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lucky calico bet By MIKE CATALINI CHATHAM, N.J. (AP) — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It’s unclear if it’s drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward. Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights. This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what’s behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey’s new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X. But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they’re looking into what’s happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else. Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on. In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group. The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it , has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there. One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.) Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she’s glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said. “I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said. She doesn’t buy what the governor said, that the drones aren’t a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” “How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.” Then there’s the notion that people could misunderstand what they’re seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots. Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they’re looking at. Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories. “It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.” Federal officials echo Austin’s view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy. That’s not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects. For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions. “My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said. “Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added. Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

EC: Bluesky Breaches Rules by Not Disclosing Number of UsersThe connections are clear between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, longtime NFC South rivals. The teams get together for a meeting on Sunday in Charlotte and showed recent signs they can play with any team. "It's an NFC South battle," Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said. "All of them are going to be hard, none of them (are) going to be easy. ... They're playing pretty good football. They missed some games here and there, but they're playing very good football. It's going to be a tough battle." Few introductions are needed on Sunday, as first-year Panthers coach Dave Canales came to Carolina after serving as Buccaneers offensive coordinator a season ago. Canales' prized pupil last season, Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield was with the Panthers for part of the 2022 campaign. "There's some familiarity," Canales said of his connection to the Buccaneers. "Knowing coach Bowles, he's got a really sophisticated system and he attacks each team with a specific game plan. There's some principles that carry over. I know that he's going to have some things up his sleeve." The Buccaneers (5-6) playing a division opponent for the first time since an Oct. 27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The goal will be notching back-to-back wins for the first time since the first two weeks of the season. Four different ball-carriers, including Mayfield, found the end zone on the ground during a 30-7 drubbing of the New York Giants last Sunday. Mayfield also completed 24 of 30 passes for 294 yards. "For me, the biggest thing was blocking and tackling," Bowles said of what his team did well last weekend. "We cleaned up the fundamental and technique part of it." Star wideout Mike Evans was back in action for Tampa Bay following a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury. He finished with five receptions for 68 yards against the Giants and now gets a crack at a Carolina team allowing a league-high 30.9 points per game this season. However, the Panthers have tightened up their play as of late, winning two games in a row before hanging with the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in a 30-27 setback last Sunday. The outing against Kansas City may have been the most efficient performance of Panthers quarterback Bryce Young's two-year career. Young completed 21 of 35 passes for 263 yards and one score without throwing a pick. "It's not all Bryce, it's the whole unit," Canales said. "It's a collective effort, but he certainly needs to be the voice and driver of that." Wide receiver Jalen Coker (quadriceps), tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (neck) and safety Lonnie Johnson (personal) were all missing from practice on Wednesday for Carolina. Defensive end LaBryan Ray is dealing with a hand issue and was among those limited. Safety Jordan Whitehead (pectoral) was one of four Buccaneers to miss practice on Wednesday. Evans practiced in full. Carolina and Tampa Bay might as well get used to each other, as the two teams will collide again in Week 17. --Field Level Media‘Squid Game’ Player 456 Returns to Deadly Arena in Netflix’s Season 2 Trailer - Hollywood Reporter

