
WASHINGTON — The House passed a bill Thursday that would create dozens of new federal district court judgeships for the first time in decades, although the Biden administration has threatened to veto it. Supporters of the legislation, which passed the House 236-173 on Thursday and the Senate via unanimous consent in August, say the bill is aimed at addressing case backlogs in the federal court system. The measure would add 63 permanent positions to the federal judiciary and three temporary positions. The permanent positions would be created in phases between 2025 and 2035. In total, 207 House Republicans and 29 House Democrats voted for the measure. Members of both parties agreed the federal judiciary needs more judges. But the timing of the vote drew opposition from the Biden administration and some House Democrats, who said Republicans were playing political games by refusing to bring the bill up for a floor vote until after the November general election. By waiting to vote on the bill until after the election, there is no longer uncertainty over which presidential candidate would get to appoint the first two tranches of judgeships, which would come in 2025 and 2027, Democrats argued. New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, argued that when the bill arrived in the House, Republican leadership refused to touch it. “If Republican leadership had brought the bill to the House floor in September, we could have passed it on suspension in no time,” Nadler said. “Back then, the president would still have been unknown, and the underlying promise of the bill was still present.” Speaking on the floor, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., acknowledged the bill would have passed by unanimous consent had it been brought up sooner. “I apologize to everyone here for the hour we’re taking for something that we should have done before” the election, he said. But Issa said it would only be “pettiness today if we were to not do this because of who got to be first.” He compared the situation to a coin flip at the start of a football game, where the flip winner gets to decide whether they kick or receive the ball. “Afterwards, it will go back and forth for a very long time. This is a very long time, and we should be the long thinkers on the most permanent body in government,” Issa said. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, said on the floor that sudden opposition to the bill from Democrats was “nothing more than childish foot-stomping.” The Biden administration threatened to veto the bill earlier this week, saying in a statement of administration policy that the bill is “unnecessary to the efficient and effective administration of justice.” The statement said the bill would add new judgeships in states where senators “have sought to hold open existing judicial vacancies.” “Further, the Senate passed this bill in August, but the House refused to take it up until after the election,” the statement read. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said when the bill arrived in the House, Republican leadership injected politics into the legislation. He argued bringing the bill to the floor until after the election isn’t fair. “You don’t get to pick the horse after that horse has already won the race, but that’s exactly what my Republican colleagues are seeking to do today,” he said. Issa weighed in after Johnson’s speech. “We often hear the term here in the House and throughout our country: ‘country before party.’ It’s clear we didn’t hear that here yet today on the other side of the aisle,” Issa said. Congress has added a relatively smaller number of district court judgeships since 1990, created using appropriations or authorization bills, but the federal courts say they need much more based on an increase in caseload over the years. The Judicial Conference in 2023 called for 66 new district court judges and seven temporary judges to be made permanent. Gabe Roth, the executive director of Fix the Court, said in press releases that Biden should reconsider his veto threat given “the bill’s bipartisan origins, its broad support among Democratic judicial appointees and its importance to Delaware, whose federal court would get two new judgeships — a 50 percent increase.” “As someone who’s worked for years on adding judgeships, I know how difficult it is to get to the right formula of which judgeships to add when, how much money is needed for appropriations and when in an election cycle to move legislation,” Roth said. “We finally had each of these things in place and now comes a veto threat? That’s a slap in the face to our overworked federal judges, Democratic and Republican appointees alike, who say they desperately need the help,” Roth said.Best Bets for NCAA Basketball Picks Against the Spread for Thursday, December 12
