
Will Gustav Nyquist Score a Goal Against the Stars on December 12?
Haiti gang massacres around 180 people, targeting elderlyPARKER: Democratic Party's monopoly on the Black vote is over
The year 2024 has been a fast-paced one in terms of political shifts, deadly conflicts, and regional developments. As we approach the end of this eventful year, the repercussions of these events will undoubtedly carry over into 2025. The contemporary history of the world is filled with wars and conflicts driven by political, geographical, and religious differences. However, the conflicts of 2024 reflect a combination of both religious and political motives fueling the violence. Reports from organizations like ACLED and the Global Peace Index suggest that 2024 has been one of the most violent years since World War II. Over 92 countries have experienced cross-border conflicts, and violence-related casualties have significantly increased. The International Rescue Committee, in its annual monitoring report, also highlighted the rise in global conflicts, predicting that 2025 will continue to be affected by the ongoing violence. In the Middle East, events such as the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, as well as violent incidents in Gaza and Lebanon, have made 2024 one of the most tense years in the region. Meanwhile, the conflict between Israel and the Houthis in Yemen has intensified, and the possibility of direct confrontation between Israel and Iran has emerged as a potential scenario for 2025. Vladimir Putin’s re-election as the President of Russia for the fifth time, alongside Donald Trump’s return to power in the United States, were major political developments that had significant international implications. On the other hand, far-right extremist parties, known for their anti-immigration policies, have gained traction in Europe, while European countries with centrist, mainly liberal policies have not had a particularly favorable year. Climate change and its consequences were also key topics in 2024. At the latest United Nations Climate Change Conference, no new agreements were reached to effectively address the impacts of climate change. 2024 was reported as the hottest year on record, with a rise of 1.5°C since the Industrial Revolution, underscoring humanity’s failure to curb global warming. 2024 also saw significant developments in the virtual space. Artificial intelligence reached new capabilities, sparking both new expectations and new concerns regarding its implications on society. As we approach 2025, the political, social, and environmental challenges of 2024 are expected to leave lasting effects. From the ongoing global conflicts to the growing influence of far-right politics in Europe, and the failure to adequately address climate change, the future remains uncertain. With technological advancements such as artificial intelligence and virtual spaces also advancing rapidly, society will need to grapple with both the potential and the risks these changes bring. As we move forward, it is clear that the lessons of 2024 will shape the strategies and decisions of governments, organizations, and individuals in the years to come. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
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The set of GB News descended into chaos this afternoon, on December 28, as two presenters came to blows. Alex Cairns and Nana Akua clashed massively, live on air, over the topic of illegal migration. They had been discussing whether or not Labour were right to scrap the Rwanda plan . The former government's plans aimed to decrease the number of migrant crossings in the English channel, stop human smuggling, and boost Rwandan investment and development. Alex pointed out that "lots of people are using criminal gangs" and "paying them thousands of pounds" to head over to the UK. Hitting out at the Labour government, the GB News guest added: "They wouldn't be coming over on small boats had the Home Office not been a mess for so many years." He continued saying that the criminal gangs are "exploiting poor people". Nana interrupted as she asked: "What about the Albanians? There are lots of people coming over in their droves and there's no persecution going on there." Alex replied: "The majority of people that are coming over on small boats Nana, you know this, are..." His co-star seemed somewhat annoyed as she cut in to say: "No, no, don't tell me what I know. You don't know what I know." "But we've discussed this," Alex argued back. "We've looked at the stats before and actually it's very much about the fact that the middle east - Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran - all these countries that have mutliple geopolitical issues are coming over on small boats. "Why? Because they can't get visa applications through quickly enough." But Nana hit out at Alex saying that what he was saying "doesn't really make sense". She said: "We have deals with people from Afghanistan. And even when we have deals with people they're still using the small boats." The presenter quizzed: "Why would you come via small boat if there is actually a safe and legal route for you to apply for a safe refuge in this country?" Alex hit back saying: "Because it's taking too long and they're living in very difficult routes that we can't relate to." At that point the hosts then began to shout over each other with Nana accusing Alex of having "excuses". Things became rather heated as they both tried to get their points across while raising their voices and interrupting each other. Fans of the news channel hit out at Alex on social media. One user wrote: "He offered no reasonable counter arguments whatsoever." Another added: "What an arrogant and very out of touch man he is. Just after a few minutes of his dreadful attitude I had to switch over." Meanwhile, a third said: "The beta male is hilarious. He defeats himself with his own arguments. Demonstrably ignorant of the facts."‘Not once did I suspect...’: Nicole Saphier defends Pete HegsethParticipatory Budgeting starts Saturday, community can vote on 11 projects
