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game earn real money Heron Therapeutics Announces Corporate Headquarters Relocation to Cary, North CarolinaNano Nuclear Energy (NASDAQ:NNE) Shares Gap Up – Should You Buy?WASHINGTON (AP) — One year after the Jan. 6, 2021 , U.S. Capitol attack, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department was committed to holding accountable all perpetrators “at any level” for “the assault on our democracy.” That bold declaration won't apply to at least one person: Donald Trump. Special counsel Jack Smith's move on Monday to abandon the federal election interference case against Trump means jurors will likely never decide whether the president-elect is criminally responsible for his attempts to cling to power after losing the 2020 campaign. The decision to walk away from the election charges and the separate classified documents case against Trump marks an abrupt end of the Justice Department’s unprecedented legal effort that once threatened his liberty but appears only to have galvanized his supporters. The abandonment of the cases accusing Trump of endangering American democracy and national security does away with the most serious legal threats he was facing as he returns to the White House. It was the culmination of a monthslong defense effort to delay the proceedings at every step and use the criminal allegations to Trump's political advantage, putting the final word in the hands of voters instead of jurors. “We always knew that the rich and powerful had an advantage, but I don’t think we would have ever believed that somebody could walk away from everything,” said Stephen Saltzburg, a George Washington University law professor and former Justice Department official. “If there ever was a Teflon defendant, that’s Donald Trump.” While prosecutors left the door open to the possibility that federal charges could be re-filed against Trump after he leaves office, that seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Trump's presidential victory has thrown into question the future of the two state criminal cases against him in New York and Georgia. Trump was supposed to be sentenced on Tuesday after his conviction on 34 felony counts in his New York hush money case , but it's possible the sentencing could be delayed until after Trump leaves office, and the defense is pushing to dismiss the case altogether. Smith's team stressed that their decision to abandon the federal cases was not a reflection of the merit of the charges, but an acknowledgement that they could not move forward under longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Trump's presidential victory set “at odds two fundamental and compelling national interests: On the one hand, the Constitution’s requirement that the President must not be unduly encumbered in fulfilling his weighty responsibilities . . . and on the other hand, the Nation’s commitment to the rule of law,” prosecutors wrote in court papers. The move just weeks after Trump's victory over Vice President Kamala Harris underscores the immense personal stake Trump had in the campaign in which he turned his legal woes into a political rallying cry. Trump accused prosecutors of bringing the charges in a bid to keep him out of the White House, and he promised revenge on his perceived enemies if he won a second term. “If Donald J. Trump had lost an election, he may very well have spent the rest of his life in prison,” Vice President-elect JD Vance, wrote in a social media post on Monday. “These prosecutions were always political. Now it’s time to ensure what happened to President Trump never happens in this country again.” After the Jan. 6 attack by Trump supporters that left more than 100 police officers injured, Republican leader Mitch McConnell and several other Republicans who voted to acquit Trump during his Senate impeachment trial said it was up to the justice system to hold Trump accountable. The Jan. 6 case brought last year in Washington alleged an increasingly desperate criminal conspiracy to subvert the will of voters after Trump's 2020 loss, accusing Trump of using the angry mob of supporters that attacked the Capitol as “a tool” in his campaign to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence and obstruct the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's victory. Hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters — many of whom have said they felt called to Washington by Trump — have pleaded guilty or been convicted by juries of federal charges at the same courthouse where Trump was supposed to stand trial last year. As the trial date neared, officials at the courthouse that sits within view of the Capitol were busy making plans for the crush of reporters expected to cover the historic case. But Trump's argument that he enjoyed absolute immunity from prosecution quickly tied up the case in appeals all the way up to the Supreme Court. The high court ruled in July that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution , and sent the case back to the trial court to decide which allegations could move forward. But the case was dismissed before the trial court could get a chance to do so. The other indictment brought in Florida accused Trump of improperly storing at his Mar-a-Lago estate sensitive documents on nuclear capabilities, enlisting aides and lawyers to help him hide records demanded by investigators and cavalierly showing off a Pentagon “plan of attack” and classified map. But U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case in July on grounds that Smith was illegally appointed . Smith appealed to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but abandoned that appeal on Monday. Smith's team said it would continue its fight in the appeals court to revive charges against Trump's two co-defendants because “no principle of temporary immunity applies to them.” In New York, jurors spent weeks last spring hearing evidence in a state case alleging a Trump scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. New York prosecutors recently expressed openness to delaying sentencing until after Trump's second term, while Trump's lawyers are fighting to have the conviction dismissed altogether. In Georgia, a trial while Trump is in office seems unlikely in a state case charging him and more than a dozen others with conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. The case has been on hold since an appeals court agreed to review whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired to lead the case. Associated Press reporter Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed.

Daily Post Nigeria Man kills bosom friend in Delta over N30m Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport Metro Man kills bosom friend in Delta over N30m Published on December 23, 2024 By Alex Akinrogbe A suspect, identified as Efe Onoetiyi, and others have been arrested by the police over the murder of one Paulinus Okon. Earlier, Paulinus had been reported missing on September 8, 2024, by his brother, after he went out with his friend, Onoetiyi Efe, a 30-year-old male. Efe, who initially denied knowing anything about Paulinus’s disappearance, later visited Paulinus’s family. When confronted with the fact that Paulinus had gone out with him on that same day, Efe denied this. Later, he returned and demanded N500,000 from Paulinus’s brother, claiming he would use the money to consult a herbalist who could help them locate Paulinus. Efe also informed the family that Paulinus had been kidnapped and collected a ransom of approximately N20,715,000 from Paulinus’s brother, claiming he was in contact with the kidnappers. When it became clear that Efe was hiding something, he was arrested, and the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department at the State Headquarters in Asaba. The Commissioner of Police, Delta Command, Abaniwonda Olufemi, on November 28, 2024, directed the DPO of Ekpan to take over the case and ensure a thorough investigation is carried out to identify those responsible, as the main suspect, Efe, was not cooperating. Ekpan conducted an intelligence-led investigation that led to the indictment of one Okeimute Gaga, 48. Upon arrest, Okeimute Gaga confessed, saying: “I can no longer hide what happened. I will narrate how Efe brought Paulinus to Orere River in Otokutu and asked us to kill him.” The suspect further stated that on September 8, 2024, he, Efe, Sunday Ikpeba, and a 30-year-old herbalist known as Lawrence Joseph tied Paulinus Okon to a stake at night near Orere River and beheaded him while he was still alive. “His body was thrown into the river while the herbalist took Paulinus’s head and buried it at his shrine in Otokutu,” he added. The DPO of Ekpan Police Station led police operatives to the shrine in Otokutu, where the skull of Paulinus was exhumed and recovered. Asked why he killed his friend, Efe said that he found a building for sale for N30,000,000, which he advertised to Paulinus. The deceased paid him N30,000,000 in three instalments, but instead of purchasing the house, Efe diverted the money for his personal use, buying two plots of land and building a duplex for himself. “I did not know how to explain to the deceased that I had used his money, so I decided that killing him would save me the trouble,” he confessed. According to the Commissioner of Police, Efe and the three other suspects are currently in custody. Related Topics: Delta Don't Miss Miscreants on rampage, 1 killed as police raid hard drugs joint in Calabar You may like Kingship tussle: Delta court convicts 9 in forgery case Yuletide: Delta Police Command restates ban on fireworks Three men to die by hanging for abducting, killing Delta monarch Police arrest 36-year-old man for allegedly raping married woman in Delta Human trafficking: Delta govt to confiscate motor parks, jail operators Anioma monarchs endorse move for separate state from Delta Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Another NFL season is entering the home stretch with Week 13 of the 2024 season getting underway on Thanksgiving. Though the regular season may be approaching its end, Bills fans have something playoff-wise to potentially look forward to this week. Buffalo has the chance to earn one of the first playoff-clinching scenarios of the season during their game Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers. If the Bills win on 'Sunday Night Football,' and the Miami Dolphins lose to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving, Buffalo will clinch the AFC East for the fifth consecutive year in a row. This is the only clinching scenario for the Bills during Week 13. The only other team that can clinch a spot in the playoffs this week is their AFC rival Kansas City Chiefs, who also need a Miami loss on Thursday, along with a win on Black Friday vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. Another scenario that would clinch a playoff ticket for the Chiefs would be a win plus a Denver Broncos loss to the Cleveland Browns on Monday night. Kickoff between the Bills and 49ers is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. right here on WGRZ. Join us before the game as we will have a special edition of 'Sports Talk Live' beginning at 6:30 p.m. And don't forget, following the end of 'Sunday Night Football,' we will have postgame coverage on 'Channel 2 News Tonight,' right here on Channel 2. We've got some playoff-clinching scenarios to look out for in Week 13 👀 The @Chiefs can clinch a playoff berth with: - win on Black Friday vs. LV + MIA loss on Thanksgiving - OR with a win + DEN loss on MNF The @BuffaloBills can clinch the AFC East with: - win on Sunday vs. SF... pic.twitter.com/TZgRv0eQIABREAKING NEWS Juan Soto 'is signing with New York Mets in $700m deal', says ex-MLB player By JACK BEZANTS Published: 23:09, 26 November 2024 | Updated: 23:32, 26 November 2024 e-mail View comments Juan Soto has decided to sign for the New York Mets on a $700million deal, according to former MLB player Carlos Baerga. Baerga made the claim on Tuesday night on social media, saying: 'Well my people, these messages are coming directly. I think Juan Soto will sign with the NY Mets and it is about 700 million, my people.' Baerga shared his update alongside a report that Mets center fielder Jose Siri said he would give up his No 22 jersey for Soto if he joined the team. There has been no official confirmation from Soto or the Mets, who are in the running alongside multiple other organizations such as the Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. Baerga used to play for the Mets and since retiring in 2005 has worked as an analyst on Spanish baseball coverage for ESPN. Soto is a free agent after spending last year with the New York Yankees , with the team losing the World Series to the Dodgers. Juan Soto is apparently ditching pinstripes and heading to the New York Mets Partnering Aaron Judge in an explosive Yankees lineup, the 26-year-old was hugely popular at Yankee Stadium - a reputation he would instantly trash with a move from the Bronx to Queens. The left-hander hit 41 home runs in the regular season for the Yankees who, if Baerga is correct, must now turn their focus on rebuilding their roster for 2025. One player they could go for is a former Met. First baseman Pete Alonso is also in free agency after his Citi Field contract ran out and the Yankees need a replacement for Anthony Rizzo. But make no mistake, Soto joining the crosstown rivals in New York would be a huge blow for Yankees manager Aaron Boone. The Mets overcame a brutal start last season - in early June, they had the third-worst record in MLB - to reach the NLCS where they were beaten by the Dodgers in six. Should Carlos Mendoza land the biggest prize of free agency, it would be huge statement. Baerga shared his update alongside a report that Mets center fielder Jose Siri said he would give up his No 22 jersey for Soto if he joined the team. Share or comment on this article: Juan Soto 'is signing with New York Mets in $700m deal', says ex-MLB player e-mail Add comment

