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Bullrun, bullshit and other market lessons of 2024By HALELUYA HADERO, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case. The filings come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.”Vincerx Pharma Enters into a Binding Term Sheet for a Strategic Merger with Oqory, Inc.President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage at the Fox Nation Patriot Awards on Thursday in Greenvale, N.Y. Heather Khalifa/Associated Press WASHINGTON — Donald Trump, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, said he can’t guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers, and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect’s interview also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning that “things do change.” A look at some of the issues covered: HEMS ON WHETHER TRADE PENALTIES COULD RAISE PROCES Trump has threatened broad trade penalties but said he didn’t believe economists’ predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. households won’t be paying more as they shop. “I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow,” Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That’s a different approach from Trump’s typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are “going to make us rich.” He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. ”All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field,” Trump said. SUGGESTS RETRIBUTION WHILE CLAIMING NO INTEREST IN VENGEANCE The president-elect offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning the election, despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. “Honestly, they should go to jail,” Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot of his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. He underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump’s role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: “I have the absolute right. I’m the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I’m the president. But I’m not interested in that.” (T he nation’s chief law enforcement officer is the U.S. attorney general, not the president.) At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who had investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. “Cheney was behind it. ... So was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee,” Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, “No,” and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. But at another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his second pick to be attorney general: “I want her to do what she wants to do,” he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump’s inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is reportedly considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, “I’m not looking to go back into the past.” SWIFT ACTION ON IMMIGRATION IS COMING Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. “I think you have to do it,” he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end “birthright” citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens – although such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and have been shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, “I want to work something out,” indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not “want to be breaking up families” of mixed legal status, “so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back” – suggesting he would send U.S. citizens “back” to the country of their parents’ birth. COMMITS TO NATO (WITH CONDITIONS), WAFFLES ON PUTIN Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he “absolutely” would remain in the alliance – “if they pay their bills.” Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies’ commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated “fairly” on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin’s invasion. “Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure,” Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump has called for an immediate cease-fire in the conflict. Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged: “I haven’t spoken to him recently.” Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to “impede the negotiation.” FED’S POWELL IS SAFE, BUT NOT FBI’S WRAY The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell’s term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy, including interest rates. Trump did not offer any such assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: “Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious” that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as Trump’s pick for FBI chief, then “he’s going to be taking somebody’s place, right? ‘Somebody’ is the man that you’re talking about.” ABSOLUTE ON SOCIAL SECURITY, NOT SO MUCH ON ABORTION AND INSURANCE Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. “We’re not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient,” he said, adding that “we’re not raising ages or any of that stuff.” He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would “probably” not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, “Well, I commit, I mean, are – things do – things change. I think they change.” Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had “concepts of a plan” to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called “lousy health care.” He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. But he did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo, or how he could deliver on his promise to create “better health care for less money.” Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report. We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve. Please sign into your Sun Journal account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs . Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous
Apple Sued for Knowingly Hosting Child Sexual Abuse Material on Its Products, Failing to Protect Survivors
Delivering Optimized, Outbound-Focused Contact Center Solutions for Modern Businesses LAUDERDALE LAKES, Fla. , Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- outboundIQ www.outboundiq.com proudly announces its accreditation as a Five9 Certified Implementation Partner (CIP), a distinction that reflects its deep expertise in optimizing and streamlining outbound-focused contact center operations. With a team of seasoned Five9 veterans, expert programmers, and industry thought leaders, outboundIQ is uniquely equipped to help businesses of all sizes unlock the full potential of Five9's Virtual Contact Center platform. Optimized Solutions for Complex Contact Center Needs outboundIQ specializes in providing expedited, outbound-focused contact center implementations, integrating advanced features such as inbound and outbound Voice, SMS, Chat, Email, Salesforce Integration, and other third-party app integrations. Clients can also leverage ongoing optimization engagements and monthly retainers for strategic consulting designed to support long-term, outreach-focused success. "Who better to handle your domain configuration than the experts that understand the outbound contact center world. To be an outbound expert, you must know 3 things; how to configure the domain front end, how the architecture interprets that design, and how carriers respond to your dialing behavior as a result of the build. outboundIQ has the advantage of deeply understanding all 3 things. Our experts are seasoned professionals that will guide toward the best build for your business. You tell us about your business, your needs and your processes, and we will build you a domain fit for purpose. outboundIQ offers best in class Domain Optimization, Implementation and Consulting for customers of all sizes and complexity. Due to our methodology and proprietary automations, we are able to bring our customers' projects to life within accelerated timeframes." - Jessica Clay , VP Support and Services "We launched our business in June and were fortunate to connect with the incredible team at outboundIQ early on. Navigating the world of outbound calling and building efficient prospecting systems isn't easy, but the entire team at outboundIQ brought our vision to life seamlessly. They implemented our ideas quickly and executed them flawlessly. Since partnering with them, our contact rates have significantly improved, our conversions have increased, and our overall business is thriving. We're deeply grateful for this collaboration and look forward to continuing our work together on future endeavors!" - Tim, Lit Financial "I genuinely don't know enough ways to thank the entire outboundIQ team. I inherited a domain riddled with mistakes, tangled beyond belief, and I had essentially planned to scrap the whole thing and start over. That's when this team, led by Jessica Clay's brilliance, took over to understand exactly what I wanted to create and completely revitalized my domain. We are all beyond thankful as they continue to consult for us to this day and I see no reason to stop. Thank you, Jessica, Jason, Rudy, Bruno, Sandy and everyone who gets the pleasure of working with these domain geniuses!" - Michael, Lifetime Home Remodeling A Holistic Approach to Outbound Excellence Creating a competitive, consumer-focused outreach program requires more than just advanced technology. As outboundIQ explains, a thriving contact center functions like a high-performing racing team: outboundIQ's professional services team brings these critical elements together, ensuring clients achieve best-in-class outbound operations that prioritize consumer experience while maintaining a competitive edge. A Call to Collaboration With its new CIP certification, outboundIQ invites businesses to explore select partnership opportunities and projects to reimagine their contact center operations. Whether through expedited implementations or ongoing strategic consulting, outboundIQ is committed to driving measurable results for its clients. About outboundIQ outboundIQ delivers optimized, outbound-focused contact center implementations, combining years of Five9 expertise with cutting-edge strategies to help businesses achieve exceptional outreach outcomes. As a Five9 Certified Implementation Partner, outboundIQ provides tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of modern organizations. About Five9 Five9 is a digital enterprise's leading cloud contact center and software provider. The Five9 Intelligent CX Platform is reliable, secure, compliant, and scalable, designed to create exceptional personalized customer experiences. www.five9.com Media contact: Sandy Tafur Phone: 404-660-5314 mail: sandy@outboundiq.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/outboundiq-achieves-certified-implementation-partner-cip-status-with-five9-302339797.html SOURCE outboundIQBy Peter Tchir of Academy Securities Having just returned from London where we watched consensus for a “Santa” rally grow, it seemed like a good time to discuss a couple of things: We will address positioning, consensus, and I daresay, overbought conditions early in the week, as we recover from jet lag, but for today, these “concepts” are top of mind. Who knew that the world desperately needed a new Christmas song? Apparently Mariah Carey did when she released “All I Want For Christmas Is You” back in 1994 (I have to admit, I didn’t realize that it had been around for so long). This song now appears at or near the top of every single holiday playlist, and according to AI (which I believe in this case), it has generated more income for her than anything else she has written. So what else is there in terms of things that we didn’t think we needed, but maybe we do? Let’s start with BITCOIN. Bitcoin broke $100,000 last week. Despite a plunge of 10% in a matter of minutes (wild ride), it managed to reclaim $100k and is trading right around that level as we write this T-Report. I’m highly confident that by the time you read this report it will be somewhere between $90k and $110k (which is a pretty wide range, almost laughable, yet the sort of range we all are forced to accept when we get the monthly jobs data foisted on us – see A Tale of Two Reports ). The move in Bitcoin is largely understandable (so far) and I wouldn’t fight it, yet. President-elect Trump and his crypto entourage (entourage feels more appropriate than administration when looking at crypto) are clearly going to provide more clarity (and ease of access) around crypto than it was getting of late (despite approvals of “spot” ETFs, etc.). His team has a lot of people really fixated on crypto and it certainly seems as though that community put a lot of money into the election (however, not for the first time as SBF, in particular, seemed to have been a major contributor during the prior election). There is chatter about the U.S. holding on to the Bitcoin it already has (mostly captured, “shockingly,” through raids on criminals). Typically, the U.S. sells these holdings over time, but there is a big push for the government to hold them. That at least makes some sense to me, as behavior around “free” or “found” money tends to be different than money that is earned (one main explanation for all the luxury stores in Vegas). There is a loud and vocal group (everything about crypto tends to be loud and vocal) that wants the government to buy Bitcoin. Effectively issue debt and buy Bitcoin. The assumption (or presumption, or just wild fantasy) is that the increased value of Bitcoin down the road will pay off that debt. You could argue that it is being done on a personal level and maybe even on a corporate level, so why not at the government level? I completely disagree with this concept. But, for now, it is apparently something that many didn’t think we needed, but maybe we do? I can’t believe it will last, but it is out there and something to discuss at holiday parties! Speaking of things that I don’t think we need, but apparently we do, just look at MSTX! I do not like the concept of single stock ETFs. Leveraged single stock ETFs, where the returns are path dependent (daily rebalancing requires, at the close, selling on down days and buying on up days to rebalance for the next day). That is a drag over time. But here we are. MSTX has a market cap of $2 billion with an expense ratio of 1.29%! It was only launched in August. So, less than 6 months into its existence, the Defiance Daily Target 2X is on a run rate to generate $25 million per annum! The “beauty” of MSTX, is that it is well known (and quite simple) to run a leveraged ETF and things like NVDL have provided a path for regulatory clearance documentation. NVDL is another single stock ETF, with $6 billion of AUM and a 1.06% expense ratio – on a run rate of over $60 million per annum, at the 1-year mark. Who would have thought that you could create $25 million or more, just by leveraging up a widely held, easily tradable, stock? Not me, but there it is. While I’m not sure that any of these things point to a “bubble” mentality, I think they start to fit the narrative, especially with the rise of leveraged single stock ETFs, and their story will come up in our positioning and consensus report. Maybe we all need to think like Mariah and even if others don’t see the need, to go ahead and put it out there? Let’s start this section with a holiday song, too. I knew, as we were going down into the tube station and the GIG members we were with questioned the choice of “Fairytale of New York” (a song played by a busker in hopes of making money), that we had a lot of interesting things to discuss! He literally recognized the Pogues in about 3 beats. But I digress (kind of) and there are a few key takeaways that came up that are worth mentioning. So, we see some of the concern about President-elect Trump here, but it was more pronounced in Europe. A lot to unpack. Should U.S. stocks be trading at much higher multiples than European stocks? I don’t know and that is especially true given how global many of the companies are, but as much of a contrarian as I am, I’m not sure I’m ready to bet on mean reversion next year. I probably should, and maybe it was just a “vibe” while there, but I didn’t walk away thinking I need to pound the table on European stocks. That could change (and positioning and consensus is so set up for a contrarian), but it isn’t top of mind. Trump likes “chaos .” He likes his starting positions in negotiations to be “extreme.” Since consensus has now accepted his current positions as “normal,” look for him to ratchet up his rhetoric to reset the negotiation starting points even further away. I do not like Treasury yields here. Friday’s reaction to jobs was too optimistic for cuts and I expect that yields will push higher in the coming weeks. Not much higher (4.4% on 10s would be a buying opportunity), but the squeeze and the overly pessimistic views on inflation prospects have been largely taken out of the market. Doing more work on the positioning of risk assets, and if crypto and leveraged single stock ETFs are any indication, I’m not going to like my conclusion on what is next for risky assets (even in the sectors that I’ve liked). I was a bit surprised that the S&P 500 is up “only” 1.6% in the past 30 days. With last week’s gain of just under 1% and all the hype and daily “all time high” headlines, I would have thought it was up a lot more than that for the past 30 days (the Nasdaq 100 was up 3.3% last week, but only 3% in the past 30 days). Maybe, since my work is likely to make me bearish, I’m delaying the work because December is a tough month in which to turn bearish. Seasonality tends to be real and powerful. It also tends to be a month where trends are followed rather than broken, which again points to strength. One thing that was reinforced both in Europe, but also by the headlines out of South Korea and Syria, is that the world remains volatile and we are in a “weird” position where President-elect Trump seems to be dominating the headlines, but President Biden remains in charge, and specifically is the Commander-in-Chief, which just seems weird to many who are used to very quick turnarounds post- elections. Looking forward to another interesting week and our annual holiday party, which has grown a lot since I joined the firm, but still includes each of the branches singing their respective songs! The Marines are at a distinct advantage, given their number and how cool any song that starts with “From the Halls of Montezuma” has to be. For what it is worth, I’m still voting for the Waitresses – “ Christmas Wrapping ,” as my favorite holiday song.Like a football off McBride's helmet, the Cardinals aren't getting many lucky bounces these days
Apple Sued for Knowingly Hosting Child Sexual Abuse Material on Its Products, Failing to Protect Survivors
Latest News | Sapta Shakti Command Organises Run to Honour Army Veterans in JaipurIt was the fourth time this season they had conceded four or more and the performance showed why they have the Premier League’s worst defence. When O’Neil and the players went over to acknowledge the visiting supporters there were boos for a run of two wins in 14 league matches. “Whatever the fans think of me, there is definitely no-none working harder than me and I will continue to do so until someone tells me not to,” said O’Neil, who is under increasing pressure with his side second bottom of the table. “I go over there to see them because I appreciate every one of the Wolves fans. They have given me unbelievable support since I arrived at the football club,” he said. “We managed to produce some unbelievable stuff last season with a team that was heavily tipped by most of the nation for relegation. We managed to enjoy it together. “Now it is tough. I was happy to go over there and look them right in the face and take any criticism they want to throw at me. “I accept responsibility for my part in that. Whatever criticism they want to throw at me will not change how I feel about them. “Everyone at this football club needs to do more. We will get back to be ready to fight again on Monday (another crucial game against West Ham, whose manager Julen Lopetegui’s tenure is hanging by a thread). “I will work with everything I have. I will back myself to get the most out of the group. I understand the drive for change (but) you never know how much of a percentage of supporters it is.” Veteran Ashley Young ended Everton’s 370-minute wait for a goal with a 10th-minute free-kick, his first league goal for more than two years, and on-loan Lyon midfielder Orel Mangala blasted home his first for the club to establish a 2-0 half-time lead. Two Craig Dawson own goals secured Everton’s biggest home league win since April 2019, but manager Sean Dyche insisted their issues up front were far from sorted. He said: “It’s our fifth clean sheet in the last eight so the consistency has been there in one degree, we just haven’t been scoring goals. That’s been the hardest thing to find consistently and we haven’t solved it yet. “Goals change everything, they change opinions. That’s what football is like.” The victory was hugely important in a month in which, having been hammered 4-0 at Manchester United, they face top-six sides Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest and undoubtedly eased some of the pressure on Dyche and his players. “I’ve told them how proud I am of them,” he added. “The challenges come thick and fast on and off the pitch and they just keep going. “It’s only a step and there are many more to go but it’s a good step and a positive step. “It’s a temporary moment in time because the next one is a big one (Saturday’s Merseyside derby).”
Hong Kong IPO market stages comeback after dismal 2023It's time for the holidays, which means robust family conversations and seemingly never-ending courses of food. But for the more tech-savvy among us, the journey home could also mean we'll be called on to provide a backlog of tech support to parents, grandparents and other family members. And with generative AI being used to supercharge some major cyber scams this year, it's also a good time to teach and not just fix. Here are some tips on how to manage your tech encounters this holiday season: Set devices up for automatic updates Whether it's Windows, macOS, iOS or Android, simply keeping your operating system and apps up-to-date will help protect your family's computers and devices against a surprising number of security threats, such as malware, viruses and exploits. Most operating systems, especially those for mobile devices and their app stores, typically have auto-updates turned on by default. Be sure to double-check the device to make sure it has enough storage space to carry out the update. (More on this below.) Keeping apps updated may also reduce the number of "Why isn't this app working?" type of questions from your relatives. Freeing up storage space Chances are someone in your family is going to have a completely full mobile device. So full, in fact, that they can no longer update their phone or tablet without having to purge something first. There are many approaches to freeing up space. Here are a few you can easily take without having to triage data or apps. What's my password? According to some admittedly unscientific studies, the average person has hundreds of passwords. That's a lot to remember. So as you help your relatives reset some of theirs, you may be tempted to recycle some to keep things simple for them. But that's one of the bad password habits that cybersecurity experts warn against. Instead, try introducing your forgetful family member to a password manager. They're useful tools for simplifying and keeping track of logins. And if you want to impress a more tech-savvy cousin or auntie, you could suggest switching to a more secure digital authentication method: passkeys. Educate your loved ones about the latest scams As scammers find new ways to steal money and personal information, you and your family should be more vigilant about who to trust. Artificial intelligence and other technologies are giving bad actors craftier tools to work with online. A quick way to remember what to do when you think you're getting scammed is to think about the three S's, said Alissa Abdullah, also known as Dr. Jay, Mastercard's deputy chief security officer "Stay suspicious, stop for a second (and think about it) and stay protected," she said. Simply being aware of typical scams can help, experts say. Robocalls frequently target vulnerable individuals like seniors, people with disabilities, and people with debt. So-called romance scams target lonely and isolated individuals. Quiz scams target those who spend a lot of time on social media. Check our AP guide on the latest scams and what to do when you're victimized. How fast is their WiFi? Home internet speeds are getting faster, so you want to make sure your family members are getting a high-speed connection if they've paid for one. Run a broadband speed test on your home network if they're still rocking an aging modem and router. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
MARY Lou McDonald says she hopes to meet with Micheal Martin - despite accusing the Fianna Fail leader of “looking down his nose” at Sinn Fein voters. Fianna Fail ended up top dog in the recent General Election, securing 48 out of 174 seats - well ahead of Sinn Fein on 39 and Fine Gael on 38. As coalition talks ramp up, a new Fianna Fail and Fine Gael coalition remains the likeliest outcome along with the support of a number of Independents. Sinn Fein , which suffered the biggest drop in support for any party at the election, is facing into another five years on the opposition benches. But defiant Mary Lou is refusing to throw in the towel. The SF supremo accused FF boss Martin of “looking down his nose at the 400,000 plus people who voted for Sinn Fein”. And Mary Lou declared Fianna Fail has a decision to make as to whether it wants to put Fine Gael back into government. She claimed Sinn Fein in government would mean “a better outcome for lots of issues - housing, investment in communities, getting immigration right.” McDonald maintained: “The last government got it terribly, terribly wrong, in a way that was divisive.” Despite a major post-mortem into their own slump, McDonald said the latest election result shows that Sinn Fein’s success in 2020 was “not a flash in a pan” and “confirms SF as a significant political force south of the border”. Mary Lou told how she will be meeting with other party leaders - and hopes to meet with FF leader Martin. But Fianna Fail TD Jim O’Callaghan yesterday insisted he would prefer his party and Fine Gael combine with Independents to form a government . O’Callaghan said that there is a group of “reliable Independents” which he thinks could be relied on to form a stable government. He said the fact that Fianna Fáil won more seats in the election should be reflected in the composition of the government. O’Callaghan also believes his party should hold the office of Taoiseach for longer if the post is rotated as “that would have to be reflected by the proportionality of the strength of each party in the Dáil”. He added that the new government should be formed before US President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated in Washington on January 20. Martin and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris are also due to meet.None