Reports: Bill Belichick interviews for North Carolina jobVenezuela accuses an Argentine officer of terrorism as relations deteriorate
Debt-free holiday
In an interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin at the New York Times DealBook Summit in New York City on Wednesday, Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper confirmed that Donald Trump's campaign reached out to her team about appearing on her chart-topping podcast. The 30-year-old discussed her decision to have Vice President Kamala Harris come on her show despite trying to "stay away from politics." She also commented on Call Her Daddy being compared to The Joe Rogan Experience , hosted by Joe Rogan, who brought Donald Trump on as a guest in October ahead of the 2024 election. Presidential campaigns entering the podcasting space goes to show how influential the format can be among young people, who have become disillusioned by traditional media outlets. Call Her Daddy fans question if Alex Cooper will have Donald or Ivanka Trump on podcast Alex Cooper says her Kamala Harris Call Her Daddy episode is 'totally worth' the backlash After much speculation, it has been confirmed that Trump's people reached out to Call Her Daddy about appearing on the show, which is the most listened-to podcast among women. When Sorkin asked about how she was able to get a presidential nominee to agree to be on her show, Alex revealed: "Both sides reached out." Apparently, her team "had a Zoom call with Trump's team," but she "wasn't on it." While the podcast host tends to keep politics out of her show, she saw having the Vice President on as an opportunity to have "a larger conversation" about reproductive rights, a topic she and her listeners feel very strongly about. She said: "It's about women's right to their body. Why not have someone on [Call Her Daddy] who could have a big effect on the country? So I did it. And it was fun." She continued: "Joe Rogan has a conversation, he knows his audience. I know my audience," addressing the fact that Trump was a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience around the same time she hosted the VP. The popular podcaster admitted that she sometimes feels competitive with Rogan, who bested her for the number one spot as the most listened-to podcast, according to this year's Spotify Wrapped. The two are constantly compared, as they are seen as being on opposite sides of the gender spectrum, which extends to their guests. She said: "I don't think of Joe when I'm having my coffee every morning, But I'm aware of the comparison in the media... I have a lot of respect for what he's doing." Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories. DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter.An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition
Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing charged with murder in New York, court records show
California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites
( MENAFN - Gulf Times) The World Military Equestrian Championship kicked off on Wednesday with an impressive opening ceremony at Al Shaqab's Longines Indoor Arena. Hosts Qatar picked up a silver medal in the first event with First Lieutenant Hamad Ali al-Attiyah finishing second with a flawless round of 32.11 secs in the 120/125 class. Romania's Captain Schumann-Raducanu Norbert topped the event clocking 31.43 secs while Ecuador's Captain Mosquera Salgado Xavier Alejand finished third with a time of 34.52 secs. Action continues today with the event culminating on Saturday following a rest day tomorrow. As many as 15 nations comprising three riders each are taking part in the competition hosted by Qatar Military Sports Association under the auspices of the International Military Sports Council (CISM). Major Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani and First Lieutenant Salman Mohammed al-Emadi are other members of Qatar's squad. MENAFN27112024000067011011ID1108934396 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.CHANTILLY, Va., Nov. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN) announced today that Carey Smith, chair, president, and chief executive officer, and Matt Ofilos, chief financial officer, will participate in fireside chat question and answer sessions at the following investor conferences: Goldman Sachs Industrials and Materials Conference on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at approximately 1:20 p.m. Eastern Time UBS Global Industrials and Transportation Conference on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at approximately 9:40 a.m. Eastern Time These presentations will be available live via webcast on the investor relations section of Parsons’ website ( https://investors.parsons.com/ ). A replay of the webcasts also will be available on the website for 30 days. About Parsons Corporation Parsons (NYSE: PSN) is a leading disruptive technology provider in the national security and global infrastructure markets, with capabilities across cyber and intelligence, space and missile defense, transportation, environmental remediation, urban development, and critical infrastructure protection. Please visit Parsons.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook to learn how we're making an impact.T he situation in Syria is complex so perhaps we should count ourselves lucky that David Lammy is reassuringly simple. With the prime minister in Saudi Arabia, it fell to the foreign secretary to give a statement to the Commons on events in Damascus. Over the last decade or so, few subjects — arguably none, not even Brexit — has summoned as much sound and fury as Syria . There have been impassioned pleas to bomb it, not to bomb it, to bomb or not bomb its government force and to bomb or not bomb Islamic State terrorists within it. Lammy’s update was not such a seismic moment. Having to swallow something unpalatable, to say or do something you don’t want to say or do, is a fact of life in politics. But over the years, so willing has Lammy been to swallow absolutely anything at all that I don’t think I could honestly tell you what he actually enjoys swallowing, what he actually thinks, about anything.
(Bloomberg) — US demand for electricity will surge almost 16% over the next five years, more than triple the estimate from a year ago, driven by new data centers and factories that are going to suck up power, according to a new report. Utilities are expecting customers to need as much as 128 gigawatts of new capacity in 2029, according to the report released Thursday by Grid Strategies. That figure is based on revised estimates from regional grid operators submitted this year, and dwarfs the company’s 39-gigawatt forecast from a year ago. After decades of flat US power demand, the need for electricity is skyrocketing thanks to data centers running artificial intelligence operations, new factories and the electrification of everything from cars to home heating. The unexpected boom, which some analysts liken to the World War II era, has scrambled energy markets, complicated climate goals and created profitable new opportunities for power providers. Grid Strategies was one of the first researchers to point to surging US electricity demand, with a December 2023 forecast of five-year growth of 38 gigawatts. That conclusion surprised the industry, and since then the trend has only accelerated as big technology companies seek reliable power for their data centers, according to Rob Gramlich, the company’s president. “These data centers really want to run full-out,” Gramlich said during a conference call to discuss the findings. “We’re going to need new power.”
Xavier tries to get right vs. Morgan State before rivalry clash
Callum McGregor wary of how quickly football can change despite Celtic’s leadLOS ANGELES (AP) — Receiver Demarcus Robinson will not be suspended by the Los Angeles Rams this week after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. Robinson will be available to play when the Rams (5-6) visit the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Rams coach said Wednesday. “I think he does understand the severity of this, and how lucky we were that nobody was injured,” McVay said. “I do believe that he’s remorseful. We are going to let the legal process take place. The league has a process as well.” Robinson was arrested early Monday morning after California Highway Patrol officers observed a white Dodge sedan driving over 100 mph on the 101 freeway in the western San Fernando Valley, a few miles from the Rams’ training complex in Woodland Hills. The driver, who identified himself as Robinson, had “objective signs and symptoms of alcohol impairment,” the CHP said in a statement released to The Associated Press. Robinson spoke to the team and expressed remorse about his arrest, McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “I think it was a bad decision he made,” McVay said. “I don’t think that makes him a bad person, and I do believe this is something that, with the words that he said, our guys will learn from it, and hopefully nobody is ever going to repeat something like this. Let it be a learning opportunity, and a fortunate outcome that nobody was injured.” Robinson has 26 receptions for 384 yards and a team-leading six touchdown catches while starting all 11 games in his second season with . He caught a TD pass in several hours before his arrest. The nine-year NFL veteran has served as a capable No. 3 option for Stafford behind star receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Robinson spent his first six NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a Super Bowl ring in February 2020, and spent one year with Baltimore before joining the Rams last year. “Let this be a lesson to all of us,” Stafford said. “We’re lucky with the result that came of it, to be honest with you, that nobody was hurt or injured. I know that D-Rob is a great person. I love being around him. Love him as a teammate. ... I’m just trying to support him, help him out any way I can.” ___ AP NFL:
Five-star center Chris Cenac Jr. commits to Houston2004: First term as PM Manmohan Singh was nominated leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) on Wednesday. Later, he went to Rashtrapati Bhawan and was invited to form the government. He is likely to be sworn in as Prime Minister on Saturday. Congress president Sonia Gandhi is likely to go to Sriperumbudur on Friday, the anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and return in time for the ceremony. Sonia will be the chairperson of the CPP. Its constitution was amended at Wednesday’s meeting making provisions for a chairperson to be elected by all MPs. The chairperson was given the power to nominate the leaders of the CPP, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. Following the amendment, Sonia was unanimously elected chairperson and a resolution was passed authorising her to name the leaders of the two Houses and other office-bearers. Sonia then made a statement committing herself to the party and asking her party men to give their unstinting support to Manmohan Singh. “I am not going anywhere. I am still very much in politics. I will continue as Congress president and chairperson, CPP, as long as you want me to,” she said. After his meeting with Kalam, Manmohan Singh spoke about the direction in which his government would take economic reforms. “ We have always said that economic reforms with a human face will continue,” he said. “ We can take forward the process of social and economic development to realise the vision of Rajiv Gandhi.” Manmohan Singh also said that the mandate of the people was for Sonia Gandhi to become the Prime Minister. “However, she has decided that in the best interests of the country that burden should be passed on to me,” he added. When asked whether he was a reluctant Prime Minister, Singh replied that even after being persuaded a great deal, Sonia had declined to be Prime Minister. “ I feel humble and I will work under Sonia Gandhi’s guidance and support,” he said. Standing by his side, Sonia said, “ I think the country will be safe under Dr Manmohan Singh.” Earlier in the day, Manmohan Singh’s candidature took final shape after Sonia discussed the matter with her allies and the parties supporting the alliance. She held meetings with DMK chief M Karunanidhi, CPI(M) general secretary HS Surjeet and RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav to seek support for Manmohan Singh. All of them agreed to extend support. Sonia’s meeting with Karunanidhi also resulted in the DMK agreeing to be part of the Congress-led government. Other allies such as the MDMK, JMM, PMK and Telangana Rashtriya Samiti declared unequivocal support to the Congress nominee for the Prime Minister’s post. Both MDMK leader Vaiko and the PMK’s P. Ramadoss called on Manmohan Singh. 2009: Return to power With the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) trashing all predictions of a tight race, Manmohan Singh (76) will take fresh oath this week, only the second Indian Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962 to return to power after a full five-year term. With 206 seats 61 more than 2004 India’s grand old party ran up its best tally in 18 years, winning urban and rural seats from across the country. The victory also boosted the standing of party general secretary Rahul Gandhi (39) who led the charge into India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress won 21 seats, the highest in 25 years. Latest results and leads indicate the UPA is around a dozen seats short of the halfway mark of 272 in a House of 543. The alliance will bridge the gap through independents and smaller outfits. With 60% India now under 35 years of age, expect to see some younger MPs getting ministerial berths, as it happened in 1984 when Rajiv Gandhi led the Congress to 404 seats, its best showing ever. The party won 232 seats in 1991. “People have appreciated the work done by us,” said Congress president Sonia Gandhi, beaming, as Singh stood stoically by her side. As Sonia spoke to reporters at her 10, Janpath residence on Saturday, Congress workers across the country distributed sweets, burst crackers and danced in the streets. With the Left and the BJP tally declining, the verdict is being seen as an approval of the UPA government’s policies, particularly the redistribution of wealth to India’s poorest through unprecedented welfare schemes that totalled nearly ₹ 1,00,000 crore in rural development, agriculture, health and education. The Prime Minister’s image as an able and incorruptible administrator and reformer coupled with urban makeovers, helped the party deliver all seven seats in Delhi and all six in Mumbai to the Congress. For the BJP it was back to square one, plummeting from its 2004 figure of 138 to 116 on Saturday, close to its 1991 tally when it began its ascendancy to become India’s ruling party by 1998. Its best performance was 182 seats in 1999. The 15th Lok Sabha election also rejected the concept of a non-BJP, non-Congress third front pushed by the Left, particularly the CPM, which declined in its bastions of West Bengal and Kerala. Sonia’s popularity grew over the last five years after she renounced the post of prime minister in 2004, and later when she resigned as a Parliament member when the BJP tried to build a campaign against her that she was holding an office of profit.