Gov. Josh Shapiro had a big 2024 — from his star turn as a contender for the vice presidential ticket to his campaign trail cameos as a prominent Democratic election surrogate, and as a vocal supporter of Israel. As the year comes to an end, his national profile has continued to grow, this time with a focus on how he uses his faith to connect with voters. Shapiro has long made his Jewish faith a tenet of his public identity, and now as President Joe Biden, a practicing Catholic, cedes the White House to President-elect Donald Trump, who promotes his own branded Bibles, the New York Times is pointing to Shapiro as part of “a small but prominent cast of Scripture-quoting, religiously observant Democratic politicians.” Many of them, the Times reports, are “poised to command national attention over the next four years.” Shapiro, Sen. Raphael Warnock, D- Ga., and Texas state Rep. James Talarico are newer Democratic Party leaders who haven’t shied away from speaking publicly about being religious in an effort to relate to voters across spiritual lines even as the party has garnered a reputation for being increasingly secular. “It is important for the community to understand, wherever you are, what motivates you,” Shapiro told the Times. “That’s important for people to know before you start talking to them about bills and policies and proposals.” A Pew study published in April using data from 1994 to 2023 found that among registered voters who are atheist, agnostic or otherwise not affiliated with a religious group, 70% leaned Democratic. Meanwhile, 59% of Protestants and 52% of Catholics leaned Republican, while 69% of Jews and 66% of Muslims leaned Democratic — though the data for Muslims were smaller than these other groups. But as the study broke down racial and ethnic groups, the story shifted, with 84% of Black Protestants and 60% of Hispanic Catholics leaning Democratic, according to Pew. The majority of both groups voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in this year’s election, but Trump made gains among Black and Latino voters. While Trump isn’t known for being the most fluent in Christian theology, he has framed himself as a defender of Christian ideology. Trump, who has identified himself as a nondenominational Christian, has spoken about his near-death experience surviving an assassination attempt in religious terms, as have his supporters. Trump has also proved successful presenting himself as authentic while the Democratic Party does soul-searching on how to better connect with voters. Positions related to Shapiro’s faith have landed him in the spotlight of heated political debates. While Shapiro has fiercely criticized Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he made a name for himself as an adamant supporter of Israel who at times spoke brashly about protesters he considered antisemitic. Those stances were seen as a vulnerability by some and a strength by others when he was being considered as Harris’ vice presidential nominee. His religion remained in the spotlight after the veepstakes were over. Republicans, including Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, tried to pin Harris’ decision to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on what they called antisemitism within the Democratic Party. Shapiro appeared to rebuke those theories when he took the stage at Temple University’s Liacouras Center during the rally that debuted Walz as the Democratic vice presidential nominee in August. In the final moments of a resounding speech that garnered thunderous applause from the crowd standing in the arena on North Broad Street, Shapiro celebrated his faith and its intersection with public service and quoted the Pirkei Avot, an ancient text of Jewish ethics: “No one is required to complete the task, but neither are we free to refrain from it,” he said. “I want to just say this,” Shapiro said. “I lean on my family, and I lean on my faith, which calls me to serve, and I am proud of my faith.” Rabbi David Glanzberg-Krainin, the rabbi at Beth Sholom in Montgomery County — Shapiro’s hometown synagogue — told The Inquirer in August that this moment showed “he’s not going to back down from saying that this is something that’s a foundational part of who he is” and how he approaches public service. Glanzberg-Krainin also rejected Vance’s notion that Shapiro’s being Jewish was a factor in his rejection as Harris’ running mate. “I absolutely can’t fathom a universe in which, you know, Vice President Harris, who’s married to a Jewish man, decided not to select Josh Shapiro as her running mate because Josh is Jewish ... there’s just no world in which I can conceive of that as being possible,” he said. As Shapiro has continued to embrace being Jewish, so has the fixation on his identity. After the popular governor gave a prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention later in August, Trump called him a “highly overrated Jewish governor” who “has done nothing for Israel” in a rant on Truth Social. To this, Shapiro said that Trump is “obsessed” with him and that the then- GOP nominee was perpetuating “antisemitic tropes.” Despite Shapiro’s faith occasionally becoming a political football, Glanzberg-Krainin said in August that he suspects the governor will continue to look for ways to meld his religion and his call to public service. “Over the course of years, I think that’s something that he takes really seriously,” Glanzberg-Krainin said. “Where could he best serve? And that’s not something that’s just purely rational, I think it’s something that he feels on a deep level.” Shapiro has already taken his faith-based connections beyond Pennsylvania, including by joining forces with Warnock, the Democratic senator from Georgia who also combines his faith with his public identity. Shapiro visited Warnock’s church in October and “immediately introduced himself as a fellow person of faith,” the Times reported, telling churchgoers “Shabbat shalom,” a greeting observant Jews use on the Sabbath. Warnock and Shapiro are both rising leaders in the party who are seen as potential future presidential nominees. The two men campaigned for Harris together, and Shapiro told the Times they talked about strengthening the “fraying bonds between the Jewish and Black communities.”
Highlights from Trump's interview with Time magazineStock market today: Wall Street slips as the 'Magnificent 7' weighs down the market NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are closing lower as Wall Street ends a holiday-shortened week on a down note. The S&P 500 fell 1.1% Friday and the the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 333 points, or 0.8%. The Nasdaq composite dropped 1.5%. The “Magnificent 7” stocks weighed on the market, led by declines in Nvidia, Tesla and Microsoft. Even with the loss, the S&P 500 had a modest gain for the week and is still headed for its second consecutive annual gain of more than 20%, the first time that has happened since 1997-1998. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.62%. 10 tips from experts to help you change your relationship with money in 2025 NEW YORK (AP) — As the calendar changes to 2025, you might be thinking about how to approach your relationship with money in the new year. Whether you’re saving to move out of your parents’ house or pay off student loan debt, financial resolutions can help you stay motivated. If you’re planning to make financial resolutions for the new year, experts recommend that you start by evaluating the state of your finances in 2024. Then, set specific goals and make sure they’re attainable for your lifestyle. An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in the president-elect’s political movement into public display. The argument previews fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — that is, wealthy members of the tech world who want more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says a ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, a deputy national security adviser, said Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. Most Americans blame insurance profits and denials alongside the killer in UHC CEO death, poll finds WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Americans believe health insurance profits and coverage denials share responsibility for the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO — although not as much as the person who pulled the trigger. So says a new poll from NORC at the University of Chicago. It finds that about 8 in 10 Americans say that the person who committed the killing has “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” of responsibility for the Dec. 4 shooting of Brian Thompson. Still, some see suspect Luigi Mangione as a heroic figure. About 7 in 10 adults say coverage denials or health insurance profits also bear at least “a moderate amount” of responsibility for Thompson’s death. Another jackpot surpasses $1 billion. Is this the new normal? Remember this moment because it probably won’t last: A U.S. lottery jackpot is projected to soar above $1 billion, and that's still a big deal. Friday’s Mega Millions drawing is worth an estimated $1.15 billion. The prize has evoked headlines across the country, despite the nation's top 10 jackpots already having boasted billion-dollar payouts. Jonathan Cohen is the author of the book “For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America.” He says he expects jackpots to continue to grow in size. Larger payouts attract more media attention, increase ticket sales and bring in new players. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Richard Parsons, prominent executive who led Time Warner and Citigroup, dies at 76 NEW YORK (AP) — Richard Parsons, one of corporate America’s most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup, has died. He was 76. Parsons died Thursday at his Manhattan home. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015 and cited “unanticipated complications” from the disease for cutting back on work a few years later. Financial services company Lazard confirmed his death. Parsons was a longtime member of the company's board. His friend Ronald Lauder told The New York Times that the cause of death was cancer. Parsons stepped down Dec. 3 from the boards of Lazard and Lauder’s company, Estée Lauder, citing health reasons. He had been on Estée Lauder’s board for 25 years. Israel strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen has targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said Thursday's bombardment took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. At least three people were reported killed and dozens injured in the Sanaa airport strike. Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, a faster pace than the 3.1% increase from a year earlier. The measure tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mastercard SpendingPulse says the last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending. Sales of clothing, electronics and Jewelry rose.Social Security confirms – Next payment of the $4,873 check on December 18 – To be cashed by retirees on this listAWH Partners Promotes Dev Sharma as Director of Analytics
Promotion Affirms Company's Commitment to Galvanize New Era of Tech-Driven Real Estate Investment NEW YORK , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Underscoring its commitment to revolutionize investment strategies by leveraging advanced technologies to drive investor value, real estate investment firm AWH Partners announces the promotion of Devashish (Dev) Sharma to director of analytics. Sharma, who has been with the New York -based firm since July 2023 , has played a pivotal role in enhancing returns for investors by strengthening the integration of technology and data analytics in his previous role in asset management. In this new position, he will leverage the firm's data assets to create insights that sharpen acquisition strategies, improve asset performance, and strengthen overall decision-making and corporate governance, ultimately driving superior outcomes for stakeholders. In leading this newly created role, Sharma will focus on enhancing AWH Partners' cross-functional data ecosystem and optimizing technology-enabled processes to deliver actionable investment insights, streamline analysis, automate recurring tasks, and identify market opportunities ahead of industry trends. By developing business intelligence tools and mechanisms, he will ensure the firm's leadership and continuity in hospitality real estate, delivering enhanced transparency and scalability of tech-driven initiatives to foster sustainable growth and maximize