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Biden's Wild Hair Incident Steals the Show at White House Christmas Tree LightingWASHINGTON — Democratic senators are urging President Joe Biden to extend temporary protections for migrants in the U.S. before he leaves office, warning that millions of people could be forced to return to unsafe countries once President-elect Donald Trump retakes the White House. The senators have been quietly urging the White House to take executive actions that would attempt to extend legal protections for migrants into Trump’s administration, and the White House has been discussing what steps to take. But any actions from the outgoing president would happen in the wake of an election that Trump won on promises of hardline immigration enforcement. The Democratic Party is also debating internally how it should approach immigration and border security after its election losses. The Biden administration earlier this week made permanent a rule that extends work authorizations for asylum seekers, but has not made commitments on other priorities for immigration advocates and Democrats. With just weeks remaining before Biden leaves office, several Democratic senators took their pleas public Wednesday. “The urgency of the next 40 days will remain,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said at a news conference. “So we’re going to keep pressing.” The senators from the Congressional Hispanic Conference urged the White House to re-designate or renew Temporary Protected Status for migrants from Nicaragua, Ecuador and El Salvador, as well as issue an order to expedite renewals for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Over 1 million migrants in the U.S. rely on TPS, which allows people already in the country to stay and work legally if their homelands are deemed unsafe. Trump has suggested he would scale back the program as he looks to implement the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. “We know the incoming administration is going to try to implement chaotic immigration policies that tear our families apart,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., adding, “But we have a chance to do something about that right now and give these families as much legal protection and reassurance as possible.” While Trump could attempt to undo some of the actions, they would set up a legal impediment and give migrants stronger legal standing to challenge Trump’s orders. In 2017, the Trump administration announced the end of TPS for Nicaraguans, saying that it was no longer needed. But TPS holders challenged the legality of that decision in a lawsuit in court. Since then, the duration of TPS for Nicaragua depends on a court order from a federal judge. The White House is considering taking action to extend temporary protections for some nations, but nothing has yet been decided, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations. Redesignating protected status for some nations would involve a more serious undertaking because it would grant people the right to stay in the U.S. from the date it was designated and a determination on the safety and security of the nation must be done. The renewal procedure only involves those already in the U.S. who would be allowed to stay longer. In the last months, advocates have ramped up pressure on the Biden administration re-designate Nicaraguan migrants for TPS, which would protect thousands of people from deportation. Hundreds of religious, immigration and human rights organizations argue that the combination of political and environmental circumstances make it unsafe for Nicaraguans to return to their country. “We don’t know how politics can change with Trump and TPS gives us peace of mind,” said Grethel Gomez, a 60-year-old Nicaraguan activist and asylum petitioner who could benefit from TPS. “There is horror of deportation, and this would give us security.” Gomez’s son was a human rights activist in Nicaragua and was detained for 45 days. She took to the streets to protest and ask for his release and was also persecuted, she said. Gomez left Nicaragua clandestinely and arrived in the United States with a tourist visa in 2021. Less than a year later she requested asylum, but she has not yet had any interviews and fears that her process will be hindered during the Trump administration. TPS could also benefit those Nicaraguans who came under a separate Biden program called humanitarian parole and have temporary legal status that expires after two years. Trump has said that he will end the parole program. Other immigrants, such as Jose Cabrera, a TPS holder from El Salvador, have lived in the U.S. for decades. But the TPS designation for El Salvador ends in March. Cabrera, who took time off from his landscaping job to speak alongside the senators at the Capitol Wednesday, said, “I’m proud to be part of this community. But right now, there’s so much fear among immigrants like me, especially with the new administration coming in.”phmacao com 。

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Susan Redline, MD, MPH, Selected as Editor-in-Chief of Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep FoundationVolkswagen is in the process of finally introducing a connected services platform to its Australian vehicles, with its commercial vehicle division getting the technology first. The first vehicles to receive the third-party Connected Cars-operated Goconnect system are the electric ID. Buzz people mover and ID. Buzz Cargo van. This is despite Volkswagen’s initial plans to bring connected services to Australia through the related ID.4 and ID.5 electric SUVs. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Both of these SUVs have been delayed multiple times, most recently to this month, and are now due around March 2025. 100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . ID. Buzz owners will receive a complimentary five-year Goconnect subscription with their vehicle, with pricing after this point yet to be finalised. Via the Goconnect phone app, owners can view their parking position, visualise the vehicle’s most recent trips, interact and book appointments with their dealer, view important errors and warnings, see the high-voltage battery status, and see the driving speed. Volkswagen has confirmed the Goconnect system will be rolled out across the wider commercial vehicle range, including the Amarok ute, from July 2025 onwards. It’s worth noting this connected services system isn’t a proprietary system, but it is Volkswagen Group-approved globally. “So there are some markets that are classified as offline markets,” said Volkswagen Group Australia director of commercial vehicles, Ryan Davies. “Australia is currently one of those, and we don’t have a true picture of when the connectivity that’s available in Europe will make its way into Australia.” One feature the third-party Goconnect connected services system will lack in local Volkswagen commercial vehicles is an emergency call function. Mr Davies said Volkswagen is liaising with Connected Cars to see if it can offer emergency calling down the line, especially given the cars already have a SIM card as part of the package. As previously reported , this exact third-party connected services system is also being introduced to the ID.4 and ID.5 electric SUVs when they launch locally next year. MORE: Volkswagen electric cars debuting delayed Tesla-style phone app in Australia