Napoli out of Italian Cup as Tijjani Noslin scores hat trick in 3-1 win for Lazio
At least one Israeli airstrike shook the Lebanese capital of Beirut late Tuesday, moments after U.S. President Joe Biden said Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to ceasefire deal . At least 24 people have been killed in strikes across Lebanon, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah before the ceasefire is set to take hold at 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday. Hezbollah also fired rockets into Israel on Tuesday, triggering air raid sirens across the country’s north. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, in support of the Palestinian militant group. More than a year of fighting in Lebanon escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes across the country and an Israeli ground invasion of the south. In Gaza, more than 44,000 people have been killed and more than 104,000 wounded in the nearly 14-month war between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Here's the Latest: JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, clearing the way for the truce to take effect. Netanyahu’s office said the plan was approved by a 10-1 margin. The late-night vote came shortly before President Joe Biden was expected to announced details of the deal in Washington. Earlier, Netanyahu defended the ceasefire, saying Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah and could now focus its efforts on Hamas militants in Gaza and his top security concern, Iran. Netanyahu vowed to strike Hezbollah hard if it violates the expected deal. WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump’s designate to be national security adviser, credited Trump’s victory with helping bring the parties together toward a ceasefire in Lebanon. “Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,” he said in a post on X on Tuesday. “His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won’t be tolerated. I’m glad to see concrete steps towards deescalation in the Middle East.” He added: “But let’s be clear: The Iran Regime is the root cause of the chaos & terror that has been unleashed across the region. We will not tolerate the status quo of their support for terrorism.” BEIRUT — Israeli jets targeted a building in a bustling commercial area of Beirut for the first time since the start of the 13-month war between Hezbollah and Israel. The strike on Hamra is around 400 meters (yards) from the country’s central bank. A separate strike hit the Mar Elias neighborhood in the country’s capital Tuesday. There was no immediate word on casualties from either strike, part of the biggest wave of attacks on the capital since the war started. Residents in central Beirut were seen fleeing after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for four targets in the city. Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out airstrikes on at least 30 targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including two strikes in the Jnah neighborhood near the Kuwaiti Embassy. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 13 people were injured in the strikes on the southern suburbs. BEIRUT — Hezbollah has said it accepts the ceasefire proposal with Israel, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state.” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Among the issues that may remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal. The deal seeks to push Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he would recommend his Cabinet adopt a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as Israeli warplanes struck across Lebanon, killing at least 23 people. The Israeli military also issued a flurry of evacuation warnings — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah down to the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. For the first time in the conflict, Israeli ground troops reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River, a focal point of the emerging deal. In a televised statement, Netanyahu said he would present the ceasefire to Cabinet ministers later on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting. Netanyahu said the vote was expected later Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal does not affect Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which shows no signs of ending. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s state media said Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least 10 people in Baalbek province the country’s east. At least three people were killed in the southern city of Tyre when Israel bombed a Palestinian refugee camp, said Mohammed Bikai, a representative of the Fatah group in the area. He said several more people were missing and at least three children were among the wounded. He said the sites struck inside the camp were “completely civilian places” and included a kitchen that was being used to cook food for displaced people. JERUSALEM — Dozens of Israeli protesters took to a major highway in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening to call for the return of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, as the country awaited news of a potential ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. Protesters chanted “We are all hostages,” and “Deal now!” waving signs with faces of some of the roughly 100 hostages believed to be still held in Gaza, at least a third of whom are thought to be dead. Most of the other hostages Hamas captured in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack were released during a ceasefire last year. The prospect of a ceasefire deal in Lebanon has raised desperation among the relatives of captives still held in Gaza, who once hoped that the release of hostages from Gaza would be included. Instead of a comprehensive deal, the ceasefire on the table is instead narrowly confined to Lebanon. Dozens of Israelis were also demonstrating against the expected cease-fire, gathering outside Israel’s military headquarters in central Tel Aviv. One of the protesters, Yair Ansbacher, says the deal is merely a return to the failed 2006 U.N. resolution that was meant to uproot Hezbollah from the area. “Of course that didn’t happen,” he says. “This agreement is not worth the paper it is written on.” FIUGGI, Italy — Foreign ministers from the world’s industrialized countries said Tuesday they strongly supported an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and insisted that Israel comply with international law in its ongoing military operations in the region. At the end of their two-day summit, the ministers didn’t refer directly to the International Criminal Court and its recent arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over crimes against humanity . Italy had put the ICC warrants on the official meeting agenda, even though the G7 was split on the issue. The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, isn’t a signatory to the court and has called the warrants “outrageous.” However, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said all the other G7 countries were signatories and therefore obliged to respect the warrants. In the end, the final statement adopted by the ministers said Israel, in exercising its right to defend itself, “must fully comply with its obligations under international law in all circumstances, including international humanitarian law.” And it said all G7 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – “reiterate our commitment to international humanitarian law and will comply with our respective obligations.” It stressed that “there can be no equivalence between the terrorist group Hamas and the State of Israel.” The ICC warrants say there's reason to believe Netanyahu used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza — charges Israeli officials deny. BEIRUT — An Israeli strike on Tuesday levelled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded in Beirut, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. It was not immediately clear if anyone in particular was targeted, though Israel says its airstrikes target Hezbollah officials and assets. The Israeli military spokesman issued a flurry of evacuation warnings for many areas, including areas in Beirut that have not been targeted throughout the war, like the capital’s commercial Hamra district, where many people displaced by the war have been staying. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks in Lebanon during the final hours before a ceasefire is reached, sparked panic and sent residents fleeing in their cars to safer areas. In areas close to Hamra, families including women and children were seen running away toward the Mediterranean Sea’s beaches carrying their belongings. Traffic was completely gridlocked as people tried to get away, honking their car horns as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. The Israeli military also issued warnings for 20 more buildings in Beirut’s suburbs to evacuate before they too were struck — a sign it was aiming to inflict punishment on Hezbollah in the final moments before any ceasefire takes hold. TEL AVIV, Israel — The independent civilian commission of inquiry into the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel has found Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly responsible for the failures leading up to the attack, alongside former defense ministers, the army chief and the heads of the security services. The civil commission presented its findings today after a four-month probe in which it heard some 120 witnesses. It was set up by relatives of victims of the Hamas attack, in response to the absence of any state probe. The commission determined that the Israeli government, its army and security services “failed in their primary mission of protecting the citizens of Israel.” It said Netanyahu was responsible for ignoring “repeated warnings” ahead of Oct. 7, 2023 for what it described as his appeasing approach over the years toward Hamas, and for “undermining all decision-making centers, including the cabinet and the National Security Council, in a way that prevented any serious discussion” on security issues. The commission further determined that the military and defense leaders bear blame for ignoring warnings from within the army, and for reducing the army’s presence along the Gaza border while relying excessively on technological means. On the day of the Hamas attack, the report says, the army’s response was both slow and lacking. The civil commission called for the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack. Netanyahu has opposed launching a state commission of inquiry, arguing that such an investigation should begin only once the war is over. JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military says its ground troops have reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River — a focal point of the emerging ceasefire. In a statement Tuesday, the army said it had reached the Wadi Slouqi area in southern Lebanon and clashed with Hezbollah forces. Under a proposed ceasefire, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border. The military says the clashes with Hezbollah took place on the eastern end of the Litani, just a few kilometers (miles) from the border. It is one of the deepest places Israeli forces have reached in a nearly two-month ground operation. The military says soldiers destroyed rocket launchers and missiles and engaged in “close-quarters combat” with Hezbollah forces. The announcement came hours before Israel’s security Cabinet is expected to approve a ceasefire that would end nearly 14 months of fighting. BEIRUT — Israeli jets Tuesday struck at least six buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs Tuesday, including one that slammed near the country’s only airport. Large plumes of smoke could be seen around the airport near the Mediterranean coast, which has continued to function despite its location beside the densely populated suburbs where many of Hezbollah’s operations are based. The strikes come hours before Israel’s cabinet was scheduled to meet to discuss a proposal to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The proposal calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. There were no immediate reports of casualties from Tuesday’s airstrikes. FIUGGI, Italy — EU top diplomat Josep Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers who joined in talks on Monday that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation levelled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Borrell said the signatories to the court, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, has called the warrants “outrageous.” Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice,” he said. (edited)WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump's movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump's Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer's comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar." Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry's need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump's world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world's richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump's movement but his stance on the tech industry's hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry's need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent," he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump's own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump's businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country" and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," he told the “All-In" podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump's budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.
Stocks were lower at the close but hovered around all-time highs ahead of Jobs Friday, as investors remain confident the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at a measured pace amid still-solid economic growth. Bitcoin reflected a broader "risk on" mood, breaking the $100,000 barrier in anticipation of a friendlier U.S. regulatory environment. The world's No. 1 cryptocurrency – which trades 24 hours a day, seven days a week – was changing hands at $99,206 as of 4 pm Eastern time on Thursday after reaching as high as $103,587 during the previous 24 hours. Crypto investors are encouraged by President-elect Donald Trump's announcement that he will nominate Paul Atkins to replace Gary Gensler as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). According to Trump, Atkins "recognizes Digital Assets and other innovations are crucial to Make America greater than before." Atkins, who served as an SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008, is co-chair of the Token Alliance, a project of the Chamber for Digital Commerce. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail. "We remain convinced $100,000 is not the final milestone," writes Bernstein analyst Gautam Chhugani , who forecast "a cycle-high of $200,000 in late 2025" but also emphasized that "our conviction in bitcoin is beyond cyclical gyrations." Chhugani's forecast is based on an expectation for "bitcoin to emerge as the new-age premier 'store of value' asset eventually replacing gold over the next decade and becoming a permanent part of institutional multi-asset allocation and a standard for corporate treasury management." Data compiled by Chhugani shows that 10 global asset managers oversaw approximately $100 billion invested in bitcoin spot ETFs within 228 days of their launch. That makes bitcoin and cryptocurrency ETFs the fastest-growing category of exchange-traded funds "ever," according to Chhugani. As for old-school equity markets, the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.2% to 19,700, the S&P 500 shed 0.2% to 6,075, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.6% to 44,765. Stocks on the move Walt Disney ( DIS ) stock was down 0.4% despite the media and entertainment conglomerate announcing a 33% increase to its dividend . Noting that Disney is "operating from a renewed position of strength," CEO Bob Iger said management will continue "to invest for the future and drive sustained growth through Disney's world-class portfolio of assets." UnitedHealth Group ( UNH ) weighed even more heavily on the Dow, declining 5.2% a day after the CEO of its health insurance unit was shot and killed outside the hotel where the company was hosting its Investor Day conference. UnitedHealthcare is the biggest health insurer in the U.S. with forecast revenue of $280 billion for 2024. Authorities continue to search for the shooter. MicroStrategy ( MSTR ), meanwhile, was down 4.8% despite bitcoin's major milestone. MicroStrategy, an enterprise software company, holds more than 401,100 BTC with a market value as of Thursday of more than $40 billion on its balance sheet. As Chhugani noted in October, "Since [the] adoption of its Bitcoin Strategy in August 2020, MSTR's stock is up roughly 13 times, outperforming bitcoin, gold, the S&P 500, the Nasdaq, and small-cap software." Coinbase Global ( COIN ) stock also ended the day lower, falling 3.1% even as cryptocurrency prices continue to rally on new investor interest and expectations of wider adoption. Transaction volume on COIN's trading platform continues to rise with bitcoin's popularity, and it also holds 9,363 BTC on its balance sheet. The employment situation Initial jobless claims came in at a seasonally adjusted 224,000 for the week ending November 30, an increase of 9,000 from the prior week's revised level, according to the Department of Labor . "Jobless claims and job cuts were both a little higher than expected, but still moderate," says E*Trade Managing Director Chris Larkin . "We'll get a fuller picture from tomorrow's monthly jobs report, but for now, the story continues to be a labor market that occasionally appears to bend, but avoids breaking." According to FactSet, the consensus forecast is 215,000 new jobs in November and an unemployment rate of 4.1%. The U.S. economy created 12,000 new jobs in October , as hiring was negatively impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton as well as two major labor strikes. The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its report on the next jobs report tomorrow at 8:30 am Eastern time. "We had a really low number in October ... so we're expecting a big recovery," says Interactive Brokers Senior Economist José Torres . "Overall, the economy is in good shape." The CME Group's FedWatch tool shows a 71.8% probability the Fed will trim the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points following the December 17-18 FOMC meeting. (A basis point equals 0.01%.) Related content The Kiplinger 25: Our Favorite No-Load Mutual Funds Why Analysts Say Five Below Is a Buy After Earnings 7 Best Robotics and AI ETFs
Giants star WR Malik Nabers (toe) says he's a game-time decision