TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jake Evans scored for the career-high fifth consecutive game and the surging Montreal Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Sunday night. Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, Brendan Gallagher and Alex Newhook also scored to help the Canadiens win for the fifth time in six games. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves. Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel scored for Tampa Bay. Jonas Johansson stopped 31 shots. Newhook opened the scoring on a one-timer midway through the first period. Hagel tied it 37 seconds into the second period, but Dvorak and Evans scored 5:54 apart in the period for a two-goal Montreal lead they would not relinquish. Canadiens: Montreal has scored four or more goals in six consecutive games. ... The Canadiens snapped a four-game losing streak to Tampa Bay. Lightning: LW Jake Guentzel missed the game because of an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. ... Tampa Bay fell to 0-7-1 when scoring fewer than three goals. After Hagel tied it 7 seconds into the second period, the Canadiens' Lane Hutson took a hooking call 13 seconds later to give Tampa Bay a power play. But Montreal’s penalty kill held the Lightning without a shot during the man advantage. Evans' five-game goals streak is tied for the longest active run in the NHL. Montreal is at Vegas on Tuesday. Tampa Bay is at San Jose on Thursday night. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Mangaluru: With the advent of artificial intelligence , we are exceedingly well-connected with the world; nevertheless, paradoxically, we are experiencing profound isolation, said Govindan Rangarajan, director, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. He was addressing the 22nd Convocation Ceremony (morning session) of the National Institute of Technology Karnataka Surathkal, on Saturday. In his address, he focussed on artificial intelligence and its influence, which has gained paramount importance in contemporary times. After elaborating on the advantageous aspects of AI, he discussed how this technology is affecting the social dynamics of individuals. "We all are connected to the world with smartphones but have forfeited our capability to interact with our friends and families offline. This is a substantial ramification of technology and AI. Social media and algorithms fabricate an illusion of connectivity, whilst research indicates escalating solitude. Families frequently gather yet engage with devices rather than each other," he said. "Secondly, AI has influenced one's perception of truth. We may revert to believing solely what we personally witness. However, with the proliferation of deepfake, AI mimic, and others, this notion is disputable now. AI mimic can deceive a person into believing they are conversing with their distressed child over the phone. But the actuality differs. Even empathy, traditionally a human characteristic, can be replicated by AI trained on human experiences. Rangarajan added that studies demonstrate AI-generated messages being perceived as more empathetic than doctors' empathetic messages to patients," he said. "The counsel is to cherish human relationships, sustain direct family connections beyond social media, and cultivate creativity and critical thinking. These competencies will distinguish humans in an AI-dominant world," he told the young graduands. Maharashtra Jharkhand Maharashtra Alliance View i Party View Seats: 288 L + W Majority: 145 BJP+ 229 MVA 47 OTH 12 Leads + Wins : 288 / 288 BJP+ WON Jharkhand Alliance View i Party View Seats: 81 Results Majority: 41 INDIA 56 NDA 24 OTH 1 Results : 81 / 81 INDIA WON Source: PValue Highlighting positive outcomes of AI, he said that it gained widespread attention after ChatGPT's introduction, approximately two years ago. "Some experts consider it as revolutionary as the discovery of fire in human history. There is a tendency to overstate technology's immediate effects whilst underestimating its long-term influence. AI will significantly influence our activities. AI's influence extends to laboratory automation in Liverpool, potentially affecting chemistry students' traditional roles. Similarly, AI impacts coding, particularly entry-level programming, offering faster, more cost-effective solutions than human programmers," he said. Hence, he asked the graduates to shift focus towards these abilities rather than basic coding. "Even chip design, with its countless configurations, now benefits from AI's superior capabilities in component placement and operational design," he added.
Hardly any PM would have done so much for J&K: Omar Abdullah praises Manmohan Singh for his contributions
We're quickly approaching the new year, and that means fans are speculating about what the next 12 months holds for their favorite pro wrestlers. Wrestling is a year-round business, so there is no beginning and end of the season like there is in most professional sports, but we still view the new year as a fresh start in many ways, especially in WWE when WrestleMania season kicks in. Between AEW and WWE, there are over 200 wrestlers working at every level. There is only so much TV time to go around, so that means bookers have to make tough choices about who to feature in prominent roles. There are some people at the top who are practically guaranteed to be given heavy screen time like Jon Moxley and Roman Reigns, but the rest of the rosters have to fight for every opportunity. Let's take a look at 10 people AEW and WWE need to push in 2025. Brody King has been featured as a member of House of Black, but he has proved on several occasions that he can shine as a singles star, too. His matches with Darby Allin have been well-received by fans, but he has come up on the losing end more often than not in that feud. While there is still life left in the HOB stable, seeing King get a run with a singles title in 2025 would raise his stock significantly. He is a talented powerhouse who has displayed the ability to work with opponents of any size to produce fun and brutal encounters. There is no reason why he shouldn't be a top contender for the TNT or International Championship at some point. Gunther was always the main focus of Imperium, but over the past year, Ludwig Kaiser has proved he is a valuable asset. Mr. A+ Everything is a great heel who can get the crowd to boo him at the drop of a hat, but his real value lies in his in-ring ability. Kaiser is a versatile wrestler with the ability to work with just about anybody. He is big enough to give powerhouses like Sheamus a good fight, but he isn't so big that he makes everyone else look small by comparison. He has enough speed to keep up with the high-flyers and enough technical ability to ground anyone. He's the kind of talent who can be trusted to put on a great performance every night. Lee Moriarty's technical ability has earned him praise and acclaim from across the wrestling world, but he is more than just a good hand. Moriarty has shown a lot of charisma in recent months. Joining forces with Shane Taylor Promotions has allowed him to embrace his heel side a bit more and show some of his character. Unfortunately, ROH is seen by fewer people than all other AEW programming, so his run as the pure champion and character developments have flown under the radar. Moriarty should be featured on AEW television more in 2025, especially if the company wants to live up to its "Where the best wrestle" catchphrase. His Final Battle match against Nigel McGuinness was a clinic and proof that he has more than enough skill to hang with the best in AEW. The NXT system has been hit or miss when it comes to creating homegrown talent for WWE, but one man who seems destined for greatness is Oba Femi. His power and athleticism already set him apart from most of the roster, but it's his presence that really makes him stand out. Few people are as intimidating as he is and that makes him valuable. The former North American champion has that indefinable quality that makes someone an ideal candidate to be a world champion someday. It's impossible to describe, but you know it when you see it. Femi's WWE future is bright as long as he stays out of trouble and keeps himself healthy. The only one who can get in his own way is himself at this point. Athena is the longest-reigning champion in ROH history and has had one of the best title reigns in all of pro wrestling, but the majority of fans have only seen a fraction of it. Just about every ROH title has been defended on AEW TV and PPVs, but for some reason, Athena is almost never included in these events. She has been carrying the ROH brand on her back for the better part of two years while having banger matches and producing great feuds. The fact that only a small percentage of fans have gotten to see it feels like a crime. When her reign eventually ends, Tony Khan needs to move her to AEW programming immediately. Not only would she be a great rival for many women on the roster, but she deserves a chance in the spotlight after all of her hard work. When Chad Gable aligned himself with The Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile, a lot of us hoped it would be a great opportunity for all of them to finally be seen as the talented wrestlers they are. So far, that has not been the case. Gable and the Creeds have had some good matches here and there, but they have yet to be given a substantial push and a real storyline, and that is doubly true for Ivy Nile. She has the look, the physical ability and the skill to be a standout performer in the women's division. It makes WWE's lack of effort to push her confusing. She would have been a perfect choice to be the inaugural women's intercontinental champion, but WWE had her lose in the first round of the tournament. If she isn't given more to do in 2025, the only people to blame will be management because she has done everything WWE has asked of her, and she's done it well. AEW has a lot of women who are good in the ring, but it takes more than wrestling ability to be a top star. It takes personality, charisma and a willingness to do things other won't for the sake of entertaining the crowd. Harley Cameron has all of those qualities and more. She has only been wrestling for AEW since May but has already racked up 29 matches between AEW and ROH programming. Granted, she has lost most of them, but her growth in that time has been tremendous. Not only does she throw herself into every match without fear, but she has quickly become one of the most entertaining personalities in the company. She doesn't care if you are laughing at her or with her as long as she is making you laugh. She can sing, she can do ventriloquism, she can wrestle, and she can crack a joke. If AEW doesn't push her as a babyface at some point, it's going to be a huge mistake. When Shayna Baszler defeated Ronda Rousey in her last WWE match, it seemed like management was poised to give her the push she has deserved for so long. Boy, were we mistaken. The Queen of Spades should already be a multi-time women's champion at this point in her career, but for some mysterious reason, she has never been given that spotlight. She has one of the most legitimately intimidating personalities on the roster, and she has real skill to back it up. How she hasn't been positioned as a monster heel who bulldozes her opponents is a headscratcher. When the women's Intercontinental title was revealed, it seemed like a perfect opportunity for her, but WWE booked her to lose in the first round of the tournament. 2025 needs to be the year WWE finally commits to pushing her or it's never going to happen. Ricochet has been a great addition to the AEW roster, but the company needs to give him a substantial push in 2025 if it wants to get the most out of him. He's already proved countless times that he can steal the show against opponents of all sizes, but he's never been given a chance to really sink his teeth into the character side of the business. In WWE, Ricochet was rarely used to his full potential. He can be so much more than just a high-flyer, and AEW is in a position to let him prove it. He seems to be entering into some kind of storyline with The Hurt Syndicate. Whether it ends with him becoming a member of the group or its enemy is what remains to be seen. Even a run as the ROH world champion would give him the opportunity to show he can carry a brand. Let's just hopes he leaves some of his recent antics on social media in the past. Ever since Jacob Fatu arrived on the scene in WWE, fans have been interested in him. He has an aura that is completely unique, and that is something you can't underestimate in this business. Solo Sikoa had something similar when he was first called up to the main roster. He was the silent enforcer who struck fear into the hears of everyone, including his own Tribal Chief at times. Now, Fatu fills that role in the new Bloodline while Sikoa has grown into a vocal leader. The way WWE has booked him has helped add to his mystique. Fans went from not knowing much about him to wanting to see him challenge for championships in the span of a couple of months. At the very least, a run with the IC or U.S. title would allow WWE to test the waters. If he can have a successful midcard title reign, it wouldn't be surprising to see The Samoan Werewolf in the main event scene by 2026.Airport surfaces most likely to have a deadly virus lurking on them
ATLANTA — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A president from Plains A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. And then, the world Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors. He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” ‘An epic American life’ Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners. He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. A small-town start James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian, would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. 'Jimmy Who?' His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise’ Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. 'A wonderful life' At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015. “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.”
Kuwait’s digital transformation gains momentum in 2024
President-elect has , to join his next administration as his “Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing.” Compared to some of Trump’s other choices — like for defense secretary and (who has since withdrawn) for attorney general — Navarro appears at first blush to be a tame choice. He is not dogged by personal sex scandals. And he has substantial formal qualifications for the job — he is a Harvard-trained economist and was a tenured professor at the University of California. But his policy knowledge and more buttoned-up appearance shouldn’t obscure the reality that he is very much a stick of Trumpian dynamite. The president-elect chose Navarro for his fanatical devotion to two causes: economic nationalism and Trump himself. Navarro can serve as a relatively competent lieutenant — at least by Trump’s standards — while the president pursues his promised radical agenda on tariffs and China. He can also be trusted to help Trump undermine democratic institutions and sit in on top conversations with Trump that could potentially be legally incriminating — and not flip on his boss. The Navarro pick comes just months after he was released from a four-month prison sentence after being convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress. Navarro refused to comply with a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. As , Navarro had a significant role in Trump’s efforts to deny the results of the 2020 election: Navarro defied the subpoena, claiming he could not be compelled to provide documents or testimony due to executive privilege. That is the concept that, , “presidents can shield their aides from having to share internal communications with Congress when it is conducting oversight.” But a federal judge that Navarro failed to prove that Trump had blocked him from testifying to the select committee. Navarro former White House official to be imprisoned for a contempt of Congress conviction. In other words, even though Trump didn’t come to Navarro’s rescue, Navarro went to jail refusing to say anything that might strengthen the case against Trump. What explains his extreme devotion? It doesn’t hurt that they have similar personality traits, such as grandstanding and a tenuous relationship with the truth. “I still have some principles. But not as many as you might think because I don’t have any concern at all about making stuff up about my opponent that isn’t exactly true,” Navarro in 1998 while reflecting on his many failed efforts to win public office. But their main link is a shared interest in fierce economic nationalism, protectionist views on trade and outright paranoia about China. Navarro is formally trained as an economist, but he stands on the fringe of his field in his hostility toward free trade and his views on how tariffs work. That position made him appealing to Trump long before Trump’s presidential run. Trump a blurb endorsing Navarro’s 2012 alarmist documentary “Death by China,” a film adapted from his book by the same name. Navarro that book as a “survival guide” to outmaneuvering “the planet’s most efficient assassin,” cautioning against and prescribing a trade war to generate new jobs in the U.S. His antipathy toward Beijing goes well beyond economics: Navarro also China’s growing military to Nazi Germany and counseled an aggressive defense posture toward China. Navarro played a key role in shaping Trump’s trade strategy during his first term, and his return signals Trump is as serious as ever about pursuing an aggressive tariff strategy, unraveling free trade norms and agreements, and potentially escalating trade wars with China, as well To the extent that Navarro influences high-level conversations on China policy, he’s likely to have a high threshold for risk when it comes to destabilizing the complicated and competitive U.S.-Chinese relationship. Perhaps the best illustration of the kind of figure Navarro is in Trump World — industrious, wonky, obedient — is that even when he was in prison this year for refusing to comply with an inquiry into his involvement in efforts to overturn the election, he was for a future Trump administration. While incarcerated he also mocked his former “globalist” rivals within the first Trump administration in correspondence . And in August, just hours after being released from prison, he the audience classically Trumpian sounding rhetoric at the Republican National Convention: “If they can come for me, if they can come for Donald Trump, be careful. They will come for you.” Does he believe it? Who knows. But Navarro knows that his political window is open for a little longer.
AP Top 25: Alabama, Mississippi out of top 10 and Miami, SMU are in; Oregon remains unanimous No. 1 Alabama and Mississippi tumbled out of the top 10 of The Associated Press college football poll and Miami and SMU moved in following a chaotic weekend in the SEC. Oregon is No. 1 for the sixth straight week and Ohio State, Texas and Penn State held their places behind the Ducks. The shuffling begins at No. 5, where Notre Dame returned for the first time since Week 2 after beating Army for its ninth straight win. No. 6 Georgia and No. 7 Tennessee each moved up two spots. Miami, SMU and Indiana round out the top 10. Jannik Sinner leads Italy past the Netherlands for its second consecutive Davis Cup title MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Jannik Sinner clinched Italy's second consecutive Davis Cup title and capped his breakthrough season at the top of tennis by beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (2), 6-2 for a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the final of the team competition in Malaga, Spain. Matteo Berrettini won Sunday's opening singles match 6-4, 6-2 against Botic van de Zandschulp. The Italians are the first country to win the Davis Cup twice in a row since the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013. The No. 1-ranked Sinner stretched his unbeaten streak in singles to 14 matches and 26 sets. Netherlands reached the Davis Cup final for the first time. Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump. St. Louis Blues fire Drew Bannister and hire Jim Montgomery as coach The St. Louis Blues have fired coach Drew Bannister and hired Jim Montgomery as his replacement. The 2022 Jack Adams Award winner, Montgomery joins the Blues five days after he was fired by the Boston Bruins. Bannister had been on the job in St. Louis for less than a year since succeeding Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube and getting the interim tag removed after last season. The Blues have lost 13 of their first 22 games. Montgomery spent two seasons as an assistant on Berube's staff in St. Louis between coaching Dallas and Boston. The team signed Montgomery to a five-year contract. Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, dies at 85 Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title when he hit a major league-best .366 for the Atlanta Braves, has died. He was 85. Major League Baseball, the players’ association and the Braves have paid tribute to Carty on social media. A family friend told Listín Diario — a newspaper in Carty’s native Dominican Republic — that he died Saturday night in an Atlanta hospital. Carty made his big league debut with the Braves in September 1963. He batted .330 with 22 homers and 88 RBIs in his first full season in 1964, finishing second to Dick Allen in voting for NL Rookie of the Year. The Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta after the 1965 season, and Carty got the franchise’s first hit in its new home on April 12, 1966, against Pittsburgh. Dartmouth sorority, two members of fraternity face charges after student who attended party drowned HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity faces charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party. The Hanover, New Hampshire police department, where Dartmouth is located, said Friday that Alpha Phi was charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house. Two members of the Beta Alpha Omega face a charge of providing alcohol to a person under 21. Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had attended an off-campus party in July hosted by Alpha Phi sorority. Police said the alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards are marching in downtown Barcelona to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living." The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States. The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. In cities like Barcelona, rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Verstappen captures 4th F1 championship after Mercedes sweep of Las Vegas Grand Prix LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen cruised to a fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship Saturday night by finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Verstappen needed only to finish ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren to give Red Bull a fourth straight driver championship. The Dutchman started fifth but was already up to second by the 10th lap around the street circuit that includes the famed Las Vegas Strip. Norris, who had to score at least three points more than Verstappen to extend the championship fight, finished sixth. The race was won by George Russell who was followed by Lewis Hamilton in the first 1-2 sweep for the Mercedes drivers since 2022. 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator' make gravity-defying theater debuts NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday. Jason Kelce's wife announces she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife is announcing she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Kylie Kelce posted a photo on Instagram on Friday of the couple's three young daughters reacting to the news. The oldest daughter, Wyatt, appears to be cupping her head in shock. The middle daughter, Ellioette, is smiling. The youngest, Bennett, is in tears. A caption attached to the photo reads: “I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister. At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page!”Airport surfaces most likely to have a deadly virus lurking on them