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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Republican senators pushed back on Sunday against criticism from Democrats that Tulsi Gabbard , Donald Trump's pick to lead U.S. intelligence services , is “compromised” by her comments supportive of Russia and secret meetings , as a congresswoman, with Syria’s president, a close ally of the Kremlin and Iran. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, a veteran of combat missions in Iraq, said she had concerns about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's choice to be director of national intelligence . “I think she’s compromised," Duckworth said on CNN’s “State of the Union," citing Gabbard's 2017 trip to Syria, where she held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Gabbard was a Democratic House member from Hawaii at the time. “The U.S. intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes. And so my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check,” Duckworth said. Gabbard, who said last month she is joining the Republican party, has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades. She was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and, according to the Hawaii National Guard, received a Combat Medical Badge in 2005 for “participation in combat operations under enemy hostile fire in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III." Duckworth's comments drew immediate backlash from Republicans. “For her to say ridiculous and outright dangerous words like that is wrong," Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, said on CNN, challenging Duckworth to retract her words. “That’s the most dangerous thing she could say — is that a United States lieutenant colonel in the United States Army is compromised and is an asset of Russia.” In recent days, other Democrats have accused Gabbard without evidence of being a “Russian asset.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, has claimed, without offering details, that Gabbard is in Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s pocket.” Mullin and others say the criticism from Democrats is rooted in the fact that Gabbard left their party and has become a Trump ally. Democrats say they worry that Gabbard's selection as national intelligence chief endangers ties with allies and gives Russia a win. Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat just elected to the Senate, said he would not describe Gabbard as a Russian asset, but said she had “very questionable judgment.” “The problem is if our foreign allies don’t trust the head of our intelligence agencies, they’ll stop sharing information with us,” Schiff said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” Gabbard in 2022 endorsed one of Russia’s justifications for invading Ukraine : the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world’s nastiest pathogens. The labs are part of an international effort to control outbreaks and stop bioweapons, but Moscow claimed Ukraine was using them to create deadly bioweapons. Gabbard said she just voiced concerns about protecting the labs. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, said he thought it was “totally ridiculous” that Gabbard was being cast as a Russian asset for having different political views. “It’s insulting. It’s a slur, quite frankly. There’s no evidence that she’s a asset of another country,” he said on NBC. Sen. James Lankford, another Oklahoma Republican, acknowledged having “lots of questions” for Gabbard as the Senate considers her nomination to lead the intelligence services. Lankford said on NBC that he wants to ask Gabbard about her meeting with Assad and some of her past comments about Russia. “We want to know what the purpose was and what the direction for that was. As a member of Congress, we want to get a chance to talk about past comments that she’s made and get them into full context,” Lankford said.
Receiving scam text messages is sadly becoming a part of life despite the implementation of the subscriber identity module card registration law and the efforts by the government and telecommunication companies (telcos) to weed out mobile numbers and SIM cards used in fraudulent activities. During the Senate plenary budget deliberations last week, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, speaking on behalf of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) as sponsor of its P7.8-billion budget request for 2025, reported that some 10.8 million mobile numbers have been blacklisted and another 2.3 million SIM cards deactivated so far this year on suspicions that these were being used in scams. He added that the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) also blocked more than 2.2 billion text messages that were sent by scammers involved in various fraudulent activities. “The good thing is that the NTC managed to block a lot of SIM cards and prevented spamming and scamming from happening,” Gatchalian said. However, consumer complaints abound in social media about being victimized by text scams in various forms. One plausible reason is that fraudsters seem to always be a step ahead of regulators and telcos. Proof of this is that text scams are now being sent through the legitimate numbers used by Globe Telecom, Smart Communications Inc., and their e-wallets GCash and Maya. How is this even possible? As early as May this year, Smart has warned the public that scammers were using what it calls “fake cell towers” to send text scams to mobile users, and were even using “Smart” as the sender name. It explained that these devices are able to lock on to mobile phones within a specified radius, enabling the scammers to push messages directly to subscribers’ devices without having to go through its network. The illegal “cell site simulators” can also spoof or mimic mobile numbers to deceive subscribers into thinking that they are receiving legitimate text messages, it warned. These cell site simulators are typically used in disaster-stricken areas as temporary emergency communication platforms and their sale is regulated. How scammers gain access to these devices that are not made locally is easy to find out. The Bureau of Customs can start with the list of authorized importers, then the NTC or DICT can go over the list of their clients and check if these devices are being used for legitimate purposes. In short, it has to strictly regulate the importation and use of these types of equipment so these do not fall into the hands of scammers. Another measure is to go back to what Gatchalian had suggested last June: Telcos should be made liable whenever their registered SIM cards are used in scamming activities, or answer for the SIM cards recovered by authorities in the course of their operations against cyber criminals. Sen. JV Ejercito also agreed that telcos should be held accountable for the continued spread of text scams and the use of SIM cards in scamming activities. True, consumers need to take part of the blame. A penchant for things that are free is a problem that lies solely with the mobile users themselves. Imagine receiving a text from seemingly legitimate senders such as shopping sites and courier services with free vouchers or tracking codes for parcel deliveries you did not order. Or even a job or investment opportunity promising high salaries and returns that actually does not exist. These are very attractive baits that lure many potential victims. However, the bigger responsibility in combating this text scam problem is with the telcos, not with the government agencies or the millions of mobile users nationwide. Globe has advised its subscribers to “think before clicking on links, verify the sender’s identity, (and) report scam or spam messages to Globe or to the NTC via their scam/spam report page.” However, changing mobile numbers, reporting scams to authorities, and blocking spam calls through various security apps in mobile phones do not all seem to work. Blocking and deactivating suspicious texts and SIM cards are curative actions. What the consumers need are preventive measures on the part of the government and the telcos. One nagging question begging for an answer is: How have telcos not figured out until now how to prevent this text menace? Regulators, for their part, can look into adopting a measure similar to Singapore’s Shared Responsibility Framework (SRF), which will take effect on Dec. 16 this year. Jointly developed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Ministry of Communications and Information’s Infocomm Media Development Authority, the SRF introduces a structure that requires losses from certain types of phishing scams to be shared among the victims, financial institutions, and telcos. Locally, the structure should cover all digital fraud schemes, including text scams, to put everyone on high alert about this headache. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy .University of Phoenix Supports Arizona Diamondbacks® Annual Winter Classic Celebration
Jennison Associates LLC grew its position in Waste Management, Inc. ( NYSE:WM – Free Report ) by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,222 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $1,499,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Strategy Asset Managers LLC increased its position in Waste Management by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter. Strategy Asset Managers LLC now owns 25,971 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $5,392,000 after purchasing an additional 3,436 shares during the period. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Waste Management during the third quarter worth $185,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Waste Management by 23.0% in the third quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,023 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $628,000 after acquiring an additional 566 shares in the last quarter. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Waste Management by 1.1% in the third quarter. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,130 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $857,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Parnassus Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Waste Management by 11.3% during the 3rd quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 5,120,772 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,063,072,000 after purchasing an additional 520,096 shares during the period. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Waste Management Price Performance Shares of WM stock opened at $224.41 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $212.84 and a 200-day simple moving average of $210.10. The company has a market capitalization of $90.07 billion, a PE ratio of 34.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.74. Waste Management, Inc. has a twelve month low of $168.73 and a twelve month high of $226.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. Waste Management Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 6th will be given a $0.75 dividend. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 6th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is 45.87%. Insider Activity In other news, Director Maryrose Sylvester sold 310 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.47, for a total transaction of $66,795.70. Following the transaction, the director now owns 3,875 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $834,946.25. This trade represents a 7.41 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages recently commented on WM. Scotiabank assumed coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Friday, October 4th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $220.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group upped their price target on Waste Management from $220.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Waste Management from $213.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. StockNews.com upgraded Waste Management from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $214.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $226.11. Get Our Latest Report on WM About Waste Management ( Free Report ) Waste Management, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of environmental solutions to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in the United States and Canada. It offers collection services, including picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility (MRF), or disposal site; and owns and operates transfer stations, as well as owns, develops, and operates landfill facilities that produce landfill gas used as renewable natural gas for generating electricity. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Waste Management, Inc. ( NYSE:WM – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Waste Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Waste Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The United Nations raised the death toll of a recent massacre in which dozens of older people and Vodou religious leaders were killed by a gang in Haiti, and called on officials to bring the perpetrators to justice. The U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti said in a report published on Monday that between Dec. 6 and 11 more than 207 people were killed by the Wharf Jeremie gang. The gang took people from their homes and from a place of worship, interrogated them and then executed them with bullets and machetes. Earlier this month, human rights groups in Haiti had estimated that more than 100 people were killed in the massacre, but the new U.N. investigation doubles the number of victims. “We cannot pretend that nothing happened” said María Isabel Salvador, the U.N. secretary-general’s special representative in Haiti. “I call on the Haitian justice system to thoroughly investigate these horrific crimes and arrest and punish the perpetrators, as well as those who support them," she said in a statement. Human rights groups in Haiti said the massacre began after the son of Micanor Altès, the leader of the Wharf Jeremie gang, died from an illness. The Cooperative for Peace and Development, a human rights group, said that according to information circulating in the community, Altès accused people in the neighborhood of causing his son’s illness. “He decided to cruelly punish all elderly people and (Vodou) practitioners who, in his imagination, would be capable of casting a bad spell on his son,” the group said in a statement released shortly after news of the massacre emerged. In Monday's report, the United Nations said that people were tracked down in their homes and in a place of worship by Altès’ gang, where they were first interrogated and then taken to an execution site. The United Nations said that the gang tried to erase evidence of the killings by burning bodies, or by dismembering them and throwing them into the sea. The massacre is the latest humanitarian tragedy in Haiti, where gang violence has intensified since the nation’s president was killed in a 2021 coup attempt . Haiti has struggled to organize an election that will fill the power vacuum and restore democratic rule. The Caribbean nation is currently governed by a transitional council that includes representatives from the business community, civil society and political parties, but its government has no control over many areas of the capital city, and gangs are constantly fighting over ports, highways and neighborhoods. According to the United Nations, more than 5,350 people have been killed in Haiti’s gang wars this year. The Haitian government acknowledged the massacre against older people in a statement issued earlier this month, and promised to persecute those responsible for this act of “unspeakable carnage.”