Syria chaos could complicate lawmakers’ holiday endgameBy PETER SMITH A social-media tribute to Coptic Christians. A billboard in Amish country. A visit to a revered Jewish gravesite. While Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, he and his campaign allies also wooed smaller religious groups, far from the mainstream. As it turned out, Trump won by decisive margins, but his campaign aggressively courted niche communities with the understanding that every vote could be critical, particularly in swing states. Voter surveys such as exit polls, which canvass broad swaths of the electorate, aren’t able to gauge the impact of such microtargeting, but some backers say the effort was worth it. Just one week before the election, Trump directed a post on the social-media platform X to Coptic Christians in the United States —- whose church has ancient roots in Egypt. He saluted their “Steadfast Faith in God, Perseverance through Centuries of Persecution and Love for this Great Country.” “This was the first time seeing a major U.S. presidential candidate address the community in this manner,” said Mariam Wahba, a Coptic Christian and research analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based research institute. “It was really a profound moment.” She said many Copts share the conservative social views of other Christian groups in the Republican constituency, and they may already have been Trump supporters. But the posting reinforced those bonds. Coptic bishops sent the president-elect congratulations after his victory and cited their “shared social and family values.” Some Assyrian Christians — another faith group with Middle Eastern roots — similarly bonded with Trump, whose mispronunciation of “Assyrian” at a rally created a viral video moment and drew attention to their support. Sam Darmo, a Phoenix real estate agent and co-founder of Assyrians for Trump, said many community members cited the economy, illegal immigration and other prominent voter issues. They echoed other conservative Christians’ concerns, he said, on issues such as abortion, gender identity and religious expression in public. But he said Trump supported various Middle Eastern Christians recovering from the Islamic State group’s oppressive rule. Darmo also credited Massad Boulos, father-in-law to Trump’s daughter Tiffany, for mobilizing various Middle Eastern Christian groups, including Chaldean Catholics, and other voters, particularly in Michigan, such as Muslims. “He brought all these minority groups together,” he said. “We’re hoping to continue that relationship.” But members of Middle Eastern-rooted Christian groups, and their politics, are far from monolithic, said Marcus Zacharia, founder of Progressive Copts, a program of Informed Immigrants, an organization that promotes dialogue on sensitive topics among such groups in the United States and Canada. He said many younger community members question Trump’s stances on issues such as immigration, and sense that conservatives sometimes tokenize them by focusing on the plight of persecuted Christians in the Middle East while neglecting wider issues of repression in countries there that the U.S. supports. He said there needs to be more informed dialogue across the political divide in these communities. “There is no more high time than these next four years to have that way of conducting conversations,” he said. Republicans also made an aggressive push for Amish voters , particularly in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where they are most numerous at about 92,000 (many below voting age). The GOP has made similar efforts in the past, even though researchers have found that less than 10% of them typically vote, due to their separatism from society. But Republicans used billboards, mailers, ads and door-to-door campaigner to drive turnout in Lancaster County, home base to the nation’s largest Amish settlement. On Election Day, Amish voters Samuel Stoltzfus and his wife Lillian Stoltzfus said they were supporting Trump, citing their anti-abortion beliefs. “We basically look at it as murder,” Stoltzfus, 31, said outside a polling center in the Lancaster County community of New Holland, where dozens of other members of the local Amish community voted. Trump has wavered on the issue, dismaying some abortion opponents, though many have said Republicans still align more closely to their views. Stolzfus added: “Make America great again and keep the moral values,” he said. “Let’s go back to the roots.” Steven Nolt, a history professor at Elizabethtown College in Lancaster College who studies the Amish and their voting patterns, said that while it’s too early to say definitively without further research, he doesn’t see evidence of a larger turnout this year. Lancaster County as a whole — most of which is not Amish — is a GOP stronghold that Trump won handily, though both parties’ votes edged up from 2020, according to unofficial results posted by the Pennsylvania Department of State. Trump’s biggest increases were in urban or suburban areas with few Amish, while some areas with larger Amish populations generally saw a modest increase in the Trump vote, said Nolt, director of the college’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. “Bottom line, percentage-wise, not much change in the parts of Lancaster County where the Amish live,” he said. Trump directly reached out to members of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, a prominent and highly observant branch of Orthodox Judaism. Related Articles National Politics | Attorneys want the US Supreme Court to say Mississippi’s felony voting ban is cruel and unusual National Politics | Trump convinced Republicans to overlook his misconduct. But can he do the same for his nominees? National Politics | Trump gave Interior nominee one directive for a half-billion acres of US land: ‘Drill.’ National Politics | Trump’s team is delaying transition agreements. What does it mean for security checks and governing? National Politics | Judge delays Trump hush money sentencing in order to decide where case should go now On Oct. 7, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, Trump made a symbolically resonant visit to the “Ohel,” the burial site of the movement’s revered late leader, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. Wearing a yarmulke, the traditional Jewish skullcap, Trump, who has Jewish family members, brought a written prayer to the Ohel and laid a small stone at the grave in keeping with tradition. The site in New York City, while particularly central to Chabad adherents, draws an array of Jewish and other visitors, including politicians. About two-thirds of Jewish voters overall supported Trump’s opponent, Democrat Kamala Harris, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. But the Trump campaign has made a particular outreach to Orthodox Jews, citing issues including his policies toward Israel in his first administration. Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowitz of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida said it was moving for him to see images of Trump’s visit. “The mere fact that he made a huge effort, obviously it was important to him,” he said. Associated Press journalist Luis Henao contributed.Left’s hysteria over Trump’s mass-deportation plan turns off the rest of us — and boosts HIM
Hopes for a Santa Claus rally on Wall Street fell Friday as tech stocks slid lower, while a weaker yen lifted Japanese equities. US indices slid lower at the opening bell, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite losing two percent during morning trading. Shares in Tesla were down over three percent in late morning trading while those in AI chipmaker NVIDIA shed around two percent. Wall Street stocks have historically performed well around the year-end holidays in what is popularly known as a Santa Claus rally. A Christmas Eve jump in equities got the Santa rally off to a flying start and indices barely budged in Thursday trading. Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare also pointed to an increase in 10-year US Treasury bond yields to around 4.6 percent, which he noted is an increase of nearly 0.9 percentage points since the US Federal Reserve made its first interest rate cut in September. "The Fed doesn't hold sway over longer-dated maturities like it does over shorter-dated securities, so the bump in rates at the back end of the curve is being watched with an anxious eye as a possible harbinger of a pickup in inflation and/or the budget deficit," O'Hare said. Wall Street stocks took a knock earlier this month when the Fed indicated it would likely cut interest rates less than it had previously expected to. That was in part because of uncertainty tied to the stated intention of incoming president Donald Trump to raise tariffs, which could boost inflation that is already proving sticky. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei index closed up nearly two percent, with the yen's recent weakness proving a boon for major exporters. The yen hit 158.08 per US dollar on Thursday evening -- its lowest in almost six months -- following comments made by Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda that failed to give a clear signal on a possible interest rate increase next month. Recent data has showed Japan's inflation rose for a second month in December, while industrial production declined less than expected in November and retail sales came in higher than estimated last month. Japan's government also on Friday approved a record budget for the next fiscal year, ramping up spending on social welfare for its ageing population and on defence to tackle regional threats. In Seoul, the stock market closed down one percent after the won plunged to a nearly 16-year low of 1,487.03 against the dollar on Friday morning. South Korea is struggling to emerge from political turbulence in the wake of President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration this month, which prompted his impeachment. Acting President Han Duck-soo was also impeached Friday in a vote that prompted governing party lawmakers to protest with angry chants and raised fists. South Korea's business outlook for January fell in the Bank of Korea's composite sentiment index, the biggest month-on-month slide since April 2020, according to data based on almost 3,300 firms released Friday. In Europe, Frankfurt's DAX index rose after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved parliament on Friday and confirmed the expected date for the early general election, emphasising the need for "political stability" in Europe's largest economy. More from this section New York - Dow: DOWN 0.8 percent at 42,987.31 New York - S&P 500: DOWN 1.2 percent at 5,967.31 New York - Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 1.7 percent at 19,676.01 London - FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 8,149.78 (close) Paris - CAC 40: UP 1.0 percent at 7,355.37 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.7 percent at 19,984.32 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.8 percent at 40,281.16 points (close) Seoul - Kospi: DOWN 1.0 percent at 2,404.77 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.1 percent at 20,116.93 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 3,400.14 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0431 from $1.0424 on Thursday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2589 from $1.2526 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 157.53 yen from 158.00 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 82.85 pence from 83.19 pence West Texas Intermediate: UP 1.2 percent at $70.42 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: UP 1.1 percent at $73.62 per barrel burs-rl/rlpDemocrats plan to elect new party leader just days after Trump's inauguration
Brendan Gallagher of GLG Personal Injury Lawyers Redefines Client Care in Phoenix with a Personal TouchLooking to secure back-to-back wins, Coventry City will welcome Millwall to The Coventry Building Society Arena for a Championship battle on Sunday afternoon. The Sky Blues managed a handsome home success on Boxing Day at the expense of Plymouth Argyle, whilst the Lions lost out at the home of Norwich City. After a 4-1 away defeat at the base of Portsmouth on December 21 - when Callum Lang netted all four goals for Pompey - Coventry City returned to winning ways at their East Midlands base last time out, securing a four-goal battering of relegation-threatened Plymouth, who look destined for the drop. All of the Boxing Day damage was done during a pulsating opening 45 minutes at The CBS Arena, with a rare Josh Eccles brace - alongside strikes from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Ephron Mason-Clark - sealing another victory in the East Midlands at the start of Frank Lampard 's tenure. Ahead of their final second-tier fixture of the 2024 calendar year, Coventry are currently occupying 15th spot in the Championship standings , eight points behind Hull City in the highest of the relegation spots and 10 points back from Watford, who are guarding entry to the playoffs. Lampard's troops will need to improve their home form if they wish to have any chance of mounting an unlikely push for the top six during the second half of the 2024-25 term, with the Sky Blues mustering just five wins across 11 Championship matches at their base so far. The attacking antics of American marksman Haji Wright will be vital in Coventry's aims of pushing towards the upper echelons of the Championship rankings, with the towering forward netting seven goals across 15 league appearances before suffering a leg injury at the start of November. Since the departure of former head coach Neil Harris on December 14, Millwall have endured a mixed festive period under the leadership of an interim coaching team, securing a one-goal win over Blackburn Rovers on December 21 before losing out at Norwich on a misty Boxing Day. The Lions were put down in a frantic first period at the Canaries' East Anglian base, with strikes in the opening 40 minutes from Emiliano Marcondes and Oscar Schwartau securing the points for the hosts, although Romain Esse managed to bag a consolation for the visitors in the second half. Winning just one of their last eight second-tier matches as the final game of the 2024 schedule approaches on Sunday afternoon, Millwall are perched in 13th place in the Championship table , nine points ahead of the relegation zone and nine points behind Watford in the luxury of sixth spot. Rather unsurprisingly, the Lions have been poor on their second-tier travels so far during the 2024-25 campaign, with Sunday afternoon's visitors to The CBS Arena victorious in just one of 10 Championship away matches, with that solitary success coming back in October at Swansea City. Coventry are battling on through the festive calendar without the services of goalkeeper Ben Wilson , who is targeting a New Year return from a knee injury. The Sky Blues are also deeply missing the talents of Wright, with the club's leading marksman still recovering from a leg injury sustained a few months ago. Millwall's medical room is packed to the brim in comparison to Coventry's, including with youngster Aidomo Emakhu , who picked up a groin injury on Boxing Day. The 21-year-old joins a number of veterans of the Lions side on the treatment table, such as Dan McNamara (leg) and towering centre-back Jake Cooper (knee). On loan from Middlesbrough for the 2024-25 campaign, Josh Coburn 's progression at The Den has been severely curbed by a broken foot sustained at the start of the festive period. Coventry City possible starting lineup: Dovin; Van Ewijk, Thomas, Latibeaudiere, Bidwell; Eccles, Sheaf, Sakamoto, Rudoni, Mason-Clark; Bassette Millwall possible starting lineup: Jensen; Leonard, Tanganga, Wallace, Bryan; De Norre, Saville, Azeez, Esse, Watmore; Ivanovic After battering the Green Army at The CBS Arena on Boxing Day, Coventry will be confident of repeating the trick against a Millwall side who do not travel well. The Lions have suffered with a lack of direction under their interim management, and we believe that their final match of 2024 will end in an East Midlands defeat. For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here .
Republicans in Congress are circling the wagons to support a Texas law to shield children from “one of the largest public health crises of the digital age: internet pornography.” Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and John Cornyn (R-TX), and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), along with 20 other Members of Congress, filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, first obtained by Breitbart News, in support of the law. The brief’s authors argue that the court should affirm the judgment of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the age verification requirement in March 2024. That Texas law, passed in 2023, mandates adult websites require state-issued identification from users. It was challenged in court by a trade association, calling itself the Free Speech Coalition, representing the adult entertainment industry, that argued it violates First Amendment free speech rights. The amicus brief, known as a “friend of the court” brief, makes the case for the constitutionality of the law as well as its significance for protecting public health. “Companies are profiting from exposing children to adult content, and it must stop,” Lee said in a statement provided to Breitbart. “This initiative by Texas reflects the age-verification measures I am fighting for at the federal level with the SCREEN Act, and American families everywhere should be cheering these efforts to protect kids online.” Lee’s cleverly named Shielding Children’s Retinas from Egregious Exposure on the Net (SCREEN) Act was filed as the Utah Senator has taken the lead in the Upper Chamber in the fight to protect children from the harms of pornography. His ally Roy, hailing from Texas where the battle originated, has taken the lead in the House. “The government has an obvious and unquestionable duty in keeping children off porn sites; decades of relatively unfettered access to obscene online content under insufficient policies have done tremendous damage to our country,” Roy said in a statement provided to Breitbart. “Texas’s law does this by simply requiring adults to prove their age, as should be the case with age-restricted items. That’s why I expect Attorney General Paxton’s case to succeed at the Supreme Court and am proud to join Mike Lee in defense of it.” In his brief to the Supreme Court, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) argued, “There is nothing unconstitutional” about the law. “This statute does not prohibit the performance, production, or even sale of pornography but, more modestly, simply requires the pornography industry... to take commercially reasonable steps to ensure that those who access the material are adults,” Paxton wrote. The amicus brief explains why its authors have an interest in the matter, making the case the law is in the public’s interest. “As Members of Congress, they have a strong interest in drafting and passing legislation that protects children from one of the largest public health crises of the digital age: internet pornography,” the brief reads. “Recognizing the well-documented psychological, behavioral, and health detriments caused by children’s exposure to pornography, amici have proposed and support legislation to curb minors’ access to such content.” The brief further explains, “As staunch advocates for both First Amendment rights and children’s welfare, amici believe that such age verification laws strike an appropriate balance between individual liberties and the compelling government interest in protecting children from pornography, in a manner that is in line with this Court’s precedents.” Camera-ready Amicus Br. of Mike Lee Et Al., Free Speech Coal. v. Paxton 11.22.24 by Breitbart News on Scribd Today, the porn industry is estimated to have annual global revenue of as much as $97 billion. Its revenue for the past 20 years or more has exceeded the revenue of all three major sports leagues, combined. As a compelling modern metric, “[p]ornography websites get more visitors each month than Netflix, Amazon, and Twitter combined.” Like the unprecedented revenue and traffic figures, pornography has never before posed a bigger risk to minors, who can so innocently come across the content on the web, and be subjected to the trauma that follows. The full list of amici is: Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), John Cornyn (R-TX), Josh Hawley (R-MO), James Lankford (R-OK), and Rick Scott (R-FL) and Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX), Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Tony Gonzales (R-TX), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Andy Harris (R-MD), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Wesley Hunt (R-TX), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Mary Miller (R-IL), Troy Nehls (R-TX), Andy Ogles (R-TN), Keith Self (R-TX), and Pete Sessions (R-TX). Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye .
A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House saysLeederville’s new takeaway has fine-dining DNA and nostalgia in spadesChiefs head to Pittsburgh on Christmas hoping to lock up the top seed in the AFCBy Zaheer Kachwala (Reuters) -GameStop reported a third-quarter profit on Tuesday as the videogame retailer ramps up its cost-saving efforts, including shutting stores and selling higher-margin goods. CEO Ryan Cohen told investors in June the company would operate with "a smaller network and more value-added" items as a part of its attempt to boost sales and profitability. This helped GameStop report a net income of $17.4 million in the third quarter, compared with a net loss of $3.1 million a year ago. Its shares were up more than 2% in extended trading. The company has been grappling with a slower turnaround of its main business as it struggles to ramp up sales of videogame hardware and collectibles, while facing stiff competition from online retail giants such as Amazon.com and eBay. It is also burdened by an uncertain macroeconomic environment, as consumers cut back on discretionary spending owing to stubborn inflation and a slow recovery in the gaming market. Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said he does not see any signs the company's "core business is salvageable". "There is no turnaround, just stock sales to willingly foolish investors," Pachter said. Its shares have rallied more than 50% this year after stock influencer Keith Gill, also known as "Roaring Kitty", reemerged earlier in 2024, sparking excitement among his followers. The company has taken advantage of the jump in its stock price by raising around $3 billion earlier this year through share sales. Gill was a key figure in the meme-stock frenzy of 2021, in which GameStop stock surged 1,600% at one point in January that year, crushing hedge funds that had bet against the videogame retailer. GameStop's third-quarter revenue fell 20% to $860 million, compared with $1.08 billion a year ago. Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the third quarter were $4.58 billion, compared with $4.19 billion in the preceding three-month period. (Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)
By Vanessa G. Sánchez, KFF Health News (TNS) LOS ANGELES — President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations and tougher immigration restrictions is deepening mistrust of the health care system among California’s immigrants and clouding the future for providers serving the state’s most impoverished residents. At the same time, immigrants living illegally in Southern California told KFF Health News they thought the economy would improve and their incomes might increase under Trump, and for some that outweighed concerns about health care. Community health workers say fear of deportation is already affecting participation in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program for low-income residents, which was expanded in phases to all immigrants regardless of residency status over the past several years. That could undercut the state’s progress in reducing the uninsured rate, which reached a record low of 6.4% last year. Immigrants lacking legal residency have long worried that participation in government programs could make them targets, and Trump’s election has compounded those concerns, community advocates say. The incoming Trump administration is also expected to target Medicaid with funding cuts and enrollment restrictions , which activists worry could threaten the Medi-Cal expansion and kneecap efforts to extend health insurance subsidies under Covered California to all immigrants. “The fear alone has so many consequences to the health of our communities,” said Mar Velez , director of policy with the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. “This is, as they say, not their first rodeo. They understand how the system works. I think this machine is going to be, unfortunately, a lot more harmful to our communities.” Alongside such worries, though, is a strain of optimism that Trump might be a boon to the economy, according to interviews with immigrants in Los Angeles whom health care workers were soliciting to sign up for Medi-Cal. Since Election Day, community health worker Yanet Martinez said, people are more reluctant to hear her pitch for subsidized health insurance or cancer prevention screenings. “They think I’m going to share their information to deport them,” Martinez said. (Vanessa G. Sánchez/KFF Health News/TNS) Clinics and community health workers encourage immigrants to enroll for health coverage through Medi-Cal and Covered California. But workers have noticed that fear of deportation has chilled participation. (Vanessa G. Sánchez/KFF Health News/TNS) Community health workers like Yanet Martinez encourage people to enroll for health benefits. But many California immigrants fear that using subsidized services could hurt their chances of obtaining legal residency. (Vanessa G. Sánchez/KFF Health News/TNS) Since Election Day, community health worker Yanet Martinez said, people are more reluctant to hear her pitch for subsidized health insurance or cancer prevention screenings. “They think I’m going to share their information to deport them,” Martinez said. (Vanessa G. Sánchez/KFF Health News/TNS) Selvin, 39, who, like others interviewed for this article, asked to be identified by only his first name because he’s living here without legal permission, said that even though he believes Trump dislikes people like him, he thinks the new administration could help boost his hours at the food processing facility where he works packing noodles. “I do see how he could improve the economy. From that perspective, I think it’s good that he won.” He became eligible for Medi-Cal this year but decided not to enroll, worrying it could jeopardize his chances of changing his immigration status. “I’ve thought about it,” Selvin said, but “I feel like it could end up hurting me. I won’t deny that, obviously, I’d like to benefit — get my teeth fixed, a physical checkup.” But fear holds him back, he said, and he hasn’t seen a doctor in nine years. It’s not Trump’s mass deportation plan in particular that’s scaring him off, though. “If I’m not committing any crimes or getting a DUI, I think I won’t get deported,” Selvin said. Petrona, 55, came from El Salvador seeking asylum and enrolled in Medi-Cal last year. She said that if her health insurance benefits were cut, she wouldn’t be able to afford her visits to the dentist. A street food vendor, she hears often about Trump’s deportation plan, but she said it will be the criminals the new president pushes out. “I’ve heard people say he’s going to get rid of everyone who’s stealing.” Although she’s afraid she could be deported, she’s also hopeful about Trump. “He says he’s going to give a lot of work to Hispanics because Latinos are the ones who work the hardest,” she said. “That’s good, more work for us, the ones who came here to work.” Newly elected Republican Assembly member Jeff