By MIKE CATALINI CHATHAM, N.J. (AP) — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It’s unclear if it’s drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward. Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights. This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what’s behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey’s new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X. But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they’re looking into what’s happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else. Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on. In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group. The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it , has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there. One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.) Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she’s glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said. “I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said. She doesn’t buy what the governor said, that the drones aren’t a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” “How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.” Then there’s the notion that people could misunderstand what they’re seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots. Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they’re looking at. Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories. “It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.” Federal officials echo Austin’s view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy. That’s not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects. For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions. “My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said. “Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added. Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.3 Americans held for years in China have been released, the White House saysBrockton mayor vetos City Council’s ban on tents, loitering in public places

Styrene Butadiene (SB) Latex Market to Grow by USD 1.50 Billion (2024-2028), Demand from APAC and Europe Boosts Growth, AI Impact on Market Trends - TechnavioArmada Hoffler Announces Quarterly DividendBy MICHAEL R. SISAK and JENNIFER PELTZ NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution’s suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea “absurd.” Related Articles National Politics | Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg National Politics | Veteran Daniel Penny, acquitted in NYC subway chokehold, will join Trump’s suite at football game The Manhattan district attorney’s office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won’t include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn’t sentenced and his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined comment. It’s unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump’s request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution’s suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution’s suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the “ongoing threat” that he’ll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. “To be clear, President Trump will never deviate from the public interest in response to these thuggish tactics,” the defense lawyers wrote. “However, the threat itself is unconstitutional.” The prosecution’s suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they argued. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump has tabbed for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution’s novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump had died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to “fabricate” a solution “based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump” who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September “and a hypothetical dead defendant.” Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what’s already a unique case. “This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding,” prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn’t “precipitously discard” the “meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers.” Prosecutors acknowledged that “presidential immunity requires accommodation” during Trump’s impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury’s verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution . Other world leaders don’t enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza . Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records . Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. In their filing Friday, Trump’s lawyers citing a social media post in which Sen. John Fetterman used profane language to criticize Trump’s hush money prosecution. The Pennsylvania Democrat suggested that Trump deserved a pardon, comparing his case to that of President Joe Biden’s pardoned son Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division,” Fetterman wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. Trump’s hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith has ended his two federal cases , which pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in all. Trump had been scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November. But following Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president’s sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Merchan also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. A dismissal would erase Trump’s conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.

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Several members of Donald Trump's incoming administration have received threats including bomb alerts, the FBI said Wednesday, with one nominee reporting a pipe-bomb scare sent with a pro-Palestinian message. "The FBI is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners," the agency said in a statement. Swatting refers to the practice in which police are summoned urgently to someone's house under false pretenses. Such hoax calls are common in the United States and have seen numerous senior political figures targeted in recent years. Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump's transition team, earlier said that several appointees and nominees "were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them." Elise Stefanik, a Trump loyalist congresswoman tapped to be UN ambassador, said her residence in New York was targeted in a bomb threat. She said in a statement that she, her husband, and small son were driving home from Washington for the Thanksgiving holiday when they learned of the threat. Lee Zeldin, Trump's pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, said his home was targeted with a pipe bomb threat sent with a "pro-Palestinian themed message." The former congressman from New York said he and his family were not home at the time. Fox News Digital quoted unidentified sources saying that John Ratcliffe, Trump's nominee to head the CIA, and Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary pick, were also targeted. Ahead of his return to the House in January, Trump has already swiftly assembled a cabinet of loyalists, including several criticized for a severe lack of experience. The Republican, who appears set to avoid trial on criminal prosecutions related to attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss, was wounded in the ear in July in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally. The shooter was killed in counter-fire. In September, authorities arrested another man accused of planning to shoot at Trump while he played golf at his course in West Palm Beach, Florida. bur/sms/bjtThe standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.Nov 21 (Reuters) - Bank of America's (BAC.N) , opens new tab co-head of investment banking in India and two other bankers have left the company amid an investigation into wrongdoing allegations, the Financial Times reported , opens new tab on Thursday, citing three people familiar with the matter. The internal investigation was launched earlier this year and is scrutinizing wether BofA and bankers at its Asian investment banking arm shared nonpublic information with certain investors ahead of upcoming secondary stock offerings, the report said. BofA did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Sign up here. Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab(Reuters) – Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised his players as they bounced back from consecutive LaLiga disappointments with what he described as a great performance to thump French side Brest 3-0 in their Champions League clash on Tuesday. Flick said on Monday that his side’s recent form was a major worry after they failed to win for a second successive LaLiga game, but the German coach was delighted with how his players responded. “Very happy. We deserved it, winning by three goals but we could have scored more,” Flick told Movistar Plus. “But I’m happy either way because delivering a performance like this after (a 2-2 draw at Celta) Vigo (on Saturday) is just great.” Flick praised Barca striker Robert Lewandowski who scored twice to join Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the only players to reach 100 goals in the competition, but said that he preferred his team’s collective effort on Tuesday. “Lewandowski is great, I’m delighted with his goals. I think Lewandowski knows he has to score and he is in the position to do it, but the important thing is what the team generates,” Flick said. “Obviously, he knows he has to score and he plays for it, but what this team does is just wonderful.” Tuesday’s victory lifted Barca to second in the 36-team Champions League table on 12 points from five games, one point behind Inter Milan and level with third-placed Liverpool, who host Real Madrid on Wednesday. Flick’s team are on top in the LaLiga standings with 34 points, four ahead of rivals Real Madrid in second, who have a game in hand. (Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Toby Davis) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, Damian Williams, has announced his resignation effective December 13, 2024, paving the way for President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Southern District of New York (SDNY). The announcement comes a month before Trump’s inauguration. “Today is a bittersweet day for me,” Williams said in a statement. “It is bitter in the sense that I am leaving my dream job, leading an institution I love that is filled with the finest public servants in the world. It is sweet in that I am confident I am leaving at a time when the Office is functioning at an incredibly high level — upholding and exceeding its already high standard of excellence, integrity, and independence.” A Legacy of High-Profile Cases Appointed by President Joe Biden in November 2021, Williams made his mark by prosecuting significant cases across the political and financial spectrum. His tenure included pursuing charges against high-profile Democrats such as former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Williams’ office secured convictions against former billionaire financiers, including Archegos Capital Management founder Sung Kook ‘Bill’ Hwang and FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder Sam Bankman-Fried. Additionally, he filed sex-trafficking charges against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, accusing the music mogul of leading a criminal enterprise involving coerced participation in drug-fueled sex shows. Trump’s Nominee for SDNY Leadership Williams’ resignation coincides with President-elect Trump’s plans to nominate Jay Clayton, a former US Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, to the role. Trump praised Clayton as a “highly respected business leader, counsel, and public servant” and described him as a “strong Fighter for the Truth” in his efforts to “Make America Great Again.” The position will require confirmation by the US Senate. Interim Leadership Transition Edward Y. Kim, Williams’ deputy, will assume the role of acting US Attorney upon his departure. Williams’ departure marks a significant leadership change at one of the nation’s most powerful federal prosecutor’s offices, with a legacy of high-profile cases and stringent enforcement of financial and political accountability.A top US official sought to quell growing concern Sunday over reported drone sightings in the country's northeast, reiterating there was no known security threat as authorities monitor the situation. President Joe Biden's administration has faced mounting criticism for not clearly identifying origins of the objects seen hovering over parts of New York and New Jersey. The criticism has come even from Biden's own party, with top Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer calling Sunday for action to make it easier for federal, state and local authorities to work together to detect and if need be "bring down" any drone seen to pose a threat. Video footage of mysterious airborne phenomena recently has clogged social media, with spottings also reported in Maryland and Virginia. "Some of those drone sightings are, in fact, drones. Some are manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday on ABC's "This Week" program. "But there's no question that drones are being sighted," he said, noting there are more than one million registered across the United States. "I want to assure the American public that we are on it," he said. "If we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly. Right now, we are not aware of any." Even as Mayorkas sought to reassure the public, Boston police announced Sunday that two Massachusetts men had been arrested the previous night for allegedly conducting a "hazardous drone operation" near the city's Logan International Airport. State police were conducting a search for a third suspect, who authorities said fled the scene. Schumer, in a letter to Mayorkas Sunday, urged the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy special drone-detection technology across New York and New Jersey, since traditional radar struggles to detect such small objects. He also called for passage of legislation to explicitly authorize state and local law enforcement to work with federal agencies to detect and "bring down drones that threaten critical facilities or mass gatherings." Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, meanwhile expressed frustration at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over its communications around the issue. "The answer 'we don't know' is not a good enough answer," he told "Fox News Sunday." "When people are anxious... people will fill a vacuum with, you know, their fears and anxieties and conspiracy theories," he said, calling for the FAA to hold public briefings. White House national security spokesman John Kirby had previously said the aircraft could be lawfully operated planes or helicopters mistaken for drones. "While there is no known malicious activity occurring, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight a gap in authorities," he said Thursday, calling for Congress to pass new legislation to "extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities." New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Sunday that authorities had agreed to send a drone detection system to her state. "I am grateful for the support, but we need more. Congress must pass a law that will give us the power to deal directly with the drones," she said on X. On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump urged federal authorities to clearly identify the drones' origins. "Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!" he posted on social media. As the price of drones has fallen -- small quadcopter models with Wi-Fi camera capability can be purchased for as little as $40 -- their numbers and popularity have soared, making their presence in American skies a greater concern. acb/des/bbk/mlm

There is a fierce debate in the United States and among its allies about the impacts of export controls, and nowhere is that debate more heated than in the semiconductor equipment manufacturing industry. Too often, however, this debate occurs without any grounding in real-world data or relevant historical Chinese policy context. This paper seeks to provide some of that grounding through a combination of Chinese policy document analysis and new financial and market share data for leading semiconductor equipment firms in China, the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands. What follows are a set of 10 key judgments based on the author’s analysis. 1. China’s ambitions for eliminating dependence on foreign semiconductor manufacturing equipment started long before America’s expanded usage of technology export controls. The first and most important argument among critics of U.S. export controls is that they weaken U.S. technology leadership by incentivizing China to eliminate U.S. technology from its semiconductor supply chain. However, reducing dependence on foreign semiconductor and semiconductor manufacturing equipment suppliers was official Chinese policy before the Trump administration’s April 2018 export controls restricting sales of U.S.-designed chips to ZTE, a Chinese telecommunications firm, launched the new era of semiconductor export controls. “ The Roadmap of Major Technical Domains for Made in China 2025 ,” which was published in September 2015 and covered semiconductors and other sectors, included goals such as “replacement of imports with Chinese-made products basically achieved in key industries” by 2025. It set specific targets and deadlines for the degree of market share that Chinese companies were supposed to reach and by what date. Targets for the semiconductor manufacturing equipment sector include the following: As the Made in China 2025 technical document roadmap stated , “meeting domestic market demand, improving the self-sufficiency rate of integrated circuit products, meeting national security needs, and occupying the strategic product market have always been the greatest demand and driving force for the development of the integrated circuit industry.” Even earlier policies, though less well resourced, sought to dramatically reduce use of foreign semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. For example, the 2006 “Medium Long Range Plan for the Development of Science and Technology” explicitly called for self-sufficiency in semiconductor technologies and initiated so-called “mega projects” to drive toward that goal. For more than a decade, China’s government has provided lavish subsidies in the form of tax breaks, free land, government grants, and equity infusions to a number of Chinese semiconductor equipment companies. Naura, one of China’s leading domestic semiconductor manufacturing equipment companies received $1.3 billion in state support in 2021, even before the imposition of the Biden administration’s export controls. AMEC, another leading Chinese semiconductor equipment company, received a similar equity investment from the “Big Fund” in 2015. Simply put, China’s goal of semiconductor equipment industry localization and robust policy support predated any modern effort to impose meaningful export controls on China’s chip fabrication capabilities. 2. There is not a simple relationship between export controls and China’s rate of technological progress. China’s greatest progress came in sectors with no export controls. A September 2024 analysis by Bernstein Research , an equity research firm, included a review of China’s semiconductor self-sufficiency goals from the 2015 roadmap and found that “China has made impressive progress and likely will beat the ‘Made in China 2025’ targets for integrated circuit (IC) Design and Manufacturing, but may miss the goals for IC equipment and Materials.” As the Bernstein analysis shows, the rate of China’s progress toward self-sufficiency is best predicted by the market and technological complexities of each semiconductor market segment, not by the extent to which export controls were applied. It is certainly not the case that the segments in which China has made the most progress—or even devoted the most resources—are the areas in which the United States has applied export controls most forcefully. That there is not a simple relationship between export controls and China’s technological progress should be obvious given that China has made rapid progress in other technological domains—such as solar cells and electric vehicles (EVs)—where the United States applied no export controls and in some cases actively supported the rise of a Chinese supply chain. The United States applied no export controls in the case of the equipment used to manufacture silicon solar cells, yet today China dominates both production of solar cells and production of the equipment used to make them. This equipment is in many ways similar to (though less sophisticated than) the equipment used to make and process silicon wafers for semiconductors. In fact, one Chinese company, Naura, is a domestic leader in both manufacturing equipment for both solar cells and semiconductors. The biggest difference in Chinese outcomes between those two industries is not the presence or absence of export controls but the far greater technological complexity of producing semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The EV maker Tesla made a major push into Chinese manufacturing in late 2018, launching deep partnerships with many local Chinese suppliers, such as battery-maker CATL. As a November 2024 commentary in a major Chinese state-run newspaper stated : "Tesla’s rapid growth in sales, fueled by its technological and branding advantages and backed by China’s massive consumer market, has driven the rapid development of upstream and downstream supply chains. Today, the localization rate of parts for Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory exceeds 95%, with more than 60 suppliers integrated into Tesla’s global supply chain." The Chinese EV supply chain, which Tesla helped dramatically increase in both scale and technological sophistication, is now also supplying Tesla’s competitors . Defections of Tesla-trained skilled employees are also a challenge. An April 2024 New York Times report claimed that most of Tesla’s early Chinese employees now work at competing Chinese firms. In a January Tesla earnings call, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said “The Chinese car companies are the most competitive car companies in the world. . . . Frankly, I think if there are not trade barriers established, they will pretty much demolish most other companies in the world.” The point here is not to suggest with unwarranted certainty that export controls would have definitively prevented China’s rise in the solar and EV industries. Rather, it is to caution the reader against relying too heavily on cursory anecdotal evidence to reach conclusions about when export controls do or do not work and what the counterfactual outcome would have been if export controls were or were not applied. Much depends upon the state of the global market landscape, the complexity of the controlled technology, the current technological sophistication of the targeted country, the design of the export control regulations, and the robustness of the controls’ implementation and enforcement. Only a detailed analysis can hope to reach anything approaching insight. 3. Semiconductor export controls—as implemented thus far—have in different ways and at different times both helped and hindered Chinese firms. Just as foreign firms have supported Chinese competitor growth in solar cells and EVs in the absence of export controls, so have they done in semiconductor manufacturing. The major semiconductor manufacturing equipment providers all have major service businesses, where, among other things, they train customer companies on how to get the most out of their equipment. Prior to the October 2022 changes in U.S. export controls, this could include assisting with the facility planning, installation, repairs, and operational troubleshooting of equipment as part of advanced chip manufacturing operations. Industry sources told CSIS that this sometimes included contract research and development (R&D) of advanced node semiconductor process technology on behalf of or in partnership with Chinese clients. At least as of November 2024, this is still legal in the case of providing support to Chinese legacy chip manufacturing operations. By contrast, earlier U.S. export controls meaningfully reversed progress in some segments of the Chinese semiconductor sector, such as NAND memory manufacturing and smartphone chip design , though the durability of those setbacks, even if temporary, will depend on many factors. More recent export controls have also made life harder in many ways for Chinese semiconductor equipment firms, who can no longer legally obtain U.S. subcomponents or technical expertise. Thus, it is simply wrong to say that export controls always, in isolation, accelerate Chinese technological indigenization and that making it easier for U.S. firms to export will always slow Chinese indigenization. At the same time, it is unambiguously the case that the United States’ use of semiconductor export controls, beginning with ZTE in April 2018, made a massive impression on both political and corporate leaders in China. Speeches at the time by Chinese leadership, including General Secretary Xi Jinping , indicate that ZTE was viewed as a turning point and justified China’s aggressive pursuit of “self-reliance” in science and technology. Pony Ma, the chairman of Tencent, one of China’s largest technology firms, said in May 2018, “The recent ZTE incident made us see clearly that no matter how advanced our mobile payment is, without mobile devices, without microchips and operating systems, we can’t compete competently.” The evidence goes beyond talk to specific actions. China made significant changes to its semiconductor policy in the years following ZTE, and China’s central government directed local governments to “do everything in their power” to promote the semiconductor sector. Some Chinese companies also took drastic measures to respond after ZTE. For example, Nikkei Asia reported that Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC)—one of China’s most advanced semiconductor manufacturers—began a full-blown de-Americanization campaign in 2019 involving the full-time work of more than 800 staff (both YMTC and its suppliers). This included the establishment of multiple new major partnerships with domestic Chinese equipment producers. Of note, at the time when YMTC began this de-Americanization initiative, no significant U.S. export controls applied to the company. YMTC began their work based on fear of future controls, not the reality of current ones. Combined, this provides strong evidence that the export controls did increase the desire of both the Chinese government and Chinese companies to increase the capabilities of local semiconductor equipment providers, but that is not the same thing as saying that export controls caused accelerated indigenization, which depends upon more than just desire. 4. The Biden administration’s 2022 export controls strengthened a policy approach to semiconductor equipment controls that began in 2019 during the first Trump administration. As with chip export controls, the first Trump administration launched the U.S. government’s modern approach to semiconductor manufacturing equipment export controls. According to reporting by Reuters , the U.S. government successfully persuaded the Dutch government in July 2019 to cancel the export license of EUV lithography equipment to SMIC, China’s most advanced logic chip foundry. In December 2020, SMIC was added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List, prohibiting the company from buying certain kinds of U.S. equipment, specifically, “items uniquely required for production of semiconductors at advanced technology nodes (10 nanometers and below, including extreme ultraviolet technology).” In October 2022, the Biden administration significantly expanded U.S. export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment, including not only Entity List and end-use restrictions but also some country-wide export controls that applied to China as a whole (including a use of the U.S. persons rule). Just as importantly, the Biden administration made some of these controls more multilateral in nature, engaging Japan and the Netherlands to overhaul their export control policies for advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Even though these controls did not entirely align with U.S. controls, this was important to ensure that Dutch and Japanese companies did not provide China with alternative sources for the items that the United States was no longer willing to sell. 5. Chinese semiconductor equipment firms started very small but have grown rapidly. However, this rapid growth occurred both before and after export controls and took place during a period of massive Chinese equipment demand growth. China’s domestic semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry has long been both small and technologically inferior to the global state of the art. To understand the growth trajectory of the Chinese semiconductor manufacturing equipment sector, CSIS gathered market data on how China’s global semiconductor manufacturing equipment market share has changed over time across both supply and demand (see Table 1).DNR hits pause on NorthMet copper-nickel mine permit review

By MIKE CATALINI CHATHAM, N.J. (AP) — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It’s unclear if it’s drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward. Related Articles National News | FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup National News | OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco apartment National News | Judge rejects an attempt by Trump campaign lawyer to invalidate guilty plea in Georgia election case National News | Texas’ abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine National News | US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights. This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what’s behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey’s new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X. But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they’re looking into what’s happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else. Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on. In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group. The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it , has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there. One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.) Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she’s glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said. “I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said. She doesn’t buy what the governor said, that the drones aren’t a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” “How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.” Then there’s the notion that people could misunderstand what they’re seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots. Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they’re looking at. Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories. “It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.” Federal officials echo Austin’s view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy. That’s not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects. For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions. “My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said. “Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added. Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

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CWR expands clinical trials to tackle high disease burden in Nigeria, otherss the Maharashtra Assembly election results are set to be announced on November 23, several high-profile constituencies are expected to witness tight contests, with the Mumbadevi constituency in Mumbai emerging as one of the key battlegrounds. This seat, currently held by Congress MLA Amin Patel, is set for an epic contest, with Patel facing a strong challenge from Shaina NC, a former BJP member now contesting on a Shiv Sena (Mahayuti) ticket. Amin Patel, a seasoned Congress leader and a three-time MLA, has represented Mumbadevi for the past three terms. Known as the 'Bhendi Bazar ka Badshah', Patel is a prominent figure in Mumbai's political landscape, particularly in the areas of Muslim community welfare. He is seeking re-election in 2024 but faces a formidable opponent in Shaina NC, who is entering the fray as a candidate for the Shiv Sena alliance. Shaina NC, a former BJP leader and fashion designer-turned-politician, has been campaigning with a promise of bringing non-corrupt and non-controversial leadership to the constituency. In a classic Bollywood-style quip, Shaina boldly asserts, “Mera naam hai NC,” highlighting her reputation for being 'non-corrupt' and 'non-controversial'. Mumbadevi (Constituency No. 186) is one of 36 constituencies in Mumbai, with a history of intense competition between the Congress and BJP. The seat has traditionally been dominated by these two major parties, with the Congress holding it for the last three assembly elections. In the 2019 elections, Amin Patel secured a comfortable victory, marking his third consecutive term as the MLA for Mumbadevi. The constituency has a significant Muslim voter base, which has played a pivotal role in past elections. This demographic is expected to once again be a key factor in determining the outcome of the 2024 polls. Patel, with his long-standing ties to the community, will be hoping to retain their support, while Shaina NC is working to appeal to a broader voter base with her non-controversial image. Shaina’s shift from BJP to Shiv Sena, followed by her entry into the Mahayuti alliance, has made this contest even more intriguing. Despite her political debut in a new party, Shaina is banking on her image as a strong woman leader who has worked to empower the women of Kamathipura, Mumbai’s infamous red-light district. Her association with Shiv Sena, a party with deep roots in Mumbai politics, is expected to strengthen her position in the region. However, the contest has not been without controversy. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant recently stirred a political storm when he referred to Shaina as “imported maal,” a remark that drew sharp criticism. Sawant later issued an apology, but the incident has added a layer of drama to the election race. Mumbadevi is home to a large Muslim electorate, which will be a crucial factor in determining the winner in this high-stakes election. Historically, the Muslim vote has been a strong base for Congress, and Amin Patel has been successful in retaining their support over the years. However, with Shaina NC’s entry into the race, the dynamics of the Muslim vote could change. Her attempts to project herself as a leader free from corruption might resonate with some voters, potentially splitting the vote. Mumbadevi has seen a mix of outcomes in previous elections: 1990-2009: The seat was consistently held by Raj K. Purohit from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 2009-2019: Amin Patel won the seat in the last three assembly elections.None

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Thiago Messi, the eldest son of the Argentina star, has made his debut in the “Newell’s Cup” tournament in the countryside city of Rosario. The 12-year-old Messi played with the No. 10 jersey of an Inter Miami youth team, which lost 1-0 on Monday to host Newell’s Old Boys in the traditional under-13 competition. The team also played Tuesday. Lionel Messi took his first steps as a footballer in the Argentinian club in Rosario, 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of capital Buenos Aires. Thiago's mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several members of his family, including grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were in the stands to watch him play. Lionel Messi did not attend. Thiago, who was substituted in the second half, played with his friend Benjamín Suárez, son of Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, Messi's teammate and close friend at Barcelona and now at Inter Miami. Messi and Suárez are in Rosario after Inter Miami’s early elimination in the MLS playoffs. On Sunday, they watched a friendly game of Inter Miami's U13 team against Unión at the same sports complex. The youth tournament in Argentina brings together eight teams from North and South America. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer