President-elect Donald Trump's designees for national intelligence, defense secretary, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation faced tough questioning from senators on Monday. Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is Trump's pick for the director of national intelligence. The Democrat-turned-Republican is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and a decorated combat veteran. In 2022, Gabbard said the Ukraine war could have been avoided, "if Biden Admin/NATO had simply acknowledged Russia's legitimate security concerns." Gabbard also faced scrutiny for a secret 2017 meeting with now-exiled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. "It does call into question whether a person who held those outrageous views could suddenly be sitting next to the president of the United States and have the last word as he makes decisions about how the U.S. should respond to a situation like this," said Rep. Dan Kildee, a Michigan Democrat. Trump tapped loyalist Kash Patel to lead the FBI. Patel pledged to radically transform the law enforcement agency, including shutting down the D.C. headquarters. "I'd take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals, go be cops," said Patel during an interview on the Shawn Ryan Show. Democrats say Patel could weaponize the agency. Patel previously talked about going after his and Trump’s perceived enemies. "They have literally published an enemies list," said Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Pennsylvania Democrat. Republicans dismissed Patel's rhetoric after meeting with him on Monday. "I interpret that as hyperbole," said Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican. Trump, on Meet the Press Sunday, said he won’t direct the FBI to investigate his political enemies, but he believes Patel will do "what he thinks is right."Social Security: Senate begins final push to expand benefits for millionsManchester City's struggles continued as Pep Guardiola's side remarkably blew a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain to leave the French club in danger of elimination. There were also big wins for Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen, while Inter Milan went top of the standings after five games and Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski reached a century of Champions League goals. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Bryant defeats Tennessee State 97-85
Edinburgh Airport shut down by IT issue just as holiday travel season gets under way‘Tis the season to start shopping for loved ones – family, friends and colleagues you care about – and perhaps putting something for yourself under the tree this year. And if it’s a tech toy you want to give, there’s no shortage of sleek screens, great games and smart home-related gear worthy of your consideration. The following are a few thought-starters to suit varying budgets and tastes. For budding astronomers (or insomniacs) Project an “out of this world” moving image onto your bedroom ceiling with the Govee Star Light Projector ($79). Capable of creating a stunning 650-square-foot image with a button press on the app (or on the unit itself), with 16 million colors, flowing aurora effects and 52 scene modes. There are optional white noise tracks, too, and it’s a Bluetooth speaker, if you want to play your own songs. Holiday deals: Shop this season’s top products and sales curated by our editors. For avid readers Gift the gift of reading with Amazon’s new Kindle Paperwhite (from $179) and Kindle Paperwhite Kids (from $199), both with sharp, anti-glare 7-inch screens. Now with 20% faster page turns, the new Kindles are also waterproof, so you can take it to the beach, pool or a bubble bath. An optional backlight lets you read in bed without disturbing anyone. The Paperwhite Kids model also includes a protective folio screen, parental controls and 6 months of the Amazon Kids+ service that offers a ton of free content. For gamers on the go The versatile Nintendo Switch ($299) can be played at home on your big-screen TV (in its dock, included), perhaps in a multiplayer match with the family, but it can also be played on the go, such as in the backseat of a car on a road trip, via its built-in screen. A holiday bundle includes the Nintendo Switch console, a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a 12-month individual membership to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service to play with others over the internet (a $100 value). For online shoppers After connecting the $29 Chamberlain Smart Garage Control to your existing garage door system, use the free myQ app (iPhone or Android) to open and close your garage door, anywhere in the world, so you’ll never have to worry about accidentally leaving the garage door open. Or set an open and close schedule. This small doohickey works with Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery, an exclusive Prime member benefit that protects your packages from porch pirates and increment weather. For thrill-seekers From $299 (for 128GB), the new Meta Quest 3S lets you experience mind-blowing 360-degree virtual reality content. Plus, this device also supports augmented reality (AR), too, since you can also see the real-world around you in some apps and games (like aliens hiding behind your sofa). Beyond games, Meta Quest 3S is also great for fitness and meditation exercises, chat rooms, virtual concerts and more. It includes a downloadable copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow. Gifts for gamers: The best video game picks for the 2024 holiday shopping season For fitness and health nuts Among several other features, Apple Watch can gauge your heart health, track sleep and fitness, show notifications, stream music, and lets you pay for items at retail by simply waving your watch over a contactless sensor. Apple Watch Series 10 (from $299) offers a thinner design, bigger and better display, new colors and band options. If you’re shopping for an Android user, the Pixel Watch 3 (from $299) is a stellar pick. For AI lovers Powered by Google’s ChromeOS, this 14-inch HP x360 laptop (from $399) delivers an enhanced Chromebook experience, with a vibrant touchscreen display that bends back to become a tablet - and twice the storage, speed and memory compared to a regular Chromebook. Google AI tools let you get more done in less time, including handy features like Help Me Write and Magic Editor to fix up your photos. The Intel Core-powered laptop has an all-day battery, B&O audio and integrated Google Play store. For the person who has everything The RayNeo Air 2S ($319) “XR” glasses house twin Micro-OLED 1080p displays that mimic a 201-inch picture for binging TV shows and blockbuster movies – on a plane, in bed, anywhere. And since these 16:9 screens each boast a 120Hz refresh rate, they’re also ideal for fast-moving video games and sports. Weighing 78 grams and with four integrated speakers, these glasses work with a host of USB-C devices, including newer iPhones, Android devices, computers and game consoles. For nomadic TV bingers For public viewing, on the other hand, the Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22 Portable Smart Laser Projector ($999) produces a super bright image, up to 1,000 lumens of color and white brightness – and no lamp to replace. The 360-swivel stand lets you beam the up-to-150-inch image against a wall or ceiling, or to the backyard for summer movie nights. The Google TV platform is built-in with thousands of apps, such as video streaming services. For serious home theater enthusiasts Available in six screen sizes ranging from 42 to 83 inches, and with multiple mounting options, the LG OLED evo C4 TV (from $1,399) features a stunningly sharp display, AI-powered upscaling and a Smart TV powered by webOS. Self-lit pixels create perfect black levels and luminous colors, and so it’s easy to see why OLED is the most desirable panel technology on the market. Along with being ultra-slim and light, the glare-free picture looks great from any angle, so there isn't a bad seat in the room. This article contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Follow Marc on X: @marc_saltzman . Email him or subscribe to his Tech It Out podcast . The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
Filling gaps in science: How Sentinel satellites aid research on EarthWalmart's DEI rollback signals a profound shift in the wake of Trump's election victory
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart's sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are re-evaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups. The changes announced by the world's biggest retailer on Monday followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The retreat from such programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump's incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches -- the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President -- are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the October survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated at Pew called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI," Glasgow said. "The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Walmart says its U.S. businesses sourced more than $13 billion in goods and services from diverse suppliers in fiscal year 2024, including businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America's top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart's announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart's need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company has no explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer's ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart." Walmart's announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.