Old friends Conners and Henderson reunite at Grant Thornton InvitationalLebanon said Israeli strikes Thursday on the country's east and south killed 52 people, as raids also hit south Beirut and Hezbollah claimed its deepest attack on Israel in over a year. More than 11 months of cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah over the Gaza conflict escalated into all-out war in September, with Israel conducting an extensive bombing campaign, primarily targeting Hezbollah strongholds, and sending ground troops into southern Lebanon. "Israeli enemy strikes that targeted the Baalbek district" in east Lebanon's Bekaa Valley left "40 dead and 52 wounded", a health ministry statement said, listing tolls for 10 different locations. Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) said a couple and their four children were killed in a strike on a house in the village of Maqneh, while another couple and their young daughter were among 11 people killed in a raid on nearby Nabha. The ministry also reported "seven dead and 24 wounded" in "Israeli enemy strikes" on south Lebanon's Nabatiyeh district, and "five dead and 26 wounded" in strikes elsewhere in south Lebanon. In Israel, first responders said a man was killed after rocket fire from Lebanon hit the Galilee region in the country's north. In Beirut's southern suburbs, the NNA reported at least 12 strikes throughout Thursday, after relative calm while US envoy Amos Hochstein visited earlier this week, seeking to broker an end to the Israel-Hezbollah war. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee on social media platform X issued several rounds of evacuation warnings for Beirut's southern suburbs, as well as areas in and around the southern coastal city of Tyre, but none for east Lebanon. AFPTV footage showed columns of smoke rising from the southern suburbs, usually a densely populated residential district but now largely emptied. Adraee said on X that the Israeli military "targeted a weapons depot, a command headquarters and terrorist infrastructure" belonging to Hezbollah in south Beirut. Amid a series of attack claims, Hezbollah said its fighters targeted "the Hatzor air base" near Israel's southern city of Ashdod, around 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Lebanon's southern border, "with a missile salvo" -- its deepest target in more than a year of hostilities. In 10 separate statements, Iran-backed Hezbollah said its fighters also targeted Israeli troops in and near the south Lebanon town of Khiam, including with artillery, rockets and drones. The NNA said "the enemy army" was "blowing up homes and residential buildings during its incursion into the town". Lebanon's official news agency and Hezbollah have reported fighting and air strikes in the Khiam area ever since Israeli ground troops first entered Lebanon on September 30. Earlier Thursday, United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert visited Baalbek's UNESCO-listed archaeological area, after the UN's cultural body this week granted more than 30 heritage sites in Lebanon "provisional enhanced protection" amid the war. Lebanon's health ministry said Thursday that at least 3,583 people had been killed in the violence since October 2023. Most of the deaths have been since September this year. The Israeli military said Wednesday that three soldiers were killed in south Lebanon, bringing to 52 the number killed in Lebanon since the start of ground operations. bur-lg/giv
What happens next with Alex Jones' Infowars? No certainty yet after sale to The Onion is rejectedAscend Wellness Holdings Announces Share Buyback Program
Cowboys Fall to Nevada in Charleston
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Deshawn Purdie threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to O’Mega Blake for the go-ahead score and Charlotte defeated Florida Atlantic 39-27 on Saturday in a game that matched two new interim coaches. Charlotte (4-7, 3-4 American Athletic Conference) fired Biff Poggi on Monday and Tim Brewster took over. FAU (2-9, 0-7) fired Tom Ferman, also on Monday, with Chad Lunsford taking charge. After Blake’s third touchdown catch of the game that came with 5:25 left, the 49ers extended their lead when Tyriq Starks was strip-sacked by Ja’Qurious Conley and 335-pound Katron Kevans carried it 22 yards into the end zone. Blake made five catches for a career-high 205 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown. Purdie was 16 of 30 for a career-best 396 yards passing with the three scores plus an interception. The 49ers only rushed for 46 yards. Stephen Rusnak kicked four field goals. Starks was 12-of-23 passing for 179 yards including a 65-yard score to Omari Hayes in the final minute of the third quarter to get FAU within six of the 49ers. CJ Campbell rushed 58 yards to score early in the fourth quarter and the Owls had a 27-26 lead. Campbell finished with 150 yards on 21 carries. ___ AP college football: and . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter:For the second day in a row on Thursday, congressional testimony from top national security officials about threats to the homeland was postponed over an apparent disagreement between officials and lawmakers about whether the hearings should be held in public. FBI Director Christopher Wray, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Brett Holmgren, the acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, were scheduled to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in an annual public hearing titled “Threats to the Homeland.” About an hour and a half before it was set to begin, it was postponed. A new date was not immediately scheduled. A companion hearing before the House Committee on Homeland Security set for Wednesday was also postponed. The FBI and DHS quickly defended themselves against bipartisan criticism Thursday morning. Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Gary Peters, D-Mich., called it a “shocking departure” from a 15-year tradition that “robs the American people of critical information and the opportunity for public accountability of what the federal government is doing to keep Americans safe.” In a statement, the FBI National Press Office said the bureau has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to transparency and cooperation with congressional oversight. “We remain committed to sharing information about the continuously evolving threat environment facing our nation and the extraordinary work the men and women of the FBI are doing — here at home and around the world — to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. FBI leaders have testified extensively in public settings about the current threat environment and believe the Committee would benefit most from further substantive discussions and additional information that can only be provided in a classified setting,” the statement said. In its own statement, the DHS pointed out that Mayorkas has testified before Congress 30 times during his tenure. “DHS and the FBI have offered to the Committee a classified briefing to discuss the threats to the homeland in detail, providing the Committee with the information it needs to conduct its work in the months ahead. DHS and the FBI already have shared with the Committee and other Committees, and with the American public, extensive unclassified information about the current threat environment,” the statement said, referencing the recently published Homeland Threat Assessment. The National Counterterrorism Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence plays a supporting role to the FBI and DHS in these hearings. Peters said the DHS and FBI’s “claims that they can only relay such information and respond to questions in a classified setting are entirely without merit.” Committee member Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., reacted to news of the postponement on Fox News. “They have not given a reason other than they did not want to testify in an open setting on these issues,” Lankford said. “Again, the American people need to know. We’ve got multiple threats that are out there.” Have a news tip? Contact Ahtra Elnashar at aelnashar@sbgtv.com . Content from The National Desk is provided by Sinclair, the parent company of FOX45 News.The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has begun sending over $72 million in refunds to consumers as part of a December 2022 settlement with Epic Games . The settlement resolved the FTC’s allegations that the Epic Games tricked consumers into making unwanted purchases, the regulator said in a Monday (Dec. 9) press release . The FTC sent 629,344 total payments Monday and will distribute more at a later date , according to the release. The average payment is around $114. The first distribution amount in this case is the seventh largest the FTC has ever sent, according to the regulator’s interactive dashboards for refund data. The FTC alleged that Epic Games, the maker of the video game Fortnite, tricked players into making unwanted purchases by using design tactics called “dark patterns ,” let children rack up unauthorized charges without parental involvement , and blocked some users who disputed unauthorized charges from accessing content they purchased , according to the release . When announcing the settlement in December 2022, FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said in a press release: “As our complaints note, Epic used privacy-invasive default settings and deceptive interfaces that tricked Fortnite users, including teenagers and children. Protecting the public, and especially children, from online privacy invasions and dark patterns is a top priority for the commission, and these enforcement actions make clear to businesses that the FTC is cracking down on these unlawful practices.” Epic Games said at the time in a statement posted on its website that the video game industry experiences fast-moving innovation, that player expectations are high and that decades-old statutes don’t specify how today’s gaming ecosystems should operate. “The laws have not changed, but their application has evolved and long-standing industry practices are no longer enough,” the firm wrote in the Dec. 19, 2022, statement. “We accepted this agreement because we want Epic to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players.” In the first round of payments sent Monday, half were sent in the form of PayPal payments and half were sent as checks, per the release . “Consumers selected their payment method when they completed their claim form ,” the release said.