: The YSRC will raise the burning issues of atrocities on social media activists and Polavaram, besides opposing the Wakf Board (Amendment) Bill, in the ensuing Winter Session in Parliament. Former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy held the Parliamentary Party meeting here on Thursday and chalked out the strategy to be adopted during the Parliament session. MP Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose told the media after the meeting that they would raise the issue of harassment and illegal detention of social media activists in the state. “Police are not following the rule of the law and are detaining political opponents and social media activists at will and are harassing them violating human rights,” he said. The YSRC will oppose the proposed Wakf Board (Amendment) Bill tooth and nail and will also explore legal options. Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has strongly said that they will not tolerate any discrimination towards minorities, he said. The YSRC has decided protest against the Centre’s decision to reduce the height of the Polavaram dam and demand that the Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) package of the displaced persons be expedited. It will also fight against the privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and will advocate that the Plant should be in the public sector. “We will stage protests in Delhi and will also raise our voice to get clearances for the pending Bills from the Centre,” he said.

Democrats don't understand what it means to be educatedTORONTO: Wall Street stocks, led by S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, ended higher on Tuesday, as technology stocks rebounded, while investors digested President-elect Donald Trump's tariff pledges on top trade partners and the latest minutes from the Federal Reserve. US short-term interest-rate futures pared earlier losses after the Fed's latest minutes showed officials appeared divided over how much further they may need to cut interest rates. The minutes of the Nov. 6-7 meeting also showed the group agreed this was a moment to avoid giving much concrete guidance about how US monetary policy is likely to evolve in the weeks ahead. "The minutes did nothing to alter my view that the policy rate is going to be adjusted lower next week and will continue to do so through the next calendar year," said Jamie Cox, managing partner for Harris Financial Group. Other analysts were more cautious. Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist for Capital Economics, noted that he still expects another 25 basis-point cut, but cautioned such decisions are data-dependent and therefore November’s employment and inflation data will be pivotal In a development overnight, Trump said he would impose a 25% conditional tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports that could violate a free-trade deal he negotiated during his previous term. He also outlined "an additional 10% tariff, above any additional tariffs" on imports from China, raising the risk of trade wars. Automakers Ford and General Motors both dropped on the news as they have highly integrated supply chains across Mexico, the US and Canada. GM shares plunged nearly 9%. "The concern is that some products are going to become more costly and that will mean revenue for those companies that are possibly manufacturing those goods overseas is going to decline," said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth. "It's a lot of back-and-forth right now because investors are trying to position themselves for January and the days after and they're not really sure." The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 123.74 points, or 0.28%, to 44,860.31, the S&P 500 gained 34.26 points, or 0.57%, to 6,021.63 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 119.46 points, or 0.63%, to 19,174.30. Gains in megacaps such as Microsoft and Apple boosted the information technology sector and the tech-heavy Nasdaq. Microsoft shares rose a little over 2%. Wells Fargo rose 0.6%, standing out among sluggish banking stocks, after Reuters reported, citing sources, that the bank is in the last stages of a process to pass regulatory tests to lift a US$1.95 trillion asset cap next year after fixing problems from its scandal over fake accounts. The blue-chip Dow was weighed down by declines in Amgen , which slid about 4.8% after its experimental obesity drug fell short of expectations. The S&P 500 touched a record high on Monday and logged its sixth-straight session of gains, while the Russell 2000 also scaled an all-time high after three years. On the day, the small-cap index fell 0.7%. Among others, Eli Lilly rose 4.6% after US President Joe Biden proposed expanding Medicare and Medicaid coverage for anti-obesity drugs. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.57-to-1 ratio on the NYSE. There were 358 new highs and 52 new lows on the NYSE. The S&P 500 posted 63 new 52-week highs and 3 new lows while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 124 new highs and 91 new lows. — ReutersThe Western tourists going to Iraq for vacation

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Malik Nabers said calling the New York Giants “soft” after Sunday's embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a mistake, although the star rookie receiver still plans to speak out when he thinks it's necessary. After talking with coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen and watching video of the Giants' 30-7 defeat , Nabers said Tuesday that "soft” was a poor choice of words. “I don’t think it was really soft. I think it was just a lack of technique,” Nabers said. “We were playing our butts off, we just lacked technique.” The Giants (2-9) trailed 23-0 at halftime and had run only 19 plays on offense. Nabers was not targeted in first the half but still finished with a team-high six catches for 64 yards. The No. 6 overall pick in the draft, Nabers said his rant after the game — in which he said the Giants' quarterbacks weren't to blame for the team's poor performance — was just the competitor in him talking. “That’s just how I’m wired. That’s just who I am,” he said. “I just don’t like losing. If I feel like if I had an opportunity to help the team win, I’m going to express that.” Nabers said not being targeted in the opening half was tough because his body is prepared to play and not doing anything throws him off his game. “You’re not getting involved early, then you’re not getting the feel of the ball, you’re not getting hit,” Nabers said. “After football plays as an offense, after you get hit, you’re like, ‘All right, I’m ready to go.’” Nabers has a team-high 67 catches, the most by a player in his first nine NFL games. He said he sees himself as a resource, someone who can change the game for the Giants. “I’m not going to just sit back just because I’m a younger guy and not speak on how I feel,” Nabers said. “They want me to speak up. They feel like my energy helps the offense, in a way, to be explosive. So, of course, I’m going to speak up if something doesn’t go my way. That’s just how I am.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Chandigarh: In a major respite for Haryana bureaucracy, the Supreme Court (SC) has overruled the Punjab and Haryana high court’s Oct 4 order recalling the security provided to IAS officers dealing with civil administration responsibilities or quasi-judicial work. This means that the security provided to IAS officers working in different capacities would continue. The HC order had created uneasiness among IAS officers of the state, after which the Haryana govt approached the SC to challenge the order. “The high court, while dealing with petition for anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, had no reason to go into the aspects of making provision for security to VIPs, VVIPs, and other citizens. In our view, the HC cannot go into all these questions while deciding the prayer for anticipatory bail... The orders passed by HC on aspects of security need not be acted upon. With the above directions, the appeal is disposed of,” the SC held in its order released last week. Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih passed these orders while hearing a special leave petition (criminal) filed by the Haryana govt. We also published the following articles recently SC frowns at 'stay and forget orders' in high courts The Supreme Court criticized the Allahabad High Court's practice of granting stays without scheduling hearings, highlighting a child custody case delayed for five years. A woman, separated from her husband since 2018, fought for custody of her son, initially granted by a single judge but stayed by a division bench. HC hears petition on mosque security in Uttarkashi The Uttarakhand High Court is addressing a petition to protect a mosque in Uttarkashi facing demolition threats after being declared 'illegal'. The petitioners assert the mosque's legal construction on land purchased in 1969 and approved by the Waqf Commissioner in 1986. Concerns over hate speeches made at a recent Mahapanchayat were also raised. Only court can order recount once results declared: Deputy poll officer Maharashtra's election officials clarified recounting procedures amidst opposition parties' EVM concerns. Candidates can object before results are declared, but final recounting decisions rest with officials and observers, prioritizing VVPAT slips. Mandatory recounts occur for close contests with significant postal ballots. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

A bid by The Onion satirical news outlet to buy Alex Jones’ conspiracy theory platform Infowars returned Monday to a Texas courtroom, where a judge heard arguments on whether a was properly run as Jones alleges collusion and fraud. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston is looking into the November auction and how a trustee chose The Onion over the only other bidder — a company affiliated with Jones that offered twice as much money as The Onion. The judge said the hearing would last into Monday evening and pick up again on Tuesday afternoon. Lopez is the same judge handling the Steward Health Care bankruptcy that involves whether Sharon Regional Medical Center in Sharon will change ownership or be closed. The sale of Infowars is part of , which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay in defamation lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas filed by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. Jones repeatedly called the 2012 shooting that killed 20 children and six educators a hoax staged by actors and aimed at increasing gun control. Most of the proceeds from the sale of Infowars, as well as many of Jones’ personal assets, will go to the Sandy Hook families to help satisfy judgments issued by juries and judges in state courts in Connecticut and Texas. Some proceeds will go to Jones’ other creditors. The Onion, which wants to turn Infowars’ website and social media accounts into , offered $1.75 million for Infowars’ assets in the auction, while First United American Companies — which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements — bid $3.5 million. The Onion’s bid also included a pledge by many of the Sandy Hook families to forgo some or all of the auction proceeds due to them to give other creditors a total of $100,000 more than they would receive under other bids. The trustee, Christopher Murray, chose The Onion, saying its proposal was better for creditors because they would receive more money. Joshua Wolfshohl, an attorney for Murray, told the judge Monday that no wrongdoing occurred during the auction. He called the complaints by Jones and First United American Companies unfounded. “The vast majority of their complaints are just fantastic, imagined conspiracy theories that have no basis in reality,” he said. Jones’ lawyer, Ben Broocks, questioned Murray’s rationale for choosing The Onion and alleged that a recent deposition of the trustee showed improprieties. He also questioned the validity of The Onion’s bid, saying it was technically valued at $7 million because of the incentive offered by the Sandy Hook families. An auction company executive involved in the sale testified most of the afternoon. In court filings, Jones and First United American Companies of illegally colluding on the bidding, committing fraud and violating the judge’s rules for the auction. Murray, The Onion and the families deny the allegations. In his own court filing, Murray called the allegations “a disappointed bidder’s improper attempt to influence an otherwise fair and open auction process.” Up for sale at the auction were all the equipment and other assets in the Infowars studio in Austin, Texas, as well as its social media accounts, websites, video archive and product trademarks. Jones uses the studio to broadcast his far-right, conspiracy theory-filled shows on the Infowars website, his account on the social platform X and radio stations. Jones has set up another studio, websites and social media accounts in case The Onion wins approval to buy Infowars and kicks him out. Jones has said he could continue using the Infowars platforms if the auction winner is friendly to him.

Blue Yonder said that it experienced disruptions to services it manages for customers on Thursday, which the third-party software supplier determined to be “the result of a ransomware incident.”Ship strikes kill thousands of whales. A study of hot spots could map out solutions

Pat Bryant caught a 40-yard touchdown on fourth down with four seconds remaining as No. 25 Illinois rallied for a dramatic 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday afternoon in Piscataway, N.J. With Rutgers playing cover-zero defense, Bryant caught Luke Altmyer's sidearm toss on fourth-and-13 at the 22-yard line in the middle of the field and ran in from the right side for a 36-31 lead. Bryant's dramatic catch came after Illinois initially decided to attempt a go-ahead 57-yard field goal into the wind. Following a timeout, the Ilini went for it on fourth down. Altmeyer's two-point conversion attempt to Bryant was incomplete, but the visitors recorded a safety on the game's final play. Bryant finished with seven catches for a career-high 197 yards, and his score came after Rutgers took a 31-30 lead on a 13-yard rushing TD by Kyle Monangai with 1:08 left. Monangai gave the Scarlet Knights the lead after Illinois overcame a nine-point deficit on Aidan Laughery's 8-yard TD run with 13:48 remaining and Altmyer's 30-yard run with 3:07 left. Bryant's clutch catch gave Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) eight wins for the second time in three seasons on a day when it committed 11 penalties. Altmyer finished 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and threw two touchdowns. He also gained a team-high 74 yards on the ground as the Ilini totaled 182 rushing yards. Monangai finished with 122 yards on 28 carries and Kaliakmanis completed 19-of-37 passes for 175 yards, but Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) was unable to win a third straight Big Ten game for the first time. Kaliakmanis also rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. The Scarlet Knights saw their losing streak against ranked teams reach 41 games after taking a 17-9 halftime lead and a 24-15 advantage early in the fourth. --Field Level Media(Reuters) - Billionaire Elon Musk has been using his social media platform X to go to bat for President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks and promote his own preferred candidates, advocating for choices he views as change agents who will help remake the U.S. government. In several high-profile cases, however, Musk backed people who either lost out on the roles or withdrew from consideration, suggesting some early limits to the Republican mega donor's influence even as he has emerged as one of Trump's most powerful allies. Musk, who has 206 million followers on X, posted or reposted about Trump's cabinet picks more than 70 times between Nov. 7 and Nov. 20, a Reuters review found. Though the posts represented just a fraction of his more than 2,000 posts during that period, Musk in many cases used them to give attention to Trump's most controversial choices, including former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for U.S. intelligence chief and environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr to lead the top U.S. health agency. Musk most enthusiastically rallied support for Matt Gaetz, the former congressman Trump initially tapped to be his attorney general. In the days following Gaetz's Nov. 13 nomination, Musk posted 37 times about Gaetz or his wife Ginger, mostly in positive terms. That was far more than his posts about Trump's other appointments. Gaetz backed out of consideration on Nov. 21, saying his candidacy had become a distraction for Trump amid allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug abuse. He has denied wrongdoing. For Trump's Treasury secretary, Musk pushed for Wall Street financier Howard Lutnick over hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, whom Musk dismissed as "a business-as-usual choice." Bessent got the job anyway. And in a separate fight over Senate leadership, Musk's endorsed candidate also came up short. One Trump ally said those misses showed the limitations of Musk's sway. Musk's reach on X "doesn’t mean he’s an effective advocate for his positions or chosen cabinet members," the Trump ally said. "He's still learning how to operate in politics." Spokespeople for X and Musk did not respond to Reuters requests for comment for this story. Musk, who owns X and rocket company SpaceX and is chief executive of the electric car company Tesla Inc., poured at least $119 million into getting Trump elected and has been a near-constant fixture at Trump's Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, since his election victory earlier this month. The two men attended an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in New York and a SpaceX launch in Texas, and Musk traveled with Trump to Washington for his meeting with President Joe Biden. On Saturday, Musk reposted a photo that showed him sitting with Trump, Lutnick and Republican Senator Joni Ernst at Mar-a-Lago, where they were discussing cabinet nominees, according to the caption. "Elon Musk and President Trump are great friends and brilliant leaders working together to Make America Great Again. Elon Musk is a once in a generation business leader and our federal bureaucracy will certainly benefit from his ideas and efficiency," said Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team. Musk's close proximity to Trump has prompted some hand-wringing and complaints from the transition team, who were not accustomed to him being around so much, according to two sources close to Trump staff. Amid increased scrutiny of his unusual role, Musk wrote in a post on X on Nov. 20 that while he had offered his opinion on some candidates, he was not in charge. "Many selections occur without my knowledge and decisions are 100% that of the President," Musk said. EFFICIENCY AND EMOJIS Musk's political posts on X far outnumbered those he used to promote his three businesses, the Reuters review found. He frequently mocks liberals and posts about government waste and Trump's newly created government efficiency panel, which the president-elect tapped Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead. Musk's typical posts consist either of an emoji or a short response to other posts. "Exactly," he wrote on Nov. 14, in response to a post noting that Trump's cabinet picks were "young outsiders" who "skipped the line." He responded with “Awesome” and a smile emoji on Nov. 13 to a post that said: “They put Tulsi Gabbard on a terror watchlist. Now she’s Director of National Intelligence. The biggest ‘F you’ to the Deep State Swamp.” On Nov. 16, as questions swirled about who Trump would pick for his Treasury secretary, Musk wrote on X that Bessent was "a business-as-usual choice," while Lutnick would "actually enact change." Musk also lobbied against Bessent internally, two sources close to Trump said. His efforts fell flat. On Nov. 22, Trump tapped Bessent for the job. Earlier in the month, Musk threw his support behind Republican Senator Rick Scott for Senate majority leader. Trump chose not to weigh in, and Scott ultimately lost to Senator John Thune for the position. One source close to Musk was struck by Musk's willingness to stick with Trump even after he’s been “shut down a couple of times” by the president-elect. "That’s very rare for a billionaire," the source said. "In general when they don’t get what they want, they walk away." The source said Musk was committed to Trump's government efficiency efforts. "He's really focused on the goal," the source said. Another test of Musk's influence lies ahead. Since the election, he has posted six times in support of Trump loyalist Kash Patel running the FBI. Patel, who served on Trump's National Security Council during his first term, has promised to go after politicians and journalists perceived to be enemies of Trump. Musk's X posts make clear that he sees Patel as the best option for change and reform. On Nov. 14, Musk posted a “100%” emoji in response to a clip of Patel saying that he would shut down the FBI’s headquarters on day one of Trump's new administration and reopen it as a “Deep State Museum,” with the caption “Make him FBI director.” (Reporting by Helen Coster in New York and Alexandra Ulmer in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Ned Parker; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Alistair Bell)

The Kimberley Curling Club (KCC) hosted the 2025 Safetek Profire BC U18 Curling Championships from Dec. 19 to 23. "We were thrilled with how everything went," said KCC general manager Blair Jarvis. "We knew that most teams were travelling a long way to get here and unfortunately they had to deal with some adventures with the snow we had last Wednesday. "We wanted to make sure that we gave them an experience that they would remember, so we spent a lot of time on the ice, we wanted to give them a great social experience off the ice as well and we heard from a number of curlers that it was the most U18 event that they’ve attended and so we’re really proud of that fact." The event had 12 teams competing on the Boys' side and seven Girls teams. On the Boys side of the competition, Team Jaeger out of Kelowna beat out Team Hrynew in the finals and for the Girls, Team Arndt from Vernon beat out Team Rempel to win the gold. With these wins, Team Jaeger has earned a spot at the Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships, which will be held at the Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon, Sask. from Feb. 16-22, 2025. Teams Arndt and Rempel will both be headed to the Nationals. Team Jaeger was made up of coaches Tyler Jaeger and Travis Wielgosz, Lead Brendan Hruschak, Second Noel Wielgosz, Third Spencer Rempel and Skip Owen Jaeger. "We really worked hard this year, this year we really wanted to win," said Skip Owen Jaeger. "We put in a lot of work and it just feels really, really good to win and for all that hard work to pay off. We’re really, really excited, it’s our first National event, first U18 provincial win so we’re really excited." Team Arndt is Coach David Arndt, Lead Alicia Evans, Second Ivy Jensen, Third Bethany Evans and Skip Ava Arndt. "We’re just super excited," said Skip Ava Arndt. "It took us a couple years to get here, but the hard work payed off and we can’t believe it, I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. It’s been a lot of hard work from us and the coaches and the parents. It’s been amazing." Jarvis coached Kimberley's Team Reynolds, who went on to win bronze. "We had set a target of making the playoffs and really happy with how the boys came together," Jarvis said. "They had a couple of games with a tough start and battled back and so the resilience they showed and how they stayed positive, there were a lot of great things we can take away from that. And the bronze medal, we were just thrilled to do that. "We saw Team Jaeger on the boys side and Team Arndt on the girls side as well — if we want to get to that level next year, we have some things to work on and it’s great to see the high level of curling in this province and so I think we’ve come away very motivated as well about what we need to do to get better if we want to be a little higher on the podium next year." Jarvis extended his gratitude to the over 50 volunteers who helped out before, during and after the event, including members of the Cranbrook Curling Club. "We’ll take some of the learnings from this event and apply them to the High School Provincials at the end of February, but we’re really happy with how everything went," he said. "And this is an event for the kids, we want to make sure that they’re going to have an experience that they’ll remember, the teams that had success will obviously remember the things that happened on the ice, but for most kids it will be the experiences they had off the ice. "We had karaoke here on the one night and a bunch of teams were intermingling together and having a great time and