Donald Trump’s aides have suggested that Iowa Senator Joni Ernst may be trying to sink the nomination of Pete Hegseth as defense secretary so that she can get the job instead. Ernst, a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor, has so far refused to publicly back Hegseth’s selection by Trump amid a string of controversies surrounding the Fox News host. Since his nomination, reports have emerged of Hegseth being accused of sexual assault , workplace misconduct, and alleged heavy drinking during work hours and at events. Additionally, he allegedly had multiple affairs throughout his first and second marriage – one of which led to him fathering a child with a Fox News producer. Ernst is considered a critical vote in Hegseth’s confirmation process given she is one of the nine women Republican Senators and had been rumored to be a possible replacement for the job. But her vote is also meaningful because of her military background and advocacy for sexual assault survivors. She has a long track record of supporting legislation aimed at addressing sexual assault within the military. While Ernst mulls over whether or not she will throw her support behind Hegseth, Trump’s aides have reportedly suggested she is holding out because she wants the role, according to The Guardian. But the Iowa senator publicly insists her hesitancy is based on the vetting process. “For a number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations are cleared, and that’s why we have to have a very thorough vetting process,” Ernst told Fox News on Thursday. In the same interview, Ernst confirmed she had not been convinced to vote “yes” on Hegseth. As defense secretary, Hegseth would be responsible for overseeing all U.S. military operations second to the president and providing the president with defense advice. The moment Trump nominated Hegseth for the position questions about his qualifications arose. Hegseth is a veteran of the Army National Guard who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. But he’s most well-known for being a Fox News host. Those questions have turned into genuine concerns for many since media reports revealed Hegseth has a history of sexual misconduct and heavy alcohol intake. Hegseth has denied those allegations and even promised to refrain from drinking alcohol if he is confirmed. But even with Trump, his own mother , former colleagues and Trump-aligned Senators backing him, it may not be enough for Ernst to vote for him. Hegseth is working with a very narrow margin in his confirmation vote. Assuming all Democratic Senators vote against him, he can only lose three Republican votes.Meta to build $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana as Elon Musk expands his Tennessee AI facilityA TEENAGER underwent agonising surgery and is on a liquid diet after her jaw snapped in two places when she had an iconic children's sweet. Javeria Wasim and her friend bought two gobstopper sweets, also known aptly as jawbreakers when out shopping in Toronto last month. 6 Javeria Wasim and her friend bought the biggest gobstoppers they could find Credit: Kennedy News 6 After trying to bite through the sweet, Wasim was left with her jaw wired shut for six weeks Credit: Kennedy News 6 The student knew something was wrong when she couldn't open her mouth properly Credit: Kennedy News The pair went back to their university dorm room where 19-year-old Wasim decided to try and bite through the three-inch diameter ball to get to the centre. Usually, you have to keep licking gobstoppers until you reach the middle where there is a gumball sweet. But, Wasim never got that far as she suddenly felt pain in her jaw and her friend pointed out that her front tooth had been chipped and another was loose. The Uni student quickly discovered why the sweets have the name Jawbreaker. read more on surgeries HOME AGAIN Max George discharged from hospital in time for Xmas after emergency surgery BRAVE STAR Davina McCall reveals scar after brain surgery as partner Michael cuts her hair After being taken to the hospital for an X-ray and CT scan, Wasim was told she had fractured her jaw in two places. She was "shocked" at the damage caused by the sweet with doctors telling her that her tooth was "wiggly" because it was on top of the bone that had split apart. The teenager could barely open her mouth and now has her mouth wired shut as it heals. "It hurt really bad, I was crying a lot when the ambulance came and everything was blurry," she said. Most read in The Sun REFFIN' HELL KMI panel reveals FIVE more VAR blunders including THREE mistakes in one game ON PAR Ex-Rangers star 'in line' to take charge of his last club's bitter rivals TRAGIC LOSS Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger dead aged 26 after being caught in avalanche IN THE DOCK Suspect appears in court charged with murder of man near Scots nightclub "They told me my jaw is broken and needs to be wired shut. "I was shocked, I thought my biggest problem was my broken tooth." Davina McCall reveals her scar after brain tumour surgery as boyfriend Michael Douglas cuts her hair Wasim underwent an hour-long surgery the day after the incident where her jaw was re-set and a bar was inserted in her top and bottom gums. "The first week of surgery I was in so much pain, I can't explain it. I would just lay in bed and take painkillers," the teen said. "I'd sleep because the only time I wasn't in pain was when I was sleeping." During the six-week healing period, Wasim was on a liquid-only diet. "I can't eat anything, all I'm having are protein shakes and soups, I've lost seven pounds in two weeks," she said. "I haven't eaten in 42 days, I have soup but you're never full, you're always hungry. "All I can think about is how hungry I am, I took the feeling of being full for granted. I miss food so much." "I also feel irritated all the time...You realise how important your mouth is, you use it for literally everything in your life. It has affected my life so much," she added. The business student has said that she has been left "traumatised" by what happened and that she will "probably never try a jawbreaker again." When she and her friend bought the sweets, they wanted to buy "the biggest size they had." "I said we have to break it because people lick their way through it and it takes them months to get through it all," Wasim recalled. "It was such a stupid thing, people break their jaws in car accidents and fights, this was such an avoidable way to break your jaw. Read more on the Scottish Sun SHOCK SWOOP Former Celtic boss 'lines up shock January transfer swoop for Kyogo Furuhashi' MAKE THE YULETIDE GREY White Christmas update for Scots as snow & 80mph winds wreak chaos "I'd tell people if they want to get in the middle of a jawbreaker, it's better to take the six weeks to get through to it than having six weeks suffering the consequences of biting it and having your jaw wired shut." Wasim had her jaw unwired on Monday but she will need braces to fix her teeth after the incident left all of her bottom teeth "messed up." 6 Two bars were inserted into her gums after her jaw was reset Credit: Kennedy News 6 Wasim says she has been left 'traumatized' by the ordeal Credit: Kennedy News 6 Wasim believes that she has now been turned off jawbreakers for life Credit: Kennedy NewsOver 10,000 Shoppers Have Bought This 'Must-Have' $12 Amazon Gadget to Make Upcoming Holiday Travel More Bearable
Govts, banks once mocked Bitcoin. Now they want in on it
LOS ANGELES , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cadiz, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDZI / CDZIP) ("Cadiz," the "Company"), a California water solutions company, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared the following cash dividend on the Company's 8.875% Series A Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (the "Series A Preferred Stock"). Holders of Series A Preferred Stock will receive a cash dividend equal to $560.00 per whole share. Holders of depositary shares, each representing a 1/1000 fractional interest in a share of Series A Preferred Stock (Nasdaq: CDZIP), will receive a cash dividend equal to $0.56 per depositary share. The dividend will be paid on January 15, 2025 , to applicable holders of record as of the close of business on January 3, 2025 . About Cadiz, Inc. Founded in 1983, Cadiz, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDZI) is a California water solutions company dedicated to providing access to clean, reliable and affordable water for people through a unique combination of water supply, storage, pipeline and treatment solutions. With 45,000 acres of land in California , 2.5 million acre-feet of water supply, 220 miles of pipeline assets and the most cost-effective water treatment filtration technology in the industry, Cadiz offers a full suite of solutions to address the impacts of climate change on clean water access. For more information, please visit https://www.cadizinc.com . Safe Harbor Statement This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "anticipates", "expect", "may", "plan", or "will". Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, projections, predictions, expectations, or beliefs about future events or results and are not statements of historical fact, including statements regarding the Company's expectations regarding payments of dividends in the future. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These and other risks are identified in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), including without limitation our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings subsequently made by the Company with the Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management's assumptions and estimates as of such date. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of the receipt of new information, the occurrence of future events or otherwise. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cadiz-inc-declares-quarterly-dividend-for-q4-2024-on-series-a-cumulative-perpetual-preferred-stock-302339009.html SOURCE Cadiz, Inc.
FAIRVIEW, N.C. (AP) — Vice President-elect JD Vance on Friday assured residents of western North Carolina still cleaning up from Hurricane Helene that they haven't been forgotten as he surveyed storm wreckage and talked to first responders in one of his first public appearances since the election. Vance said he was visiting because the holidays are approaching and he wants to provide some comfort to those affected by the hurricane as they go about trying to rebuild their homes and livelihoods. “My simple message to the people of Appalachia is that we haven’t forgotten you — we love you,” said Vance, who made a name for himself writing about the region in his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” He added, “Certainly when this administration changes hands in the next 45 days, we’re going to do everything that we can to help people rebuild, to get them back on their feet, to bring some commerce back to this area, but, most importantly, to allow people to live in their homes.” The hurricane struck in late September and caused at least $53 billion in damage in North Carolina, according to a state government estimate. More than 100 North Carolina residents died from the storm, which the state estimates damaged over 120,000 homes, at least 6,000 miles (9,700 kilometers) of roads and over 160 sewer and water systems. The incoming vice president and his wife, Usha, visited the Fairview Volunteer Fire Department, where they heard that the building flooded with 4 to 6 inches of water and that roughly a dozen people contracted walking pneumonia as they responded to the hurricane's destruction. Power outages meant that some first responders and their families could not check in on each other for several days. At least one firefighter lost his life while trying to save lives in the storm. Vance also toured a two-story house that is being rebuilt after the storm. The construction is being undertaken by Samaritan's Purse, an evangelical Christian charity led by Franklin Graham, son of the late pastor Billy Graham, who was known for his close relationships with U.S. presidents. “We want you to have the best Christmas as you possibly can have, despite the circumstances,” he said in a message to residents while speaking to reporters after touring the damaged home. More than 60% of voters in Buncombe County, where Vance visited Friday, backed Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, in November's presidential election. Liberal-leaning Asheville is known for its vibrant arts scene and the Biltmore Estate tourist attraction. The city’s arts district faced substantial damage from Helene. But the majority of North Carolina voters supported President-elect Donald Trump, and he generally fared better among voters hurt by Hurricane Helene. The Republican gave a blistering critique of the Biden administration's relief efforts, which President Joe Biden characterized as “un-American” misinformation. AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate, found that 26% of North Carolina voters said the hurricane affected their lives by damaging their homes, causing extended power outages or interfering with their ability to cast a ballot. Trump won 53% of those voters. Vance has largely stayed out of the public eye since the Nov. 5 election aside from shepherding Trump's Cabinet nominees around Capitol Hill. Vance defended Pete Hegseth after his tour of the region, saying that Trump's defense secretary nominee deserved a Senate confirmation hearing rather than a “sham hearing before the American media” over allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking of alcohol. The incoming vice president also said he did not know whether he would be escorting Kash Patel, Trump's pick for FBI director, around the Senate next week. In North Carolina, state lawmakers have already allocated more than $900 million in disaster relief, but Gov. Roy Cooper has sought at least $3.9 billion. The Democratic governor and other state leaders have asked the federal government for $25 billion in aid. Hundreds of miles of roads have been reopened and water systems are back online, but the work has been slow-going. More than 100,000 western North Carolina residents were told just two weeks ago that they could once again use water coming out of Asheville’s water system to bathe and to drink from the faucet. A destroyed water system in at least one isolated county could take years to rebuild. Many Republicans and residents were critical of the initial recovery operations by the federal government and Cooper’s administration. Housing for displaced residents for the winter has become a concern, and some allies of Cooper have blamed GOP lawmakers for failing to provide grants to small businesses at risk of failing and housing renters faced with eviction. Darlene Superville And Gary Robertson, The Associated PressFalcons, Commanders eye playoff clincher behind rookie QBs
Few actually enjoy —it's crowded, sniffles are everywhere, and despite the festive nature of the season, everybody seems mad. But nothing is more enraging than just to learn that you've chosen the lucky seat with the broken ahead of a five-hour flight. Thankfully, peace of mind—and a major upgrade for any Spirit or —costs just $10 on , and shoppers are stocking up before heading out. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights
Panthic leaders: Sikh clergy’s punishment for Sukhbir is mild
OTTAWA — Two senior members of the federal cabinet were in Florida Friday pushing Canada's new border plan with Donald Trump's transition team, a day after Trudeau himself appeared to finally push back at the president-elect over his social media posts about turning Canada into the 51st state. Both Trudeau and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who Trudeau has been courting to become Canada's next finance minister, shared posts on X Thursday, a day after Trump's latest jab at Canada in his Christmas Day message. It isn't clear if Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who has repeatedly insisted Trump's 51st state references are a joke, will raise the issue with Trump's team when he and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly meet with them in Palm Beach. The two are there to discuss Canada's new $1.3 billion border plan with just under four weeks left before Trump is sworn in again as president. He has threatened to impose a new 25 per cent import tariff on Canada and Mexico the same day over concerns about a trade imbalance, as well as illegal drugs and migration issues at the borders. The broad strokes of Canada's plan were made public Dec. 17, including a new aerial intelligence task force to provide round-the-clock surveillance of the border, and improved efforts using technology and canine teams to seek out drugs in shipments leaving Canada LeBlanc's spokesman, Jean-Sébastien Comeau, said the ministers will also emphasize the negative impacts of Trump's threatened tariffs on both Canada and the U.S. Comeau said the ministers will build on the discussions that took place last month when Trudeau and LeBlanc met Trump at Mar-a-Lago just days after Trump first made his tariff threat. It was at that dinner on Nov. 29 when Trump first raised the notion of Canada becoming the 51st state, a comment LeBlanc has repeatedly since insisted was just a joke. But Trump has continued the quip repeatedly in various social media posts, including in his Christmas Day message when he said Canadians would pay lower taxes and have better military protection if they became Americans. He has taken to calling Trudeau "governor" instead of prime minister. Trudeau had not directly responded to any of the jabs, but on Thursday posted a link to a six-minute long video on YouTube from 2010 in which American journalist Tom Brokaw "explains Canada to Americans." The video, which originally aired during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, explains similarities between the two countries, including their founding based on immigration, their trading relationship and the actions of the Canadian Army in World War 2 and other modern conflicts. "In the long history of sovereign neighbours there has never been a relationship as close, productive and peaceful as the U.S. and Canada," Brokaw says in the video. Trudeau did not expand about why he posted a link to the video, posting it only with the words "some information about Canada for Americans." Carney, who is at the centre of some of Trudeau's recent domestic political troubles, also called out Trump's antics on X Thursday, calling it "casual disrespect" and "carrying the 'joke' too far." "Time to call it out, stand up for Canada, and build a true North American partnership," said Carney, who Trudeau was courting to join his cabinet before Chrystia Freeland resigned as finance minister last week. Freeland's sudden departure, three days after Trudeau informed her he would be firing her as finance minister in favour of Carney, left Trudeau's leadership even more bruised than it already was. Despite the expectation Carney would assume the role, he did not and has not made any statements about it. LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister instead the same day Freeland quit. More than two dozen Liberal MPs have publicly called on Trudeau to resign as leader, and Trudeau is said to be taking the holidays to think about his next steps. He is currently vacationing in British Columbia. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian PressSHAREHOLDER INVESTIGATION: Halper Sadeh LLC Investigates LBRDA, CFB, NBR on Behalf of ShareholdersPrime Minister Christopher Luxon shares Christmas message