Jonah Goldberg Among elites across the ideological spectrum, there's one point of unifying agreement: Americans are bitterly divided. What if that's wrong? What if elites are the ones who are bitterly divided while most Americans are fairly unified? History rarely lines up perfectly with the calendar (the "sixties" didn't really start until the decade was almost over). But politically, the 21st century neatly began in 2000, when the election ended in a tie and the color coding of electoral maps became enshrined as a kind of permanent tribal color war of "red vs. blue." Elite understanding of politics has been stuck in this framework ever since. Politicians and voters have leaned into this alleged political reality, making it seem all the more real in the process. I loathe the phrase "perception is reality," but in politics it has the reifying power of self-fulfilling prophecy. People are also reading... Recap: Here's how Joey Graziadei will win 'Dancing with the Stars' They fell in love with Beatrice. So they opened a store in downtown. At the courthouse, Nov. 23, 2024 Search warrants lead to arrest of man in narcotics investigation No change in bond amounts in child abuse death case Clabaugh family presents Outstanding Educator award Harmonizers to perform Courthouse lighting ceremony planned for Sunday Kidnapping in Nebraska prompted police chase that ended with 3 dead on I-29 in Missouri Inside Nebraska volleyball’s finishing kick for a Big Ten title: First up, Wisconsin Zitel bound over to district court in death of child Just Askin': Dana Holgorsen noncommittal on future, ranking a big week for Nebraska Athletics Streaming review: 'Landman' gives Billy Bob Thornton a real gusher of a series Amie Just: Bring out the tissues — and the brooms — for Nebraska volleyball's emotional win At the courthouse, Nov. 16, 2024 Like rival noble families in medieval Europe, elites have been vying for power and dominance on the arrogant assumption that their subjects share their concern for who rules rather than what the rulers can deliver. Gobble up these 14 political cartoons about Thanksgiving Political cartoonists from across country draw up something special for the holiday In 2018, the group More in Common published a massive report on the "hidden tribes" of American politics. The wealthiest and whitest groups were "devoted conservatives" (6%) and "progressive activists" (8%). These tribes dominate the media, the parties and higher education, and they dictate the competing narratives of red vs. blue, particularly on cable news and social media. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of Americans resided in, or were adjacent to, the "exhausted majority." These people, however, "have no narrative," as David Brooks wrote at the time. "They have no coherent philosophic worldview to organize their thinking and compel action." Lacking a narrative might seem like a very postmodern problem, but in a postmodern elite culture, postmodern problems are real problems. It's worth noting that red vs. blue America didn't emerge ex nihilo. The 1990s were a time when the economy and government seemed to be working, at home and abroad. As a result, elites leaned into the narcissism of small differences to gain political and cultural advantage. They remain obsessed with competing, often apocalyptic, narratives. That leaves out most Americans. The gladiatorial combatants of cable news, editorial pages and academia, and their superfan spectators, can afford these fights. Members of the exhausted majority are more interested in mere competence. I think that's the hidden unity elites are missing. This is why we keep throwing incumbent parties out of power: They get elected promising competence but get derailed -- or seduced -- by fan service to, or trolling of, the elites who dominate the national conversation. There's a difference between competence and expertise. One of the most profound political changes in recent years has been the separation of notions of credentialed expertise from real-world competence. This isn't a new theme in American life, but the pandemic and the lurch toward identity politics amplified distrust of experts in unprecedented ways. This is a particular problem for the left because it is far more invested in credentialism than the right. Indeed, some progressives are suddenly realizing they invested too much in the authority of experts and too little in the ability of experts to provide what people want from government, such as affordable housing, decent education and low crime. The New York Times' Ezra Klein says he's tired of defending the authority of government institutions. Rather, "I want them to work." One of the reasons progressives find Trump so offensive is his absolute inability to speak the language of expertise -- which is full of coded elite shibboleths. But Trump veritably shouts the language of competence. I don't mean he is actually competent at governing. But he is effectively blunt about calling leaders, experts and elites -- of both parties -- stupid, ineffective, weak and incompetent. He lost in 2020 because voters didn't believe he was actually good at governing. He won in 2024 because the exhausted majority concluded the Biden administration was bad at it. Nostalgia for the low-inflation pre-pandemic economy was enough to convince voters that Trumpian drama is the tolerable price to pay for a good economy. About 3 out of 4 Americans who experienced "severe hardship" because of inflation voted for Trump. The genius of Trump's most effective ad -- "Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you" -- was that it was simultaneously culture-war red meat and an argument that Harris was more concerned about boutique elite concerns than everyday ones. If Trump can actually deliver competent government, he could make the Republican Party the majority party for a generation. For myriad reasons, that's an if so big it's visible from space. But the opportunity is there -- and has been there all along. Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch: thedispatch.com . Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!
Reports: Bill Belichick interviews for North Carolina jobHigh school notes: TSSAA releases region schedules, leaving several non-region voids for some teams
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Massage therapist sentenced to prison for abusing clients in East Valley
NEW YORK, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Color Star Technology Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: ADD) (“Color Star” or the “Company”), an entertainment technology company with a global network that focuses on the application of technology and artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry, announced today that it received a formal notification from the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) that the Company has regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), which requires the Company’s ordinary shares to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share. The Nasdaq staff made this determination of compliance after the closing bid price of the Company’s Class A Ordinary Shares has been at $1.00 per share or greater for the last 10 consecutive business days from November 15, 2024 to November 29, 2024. Accordingly, the Company has regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) and this bid price deficiency matter is now closed. About Color Star Technology Co., Ltd. Color Star Technology Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: ADD) is an entertainment and education company that provides online entertainment performances and online music education services. Its business operations are conducted through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Color Metaverse Pte. Ltd. and CACM Group NY, Inc. The Company’s online education is provided through its Color World music and entertainment education platform. More information about the Company can be found at www.colorstarinternational.com and www.colorstar.investorroom.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as "may," "will," "intend," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate" or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantee of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the following: the Company's goals and strategies; the Company's future business development, including the development of the metaverse project; product and service demand and acceptance; changes in technology; economic conditions; the growth of the educational and training services market internationally where ADD conducts its business; reputation and brand; the impact of competition and pricing; government regulations; the ability of Color Star to meet NASDAQ listing standards in connection with the consummation of the transaction contemplated therein; and other risks and uncertainties described herein, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed from time to time in other reports and other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Color Star. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward–looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof unless required by applicable laws, regulations or rules. Contact Color Star Investor Relations Office Number No. 1003, 9th Floor, 7 World Trade Center, Suite 4621 New York NY 10007 Office: (212) 410-5186 Email ir@colorstarinternational.comJavier Milei, the wild-haired Argentine president known by his supporters as “the madman,” has lately edged out Hungary’s Viktor Orban as the MAGA movement’s chief international inspiration. Donald Trump has called Milei his “favorite president,” and Milei was the first foreign leader to visit him at Mar-a-Lago after his victory. Last week, the Conservative Political Action Conference, which has increasingly sought to build a global network of right-wing activists and politicians, held its first-ever conference in Buenos Aires. Lara Trump, the president-elect’s daughter-in-law, gave a speech lauding Milei’s relentless budget-slashing and vowed that, with help from Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s Department of Government Efficiency, “we’re going to do the same thing in the United States.”
Taiwan congratulates Somaliland President-elect Abdullahi MOFA’s building in Taipei. CNA file photo Taipei, Nov. 26 (CNA) Taiwan’s government has congratulated Somaliland President-elect Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi on his election win earlier this month and said it looks forward to enhancing bilateral ties with his new administration. Wang Wen-lin (王文麟), an official with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MOFA) Department of West Asian and African Affairs, said Tuesday that Taiwan’s office in Somaliland has extended the country’s congratulations to the president-elect after Somaliland National Electoral Commission officially announced Abdullahi as the winner of the territory’s Nov. 13 election on Nov. 19. Abdullahi, 69, garnered 64 percent of the vote to become Somaliland’s sixth president since it broke away from Somalia in 1991. The former speaker of Somaliland’s parliament beat incumbent Muse Bihi Abdi, who took 35 percent of the vote. Ties between Taiwan and Somaliland have warmed since the two sides set up representative offices in each other’s capitals in 2020. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has functioned as a de facto sovereign state ever since, but is not officially recognized by any other countries. According to Wang, Taiwan and Somaliland have enjoyed robust relations and cooperation exchanges in areas covering public health, information and communications technology, agriculture, education and natural resource development. Currently, there are two major projects Taiwan is working on in Somaliland, namely, the Taiwan Road project to refurbish the road linking the Egal International Airport and downtown Hargeisa, and the Taiwan Medical Mission to upgrade health care infrastructure, Wang said. “Preparations for the two projects have been completed and we look forward to working with Somaliland’s new government to officially start construction,” Wang added. During the campaign, Abdullahi said he would maintain Somaliland’s relations with Taiwan. Abdullahi is scheduled to be inaugurated in December. Abdullahi, popularly known as Irro, joined Somalia’s foreign service in 1981 and later served as the country’s acting ambassador to the Soviet Union. Following the Somali civil war, Abdullahi fled to Finland before returning to Somaliland and entering politics as co-founder of the opposition Justice and Welfare Party (UCID) in 2002. Abdullahi previously served 12 years as speaker of Somaliland’s parliament and also unsuccessfully contested the territory’s 2017 presidential election. (By Joseph Yeh) Enditem/ASG
Six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick interviewed for the head-coaching job at North Carolina, Inside Carolina and the Raleigh News & Observer reported Thursday. According to the News & Observer, Belichick "blew them away in the interview," yet he is not likely to move forward because he is pushing 73 years old and has no experience in the college game. After he and the New England Patriots agreed to part ways following a 24-year stint, Belichick interviewed for the head job with the Atlanta Falcons, who instead hired Raheem Morris. The North Carolina interview is the first known instance of Belichick showing interest in a college position. Belichick is expected to draw interest for NFL openings in the upcoming hiring cycle. The Tar Heels retained an outside advisory firm to identify coaching candidates to replace Mack Brown, whom they fired at the end of the regular season. North Carolina went 6-6, including 3-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. "We've had a tremendous response of people across the country, of agents calling us, coaches, people calling on behalf of other people that are in the industry," North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in an in-house interview the school posted online earlier this week. "We are very optimistic of where we are, the interest in our program is just extraordinary, and we'll get a great coach to lead us. Who can lead us in the next three, five, 10 years? We need somebody that can come in and take us from good to great." --Field Level Media
Among elites across the ideological spectrum, there's one point of unifying agreement: Americans are bitterly divided. What if that's wrong? What if elites are the ones who are bitterly divided while most Americans are fairly unified? History rarely lines up perfectly with the calendar (the "sixties" didn't really start until the decade was almost over). But politically, the 21st century neatly began in 2000, when the election ended in a tie and the color coding of electoral maps became enshrined as a kind of permanent tribal color war of "red vs. blue." Elite understanding of politics has been stuck in this framework ever since. Politicians and voters have leaned into this alleged political reality, making it seem all the more real in the process. I loathe the phrase "perception is reality," but in politics it has the reifying power of self-fulfilling prophecy. Like rival noble families in medieval Europe, elites have been vying for power and dominance on the arrogant assumption that their subjects share their concern for who rules rather than what the rulers can deliver. In 2018, the group More in Common published a massive report on the "hidden tribes" of American politics. The wealthiest and whitest groups were "devoted conservatives" (6%) and "progressive activists" (8%). These tribes dominate the media, the parties and higher education, and they dictate the competing narratives of red vs. blue, particularly on cable news and social media. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of Americans resided in, or were adjacent to, the "exhausted majority." These people, however, "have no narrative," as David Brooks wrote at the time. "They have no coherent philosophic worldview to organize their thinking and compel action." Lacking a narrative might seem like a very postmodern problem, but in a postmodern elite culture, postmodern problems are real problems. It's worth noting that red vs. blue America didn't emerge ex nihilo. The 1990s were a time when the economy and government seemed to be working, at home and abroad. As a result, elites leaned into the narcissism of small differences to gain political and cultural advantage. They remain obsessed with competing, often apocalyptic, narratives. That leaves out most Americans. The gladiatorial combatants of cable news, editorial pages and academia, and their superfan spectators, can afford these fights. Members of the exhausted majority are more interested in mere competence. I think that's the hidden unity elites are missing. This is why we keep throwing incumbent parties out of power: They get elected promising competence but get derailed -- or seduced -- by fan service to, or trolling of, the elites who dominate the national conversation. There's a difference between competence and expertise. One of the most profound political changes in recent years has been the separation of notions of credentialed expertise from real-world competence. This isn't a new theme in American life, but the pandemic and the lurch toward identity politics amplified distrust of experts in unprecedented ways. This is a particular problem for the left because it is far more invested in credentialism than the right. Indeed, some progressives are suddenly realizing they invested too much in the authority of experts and too little in the ability of experts to provide what people want from government, such as affordable housing, decent education and low crime. The New York Times' Ezra Klein says he's tired of defending the authority of government institutions. Rather, "I want them to work." One of the reasons progressives find Trump so offensive is his absolute inability to speak the language of expertise -- which is full of coded elite shibboleths. But Trump veritably shouts the language of competence. I don't mean he is actually competent at governing. But he is effectively blunt about calling leaders, experts and elites -- of both parties -- stupid, ineffective, weak and incompetent. He lost in 2020 because voters didn't believe he was actually good at governing. He won in 2024 because the exhausted majority concluded the Biden administration was bad at it. Nostalgia for the low-inflation pre-pandemic economy was enough to convince voters that Trumpian drama is the tolerable price to pay for a good economy. About 3 out of 4 Americans who experienced "severe hardship" because of inflation voted for Trump. The genius of Trump's most effective ad -- "Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you" -- was that it was simultaneously culture-war red meat and an argument that Harris was more concerned about boutique elite concerns than everyday ones. If Trump can actually deliver competent government, he could make the Republican Party the majority party for a generation. For myriad reasons, that's an if so big it's visible from space. But the opportunity is there -- and has been there all along.Article content Lexus has announced pricing for the 2025 Lexus LS , its flagship sedan, which will start at $110,239. The lineup includes four gasoline-only trims, and a top-line hybrid that finishes the pricing at $134,104. The full-size LS sedan lineup received a few updates for 2024, including a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and upgraded driver-assist features, and so is unchanged for 2025. The LS 500 sedan uses a 3.4L twin-turbocharged V6, making 416 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque, and with a ten-speed automatic transmission. Lexus says the combination can take the car from 0-100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. The LS 500h hybrid uses a 3.5L V6 combined with a self-charging hybrid system. The engine makes 295 horsepower on its own, and when working with the hybrid electric motor, the system produces up to 354 horsepower. It can achieve 0-100 km/h in 5.5 seconds, while returning 9.2 L/100 km in combined city/highway driving. Both the gas-only and hybrid models feature standard all-wheel drive with a limited-slip differential. Standard or available features include that 12.3-inch centre touchscreen with connected services and phone connectivity through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto; a 23-speaker Mark Levinson Reference surround-sound audio system; and driver assist technologies including parking assist with automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring, and rearview camera with back guide monitor. The entry LS 500 Signature trim includes heated front and rear seats, power sunroof, 28-way driver and 20-way passenger power-adjustable seats with memory, driver’s seat massage, and digital key. The Luxury trim adds front and rear air suspension, heated and ventilated rear seats, 28-way massaging front passenger seat, panoramic sunroof, and digital rearview mirror; while the Executive further adds 22-way power adjustable rear seats with an extended ottoman feature, rear seat massage, and power-operated rear sunshades. It can also be optioned with cut-glass trim and pleated door panels. The LS 500 F Sport builds on the Signature with sport-tuned suspension, air suspension, unique exterior and interior styling cues, and instrumentation derived from the Lexus LFA. The Lexus LS 500h hybrid comes only in Executive trim, offering the features of the gas-only model including the ottoman seat, 28-way massaging front seats, and the available cut-glass trim and pleated door panels. 2025 Lexus LS Canadian Pricing The MSRP for the 2025 lineup starts at $110,239 for the Signature; $114,399 for the F Sport; $120,994 for the Luxury; $130,599 for the Executive; and $134,104 for the LS 500h Executive hybrid, all prices before delivery and taxes. Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on Instagram , Facebook and X to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice.