TALLAHASSEE — Matt Gaetz’ knack for courting controversy has finally caught up with him. The right-wing firebrand, political prankster, steadfast Trump defender and party animal stepped down as the president-elect’s choice for Attorney General once it was made clear to him he didn’t have the needed support in the U.S. Senate. Senators on both sides of the aisle had reacted to the former Florida congressman’s nomination with shock, with one calling him “a not serious candidate” and others demanding more details about the sex scandals swirling around him for the past few years. After being asked Thursday to comment on a report that a 17-year-old girl had sex with him twice at a former lawmaker’s house party in Seminole County in 2017, Gaetz bowed out so he would not “unfairly become a distraction” for President-elect Donald Trump. Even without the allegations of sexual misconduct, Gaetz was an unusual choice for attorney general, experts said. He had the least amount of legal experience of any nominee since the end of World War II. “His background doesn’t look anything like other attorney generals going back to Eisenhower. It makes no sense,” said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond and expert on federal courts and the judicial selection process. Most presidents have picked attorney generals with vast professional and legal experience because they run an agency of 40 separate divisions, including the Office of Solicitor General, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Prisons, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Tobias said. “I don’t think he even appreciates how the DOJ works,” Tobias said. Gaetz’s reputation for trolling enemies on social media and insulting fellow members of Congress on conservative talk shows left him with few allies in Washington, D.C. In one of his most high-profile actions, Gaetz wore a gas mask on the House floor while Congress voted on a multibillion dollar bill to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The big picture for Gaetz is that all his questionable behavior, actions and statements have caught up with him finally,” said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida. “For a long time it seemed like they would not because he had the president-elect’s ear.” And now, his political future depends on Trump’s continued support. Trump didn’t waste any time replacing Gaetz with fellow Floridian Pam Bondi, a former state attorney general who is a more likable yet equally dedicated Trump loyalist without the same amount of baggage as Gaetz. But Trump took to his own Truth Social platform to praise Gaetz, saying he had “much respect” for his decision to step down. “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” Trump said. U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a fellow Republican from Florida and Trump supporter, posted on X that Gaetz was the victim of a media smear, and feared facing the same kind of brutal grilling as Justice Brett Kavanaugh endured six years ago. Gaetz ended speculation Friday that he would return to his Florida District 1 Congressional seat when the new session begins in January by saying that eight years was enough and it was time to move on to new things. “Usually at some point the president or nominee realizes it is not going to happen,” Jewett said. “Instead of forcing the issue and airing dirty laundry out in public they withdraw. That appears to be what happened.” Typically, presidents nominate attorney generals who have extensive experience, often as judges or prosecutors, as they will be overseeing the world’s largest law office, with more than 115,000 employees. Gaetz graduated from the College of William and Mary law school in 2007 and started working at the Fort Walton Beach law firm of Larry Keefe, who was Trump’s appointee as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida during his first term and is Florida’s public safety czar for Gov. Ron DeSantis. As a junior lawyer, Gaetz handled mostly run-of-the-mill cases. The Okaloosa County court records show him handling about two cases a year in his home county. His first two cases were traffic infractions, and he also worked on debt and contract disputes, negligence and workers compensation claims. One case involved a homeowners association in its dispute against Walton County over the location of a beach volleyball net, records show. After less than a year as a lawyer, Gaetz was pulled over for speeding in his father’s BMW and arrested for drunk driving. He refused to take a breathalyzer test and the charges against him were dropped. He’s been casual about maintaining his practice, Florida Bar records show. He had his license suspended for failing to pay his fees in 2021 but it was reinstated when he paid up. He also was cited for not keeping up with his continuing legal education requirements in 2023. And he was cited two years in a row for not being up to date on his trust account reports. In 2010, Gaetz ran as a Tea Party Republican and was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. His financial disclosure form said he earned $29,000 from his legal practice that year. He spent his time defending Florida’s controversial “stand-your-ground” law and railing against the Affordable Care Act and Medicare. But he was instrumental in getting Florida’s medical marijuana law passed. He quickly got a reputation for lashing out against his political enemies in Florida and that expanded when he went to D.C. He was investigated by the Florida Bar for an incendiary tweet accusing Michael Cohen, a former Trump attorney and head of the Trump Organization, of infidelity. The House Ethics Committee admonished Gaetz for his comments. He also received a letter from the Florida Bar advising him that a comment he made about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, was inappropriate. He took down the post and apologized. When Gaetz criticized former Florida Rep. Chris Latvala, a fellow Republican, for meeting with the Rev. Al Sharpton in 2020, Latvala accused Gaetz of starting a sex game where lawmakers earned points for sleeping with aides, interns, lobbyists and married lawmakers. The game had been reported by the Miami Herald in 2017 but it wasn’t until 2020 that Latvala connected the game to Gaetz – who denied the accusation. As a freshman congressman in 2017, he raised eyebrows when he cast the lone vote against an anti-human trafficking bill. And his decision to wear the gas mask on the floor earned him condemnation from many quarters. Even more bizarre, in 2020 an unmarried Gaetz at the time shocked fellow members of Congress with the revelation that he had an “adopted” son, a Cuban immigrant whose mother had died of cancer and was the brother of Gaetz’ girlfriend at the time. “His temperament or personality just doesn’t fit the role. He’s never been a serious guy,” Jewett said. “His thing is firing up the base, getting media attention and likes on social media. That is not typically what you want in an Attorney General. That doubled with the ethical and legal clouds are a terrible fit.”Israel launches new airstrikes on Lebanon as leaders draw closer to ceasefire with Hezbollah

Another week, another excruciating loss under head coach Matt Eberflus. This time, they overcame a two-score deficit with under two minutes to go to force overtime against the Minnesota Vikings, only to run out of gas and lose on a walk-off field goal 30-27. At least it was entertaining, though. The Bears did their best to fight their way back after scoring just three points in the second and third quarters. Quarterback Caleb Williams continued to operate the offense effectively with offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, having arguably the best game of his career. Unfortunately, Chicago's defense allowed Minnesota to drive the ball up and down the field, allowing long third-down conversions and failing to limit big plays in both the run and pass game. That was the deciding factor as the Vikings methodically drove all the way down the field for their game-winning field goal in overtime. At 4-7, the season is effectively over, which means the development of Williams and the other young core players is the primary objective moving forward. There continue to be bright spots, but the team is held back by Eberflus, who looks to be a dead man walking with six games remaining. Here are our takeaways from Sunday's loss: Through nearly three seasons, we are all aware of Eberflus' shortcomings as a head coach. He's not effective with challenges, there were more communication issues on the field, there have been special teams gaffes, and he's far too conservative in situations that scream for him to be aggressive. His one saving grace, however, has been that he calls a good defensive gameplan. That's out the window now after the Vikings methodically torched the Bears defense, getting out of third and long situations to move the chains all day long. This also comes just one week after the Packers marched down the field late in the game to turn the tides. If he can't do the job he once excelled at, then what else does he offer at this point? It feels like we're slowly, but surely, seeing the end of the Eberflus era. There are some who believe a coaching chance will come on Black Friday instead of the usual Black Monday after each NFL season. One can argue there's reason to keep him through the end of the year if the defense at least plays up to par. That's not happening anymore, and we have already seen one coaching move ignite this team. Eberflus has reached the point where you can't point to anything he does well, meaning his time has finally come. Coming into this game, it was clear that if the Bears were to have a chance, they would need Williams to shine. The Vikings had the best rush defense in the league, meaning the pass game was the only way to consistently attack their unit. Williams certainly did that and then some. The rookie had arguably his best game as a pro, completing 32 of 47 passes for 340 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers. He also compiled a passer rating of 103.4, the third-highest rating Minnesota has allowed all year. Williams needed to be Superman—his offensive coordinator even told him as much. He put the team on his back when they needed him the most and led two very improbable scoring drives with under two minutes left. He went 6-of-9 for 67 yards and a touchdown with a passer rating of 125.7. That's two games in a row he stepped up in crunch time, something previous Bears quarterbacks had problems doing. Williams had plenty of great moments, but it's the resolve to keep fighting and delivering when his back is against the wall that has me very excited. With Thomas Brown calling plays, he's back on the upward trajectory. This hasn't been the season many people envisioned for Keenan Allen, but the veteran still knows how to torch the Vikings defense. Allen had the best game of his illustrious career last year when he caught 18 passes for 215 yards against the Vikings. While he didn't get close to those totals, he still had his best game of the season against Minnesota, catching eight passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. He could have had a bigger day, too, had he not gotten his toe on the sideline after making a spectacular catch (more on that in a bit). Allen has clearly lost a step, but he seems to thrive when facing this chaotic defense. He's a valuable safety valve for Williams and made some big plays downfield that we simply haven't seen all year. Maybe he'll get two good games in a row as he's facing a Lions defense he had 175 yards against last year. It's been over four years since the Bears had a running back who could be a legitimate threat to catch passes out of the backfield. D'Andre Swift finally gave the team one once again. The veteran back has been invaluable to the offense this season, even after a rough beginning to the year, but he really shows up with some of his plays as a receiver. That was definitely the case on Sunday when he and Williams hooked up for one of the biggest plays of the day. Williams was flushed out to his right with Swift running with him. Running out of room, Swift made the heads-up play to turn upfield, where Williams launched an off-balance pass that hit the back right in the hands. Swift was able to track the ball, check the defender in front of him, and relocate the ball in the air before bringing it in, something that isn't easy to do for any player. The 30-yard play led to the first touchdown of the game. I wasn't impressed with how Eberflus coordinated this defense for much of the day, but the players need to be accountable as well, and it's clear this team is missing two significant leaders who have been out for quite some time. Defensive tackle Andrew Billings and safety Jaquan Brisker are two important members of this defense, and the void they have left due to their injuries is palpable. Brisker has been out for nearly two months with a concussion, while Billings tore his pectoral muscle a few weeks ago. Since Billings went out, the front four hasn't been the same. The pressure isn't there; Gervon Dexter has come back down to earth, and the run defense has gotten worse than it already was as Aaron Jones eclipsed 100 rushing yards for the Vikings. That also creates more pressure on the secondary, which has been worse without Brisker. He's a vocal leader and had something good going with Kevin Byard at the safety position. Now, backups like Elijah Hicks and Jonathan Owens are left to pick up the slack. These two players mean a lot to the defense, which hasn't been the same since they've been out. It's likely not going to get better without them, meaning we've seen the best this unit has to offer this year. Everyone is pointing to the fourth quarter and overtime decisions that impacted this game, but this one turned on its head in the first half following a big play to Allen. The veteran receiver caught a spectacular pass down the sideline from Williams that was originally ruled a catch. The offense did their best to run up to the field, but Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell quickly threw the challenge flag. Allen's toe barely hit out of bounds, and that call was reversed. Instead of having a first down at the six-yard line, the Bears settled for a 48-yard field goal attempt that was blocked, which led to another Vikings touchdown to make it 14-7. The Bears could have taken a touchdown lead but instead never led again. It's unfortunate since it was a great play by the quarterback and receiver that didn't result in any points. Just remember that play when dissecting the game because the Bears scored just three points from that point on until the final three drives. Did we all collectively find out that the sideline camera used at various NFL stadiums cannot be used for coaches challenges during the Bears game on Sunday? Following the failed challenge on Jordan Addison's catch and run, NFL on FOX's rules analyst Mike Pereira said sideline cameras are unable to be used to challenge plays because not every stadium has them. Mike Pereira explains why officials couldn't use the boundary cam on a review. "If a coach is challenged, you cannot use the boundary cam. There's not boundary cams in every stadium so there's a question of equity." — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) This is just a general takeaway unrelated to the game, but in an era where we have more angles than ever to review plays and legalized gambling is so prevalent, why would the NFL not take every advantage to get calls right by using the resources available? And why aren't they in every stadium? Soldier Field is archaic when it comes to NFL stadiums; surely everyone else can include them. The league owes it to everyone to make sure the calls are correct, and not using all of the equipment feels like a big failure.

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Democrats plan to elect new party leader just days after Trump's inauguration

LOS ANGELES — “Around the Horn,” ESPN’s long-running sports debate program with a game show twist, is coming to an end next year. The network will pull the plug on the show sometime during the summer of 2025, according to a source familiar with the decision but not authorized to discuss it publicly, after nearly 23 years on the air. ESPN declined to comment for this story. The show premiered in November 2002 and has been a staple in the network’s 5 p.m. time slot Monday through Friday, followed by another long-running sports talk show, “Pardon the Interruption.” “Around the Horn” was originally hosted by Max Kellerman, with current host Tony Reali taking over that role in early 2004. “Around the Horn” features a rotating panel of four sports reporters and columnists — often including The Los Angeles Times’s Bill Plaschke, the Colorado Springs Gazette’s Woody Paige, ESPN’s Mina Kimes, the Dallas Morning News’s Tim Cowlishaw, former Times columnist and ESPN reporter J.A. Adande, ESPN’s Sarah Spain, former Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan, the Washington Post’s Kevin Blackistone, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and many others. The show’s format features Reali asking for a hot take from each panel member on a number of trending sports topics. Reali awards, or takes away, points for each panel member based on their takes, with the person with the lowest number of points being eliminated as the show progresses until a winner is declared. That person is awarded 30 seconds of “Face Time” to talk about anything they choose. ESPN is said to be exploring new show concepts with “Around the Horn” and “Pardon the Interruption” producer Erik Rydholm. The network is also said to hold Reali in high regard and to be looking for new opportunities for him at ESPN after “Around the Horn” ends.WASHINGTON (AP) — The chair of the Democratic National Committee informed party leaders on Monday that the DNC will choose his successor in February, an election that will speak volumes about how the party wants to present itself during four more years of Donald Trump in the White House. Jaime Harrison, in a letter to members of the party’s powerful Rules & Bylaws Committee, outlined the process of how the party will elect its new chair. Harrison said in the letter that the committee will host four candidate forums — some in person and some virtually — in January, with the final election on Feb. 1 during the party’s winter meeting in National Harbor, Maryland. The race to become the next chair of the Democratic National Committee, while an insular party affair, will come days after Trump is inaugurated for a second term. Democrats' selection of a leader after Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 loss will be a key starting point as the party starts to move forward, including addressing any structural problems and determining how to oppose Trump. Members of the Rules & Bylaws Committee will meet on Dec. 12 to establish the rules for these elections, which beyond the chair position will include top party roles like vice chairs, treasurer, secretary and national finance chair. The committee will also use that meeting to decide the requirements for gaining access to the ballot for those top party roles. In 2021, candidates were required to submit a nominating statement that included signatures from 40 DNC members and that will likely be the same standard for the 2025 campaigns. “The DNC is committed to running a transparent, equitable, and impartial election for the next generation of leadership to guide the party forward,” Harrison said in a statement. “Electing the Chair and DNC officers is one of the most important responsibilities of the DNC Membership, and our staff will run an inclusive and transparent process that gives members the opportunity to get to know the candidates as they prepare to cast their votes.” Two Democrats have announced campaigns for chair: Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and a vice chair of the national party, and Martin O’Malley, the former Maryland governor and current commissioner of the Social Security Administration. Other top Democrats are either considering a run to succeed Harrison or are being pushed by party insiders, including former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke; Michael Blake, a former vice chair of the party; Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin; Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan and a former Chicago mayor; Rep. Mallory McMorrow, majority whip of the Michigan Senate, and Chuck Rocha, a longtime Democratic strategist. The next chair of the committee will be tasked with rebuilding a party demoralized by a second Trump victory. They will also oversee the party’s 2028 nominating process, a complex and contentious exercise that will make the chair central to the next presidential election. Harrison, of South Carolina, made clear in his letter to the rules committee that the four forums hosted by the party would be live streamed and the party would give grassroots Democrats across the country the ability to engage with the process through those events. He also said he intends to remain neutral during the chair election.

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IPSWICH: Ruben Amorim did not pull any punches after a disappointing start to his career in the Manchester United dugout on Sunday, admitting the troubled club will “suffer for a long time”. If that is not what frustrated fans want to hear, the evidence from the underwhelming 1-1 draw at lowly Ipswich was stark. The visitors got off to a dream start when Marcus Rashford scored from close-range in the second minute after a fine run from makeshift wing-back Amad Diallo. But United quickly went off the boil, looking ponderous in attack and uncertain at the back, with Omari Hutchinson giving third-bottom Ipswich a deserved equalizer at the end of the first half. Neither team could find a winner after the break. “We are going to suffer for a long period, and we will try to win games,” Amorim told his post-match press conference, seeking to temper expectations. “This will take time, but I know we have to win games. We could have won, we could have lost if it were not for (goalkeeper Andre) Onana. “We have to understand that and think and be pragmatic that these guys had two days to train and to change so much.” United, languishing in 12th place in the Premier League, are already 15 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after 12 games and six points adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal. Fanfare Amorim arrived in Manchester earlier this