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As the investigation continues, authorities are working to piece together the events leading up to the shooting and uncover any potential co-conspirators. The suspect is currently in custody, facing charges of attempted murder, possession of an unregistered firearm, and other related offenses. Meanwhile, the CEO is recovering from his injuries and has vowed to continue leading his company despite the harrowing ordeal.
won’t be taking over from Cathie Wood at ARK Invest – you heard it here first. But there are some other things that are unlikely in 2025 that investors should pay attention to. While risk is inevitable, working out how to minimise it is key. And that involves working out where it would take something big for things to go wrong. “Diageo cuts dividend” ( ) is facing a dual threat of US tariffs and anti-obesity drugs. But I don’t see either of these causing the business to lower its dividend in 2025. With the tariff issue, I think it’s worth noting that a decent part of the company’s portfolio – including , , and is produced in the US. These would be unaffected by taxes on imports. On the subject of anti-obesity drugs, the majority of users are people who already tend to consume less alcohol anyway. So I’m sceptical of the idea that this is likely to have a significant impact on demand. The risks can’t be ignored entirely, but the discounted share price means I’m looking to buy the stock in 2025. And I think the chances of the dividend doing any thing but go up in 2025 are extremely remote. “Rightmove accepts takeover bid” Earlier this year, REA group made a bid to acquire ( ). The offer was rejected and I don’t think anyone is going to succeed with a similar proposal in 2025. There are two reasons for this. The first is the company is doing well by itself – it’s growing strongly and it has a strong balance sheet, meaning there’s nearly no pressure to sell. The second is the stock isn’t exactly cheap, at a of 27. I’m not buying it at today’s levels and I can’t see anyone paying significantly over this to acquire the firm outright. The next year will be an interesting one for Rightmove, with the possibility of increased competition from OnTheMarket a potential threat. But as far as the chance of a takeover goes, I don’t think so. “Interest rates return to Covid-19 levels” Interest rates going back to 0.1% would almost certainly cause a huge rally in stock prices. But unless there’s another emergency on the scale of the Covid-19 pandemic, I just don’t see it. Even in that situation, I think the Bank of England might be more cautious than it was last time. The resulting is proving resilient and the last measurement of 2024 revealed CPI rising to 2.6%. Rising costs are unwelcome, but higher interest rates might be no bad thing for investors. These should weigh on share prices, creating opportunities to earn higher returns over the long term. Of course, that depends on which stocks investors choose to buy. But companies that can pass on higher costs to customers could make for very attractive investments. I could be wrong... With investing, uncertainty is inevitable. Dividends are never guaranteed, strange takeovers happen, and exogenous shocks can cause all kinds of macroeconomic instability. I could be wrong, but I don’t see Diageo cutting its dividend, Rightmove being acquired, or interest rates going to zero. I think this is about as likely as Warren Buffett taking over a disruptive innovation fund.
SHOPPERS have come across a mega Christmas deal at a popular discount chain with a price that blows rivals out of the water. With the Christmas countdown nearly upon us, Brits are taking to the shops to find the best deals and prices for their festive treats. 5 Home Bargains is selling the Milky Bar advent calendar for just 99p Credit: facebook/ExtremeCouponingAndBargainsUK 5 Shoppers have raved at the bargain price as other retailers charge up to £3 Credit: Alamy 5 The Milky Bar advent calendar has long been a kids' favourite for Christmas Credit: Getty Taking to Facebook, one shopper revealed how they found a Christmas staple for just 99p at Home Bargains. They shared the Milkybar advent calendar deal on the Facebook Group Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK. "Found for 99p in Home Bargains I got 2," the delighted shopper wrote. "They also do a KitKat one for 99p I got 2 for my kids," another commented. read more on advent calendars Lovehoney launches 70% Black Friday discount on bestsellers like couples advent SAUCY! Heinz unveil £25 'saucemas' advent calendar with 12 full-size bottles of condiments "On our way," another excited shopper said in response to another post about the deal. The jaw-dropping deal beats the price of the advent calendar at rival stores by far. Here are some price comparisons: Aldi - £1.99 Morrisons - £2.50 Asda - £2.50 but a reward deal saw coupon holders get it for £1 Sainsbury's - £3.00 Ocado - Reduced from £3.00 to £2.50 until Tuesday. Most read in Money FESTIVE BEER Full list of Wetherspoons opening in Scotland on Xmas Day, is one near you? WINTER WONDERLAND First look inside award-winning Santa's Grotto just 20mins from Glasgow FARM LIFE Farm with Scotland's only lake up for sale LUXURY LIVING Scots tycoon smashes house sale record at neighbourhood loved by celebs Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on shoppers to bag another festive favourite - the Cadbury advent calendar. The Sun has done the work for you, exploring which supermarket is the cheapest to buy the popular chocolate treat this week. Costco is selling a 5ft tall giant advent calendar Much like the above price comparisons, Alid comes out as a winner with the best offer for the 24-piece milk chocolate calendar for just £1.46. But, those who buy the calendar directly from Cadbury will pay a whopping £3.29. Tesco offers the firm favourite for £1.50 with a Clubcard while Sainsbury's, Ocado, and Waitrose have their prices at £1.75. Prices tend to fluctuate a lot in the run-up to the festive period, so it's worth keeping a close eye on your local stores for new deals. If you want something with something a bit extra than just white or milk chocolate why not try the Terry Chocolate Orange calendar? Currently, the best place to go for that is Morrisons or Sainsbury's where is it £2.50. Or, if Malteasers are more your thing, Aldi again comes out on top with the price set at £2.04. For those still making up their minds, here is a review by The Sun of all of the classic supermarket chocolate calendars . Even if chocolate is not what you fancy, or you want something a little more warming to count down to Christmas there are several rum advent calendars available. Read more on the Scottish Sun FESTIVE FIZZ Coca-Cola Christmas truck in Scotland: Dates, locations & all you need to know AND RELAX Scots seaside hotel with outdoor hot tub and firepit named UK's top spa resort The Sun tested seven of this year's releases so you don't have to. Some calendars offer just 12 bottles while others do the full countdown. 5 The Home Bargains deal is also valid on the KitKat calendar (stock) 5 The Sun researched which supermarket is selling the Cadbury advent calendar for the best price this week Credit: Ocado If chocolate isn't your thing or you want something a bit more adult, there are several alcoholic advent calendars for sale this year Credit: Samantha PriestlyIn a shocking turn of events, a newly opened bathing center in downtown has recently come under scrutiny after several customers reported feeling unwell shortly after their visits. The center, which has only been in operation for a mere five months, now finds itself at the center of a potential poisoning incident that has sparked widespread concern among residents and authorities alike.Democracy’s promise to deliver the American dream is under threat, with a minority and wealthy special interests dominating the national dialogue and systematically dismantling democratic institutions. As a result, Americans increasingly feel that their government is unresponsive to their concerns and needs. Political polarization has reached record levels, and distrust in government is at an all-time high. But are America’s politics really broken beyond repair? Is democracy doomed to fail? Or are we simply in a period of transition, during which the democratic system will evolve and improve? The American people must work together to reclaim the power that democracy offers. Its foundational values of fairness and inclusion — for all people, regardless of race or class — must be restored to its fullest expression. These values include free and fair elections, protections for every eligible voter to participate, a government with transparent procedures that can be held accountable, and the rule of law that protects all citizens from the abuse of power. These are the principles that underlie democracy’s ability to fulfill its ultimate goal of enabling everyone, through a government they control, to chart their own path toward peace and prosperity. In addition to safeguarding these values, America’s political culture must be reshaped to foster productive attitudes and behaviors that are conducive to democratic governance. The American people must be educated about the value of these guiding principles and the importance of civic engagement. This includes teaching about the responsibilities of citizenship, encouraging healthy debates in civic discourse and media, fostering a spirit of honor, and embracing a sense of duty to serve one’s country. Democracies thrive on the exchange of ideas, and that’s why civic education is so important to democracy’s health. Civic knowledge, which is necessary for informed participation in a democracy, helps citizens recognize when their government is behaving dishonestly or failing to represent their interests. It also helps citizens understand their role in democracy’s governing process, and that it is their responsibility to hold government officials accountable. A healthy democracy requires an environment in which individuals, families, and communities take their civic duties seriously. In this environment, civic engagement is not merely a choice; it is an essential part of the American way of life. It is how we help people realize their potential, protect their rights and freedoms, and build thriving communities. Tocqueville compared democracy in America to his native France, and found that the latter was more prone to violence than the former, largely because it lacked mechanisms for the diffusion of information about government wrongdoing. This information could come through channels like independent peer-reviewed research, investigative journalism, or election campaigns. In contrast, democratic societies rely on their citizens to report problems. This is why democracy is more resilient in the long run than autocracies or dictatorships.
