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xb on wowowin . The conservative Republican announced Wednesday that he would , essentially bowing to political pressure from President-elect Donald Trump. Bowing to political pressure is precisely what FBI directors are supposed to do. Trump’s intense displeasure with Wray has been on full display for years, most recently on Sunday, when in an with host Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he falsely claimed that Wray “invaded my home” and that “crime is at an all-time high.” Violent crime is , and a the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate because he retained and refused to return reams of classified documents he was not entitled to still have in his possession. The search is one of Trump had about the FBI during Wray’s tenure. So Wray, Trump’s own pick to lead the FBI, had two choices: resign before Trump takes office again or stay until Trump fired him. He should have chosen the second, more principled path. But Wray chose against being a profile in courage. He folded instead of defending the FBI’s honor and its staunchly nonpartisan record over the last seven years. Instead of showing the country what it means to swear an oath to a country — and not a person— he did exactly what a would-be autocrat wants: He obeyed in advance. Wray’s resignation deprives the country of a conversation that would be sure to happen if Trump were to follow through on his threat and fire the apolitical FBI director. His firing would have arrested the nation’s attention and forced Trump to defend replacing a dyed-in-the-wool constitutionalist with Kash Patel, an unrepentant Trump loyalist, as head of the nation’s premier law enforcement agency. Wray’s departure is now wrapped in the frame of the normal comings-and-goings of presidential administrations. is the operative word here. Wray is helping normalize Trump’s way of governing. In all candor, I understand why Wray is leaving. No one wants to endure a firestorm of Trump falsehoods, which will surely escalate in frequency and fervor as Inauguration Day approaches. I can only imagine how painful it would be for Wray’s family to watch the most powerful person in the world try to destroy the reputation of the father and husband who has served his country honorably for decades. But Christopher Wray volunteered to be FBI director. He knew the assignment and history — . And Wray promised the country not to let politics guide his actions: “If I am given the honor of leading this agency, , the law and the impartial pursuit of justice. Period. Full stop,” he said in his confirmation hearing. And yet here we are, watching him make decisions driven by Trump’s political grievances and his stated desire to use the federal law enforcement apparatus to go after his perceived political enemies. With this resignation, Wray has joined a long list of conservatives who bended a knee to Trump, like those who in 2021 refused to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial for inciting an insurrection or those who ruled that presidents have absolute immunity for official acts committed as president, and presumptive immunity for official acts within the outer perimeter of their office; or those senators currently considering Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, someone who is still embracing Trump’s big lie that he won the 2020 election. In normal times, election denialism — by more than 60 court rulings — would be disqualifying for the nation’s would-be chief law enforcement officer. Trump has clearly learned a fundamental truth about Washington: People are policy. In his first term, Trump appointed conservative Republicans like Wray to high government positions. Thankfully, when it mattered most, many of these conservatives resisted Trump’s worst instincts and put their oath to the Constitution before their loyalty to him. Trump 2.0 will be different. With Wray’s imminent resignation, the country is witnessing the latest episode in the systematic unraveling of the rule of law. By bowing to Trump instead of standing up to him, Wray is teaching others to give in to Trump’s erratic behavior and lies and making it even easier for Trump to install a loyalist who may put Trump’s interests ahead of those of the nation.ATLANTA (AP) — Ahmad Robinson scored 21 points as Mercer beat Georgia State 71-68 on Saturday. Robinson had nine rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals for the Bears (7-6). Tyler Johnson went 7 of 15 from the field (3 for 10 from 3-point range) to add 19 points. Cam Bryant shot 4 for 7, including 3 for 6 from beyond the arc to finish with 11 points. The Bears outscored the Panthers 10-4 over the final 4 1/2 minutes. The Panthers (4-9) were led in scoring by Cesare Edwards, who finished with 20 points and two steals. Georgia State also got 14 points from Malachi Brown. Zarigue Nutter also put up 14 points and four assists. The Panthers prolonged their losing streak to six straight. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

By DAVID BAUDER Time magazine gave Donald Trump something it has never done for a Person of the Year designee: a lengthy fact-check of claims he made in an accompanying interview. Related Articles National Politics | Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’ National Politics | Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg The fact-check accompanies a transcript of what the president-elect told the newsmagazine’s journalists. Described as a “12 minute read,” it calls into question 15 separate statements that Trump made. It was the second time Trump earned the Time accolade; he also won in 2016, the first year he was elected president. Time editors said it wasn’t a particularly hard choice over other finalists Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate Middleton. Time said Friday that no other Person of the Year has been fact-checked in the near-century that the magazine has annually written about the figure that has had the greatest impact on the news. But it has done the same for past interviews with the likes of Joe Biden, Netanyahu and Trump. Such corrections have been a sticking point for Trump and his team in the past, most notably when ABC News did it during his only debate with Democrat Kamala Harris this fall. There was no immediate response to a request for comment on Friday. In the piece, Time called into question statements Trump made about border security, autism and the size of a crowd at one of his rallies. When the president-elect talked about the “massive” mandate he had received from voters, Time pointed out that former President Barack Obama won more electoral votes the two times he had run for president. The magazine also questioned Trump’s claim that he would do interviews with anyone who asked during the campaign, if he had the time. The candidate rejected a request to speak to CBS’ “60 Minutes,” the magazine said. “In the final months of his campaign, Trump prioritized interviews with podcasts over mainstream media,” reporters Simmone Shah and Leslie Dickstein wrote. David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.Northwestern hopes hot streak continues vs. NortheasternTrump brushes off Ford's threat to cut Ontario's electricity exports to U.S. states

