Marchenko ties it late, Monahan gets only goal in shootout as Blue Jackets beat Hurricanes 5-4
Max Fried to sign with Yankees: New York picks up ace lefty on eight-year, $218 million dealStock market today: Wall Street rises with Nvidia as bitcoin bursts above $99,000
NoneWASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be U.S. attorney general just hours after his other choice, Matt Gaetz , withdrew his name from consideration. Bondi is a longtime Trump ally and was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial, when he was accused — but not convicted — of abusing his power as he tried to condition U.S. military assistance to Ukraine on that country investigating then-former Vice President Joe Biden. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. She's been a chair at the America First Policy Institute, a think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers. “For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans - Not anymore,” Trump said in a social media post. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.” Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. told Fox Business on Sunday that the transition team had backups in mind for his controversial nominees should they fail to get confirmed. The swift selection of Bondi came about six hours after Gaetz withdrew. Gaetz stepped aside amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer. That announcement capped a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being tapped last week to lead it. The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial Trump nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth , who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support, said in a statement. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he added. Hours later, Gaetz posted on social media that he looks “forward to continuing the fight to save our country,” adding, “Just maybe from a different post.” Trump, in a social media post, said: “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” Last week, Trump named personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible attorney general contender, Matt Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the U.S. ambassador to NATO. Bondi, too, is a longtime loyalist. She has been a vocal critic of the criminal cases against Trump as well as Jack Smith, the special counsel who charged Trump in two federal cases. In one radio appearance, she blasted Smith and other prosecutors who have charged Trump as “horrible” people she said were trying to make names for themselves by “going after Donald Trump and weaponizing our legal system.” If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Bondi would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump’s Cabinet given the Republican’s threat to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries and concern among Democrats that he will look to bend the Justice Department to his will. A recent Supreme Court opinion not only conferred broad immunity on former presidents but also affirmed a president’s exclusive authority over the Justice Department’s investigative functions. Bondi would inherit a Justice Department expected to pivot sharply on civil rights, corporate enforcement and the prosecutions of hundreds of Trump supporters charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol — defendants whom Trump has pledged to pardon . It’s unlikely that Bondi would be confirmed in time to overlap with Smith, who brought two federal indictments against Trump that are both expected to wind down before the incoming president takes office. Special counsels are expected to produce reports on their work that historically are made public, but it remains unclear when such a document might be released. In 2013, while serving as Florida attorney general, Bondi publicly apologized for asking that the execution of a man convicted of murder be delayed because it conflicted with a campaign fundraiser. Bondi said she was wrong and sorry for requesting then-Gov. Rick Scott push back the execution of Marshall Lee Gore by three weeks. Before she ran for state attorney general in 2010, Bondi worked for the Hillsborough County state attorney. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report.
Belfast men who admitted fraud over Covid ‘bounce back’ loans sentencedThe recently retired Andy Murray is going to team up with longtime rival Novak Djokovic as his coach, they both announced Saturday, with plans to prepare for — and work together through — the Australian Open in January. It was a stunning bit of news as tennis moves toward its offseason , a pairing of two of the most successful and popular players in the sport, both of whom are sometimes referred to as members of a so-called Big Four that also included Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal . Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more weeks at No. 1 than any other player in tennis history. Murray won three major trophies and two Olympic singles gold medals and finished 2016 atop the ATP rankings. He ended his playing career after the Paris Summer Games in August. Both men are 37 and were born a week apart in May 1987. They started facing each other as juniors and wound up meeting 36 times as professionals, with Djokovic holding a 25-11 advantage. “We played each other since we were boys — 25 years of being rivals, of pushing each other beyond our limits. We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. They called us game-changers, risk-takers, history-makers,” Djokovic posted on social media over photos and videos from some of their matches. “I thought our story may be over. Turns out, it has one final chapter. It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome on board, Coach — Andy Murray.” Djokovic's 2024 season is over, and it was not up to his usual, high standards. He didn't win a Grand Slam trophy ; his only title, though, was meaningful to him: a gold medal for Serbia in singles at the Summer Games. Djokovic has been without a full-time coach since splitting in March from Goran Ivanisevic. “I’m going to be joining Novak’s team in the offseason, helping him to prepare for the Australian Open," Murray said in a statement released by his management team. "I’m really excited for it and looking forward to spending time on the same side of the net as Novak for a change, helping him to achieve his goals.” Their head-to-head series on tour includes an 11-8 lead for Djokovic in finals, and 8-2 at Grand Slam tournaments. Djokovic beat