Gonzalez, who flipped a seat long held by Democrats in the Latino-heavy desert region in the southeastern part of the state, said his constituents were anxious to see a new economic direction. “They’re just really kind of fed up with the status quo in California,” Gonzalez said. “People on the ground are saying, ‘I’m hopeful,’ because now we have a different perspective. We have a businessperson who is looking at the very things that we are looking at, which is the price of eggs, the price of gas, the safety.” Related Articles National Politics | Mexico tests cellphone app allowing migrants to send alert if they are about to be detained in US National Politics | Trump wants mass deportations. For the agents removing immigrants, it’s a painstaking process National Politics | Immigration agency deports highest numbers since 2014, aided by more flights National Politics | Advocates train immigrants to ‘prepare to stay’ in the US under Trump National Politics | Immigration drives US population growth to highest rate in 23 years as residents pass 340 million Gonzalez said he’s not going to comment about potential Medicaid cuts, because Trump has not made any official announcement. Unlike most in his party, Gonzalez said he supports the extension of health care services to all residents regardless of immigration status . Health care providers said they are facing a twin challenge of hesitancy among those they are supposed to serve and the threat of major cuts to Medicaid, the federal program that provides over 60% of the funding for Medi-Cal. Health providers and policy researchers say a loss in federal contributions could lead the state to roll back or downsize some programs, including the expansion to cover those without legal authorization. California and Oregon are the only states that offer comprehensive health insurance to all income-eligible immigrants regardless of status. About 1.5 million people without authorization have enrolled in California, at a cost of over $6 billion a year to state taxpayers. “Everyone wants to put these types of services on the chopping block, which is really unfair,” said state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Democrat and chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. “We will do everything we can to ensure that we prioritize this.” Sen. Gonzalez said it will be challenging to expand programs such as Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace, for which immigrants lacking permanent legal status are not eligible. A big concern for immigrants and their advocates is that Trump could reinstate changes to the public charge policy, which can deny green cards or visas based on the use of government benefits. “President Trump’s mass deportation plan will end the financial drain posed by illegal immigrants on our healthcare system, and ensure that our country can care for American citizens who rely on Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security,” Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to KFF Health News. During his first term, in 2019, Trump broadened the policy to include the use of Medicaid, as well as housing and nutrition subsidies. The Biden administration rescinded the change in 2021. KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News, found immigrants use less health care than people born in the United States. And about 1 in 4 likely undocumented immigrant adults said they have avoided applying for assistance with health care, food, and housing because of immigration-related fears, according to a 2023 survey . Another uncertainty is the fate of the Affordable Care Act, which was opened in November to immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and are protected by the Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals program. If DACA eligibility for the act’s plans, or even the act itself, were to be reversed under Trump, that would leave roughly 40,000 California DACA recipients, and about 100,000 nationwide , without access to subsidized health insurance. On Dec. 9, a federal court in North Dakota issued an order blocking DACA recipients from accessing Affordable Care Act health plans in 19 states that had challenged the Biden administration’s rule. Clinics and community health workers are encouraging people to continue enrolling in health benefits. But amid the push to spread the message, the chilling effects are already apparent up and down the state. “¿Ya tiene Medi-Cal?” community health worker Yanet Martinez said, asking residents whether they had Medi-Cal as she walked down Pico Boulevard recently in a Los Angeles neighborhood with many Salvadorans. “¡Nosotros podemos ayudarle a solicitar Medi-Cal! ¡Todo gratuito!” she shouted, offering help to sign up, free of charge. “Gracias, pero no,” said one young woman, responding with a no thanks. She shrugged her shoulders and averted her eyes under a cap that covered her from the late-morning sun. Since Election Day, Martinez said, people have been more reluctant to hear her pitch for subsidized health insurance or cancer prevention screenings. “They think I’m going to share their information to deport them,” she said. “They don’t want anything to do with it.” This article was produced by KFF Health News , which publishes California Healthline , an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation . ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.I desperately want the Nikon Zf - and it's on sale for an unbelievable record-low price for Black Friday
S&P 500, Nasdaq fall from record levels as Nvidia declines; China-linked stocks surgePresident-elect Donald Trump's pick for intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country's hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump's unusual nominees. But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump's America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern, if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect's choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, who has written extensively about locking up Trump's foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees' qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump's team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump's allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president's Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump's first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will "prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies" — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump's 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump's first inauguration during the country's bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it's important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fuelled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family's five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It's one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser. ___ Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.
