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365 slots game The relationship between President Joe Biden and House Democrats appears to have grown strained after the president backtracked on his previous refusal to pardon his son, Hunter Biden. Multiple House members told Axios this week that tensions were already brewing between the commander in chief and Democrat lawmakers, but the pardon sent many “over the edge,” one senior House Democrat told Axios. “People are really angry,” the representative, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said. They estimated that “more than 50 percent” of their fellow House Democrats are frustrated about Biden’s sweeping December 1 pardon for Hunter, a move he repeatedly claimed he would not make. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) chose to speak on the record, saying the Biden-House Democrats relationship is “I don’t think great” when asked about it. WATCH — White House Insisted Joe Biden Wouldn’t Pardon Hunter Right After Trump Won Election: Another source of the tension seems to be the perception that Biden cost Democrats the presidential election after staying in the race until July. “I think there’s a widespread sense that he took too long to get out and that it made it very difficult for Vice President Harris to run the most impactful campaign,” Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL) told the outlet. Another senior House Democrat pointed out that “some of the frustrations about Harris’ loss have to do with Biden.” “Geez, you know, he stuck around longer than he probably should have,” the member added. According to Landsman, the president got “a ton done” during his time in office, but there are “legitimate questions as to whether or not he should have served one term and been done” and added that Biden should have talked through the pardon decision “with others outside of his family.” WATCH — Jill Biden: “Of Course” I Support Pardon for Hunter Biden: A third senior House Democrat confirmed to Axios that “there’s definitely some tension” about the pardon, which came just before the younger Biden was set to face sentencing for gun charges, according to the Associated Press. “There is a lot of frustration with Biden’s about-face,” yet another House member added, referring to Biden’s lies about not pardoning his son and his 2020 pledge to act as a “bridge” to ensure the success of newer Democrats. “I am unplugging from Biden right now,” a fifth House Democrat told Axios when asked about the president. Yet another member lamented how tarnished Biden has become by this drama. “There’s certainly frustration with the Biden administration, and in some ways the most frustrating part is some of us really love Joe Biden,” the source told Axios. “And the feeling is: Why do you have to go out like this?”

Ten years of Labor rule in Victoria has changed the state. Login or signup to continue reading Under premiers Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan, Victoria has embarked on a decade-long infrastructure agenda and raft of Australian-leading social reforms. But no state had more COVID-19 lockdowns, net debt is climbing and the government has faced a series of scandals, as well as criticism over its lack of transparency and accountability. The Big Build, social change and scandal The Andrews government ministry was sworn in after Labor ended four years of Liberal rule under Denis Napthine and Ted Baillieu on November 29, 2014. The 2014 state election was effectively a referendum on Melbourne's East West Link project. Mr Andrews had pledged to rip up the contract to build the contentious toll road if Labor was victorious and ordered the suspension of all work in his first weeks as premier. The state's auditor-general later found the total cost of cancelling the project topped $1.1 billion. To soften the blow, Labor promised to build the Metro Tunnel and remove 50 level rail crossings. While over budget, the Metro Tunnel is due to open to fanfare in 2025 and the level crossing removal program has been expanded and hailed as one of Labor's greatest achievements. Socially, Victoria enacted laws to ban anti-abortion protesters harassing women outside clinics and became the first state to pass voluntary assisted dying laws in 2017. But it wasn't long until the government was in turmoil. Minister Adem Somyurek stood down after being accused of bullying, Steve Herbert quit cabinet for using his taxpayer-funded driver to chauffeur his two dogs and former speaker Telmo Languiller and his deputy Don Nardella were exposed rorting an allowance for country members. The biggest scandal of the lot was "red shirts rorts". A 2018 ombudsman investigation found 21 past and present Labor MPs breached parliamentary guidelines by wrongly approving $388,000 in taxpayer funds be spent on campaign staff before the 2014 election. The money was repaid by the party and no charges were laid by police. Nonetheless, Labor swept to a second term with a huge majority in what was known as the "Danslide". Second-term blues Bushfires, a global pandemic and a high-profile corruption probe knocked Labor's second term off course. After setting up a royal commission into the state's "broken" mental health system, Victoria was plunged into one of its worst bushfire seasons in memory. The 2019-20 black summer bushfires burned more than 1.5 million hectares of Victorian land, killing five people and razing more than 400 homes. But the scale of the devastation paled in comparison to what came next. Mr Andrews declared a state of emergency in March 2020 as COVID locked down the entire country. As Victoria was cautiously reopening, cases leaked out of the state hotel quarantine system, sparking a second COVID-19 lockdown for Melbourne that ultimately ran for 112 days. The premier, ministers, bureaucrats and agency officials fronted a judicial inquiry into hotel quarantine