ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The roof at the home of the Dallas Cowboys opened without incident and will stay that way for a Monday night meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals. It was to be the first game with the roof open at AT&T Stadium since Oct. 30, 2022, a 49-29 Dallas victory over Chicago. The roof was supposed to be open three weeks ago for Houston's 34-10 victory on another Monday night, but a large piece of metal and other debris fell roughly 300 feet to the field as the retractable roof was opening about three hours before kickoff. The Cowboys decided to close the roof after the incident, and it remained that way for the game. There were no injuries, and the start of the game wasn't delayed. The club said at the time it would investigate the cause with a plan to reopen the roof when it was deemed safe. Wind was cited as a cause for the falling debris. There were gusts of at least 30 mph in the afternoon before the meeting with the Texans. It was sunny with a high in the 70s Monday in the Dallas area, and winds were in the 10 mph range. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Minnesota looks to stop skid vs. Bethune-Cookman
SANTA CLARA – George Kittle will charge Monday night onto the only home field he’s known as one of the NFL’s marquee players, the 49ers’ crowd will go wild, and the stage will be set, yet again. The show goes on, even if the 49ers (6-9) are ending their NFC Championship reign and perhaps passing the torch to Levi’s Stadium’s final visitors this season , the Detroit Lions (13-2). Kittle is 33 yards shy of his fourth 1,000-yard season, in an eight-year career that will garner him more All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. “I’m just very excited I got to spend eight years with the San Francisco 49ers, hopefully will continue to play here, because it’s a storied franchise,” Kittle said Friday when asked about his place among NFL all-time time ends. This won’t be his farewell game, right? Look, he isn’t saying that, and he said to wait until the offseason to publicly ask him about his contract, which runs through 2025 at a $14.4 million salary — a few million shy of Travis Kelce’s market-leading price among tight ends. After Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams leveraged their elite play into extensions prior to this season, it’s obvious Kittle can and should do the same, for a franchise indebted to his production, leadership and standard-setting ways as a seven-time captain. “Dude, he’s been great to me regardless of the circumstances of winning or losing,” Brock Purdy said. “He sees something in me that’s pretty good. And he’s just been nothing but great encouragement to me. He’s real to me, about what I can do and where I can get better. He’s real and that’s why I love him.” For all the anticipation of Purdy’s blockbuster extension that can come as soon as the season ends, Kittle can strong-arm the 49ers’ brass into a deal more than any other player, all due respect to pending free agents Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Aaron Banks, and Talanoa Hufanga. “More than anything, he’s a guy that’s going to do anything for you when you step on the field. Off the field he’s got your back,” Purdy added. “And for our team, man, we’ve been in some tough situations this year and that dude has been one of the dudes that comes to work every single day.” Kittle’s work this game likely will be to help block amid a patchwork offensive line with three new starters. That role is not taken lightly by Kittle, nor is his more renowned efforts as one of the franchise’s all-time best receivers. “Hopefully I can eventually catch T.O.,” said Kittle, whose 528 receptions and 7,241 yards rank third in 49ers’ receiving history behind only Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens. “I don’t think I’ll ever catch Jerry Rice on anything but that’s totally fine, I’m OK with that. I don’t think I want to play that long.” Kittle trails Owens by 64 catches and 1,331 yards for the No. 2 spots behind Rice (1,281 catches, 19,247 yards). He is the only tight end in 49ers history to reach the 1,000-yard mark, doing so in 2018, ’19, ’23, and, with 33 more yards, this season. The only other tight ends in NFL history with four 1,000-yard seasons: Kelce (seven), Tony Gonzalez (four), Rob Gronkowski (four), and, Jason Witten (four). “I’ll look back on that whenever I’m done playing,” said Kittle, noting his longevity is “until the wheels fall off or until my wife tells me to stop playing.” This season, he leads the 49ers with 68 catches, 967 yards and eight touchdowns. His perennial goal: 75 catches, 1,000 yards, 10 touchdowns. “I’d rather be winning football games but to have that (1,000-yard milestone) as a cherry on top is awesome,” Kittle said. “The more seasons you can stack up like that, the more fun things you can do down the road.” It’s a road that leads to Canton, Ohio and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Disclaimer: Kittle wrote a foreword for Cam Inman’s recently published book “The Franchise: San Francisco 49ers”. ©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at mercurynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Chinese Salt Typhoon cyberespionage targets AT&T, Verizon but networks secure, carriers sayBy LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI WASHINGTON (AP) — President-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 . Related Articles National Politics | Trump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it? National Politics | Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump attorney Alina Habba, a Lehigh University grad, to serve as counselor to the president 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. Showing that concern, 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-fueled 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.
LA SALLE 83, TEMPLE 75The battle over elk on private lands in Montana is heading to the state Supreme Court. On Nov. 19, the United Property Owners of Montana (UPOM) with the high court regarding its lawsuit against the state Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Fish and Wildlife Commission over elk management. In the notice, the group challenged the final judgement and “all previous orders, rulings, and decisions excepted or objected which led up to and resulted in the Final Judgement.” An FWP spokesman refused to comment on ongoing litigation as did the agency’s attorney. “We feel the district court judge did not address the key question of whether the law requires FWP to manage big game populations to objective levels, and to use every tool available to do so,” said Chuck Denowh, policy director for UPOM. “We’re confident that the Supreme Court will answer this question, and provide the need of relief to the Montana landowners who are suffering from FWP‘s inaction.” A landowners' group is appealing a District Court judge's ruling in a lawsuit over the state's management of elk. UPOM is a nonprofit that touts ties to ranchers, landowners and outfitters. The group sued FWP and the commission in 2022 to compel the agency to “remove, harvest, or eliminate thousands of elk this year” citing damages that caused “an economic crisis” for its members. In September, Tenth Judicial District Court Judge Gregory Todd ruled FWP and the commission had “considered the concerns of private landowners” and were managing for a “sustainable elk population,” the Montana Free Press reported. Judge Todd shot down UPOM’s request seeking to require FWP to reduce elk populations, saying Montana statutes “do not provide the ‘clear legal duty’ to cull elk herds to UPOM’s objectives.” “The obligation of FWP and the Commission is not to kill thousands of elk, but rather to manage their objectives,” . “The standard is to use discretion to facilitate reducing and maintaining elk at their objective levels. If the State had no discretion, there would be no need for an elk management plan.” Denowh disagreed. “We’ve asked that FWP use every tool available to bring elk populations down to a reasonable level,” he said. “They’ve refused to do so, resulting in our lawsuit and now this appeal to the Montana Supreme Court.” Seven Montana sporting groups and public access advocates successfully petitioned the court to intervene in the lawsuit, which UPOM has also challenged. Frank Szollosi, executive director of the intervening Montana Wildlife Federation, said the groups are willing to do whatever it takes to defend science-driven, equitable elk management and licensing. He admitted some landowners experience game damage as elk populations have grown, but disagrees with UPOM’s suggestions for reducing elk numbers. Szollosi said his group has worked with agricultural producers in the past to find solutions and will continue to do so. Yet Denowh said, “Central Montana landowners are being asked to shoulder an inordinate burden with big game populations that are far in excess of the target populations set by FWP. It’s costing them millions in lost feed and forage every year.” The largest population of elk in central Montana is in Hunting Districts 411 and 535, next to the Big Snowy Mountains, where large landowners control access to a herd that numbered around 10,300 in 2023, within FWP’s management goals. Wildlife such as deer and elk on such properties are touted as selling points for ranches when they are listed, boosting a property’s price especially if access is exclusive. Meanwhile, outfitters sell trophy bull elk hunts for $6,000 to $12,500 each on lands where they claim exclusive access. Killing cow elk is the recognized way to reduce elk populations, since they produce offspring. However, outfitting for cow elk doesn’t generate the same amount of revenue. More recently, FWP has identified chronic wasting disease (CWD) infecting individual elk across the state. The always fatal disease is spread by contact with an infected animal’s bodily fluids. Agricultural fields where elk congregate are more likely to see the disease spread. Emily Mitchell, an FWP biologist, said CWD may be more prevalent in the state’s elk population than known since so few animals have been tested. There is no test for the disease in live animals. “I think we have such a small sample size of elk that it isn't that it's new on the landscape, we just hadn't gotten enough samples to detect it yet,” Mitchell said last month. In 2024, Montana estimated the state’s elk population at 145,000, an increase of about 1.700 from the previous year. The state’s population goal is between 96,000 to 151,400. Thirty hunting districts, out of 138 were over FWP’s population goals, which are set based on landowner tolerance. Region 3, in southwest Montana, has the largest concentration of elk in the state, estimated at about 54,600 animals in 2023. One of the biggest herds in the state is in Region 3’s Gravelly Mountains, last estimated at more than 8,500 animals. In a Western Landowners Alliance article published last May, Granger Ranch operations manager estimated the costs of feeding about 600 elk during the 2021-22 winter on the Region 3 ranch at $32,400 in lost crop productivity. UPOM’s appeal comes as Cory Swanson is waiting in the wings to be sworn in as the new Montana Supreme Court chief justice. Denowh’s political lobbying company, The Montana Group, was one of the to Swanson’s campaign. Swanson has worked as the Broadwater County attorney since 2014. Gov. Greg Gianforte also appointed a new director to lead FWP, Christy Clark, who has been the director of the state Department of Agriculture. Clark’s family ranches in the Choteau area where she also served as a Republican legislator for three terms. In the 2021 session, attempted to weigh in to the elk dispute with proposals to give landowners more freedom in providing hunting tags to people of their choice and may seek to again this session, Szollosi worried. So far, hunting groups have been successful in keeping wildlife a public resource in the state. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Outdoors Editor {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Minnesota will try to bounce back from two straight losses when it hosts Bethune-Cookman on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers (5-3) are coming off a 57-51 loss against Wake Forest on Friday, which followed a 68-66 overtime loss against Wichita State on Thursday. Both games took place at the ESPN Events Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Minnesota coach Ben Johnson cited inconsistency on offense as the main reason for his team's recent skid. "We're painfully figuring that out," Johnson said. "I thought our defense, though, (Thursday and Friday) has proven this is a top-40 or top-30 defense. We've got to be able to show up with offense and free throws." Golden Gophers starter Lu'Cye Patterson said he and his teammates remain confident in their potential as the Big Ten conference season approaches. "We just have to keep doing what we're supposed to do and keep our level of defensive play up," Patterson said. "It's going to win us a lot of games. The offense is going to come." Bethune-Cookman (2-5) will try to play spoiler on the road. The Wildcats have split their past two games as they beat North Dakota 79-67 on Tuesday and lost to Gardner-Webb 79-64 on Wednesday, both games played in the Cancun Challenge in Cancun, Mexico. Four players for Bethune-Cookman scored in double digits in their most recent game. Reggie Ward Jr. and Daniel Rouzan led the way with 14 points apiece, Trey Thomas scored 13 and Brayon Freeman chipped in 10. Bethune-Cookman is coached by Reggie Theus, who enjoyed a long NBA career and coached the Sacramento Kings for parts of two seasons. Theus said the Wildcats were in better position to compete this season compared with a season ago. "We've got a lot of depth, and we have age and experience," Theus said. "One of the biggest differences in our team is that we have great size now, where last year we were pretty small." Dawson Garcia leads Minnesota with 18.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Patterson is next with 10.1 points per contest. Bethune-Cookman is led by Freeman, who is averaging 15.9 points per game. Thomas (11.7 points per game) and Ward Jr. (11.0) also are scoring in double digits. --Field Level Media
Key moments in the life of Jimmy CarterAP Trending SummaryBrief at 1:12 p.m. EST
They are investigating whether his short-lived martial law decree earlier this month amounted to rebellion. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities into the power grab that lasted only a few hours, confirmed it requested the warrant on Monday. Investigators plan to question Mr Yoon on charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion. Mr Yoon has dodged several requests by the joint investigation team and public prosecutors to appear for questioning and has also blocked searches of his offices. It is not clear whether the court will grant the warrant or whether Mr Yoon can be compelled to appear for questioning. Under the country’s laws, locations potentially linked to military secrets cannot be seized or searched without the consent of the person in charge and it is unlikely Mr Yoon will voluntarily leave his residence if he faces detainment. Mr Yoon’s presidential powers were suspended after the National Assembly voted to impeach him on December 14 over his imposition of martial law that lasted only hours but has triggered weeks of political turmoil, halted high-level diplomacy and rattled financial markets. His fate lies with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberations on whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove Mr Yoon from office or reinstate him. Mr Yoon has defended the martial law decree as a necessary act of governance, describing it as a warning against the liberal opposition Democratic Party, which has been bogging down his agenda with its majority in the parliament. Parliament voted last week to also impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who had assumed the role of acting president after Mr Yoon’s powers were suspended, over his reluctance to fill three Constitutional Court vacancies ahead of the court’s review of Mr Yoon’s case. The country’s new interim leader is Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who is also finance minister.NBK Launches November Health Campaign to Support Employee Wellness and Raise AwarenessSwift's daily impact on Vancouver may have exceeded 2010 Games, says industry figure
Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire to end nearly 14 months of fighting JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has approved a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Israeli warplanes meanwhile carried out the most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the conflict and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, 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. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. AP finds that a Pentagon-funded study on extremism in the military relied on old data Early this year, Pete Hegseth told a Fox News audience a new, Pentagon-funded study proved that the number of military service members and veterans involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection did not indicate a wider problem in the armed forces. Hegseth, Donald Trump's pick to head the Department of Defense, wasn’t alone. The Wall Street Journal’s opinion page highlighted the same report as evidence that extremists in military communities were “phantoms” created by a “false media narrative.” The X account for Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee posted that the study showed the focus on extremism in the military was a “witch hunt.” But The Associated Press has found that the study relied on old data, misleading analyses and ignored evidence that pointed to the opposite conclusion. Trump's threat to impose tariffs could raise prices for consumers, colliding with promise for relief DETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists and industry officials say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea and an additional 10% tax on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday threatening tariffs on his first day in office could be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. Mexico suggests it would impose its own tariffs to retaliate against any Trump tariffs MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has suggested Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own, after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Mexican goods if the country doesn’t stop the flow of drugs and migrants across the border. Sheinbaum says she is willing to engage in talks on the issues, but said drugs were a U.S. problem. She says "one tariff would be followed by another in response, and so on until we put at risk common businesses,” referring to U.S. automakers that have plants on both sides of the border. After delay, Trump signs agreement with Biden White House to begin formal transition handoff WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a required agreement with President Joe Biden’s White House to allow his transition team to coordinate with the existing federal workforce ahead of taking office on Jan. 20. The overdue agreement was supposed to have been signed by Oct. 1, according to the Presidential Transition Act, and the Biden White House has issued appeals in both public and private for Trump’s team to sign on. The agreement is a critical step in the process meant to ensure an orderly transfer of power at noon on Jan. 20 and limits the risk that the Trump team could find itself taking control of the massive federal government without being aware of ongoing programs and operations. Brazil’s Bolsonaro participated in a 2022 coup plot, unsealed police report says SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was fully aware of and actively participated in a coup plot to remain in office after his defeat in the 2022 election, according to a Federal Police report that has been unsealed. Brazil’s Federal Police last Thursday formally accused Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup. They sent their nearly 900-page report to the Supreme Court, which lifted the seal. Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or awareness of any plot to keep him in power or oust his leftist rival and successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of obese Americans would be eligible to have popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound covered by Medicare or Medicaid under a new rule the Biden administration proposed Tuesday morning. The proposal, which would not be finalized until after President-elect Donald Trump takes office, could cost taxpayers as much as $35 billion over the next decade. It would give millions of people access to weekly injectables that have helped people shed pounds so quickly that some people have labeled them miracle drugs. New rule allows HIV-positive organ transplants People with HIV who need a kidney or liver transplant will be able to receive an organ from a donor with HIV. That's according to a new rule announced Tuesday by U.S. health officials. Previously, such transplants could be done only as part of research studies. The new rule takes effect Wednesday. It's expected to shorten the wait for organs for all, regardless of HIV status, by increasing the pool of available organs. The practice is supported by a decade of research, during which 500 transplants of kidneys and livers from HIV-positive donors have been done in the U.S. Surveillance tech advances by Biden could aid in Trump's promised crackdown on immigration President-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency’s supervision. Ukraine says Russian attack sets a new record for the number of drones used KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian air force says Russia launched 188 drones against most regions of Ukraine in a nighttime blitz, describing it as a record number of drones deployed in a single attack. It said Tuesday that most of the drones were intercepted, but apartment buildings and critical infrastructure such as the national power grid were damaged. No casualties were immediately reported in the 17 targeted regions. Russia has been hammering civilian areas of Ukraine with increasingly heavy drone, missile and glide bomb attacks since the middle of the year. The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, issued a rare official acknowledgement of its assets being hit on its own soil by U.S.-made longer-range missiles that the U.S. recently authorized Ukraine to use.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-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. The president-elect announced other appointments Monday, including his lawyer Harmeet Dhillon for assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Justice Department and Mark Paoletta as the returning general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget. 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. Showing that concern, 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-fueled 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.
Josh Allen, Bills crush Jets, secure No. 2 seed in AFCCanadian consumer confidence plunges after Trump election win Polling firm Nanos found Canadians are almost four times more likely to think economy will weaken rather than strengthen in next six months Glen Korstrom Dec 9, 2024 3:30 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Holiday shoppers last week at Metropolis at Metrotown were buying gift wrap and accessories Rob Kruyt, BIV Listen to this article 00:03:22 Canadians' confidence in a strengthening economy has taken a hit since president-elect Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election Nov. 5 , according to new polling data from Nanos. There are now almost four times as many Canadians who think the economy is likely to get weaker in the next six months, rather than stronger, the Weekly Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index found. One month ago, about twice as many Canadians thought the economy would get weaker within six months, rather than stronger, according to Nanos' research. Trump on Nov. 25 threatened to slap a 25-per-cent tariff on all imports from Canada and from Mexico until those countries stemmed what he said is a tide of drugs and illegal immigrants coming into the U.S. – something that no doubt added to chilled consumer confidence, according to Nanos' chief data scientist Nik Nanos. Nanos surveyed 1,000 Canadians in months leading up to Dec. 6, with its survey dropping 250 responses each month and adding 250 new ones to create a rolling total. Its index for expectations dropped below 50 per cent for the first time in about a year, and was at 48.69, as of Dec. 6. That is nearing the year low of 46.03, one year ago . Concerns about jobs are on the rise, and are becoming more significant than are fears of inflation or housing, Nanos said. Nanos separately tracks what the company calls a pocketbook index, which is based on perceptions of personal finances and job security. When that index is mixed with the expectations index, it creates what the company calls an economic mood index. The newest measure for that index is 51.54 out of 100 Canada-wide. British Columbians have a slightly more sour economic mood than do counterparts in the rest of Canada, given their score of 50.3 out of 100, according to Nanos. The finding that British Columbians are feeling less confident than other Canadians about their economic futures conforms with what other surveys have found. B.C. small-business owners are the least confident in Canada that their ventures will perform better in the next three months, according to a Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) survey conducted in October for a November report . Their responses determined that they were also the second least confident in Canada that their businesses will perform better in 12 months than they are today, according to the survey. Only Newfoundland-based small-business owners in October said that they were less confident than counterparts B.C. for that year-ahead outlook. What makes the low confidence about economic improvement within 12 months most striking is that B.C.’s small-business confidence rate for one year in the future has historically, on average, been No. 1 among provinces, B.C.-based CFIB policy analyst Emily Boston told BIV. “It's not just the comparison over time, it's comparison to where we are relative to other provinces in Canada,” she said. [email protected] @GlenKorstrom glenkorstrom.bsky.social See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Economy, Law & Politics State memorial for former B.C. premier Horgan open to the public, requires tickets Dec 9, 2024 3:03 PM Canada Post warns no end in sight for strike after receiving latest union proposals Dec 9, 2024 2:53 PM Feds send $148 million to B.C. in disaster recovery funds for floods, wildfires Dec 9, 2024 2:28 PM
Published 5:58 pm Tuesday, November 26, 2024 By Data Skrive Wednesday’s college basketball slate includes six games with a ranked team in action. Among those contests is the Ole Miss Rebels taking on the UConn Huskies. Watch women’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Catch tons of live women’s college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.
Vivos Therapeutics, Inc. ( NASDAQ:VVOS – Get Free Report ) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 148,000 shares, a growth of 28.9% from the November 30th total of 114,800 shares. Approximately 3.9% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 207,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.7 days. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages have issued reports on VVOS. Ascendiant Capital Markets reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $6.60 target price on shares of Vivos Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Alliance Global Partners decreased their price objective on shares of Vivos Therapeutics from $8.25 to $6.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. View Our Latest Stock Report on VVOS Vivos Therapeutics Price Performance Vivos Therapeutics Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Vivos Therapeutics, Inc, a medical technology company, develops and commercializes treatment modalities for patients with dentofacial abnormalities, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and snoring in adults. It offers The Vivos Method, a non-invasive, non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical, multi-disciplinary treatment modality for the treatment of dentofacial abnormalities, OSA, and snoring. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Vivos Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vivos Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .