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Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, is joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet as he speaks with reporters after meeting with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks with reporters after meeting with Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, arrives for a meeting with Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, is joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet as he speaks with reporters after meeting with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) By MARY CLARE JALONICK and MATT BROWN WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Maine Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday as he pushed to win enough votes for confirmation. He said he will not back down after allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct. Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell. It’ll be a first for him National Politics | The Trump and Biden teams insist they’re working hand in glove on foreign crises National Politics | ‘You don’t know what’s next.’ International students scramble ahead of Trump inauguration National Politics | Trump is threatening to raise tariffs again. Here’s how China plans to fight back National Politics | Trump won’t be able to save the struggling US beef industry Collins said after the hourlong meeting that she questioned Hegseth about the allegations amid reports of drinking and the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. She said she had a “good, substantive” discussion with Hegseth and “covered a wide range of topics,” including sexual assault in the military, Ukraine and NATO. But she said she would wait until a hearing, and notably a background check, to make a decision. “I asked virtually every question under the sun,” Collins told reporters as she left her office after the meeting. “I pressed him both on his position on military issues as well as the allegations against him, so I don’t think there was anything that we did not cover.” The meeting with Collins was closely watched as she is seen as more likely than most of her Republican Senate colleagues to vote against some of Trump’s Cabinet picks. She and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a fellow moderate Republican, did not shy from opposing Trump in his first term when they wanted to do so and sometimes supported President Joe Biden’s nominees for the judicial and executive branches. And Hegseth, an infantry combat veteran and former “Fox & Friends” weekend host, is working to gain as many votes as he can as some senators have expressed concerns about his personal history and lack of management experience. “I’m certainly not going to assume anything about where the senator stands,” Hegseth said as he left Collins’ office. “This is a process that we respect and appreciate. And we hope, in time, overall, when we get through that committee and to the floor that we can earn her support.” Hegseth met with Murkowski on Tuesday. He has also been meeting repeatedly with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, a military veteran who has said she is a survivor of sexual assault and has spent time in the Senate working on improving how attacks are reported and prosecuted within the ranks. On Monday, Ernst said after a meeting with him that he had committed to selecting a senior official to prioritize those goals. Republicans will have a 53-49 majority next year, meaning Trump cannot lose more than three votes on any of his nominees. It is so far unclear whether Hegseth will have enough support, but Trump has stepped up his pressure on senators in the last week. “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump posted on his social media platform last week.About 75,000 homes with approved development applications across Greater Sydney have not commenced construction, underscoring the state government’s struggle to tackle the housing crisis in the face of tough economic conditions. Weeks after NSW Labor revealed its latest major planning reform, a three-person development authority to expedite approval times, Planning Minister Paul Scully conceded the success of any regulatory change was dependent on economic pressures subsiding. “We acknowledge that macroeconomic conditions are tough at the moment, but the need for more housing is too urgent, and when economic conditions shift, the planning system needs to be at its most effective and efficient,” Scully said. Premier Chris Minns wants to fast-track higher-density development in Sydney. Economic headwinds are undermining his reforms. Credit: The scale of the housing challenge confronting NSW has only intensified since Premier Chris Minns took government in March last year. After committing to build 263,000 homes across Greater Sydney by July 2029, departmental forecasts now expect only 151,670 will be constructed in that time. NSW needs to build 75,000 homes a year for the next five years to meet its commitments under the National Housing Accord. Last month, the Herald revealed only 45 per cent of 895 approved development applications for large-scale housing projects – builds with at least 19 new dwellings – had obtained construction certificates by March this year , according to an analysis by University of Sydney Emeritus Professor Peter Phibbs, reflecting the broad economic challenges faced by the development industry. The stalled applications represented 47,536 dwellings, more than double the net completions in the previous year to June. But further figures obtained by this masthead under freedom of information laws highlight how economic headwinds are not just affecting projects with large capital costs, but all types of housing, showing proponents with approved development applications of all sizes were delaying or jettisoning construction plans. In NSW, 13,687 development applications were approved since 2021-22 but had not begun construction as of March 10, data from the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure shows. The stalled projects would provide 75,205 dwellings. University of NSW City Futures Research Centre director Professor Bill Randolph said the sheer number of approved development applications demonstrated the problem with fixating reform on the planning system, saying there was a greater counter-cyclical role for government to play in delivering affordable housing. “It’s the market, not the planning system, that determines the rate of which stuff gets built. That’s becoming more and more evident,” he said, adding that the current downturn in the economic cycle had been exacerbated by the pandemic, migration, and then inflation. “We’re just chasing our tails if we think reforming the planning system is going to solve this.” The department’s data, updated in late October, showed net completions over the preceding 12 months to June had plunged to just above 21,000, 18 per cent below the previous five financial years’ average. In a bright spot for the government, October experienced the highest number of approvals since May 2023, nearly 35 per cent more than the preceding month. Last month, Minns said that dealing with construction feasibility across Greater Sydney was a “complex issue”, but he noted that access to finance and capital was “harder to get today than it has been for decades”. Scully said the government was doing everything in our remit to “streamline the planning system”, smoothing out kinks in the development pipeline that were slowing down housing delivery. “Of course we want building commencements to align with housing approvals, but this comes down to development feasibility, labour costs, interest rates, building material costs and sometimes consent conditions,” he said. Shadow planning minister Scott Farlow said the problem appeared to be especially affecting Sydney, noting the number of development application approvals not commenced had increased by 18 per cent over the last year while falling in other capital cities. He criticised the government’s imposition of a housing and productivity tax on developments last year, saying it had exacerbated the city’s feasibility crisis as increases in the cost of construction and land outpace apartment prices. Property Council NSW executive director Katie Stevenson said getting shovels in the ground was proving difficult across Greater Sydney, blaming high government taxes and charges, as well as “delays in post-approval decision-making”, such as when acquiring additional approvals and licences from agencies such as Sydney Water. “Without government action to make it economically viable for the property sector to build more homes, the housing crisis is only going to get worse,” she said. “The NSW government can’t control all the costs preventing housing delivery, but one lever they can pull is to put a temporary pause on newly introduced additional taxes and charges on development during the National Housing Accord period to kickstart the housing delivery communities need.” The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here .Cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun, 34, ate a banana on Nov. 29, just a week after spending US$6.2 million (S$8.3 million) on an artwork featuring the fruit duct-taped to a wall. Sun said it was "much better than other bananas" after his first bite, according to AFP . Draws parallels between conceptual art and cryptocurrency Just before taking a bite of the art, Sun gave a speech drawing parallels between conceptual art and cryptocurrency to the dozens of journalists and influencers at the press conference in Hong Kong. Comparing conceptual art to NFT art and decentralised blockchain technology, he said "Most of its objects and ideas exist as (intellectual property) and on the internet, as opposed to something physical". The entrepreneur had outbid six others for Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan's infamous 2019 work "Comedian" at a Sotheby's auction in New York on Nov. 20. The controversial artwork was intended to prompt others to question what should be considered art. After he won the bid, Sun decided he would eat the banana. He explained that eating it at a press conference could also become a part of the artwork's history. Not first time the banana was devoured This is not the first time the banana featured in Cattelan's "Comedian" was eaten: it was devoured once by a performance artist in 2019 and yet again by a South Korean student in 2023, BBC reported. Both did not pay to do so. The banana is regularly replaced before exhibitions. Sun's bid bought him the right to display the installation, as well as instructions on how to replace the fruit when it goes bad. Each attendee at the event on Nov. 29 was given a banana and a roll of duct tape as a souvenir. Faces controversy Sun currently faces a lawsuit from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for defrauding investors with fake trades in his crypto business TRON Network . The Chinese-born entrepreneur also faced controversy after he became the largest investor in World Liberty Financial, a crypto project backed by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Sun denied that the move was an attempt to influence Trump or U.S, politics, reported AFP . Top image via Peter Parks/AFPoc genie 。

Article content One question emerging from the U.S. presidential election exit polls is the disconnect between Black men and women and Hispanic men and women. Recommended Videos Donald Trump received support from 21% of Black men and 7% of Black women, a disparity of 14 points. He got support from 54% of Hispanic men and 39% of Hispanic women, a disparity of 15 points. There was also a disparity in Trump’s support among white men and women, but much smaller — seven points. So why is Trump having far greater success among Black and Hispanic men than Black and Hispanic women? It’s clear the major issue that drove the vote in this election was the economy. A Gallup poll done in October showed the economy as the number one concern of voters. Per exit polling, 68% said the economy is “not good” or “poor” and 31% said it is “excellent” or “good.” Of the 68% saying the economy is not good/poor, 70% voted for Trump. Per a Gallup poll published last March, 27% of Black women under 60 said they are planning to start their own business in the next 12 months, compared to 14% of Hispanic women and 5% of white women. In the same survey, Gallup asked, “Would you be interested in starting a business if you had the resources?” Among Black women, 57% said yes; among Hispanic women, 55% said yes; among white women, 38% said yes; 51% of all U.S. men and 44% of all U.S. women said yes. The entrepreneurial aspirations of Black and Hispanic women are among the highest in the country. Per Gallup, “while just 13% of men under 60 say they lack the financial and/or nonfinancial resources to start a business, a third of women in this age group (33%) say the same.” Gallup continues that improving access of women to capital is important “when women-owned businesses still make up only 22% of employer businesses in the United States.” I think that these entrepreneurial-driven Black and Hispanic women should care a lot about a healthy and growing national economy. Nothing is more important for business success and raising capital. I would urge these women to listen to a recent interview with one of the country’s greatest entrepreneurs, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, done at the New York Times DealBook Summit. Bezos has never been known as a conservative or among the backers of president-elect Donald Trump. He owns The Washington Post , which is a left-of-centre news outlet. However, in this interview, Bezos speaks positively about the election of Trump and specifically talks about the importance of deregulation in improving the economy. “He (Trump) seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation. ... If I can help him do that, I’m going to help him.” He also observes that the U.S. “has the best risk capital system in the world ... You can raise $50 million of seed capital to do something that only has a 10% chance of working.” Bezos discusses his own experience — starting from nothing and building a business in a world of new technology and becoming one of the wealthiest individuals in the world. He describes raising his first million dollars for Amazon by meeting with 60 venture capitalists, of whom 22 agreed to put up $50,000 each. Bezos emphasizes that the way out of our economic problems is economic growth. And here he stresses the importance of deregulation and gives a vote of confidence to Trump. So why, when there is such disproportionate entrepreneurial spirit among Black women, did only 7% support the candidate who one of the nation’s most successful and legendary entrepreneurs says will deliver the economy the country needs? Certainly, Black and Hispanic men are getting the message. It’s time for Black and Hispanic women to get it and focus less on identity politics and more on what experience tells us will work. — Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education.

Broncos, left tackle Garett Bolles agree on 4-year extension to protect rookie quarterback Bo NixThe Hidden Gem in AI Stocks: Are You Missing Out?The use of artificial intelligence has grown across industries globally, but there is still some confusion over how to properly use the technology at work. In Singapore, 52% of employees are using artificial intelligence in their jobs, according to Slack's Workforce Index , which in August surveyed over 17,000 workers across 15 countries, including 1,008 in Singapore. The demand for AI talent in the country has grown. There has been a 4.6x increase in generative AI-related job postings in the city-state between September 2023 and September 2024, according to Indeed . But despite the fact that demand for AI talent has surged in Singapore, 45% of the employees in the country report feeling uncomfortable admitting to managers that they are using the technology for workplace tasks. For those who reported feeling that way, top reasons included the fear of being seen as "incompetent," "lazy" or "cheating," according to Slack's report. "Workers are excited about AI, but they're uncertain about how to use it in the workplace, and this uncertainty is standing in the way of broader AI adoption," Christina Janzer, ​​senior vice president of research and analytics at Slack, told CNBC Make It . "Too much of the burden today has been put on workers to figure out AI. It's important that leaders not only train workers to use AI, but encourage employees to talk about it and experiment with AI out in the open," said Janzer. Businesses should also create the time and space necessary for this experimentation, and encourage employees to share what they learned with colleagues for inspiration, she said. They can also lead by example by openly demonstrating how they are using the technology in their own jobs. Additionally, employers should provide guidance on which AI tools are "approved and trusted" to be used within their businesses, and which tasks these tools can be used for, Janzer told CNBC Make It. "Without clear guidance, workers are confused about when it is socially and professionally acceptable to use AI at work — and are keeping their usage under wraps," according to Slack's report. Despite the uncertainty, employees in Singapore still seek to improve their AI skills. In fact, 88% "feel an urgency to become an AI expert," according to the report. However, the majority (63%) of workers in the country have spent less than five hours in total learning how to use artificial intelligence. Ultimately, "employers will need to solve the gap in training and get clear about AI guidelines, as current employees and new professionals entering the workforce will gravitate to more supportive workplaces," according to Slack's research. Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Sign up for CNBC's online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories. Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.

AP News Summary at 4:56 p.m. ESTS&P/TSX composite up more than 150 points, U.S. stock markets mixed

Bipartisan Support Likely to Sustain India-US Ties Amid White House ExpectationsArvind Kejriwal Attacked During Padyatra in Delhi: Man Throws Liquid on Former CM During Rally, Detained; AAP Points Finger at BJP

Handmade stockings added holiday cheer to animal adoptionsNew Delhi [India], November 30 (ANI): A state-of-the-art track slab manufacturing factory has been established near Surat to support India’s first bullet train project, marking a major milestone in the country’s high-speed rail infrastructure, an official release said on Saturday. The factory is designed to produce high-capacity ballastless track slabs using advanced Shinkansen technology, the release added. Located in Kim village the the project site ensures efficient logistics for the bullet train construction and timely delivery of track slabs. As per the information mentioned in the release, the pre-cast reinforced concrete track slabs are typically 2,200 mm wide, 4,900 mm long, and 190 mm thick, with each slab weighing approximately 3.9 tons. The factory is designed to produce 120 slabs per day, ensuring a continuous supply of key components for the first bullet train project in India, as per the release. The factory’s production scope includes the manufacturing of 96,000 J-slabs. This factory will produce track slabs for the 237 km high-speed rail track in Gujarat’s MAHSR corridor and the DNH (352 km) section, the release added. The factory is developed over a total area of 19 acres, with the manufacturing plant covering a crucial 7-acre area. The production building spans 190 meters by 90 meters. Within this space, a total of 120 track slab molds will be placed in three sections, enabling simultaneous production of multiple slabs. The factory has a large-scale stacking capacity of 10,000 track slabs. This ensures organised storage of the produced slabs, making them ready for transportation to construction sites as needed. As of November 29 this year, about 9,775 slabs have been cast so far. The slabs are being transported to the track construction base, where they will be laid on the viaduct as part of the ongoing track construction for the high-speed rail project, the release added. An additional track slab manufacturing facility has been set up in Anand, Gujarat, for the construction of track slabs for the 116 km stretch of the MAHSR corridor. Over 22,000 slabs, equivalent to 110 track kilometers, have been cast in both factories. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor will feature a ballastless track system based on the Japanese Shinkansen track design, utilizsing the J-slab track system, as per the release. (ANI) This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );None

Professional Development Market in the US to Grow by USD 4.82 Billion (2023-2028), Driven by AI-Powered Market Evolution and Key Segment Insights - TechnavioIs mstr 市值 the Next Big Thing in Gaming? Discover the Future Now

A report this week indicated Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins was with a knee sprain and it will be at least a four-game absence from the lineup. The Chargers announced that Dobbins has been placed on injured reserve on Saturday. Safety Alohi Gilman, who has a hamstring injury, was also moved to that list. Dobbins has been enjoying a strong season after three injury-plagued years with the Ravens. He has 158 carries for 766 yards and eight touchdowns, but the Chargers will have to go with Gus Edwards, Hassan Haskins, and Kimani Vidal for the time being. The Chargers filled one of the open roster spots by signing veteran safety Tony Jefferson to the active roster. They also called up cornerback Dicaprio Bootle and linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste from the practice squad on a temporary basis.Tijjani Reijnders has scored twice and helped AC Milan get back to winning ways in Serie A against visiting Empoli. The Netherlands midfielder netted either side of halftime at a foggy San Siro on Saturday after Alvaro Morata opened the scoring. The 3-0 victory keeps Milan in seventh, six points behind Atalanta, Inter Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio — who are all locked on 28 points — and seven below league leaders Napoli. Empoli are 10th, but only five points above the relegation zone. In their last home match, Milan were heavily jeered by their fans after drawing with Juventus 0-0, and had won only one of their past four league matches. The Rossoneri took the lead in the 19th minute. Rafael Leao's shot was blocked by Empoli defender Ardian Ismajli but ricocheted into the path of Morata on the left of the area and he volleyed into the bottom near corner. Milan doubled their tally on the stroke of halftime when a cross was flicked on by Christian Pulisic and fell to Reijnders, who let it bounce before smashing it into the bottom left corner on the half volley. Reijnders' second effectively sealed the result in the 69th. He latched onto a Youssouf Fofana through ball in midfield, raced forward, and fired past Empoli goalkeeper Devis Vasquez, who is on loan from Milan. "We played a great game against a team that is very aggressive defensively, which has the fourth-best defence in the championship," AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca said. "We scored three goals but could have scored six or seven if we hadn't made the wrong last choices." Elsewhere, Como and Monza remain mired in the relegation zone after a hard-fought derby that finished 1-1. Como inched level on points with 17th-placed Genoa, with Monza a point further back. Yannik Engelhardt headed Como in front in the 36th and Gianluca Caprari levelled from the spot early in the second half after Nico Paz was penalised for handball. Venezia stayed bottom after a fourth straight defeat, this time 3-0 at Bologna. Dan Ndoye scored twice for the hosts, including a penalty, and Riccardo Orsolini also converted a spot kick. With Reuters.