breaches, but none said they could recall whose idea it was to use private security. In June 2020, Mr Andrews sacked Mr Somyurek from his cabinet - following his return to the frontbench in 2018 - after Channel Nine aired allegations of branch stacking and a recording of him using offensive language about a ministerial colleague. He was the first of four ministers to depart in the fallout. A subsequent report by the corruption watchdog and ombudsman exposed misuse of taxpayer resources but again did not recommend any criminal charges. In the middle of the separate crises, Mr Andrews spent 111 days off work after fracturing his spine and breaking several ribs in a fall. He and other MPs also became the target of fierce, and at times violent, opposition to pandemic-specific laws passed in late 2021 following Melbourne's sixth and final lockdown. The COVID-fuelled community anger and division did not dent Labor electorally as Mr Andrews steered it to another thumping win. Axing the Commonwealth Games, sacked MPs and leadership change Cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games in regional Victoria was among Daniel Andrews' final acts as premier. He called a snap press conference in July 2023 to pull the pin on the event, citing estimated costs blowing out from $2.6 billion to between $6 billion to $7 billion. In September 2023, just days after handing down a landmark housing statement , Mr Andrews announced his retirement from politics, paving the way for heir apparent Ms Allan to replace him. Both Mr Andrews and Ms Allan forced backbench MPs Will Fowles and Darren Cheeseman out of the Labor party room over past instances of alleged misconduct, reducing its numbers in the lower house. Mr Fowles was investigated by police but not charged, while Mr Cheeseman has not publicly addressed complaints of inappropriate behaviour towards female staff. Ms Allan's first 12 months in the top job were dogged by a parliamentary inquiry and journalists probing the decision to cancel the Games. She confirmed lawyers were hired to provide advice on Victoria withdrawing on June 14 2023, a full month before the Games decision was announced. The premier denied misleading Victorian parliament on June 13, when as the then responsible minister she told a budget estimates hearing the state was making "tremendous progress" on delivering the Games and gave no indication of budgetary concerns. The auditor-general later estimated that abandoning the event cost the state more than $589 million, including a $380 million settlement. Ms Allan has since backflipped on several controversial policies backed by her old boss, including plans to set up a supervised injecting room in Melbourne's CBD and raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14. The long-serving Bendigo East MP has instead staked her premiership on housing, repeatedly describing herself as a builder not a blocker. For all the controversy surrounding construction of the Suburban Rail Loop, a proposed 90km rail line orbiting Melbourne, a planned statue of Mr Andrews might be the government's most contentious build. State premiers who spent more than 3000 days in the top job are immortalised in bronze statues outside government offices in central Melbourne, under a rule introduced by former Liberal premier Jeff Kennett. The process to install one for Mr Andrews is under way. Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” Europe's economy needs help. Political chaos in France and Germany means it may be slower in coming BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe's economy has enough difficulties, from tepid growth to trade tensions with the U.S. Dealing with those woes is only getting harder due to the political chaos in the two biggest European countries, France and Germany. Neither has a government backed by a functioning majority, and France could take a while yet to sort things out. But some problems aren't going to wait, such as what to do about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's America First stance on trade and how to fund stronger defense against Putin's Russia. ‘Moana 2’ cruises to another record weekend and $600 million globally “Moana 2” remains at the top of the box office in its second weekend in theaters as it pulled in another record haul. According to studio estimates Sunday, the animated Disney film added $52 million, bringing its domestic total to $300 million. That surpasses the take for the original “Moana” and brings the sequel's global tally to a staggering $600 million. It also puts the film in this year's top five at the box office. “Wicked” came in second place for the weekend with $34.9 million and “Gladiator II” was third with $12.5 million. The 10th anniversary re-release of Christopher Nolan's “Interstellar” also earned an impressive $4.4 million even though it played in only 165 theaters. Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok as soon as next month, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Executive of Tyler Perry Studios dies when plane he was piloting crashes in Florida ATLANTA (AP) — The president of Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios has died when the small plane he was piloting crashed on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The studio confirmed on Saturday that Steve Mensch, its 62-year-old president and general manager, had died Friday. The crash happened in Homosassa, about 60 miles north of Tampa. Photos from the scene show the plane having come to rest upside down on a road. Mensch helped advocate for Georgia’s film tax credit of more than $1 billion a year. Perry hired Mensch to run his namesake studio in 2016. Mensch died as Perry released his war drama, “The Six Triple Eight." The film was shot at the Atlanta studio. US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs report NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, just enough top the all-time high set on Wednesday, as it closed a third straight winning week in what looks to be one of its best years since the 2000 dot-com bust. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8% to set its own record. Treasury yields eased after the jobs report showed stronger hiring than expected but also an uptick in the unemployment rate. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass NEW YORK (AP) — In an era when online anger and social tensions are increasingly directed at the businesses consumers count on, Meta last year spent $24.4 million to surround CEO Mark Zuckerberg with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. And experts say the task of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them is getting more difficult. One of the primary worries are loners whose rantings online are fed by others who are like-minded. It’s up to corporate security analysts to decide what represents a real threat. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus The U.S. government has ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows. The Agriculture Department on Friday said raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16. Testing will begin in six states — California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania. The move is aimed at eliminating the virus, which has infected more than 700 dairy herds in 15 states.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Riley Allenspach and Trey Fort scored 15 apiece in Samford's 72-47 victory over Austin Peay on Sunday. Allenspach shot 6 of 12 from the field and 3 for 4 from the line for the Bulldogs (9-2). Fort went 5 of 9 from the field (5 for 8 from 3-point range). The Governors (4-5) were led by Darius Dawson with 18 points. Akili Evans added 10 points and three steals. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Dow Jones Futures: Nasdaq Bucks Slide As Fed Meeting Looms; Is Nvidia An AI Laggard?

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Riley Allenspach and Trey Fort scored 15 apiece in Samford’s 72-47 victory over Austin Peay on Sunday. Allenspach shot 6 of 12 from the field and 3 for 4 from the line for the Bulldogs (9-2). Fort went 5 of 9 from the field (5 for 8 from 3-point range). The Governors (4-5) were led by Darius Dawson with 18 points. Akili Evans added 10 points and three steals. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

MALAGA, Spain (AP) — The last man to face — and beat — Rafael Nadal in professional tennis, 80th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp , converted his 10th match point Friday to finally close out a 6-4, 6-7 (12), 6-3 victory over Daniel Altmaier and help the Netherlands reach its first Davis Cup final by sweeping Germany. Tallon Griekspoor, who is ranked 40th, sealed the 2-0 win for the Dutch in the best-of-three-match semifinal by hitting 25 aces and coming back to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4. When it ended, appropriately, on an ace, Griekspoor shut his eyes, dropped to his knees and spread his arms wide.Reports: Bill Belichick interviews for North Carolina job

The relationship between President Joe Biden and House Democrats appears to have grown strained after the president backtracked on his previous refusal to pardon his son, Hunter Biden. Multiple House members told Axios this week that tensions were already brewing between the commander in chief and Democrat lawmakers, but the pardon sent many “over the edge,” one senior House Democrat told Axios. “People are really angry,” the representative, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said. They estimated that “more than 50 percent” of their fellow House Democrats are frustrated about Biden’s sweeping December 1 pardon for Hunter, a move he repeatedly claimed he would not make. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) chose to speak on the record, saying the Biden-House Democrats relationship is “I don’t think great” when asked about it. WATCH — White House Insisted Joe Biden Wouldn’t Pardon Hunter Right After Trump Won Election: Another source of the tension seems to be the perception that Biden cost Democrats the presidential election after staying in the race until July. “I think there’s a widespread sense that he took too long to get out and that it made it very difficult for Vice President Harris to run the most impactful campaign,” Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL) told the outlet. Another senior House Democrat pointed out that “some of the frustrations about Harris’ loss have to do with Biden.” “Geez, you know, he stuck around longer than he probably should have,” the member added. According to Landsman, the president got “a ton done” during his time in office, but there are “legitimate questions as to whether or not he should have served one term and been done” and added that Biden should have talked through the pardon decision “with others outside of his family.” WATCH — Jill Biden: “Of Course” I Support Pardon for Hunter Biden: A third senior House Democrat confirmed to Axios that “there’s definitely some tension” about the pardon, which came just before the younger Biden was set to face sentencing for gun charges, according to the Associated Press. “There is a lot of frustration with Biden’s about-face,” yet another House member added, referring to Biden’s lies about not pardoning his son and his 2020 pledge to act as a “bridge” to ensure the success of newer Democrats. “I am unplugging from Biden right now,” a fifth House Democrat told Axios when asked about the president. Yet another member lamented how tarnished Biden has become by this drama. “There’s certainly frustration with the Biden administration, and in some ways the most frustrating part is some of us really love Joe Biden,” the source told Axios. “And the feeling is: Why do you have to go out like this?”

Brad Little fields questions from Idahoans on immigration, social security, more during town hall

After in Seoul, when critics of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yol came within five votes of the number needed to impeach him, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) pledged to persist with its impeachment efforts while the ruling to navigate the ongoing crisis. What comes next, and how will this situation shape the broader domestic and international political landscape? To explore these questions, Asia Times spoke late Saturday with , leader of the Sonamu Party and a former senior lawmaker from the Democratic Party. was also the mayor of Incheon and led the DP from 2021 to 2022. Q: A: First, within the People Power Party, there remains a deep-seated trauma from the impeachment of former conservative President Park Geun-hye. Many lawmakers fear that if President Yoon falls, the entire conservative camp could collapse alongside him. Additionally, they are determined to block any scenario in which liberal opposition leader Lee Jae-myung could ascend to power following Yoon’s potential ouster. Viewing the current crisis through a partisan and political lens, the PPP perceives the impeachment motion as an existential threat. [The PPP leader] Han Dong-hoon’s opposition to impeachment is perplexing, though, particularly since he was targeted for arrest under Yoon’s martial law. His ambiguous stance underscores his lack of political acumen and gravitas. The so-called Han Dong-hoon faction is not blindly loyal to him, especially as he isn’t even a member of the National Assembly. Instead, they appear to be assessing the broader political landscape. Han’s inability to articulate a clear position or inspire confidence cements his reputation as a politician devoid of leadership. The core issue, I believe, lies in the ongoing parliamentary efforts to seek a special counsel probe against Kim Keon-hee, the first lady. To shield his wife, Yoon issued an emergency martial law declaration, effectively creating a “bulletproof” defense. Beyond this immediate motive, it reflects Yoon’s consistent approach since taking office — branding leftists as anti-state forces and suppressing political dissent. Yoon’s latest gambit, however, does not appear to be a spontaneous decision but rather a premeditated act. Yoon recently appointed his close confidant and high school alumnus, Kim Young-hyun [Kim then resigned on December 4], as minister of defense and established a private network comprising Yoon’s key allies, including Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min [he resigned on December 8] and Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung [he was dismissed on December 6)] This group played a pivotal role in facilitating the declaration of martial law on Tuesday. South Korea’s legislative branch is legally untouchable, even under martial law. While a martial law decree can place the executive and judiciary under its command, the National Assembly retains its autonomy. South Korean law explicitly ensures legislative oversight in such situations. Article 4 of the Martial Law Act mandates that the president notify the National Assembly immediately after declaring martial law. If the Assembly is not in session, the president must seek a parliamentary session to deliberate on the declaration without delay. Under Yoon’s directive, these legal safeguards were blatantly disregarded. Not only did the military barricade the National Assembly to block lawmakers’ entry, but armed soldiers forced their way into the main building, attempting to arrest politicians. The marital law command also breached the building housing the National Election Commission, an autonomous institution. Such actions represent a flagrant violation of constitutional order and amount to a clear act of insurrection. A special investigation headquarters has been established to probe President Yoon’s martial law declaration. The headquarters must swiftly summon key figures and uncover further details about the events of this week. For example, broadcaster MBC recently that the Yoon administration may have attempted to provoke a limited war by striking North Korean targets in retaliation for the regime’s trash-filled balloon attacks. If this is substantiated, it would constitute a serious felony, tantamount to treason, which could pave the way for the president’s removal under Article 84 of the Constitution. In the case of former President Park, an investigation into her many scandals was conducted before the impeachment bill was voted on. Given the ongoing investigations against Yoon, impeachment would become more viable if the evidence supports such a course. [President Yoon has now been in the December 3 insurrection case]. By staffing government agencies, the ruling party and the presidential office with a pro-Yoon prosecutorial clique, Yoon has effectively created a “republic of prosecutors.” This faction, operating under his guidance, has undermined South Korea’s democratic norms by using its power to shield the president and his family from criminal liability, suppress press freedom and silence opposition and dissent. I have long argued that, even if the Yoon administration falls, little will change as long as Han Dong-hoon, with his equally prosecutorial mindset, remains the leader of the ruling party. What is urgently needed along with Yoon’s ouster is a fundamental overhaul of our prosecutorial system. We welcome Washington reaffirming that the foundation of the South Korea-US alliance is democracy, which is crucial. However, as a sovereign nation, South Korea has no obligation to give prior notice, regardless of the legitimacy of the martial law. First, I emphasized that the use of nuclear weapons should never be considered under any circumstances. Second, I expressed that heightened military cooperation with Russia and North Korea should not lead to escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. I also stressed the importance of a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine. First, Yoon’s rationale for supporting Ukraine is rooted in Cold War-era rhetoric: a battle between communism and democracy. However, Russia is no longer a communist state. It’s essentially a democratic republic, the Russian Federation, which former President Yeltsin defended against a communist coup. Putin has inherited that legacy, and Russia’s political landscape has moved beyond the communist ideology. Second, Ukrainians are ethnically closely related to Russians, and historically, Crimea was transferred to Ukraine as a gift by former Soviet leader Krushchev. Furthermore, the port of Sevastopol in Crimea is the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. As such, Ukraine’s situation differs significantly from that of the Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — or the Scandinavian countries. Third, from Russia’s perspective, NATO’s eastward expansion, despite the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and promises from Washington not to expand, is a significant security concern. Moscow has repeatedly stated that Ukraine’s potential NATO membership is a redline, but these concerns have been largely ignored, with the US welcoming Ukraine’s entry. If we consider Russia’s position, it mirrors Washington’s obstinate rejection of Soviet missiles in Cuba. Of course, I publicly criticized Russia when the war broke out in 2022, and I even made a small personal donation to Ukraine. But in diplomacy, it’s crucial to listen to all parties involved. South Korea should maintain diplomatic relations with both Kyiv and Moscow and focus on bringing an end to the conflict rather than taking sides and advocating for an extended war. As a country that shares a border with Russia, how can South Korea afford to make Russia an enemy? South Korea already struggles to manage the complexities of dealing with North Korea on its own and relies on cooperation with the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. Making Russia an adversary, therefore, is not a prudent course of action and should be avoided in favor of a more balanced and sound foreign policy.TSS, Inc. senior VP sells $377,852 in stockATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Senate Republicans recommended on Friday that the state write laws banning transgender girls and women from participating in high school and college sports, setting the stage for action in the 2025 legislative session. The vote by a committee that was studying the issue is hardly a surprise. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — a possible Republican contender for governor in 2026 — announced almost identical goals at the panel's first meeting in August . It’s an issue that’s already been addressed in Georgia. Legislators in 2022 empowered the Georgia High School Association to regulate transgender students' participation in sports. The association, which regulates sports and activities for all public schools and some private schools, then banned transgender boys and girls from playing on the school sports teams matching their gender identity. Jones and others argue that doesn't go far enough and that lawmakers themselves need to act. It's a sign Republicans believe there is more political gain in fears about transgender women playing women’s sports or using women’s bathrooms. At least 26 mostly Republican states have passed laws or rules to restrict transgender girls from participating high school sports and, in some cases, transgender women from college sports , according to the Movement Advancement Project, a gay rights group. In Georgia, additional action appears more likely now after House Speaker Jon Burns and Gov. Brian Kemp, both Republicans, have voiced support for further legislation. Jeff Graham, executive director of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Georgia Equality, said his group is playing defense, concerned about the possibility of other bills that could further restrict gender-affirming care or ban transgender people from using public bathrooms that match their gender identity. “We’re expecting that it’ll be at least what we saw in 2023 and 2024, with the number of bills and more than likely laws,” Graham told reporters Friday. But Burns, from Newington, has said he's not interested in other bills dealing with transgender people besides those dealing with girls' and women's sports. Republican State Sen. Greg Dolezal, of Cumming, who led the Senate study committee, said Friday that he, too, is not interested in a broader bill