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President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak at a meeting of the House GOP conference, followed by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., last week in Washington. Alex Brandon/Associated Press NEW YORK — A number of President-elect Donald Trump ‘s most prominent Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks,” Trump’s transition team said Wednesday. The FBI said it was investigating. “Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them,” Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. She said the attacks ranged from bomb threats to swatting, in which attackers initiate an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretenses. The tactic has become a popular one in recent years. Leavitt said law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted and Trump and his transition team are grateful. Among those targeted were New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations; Matt Gaetz, Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general; and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin, who has been tapped to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Law enforcement officials are also looking into whether Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming chief of staff, and Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general whom Trump has chosen as Gaetz’s replacement, and other incoming administration officials were also victims – as well as how each was targeted, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity as the investigation continues. Wiles and Bondi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI said in a statement that it was “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees” and was investigating with its law enforcement partners. The FBI added: “We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.” A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message. My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops. We are thankful for the swift... — Lee Zeldin (@LeeMZeldin) November 27, 2024 White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma said President Biden had been briefed and the White House is in touch with federal law enforcement and Trump’s transition team. Biden “continues to monitor the situation closely,” Sharma said, adding the president and his administration “condemn threats of political violence.” Stefanik’s office said that, on Wednesday morning, she, her husband, and their 3-year-old son were driving home from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence in Saratoga County. Her office said “New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism.” The New York State Police said a team was dispatched to sweep Stefanik’s home on Wednesday morning in response to the bomb threat but did not locate any explosive devices. The agency directed further questions to the FBI. Zeldin said in a social media post that he and his family had been threatened. “A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message,” he wrote on X . “My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops.” Police in Suffolk County, Long Island, said emergency officers responded to a bomb threat Wednesday morning at an address listed in public records as Zeldin’s home and were checking the property. In Florida, the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office said on Facebook that it “received notification of a bomb threat referencing former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area” around 9 a.m. Wednesday. While a family member resides at the address, the office said, Gaetz “is NOT a resident.” No threatening devices were found. Gaetz was Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, but he withdrew from consideration after allegations that he paid women for sex and slept with underage women. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him. The threats follow a political campaign marked by disturbing and unprecedented violence. In July, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the then-candidate in the ear with a bullet and killing one of his supporters. The Secret Service later thwarted a subsequent assassination attempt at Trump’s West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course when an agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through a perimeter fence while Trump was golfing. Trump was also the subject of an Iranian murder-for-hire plot, with a man saying he had been tasked with planning the assassination of the Republican president-elect. Also this week, authorities arrested a man they say posted videos on social media threatening to kill Trump, according to court documents. In one video posted on Nov. 13, Manuel Tamayo-Torres threatened to shoot the former president while holding what appeared to be an AR-15 style rifle, authorities said Among the other videos he posted was one from an arena in Glendale, Arizona on Aug. 23, the same day Trump held a campaign rally there, according to court papers. An attorney for Tamayo-Torres did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Public figures across the political spectrum have been targeted in recent years by hoax bomb threats and false reports of shootings at their homes. About a year ago the FBI responded to an uptick in such incidents at the homes of public officials, state capitols and courthouses across the country around the holidays. Many were locked down and evacuated in early January after receiving bomb threats. No explosives were found and no one was hurt. Some of those targeted last year were Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. This year, there was not just one but TWO assassination attempts on President Trump. Now some of his Cabinet nominees and their families are facing bomb threats. This is dangerous and unhinged. It is not who we are in America. Joe Biden and all Democrat leaders have an... https://t.co/0xZztX4DQo — Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) November 27, 2024 In Wu’s case, a male caller told police he had shot his own wife and tied another man up. When police and EMT responders arrived at the address given by the caller, they quickly realized it was the Boston mayor’s home. Wu, a Democrat, has also been targeted by many swatting calls since she took office in 2021. The judges overseeing the civil fraud case against Trump in New York and the criminal election interference case against him in Washington were both targeted earlier this year. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who recently abandoned the two criminal cases he brought against Trump, was also the subject of a fake emergency call on Christmas Day last year. Earlier this year, schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials in Springfield, Ohio, received a string of hoax bomb threats after Trump falsely accused members of Springfield’s Haitian community of abducting and eating cats and dogs. And in 2022, a slew of historically Black colleges and universities nationwide were targeted with dozens of bomb threats, with the vast majority arriving during the celebration of Black History Month. The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement Wednesday that anytime a member of Congress is the victim of a swatting’ incident, “we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners.” The force declined to provide further details, in part to “minimize the risk of copy-cats.” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called the threats “dangerous and unhinged.” “This year, there was not just one but TWO assassination attempts on President Trump,” he wrote on X . “Now some of his Cabinet nominees and their families are facing bomb threats.” He added: “It is not who we are in America.” Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Eric Tucker in Washington, Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, and Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, contributed to this report. 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Podge Collins is delighted he is nothing like Floyd Mayweather . The new to-the-scene Celtic Warrior Gym fighter admires the skills of the boxer many aspire to be but isn’t a fan of his style. The latest member of the famous sporting Collins clan knows he will never even flirt with being as technical as the all-time great but doesn’t care. Collins is more of a blood-and-guts operator and is content knowing that while he can’t beat the multi-weight world champ for technique he can trump him in the entertainment stakes. Speaking to Irish-boxing.com ahead of his second pro outing on the JB Promotions Chapter 2 card at the Warehouse on Friday, Collins explained: “Rough and tough. I like to stand and bang. The likes of Mayweather, he’s an unbelieve boxer and everyone loves him, but he’s brutal to watch. There’s no excitement about him. The whole point of the game is to be exciting that’s what people want. I’m not fond of that frustrating style. You want to bring a bit of excitement and a bit of enjoyment to the crowd, put on a performance.” He may not want to be like Mayweather but the 24-year-old has no choice but to carry the Collins name. As the son of legendary LOI manager, Roddy and the nephew of one of Ireland’s greatest-ever boxers, Steve Collins as well as respected coach Paschal Collins there is extra spotlight on his career. However, he is adamant that doesn’t generate extra pressure. “The Collins name is so popular in the sports world and I’m very very proud to have it, but I’m not letting that get to me. When I step into the ring I’m not thinking of the Collins name, I’m just thinking of myself as a man and what I can go in and do. “I still have to earn things myself and I have to work hard to get that success. When I step in the ring the name means nothing but outside the ring it’s great to have because a level of respect comes with it. But again I have to earn my own respect and that’s what I’m in the process of doing.”Gettman kicks go-ahead FG as Villanova ends Delaware's FCS-era with a 38-28 win in finale
The Latest: UnitedHealthcare shooting suspect contests his extradition back to New YorkTaoiseach Simon Harris said he also wanted to tell Nikita Hand, a hair colourist from Drimnagh, that her case had prompted an increase in women coming forward to ask for support. Ms Hand, who accused the sportsman of raping her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, won her claim against him for damages in a civil case at the High Court in the Irish capital on Friday. The total amount of damages awarded to Ms Hand by the jury was 248,603.60 euro (£206,714.31). Mr McGregor said in a post on social media on Friday that he intends to appeal against the decision. That post has since been deleted. Speaking to the media on Saturday, Mr Harris said he told Ms Hand of the support she has from people across Ireland. “I spoke with Nikita today and I wanted to thank her for her incredible bravery and her courage,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that she knew how much solidarity and support there was across this country for her bravery. “I also wanted to make sure she knew of what the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre had said yesterday – that so many other women have now come forward in relation to their own experiences of sexual abuse as a result of Nikita’s bravery.” The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said the case has had a “profound effect” on the people the charity supports, and that over the first 10 days of the High Court case, calls to its national helpline increased by almost 20%. It said that first-time callers increased by 50% compared to the same period last year, and were largely from people who had experienced