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Authored by Connor O'Keefe via The Mises Institute, On Saturday night, Donald Trump announced he intends to appoint Kash Patel as director of the FBI. The news sparked an immediate frenzy from establishment figures across media and politics. Legal and national security “experts” were deployed to the Sunday morning news shows to characterize the move as evidence that Trump intends to politicize the FBI and use it as a weapon against his many political opponents. The political establishment’s concerns about what a Trump FBI could do mirror a lot of what we’ve heard from the right in recent years as they found themselves in the Bureau’s crosshairs. But almost all of these complaints and warnings have operated under the assumption that—with maybe the exception of a few bad episodes in the 1960s—the FBI has long been an essential crime-fighting force that has only recently become—or threatens to become—corrupted by politics. In truth, the FBI has always been used as a weapon against political movements and rivals of the established political class. That’s the reason it was created. At the end of the 1800s, left-wing anarchists were attacking heads of state all across Europe. In a few short years, the king of Italy , the prime minister of Spain , the empress of Austria , and the president of France were all assassinated by anarchists. While no communist or anarchist movement had yet to take over a country, the tenacity of these activists and revolutionaries was seriously concerning those in power in the United States. Then, in 1901, President William McKinley was shot and killed by an anarchist while attending a meet-and-greet in Buffalo, New York, which brought his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt, into office. It was President Roosevelt who tapped his Attorney General Charles Bonaparte—the grandnephew of Napoleon—to create the FBI. The AG was required by law to get congressional approval before creating this new “investigative” service of special agents within the Department of Justice. In the spring of 1908, Bonaparte officially requested the money and authority to create the FBI. Congress came back with an emphatic no. Members of the House saw through the innocuous language of the request and figured out exactly what the president and AG were doing—creating a secret police force that was answerable only to them. House Democrats like Joseph Swagar and John J. Fitzgerald and Republicans like Walter I. Smith and George Waldo all loudly condemned the proposal, saying it called for a “system of espionage” comparable to the Tsar’s secret police in Russia that stood in stark contrast to the very principles at the heart of the American system. Congress explicitly forbade the AG from creating this new Bureau. So what did Bonaparte do? He waited for Congress to break for the summer and then went ahead and created the FBI anyway. Congress was only notified about the new federal police force half a year later when Bonaparte included a quick throw-away line at the end of his annual report: “It became necessary for the department to organize a small force of special agents of its own.” So, the FBI was not created in response to out-of-control crime; its creation was a crime. Immediately, the new Bureau was unleashed on anyone and everyone who was perceived as a threat to those in power. That started with left-wing anarchists but quickly expanded to include many antiwar activists as President Wilson pulled the country into World War I. From the outset, the FBI operated primarily as a domestic intelligence agency—recruiting spies within groups they were targeting and breaking into their offices and homes, intercepting mail, and tapping the phones of anyone they considered a threat. As the years wore on—like most other executive agencies—the Bureau evolved away from serving the direct interests of whoever happened to sit in the Oval Office to instead serve its own interest and the interest of the broader entrenched, permanent power structure in Washington. In the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, the FBI conducted covert operations aimed at inciting violence between domestic groups, breaking up political organizations it disapproved of, and, perhaps most famously, collecting blackmail on Martin Luther King Jr. that they then tried to use to drive him to commit suicide. Although today’s FBI acknowledges and publicly disavows these past activities, they are still carrying out egregious operations that always seem to benefit the political class. The Bureau has taken up a kind of sting operation where, over and over again, agents find isolated, gullible, often mentally-handicapped young men, pretend to be political radicals or higher-ups in a terrorist organization, and then convince the young men to plan and carry out a terrorist attack with FBI-funds and resources. Agents then step in at the end and act like they heroically stopped a real plot. The FBI did this relentlessly with young Muslim men after 9/11. The arrests helped prolong the perception that the global war on terror and extreme measures like the Patriot Act were necessary. In recent years, the FBI has conducted a number of similar schemes with right-wing groups—advancing the establishment’s narrative that Donald Trump is radicalizing “uneducated” middle Americans and turning them into violent insurrectionists. And then there are, of course, all the ways the FBI directly tried to undermine and hinder Trump’s first term. Right-wingers are correctly deriding the establishment for panicking about Trump’s FBI doing to them what they have tried to do to him. But many—on both sides—go wrong when they present the Bureau as only recently, or imminently, being corrupted into serving the interests of those in power. That’s been its role since the beginning.

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We needed it – Pep Guardiola relieved to end Man City’s winless runSpecial counsel moves to dismiss election interference and classified documents cases against Trump

Israeli hospital says Netanyahu has undergone successful prostate surgeryAs open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans continues through Jan. 15, you’re likely seeing fewer social media ads promising monthly cash cards worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars that you can use for groceries, medical bills, rent and other expenses. But don’t worry. You haven’t missed out on any windfalls. Clicking on one of those ads would not have provided you with a cash card — at least not worth hundreds or thousands. But you might have found yourself switched to a health insurance plan you did not authorize, unable to afford treatment for an unforeseen medical emergency, and owing thousands of dollars to the IRS, according to an ongoing lawsuit against companies and individuals who plaintiffs say masterminded the ads and alleged scams committed against millions of people who responded to them. The absence of those once-ubiquitous ads are likely a result of the federal government suspending access to the ACA marketplace for two companies that market health insurance out of South Florida offices, amid accusations they used “fraudulent” ads to lure customers and then switched their insurance plans and agents without their knowledge. In its suspension letter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cited “credible allegations of misconduct” in the agency’s decision to suspend the abilities of two companies — TrueCoverage (doing business as Inshura) and BenefitAlign — to transact information with the marketplace. CMS licenses and monitors agencies that use their own websites and information technology platforms to enroll health insurance customers in ACA plans offered in the federal marketplace. The alleged scheme affected millions of consumers, according to a lawsuit winding its way through U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale that seeks class-action status. An amended version of the suit, filed in August, increased the number of defendants from six to 12: — TrueCoverage LLC, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based health insurance agency with large offices in Miami, Miramar and Deerfield Beach. TrueCoverage is a sub-tenant of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a building leased by the newspaper in Deerfield Beach. — Enhance Health LLC, a Sunrise-based health insurance agency that the lawsuit says was founded by Matthew Herman, also named as a defendant, with a $150 million investment from hedge fund Bain Capital’s insurance division. Bain Capital Insurance Fund LP is also a defendant. — Speridian Technologies LLC, accused in the lawsuit of establishing two direct enrollment platforms that provided TrueCoverage and other agencies access to the ACA marketplace. — Benefitalign LLC, identified in the suit as one of the direct enrollment platforms created by Speridian. Like Speridian and TrueCoverage, the company is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. — Number One Prospecting LLC, doing business as Minerva Marketing, based in Fort Lauderdale, and its founder, Brandon Bowsky, accused of developing the social media ads that drove customers — or “leads” — to the health insurance agencies. — Digital Media Solutions LLC, doing business as Protect Health, a Miami-based agency that the suit says bought Minerva’s “fraudulent” ads. In September, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in United States Bankruptcy Court in Texas, which automatically suspended claims filed against the company. — Net Health Affiliates Inc., an Aventura-based agency the lawsuit says was associated with Enhance Health and like it, bought leads from Minerva. — Garish Panicker, identified in the lawsuit as half-owner of Speridian Global Holdings and day-to-day controller of companies under its umbrella, including TrueCoverage, Benefitalign and Speridian Technologies. — Matthew Goldfuss, accused by the suit of overseeing and directing TrueCoverage’s ACA enrollment efforts. All of the defendants have filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit. The motions deny the allegations and argue that the plaintiffs failed to properly state their claims and lack the standing to file the complaints. The Sun Sentinel sent requests for comment and lists of questions about the cases to four separate law firms representing separate groups of defendants. Three of the law firms — one representing Brandon Bowsky and Number One Prospecting LLC d/b/a Minerva Marketing, and two others representing Net Health Affiliates Inc. and Bain Capital Insurance Fund — did not respond to the requests. A representative of Enhance Health LLC and Matthew Herman, Olga M. Vieira of the Miami-based firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, responded with a short message saying she was glad the newspaper knew a motion to dismiss the charges had been filed by the defendants. She also said that, “Enhance has denied all the allegations as reported previously in the media.” Catherine Riedel, a communications specialist representing TrueCoverage LLC, Benefitalign LLC, Speridian Technologies LLC, Girish Panicker and Matthew Goldfuss, issued the following statement: “TrueCoverage takes these allegations very seriously and is responding appropriately. While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we strongly believe that the allegations are baseless and without merit. “Compliance is our business. The TrueCoverage team records and reviews every call with a customer, including during Open Enrollment when roughly 500 agents handle nearly 30,000 calls a day. No customer is enrolled into any policy without a formal verbal consent given by the customer. If any customer calls in as a result of misleading content presented by third-party marketing vendors, agents are trained to correct such misinformation and action is taken against such third-party vendors.” Through Riedel, the defendants declined to answer follow-up questions, including whether the company remains in business, whether it continues to enroll Affordable Care Act clients, and whether it is still operating its New Mexico call center using another affiliated technology platform. The suspension notification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services letter cites several factors, including the histories of noncompliance and previous suspensions. The letter noted suspicion that TrueCoverage and Benefitalign were storing consumers’ personally identifiable information in databases located in India and possibly other overseas locations in violation of the centers’ rules. The letter also notes allegations against the companies in the pending lawsuit that “they engaged in a variety of illegal practices, including violations of the (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations, or RICO Act), misuse of consumer (personal identifiable information) and insurance fraud.” The amended lawsuit filed in August names as plaintiffs five individuals who say their insurance plans were changed and two agencies who say they lost money when they were replaced as agents. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of 55 counts of wrongdoing, ranging from running ads offering thousands of dollars in cash that they knew would never be provided directly to consumers, switching millions of consumers into different insurance policies without their authorization, misstating their household incomes to make them eligible for $0 premium coverage, and “stealing” commissions by switching the agents listed in their accounts. TrueCoverage, Enhance Health, Protect Health, and some of their associates “engaged in hundreds of thousands of agent-of-record swaps to steal other agents’ commissions,” the suit states. “Using the Benefitalign and Inshura platforms, they created large spreadsheet lists of consumer names, dates of birth and zip codes.” They provided those spreadsheets to agents, it says, and instructed them to access platforms linked to the ACA marketplace and change the customers’ agents of record “without telling the client or providing informed consent.” “In doing so, they immediately captured the monthly commissions of agents ... who had originally worked with the consumers directly to sign them up,” the lawsuit asserts. TrueCoverage employees who complained about dealing with prospects who called looking for cash cards were routinely chided by supervisors who told them to be vague and keep making money, the suit says. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began contacting the company in January about customer complaints, the suit says TrueCoverage enrollment supervisor Matthew Goldfuss sent an email instructing agents “do not respond.” The lawsuit states the “scheme” was made possible in 2021 when Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The act made it possible for Americans with household incomes between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level to pay zero in premiums and it enabled those consumers to enroll in ACA plans all year round, instead of during the three-month open enrollment period from November to January. Experienced health insurance brokers recognized the opportunity presented by the changes, the lawsuit says. More than 40 million Americans live within 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level, while only 15 million had ACA insurance at the time. The defendants developed or benefited from online ads, the lawsuit says, which falsely promised “hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars per month in cash benefits such as subsidy cards to pay for common expenses like rent, groceries, and gas.” Consumers who clicked on the ads were brought to a landing page that asked a few qualifying questions, and if their answers suggested that they might qualify for a low-cost or no-cost plan, they were provided a phone number to a health insurance agency. There was a major problem with the plan, according to the lawsuit. “Customers believe they are being routed to someone who will send them a free cash card, not enroll them in health insurance.” By law, the federal government sends subsidies for ACA plans to insurance companies, and not to individual consumers. Scripts were developed requiring agents not to mention a cash card, and if a customer mentions a cash card, “be vague” and tell the caller that only the insurance carrier can provide that information, the lawsuit alleges. In September, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the claims. In addition to denying the charges, they argued that the class plaintiffs lacked the standing to make the accusations and failed to demonstrate that they suffered harm. The motion also argued that the lawsuit’s accusations failed to meet requirements necessary to claim civil violations of the RICO Act. Miami-based attorney Jason Kellogg, representing the plaintiffs, said he doesn’t expect a ruling on the motion to dismiss the case for several months. The complaint also lists nearly 50 companies, not named as defendants, that it says fed business to TrueCoverage and Enhance Health. Known in the industry as “downlines,” most operate in office parks throughout South Florida, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit quotes former TrueCoverage employees complaining about having to work with customers lured by false cash promises in the online ads. A former employee who worked in the company’s Deerfield Beach office was quoted in the lawsuit as saying that senior TrueCoverage and Speridian executives “knew that consumers were calling in response to the false advertisements promising cash cards and they pressured agents to use them to enroll consumers into ACA plans.” A former human resources manager for TrueCoverage said sales agents frequently complained “that they did not feel comfortable having to mislead consumers,” the lawsuit said. Over two dozen agents “came to me with these complaints and showed me the false advertisements that consumers who called in were showing them,” the lawsuit quoted the former manager as saying. For much of the time the companies operated, the ACA marketplace enabled agents to easily access customer accounts using their names and Social Security numbers, change their insurance plans and switch their agents of record without their knowledge or authorization, the lawsuit says. This resulted in customers’ original agents losing their commissions and many of the policyholders finding out they suddenly owed far more for health care services than their original plans had required, the suit states. It says that one of the co-plaintiffs’ health plans was changed at least 22 times without her consent. She first discovered that she had lost her original plan when she sought to renew a prescription for her heart condition and her doctor told her she did not have health insurance, the suit states. Another co-plaintiff’s policy was switched after her husband responded to one of the cash card advertisements, the lawsuit says. That couple’s insurance plan was switched multiple times after a TrueCoverage agent excluded the wife’s income from an application so the couple would qualify. Later, they received bills from the IRS for $4,300 to cover tax credits issued to pay for the plans. CMS barred TrueCoverage and BenefitAlign from accessing the ACA marketplace. It said it received more than 90,000 complaints about unauthorized plan switches and more than 183,500 complaints about unauthorized enrollments, but the agency did not attribute all of the complaints to activities by the two companies. In addition, CMS restricted all agents’ abilities to alter policyholders’ enrollment information, the lawsuit says. Now access is allowed only for agents that already represent policyholders or if the policyholder participates in a three-way call with an agent and a marketplace employee. Between June and October, the agency barred 850 agents and brokers from accessing the marketplace “for reasonable suspicion of fraudulent or abusive conduct related to unauthorized enrollments or unauthorized plan switches,” according to an October CMS news release . The changes resulted in a “dramatic and sustained drop” in unauthorized activity, including a nearly 70% decrease in plan changes associated with an agent or broker and a nearly 90% decrease in changes to agent or broker commission information, the release said. It added that while consumers were often unaware of such changes, the opportunity to make them provided “significant financial incentive for non-compliant agents and brokers.” But CMS’ restrictions might be having unintended consequences for law-abiding agents and brokers. A story published by Insurance News Net on Nov. 11 quoted the president of the Health Agents for America (HAFA) trade group as saying agents are being suspended by CMS after being flagged by a mysterious algorithm that no one can figure out. The story quotes HAFA president Ronnell Nolan as surmising, “maybe they wrote too many policies on the same day for people who have the same income or they’re writing too many policies on people of a certain occupation.” Nolan continued, “We have members who have thousands of ACA clients. They can’t update or renew their clients. So those consumers have lost access to their professional agent, which is simply unfair.” Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.