By FARNOUSH AMIRI, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz said Friday that he will not be returning to Congress after withdrawing his name from consideration to be attorney general under President-elect Donald Trump amid growing allegations of sexual misconduct. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz told conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, adding that he has “some other goals in life that I’m eager to pursue with my wife and my family.” The announcement comes a day after Gaetz, a Florida Republican, stepped aside from the Cabinet nomination process amid growing fallout from federal and House Ethics investigations that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The 42-year-old has vehemently denied the allegations against him. Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general had stunned many career lawyers inside the Justice Department, but reflected Trump’s desire to place a loyalist in a department he has marked for retribution following the criminal cases against him. Hours after Gaetz withdrew, Trump nominated Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, who would come to the job with years of legal work under her belt and that other trait Trump prizes above all: loyalty. It’s unclear what’s next for Gaetz, who is no longer a member of the House. He surprised colleagues by resigning from Congress the same day that Trump nominated him for attorney general. Some speculated he could still be sworn into office for another two-year term on Jan. 3, given that he had just won reelection earlier this month. But Gaetz, who has been in state and national politics for 14 years, said he’s done with Congress. “I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” he said.Just A Month Before Christmas, Amazon Has Slashed The Price of The PS5 Slim to a New Record Low
BETHESDA, Md. , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AGNC Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AGNC) ("AGNC" or the "Company") announced today that its Board of Directors has declared cash dividends on the outstanding depositary shares 1 of the following series of preferred stock for the fourth quarter 2024: Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Top trending stories from the past week. News, Sports, and more throughout the week. The week's obituaries, delivered to your inbox.Test your 2024 knowledge from Olympic winners and political events to showbiz highlights and social media subs
Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes officeBrentford boss Thomas Frank claimed Brighton forward Joao Pedro should have been sent off during his side’s goalless Premier League draw at the Amex Stadium. Pedro escaped punishment after swinging an arm at Bees substitute substitute Yehor Yarmoliuk without making contact. VAR reviewed the second-half incident but deemed there was no violent conduct. Frank and Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler disagreed about the decision. “As I understand the rules, you can’t swing your arm to try to hit someone,” said Frank. “If you hit them or not, it’s a red, that’s the way I understand the rules.” Frank spoke to the match officials, including referee Andy Madley, about the flashpoint at full-time. “They haven’t seen the situation yet, not on TV afterwards,” said Frank. “To be fair to him, I think the angle can be tricky so that’s why you’ve got VAR.” Asked about Frank’s assessment, Hurzeler replied: “Interesting opinion. I see it completely different. “For me, it’s not a red card. He tried to get free from a person.” Brighton were booed off after their winless run was stretched to six top-flight games. Albion dominated for large periods and hit the woodwork inside four minutes through Julio Enciso. Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken made some important saves before being forced off injured in the 36th minute, albeit his replacement Hakon Valdimarsson was rarely tested on his Premier League debut. The Seagulls remain 10th ahead of Monday’s trip to Aston Villa, with Brentford a position and two points below moving towards their New Year’s Day showdown with Arsenal. Hurzeler thought the jeers at full-time were unfair. “The team doesn’t deserve that because in all the games we had in the last weeks they were all good, they were all intense, they were all where we thought we deserved more” said the German, whose team have lost to Fulham and Crystal Palace and drawn with Southampton, Leicester and West Ham in recent matches. “We try to work hard to satisfy our supporters, we try to give them what they deserve, we try to make them proud. “But the Premier League is tough. We know there will be (tough) periods we have to go through, especially with this young squad. “We try to stick together, find the positive and keep on going.” Brentford, who remain without a top-flight away win this term, had an early Yoane Wissa finish ruled out for offside following VAR intervention but barely threatened, despite an improved second-half showing. Frank, who is awaiting news on Flekken and defender Ben Mee, who also left the field injured, said: “I thought it was a fair point. “Brighton were better in the first half, no big, clearcut chances, and I thought we were better second half. “Overall, I’m happy with the performance, especially the way we defended. “We haven’t had too many clean sheets this season, so in that context I thought it was very impressive against a good Brighton team. “We know we have a lot of players out – we get two more injuries during the game. “The way the players showed their mentality and character and dug in was hugely impressive.”European countries suspend Syrian asylum decisions after Assad's fall
A Nanaimo-area teen has been given a dream gaming rig intended to not only entertain him, but also enrich his life. Blair Haslam, 18, lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a degenerative disease which affects mobility. He is passionate about video games and with the assistance of the Help Fill A Dream Foundation, now has a gaming system, including high-end monitors, hardware, headset and microphones, and a custom-made gaming chair. He received the computer equipment Tuesday, Dec. 10 at Country Grocer in Cedar. The new gear will allow him to play games that wasn't able to play previously, as well as livestream his gaming. "I want to be a streamer, I want to stream games to people, hopefully to make them smile," said Haslam. Blair's mother Jennifer expressed gratitude to the foundation and said the fulfilled dream will do wonders. "Blair has had this dream for a long time, even when his sisters were trying to convince him that a trip would be a really good idea, he really has been focused on this one dream," she said. "It really helps him connect with friends, and puts him on the level playing field with all his peers, because he is an equal in those games." Haslam was given four shopping carts full of equipment. "This gives him the ability to do so much in terms of communication with other gamers and everything online,” said Craig Smith, foundation executive director. "There's also some educational components that he's built into there, but also it's giving him some freedom and a sense of self and independence." Haslam is currently playing Marvel Rivals, a third-person shooter featuring characters from the comic-book universe. Over the past two years, the Help Fill A Dream Foundation has raised more than $50,000.
By FARNOUSH AMIRI, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz said Friday that he will not be returning to Congress after withdrawing his name from consideration to be attorney general under President-elect Donald Trump amid growing allegations of sexual misconduct. “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz told conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, adding that he has “some other goals in life that I’m eager to pursue with my wife and my family.” The announcement comes a day after Gaetz, a Florida Republican, stepped aside from the Cabinet nomination process amid growing fallout from federal and House Ethics investigations that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The 42-year-old has vehemently denied the allegations against him. Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general had stunned many career lawyers inside the Justice Department, but reflected Trump’s desire to place a loyalist in a department he has marked for retribution following the criminal cases against him. Hours after Gaetz withdrew, Trump nominated Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, who would come to the job with years of legal work under her belt and that other trait Trump prizes above all: loyalty. It’s unclear what’s next for Gaetz, who is no longer a member of the House. He surprised colleagues by resigning from Congress the same day that Trump nominated him for attorney general. Some speculated he could still be sworn into office for another two-year term on Jan. 3, given that he had just won reelection earlier this month. But Gaetz, who has been in state and national politics for 14 years, said he’s done with Congress. “I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress,” he said.
The Detroit Lions will play without two high draft picks in rookie cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. while possibly getting back veteran Emmanuel Moseley against the host Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Arnold was downgraded Saturday from questionable to out because of a groin injury. He was limited at practice on Thursday and participated in a full practice on Friday. The Lions drafted Arnold with the 24th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Alabama. Arnold, 21, has started all 10 games and has 38 tackles and six passes defended. Rakestraw (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve after not practicing all week. He already had been ruled out for Sunday's game. Detroit picked Rakestraw in the second round (61st overall) out of Missouri. He has played in eight games and has six tackles. Rakestraw, 22, has played on 46 defensive snaps (8 percent) and 95 special teams snaps (42 percent). Moseley had full practice sessions all week and was activated from injured reserve on Saturday but was listed as questionable for Sunday. The 28-year-old is in his second season with Detroit and appeared in one game last season before going on IR in October 2023. He was placed on IR on Aug. 27 with a designation to return. Moseley played from 2018-22 for the San Francisco 49ers and had 162 tackles, four interceptions -- one returned for a touchdown -- and 33 passes defensed in 46 games (33 starts). Detroit elevated linebacker David Long on Saturday for game day. Long, 28, signed with the practice squad on Tuesday after the Miami Dolphins released him on Nov. 13. He had started six of eight games for the Dolphins this season and had 38 tackles. In other Lions news, the NFL fined wide receiver Jameson Williams $19,697 for unsportsmanlike conduct for making an obscene gesture during a touchdown celebration in last Sunday's 52-6 home win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the NFL Network reported Saturday. Williams, 23, scored on a 65-yard pass from Jared Goff with 12:55 remaining in the third quarter. --Field Level MediaLuigi Mangione, 26, was thrust into the spotlight Monday after police revealed his identity as their person of interest, crediting his arrest to a tip from a McDonald's worker. He has been connected by police to the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week in broad daylight, in a case that has laid bare deep frustrations and anger with the nation's privatized medical system. News of his capture triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media try to understand who he is. While some lauded him as a hero and lamented his arrest, others analyzed his intellectual takes in search of ideological clues. A photo on one of his social media accounts includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine, though no explicit political affiliation has emerged. Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." character Luigi, sometimes depicted in AI-altered images wielding a gun or holding a Big Mac. "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. "I want to donate to your defense fund," added another. According to Mangione's LinkedIn profile, he is employed as a data engineer at TrueCar, a California-based online auto marketplace. A company spokesperson told AFP Mangione "has not been an employee of our company since 2023." Although he had been living in Hawaii ahead of the killing, he originally hails from Towson, Maryland, near Baltimore. He comes from a prominent and wealthy Italian-American family, according to the Baltimore Banner. The family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, per the club's website. A standout student, Mangione graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. In an interview with his local paper at the time, he praised his teachers for fostering a passion for learning beyond grades and encouraging intellectual curiosity. He went on to attend the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where he completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science by 2020, according to a university spokesperson. While at Penn, Mangione co-led a group of 60 undergraduates who collaborated on video game projects, as noted in a now-deleted university webpage, archived on the Wayback Machine. On Instagram, where his following has skyrocketed from hundreds to tens of thousands, Mangione shared snapshots of his travels