investor returns. With dual master's degrees in business administration and hospitality management from Cornell University , Sharma has 13 years' experience across investment banking, real estate financing, hotel acquisition and hotel asset management. Before relocating to the U.S. for his graduate studies, Sharma was the investment manager at SAMHI Hotels, which specializes in hotel investments in India , and an associate investment manager at Piramal Fund Management, one of the first firms to enter real estate fund management in India . His global expertise in real estate financing and operational excellence has directly contributed to the success of the firm's high-value investment portfolios. "Dev brings a truly exceptional background to this new role with his experience in real estate financing and data analytics, as well as earning advanced degrees in business and hospitality from one of this country's premier Ivy League universities. Since joining AWH, he has demonstrated dedication and passion for helping the firm realize the next level of data-driven decision-making," said Chad Cooley , co-founder and managing partner of AWH Partners. "His work has strengthened our ability to deliver consistent value to our investors, helping us stand out in an increasingly competitive market." AWH Partners has made substantial investments in technology to identify and acquire differentiated investment opportunities in a highly competitive marketplace. This position underscores the firm's strategic focus on combining innovation and expertise to generate superior investor outcomes. By empowering its team with leadership opportunities, AWH Partners fosters an environment where talent thrives, furthering its goal of shaping the future of real estate investment. Sharma's leadership will continue to advance the firm's mission to deliver sustainable growth and performance across its portfolio. A native of India , Sharma is a chartered accountant and earned his bachelor's degree in finance from Sri Venkateswara College at the University of Delhi in 2009. Sharma's global perspective and track record of integrating analytics into investment strategies position him as a key player in advancing AWH Partners' investor-centric vision. "My goal is to further integrate analytics into every aspect of our investment process to ensure we are at the forefront of data and technology use in real estate investment worldwide," he said. About AWH Partners: AWH Partners (AWH) is a leading national platform for hotel real estate investment, management and development. Privately held, it was founded in 2010 by alumni of The Blackstone Group and The Related Companies. The firm partners with marquee institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals around the world. Its portfolio includes properties from renowned brands, including the Marriott and Hilton corporations, as well as independently branded assets. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/awh-partners-promotes-dev-sharma-as-director-of-analytics-302330763.html SOURCE AWH PartnersCM Maryam calls Benazir 'metaphor of courage'Democrat Governors Compete to Lead 'Resistance' to Trump's Popular Immigration Reforms
Pep Guardiola admits he is questioning himself after Manchester City’s latest defeat left them in danger of missing out on the Champions League knockout stages. City slumped to their seventh defeat in 10 games in all competitions as they were beaten 2-0 at Juventus in their latest European outing on Wednesday. Second-half goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie at the Allianz Stadium left Guardiola’s side languishing in 22nd place in the standings. Juventus beat Man City 💪 #UCL pic.twitter.com/H4KL15iCke — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 11, 2024 With just two games of the league phase remaining, a place in the top eight and automatic last-16 qualification looks beyond them and they face a battle just to stay in the top 24 and claim a play-off spot. City manager Guardiola said: “Of course I question myself but I’m stable in good moments and bad moments. “I try to find a way to do it. I’m incredibly honest. If we play good (I say) we played good and today I thought we played good. “Our game will save us. We can do it. We conceded few chances compared to the Nottingham Forest game that we won. We’re making the right tempo. “We missed the last pass, did not arrive in the six-yard box (at the right time) or have the composure at the right moment. “But I love my team. This is life, it happens. Sometimes you have a bad period but I’m going to insist until we’re there.” City now face a crunch trip to Paris St Germain, who are also at risk of failing to qualify, next month. Guardiola accepts the top 24 is now the only aim. He said: “It’s the target. We need one point or three points. We go to Paris to try to do it and the last game at home.” Veteran midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said after the game he felt City were suffering from a loss of confidence but Guardiola dismissed his player’s comments. “I am not agreeing with Ilkay,” he said. “Of course it is tough but, except one or two games in this period, we’ve played good.” City now face a further test of their resolve as they host rivals Manchester United in a derby on Sunday. "We played well" Pep Guardiola trusts in his squad despite 2-0 loss to Juventus... 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/VrmTzcTrEF — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 11, 2024 Gundogan told TNT Sports: “It (confidence) is a big part of it. That’s a mental issue as well. “You can see that sometimes we miss the ball or lose a duel and you see that we drop immediately and lose the rhythm. They (the opponents) don’t even need to do much but it has such a big effect on us right now. “Even more you have to do the simple things as good as possible and create and fluidity, then it’s work hard again. This is how you get confidence back – do the small and simple things, (but) in crucial moments at the moment we are always doing the wrong things.” Juventus coach Thiago Motta was pleased with the hosts’ performance, which boosted their hopes of making the top eight. “It was a deserved victory,” he said. “We had to defend as a team and be ready to attack with quality. “We have shown we can compete at this level and now we have to do it consistently.”