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winph 777 PML-N senior leader Senator Talal Chaudhry has said that the PML-N, as a major stakeholder in the coalition government, is dedicated to strengthening its partnership with the PPP. Talking to a private news channel the other day, Chaudhry highlighted that the government has successfully steered the country out of economic and political crises. He noted that both the PML-N and PPP have played pivotal role in stabilising the political landscape while emphasising that the sustainability of democracy depends on the smooth functioning of the political system. He reassured that the PML-N remains committed to resolving all issues through mutual consultation. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our

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Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs win at the buzzer again, topping Panthers 30-27 on Shrader's field goalRepublican New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu suggesting on CNN on Sunday that billionaire Elon Musk is not influenced by money as he is expected to take on a role in President-elect Donald Trump 's incoming administration has raised eyebrows across social media. Newsweek has reached out to Sununu's office and Musk via email for comment. Why It Matters Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX who has been appointed by Trump to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency or (DOGE), alongside biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy , has been a staunch ally and financial backer of Trump's in this year's election cycle. The appointment of Musk has raised concerns as the billionaire, who frequently posts his political opinions on X, formerly Twitter , which he bought in October 2022, has continued to be a leading government contractor as government policy and congressional spending directly impacts his businesses. As one of Trump's top allies, Musk has also demonstrated his influence in the incoming administration, playing a key role in the collapse of the bipartisan spending agreement earlier this month. Musk urged Republican lawmakers to reject the bill, which some House Democrats allege was motivated by its restrictive investment provisions targeting China. Musk, who has reached a net worth of $436.8 billion, has had deep business ties with China and often speaks favorably of the country that shares a tense relationship with the U.S. and the Republican Party . What To Know Appearing on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, Sununu, who did not seek reelection this year, was asked by host Dana Bash about concerns that Musk's financial dealings with the government might impact how he approaches his new role in DOGE. "As much as people say, 'Well Elon is a billionaire outsider,' first, I don't mind that they're billionaires. I like people that are successful. What's the difference if they're a billionaire or broke? I'd rather have someone successful. And I like that it's an outsider, and an engineer, and not a politician," Sununu said. Bash noted that "one of the criticisms and the concerns is that he [Musk] has billions of dollars tied up in government contracts." "You don't see a conflict of interest here?" she asked the GOP governor. "Everyone has a conflict of interest at some level. The guy's worth 450 billion as of today and this month. So, I don't think he's doing it for the money," Sununu said. "He's doing it for the bigger project and the bigger vision of America. He doesn't need the dollars, he really doesn't. So, it's not about 'If I get involved in this, I'll get another little contract here or there.' That's nothing to him. I like the fact that in a way he's so rich he's so removed from the potential financial influence of it." Sununu's comments come after he previously endorsed former South Carolina Governor and ex-United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley in the 2024 Republican primary. After Haley dropped out of the race, Sununu, who has criticized Trump in the past, said he'd support his presidential bid. What People Are Saying Since Sununu's remarks on Sunday, some have taken to X to raise questions and concerns. CNN anchor Jim Sciutto wrote on X, "Where is the precedent for exempting the super rich from conflict of interest laws or standards in government or in business? Robber Baron era?" Eric Columbus, an Obama administration appointee to the Department of Justice (DOJ) wrote: "The world's richest man got that way by not caring about money. I am very smart, put me on TV." Media outlet MeidasTouch posted: "Imagine debasing yourself on live tv like this." Republicans against Trump wrote: "He obviously doesn't believe this crap, but he has to kiss President Musk's ring. So embarrassing." Steve Bannon previously told Newsweek via text message on Friday, "I've always been public about my deep reservations concerning Elon's financial ties to the CCP [Chinese Communist Party]—the Tesla joint venture underpins his entire business empire and they control it." Bannon also told Newsweek he doesn't believe that Musk didn't support the bipartisan spending bill over its China provisions. Musk's Financial Dealings Tesla has received various tax breaks and incentives to support its operations. Tesla Gigafactory in Nevada was given $330 million in tax breaks on the basis it invested $3.6 billion over 10 years in the factory's expansion, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported in 2023. The tax breaks were approved by the Nevada governor's Office of Economic Development, and in 2014, Tesla was also awarded $1.3 billion in incentives, the newspaper added. Musk's SpaceX company has also secured a number of major contracts with NASA , including a $2.89 billion agreement in April 2021 to develop a human lander that could safely carry the next two American astronauts to the lunar surface. The company has also been awarded contracts by the Department of Defense, along with other organizations to provide launch services for the U.S. Space Force. It was announced on June 13 that SpaceX, Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance (ULA) would receive contracts worth up to $5.6 billion across the fiscal years between 2025 and 2029. What Happens Next While DOGE does not currently exist and the president-elect didn't offer many details about how it would operate or how it would be staffed, if at all. Trump's statement when announcing the department last month said DOGE "will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget."