Insurgents reach gates of Syria’s capital, threatening to upend decades of Assad rule

KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi affirmed Thursday that launching the Radio Frequency Identification system (RFID) was a great leap in managing blood transfusions, as it allows tracking the supply from donor to beneficiary. In his speech during the RFID launch, Al-Awadhi said that it is one of the pioneering technical projects in the field of health care services and is a milestone towards enhancing patient safety and improving the quality of health services. He explained that this system would contribute to reducing human errors related to identifying patients or mismatching blood types through automated tracking and examination processes. This modern technology has been integrated into Kuwait Central Blood Bank and its eight branches, in addition to all external donation campaigns, with the aim of achieving optimal distribution and accurate management of the national bloodstock, noted Al-Awadhi. The minister said that this system also contributes to raising the efficiency of operational processes by providing an updated database that contributes to rapid response to emergencies and accelerates examining and tracking blood bags, saving time and effort. He stressed that the Ministry is continuing its efforts to develop the digital infrastructure and enhance innovation in health services to meet the needs of citizens and residents while fully adhering to the highest international quality and safety standards. For her part, Director of the Blood Transfusion Services Department at the Ministry Dr Reem Al-Radhwan stressed that introducing the RFID technology shows the ministry’s commitment to apply the latest technological developments within digital transformation. Al-Radhwan said that global studies have shown the effectiveness of this technology in enhancing the safety of blood transfusion operations in developed countries, explaining that installing RFID chips on blood bags to encrypt basic tracking data will allow accurate monitoring of blood supplies during storage or when transported to hospitals. She stated that this technology is a vital step towards developing blood inventory management and meeting national needs with high efficiency, enhancing the health system’s ability to meet the growing needs that come with the expansion of the health care system. Launching this technology represents the ministry’s vision of building an integrated health system that relies on advanced technology, added Al-Radhwan, at a time when adopting the RFID technology is a strategic step towards achieving a comprehensive digital transformation that places Kuwait among the leading countries in providing innovative and effective health services. Al-Radwan said that the Blood Transfusion Services Department was able to collect about 90,000 blood bags this year, in addition to producing more than 215,000 products of various blood components, including platelets and blood plasma, to meet the clinical needs of cancer patients, thalassemia patients, accident victims, and bleeding cases with high quality. She pointed out that this project comes within the strategic vision of the Ministry of Health to improve the level of health services and ensure their sustainability in line with the latest scientific and international trends. — KUNALarry Donnelly: Cuts, crisps and pints - my controversial Irish preferencesTexas hosts Northwestern State, hopes to ride momentum into SEC play

Insurgents reach gates of Syria’s capital, threatening to upend decades of Assad ruleUS stocks rally despite Trump tariff threat but European stocks fall

World Fisheries Day observedIt’s possible that 2025 ends up as the biggest and most important year in UFC history. That’s because in just a few weeks, the promotion is preparing to begin negotiations on a new broadcast rights deal that could double or even triple the amount of revenue the UFC potentially receives over the next decade. A seven-year deal with ESPN is coming to a close and while UFC executives have offered nothing but glowing praise about the relationship built with the Disney-owned company, there are going to be plenty of suitors interested in those broadcast rights. Mark Shapiro, the TKO Group Holdings (UFC parent company) president and chief operating officer, laid out a few of the reasons why the UFC is such a valuable property right now even when compared to a broadcast rights juggernaut like the NFL. “You [look] the UFC and what do you have there? You have a year-round property,” Shapiro explained during the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference. “Year-round, there’s no breaks. It’s happening every single weekend. WWE, by the way the same thing, but just on the UFC side that’s what you have. That’s a real antidote for churn. “We’re also the owner and the commissioner, throw the coach in there, too. There’s no bureaucracy. There’s no 32 teams we have to meet in a hotel once a quarter and have a meeting to determine something. It’s happening in one small office in Stamford [for WWE] or one small office in Vegas [for UFC].” The UFC maintains total autonomy over every aspect of the company’s business from production to promotion to fighter pay, which is vastly different from many team sports where owners typically vote for any major changes that take place. Players from almost every major team sport are also represented by a union or athlete association, which does not exist in the UFC. Add to that, Shapiro says the age of the audience watching the UFC makes the organization a highly coveted asset for any potential broadcast partner. “Almost half of our audience, for WWE and UFC, is 18-34,” Shapiro said. “If you can get folks to make buying decisions in that demo, there’s a good chance they’re going to hang onto that for the rest of their lives. No different than Crest toothpaste. That’s how it works. “There’s all kinds of apps we bought in my house that we don’t even watch but I don’t think to cancel them. You can use UFC to get those young folks into habit and signing up for your platform.” With no major sports property coming available again for a broadcast rights deal for the next three years, the UFC‘s timing couldn’t be even better heading into 2025. The options are also much more robust, especially with major players like Netflix getting involved in live streaming sports after striking deals with the NFL as well as a massive 10 year/$5 billion deal to land WWE’s flagship show Monday Night Raw. Of course networks still on broadcast television aren’t just going to give up potential ratings to streamers like Netflix so Shapiro expects plenty of interest in the UFC’s next deal. “You’ve got David Ellison coming in with Skydance to buy Paramount and CBS so there’s change there,” Shapiro said. “You’ve got Mark Lazarus spinning off the NBC assets, there’s change there. You’ve got ESPN and flagship, which will be launched in 2025 so there’s change there. Just the dynamic winds of change on these platforms, technology, media, that’s building demand for sports. “Of course streaming where you’ve got Netflix in 285 million homes, not just looking to add more but to keep what they have. You’ve got HBO on the precipice, Warner Bros. of getting rid of the password sharing so they can join the club. You’ve got Amazon doing their thing. You’ve got Apple and what they’re doing with [Major League Soccer]. So the streamers see sports as a real recipe for success as they look to acquire and retain [subscribers].” As far as what the UFC plans to offer potential partners, Shapiro remarked that the promotion is leaving everything on the table. Does that mean splitting up the UFC’s broadcast rights among multiple outlets? Could that result in adding even more fight cards to appease a potential partner? What about ending pay-per-view broadcasts in favor of landing with a high-paying subscription based streamer? According to Shapiro, the answer is all of the above. “We’re going to maximize price for our shareholders and we’re going to maximize brand and reach potential for our own properties,” Shapiro said. “That means almost as much as price. I can’t say enough and I’ve said t at ad nauseum about ESPN and Disney and the way they’ve supported and grown and marketed and just creatively gotten behind the UFC. Just been an extraordinary partner and FOX, by the way, was an extraordinary partner before that. But ESPN just has so much reach and the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, came up in sports so he gets it. He gets the storytelling, he gets the reach, he gets engagement. [ESPN chairman] Jimmy Pitaro’s been a phenomenal partner. “So we’ll be looking to maximize price and we’ll be looking to also do what’s right for the health of our brand. If that means splitting up the packages or creating new packages, or potentially adding fights and dates, we’re willing to do all of the above.”De'Vondre Campbell's mid-game quitting overshadowed the 49ers' offensive woes

CHEYENNE — Cheyenne’s fourth annual Nativity Blessing at the state Capitol drew its largest crowd yet Thursday, attended by state and local elected officials, a couple of religious leaders and members of the public. Gov. Mark Gordon, who has spoken at all three previous Nativity Blessings, was unable to attend this year due to a scheduling conflict. However, other public officials, including Secretary of State Chuck Gray, Cheyenne Republican lawmaker Rep. Daniel Singh and local pastor Nathan Winters offered their remarks for the roughly 30 people who sat in the Capitol rotunda. A towering Christmas tree decorated with handmade ornaments dominates the center of the room, with glittering wrapped presents sitting at its base. A wooden Nativity scene was placed in front of the tree, facing the Capitol’s main front doors, and seats were provided for guests near the entrance. The Cathedral of St. Mary’s Children’s Choir performed a few select pieces and, at the end of the event, led the audience in a rendition of “Silent Night.” This year, there was a theme of unity and hope that was inspired by the growing political divide in this country, said event organizer Steven Malia. “After all these elections, I mean, there’s just a lot of division and a lot of tension,” Malia told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. “If we can have healing and cooperation and work together, maybe we can have a more peaceful union.” Politics mixed in with the meaning of Christmas as speakers reflected on the lack of cooperation among certain politicians. One repeated message was for people to not look to the government for hope, but rather God and Jesus Christ. In his message during the ceremony, Gray said society focuses too much on the “fake power” of government, such as the Roman empire. “Look at the obsession around the ‘Gladiator’ films. I mean, we got ‘Gladiator II’ out, and there’s so much focus on it,” Gray said. “But that’s fake power.” He said the “fake power of government” is what prevents people from reaching their full potential as citizens. As the new 68th Legislature gets ready to convene in a month for the 2025 general session, he said lawmakers will face their own obstacles. But they should all remember that Jesus is the truth, Gray said. “We ask for his blessing to keep us where the light is, to bless the work in this wonderful historic building, and that it will be a beacon of your true power,” Gray said. The Rev. Seth Hostetler of the Cathedral of St. Mary said hope is fundamental to society — it equips people to pursue good when times are hard. Christmas is remembering to live with hope and to seek it in God — not in elected leaders or grand technology, he said. “The problem we face now, even among Christians, is the growing fascination with our own power. ‘God helps those who help themselves’ is not in the Bible,” Hostetler said. As society progresses with majestic buildings, advanced technologies and choosing politicians to lead the way, “we start looking to ourselves for hope,” he said. It’s important to remember this Christmas season where blessings truly come from: Jesus. “How many of us during the election season spend more time watching the news than reading our Bibles? How many of us have talked more about politicians than about Jesus Christ?” Hostetler said. Former First Baptist Church of Thermopolis Pastor Nathan Winters recalled that Jesus was born to a “blue-collar couple ... on the edges of an empire known for its cruelty.” In a world of suffering and strife, he reminded members of the public to look toward heaven. “Remember the star of Bethlehem, something larger than us all,” Winters said. “Today ... we celebrate a Christmas tree pointing our way toward home, a place where we’ll all be well if we trust in Christ.” Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.

Colby Rogers shines as Memphis rolls past Ole MissFRANCE EASED TO a 37-23 victory over an ill-disciplined Argentina at a bitterly cold Paris in their final game of the November internationals on Friday. Les Bleus claimed four tries including a superb solo effort from in-form winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey. Los Pumas had two players shown yellow cards in the first half, Julian Montoya and Juan Martin Gonzalez, which led to the hosts leading 30-9 at the break. France coach Fabien Galthie made four changes from last Saturday’s nerve-wracking one-point win over New Zealand as Charles Ollivon came in for the dropped Gregory Alldritt at No 8. Argentina boss Felipe Contepomi switched his scrum-half giving Gonzalo Garcia a start instead of Gonzalo Bertranou after last Friday’s loss to Ireland. Against the All Blacks, Les Bleus lost prop Tevita Tatafu to an early injury and loose-head Jean-Baptiste Gros suffered a similar fate after four minutes on Friday with a leg problem. Gros’s injury was caused by Argentina captain Montoya’s dangerous clean at a ruck and the hooker was shown a yellow card. Galthie’s side made the extra man count to open the scoring as Antoine Dupont fed lock Thibaud Flament to crash over from short range after a powerful rolling maul. Thomas Ramos slotted the easy conversion to make it 7-0 after 11 minutes. By the half hour mark the hosts lead 13-9 as Ramos traded penalty goals with Pumas fly-half Tomas Albornoz. France stretched their advantage to 20-9 as winger Gabin Villiere dived over following some dominant forward carries. Ramos added the conversion to overtake Dimitri Yachvili in third place on France’s scoring charts. Things worsened for Contepomi’s outfit as they conceded a penalty try with four minutes of the first half to play and had a second player sent to the bin. Flanker Gonzalez was shown a yellow card for palming a loose ball into touch after Dupont and Ramos showed their class with delicate chip kicks. France went into the break 30-9 ahead as Ramos slotted his third penalty of the game. Just after the interval Galthie brought 20-year-old back-rower Marko Gazzotti on for his debut. The flanker’s main intervention was to scramble onto a loose ball three metres from his own line before Les Bleus cleared with Argentina working their way back into the contest. With 24 minutes to play they were rewarded as prop Thomas Gallo benefitted from a rolling maul and Albornoz brought the score to 30-16. The Pumas’ comeback hopes were shortlived as Bielle-Biarrey scored his fourth try in three games, showing lightning speed to gather his own grubber kick. Ramos converted to make it 37-16 leaving the south Americans, fourth at last year’s World Cup, with a mountain to climb in the final quarter. The deficit was cut once again as Perpignan hooker Ignacio Ruiz, one of 10 French-based players in Argentina’s matchday squad, barreled over. Albornoz took the score to 37-23 with his two-pointer with nine minutes to play but it wasn’t enough to claim a first win over France in Paris since 2014.

As America prepares to transition to a new presidential administration, I want to take stock of the progress we have made together in laying the foundations for an economy that creates opportunity for all Americans. Over the last four years, we’ve faced some of the most challenging economic conditions in our history. Not only have we recovered, we’ve come out stronger, and have laid foundations for a promising new chapter in our American comeback story. It will take years to see the full effects in terms of new jobs and new investments all around the country, but we have planted the seeds that are making this happen. If these investments and actions are built upon, U.S. economic leadership will be stronger and the middle class more secure in the years and decades ahead. When I took office, the economy wasn’t working for most Americans. It was clear that a fundamentally new playbook was essential. My focus was to transform the economy to improve the lives of regular Americans, the kinds of people I grew up with. That’s why I fought to invest in the jobs of the future, lower costs, raise wages, and strengthen workers and small businesses—because I know this will help American families and build the economy from the middle out and bottom up. At that time, economic policy was in the grip of a failed approach called trickle-down economics. Trickle-down tried to grow the economy from the top down. It slashed taxes for the wealthy and large corporations and tried to get government “out of the way,” instead of delivering for working people, investing in infrastructure, and ensuring America stays at the leading edge of innovation. But this approach failed. Too many Americans saw an economy that was stacked against them with failing infrastructure, communities that had been hollowed out, manufacturing jobs that were offshored to China, prescription drugs that cost than in any other developed country, and workers who had been left behind. I believe that, from America’s earliest days, we have been at our best when we have taken on important challenges and fought to deliver big things on behalf of the American people—from the Erie Canal to the transcontinental railroad, from the Hoover Dam to rural electrification, from the Social Security system to the National Highway System. As president, I fought to write a new economic playbook that builds the economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down. I fought to make smart investments in America’s future that put us in the lead globally. I fought to create good jobs that give working families and the middle class a fair shot and the chance to get ahead. I fought to lower costs for consumers and give smaller businesses a fair chance to compete. In what follows, I describe why this new approach is so important. I have always seen the economy from the perspective of the small city where I grew up—a city with a proud history of making things in America, a city that fell on hard times when politicians turned their backs on communities like mine. Too many corporations moved their supply chains overseas and focused on quarterly profits and share buybacks instead of investing in their workers and communities here at home. Our fell further and further behind, and a flood of cheap, subsidized imports from China and other countries our factory towns. Economic opportunity and innovation became more and more in a few major cities, while heartland communities were left behind. Scientific discoveries and inventions developed in America were in countries abroad, bolstering their manufacturing instead of ours. I came to office with a different vision. When I said I was president of all America, I meant it. I was determined we would invest in the places that have suffered from neglect and disinvestment: rural areas, manufacturing towns, coal and power plant communities, in red states and blue states. I was determined to create good jobs with family-sustaining wages that don’t require a four-year college degree. I vowed to restore U.S. leadership in the industries of the future—like semiconductors and clean energy—while fortifying our infrastructure and supply chains. I committed to putting the United States back in a position of clean-energy leadership and building a 100 percent clean power grid. We succeeded in securing historic investment laws to turn those goals into reality. My Investing in America Agenda—the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—together mark the most in the United States since the New Deal. For many years, this country’s infrastructure was underresourced and neglected. Since the passage of the BIL, we have been hard at work expanding high-speed internet, replacing pipes to provide clean drinking water in every community, and rebuilding roads and bridges and ports and airports . These projects are creating millions of good jobs—many of them unionized—so American families across America will share in the benefits of the infrastructure investments. In the years since I took office, we’ve funded over infrastructure and clean-energy projects in every state and territory in the country. The has hit record highs. Already, tens of thousands of skilled construction workers are hard at work building the factories of the future. Soon, these factories will be hiring advanced manufacturing workers, and products from semiconductors to batteries to electric vehicles will be rolling off of these new, American production lines. The Inflation Reduction Act is the single investment in clean energy in the history of the world. It is creating good-paying jobs and investing in American manufacturing, while also taking action to reduce emissions. It is spurring investments to build solar panels in ; to build wind towers in ; and to manufacture and recycle batteries in . Our place-based investment approach is creating economic opportunity in communities across the country that had been . Our investments in high-speed internet and transportation networks are reconnecting these communities to jobs and revitalizing small businesses. We are investing in technology and innovation engines in every region of the country that will sustain economic development for years to come. We are supporting farmers that use climate-smart agriculture practices and ensuring rural small businesses can access historic development resources that will cut energy costs and increase energy efficiency. Communities across the country are poised for economic comebacks. With the benefit of our special investment incentives, the places hit hardest by and by are receiving a disproportionate share of new investment, bringing hope to communities that have been . For instance, the first in 40 years will be built in Kentucky, powered entirely by clean energy. We have taken on behalf of American workers, businesses, and factory towns to counter violations of our trade laws. China is using unfair practices to flood global markets with underpriced goods in sectors like vehicles and solar cells and wafers. That’s why we imposed tariffs on imports from China in key sectors. A on Chinese electric vehicles, for instance, is enabling American auto communities to continue powering the global car industry. But tariffs by themselves are no panacea. To regain and sustain America’s lead in areas from clean energy to semiconductors, it is vital to couple targeted tariffs with strong investments in manufacturing, R&D, and workforce. While semiconductors were invented in America, for too many years politicians in Washington gave up on the semiconductor industry, and leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing moved to Asia. But thanks to the CHIPS and Science Act, some of the most advanced semiconductors in the world will be built in ; ; ; and . Before the CHIPS and Science Act, of the world’s leading-edge chips were manufactured in Taiwan. Some skeptics said America could never compete. They were wrong. With the benefit of a CHIPS award, not only has global leader TSMC committed to build three - manufacturing plants in Arizona, but in October it was early production yields at one of those plants met those at manufacturing plants in Taiwan. And America will be the only economy in the world to have all five of the most advanced semiconductor manufacturers in the world operating on its shores—no other economy has more than two. My investment agenda is already attracting in commitments of private capital so far, not crowding it out. These investments are helping to strengthen our supply chains, so that we won’t be dependent on a single foreign country for the semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, or critical minerals that we need. And they are starting to create opportunities for workers, businesses, and communities to contribute to the economy in the world. This is my vision—a future that is made by American workers across America. It will take years to see the full effects in terms of new jobs and new investments all around the country, but we have laid strong foundations, and now it is important to build on and not reverse the progress we have made. I’ve long seen the economy through the eyes of my dad, who used to say, “A job is a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity. It’s about your place in the community.” But trickle-down economics ignored this basic truth. Tax cuts for the wealthy create opportunities for workers and their families. Instead, factory towns were hollowed out, and fewer Americans ended up than their parents. My middle-out/bottom-up economic playbook instead puts working families and the middle class at the center of all of my economic policies. When I took office, the economy was in chaos. of businesses were shut down, and of Americans were out of a job. As soon as I came to office, I signed the American Rescue Plan that vaccinated the nation and got our economy going again. As a result, America returned to full employment than other advanced economies, and has seen the lowest average of any administration in 50 years. The share of working-age Americans who are employed is at a multi-decade high, at over . We’ve also