I desperately want the Nikon Zf - and it's on sale for an unbelievable record-low price for Black FridayThe Latest: Suspect in United Healthcare CEO's killing charged with weapons, forgery, other chargesSAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 9, 2024-- Blend Labs, Inc. (NYSE: BLND), a leading platform for digital banking solutions, today announced the appointment of Srini Venkatramani as Head of Product, Technology, and Customer Operations. Srini’s leadership will be instrumental in accelerating Blend’s next phase of growth in the digital banking space. With over 23 years of experience, Srini joins Blend with a proven track record of scaling SaaS businesses, driving product innovation, and delivering accelerated value creation for stakeholders. In his role as Head of Product, Technology, and Customer Operations, he will orchestrate the company's product vision, technology strategy, and operational excellence to ensure exceptional customer outcomes. “I’m excited to join Blend and support its mission to bring simplicity and transparency to digital banking,” said Srini Venkatramani. “Blend’s culture is obsessively customer-centric, and it clearly radiates through the team’s passion for building impactful technology. I look forward to contributing my expertise and taking Blend into its next phase of growth as the industry’s most digitally-robust, efficient, and powerful origination platform.” Srini draws on experience gained from working on three continents, where he has led product, engineering, and customer operations in organizations of various sizes, ranging from $35 million to $80 billion in annual revenue. Most recently, Srini spent five years as Chief Product and Technology Officer at PlanSource, where he spearheaded the development and execution of a multi-year product and operational strategy. Prior to that, Srini was a senior executive at IBM, where he was responsible for overall strategy, P&L management, and cross-functional leadership for the Publishing & Information services industry. “I’m delighted to welcome Srini to Blend’s executive team,” said Nima Ghamsari, Co-Founder and Head of Blend. “With his leadership experience in product and technology and a track record of driving value creation for SaaS businesses, Srini will be invaluable as we continue our evolution into a platform-first company. With his expertise, we’ll be well-positioned to help our customers leverage Blend’s technology to unlock new opportunities and deliver even greater ROI.” Ghamsari added, “I’m also grateful to Erik Wrobel for his outstanding product leadership over the past five years. He has had a remarkable career here at Blend, and we wish him the best in his next chapter.” Erik will depart Blend at the end of this year. In the third quarter of 2024, Blend signed multi-year deals with new customers in both mortgage and consumer banking and accomplished significant milestones for the business, including a 50% year-over-year revenue growth in its Consumer Banking business. Earlier this year, Blend also announced a new strategic partnership with Haveli Investments that included a $150 million investment to advance the company’s goal of driving innovation and delivering lasting value for its customers and shareholders. About Blend Blend Labs Inc., (NYSE: BLND) is a leading origination platform for digital banking solutions. Financial providers— from large banks, fintechs, and credit unions to community and independent mortgage banks—use Blend’s platform to transform banking experiences for their customers. To learn more, visit blend.com . Forward-Looking Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements generally relate to future events, future performance or expectations and involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this press release may include, but are not limited to, quotations of management; our expectations regarding our product roadmap, future products/features, the timing of new product/feature introductions, market size and growth opportunities, macroeconomics and industry conditions, capital expenditures, plans for future operations, competitive position, technological capabilities and strategic relationships, as well as assumptions relating to the foregoing. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from the outcomes predicted. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “would,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology that concern Blend’s expectations, strategy, plans or intentions. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by which such performance or results will be achieved, if at all. Further information on these risks and uncertainties are set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Blend and assumptions and beliefs as of the date hereof. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Blend does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209416327/en/ CONTACT: Press Contact Chloé Demeunynck Corporate Communications press@blend.com KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BANKING FINTECH PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE SOURCE: Blend Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/09/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/09/2024 04:06 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209416327/en
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Carry-On , a film about traveling through the airport at Christmas, is on course to break into Netflix ’s top ten films of all time. The thriller, which stars Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, and Sofia Carson, bested its performance last week by adding another 55M views on top of last week’s 42M number. It remains number one on Netflix’s weekly film charts, having already become Netflix’s biggest launch of a film this year. Given that it has scored 97M views in its first ten days, Carry-On , which was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and produced by Dreamworks Pictures, it could well trouble Netflix’s top ten films of all time. For reference, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery wrapped up 136.3M views in its first month to take the ten spot, Jennifer Lopez’s The Mother is number nine with 136.4M views, We Can Be Heroes got 137.3M for eighth spot and Millie Bobby Brown’s Damsel secured 138M for seventh. Elsewhere, on the film list, Tyler Perry’s The Six Triple Eight, which stars Kerry Washington, launched with 14.3M views, putting it in second places ahead of Christmas films such as Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, That Christmas and Disaster Holiday. On the TV side of the business, Virgin River returned to take top spot. The long-awaited wedding of Mel and Jack, played by Alexandra Breckenridge and Martin Henderson, respectively, helped the show to number one with 8.1M views. It beat Black Doves , the Christmas-set spy drama starring Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw, which was number two with 6.7M views in its second week, having topped the chart last week with 14.6M views. Colman Domingo’s The Madness stayed in fourth spot with another 3.1M views. On the international front, it was another big week for limited series La Palma . The volcano drama series scored 13.1M views last week and nearly doubled it this week with 24.7M views, making the top 10 in 93 countries. English Films Top 10 List – Week of Dec. 16: Carry-On The Six Triple Eight Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch That Christmas Disaster Holiday Our Little Secret The Protege Terminator: Dark Fate Cold Blood Legacy The Dead Don’t Die English TV Top 10 – Week of Week of Dec.16: Virgin River: Season 6 Black Doves: Season 1 No Good Deed: Season 1 The Madness: Limited Series Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was... The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On: Season 3 Aaron Rodgers: Enigma: Season 1 Ronny Chieng: Love to Hate It A Man on the Inside: Season 1 Arcane: Season 2 Non-English TV Top 10 List – Week of Week of Dec.16: La Palma: Limited Series When the Phone Rings: Limited Series 1992: Season 1 The Manny: Season 2 One Hundred Years of Solitude: Part 1 DAN DA DAN Senna: Limited Series Squid Game: Season 1 Mismatched: Season 3 The Empress: Season 2Snap-on CEO Nicholas Pinchuk sells $7.7 million in stock
With each team coming off a come-from-behind win, West Virginia and North Carolina Central square off Tuesday night in Morgantown, W.Va. West Virginia (6-2) has won two straight games and is in the midst of a 16-day, four-game homestand that kicked off with a 73-60 win over Georgetown in the Big 12-Big East Battle on Friday night. North Carolina Central (4-7) comes off a 78-77 road win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday night. Javon Small led the Mountaineers with a game-high 26 points against Georgetown as they overcame a second-half deficit with a decisive run. "The way we played in the second half (against Georgetown), I'll take that team everywhere," West Virginia coach Darian DeVries said. "You have to be able to do that every single night, every single possession you don't always get to go on a 16-0 run to pull you out of it. That's where we are still growing as a team." Eduardo Andre was questionable for the Georgetown game after he missed the Mountaineers' 83-76 overtime win against Arizona on Nov. 29. But the fifth-year senior center returned with four points, three rebounds and four blocks. "It was good to have him back in the lineup for a reason," DeVries said. "That presence, especially defensively and the ability to block shots, that's a huge deal for us." Against Gardner-Webb, Po'Boigh King led NCCU with 28 points, well above his 17.4 points per game average, as the Eagles rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to win on a late 3-pointer from Isaac Parson. On offense, the Eagles take care of the ball. They are seventh in the nation in turnover margin at plus-7.5 per game. They seek extra possessions on defense and are second nationally with 18.9 turnovers forced per game "We're good enough, we just need to fine tune some things," NCCU coach LeVelle Moton said. "We've got to cross some T's, dot some I's and close. We can't be a really good basketball team until we get the mindset that when winning time presents itself in the last five minutes, (the other team) has to earn it." --Field Level MediaSleepmaxxing: Is the pursuit of the perfect night’s rest making us more anxious?
Could comeback spark winning streak for West Virginia or NCCU?
The world’s biggest collection of Chinese cultural objects isn’t in ChinaNavy QB Horvath's 95-yard TD run in Armed Forces Bowl is longest in school historyKansas City (14-1) at Pittsburgh (10-5) Wednesday, 1 p.m., EST, Netflix. BetMGM NFL Odds: Chiefs by 2 1/2. Against the spread: Chiefs 7-8; Steelers 10-5 Series record: Steelers lead 25-14. Last meeting: Chiefs beat Steelers 42-21 in the first round of the playoffs on Jan. 16, 2022, in Kansas City. Last week: Chiefs beat Texans 27-19; Steelers lost to Ravens 34-17 Chiefs offense: overall (13), rush (15), pass (12), scoring (11). Chiefs defense: overall (3), rush (3), pass (17), scoring (3). Steelers offense: overall (19), rush (11), pass (25), scoring (12). Steelers defense: overall (11), rush (8), pass (20), scoring (7). Turnover differential: Chiefs plus-4; Steelers plus-16. WR Marquise Brown, who hurt his shoulder on the first play of the preseason and landed on injured reserve, made an impressive regular-season debut against Houston last week. “Hollywood” caught five passes for 45 yards, including an early 13-yarder that converted a fourth down and led to an eventual touchdown. But perhaps most importantly, Brown's mere presence kept Houston from double-teaming Xavier Worthy, DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce all afternoon. LB T.J. Watt. The perennial All-Pro is dealing with an ankle injury and had a quiet game in the loss to Baltimore, finishing with just four tackles and didn’t have a single hit against Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. Pittsburgh's best chance at pulling the upset relies heavily on disrupting Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes at every turn. To do it, Watt will need to do some Watt-like things. The 30-year-old leads the NFL in forced fumbles for a defense that thrives on takeaways. Steelers RBs Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris against the Chiefs rush defense, which is ranked third in the NFL and allowing just 91.4 yards per game. The Chiefs held the Texans' Joe Mixon to just 57 yards rushing last week, the latest in a season-long trend of shutting down top running backs. The Browns' Nick Chubb had 41 yards the previous week, and the Ravens' Derrick Henry, the Falcons' Bijan Robinson and the Saints' Alvin Kamara are among those who have similarly struggled against Kansas City. Chiefs: LT D.J. Humphries (hamstring) and CB Chamarri Conner (concussion) are likely to miss a second straight game. DT Chris Jones (calf) and RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) are iffy after getting hurt against Houston. Steelers: WR George Pickens (hamstring) should return after missing the past three games. S DeShon Elliott (hamstring) and DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin) may also be back after sitting the past two weeks. Starting CB Joey Porter Jr. (knee) and backup wide receiver/special teams ace Ben Skowronek (hip) are out. The Steelers have dominated the series, leading 23-14, but the Chiefs have won the past three games. That includes a 42-21 rout in their most recent matchup in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Jan. 16, 2022 — the last game played by Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Prior to the Chiefs' three-game win streak, the Steelers had won three in a row, including an 18-16 victory in the divisional round on Jan. 15, 2017, that they won despite not scoring a touchdown. Kansas City can clinch the No. 1 seed and first-round playoff bye with a win over the Steelers, or if the Bills lose or tie when they play the Jets on Sunday. ... Pittsburgh has dropped two straight, but can still earn its first AFC North title since 2020 by winning its last two games. ... The Chiefs can set a franchise record for regular-season wins with their 15th by beating Pittsburgh or Denver in their regular-season finale, breaking a tie with the 2020 and ‘22 teams. ... The Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes needs three TD passes to break Peyton Manning’s record of 244 for a QB's first eight seasons. Mahomes did not start as a rookie and has played just 111 games while Manning played 128 over that span. ... Mahomes has dominated the Steelers so far in his career, throwing 14 touchdowns without a pick while leading Kansas City to three victories in as many tries. ... Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins has an NFL-leading 177 straight games with a catch. TE Travis Kelce is second with 173. ... Kelce has 76 TD catches, tied with Tony Gonzalez for the Chiefs record. Kelce has 79 total TDs, four shy of Priest Holmes' franchise record. ... WR Xavier Worthy has five TD catches, tied for the sixth most by a rookie in Chiefs history. Worthy also has three TD runs, and the eight total is also tied for sixth most in franchise history. ... Chiefs DB Trent McDuffie has intercepted a pass in back-to-back games. He did not have a pick in his first 48 games. ... This is the 12th game in Steelers history to be played on Wednesday and the first since 2020, when a showdown with the Ravens was repeatedly postponed because of COVID-19 issues. Pittsburgh is 5-6 all time on Wednesdays. ... A healthy Pickens will likely give the Steelers passing game a serious boost. QB Russell Wilson is averaging just 167.7 yards per game in Pickens' absence, down from 271 yards per game with Pickens in the lineup. ... This is Pittsburgh's first regular-season game against a team with 14 wins. ... The Steelers have five wins against the defending Super Bowl champions since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. ... Pittsburgh is 26-12 in Weeks 17 and 18 since the start of the 1990 season, the second-most wins in the NFL over that span behind Green Bay (28). ... The Steelers have won seven straight games and 12 of their past 13 the week following a loss of at least 17 points. ... Pittsburgh leads the NFL with 31 takeaways. and has forced at least two turnovers 11 times. It might be championship week in your league, so why not turn to a championship quarterback. Mahomes has earned the benefit of the doubt even in a “down” season by his standards and with Pittsburgh missing its top cornerback and the pass rush slowed of late, give Mahomes a start against a team he has toyed with in his career. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflNew Investment Strategy Shocks Investors. Discover the Unique Approach