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2025-01-19
As the US futures re-open the indices are little changed NASDAQ and e-mini S&P futures are down -0.1% Dow industrial average is unchangedNEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Penny chose not to testify and defense lawyers rested their case Friday at his trial in the death of an agitated man he choked on a subway train. Closing arguments are expected after Thanksgiving in the closely watched manslaughter case about the death of Jordan Neely , 30. The encounter between Penny, a white Marine veteran, and Neely, a homeless Black man with mental health and drug problems, has been drawn into U.S. political divides over race, public safety and cities’ ability to handle mental illness and social ills. Penny, 26, has pleaded not guilty. Many criminal defendants don't take the stand, and juries are routinely instructed that they cannot hold defendants' silence — a constitutional right — against them. One of Penny’s lawyers, Daniel Kenniff, noted after court that jurors did hear from Penny, in the form of his recorded statements to police minutes and hours after he put Neely in a chokehold. “Virtually everything he said then is consistent with credible testimony of his fellow passengers," Kenniff said. Penny told police that he wrapped his arm around Neely's neck, took him to the floor and “put him out” because he was angrily throwing things and making threatening comments. Penny said on police video that he hadn't wanted to injure Neely but rather to keep him from hurting anyone else. A number of other passengers testified that they were scared of Neely and relieved that Penny grabbed hold of him. A man who later stepped in and held down Neely's arms, however, told jurors that he urged Penny to let go but that the veteran kept choking Neely for a time. Prosecutors say Penny meant to protect people but recklessly used too much force, overlooking Neely's humanity and making no effort to spare his life. City medical examiners ruled that the chokehold killed Neely. A pathologist hired by Penny's defense disputed that finding . Prosecutors, defense lawyers and the judge are set to meet Monday to hash out jury instructions.wonder 777 casino

By KENYA HUNTER, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington . As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race , held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating residents’ pets , he didn’t just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris , many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris’ loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women’s concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution , which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government programs and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people . Related Articles National Politics | Special counsel moves to dismiss election interference, classified documents cases against Trump National Politics | Joe Biden begins final White House holiday season with turkey pardons for ‘Peach’ and ‘Blossom’ National Politics | Donald Trump Jr. emerges as a political force of his own as he helps his father launch a second term National Politics | TV’s Dr. Oz invested in businesses regulated by agency Trump wants him to lead National Politics | What to know about Brooke Rollins, Trump’s pick for agriculture secretary Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,”’ she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Some of Trump’s plans affect people in Olivia Gordon’s immediate community, which is why she struggled to get behind the “Black women rest” wave. Gordon, a New York-based lawyer who supported the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential nominee, Claudia de la Cruz, worries about who may be left behind if the 92% of Black women voters who backed Harris simply stopped advocating. “We’re talking millions of Black women here. If millions of Black women take a step back, it absolutely leaves holes, but for other Black women,” she said. “I think we sometimes are in the bubble of if it’s not in your immediate circle, maybe it doesn’t apply to you. And I truly implore people to understand that it does.” Nicole Lewis, an Alabama-based therapist who specializes in treating Black women’s stress, said she’s aware that Black women withdrawing from social impact movements could have a fallout. But she also hopes that it forces a reckoning for the nation to understand the consequences of not standing in solidarity with Black women. “It could impact things negatively because there isn’t that voice from the most empathetic group,” she said. “I also think it’s going to give other groups an opportunity to step up. ... My hope is that they do show up for themselves and everyone else.” Brown said a reckoning might be exactly what the country needs, but it’s a reckoning for everyone else. Black women, she said, did their job when they supported Harris in droves in hopes they could thwart the massive changes expected under Trump. “This ain’t our reckoning,” she said. “I don’t feel no guilt.” AP polling editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. 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AP Trending SummaryBrief at 4:13 p.m. ESTGlobal stocks mostly fall ahead of ECB, US inflation data