Stock market today: Tech stocks and AI pull Wall Street to more recordsThe president of the Tisza Party provoked the deputy state secretary for social affairs in front of a children's home in Bicske after he tried to enter the home without permission. Peter Magyar demanded information on the situation of children's homes, but he was arrogant and did not let the politician finish a single sentence. Just a week ago, Peter Magyar, as an MEP, threatened the head of the Directorate-General for Social Affairs and Child Protection after a visit in a children's home in Miskolc, eastern Hungary. In response, Attila Fulop, state secretary for social affairs, told him that no further "visits by MEPs" would be considered in the future. Despite this, Peter Magyar apparently wanted to provoke again on Friday. This time he wanted to pay an unsolicited visit in the children's home in Bicske. However, he was met by Peter Csizi, deputy state secretary for social affairs, outside the institution. This may have surprised the president of the Tisza Party, as he instantly began attacking the government politician. Peter Magyar claimed he wanted information on the situation in children's home and the state secretary would have been willing to provide answers. However, Peter Magyar probably did not want to hear the answers, as he did not let the state secretary finish a single sentence. In a provocative, arrogant and violent style, he tried to cut Peter Csizi short all along. The deputy state secretary said that Peter Magyar had put up just another political show, and his performance in Bicske and Miskolc was provocative and aggressive. In his opinion, this is exactly what the children need the least. As Attila Fulop, state secretary for social affairs, has already said, Peter Magyar would not be allowed to enter the children's home in Bicske. The chief of the Tisza Party spent an hour provoking, arguing and raising his voice, until he was forced to accept that he was unable to achieve his original goal of entering the children's home. A téma legfrissebb hírei Anti-Hungarian Sentiment Rising in Romania If we are not there, if we become weaker, it will be impossible to defend ourselves, to protect the Hungarian minority, Hunor Kelemen told Magyar Nemzet in an interview. Absurd: Peter Magyar's Facebook Expert to Grill TikTok Chiefs in EP The issue is Romania's presidential election and how a candidate who came from nowhere could come out on top. This Deal Is Dangerous for Hungary The new European deal includes the liberalization of migration and support for Ukraine, which the Hungarian government rejects, the government spokesman said. Hungary DM: We Face the Most Dangerous Period of the Russia-Ukraine War Until the inauguration of the US president, the risk of escalation of the conflict is greater than ever," Hungary's defense minister said. Magyar Péter most Bicskén üvöltözött az emberekkel - videó Kétszáz százalékon a Tisza! Tudtad? A kávénak gyógyító ereje van Korszakos bejelentés: új magyar légitársaság született - decemberben indul az első járat A rozmaringolaj csodát tesz a hajjal: így készítsd el otthon Havas Henrik szerint sokan tudtak arról, ami Lakatos Márkról kiderült + videó Kihallgattak egy fontos tanút, brutális részletek derültek ki a Lakatos Márk-ügyről! Szombati sportműsor: rangadó a svédek ellen a női kézilabda Eb-n Kézilabda Eb: A rutinos legenda összepakolt és hazament Dalra fakadt Magyar Péter, amikor kellemetlen kérdést kapott + videó Nagy a baj: Ukrajna sürgős segítséget kért Hatalmas titok derült ki, Gyurcsány embere borította a bilit Címoldalról ajánljuk Anti-Hungarian Sentiment Rising in Romania If we are not there, if we become weaker, it will be impossible to defend ourselves, to protect the Hungarian minority, Hunor Kelemen told Magyar Nemzet in an interview. Absurd: Peter Magyar's Facebook Expert to Grill TikTok Chiefs in EP The issue is Romania's presidential election and how a candidate who came from nowhere could come out on top. This Deal Is Dangerous for Hungary The new European deal includes the liberalization of migration and support for Ukraine, which the Hungarian government rejects, the government spokesman said. Hungary DM: We Face the Most Dangerous Period of the Russia-Ukraine War Until the inauguration of the US president, the risk of escalation of the conflict is greater than ever," Hungary's defense minister said. Fontos híreink Kerkez Milos bombagólt lőtt a Premier League-ben + videó Saját kutyái haraptak Kovács Gergelybe Kínos Barcelona-vereség fehér gatyában, de hát az a Real Madrid színe! Pornográf tartalmakkal árasztották el egy katolikus plébánia Facebook-oldalát Valószínűleg feltörték a jászapáti plébánia Facebook-oldalát. A néppárt és az európai baloldal között született paktum nem szolgálja Magyarország érdekeit Stratégiai fejlesztés a déli határon + videó A McLaren újabb lépést tett, hogy 1998 után újra világbajnok legyen Trianonról szerveznek történelmi csapatversenyt Itt a jövő fürdője: embereknek fejlesztett tisztálkodógépet egy japán techóriás 10 millióan látták a magyar mozikban, mégsem emlékszik erre senki – a film, ami még az Avatart is lenyomta Itt az ünnepi időszak, fénybe borulnak a MÁV járatai + képek Orbán Viktor a pápával találkozik A Magyar Nemzet közéleti napilap konzervatív, nemzeti alapról, a tényekre építve adja közre a legfontosabb társadalmi, politikai, gazdasági, kulturális és sport témájú információkat. Belföldi híreink Anti-Hungarian Sentiment Rising in Romania If we are not there, if we become weaker, it will be impossible to defend ourselves, to protect the Hungarian minority, Hunor Kelemen told Magyar Nemzet in an interview. Absurd: Peter Magyar's Facebook Expert to Grill TikTok Chiefs in EP The issue is Romania's presidential election and how a candidate who came from nowhere could come out on top. This Deal Is Dangerous for Hungary The new European deal includes the liberalization of migration and support for Ukraine, which the Hungarian government rejects, the government spokesman said. Hungary DM: We Face the Most Dangerous Period of the Russia-Ukraine War Until the inauguration of the US president, the risk of escalation of the conflict is greater than ever," Hungary's defense minister said. Külföldi híreink Hungary’s EU Presidency Achieves Major Success Petri Bernadett: The interests of European citizens cannot be sidelined in the long run. Hungary FM: Albania Making Spectacular Progress on Road to Integration During Hungary' EU Presidency Albania is making spectacular progress on the road to integration during Hungary's EU presidency, which shows the entire Western Balkans that there is indeed hope for accession, Hungary's foreign minister said. PM Orban: We Have Never Been Closer to Peace, Yet the War Situation Has Never Been So Dangerous The government will undergo restructuring as of January 1, and the future leader of Hungary's National Bank has been identified. Legyünk résen! Ezek mindenre képesek. Két nap után találták meg a 81 éves férfit Két napja eltűnt egy 81 éves kadafalvi férfi, akit két nap keresés után, szombat reggel talált meg a kecskeméti Hírös Rescue Team csapata. Polyák Gábor beismerte, ő David Pressman pénzosztója A baloldali megmondóember aktívan dolgozik az ellenzék törekvések érvényesítéséért. A németek többsége támogatja a kiskorúak közösségimédia-tilalmát A válaszadók 77 százaléka teljes mértékben vagy inkább egyetértene egy ilyen németországi törvénnyel. A Magyar Nemzet közéleti napilap konzervatív, nemzeti alapról, a tényekre építve adja közre a legfontosabb társadalmi, politikai, gazdasági, kulturális és sport témájú információkat.

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in Beirut, Lebanon, Nov. 26. AP-Yonhap Israel approved a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah militants on Tuesday that would end nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the war in the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire, starting at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday, would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza , where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. Hours before the ceasefire with Hezbollah was to take effect, Israel carried out the most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the conflict and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities. Another huge airstrike shook Beirut shortly after the ceasefire was announced. “The last stages have been the most scary,” said Ahmad Khateeb, who fled to the city’s seaside promenade with relatives. There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal but which Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected. Israel's security Cabinet approved the U.S.-France-brokered ceasefire agreement after Netanyahu presented it, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Biden administration spent much of this year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza but the talks repeatedly sputtered to a halt . President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East without saying how. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” The ceasefire deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor compliance. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Netanyahu’s office said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli strike, in the Chiyah district of Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, Nov. 25. Reuters-Yonhap Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire and described it as a crucial step toward stability and the return of displaced people. Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state," he said, referring to Israel's demand for freedom of action. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Even as ceasefire efforts gained momentum in recent days, Israel continued to strike what it called Hezbollah targets across Lebanon while the militants fired rockets, missiles and drones across the border. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in central Beirut — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously were not targeted. Residents fled. Traffic was gridlocked, with mattresses tied to some cars. Dozens of people, some wearing pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed overhead. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said peacekeepers will not evacuate. The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have exchanged barrages ever since. Israel escalated its bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. (AP)

This time, the start was not problematic. The rest of the game, however, was troublesome. And now, with one-quarter of the 2024-25 season completed, the worrying questions being asked about the Rangers are existential in nature: Who are they? And what are they? “Our whole goal here is to make sure that we’re a team that is hard to play against and hard to get stuff by,” defenseman Braden Schneider said after the Rangers dropped their third straight game in a 5-2 loss to the Blues on Monday night at the Garden. The Rangers fell to 12-7-1 overall and 5-4-1 at home, which prompted another question for Schneider: Are the Rangers still developing their identity or have they gotten away from it? “I’m not sure,” Schneider said. “I think we’re working toward something that we know we can achieve and I think we’re going to keep grinding away at that until we get there.” To be fair, there are 62 games remaining for the Rangers to find themselves. But the overarching issue is that the structure and style implemented last year appears to be missing. “We’re giving up too much,” Peter Laviolette said. The Rangers were outshot 43-29 by a Blues (10-12-1) squad that was playing its first game under coach Jim Montgomery, who was hired Sunday — five days after being fired by the Bruins. During his availability following the morning skate, Laviolette bemoaned the way the Rangers had started their last two games — the 3-2 loss to the Flames on Thursday night and Saturday night’s 6-2 blowout defeat in Edmonton. But truth be told, the Rangers did have a relatively quick start, as they had a 10-5 advantage in shots 6:25 into the game. But the final 53:35 proved to be vexing as the Blues outshot the Rangers 38-19. “We’re not going to win games giving up 40, 50 shots,” Laviolette said. “It’s got to be much tighter.” Brayden Schenn’s semi-breakaway goal 1:12 into the third period helped St. Louis break a 2-2 tie. The sequence leading to Schenn’s winner began with Justin Faulk stripping Mika Zibanejad of the puck behind the St. Louis net. With the teams skating four-on-four, Scott Perunovich jumped on the turnover and sprung Schenn, whose fourth of the season beat Igor Shesterkin (38 saves) to the stick side. Zack Bolduc scored his second of the game 7:13 later to put the game out of reach. Pavel Buchnevich’s empty-netter with 2:45 left ended the scoring. “Give up a goal to start the third period and I didn’t like the response after that,” Laviolette said. “We need more response because it’s not good enough.” The Rangers took a 1-0 lead 8:47 into the game on the first of Will Cuylle’s two goals. Twenty-nine seconds after the Rangers’ second power play of the first period came to an end, Cuylle was credited with his eighth goal of the season. The play began with Kaapo Kakko firing a shot from the half wall that deflected off Zac Jones’ stick before it ricocheted off Cuylle’s leg and in between Joel Hofer’s legs. The lead lasted for all of 2:58. Jordan Kyrou tied it at 1-1 with his seventh of the season at 11:45 off a behind-the-net feed from Schenn, who had intercepted Zibanejad’s pass behind the goal line intended for Jacob Trouba. Bolduc’s first of the season 4:30 into the second period put the Blues ahead, 2-1. The Rangers were unable to break out of their end of the ice due St. Louis’ heavy forecheck to start the period, and it was costly when Bolduc flipped a quick shot that eluded Shesterkin. “We weren’t able to get out of our own zone as cleanly as we would have liked,” Schneider said. The Rangers drew even nearly three minutes later when Cuylle slammed a one-timer past Hofer (27 saves). Rangers rookie Brett Berard recorded his first NHL point on the goal as he was credited with the secondary assist. “I don’t know if [there was] anything good,” Artemi Panarin said, when asked if there were any positives the Rangers could glean out of the loss.

WARNING: This story contains details that may distress readers. A stampede at a football match dedicated to Guinea’s junta chief killed at least 56 people, the government said on Tuesday morning (AEDT). In a shocking development following the tragedy, the opposition has accused the military-led authorities of being “directly responsible”. Spectators at Monday’s game in the country’s second-largest city of N’Zerekore invaded the pitch after one or two players were sent off and a penalty was awarded to the opposing side Labe at the end of the game, witnesses said. The events had initially been reported as clashes between fans. Officials watching the match, including two ministers, were prevented from leaving, prompting stone throwing and the firing of tear gas by security forces, a witness said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Panic quickly set in, leading to an uncontrollable stampede,” he said. “People were trampled underfoot or injured as they tried to flee,” he added. One AFP journalist described the scenes as “mass carnage”. The match in the southeastern city was the final of a tournament organised in honour of Guinea’s junta leader, General Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup and has installed himself as president. The opposition has accused the junta of using sport for political ends. Videos circulating on social media, which AFP was unable to immediately verify, show a huge crowd packed in the dilapidated stadium. “The thousands of people at the stadium were gripped by panic and fear. It was every man for himself,” said a local official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Protests of dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions led to stone-throwing by supporters, resulting in fatal stampedes,” the government said in a statement which was read out on national television. “Hospital services have put the provisional death toll at 56, with several others injured,” it added, describing the incident as a “tragic event”. On Monday, a doctor earlier described horrific scenes at medical facilities. “There are bodies lined up as far as the eye can see in the hospital. Others are lying on the floor in the hallways. The morgue is full,” one doctor said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. He said “there are around 100 dead”, with bodies filling the local hospital and morgue. Videos posted on social media showed chaotic scenes, with people climbing what appear to be the stadium’s perimeter walls to escape. Others showed numerous bodies lying on the ground. Doctors told AFP on Sunday that dozens had died. Access to verified information in the remote part of the West African country is limited. Local media reported that hospital wards and a morgue were overwhelmed by the injured and dead. “The government is doing everything possible to respond to this tragic event,” Doumbouya said in a statement on social media. “An emergency mission led by the prime minister has been dispatched,” he added. Doumbouya said a commission of enquiry would be set up “to rule on the causes of this tragedy and to determine who is responsible”. The junta chief called for calm in the West African nation, which has a turbulent political history and remains poor despite considerable natural resources. The crackdown on an opposition rally at a stadium in the capital Conakry left at least 156 people dead in 2009, according to a UN-mandated international commission of enquiry. Such football tournaments and other public gatherings have become common in Guinea in recent weeks, in what is widely seen as a campaign to promote Doumbouya’s candidacy in any future presidential election. The military seized power by force in September 2021 by overthrowing civilian President Alpha Conde. Under international pressure, the junta pledged to hand power back to a civilian government by the end of 2024 but has since made clear it will not. Several of Doumbouya’s aides have recently expressed their support for his possible presidential bid. One of the last remaining dissident voices in Guinea, the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), published a statement expressing its “outrage” at the tragedy in N’Zerekore. It said it held the junta chief and his government “directly responsible for this disaster, which cost the lives of innocent citizens, including many children”. “This demonstrates the cynical use of sport by the junta, exploiting these images of mobilisation for political ends,” the statement added. Former president Conde expressed “profound sadness and boundless outrage” in a social media post. “In a context where the country is already marked by tensions and restrictions, this tragedy highlights the dangers of irresponsible organisation and a lack of adequate preparation,” he said.We needed it – Pep Guardiola relieved to end Man City’s winless run

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GCC-4001 is under clinical development by Artiva Biotherapeutics and currently in Phase II for Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma). According to GlobalData, Phase II drugs for Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-Cell Hodgkin Lymphoma) have a 17% phase transition success rate (PTSR) indication benchmark for progressing into Phase III. GlobalData tracks drug-specific phase transition and likelihood of approval scores, in addition to indication benchmarks based off 18 years of historical drug development data. Attributes of the drug, company and its clinical trials play a fundamental role in drug-specific PTSR and likelihood of approval. GCC-4001 overview GCC-4001 (AB-101) is under development for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, pemphigus vulgaris, granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia, peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL), angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), R/R classical Hodgkin lymphoma, lupus nephritis (LN) and autoimmune disorders. The therapeutic candidate is an allogeneic, non-engineered, cord blood-derived natural killer (NK) cell therapy. It is administered through intravenous route and is being developed based on AlloNK platform. Artiva Biotherapeutics overview Artiva Biotherapeutics is a biotechnology company developing allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell therapies to treat hematologic cancers or solid tumors. It is investigating AB-101, an allogeneic NK cell therapy used for the treatment of B-cell malignancies; AB-201, a CAR-NK (chimeric antigen receptor-modified natural killer) cell therapy targeting HER2 positive solid tumors; and AB-202 against CD19 positive B-cell malignancies. Artiva Biotherapeutics utilizes its proprietary CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) platform to improve NK cells’ therapeutic activity and tumor-targeting capability. Artiva Biotherapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, California, the US. For a complete picture of GCC-4001’s drug-specific PTSR and LoA scores, This content was updated on 12 April 2024 From Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors. , the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article. GlobalData’s Likelihood of Approval analytics tool dynamically assesses and predicts how likely a drug will move to the next stage in clinical development (PTSR), as well as how likely the drug will be approved (LoA). This is based on a combination of machine learning and a proprietary algorithm to process data points from various databases found on GlobalData’s .

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prenetics Global Limited, PRE ("Prenetics" or the "Company"), a leading health sciences company, today announced that members of the Prenetics management team will participate in two upcoming investor conferences. iAccess Alpha Virtual Best Ideas Winter Conference 2024 Date: December 10-11, 2024 Location: Virtual Presentation: December 10, 2024 at 10:00am ET Webcast: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/3074/51539 Danny Yeung, Chief Executive Officer, will deliver a presentation on December 10, 2024, and will be joined by Stephen Lo, Chief Financial Officer, and David Vanderveen, President of Prenetics Americas, for one-on-one investor meetings to be held on December 11, 2024. 13th Annual ROTH Deer Valley Event Date: December 11-13, 2024 Location: Park City, UT David Vanderveen, President of Prenetics Americas, will be hosting one-on-one investor meetings throughout the conference. Mr. Vanderveen has had a successful 30-year track record in beverage, nutrition, and technology, leading disruptive change at both Nirvana Water Sciences and XS Worldwide as prior CEO. For more information or to schedule a meeting with management, please contact the Company's investor relations at PRE@mzgroup.us . About Prenetics Prenetics PRE , a leading health sciences company, is dedicated to advancing consumer and clinical health. Our consumer initiative is led by IM8, a new health and wellness brand and Europa, one of the largest sports distribution companies in the USA. Our clinical division is led by Insighta, our $200 million venture focused on multi-cancer early detection technologies. This is followed by ACT Genomics, which has achieved FDA clearance for comprehensive genomic profiling of solid tumors, and CircleDNA, which uses NGS to offer comprehensive DNA tests. Each of Prenetics' units synergistically enhances our global impact on health, embodying our commitment to ‘enhancing life through science'. To learn more about Prenetics, please visit www.prenetics.com . Investor Relations Contact: investors@prenetics.com PRE@mzgroup.us Angela Cheung Investor Relations / Corporate Finance Prenetics Global Limited angela.hm.cheung@prenetics.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.International rugby sevens returned to thrill the huge crowds at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai as Australia women and Fiji men ran out winners to take an early lead in the HSBC SVNS standings. Fiji beat Spain 19-5 to lift the men’s trophy and claim their first SVNS tournament victory since Toulouse in 2022, and their first in Dubai since 2016. Argentina claimed the men’s bronze medals with a convincing 14-0 win over New Zealand. Australia secured an incredible fifth successive women’s tournament victory in Dubai but they had to work hard for it in an epic final against Olympic champions New Zealand which finished 28-24. France overcame Great Britain 15-12 to take home the women’s bronze medals. Olympic silver medallists Fiji looked back to their scintillating best and turned on the style to thrash Argentina 43-21 in the semi-final, having earlier overcome reigning Olympic champions France 19-17 in a tense quarter-final. Fiji coach Osea Kolinisau was delighted his side had broken their long run without a title: “It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “ I’m so happy for the boys. I’m so happy that we’ve got the monkey off