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rich9 ph client locale en NEW YORK -- Chad Chronister, Donald Trump's pick to run the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Tuesday he was withdrawing his name from consideration, becoming the second person selected by the president-elect to bow out quickly after being nominated for a position requiring Senate confirmation. Sheriff Chronister, the top law enforcement officer in Hillsborough County, Florida, said in a post on X that he was backing away from the opportunity, which he called “the honor of a lifetime.” “Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” Chronister wrote. He did not elaborate, and Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Chronister follows former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz , Trump’s first pick to serve as attorney general, in withdrawing his name for a post in the administration. Gaetz withdrew following scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. Trump's pick of Chronister for the DEA job drew backlash from conservatives, who raised concerns over his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and his saying that his office “does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities.” In March 2020, Chronister arrested the pastor of a megachurch who held services with hundreds of people and violated a safer-at-home order in place aimed at limiting the spread of the Covid virus. “Shame on this pastor, their legal staff and the leaders of this staff for forcing us to do our job. That’s not what we wanted to do during a declared state of emergency,” Chronister said at the time. “We are hopeful that this will be a wakeup call.” U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky, was among those airing public complaints, saying Chronister should be “disqualified” for the arrest. Others flagged comments Chronister made in a video about Florida’s immigration laws that he released in 2023 that circulated again online after Trump named him last weekend. In the video, Chronister praised the “rich diversity” of his community and called it “a place where people from all walks of life come together.” He said it was important to note his office “does not engage in federal immigration enforcement activities. We do not target individuals based on their immigration status. That’s the authority of federal agencies.” Trump has made a sweeping crackdown on immigration a central focus of his campaign and his aims for his coming administration. ___ Associated Press writer Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida contributed to this report.TALKING TRASH: LUCKY ENERGY DEBUTED AT ART BASEL

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Energy Drink Company Curated Art Basel Rubbish, Selling Pieces of Art For A Good Cause MIAMI , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lucky Energy , known for its full-flavor, deliciously refreshing energy drinks, kicked off its first-ever Art Basel appearance with an unforgettable activation that was as trashy as it was inspiring. Dubbed "Trashy Art," the activation featured models picking up garbage outside the Miami Beach Convention Center on days 1 and 2 of the art fair. The brand curated 30-40 pieces of this rubbish and sold them on ArtBaselTrash.com . All pieces went on sale for $13 - typically an unlucky number, but the brand finds that the most unlucky moments encourage us to "create our own luck." Proceeds of the sale will go towards DonorChoose. "Lucky Energy is a beverage and entertainment company that draws inspiration from pop art and fashion, so showing up in this format at Art Basel is an important milestone for us," said Lucky Energy Founder and CEO Richard Laver . Our "Talking Trash" initiative is a unique expression of our brand identity - it challenges conventional thinking and encourages deeper reflection. We believe it will resonate with our audience, who appreciate our delicious beverages, humor, and charm. Developed by Lucky Energy's in-house team, the website sold tickets to a Miami Heat Game, an unopened can of Lucky Energy Drink with lipstick on the rim, a long piece of black hair (rumored to belong to a famous sister that was once married to a rapper), an empty can of Redbull and more. "As the saying goes, 'art is art is art.' Art exists as its own entity, regardless of definition. With this insight, we ask, why can't trash fall into that category if everything is Art?" said Hamid Saify , CMO of Lucky Energy. "Our depiction of Art was designed to spark conversation and curiosity. As a brand, rethinking cultural norms is in our DNA. When told we can't or shouldn't, we are inspired to prove otherwise. We aim to instill that same 'can do' attitude and motivation in people, giving them the fuel they need to keep going. To make their own luck. This is why we are committed to supporting social causes, with the proceeds of "Trashy Art"' and an additional donation to funding a Miami -based kid's art program through DonorsChoose." Richard Laver founded Lucky Energy after experiencing tragic lows and dizzying heights; he launched the company to inspire people to persevere and keep going as he learned to do. He's the youngest survivor of the Delta 191 flight that killed his father and 136 others. After surviving the crash at just 12 years old, Laver suffered from depression and was homeless by 27. He eventually found the love of his life, Michelle, but during the premature birth of their first child, Kate, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and would need a feeding tube for nourishment. Through a medley of medical complications, he founded Kate Farms (now the #1 recommended plant-based tube-feeding formula) to save her life. In thinking about his next chapter, Laver landed on creating a cleaner alternative to the energy drinks on the market. To learn more about Lucky Energy and Trashy Art, visit www.luckybevco.com and follow @luckyenergyofficial on social media. Please contact Valeria Carrasco at valeria@hallettsconsulting.com with any questions. ABOUT Lucky Energy Drink Lucky Energy is a cleaner, better-for-you energy drink company founded by serial beverage entrepreneur Richard Laver . The brand creates high-quality products to motivate people to keep going . The product line features five flavors—with 5 super ingredients, including maca and beta-alanine, 0 sugar, 0 aftertaste, and only 5 calories. Products are available on Amazon. For more information, visit www.luckybevco.com and follow @luckyfckenergy on social media. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talking-trash-lucky-energy-debuted-at-art-basel-302329542.html SOURCE Lucky Beverage Company'Wicked' movie fans finally will get to sing along — but not until Christmas DayNo. 24 Illinois stuns Rutgers on Bryant's 40-yard TD reception with 4 seconds left

TALKING TRASH: LUCKY ENERGY DEBUTED AT ART BASEL

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Hegseth meets with moderate Sen. Collins as he lobbies for key votes in the SenateTOMS River, N.J. (AP) — A U.S. senator has called for mysterious drones spotted flying over sensitive areas in New Jersey and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region to be “shot down, if necessary,” even as it remains unclear who owns them. “We should be doing some very urgent intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Thursday as concerns about the drones spread across Capitol Hill. People in the New York region are also concerned that the drones may be sharing airspace with commercial airlines, he said, demanding more transparency from the Biden administration. The White House said Thursday that a review of the reported sightings shows that many of them are actually manned aircraft being flown lawfully. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said there were no reported sightings in any restricted airspace. He said the U.S. Coast Guard has not uncovered any foreign involvement from coastal vessels. “We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus,” Kirby said, echoing statements from the Pentagon and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. The drones appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security. The FBI has been investigating and has asked residents to share any videos, photos or other information about the drones. On Wednesday, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said they are not U.S. military drones. The number of sightings has increased in recent days, though officials say many of the objects seen may have been planes rather than drones. It’s also possible that a single drone has been reported more than once. The worry stems partly from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Most, but not all, of the drones spotted in New Jersey were larger than those typically used by hobbyists. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he was frustrated by the lack of transparency, saying it could help spread fear or misinformation. “We should know what’s going on over our skies,” he said Thursday. Fantasia, a Morris County Republican, was among several lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the sightings from the New York City area across New Jersey and westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia. It is unknown at this time whether the sightings are related. Two Republican Jersey Shore-area congressmen, U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, say the military should shoot down the drones. Smith said a U.S. Coast Guard commanding officer briefed him on an incident over the weekend in which a dozen drones followed a motorized Coast Guard lifeboat “in close pursuit” near Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County. Coast Guard Lt. Luke Pinneo on Wednesday told The Associated Press “that multiple low-altitude aircraft were observed in the vicinity of one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park.” Associated Press reporters Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and reporter Darlene Superville and videojournalists Serkan Gurbuz and Nathan Ellgren in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil underwent an emergency craniotomy in the early morning hours of Tuesday to drain an intracranial hemorrhage resulting from an injury he suffered in a bathroom accident in October. According to statements from Lula’s medical team, the Brazilian president is stable and will remain under monitoring in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Sírio-Libanês Hospital in the city of São Paulo. Brazilian media reported that Lula, 79, experienced headaches in recent days and was admitted to the Sírio-Libanês Hospital in Brasilia on Monday evening, where imaging tests revealed “bleeding between the brain and the meningeal membrane.” Lula was then transferred to the Sírio-Libanês Hospital in São Paulo, where he underwent the emergency procedure. CNN Brasil reported on Tuesday morning that Lula had been unwell since the previous morning and “despite being lucid and oriented, he was feeling sleepy and unwell, but he continued to keep his appointments,” according to an unnamed source. The Brazilian government released a statement on Tuesday stating that the craniotomy Lula underwent was “uneventful” and that Lula remains well and under monitoring by his medical team. Lula’s medical team held a press conference on Tuesday morning in which Dr. Roberto Kalil, who tended to the Brazilian president, stated that Lula is “fine, talks and eats normally and will not suffer any after-effects,” and pointing out that “his neurological functions are preserved.” “The president is progressing well; he arrived from surgery practically awake, was extubated and is now stable, talking normally, eating and will remain under observation for the next few days,” Kalil said. According to the doctor, Lula is expected to return to Brasilia early next week and is prohibited from receiving work visitors at the hospital until he is fully recovered. The president’s medical team told CNN Brasil after the press conference that Lula is expected to remain in São Paulo, with no return date set at press time. Kalil further explained that the hematoma was approximately three centimeters in size and did not touch the brain. Kalil asserted that it is “very unlikely” that Lula will experience another bleeding episode of that nature, and claimed the president “is stable, talking normally and eating.” Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin reportedly cancelled his schedule in São Paulo and returned to Brasília to take over some of Lula’s workload, including an upcoming meeting with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who is presently conducting an official visit to Brazil. The emergency craniotomy took place almost two months after Lula suffered a head injury in a bathroom accident on Saturday, October 19, that required urgent medical attention at the Sírio-Libanês Hospital. Lula received five stitches at the time and was advised by Kalil and the other members of his medical team to avoid long-distance air travel. As a result, Lula cancelled his trip to Kazan, Russia, to participate in the annual meeting of the anti-U.S. BRICS bloc. The accident occurred hours before the scheduled trip. Lula participated in the event through a videoconference instead. Officials from Venezuela’s socialist regime claimed at the time that Lula’s bathroom accident was “ fake ” and an elaborate “alibi” to avoid attending the event, part of an alleged plot to snub Venezuela out of a long-coveted BRICS partnership spot. Brazilian government officials explained at the time that their decision to oppose longtime ally Venezuela’s entry into the group was due to a “breach of trust” following socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro’s fraudulent July 28 sham presidential election. Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here .Man on trial in Ole Miss student's death lied to investigators, police chief saysGroup commends Tinubu, CDS Musa for tackling security challenges

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