sexual violence who were distressed and anxious from the details of case and the views people had to it. Mr Harris said: “I wanted to speak with her and I wanted to wish her and her daughter, Freya, all the very best night, and I was very grateful to talk with Nikita today. “Her bravery, her courage, her voice has made a real difference in a country in which we must continue to work to get to zero tolerance when it comes to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. “I don’t want to say too much more, because conscious there could be further legal processes, but I absolutely want to commend Nikita for her bravery, for her courage, for using her voice.” Justice Minister Helen McEntee praised Ms Hand’s bravery and said she had shown “there is light at the end of the tunnel”. She said: “I just want to commend Nikita for her bravery, for her determination and the leadership that she has shown in what has been – I’ve no doubt – a very, very difficult time for her and indeed, for her family. She added: “Because of wonderful people like Nikita, I hope that it shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that there are supports available to people, and that there is justice at the end of the day.” Ms Hand said in a statement outside court on Friday that she hoped her case would remind victims of assault to keep “pushing forward for justice”. Describing the past six years as “a nightmare”, she said: “I want to show (my daughter) Freya and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.” During the case, Ms Hand said she was “disappointed and upset” when the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided not to prosecute the case after she made a complaint to the Irish police. In a letter to her in August 2020, the DPP said there was “insufficient evidence” and there was not a reasonable prospect of conviction. Ms Hand asked the DPP to review the decision, saying she felt she was being treated differently because one of the suspects was famous. Asked about the DPP’s decision not to prosecute, Mr Harris and Ms McEntee stressed the importance of the DPP’s independence on whether to prosecute. “There are obviously structures in place where the DPP can meet a victim and can outline to them their reasons for not taking the case,” Mr Harris said. “But there’s also always an opportunity for the DPP in any situation – and I speak broadly in relation to this – to review a decision, to consider any new information that may come to light, and I don’t want to say anything that may ever cut across the ongoing work of the DPP.” Ms McEntee stressed that there should “never be any political interference” in the independence of the DPP’s decisions. “I have, since becoming minister, given priority to and enabled a new office within the DPP to open specifically focused on sexual offences, so that this issue can be given the focus and the priority that it needs,” she said.
If you've checked your emails or scrolled through social media lately, you will likely have been bombarded with emails and ads about Black Friday sales. As the fictional Australian character Darryl Kerrigan once proved, it can be hard to resist a bargain. "If you get ‘em for half price, it’s a bargain,” he said in the film The Castle while considering the purchase of a secondhand pair of jousting sticks. But while Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales seem to start earlier every year, encouraging Australians to potentially make even more purchases than the last, more content creators are turning to social media to discourage consumption. When is Black Friday this year? Black Friday sales originated in the United States, where businesses offered sales on the day after Thanksgiving. Online retailers soon coined the term 'Cyber Monday' for sales offered on the following Monday. This year, Black Friday falls on 29 November. But some brands appear to have started early. Marketing and social media expert Meg Coffey, who lives in Perth but is originally from the US, said she finds it bizarre this sale has caught on in Australia. "It used to be because malls were the only things open on the Friday after Thanksgiving, you've been cooped up inside and the only place you could go was the movies or the mall," she said. "But Australia doesn’t even have Thanksgiving." Australians buy more new clothes than anyone else. Meet the people trying to change that Coffey said she had noticed more online adverts and emails about Black Friday sales this year. "They seem to have started at the beginning of November," she said. Financial educator Serina Bird said she had noticed the sales were happening "earlier and earlier every year". "It's quite phenomenal how this has really replaced the Boxing Day sales," she said. She said the timing of Black Friday sales was just far enough from Christmas to avoid "a mad rush the week before" and meant items could be shipped in time for the exchange of gifts. Increased retail activity as a result of Black Friday sales has previously been observed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which also noted in 2023 that retailers had begun their sales earlier and run them for longer, compared to previous years. Myer and David Jones are among the department stories that had dropped prices more than two weeks ahead of the official Black Friday. Source: Getty / Roni Bintang According to the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), more Australians than ever are expected to participate in Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales this year, with many driven by a quest to purchase gifts at sales prices. "Shoppers are set to spend a record $6.7 billion during the four days, an increase of 5.5 per cent compared to the same time last year," the ARA said in a statement. It comes amidst a cost of living crunch , where Australians are having to spend more money on the basics of everyday life, which is