NoneRohingya refugees in India struggle for children’s futureCoalition leader Peter Dutton has pledged to “keep the lights on” as he unveiled a $331 billion plan to introduce nuclear energy to Australia by the mid-2030s. “We deliver a plan today which will get the energy mix right. It will lower costs, it will keep the lights on, and it will set our country up for generations to come,” he told a press conference in Brisbane on Friday. “This is a plan which will underpin the economic success of our country for the next century. “This will make electricity reliable. It will make it more consistent. It will make it cheaper for Australians, and it will help us decarbonise as a trading economy as we must.” The Coalition plans to convert seven coal-fired power station sites around the country to nuclear power between 2035 and 2050. This would include two small nuclear modular reactors - technology that is not yet proven - and five large-scale plants. They say this would provide up to 14GW of power by 2050. This would be supported, they say, by renewables - up to which would make up 54 per cent of power generation in the National Energy Market - as well as gas and storage. The Coalition would also keep coal fire power stations running beyond their current timeline, before they are transitioned to nuclear power plans. But the plan, which Mr Dutton claims will save Australians up to $263 billion compared to Labor’s renewables approach — a 44 per cent saving for taxpayers and businesses — assumes the country will use up to 45 per cent electricity by 2050 than Labor’s preferred plan. The Coalition claims Labor has overcompensated and been overzealous in its ambition of electric vehicle rollouts and green hydrogen, and their modelling will be more in line with what Australia actually needs. Katina Curtis When pressed on what guarantees he would give to Australians that the capital cost of his nuclear project would not follow all other nuclear projects in blowing out by up to three times their planned cost, Mr Dutton only said he was “confident” in the modelling projections. On Friday, he accused Labor of a “zealot-like approach” to renewables that was “going to cause a lot of grief to our country in the near term and in the long term.” Families were paying higher power bills under Labor, he argued. The Albanese Government has strongly disputed the Coalition’s costings. But the plan is set to be hugely controversial, dividing industry as well as politicians, industry, and the Commonwealth. A major hurdle the Coalition would need to overcome to get the first nuclear power plant up and running by 2036 would be convincing the states to overturn legislative bans. Asked what progress he had made convincing premiers to agree to nuclear power, Mr Dutton said being in Opposition, they weren’t “in a position to negotiate contracts” until they are elected. But, he said he was “confident” South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas would lead the charge. Energy Minister Chris Bowen dismissed the Coalition’s strategy as a “fantasy.” “It won’t pass the pub test, it won’t pass the sniff test,” he told ABC News. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis said it had identified “significant issues” with the proposals, arguing that recent projects in Europe and North America have experienced significant delays and cost overruns. “Nuclear is a costly pathway that would lead to higher power bills,” said Johanna Bowyer, IEEFA’s lead analyst. “We have found that nuclear reactor projects constructed in Europe and North America in the past 20 years have seen cost blowouts of 1.7 to 3.4 times original amounts.” However, nuclear engineers counter that there is no obstacle to achieving nuclear power within a decade besides politics. “Nuclear is...the only technology that’s proven to be workable to solve this climate change problem. Renewables just can’t cut it,” said Dave Collins, managing director and principal environmental engineer of Synergetics Consulting Engineers. The Australian political debate had been “unproductive,” he told The Nightly. Fortescue and Tattarang chairman, Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest said nuclear “doesn’t stack up for Australian families or businesses dealing with the cost-of-living crisis today”. “We need the certainty of lower bills now, not at some distant point in the future. As our national science agency has shown, ‘firmed’ solar and wind are the cheapest new electricity options for all Australians,” he said. “The cost of electricity generated on a grid dominated by firmed renewable energy in 2030 will be half what you would have to pay if it came from nuclear, CSIRO found.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had earlier appeared to mock the Coalition proposal ahead of its long-awaited announcement. “It’s Friday the 13th, an auspicious day, I’ve got to say, for Peter Dutton to drop his nuclear nightmare policy out there,” he said. “We know this is a plan for the 2040s and in the meantime, I’m not quite sure what he thinks will happen with energy security. “The truth is that renewables are the cheapest form of new energy. Everyone knows that that’s the case.” Mr Dutton’s long-awaited nuclear costings came days after a new GenCost report by the CSIRO backed the government’s stance by stating a nuclear power plant in Australia would likely cost twice as much as renewable energy, even accounting for increased longevity of reactors. Mr Dutton called the impartiality of Australia’s leading science agency into question – a charge CSRIO rejected in a statement on Thursday that stated: “we conduct our independent, rigorous research without fear or favour.” The Opposition have based their own costings on two analyses by consultancy Frontier Economics. Shadow Energy Minister Ted O’Brien explained that the costings in the report made clear that lower prices reflected costs over time. “The 44 per cent difference in the cost between Labor’s approach and the Coalition’s approach, it is very safe to assume it would be comparable when it comes to price differential of that period of time,” he said. Mr Dutton added more about the Coalition’s approach to the months-long drafting of the policy. “What we’ve looked at is the experience of every developed country around the world, the energy mix that they using,” he said. “And if you look to jurisdictions, for example, like Ontario or in Tennessee, they are paying 18 cents a kilowatt hour for their power at the moment because they have renewables firmed up by nuclear,” he argued. “In South Australia, at the moment, people are paying 56 cents a kilowatt hour, three times the rate. So is it any wonder that we’ve had a threefold increase in the number of manufacturing businesses which have closed in our country over the last two and a half years?” The Opposition Leader also addressed the question of the safety of nuclear power. “The Prime Minister signed up to the nuclear submarines, and therefore sent a very clear message to Australians that there are no safety concerns about the latest technology in relation to nuclear,” he said, referring to the AUKUS partnership between Australia, the US and the UK,” he said. “The AUKUS legislation that enables the nuclear reactor to be a part of our defence force and to be a key technology for us to defend ourselves, that has been facilitated through legislation, which has passed through the parliament already.”
(ASX: XJO) stock ( ) is dipping into the red today. Shares in the property investment company closed yesterday trading for $4.48. In early trade on Friday, shares are changing hands for $4.457 apiece, down 0.2%. For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.7% at the same time. As you can see on the chart above, the GPT share price is up 2.0% since last year. The ASX 200 stock also trades on an unfranked trailing yield of 5.4%. Here's what investors are mulling over today. The GPT share price has yet to post gains after the ASX 200 stock it was forming a new retail partnership with private investment company Perron. As part of that new partnership, GPT will acquire a 50% interest in two Perth retail assets – Cockburn Gateway and Belmont Forum – from Perron. The deal is valued at approximately $482 million. GPT said that the shopping centres offer a combined 119,000 square metres of gross lettable area and a moving annual turnover of more than $1 billion. Atop the existing space, the ASX 200 stock noted that Cockburn Gateway has secured development approval for a 20-year transformation project. Stage 1 of that development reportedly has the potential for some 20,000 square metres of incremental new retail in the "near term". Commenting on the ASX 200 stock's partnership with Perron this morning, GPT CEO Russell Proutt said: This is an exciting partnership which further expands our $14 billion portfolio of retail assets with two centres that are top performing in their respective trade areas and extremely well positioned, in catchments with strong population growth and favourable demographics. Our investment is consistent with GPT's strategy to build and diversify the group's management platform, in alignment with like-minded investment partners. Prout added that he expects the new shopping centre acquisitions will "leverage the group's outstanding retail operational capability to drive asset performance and pursue compelling development opportunities". Perron Group CEO Adam Irving was clearly pleased that his company had successfully concluded negotiations with the ASX 200 stock over the 50% sale in both retail properties. "We identified GPT as an ideal partner for both Cockburn Gateway and Belmont Forum because of its industry leading experience in both retail and mixed-use developments, as this will be crucial to maximising the value of the assets over time," he said. Irving added: This transaction also aligns with the evolution of Perron Group's broader strategic objectives as a permanent endowment to support the work of the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation. GPT and Perron expect the transaction to be completed in February.
Union urges Toronto to keep workers at safe injection site slated to closeSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game against the Packers with a sore throwing shoulder.The Miami Hurricanes, who once appeared to be a near-lock for the College Football Playoff, are not playing for a national title. Instead, they will play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. That bowl berth against Iowa State is a let-down for fans with dreams of a sixth national title in their minds, as well as players hoping to compete for a championship. However, Miami’s trip to Orlando and the lead-up to it are still crucial periods for the Hurricanes for multiple reasons. First, it’s a chance for the program to achieve something it has not done in more than two decades: win 11 games. Although the 11th win won’t get them closer to a championship, it is a good sign of the program’s progress over Mario Cristobal’s tenure. It would also end UM’s five-game losing streak in bowls. “We’re not satisfied,” Cristobal said. “We want to win every single game. We won 10. We were close on the other two, but close isn’t good enough. We want progress. We’re hungry and driven to get better, and so that’s what our focus is on: to improving as a football program, to getting better, to moving into the postseason with an opportunity against a great football team like this and putting our best on the field.” People are also reading... Berry Tramel: Will Mike Gundy now learn to get along with his bosses? Bill Haisten: There still is no resolution, but a Gundy-OSU divorce seems imminent Court 'bulldozes' tribal law in Tulsa case over jurisdiction, attorney says How did Oklahoma flip Cowboys QB commit less than 48 hours before signing day? Bill Haisten: As OSU regents meet, Mike Gundy’s contract should be a hot topic Berry Tramel: Jackson Arnold shows OU should save its high-end shopping for the portal Deep into Week 2, new names emerge in Tulsa football coaching search 10 potential candidates to replace Kasey Dunn as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State These 11 new restaurants are coming to the Tulsa area soon — and 8 that just opened Cooper Parker secures Bixby's seventh consecutive state title in OT thriller versus Owasso Meet the 2024 Tulsans of the Year: These people worked hard to make Tulsa better Stitt fires Cabinet secretary at odds with governor's stance on poultry lawsuit Final OU football bowl projections before Sooners' postseason destination is revealed Meet Oklahoma's complete 2025 class. 5-star OT commits to Oklahoma Jenks football coach Keith Riggs resigns; DC Adam Gaylor named Trojans head coach There are signs the Hurricanes will show up at close to full strength for the bowl game. Running back Damien Martinez announced he was going to play, and star quarterback Cam Ward said in a video call posted on social media that he intends to play, as well. “We’re trying to win our first bowl game in 20 years,” Ward said in the video, mistaking the length of UM’s long bowl losing streak. “We’re going hard.” Playing in the bowl game also provides the opportunity for the Hurricanes to get in several practices between now and the game. That means Miami can develop its young players and prepare them for next season during both the practices and the bowl game itself. “It’s extremely valuable,” Cristobal said. “You really don’t have many opportunities throughout the course of the year — time is limited more and more each season with your student-athletes. I want to state this and be very clear: it’s very important, it’s ultra-important for the University of Miami to continue to develop and grow and progress by stressing the importance of offseason opportunities ... You learn a lot about your team and learn a lot about your people and your program when you head to the postseason.” Of course, there are potential negatives. Players can get hurt; Mark Fletcher Jr. suffered a foot injury in the Pinstripe Bowl last year that cost him all of spring practice. A poor performance can also potentially set the tone for next season, like how Florida State, fresh off a playoff snub last year, suffered a devastating loss against Georgia in the Orange Bowl and went on to a dismal 2-10 season this year. “This is the ending of ’24 and the beginning of ’25,” Cristobal said. “This is the last opportunity to be on the field and carry some momentum into the offseason. So it is, in essence, it is the most important game because it’s the next game. “There’s a lot of excitement in the form of opportunity for our guys. Our guys love to play football. The chance to play one more time with this special group — this is a special group of guys now. They’ve worked hard to really change the trajectory of the University of Miami, and they want to continue to elevate the status and the culture at the University of Miami. So certainly a ton to play for.” ____
The former FBI informant who claimed he could prove that then-Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden were paid $5 million a piece by the owners of Ukrainian energy company Burisma now admits he made the whole thing up. Alexander Smirnov lied when he told the FBI that Hunter Biden, who sat on Burisma’s board while President Joe Biden was serving as No. 2 in the Obama White House, used his father’s political position to force the Ukrainian company into making payments to both Bidens in 2015 or 2016, he admitted in a plea deal revealed Thursday. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees slugger Aaron Judge wins his second AL MVP award after leading MLB with 58 home runs.
Ghana opposition leader Mahama officially wins electionWe needed it – Pep Guardiola relieved to end Man City’s winless runBy JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Vance is taking on an atypical role as Senate guide for Trump nominees The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Mar-a-Lago scene is a far cry from Vance’s hardscrabble upbringing Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” Vance is making his voice heard as Trump stocks his Cabinet While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance will draw on his Senate background going forward Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
Blackbaud Announces Impairment Charge Related to EVERFI Assets
The Federal Government and the state governors will next week take decisions on the creation of state. The Governor of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri, disclosed this to State House Correspondents in Abuja on Thursday after the National Economic Council. Diri revealed that the NEC gave Adamawa, Kebbi and Kwara states and the FCT one week (November 28) to submit their positions on the proposed creation of state police. He said by the time the NEC convened again next week a decision would be taken. “On the issue of state police today, when the decision was taken, even before it was, the three states in question, one of them (Adamawa) was represented by the Deputy Governor, had earlier made submissions that they presented their report. “So, that was why NEC could not come out immediately to say ‘A or B,’ but rather gave a timeline. And that timeline, as you can see, was very short: one week for them to go and do whatever they are doing so that decisions will be made by the next NEC meeting. And, from how they reacted, I’m sure that maybe we have some bureaucracy regarding the submission,” Diri said. On the one-week deadline given to the three defaulting states, he said, “The Council mandated these remaining states and the FCT to make their submissions within the next one week. “On the state police, Council was updated with the submission of the establishment of state police, and it was reported that 33 states have submitted their positions, while three states are yet to do so. “These three states are Adamawa, Kebbi and incidentally Kwara, which is the chairman of our forum, and the FCT are yet to submit their positions. “The Council mandated these remaining states and the FCT to make their submissions within the next one week and resolved to present a consolidated state’s position on the state police to the National Economic Council at our next meeting.” On February 15, 2024, the Federal Government, alongside the 36 states, began talks expected to culminate in the creation of state police. This formed part of agreements reached at an emergency meeting between President Bola Tinubu and state governors at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Related News Atiku tackles Tinubu as Senate okays $2.2bn loan request Nigeria’ll continue to prioritise social investment, says Tinubu Tinubu determined to end insecurity in Southeast – Defence minister It followed the pockets of insecurity recorded nationwide, hikes in food prices and economic hardship. Addressing State House Correspondents afterwards, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, explained that the process was still in its infancy and would only take shape after more deliberations between stakeholders. “The Federal Government and the state governments are mulling the possibility of setting up state police,” said Idris, adding that “this is still going to be further discussed.” He explained, “A lot of work must be done in that direction. But if our government and the state governments agree to the necessity of having state police, this is a significant shift.” Two days earlier, the House of Representatives said it was considering a legislative bill titled, ‘A bill for an Act to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for the establishment of State Police and related matters.’ Following this agreement, the National Economic Council requested each state to submit detailed reports outlining their positions and plans for implementing state police. By March 2024, 16 states had submitted their reports, with the remaining 20 expected to do so by May. In April 2024, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum announced that the decisions of the remaining 20 governors were ready for submission to the NEC, indicating a unified commitment among the states to establish state police forces. Despite these, as of November 2024, the implementation of state police remains only in the planning stages as the FG and state authorities continue to debate on the constitutional amendments required to empower states to establish and manage their police forces. The debate for creating state police in Nigeria primarily stems from the centralised nature of the Nigerian Police Force, which many security pundits perceive as inadequate for addressing the unique security challenges across the country’s diverse regions. Proponents argue that the outfit would bring law enforcement closer to the communities they serve, enhance the effectiveness of policing, and allow for more localised control over security matters. However, opponents fear that state police could lead to the abuse of power, particularly in states with strong political control, potentially exacerbating regional tensions and undermining national unity.The new Karl Lagerfeld has arrived at Chanel. Here’s what to expect