Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) could potentially return to Congress after withdrawing as a candidate for attorney general in President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration. “I do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th Congress to pursue the position of attorney general in the Trump administration,” Gaetz said. DeSantis, a Republican, said earlier this month that he had instructed Florida’s secretary of state to schedule a special election for the seat, which represents Florida’s First Congressional District. The election has not yet been scheduled. Based on state and federal requirements, the special election is not expected to be held until after the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, 2025. Aubrey Jewett, the assistant director of the University of Central Florida’s School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, told The Epoch Times that Gaetz could try to rescind the resignation. Gaetz can rescind the resignation if it did not yet go into effect, Peter Bergerson, professor emeritus of political science at Florida Gulf Coast University, told The Epoch Times in an email. If the resignation is successfully rescinded, then Gaetz will be a member of the House and will keep his seat in January. Both Jewett and Bergerson said that regardless of the resignation, Gaetz can run in the special election if one is held. Gaetz’s return to the House could result in the release of a report compiled following an investigation of various allegations against him by the House Ethics Committee. The committee said it was not releasing the report in light of Gaetz’s resignation from Congress. “I don’t think he wants that report released,” Jewett said. “I think that’s been a pretty big driving factor in his decisions.” A spokesman for Gaetz did not respond to a request for comment. Gaetz said in his withdrawal announcement that he did not want to be a distraction for Trump’s second term. “I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history,” Gaetz said. Trump said, “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” Gaetz started representing Florida’s First Congressional District in 2017. He easily won reelection in the 2024 election with 66 percent of the vote. A Gaetz entry to the special election could clear the field, especially if Trump issues a fresh endorsement, Jewett said. DeSantis is also preparing to name an individual for an upcoming vacancy in the Senate should Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) become Trump’s secretary of state, as planned. DeSantis could consider naming Gaetz to that vacancy. Whoever is appointed will finish Rubio’s six-year term, which started in January 2023. Even if DeSantis does not choose Gaetz, the former congressman could run for the next full term in 2026. Another possibility is vying for the governorship of Florida. DeSantis, who cruised to reelection in 2022, is term-limited from running again. Gaetz has said before, though, that he is not interested in becoming governor. As for Trump, he will vet other possible candidates for attorney general, the transition team said. “President Trump will announce his new decision when it is made,” Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman, told news outlets in a statement. Trump previously nominated Todd Blanche, one of his personal lawyers, to the post of deputy attorney general and Emil Bove, another attorney who has represented Trump, to another top position in the Department of Justice. The attorney general is the leader of the department.AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:02 p.m. ESTHitster, the perfect party game, is now available in PHL
In this article GAP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT People walk past an Old Navy store on Fulton Street on April 11, 2024 in Downtown Brooklyn in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images Hurricanes and unseasonably warm weather hit sales at Gap during its fiscal third quarter, but the apparel company still posted better-than-expected results, leading it to raise its annual guidance for a third time this year. Gap, which runs Old Navy, Banana Republic, Athleta and its namesake banner, is now expecting fiscal 2024 sales to be up between 1.5% and 2%, compared with previous guidance of "up slightly." That's ahead of the 0.4% growth that LSEG analysts had expected, and bodes well for the all-important holiday shopping season, which is now underway. The company is also anticipating gross margins and operating income will grow more than it previously expected. Shares surged about 13% in extended trading. Here's how the nation's largest specialty apparel retailer performed compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG: Earnings per share: 72 cents vs. 58 cents expected Revenue: $3.83 billion vs. $3.81 billion expected Gap's reported net income for the three-month period that ended Nov. 2 was $274 million, or 72 cents per share, compared with $218 million, or 58 cents per share, a year earlier. Sales rose to $3.83 billion, up about 2% from $3.78 billion a year earlier. Across Gap's business, unseasonably warm weather affected sales by about 1 percentage point during the quarter, while storms and hurricanes led overall store