those are the experiences that I’m going to take away from this event." Patti Caldwell was head official for the event and Jarvis said she and Ian Milligan worked tirelessly throughout the week. "Patti’s attitude is this is all for the kids and making sure that they have fun and sure it’s a competition, but it’s meant to be fun and we’re going to enjoy this," Jarvis said. "This is a sport that we can enjoy for life and so you want to make sure you’re building positive memories in every aspect." Lindsay Shannon, administrative and event manager at Curl BC, was also on hand for the event, and presented all the awards. "We would just like to thank the Kimberley Curling Club and the City of Kimberley who put on an amazing event here and welcomed all of our athletes who have performed so well," Shannon said. "We're really looking forward to cheering our winners on at the Nationals." The Kimberley Curling Club's next big event is the High School Provincials from Feb. 26 to March 1.Ghana's opposition leader John Mahama officially won the country's election on Monday, easily defeating the ruling party candidate after voters punished the government's economic management and high living costs. Mahama won 56 percent of the votes in Saturday's presidential ballot, compared to the ruling party candidate and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who secured 41 percent, the electoral commission said announcing official results. The landslide comeback for former president Mahama ended eight years in power for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose last term was marked by Ghana's worst economic turmoil in years, an IMF bailout and a debt default. "These eight years have witnessed some of the darkest periods of our governance," Mahama told crowds of supporters blowing horns and whistles in his party office in Accra. "This mandate also serves as a constant reminder of what fate awaits us if we fail to meet the aspirations of our people." Bawumia, a former central banker, had already quickly conceded defeat on Sunday, acknowledging Ghanaians wanted change after the government failed to shake off widespread frustration. Bawumia also said the Mahama's National Democratic Congress (NDC) party had won the parliamentary vote in Saturday's election. Official results for the parliament are still being tallied. Mahama, 66, had previously failed twice to secure the presidency, but in Saturday's election he managed to tap into expectations of change among Ghanaians. He promised to "reset" Ghana, usher in economic revival and renegotiate parts of the country's $3 billion IMF accord. In his acceptance speech, Mahama promised reforms and "severe" measures to bring Ghana back on track. More from this section "The journey is not going to be easy... because the outgoing government has plunged our dear nation into the abyss," he said. "I am certain that we shall win the battle." With a history of democratic stability, Ghana's two major parties, the NPP and NDC, have alternated in power equally since the return to multi-party politics in 1992. But Ghana's economic woes dominated the 2024 election, after the continent's top gold producer and world's second cacao exporter went through a debt crisis, the default and currency devaluation. Turnout for Saturday election was 60.9 percent, a slide in participation from 79 percent in the 2020 election, results showed. With a slogan "Break the 8" -- a reference to two, four-year terms in power -- Bawumia had sought to take the NPP to an unprecedented third mandate. But he struggled to break from criticism of Akufo-Addo's economic record. While inflation slowed from more than 50 percent to around 23 percent, and other indicators stabilised, economic concerns were still a clear election issue for most Ghanaians. That frustration opened the way for a comeback from Mahama, who first came to the presidency in 2012 when he was serving as vice president and then President John Atta Mills died in office. During campaigning, the former president also faced criticism from those who remember his government's own financial tribulations and especially the massive power blackouts that marred his time in office. bur/pma/giv

ANDOVER, Mass. , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TransMedics Group, Inc. ("TransMedics") (Nasdaq: TMDX), a medical technology company that is transforming organ transplant therapy for patients with end-stage lung, heart, and liver failure, today announced that members of the management team will present at the upcoming 43 rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. The presentation will take place on Monday, January 13, 2025 , at 2:15 p.m. Pacific Standard Time / 5:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time . Event: 43 rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Date: Monday, January 13, 2025 Time: 2:15 p.m. PST A live and archived webcast of the presentation will be available on the "Investors" section of the TransMedics website at https://investors.transmedics.com/ . The Company's standard investor presentation is also available through this link. About TransMedics Group, Inc. TransMedics is the world's leader in portable extracorporeal warm perfusion and assessment of donor organs for transplantation. Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts , the company was founded to address the unmet need for more and better organs for transplantation and has developed technologies to preserve organ quality, assess organ viability prior to transplant, and potentially increase the utilization of donor organs for the treatment of end-stage heart, lung, and liver failure. Investor Contact: Brian Johnston Laine Morgan 332-895-3222 Investors@transmedics.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transmedics-to-participate-in-the-43rd-annual-jp-morgan-healthcare-conference-302338418.html SOURCE TransMedics Group, Inc.Newell Brands Inc. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors

Luke Littler continues sparkling form as he thrashes Danny Noppert to reach last eight of Players Championship FinalsAfraid of losing the US-Canada trade pact, Mexico alters its laws and removes Chinese partsA study of hot spots for collisions between ships and whales around the world, including Canadian waters, offers a map for measures to prevent the deadly strikes that could drive some species to extinction, one of the British Columbia-based authors says. Chloe Robinson said reported strikes represent a fraction of their true extent, and a lack of protection measures leaves whales vulnerable as global shipping expands. The study found shipping takes place across 92 per cent of the ranges for humpback, blue, fin and sperm whales worldwide, but measures to reduce vessel strikes have been implemented in less than seven per cent of high-risk areas. “That could really spell, you know, potential extinction for some of these species,” said Robinson, director of whales for Ocean Wise, a B.C.-based organization that provided data for the paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Science. “A recent study estimated anything up to 20,000 whales are killed a year through ship strikes, globally, and that’s just an estimate, a best-case estimate.” Robinson said she was surprised to see Swiftsure Bank, off the west coast of Vancouver Island, emerge as a risk hot spot for strikes of fin, blue and humpback whales. The area is a “migration highway” for humpbacks, she noted. The study also identified a hot spot for the same three species in the Gulf of St. Lawrence between Quebec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland. “This is something that Ocean Wise has been looking into because a lot of the management measures occur offshore and not sort of within the Gulf of St. Lawrence itself and even the St. Lawrence Seaway, (which) leads down to the Great Lakes,” she said. “That was a huge hot spot, which was really interesting for me.” Robinson said there have been smaller studies on the risk of ship strikes in different regions, but the study published Thursday is the first to map the distribution of the four whale species, using a variety of data sources, then compare it with the Automatic Identification System, a tool used for tracking vessels worldwide. “This was really the first of its kind to map these two on top of each other,” she said. The researchers found the highest levels of risk in the Indian, western North Pacific and Mediterranean, while it also identified high-risk areas in the eastern North Pacific, North and South Atlantic Ocean along with the South China Sea. The Southern Ocean was the only region that did not contain any ship-strike hot spots due to low levels of shipping, despite high use by whales, the study found. Robinson said the findings support a strong case for maritime authorities to adopt measures such as whale alert systems, speed limits and no-go zones. “We know where there are areas where there are lots of whales and lots of ships, so this is where we need to target for management,” she said in an interview. Robinson said Canada is home to many “eyes on the water” and researchers exploring innovative techniques for monitoring whales. But the country lacks mandatory mitigation measures, and it’s not alone. “Next to none of the measures globally are mandatory. So, having voluntary measures (is) great, provided people comply,” Robinson said. Ocean Wise launched an alert system in 2018 that notifies large vessels of the presence of whales in Pacific Northwest waters, and Robinson said about 80 per cent of mariners from Washington state up to Alaska have signed up. The WhaleReport alert system mainly functions in what she describes as “inshore” waters around busy ports in Seattle, Vancouver and Prince Rupert. The Port of Vancouver has also seen a high rate of compliance for its ECHO program, Robinson noted. The program encourages vessels to take voluntary steps, such as slowing down or staying farther away from whales, in order to reduce underwater noise and the potential for strikes in busy shipping areas. Robinson favours a multi-pronged approach to reducing ship strikes, but she said one single measure she believes could have a big impact would be equipping vessels with an infrared camera to detect whales within several kilometres. “Maybe some mariners ... respond better to knowing there 100 per cent is a whale 200 metres in front of your vessel, versus, ‘slow down, there might be a whale here.'” Robinson said such cameras can cost between US$50,000 and $75,000. But the cost was a “drop in the bucket” of major companies’ profits, she said. The cameras also present a public-relations opportunity for businesses to advertise themselves as operating in a more whale-friendly manner, Robinson said. “I know people who have had to go and have therapy after killing a humpback whilst at the helm,” she added. “I think there’s a lot to be said (for) the long-term benefits of this kind of technology.” The study also found areas with lower traffic that could provide refuge for whales, especially with added protections. It shows the Arctic Ocean, for example, has very few high-risk areas for vessel strikes, and Robinson said some researchers view it as potential sanctuary. But without protections, Robinson said Arctic waters could become the next high-risk hot spot as sea ice melts with climate change, opening up shipping routes. “Knowing the plans to expand shipping routes into these areas to cut shipping time, make things faster, right through prime whale habitat, I think this is a really good opportunity to get ahead of the issue before it becomes an issue,” she said. Whales play crucial roles in their ecosystems, including cycling nutrients that support other species, and they’re a boon for tourism, Robinson said. They’re also “magical” creatures that people feel connected to, she said, and they remain vulnerable after many species were hunted to the brink of extinction. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2024. Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press