Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released and are returning to the United States, the White House said Wednesday, announcing a diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration. The three are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung, all of whom had been designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained by China. Swidan had been facing a death sentence on drug charges while Li and Leung were imprisoned on espionage charges. “Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years,” the White House said in a statement. The release comes just two months after China freed David Lin, a Christian pastor from California who had spent nearly 20 years behind bars after being convicted of contract fraud. U.S.-China relations have been roiled for years over major disagreements between the world’s two largest economies on trade, human rights, the production of fentanyl precursors, security issues that include espionage and hacking, China’s aggressiveness toward Taiwan and its smaller neighbors in the South China Sea, and Beijing’s support for Russia’s military-industrial sector. The release of Americans deemed wrongfully detained in China has been a top agenda item in each conversation between the U.S. and China, and Wednesday’s development suggests a willingness by Beijing to engage with the outgoing Democratic administration before Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January. Trump took significant actions against China on trade and diplomacy during his first term. He has pledged to continue those policies in his second term, leading to unease among many who fear that an all-out trade war will greatly affect the international economy and could spur potential Chinese military action against Taiwan. Still, the two countries have maintained a dialogue that has included a partial restoration of military-to-military contacts. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met this month to discuss potential improvements. In a separate but related move, the State Department on Wednesday lowered its travel warning to China to “level two,” advising U.S. citizens to “exercise increased caution” from the norm when traveling to the mainland. The alert had previously been at “level three,” telling Americans they should “reconsider travel” to China in part because of the “risk of wrongful detention” of Americans. The new alert removes that wording but retains a warning that the Chinese government “arbitrarily enforces local laws, including exit bans on U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries, without fair and transparent process under the law.” The Biden administration had raised the cases of the detained Americans with China in multiple meetings over the past several years, including this month when Biden spoke to Xi on during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru. Politico was first to report the men’s release, which it said was part of a prisoner swap with the U.S. The White House did not immediately confirm that any Chinese citizens had been returned home. Li, a Chinese immigrant who started an export business in the U.S., was detained in September 2016 after flying into Shanghai. He was placed under surveillance, interrogated without a lawyer and accused of providing state secrets to the FBI. A U.N. working group called his 10-year prison sentence arbitrary and his family said the charges were politically motivated. Leung was sentenced last year to life in prison on spying charges. He was detained in 2021, by the local bureau of China’s counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou after China had closed its borders and imposed tight domestic travel restrictions and social controls to fight the spread of COVID-19. After Leung's sentencing, the U.S. recommended — though without citing specific cases — that Americans reconsider traveling to China because of arbitrary law enforcement and exit bans and the risk of wrongful detentions. Swidan had been jailed for 12 years on a drug charge and, along with Li and Leung, had considered by the State Department to be wrongfully detained.The best touchless trash cans for modern, mess-free living
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors moved Monday to dismiss the criminal charges against President-elect Donald Trump that accused him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election and to abandon the classified documents case against him, citing longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. The decision by special counsel Jack Smith, who had fiercely sought to hold Trump criminally accountable for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election, represented the end of the federal effort against the former president following his election victory this month despite the election-related cases and multiple other unrelated criminal charges against him and is headed back to the White House. FILE - Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to the media about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, 2023, at an office of the Department of Justice in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) The decision, revealed in court filings, also amounts to a predictable but nonetheless stunning conclusion to criminal cases that had been seen as the most perilous of the multiple legal threats Trump has faced. It reflects the practical consequences of Trump’s victory, ensuring he enters office free from scrutiny over his hoarding of top secret documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Smith’s team emphasized that the move to abandon the prosecutions, in federal courts in Washington and Florida, was not a reflection of their view on the merits of the cases but rather a reflection of their commitment to longstanding department policy. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” the prosecutors wrote in Monday’s court filing in the election interference case. The decision was expected after Smith's team began assessing how to wind down both the 2020 election interference case and the separate classified documents case in the wake of Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. The Justice Department believes Trump can no longer be tried in accordance with longstanding policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. Trump has cast both cases as politically motivated, and had vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP) The 2020 election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing the Republican as he vied to reclaim the White House. But it quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Smith’s team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence they planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of using “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden. ___ Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. 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. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. McGinley was White House Cabinet secretary during Trump's first administration, and was outside legal counsel for the Republican National Committee's election integrity effort during the 2024 campaign. In a statement, Trump called McGinley “a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda, while fighting for election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.” Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this story. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
FBI director to resign at end of Biden's termSherwin-Williams Co. stock rises Wednesday, still underperforms marketDonald Trump’s election interference and classified documents cases dismissed
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Significant chunks of my time and money are spent on self care, which means that if I see a new product that promises to make me look or feel nicer—especially on a shopping holiday like Black Friday—I'm likely to add it directly to my cart. I have tested some true lemons, but I've also found a lot of success, which means I'm qualified to tell you what I think the self-care lovers in your life will really appreciate this holiday season. See, the cool thing about living in the future is that the act of taking care of yourself is getting more and more technologically advanced, so there are plenty of opportunities to outsource beautifying and relaxing to exciting gadgets that, in some cases, actually deliver the goods. You don't have to get your mom fuzzy socks or your partner another candle anymore; you can get them some things that are high-tech and cool instead. I went through my orders and picked out all my faves that are on sale during Black Friday. The best Black Friday deals on relaxing tech I take my relaxation and sleep very seriously. Most of what I use to accomplish my perfect evenings isn't particularly tech-y, like candles and lotions, but that doesn't mean I wind down entirely like a delicate Victorian woman. First, I recommend a smart oil diffuser. Candles can be dangerous and, since I got one of these for my mom years ago, I've found that the scent permeates a lot wider and lasts a lot longer than what I get from a candle, anyway. As far as gifts go, I recommend this one because it worked well for me; my mom loves it. There are two bonuses you'll get with the model I found that's on sale for Black Friday: you can set it to emanate any color light you want; and it's compatible with an app and your smart home devices, like Amazon Echo. Every night, my mom just says, "Alexa, turn on my diffuser," which I think is top-tier relaxing. Imagine you're a queen getting ready for bed. Why should you turn on the diffuser? For just $31.44 , you'll never have to again. Next up, I've been very into these heated eye masks lately . There are a few varieties—like ones that you microwave or electronic ones—but these are similar to hand warmers in that they just heat up with no extra fussing required. I'm not headache prone, so I don't use them for their intended purpose, but if someone you love does get bad headaches, this is a really caring present. Even without any pain to manage, I still find that they relax me and stop me from holding tension in my face—plus they block out light, which I appreciate. A 16-pack is just under $12 for the shopping holiday. In the past few weeks, I've also really enjoyed this vibrating, heated belt . It's supposed to be for cramps, mostly, so it's even FSA eligible, but that doesn't mean you can only buy it for someone who suffers from them: I've found it relaxing just to wear to warm up around the house. The vibration is nice, too, and I've been spinning it around and using it on my lower back at night. Whether your loved one has a tendency to be chilly or deals with any kind of pain in their abdomen, this will be a welcome gift. It really feels pampering and it's perfect for these colder months. The best Black Friday deals on beauty tech To me, primping is fun and part of my general self-care routine, so I do consider beauty tech to qualify as something that relaxes me and puts me in a good mood. It only does that if it works, though—otherwise it puts me in a bad mood, which is not what you want to happen to your gift recipient. One thing that absolutely works? The Dyson Airwrap, the styling tool that takes your hair from wet to curly. It's on sale for $249.99 right now . I get that that's still a little pricey and also requires a learning curve and for your recipient to wash their hair for it to work. You can save even more money and opt for a simpler tool, like a thermal brush. I have one like this , which is marked down to $39.97 for Black Friday. It doesn't blow out air like an Airwrap or a blow-drying brush. Rather, it heats up and you use the bristles to secure and guide your hair for a quick, easy blowout look—perfect for the style icon on the go. I started using mine like a maniac on non-wash days after seeing them all over TikTok, where influencers (correctly) praise the ionic technology for preventing any frizz. Finally, I will try any and every product designed to enhance my face, whatever that happens to mean at any given time. This weekend, I tried to perm and dye my own eyelashes and failed terribly, but I also played around with a strange electronic head strap that worked similarly to a TENS machine to contract the muscles around my jaw. I have no idea if it did anything, but I had a blast trying it out. I'm getting some for my friends this holiday season because they expressed some interest after I sent them videos of my face twitching, but I'm still not sure if it works. One thing that has worked, however, is a microcurrent device. Right now I'm using the Myolift QT Plus , which isn't marked down, but gave me similar results to the classic NuFace , which is. A Mini is $154 instead of $220 for Black Friday, which is a solid deal. These machines deliver little electric currents and produce temporary (but noticeable) firming and lifting of the face. I've been using microcurrent devices for four years and notice that my results fade when I take a break, but even the process of running them over my face (the way you would with a gua sha tool) is relaxing, so I do recommend them. I'll add that though it's not on sale, the Myolift QT is just $16 more and features app connectivity that I consider really valuable. (The app analyzes my face periodically to check on progress and features guided videos so I feel like I know what I'm doing a little better than when I wing it with the NuFace.) Obviously, tread with caution here. I would love to get an expensive facial tool from a loved one, but that's because I openly yap about all the ridiculous beauty tools I try. If I were more self-conscious or less open with them, I can see how a gift like that might be offensive. It's a great gift as long as you're sure the other person wants it.
NEW YORK , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of all purchasers of securities of Xerox Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: XRX) between January 25, 2024 and October 28, 2024 . Xerox describes itself as a "company that offers workplace technology that integrates hardware, services, and software for enterprises in the Americas, and internationally." So what: If you purchased Xerox securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. What to do next: To join the Xerox class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31433 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 21, 2025 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Details of the case: According to the lawsuit, during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) after a large workforce reduction, Xerox's salesforce was reorganized with new territory assignments and account coverage; (2) as a result, Xerox's salesforce productivity was disrupted; (3) as a result, Xerox had a lower rate of sell-through of older products; (4) the difficulties in flushing out older product would delay the launch of key products; (5) as a result, Xerox was likely to experience lower sales and revenue; and (6) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about Xerox's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Xerox class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31433 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xrx-investors-have-opportunity-to-lead-xerox-holdings-corporation-securities-fraud-lawsuit-302314593.html SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.
The Big Central Conference released its All-Division football teams for the 2024 season. You can find the selections for the National Gold Division below. NOTE : The selections were made by coaches from the conference and not reporters from NJ.com . If an athlete’s name is misspelled, please let us know and we will make the correction.. FIRST TEAM Jahai Johnson, Piscataway, WR/DB, Sr. Josh Stephens, Piscataway , LB/RB, Sr. James Bodley, Piscataway , RB/LB, Sr. Riley Wingate, Piscataway , OL/DL, Sr. Nate Waldorf, Piscataway , OL/DL, Sr. Salomon Ealey, Piscataway , WR/DB, Sr. Sean Love, Piscataway , WR/DB, Jr. Brody Nugent, Old Bridge, QB, Jr. Zahmir Evans, Old Bridge, DE, Sr. Connor Long, Old Bridge, OL/DL, So. Justin Valinotti, Old Bridge, LB, Jr. Xavier Diaz, Old Bridge, DB, Jr. Jaden Griffith, Old Bridge, WR/DB, Sr. Logan Fitiadis, Monroe, WR/LB, Sr. Brandon Macaluso, Monroe, QB, Sr. Logan Richter, Monroe, WR/LB, Jr. Dason Boateng, South Brunswick, OL/DT, Sr. Chisom Asonye, South Brunswick, OL/OLB, Sr. Julian Williams, South Brunswick, WR/DB, Sr. Felix Munoz, East Brunswick, WR/DB, Sr. George Crostewitz, East Brunswick, LB, Jr. SECOND TEAM Horace Thompson, Piscataway, FB/DL, Sr. Coby Bell, Piscataway, LB, Sr. Jayden Harrison, Piscataway, OL/DL, So. Jayden Endaz, Old Bridge, LB, Jr. Zach Florio, Old Bridge, DL, Jr. Noah Balbuena, Old Bridge, OL/DL, Sr. Anthony Salesi, Monrie, WR/S, Sr. Kimoni Yearwood, Monroe, RB/LB, Sr. Daniel Duffie, South Brunswick, QB, Jr. Braylon Williams, South Brunswick, WR/DB, Sr. Ethan Hernandez, East Brunswick, WR/DB, Sr. Mike Kinney can be reached at mkinney@njadvancemedia.com The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)
Spending squeeze ‘could cost more than 10,000 Civil Service jobs’Michael Jordan ‘s game-worn Air Jordan IX baseball cleats will be up for grabs in December as part of Infinite Auctions ’ Winter Auction, with bets anticipated to reach six-figures. They are photo-matched to the time he spent playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions, the Arizona Fall League affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. The Air Jordan IX is one of many shoes that shows up in the Michael Jordan -focused Netflix docuseries The Last Dance ; among many eras of his life, the show addressed his 1994 transition from basketball to baseball. The shoes are the first photo-matched pair from his baseball career to go up for auction; Real Game Used (RGU) authenticated the pair using a cutting edge AI-assisted photo matching process. Just about six pairs of Air Jordan IX cleats from Jordan’s short-lived professional baseball career are known to exist, meaning memorabilia from this time period is especially rare and desirable. “These Air Jordan IX cleats are more than just a piece of game-used memorabilia; they’re a crossover collectible that appeals to both sneakerheads and sports historians alike,” said Marshall Perkins, CEO of Infinite Auctions. “With their photo-match authentication tying them to specific games during Jordan’s time with the Scottsdale Scorpions, this pair is truly one-of-a-kind.” Though he’s long since retired from playing professional sports, Michael Jordan’s impact on baseball perpetuates. Jordan Brand continues to make baseball cleats which are popular amongst the pros. During the MLB All-Star Game that took place in July 2024, three MLB players—Aaron Judge, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and William Contreras— wore the Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement” cleats . In another example, Mookie Betts wore the Air Jordan 1 Cleat PE at the 2023 Home Run Derby.
This month, Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain turns 100. One of the 20th century’s towering literary achievements, it is a sweeping critique of the dangerous totalitarian political forces that shaped – and very nearly destroyed – Europe in Mann’s lifetime. The novel also reflects Mann’s own dramatic public and political evolution. Initially politically reserved, he became an ardent patriot at the outbreak of World War I, only to become disillusioned by the rise of political extremism in postwar Germany. This shift set Mann on a collision course with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis – and ultimately led to him fleeing Germany in 1933. This intellectual novel is interested in the weightiest of topics – time, love, mortality, culture – and the fragility of civilisation. There are worrying parallels between 1924, when Mann’s magnum opus was published, and 2024, when we’re seeing a worldwide resurgence of these same impulses. There is the rise of the far-right in France , Austria and Germany . And then, American president-elect Donald Trump’s apparent admiration for dictatorial and authoritarian modes of governance. These forces loom ominously over our own era, threatening the democratic ideals Mann ultimately embraced. Things you’ve never dreamed of This encyclopedia of a novel (nearly 800 pages) opens in transit: An unassuming young man was travelling, in midsummer, from his native city of Hamburg to Davos-Platz in the Canton of the Grisons, on a three weeks’ visit. It is August 1907. Hans Castorp, a “perfectly ordinary” 23-year-old from an upwardly mobile merchant family is journeying to meet his cousin, Joachim Ziemssen – a patient at a tuberculosis sanitarium, located (Mann’s narrator estimates) 1,600 metres above sea level in the Swiss Alps. Mann’s amenable, omniscient narrator outlines the effect on the novel’s youthful protagonist: This being carried upward into regions where he had never before drawn breath, and where he knew that unusual living conditions prevailed, such as could only be described as sparse or scanty – it began to work upon him, to fill him with a certain concern. Home and regular living lay not only far behind, they lay fathoms deep beneath him, and he continued to mount above them. Poised between them and the unknown, he asked himself how he was going to fare. This is a sign of things to come. Joachim, who has already been at the Berghof Sanatorium for five months, implores Castorp to get properly “acclimatized” when he meets him at the train station. He continues: it isn’t so easy, you’ll see. And the climate isn’t the only queer thing about us. You’re going to see some things you’ve never dreamed of – just wait. Joachim advises his cousin to disabuse himself of the “class of ideas” typical of those who dwell at sea level “down below” – especially assumptions about time. He openly scoffs at Castorp’s woefully naïve assertion that he’ll be “going home in three weeks”. Soon after his arrival, Castorp catches a cold. Berghof’s medical director spies a suspicious dark spot on his lung and recommends he extend his stay indefinitely. Castorp spends the next seven years living at altitude. Time warps and wends in increasingly strange ways, and the pace of daily life gradually grinds to a near total halt. Seasons change. Visitors come and go. Some of the patients die. Castorp falls in love with a Russian temptress resident. When he isn’t pining for her, he spends his time in conversation, gorging on elaborate and seemingly endless meals, listening to records, and occasionally attempting to commune with the spirits. In one memorable and symbolically charged moment, he gets hopelessly lost in a life-threatening blizzard. It takes the outbreak of World War I to finally shatter the spell the mountain has cast over him. The reader parts company with Castorp on a Flanders battlefield in 1914. The odds of survival don’t seem to be stacked in his favour. Of course, potted plot summaries of this sort cannot hope to do justice to the sheer ambition, thematic richness and formal rigour of The Magic Mountain. Origins: world war and political awakenings The novel’s origins can be traced to May 1912, when Thomas Mann embarked on a three-week trip to Davos, Switzerland. His wife, Katia, had been falsely diagnosed with tuberculosis and was staying at the recently opened Wald Sanatorium . Mann’s stay served as the catalyst for a new literary venture. Initially conceived as a satire, The Enchanted Mountain was meant to be a comedic counterweight to his just-published Death in Venice , which traces the tragic obsession of Gustav von Aschenbach, an ageing author, with a beautiful young boy during a vacation in cholera-racked Venice. Mann started in on what should have been a fairly straightforward, small-scale undertaking. But world history had other ideas. On August 4 1914, German troops flooded into neutral Belgium, bringing the British Empire into the week-old World War I – and shattering the cultural ideals and intellectual suppositions of pre-war Europe. Mann was 39 when the fighting broke out. A prominent figure in the German cultural establishment, Mann, who lived in Munich at the time, was in many senses a model bourgeois citizen. As intellectual historian Mark Lilla observes, Mann attended concerts, he befriended composers, he read Goethe, he sent his children to the Volksschule , and he never expressed any views about politics. That is, until 1914. “From one month to the next Mann became an intransigent and inflammatory defender of the German cause internationally,” Lilla adds, “writing articles and giving speeches that made him a favorite on the volkish nationalist right”. Rabid patriot to fleeing Nazi Germany The conflict seems to have absorbed all of Mann’s energy and focus. In 1915, he abandoned work on his novella, which had by then expanded significantly in both scope and size. Instead, he turned his attention to Reflections of a Nonpolitical Man . Published in October 1918, this 600-page tirade is a reactionary, rabid screed in which Mann lashes out at the progressive political forces and institutions he believed were intent on nothing less than the destruction of the German nation. Indeed, he goes as far as to admit that from the very start of the war, he had been consumed by a patriotic feeling so profound, he would not want to live anymore if Germany were beaten by the West, humbled, her belief in herself broken so that she would have to “conform” and accept the rationale of her enemies. Mann’s jingoistic fervour persisted even after Germany’s defeat, carrying over into the spring of 1919, when he finally returned to The Magic Mountain. However, everything had changed for Mann by 1922. Appalled by the waves of extremist political violence coursing through Germany, Mann was forced to take stock and reappraise his beliefs. That year, in an unprecedented move that shocked his supporters and critics, he wrote and delivered his speech, On the German Republic . In it, he publicly embraced the postwar Weimar Republic and the principles of its democracy, distancing himself from the types of authoritarian nationalism he had so passionately defended just a few years earlier. This remarkable development, which led to him fleeing Nazi Germany, left an indelible mark on the development of The Magic Mountain. Europe teetering on the abyss By the time he finished writing, the work had been transformed from a satirical novella into a sweeping Bildungsroman , focused on moral education and psychological development. It was now also an allegory of European civilisation teetering on the abyss – a “world festival of death”, as Mann puts it in the novel’s final sentence. Specifically, the phrase is a reference to World War I. More broadly – and just as powerfully – it reflects the sense of postwar disillusionment and social malaise that shaped the novel. The intense intellectual debates that unfold in The Magic Mountain, particularly between charismatic humanist Lodovico Settembrini and nihilistic, “terroristic” Jesuit communist Leo Naphta, offer Mann the means to reflect and comment on the totalitarian forces that were threatening to tear the world asunder. A century after the novel first appeared, its nuanced discussions of ideological conflict, the dangers of extremism and the fragility of civilisation remain, depressingly, as pertinent as ever. In 2024, the far-right has taken a firm foothold across Europe and the rest of the world, challenging the very democratic principles Mann came – albeit reluctantly – to value to champion. One can’t help but wonder what Mann, who wrote while the skies were slowly closing in over Europe, might have made of this situation. Read more: Germany's post-Holocaust moral remaking is being challenged by wars in Gaza and Ukraine – and the rise of the far-right History repeating? Would he, for instance, discern echoes of the same forces he grappled with in his modernist masterpiece, now manifesting in new, yet strangely familiar ways? And would he recognise the dangers of cultural and political polarisation and the allure of authoritarian forms of thought and activity that are currently casting increasingly long shadows over our own precarious moment? I suspect he might. In any case, these are just some of the questions worth asking as we mark the anniversary of a novel that, much like its creator, challenges us to confront the currents of history and their unsettling tendency to repeat. Near the end of the book, Mann writes: “These were such singular times.” Viewed from the perspective of 2024, I’m not so sure.
LAS VEGAS — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.” The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. “We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world.” Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. “The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team,” Michael Andretti posted on social media. “I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!” The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti’s dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA . The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they’ve already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti’s application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1’s current grid. “General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. “Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024,” F1 said in a statement. “Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. “With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1."
PARIS (AP) — France punished an undisciplined Argentina by 37-23 on Friday and swept its three autumn rugby tests. First-half tries from lock Thibaud Flament and right winger Gabin Villière, a penalty try and Thomas Ramos’ unerring goalkicking put Les Tricolores out of reach by halftime at 30-9 up. Left winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey added France’s fourth try in the second half while Argentina rallied with tries by prop Thomas Gallo and replacement hooker Ignacio Ruiz to trail 37-23 with 10 minutes left, but ran out of time at Stade de France. Fabien Galthié’s side scored freely in the three tests, routing Japan 52-12 and edging New Zealand 30-29 . “I would like to praise all the players, for me there are only positives to take,” the coach said. “They are all winners for me.” He also warned players who complained about being left out, after flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert reportedly asked to be left out of the New Zealand game because he did not want to be a reserve . “It’s very much a team sport. The squad is bigger than any individual,” Galthié said. “Players are here to strengthen the squad. Let there be no confusion about that.” RELATED COVERAGE Penalty-bitten Ireland defends unbeaten record against Fiji in Dublin Wing ‘wizard’ Harry Potter to play for Australia’s rugby team. He knows the puns are coming Etzebeth to start for Springboks as late replacement for Kleyn Felipe Contepomi’s Pumas didn’t carry their Rugby Championship form into the autumn. They crushed Italy 57-17 and just failed to beat Ireland for the first time. The Pumas beat France in July in Buenos Aires but they have not won in France for 10 years. Despite an early harsh-looking yellow card to captain Julian Montoya for twisting the leg of Jean-Baptiste Gros, who had to leave the game, Argentina was in the contest at 13-9 down after 33 minutes. Then came a dramstic seven minutes. Villiere smashed over from an offload by fullback Leo Barre, and consecutive chipped kicks by Antoine Dupont and Ramos set up Bielle-Biarrey to score until Pumas flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez batted the ball away, but forward. France received a penalty try and Gonzalez was yellow-carded. Right on halftime, Ramos’ fifth successful goalkick made it a commanding 30-9 and swept him past Thierry Lacroix, Morgan Parra and Dimitri Yachvili on France’s all-time list of highest point-scorers. Ramos’ next goalkick, perhaps in the Six Nations, will lift him past Christophe Lamaison’s 380 points with only Frederic Michalak’s 436 higher. The second half was better from Argentina and an attacking lineout led to Gallo’s try, which flyhalf Tomas Albornoz converted. Pumas hopes of a comeback were dashed moments later when Bielle-Biarrey chased down his own kick in the left corner for tries in every test this autumn. Both kickers were perfect off the tee, with Ramos nailing six for 15 points and Albornoz five for 13 points. “It’s one of our strengths having players who can perform in different positions,” said Ramos, who has converted from fullback into a slick flyhalf without losing any of his kicking accuracy. France had one last attack and thought it scored another try, but replacement center Emilien Gailleton’s effort down the left was ruled out for a knock-on in the buildup. “Three matches, three wins, and we finished things off here in front of our fans. What more could you ask for?” posed flanker Charles Ollivon, who made 16 tackles. “We knew Argentina would be aggressive, they seem to be even more so when they come to play here. We faced up to it.” ___ AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugbyFeeling the Christmas burnout? How to complete Dry January in 7 simple steps
Mexico’s Tecnológico de Monterrey (Monterrey Technological Institute), a private university based in Monterrey, Nuevo León, is the ninth-best undergraduate university in the world for entrepreneurship according to a ranking by the Princeton Review. The Princeton Review: Top Undergraduate Schools for Entrepreneurship 2025 said it evaluated entrepreneurship programs from nearly 300 schools based on surveys of schools conducted from June through August 2024. The Mexican university stands out because, according to its data, over 68% of its students have taken at least one course related to entrepreneurship during their academic careers. Furthermore, 43% of its graduates have successfully launched businesses that create employment and positively impact their communities. Tec de Monterrey is the only foreign university on the list and the first one in the international category. It has remained on the top 10 ranking since 2019. The University of Houston came in as the best university for undergrad entrepreneurship, followed by University of Texas at Austin, Babson College, University of Washington, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Maryland College Park, Miami University and at No. 10 on the list, Northeastern University. The entrepreneurship survey methodology is based on several fields. Eduardo Garza Sada (1892-1973), one of Mexico’s top businessmen and founder of today’s FEMSA group (Coca-Cola’s largest bottler and owner of Oxxo convenience stores) founded Tecnológico de Monterrey in 1943. According to the university’s website , in July of that year, Garza convened a group of businessmen and professionals from Monterrey to form the Enseñanza e Investigación Superior, A.C.,with the “purpose of operating a private educational institution of the highest academic level.” The university began with 350 students. Today, it teaches over 90,000 who study under some of the 11 doctoral programs, 59 master and specialization programs, 54 undergraduate degrees and 3 high school programs. Tecnológico de Monterrey is a private, non-profit, independent institution with no political and religious affiliations. With reports from El EconomistaWASHINGTON – Senate Democrats failed Wednesday to confirm a Democratic member of the National Labor Relations Board after independent Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema opposed the nomination, thwarting their hopes of locking in a majority at the federal agency for the first two years of President-elect Donald Trump's term. A vote to move ahead with the nomination of Lauren McFarren, who currently chairs the NLRB, failed 49-50. Had she been confirmed to another five-year term, it would have cemented a Democratic majority on the agency's board for the first two years of the incoming Trump administration. Now, Trump will likely be able to nominate McFarren's replacement. Recommended Videos The NLRB oversees labor disputes, supervises union elections and has the power to investigate unfair labor practices . The partisan breakdown of the NLRB’s leadership is fiercely contested by businesses and labor groups, as the majority on the board sets the agenda and determines how readily the agency uses its power to investigate and enforce labor laws. “It is deeply disappointing, a direct attack on working people, and incredibly troubling that this highly qualified nominee — with a proven track record of protecting worker rights — did not have the votes," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. The rejection of McFarren was yet another blow to Senate Democrats and President Joe Biden from Manchin and Sinema, who served as major brakes — and at times outright obstacles — to much of their legislative agenda the first two years of Biden's term. Manchin left the Democratic Party in May, while Sinema withdrew from the party in 2022. Both chose not to run for another Senate term and will be leaving the Congress in January. Some congressional Republicans praised Manchin and Sinema for preventing the confirmation. “This NLRB seat should be filled by President Trump and the new incoming Senate. Not a historically unpopular president and a Senate Democrat Majority that has lost its mandate to govern,” Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, said in a statement after the vote. “Big Labor knows the days of having the federal government do its bidding are numbered,” Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., wrote in a statement. Foxx, who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said that the incoming Trump administration would focus on “enacting a truly pro-worker agenda.” Business groups also praised the rejection of McFarren. Kristen Swearingen, a vice president at Associated Builders and Contractors, a trade group, called McFarren's policies “harmful” and said the process to nominate her was “flawed.” “Under McFerran’s leadership, the NLRB has issued decisions and expanded interpretations of the National Labor Relations Act that have been rejected by the business community, Congress and federal courts," argued Swearingen. Labor unions decried the vote. Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest consortium of labor unions, said the senators who rejected McFarren's nomination “voted against the working people of this country” and warned that the incoming Trump administration would direct the NLRB to side with management over workers. “Make no mistake: This vote had nothing to do with stopping Chair McFerran’s renomination and everything to do with reversing generations of progress workers have made toward building a fairer and more just economy," Shuler said. Democratic lawmakers, like Schumer, took a dim view of the vote. Some directed their anger directly at Manchin and Sinema. “Shortchanging workers is a bad way to leave,” Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., wrote on social media . ___
Who are the Border Patrol chaplains? And why does the agency need more of them now?Black Ops 6, the latest entry in the Call of Duty series, contains some really bizarre and wacky cosmetics . And while some players hate them, it doesn’t seem like the developers behind the game are going to stop making them any time soon. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is one of the best entries in the franchise in years, with an action-packed campaign, an awesome zombies mode, and a huge amount of multiplayer content. But the game, which launched in October, also contains a lot of wacky character skins, and these skins have become a controversial topic among players. Some love the wacky skins, like a shark man and assorted celebrities , while others despise these cosmetics and think they are ruining the Call of Duty experience. So why are all these wacky outfits in the game? (Well, besides money, that is.) In a new interview with Dexerto , Miles Leslie, the associate creative director at Black Ops 6 studio Treyarch, was asked about all the silly cosmetics and explained that ultimately, it comes down to letting people have fun. “Fun always comes first for us,” explained Leslie. “Of course, we want to stay grounded in the DNA that makes a Black Ops game unique when it comes to core gameplay, but we also like to break the rules if it’s going to maximize fun for players.” Leslie further suggested that the Black Ops series “naturally lends itself” to more outlandish items and skins, as the COD sub-series has always been more willing to do weird storylines and include more outlandish moments. Call of Duty ’s campaigns will stay grounded However, Leslie explained that when it comes to developing the campaign, the focus is always on realism and accuracy. “[ Black Ops 6' s] campaign has a tightly defined cast of characters with an era-specific look to them that fits the story that we and our friends at Raven Software are telling,” said Leslie. “The cool thing is, because the story then continues directly from the Campaign into our Multiplayer experience throughout our post-launch seasons, we now get to develop new looks and lore for those characters while simultaneously building out the cast for both the Rogue Black Ops and Crimson One factions.” Leslie says the studio takes this stuff “very seriously” and wants to continue telling post-launch stories with these characters, but admitted, “That doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with cosmetics along the way!” Nowhere in Leslie’s answer did the creative director also add the other reason Activision and Treyarch keep adding more silly skins that you have to buy to use. So, I’ll add it below: .