our back now. Spain were impressive throughout the weekend and made history by reaching their first ever cup final thanks to a superb 19-14 victory over New Zealand in the semi-final, following a quarter-final win against Great Britain by the same scoreline earlier in the day. WOMEN Australia reached the women’s final courtesy of convincing wins over Great Britain 35-7 in the semi-final and 39-0 against Olympic silver medallists Canada in the quarter-final. Australia’s new captain Isabella Nasser said: “I’m sort of lost for words,” she said. “I’m proud of the girls. We have such a tight-knit group – the young ones really showed up today and I’m sure they will for the rest of the season. The best is yet to come. “The Black Ferns are always such a hard team (to play). They always show up and we have such a good rivalry.” New Zealand progressed to the final thanks to a 28-14 semi-final victory over France and seeing off Ireland 33-12 in the quarter-final. New records Following a ground-breaking Olympic Games in Paris that saw more than 530,000 fans witness rugby sevens, the eagerly anticipated new season of SVNS began in great fashion with two days of non-stop dynamic action on the pitch and spectacular entertainment off it. FRESH TALENT With 91 debutant players selected across the 12 men’s and 12 women’s squads there was an array of fresh talent on show alongside some of the biggest stars of the sport including Australia’s Maddison Levi who was awarded HSBC World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year last Sunday and broke the record for tries in a single SVNS tournament this weekend, crossing the line 15 times in six matches. The event also saw Ireland’s Aimee Leigh Murphy Crowe joined an elite club by scoring her 200th SVNS Series try while Australia’s own try machine Faith Nathan claimed her 100th try on day one in Dubai. All 24 teams move directly on to Cape Town for the second round of HSBC SVNS 2025 on 7-8 December. A new competition format will see the 12 teams in four pools of three teams with the pool winners advancing directly to semi-finals and a chance to reach the medal podium in Cape Town. CAPE TOWN POOLS The pools for Cape Town were allocated based on rankings at the end of the Dubai tournament. MEN’S Pool A: Fiji, Great Britain, Uruguay. Pool B Spain, Australia and Kenya. Pool C: Argentina, South Africa and Ireland. Pool D: New Zealand, France and USA. WOMEN’S Pool A: Australia, Canada and Brazil. Pool B: New Zealand, Japan and China. Pool C: France, Ireland and Spain. Pool D: Great Britain, USA and Fiji. – World Rugby Feedback: leonec@fijisun.com.fj

The billing of London-born former Chelsea boss Hayes against England’s Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman – arguably the best two bosses in the women’s game – had generated more buzz in the build-up than the players on the pitch, despite it being a rare encounter between the two top-ranked sides in the world. Hayes enjoyed her return to familiar shores but felt the US lacked the “killer piece” after they looked the likelier side to make the breakthrough. Elite meeting of the minds 🌟 — U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) Asked what was going through her mind during the national anthem, Hayes said: “I was definitely mouthing (it), and Naomi (Girma) and Lynn (Williams) could see that I was struggling with where to be and all that. “I got to the end of the anthems and I thought, ‘that’s so ridiculous. I’m proud to be English and I’m proud of our national anthem, and I’m also really proud to coach America’. “Two things are possible all at once. I don’t want to fuel a nationalist debate around it. The realities are both countries are really dear to me for lots of reasons, and I’m really proud to represent both of them.” The Lionesses did not register a shot on target in the first half but grew into the game in the second. US captain Lindsey Horan had the ball in the net after the break but the flag was up, while Hayes’ side had a penalty award for a handball reversed after a VAR check determined substitute Yazmeen Ryan’s shot hit Alex Greenwood’s chest. Hayes, who left Chelsea after 12 trophy-packed years this summer, said: “I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of top-level games, including here, so there’s a familiarity to being here for me. “It’s not new to me, and because of that there was a whole sense of I’m coming back to a place I know. I have a really healthy perspective, and I want to have a really healthy perspective on my profession. “I give everything I possibly can for a team that I really, really enjoy coaching, and I thrive, not just under pressure, but I like these opportunities, I like being in these situations. They bring out the best in me. “You’ve got two top teams now, Sarina is an amazing coach, I thought it was a good tactical match-up, and I just enjoy coaching a high-level football match, to be honest with you. I don’t think too much about it.” Hayes had travelled to London without her entire Olympic gold medal-winning ‘Triple Espresso’ forward line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith, all nursing niggling injuries. Before the match, the 48-year-old was spotted chatting with Wiegman and her US men’s counterpart, fellow ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, who was also in attendance. England were also missing a number of key attackers for the friendly including Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone, all ruled out with injury. "This shows where we are at and we need to keep improving. It is November now. This is good but we want to be better again. We have to be better again." 👊 Reaction from the boss ⬇️ — Lionesses (@Lionesses) Wiegman brushed aside suggestions from some pundits that her side were content to settle for a draw. She said: “I think we were really defending as a team, very strong. We got momentum in the second half, we did better, and of course both teams went for the win. “So many things happened in this game, also in front of the goal, so I don’t think it was boring. “We wanted to go for the win, but it was such a high-intensity game, you have to deal with a very good opponent, so you can’t just say, ‘Now we’re going to go and score that goal’. “We tried, of course, to do that. We didn’t slow down to keep it 0-0. I think that was just how the game went.”