putting financial pressure on some people's household budgets. While inflation may be slowing, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has acknowledged some Australians "are still under pressure", with cash strapped households having to cut back on non-essential items to pay for basics. Underconsumption core But some content creators on social media are pushing back. Accounts, such as those run by British woman Charlie Gill (@lifebeforeplastic on Instagram) and American Alyssa Barber (NewsLifestyleABB on Youtube) share anti-materialism content about reducing consumption. They're referred to by some as "de-influencers". These creators may post content using hashtags such as #unaesthetic or #nonaesthetic that feature everyday items deemed functional, but not desirable by others. They talk about reusing or repurposing items they own and resisting new ones, often labelling their content as "underconsumption core". As well as espousing environmental and financial benefits, such de-influencers also often share posts about appreciating what they already have and enjoying experiences rather than items. What is de-influencing? De-influencing emerged as a growing trend on social media at the beginning of 2023. It challenged the status quo on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, where influencers use the social capital they build with their followers to create desirability for certain products. Content creators began offering negative feedback on items, calling out over-hyped products and even suggesting cheaper alternatives to high-end makeup and skincare ranges. Shasha Wang, a senior lecturer in the school of advertising, marketing and public relations at the Queensland University of Technology, said there is a growing number of people on social media who are urging people to put greater consideration into their purchases. She said the de-influencer movement, which resulted in content creators providing more than just positive reviews of items, had "evolved" as more individuals sharing sustainability messages on social media grew their followers. When the term was first used, Wang argued it was "not actually talking about de-influencing". "They just wanted to say, 'don't buy that product, buy mine'. But now I think it's evolving in a way that people who are really interested in encouraging less consumption and environmental protection have started finding their voice on social media." What influence do de-influencers have? Wang believes the trend is a "positive" one, and could act as a reminder to consumers to put greater consideration into some of their purchases. However, she does not think the movement would make a huge difference on spending in the current and upcoming sales. "The impact won't be large enough that half the people stop buying [items] ... I don't think so," she said. Bird thinks the movement has potential to prompt change on an individual level. “[It is] really important because it forces people to think," she said. Coffey questioned the motivation of de-influencers, suggesting most influencers wanted to try to sell something. I'm a trad woman. I think other women secretly wish they were too Bird, who hosts the podcast The Joyful Frugalista and has previously sold her own financial course, said many de-influencers were not selling a product. "Some people really do need regular guidance and need those kinds of structures in place, and it can actually be really helpful for a lot of people.” Retailers saying no to Black Friday sales Meanwhile, some brands are not taking part in Black Friday sales — including Australian knitwear label Wah Wah, whose owner believes the practice "encourages over-consumption as well as unconsidered design". "I 100 per cent understand why you might buy essentials when on sale (especially during a cost of living crisis !!!). I just don't believe in having big mark-ups so you can afford to have big sales," Kaylene Milner wrote on Instagram. Speaking to SBS News, she said that as a small business, if she was to heavily discount her pieces, she would not make a profit. To keep her business profitable, Milner sells directly to the public. Source: Supplied There are a number of costs involved in running Wah Wah Australia the way that Milner wants to operate as a "slow fashion" label. She says her products are made from merino wool, artists she works with are paid royalties, her manufacturing supply chain is audited to ensure a certain standard of conditions for workers and her products are delivered in reusable, recycled and compostable packaging. Despite this, Milner said she was not tempted to do those things differently in order to increase profits. Echoing the sentiment of de-influencers who often post about the importance of quality over quantity, she said she was proud that each item she sold was valued and appreciated. Bird said she understood why small businesses may not run a Black Friday sale. “Small business owners are often not in the place where they can really compete with those kind of loss leaders to get people on their side, as they are quite different in terms of how they are set up,” she said. Why are we compelled to buy? Bird admits the discounts offered as part of Black Friday sales can be tempting. "Shiny object syndrome is a real thing and you might not think you needed that whizz bang thing, but it’s there and just because something’s cheap doesn’t mean that you need it," she said. Challenging the giants: The people leading Australia's 'unsupermarket revolution' Wang said brands often used the idea of "scarcity" to prompt people to buy products. "Basically it appeals to people's fear of missing out, they say this sale has a limited time and a limited quantity, so these kind of limited offerings make people feel like, 'Oh, if I don't make the decision quickly, I may lose this good deal.'”A TikTok sale under Trump? Experts say it could actually happen this time