in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. He also posted shirtless photos flaunting a six-pack and appeared in celebratory posts with fellow members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. However, it is on X (formerly Twitter) that users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo -- an X-ray of a spine with bolts -- remains cryptic, with no public explanation. Finding a coherent political ideology has also proved elusive. Mangione has linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline. In April, he wrote, "Horror vacui (nature abhors a vacuum)." The following month, he posted an essay he wrote in high school titled "How Christianity Prospered by Appealing to the Lower Classes of Ancient Rome." In another post from April, he speculated that Japan's low birthrate stems from societal disconnection, adding that "fleshlights" and other vaginal-replica sex toys should be banned. ia/nroWASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has promised to end birthright citizenship as soon as he gets into office to make good on campaign promises aiming to restrict immigration and redefining what it means to be American. But any efforts to halt the policy would face steep legal hurdles. Birthright citizenship means anyone born in the United States automatically becomes an American citizen. It's been in place for decades and applies to children born to someone in the country illegally or in the U.S. on a tourist or student visa who plans to return to their home country. It's not the practice of every country, and Trump and his supporters have argued that the system is being abused and that there should be tougher standards for becoming an American citizen. But others say this is a right enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, it would be extremely difficult to overturn and even if it's possible, it's a bad idea. Here's a look at birthright citizenship, what Trump has said about it and the prospects for ending it: What Trump has said about birthright citizenship During an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Trump said he “absolutely” planned to halt birthright citizenship once in office. “We’re going to end that because it’s ridiculous,” he said. Trump and other opponents of birthright citizenship have argued that it creates an incentive for people to come to the U.S. illegally or take part in “birth tourism,” in which pregnant women enter the U.S. specifically to give birth so their children can have citizenship before returning to their home countries. “Simply crossing the border and having a child should not entitle anyone to citizenship,” said Eric Ruark, director of research for NumbersUSA, which argues for reducing immigration. The organization supports changes that would require at least one parent to be a permanent legal resident or a U.S. citizen for their children to automatically get citizenship. Others have argued that ending birthright citizenship would profoundly damage the country. “One of our big benefits is that people born here are citizens, are not an illegal underclass. There’s better assimilation and integration of immigrants and their children because of birthright citizenship,” said Alex Nowrasteh, vice president for economic and social policy studies at the pro-immigration Cato Institute. In 2019, the Migration Policy Institute estimated that 5.5 million children under age 18 lived with at least one parent in the country illegally in 2019, representing 7% of the U.S. child population. The vast majority of those children were U.S. citizens. The nonpartisan think tank said during Trump’s campaign for president in 2015 that the number of people in the country illegally would “balloon” if birthright citizenship were repealed, creating “a self-perpetuating class that would be excluded from social membership for generations.” What does the law say? In the aftermath of the Civil War, Congress ratified the 14th Amendment in July 1868. That amendment assured citizenship for all, including Black people. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside,” the 14th Amendment says. “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” But the 14th Amendment didn't always translate to everyone being afforded birthright citizenship. For example, it wasn't until 1924 that Congress finally granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S. A key case in the history of birthright citizenship came in 1898, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Wong Kim Ark, born in San Francisco to Chinese immigrants, was a U.S. citizen because he was born in the states. The federal government had tried to deny him reentry into the county after a trip abroad on grounds he wasn’t a citizen under the Chinese Exclusion Act. But some have argued that the 1898 case clearly applied to children born of parents who are both legal immigrants to America but that it's less clear whether it applies to children born to parents without legal status or, for example, who come for a short-term like a tourist visa. “That is the leading case on this. In fact, it’s the only case on this,” said Andrew Arthur, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports immigration restrictions. “It’s a lot more of an open legal question than most people think.” Some proponents of immigration restrictions have argued the words “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” in the 14th Amendment allows the U.S. to deny citizenship to babies born to those in the country illegally. Trump himself used that language in his 2023 announcement that he would aim to end birthright citizenship if reelected. So what could Trump do and would it be successful? Trump wasn't clear in his Sunday interview how he aims to end birthright citizenship. Asked how he could get around the 14th Amendment with an executive action, Trump said: “Well, we’re going to have to get it changed. We’ll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it.” Pressed further on whether he'd use an executive order, Trump said “if we can, through executive action." He gave a lot more details in a 2023 post on his campaign website . In it, he said he would issue an executive order the first day of his presidency, making it clear that federal agencies “require that at least one parent be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident for their future children to become automatic U.S. citizens.” Trump wrote that the executive order would make clear that children of people in the U.S. illegally “should not be issued passports, Social Security numbers, or be eligible for certain taxpayer funded welfare benefits.” This would almost certainly end up in litigation. Nowrasteh from the Cato Institute said the law is clear that birthright citizenship can’t be ended by executive order but that Trump may be inclined to take a shot anyway through the courts. “I don’t take his statements very seriously. He has been saying things like this for almost a decade," Nowrasteh said. "He didn’t do anything to further this agenda when he was president before. The law and judges are near uniformly opposed to his legal theory that the children of illegal immigrants born in the United States are not citizens." Trump could steer Congress to pass a law to end birthright citizenship but would still face a legal challenge that it violates the Constitution. __ Associated Press reporter Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report. Rebecca Santana, The Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. That’s due in part to the limited testing available for early detection. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they’ve made a breakthrough that could help change that. CODA, the first ever 3D genome profiling technique, was able to make a 3D print of pre-cancerous cells found in a human pancreas. “What we did here is look at tissue in 3D and then map the genetic alterations onto that 3D model,” said Dr. Laura Wood, associate professor of pathology and oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Never before have researchers been able to analyze precancers in this much detail. These precancers don’t show up on traditional radiology exams. That’s why it’s difficult to detect pancreatic cancer early. Researchers say what they’re learning from this technology could eventually teach doctors how to spot the cancer sooner. Here’s how it works: researchers start with microscopic slides, each with a pancreas sample. “We scan all of those slides so you have thousands of images,” said Dr. Ashley Kiemen, assistant professor of pathology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Engineers use a combination of AI and coding to “make these beautiful visualizations to map the tissue,” Keimen said. Then pathologists perform DNA sequencing to examine the cells and learn how some mutate into full-blown cancer. “What are the features of these precancers that are more likely to progress? So, then we know which ones to intervene on,” Wood said. Another key finding: most of us have these precancers in our pancreas. So, researchers are exploring how it only becomes cancer in some of us. The researchers are also now exploring whether this technique can help identify precancers in other organs as well. This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV. Health Spotlight is presented by Community Health Network .Brentford boss Thomas Frank claimed Brighton forward Joao Pedro should have been sent off during his side’s goalless Premier League draw at the Amex Stadium. Pedro escaped punishment after swinging an arm at Bees substitute substitute Yehor Yarmoliuk without making contact. VAR reviewed the second-half incident but deemed there was no violent conduct. Frank and Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler disagreed about the decision. “As I understand the rules, you can’t swing your arm to try to hit someone,” said Frank. “If you hit them or not, it’s a red, that’s the way I understand the rules.” Frank spoke to the match officials, including referee Andy Madley, about the flashpoint at full-time. “They haven’t seen the situation yet, not on TV afterwards,” said Frank. “To be fair to him, I think the angle can be tricky so that’s why you’ve got VAR.” Asked about Frank’s assessment, Hurzeler replied: “Interesting opinion. I see it completely different. “For me, it’s not a red card. He tried to get free from a person.” Brighton were booed off after their winless run was stretched to six top-flight games. Albion dominated for large periods and hit the woodwork inside four minutes through Julio Enciso. Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken made some important saves before being forced off injured in the 36th minute, albeit his replacement Hakon Valdimarsson was rarely tested on his Premier League debut. The Seagulls remain 10th ahead of Monday’s trip to Aston Villa, with Brentford a position and two points below moving towards their New Year’s Day showdown with Arsenal. Hurzeler thought the jeers at full-time were unfair. “The team doesn’t deserve that because in all the games we had in the last weeks they were all good, they were all intense, they were all where we thought we deserved more” said the German, whose team have lost to Fulham and Crystal Palace and drawn with Southampton, Leicester and West Ham in recent matches. “We try to work hard to satisfy our supporters, we try to give them what they deserve, we try to make them proud. “But the Premier League is tough. We know there will be (tough) periods we have to go through, especially with this young squad. “We try to stick together, find the positive and keep on going.” Brentford, who remain without a top-flight away win this term, had an early Yoane Wissa finish ruled out for offside following VAR intervention but barely threatened, despite an improved second-half showing. Frank, who is awaiting news on Flekken and defender Ben Mee, who also left the field injured, said: “I thought it was a fair point. “Brighton were better in the first half, no big, clearcut chances, and I thought we were better second half. “Overall, I’m happy with the performance, especially the way we defended. “We haven’t had too many clean sheets this season, so in that context I thought it was very impressive against a good Brighton team. “We know we have a lot of players out – we get two more injuries during the game. “The way the players showed their mentality and character and dug in was hugely impressive.”
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Novak Djokovic might just have produced tennis’s greatest curveball yet. Even by the standards of his Melbourne theatrics, encompassing 10 titles and one lurid deportation saga, the enlistment of Andy Murray as his coach is a bolt from a clear-blue sky. It counts as the ultimate late-career Hail Mary: will it be the dream move, or will it blow up in their faces? Either way, it promises addictive viewing. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were adversaries throughout their careers but did play as teammates at the Laver Cup in 2022. Credit: Getty Images for Laver Cup At first glance, the idea of Murray as Djokovic’s mentor seems a gimmick, the type of stunt that icons pull to amuse themselves in off-season exhibitions. Except this experiment is heavy with consequence, with Djokovic running out of chances at 37 to break a tie with Margaret Court and win a record 25th major title. His decision to tap into Murray’s wisdom in conquering that final frontier is no mere coincidence. Their paths through life are, as he sees it, intertwined. It is not so much the fact that they were born only seven days apart as the sense that each has helped define the other. Who was across the net when Murray won his first major and his first Wimbledon? Djokovic. And who was the opponent when Djokovic completed the career grand slam? Murray. They have a mutual telepathy when it comes to channelling volatile temperament into competitive defiance. Where better to test this shared understanding than Melbourne Park, the place where they contested four finals in five years? You can see why, on paper, the tie-up appeals to both men. Murray needs greater fulfilment than being a gentleman of leisure in the Surrey stockbroker belt, aimlessly hacking his way around Wentworth. Djokovic, on the other hand, requires fresh impetus ahead of potentially his final season, a kindling of the fire as he attempts to surmount the age gap to Jannik Sinner, 23, and Carlos Alcaraz, 21, the two fearless wunderkinds who have usurped him at the summit. The Serb was alarmingly flat in losing to Sinner in this year’s Australian Open semi-finals, as if stunned by the Italian’s power. It is difficult to envisage any such listlessness under Murray’s tutelage. On the contrary, the coach’s likely message is that if Djokovic can turn the tables on the next generation once – as against Alcaraz in the Olympic final – then he can do so again. The doubt is whether Murray can stay calm enough as a sounding board for Djokovic to deliver. His own coaching team required the patience of Job to deal with his mid-match outbursts, as he lacerated them for everything from poor shot selection to not applauding him loudly enough. Djokovic is no saint in this department either: just ask Goran Ivanisevic, whom he berated furiously in Melbourne in January for failing to look at him. Is Murray the type to sit in his box and accept similar treatment with good grace? Not unless he has undergone some Damascene conversion since retiring. Celebrity coaches are hardly novel in these settings. Murray savoured his finest results under Ivan Lendl, the inscrutable eight-time major champion who appeared, even amid the convulsions of the 2013 Wimbledon final, as if he would rather be playing golf back home in Florida. It was Lendl’s poker face that offset his pupil’s histrionics and made the relationship succeed. Murray is, to put it politely, more of an open book. Yes, his tireless encouragement made him a wonderful Davis Cup team-mate. But in the egocentric world of grand slam singles, raw emotion on the sidelines can be a hindrance. Murray needs to suppress his wilder instincts, to recognise that stoicism can be a virtue. Djokovic is paying Murray the most sincere compliment in calling for his counsel. He has little time to waste, and he has reached the stage where he feels his only option in preventing another Sinner-Alcaraz clean sweep at the majors is to lean on his former adversary. Unlike career coaches, Murray understands how to shape matches through sheer force of will. He showed it in Australia only last year, when he was yelping in agony at the back of the court. Making light of his metal hip to frustrate Thanasi Kokkinakis with a series of staggering retrievals, he flipped the match on its head and secured victory at a little past 4am in an almost empty arena. That unquenchable thirst is what he needs to revive in Djokovic. Ever since that Olympic gold in August, Djokovic has lacked his usual intensity, as if realising at some level that he has completed his sport. Murray is the figure who can remind him that there is still more history to write, still more distance to put between him and everybody else. How poetic it would be if it all came together with a record-extending 11th Australian Open triumph. Murray has reason to believe he is cursed in Melbourne: no other player, male or female, has competed in five finals at the same major without winning. He, too, has an itch to scratch, and who better to do it with than his once-implacable rival? The Telegraph, London News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter .
Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229. Judge was a unanimous pick for the first time. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points. Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022 voting. He didn't pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery and signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. Ohtani joined Frank Robinson for Cincinnati in 1961 and Baltimore in 1966 as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues. He was the first player to twice become an unanimous MVP. He had combined with Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023 for the first year both MVPs were unanimous. Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs exclusively as a designated hitter, becoming the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title, playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. "The ultimate goal from the beginning was to win a World Series, which we are able to accomplish," he said through a translator. "The next goal is for me to do it again and so right now I'm in the middle of rehab and working out and getting stronger." When Ohtani returns to the mound, could he win MVP and the Cy Young Award in the same year? "That would obviously be great, but right now my focus is just to get to get back healthy, come back stronger, get back on the mound and show everybody what I can do," Ohtani said. Ohtani became the first primary DH to win an MVP in a season that started with the revelation his longtime interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, had stolen nearly $17 million from the star to fund gambling. Ohtani is the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven) and Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout (three each). Balloting was conducted before the postseason. Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Witt topped the big leagues with a .332 average, hitting 32 homers with 31 stolen bases and 109 RBIs. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs. When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. Judge had discussed the MVP award with Philadelphia's Bryce Harper, the NL winner in 2015 and '21. "I was telling him, `Man, I'm going to try to catch up to you with these MVPs here, man,'" Judge recalled. "He'd say, hopefully, he could stay a couple ahead of me, which I think he'll do." When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. He is the Yankees' 22nd MVP winner, four more than any other team. Judge was hitting .207 with six homers and 18 RBIs through April, then batted .352 with 52 homers and 126 RBIs in 127 games. "March and April were not my friend this year." Judge said. "Just keep putting in the work and things are going to change. You can't mope. You can't feel sorry for yourself. Especially in New York, nobody's going to feel sorry for you. So you just got to go out there and put up the numbers?" ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The St. Petersburg City Council reversed course Thursday on whether to spend more than $23 million to repair the hurricane-shredded roof of the Tampa Bay Rays' ballpark, initially voting narrowly for approval and hours later changing course. The reversal on fixing Tropicana Field came after the council voted to delay consideration of revenue bonds for a proposed new $1.3 billion Rays ballpark. Just two days before, the Pinellas County Commission postponed a vote on its share of the new stadium bonds, leaving that project in limbo. “This is a sad place. I'm really disappointed,” council chair Deborah Figg-Sanders said. “We won’t get there if we keep finding ways we can’t.” The Rays say the lack of progress puts the new stadium plan and the future of Tropicana Field in jeopardy. “I can't say I'm confident about anything,” Rays co-president Brian Auld told the council members. The Trop's translucent fiberglass roof was ripped to pieces on Oct. 9 when Hurricane Milton swept ashore just south of Tampa Bay. There was also significant water damage inside the ballpark, with a city estimate of the total repair costs pegged at $55.7 million. The extensive repairs cannot be finished before the 2026 season, city documents show. The Rays made a deal with the Yankees to play next season at 11,000-seat Steinbrenner Field, New York's spring training home across the bay in Tampa. The initial vote Thursday was to get moving on the roof portion of the repair. Once that's done, crews could begin working on laying down a new baseball field, fixing damaged seating and office areas and a variety of electronic systems — which would require another vote to approve money for the remaining restoration. The subsequent vote reversing funding for the roof repair essentially means the city and Rays must work on an alternative in the coming weeks so that Tropicana Field can possibly be ready for the 2026 season. The city is legally obligated to fix the roof. BRIEFLY PIRATES: Pittsburgh hired Matt Hague as its hitting coach, bringing him back to the team that drafted him in 2008. Hague replaces Andy Haines, who was fired after Pittsburgh finished in the bottom 10 in the majors in every significant statistical category last season, including runs (24th) and home runs (25th), while also striking out a club-record 1,504 times, second-most in the National League behind Colorado. The 39-year-old Hague spent last season as an assistant hitting coach with the Toronto Blue Jays.Manitoba man drowns on Christmas Eve while clearing snow from pond: What to know about ice safety in winter
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