sales to fall by 2%, CEO Richard Dickson told CNBC in an interview. "We had unusual circumstances, hurricanes, storms that led to almost 180 closures at the peak of the impact," said Dickson, adding the storms affected Old Navy, Gap's largest brand by revenue, the most. As soon as the weather turned around, sales "rebounded" and the holiday shopping season is off to a "strong start" so far, said Dickson. "We are energized about the holiday. Our teams are really focused on executing our plans. If we compare ourselves to where we were last year, our brands are in a much more pronounced place than they were last year," he said. "We've got stronger brand identities and we're more practiced in our playbook that we talk a lot about, driving better product, better pricing, more relevance, better consumer experience and excellence in execution." Since Dickson took the helm of Gap a little over a year ago, he's worked to turn around the business after years of declines. Under his direction, the company has leaned into nostalgic marketing and celebrity partnerships to reclaim cultural relevance. Sales have grown for the last four quarters in a row, but the company is still smaller than it once was, and critics say it needs to do more to fix its product assortment and drive full-price selling. Here's a closer look at each brand's performance: Old Navy: Gap said sales at its largest brand grew 1% to $2.2 billion, while comparable sales were flat, shy of the 0.9% growth that analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount. Old Navy's kids category was particularly affected by the warmer weather, said Dickson. Gap: Gap's eponymous banner grew 1% to $899 million during the quarter, while comparable sales were up 3% — better than the 2.3% growth Wall Street expected, according to StreetAccount. The brand has seen four straight quarters of positive comparable sales and is benefiting from better marketing and product, the company said. Banana Republic: The trendy workwear line grew sales 2% to $469 million while comparable sales fell 1%, a bit worse than the 0.8% drop that StreetAccount had expected. The brand has worked to turn around its men's business, which drove results during the quarter. Overall, it is still focused "on fixing the fundamentals," the company said. Athleta: The athleisure arm of Gap's empire grew sales by 4% to $290 million while comparable sales were up 5%. The results weren't comparable to estimates. In the year-ago period, comparable sales were down 19% at Athleta. Under its new CEO, former Alo Yoga boss Chris Blakeslee, the brand has managed to turn things around.Lawsuit challenging Wisconsin wedding barn law allowed to proceed
Is 'Dronegate' A Chinese Psyop?eLong Power Holding Limited Completes Business Combination with TMT Acquisition CorpSyria rebel fighters raced into Damascus unopposed on Sunday, overthrowing president Bashar al-Assad and ending nearly six decades of his family's iron-fisted rule after a lightning advance that reversed the course of a 13-year civil war. In one of the most consequential turning points in the Middle East for generations, the fall of Assad's government wiped out a bastion from which Iran and Russia exercised influence across the Arab world. Moscow gave him and his family asylum. His sudden overthrow, at the hands of a Turkish-backed revolt with roots in jihadist Sunni Islam, limits Iran's ability to spread weapons to its allies and could cost Russia its Mediterranean naval base. It also may pave the way for millions of refugees scattered for more than a decade in camps across Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan to finally return home. For Syrians, it brought a sudden unexpected end to a war that had been in deep freeze for years, with hundreds of thousands dead, cities pounded to dust, an economy hollowed out by global sanctions and seemingly no resolution in sight. "How many people were displaced across the world? How many people lived in tents? How many drowned in the seas?" the top rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani told a huge crowd at the medieval Umayyad Mosque in central Damascus, referring to refugees who drowned trying to reach Europe. "A new history, my brothers, is being written in the entire region after this great victory," he said. It would take hard work to build a new Syria which he said would be "a beacon for the Islamic nation". The Assad police state - known since his father seized power in the 1960s as one of the harshest in the Middle East with hundreds of thousands of political prisoners in its gulag - melted away overnight. Bewildered and elated inmates poured out of jails after rebels blasted away the locks on their cells. Reunited families wept and wailed in joy. Newly freed prisoners were filmed at dawn running through the Damascus streets holding up the fingers of both hands to show how many years they had been in prison. "We toppled the regime!" a voice shouted and a prisoner yelled and skipped with delight. As the sun set in Damascus without Assad for the first time, the roads leading into the city were mostly empty, apart from motorcycles carrying armed men and rebel vehicles caked with brownish mud as camouflage. Some men could be seen looting a shopping centre on the road between the capital and the Lebanese border, stuffing goods into plastic bags or into pick-up trucks. The myriad checkpoints lining the road to Damascus were empty. Posters of Assad had been torn at his eyes. A burning Syrian military truck was parked diagonally on the road out of the city. A thick column of black smoke billowed out from the Mazzeh neighbourhood, where Israeli strikes earlier had targeted Syrian state security branches, according to two security sources. Throughout the evening, intermittent gunfire rang out throughout the city in apparent celebration. Shops and restaurants closed early in line with a curfew imposed by the rebels. Just before it came into effect, people could be seen briskly walking home with stacks of bread. Earlier, the rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments. Thousands of people in cars and on foot congregated at a main square in Damascus waving and chanting "Freedom". People were seen walking inside the Al-Rawda Presidential Palace, with some leaving carrying furniture from inside. A motorcycle was parked on the intricately-laid parquet floor of a gilded hall.The deadline approaches
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Georgia QB Carson Beck's status for Sugar Bowl uncertain as he considers treatment options on elbowFighting graft
Unicommerce’s Company Secretary & KMP Ajinkya Jain QuitsPresident Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday insisted at a meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump that any settlement with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine had to be "just", as fears grow in Kyiv on the position of the incoming administration. President Emmanuel Macron hosted three-way talks with Zelensky and Trump at the Elysee Palace, discussing what the incoming American president had termed a world that was a "little crazy". Hours after their meeting, the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden announced a new $988 million military assistance package for Ukraine. The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armoured vehicles, the Pentagon said in a statement. Zelensky's meeting with Trump just before the three men headed to Notre Dame for the re-opening ceremony of the great Paris cathedral was his first face-to-face encounter with tycoon-turned-politician since his election victory. The meeting was of huge importance to Zelensky, given fears in Kyiv that Trump, who once boasted he could end Russia's war on Ukraine in 24 hours, may urge Ukraine to make concessions to Moscow. It also offered a unique chance for Macron to gain insights into how a second Trump presidency will look when he takes office in January. The trip to Paris is Trump's first international visit since his November 5 election win. "We all want peace. But it is very important for us... that the peace is just for all of us and that Russia, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin or any other aggressor has no possibility of ever returning," Zelensky said according to the presidential website. "And this is the most important thing -- a just peace and security guarantees, strong security guarantees for Ukraine," he added. Trump has scoffed at the billions of dollars in US military assistance to Ukraine and has spoken of forcing a quick settlement. But Zelensky also thanked Trump for his "unwavering resolve" describing the talks as "good and productive". Trump and Macron embraced and shook hands several times on the steps of the French presidential palace, with Trump given a full guard of honour despite not yet being in office. "It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now and we will be talking about that," Trump told reporters as he prepared to sit down for the talks with Macron. Despite tensions between the two men during his first term, Trump hailed his ties with the centrist French leader, saying: "We had a great relationship as everyone knows. We accomplished a lot." Macron told Trump it was "a great honour for French people to welcome you" for the re-opening ceremony at Notre Dame, which was devastated by a blaze in 2019 during Trump's first term. "You were president at that time and I remember the solidarity and the immediate reaction," Macron added, speaking in English. When he first took office in 2017, Trump's ties with Macron -- then also a fresh face on the world stage -- began warmly despite their obvious political differences. Their long and muscular handshakes -- which saw each man seek to assert his superiority -- became a light-hearted focus of attention before ties cooled, then soured, following disputes about climate change, trade and defence. Trump earlier wrote on his Truth Social platform that the United States should "not get involved" in the situation in Syria, where fast-moving rebel forces say they have begun to encircle the capital Damascus. The Republican's return to power has rung alarms in Paris and many European capitals after his promises on the campaign trail to force an end to fighting in Ukraine and levy tariffs on trading partners. In his own reaction to the discussions, Macron wrote on social media: "Let us continue our joint efforts for peace and security." European allies have largely enjoyed a close working relationship with Biden on the crisis in the Middle East, but Trump