DETROIT LAKES — James Lawrence TeJohn, 39, of rural Cass Lake, Minnesota, has been charged in Becker County District Court with felony third-degree burglary, felony theft and misdemeanor fourth-degree damage to property. According to court records, on Aug. 18, 2024, TeJohn allegedly drove a blue golf cart through a man’s yard on Long Lake Drive and then down his driveway and then through a wire fence. A short time later, police found the blue golf cart parked on Long Lake Road near Highway 6. ADVERTISEMENT Police then spoke to the owner of the golf cart, who told them that she had been home watching TV with the garage door open and the golf cart inside. The value of the golf cart was approximately $4,500. Police later found TeJohn walking along Highway 59 near County Highway 22. He fit the description of the man driving the golf cart, based on trail camera footage. In a second case against him, TeJohn was charged with felony third-degree burglary, felony theft, felony second-degree burglary, misdemeanor DWI and misdemeanor theft. According to court records, on Aug. 18, 2024, Tejohn is accused of entering a woman’s home on Munson Lane in Lakeview Township, saying that he was there to check on her. She had no idea who he was. TeJohn then went into her garage and went through her car. He brought a bike down from the attic and left, being last seen walking north on Munson Lane. The woman noted that there was a bottle of alcohol in her garage that was not hers. An officer saw a bottle of Copper Still jalapeno-flavored vodka on a step going into the attic area. TeJohn was found walking north on Highway 59 from the Highway 22 roundabout. An officer noticed an ATV in the east ditch of Highway 59, approximately 40 yards from TeJohn. ADVERTISEMENT The owner of the ATV told an officer that the key had been in the ATV and it was parked outside in his yard. TeJohn said that the keys were in the ATV when he took it, saying the ATV was parked by the road, so he jumped on and took off. A DMT breath test showed a result of 0.10. He was accused of taking the bottle of jalapeno-flavored vodka, which had been reported stolen from a guest house on Munson Lane that same day. On Aug. 26, TeJohn posted $800 bail ($500 and $300 for both incidents) to cover all charges and was released under standard conditions. On Sept. 16, he failed to appear in court for an omnibus hearing, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Jamison Michael Nelson, 48, formerly of Detroit Lakes, has been sentenced in Becker County District Court on three felony counts of possessing pornographic works on a computer. Another three counts were dropped in a plea agreement. According to court records, on Feb. 11, 2016, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received an automated repost from Google Inc. that three images, which may have been child pornography, had been uploaded to a Gmail account. After law enforcement issued subpoenas, the account was found to be registered to Nelson. ADVERTISEMENT A search warrant was executed at Nelson's residence and officers found a hard drive hidden in a coffee pot. Nelson admitted hiding it there. The hard drive was sent to the Child Victim Identification Program, run by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, where it was found to contain four photos and two videos of child pornography. On May 22, 2017, a warrant was issued for Nelson's arrest. On Aug. 7, 2024, he signed a waiver of extradition and agreed to be transported to Minnesota to face the charges. He is allowed to travel back to North Dakota for specific reasons. On Oct. 11, District Judge Gretchen Thilmony sentenced him to 15 years in prison at St. Cloud on the first count, 20 years in prison on the second count, and 25 years in prison on the third count, all stayed five years. He was ordered to serve 135 days in the Becker County Jail, with credit for 135 days served, and was fined $1,000 plus $160 in court fees. He must register as a predatory offender, get a mental health evaluation and follow all recommendations, including aftercare. He must submit to polygraph examinations as directed and not have any pornographic material. He is to have no social media, no internet, and is not to use any phone sex lines, dating services, social networks or to enter any strip clubs or adult bookstores or any other business where the primary source of business is adult entertainment. ADVERTISEMENT He must not use mood-altering drugs and must take medications as prescribed, get a psychosexual evaluation and follow the recommendations. He was placed on supervised probation for five years. Eddie David Holbdy, 47, of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, has been charged in Becker County District Court with felony first-degree drugs and felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle. According to court records, on the afternoon of March 21, 2024, a White Earth police officer was on patrol on Becker County Highway 58 when he saw an eastbound vehicle traveling 68 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone. The officer turned around and activated his squad lights to stop the vehicle, which was now clocked by radar at moving 108 miles per hour. The officer caught up near Becker County Road 129, where the driver stopped briefly and then fled again. The pursuit continued, with the driver slowing or stopping periodically and attempting to flee again. The driver was reaching for the passenger side seat and almost went into the ditch at one point. The driver stopped on the 33000 block of 500th Avenue, exited the vehicle, and was reaching into his pockets, so he was ordered to the ground at gunpoint and arrested. A pat search of Holbdy turned up a total of $4,208.36 in cash in his front pocket and in a backpack that was on the front passenger seat. A zip lock baggie under the driver's seat contained just over 181 grams of suspected methamphetamine, with packaging, which was forwarded to the Minnesota BCA for testing. Metal knuckles were also found in the vehicle, along with two cellphones and an iPad. On April 1, Holbdy posted a $200,000 bond with standard conditions of release. ADVERTISEMENT On Oct. 9, the local charges were dismissed, because Holbdy was indicted by the federal government and is facing similar charges from the incident in federal court.Lattice Semiconductor's SVP sells $74,967 in stock

Mr Choi Sang-mok discounted the idea that investors will look to avoid South Korea going forward due to the political instability. SEOUL - South Korea’s finance minister says fears the nation will slide into a recession in 2025 are “excessive”, as he played down the view that this week’s bungled martial law decree will have a lasting impact on the economy or markets. “Recent emergency measures were quickly lifted in accordance with the constitution and the law, so I think the impact on the market was very limited,” Mr Choi Sang-mok said in an exclusive interview with Bloomberg on Dec 5. Mr Choi also discounted the idea that investors will look to avoid South Korea going forward due to the political instability, while insisting the government will continue to push ahead with efforts to revise legislation to make sure companies give shareholders more consideration. The finance minister’s comments build on repeated reassurances from government and central bank officials that President Yoon Suk Yeol’s shock attempt to take direct political control will not damage the economy or investors’ confidence in South Korea. Still, doubts remain about the ability of Mr Yoon’s administration to restore faith in the political process and to move forward with any major policy initiatives when he faces an impeachment vote, gridlock in Parliament and opposition from within his own party. The domestic political crisis comes at a sensitive time for South Korea with authorities bracing for US President-elect Donald Trump’s second term and his vow to slap tariffs on trading partners. That has made export-reliant countries such as South Korea vulnerable to protectionism. A Bloomberg survey conducted after Mr Yoon’s move showed economists see a 33 per cent chance of recession in South Korea in the next 12 months. Mr Choi disagrees. He cited International Monetary Fund and Bank of Korea forecasts for 2025 showing growth at or near the economy’s potential level. The central bank sees growth of 1.9 per cent in 2025, a figure it lowered out of concern over the potential impact of protectionist policies on global trade. Only 18 per cent of those surveyed said they would revise their growth forecasts due to the current political turmoil. “Foreign investors’ investment in Korea is affected by fundamentals of the nation’s economy,” Mr Choi said. “Because the country’s system is working well, the impact of the non-economic-related situation on the Korean economy has been very limited and well managed.” Mr Choi reiterated that the government will act swiftly if volatility in financial market rises. He avoided mentioning specific levels for the currency. The finance minister already promised on Dec 4 to use all available measures to stabilize financial and foreign-exchange markets if needed, with “unlimited liquidity” on the table. The political upheaval has also raised concerns about the government’s ability to push through its so-called corporate value-up plan to tackle the nation’s low stock valuations. “Recently there have been some cases where shareholder protection has become an issue,” Mr Choi said. “Therefore the most important thing is to revise the capital market act to make effective improvements to these areas.” Proposed changes to the act would beef up M&A rules to better protect shareholders while limiting the requirements to listed firms to avoid burdening smaller businesses. The opposition Democratic Party, including party leader Lee Jae-myung, argues that the commercial code should be revised instead. The party wants directors to have a legal duty to act in the interests of shareholders. “It is difficult to agree with the claim that revising the capital market act is insufficient to protect shareholders, and that amending the commercial code will strengthen shareholder protection,” Mr Choi said. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now