seen record lows in unemployment for workers who have often been previous recoveries. In our full-employment expansion, the real pay of low-wage workers that of higher-paid workers, the reverse of what we saw under trickle-down. The pandemic and the inflation it created caused enormous pain and hardship for families across America. That’s true not just for us but for every major economy in the world. But now, inflation has come down in the United States— than almost any of the world’s other advanced economies. I know how important it is to provide pathways to middle-class careers for the who choose not to pursue a four-year college degree. The many investments I described above have provided an unprecedented opportunity to create good jobs in construction and manufacturing. We created in areas with new investments to align high schools, community colleges, unions, businesses, and local governments around stackable credentials that enable students to move seamlessly from the classroom to careers, and allow workers to upskill and secure better jobs. To build the pipeline of skilled and trained workers for the industries of the future, we’ve also invested in registered apprenticeships and career technical education programs than any previous administration, with hired during my time in office. Many of these apprenticeship programs are sponsored by unions, which means that graduates will earn a good union wage with benefits and retirement. The middle-out/bottom-up playbook supports unions because unions have been vital to building the middle class by providing pathways to family-sustaining careers. When I came to office, union workers and retirees faced cuts of or more to their earned benefits through no fault of their own. But we fought for and secured the Butch Lewis Act to restore and protect the pension benefits they earned. Because of this law, we have protected the pensions of union workers and retirees so far. Expanding unionization is essential to creating a fairer economy. The evidence is clear: Unions are the best way for American workers to get their fair share. I was proud to be the president to walk a picket line with workers. I appointed members to the National Labor Relations Board to enforce our labor laws rather than undermine them, as happened under the previous administration. It is no accident that union election petitions have since I took office. Support for unions is the it’s been in more than half a century, and the labor movement is expanding to new companies and industries. The middle-out/bottom-up playbook is not just about giving working families a fair shot, it is also about asking the very wealthy and most profitable corporations to pay their fair share. We need to balance our tax system to work in favor of the middle class and working families, not the rich and well-connected. Tax fairness is central to building an economy that works for all Americans—where growth is broadly shared and we keep our commitments to seniors and have the resources to meet key national needs over the long run. I promised not to raise taxes on middle-class families, and I kept my promise. Instead, I delivered tax cuts to help families raise children and afford health care. I fought hard to expand the Child Tax Credit because it is one of the investments we can make, cutting child poverty nearly in in 2021. I also secured an expansion of the premium tax credits to make health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans, which helped lift health insurance coverage to levels and doubled Black and Hispanic enrollment, with over people enrolled. I also secured investments to make sure wealthy taxpayers pay what they owe and play by the same rules. After a decade of severe underfunding, I fought hard to secure an investment in modernizing the IRS that is already paying off. The IRS is already collecting over a from wealthy tax cheats. It has successfully rolled out Direct File, offering millions of Americans a free and easy way to file their taxes for the first time. I’ve also long seen the economy from the perspective of my family’s kitchen table growing up, so I know that the high prices from the pandemic have been hard on American consumers. That’s why I have been laser-focused on lowering costs for hardworking Americans. Our work to help unsnarl supply chains helped bring inflation back down to the levels right before the pandemic. But even with pandemic inflation back down, many consumer prices are too high. In some sectors of the economy, high prices reflect inadequate competition. And too often, politicians in Washington haven’t had the courage to take on big corporate interests when they use their market power to mark up their prices. Promoting competition is central to my vision for an American economy that grows from the bottom up and the middle out. I came to office determined to make promoting competition a priority for every agency. Fair competition means better choices, a fair shot for small businesses, a more resilient economy, and lower prices. This is particularly important in health care. It’s not right that Americans more to buy a prescription drug in Chicago than it costs elsewhere in the world. I am proud that I took on the pricing power of Big Pharma and secured major cost savings in the Inflation Reduction Act. Due to the IRA, people with Medicare pay no more than $35 a month for insulin, down from as much as $400. Out-of-pocket drug costs for people with Medicare will be capped at $2,000 starting next year. But seniors are already saving on lower prescription drug costs thanks to the IRA. In just the first six months of 2024, seniors got $1 billion back in their pockets with additional savings in the years ahead thanks to this historic legislation. Starting in 2026, prices will be reduced by on key drugs for people with Medicare, and taxpayers will save roughly $160 billion over a decade. We also worked to lower gas prices. After Russia’s war against Ukraine caused gas prices to spike globally, I undertook the biggest of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in history. I also encouraged oil and gas companies to take their record profits and invest in more production. Today, American energy production is at —including record oil and gas production—and the price of a gallon of gas is below the level before the time of the invasion. In addition, we have successfully replenished all of our reserves while making taxpayers a profit . By , we lowered costs for families while securing a good deal for U.S. taxpayers. Fair competition is especially important for small businesses, which need a level playing field to have a fair shot to compete and win. Our competition and investment policies are unleashing a wave of new business startups on Main Streets in towns and cities across the country. In fact, we have seen new business applications during this administration—the three strongest years on record. Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs have been leaders of this small-business boom, with Black business ownership and Hispanic business ownership since before the pandemic. The share of women business owners is also on the . The bottom line is, the past four years have been marked by some of the toughest economic challenges in American history. We took decisive action and it paid off, with the strongest economic comeback in the world. Even while managing that recovery, we made generational investments in our economy and balanced the scales more toward workers and the middle class. Outside have noted that due to our policies, “President-elect Trump is receiving the strongest economy in modern history which is the envy of the world.” It is worth reviewing the facts on the U.S. economy that I am handing off to my successor: Unemployment has been at the lowest average rate of any administration in 50 years. We have created over 16 million new jobs, and more than 1.5 million of those are in manufacturing and construction. Inflation has been brought down close to 2 percent, the same level as right before the pandemic. Incomes are up adjusted for inflation, and unions have won wage increases in industries like autos, ports, aerospace, and trucking. We’ve seen 20 million applications to start small businesses. Our economy has grown 3 percent per year on average the last four years— than any other advanced economy. Domestic energy production is at a record high, and gas prices are around $3 per gallon. When I came to office, I believed the only way for a president to lead America was to lead of America. In fact, the historic investments I made went more to red states than blue states. I believe that the economy as I leave is stronger for Americans. And I believe there is no country on Earth better positioned to lead the world in the years to come than America today. Now we are at an inflection point. The next four years will determine whether the incoming administration builds on this strength. If it does, then 10 or even 50 years from now, U.S. economic leadership will be even stronger than it is today—proving that when the middle class does well, we all do well.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), 83, is working from home on Thursday because of stiffness in his leg, according to the senator’s spokesperson. McConnell fell on Tuesday and continued a pattern that raised alarms in 2023. The scary incident occurred after the Senate Republican Conference’s weekly lunch, where he addressed the group, Breitbart News reported . Images captured McConnell with a brace on his wrist, a bruised hand, and bandages on his finger and face. “After tripping on Tuesday, Leader McConnell is experiencing leg stiffness and will work from home today,” per the spokesperson, CNN reported Thursday. McConnell’s injuries come after he was treated for a concussion in 2023. That injury occurred upon falling at a hotel in Washington, DC. It was one fall of many in 2023, CNN reported . McConnell also froze twice while speaking to reporters. The moments raised questions as to his mental ability to remain Republican Leader. RELATED: Mitch McConnell Freezes Mid-Speech, Led Away from Podium Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former RNC War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.

OTTAWA — Peter Anholt tried to keep things light as he emerged from one of the elevators at Canada's hotel. The temperature had been turned way up on the veteran hockey executive and the country's under-20 program after a stunning upset some 12 hours earlier. "You only want to talk to me when things are bad, eh?" Anholt joked to reporters Saturday morning. "Is that how this works?" That is indeed what happens when a powerhouse with a record 20 gold medals expected to roll over an opponent suffers one of its worst all-time defeats at the tournament. Canada was embarrassed on home soil 3-2 by Latvia — a country it had thumped by a combined 41-4 score across four previous meetings — in a shocking shootout Friday. Coming off a disastrous fifth-place finish last year in Sweden and having talked a lot about upping their compete level and preparation, the Canadians looked disjointed for long stretches against the plucky, hard-working Latvians. The power play finally clicked late in the third period, but stands at 1-for-7 through two games, while the top line of Easton Cowan, Calum Ritchie and Bradly Nadeau has yet to translate its pre-tournament chemistry into success in the spotlight. "We're certainly trying to problem solve, but not throw the baby out with the bath water," said Anholt, who heads the world junior setup. "We've got to be really careful." Canada, which picked up a solid 4-0 victory over Finland to open its tournament Thursday, had plenty of offensive zone time and directed 57 shots at Latvian goaltender Linards Feldbergs. Included in that total, however, were far too many one-and-done efforts from the perimeter with little traffic in front. There were, of course, desperate spurts — especially late in regulation and in 3-on-3 overtime — but not nearly enough for a roster peppered with first-round NHL draft picks and top prospects. "We played really, really hard," Anholt said in defending his players. "We controlled the puck lots. We created some chances. Their goalie was really good and they defended really good ... 99 times out of 100 we win that game." Hoping for a big response Sunday against Germany before meeting the United States on New Year's Eve to tie a bow on round-robin action in Group A, Canada will have to push ahead minus one of its best players. Star defenceman Matthew Schaefer was injured Friday and is done for the tournament after he slammed into Latvia's net and skated off favouring his left shoulder area. "Tough blow for the kid," Anholt said. "The way he plays the game, he plays it at such a high speed." Cowan, a Toronto Maple Leafs first-round selection, said Canada remains confident despite Friday's ugly result in the nation's capital. "We're good," said the 19-year-old from Mount Brydges, Ont. "Everyone's lost a hockey game before." But not like that — or to that opponent on that stage. "Bit of a (crappy) feeling," said Nadeau, a Carolina Hurricanes prospect from St-Francois-de-Madawaska, N.B. "We all know what this group is capable of. Losing that game is not our standard. "We'll bounce back." Some corners of social media exploded following the Latvian debacle, with heavy criticism directed at head coach Dave Cameron and the team's overall roster construction. "We're not really worried about it," defenceman and Ottawa native Oliver Book, who like Cowan is back from last year's team, said of the outside noise. "We know we didn't play well." Canada appears poised to mix things up against the Germans. Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio of Kamloops, B.C., is set draw in for Schaefer, while Anholt indicated there's a good chance forward Carson Rehkopf will get his first crack at the 2025 tournament as a returnee. The 19-year-old Seattle Kraken second-round pick from Vaughan, Ont., has scored a combined 78 goals over his last 97 regular-season and playoff games in the Ontario Hockey League. "Great player," Cowan said. "He finds ways." Anholt said taking a big-picture approach is key in challenging moments. "Let's not panic," he said. "The world hasn't fallen in. It's hard, but we'll learn from it." It's something Canada will have to do under intense scrutiny. "People are gonna love you and people are gonna hate you," said Cowan, who has a goal an assist through two games. "Gotta keep doing you." Anholt, who was also at the helm 12 months ago when Canada never got in gear, isn't getting 2024 vibes from this year's group. "Not even in any way, shape or form," he said. "We've just got to take care of business." They get a first shot at redemption Sunday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2024. Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian PressNomination papers of a few candidates, mostly from Congress, SAD and BJP, were reportedly snatched while they were about to file the same at the district administrative complex for the Municipal Corporation elections in Patiala on Thursday. Leaders of Opposition parties and AAP blamed each other for the chaos while Patiala deputy commissioner Preeti Yadav said she had marked an inquiry. One of the aspirants, Rajinder Kaur, said, “While I was on way to file my nomination papers, one miscreant snatched and tore my nomination paper. I had to contest as an independent after AAP denied me ticket from Ward 59.” The police had to use mild force to disperse the workers of different political outfits who were reportedly having a scuffle. BJP leader and former Patiala MP Preneet Kaur alleged that nominations of BJP candidates were torn by AAP workers with support from the police and the district administration. “This is a broad daylight murder of democracy. In some cases, nomination papers were forcefully snatched inside the building of returning officer,” she said. Punjab Youth Congress president Mohit Mohindra, who was present at the site, said, “Some AAP miscreants snatched papers from my hand and ran away. Private persons with the help of police thrashed opposition candidates at nomination centres and didn’t allow them to enter the building.” SAD’s Patiala president Amit Rathi said, “Policemen were silent spectators while the nomination papers of opposition parties were being snatched and torn.” Refuting the allegations, AAP’s Patiala MLA Ajitpal Kohli said, “It was the BJP whose workers snatched nomination papers of AAP candidates. They (BJP) are murdering the democracy. By and large, filing of nomination papers remained peaceful. I have already requested the DC and the Patiala SSP to probe the sporadic incidents of snatching and tearing of nomination papers.”

Arsenal, Man City and Bayern advance to Women's Champions League quarterfinals

After starting 2-0 in its inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference schedule, SMU looks to make the month even more special on Sunday, hosting Longwood in Dallas, Texas. The Mustangs seek a seven-game win streak in their final nonconference test before welcoming No. 4 Duke to Dallas on Jan. 4. In recent victories over Alabama State, Virginia, LSU, and Boston College, SMU (10-2) averaged 85.3 points per game, allowed just 66.0 ppg, and climbed to No. 30 in the NET rankings. "We're a different team right now than we were earlier in the season," SMU head coach Andy Enfield said at the beginning of December, his words ringing even truer as the season progresses. "They'd never been under pressure together until recently, so they're starting to learn and figure things out." Longwood (11-3) enters its third consecutive road game, having won five of its last six overall. That includes a major 82-67 win at North Carolina Central on Dec. 20. It was only the sixth nonconference home loss for NCC since 2016, and Longwood head coach Griff Aldrich saw it as a result of his team's growing cohesiveness. "We got great contributions from so many players," Aldrich said. "We have been working to play more and more connected, and this team has really taken positive steps this week." The Mustangs' Matt Cross is among the biggest threats to Longwood's defense, which allows just 66.6 points per game. A 6-foot-7 forward, Cross had 36 points over SMU's last two wins, including a 16-point, 16-rebound double-double against LSU. What Cross does with the ball in his hands is impressive -- he is averaging 13.5 ppg in December -- but it is also what he does off the ball that increases his value. "He's extremely tough," Enfield said after Cross' performance against LSU. "His wall up in transition, where (Corey) Chest came down, was going to dunk the ball, and he stood there and took the contact. ...That's a big-time basketball play." Longwood is paced by Michael Christmas, a veteran forward in his fourth year in the program. A hard-nosed wing who can score at all three levels, Christmas is Longwood's only returner who started at least 30 games on last year's NCAA Tournament team. He is averaging a team-high 11.9 points per game. "(He) loves this university, loves this town and community," Aldrich said of Christmas. "He opted to come back here to really invest in the program." --Field Level MediaVanTrust Real Estate Acquires Strategically Located Salt Lake County Site to Build Four New Industrial Warehouses

Milei and Villarruel’s rift grows with row over expelled senator'We need to do better': Canadian leaders respond to Trump's border concernsNeurocrine Biosciences Announces FDA Approval of CRENESSITYTM (crinecerfont), a First-in-Class Treatment for Children and Adults With Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Today's fortune: Dec. 29, 2024