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jili 187 Stephen Collinson For Donald Trump, every defeat is just the catalyst for his next battle. No sooner had the president-elect suffered his first big reversal since winning reelection – when his scandal-tainted pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, withdrew Thursday after days of steadily worsening scrutiny over alleged sexual misconduct – Trump doubled down. In Gaetz’s place, Trump chose Florida’s former attorney general, Pam Bondi, another ultra-loyal MAGA warrior who is one of the most outspoken proponents of his theory that US justice was weaponized against him. Gaetz – who denies wrongdoing – may be gone, but Trump’s craving for the Department of Justice to act like his personal team of lawyers rather than an independent guardian of the law is showing all signs of remaining intact. On the face of it, Gaetz’s withdrawal was an embarrassing defeat as he lost a tussle with Republican senators who didn’t relish the dilemma that would have come with a vote either for Gaetz or against Trump. Sources told CNN that the president-elect wanted Gaetz because he shared his desire to purge ‘deep state’ adversaries in the DOJ and was completely loyal. But Trump forgot another necessary quality — that his pick not create any discomfort for the senators he needs to keep on his side even as they look at their own next election battles. The Gaetz disaster suggests that despite his big election win, some laws of political gravity still apply to Trump. There was a sense of hubris from Trump in picking possibly the least qualified, most controversial and disliked potential attorney general nominee in modern history. His selection of other Cabinet picks – who seem, by normal standards, deeply unqualified – also looks like the kind of classic overreach and misreading of a mandate that can get new presidents into trouble. The haphazard decision making and lack of vetting that led to the Gaetz selection — sources said Trump settled on him while flying to and from Washington last week — hardly suggests his second term will be much more disciplined than his first. And picking a candidate whose main qualifications seemed the certainty he’d delight Trump’s base and horrify elites underscores the president-elect’s impulsiveness. Yet Trump’s omnipotence in the GOP – and his party’s refusal to convict him in two impeachment trials – means that it would be unwise to see Gaetz’s downfall as a harbinger of the new Senate GOP majority’s willingness to curb an all-powerful new president. With constitutional honor satisfied, and feeling an obligation to their party leader, some senators might even be more disposed to back Trump’s other provocative picks. And the loss of Gaetz – whom Trump said Thursday has a “wonderful future” – is likely to have no impact on the goals of a second presidency that Trump has promised to devote to retribution. White House administrations always reflect the person at the top. This may explain why two-and-a-half weeks into his transition, several of Trump’s Cabinet picks are embroiled in allegations of sexual misconduct, ethics or legal controversy. Former Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for the Department of Defense, is facing fresh revelations about an alleged sexual assault of a woman in California seven years ago. Like Gaetz, Hegseth was not prosecuted over the allegation and denies he did anything wrong. His lawyer has said, however, that while the Iraq and Afghanistan combat veteran regards the encounter as consensual, he entered into a settlement agreement with his accuser that included an undisclosed payment and a confidentiality clause. In yet another cloud gathering around a Trump Cabinet pick, CNN reported Thursday on a lawsuit that alleges that Linda McMahon, who the president-elect wants to lead the Department of Education, knowingly enabled the sexual exploitation of children by a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) employee as early as the 1980s. McMahon denies the allegations. There is also fresh scrutiny of allegations that Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., groped a part-time babysitter who worked for him between 1998 and 1999. The woman, Eliza Cooney, recently spoke to USA Today and said she wished “we were electing people with fewer skeletons in their closet.” In a podcast interview over the summer, Kennedy declined to acknowledge the allegations first raised by Vanity Fair but then said he’d had a “very rambunctious youth” and had not been a “church boy.” When asked directly whether he denied sexually assaulting Cooney, Kennedy repeated, “I’m not going to comment on it.” In any normal administration, such a wave of scandal surrounding multiple picks would be seen as evidence of a transition in disarray. But Trump’s political career has never followed conventional patterns. Chaos is endemic, and it’s where the