Snoop Dogg has nearly as many ties to football as he does to rap music. The entertainer coached youth football for years and created the Snoop League, an after-school program for inner city Los Angeles youths. Snoop has been a guest analyst on football broadcasts and his son, Cordell Broadus, played Division I football. When Snoop took his latest step, becoming the sponsor of a bowl game, he had a demand: Find a way for all players in the game to receive name, image and likeness (NIL) money. “This was Snoop's idea,” said Kym Adair, executive director of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice . “He was having conversations with people he knows in the college football world and I got a call that said he wants us to be the first bowl to make this commitment and that's what we did.” The beneficiaries are Colorado State and Miami (Ohio), who will conclude their seasons Saturday at Arizona Stadium in the Arizona Bowl. The bowl is classified as a 501(c)(3), so all revenue goes to charity. And, being one of the few bowls not tied to ESPN, it opens the door for unique sponsorship opportunities. The bowl was previously sponsored by Barstool Sports and the digital media company used its own cast of characters on the broadcast, which was streamed on its digital platforms. Snoop Dogg takes over this year. The rapper/entertainer is the latest celebrity to sponsor a bowl, following the footsteps of Jimmy Kimmel and Rob Gronkowski at the LA Bowl. And, Snoop being Snoop, he wanted to put his own spin on his own bowl. “College football fans are exhausted by the constant talk around NIL, conference realignment, coach movement, transfer portal and super conferences,” Snoop said in a video posted on social media. “So it’s time that we get back to the roots of college football — when it was focused on the colleges, the players and the competition, the community, the fan experience and the pageantry.” With that will be an NIL component. The bowl can't pay players just for playing in the bowl, but both teams participated in football clinics on Friday and will get paid for their services. Other bowls have given single players NIL opportunities, but this is believed to be the first to offer it to every player on both teams. “I love the fact that the Arizona Bowl is unique and tries new things, and obviously having Snoop here is unique,” Colorado State coach Jay Norvell said. “The NIL component, it’s the future. It’s what football has become now. We think it’s fantastic for our kids and then the interaction with the kids is the hidden gem of the whole thing.” The NIL component of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl comes a month after a similar effort in The Players Era Festival basketball tournament in Las Vegas. The eight-team tournament said it paid out $9 million in NIL money to participating players for activities outside the competition. It also offered $50 million in NIL opportunities over the next three years for services and activities compliant with NCAA regulations. Are the Players Era Festival and Arizona Bowl the start of a new future? It is not out of the question in big-time college athletics, where schools are already preparing for the era of revenue sharing with players next year. “Revenue sharing between the players and the athletic departments is already on the horizon, so whether that takes the place of these types of arrangements or they're completely separate has yet to be determined," Adair said. "We're just trying to be flexible, ahead of the curve and make an impact any way we can.” Just the way Snoop wants it. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Grande, 31, also said her co-star was a “brilliant gift of a human being” while being interviewed by Gladiator star Paul Mescal for US news outlet Variety. Mescal told the singer and actor: “I’m watching you guys in the press tour. You’re obviously in love with each other.” To which she replied: “Insufferable. Yes. We’re horrible. It’s bad.” The 7 Rings singer plays Glinda, while her 37-year-old co-star plays Elphaba, in the film which is an adaption of the musical stage show of the same name and is set in The Land Of Oz before the events of The Wizard Of Oz. Their interviews for the film, which have seen the two being emotional towards one another and holding hands, have gone viral on social media. Speaking about Erivo, Grande said: “Cynthia is just an absolute brilliant gift of a human being. I think we tried to keep the pressure out of the room, obviously, as much as possible.” She also said she had not had any read throughs with her co-star before joining the cast. Grande said: “We never chemistry read together, it was three rounds for me, and I read with two different actresses. “I stayed for three and a half hours the final day, and I had cried so much. “We did Popular, Defying Gravity, (and) For Good (songs from the film), and I left my lashes on the mirror, because I left everything else in the room.” The film follows Elphaba, who is misunderstood because of her green skin, as she forges an unlikely friendship with Glinda, a student with a desire for popularity. Bullying of the green-skinned witch saw the movie, which also stars Peter Dinklage, Jeff Goldblum and Jonathan Bailey, given a PG rating by the British Board Of Film Classification (BBFC) for “discrimination”.The future of travel: From slow wanderers to bold risk-takersJudge rejects request to sideline SJSU volleyball player

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, a top White House official said Friday. Biden administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies , as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, told reporters Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. The update from Neuberger is the latest development in a massive hacking operation that has alarmed national security officials, exposed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the private sector and laid bare China's hacking sophistication. The hackers compromised the networks of telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and gain access to the private communications of “a limited number of individuals." Though the FBI has not publicly identified any of the victims, officials believe senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures are among those whose whose communications were accessed. Neuberger said officials did not yet have a precise sense how many Americans overall were affected by Salt Typhoon, in part because the Chinese were careful about their techniques, but a “large number" were in the Washington-Virginia area. Officials believe the goal of the hackers was to identify who owned the phones and, if they were “government targets of interest,” spy on their texts and phone calls, she said. The FBI said most of the people targeted by the hackers are "primarily involved in government or political activity.” Neuberger said the episode highlighted the need for required cybersecurity practices in the telecommunications industry, something the Federal Communications Commission is to take up at a meeting next month. “We know that voluntary cyber security practices are inadequate to protect against China, Russia and Iran hacking of our critical infrastructure,” she said. The Chinese government has denied responsibility for the hacking.

Global stocks mostly fall ahead of ECB, US inflation data

Global stocks mostly fall ahead of ECB, US inflation dataBy KENYA HUNTER, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington . As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race , held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating residents’ pets , he didn’t just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris , many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris’ loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women’s concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution , which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government programs and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people . Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,”’ she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Some of Trump’s plans affect people in Olivia Gordon’s immediate community, which is why she struggled to get behind the “Black women rest” wave. Gordon, a New York-based lawyer who supported the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential nominee, Claudia de la Cruz, worries about who may be left behind if the 92% of Black women voters who backed Harris simply stopped advocating. “We’re talking millions of Black women here. If millions of Black women take a step back, it absolutely leaves holes, but for other Black women,” she said. “I think we sometimes are in the bubble of if it’s not in your immediate circle, maybe it doesn’t apply to you. And I truly implore people to understand that it does.” Nicole Lewis, an Alabama-based therapist who specializes in treating Black women’s stress, said she’s aware that Black women withdrawing from social impact movements could have a fallout. But she also hopes that it forces a reckoning for the nation to understand the consequences of not standing in solidarity with Black women. “It could impact things negatively because there isn’t that voice from the most empathetic group,” she said. “I also think it’s going to give other groups an opportunity to step up. ... My hope is that they do show up for themselves and everyone else.” Brown said a reckoning might be exactly what the country needs, but it’s a reckoning for everyone else. Black women, she said, did their job when they supported Harris in droves in hopes they could thwart the massive changes expected under Trump. “This ain’t our reckoning,” she said. “I don’t feel no guilt.” AP polling editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt says AI will ‘shape’ identity and that ‘normal people’ are not ready for it

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House shut down Democrats ’ efforts Thursday to release the long-awaited ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz , pushing the fate of any resolution to the yearslong investigation of sexual misconduct allegations into further uncertainty. The nearly party-line votes came after Democrats had been pressing for the findings to be published even though the Florida Republican left Congress and withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Republicans have argued that any congressional probe into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent to set. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Shortly before the votes took place, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who introduced one of the bills to force the release, said that if Republicans reject the release, they will have “succeeded in sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims. Earlier Thursday, the Ethics panel met to discuss the Gaetz report but made no decision, saying in a short statement that the matter is still being discussed. It’s unclear now whether the document will ever see the light of day as lawmakers only have a few weeks left before a new session of Congress begins. It’s the culmination of weeks of pressure on the Ethics committee’s five Republicans and five Democrats who mostly work in secret as they investigate allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The status of the Gaetz investigation became an open question last month when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump’s announcement that he wanted his ally in the Cabinet. It is standard practice for the committee to end investigations when members of Congress depart, but the circumstances surrounding Gaetz were unusual, given his potential role in the new administration. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said Wednesday that there is no longer the same urgency to release the report given that Gaetz has left Congress and stepped aside as Trump’s choice to head the Justice Department. Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. “I’ve been steadfast about that. He’s no longer a member. He is no longer going to be confirmed by the Senate because he withdrew his nomination to be the attorney general,” Guest said. The Gaetz report has also caused tensions between lawmakers on the bipartisan committee. Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, publicly admonished Guest last month for mischaracterizing a previous meeting to the press. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s separate investigation against him into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended without federal charges. His onetime political ally Joel Greenberg , a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison. ___ Related From Our Partner

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