regulating bathroom usage, although his committee recommended that schools that host sporting events require athletes to use locker rooms based on their assigned sex at birth. Dolezal said senators would seek to write legislation that regulated public schools and colleges, as well as private institutions that compete against public schools and colleges. The committee also recommends that people be able to sue or file grievances if schools break the rules, and that state money be withheld from schools that break the rules. Supporters of more action have focused on the 2022 NCAA women’s swimming championships at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, where Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, swam for the University of Pennsylvania and won the 500-meter freestyle . The NCAA has since revised its policy on transgender women’s participation, saying it will follow the rules of respective athletics federations. World Aquatics, the swimming governing body, banned transgender women who have been through male puberty from competing in women’s races. That means Thomas wouldn’t be allowed to swim in NCAA events today. “My basic contention that this is a solution in search of a problem remains,” Graham said. He said he fears that many people who oppose laws that seek to restrict transgender people will be afraid to testify and lobby at the Georgia Capitol, citing assault charges against a man accused of shaking U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in a Capitol office building in Washington, D.C. Dolezal repeatedly tried to turn down the emotional temperature of the issue on Friday. “I think that there’s a group of people that wants to be respected and I think that they deserve respect,” Dolezal told reporters. “But I also think that you can be respectful, but also recognize that in the sporting arena, fairness and competition is important.”

Drones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightings

WASHINGTON (AP) — A machinists strike. Another safety problem involving its troubled top-selling airliner. A plunging stock price. 2024 was already a dispiriting year for Boeing, the American aviation giant. But when one of the company's jets crash-landed in South Korea on Sunday, killing all but two of the 181 people on board, it brought to a close an especially unfortunate year for Boeing. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and aviation experts were quick to distinguish Sunday's incident from the company’s earlier safety problems. Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines who is now a consultant, said it would be inappropriate to link the incident Sunday to two fatal crashes involving Boeing’s troubled 737 Max jetliner in 2018 and 2019. In January this year, a door plug blew off a 737 Max while it was in flight, raising more questions about the plane. The Boeing 737-800 that crash-landed in Korea, Price noted, is “a very proven airplane. "It’s different from the Max ...It’s a very safe airplane.’’ For decades, Boeing has maintained a role as one of the giants of American manufacturing. But the the past year's repeated troubles have been damaging. The company's stock price is down more than 30% in 2024. The company's reputation for safety was especially tarnished by the 737 Max crashes, which occurred off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019 and left a combined 346 people dead. In the five years since then, Boeing has lost more than $23 billion. And it has fallen behind its European rival, Airbus, in selling and delivering new planes. Last fall, 33,000 Boeing machinists went on strike, crippling the production of the 737 Max, the company's bestseller, the 777 airliner and 767 cargo plane. The walkout lasted seven weeks, until members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers agreed to an offer that included 38% pay raises over four years. In January, a door plug blew off a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight. Federal regulators responded by imposing limits on Boeing aircraft production that they said would remain in place until they felt confident about manufacturing safety at the company. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration regulators who approved the 737 Max. Acting on Boeing’s incomplete disclosures, the FAA approved minimal, computer-based training instead of more intensive training in flight simulators. Simulator training would have increased the cost for airlines to operate the Max and might have pushed some to buy planes from Airbus instead. (Prosecutors said they lacked evidence to argue that Boeing’s deception had played a role in the crashes.) But the plea deal was rejected this month by a federal judge in Texas, Reed O’Connor , who decided that diversity, inclusion and equity or DEI policies in the government and at Boeing could result in race being a factor in choosing an official to oversee Boeing’s compliance with the agreement. Boeing has sought to change its culture. Under intense pressure over safety issues, David Calhoun departed as CEO in August. Since January, 70,000 Boeing employees have participated in meetings to discuss ways to improve safety. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Mumbai wakes up to layer of smog; AQI in 'moderate' category