president-elect thrives in a cloak of impunity. Trump’s own history of legal struggles and sexual misconduct allegations, all of which he’s denied, may mean that such vulnerabilities in others don’t represent the same impediment to advancement as they might for another president. Last year, for example, a Manhattan federal jury found in a civil case that Trump sexually abused the writer E. Jean Carroll in a department store in 1996 and awarded her damages for battery and defamation. Shortly before the 2016 election, Trump boasted on a leaked “Access Hollywood” tape that famous people like him could grab women by the genitals and “they let you do it.” And earlier this year, Trump was convicted of a felony in a case arising out of a hush money payment he made to an adult film star. He denies wrongdoing in all cases. None of it stopped him from winning a historic second term earlier this month. After the “Me Too” movement exposed years of abuse of women in showbiz, the media, politics and business, Trump’s capacity to defy such allegations is rare for such a public person. And his defiance may have factored into his Cabinet picks and commitment to stick with them despite some allegations having already been public or new information that subsequently became available. Allegations against Trump have long been disregarded by his voters, many of whom believe he has been subject to witch hunts by Democratic prosecutors. Social conservatives, meanwhile, sometimes rationalize questions about his personal ethics or behavior that give them doubt by pointing to the Supreme Court majority he built. But the collapse of Gaetz for attorney general suggests that Trump’s Teflon hide is not transferable and that his MAGA apprentices lack his capacity to face down almost any scandal and survive. The next person to test this gauntlet may be Hegseth, who held multiple meetings with senators Thursday. While they are proponents of Trump’s smash mouth, stunt politics, neither Gaetz nor Hegseth possess his power or political aura to intimidate wavering Republicans into complicity. And Gaetz is notoriously unpopular on Capitol Hill. Trump called Gaetz Thursday morning and told him he didn’t have the votes to win confirmation, CNN’s Kristen Holmes reported, according to a source with direct knowledge of the call. The president-elect didn’t tell Gaetz to drop out, this source said. But Gaetz had been facing the pressure of a congressional showdown over a House Ethics Committee report into his alleged sexual misconduct and drug abuse. He withdrew moments after CNN’s Paula Reid and Sarah Ferris reported that the woman who said she had sex with Gaetz while a minor told the Ethics Committee she had two sexual encounters with him at one party in 2017, according to sources familiar with her testimony. The woman, who was 17 at the time, testified that the second encounter included another adult woman. Gaetz offered the classic sentiments of a Cabinet pick defeated in a confirmation fight by writing on X that his plight was “unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.” The end of his battle for one of the most critical jobs in the Cabinet quickly increased the heat around some of Trump’s other controversial Cabinet picks, including Hegseth, former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who was chosen to be director of national intelligence, and Kennedy. Political ramifications of the failed Gaetz confirmation drive — which collapsed two months before he could be officially nominated by the new president — are intriguing but still hard to game out. This is unlikely, however, to dent the president-elect’s prowess among his most loyal supporters. And the storm and stress of Trumpism is certain to produce a myriad of political earthquakes and scandals before and after the inauguration, so the Gaetz chapter will likely end up being regarded as a tiny blip in a longer melodrama. Plenty of presidents get a Cabinet pick knocked back and do just fine. On Capitol Hill, there was a sense of relief among Senate Republican that there would be no vote on the nomination early next year. Some may have been dreading a vote against Trump that might invite primary challenges. Others, like Maine Sen. Susan Collins or North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, may also have worried that a vote to confirm Gaetz would have hurt them statewide in their 2026 reelection races. Gaetz’s withdrawal, however, is not a great look for Vice President-elect JD Vance, the Ohio senator whom Trump designated to lobby his colleagues with Gaetz in tow this week. And true to form, in picking Bondi, Trump has selected another person who will alarm DC’s establishment and will be equally dedicated to doing the boss’ work in defenestrating the DOJ. Bondi has had her own controversies – she once denied that a $25,000 charitable donation Trump sent her was in any way connected to her decision not to pursue action against Trump University. But she’s got one thing that Gaetz lacked – she’s likely to be far more confirmable in next year’s Republican-led Senate. — CNN

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'Fox Across America' host Jimmy Failla on Biden not sharing a D-Day message until nighttime, Tampa Bay Rays players' refusal to wear Pride jerseys and a Texas lawmaker pushing to ban children from attending drag shows. The sex abuse trial of Tampa Bay Rays player Wander Franco was supposed to commence Thursday. But it was delayed until June after 28 of 31 witnesses expected to testify were absent. Franco has been charged with sexually abusing a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor and human trafficking. His trial is scheduled to resume June 2, 2025. Dominican Judge Yacaira Veras postponed the trial at the request of prosecutors due to the absence of several key witnesses in the case. Only three of 31 witnesses arrived for the trial Thursday. Franco’s lawyers asked the court to reconsider the postponement, arguing Franco must report to spring training in mid-February. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco throws to first base in the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., July 25, 2023. (Jonathan Dyer/USA Today Sports) "There is no case against Wander. For as many witnesses as they present, there is no case now," Franco’s lead lawyer, Teodosio Jáquez, told The Associated Press. The judge replied that Franco is obligated to continue with the trial schedule and his conditional release from detainment. The 23-year-old shortstop said his career is not over yet, that he wants justice to be done and that "everything is in God’s hands." ROGER GOODELL SAYS JAY-Z'S RELATIONSHIP WITH LEAGUE REMAINS INTACT AMID SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS Franco appeared upset when reporters asked if his MLB career was over. "I did not had a career," he said, implying that he still has one. "This is not over." Franco was arrested on a separate charge in the country for his involvement in an alleged armed altercation in November. Tampa Bay Rays star Wander Franco is facing an investigation into alleged inappropriate relationships with minors. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File) The Rays took down images of Franco around Tropicana Field after the allegations became public last year. There has also been no sign of Franco merchandise being sold at the Rays' team store within their ballpark. He agreed to an 11-year, $182 million contract in November 2021. He was an All-Star for the first time in 2023, hitting .281 with 17 homers and 58 RBI over 112 games. Tampa Bay placed him on the team's restricted list July 10, cutting off the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP After Dominican police raided two homes associated with Franco just before the new year, he was eventually arrested. He was later released on the condition that he meet with local authorities once a month. According to ESPN, Dominican prosecutors say Franco called the minor "my girl" in a WhatsApp message, admitting the relationship was a "risk," but he "loved it." "My girl," Franco allegedly wrote in Spanish. "If my team realizes this, it could cause problems for me. It is a rule for all teams that we cannot talk to minors, and yet I took the risk and I loved it." Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco celebrates after hitting a home run in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit Aug. 6, 2023. (Rick Osentoski/USA Today Sports) Prosecutors say Franco's relationship with the girl, now 15, lasted four months, and he paid her not to speak about it. The girl's mother also faces charges of money laundering based on gifts sent to her by Franco. Franco and the girl met Dec. 9, 2022, after he "took her from her home," had sex twice in a two-day span and began their relationship. Prosecutors say the minor’s mother went from being a bank employee to leading an ostentatious life and acquiring assets using the funds she received from Franco. During the raids on the house of the minor’s mother, prosecutors say they found $68,500 and $35,000 that they allege was delivered by Franco. Franco gave the girl the equivalent of $46,000 in July and August, the documents say, and paid the mother about $1,700 per month, along with a new car. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

Andy Murray enters new chapter with Novak Djokovic as coach of long-time rivalThis harrowing tale serves as a cautionary reminder of the dangers of addiction and the devastating impact it can have on one's life. It underscores the importance of raising awareness about the risks of harmful habits and the urgent need for intervention and support for those struggling with addiction. It also serves as a wake-up call to society to address the root causes of addiction and provide resources and assistance to those in need.

In response to these allegations, GreenTown Group immediately launched an internal investigation to determine the authenticity of the photos and the veracity of the claims being made. The findings of the investigation revealed that the photos were fabricated and doctored to implicate the Chairman in misconduct.Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan have announced plans to work toward a merger that would form the world’s third-largest automaker by sales, as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors has also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Automakers in Japan have lagged their big rivals in electric vehicles and are trying to cut costs and make up for lost time as newcomers like China’s BYD and EV market leader Tesla devour market share. Nissan has been fighting to survive. Credit: Bloomberg Honda’s president, Toshihiro Mibe, said Honda and Nissan will attempt to unify their operations under a joint holding company. Honda will lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. They aim to have a formal merger agreement by June and to complete the deal and list the holding company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by August 2026, he said. No dollar value was given, and the formal talks are just starting, Mibe said. There are “points that need to be studied and discussed,” he said. “Frankly speaking, the possibility of this not being implemented is not zero.” A merger could result in a behemoth worth more than $US50 billion ($80 billion) based on the market capitalisation of all three automakers. Together, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi would gain scale to compete with Toyota Motor and with Germany’s Volkswagen AG. Toyota has technology partnerships with Japan’s Mazda Motor and Subaru. News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month, with unconfirmed reports saying Taiwan iPhone maker Foxconn was seeking to tie up with Nissan by buying shares from the Japan’s company’s other alliance partner, Renault SA of France. Nissan’s CEO Makoto Uchida said Foxconn had not directly approached his company. He also acknowledged that Nissan’s situation was “severe.” We anticipate that if this integration comes to fruition, we will be able to deliver even greater value to a wider customer base Nissan’s CEO Makoto Uchida Even after a merger Toyota, which rolled out 11.5 million vehicles in 2023, would remain the leading Japanese automaker. If they join, the three smaller companies would make about 8 million vehicles. In 2023, Honda made 4 million and Nissan produced 3.4 million. Mitsubishi Motors made just over 1 million. Loading “We have come to the realisation that in order for both parties to be leaders in this mobility transformation, it is necessary to make a more bold change than a collaboration in specific areas,” Mibe said. Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi earlier agreed to share components for electric vehicles like batteries and to jointly research software for autonomous driving to adapt better to electrification. Nissan has struggled following a scandal that began with the arrest of its former chairman Carlos Ghosn in late 2018 on charges of fraud and misuse of company assets, allegations that he denies. He eventually was released on bail and fled to Lebanon. Speaking Monday to reporters in Tokyo via a video link, Ghosn derided the planned merger as a “desperate move.” From Nissan, Honda could get truck-based body-on-frame large SUVs such as the Armada and Infiniti QX80 that Honda doesn’t have, with large towing capacities and good off-road performance, Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions, told The Associated Press . Nissan also has years of experience building batteries and electric vehicles, and gas-electric hybrid powertrains that could help Honda in developing its own EVs and next generation of hybrids, he said. Honda chief Makoto Uchida (left) and Nissan chief Toshihiro Mibe at a joint press conference. Credit: Bloomberg But the company said in November that it was slashing 9000 jobs, or about 6 per cent of its global workforce, and reducing its global production capacity by 20 per cent after reporting a quarterly loss of 9.3 billion yen ($61 million). It recently reshuffled its management and Uchida, its chief executive, took a 50 per cent pay cut while acknowledging responsibility for the financial woes, saying Nissan needed to become more efficient and respond better to market tastes, rising costs and other global changes. Loading “We anticipate that if this integration comes to fruition, we will be able to deliver even greater value to a wider customer base,” Uchida said. Fitch Ratings recently downgraded Nissan’s credit outlook to “negative,” citing worsening profitability, partly due to price cuts in the North American market. But it noted that it has a strong financial structure and solid cash reserves that amounted to 1.44 trillion yen ($15 billion). Nissan’s share price also had fallen to the point where it is considered something of a bargain. On Monday, its Tokyo-traded shares gained 1.6 per cent. They jumped more than 20 per cent after news of the possible merger broke last week. Honda’s shares surged 3.8 per cent. Honda’s net profit slipped nearly 20 per cent in the first half of the April-March fiscal year from a year earlier, as its sales suffered in China. The merger reflects an industry-wide trend toward consolidation. At a routine briefing Monday, cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said he would not comment on details of the automakers’ plans, but said Japanese companies need to stay competitive in the fast changing market. “As the business environment surrounding the automobile industry largely changes, with competitiveness in storage batteries and software is increasingly important, we expect measures needed to survive international competition will be taken,” Hayashi said. Kurtenbach reported from Bangkok. AP Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Cars Tesla Electric vehicles Most Viewed in Business Loading

In conclusion, the agreement to transfer power from the Prime Minister to the opposition represents a significant step towards achieving a peaceful and democratic resolution to the political crisis. The meeting held to coordinate the transfer details underscores the commitment of both sides to work together in the best interests of the country. As the transition process unfolds, all eyes will be on the nation to see how this historic moment shapes its future.

Evergrande Group, one of the largest real estate developers in China, recently found itself at the center of controversy and criticism following reports of financial troubles and debt defaults. The company's stock prices plummeted, causing panic among investors and sparking concerns about the stability of the real estate market. In response to the mounting pressure and negative publicity, Evergrande Group has issued a statement addressing the issues and outlining its plans for the future.TikTok seeking Musk's advice ahead of potential ban in the US, incoming Trump administration