By LISA MASCARO and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee’s long-awaited report on Matt Gaetz documents a trove of salacious allegations , including sex with an underage girl, that tanked the Florida Republican’s bid to lead the Justice Department . Related Articles National Politics | An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump National Politics | Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal National Politics | House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of ‘regularly’ paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl National Politics | Trump wants mass deportations. For the agents removing immigrants, it’s a painstaking process National Politics | Many Americans have come to rely on Chinese-made drones. Now lawmakers want to ban them Citing text messages, travel receipts, online payments and testimony, the bipartisan committee paints a picture of a lifestyle in which Gaetz and others connected with younger women for drug-fueled parties, events or trips, with the expectation the women would be paid for their participation. The former congressman, who filed a last-minute lawsuit to try to block the report’s release on Monday, slammed the committee’s findings. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has insisted he never had sex with a minor. And a Justice Department investigation into the allegations ended without any criminal charges filed against him. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” Gaetz wrote in one post on Monday. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Here’s a look at some of the committee’s key findings: The committee found that between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women “likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use.” He paid the women using through online services such as PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp and with cash or check, the committee said. The committee said it found evidence that Gaetz understood the “transactional nature” of his relationships with the women. The report points to one text exchange in which Gaetz balked at a woman’s request that he send her money, “claiming she only gave him a ‘drive by.’” Women interviewed by the committee said there was a “general expectation of sex,” the report said. One woman who received more than $5,000 from Gaetz between 2018 and 2019 said that “99 percent of the time” that when she hung out with Gaetz “there was sex involved.” However, Gaetz was in a long-term relationship with one of the women he paid, so “some of the payments may have been of a legitimate nature,” the committee said. Text messages obtained by the committee also show that Gaetz would ask the women to bring drugs to their “rendezvous,” the report said. While most of his encounters with the women were in Florida, the committee said Gaetz also traveled “on several occasions” with women whom he paid for sex. The report includes text message exchanges in which Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges in 2021, initially connected with women through an online service. In one text with a 20-year-old woman, Greenberg suggested if she has a friend, the four of them could meet up. The woman responded that she usually does “$400 per meet.” Greenberg replied: “He understands the deal,” along with a smiley face emoji. Greenberg asks if they are old enough to drink alcohol, and sent the woman a picture of Gaetz. The woman responded that her friend found him “really cute.” “Well, he’s down here for only for the day, we work hard and play hard,” Greenberg replied. The report details a party in July 2017 in which Gaetz is accused of having sex with “multiple women, including the 17-year-old, for which they were paid.” The committee pointed to “credible testimony” from the now-woman herself as well as “multiple individuals” who corroborated the allegation. The then-17-year-old — who had just completed her junior year in high school — told the committee that Gaetz paid her $400 in cash that night, “which she understood to be payment for sex,” according to the report. The woman acknowledged that she had taken ecstasy the night of the party, but told the committee that she was “certain” of her sexual encounters with the then-congressman. There’s no evidence that Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her, the committee said. The woman told the committee she didn’t tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he didn’t how old she was. Rather, the committee said Gaetz learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But he stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for “commercial sex” again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. In sum, the committee said it authorized 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents and contacted more than two dozen witnesses. But when the committee subpoenaed Gaetz for his testimony, he failed to comply. “Gaetz pointed to evidence that would ‘exonerate’ him yet failed to produce any such materials,” the committee said. Gaetz “continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed.” The report details a months-long process that dragged into a year as it sought information from Gaetz that he decried as “nosey” and a “weaponization” of government against him. In one notable exchange, investigators were seeking information about the expenses for a 2018 get-away with multiple women to the Bahamas. Gaetz ultimately offered up his plane ticket receipt “to” the destination, but declined to share his return “from” the Bahamas. The report said his return on a private plane and other expenses paid by an associate were in violation of House gift rules. In another Gaetz told the committee he would “welcome” the opportunity to respond to written questions. Yet, after it sent a list of 16 questions, Gaetz said publicly he would “no longer” voluntarily cooperate. He called the investigation “frivolous,” adding: “Every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration.” The report said that while Gaetz’s obstruction of the investigation does not rise to a criminal violation it is inconsistent with the requirement that all members of Congress “act in a manner that reflects creditably upon the House.” The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021 and deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request. It renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation without filing any charges against him. The committee sought records from the Justice Department about the probe, but the agency refused, saying it doesn’t disclose information about investigations that don’t result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the Justice Department, but after a back-and-forth between officials and the committee, the department handed over “publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual,” according to the report. “To date, DOJ has provided no meaningful evidence or information to the Committee or cited any lawful basis for its responses,” the committee said. Many of the women who the committee spoke to had already given statements to the Justice Department and didn’t want to “relive their experience,” the committee said. “They were particularly concerned with providing additional testimony about a sitting congressman in light of DOJ’s lack of action on their prior testimony,” the report said. The Justice Department, however, never handed over the women’s statements. The agency’s lack of cooperation — along with its request that the committee pause its investigation — significantly delayed the committee’s probe, lawmakers said.