month to much fanfare after replacing the sacked Erik ten Hag. He is touted as one of the most exciting young coaches in Europe after winning two Portuguese titles with Sporting Lisbon. Amorim is the club’s sixth permanent managerial appointment since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 after leading to United to a 20th English title. And at 39, he is the youngest United boss since Wilf McGuinness followed Matt Busby in 1969. But, for all the hype around Amorim, United’s flat performance in blustery conditions at Portman Road showed the scale of the task he has to take them back into the Premier League’s elite. In mitigation, Amorim had just days to work with his full squad after the international break. And he pleaded for patience as he gets down to business. “It’s hard to expect anything now,” he said. “It’s not a surprise, but you have to see it in-game. “So that’s why I was a little bit anxious, because you cannot understand what will happen in the game. “I felt that. I felt that they were trying, they were thinking too much during the game, and that is normal.” United next face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt at home in the Europa League on Thursday - which will be his first taste of a match at Old Trafford. Amorim said he would have to find a way to train his players alongside a cascade of matches both domestically and in Europe over the coming months. “With this schedule, we need to rotate the team,” he said. “So we’ll try to use that to train, to improve the team, and to win matches. “So that’s the point. Without time, we have to find the time.” I think this is the only way.” He admitted it would take time for the players to get used to the specific demands of his 3-4-3 formation, but said they had to take risks now to ensure long-term prosperity. “Next year in the same stage we’ll be here with the same problems,” Amorim said. “Or we start now, we risk a little bit, we suffer a little bit and in the next year we will be better at this point. So we have to risk it a little bit.”- AFP

Leaders of No Labels , a political party that failed in its bid to nominate a third-party presidential candidate, is taking its opponents to federal court. Unsealed documents and emails revealed Democratic operatives worked to undermine No Labels with efforts that included harassing and intimidating the founder, Nancy Jacobson, and her husband, Mark Penn, a former adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton. Political operations groups such as Third Way and Investing in US are working to counter the legal discovery. Strategists intended to “socially stigmatize” the couple, including stunts such as hiring clowns “to hangout on their block” in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C., according to the filings. They also reportedly posted fliers in their neighborhood attacking the couple, sent a “truck carrying musical performers” to their home at 6 a.m., and flew a banner plane over Harvard University’s graduation to attack Penn, who is chairman of the Harris Poll operated by the university. These efforts were outlined in a May 3, 2023, email sent by Melissa Byrne, a former organizer for Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaigns. She had also suggested using a mobile billboard to target the couple at the White House Correspondents’s Association dinner, according to the unsealed documents. “There is no place for MAGA hate in Georgetown,” the billboard stated over photos of President-elect Donald Trump and the No Labels leaders. Emails were sent to Dmitri Mehlhorn, a former top strategist for Investing in US, who then forwarded them to Lucy Caldwell, an anti-No Labels strategist. Mehlhorn denied having endorsed these proposals. “As a venture investor I received thousands of proposals for political work. I forward them to my advisers for initial review,” Mehlhorn said in a statement to the Washington Post about the "social stigmatization" memo. “If No Labels thinks that means I endorse those proposals, they are even dumber than I thought, which is saying something.” Days later, Caldwell shared with Mehlhorn her own proposal targeting No Labels. This led to a meeting in June at Third Way’s offices with several former U.S. senators, anti-Trump Republican activists, and other Democratic operatives. “Think of those tactics as flame retardant/super-scooper planes — that is, the last resort for when the fire is burning out of control and we have exhausted the options of our earlier phase,” Caldwell wrote. Caldwell also suggested creating a targeted ad strategy to make ballot-access efforts more difficult and using “allies connected in media/etc.” Pat Dennis, president of the American Bridge 21st Century, reportedly offered to help place stories and alleged misuse of donor funds by No Labels and also seek out operatives within No Labels to leak sensitive information to reporters. “The goal is to poison the well for No Labels with their key stakeholders and destabilize their efforts internally and in the minds of the public,” Dennis wrote in his email to Caldwell. “Spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt about their operation, and within their operation.” “These operatives had the gall to say they were fighting to protect our democracy. In reality, they undermined it at every turn with frivolous lawsuits, character assassination, and outright lies designed to prevent No Labels from exercising our constitutional right to get ballot access,” Dan Webb, a No Labels volunteer legal adviser, said in a statement. “If you are wondering why Americans are losing faith in our democracy and so many of our country’s self-anointed elites, this is Exhibit A.” In January, No Labels leaders called on the Justice Department to investigate an “unlawful conspiracy” to undermine their efforts, but the Justice Department did not respond to their requests. The emails and correspondence between anti-No Label operatives were made possible by a civil trial in Delaware when anti-No Label activists were attempting to buy a NoLabels.com domain. Purporting to be the official page for No Labels, the website included information that the party was supporting Trump. District Judge Gregory Williams issued a temporary restraining order over the trademark violation and forced the website's removal. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Third Way founder Jonathan Cowan and employees Matthew Bennett and Emily Cain have all denied being involved in the creation of NoLabels.com , and they have called the subpoenas into their emails and documents a violation of their First Amendment rights. No Labels was unable to successfully find a presidential candidate as big names such as former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) declined their offers.