Murray four times in the Australian Open final alone — in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016. Two of the most important victories of Murray's career came with Djokovic on the other side of the net. One was in the 2012 U.S. Open final , when Murray claimed his first Grand Slam title. The other was in the 2013 Wimbledon final , when Murray became the first British man in 77 years to win the singles championship at the All England Club. Next year's Australian Open starts on Jan. 12. AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennisDALLAS — DNA testing has revolutionized more than just medical science, it's rewriting family histories and bringing long-lost heroes home. Across North Texas, people are discovering family secrets that have been buried for decades, while military families are finally getting closure for their fallen loved ones. From a 91-year-old man meeting his birth mother's family for the first time to a Korean War POW's remains being identified after 72 years, these stories reveal how a simple DNA test can unravel decades of mystery. Some found fathers they never knew existed while others discovered entire families waiting with open arms. For veterans' families, DNA has become the crucial link in identifying remains of service members from World War II and the Korean War, allowing these heroes to finally return home for proper military honors - even after more than 70 years. Watch our special presentation to see how DNA technology is changing lives and reuniting families across North Texas here: Related Articles A smashed Taylor Swift guitar, smashed QB mansion and smashed alarm clocks: Here's the most viral stories from 2024 with DFW ties This Christmas, join us for a 'Peppermint Place' marathon on WFAA+! WFAA's most watched stories of 2024
3 recipes to help you through the busy holiday seasonAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Any Texas or Texas A&M player has heard the lore of the rivalry between the two schools, a grudge match that dates to 1894. But for more than a decade — two generations of college football players — that's all it has been: Ghostly memories of great games and great plays made by heroes of the distant past. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
For the past few weeks the American Canyon High School football team was without its star quarterback Mason Harris, who suffered a concussion in the team’s regular season finale. He returned in the North Coast Section Division IV semifinal and his head seemed just right on Friday night. His legs looked even better. Harris — often playing as a running back — danced in the rain like Gene Kelly, rushing for 204 yards and four touchdowns in the Wolves’ 45-12 win over Granada at Wolf Den Stadium. Harris also threw for 65 yards and a touchdown. “Look, we played Casa Grande a month ago in the rain and they beat us. In this rain. We played absolutely horrible,” American Canyon head coach Trevor Hudson said. “All week we didn’t ask for the rain to go away, we wanted more and more. We embraced the rain. We practiced in the rain and we didn’t cut anything short and we dumped balls in water so when we came out for this game we would be prepared. “We showed up and we showed out. But we’re not done. This was just the next step.” The foul and rainy weather didn’t deter Harris, who looked like his old self. “He looks pretty good now,” Hudson said with a huge grin. “He played a hell of a game. He did a fantastic job but most of the team looked good. They came together. They didn’t worry about how big they (Granada) looked on film. We didn’t care about how many games they won or the league they played in. We played through all of that. Now, saying all of that, Granada is a great football team.Their coaches had the team prepared, but tonight they got beat by Wolves.” “I was ready to go before the game even started,” Harris said. “I couldn’t worry about getting hit. I just had to stick to playing how I usually do.” Harris said that running for yards as a tailback instead of a quarterback wasn’t a problem. “Not as much, no, because I’ve been running all year,” Harris said. “It’s become second nature. Just run straight and it always works for the best.” With the win, the Wolves equaled the deepest postseason run in program history — the section final. With Redwood High upsetting top-seeded Ukiah on Friday night, the Wolves’ travel plans are less significant. Instead of a four-hour trip, American Canyon will play Saturday, Nov. 30 at Napa’s Memorial Coliseum with a 7 p.m. scheduled kickoff. In order to get to Napa, the Wolves had to brave the storm on Friday night. With 9:27 left in the first quarter Harris showed he was running on all cylinders with a 44-yard dash down the right sideline for a touchdown to make it 7-0. Five minutes later Harris showed off his arm with a six-yard touchdown pass to Miles Baylor that made it 14-0. Granada answered with a touchdown at the start of the second quarter to bridge the gap to 14-6, but that’s as close as it would get. American Canyon scored on a 32-yard run by Harris to make it 21-6 with 8:19 left in the first half and then added to its lead as time expired in the second quarter on a 28-yard field goal by Edoardo Pelagatti. The Wolves recovered a fumble on the second play of the third quarter and two plays later took advantage of the turnover with Harris’ third touchdown run of the contest, this one a 36-yard romp to make it 31-6. With 7:48 left in the third Harris duplicated his success with another 36-yard touchdown run to make it 38-6. Harris let someone else have some scoring fun in the fourth when Khairee Baker scored on a 56-yard run to make it 45-6. The score gave the Wolves a running clock and eventual 45-12 win. Granada scored its final touchdown as time expired in the fourth. Things got testy in the fourth with a few unsportsmanlike penalties, prompting Hudson to tell his team to not get baited into further penalties that could jeopardize playing time in the championship. Hudson said he’s happy the team won’t be traveling far for the title game, but knows the Wolves are in for a tough battle. “Look, you don’t always get a chance for revenge against a team you got beat by earlier in the year,” Hudson said. “They beat our tail last time and they’re not just going to lay down. We need to be ready. They just won in a mud bowl so they’re going to be even better in phenomenal conditions. They’re going to be ready to go, so we need to be ready to go.”
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