New York, possessing a pistol with a threaded barrel, a silencer, or an unserialized firearm is a felony. Those offenses would compound the murder charges and affect the final sentencing," added Forcelli, a former NYPD homicide cop. COMPLICATED PATCHWORK SYSTEM He was at pains to point out, however, that the fragmented nature of gun laws in the United States creates a multitude of headaches for authorities desperate to curb violence on the streets. Silencers, like the one used in the brazen killing, have to, according to the expert, be registered with the ATF, and a transfer tax must be paid. "Whether this individual complied with those regulations, I don’t know," Forcelli continued. "And here’s the thing—those records are confidential. The ATF would be the only authority that knows whether he followed the process to obtain a silencer legally." The number of ghost guns recovered by law enforcement in the United States has surged dramatically in recent years, increasing by 398% between 2016 and 2020. Over those five years, approximately 24,000 were confiscated by police. "This patchwork system complicates enforcement," said Forcelli, who is a cancer survivor, having battled the disease as a result of a heroic effort to help aid the 9/11 rescue effort. "In contrast, countries like Canada have a unified approach to firearm regulations, which makes compliance and enforcement more straightforward." MANGIONE, 26, was regarded as a beloved, clever and wealthy man by his family, friends and all who knew him. He was born and raised in Maryland, where he was valedictorian of his high school graduating class at Gilman School in Baltimore. He had no prior criminal history and was said to have been a model student, soccer player, and all-round athlete at high school. One former student from the Gilman School told The U.S. Sun Mangione was "popular" and had a "big circle of friends." "We went to the same school but didn't really have the same friends. I'm really shocked by this whole thing," the former student, who asked not to be identified, said. "I think he played soccer, it was an all-boys school, so being a good athlete got you social currency for sure." After, Mangione graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied computer and information science, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also got his masters from the Ivy League school. Mangione was reportedly a data engineer at a car company in California before moving to Hawaii. His cousin is also Republican Maryland House of Delegates member Nino Mangione. President Biden's efforts to address the issue of ghost guns reached the U.S. Supreme Court for the first time in April, with a follow-up hearing originally scheduled for October. However, that hearing never materialized. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) proposed requiring serial numbers and background checks for buyers of ghost guns. These measures faced significant opposition from gun owners, as well as organizations like the Firearms Policy Coalition and the Second Amendment Foundation. Still, such regulations might have prevented this tragic incident altogether. "There hasn’t been significant progress on that front," Forcelli sighed. "The Supreme Court hasn’t fully weighed in on the relevant limitations or clarifications. So, as it stands under federal law, a person can legally manufacture a firearm for personal use without a serial number. "Possessing such a gun in itself isn’t a crime under federal law." New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced on Wednesday that the three shell casings recovered at the scene of Thompson's shooting matched the firearm found in Mangione's possession at the time of his arrest. Additionally, Mangione's fingerprints were discovered on a water bottle and a snack located near the spot where 50-year-old Thompson was killed. Mangione has received sympathy across various social media platforms and has even been labeled a "hero" by ghoulish fans. BRIAN Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot to death in Manhattan in an execution-like killing. Here is everything we know about Thompson's murder so far. Monday, December 2 - Thompson travels from his home in Minnesota to New York City for an investor conference in Midtown Manhattan. Wednesday, December 4, 6:45 am - Thompson walks from his hotel across the street to the New York Hilton Midtown and is murdered by a masked shooter . The execution was caught on surveillance, and the suspect was seen biking away toward Central Park. Cops spark a citywide search for the assassin. 11:30 am - Cops released disturbing images of the execution, offered a reward for information, and made a desperate plea for New Yorkers to keep their eyes out. 12:00 pm - Thompson's estranged wife Paulette revealed her husband had been threatened before he was shot. 2:45 pm - Cops released more eerie images of the suspect ordering at Starbucks that partially revealed his face. The U.S. Sun confirmed the coffee shop was just two blocks away from the shooting, but it's unclear when he stopped by. December 5, 6 am - Reports claim the words "deny," "dispose," and "defend" were engraved on live rounds and shell casings left behind by the assassin. These words echo the book Delay, Deny, Defend, which is about the failings of the healthcare industry. The author of the book had no comment on the reports. 8 am - Cops raid a hostel in the Upper West Side of New York City where the suspect is said to have stayed. It's believed he wore a mask for most of the time he was there. 11 am - A person of interest in Thompson's murder is pictured . He's wearing a hood in the photo, but his full face could be seen breaking into a beaming grin. Still, no arrests have been made in the investigation. Afternoon - Law enforcement confirms the suspect arrived in New York City on a Greyhound bus on November 24. It's also confirmed that the suspect dropped a burner cell phone near the scene of the shooting. December 6, 3 pm - Police announce they believe the killer has left New York City via interstate bus. They release more surveillance footage that shows him taking a taxi to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station. December 9 - Luigi Mangione, 26, is arrested as a "strong person of interest" at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was carrying a three-page manifesto, fake IDs, and a gun similar to the one used in Thompson's murder. Mangione was arrested on Monday and swiftly charged withThompson's. Photos showed Mangione munching on a McDonald's hash brown minutes before cops swooped in and handcuffed him. He appeared in court for the first time on Monday evening for an arraignment on gun and forgery charges. New York prosecutors also later filed second-degree murder charges against Mangione for the December 4 assassination of Thompson. He now faces two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, one count of second-degree possession of a forged document, and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon in New York. Mangione's attorney, Thomas Dickey, has repeatedly preached his client's innocence and claims he hasn't seen any evidence that Mangione is "the right guy." When he was hauled back into court on Tuesday, Mangione was seen unleashing a frantic outburst at anyone within earshot while cops dragged him inside the building. He screamed that the situation was "out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people." At least three deputies grabbed Mangione , clutching him by his neck as they shoved him into the Blair County Courthouse in Pennsylvania , where his appeal for bail was denied. It comes as cops are continuing to look into a number of leads on motive following Mangione's capture. One of the theories behind why he may have become a killer involves his pals claiming he turned "absolutely crazy" after an agonizing back surgery . Read More on The US Sun X-ray pictures posted by Mangione show he suffered from a misaligned spine, which was reportedly made severely worse following a surfing accident. Former classmates claimed that an operation went wrong and that this could have driven the Maryland man to the brink.
ace vs wild weasel
。
Man United coach Amorim says argument between Hojlund and Diallo a 'very good sign' Manchester United teammates Rasmus Hojlund and Amad Diallo exchanged words after the final whistle of a 2-1 victory on Thursday. And manager Ruben Amorin has no problem with it. Plzen,Czech Republic, The Associated Press Dec 12, 2024 3:51 PM Dec 12, 2024 4:05 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund, right, challenges for the ball with Plzen's Sampson Dweh during the Europa League soccer match between Viktoria Plzen and Manchester United at the Doosan Arena in Plzen, Czech Republic, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Manchester United teammates Rasmus Hojlund and Amad Diallo exchanged words after the final whistle of a 2-1 victory on Thursday. And manager Ruben Amorin has no problem with it. “For me, it’s a very, very good sign,” Amorin said after his team beat Viktoria Plzen to stay unbeaten in the Europa League. Hojlund scored two goals and hoped for a centering pass from Diallo to go for a hat trick in the final minutes. The Denmark striker didn't get the pass, though. Viktoria had been pushing forward looking for an equalizer, which created space for United counters. On another break shortly afterward, Hojlund opted to keep the ball. The pair then had a heated post-game exchange. “We need to feel something,” Amorin said. “If we need to fight each other, it's like a family. When you don't care, you don't do nothing. When you care — you fight with your brother, with your mother, your father.” ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer Plzen,Czech Republic, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Soccer Barcelona grabs last quarterfinal spot in Women's Champions League with 3-0 win in Stockholm Dec 12, 2024 3:17 PM Hojlund scores twice for Man United to beat Viktoria Plzen 2-1 in Europa League, Tottenham held 1-1 Dec 12, 2024 2:40 PM Nearly half of US teens are online 'constantly,' Pew report finds Dec 12, 2024 2:03 PM
House control won’t last long
US ski star Mikaela Shiffrin said Wednesday that she's "starting to feel a little bit more human" after suffering a puncture wound in a giant slalom crash but confirmed she won't race at Beaver Creek, Colorado, this month. "This is another fairly ambiguous injury and really hard to put a timeline of when I'll be either back on snow or back to racing," Shiffrin said in a video posted on social media. "But I do know that I will not be starting in Beaver Creek."
Ange Postecoglou searching for answers over Tottenham’s injury crisisEntrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy , who will lead a new " Department of Government Efficiency " in Donald Trump ‘s administration joined Tesla CEO Elon Musk in sharply criticizing the SEC following a federal court decision. The Fifth Circuit Court ruled that the SEC acted unlawfully in approving Nasdaq's diversity quota policy, a move that critics argue represents government overreach. Ramaswamy's pointed criticism came in response to a tweet summarizing the court's decision. "When an agency like the SEC is so repeatedly & thoroughly embarrassed in federal court for flouting the law, it loses its legitimacy as a law enforcement body,” he said . The court's ruling, authored by Judge Andrew Oldham , deemed the SEC's approval of Nasdaq's policy as exceeding its legal authority. The policy required corporate boards to meet diversity quotas based on race, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity—or provide written explanations for failing to comply. The court's opinion pointed out that the SEC's mandate is to ensure fair and honest markets, not to enforce politically motivated identity politics. Also Read: BlackRock: ‘Reasonable Range’ Of Bitcoin Allocation In Multi-Asset Portfolios Is Between 1-2% (UPDATED) Musk added to the chorus of criticism, replying to a tweet by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), who labeled the SEC as an "independent commission" that "cannot be trusted." Musk described the SEC as "just another weaponized institution doing political dirty work." This backlash against the SEC coincides with the announcement of SEC Chair Gary Gensler 's resignation , effective Jan. 20, 2025, as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. Gensler, who was appointed by President Biden in April 2021, has faced significant criticism for his regulatory approach, particularly toward cryptocurrencies . During his tenure, Gensler likened the crypto industry to the "Wild West" and pursued aggressive enforcement actions against major players like Coinbase COIN and Binance , accusing them of operating unregistered securities exchanges. While Gensler emphasized investor protection and market integrity, critics argued that his actions stifled innovation and failed to provide clear regulatory guidelines. Read Next: Shiba Inu Whale Shibtoshi Turned 37 ETH Into $5 Billion With SHIB: Here’s What Happened Next Photo: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
CBC resurrects plans for live New Year's Eve broadcast specialsBlackbaud Announces Impairment Charge Related to EVERFI Assets