The Onion's rejected purchase of Infowars in an auction bid supported by families of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting dealt them a new setback Wednesday and clouded the future of Alex Jones' conspiracy theory platform, which is now poised to remain in his control for at least the near future. What's next for Infowars and Sandy Hook families' long-sought efforts to hold Jones accountable over calling one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history a hoax was unclear, after a federal judge in Houston late Tuesday rejected The Onion's winning bid for the site . U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston said he did not want another auction but offered no roadmap over how to proceed. One possibility includes ultimately allowing Sandy Hook families — who comprise most of Jones' creditors — to return to state courts in Connecticut and Texas to collect on the nearly $1.5 billion in defamation and emotional distress lawsuit judgments that Jones was ordered to pay them. “Our hope is that when this process ends, and it will end, and it will end sooner rather than later, is that all assets that Alex Jones has available are paid to the families, and that includes Infowars, and that as a result of that process Alex Jones is deprived of the ownership and control of the platform that he’s used to hurt so many people,” Christopher Mattei, an attorney for the Sandy Hook families, said in a phone interview Wednesday. The families, meanwhile, were preparing the mark the 12th anniversary of the Dec. 14 shooting. The sale of Infowars is part of Jones’ personal bankruptcy case , which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay the $1.5 billion. Jones was sued for repeatedly saying on his show that the 2012 massacre of 20 first graders and six educators was staged by crisis actors to spur more gun control. Lopez said there was a lack of transparency in the bidding process and too much confusion about The Onion's bid. He also said the amount of money offered in the only two bids was too low and there needed to be more effort to try to raise as much money possible from the selling of Infowars' assets. The Onion's parent company, Global Tetrahedron, submitted a $1.75 million cash offer with plans to kick Jones out and relaunch Infowars in January as a parody . The bid also included a deal with many of the Sandy Hook families for them to forgo $750,000 of their auction proceeds and give it to other creditors. Lopez called it a complex arrangement that led to different interpretations of the bid's actual value as well as last-minute changes to a proposed sale order. The other bidder was First United American Companies, which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements and planned to let Jones stay on the Infowars platforms. It offered $3.5 million in cash and later, with Jones, alleged fraud and collusion in the bidding process. Lopez rejected the allegations, saying that while mistakes were made there was no wrongdoing. Christopher Murray, the trustee who oversaw the auction, said he picked The Onion and its deal with the Sandy Hook families because it would have provided more money to Jones' other creditors. The next steps remained unclear Wednesday. The judge directed Murray to come up with a new plan to move forward. Murray and representatives of The Onion did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The judge said there was a possibility there could be a trial in 2025 to settle Jones' bankruptcy. He said Murray could try to sell the equity in Infowars' parent company. He also said Murray could abandon the efforts, which could allow the Sandy Hook families to return to the state courts where they won their lawsuits against Jones and begin collection proceedings against him. The judge said he wanted to hear back from Murray and others involved in the bankruptcy within 30 days on a plan to move forward. Mattei, who represented the Sandy Hook families in the Connecticut lawsuit, said everyone is waiting to see what plan the trustee comes up with. Jones, meanwhile, continued to allege fraud and collusion on his show Wednesday and threatened legal action over what he called an attempted “rigged auction.” On the social media platform X, he called the judge's ruling a “Major Victory For Freedom Of The Press & Due Process." “I don’t want to have to go after these people, lawsuit-wise, but we have to because if you don’t then you’re aiding and abetting and they do it to other people. They made some big mistakes," he said. It's a solemn and heartbreaking week for relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The 12th anniversary is Saturday, and some of the victims' relatives were traveling to Washington, D.C., to attend the annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence on Wednesday evening. The families usually mark the anniversary out of the public eye. Many of the families said their lawsuits against Jones bought back the unbearable pain of losing their loved ones, as well as the trauma of being harassed and threatened by believers of Jones' hoax conspiracy. Relatives said they have been confronted in public by hoax believers and received death and rape threats. Robbie Parker, whose 6-year-old daughter Emilie was killed, testified at the Connecticut lawsuit trial in 2022 that the decade of abuse his family suffered made them move across the country to Washington state, and even there he was accosted in person. The families have not received any money from Jones since winning the trials. Jones has been appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments, and has since conceded that the shooting did happen. Last week, a Connecticut appeals court upheld most of the judgment in that state but reduced it by $150 million. Associated Press writer Juan A. Lozano in Houston contributed to this report.Nissan and Honda to attempt a merger that would create the world's No. 3 automaker TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have announced plans to work toward a merger that would catapult them to a top position in an industry in the midst of tectonic shifts as it transitions away from its reliance on fossil fuels. The two companies said they signed an agreement on integrating their businesses on Monday. Smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors agreed to join the talks. News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month. Japanese automakers face a strong challenge from their Chinese rivals and Tesla as they make inroads into markets at home and abroad. What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industry BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan will attempt to merge and create the world’s third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. Following is a quick look at what a combined Honda and Nissan would mean for the companies, and for the auto industry. Nordstrom to be acquired by Nordstrom family and a Mexican retail group in $6.25 billion deal Century-old department store Nordstrom has agreed to be acquired and taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. Nordstrom shareholders will receive $24.25 in cash for each share of Nordstrom common stock, representing a 42% premium on the company’s stock as of March 18. Nordstrom’s board of directors unanimously approved the the proposed transaction, while Erik and Pete Nordstrom — part of the Nordstrom family taking over the company — recused themselves from voting. Following the close of the transaction, the Nordstrom Family will have a majority ownership stake in the company. An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump won a return to the White House in part by promising big changes in economic policy — more tax cuts, huge tariffs on imports, mass deportations of immigrants working in the United States illegally. In some ways, his victory marked a repudiation of President Joe Biden’s economic stewardship and a protest against inflation. It came despite low unemployment and steady growth under the Biden administration. What lies ahead for the economy under Trump? Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics spoke recently to The Associated Press. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. American consumers feeling less confident in December, Conference Board says American consumers are feeling less confident in December, a business research group says. The Conference Board said Monday that its consumer confidence index fell back in December to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Consumers had been feeling increasingly confident in recent months. The consumer confidence index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. The measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business and the job market tumbled more than a dozen points to 81.1. The Conference Board says a reading under 80 can signal a potential recession in the near future. The internet is rife with fake reviews. Will AI make it worse? Researchers and watchdog groups say the emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools that allow people to efficiently produce detailed and novel online reviews has put merchants, service providers and consumers in uncharted territory. Phony reviews have long plagued many popular consumer websites, such as Amazon and Yelp. But AI-infused text generation tools enable fraudsters to produce reviews faster and in greater volume, according to tech industry experts. The deceptive practice is illegal in the U.S. and becomes a bigger problem for consumers during the holiday shopping season, when many people rely on reviews to buy gifts. A tech company and watchdog group that uses software to detect fake reviews says AI-generated reviews have multiplied. Stock market today: Wall Street wavers at the start of a holiday-shortened week NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks wavered in afternoon trading on Wall Street at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 slipped 0.4% Monday. Several big technology companies helped support the gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 63 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.7%. Japanese automakers Honda Motor and Nissan Motor said they are talking about combining in a deal that might also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly rose after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Treasury yields edged higher in the bond market. AI will eavesdrop on world's wildest places to track and help protect endangered wildlife PUERTO JIMÉNEZ, Costa Rica (AP) — A biologist hid 350 audio monitors across Costa Rica’s tropical rainforests to spy on endangered spider monkeys in order to help protect them. But she had to go back to collect the data and feed those sounds into artificial intelligence systems that can recognize monkey calls. Now tech giant Microsoft's philanthropic arm is hoping to supercharge AI-assisted wildlife research with new solar-powered devices that can capture sounds, images and other wilderness data for a year or more without human intervention. Researchers say more AI wildlife surveillance is urgently needed to monitor the health of species at risk of extinction. Many Americans have come to rely on Chinese-made drones. Now lawmakers want to ban them WASHINGTON (AP) — The economic and technological rivalry between the U.S. and China has come to the drone market, where Chinese-made flying devices are a dominant player in America. Lawmakers in Washington are seeking to ban new sales of Chinese-made drones, arguing they could be used to spy on Americans and that the low-cost models are hurting the U.S. drone industry. But U.S. users — spanning from police officers to farmers to mappers and filmmakers — have come to rely on Chinese-made drones, especially those by DJI Technology, for their work or lives. Florida has banned Chinese drones in state-funded programs, but also appropriated $25 million to help offset replacement costs. Government regulators close investigation into Ford Focus recalls Government safety regulators are closing an investigation into two previous recalls of the Ford Focus after determining that Ford Motor Co. has satisfied its concerns. Ford recalled around 1.5 million Ford Focus sedans from the 2012-2018 model years in 2018 because they could lose power. The issue was a malfunctioning canister purge valve and software that didn’t adequately detect when it was stuck open. Ford fixed the software in two separate recalls, but after cars continued to stall, the government opened an inquiry last year. Earlier this fall, Ford offered to replace the canister purge valve on all of the vehicles, satisfying regulators' concerns.BJP, Ajsu-P members join RJD

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