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Trailing by one at the 40-yard line with 14 seconds to play and no timeouts, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent in a play known as “church” to Luke Altmyer. The quarterback was to hit a receiver who was to go to the ground immediately. The offense would rush to the line of scrimmage and Altmyer would spike the ball to set up a potential winning field goal. Pat Bryant caught the pass at the 22 and then called his own split-second audible. Seeing a path to the end zone, the star receiver ran across the field on the way to the winning touchdown with 4 seconds left, sending the Illini to a wild 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday. “Coach called a perfect play," Bryant said. "A play we run all the time in our two-minute drill. I caught the ball and saw the sideline and saw nobody was over there. I had one guy to beat. I gave him a little move. I heard everybody jump and say ’Get out, get out,' but I put trust in myself and scored a touchdown.” Bryant's ninth TD reception of the season capped a roller-coaster finish to a Big Ten game that featured three lead changes in the final 3:07. Illinois (8-3, 5-3) was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short. After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Bielema sent his offense back on the field. “Pat is so aware of his surroundings," Bielema said after Bryant finished with seven catches for a career-high 197 yards. “He saw that corner and took off.” Schiano didn't second-guess his timeout but said he should have called it well before Moczulski kicked. “They made one more play than we did,” Schiano said. Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) gave up a safety on the final kickoff return, throwing a ball out of bounds in the end zone as players passed it around hoping for a miracle touchdown. Altmyer was 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns. He put Illinois in front with a 30-yard TD run with 3:07 to go. He passed to Josh McCray on the 2-point conversion, making it 30-24. Rutgers responded with a 10-play, 65-yard drive. Athan Kaliakmanis had a 15-yard run on fourth down. He passed to running back Kyle Monangai for a 13-yard TD with 1:08 remaining. Illinois then drove 75 yards in eight plays for the win. “That's big-time football,” Monangai said. "They made a great play at the end of the game. I think we we played our hearts out to the end, to the very end, even that last play. Illinois did the same. They’re a great team. The chips fell their way today.” Kaliakmanis was 18 for 36 for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 13 carries for 84 yards and two TDs. Monangai had a career-high 28 carries for 122 yards. Kaliakmanis found Ian Strong for a 2-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the first half, and he scored on a 1-yard run to lift Rutgers to a 24-15 lead early in the fourth quarter. Illinois responded with Aidan Laughery’s 8-yard TD run, setting the stage for the dramatic finish. The start of the second half was delayed because of a scrum between the teams. There were no punches thrown and the officials called penalties on both schools. Monangai’s day Monangai become the third player in Rutgers history to rush for 3,000 yards when he picked up 4 on a third-and-1 carry early in the second quarter. The defending conference rushing champion joins Ray Rice and Terrell Willis in hitting the mark. The takeaway Illinois: The great finish keeps the Illini in line for its first nine-win season since 2007 and a prestigious bowl game this season. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights were seconds away from their first in-conference three-game win streak since joining the Big Ten in 2014. Up next Illinois: At Northwestern next Saturday. Rutgers: At Michigan State next Saturday. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-pollThe world according to Jim: • The Commissioner of Baseball seems to have gotten out over his skis. Whether it was boredom, a desperate attempt to placate the game’s TV benefactors or a sincere desire to make the game better – and we’ll leave that for you to judge – the latest “innovation” he offered this week has to be a non-starter. • His brainstorm? The “golden at-bat.” Basically, allowing a team to use its best hitter, out of order, in a singular key situation, to artificially create a dramatic matchup. Maybe it was the Shohei Ohtani-Mike Trout confrontation at the end of the USA-Japan final in the World Baseball Classic two years ago. Or maybe it really was a TV executive, or a member of MLB’s crack marketing staff (sarcasm intended), who floated this test balloon. Time to ground it. ... • Classic confrontations can’t, and shouldn’t, be manufactured. That goes against not only the charm of baseball but the entire nature of the game. The great matchups and great late moments of the past happened organically. Gibson vs. Eckersley . in Game 1 in 1988. Bill Mazeroski vs. Ralph Terry on the final at-bat of the 1960 World Series. Or Joe Carter taking Mitch Williams deep for a Game 6 walkoff that decided the 1993 Series. Or, yes, Freddie Freeman vs. Nestor Cortes, in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series. And this is a reminder that one manager does have control over such matchups, and the Yankees’ Aaron Boone isn’t living this one down for a while. Yankees fans do have long memories. (See below.) ... • If those matchups are artificially obtained rather than organic, how long before we become bored and start referring to them as “tin can at-bats?” Then again, to Manfred one piece of metal must be no different from another. ... • Are Yankees fans jaded? You judge. The night the Dodgers won Game 5 in Yankee Stadium, Dodgers fans were still on the field and in the stands celebrating as 2 a.m. Eastern time approached . (And for others, the subway platform was party central that night.) Anyway, walking out of the ballpark after filing for West Coast deadlines, I informed the security guy at the media gate that there were still hundreds of Dodger fans celebrating inside the ballpark, two hours or so after the game had ended. His response: “Well, we still have 27 of them,” meaning championships. I didn’t remind him that his team’s drought was now 15 seasons. ... • There have been just three equal or longer droughts in Yankees history. Can you name them? Answer below. ... • So why are we reminiscing about the World Series? Have you seen the Lakers play recently? ... • The late Chick Hearn used to have a line that would pretty well alert you that things weren’t going well, even if you were listening to the radio half of the simulcast. “The Lakers are STANDING, “ he would say in a scolding, cranky grandpa tone. (And before you interpret that as a criticism, it’s not. I’ve used that tone.) Maybe John Ireland and Mychal Thompson on radio and Bill Macdonald and Stu Lantz on TV should resurrect it. ... • It’s bad enough when the Lakers stand around offensively. JJ Redick let it be known the other night that his team needed to get back to ball and player movement, and that’s sort of a basketball fundamental. But when you’re standing around on defense – or worse, taking your own sweet time getting back downcourt – that’s trouble. ... • It’s obvious that Father Time – who remains undefeated, by the way – is taking his toll on LeBron James. The goal of playing all 82 games, which James set before the season began, seems counterproductive at this point. ... • And there is a wrinkle in the league’s player participation rules, established last year and designed to make sure the stars are on the floor, especially in nationally televised games. A player who is over 35 or has more than 34,000 regular-season minutes or 1,000 regular-season and playoff games can sit out one game of a back-to-back, though it has to be preapproved by the league. If Adam Silver’s office needs convincing, I’m sure the Lakers’ video people can put together plenty of clips of James coasting back up the court. ... • Things that make you shake your head: The A’s signed free-agent pitcher Luis Severino, three years at $67 million, the largest contract in franchise history. It would serve them right if he bails on them before they get to Las Vegas in 2028 (or thereabouts). ... • Quiz answer: The Yankees have gone 19 years without winning a World Series (at the start of the franchise’s existence, 1903-23), 18 years (1978-95) and 14 years (1962-76). Otherwise, their fans don’t have that much to complain about. ... • The hubbub over college football winners planting the flag on the turf of the losers reached its nadir with a set of skirmishes last weekend, including a brawl in Columbus, Ohio, that had the cops using pepper spray to try to calm things down between Michigan and Ohio State. This may be simplistic – and there are some coaches, including Penn State’s James Franklin and Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, who have shown they can defuse such situations before they ignite – but how about this solution: Play better, and if you lose, own it. ... jalexander@scng.com