is likely to distance himself and ally the United States even more closely with Israel. In a sign of the importance of Trump's one-day trip to Paris, he was accompanied by his pick for White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, as well as his Near East and Middle East advisors, Steve Witkoff and Massad Boulos, according to a guest list issued by the Elysee Palace. Tesla tycoon and Trump advisor Elon Musk, who was also on the line during a phone call between the incoming president and Zelensky last month, also flew into the French capital was present at the Notre Dame ceremony. sjw/adp/jjGREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Kenyon Giles scored 25 points as UNC Greensboro beat N.C. A&T 67-55 on Saturday. Giles had five rebounds for the Spartans (5-4). Donovan Atwell scored 15 points and added five rebounds. Jalen Breath shot 1 of 6 from the field and 8 for 8 from the line to finish with 10 points, while adding 10 rebounds. The Aggies (3-6) were led by Ryan Forrest, who posted 18 points and eight rebounds. Camian Shell added 15 points for N.C. A&T. Jahnathan Lamothe finished with 13 points and two steals. Atwell scored 11 points in the first half and UNC Greensboro went into the break trailing 36-35. Giles scored 15 points in the second half to help lead UNC Greensboro to a 12-point victory. NEXT UP UNC Greensboro's next game is Saturday against North Florida on the road, and N.C. A&T visits Virginia Tech on Thursday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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Trump Voters' Trust in Election Process Soars In Sharp Reversal To Post-2020 FeelingsGary Lineker has joked about his Match Of The Day departure as he hosted the show for the first time since confirming he is to step down. The BBC announced last week that Lineker will leave his role as host, which he has held since 1999, at the end of the current football season. Saturday’s episode of the football highlights programme opened with pundit Alan Shearer, Lineker’s fellow former England striker, saying direct to the camera: “All good things must come to an end.” Lineker then appeared, and said: “Yes Alan – Lee Carsley’s England reign is over. It’s back to business in the Premier League.” Despite his exit, the 63-year-old will remain with the BBC after both parties agreed to a contract extension through to the 2026 World Cup. Lineker will host BBC Sport’s coverage of the FA Cup in the 2025-26 campaign and continue presenting the Match Of The Day: Top 10 podcast for BBC Sounds, which will also host The Rest Is Football podcast, produced by Lineker’s Goalhanger Podcasts, with one episode released on the platform each week. The BBC has said future plans for Match Of The Day would be “announced in due course” with Mark Chapman, Alex Scott, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan among those being tipped as candidates to replace him. Following the announcement, Lineker said it “has been an absolute joy and privilege to present such an iconic show for the BBC, but all things have to come to an end” on his podcast, The Rest Is Football. He added: “I bowed out in my football career when I felt it was the right time. I feel this is now the right time. “I think the next contract they’re looking to do Match Of The Day slightly differently, so I think it makes sense for someone else to take the helm.” Lineker has hosted Match Of The Day since 1999 and will have presented the show for more than a quarter of a century when he leaves in May 2025.BEATRICE, Neb. — Once thought of as an aerial tool used for action photography and surveying land, drones are now working their way into the agricultural industry. John Zalauf, from Beatrice, Nebraska, has been a farmer for 30 years. "I use ground equipment. I use aerial with an airplane application, and now, this year, we've added a drone to that," Zalauf said. Zalauf said some farmers are skeptical of full-scale crop dusting, but now, there is something new — sprayers attached to drones. "The acreage owners come out and watched, and they were very impressed and happy with the job that it did," Zalauf said. "As far as a sprayer goes, you're looking at upwards of three-quarters of a million or better for a new one. These are under $100,000 just to get started," Andrew Kreikemeier, one of three co-founders of Infinity Precision Ag, said. Zalauf hired him this past harvest season to help with drone spraying and surveying. "When I brought the adjuster in, we knew where to go in the field to really get an accurate adjustment of the damage out there. And it was, it was very beneficial to do that," Zalauf said. While it may sound like science fiction, Dirk Charlson, who focuses on digital ag at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said drones are the future. "I really do see in 10 years that the spray drone may replace a lot of the application just because of safety, labor and cost-effectiveness," Charlson said. He said spray drones are a new phenomenon in Nebraska. After a drone conference this past August in Lincoln, a survey showed that 70% of attendees were using spray drones or showed interest in wanting to learn. "Most of my work now is trying to answer questions and doing education related to spray drones," Charlson said. This year, drone manufacturer Hylio became the first in the United States to secure Federal Aviation Administration approval for swarming drones that weigh more than 55 pounds. "Drone swarming is when you pair two or three of these drones in tandem, working off of one controller, and you can cover a lot more acres in a setting," Kreikemeier said. And there are other applications for drones. This summer, Zalauf's farm was hit by windstorms. Kreikemeier used a technique called mapping to determine where on the property wind gusts had caused damage.AndreyPopov From energy to tech, here's a list of key deals this week: Packaging solutions company Amcor ( AMCR ) has agreed to acquire peer Berry Global Group ( BERY ) in an $8.4B all-stock transaction. N-able ( NABL ) has acquired Adlumin, adding Cloud-Native XDR and MDR Capabilities
Barry Keoghan has seemingly addressed the rumors that he cheated on Sabrina Carpenter with TikTok sensation Breckie Hill hours after he deactivated his Instagram. The announcement of a "taking a break" between pop star Sabrina , 25, and actor Barry, 32, only came to light on December 4, but internet sleuths suggested Barry had been unfaithful after he was seen with Breckie at a Hollywood hotel. Barry took to Twitter today to defend his reputation against the "lies and hatred" spread by online trolls. "I can only sit and take so much. My name has been dragged across the internet in ways I usually don't respond too. I have to respond now because it's getting to a place where there are too many lines being crossed," he penned. Inside Sabrina Carpenter's relationship drama with Barry Keoghan ahead of Netflix holiday special Sabrina Carpenter celebrates Netflix Christmas special after Barry Keoghan breakup "I deactivated my account because I can no longer let this stuff distract from my family and my work. The messages I have received no person should ever have to read them. Absolute lies, hatred, disgusting commentary about my appearance, character, how I am as a parent and every other inhumane thing you can imagine." The Hollywood star went on: "Dragging my character and everything I worked extremely hard for and stand for. Talking about how I was a heroine baby and how I grew up and dragging my dear mother into it also. Knocking on my grannies door. Sitting outside my baby boys house intimidating them. That's crossing a line." Barry Keoghan expressed his dedication to being a good father, saying: "Each and every day I work harder to push myself on every level to be the healthiest and strongest person for that boy. I want to provide opportunities for him to learn, fail and grow. I want him to be able to look up to his daddy, to have full trust in me and know I will have his back no matter what.", reports the Mirror . He added: "I need you to remember he has to read ALL of this about his father when he is older. Please be respectful to all. Thank u x". The Irish actor was referring to his two year old son Brando, whom he shares with his ex-partner Alyson Kierans, a London-based dentist. This comes after Barry recently addressed fans who suggested he was neglecting his son in favor of his Hollywood career, leaving all parenting responsibilities to Alyson.Why Miami’s Pop-Tarts Bowl appearance is important even after missing College Football PlayoffATLANTA (AP) — Quarterback Carson Beck’s status for No. 2 Georgia’s Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal is uncertain after he suffered an elbow injury in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference championship game win over Texas. Georgia announced Monday there is no timetable on Beck’s return as he and his family explore treatment options. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Sunday the team was awaiting results of tests. The school did not announce details of the injury in Monday’s announcement. Beck was injured on the final play of the first half in the Bulldogs’ on Saturday. Beck made a to the field for the handoff on the game-winning play. Beck was needed after backup Gunner Stockton had his helmet knocked off, forcing him to leave the game for one play. Beck’s injury was to his right (throwing) arm. Even though he was able to take the snap and hand off to Trevor Etienne for the running back’s decisive 4-yard touchdown run, Beck was unable to raise his right arm. Smart said Sunday that Beck attended the team meeting for the CFP draw announcement. “He was pretty somber,” Smart said. “It was a tough deal for him in terms of not being able to go out there and finish in the second half.” Georgia announced punter Brett Thorson will need season-ending surgery after injuring his non-kicking leg against Texas. “Carson and Brett are both fierce competitors and extremely hard workers,” Smart said in a statement released by the school. “I’m confident they will attack their rehab with the same determination they exhibit in their daily habits. We will be here to support them every step of the way.” Stockton would be the likely starter if Beck can’t return for the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl. Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with one interception against Texas. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college football: and
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